The Past months reds

[Brucer]

These are my brief comments on the reds I have drunk in the past month or so. All are brief and from memory.

01 Greenock Creek Apricot Shiraz
Good, but may have a small VA problem. Needs time I think?

02 Ulithorn Frux Frugis McLaren Vale Shiraz
Very good wine, in balance, not over oaked.

98 Woodstock Stocks Shiraz
Needs time to open up. Good wine, oak is there, but not over the top.

98 Haselgrove H Reserve Shiraz
A joy to drink. beautiful wine.

96 Chapel Hill Shiraz
Still holding well. Balanced and a good drink

96 Rockford Moorooroo Shiraz
A very fine wine, but a little too much oak for me. years left.

96 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
A wine of the highest order. Sensational

96 Grant Burge Meshach
Huge wine, years to go, but for me, over oaked.

96 Penfolds St Henri
Very closed the first night, but open up beautifully the second night. Years to go.

98 Turkey Flat Shiraz.
Good wine, but suffers from something, maybe slight reduction.

97 Greenock Creek Cabernet
Huge wine, lots of tannins, but in balance. Improved the second night. needs years.

93 Thomas Hardy Cabernet.
Great nose, but has real problems, could not drink. Didnt seems oxidised or cork tainted, maybe just past its use by date.

98 Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz
Always gives me a great drink. Good for guests that dont like big wines.

98 Wirra Wirra RSW Shiraz
Drinking well. Few years yet. I love Wirra reds.

96 Peter Lehmann Black Queen Sparkling Shiraz
Was better a couple of years ago. Needs drinking.

96 Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz
Good wine, drinking well.

98 Bleasdale Generations Shiraz
Opens up a bit minty, but once I get used to it, its great.

94 Leasingham Classic Clare Sparkling Burgundy.
This wine if simply brilliant.

01 Fox Creek JSM3
Starting to drink okay. good, not great.

98 Reynell Shiraz
Taking oak to the limit, my limit anyway. Good wine.

98 Lake Breeze Winemakers Selection Shiraz
Usual Langhorn mint, but good.

94 Grant Burge Meshach
Brilliant wine, in balance and ageing wonderfully.

93 Seppelt Millenium Sparkling Shiraz
Drinking beautifully now. A joy.

91 Seppelt Millenium Sparkling Shiraz
Similar to above, but a touch better.

98 Charles Cimicky Reserve Shiraz
Very good wine, and is holding up.

00 Henrys Drive Reserve Shiraz
Fallen over, and undrinkable.

96 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz.
I think the best one they have made.

