The Auswine Forum

the article with the most hits on our website is the chardonnay challenge we did 3 or 4 years back. we are looking to repeat it

5 NZ wines, 5 Aussies, all the best of the best

NZ

04/05/06/07 Te Mata Elston
04/05/06 Neudorf Moutere
04/06 Kumeu River Mates
06 Ata Rangi Craighall
06 Sacred Hill Riflemans

Aus

04 Giaconda
02/05 Leeuwin Art Series
05? Penfolds Yattarna
?? ??
?? ??

Now Aussie peoples, help me fill in the other 2 wines (currently available recent releases available either in sydney or nz)... 05 Cullen???? What would you put forward to represent your country in this blind event (would lean towards some sanely priced ones but we do want the best)

Kiwi peoples, anyone interested in attending/ judging drop me a PM. Cost yet to be determined but id imagine around $40-50 a head including food.

Cheers



C

I'd get the 04 Yattarna instead of the 05 (if you can get it), and the 05 LEAS is an absolute must. I haven't been a fan of Cullen, Moss Wood or Cape Mentelle recently which I thought were a bit over-worked for my taste. A 05 Serrat Close Planted Chardonnay we tried last year was really good, and while I haven't tried it there's been some big raps on the Epis.

I reckon the cheaper Penfolds Bin 311 Chardonnays are pretty smart too (any of the 05, 06, 07 vintages), and even the humble 06 Yalumba FDW(7c), 05 Lillydale Estate, 06 Ngeringa JE (if you can find them) & 04 O'Leary Walker wouldn't look out of place - because of the ABC effect there's some pretty good wines available for not much coin.

Cheers,
Ian

Bindi Quartz

Pierro
Petaluma?

I think if its best of the best you would have to look at the 2005 Leeuwin, The Giaconda, The Yattarna and the rest being out of

Bindi Quartz
Piero
Mount Mary
Hillcrest Premium

The 2004 Eileen Hardy is superb and pretty good value compared to the others which have been put up.

Had the 03 Cullens a year ago and was very very impressed
( Ditto the 04 Art Series )

As a mix of styles

05 LEAS or 06 Cape Mentelle (Margaret River)
06 Penfolds 06A , 05 or 06 Petaluma, 06 Yalumba FDW1C (Adelaide Hills)
05 Tyrrells Vat 47 (Hunter)
06 Oakridge/ 06 Coldstream Hills Reserve/06 Hillcrest Premium/06 De Bortoli Reserve / 05 Tarrawarra Reserve / 06 Giant Steps Tarraford, 06 PHI (Yarra)
06 Bindi or Epis (Macedon)
05 Pipers Brook (Tassy)
05 or 06 Picardy, 06 Howard Park (other WA)
05 or 06 Kooyong, 06 Stonier Reserve, 05 or 06 Eldridge Estate etc (Mornington)

Must have 05 LEAS in there.
GW

Gary W wrote:05 Tyrrells Vat 47 (Hunter)

Yes.
Graeme

Must have 05 LEAS in there

What label are you referring to ?

Sorry
Leeuwin Estate Art Series
GW

so far:
have the 04 giaconda already
and will get a 05 LEAS ex sydney (not in nz yet)
should be able to find 04 yattarna if not then 05
I can get tyrells

then one of...

I can get cullen
I can get 05 petaluma here easy
I can get eileen hardy
Or i can get another ex sydney,

would be good if it wasnt mega expensive though - none of the nz wines are over $60 though if interest is high i could add another pair for 6 pairs. For nz the extra would be one of craggy prestige, trinity homage or morton congilio

Gary W wrote: 06 Oakridge

Craig, Liquorland in Newmarket still have the 06 Oakridge - it won the Liquorland Top 100 chardonnay trophy last year and it's not too expensive

05 Pierro - had my first of 4 last week, superb.

Shaw and Smith M3
Tyrells Vat 47

What about Curly Flat from Macedon?

Savaterre would be doubling up in Beechworth so not a goer but a nice drop.

Agree with the Tyrells to round out the regional representation.

cheers

Carl

how about

giaconda 04
LEAS 05
yattarna 04
petaluma 05 (got have one aussie wine less expensive than the most expensive kiwi one!!)
tyrells vat 47 0?

is that a team an aussie would be happy to field??

also not worried about the odd regional double up. we will have 2x hawkes bay entries with riflemans and elston - cant think of a marlborough one to muscle in of that class?? how much is a bottle of savaterre and can i source it easily in sydney??

