Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

[Pelican]

2012 yangarra mataro mclaren vale : good deep wild dry red - had a 500 gram rib eye with it - who says this sort of wine is not food wine....

[Hacker]

2009 Voyager MR Chardonnay - Light yellow in the glass, with distinctive Voyager nose. Oak evident. Powerful palate of acid and grapefruit, yet balance; yet power. Amazing. Creamy softness on the front palate, more of an attack on the back palate. A great food wine. Couple of years left in the tank.

[Mike Hawkins]

2004 Dom Perignon - fattening up a tad based on the last 3 samples. Really nice wine in the making with the quintessential DP creaminess, elegance and length

1982 Dom Perignon - this bottle was in good shape for it's age. I'll be drinking my remaining bottles in the next few years.

1986 Penfolds Bin 389 - the best bottle of this vintage I've ever had (out of 20+). Absolutely superb wine with plenty of life yet.

2002 Camille Saves - verging on BdN status, a few of the drinkers preferred this to the 04 DP and 389. While I thought it was excellent, I preferred the other 2.

1991 Henschke Mt Edelstone - just coming in to its own. Fantastic wine.

1995 Taittinger Comtes - the last few bottles I've had seemed to have aged rapidly in the recent years (and they were from different sources including one directly from the maison). If you have any, it might be worth opening one to see how they're travelling.

1990 Trimbach Clos St Hune - da bomb. I won't drink many wines better than this in 2015. Definitely my favourite white wine on the planet.

[Luke W]

2006 Tar & Roses Nebbiolo - massive tannic fruit bomb - slowly settled with an aeration and decant after a couple of hours. Yummy black fruit and wonderful nose.
2012 Kalleske Pirathon Barossa Shiraz - given time and air this develops beautifully. An elegant full bodied wine with masses of fruit, wonderful mouth feel and texture.
Both of these wines will survive another 10-20 years in the right environment.

[felixp]

1994 Cullen's reserve Cabernet
last of the reserve wines. Beautiful wine, actually, the merlot almost dominates this wine. At it's peak, but no hurry. The best Cullen yet for me, and I think I have had every vintage. 95pts drink now-2020

[Sean]

deleted

[Chuck]

Eldredge 2000 Gilt Edge Clare Valley Shiraz. Not a great vintage however the best grapes were reserved for this premium wine. Some good fruit married to some impressive oak, tannins matured. Quality cork with little staining. Very nice indeed. Holding its age well. Drink up over the next few years.

I have always been impressed with the quality of these guys' wines and are priced reasonably.

Carl

[toofastdriving]

2001 Tahbilk Marsanne
My first time ever drinking marsanne. Maybe I should have tried a young one first - not sure how I feel about it. Don't think it was over the hill, has some interesting qualities - not sure if I'd be cellaring for 14 years to drink something like that again.

[qwertt]

2001 Tahbilk Marsanne
My first time ever drinking marsanne. Maybe I should have tried a young one first - not sure how I feel about it. Don't think it was over the hill, has some interesting qualities - not sure if I'd be cellaring for 14 years to drink something like that again.

if it was 2001 it would have been under cork. I had a case of 2002s that were all over the place - one or two undrinkable and some superb. You may have got a perfect example, but it is very possible that you may have gotten one that had some oxidation - not enough to be obvious but enough to have stripped some of the life out of it.

[toofastdriving]

2001 Tahbilk Marsanne
My first time ever drinking marsanne. Maybe I should have tried a young one first - not sure how I feel about it. Don't think it was over the hill, has some interesting qualities - not sure if I'd be cellaring for 14 years to drink something like that again.

if it was 2001 it would have been under cork. I had a case of 2002s that were all over the place - one or two undrinkable and some superb. You may have got a perfect example, but it is very possible that you may have gotten one that had some oxidation - not enough to be obvious but enough to have stripped some of the life out of it.

Thanks - it's possible. For some reason it reminded me a bit of a cheap Sav Blanc - still have a bit left, will give it another go.

[Michael McNally]

deleted

Hi Sean

Seen a lot of your posts listed as deleted, so checked your history. Is there an issue?

Just curious why a prolific and detailed poster would delete all their posts.

Cheers

Michael

[JamieBahrain]

Just checking the empties for the last week or so-

The Clonakilla Oriada shiraz 2009 had a wonderful nose but lacked a bit of intensity on the mid-palate and later. Could be screw cap issues with not enough aeration or perhaps it was just eclipsed by a 2009 Vernay Cote Rotie I was showing to a friend alongside of the Oriada. 89pts

Barolo Chinato from the great Cappellano. Profound!

