First Sunday of 09.....

[TORB]

Hi Good Peoples,

Its that time of the year/week.

Hopefully some people will be returning to work this week and can come back and contribute, because its been pretty quiet around here recently.

Please let us know what you have been drinking lately. Tasting notes, vibes, impressions, or what ever, all welcome.

[dlo]

Happy New Year to all!

Since last week I've been at Lismore (almost painfully humid and hot) to play at the 63rd National Jazz Convention and not a drop of wine consumed (did have a few cleansing ale's though).

However, last night I finally managed to open a bottle of 1991 Orlando Lawson's Padthaway Shiraz, a medium-bodied wine brimming with pristine small black berries, new saddle leather, some well-integrated spicy vanillin oak and a decorum befitting a much younger example. Beautifully balanced and superbly delineated, this classic Aussie red displays all the hallmarks of superior grapes sourced from a terrific vintage, moulded in well-seasoned, quality oak by a talented winemaker. 93 points.

[Pelican]

HENSCHKE Blanc de Noir NV Lenswood ( $48 ) : crown seal. Pale straw colour. A blend of 10 vintages of Pinot Noir to celebrate Henschkes 140th. Reasonably understated. Rather fine. Commendably sealed with the crown top - still wonder why most sparkling wines still use cork - perhaps the Oz wine industry signed some mega billion cork deal years ago and have to use 'em up ??? Also would have liked to have tried the Yarra Yering crown sealed sparklings that were recently released covering 1994 , 1995 and 1996 but due to financial constraints at $75 each I did not.

1996 ASHTON HILLS Pinot Noir ( cellar ) : my "epiphany wine" - when the penny dropped about how great wine can be. Bought a case on release - this was the last one. Had been stored properly and was a lovely lively complex Ashton Hills Pinot. 12.7 % alc. Not as great as the 1997 Reserve but pretty good. Also the only wine I've lost a bottle through a dropped on the cellar floor accident ( tip - don't go into your cellar/storage space intoxicated )- besides that one all eleven drank over the last 10 years or so were most enjoyable.

[Adair]

Copying and pasting from my Excel spreadsheet that I am using to count my cork, screwcap and diam success in January.

NV Lanson Sparkling - Under Cork - Corked
1996 Lanson Sparkling - Under Cork - Fruit is really starting to mature. This is not a long term proposition. 90/100
2006 Yarra Burn Sparkling - Diam - Impressive. 90/100
NV Browns Brothers Sparkling - Under Cork - Before all awards. 90.5/100
NV Browns Brothers Sparkling - Under Cork - With awards on bottle. Not as complex but still impressive for price. 90/100
2001 Kreglinger Sparkling - Under Cork - Corked
2001 Kreglinger Sparkling - Under Cork - Very complex. Bready and yeasty. Impressive. 91/100
2004 Clover Hill Sparkling - Under Cork - Broad 88/100
2005 Wombat Lodge Cabernet Merlot - Screwcap - Impressive reflection of Margaret River in flavour and upfront structure, but price shows on the back palate with lack of focus through the palate. $12 88/100
2003 Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon - Screwcap - Yay! Elizabeth finally under screwcap. Shame about the vintage. Actually not that bad. Very complex in flavour but the flavours aren't harmonious, particular with its crushed herbs and lanolin. Could come around but I feel it needs more citrus power and length. 87/100

Adair

Edited once to change rating of 1996 Lanson from 92/100 to 90/100, as the fruit was so mature and broad after 24 hours in the fridge that it started to cloy. It was still complex enough and showing enough quality oak to keep a 90/100 rating though, but "drink yesterday" would be an appropriate comment based on this bottle - as discussed below, it is very possible this is due to poor storage.

[Adair]

HENSCHKE Blanc de Noir NV Lenswood ( $48 ) : crown seal. Pale straw colour. A blend of 10 vintages of Pinot Noir to celebrate Henschkes 140th. Reasonably understated. Rather fine. Commendably sealed with the crown top - still wonder why most sparkling wines still use cork - perhaps the Oz wine industry signed some mega billion cork deal years ago and have to use 'em up ??? Also would have liked to have tried the Yarra Yering crown sealed sparklings that were recently released covering 1994 , 1995 and 1996 but due to financial constraints at $75 each I did not.

