Weekend Drinking Reports.....

[monghead]

Hello all,

Yet another Sunday rolls along, and what better way to end the week than to share drinking stories...

For me, nothing yet this weekend, though will be cracking a 2004 Three Hills GSM for tonight. Will post about it later.

What about you guys?

Monghead.

[AndrewCowley]

2004 Tyrrells 4 Acres Shiraz

Only 12.6%, probably the lowest alcohol red I've ever had. Wish more reds were like this. So easy to drink over the space of an evening.

Wonderfully smooth but perhaps lacking a little oomph. Could barely taste its Hunter origins and (for mine) would have preferred a bit more Hunter-ness. Perhaps I should seek out some 2007. Might just be me needing to get used to this style of shiraz. All in all though, very enjoyable. Definately one of the most unique reds I've ever had.

Oh and the label on the bottle looks lovely. Retro. I've kept the bottle.

I have a bunch other hunter shiraz's, most notably some 2000 Graveyard and Maurice O'Shea. If they are this good then I'll be happy. Hoping for better however.

[Sean O'Sullivan]

deleted

[rooman]

1999 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano Mormoreto Toscana IGT Good solid Super Tuscan. Medium bodied, super silky tannins around cassis fruit with a hint of Italian terrior coming through at the finish being tar and liquorice. Much more enjoyable than one of the 1998 I had earlier this year.

2005 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay Big oaky style from South Africa but drinkable nevertheless. Good balance of fruit and structure almost burgundian in style with no sign of falling apart.

2005 Moillard Gevrey-Chambertin Still pretty chewy. Not much development coming through yet but it is fun to see how it is tracking.

2001 Bodegas Roda Rioja Roda II Reserva Earthy, red cherries, savoury style. I wish I had more.

2007 Diemersfontein Pinotage From South Africa, there is nothing quite like pinotage for those that have never tried it. It really does taste like those little chocolate coated coffee beans you get in some restaurants. I served it at dinner recently and loved watching the reaction of people around the table as they struggled to place the taste.

[via collins]

Pewsey Vale riesling 2009 impressive 6 months ago, and already developing nicely. all the usual Eden Valley descriptors - sharp, minerals, citrus, but a really soft mouthfeel with muskier warmer fruit sensations on the palate. It's already much better balanced in 6 months since the first bottle. QPR is just ridiculous, and can't wait to crack more of these come 2011/2012.

La Casa in Collina barbaresco 2005 smoky, meaty nose, and a cheery red colour. Cranberries and cherry on palate, gently churning and grippy tannins in play as well. Nice nebbiolo now.

French Island Winery pinot gris 2008 Light bodied, but just slightly chewy pear and kiwi fruit flavours in nice balance, super clean finish. Goodly.

La Villa roero arneis NV golden yellow colour, and a golden dlecious yellow apple palate with almond meal hints. Really simple, really pleasing.

Curly Flat 2006 pinot noir Extremely funky nose - forest floor plus violet and honeysuckle as well. Like the rest of the wine, it's a complex entry point. Strawberries and cherry predominate on palate, pencil shavings somewhere in mid-palate. Satisfying finish, but with lots more to offer in the future.

Menzies Cigar 2008 cabernets sauvignon Compelling body and mouthfeel, tannins gliding around in back palate, complex range of fruits present throughout - cranberry and darker berry fruits, but nothing overbearing. It's a medium bodied wine, but extremely complex - 3 bottles in 3 weeks, and still absolutely magical. again, QPR makes me glad to be living here and now!

[daz]

Just some impressions of recently guzzled plonk that I enjoyed:

Ryder Clare Shiraz 08 - full-bodied, sweetish, ripe Clare shiraz, plummy, spicy fruit underlaid with licorice/blackberry that's gobbled up the french and american oak the back lable says it spent some time in. Tannins are softly drying on the finish with good length from resurgent blackberry.

Bird In Hand Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 08 - big chard that seemed to have had the full treatment in the winery, nice viscous mouthfeel, integrated oak noticeable but not prominent, ripe peach and almost overripe melon fruit, drying citrus on the good length finish.

Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz 08 - medium/full bodied, plummy fruit up front then savoury bacon/green olive with plenty of drying tannins on the finish, needs a couple of years at least to fully integrate. Should shit in 10 years cellar time considering the tannin framework. Bloody bargain for under $10/btl.

Cheers

daz

[monghead]

2004 Three Hills GSM- Dark, and inky. Dense black olives, raspberries, crushed ants, and dried spices. Quite clumsy, and a little hot on the finish. Just Good.

[Craig(NZ)]

06 Morton Black Label Chardonnay. This is a very concentrated wine reminding me of the power dished out in a neudorf moutere. very serious with garpefruit, pith and lemon type fruit and quite a big whack of spicy butterscotch oak. Not a quaffing wine this wont be everyones cup of tea, it is serious and one to have with food. All the bells and whistles and at $19 you wont be finding yourself a chardonnay with this much concentration for any cheaper!

[Thommo]

Pewsey Vale riesling 2009 impressive 6 months ago, and already developing nicely. all the usual Eden Valley descriptors - sharp, minerals, citrus, but a really soft mouthfeel with muskier warmer fruit sensations on the palate. It's already much better balanced in 6 months since the first bottle. QPR is just ridiculous, and can't wait to crack more of these come 2011/2012.

