The Auswine Forum

Happy new year folks and while some will be doing dry January, veganuary, or god knows what else - I will not be one of them! So lets kick off another year of buying wine...

Alheit Vineyards - Western Cape WO - Cartology - 2017 - x3
Château Troplong Mondot - Saint-Emilion grand cru - Mondot (2nd wine) - 2011 - x6
Ferraton Père et Fils - Crozes-Hermitage - La Matinière - 2017 - x6
Quinta Do Ameal - Vinho Verde - Loureiro - 2018 - x6

Oh dear, me again even before any one else has bought anything...


Honorio Rubio Añadas (a multi vintage white Rioja)
Juvé y Camps Blanc de Noirs 2015
Ca'n Verdura Supernova 2016
Condado de Haza Crianza 2016
Leirana Albariño 2018
Paco & Lola Albariño 2018
Honorio Rubio Macerado 2018
Son Prim Cup 2016
Pescuda Blanco 2018
Les Terrasses 2017
Ca'n Verdura Supernova Moll 2018
Viña Ardanza Selección Especial 2010 x6 --> This is just sensational stuff and one of the best bargains around right now.
Pesquera Crianza 2017

Hi Sam
It's just you propping the economy up mate, so pull your finger out and buy a bit more wine will you.
Regards
Ian

p.s. interested in your take on the Ameal vinho verde if you crack one of yours before my solitary bottle. FWIW I've got a Soalheiro Granit Vinho verde open tonight - good, but I fear I will damn it with faint praise and it rather reinforces my prejudice that 'mineral' is a synonym for 'more neutral' (or harsher, reminscent of Norfolk's limescale heavy tap water in its 'minerality'). Like I say, it's not bad at all, but I just don't think this is the right Soalheiro for me, with others much more joyful.

The Ameal is one of the better vinho verdes that I've had, though to be honest I haven't had one in some time.

Have been banned from buying wines for a while so on a whisky theme:
Oban 14 Year Old
Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask
Macallan 12 Year Old Triple Cask.
Jamiesons Irish Whisky.

Sam,

I see that you bought some 2017 Pesquera Crianza. The vintage that is currently on the shelf here is the 2014. What alarms me is the alcohol, it's 14.5% whereas the 2009 that I bought some years ago was 13.5%. I've heard that Pesquera is not its former self, that its glory years were in the 80s and 90s. Have you had any recently?

Sorrenberg 2018 Chardonnay X 6
Had this whilst down in Melbourne for Xmas and absolutely loved it. Bold and fruity (mango, bananas) with a creamy cashew and mild butter note.
Big fan.

Mahmoud Ali wrote:Sam,

I see that you bought some 2017 Pesquera Crianza. The vintage that is currently on the shelf here is the 2014. What alarms me is the alcohol, it's 14.5% whereas the 2009 that I bought some years ago was 13.5%. I've heard that Pesquera is not its former self, that its glory years were in the 80s and 90s. Have you had any recently?

Hey Mahmoud,

Apparently the only one I had was a I995 Crianza a couple of years ago.
I should have a 20I2 reserva somewhere unless I actually drank it, and I have a 2002 Millenium Reserva that I need to open.
I will probably crack the new one short term to have a look so I will post a note.

1 x 2005 Les Vins de Vienne Sotanum. 100% syrah from the Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes appellation. Haven't had this wine in over 10 years, and never with this much age on it so curious to see how it has developed...

6 2014 Lindemans Hunter Valley 1400 Shiraz.
Cheers Craig

6 x 2015 Yalumba The Signature Cab Shiraz

2x 1990 Grato Grati Vecchia Annata Toscana IGT (an old school wine kept for extended ageing in barrel and then bottle)
1x 2017 Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir Te Tera
3x 2015 Château de Pennautier Cabardès (cheap and cheerful blend including Bdx varieties alongside more common southern French varieties)

mjs wrote:6 x 2015 Yalumba The Signature Cab Shiraz

Malcolm, was this the fancy wooden box edition.
I purchased 6 of these prior to Christmas at a large chain, with a staff member proclaiming that signature will be a deleted line...Hill Smith's tired of the constant discounting...interesting that this now pops up.
I had two bottles of the 15 just prior to Christmas, very solid wine, suspect they will last for years.

Cheers craig

Well he might be more concerned with he constant criticism this excellent wine gets because of its closure. I don’t have any but would for the cork.

wiggum wrote:Well he might be more concerned with he constant criticism this excellent wine gets because of its closure. I don’t have any but would for the cork.

I presume you mean you would have bought The Signature but for the cork. My oh my, I can't imagine what my cellar would look like if I had no wines with a cork stopper. Shudder! It would also mean that I wouldn't have the '96 Signature to look forward to one day.

On the subject of January purchases, a couple of bottles prompted by half-price clearance:

2010 Man O' War 'Valhalla' Chardonnay, NZ
2014 Tinto Pesquera Crianza, Ribera del Douro, Spain

Mahmoud.

phillisc wrote:

mjs wrote:6 x 2015 Yalumba The Signature Cab Shiraz

Malcolm, was this the fancy wooden box edition.
I purchased 6 of these prior to Christmas at a large chain, with a staff member proclaiming that signature will be a deleted line...Hill Smith's tired of the constant discounting...interesting that this now pops up.
I had two bottles of the 15 just prior to Christmas, very solid wine, suspect they will last for years.

