The Auswine Forum

Thanks to everyone who came to the chat tonight, and thanks in advance to anyone who posts a tasting note in the following days. It was great to see people taking the time to find and taste this wine, giving us an Australia-wide perspective on a single wine.

My own view:

Nice medium purple colour, nice nose of blackberry initially (chocolate a bit later in the evening) with lovely integrated vanillan oak (unlike the reserve where the vanilla stuck out big time). The palate was nice, viscous mouthfilling texture, and followed along the lines of the nose, with persistent tannins, very nicely handled oak, and a nice length of finish for a $26 wine. I think it's got 4-5 years left in it, but it's really a good drink now in its quite full bodied (and 14.5% ALV) style.

Can't wait to hear other opinions on the wine!

Thanks to everyone for participating.

Next Tasting Across Oz will be the 2003 Petaluma Hanin Hill Riesling in Stelvin, get those bottles early folks, and get ready to taste on the 8th of October. After that perhaps the Red Bigots will help us out with a nomination wine!

JWR

Thanks for kicking the idea off with aplomb, Jono - a creative new forum for interactive feedback. Looking forward to October's tasting!

Hi Jono,

we had lined up to look at this wine with our tasting group which just happened to be meeting last night. Our special envoy was sent to the nearest Dan Murphy's on a seek and destroy.... err find mission but alas it was not stocked. As there was no other premium wine retailers within 45 minutes drive our mission was aborted.

We shall try harder and do better next time because we are happy to support this idea.

Cheers,

Hello

I too enjoyed the wine and the active chat session. Thanks Jono for the idea and enthusiasm.

The wine, initial reaction was all blackberries and dark fruits, light and very balanced oak treatment.

Reaction 1 - tasty, crowd pleaser, quite simple.

As we chatted the wine opened up, and opened up further, liqueur plums and berries, earth, chocolate even coffee hints, nice fine long tannins and some decent structure under there.

Reaction 2 - nice stuff, will improve over 5 years I think, oak well done, nice fruit, rich and tasty. Good sign, as soon as the glass was empty I wanted to fill it again, very morish.

Overall, a good wine and worth the asking price of about $26ish per bottle.

Yes, there are better $26 wines out there, but there are many more much worse!

Now for 2003 Rieslings.

Jono,

I did try this wine, over 2 nights Tues/Wed and quite enjoyed it both nights.

I found it fairly closed on the first night, opening up a little to reasonable fruit in the dark plums spectrum and dark chocolate overtones, subdued oak and fine tannins. I'd class it as medium-bodied on the red bigot scale, it lacked a little richness and weight in the middle palate. I didn't find it at all hot from the 14.5% a/v.

It wasn't much different the second night, perhaps a little more generous, it certainly disappeared quickly and went quite well with the fairly spicy food.

I won't be rushing out to buy any though, from 2001 I already have the likes of Amberley First Selection, Gemtree Uncut, Kaesler Stonehorse, Kirrihill, Langmeil Valley Floor, Noons Reserve, Voyager Estate, Warrabilla and even Wolf Blass Brown Label in that price range and prefer many of those to the F.C..

I think I'll pass on the Petaluma next month though.

TORB wrote:I didnt try it last night as I had tasted it at the winery so I didnt quality but as were comparing TN here is mine from last May.

Fox Creek 2001 JSM is a Shiraz Cabernet Franc blend that retails at CD for $20. It has a spicy plum nose with slight VA lift and a hint of smoke. The ultra fined grained drying tannins provide a firm silky consistency and solid structure that result in a harmonious easy drinking wine thatÂ’s good now but will improve over the next three years. Cherry and plums dominate the dark chocolate flavours that also finish with spice and cinnamon, good length. Rated as Recommended with *** for vale its only $18 for club members.

Hi Ric

Short Row, not JSM.