Hi Good Peoples,
You know the drill; tasting notes vibes or lists all welcome. Please let us all know what you you have been consuming.
Sunday once again....
Started the weekends imbibing with a visit to The Apothecary Wine Bar in Adelaide as had some time to kill before seeing the interesting band Rocket Science. Had a glass of Kaesler Barossa Viognier - nice enough but seemed a bit bland and made me think " I'd rather have a Barossa Semillon ". Also had a glass of 2004 Rusden Barossa " Driftsand " Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre - nice enough grenachey Barossa wine. And a glass of Mirabelle Eau de Vie - sophisticated rocket fuel indeed !
Last night :
2004 HENSCHKE Giles Lenswood Pinot Noir : fairly modest Adelaide Hills Pinot. Not sure what else to say.
TURKEY FLAT Pedro Ximenez 350ml : lighter than the spanish PX's but in a nice way. Quite fine.
Last night :
2004 HENSCHKE Giles Lenswood Pinot Noir : fairly modest Adelaide Hills Pinot. Not sure what else to say.
TURKEY FLAT Pedro Ximenez 350ml : lighter than the spanish PX's but in a nice way. Quite fine.
Last edited by Pelican on Sun May 11, 2008 9:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Chandon brut NV, chardonnay & pinot noir, 12.5%, cork
- Decent value Australian bubbles of the cluster at the $20 pricepoint. Crisp enough and disappeared quickly as an apertif.
Valminor albarino 2003, Rias Baixas, cork.
- The best of these older Valminor bottles I've been going through. Clear development in the colour, but still retaining spritz, verve and attractive lemon characters. Went very well with fish&chips on a sunny Saturday.
Peter Lehmann Eden Valley riesling, 2007, 12%, screwcap.
- Lovely Eden riesling. Fresh and bright, with good floral aromatics. Excellent with Chinese dumplings of white fish and garlic chives.
Tyrrell's Vat 9 shiraz, 1996, Hunter Valley, 13.5%, cork.
- My second of a case (the first killed by cork). Tyrrell's has done so many things with the oak regime for this wine. This year was 50% large old oak, 30% one year old French and American barriques, and 20% new 500 gallon casks. Eleven years or so in bottle and this is still making up its mind what it wants to be. There is good fruit intensity, though still in medium-bodied territory, and the tannins are pretty much resolved, but the balance of this bottle seemed to lean just a bit far towards the acid to be truly a top Vat 9. It held up over several days, so more room for development here, I think.
Yalumba shiraz viognier, 2005, Barossa Valley, 14.5%, screwcap.
- Tasty shiraz viognier, great value and looked better on the third night, so room to move. 5% viognier.
Phillip Island Wines pinot noir, 2003, Gippsland, 14.5%, cork.
- Opened up well, with lots of aromatic interest. Carried this through the palate, with ripe cherries and berry fruits. Reasonable persistence through the finish. Day 2 made it look far more dry reddish, so I'll drink up my remaining bottles, I think. Showed little sign of complexing development since I've bought these.
Mount Majura shiraz, 2005, Canberra, 14.4%, screwcap.
- Still a standout wine. Ripe berry fruits pushing spice and pepper out of the glass. Five people finished the whole bottle in half the time it took to eat a main course. I am tempted to get a third case.
Craigie Knowe Vineyard, Mick's Blend, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot, 2005, Cranbrook Tasmania 12.7%, cork.
- Certainly had refreshing acid, and was not overtly green or too leafy, but this did come across as underfruited and the Majura was the clear preference of the table. Held up well over following days, but not something I would buy.
Castaldo chianti DOCG 2005, 13%, cork.
- 1/2 with this, due to mould tainting on the first. The cork on the second also mould-covered, but drank OK. The value with this is good, but there is better affordable 2005 Chianti out there.
Williams Crossing pinot noir, 2005, 13.8%, screwcap.
- The second string Curly Flat pinot, this is cracking value and good drinking. Went very well with Chinese, especially a hotpot of eggplant and pork.
- Decent value Australian bubbles of the cluster at the $20 pricepoint. Crisp enough and disappeared quickly as an apertif.
Valminor albarino 2003, Rias Baixas, cork.
- The best of these older Valminor bottles I've been going through. Clear development in the colour, but still retaining spritz, verve and attractive lemon characters. Went very well with fish&chips on a sunny Saturday.
Peter Lehmann Eden Valley riesling, 2007, 12%, screwcap.
- Lovely Eden riesling. Fresh and bright, with good floral aromatics. Excellent with Chinese dumplings of white fish and garlic chives.
Tyrrell's Vat 9 shiraz, 1996, Hunter Valley, 13.5%, cork.
- My second of a case (the first killed by cork). Tyrrell's has done so many things with the oak regime for this wine. This year was 50% large old oak, 30% one year old French and American barriques, and 20% new 500 gallon casks. Eleven years or so in bottle and this is still making up its mind what it wants to be. There is good fruit intensity, though still in medium-bodied territory, and the tannins are pretty much resolved, but the balance of this bottle seemed to lean just a bit far towards the acid to be truly a top Vat 9. It held up over several days, so more room for development here, I think.
Yalumba shiraz viognier, 2005, Barossa Valley, 14.5%, screwcap.
- Tasty shiraz viognier, great value and looked better on the third night, so room to move. 5% viognier.
Phillip Island Wines pinot noir, 2003, Gippsland, 14.5%, cork.
- Opened up well, with lots of aromatic interest. Carried this through the palate, with ripe cherries and berry fruits. Reasonable persistence through the finish. Day 2 made it look far more dry reddish, so I'll drink up my remaining bottles, I think. Showed little sign of complexing development since I've bought these.
Mount Majura shiraz, 2005, Canberra, 14.4%, screwcap.
- Still a standout wine. Ripe berry fruits pushing spice and pepper out of the glass. Five people finished the whole bottle in half the time it took to eat a main course. I am tempted to get a third case.
Craigie Knowe Vineyard, Mick's Blend, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot, 2005, Cranbrook Tasmania 12.7%, cork.
- Certainly had refreshing acid, and was not overtly green or too leafy, but this did come across as underfruited and the Majura was the clear preference of the table. Held up well over following days, but not something I would buy.
Castaldo chianti DOCG 2005, 13%, cork.
- 1/2 with this, due to mould tainting on the first. The cork on the second also mould-covered, but drank OK. The value with this is good, but there is better affordable 2005 Chianti out there.
Williams Crossing pinot noir, 2005, 13.8%, screwcap.
- The second string Curly Flat pinot, this is cracking value and good drinking. Went very well with Chinese, especially a hotpot of eggplant and pork.
Paul.
Seabrook Special Bottling 1971 Vintage Port (H. M. Martin, grower, 100% Shiraz grapes from Langhorne Creek).
Quite an unusual hazy muted ruby/brownish colour with incredible viscous tears hanging to the side of the glass. Intoxicating, brandied-chocolate nose of aged licorice, spicy, earthy blackberries, dusty old leather, a twist of caramel and a whiff of amaretto - almost a hybrid of styles here - distinctly Australian but with plausible links to a Portuguese thoroughbred. The palate offers up a similar array of complex flavours, possesses a gorgeous silky texture, abundant viscosity, lovely weight and a resolved finish with a modicum of spirit adding a deft touch of astringency. Just the shortest glimpse of the chocolate/licorice/blackberry fruit giving up the ghost at the death, but not enough for me to give this Outstanding wine a rating of 93 points. Drink now or in the next year or three.
Quite an unusual hazy muted ruby/brownish colour with incredible viscous tears hanging to the side of the glass. Intoxicating, brandied-chocolate nose of aged licorice, spicy, earthy blackberries, dusty old leather, a twist of caramel and a whiff of amaretto - almost a hybrid of styles here - distinctly Australian but with plausible links to a Portuguese thoroughbred. The palate offers up a similar array of complex flavours, possesses a gorgeous silky texture, abundant viscosity, lovely weight and a resolved finish with a modicum of spirit adding a deft touch of astringency. Just the shortest glimpse of the chocolate/licorice/blackberry fruit giving up the ghost at the death, but not enough for me to give this Outstanding wine a rating of 93 points. Drink now or in the next year or three.
Cheers,
David
David
Shingleback D Block Reserve Cabernet 2005
Got to taste this 2006 Jimmy Watson winner last week with the 2004 and 2005 Shiraz and the 2004 Cabernet.
The 2005 just exploded on the nose and said Cabernet. So much more wine than the 2004 and it give me reason to believe in the Jimmy Watson trophy more than I have in other years.
Sensational McLaren Vale Cabernet.
Got to taste this 2006 Jimmy Watson winner last week with the 2004 and 2005 Shiraz and the 2004 Cabernet.
The 2005 just exploded on the nose and said Cabernet. So much more wine than the 2004 and it give me reason to believe in the Jimmy Watson trophy more than I have in other years.
Sensational McLaren Vale Cabernet.
Chardonnay: A drink you have when there is no RED wine, the beer hasn't arrived and the water may be polluted
2007 Felton Road Dry Riesling - A delightful match with the Tommy Ruffs!
roo, the 2007 'not dry' example is another 5 notches up, give it a lash
as for me no wine all weekend till tonight. 06 Johaneshoff Gewurztraminer and 98 Orlando Jacaranda Ridge Cab. Both excellent and drinking well
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
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Daniel Jess
- Posts: 214
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- Location: Brisbane, Qld, Australia
- Contact:
Some brief impressions over the last week or so...
2006 Schild Estate Riesling: Not bad, but didn't really bowl me over either - at least the ester/sulphur characters of last year are gone.
2007 Schild Estate Frontignac: Grapey & sweet, not bad & probably good with Thai but lacks that zingy acidity of the Kabminye.