01 Dowie Doole Reserve Shiraz
Good wine, needs time.

02 Mitolo GAM Shiraz
Good wine, needs time

96 Richmond Grove Shiraz
Very drinkable wine.

02 Two hands Bad Impersonator Shiraz
Big balanced wine, needs time

96 Reynell Shiraz
Too much oak for me. had trouble drinking it.

02 Hartz Barn Shiraz
Good wine, but has a slight green edge.

98 Saltram No1
Typical Saltram higer oak wine, but good and needs time

02 Mitolo Serpico Cabernet
Amorone style. This wine was sensational. A real surprise.

97 E&E Black Pepper Shiraz.
Drinking well now.

98 Charles Melton Shiraz
Floral nose, and drinking well now.

98 Mamre Brook Cabernet
It was okay, nothing too special.

02 Mitolo Savitar Shiraz
Big wine that needs a few years

00 Zema Family Cabernet
I didnt like this much

99 Zema Family Cabernet
I liked this even less

94 Alkoomi Blackbutt
My last bottle....corked

94 Howard Park Cabernet
opened two, and both corked.

96 Lake Breeze Winemakers Cabernet
It was okay.

90 Zema Cabernet.
I was expecting this to be shot, but it was sensational.

00 Knappstein Enterprise Cabernet
Very good typical clare high class cabernet. great drinking

99 Alkoomi Blackbutt
Hated this wine. Astringent

97 Alkoomi Blackbutt
Better wine than the 99, and it was from a poorer year?

01 Haselgrove H Shiraz
Good wine, but a bit simple

99 Veritas Bulls Blood
Drinking well, not much oak at all.

98 Steve Maglieri Shiraz
Good wine, but too much oak

02 Scarpantoni Block 3 Shiraz
Drinking well already.

02 Coriole Old Barn Shiraz Cab
In a hole I hope.

04 Warrabilla Parola Duriff.
I opened this because a friend didnt believe me that a red could be 17.5% alcohol.
The wine has a fair amount of oak, but otherwise I think it has good balance, taking into account the alcohol. The first night I could got get near it, nor the second or the third. On the fourth night, I mixed it with another average wine I had, 70% other wine, 30% Warrabilla, and it still took over, but it still wasnt noticibly oxidised. Pretty amazing stuff!

02 Bullers Calliope Shiraz.
This is much more fruit driven, and the fruit is fantastic. I love this wine, and so has everyone I have given it to.

94 Leo Buring Cabernet. Coonawarra/Barossa
I bought 2 doz on release and been drinking slowly. This was the second last bottle, and it was stuffed. Didnt seem corked or oxidised.

01 Veritas Bulls Blood Shiraz
Fantastic wine.

98 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz
Great wine, but too much oak for me.

98 Wirra Wirra Chook Block Shiraz
Gone into a dumb phase I think. Everything seems to be in balance for a few years down the track.

98 Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz.
Drinking really well.

02 Cape Barren Shiraz.
Good wine, needs time

02 Scarpantoni Cabernet
This is a very good wine, and needs a couple more years

94 Grant Burge Filsell Shiraz
I think Grant Burge makes very good wines, that age very well, and this is another one.

01 Fontill McLaren Vale Shiraz
Too much oak for me.

94 Brian Light Reserve Shiraz
The last bottle of three doz. Of the last 5 I opened, four have been stuffed with cork problems, this one included.

95 Eileen Hardy Shiraz
I did a separate entry on these previously.
Over oaked and bloody horrible

96 Eileen Hardy Shiraz
A bit better, but still over oaked and very closed. Will it ever come good?

97 Eileen Hardy Shiraz
The best of the three now.

94 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
Beautiful wine, but not as good as the 96.

99 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz
Drinking okay.

96 Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz
Pretty good, in balance, but not outstanding.

Bruce

[cranky]

So, about 70 bottles in a month and you can remember them all. Cool!
Proof against alcohol affecting the memory!

[dlo]

So, about 70 bottles in a month and you can remember them all. Cool!
Proof against alcohol affecting the memory!

I was thinking something similar, but didn't have the guts to go first. Thanks cranky.

Seriously, a great effort, firstly, to remember what you've opened and even greater kudos to post notes on them. Thank you for taking the time in doing so.

[Grinners]

Brucer - Your a F*&^%ing Hero!

[Andrew Jordan]

And the best thing ..... not a WHITE in sight! Excellent form.

[cranky]

And the best thing ..... not a WHITE in sight! Excellent form.

Perhaps there were no memorable whites, none worth mentioning. Couple of dozen maybe?

Seriously, we have to assume sharing, and probably several tastings too. And tipping of faulty bottles. Not just wholesale skulling

Still shows great palate memory, though.

Thanks, Bruce.

[Brucer]

Cranky,

There were a few whites, namely Hunter Semillon. I can comment on them tonight.
These were all wines from my cellar, drunk by myself, but mostly with friends.
Bruce

[Elvispga]

Geez Brucer. Steady on!

Fantastic effort, all round.

Now a question re:

02 Bullers Calliope Shiraz.
This is much more fruit driven, and the fruit is fantastic. I love this wine, and so has everyone I have given it to.

Any idea on a drinking window?

Cheers
Elvis

[Brucer]

Re the 02 Calliope Shiraz.
When I bought some at the cellar door, Andrew Buller gave me a bottle of 96 Calliope Shiraz, and said" if its not brilliant, then there is cork problems"
The wine was sensational.
I have since managed to buy 6 more of the 96, and have drunk 3, and they are amazing. All fruit, hardly any oak, and the fruit is brilliant.
Andrew said the 02 will be similar, so I am thinking, drink now till 2012 for the 02.