Hi Pelican,
Is this available in any retail outlets, or it is cellar door only?
Thanks,
Adair

[Gary W]

1996 Lanson Sparkling - Under Cork - Fruit is really starting to mature. This is not a long term proposition.

I had one of these last month from my own stock, purchased (I think) in 2006. Good colour.Fresh as a daisy, teeth numbingly acidic but a very good wine. I'll not be drinking another for 10 years...
GW

[griff]

1996 Lanson Sparkling - Under Cork - Fruit is really starting to mature. This is not a long term proposition.

I had one of these last month from my own stock, purchased (I think) in 2006. Good colour.Fresh as a daisy, teeth numbingly acidic but a very good wine. I'll not be drinking another for 10 years...
GW

Had one on New Years and very similar. Needed to drink it warmer to balance the acidity. Excellent stuff and we were thinking 5 to 10 years before revisiting. Must be variation. I find that so frustrating about Champagne!

cheers

Carl

[Adair]

Interesting.

I actually still have a bottle in the cellar bought quite a while ago based on my tastings around the same time. It looked as if it would go the long term.

This particular bottle was bought on 2nd January 2009, as a replacement upgrade for the NV Lanson actually. It looked "relatively" tired, but let's say mature.

I have wondered about why there is all of a sudden a heap of these 1996 Lanson Golds In retail stores. After Stevenson's 95/100, I would have thought they would be all gone, especially considering its price of $60 here in Sydney.

Something a bit fishy here maybe?!

Heat on this batch?!

Maybe I should stop buying wines under cork!

Adair

[TORB]

I had a bottle of Lanson 96 last week too.

Acid fresh but won't last long term as the rest is reasonably well developed. I would put it in the drink sooner rather than later category. It was purchased a few months ago.

[Gary W]

Would appear that recent shipments are more advanced - on speculation sounds like poor storage. Fosters used to import Lanson, now it's Woolworths. The Fosters stock very backwards.
GW

[Waiters Friend]

Edwards (Margaret River) Cabernet Sauvignon 2006: Screwcap. Opened on a whim (well, actually Sue's whim!) last night and way too young. Despite triple decanting (i.e. into decanter, back into bottle, then back to decanter) the nose was muted and simple, with a little blackcurrant fighting to get through. Palate is a little more forthcoming, but I wish I had waited at least 1-2 years more, and will do so with the remaining bottles.

Heafod Glen (Swan Valley) Viognier 2006: Clean, light in colour, and not over the top with the dried apricot that can characterise viognier. Enjoyable, but not going to get any better - drink up!

Cheers

Allan

[JamieH]

these are my notes from a few months ago from work.
the Gold label has lost none of its vibrancy (yes even at 12 yrs old), instead it has gained extra complexity of pears, brioche, ripe red apples and cinnamon, complementing Lansons signature citrus fruits and brilliantly refreshing acidity.

i've had discussions with a few regulars who have had the same bottle variation issues, some fresher than others, but none past it. i must have got a fresher example. about shipments, as far as i know Woolies have no 1996 left except whats in stores now, Lanson said the next shipment would be 1997 (which is pretty good!). there has been some parrell importing going on, but who knows where that stock has come from.

by the way enjoyed a nice bottle of Pommery NV last night, lovely balanced Champange, one of the better fruit driven styles i've had.

[kwattro]

Craggy Range Zebra Pinot Noir 2006: Strawbery, with beautiful floral and vanilla aroma. It leaves a lovely fragrance aftertaste. I had this wine with roast duck at a restaurant where they charge $10 a glass - a bargain!

De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2008: Fruity, with long soft tanin - it's an easy wine to drink - can't complain for $10 pb.