Summerfield Reserve Shiraz 2006 had some pleasant regional notes and shiraz development; just detracting was a porty-sweetness. 89pts

Cherubino Shiraz 2009. Learning how to drink serious young Aussies again, especially with screw cap complications. This is a beautiful wine on day two or with an afternoon in the decanter. 92pts+

Palliser Estate The Great Marco Pinot 2009. Special dog bottling. True NZ winter warming pinot. Needs a fireplace and good company. Parker's note is spot on. 90pts

Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay 2010. Day one oh so tight and modest and day two showed its mettle- roasted nuts, citrus-nectarine with a powerful focus. Not as good as promoted but nice all the same. 90pts+

[Rossco]

2005 penfolds yattarna chardonnay

It's 10 years old, but honestly it seems like it's only 2. Such a baby. Just starting to change colour into a light straw yellow tinge. Wound really tight and holding the fruit really close to it's chest. Acid still quite noticeable, but is balanced out by the creamy oak. Buttery/oily with grilled nuts, white peach, nectarine and wet slate. At first I thought it was Tassie fruit, but it says 100% Adelaide hills. Remarkable wine that hasn't even started to show it true greatness yet. Second best chardonnay I have ever had (07 leeuwin estate was still better).....glorious

[Chuck]

Pikes 2013 Clare Valley Riesling. Lovely fresh and zingy. We must always thank Clare for doing such great rizza.

Balnaves 2001 Coonwarra Cabernet. Quintessential Coonawarra stuff that still needs a few more years but was a joy to drink. Perhaps just a bit much oak but that's just being picky after drinking with a Chinese stir fry....It was better later with a selection of cheeses. Deserves a rare hunk of cow.

Carl

[ads_11]

Couple of birthday drinks.

2004 Cullen Diana Madeline - still a touch of vanilla o the nose with dark berries. Tannins still present but mellows through the mouth. First one of these and quite enjoyed it. Still has a few years ahead of it IMO.

2010 Rockford Basket Press - I have quite a few of these so thought I would give another one a go. Really needs a few more years in the cellar to settle down as I felt it was still a bit green. One thing I noticed, and I don't know of it was just a result of the meal paring, but I found it to be really salty?

[Phil H]

Sorry I have not posted for a while, however I have enjoyed everyone elses contributions, A few from memory over the last month:

2005 Domain Day Saperavi (Mt Crawford S.A.) A new variety that I came across a couple of years ago. Full Bodied, dark brooding colour, with dark berry fruit, acid an tannins present however not overpowering, oak in the background. Very Good, still has plenty of years left. Consumed over 2 nights - better on second night. 13% alc.

Calais Estate Sparkling Chambourcin N/V (Hunter) Everything you can like from a sparkling red with a bit of hunter earthiness. Very Good

2011 Belgravia Roussane (Orange) Its what I call a white wine for red drinkers. Full bodied (for a white), great long finish and great value for money. Very Good.

2011 Belgravia Merlot (Orange) Fine dusty tannins, red bery fruits, being more savoury than sweet. Will get better after a couple of years. Once again great value for money. Very Good.

2011 Chateau Laroche Joubert 60% Merlot, 25% Cab Sav, 15% Malbec. This is my adventure trying to understand French Wine at a reasonable price ($33). Full bodied, with dark berry fruits with a touch of "dirt". Interesting. Good.

2012 Turkey Flat Shiraz I will be interested to hear if anyone else has tried this wine. Decided to try the wine after purchasing numerous bottles of it based on reputation and reviews - how can you go wrong with a 2012 Barossa Shiraz with great reputation? I was struggling to find anything good with this wine, consumed over three nights. Upon opening - pouring into the glass looking like Raspberry Cordial. Likewise the palate followed the appearance. Simple red berry fruit, no length or body. More like a "Cleanskin Shiraz" - Have I got it wrong? Any other opinions?

My other experience with older wines is the excessive "Acid". Do winemakers add acid to freshen up older wines to keep them going. My experience with two wines:
2006 Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz I have had this wine in the cellar for about 4 years, however upon opening everything was overpowered by "Acid". I think this wine had potential, but any fruit was knocked down/hidden by acid. Consumed over a couple of hours, with the acid slightly subsiding.

2008 Highland Heritage Merlot (Orange) As you can tell, I have a love of the Orange Region, but was dispappointed by this effort. I have tried later vintages from this winery and I have been impressed, especially value for money (Sub $20 Cab Sav, & Merlot). However the acid levels for a wine I just purchased for a 2008 vintage was excessive.

[Mike Hawkins]

1998 Yalumba The Reserve (x2) - I always find a hint of VA in this vintage. One bottle had it by the truckload, and the other just a hint. Nevertheless, there is pristine fruit here with a long finish. Definitely a cab / shiraz (or vice versa) that takes its place in the upper echelon of wines featuring this blend.

