The Auswine Forum

but that does not mean that you are, so please tell us what you have been drinking.

Cape Mentelle Trinders Cab Sav Merlot 2004
This either needs a lot of air time or a few years which it got neither of on Friday afternoon. Is still quite tannic at this stage. I think it has the stuffings of a pretty good wine with some nice fruit lurking in there. Revisit in a couple of years.

Cracked the 05 Warrabilla tasting pack over the weekend. 5 wines all double decanted for a couple of hours and served blind. Started on Friday night and had a second go last night.

Warrabilla Reserve Durif 2005
Light purple with red edge, fairly sweet nose of jubes and raspberries on the palate there were blackberry fruit, this finished a little hot and a little short. Was a bit better the second night and had opened up a bit more. I am a huge fan of Warrabilla Durif but this while still a good wine was beaten on the day by all the others.

Warrabilla Reserve Shiraz 2005
Deep purple with red edge, Slightly floral note to the nose initially with some plums, rich dark berries on the palate with plums. Definate step up from the first wine. On the second night this really started to come alive with some spices and chocolate with a little vanilla oak influence peaking through nice gear and on the buy list.

Warrabilla Parola Cab Sav 2005
Blood red with red edge fantastic colour. Picked this as a Parola straight away due to the richness and additional oak. Just wasn't quite sure if it was the shiraz or the cab . Plums and some vanilla oak on the nose, fuller palate with good length vanilla and more plum, nicely balanced wine given the 16%+ alc. Showed more as a cab as it began to open up but this is cab on steroids. On the buying list.

Warrabilla Cab Sav 2005
Purple red with purple edge, some mushrooms, plums and berry on the lush nose. Rich dark fruit flavours with quite dusty tannins and medium length. Good wine and a challange for the Parola if you like a little less oak influence.

Warrabilla Parola Shiraz 2005
Blood red with a purple tinge and purple edge impenetrable colour. Fantastic nose and again unmistakable as a Parola I think I knew this was the shiraz but the first one had thrown me a bit. Plums and vanilla oak with some spice and choc showing on the second night. Dusty tannins berries plums this wine is still opening up a day later I think this will be fantastic with a couple of years on it. The top of the pile for mine but others were split between this and the Parola Cab buying this one as well.

Still have a bit of both Parola's and the Res Shiraz to finish off tonight will be interesting to see how they stand up to being open for a couple of days after the decant.

Glen

I'm also @ work - yeeha

Hoddles Creek Pinot noir 05couldn't quite get into this wine colour reminded me of dilute raspberry cordial - nose and palate bland. Put it in the fridge then tried the next night and the palate was definitely better - tasted like cherries and ? musk lollies - not bad at all but prefer the Coldstream

Meeting Place Shiraz 03 - purchased at the local supermarket for 10.99 - fanbloodytatstic wine - thought was a SA red - red/purple in colour - spicey on the nose and plums on the palate with a hint of spice/pepper - a drink now to 2-3yrs proposition. great QPR.

Bleasdale Sparkling Shiraz - beautiful colour mousse light purple - quite a sweet wine - fruit and liquer sweet - very gluggable also great QPR @ 13.95

Barwang Cab 01 - l like this wine - hilltops seem to be producing some nice cabs - again drinking perfectly now - cassis and berries on the palate - will be buying more

regards
Richard

An excellent morning at a Brisbane wine shop on saturday

2004 Mad Dog Shiraz - Big and full on Barossa shiraz

2005 Kalleske 'Greenock' Shiraz - Excellent

2004 Pyren Vineyard 'Block E' Shiraz – More reserved than the first two

2004 Seppelt 'Mount Ida' Shiraz – Another good vintage from Mt Ida

2004 Bests 'Thomson Family' Reserve Shiraz – A table lifter



Bill Ryan and Paola Cabezas-Rhymer(winemaker) from Summit Estate at Stanthorpe arrived with some samples of their wines

2004 & 2005 Summit Estate Pinot Noir – not a variety I would drive any distance to taste. This did not make me change my mind.

