November - What have you been buying

[Maroon&Blue]

G'day

Not surprisingly, having spent that past two weeks in Queensland, I'll tell you what is following us back to Perth:

Witches Falls: This winery apparently won some award for best white or best Chardonnay for their 2006 Chardonnay ($18). We bought a lot of it when we were in Queensland last year (and drank it) prior to the award being given. This time, we bought a few bottles more but also bought some of the 2007 wild ferment Chardonnay, which is actually a better wine ($25).

We also drank their standard Cabernet (balanced and light enough for Sue's palate) ($22) in Brisbane, while their Prophesy Cabernet (2006, $45) should arrive here soon. A few bottles of both Chardonnays met their demise in Brisbane as well. This is our pick for Queensland wineries. We don't like all of the wines, but we buy what we like.

Robert Channon wines: Robert and his wife Peggy are delightful people to meet, and the afternoon we spent there will remain in my memory for the fine detail: Robert going to the rose garden out front and preparing a yellow rose for my mother in law (80th birthday), Tony who runs the kitchen being so fastidious with the food, and the family allowing Sue's 12 y.o. son to exercise the dogs and miniature horses to his (and their) hearts content. They certainly went the extra mile....

... and we bought wines accordingly. Once again, their 2006 Chardonnay (American oak - $16.50) was not bad. There is a lot of wine on Robert's list that is not available for tasting - however, I asked Robert if he had an open bottle of the 2007 ($18.50 - which won a trophy at some small Winemakers show, and Halliday thinks is wonderful). He didn't, but he offered to pull one out at cellar temperature, and I think I surprised him when I accepted, and said that we would get a better understanding of the wine at that temperature.

We bought a case of the 2007 as a result, and enjoyed most of the rest of that sample bottle with lunch (unchilled). We also bought their Pinot Gris which is not something I usually go for, but Sue picked up on it, and I agree with her on this occasion. At $22.50 a bottle, it's not cheap, but for us it is a good balance between stonefruit and savoury.

The big disappointment for me was Ballandean Estate. I know I asked forumites to give me opinions on where to go, and Ballandean was 'the big one' in most people's eyes. Not for me. Apart from the SSB (which, let's face it, I can get better in WA) the wines weren't varietal or enjoyable, and I think a couple of them were actually unsound (reds). Having said that, I was not enamoured of Robert Channon's reds either.

Cheers

Allan

Quick post of recent trip to Granite Belt:

IMHO the quality has improved & I believe that certain winemakers are producing acceptable wine albeit sometimes too pricy!

I was impressed with the following & suggest that other forumites take the plunge & try some of these wineries:

1. Symphony Hill - very impressed with their Pinot Gris, Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot & Petit Verdot.

2. Pyramids Road - Verdelho 2008 good, Bernies Blend a nice red blend!, & a Mourvedre was interesting.

3. Robinsons - wooded chardy, shiraz & cabernet quite acceptable.

4. Bungwarra - 2007 Gewurtztraminer, 06 Shiraz & Cabernet both good.

5. 08 Golden Grove Sauvignon Blanc was OK but around $26 bit pricy!

6. Ridgemill Estate - very impressed by their Tempranillo.

Unfortunately we too were not that impressed by Ballandean Est.

We enjoyed our quick visit to the area & but found some CD's were not open! Others offered comprehensive tasting sessions & in many cases the winemakers were on duty.

Cheers

Ronaldo

[bacchaebabe]

Received my Rockfords order:
6*06 Basket Press Shiraz
3*NV Black Shiraz
3*08 Alicante Bouchet

From Woodlands:
2*05 Colin Cab Sav
3*06 Margaret Reserve Cab Merlot
3*07 Chardonnay
4*07 Cab Merlot

And from a large barn;
2 dozen mixed moscatos mostly gone now.
There might have been 2 or 3 Brand Laira Blockers Cab Sav current vintage - whatever it is.

[redwine]

I got a few good ones.....

1 x Jim Barry Armagh 1993
1 x Jim Barry Armagh 1996
1 x Chateau Margaux 1988
2 x Chateau Cheval Blanc 1974
1 x Quintarelli Amarone 1983
1 x Artadi Pagos Viejos Reserva 1995
24 x Stellenzicht Syrah 1995

Cheers and happy drinking.

[Lee]

6x Dalrymple Pinot 2007
6x Tulloch Private Bin Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz 2006
6x Tulloch Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz 2006
6x Petersons Champagne House mix

Better get that cellar built!

