Sunday 29 August-What have you been drinking?

[rens]

I've been drinking:

2008 Fraser Gallop Cabernet [s/c] 85% Cabernet Savignon, 6.5% Petit Verdot, 6.5% Merlot, 2% Malbec. I purchased this after the success of last year’s vintage. This is not as ‘Big’ as last year. This is subtle from nose to tail. Good quality fruit on both the nose and palate with layers of spice and fine tannins with subtle oak. Time will give this further complexity. The price has gone up from last year. Now around the $30 ($23.50 in 2009) but worth the extra 6 bucks fifty I think. Watch out for my purchase in the September thread.

[n4sir]

A few odd bits & pieces:

2009 Peter Lehmann Barossa Blonde (screwcap): A blend of 36% Riesling, 30% Chenin Blanc & 20% Semillon from the Barossa Valley, and 14% Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc (11% alcohol, 10.5g/L RS). Bright straw/green colour. Very sweet and limey, some crisp apple too; the palate’s just as fruity, with more citrus/slightly honeyed characters and a crisp finish. Good spring/summer drinking with shellfish and salad as suggested by the maker’s release notes.

2008 Karatta Frog Island Selection Sauvignon Blanc, Robe (screwcap): Pale straw colour. Grassy and elegant nose, gooseberry and then passionfruit with just a hint of gunsmoke and capsicum; the palate’s just as crisp and elegant, with subtle banana crème/fruit salad and kiwifruit characters, finishing dry. A refreshing, entry-level style that puts a lot of more expensive and mass-produced versions to shame; perfect with shellfish.

2006 Scotts Creek Growling Frog Shiraz, South Australia (screwcap): Medium to dark purple/red. Quite cheesy/a little rubbery along with bright cherry fruit; the palate’s medium weight at most with the same characters, and a mineraly finish. Basic quaffing standard; wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Riverland material.

2006 Allegrini Valpolicella Classico (plastic cork): Medium to very dark garnet. Very leathery and stocky nose, melted liquorice and borderline oxidized vegemite scents with sour cherries and mint; the palate’s better although rather light in weight with choc-cherries, coffee and liquorice, finishing very dry with chalky tannins. I got the feeling this would have been better a few years ago.

NV Berri Estates Limited Edition Bottling F54 Olde Tawny Port, Riverland (cork): Light to medium, murky tawny brown with a pale olive rim. Appears gone for all money on the first whiff, rubbery, turpentine and scorched earth characters, although with breathing some sweeter espresso and buttery/walnut and ginger characters appear. The palate is light to medium weight, still a little rubbery but there’s also some fruitcake, coffee and nutty rancio characters on the slender, dry finish and a lot of heartburn-causing material mid-palate. It’s barely alive, but I guess that’s an achievement for this old crock – it drinks better with a soft, smelly cheese and warm apple pie I should add.

Cheers,
Ian

[AndrewCowley]

2000 Mount Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz

Opened it last night, decanted for a few hours, drank half the bottle then and drinking the rest now. It has finally come alive. All the Hunter'ness is there now. Spicy, leathery etc... Still too much oak, but now on its second day the oak has taken a slight back seat. Quality wine. I'll leave my remaining bottle for a few years.

So a tip for anyone drinking this wine, give it a long long decant. My previous experience was I opened one of these, gave it a short decant (no more than 1/2 hour) and then shared it amongst 3 people. It didn't last long and never came alive. A study in patience.

The 2007 vintage of this wine is meant to be pretty special, right?

[Chuck]

Stonehaven Rat and Bull 2006 Chardonnay Viognier. An unusual blend but very enjoyable.

Brookland Valley Margaret River 2001 Verse 1 Cabernet Merlot. 2nd label for this winery and goes to show how well MR does this blend.

Jamiesons Run 1998 Limited Release Coonawarra Cabernet. My first of these and whilst good not quite up there with the other JR superb special release Coonawarra Cabernets from 1998-2001. A little too sweet, unusual for this region.

And today with lunch at the Argentina Bar and Grill before watching the Australian Diamonds beat the Kiwi Silver Ferns a 2006 Zolo Reserve Malbec (Argentina). An interesting wine that kept me interested from start to finish. Wonderful colour and nose. Agressive tanins. Lovely legs. Might just have to try more of this grape that does so well in Argentina.

Chuck

[Sean O'Sullivan]

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[Wayno]

Some monster reds for my birthday, matched up with oodles of chargrilled meats

D'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz 2004 - inky, impenetrable, probably too young but delicious all the same
Grant Burge Filsell Shiraz 2004 - rounded, drinking very well, in a good window
Orlando Lawsons Shiraz 1999 - brambly, well structured - fruit had dropped a bit but well balanced
D'Arenberg Derelict Vineyard Grenache 2002 - good, well structured, loads of sweet fruit
Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz 2004 - a touch underwhelming, quite tight - perhaps too early
Jenke Shiraz 2002 - herbal and flat - seemed a bit faulty but with that, had character
Glaetzer Annaparena Shiraz Cabernet 2006 - big and brute-ish, although still with a characteristic velveteen sheen

[Michael McNally]

Happy Birthday Wayno.

[Adair]

I struggle to remember the previous day, let alone the whole week. Here is from Friday:

* 2005 Seppelt Drumborg Riesling - a little awkward at the moment and I am slightly concerned that this was a great young wine as opposed to a great wine. Won’t totally write off yet though, especially as I have a few bottles. Nice developed flavours but getting a little broad structurally without a great deal of texture except smoothness/fatness. This bottle was 91/100 for me.

* 2006 Tim Adams Riesling - Excellent. Like the Drumborg, some developed flavours with primary fruit, but the texture, complexity, poise and length were much greater. 94/100.

* 2006 Tyrrell's Steven Reserve Semillon - perfect for warm weather at lunchtime. Sensational crystalline acid structure - juicy even. Yum! 93/100.

* 2009 Mike Press Chardonnay – Really easy quaff. Chablis without the nuances. 90/100.

* 2008 Rosemount “Show Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon – not as blackcurrant pastille and floral as previous bottles, probably changing with age, but now more serious and more to my liking with bold structure more obvious but still a strong core of sweet blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with sweet mint and savoury nuances. Really lovely and hard to stop sipping to study further. Stupid given the price. I am still very happy I stocked up! 93/100.

Adair

[Wayno]

Happy Birthday Wayno.

Thanks Michael.

Felt a touch worse for wear on Sunday...

[Michael R]

Been a celebratory couple of weeks and managed to drink a few nice ones along the way; in no particular order..
2001 Voyager Estate Cab Sav
2004 Brown Brother Patricia Shiraz
2008 Dalwhinnie Cab Sav
2008 Ring Bolt Cab Sav
1998 Charles Melton Shiraz
1996 Rosemount Balmoral Shiraz
2007 10 Mins by Tractor Wallis Vineyard Pinot
2008 Springvale Pinot
2007 Penfolds Cellar Reserve Pinot….not for everyone but I’m a definite fan, pity its my last bottle
2000 Dom Perignon
NV Bollinger
2008 Collector Reserve & Marked Tree Shiraz
2007 Curly Flat Pinot
2009 Josef Chromy Pepik Pinot
2008 Eileen Hardy Chardonnay …..already my white wine of the year, not sure its been fully released yet though
2009 Crawford River Riesling
2009 Annies Lane Riesling ...great value at $12

Somewhat relieved to be facing a few quiet nights now.

[Michael McNally]

Happy Birthday Wayno.

Thanks Michael.

Felt a touch worse for wear on Sunday...

I'm sure it's only once a year