2005 Summit Estate Tempranillo – As good as any Australian tempranillo I have tried since the d’Arenberg “Sticks & Stones” blend. Excellent.

2005 Summit Estate Petit Verdot – Pirraminna do this as well as any I have tried as a straight varietal. This showed the violets on the nose and had good complexity. I liked this one.

2005 Summit Estate Malbec – Another beauty.

If the quality of the last three wines can be maintained, many will have to reassess their opinion of Queensland wines.

Wizz can add the wine speak on these.

Graham

Wizz actually had to do the bolt and didnt get to taste the Stanthorpe wines! Bugger, I like Tempranillo. Do Summit estate have a cellar door?

Concur exactly with your descriptions of the Shiraz though. Kalleske was lovely, Mt Ida was also good, and the Bests was a knockout.

Other wines this weekend:

03 FX Pichler Loibner Oberhauser Riesling: this could be alsatian pinot gris. Spicy pears and some musky notes. On the palate this is rich and full and even slightly alcohol hot. Pear, musk lychee with just a trace of lime under the surface. On the whole heavy and phenolic texture but quite elegant in flavour. Not a style I like, and I hope this is an artefact of such a hot year in Austria..
02 Robert Arnoux Pinot Fin: Yes, I know, friends dont let friends drink Bourgogne. but this isnt bad. Stalk on the nose and then a flood of lush strawberry and cream across a mushroomy earthy floor. Some herbs here as well. Fine tannin in abundance, and good length and persistence. hasnt moved a lot in 6 months.
05 Pikes Riesling: Oxidative. surely faulty.
04 Nepenthe Tryst Cab/Tempranillo/Zinfandel: Fresh and fruity with enough complexity to keep you interested. I've liked this wine before and still do. I tinhk its about $12 and if I'm right its a cracker at that price!
99 Vasse Felix Noble Riesling: this bottle starting to dry out - more about searing acid vs sugar, with fruit taking on a misky character, but really having little say in the whole affair.

Pol Roger NV 375ml: A little more advanced than I expected showing some touches of yeasty, honeyed development. Still nice though
Lanson Black NV, piccolos: More apple fruit driven and immediately attractive than the Pol.
02 Grosset Watervale Riesling: picking up some kero. Waxy lime fruit, perhaps in its development hole. The lst glass in this bottle showed best (this morning), perhaps keep it a while longer before passing judgement.
05 Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay: Nice wine. White peach, pineapple. taut and terrific, could easily be AC Chablis.


cheers

AB

2001 Petaluma Summertown Vineyard Chardonnay ( $52 at Bridgewater Mill ) : Nice light gold colour for a 5 year old Chardonnay. Quite fine.

2004 Rockford Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon ( $ 33 ) : Enjoyable soft and deep Barossa red. Arguably does not need cellaring IMHO.

2005 GAZUR Ribera Del Duero Spain ( $ 26 ) : I've been dabbling with some Spanish wines recently. Most have been under $25 and are usually well presented and different enough from Australian wines to be worth trying. This is nice Tempranillo and kicked the ass of most Australian examples of Tempranillo that I can recall - for example the d'Arenberg ( called something like Sticks and Stones I think that I thought was very ordinary for about the same price as this ).

2003 Kangarilla Zinfandel (McLaren Vale Fruit) This was just lovely, big, bold and really spicy. Wish I had some more
2003/4 Eagle Vale Sauvignon Blanc Fume I shouldnt be so obsessive with my recycling then I would remember what year it was. Has anyone else had this wine, from Margaret river barrel fermented or at least matured Sav Blanc. An interesting wine that I had with some Japanese dishes.
2003 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge Beautiful as always one of my favs. Needs at least 3 more years I reckon

Wizz wrote:Wizz actually had to do the bolt and didnt get to taste the Stanthorpe wines! Bugger, I like Tempranillo. Do Summit estate have a cellar door?

