Last night was a corker! Well we had a 1990 JJ Prüm Bernkastler Badstube Spätlese that was corked Had some lovely rieslings but it was the reds that really stood out from memory:
1985 Gaja Damargi Cabernet Has dropped a lot of colour but still purple red with a clear rim. Cabernet nose but savoury like a spanish or italian red. Coffee and Cassis with spices and some stalky character in there. Lean but velvety palate that has a great deal of length. Tannins fully resolved. Outstanding wine and a real privilege to try.
1991 Wynns Centenary Shiraz Cabernet Inky dark red. Very cabernet dominant. Typical Coonawarra Cabernet nose of red berries, chocolate and earth but no mint in this bottle. Finishes a little short in the mouth with firm tannin. Still a pup. I should have decanted this one longer as the palate lengthened as the night wore on. I guess I was nervous as the last bottle I had was somewhat oxidised. Excellent wine.
1998 McWilliams Rosehill Shiraz Murky dark red. Couldn't pick this one in the slightest. Wrong year (early 90's) and wrong varietal (no idea). Earthy and tar on the nose. Soft and mouthfilling palate. Very Good/Excellent wine.
I was a lucky boy although the head hurts a little this morning
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
It's been a huge week for me and there's been more veuve than you can lift but we hosted a friend's 40th birthday party at out place on Thursday night and I pulled a 1970 Wynns Cabernet Hermitage (The red stripe) out of the cellar to celebrate. After many recent cork disasters, I used a pops style opener with the needle and the gas. Worked a treat and the cork came out no problems.
I'd got this old wooden case with four different Wynns wines from the 69, 70, 71 and 72 vintages in it. I'd previously had the 71 black label but it was't much to write home about so I didn't have high hopes for this one. It poured a deep red with brown edges. Didn't give too much away on the nose. On the palate, there wasn't much fruit but it was wonderfully smooth and soft with quite a decent round finish. There was lingering elements of plums and blackberrys and it certainly wasn't oxidised. It was just old but it still tasted quite nice. It could have been sensational just ten years ago, I think. As it was the whole bottle got drunk and was quite happily shared around friends and enjoyed. A nice surprise for all concerned. 89
Cheers,
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
2003 Tyrell's Vat 1 Semillon- Good 2006 Rocky Point Pinot Noir- Just Good 2007 Kooyong Meres Pinot Noir- Very Good 2002 Gralyn Cabernet Sauvignon- Good Good
monghead wrote:2002 Gralyn Cabernet Sauvignon- Good Good
Cheers,
Monghead
I'd be interested to hear your views - or anyone else's on Gralyn (drinking windows especially). We've got an 04 Cabernet and an 05 Cab/Shiraz in storage but since visiting the CD I've almost forgotten what they're actually like and I never see much written about the wines. Any thoughts anyone has on how long I might be advised to hang on to them would be much appreciated.
monghead wrote:2002 Gralyn Cabernet Sauvignon- Good Good
Cheers,
Monghead
I'd be interested to hear your views - or anyone else's on Gralyn (drinking windows especially). We've got an 04 Cabernet and an 05 Cab/Shiraz in storage but since visiting the CD I've almost forgotten what they're actually like and I never see much written about the wines. Any thoughts anyone has on how long I might be advised to hang on to them would be much appreciated.
Most of their wines are big... I mean, really BIG. This was dark, dense and an inpenetrable purple in colour, with a rich bouquet of blackcurrants, blackberries, cocoa and coffee, with hints of tar, tobacco, and mint. The palate was muscular and expansive, with great length and chewy, chunky tannins. Certainly not an elegant red, and for me, it lost points for this... Those who like the bevy of OTT wines will really like this, but they all come at a cost now. Often close to $100 on release.
Ashton Hills Pinot Noir: Didn't catch the vintage. Not usually a pinot fan, but this was very good. 1997 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec: Initially thought it was corked, but it blew off after 10mins or so. So much intensity at only 13% alc. Very nice drink, with plenty of time ahead of it. 2007 Vasse Felix Cabernet: Familiar Vasse Cab, with perhaps slightly more oak than usual. Still very nicely balanced and drinkable.