Re the whites, they are mostly Hunter Semillon, as thats generally what I want to drink in whites.

02 Meerea Park Epoch Semillon
Good everyday drinking

05 Meerea Park Epoch Semillon
better than the 02

99 Lovedale
I didnt like this much, Hard to explain why, but there is something that seems not right.

98 Capercallie Semillon
There is a story to this. I bought a 96,97 and 98 over the years, and decided to try them. The 96 and 97 were poured instantly down the sink, the 98 needed 3 tastes before it was DTS. I contacted Alasdair at Capercallie, and he said there had been heaps of oxidation on these due to cork problems, and replaced them with an 00,01 and 98 that had been sorted. The 00 was very good, and the 98 was okay. Yet to try the 99.
Top marks to capercallie for the way they handled my problem.

96 Lovedale
This is a very good wine, but has some cork problems.

96 Lindemans Bin 8850
I really like Lindemans Sems, and this is a very good example.

01 Briar Ridge Early Release
Very good wine

98 Willows Semillon
This wine was past it due date

96 Tim Adams Semillon
In good years this can be great. Its oaked, but a 90 I had 2 years ago was sensational, amazing fruit salad flavours, but most are not too aspiring, too much oak I think.

99 Rockford Semillon
Not too bad.

04 De Illius Semillon
This winery is making some great wines, both red and white.
This was early drinking

04 Smith Leigh semillon
This was the old Lindemans Steven paddoch I believe. earlier wines were fantastic. This wine is covered with awards, but there is an element to it I dont like. May be in a hole

00 Lovedale
I like this a lot. Its all there for me.

05 Tyrrells Lost Block
Good, needs time

04 Lindemans 0455
Drinking really well at the moment. Not a big keeper I think?

99 Tyrrells Vat 1
Bloody fantastic wine, drinking well now, but a few years left

01 Meerea Park Epoch
Was acceptable.

[Red Bigot]

02 Bullers Calliope Shiraz.
This is much more fruit driven, and the fruit is fantastic. I love this wine, and so has everyone I have given it to.

Any idea on a drinking window?

Cheers
Elvis

The 91 Calliope Shiraz is only now peaking, it's over 16% a/v, not sure the 2002 will go quite as long, the level of VA seems a bit higher, not sure if that will cause a problem as it ages, maybe not.

The 1962 Calliope at 10 yo was so sublime it started me on the road to ruin as a fan of big but balanced reds, these guys have a track record, but even though it's not an "every vintage" wine, there are still a few misses and not all have the balance and structure to age 10 years or more. The 96 definitely does. I think the 98 mostly went overseas, not sure what there was from then until the 2002, the 2003 isn't quite as good as the 2002, doesn't quite have the silky fruit and seductive mouthfeel.

[Muscat Mike]

The 91 Calliope Shiraz is only now peaking, it's over 16% a/v,

Had one of my last few about a year ago and it was singing loud and clear. A wonderful wine.
MM.

[roughred]

RB,

Unfortunately there wasn't a 98 Calliope (although that made for a good value 98 Limited Release Shiraz)

There was a hiatus from the average 97 until the hyped 02. Like you I think the 03 is good, not great. There should be a pretty smart 04 to follow, given the 04's seen so far (Mondeuse and Shiraz Viognier)

Cheers,

LL

[smithy]

Tasted the 04 ex barrell the other day as Andy was getting it ready for bottling.
Damned fine!
Cheers
Smithy

[Red Bigot]

Thanks guys, I'll look out for the 2004 Calliope in a year or so.

I think we hijacked the thread.

[J Halliday Jr]

Looks to me like Bruce may have a problem. Shame on the lot of you for rewarding and encouraging his behaviour.
Bruce, if this is typical, go and get some help.

[Red Bigot]

Looks to me like Bruce may have a problem. Shame on the lot of you for rewarding and encouraging his behaviour.
Bruce, if this is typical, go and get some help.

Yeah, Bruce has a buying problem - buys too much red wine, so then he has to drink it or sell it!