Yes http://www.summitestate.com.au/SummitTours.html

Wizz wrote:Concur exactly with your descriptions of the Shiraz though. Kalleske was lovely, Mt Ida was also good, and the Bests was a knockout.AB

Majella 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Very varietal cabernet nose, distinct mint, eucalypt and slight herbaceousness but shot through with warm blackcurrant notes. Vague bitterness to the end palate but quite long. Classy.

Hardys Oomoo Shiraz 04
Savoury shiraz characters, meaty and grippy but with a smoothness uncharacteristic of wines of this price. Excellent quality for sub $10 and drinking more like a $20+ wine. Still with lots of time left.

Veuve Cliquot 1999 Vintage
Perfumed nose of rose petals with a strong citrus waft. Beautifully fine bead and texture and excellent length. Very fine.

Golding 'The Local' Sauvignon Blanc 06
Subtle and complex and with substantial mouthfeel and nice finish. Lemony, with gentle herbaceousness. Time ahead of it.

Yabby Lake 04 Pinot Noir
Good pinot nose - lots of plum and mushroomy undergrowth with hints of pepper. Highish alcohol obvious, with a slightly stewed, roasted palate but a very rounded and pleasant drink.

Ballandean Sylvaner 1999
Fresh and lifted nose - surprisingly alive considering the light bronze colour. Nothing amazing but pleasantly drinkable and finished rather short. Not cloying, just rounded sweet.

Alvear 1927 PX
A pot of chocolate and treacle and wet dog hair (but in a good way!). Fantastic, viscous, unreal.

1999 Seppelt Harper's Range Cabernet Sauvignon (Victoria)
Gawd these labels were dreadful - tawdry gold and red. Shockers. The wine itself is dark garnet. Old cabernet/eucayplt nose. Dusty, a little leathery. Seems smooth on the palate initially, but the tannins do build up over time. It's nicely aged, but not really developed, just had the rough edges knocked off. Another 2-3 years will be fine, but don't expect any more excitement...
cheers,
Graeme

Oxford Landing Sav Blanc 2006 ($5)
Certainly not bad considering the price, light, crisp, but quite acidic.

Brother Brothers Dolcetto Syrah ($12)
Had this with some spicy Thai food, the sweetness worked really well with the food. An enjoyable light chilled red, with a taste of raspberries.

Lindemans Pyrus 1997
Only one left now, think it is a bit late, still drinking nicely, but think this was a better wine a few years ago.

Brother Brothers Orange Muscat & Flora (750ml $9)
Nothing complex about this, but when you get it for sub $10 in a 750ml bottle that has to be a bargain.

Bleasdale Sparkling Shiraz
Agree with other post, tasted this at the Good Living wine show, really enjoyable drop for the price. Will be buying some

Had a whole bundle of vintages from Mount Mary and 707. Both very consistent and I was pleasantly surprised how good some of the 707's were (need long decants)...TN's to follow.

Villeneuve, Domaine de Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2000: a pleasant Rhone blend - kirsch and provencal herbs etc etc.

De Bortoli Sero Chardonnay Pinot Grigio 2005: nice wine, and an interesting blend. Not over fruity, nicely balanced.

Pol Roger Brut 375ml nv: over developed - did not like it

De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2006 - pretty good, perhaps lacks some oomph on the palate

De Bortoli Gulf Station Pinot Noir 2005 - pretty good - interesting

Grosset Gaia 1999 - intense, chewy, maybe a bit feral, but I liked it alot

Diamond Valley Blue Label Chardonnay 2004 - as reliable as ever

Coupe Roses, Chateau La Bastide 2004 - hmmmmm, not impressed at all - thin and basically boring - will try the rest of the bottle tonight

Meerea Park Viognier 2006 - recently released, excellent when it warmed up

De Bortoli Gulf Station Shiraz Viognier 2005 - pretty good too, nice cool-ish climate shiraz.

