The Auswine Forum

To kick off the week:

2005 Lake George Pinot Noir
Lovely aromas including dark cherries, compost and truffles. Even before the taste, knew this would be a heavy wine. It certainly doesn't tease and tantalise you with subtle complexities and nuances, but it was an enjoyable drink none the less.

Cheers

Monghead

2006 Lethbridge Chardonnay- great purity and line. White peach, nectarine, almond, mandarin and lick of cream. Really good, very refreshing especially for a Chards, although I like mine with more spicy Oak in general.

02 penfolds Koonunga hill Shi/CabYou know i never had a lot of time for this Quaffer but after ageing a few it really does get better with age and screw cap seems to give it longer life

Regards Dazza

2007 Pertaringa "Two Gentlemen" Grenache. SC. 15%
Lifted, sweet, spicy nose. Not sweet on the palate, which is full-bodied with blackberry/plum fruit, lightly charred. Some lovely fivespice too. There is a gorgeous clean acid clearing the palate leaving some fine tannin and a quite persistent finish. Very Good.

05 Bridgewater Mill Chardonnay I bought these pretty cheaply and initially they all tasted like what I paid for them. As I near the end of the stock though, the wines seem to have improved. Admiteedly, I was disappointed with them initially and thought they should have been better.

The one last night was quite enjoyable. Still some primary peaches and a little buttery but not overly so. Went well in and with the mushroom risotto. 90.

2007 Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc

Good enough floral Kiwi Sauv Blanc. Quite enjoyable.

Then came home to finish off the 2005 Lake George Pinot Noir. Now losing it's fruit charm, leaving a heavy, oaky stodgy wine.

Family roast this week and we opened:

1999 Majella Cab Sav

This bottle was very nice but just 'nice' and not fantastic. The full bodied plum and cherry flavours i have experienced in younger vintages was not quite there even after decanting and warming in the hand. My experience is consistent with what i have read of the 1999 vintage. I would have liked to leave a glass in the bottle overnight but it was polished off.

2005 Bowen Estate Cab Sav

This bottle although younger than the Majella was much more interesting and full flavoured. The flavours really opened up as the wine oxidised and i would very much recommend picking some of these up if the chance arises. I hope the 2007 is as good as i have half a doz of that vintage.


2007 Wynns Cab Shiraz Merlot

Under stelvin. this was a half bottle left open from the night before and although it had opened nicely from the previous nights experience it was much inferior in comparison to the other two cab sav's. A good cheap quaffer but nothing much else IMHO.

We also had a nip of Dalwhinnie 15 year single malt to finish off

TC

bacchaebabe wrote:05 Bridgewater Mill Chardonnay I bought these pretty cheaply and initially they all tasted like what I paid for them. As I near the end of the stock though, the wines seem to have improved. Admiteedly, I was disappointed with them initially and thought they should have been better.

The one last night was quite enjoyable. Still some primary peaches and a little buttery but not overly so. Went well in and with the mushroom risotto. 90.

I'm sure I've had this wine last year - also cheap (about NZD $10) - not bad as I recall, but not so memorable either - isn't this the second label of someone flash? (Petaluma??)

Bick wrote:

bacchaebabe wrote:05 Bridgewater Mill Chardonnay I bought these pretty cheaply and initially they all tasted like what I paid for them. As I near the end of the stock though, the wines seem to have improved. Admiteedly, I was disappointed with them initially and thought they should have been better.

The one last night was quite enjoyable. Still some primary peaches and a little buttery but not overly so. Went well in and with the mushroom risotto. 90.

I'm sure I've had this wine last year - also cheap (about NZD $10) - not bad as I recall, but not so memorable either - isn't this the second label of someone flash? (Petaluma??)

Yeah, it is Petaluma's second label. They are usually pretty solid but I got these well under the usual RRP so was worried about storage, etc.

Last night we had a 06 Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir Bright red maroon colour with bright cherry and raspberry on the palate. A touch of musk on the finish along with a bit of stalky bitterness towards the end of the bottle. Very good though and even satisfied my pinot-disliking girlfriend. 91

One thing of any real interest was a great range of German rieslings, a friend is importing into Australia. He had his first major tasting of the year last night. Among the Trocken he had on offer was a Schafer-Frohlich Bockenauer Felseneck Trocken (single vineyard). I could happily drink this on a regular basis.