Honestly I'd drop the Giaconda or Yattarna or Petaluma and put in the humble 06 Oakridge. It's a fine wine and you need something from the Yarra.
GW

since its cheap?? i might just add the oakridge and add another kiwi

murphy's law says that the day you go trying to put together a tasting like this wines that you want that are normally gathering dust on shelves all of a sudden become impossible to find

Good move. The Oakridge sends a very clear signal of quality/price/availability locally.
GW

last time we slipped an orlando st hilary in as an 'odd one out cheapie'

one of the questions we asked the 16 tasters was to pick the 'cheapie' from the line up of 10

No one got it right. admit not all were experienced wino's but we had a range from wine show judges to beer drinkers. was telling!

this time round our 'judges' will be more experienced but all wines blind

Paradox wrote:

Gary W wrote: 06 Oakridge

Craig, Liquorland in Newmarket still have the 06 Oakridge - it won the Liquorland Top 100 chardonnay trophy last year and it's not too expensive

I was going to suggest the Oakridge Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2006 too.
Gold medal at the New Zealand International Wine Show and as you said - Champion Chardonnay at the Liquorland Top 100 - also Champion Wine of the Show at that show.
First Glass have it for $29.99 a bottle.

CraigNZ wrote:since its cheap?? i might just add the oakridge and add another kiwi.

If you were going to put in anther NZ cheapie, why not the Church Road Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2005 - it pipped the Oakridge for the Trophy at the NZ International Wine Show.

I thought the 05 Yattarna absolutely stunning when I tasted it last week. Haven't tasted the 04.

If you are looking for Marlborough representation, I would say it is hard to go past the latest release from Cloudy Bay (ie 2006).

Cheers,
Sue

If you are looking for Marlborough representation, I would say it is hard to go past the latest release from Cloudy Bay (ie 2006).

yeah its def the best since the 02, but the Ata Rangi Craighall is better (more definition on the palate) in my opinion. I think the cuisine judges got the no1 pick correct this time, i though tthe Ar was clearly a notch up on the others

Craig(NZ) wrote:

If you are looking for Marlborough representation, I would say it is hard to go past the latest release from Cloudy Bay (ie 2006).

yeah its def the best since the 02, but the Ata Rangi Craighall is better (more definition on the palate) in my opinion. I think the cuisine judges got the no1 pick correct this time, i though tthe Ar was clearly a notch up on the others

Yes, but Ata Rangi is not Marlborough.

Cheers,
Sue

the brief doesnt require every region to be represented. just looking for the best kiwi top 5 possible. we have no gisborne either, or waipara or canterbury, or otago

considered congilio but im not a huge fan of the latest edition, trinity homage is a one hit wonder.

craggy prestige was another option but dont know enough about where that would sit in the ranking world vs more established

so my 5 are safe, tried and true options - all established classics

another considered was clearview res but hasnt performed for me in this type of forum before (if it were a cricket player it would be matthew sinclair) and i think riflemans has the jump on it now anyway. riflemans could even push elston. 06 riflemans vs 07 elston what a battle!

Love to know from the aussies what 5 aussie chards they would personally pick when chips are down. No list of 10 possibilities, no list of 2. kiwis could do same for nz list, do you agree with mine?? dont care what regions represented, dont care about price too much, care a bit about availability for practical reason!!! (cant include if cant obtain!!)

only rule - vintage must be 04-07 and available to purchase in sydney or nz

1 ?
2 ?
3 ?
4 ?
5 ?

Craig(NZ) wrote:also not worried about the odd regional double up. we will have 2x hawkes bay entries with riflemans and elston - cant think of a marlborough one to muscle in of that class??

This is what I was responding to, Craig, when I suggested Cloudy Bay - from Marlborough.

I haven't included vintages and in no particular order but these are my 5 go to Aussie Chards

Shaw & Smith M3
Freycinet
Voyager
By Farr
LEAS

Cheers

Rednick

Some a bit harder to track down or inflated a bit at retail but or require a look to find but

I think if the chips are down Id go

Bindi Quartz
Leeuwin Art Series
Pierro
By Farr
Mount Mary (04,05 are excellent albeit built for a long haul, and I havent had the 06 which is about the same in reviews)

Maybe the Yattarna if you couldnt get the hardish to find Bindi or MM.

sorta settled on aussie line up being:

1. 04 Giaconda
2. 05 Leeuwin Art Series
3. 05/06 Pierro (pref 05 see what kate can get me)
4. 04/ 05 Yattarna (whatever I can get cheapest?? both good?? any opinions??? ive heard good about both)

then im running out of dosh ($45 a head is ticket price) so:

5. 05 Petaluma or 06 Oakridge

Opinions from those who have tried either would be appreciated!! I have tried the oakridge i think among about 30 other chardonnays so dont remember a thing!!