Bests 1999 FHT Shiraz
My previous bottle I posted on was very tight and unyielding. Well what a change. This one was singing very loudly and we've had one or two complaints from the neighbours . Little sign of age in the colour and very dense purple in colour. Palate shows very rich juicy spicy blackberry fruit supported by mocha and mint/menthol notes and a nice savoury touch to the classy finish. Acidity is spot on and tannins have softened immensely. Tonight it's a stunning wine.

I can't believe it's developed this much inside a year and I reckon it's bottle variation (perhaps even a light taint on the previous bottle). It should be noted that this bottle had noticeably thick sediment.

2005 Wirra Wirra Adelaide Hills Arneis

Interesting wine. Barrel fermented and 6 months on lees, the wine had an underlying french oak flavour, not obtrusive to the palate though. Hints of cinnamon, pear and grainy french oak (the oak is reasonably balanced on the palate with the fruit component). There is good acidity and a weighty mouthfeel with good viscosity. Overall, a pretty good wine, my first try of an Arneis, so I don’t have anything to compare it against. Went beautifully with lunch.

2002 Beringer ‘Alluvium’ Knights Valley (Napa Valley)

Lovely ripe red fruits, hints of spice, dried herbs and well integrated American Oak. Medium to full bodied wine. Not sure of the varieties in this wine, but would suggest a predominantly Cabernet with a touch of Shiraz blended in. Beautiful smooth tannins and good acid structure, the finish was long and smooth. As we slowly drank each glass it got better and better. Pity this wine was opened now, would be good to see how this wine develops in the next 5-7 years, it has all the hall marks to age gracefully.

2004 Wynns Coonawarra Cab/Shiraz/Merlot

After the above wine, this was more full bodied and a touch greener. However for the price it is a very good wine. This well drink well over the next 2-5 years

2006 Banrock Station Sauvignon Blanc

Out of the 14/15 cheap wines that Banrock produce, this wine was probably the best wine I tried at the cellar door and hence bought a few bottles. Nice tropical fruit and acid balance. Easy wine to kick back with on a Sunday arvo.

Main Ridge Half Acre Pinot Noir 2004:

The wine was showing a brilliant ruby/garnet hue and its aroma lept from the decanter. Once poured the nose was amazing - super complex. Spice, hints of cloves, cherry, plum, musk and caramel made for a nose that was very enticing.

The palate did not disappoint. It was spicy with notes of undergrowth/leaf matter with bright elements of cherries and plums with an underlying sappy stalky character. There is smoky ceder lurking in the background adding more complexity with fine, powdery tannins running through the wine. A touch of warmth on the finish was slightly disconcerting but this seemed to diminish as the wine saw more air. Exceptional length with the palate maintaining its line and length all the way through. Great poise.

24 hours later, the wine had not changed a lot, maybe a little less fruit but the structure and length remained intact.

Excellent wine. 93/100 for me.....

Also enjoyed:

Penfolds Bin 389 1996 - excellent, as expected from this wine

Devils Lair Chardonnay 2004 - quite good, not bad for an everyday drinking without thinking chard

Chateau de Pez, St. Estephe 2000 - drinking well now, good depth of ripe black fruit with ceder, mushroom, tobacco undertones

Have a vertical tasting of the Penfold 389 last week. Vintage 86 91 92 93 94 96 98. Except the 93 vintage, all of the them are excellent and 86 is the most enjoyable one at the moment but have to drink within these few years. 96 and 98 boths drinking very well now but should be even better few years later.

Ch. La Lagune 1996

Dusty deep red in hue, very long with moderate tannin. Complex with a lot more cellaring potential; this feels like it could be a much more interesting wine in time.
Purring with fragrance, smoke, woody berry and earth.
A vibrant yet smooth wine, like an old friend.

