The Auswine Forum

Hello,

has anyone noticed the number of wines in this list that have lashings of American Oak? And lots of sweet, yummy ripe/over ripe fruit? I reckon the people who rave on about finesse, elegance, freshness and varietal character miss the point that generally to most palates the impressive, tasty, flavoursome wines are really sweet and ripe with lots of good oaky flavour.

Just an opinion.

My turn

1980 Grange (glorious. the best this year. daylight second)

1991 Tyrrells Vat 9 (a perennial favourite)

1998 Grange (out of respect more than anything, on the day it just used up all my spit)

2000 Dalwinnie shiraz (why don't I have more Dalwinnie in my cellar ?)

1998 Katnook cabernet (never ceases to surprise me with its quality)

1983 Lindemans HRB (some bottle variation, but the good ones are great)

1986 Kalimna (what a super drop ! if only I was born ten years earlier I could have stocked up)

1995 Pol Roger (much better than expected. so delicate and creamy you have to concentrate to not pour the whole glass down your throat at once)

1976 Grange (to be drunk on new year's eve - if it doesn't make this list I'll go to bed at 11.59pm)

Krug NV (see above)

I must say, the abundance of French wines in some of those lists is quite a surprise!

From memory my list would look something like this, winner last, in no particular order otherwise:

1993 Wolf Blass Brown Label Shiraz - If only recent releases resembled this vintage!
1995 Mitchelton Print Label Shiraz
1997 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz - Here for the value it represents!
1976 Wolf Blass Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz
2000 Tim Adams The Aberfeldy Shiraz - Impossible to stop sniffing this one.
1996 Buller & Sons Calliope Shiraz - Non-fortified port anyone?
1998 Hollick Wilgha Shiraz - Fudge, in a good way. Good luck finding this though!
2001 Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No.1 - Yes, absolute infanticide, but the nose on this is pure perfume bliss.
1999 St Hallett Old Block Shiraz
1994 Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz - Grab hold of something solid before the second wave hits. Wow!! The kind of wine that brings a tear to my eyes.

So many more deserving a mention. It may be that 2004 is the year to start keeping notes?

Jakob

Considering I live across the road from the Grand Mosque and it's 7th century ambience; aswell as the King's Ransom in the form of 125% duty on wine, not such a bad year.

1 94 Henschke Mt Edelstone- great shiraz. Evovles in the decanter over the night. Full bodied and complex.

2 88 Chateau Musar- intriguing stuff.

3 Cullens 95 Cabernet Merlot- you can sense it is just hitting it's straps.

4 96 Moss Wood - tight cabernet and a visible structure and future. 93 was OK in 03.

5 M Chapoutier 94 & 95 Chateauneuf du Pape "Barbe Rac"- 100% Old Vine grenache. Close your eyes and think of straight grenache at it's best.

6 2000 Chateau Ampuis, La Turque, La Landonee, La Mouline horizontal-just bottled and, for me, a good look at the differing structures as the primary fruit dense and closed at this early stage.

7 95 Dom Perignon- not a bubbles man but the brownie points with the wife the highlight.

8 94 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape- no notes but just a wine to savour.

9 Rockford's Hoffmann 96- big and power packed Barossa shiraz for $50. World class stuff.

10 Zind Humbrecht 2001 Gerwurtz- noble stuff.

Forgot my 4 nights in Bernkastel on Kues ( middle Mosel) and all those magnificent Bernkastel Doctors and Loosens.

I survived the MidEast wine wise but good riddens to it!

My ten most memorable wines for 2003 are, in no order just great wines.

From the Veritas Dinner in Sydney:-
Hanisch and Heysen, not sure of the years.
Magpie The Election.

Others:-
Several Rutherglen Rare Muscats and Tokays.
Warrabilla 2002 Durifs, Reserve and Parola.
Lindemans 1983 Shiraz.
Seppelts 1990 Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz.
" 1997 Great Western Shiraz.
2002 Clare and Eden Valley Rieslings many great ones.
Majella Cabernet - 1999 and 2000.
1991 Penfolds 707
1991 Bullers Calliope Shiraz.
1991 Henshke Mt. Edelstone.

These are just some of the wines I really enjoyed last year. They are the ones that spring to mind.
MM.

I love the Pettavel Emigre as well! Unfortunately, they have just sold out when I went back to the winery (4 weeks ago) to get more..

My list:

Calais Semillon 89 (my friend brought it for $4 in an auction, the original owner must be crying!)
Cristal 96 (mindblowingly good champagne which can be easily appreciated by all)
Seppelt Show Sparkling 84, 90 (no need to comment!)
Rockford Basket Press 96 (as above)
Mouton 85, 94 (85--classic elegant bordeaux, 94--dense cassis, it has similar concentration and fruit to many new world wines, but has more dimensions.)
Haut Brion 94 (A relative bargain, most exotic wine I have every tasted, my wine of the year).

Cheers,
Alan