Following on from the initial post http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11111. These come from the 2010 Sydney Wine Show public tasting session.
I need to preface these tasting impressions with a disclaimer too: All wines were tasted at wine show speed, with suitably wine show like variability for the scores.
Onto the wines:
Helm Premium Riesling 2009 (Canberra district)
Silver Medal
Green, sherbety with just a touch of nettles and lemon grass. It's actually quite a green nose, ans surprisingly so given the generous palate, which is typically full and perhaps a bit broad. Still, no questioning the quality here. For my palate, this is best drunk now. 17.5/91
Meerea Park Alexander Munro Semillon 2009 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Bronze Medal
Tough going drinking this now, and doing the wine no justice. But you get that. Anyway, this has a quite grassy, straw and green apple nose that is very typical and perfectly correct. The palate is tight, lean and super dry with little generosity to speak but shedloads of length. Vinfanticide. I don't have enough plus signs really. 16.5/88+++
Meerea Park Terracotta Semillon 2009 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Bronze Medal
No surprises, with the extra citrussy plumpness doing wonders for this Semillons drinkability, notable after the AM above. Long, melon fruit and quite a rich mid palate makes this a very likeable wine indeed. Still great length too. 18/93
Tyrrells Belford Semillon 2009 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Bronze Medal
I've got another couple of these in the cellar and after this, I'm very much looking forward to it. Sherbety, zippy and passionfruit drenched nose with a lovely lemony palate & firm, 'shit yeah' acidity. Wonderful Semillon. 18.1
Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2009 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Silver Medal
For my palate, this needs a decade to be drinkable. I probably shouldn't be trying it until its a ten yr old then. Still can't past the hale bale characters either. Leave. 16/87++
Crawford River Riesling 2004 (Henty, Vic)
Gold Medal
Delicious. Quite toasted, honeysuckle nose showing some aged characters. Palate is surprisingly rich and full, with lots of gentle lemony fruit and orange rind edges. Soft, natural and effortless. Tasty. 18/93
Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling 2005 (Eden Valley, SA)
Bronze Medal
Really classic, almost Clare like toasty lime juice nose, but with a very serious, steely palate. A++ acidity. Long and flavoursome and seriously fine. One of the best Contours. 18.7+/95
Leasingham Classic Clare Riesling 2005 (Clare, SA)
Silver Medal
Lemon lime and sour fruit juice. Awkward after the epic Pewsey before it. Sour. A good wine, but overshadowed here. 16.5/88
Brokenwood ILR Semillon 2004 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Gold Medal
Sorry Riggsy, but I struggle just a little to love your Semillons. Honeyed, lanolin nose with quite some bottle aged development. Palate is advanced and just a bit chubby. I opened up a second bottle to confirm and it was similar - just a bit 'clumsy'. 15.5/86
Yarra Burn Bastard Hill Chardonnay 2008 (Yarra Valley, Vic)
Gold Medal
Speaking of Mr Riggs, chief judge at this Sydney Wine Show, he singled out the two 2008 vintage Chardonnay classes as the highlights of the show. Couldn't agree more. Hooray for Chardonnay!