86/100

Mike.

1998 Orlando Jacaranda Ridge - slightly closed and a little astringent. Leave for another year or so.

2003 Langoa Barton (Bordeaux) - super ripe fruit, gravelly tannic finish

2003 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz - nice ripe fruit. Finishes shorter than the great BP's.

2001 The Willows Vineyard Bonesetter Shiraz

Spectacular for want of a better word. Strong alcohol on opening but opened up in the decanter to chocolate and lovely full fruit flavours. I was very impressed ( and thats not easy sometimes ).

Tried the Bremeton 2002 Old Adam Shiraz on Saturday for the first time. No idea what it costs but it is a wonderful wine with intense blackberry and licorice palate and soft integrated oak. Langhorne Creek wines can be over tannic and lacking soft fruit but this is not one of those wines. If you get the chance, give it a go. Winemaker Rebecca WIllson certainly knows her onions!

Seddo said:
Hoddles Creek Pinot noir 05. Couldn't quite get into this wine, colour reminded me of dilute raspberry cordial - nose and palate bland. Put it in the fridge then tried the next night and the palate was definitely better - tasted like cherries and ? musk lollies - not bad at all but prefer the Coldstream

I have been drinking the 2004 Hoddles Creek Pinot lately and found it quite palatable. Unfortunately a local restaurant has now moved on to the 2005 which is incredibly disappointing. So much so that I suggested to the restaurant that they take it off their list. Quite a metallic bitter taste where once there was soft cherries. Give it a wide berth.

Shadrach, I've had a couple of bottles of the 05 Hoddles Creek Pinot of late and quite enjoyed them. Certainly no metallic taste. I ordered more bottles after the first few and am happy I did. My tasting note is on a previous note but basically, I thought it was great

Also had the chardonnay and while it was fine, it didn't rock my socks and I didn't reorder after trying those. Nothing wrong with it at all but just not my preferred style. The pinot though - bring it on.

Would suggest you had a bad bottle. Or were you on anti-biotics? I've had this problem in a major way before and it's caused an awful metallic taste in perfectly sound wines. Only for me though - everyone else enjoyed them.

Well, I was pretty drunk so I'm not going to score the wines. But...

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2006 - A good example of Marlborough sav, but I'm utterly bored with the style and couldn't get into it.

Clonakilla Viognier 2005 - Probably the best viognier I've had, lot of spice and fruit. No apricot flavours, and none of the acrid bite you get on the finish of cheap viogniers.

Penfolds Cellar Reserve Grenache 2002 - Very varietal, clean raspberry flavours shining through. A little hot for my liking and also a bit sweet/cloying after decanting, but overall a very solid wine.

Troll Creek Shiraz 2002 - Had a very odd smell when first opened, that took a good 3 hours to dissipate. Powerful, oaky shiraz - one for the Parker aficionados.

Tim Adams "The Aberfeldy" Shiraz 1998 - One of Australia's more underrated labels, I think. Typical Clare Valley stuff, lot of cloves, spices and mulberry. More finesse than most though.

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 - Stellar wine from a stellar vintage, and no doubt an excellent cabernet - and yet... I was expecting more for the money. Not the equal of similarly-priced cabernets that I tasted in Napa earlier this year.

We also drank some astronomically priced Italian nebbiolo, which again didn't deliver for the price.

Can't really remember many of the wines lately (too many beers) but one stuck in the memory:

Browns' of Padthaway 1996 Sparkling Shiraz
Soft, earthy aged shiraz on the nose. On the palate it is a lovely aged sparkling shiraz. Earthy, some mushroom and hints of leather. Reminds me of the Joseph but at less than half the price with 80% of the length. Great value drinking at $24.

I also want to say that I am moving to Perth on Tuesday for 3 years (sans cellar) to become a student again. Farewell to those near Sydney and hello to forumites in Perth!

cheers

Carl