[Daryl Douglas]

6xBlue Poles Hopping Stone Tempranillo 07
2xTahbilk Tempranillo 07
3xTahbilk Shiraz 05
2xTahbilk Cab Franc 07
1xTahbilk 96 Cab/Shiraz
1xTahbilk Roussanne 04
3xTahbilk Roussanne 08
12xMike Press Cab 07
12xCharles Sturt Uni Chard 07

plus some standbys, cheapies: JC Chard 07, JC Shiraz/Cab 06, JC Riesling 07, Taylors Cab 06, Taylors Shiraz 06, Ingoldby Chard 06; all drinking very well in the qpr stakes. Halliday rated the JC blend (<$6) 90pts and the Ingoldby Chard (I've had plenty of it already, <$11) 92pts, the latter having won a trophy+gold (that I wasn't aware of until buying the latest bottle) for best commercial white wine at the 2007 Melbourne show.

Mike Press Cab 07 and the CSU Chard 07 are acknowleged great vfm wines. Haven't tasted the MP 07 yet but CM rates it a bit better than the 06 I've swilled plenty of, and a similar quantity of the CSU 07.

There's always bloody good-drinking wines at good prices if the trouble is taken to seek them out. Tahbilk 2008 Roussanne received the Trophy for "Best Alternative Variety" at the 2008 Victorian Wines Show plus a Gold Medal at the Rutherglen Show (<$12). It equals Tahbilk Riesling as my favourite white/s from the winery. Though, watch for museum releases of the 00 marsanne - it was a cracker when young.

I'm looking forward to comparing the Tahbilk Temp (<$13) to the Blue Poles. The latter's more expensive, but I've tried it and it's worth the price ($22 plus $10 freight for less than a dozen, otherwise free). I'm informed the Hopping Stone scored a third in class, top bronze and highest rated tempranillo of four at the recent MR show, a great result imo. I'm looking forward to a first taste of Mark's Allouran Merlot Cab Franc 06 - may compare it to the Tahbilk Cab Franc. I guess the limited quantity available will naturally limit the number of shows the Hopping Stone is entered in but I wouldn't be surprised if it picks up some more gongs at specialist/small-maker/alternative variety shows.

Yes, I do think that performance in regional/alternative variety shows as well as major shows is an indicator of the relative quality of a wine. It's up to the individual to decide whether the region/variety is what suits the individual palate rather than automatically rejecting show results as being irrelevant. Brian having been a show steward at the National show, isn't averse to mentioning significant awards garnered by wines. I've seen some less than complimentary opinions of wines that aren't entered in shows by the makers for fear they'll be compromised by "lesser" wines.

Halliday rates the Tahbilk Shiraz 05 ($16.15) 93pts. I've seen earlier vintages rated much lower. The 04 has been advertised as low as $13.90 but think the 03 is better, agree with Halliday. Their Cab Franc I've not tried for years so I thought it was about time to try it again and the Cab Shiraz 96 sounds interesting. The Shiraz 86 I shared with Allan was, after time in glass, enough air, amazingly youthful with classic varietal/regional shiraz fruit, probably my WOTY, as was the bottle I had late last year.

Taylors Cab 06 needs some air. When it's breathed a bit it's reasonably varietal and as with other recent vintages, a quite powerful wine but lacks finesse. Surprisingly the Shiraz 06, just after opening, is much more savoury than was the Cab 06 that was more fruity-sweet. Both have charry, cedar oak on their good-length finishes, perhaps some more vanillin notes, less char for the Cab. Still, good value for <$13. The Cab has better balance for me.

I bought a 6pk of Seppelt Chalambar 06 recently for a net cost of <$13 (just - incl $5 freight) but I did have a $30 voucher to apply to the purchase price so it was about $18 regular price - others have found it sans credit voucher for about $15, an absolute bargain given it's rrp of about $28. It was delivered after 5/11 when I went on rec leave so I'll count it as a November purchase. Perhaps an earlier drinker than the 04, though I think it could be better albeit with a shorter cellaring potential (the 04's tannins were more prominent at the same age), the 06 is also a very good value wine for <$20.

Cheers

daz

[Mahmoud Ali]

2004 Langmeil 'The 1843 Freedom Shiraz'

Cheers.......Mahmoud

[GrahamB]

06 Rockford BP
08 Disg Rockford Black
04 Rockford Moppa Springs
06 Ballycroft Small Berry Shiraz
05 Kabminye Kahl's Shiraz
06 Kabminye Grenache Carignan

[Daryl Douglas]

2004 Langmeil 'The 1843 Freedom Shiraz'

Cheers.......Mahmoud

[hmmm]

6x Dalrymple Pinot 2007

6x Petersons Champagne House mix

Better get that cellar built!

i had lunch out at petersons the other day, i was greatly disappointed by all their wines... given, i didn't try the above mentioned wine, have you had the chance to taste it yet? what do you think?

6x 02 hanlin hill
4x 86 john riddoch
3x 00 jasper hill georgia's