I was also really interested to discover the Feinherb style of rieslings, something completely new to me. IN this regard, I really liked the Reinhard & Beate Knebel Winninger Brückstück Riesling Feinherb 2007, Reinhard & Beate Knebel Winninger Hamm Riesling Kabinett Feinherb 2007 and Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese Feinherb 2007. Overall these were stunning and if you see any, grab at least one to try. They are more offdry than the current Australian style but much more approachable young.

As he had about 20-30 from the 2007 vintage open, other favourites included the Schmitges Estate Riesling, Reinhold Haart Piesporter Domherr Spätlese, Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Spätlese, Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Spätlese and Reinhard & Beate Knebel Winninger Röttgen Auslese.

1998 Tim Adams Aberfeldy Shiraz

Ba Baum..... Unfortunately, another '98 that has fallen short in my opinion. Ripe, oaky, drying out from it's jammy brooding infancy.

Ashton Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2004
My last, sadly. Memorable, textural, earthy and with a shake of pepper. Paired nicely with the wife's birthday. Ta-ra

Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2006 - Grabbed one of these off Gavin on a recent order after reading some reviews. Smells of pineapple and grapefruit skin. Palate - quite a bit of malo (I think, could be oak, I get them confused sometimes) but not overdone. Peaches and cream with a backup of unripe pineapple (I stole that descriptor from GW) and a little citrus. Finishes quite long, very slightly bitter and pleasingly firm. For $20 (I think?) it's a steal and I prefer it to the 2008 Hoddles Creek which I also sampled recently.

ChrisV wrote

Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2006 - Grabbed one of these off Gavin on a recent order after reading some reviews. Smells of pineapple and grapefruit skin. Palate - quite a bit of malo (I think, could be oak, I get them confused sometimes) but not overdone. Peaches and cream with a backup of unripe pineapple (I stole that descriptor from GW) and a little citrus. Finishes quite long, very slightly bitter and pleasingly firm. For $20 (I think?) it's a steal and I prefer it to the 2008 Hoddles Creek which I also sampled recently

Love that vineyard for it's Chards and Pinot. Had the 06 last august, thanks for the update!

Tasting group get together and a few at home first lot all double blind with options

Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc 1980
Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon 1994
Chateau d'Yquem 'Y' Y'grec 1977
Chateau Dousie Daene 2004
Chateau d'Yquem 1970
Chateau Crouizet-Bages 1996
Krondorf Burge & Wilson Cabernet 1984
Chateau Kirwan 2001
Charles Krug 9 Clone Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Cullen Diane Madelaine 2006
Cullen Cabernet Merlot 1996
Chateau Rauzan-Gassies 2005
Chateau Sociando- Mallet 2005
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2003
Rubicon Estate Cask Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) 2004
La Dome 2005 (St Emillion)
Chateau Yon-Figeac 2004
Peter Lehmann Mentor 1991
Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases 2000

Hoddles Creek Chardonnay 2008 - lovely + great value
Schwarx Thiele Road Grenache 2007 - very good

Read on twitter that you ended up a little sore headed from that lot DaveB Worth it no doubt!

jeremy wrote:Read on twitter that you ended up a little sore headed from that lot DaveB Worth it no doubt!

Yeah....a bit dusty today mate. Next month is fortifieds, Rum's of Distinction and cigars.....that could be real nasty.

Ouch, you're on your own there Dave

DaveB wrote:Tasting group get together and a few at home first lot all double blind with options

Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc 1980
Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon 1994
Chateau d'Yquem 'Y' Y'grec 1977
Chateau Dousie Daene 2004
Chateau d'Yquem 1970
Chateau Crouizet-Bages 1996
Krondorf Burge & Wilson Cabernet 1984
Chateau Kirwan 2001
Charles Krug 9 Clone Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Cullen Diane Madelaine 2006
Cullen Cabernet Merlot 1996
Chateau Rauzan-Gassies 2005
Chateau Sociando- Mallet 2005
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2003
Rubicon Estate Cask Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) 2004
La Dome 2005 (St Emillion)
Chateau Yon-Figeac 2004
Peter Lehmann Mentor 1991
Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases 2000

Hoddles Creek Chardonnay 2008 - lovely + great value
Schwarx Thiele Road Grenache 2007 - very good

Dave, that is great midweek gear mate...

What were the highlights?

How did you go on the options?

Is the Y'grec a second label?

Cheers,

Monghead.