[Roscoe]

Rymill Cabernet Sauvignon 1998
May have had some low level tca. Just ok. Will try another bottle soon. May be very good if tca was the issue.
Thomas Shiraz 2003
This seems to be in a beefier style than the usual Hunter, due no doubt to some McLaren Vale fruit. Excellent.
Leconfield Cabernet 2002
Very good, typical but lighter Coonawarra cab. Drink over next 2-3 yrs.
Hugo Shiraz 2005
Struck me as being very peppery and spicy, not typical for MV. Good.
Happy New Year everyone

[Aaron]

05 Pegasus Bay Chardonnay: Yellow-green, intense nose- lemon tart, custard, guava, icy butter. Palate shows Burgundian match-stick characters & very rich, intense fruit. Actually quite a viscous wine- lemon curd, vanilla, creamy palate but very firm, fresh acid finish. Very enjoyable, textured, complex and intense with good length.

05 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling: Very pale gold, lovely complex nose- floral notes, apricot, orange, rosewater. Intense on the palate- full with slight residual sweetness, pristine fruit and crisp acid finish. Mouthfilling and refreshing, and I would think a quite versatile wine.

NV Larmandier Bernier Champagne Rose de Saignee: Very dark colour, half way between regular rose champagne and a young red Burg. Dusty, savoury nose with raspberry notes. Super dry and crisp on the palate. I suspect very little (or Zero) dosage. Fresh, spritzy tight acid finish and noticeable tannins. This may improve with another 2-3 years- not really sure. Needs food.

04 Trimbach riesling: Light straw colour. Chalky, slatey lemon notes follow onto a balanced, tightly focused palate- focused fruit and a crisp, restrained finish. Refreshing entry level wine, and good value.

96 Lanson Champagne: Light straw, fresh nose- slight yeast and floral complexity. Very fresh palate with quite intense acid, but not unbalanced (IMO). Great length and fresh finish, again good value and I think still available for around $75.

01 Chateau Fonroque St Emillion Grand Cru: Nice colour, slightly aged hues. Initially a little astringent, but really opened up after about an hour. Tobacco, smoky meaty beef stew notes. Balanced palate, clean fruit with persistent but soft, integrated tannins. Drinking well now, and at 13.5 % alc, didn't go down like cough syrup in the warmer weather last night.

06 Franz Kunstler Steilweg "Alte Reben" Riesling Trocken: Light-mid yellow, soft nose displays rich fruit. Palate lingers nicely with subtle but intense gentle fruit. Not as lively as some of the other Kunstlers but very enjoyable.

[Red Bigot]

96 Lanson Champagne: Light straw, fresh nose- slight yeast and floral complexity. Very fresh palate with quite intense acid, but not unbalanced (IMO). Great length and fresh finish, again good value and I think still available for around $75.

It is available for $64.99 in 6-packs with free freight, PM me if you want details.

[Sean]

deleted

[Adair]

FWIW - Regarding the 1996 Lanson - my bottle above was bought last week at Coles (First Estate) - $59.99 each by the six-pack - but I would not recommend buying any based on my bottle, unless you were to drink it right now.
Adair

[JamieH]

Seems Adairs bottle could be one of those suspect parallel imports jobs i mentioned earlier.

[Aaron]

Thanks guys for the info.
The bottle I had was purchased about 18mths ago. Bought a six-pack, have 3 left. I just saw the posts above regarding this wine!
I would say regarding the ones I've had so far they've been reasonably consistent, and fresh. Having said that, I probably will finish the remaining ones over the next 2-3 years. I understand the view that the fruit may not hang in as long as the acid (and tend to agree it's a risk), so rather than take that risk....what's the saying? "better to taste potential than lament loss"

[dusan]

Hi Good Peoples,

Its that time of the year/week.

Hopefully some people will be returning to work this week and can come back and contribute, because its been pretty quiet around here recently.

Please let us know what you have been drinking lately. Tasting notes, vibes, impressions, or what ever, all welcome.

Hi,

I have just joined this forum and thought to contribute with my selection this season:

Wirra Wirra 12 man chardonnay 2007 - very nice, a bit wooded but subtle and complex.
Yering Station Pinot Rose 2008 - very refreshing and full, dry taste
Capercallie Orange Merlot 2003 - very smooth, excellent merlot
Jim Barry Riesling 1997 magnum - holds well, beautiful honey taste, very well to drink on QLD summer.
Primo estate La Biondina Colombard/Sauvignon 2008 - refreshing, lime, passionfruit, another excellent summer drink.

