Hi Good Peoples,
You know the drill; its that time of the week again. Lits, vibes or TN welcome.
Sunday/Fathers Day
Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 06 - very nice easy drinking wine
Meara Park Shiraz 07 - some nice fruit to the fore but not in the same league as the yalumba - something not quite right with the wine - bandaids! - brett - bugger
Tatachilla Shiraz 06 noice wine but better the first night
Mt Pleasant Elizabeth 00 - very nice golden yellow colour a little oily on the palate but nice citrus taste.
Sandalford Cabernet 02 - WOTW - from a poor vintage this was a spectacular wine with rich fruit but not OTT very enjoyable downside - only one bottle left
cheers
Seddo
Meara Park Shiraz 07 - some nice fruit to the fore but not in the same league as the yalumba - something not quite right with the wine - bandaids! - brett - bugger
Tatachilla Shiraz 06 noice wine but better the first night
Mt Pleasant Elizabeth 00 - very nice golden yellow colour a little oily on the palate but nice citrus taste.
Sandalford Cabernet 02 - WOTW - from a poor vintage this was a spectacular wine with rich fruit but not OTT very enjoyable downside - only one bottle left
cheers
Seddo
A small moment during the week showed the extent to which screwcaps have become accepted in Australia at least - went to a pub for tea - ordered a bottle of 2005 Rockford Rod and Spur Cabernet Shiraz , the barman , without thinking , tried to wrench the screwcap off - no luck as it is sealed with cork. I grinned politely.
1999 Ashton Hills Riesling : I bought a case of this on release , back then it was fair to describe it as " battery acid " - now it is blossoming , perhaps 70% mature on the Pelican maturity scale and that acid is now keeping the wine lively as it ages. Very good.
1999 The Willows Vineyard Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon : pain in the ass crumbly cork - I've had quite a few of these crumbly soft corks from wines like this that are not that old , mostly from the mid 1990's. I did get this at auction so maybe whoever cellared this has conditions that make the cork go soft ? Who knows. Anyway the wine was good. More regional than varietal like many a Barossa Cabernet' but that's no bad thing. Has that sense of " earth " that is one of the factors that for me puts the fine in fine wine.
1999 Ashton Hills Riesling : I bought a case of this on release , back then it was fair to describe it as " battery acid " - now it is blossoming , perhaps 70% mature on the Pelican maturity scale and that acid is now keeping the wine lively as it ages. Very good.
1999 The Willows Vineyard Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon : pain in the ass crumbly cork - I've had quite a few of these crumbly soft corks from wines like this that are not that old , mostly from the mid 1990's. I did get this at auction so maybe whoever cellared this has conditions that make the cork go soft ? Who knows. Anyway the wine was good. More regional than varietal like many a Barossa Cabernet' but that's no bad thing. Has that sense of " earth " that is one of the factors that for me puts the fine in fine wine.
My first father's day... ah, celebrated well.
Kooyong Clonale Chardonnay 07
Crisp, fresh, lemon rind and pith, a terrific QPR wine. Love it.
Williams Crossing Pinot Noir 2006
Another exceptional QPR wine. This nails it for $20. Love it.
Irvine Albarino 2007 Grilled nuts, nougat, peach, lemon, very textural with savoury nuance but quite full bodied and rounded with a lasting impression of fruit. Very drinkable/
Mount Mary Pinot Noir 2001
Quite murky in appearance, very earthy, rounded and with plenty of fruit character. Excellent length but lacking obvious structure.
Clayridge Excalibur Pinot Noir 2005
Hyperactive style, quite lifted, some confection characters a bit distracting.
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2004
Awesome, camphor, spice, tobacco, Old Gold chocolate, rolled up in a Barossa coloured silken cloak. Nice.
Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz 2003
Meat, mint, spices. Good, not great.
Kooyong Clonale Chardonnay 07
Crisp, fresh, lemon rind and pith, a terrific QPR wine. Love it.
Williams Crossing Pinot Noir 2006
Another exceptional QPR wine. This nails it for $20. Love it.
Irvine Albarino 2007 Grilled nuts, nougat, peach, lemon, very textural with savoury nuance but quite full bodied and rounded with a lasting impression of fruit. Very drinkable/
Mount Mary Pinot Noir 2001
Quite murky in appearance, very earthy, rounded and with plenty of fruit character. Excellent length but lacking obvious structure.
Clayridge Excalibur Pinot Noir 2005
Hyperactive style, quite lifted, some confection characters a bit distracting.
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2004
Awesome, camphor, spice, tobacco, Old Gold chocolate, rolled up in a Barossa coloured silken cloak. Nice.
Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz 2003
Meat, mint, spices. Good, not great.
Last edited by Wayno on Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cheers
Wayno
Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.
Wayno
Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.
Isle of Jura single malt - my favourite drop. Salt and iodine with smokey overtones.
97 St Henri - drinking exceptionally well. Very fine tannins with lovely berry fruit. I decided to leave my 96's in the cellar for a few more years.