Intense, full worked, malo & butter nose, with prominent, but seriously fine oak that is a major part of this wines character. More power to it, for the balanced acidity on the palate and real length makes this a wine with so much going for it. Yes! 18.5/94
Paringa Estate 'The Paringa' Chardonnay 2008 (Mornington Peninsula, Vic)
No Medal
Big, intensely oaky nose, with a monstrous amount of expensive, nutty oak and sour fruit. A big, alcohol wine, but with plenty of length. Still can't help but feel that this is too OTT and will likely fall over soon. Torn with the score then. 16.5/89
Yabby Lake Block 6 Chardonnay 2008 (Mornington Peninsula, Vic)
No Medal
He's on fire is that Tom Carson. This is one very restrained and fresh Chardonnay, with older oak? on the nose and backed by a crisp and minerally palate. Just a fillip of vanilla, otherwise its all dry and understated. I like it. 18/93
Heggies Reserve Chardonnay 2008 (Eden Valley, SA)
Bronze Medal
Funky! Wild, sweet and sour, bubblegum and buttered melon wine with so much going on that it throws up a different smell every time. Too much going on perhaps? 17.2/91
Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz 2005 (Barossa, SA)
Bronze Medal
I loved the 2004. Absolutely loved it. Bought numerous bottles (and I am a tight ass, mixed dozen man, so multi bottle purchases only happen with seriously good booze) and would buy more. But this.... This isn't as good. Intensely choc berried, its very ripe and varietal sure, but also surprisingly forward and short. Just not long enough & stamped with simplicity. Nope. Hold? 16.5/88+
Voyager Estate Tom Price Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Margaret River, WA)
Bronze Medal
I had this next to the Jack Mann of the same vintage and was quite amazed at their similarities. But not quite in a good way. Call me a traditionalist (or a wanker, whatever) but from Margaret River I want at least a suggestion of varietal character and not just lots of ripe fruit. This could have really been from anywhere, and for $120 I want alot more than that. Finishes hot and thick too. 16/87
Paringa Estate 'The Paringa' Shiraz 2008 (Mornington Peninsula, Vic)
Gold Medal
Great. Excellent cool climate modern Shiraz. Lovely black spice and pepper on the nose, with a meaty but very fragrant nose. A beautiful nose actually. Heaps of meat and redcurrant on the palate. couched in serious extract. Heaps of flavour and great length. Worth purchasing. 18.7/95
Yalumba Tricentenary Grenache 2008 (Barossa, SA)
Silver Medal
Meaty red cherry & roast pink lamb nose. Delicious Grenache fruit nose. Plump and full if a little rubbery (good old reductive Grenache) on the palate with credible length. Good stuff. 17/90
Phillip Shaw No.8 Pinot Noir 2007 (Orange, NSW)
No Medal
Really bright & forward red fruited Pinot with quite sweet, pretty if slightly sticky Pinot fruit. Good. 16.9/89
Lerida Estate Lake George Pinot Noir 2008 (Canberra district)
No Medal
Slightly stewed, tomato leaf smelling Pinot, showing a mix of both under and overripe fruit that jar on the palate. No. 15.4/85
Yalumba Single Site Lyndoch Shiraz 2006
Bronze Medal
Deep and quite fragrant in the slightly cooler Lyndoch style. Choc bounty bar and dark purple, gummy fruit. Great sub regional expression. Lovely wine. 18/93
Yalumba Single Site Eden Valley Shiraz 2006
Bronze Medal
Another great & thoroughly authentic Yalumba red. Dark chocolate and formic fruit nose with that briary, bitter choc blackness of Eden Shiraz fruit. Olive, a hint of menthol and black fruit on the palate. Nice form. Really good. 18.1/93
Michael Hall Eden Valley Syrah 2007
No Medal
Sourced from the wonderful Flaxmans Valley, this is a lovely, artisan Shiraz that has made the very best out of what was a shocking vintage. It's obviously handcrafted and smells like it from the get-go, with a wild, quite sweet fruited characters topped with a slight stink and some very pretty cranberry aromatics and a hint of caramel. The briary, medium weight, what-Shiraz-Viognier-is-meant-to-taste-like-even-though-this-is-a-straight-Shiraz flavours on offer here are wonderfully elegant and balanced, if slightly shortened by the hard vintage. Looking forward to seeing further releases of this wine. 17.8/92
Brokenwood Mistress Block Shiraz 2007 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Silver Medal
Much preferred the 06 (now), but this will smash it in time. Very polished and chocolatey, with upfront, super clean fruit. Squeaky clean and ripe, if perhaps too much polish and not enough spittle. It will get better and stinkier in time, and I'd happily stick some away in anticipation. 17.5/91++
Bests Thomson Family Shiraz 2008 (Grampians, Vic)
Bronze Medal
A waste tasting this now, and it showed very little of its goodies. Still, this is intensely flavoured and frighteningly young, and already super smooth and seamless. Very dense and surprisingly sweet too. Long termer. 17.6/91++