1995 Hardys Eileen Hardy Shiraz. This was a good bottle, some other bottles ive had have been tired but this one in good shape. still dark in glass, sweet fruited, confection with silty tannins. I have gone off this style a lot in recent years but was a nice change to enjoy one.
2006 Kim Crawford SP Tiejens Chardonnay. A bit bla to be honest, ok but expected more life out of a flagship wine. Got given it so beggers cant be choosers
2002 Pegasus Bay Aria Riesling. Stunning. Way better balanced than I remember from past bottles. Just glorious
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
Thanks for that... so I'm guessing not likely to be very long lived? I might try one of the ones I have in a year or two in that case.
monghead wrote:
Loztralia wrote:
monghead wrote:2002 Gralyn Cabernet Sauvignon- Good Good
Cheers,
Monghead
I'd be interested to hear your views - or anyone else's on Gralyn (drinking windows especially). We've got an 04 Cabernet and an 05 Cab/Shiraz in storage but since visiting the CD I've almost forgotten what they're actually like and I never see much written about the wines. Any thoughts anyone has on how long I might be advised to hang on to them would be much appreciated.
Most of their wines are big... I mean, really BIG. This was dark, dense and an inpenetrable purple in colour, with a rich bouquet of blackcurrants, blackberries, cocoa and coffee, with hints of tar, tobacco, and mint. The palate was muscular and expansive, with great length and chewy, chunky tannins. Certainly not an elegant red, and for me, it lost points for this... Those who like the bevy of OTT wines will really like this, but they all come at a cost now. Often close to $100 on release.
monghead wrote:2002 Gralyn Cabernet Sauvignon- Good Good
Cheers,
Monghead
I'd be interested to hear your views - or anyone else's on Gralyn (drinking windows especially). We've got an 04 Cabernet and an 05 Cab/Shiraz in storage but since visiting the CD I've almost forgotten what they're actually like and I never see much written about the wines. Any thoughts anyone has on how long I might be advised to hang on to them would be much appreciated.
1994 Orlando Centenary Hill Shiraz -- a very pleasant reminder of how good aged Barossa shiraz can be; no hurry to drink this up. 1998 Wynns Coonawarra Black Label CS -- very good 2001 Te Mata Elston Chardonnay -- it's a lottery drinking HB chardonnay this old, but this was a good bottle. Very enjoyable, but wouldn't hold any longer. 2001 Clearview Reserve Chardonnay -- ditto. 2004 Clearview Reserve Chardonnay -- 3rd bottle over past couple of months, all with consistently excellent results 2005 Clearview Reserve Chardonnay -- drunk over lunch at the winery restaurant. Very good. 2004 Chard Farm Finla Moir Pinot Noir -- nothing memorable. 2002 Vidal Soler Syrah -- last bottle I had suffered being drunk alongside the '07 Craggy Range Block 14 Syrah, but by itself this is good stuff. No need to hurry to drink up. 2007 Neudorf Moutere Riesling 2007 Gibbston Valley Le Fou Riesling -- actually enjoyed this quite a bit more on day 2, so won't revisit for a while, but pretty good stuff. 2000 Felton Road Dry Riesling -- unusually viscuous mouth feel; very good. 2003 Pegasus Bay Riesling -- excellent. 2002 Clearview Noble Chardonnay -- probably a couple of years past its peak.
monghead wrote:2002 Gralyn Cabernet Sauvignon- Good Good
Cheers,
Monghead
I'd be interested to hear your views - or anyone else's on Gralyn (drinking windows especially). We've got an 04 Cabernet and an 05 Cab/Shiraz in storage but since visiting the CD I've almost forgotten what they're actually like and I never see much written about the wines. Any thoughts anyone has on how long I might be advised to hang on to them would be much appreciated.
A coupe of friends and I did a horizontal of 96 cab savs early autumn last year and the Gralyn was one of the wines together with a 707 and Ch Beychevelle. Compared to the Beychevelle, the Gralyn was positively primal. The colour was almost black and the fruit huge. Given 05 was a good vinatge, I would be leaving at least 12-15 years before opening it based on the wine I tried last year. Sadly (or perhaps not depending on your tastebuds) it was the only Gralyn I have tried.
Had some lovely rieslings but it was the reds that really stood out from memory:
