Caught up with friends on the 23rd, which was our 11th wedding anniversary. Had a few 2002s, but never got around to the Grosset Polish Hill I had. Never mind. We drank well enough.
2004 Stuart Wines Shiraz Cahillton - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley (3/25/2013){cork, 14.5%} Fascinating to see the cork comment below from other tasters; the cork from this was a bit short, but otherwise utterly immaculate - and smooth and fine-grained (no visible grain) in fact. The wine was developed; rich and ripe; all the elements of a warm season in a cooler climate are present; some spice, but a mass of mulberry, exotic cherries with a cinnamon twist; along with a tart but sweet quality I can't quite identify. Tannins are pretty soft now, but the alcohol isn't obvious on the palate (at least not initially - it gradually emerges as the wine sits in the glass); it fills the mid-palate quite well, and has a pleasant medium-length finish. Clearly at peak, and doesn't need decanting time. This was around A$35 when released, to drink it from auction now at around A$7 negates any complaints.
1979 Château Brane-Cantenac - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/23/2013){mid-shoulder} Decanted just before service. Almost mahogany, turning brown. Intense tobacco/woody/cedar nose; sweet and aged and almost lovely to the point where you just know the palate is never going to live up to this... which turns out to be true. Faded. Gentle, ancient mulberry fruit, dominated by cigar-box/oak flavours, but turning astringent and volatile; generally quite light-bodied, and with a short finish. Yes, could be drunk with food, but it’s really on the downward slide. Indifferent cellaring (see level) has taken its toll. I wouldn’t be surprised if well-stored, less-ullaged bottles were still sailing along nicely.
2002 Craggy Range Pinot Noir Te Muna Road Vineyard - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough (3/23/2013){13%, screwcap} Bricking garnet colour. Perfumed, spicy, and quite aging nose; all composting leaves and sweet rotting meat (in a good way...) The palate isn’t hugely varietal, but has lots of compost flavours, gentle spices, a touch of fungal/mushroom character, but not unpleasant. There are still some medium-level powdery tannins, the acid is fairly soft; overall it’s about medium-bodied, with a medium length dry finish. Pretty decent but not outstanding wine at the end of its maturity plateau I reckon.
2002 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (3/23/2013){375ml, cork, 7.5%, AP 54 03} And another disappointment with this wine. Medium-dry apple-ish flavours are still overwhelmed by a brown staleness; it’s light-medium bodied and just manages a medium-length finish, but it’s just too oxidised to be very interesting. Hadn’t obviously leaked at all; the cork looked sound, but if this is typical (as it has been for me) this is a wine fading fast. My last bottle, thankfully.
2002 Lanson Champagne Gold Label Brut - France, Champagne (3/23/2013){cork, 12.5%, A$50} Mid yellow; quite mature bouquet of cheese, yeast & toast; the yellowing fruits seem more chardonnay-influenced than pinot, that’s for sure. The palate has great presence & body – as champagne goes, this is pretty full-bodied; the bubbles are quite large though; there are rich meaty, malty flavours. Could easily use more time to settle; don’t think it’s quite to the level that the 1996 achieved. Decent champagne, especially at the price.
2007 Carpineto Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (3/23/2013){cork, 24%} Dark garnet. Slightly developing, full-ish bodied sangiovese, dry and savoury and powerful, not too oaky, with a medium-length finish. Not too oaky, but seems rather blocky and dense at this age. Probably just too young to show much personality at this age.
2009 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (3/23/2013){cork, 14%, A$20} Bang on form; this fruit-driven grenache-based wine avoids too much oak or tannin, but has juicy acidity and an almost medium-length finish. It’s a bit simple; there are generic-red flavours on the palate, but it’s dry and almost savoury in a light-medium bodied way. Good effort – but still a bit costly in this country for what it is.
2007 Warburn Estate Premium Reserve Cabernet Merlot - Australia, South Australia, Barossa (3/22/2013){screwcap, 14.5%} The primary fruit has faded away into a sickly, sweetish generic red wine. Sweet plum compote nose; the palate has a simple vaguely acidic character to it, almost wholly artificial. Can a wine taste like it's made from Lego? It's not 'bad' to taste, but it's not real, either. Just like drinking liquid plastic. It's kind of medium-bodied, rather like a sugar-reduced alcoholic cordial might be, but has almost no presence on the palate whatever, apart from that bestowed by the alcohol. Well. Glad this only cost $5, and I'm not cellaring cases of Warburn...
2001 Jamiesons Run Winemaker's Reserve - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (3/20/2013){cork, 13.5%} This vintage at least is a cabernet-shiraz blend. And this bottle has a distinctly volatile, varnishy nose. Composting oak is the primary aromas, not hugely intense. The palate is rather falling apart, although in a nice way; it's a loosely-clumped collection of vague aged blackberry flavours, a touch of spice, stiffened with some medium grainy oak tannins. Finished a bit hollow, and short-medium in length; avoids heat thanks to the sensible alcohol level, but tastes a bit baked all the same. Provenance is unknown; so heat damage can't be ruled out, although it's not hugely distinct if this bottle is suffering from it. On this tasting then, definitely drink up; perfect cellaring might offer a better experience.
2005 Tyrrell's Vat 63 - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley (3/18/2013){screwcap, 12.5%} Mid/dark yellow with a green flash. Beautifully developing nose of citrus, grapefruit and nutty oak. The palate has some initial acid spritz, terrific presence across all the tongue, with the semillion tantalising the edges and the chardonnay filling out the middle. Oak is quite discreet; being almost a footnote to the grassy/stonefruit flavours. It's medium-bodied, with a medium-long finish. Very tidy indeed. Another 3-5 years won't hurt either, but I doubt there's any real need to keep it.
cheers,
Graeme