[griff]

Just want to say welcome to Aaron and dusan to the forum. Glad to have you onboard!

cheers

Carl

[wolf]

2001 Cullen Diana Madeleine: Possibly my best wine experience to date. Impenetrable colour. Nose leapt out of the glass with dark fruits, tabacco leaf, hint of oak. Incredible palate weight that I can still taste. No wonder JO gave it 97.

2008 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc: Very good, but not as good as the 2005. Pleasant passionfruit/gooseberry flavours, slightly lacking in intensity.

[ACG]

Would appear that recent shipments are more advanced - on speculation sounds like poor storage. Fosters used to import Lanson, now it's Woolworths. The Fosters stock very backwards.
GW

I had a bottle of Fosters stock on Christmas day to and it was a cracker with years ahead of it.

[Roscoe]

Just want to say welcome to Aaron and dusan to the forum. Glad to have you onboard!

cheers

Carl

Ditto
And Happy New Year

[Wayno]

Steingarten Riesling 2002
Getting a bit yellow and developed these days, some honeyed notes but lots of rich lemon and floral character as well. Very nice, but losing the steely backbone it once proudly strutted. I'm still very much a fan of this, just not wetting my pants over it as I once might have.

[Adair]

2008 Petaluma Riesling - Screwcap - Excellent in many ways but nothing interesting. Obviously made with the most risk-free Riesling winemaking possible. 90/100

2008 Lark Hill Riesling - Screwcap - Seriously interesting. My first bottle after tasting at the cellar door, and it is offering more. Intense sweet limes with lemon pith, florals and minerals harmoniously balanced against more residual sweetness than is usual for Lark Hill, who always show a hint of residual sweetness, but the power of the fruit and structure request it with flavour and sweetness heightened and melded by fine, refreshing, bright acidic structure. Superbly focussed, it still needs to and will fill out its back palate more. Will improve over the next 12 months and 12 years. 94/100 - Although totally different styles, this is second only to Clonakilla so far for me from the great Canberra 2008 Riesling vintage... with Helm a possibility of catching up in 10 years, but Helm's Premium is still too elemental at the moment for me.

Adair

[Adair]

2001 Cullen Diana Madeleine: Possibly my best wine experience to date. Impenetrable colour. Nose leapt out of the glass with dark fruits, tabacco leaf, hint of oak. Incredible palate weight that I can still taste. No wonder JO gave it 97.

Great to read this. I was confidently waiting for a great review of this wine in 2009... after a number of negative posts in 2008. I will keep my stash stashed away a little longer.
Adair

[Tucker Wine Studios]

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 3 Sauvignon Blanc 2007: Excellent wine, very strong gooseberry flavors. Found the wine very ripe, full and rich and enjoyed it even more when it was chilled a little bit more.

Lawnbrook Vineyard Bickley Valley Grenache Pinot Noir 2003: Very interesting (odd) blend that was sold at the The Packing Shed in the Perth Hills. Very fruity but still a dry, light coloured wine. Chilled a very delicious summer wine, much better than many rose wines. Also liked their 2002 PN.

Mount Horrocks Clare Valley Cordon Cut Riesling 2008: Light golden colour. On the palate moderately sweet but definitely more sweet than just semi-sweet. Quite delicious but got also a little bit irritated by a slightly cheesy flavour. This wine also has a somewhat raw acidity that causes a slightly scratchy throat. Finish is also a little bit short. Not entirely convinced. I wonder how this might taste in 20 years time.

Happy Drinking,
Mario

[Waiters Friend]

"Sean - 2003 Tahbilk Marsanne - This has more of a light gold colour, but it’s still bright and fresh, with some lovely sweet fruited, honeysuckle flavours and typical acidity as well. This btl was easily the pick of the 6 pack of Marsanne for me."

Sean, did you go through a Tahbilk Marsanne vertical as part of a tasting exercise? Or in a group situation? I suppose what I am getting at is did you buy a Tahbilk vertical pack and work your way through it? In one night? Not single-handed?

Cheers, and no offence meant at all

Allan