99 Noble one - a lucious wine that tasted of toffied fruits. honey, apricots.
97 St Henri - drinking exceptionally well. Very fine tannins with lovely berry fruit. I decided to leave my 96's in the cellar for a few more years.
99 Noble one - a lucious wine that tasted of toffied fruits. honey, apricots.
Nothing is so effective in keeping one young and full of lust as a discriminating palate thoroughly satisfied at least once a day.
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Daryl Douglas
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 7:23 pm
- Location: Nth Qld
Stonier Chard 04 ramped up the complexity equation from the Gulf Station 06 that preceded it. Last bottle - absolute never-to-be-seen-again bargain for $12. Mealy, malo, lees characters are obvious, coconutty, cashew, guava, ripe peach, with a bit of breathing some honeycomb without the sweetness. Oak is there as evidenced by the coconut/honeycomb/cashew characters - this is about as developed as I'd like to see it so I'm glad I opened it. It's been more worked in the winery than the Gulf Station 06 but is quite interesting nonetheless. A bit too much of everything for me. My current preferred chard quaffer is the Charles Sturt Uni 07.
Paxton AAA Shiraz Grenache 06 Wasn't sure what to expect of this, it being a bit of a departure for me. Oak is nicely integrated as are the two varieties of fruit. Shows it's McLaren Vale origin with some plummy shiraz notes, a lick of dark chocolate and licorice, lightened by the grenache with some red and dark cherry characters. It's a bright, friendly, quaffable wine with good fruit depth and a medium finish. Ripe, dusty tannins provide background structure. Good value for $20.
Thorn Clarke Quartage 06 Nuff said. But the cabernet is obvious by the fine drying tannins on the finish.
Cheers
daz
Paxton AAA Shiraz Grenache 06 Wasn't sure what to expect of this, it being a bit of a departure for me. Oak is nicely integrated as are the two varieties of fruit. Shows it's McLaren Vale origin with some plummy shiraz notes, a lick of dark chocolate and licorice, lightened by the grenache with some red and dark cherry characters. It's a bright, friendly, quaffable wine with good fruit depth and a medium finish. Ripe, dusty tannins provide background structure. Good value for $20.
Thorn Clarke Quartage 06 Nuff said. But the cabernet is obvious by the fine drying tannins on the finish.
Cheers
daz
Last bottle of Kingston Estate Reserve Sparkling Merlot 1998 - I've enjoyed everyone of these and this was probably the best over the last 7 years. KE sent them to me when I complained about one of their other wines that wasn't up to scratch. I've haven't seen so much sendiment in the bottom of a bottle before.
Better half gave me the 1001 wines to try before you die book for Father's Day - have tried 41 - just 960 to go!
Better half gave me the 1001 wines to try before you die book for Father's Day - have tried 41 - just 960 to go!
At an instore on Saturday:
Petaluma 'Hanlin Hill' Riesling 2008 From a superb white vintage, this is a very good release from this label. Its typically limey in its aromatics, if still a little closed on the nose. The palate is tight and incredibly grunty - There is some serious citrussy power to the palate, with a whack of phenolic grip to back it up. Acidity is strong and well handled and the overwhelming impression is of another smart wine. 18.5
Petaluma Viognier 2007 I've never appreciated this wine, and this just further confirms it. The aromatics are tight and a little reticent to show themselves at first. The palate is also lean and somewhat unfocused, with the fruit really not making enough of an impact to be convincing. Middling and expensive. 16.5
Petaluma Chardonnay 2006 I'm putting it out there right now - I've not been impressed by this in a long time. This does nothing to help the situation. On the nose it is plain with grainy, ugly soapy oak covering the faintly peachy fruit. The palate has an excellent acid backbone, but otherwise has little of remark to excite, the awful oak continuing onto the palate. No. 15.5
Petaluma Shiraz Viognier 2006 I tasted this, but I have no notes and I only remember thinking that it was good, but not great and rather expensive. NR
Petaluma Coonawarra 2005 Bang! Everything snaps back into focus with this wine. Its a caricature of modern Coonawarra Cabernet. The nose is focused blackberry, stewed plum and dark chocolate, the palate is both fruit heavy but with a linear, perfectly defined structure to back it up. Excellent balance, the tannins and fruit here fight a happy fight and the future is assured. It deserves a place in the cellar and will be very long lived. An excellent vintage for this wine. 18.7
Petaluma Merlot 2004 I'm just a little unsure of this wine. On the nose it is very cedary, with a quite cool, stalky nose. The palate is lean and slightly astringent, the whole package feeling like a work in progress. However there is tannins and acidity to burn and I actually think this may end up somewhere nice with a few yrs under the belt. Maybe. 17
Andrew G
Petaluma 'Hanlin Hill' Riesling 2008 From a superb white vintage, this is a very good release from this label. Its typically limey in its aromatics, if still a little closed on the nose. The palate is tight and incredibly grunty - There is some serious citrussy power to the palate, with a whack of phenolic grip to back it up. Acidity is strong and well handled and the overwhelming impression is of another smart wine. 18.5