Cheers craig

Just six loose bottles from a major retailer I’m afraid. Wasn’t impressed as its gone straight to Kennards

Tbh, I’m not that fussed about cork closures. others seem to be concerned more than me, but I suspect its a bit of wingeing for wingeing’s sake. Yes, you might find the occasional stuffed wine, but with careful cellaring, bottle variation will be minimal. In the past I have had some poor runs with TCA with some labels/wineries, eg Redman in the 90’s, but cork quality nowadays has improved significantly. I doubt I would find more than one bottle in at least thirty affected in any way

mjs wrote:Tbh, I’m not that fussed about cork closures. others seem to be concerned more than me ... Yes, you might find the occasional stuffed wine ... I doubt I would find more than one bottle in at least thirty affected in any way

Me neither, and my strike rate with corked wine has, thankfully, been pretty low. It's also possible that I might have low sensitivity to TCA but it would also have to the case with the other half.

Mahmoud.

Mahmoud Ali wrote:

mjs wrote:Tbh, I’m not that fussed about cork closures. others seem to be concerned more than me ... Yes, you might find the occasional stuffed wine ... I doubt I would find more than one bottle in at least thirty affected in any way

Me neither, and my strike rate with corked wine has, thankfully, been pretty low. It's also possible that I might have low sensitivity to TCA but it would also have to the case with the other half.

Mahmoud.

I am actually extremely sensitive to TCA

Mahmoud Ali wrote:

wiggum wrote:Well he might be more concerned with he constant criticism this excellent wine gets because of its closure. I don’t have any but would for the cork.

I presume you mean you would have bought The Signature but for the cork. Mahmoud.

I saw the 2015 Signature at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show was under screwcap. I have been looking for some but only see cork closures.

Dragzworthy wrote:Sorrenberg 2018 Chardonnay X 6
Had this whilst down in Melbourne for Xmas and absolutely loved it. Bold and fruity (mango, bananas) with a creamy cashew and mild butter note.
Big fan.

I bought one of these to try. The mango and bananas comment has me worried!

Will give it a whirl over the weekend.

Cheers

Michael

crusty2 wrote:

Mahmoud Ali wrote:

wiggum wrote:Well he might be more concerned with he constant criticism this excellent wine gets because of its closure. I don’t have any but would for the cork.

I presume you mean you would have bought The Signature but for the cork. Mahmoud.

I saw the 2015 Signature at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show was under screwcap. I have been looking for some but only see cork closures.

I did briefly glance at the bottles, I think screwcap is correct

Michael McNally wrote:

Dragzworthy wrote:Sorrenberg 2018 Chardonnay X 6
Had this whilst down in Melbourne for Xmas and absolutely loved it. Bold and fruity (mango, bananas) with a creamy cashew and mild butter note.
Big fan.

I bought one of these to try. The mango and bananas comment has me worried!

Will give it a whirl over the weekend.

Cheers

Michael

Let us know what you think

2018 Duval Entity
2018 Charles Van Canneyt Burgundy en primeur
2017 Clonakilla single vineyard shiraz

Ordered 6 Sami-Odi Little Wine Nr 9 on Friday, but 3 will go to an acquaintance.

Today we went to a Wine Tasting in aid of the Fire Services. Bobar, Jam Shed, Patrick Sullivan etc were there. Fun afternoon. We won a couple of things in the raffle and I placed a bid in the Silent Auction for a Bobar wine. I did wonder how they managed to fit 10 litres worth of bottle into a normal sized box, and it was only after I found out I had won that Trudi explained that a Goon was a bag...so I now have a 10 litres of a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot, Riesling, Syrah and what ever else they had left over. Apparently the wine maker keeps a small stock of every grape apart which he uses to top up the barrels. Once all the wine is bottled he then mixes all the leftovers together and sells it in a ‘goon’ to local restaurants. God knows how i’m Going to get through it all - that’s more than I drink at home in a month and even at 10.5 % I don’t want to be skulling the stuff.

Worth trying it out as a cooking wine (in addition to anything you drink)

Had a bit of a weird month. Not sure why, but bought lot more than intended...

1 x Produttori del Barbaresco DOCG 2016
0.5 x Chateau La Tour-Blanche 2015
1 x Chateau Carbonnieux Rouge 2012
1 x G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo 2017
1 x Ar.Pe.Pe Il Pettirosso 2015
2 x d'Arenberg, The Dead Arm Shiraz 2016
2 x Penfolds Bin 138 2017 (picked this up for >$30/bottle, which I'm very happy with!)
1 x Penfolds RWT 2016
2 x Penfolds, St Henri Shiraz 2015

12 x various The Islander Estate (Kangaroo Island)
6 x 2018 UC 'by Yangarra' Shiraz
6 x 2018 UC 'by Yangarra' GSM
12 by various Dodgy Bros wines (including 6 x 2018 Juxtaposed Old Vine Grenache)

A dozen 2019 Crabtree Hilltops Riesling

Cheers craig

phillisc wrote:A dozen 2019 Crabtree Hilltops Riesling

Cheers craig

Enough already, Craig!

x4 Musso Barbaresco Pora 2016
x4 Ruggeri Corsini Barolo Monforte 2016