Gralyn Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Margaret River, WA)
Silver Medal
Classic Gralyn. High tolerance of super toasty oak required, but if you can get past that there lies seriously good fruit under them bows. Even shows some varietal herbaceousness in there too. Chocolate and love. But, and its a big but, that oak stamps all over the finish, drying everything out with its chocolateness, and leaving a slightly bad taste in the mouth. Caricature? Maybe. Talking Point? Yes. Bound to win fans? Yes. 17.3/90
The Wilson Vineyard Polish Hill River Riesling 2009 (Clare Valley, SA)
Silver Medal
Very toasty and quite advanced given its age, with honeyed edges. Palate is awkward, sweet and sour with toasty palate richness that seems to clash with the fruit. Tough stage perhaps, but not super cohesive now. 16.5/88
Eden Springs High Eden Riesling 2009 (Eden Valley, SA)
No Medal
Green pea fruit, forward, fat and dull palate finishes very short. Disappointing. 14.8/83+
Tyrrells HVD Semillon 2009 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Bronze Medal
Very clean, if soapy and quite muddled nose. Very sour, intense and quite chewy palate. Hard acid. Typically hard going. Requires patience and an eye for where this will go. 16/87++
Yalumba 'The Reserve' 2004 (Barossa, SA)
Bronze Medal
Looking back at my notes now, I tasted this at the 2009 Sydney Wine Show, and scored it similarly. Simply put, this is a typically brilliant Yalumba dry red in the hearty, oaky, effortlessly powerful style that is easy to love. Choc formic beast of a nose, with a very dry, extractive and tannic palate. Its gruff, firm, old fashioned but so unquestionably high quality that any love of Barossan reds should love it. I do. 18.6/95
Yalumba 'The Reserve' 2005 (Barossa, SA)
Silver Medal
Lighter and less opulent than the 05, it's a much simpler, chocolatey and far less tannic wine. It's a quite plain wine in comparison, though viewed in isolation, this is still a fine, fine wine. 17.5/92
d'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz 2004 (Mclaren Vale, SA)
No Medal
Meaty and formic nose, this wine was obviously marked down due to some obvious brett. Palate falls away too, with telltale metallic brettiness through the tail. I don't mind low dose brett, but this wasn't particularly enjoyable at all. 15.0/84
Tyrrells HVD Semillon 1999 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Silver Medal
Still straw green/yellow in colour and looking vibrant. Neutral nose, and neutral start to the palate, that becomes broader & richer as it progresses. Gentle and more-ish style, lemony and soft, if lacking the real definition of the finest wines. Highly drinkable though. 17.3/91
Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon 1999 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
Bronze Medal
Perhaps the 99's are in an awkward stage, as I'm sure this was a top flight wine last time I tried it. Toastier, more open and larger than the HVD, perhaps with a bit of a grassy edge too. Dry, long and powerful palate with some unusual, green pea meets butter development on the palate. Rather awkward shape actually. Leave it. 16.8/89++
Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2008 (Margaret River, WA)
Silver Medal
Another of the much hyped 08 vintage Chardonnays, this is a lovely wine. Clean, with obvious nutty oak on the nose that pans out to reveal grilled nuts and a whiff of melon. It's a really fine modern Chardonnay nose, with everything in order. Palate is sour, long and dry with complexity and sophistication. Tight now, but with plenty of scope for development. Could happily drink this immediately. Buy some. 18.2/93++
Picardy Chardonnay 2008 (Pemberton, WA)
No Medal
Quite, warm and neutral, citrus nose, with a dry, understated and mealy palate that is so backward it hurts. Nice texture and good acid, but plainly underdone. 16.3/87+
Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2008 (Margaret River, WA)
No Medal
The companion piece for the Vasse above, and I went back and tried them together for perspective, confirming that both are fine, fine wines. Spiced vanilla oak nose, with more overt oak sweetness but again much to like. Dry long and persistent palate is just a bit bigger than the Vasse, but hard to separate on the quality scale. I think the Vasse might live longer though. Regardless, this is another Chardonnay winner. 18.2/93
De Bortoli Yarra Valley Syrah 2008 (Yarra Valley, Vic)
No Medal
Another quality, interesting cool climate Shiraz. Pan juices and pepper on the Pinotish nose. Spicy, whole bunch influenced red with peppery aromatics and a dry, elegant and layered palate. Acidity pokes out a bit, but so much to like here. Rhone comes to the Yarra Valley! 18/93
Andrew