Petaluma Viognier 2007 I've never appreciated this wine, and this just further confirms it. The aromatics are tight and a little reticent to show themselves at first. The palate is also lean and somewhat unfocused, with the fruit really not making enough of an impact to be convincing. Middling and expensive. 16.5
Petaluma Chardonnay 2006 I'm putting it out there right now - I've not been impressed by this in a long time. This does nothing to help the situation. On the nose it is plain with grainy, ugly soapy oak covering the faintly peachy fruit. The palate has an excellent acid backbone, but otherwise has little of remark to excite, the awful oak continuing onto the palate. No. 15.5
Petaluma Shiraz Viognier 2006 I tasted this, but I have no notes and I only remember thinking that it was good, but not great and rather expensive. NR
Petaluma Coonawarra 2005 Bang! Everything snaps back into focus with this wine. Its a caricature of modern Coonawarra Cabernet. The nose is focused blackberry, stewed plum and dark chocolate, the palate is both fruit heavy but with a linear, perfectly defined structure to back it up. Excellent balance, the tannins and fruit here fight a happy fight and the future is assured. It deserves a place in the cellar and will be very long lived. An excellent vintage for this wine. 18.7
Petaluma Merlot 2004 I'm just a little unsure of this wine. On the nose it is very cedary, with a quite cool, stalky nose. The palate is lean and slightly astringent, the whole package feeling like a work in progress. However there is tannins and acidity to burn and I actually think this may end up somewhere nice with a few yrs under the belt. Maybe. 17
Andrew G
-
winetastic
- Posts: 889
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:51 pm
- Location: Sydney
Two really good and inexpensive wines at a family dinner for me this week:
Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 1997 The best "lizzie" I have tried to date, developed toasty characters, lovely backbone of acidity, a little bit of citrus, drinking at its peak. A bargain on the secondary market right now too, ~$15.
Hoffmann's Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Not overly varietal but shows some lovely fruit and was a superb match to eye fillet steak with a green peppercorn sauce. The tannins have softened and its ready to drink.
Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 1997 The best "lizzie" I have tried to date, developed toasty characters, lovely backbone of acidity, a little bit of citrus, drinking at its peak. A bargain on the secondary market right now too, ~$15.
Hoffmann's Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Not overly varietal but shows some lovely fruit and was a superb match to eye fillet steak with a green peppercorn sauce. The tannins have softened and its ready to drink.
My highlights over the past week:
Arcadian "Sleepy Hollows" PN 2003 (On a brief visit to San Francisco last week.) I'm totally inexperienced with Cal PN, but am guessing this isn't stereotypical -- if anything seemed Central Otago in style / weight. Nicely balanced, and all round excellent.
Clearview Reserve Chardonnay 2001 One of the good bottles -- looking pretty advanced, but fitting my picture of excellent aged HB chard -- intense, good but not over the top acid, still the vanilla from the oak, but in its place ...
Clearview Noble Chardonnay 2004 Interesting that we don't seem to see dessert chardonnays from elsewhere, as this is a style that I enjoy (also tasted a good one of Millton's on the weekend).
Cheers
Peter
Arcadian "Sleepy Hollows" PN 2003 (On a brief visit to San Francisco last week.) I'm totally inexperienced with Cal PN, but am guessing this isn't stereotypical -- if anything seemed Central Otago in style / weight. Nicely balanced, and all round excellent.
Clearview Reserve Chardonnay 2001 One of the good bottles -- looking pretty advanced, but fitting my picture of excellent aged HB chard -- intense, good but not over the top acid, still the vanilla from the oak, but in its place ...
Clearview Noble Chardonnay 2004 Interesting that we don't seem to see dessert chardonnays from elsewhere, as this is a style that I enjoy (also tasted a good one of Millton's on the weekend).
Cheers
Peter
Luke W wrote:Last bottle of Kingston Estate Reserve Sparkling Merlot 1998 - I've enjoyed everyone of these and this was probably the best over the last 7 years. KE sent them to me when I complained about one of their other wines that wasn't up to scratch. I've haven't seen so much sendiment in the bottom of a bottle before.
Better half gave me the 1001 wines to try before you die book for Father's Day - have tried 41 - just 960 to go!
Luke you will live a long life !!!!! Please keep me up to date as to when you complete this ride 
Regards DazzaSome people slurp it,others swill it,a few sip on it,some gaze at it for hours ,enough now wheres the RED
Hectic last week, but managed:
2003 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay
Simply awesome. Much better the second day.
2007 Bay of Fires Pinot
Quite enjoyable, though a touch heavy.
2008 Petaluma Riesling
Hmmm, expected alot more from this. Did not seem to have the depth and structure this maker usually produces.
Cheers,
Monghead.
2003 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay
Simply awesome. Much better the second day.
2007 Bay of Fires Pinot
Quite enjoyable, though a touch heavy.
2008 Petaluma Riesling
Hmmm, expected alot more from this. Did not seem to have the depth and structure this maker usually produces.
Cheers,
Monghead.