I've been steadily working my way through the sub $20 rieslings and have this chalked up with Heggies and Shaw and Smith as my favourites.
I feel that Eden (and Adelaide Hills) delivers more at this price-point than Clare. In spite of the big wraps that the current Jim Barry Watervale gets, it seemed to have a bit of a hole in its mid-palate to me...

[Pat]

Just some impressions of recently guzzled plonk that I enjoyed:

Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz 08 - medium/full bodied, plummy fruit up front then savoury bacon/green olive with plenty of drying tannins on the finish, needs a couple of years at least to fully integrate. Should shit in 10 years cellar time considering the tannin framework. Bloody bargain for under $10/btl.

Cheers

daz

Daz I normally like my Wynns aged but I am not sure about this one after your comments. Are you sure this would happen after 10 years cellar time?

[Thommo]

Ryder Clare Shiraz 08 - full-bodied, sweetish, ripe Clare shiraz, plummy, spicy fruit underlaid with licorice/blackberry that's gobbled up the french and american oak the back lable says it spent some time in. Tannins are softly drying on the finish with good length from resurgent blackberry.

The fumes blowing off from the 15.5% alc, together with the residual sugar in this wine made me wonder if it wasn't some rogue fortified that had been slipped under the radar.

[ChrisV]

1998 Hewitson Old Garden Mourvedre - Surprisingly youthful, with dark purple colour. Mouthfilling but only 13.5% alcohol. Won't get too fancy with descriptors and suchlike as to be honest I don't remember it that well, but really nice wine without being a revelation or anything.

[daz]

Just some impressions of recently guzzled plonk that I enjoyed:

Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz 08 - medium/full bodied, plummy fruit up front then savoury bacon/green olive with plenty of drying tannins on the finish, needs a couple of years at least to fully integrate. Should shit in 10 years cellar time considering the tannin framework. Bloody bargain for under $10/btl.

Cheers

daz

Daz I normally like my Wynns aged but I am not sure about this one after your comments. Are you sure this would happen after 10 years cellar time?

Mattinson gives it an 8yr drinking window but I reckon it'll comfortably last a couple of years more.

[daz]

Ryder Clare Shiraz 08 - full-bodied, sweetish, ripe Clare shiraz, plummy, spicy fruit underlaid with licorice/blackberry that's gobbled up the french and american oak the back lable says it spent some time in. Tannins are softly drying on the finish with good length from resurgent blackberry.

The fumes blowing off from the 15.5% alc, together with the residual sugar in this wine made me wonder if it wasn't some rogue fortified that had been slipped under the radar.

I don't drink this style of wine very often so enjoyed it as a bit of a change. It put me a little in mind of the Oracle 04.

[Waiters Friend]

Just some impressions of recently guzzled plonk that I enjoyed:

Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz 08 - medium/full bodied, plummy fruit up front then savoury bacon/green olive with plenty of drying tannins on the finish, needs a couple of years at least to fully integrate. Should shit in 10 years cellar time considering the tannin framework. Bloody bargain for under $10/btl.

Cheers

daz

Daz I normally like my Wynns aged but I am not sure about this one after your comments. Are you sure this would happen after 10 years cellar time?

Mattinson gives it an 8yr drinking window but I reckon it'll comfortably last a couple of years more.

I stopped buying Wynns Shiraz after 2005 as they had turned the label into very cheap and nasty (it had been a regular for 15 years), but I picked up a couple of 2008 at $10 a bottle, and was pleasantly surprised. I don't know about the ten-year forecast, but it will outlast / be better than anything after 2004. I believe Sue Hodder had a lot of vineyard issues to deal with, and the period between 2005-2007 is when the work was done (happy to be corrected by someone in the know).

I sincerely hope we can see Wynns back on track for fruit quality - it has a place in our history, and having visited the premises, I hope it is still there when I next drive through.

And producing decent Shiraz, which we know it can.

Cheers

Allan

[Waiters Friend]

Just some impressions of recently guzzled plonk that I enjoyed:

Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz 08 - medium/full bodied, plummy fruit up front then savoury bacon/green olive with plenty of drying tannins on the finish, needs a couple of years at least to fully integrate. Should shit in 10 years cellar time considering the tannin framework. Bloody bargain for under $10/btl.

Cheers

daz

Daz I normally like my Wynns aged but I am not sure about this one after your comments. Are you sure this would happen after 10 years cellar time?

G'day

I think Daz left a vital word out. It's a very small word. "it"

"Should shit "it" in 10 years cellar time considering the tannin framework"

I hope I've got it right. The consequences of leaving it out are too dire for a bottle of wine to take.

Salute`

Allan

[Pat]

Yes Allan it was my (poor) attempt at humour. I would hate to see, and smell, Daz's cellar if it happened.

I do like Wynns shiraz and was originally going to buy a dozen each year to lay down for the long haul. However I couldn't seem to keep them for more than a couple of years before I devoured them as a quaffer. I found the 2006 to have very strong notes of caramel. I haven't tried the 2007 or 2008 yet though. I have been loading up on the Cab Sav though. At $20 I find them great value.

[daz]

Nah, I don't think Wynns shiraz 08 will be a shit wine 10 years after vintage. Bought another couple of bottles today with the intention of leaving them for later but whether I can leave at least one for another 8 years..... ?