1971 Wynns Black Label Cabernet - a bit of varnish on the nose, with a lovely smooth, velvety palate. This bottle was looking more tired than the last one.

1971 Wynns White Label 'Hermitage' - a shy nose that was incredibly elegant on the palate as one would expect at this age. Time to drink up the rest of the case.

1971 Penfolds Bin 389 - magnificent wine. This was one that seemed to have years left. Length, complexity and class.

2008 McWilliams 1877 Cabernet Shiraz - classy wine in the making, albeit way too young.

1996 Vilmart Cuvee Creation - it's a shame this isn't made any more. Fantastic champagne drinking at or near its peak.

1980 Penfolds Bin 80a - probably the best bottle of this wine I've had. While its not at the qualitative level of the 90a, it's a very good wine its own right (when on song).

2002 Petaluma Hanlin Hill - one of the great bargains of Australian wine. A gorgeous rizza.

1999 Moss Wood Cabernet -one of my favourite releases of one of my favourite cabernets. Super wine.

1982 Wolf Blass Black Label - the fruit was quite good, but as expected, a huge whack of oak was overwhelming.

1986 St Hugo Cabernet - this has always been my favourite vintage for this label. That said, its nearing the end of the road based on this sample.

2014 Tyrrells Stevens Semillon - juicy, tangy young semillon that drinks fantastically as a one year old. This vintage from the Hunter will live up to the hype based on early samples.

[deejay81]

2011 Thomas DJV Shiraz (I think this is the one with x% Semillon verjuice whatever that is)

Decanted, swished and poured. Drank whilst having a nice hot bath.

Red fruits and alcohol on the nose which was a little surprising being at only 13%.

Sour cherries, sour strawberries, bit of mint and chocolate. medium finish, a bit of acid too.

Not bad, not great. Have about 8 bottles left of this, so will prob drink about 2 a year till finished.

[JamieBahrain]

The 83 Chambolle Musigny was beautiful. A classic old red burgundy framed with brisk acidity preserving fresh secondary and tertiary notes. 93pts

The Jadot CSJ was awkward and not as approachable as I hoped with oak dominating. 89pts+

[Hacker]

The Jadot CSJ was awkward and not as approachable as I hoped with oak dominating. 89pts+

Shame about the CSJ but I think it needs at least ten years to develop its magic even in a lesser year like '07.

[deejay81]

2009 Chateau Francois Semillon
Strange waft on opening - slightly like an opened can of tuna, but this blew off after a little bit. Colour was straw like, but not light straw, a bit of development here.
Had the full sem spectrum with some young characteristics like the lime, lemon peel, to some developed characters of vegemite toast, a bit of honey. Long finish and looks like there is still plenty left to go on for many more years.

I've still got 3 left i think

[Scotty vino]

6 of us got together for dinner and some reds at the exeter on Rundle St.
Wines were;
2012 Rockfords Rifle Range Cab
2011 Greenock creek Alice's Shiraz
2011 Rockford Basket Press
2013 Farr Rising Shiraz
2012 Charles Melton Nine popes

The Alice's and the basket press were the most preferred by all on the night.
For me it was a good example of the 'drink now' prospects for the 2011 vintage in SA.
The 12's showed a lot of tightness even though they were decanted and left to breathe for a while.
The Nine popes in particular really needs to lie down for some time. Very disjointed and a little confusing structure wise.
Happy to come back to this wine as the 2008 I had last year was a ripper.
The Farr Rising Shiraz was a nice cool climate style shiraz but struggled to hold it's own against the 2011's from SA.
Probably not a fair comparison.

[JamieBahrain]

A few local HKG friends were seething about their 97 Parker Estate Terra Rossa. I always felt the wine overrated and on this showing it was exactly as expected for a 97 Coonawarra. Not bad and a little thin but showing pleasant notes and length. These folks had bought a barrel at the auctions years ago. Anyways.



Superb Rioja again! If there is a wine you should buy for the cellar, surely traditional Rioja a no brainier? It's cheap and ageworthy- bought magnums this week of 2004 La Rioja Alta 904 and they were exactly 2 x the normal bottle pricing unlike Oz producers who should wake up and realize selling magnums will see their wines better aged and presented in the future.

[Chuck]

Vasse Felix 2005 Margaret River Cabernet. A special wine first drunk at my father's wake in 2008. This is what MR cabs are all about. A slight step up from Coonawarra (I'm not a huge fan of its mint characteristic) and enjoyed with the first slow cooked lamb shanks of the season. Still many years ahead for this wine and the cork gods were kind on the day.

Carl

[toofastdriving]

Superb Rioja again! If there is a wine you should buy for the cellar, surely traditional Rioja a no brainier? It's cheap and ageworthy- bought magnums this week of 2004 La Rioja Alta 904 and they were exactly 2 x the normal bottle pricing unlike Oz producers who should wake up and realize selling magnums will see their wines better aged and presented in the future.

I can't work out the name of that Rioja - any other suggestions for great wines from that region? I'm yet to buy some Rioja Alta 904 but have my eye on some.

[dave vino]

Superb Rioja again! If there is a wine you should buy for the cellar, surely traditional Rioja a no brainier? It's cheap and ageworthy- bought magnums this week of 2004 La Rioja Alta 904 and they were exactly 2 x the normal bottle pricing unlike Oz producers who should wake up and realize selling magnums will see their wines better aged and presented in the future.

I can't work out the name of that Rioja - any other suggestions for great wines from that region? I'm yet to buy some Rioja Alta 904 but have my eye on some.

Better known as Tondonia. They are very age-worthy wines and brilliant drinking even at 40-50 years of age.
http://www.lopezdeheredia.com/indexgb.html

[JamieBahrain]

Superb Rioja again! If there is a wine you should buy for the cellar, surely traditional Rioja a no brainier? It's cheap and ageworthy- bought magnums this week of 2004 La Rioja Alta 904 and they were exactly 2 x the normal bottle pricing unlike Oz producers who should wake up and realize selling magnums will see their wines better aged and presented in the future.

I can't work out the name of that Rioja - any other suggestions for great wines from that region? I'm yet to buy some Rioja Alta 904 but have my eye on some.

Yes, superb wines I've had them back to the 40's. Rioja Alta excellent. CVNE- I'm doing a dinner in a few weeks with these wines back to the 50's I'll try an right up a report but I don't have the time to write up many dinners anymore. CVNE is very cheap too. Murrietta another I squirrel away but La Rioja Alta and Tondonia just absolute no brainers.

I had superb La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 1970 a few weeks ago and it was so representative of great old Rioja. I suggest they consistently age better than most regions in part as they seem robust to poor storage.

This is from Tim Aitken-


Top 10 traditional-style producers
1. López de Heredia-Viña Tondonia
2. CVNE
3. Muga
4. La Rioja Alta
5. Marqués de Murrieta
6. Valenciso
7. Finca Valpiedra
8. Valdemar
9. Bodegas y Viñedos de la Marquesa/Valserrano
10. Marqués de Riscal

[toofastdriving]

Thanks for the info Jamie & Dave - very useful. Have a bit of rioja stashed away, and have only tried a couple of bottles, but loved the style and am intrigued to put some more bottles away to rest while trying some more 'drink now' propositions.

[Mike Hawkins]

1998 Lindemans Limestone Ridge - drinking really well right now. Won't improve but will hold.

2006 Vilmart Grande Cellier d'Or - one of the most enjoyable champagnes I've had in years (not necessarily the best though) and went magnificently with King George Whiting. Laurent is one of the world's great wine makers IMO.

2004 Gimonnet Special Club - nice champers, just starting to get some honeyed notes.

[rens]

Superb Rioja again! If there is a wine you should buy for the cellar, surely traditional Rioja a no brainier? It's cheap and ageworthy- bought magnums this week of 2004 La Rioja Alta 904 and they were exactly 2 x the normal bottle pricing unlike Oz producers who should wake up and realize selling magnums will see their wines better aged and presented in the future.

I can't work out the name of that Rioja - any other suggestions for great wines from that region? I'm yet to buy some Rioja Alta 904 but have my eye on some.

Yes, superb wines I've had them back to the 40's. Rioja Alta excellent. CVNE- I'm doing a dinner in a few weeks with these wines back to the 50's I'll try an right up a report but I don't have the time to write up many dinners anymore. CVNE is very cheap too. Murrietta another I squirrel away but La Rioja Alta and Tondonia just absolute no brainers.

I had superb La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 1970 a few weeks ago and it was so representative of great old Rioja. I suggest they consistently age better than most regions in part as they seem robust to poor storage.

This is from Tim Aitken-


Top 10 traditional-style producers
1. López de Heredia-Viña Tondonia
2. CVNE
3. Muga
4. La Rioja Alta
5. Marqués de Murrieta
6. Valenciso
7. Finca Valpiedra
8. Valdemar
9. Bodegas y Viñedos de la Marquesa/Valserrano
10. Marqués de Riscal

Any thoughts on the Rioja Alta 890.
I've got a single bottle of it. Is it any good?