2006 Schild Estate Sparkling Shiraz: A little pongy & lacks the fruit of the 2005 & 2004 - disappointing.
2005 Schild Estate Merlot: This has aged quickly in the last 12 months - first bottle was a little past it (I suspect badly stored at the retailer hosting the instore), but a second was consistent with my last bottle in December: much simpler and more minty/cloves, less weight and hotter too - if you have any left, get to them quickly.
2004 Schild Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: This is a very smart Cabernet, only medium-weight but ripe with earthy, dark fruits and a little mint, cigar box and capsicum, the 14.5% alcohol not showing any heat and the balance is about perfect. I can see why this was an award winner, and will keep too - silly value for under $15.
2006 Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz: Another 2006 label that's a major step down on the previous two vintages - at least this one isn't hot or overly green, but it's pretty lightweight.
2005 Schild Estate Ben Schild Reserve Shiraz: The sweet oak’s showing a bit more than last year, and the wine's becoming smoky and velvety - very nice development, although it still doesn’t have the weight of the hedonistic 2004.
2004 Schild Estate Moorooroo Shiraz: I frankly thought the previous two vintages weren't worth the money, but this one's a major step up full of velvelty/chocolaty Barossa goodness and extra depth/length - pity it sold out long ago.
1999 Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz: Earthy/leathery with some mushroom, developing very fast - drink up.
1999 Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz: Looks younger than the Bin 28, with fresh black pepper and sweet cherries, excellent balance and structure - will hold.
2000 Penfolds Bin 389: Another quick developer, lots of leather, menthol and cloves/vanillin oak - drink up soon.
2001 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz: I’ve never been a fan of this vintage, I thought it was overripe, over extracted and drifted away from the St Henri style. This bottle had been open 24 hours and looked a lot better integrated: ripe, raspberry/blackberry fruit with some leather and pepper, the powdery structure now fine and more true to style. It’s still a little simple, and the 14.5% alcohol is still a little obvious on the finish for my liking though.
1962 Penfolds St Henri: Medium brick/tawny. Wow, what a complex, exotic nose of old leather, ashtray, aged soy/Worcestershire sauce, menthol, BBQ smoke/meat, and a little chocolate and coriander at times. The palate’s still lovely and long, the tannins silky and integrated and the flavours leathery and smoky/meaty that linger long after being swallowed. Amazing considering it’s been open 24 hours.
1986 Penfolds St Henri: Medium brick red. Showing the effects of being open 24 hours at first with some overly stocky/volatile characters, but with breathing it improved to show more ripe characters than the 1962; dark/rum & raisin chocolate, a little pepper, and again some ashtray characters. Impressive, but lost in the shadow of that freaky ‘62.
Last week I also tried a bunch of stuff from Chapel Hill at an instore - I really struggled with the 2006 Chapel Hill Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, all with upfront fruit thinning out to reveal a rather nasty, bitter finish. The 2005 Sangiovese was much better, with nice cherry fruit & tobacco, but I'm still yet to be convinced that Chapel Hill is back as a force to be reckoned with.
Cheers,
Ian
2006 Schild Estate Riesling: Not bad, but didn't really bowl me over either - at least the ester/sulphur characters of last year are gone.
2007 Schild Estate Frontignac: Grapey & sweet, not bad & probably good with Thai but lacks that zingy acidity of the Kabminye.
2006 Schild Estate Sparkling Shiraz: A little pongy & lacks the fruit of the 2005 & 2004 - disappointing.
2005 Schild Estate Merlot: This has aged quickly in the last 12 months - first bottle was a little past it (I suspect badly stored at the retailer hosting the instore), but a second was consistent with my last bottle in December: much simpler and more minty/cloves, less weight and hotter too - if you have any left, get to them quickly.
2004 Schild Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: This is a very smart Cabernet, only medium-weight but ripe with earthy, dark fruits and a little mint, cigar box and capsicum, the 14.5% alcohol not showing any heat and the balance is about perfect. I can see why this was an award winner, and will keep too - silly value for under $15.
2006 Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz: Another 2006 label that's a major step down on the previous two vintages - at least this one isn't hot or overly green, but it's pretty lightweight.
2005 Schild Estate Ben Schild Reserve Shiraz: The sweet oak’s showing a bit more than last year, and the wine's becoming smoky and velvety - very nice development, although it still doesn’t have the weight of the hedonistic 2004.
2004 Schild Estate Moorooroo Shiraz: I frankly thought the previous two vintages weren't worth the money, but this one's a major step up full of velvelty/chocolaty Barossa goodness and extra depth/length - pity it sold out long ago.
1999 Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz: Earthy/leathery with some mushroom, developing very fast - drink up.
1999 Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz: Looks younger than the Bin 28, with fresh black pepper and sweet cherries, excellent balance and structure - will hold.
2000 Penfolds Bin 389: Another quick developer, lots of leather, menthol and cloves/vanillin oak - drink up soon.
2001 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz: I’ve never been a fan of this vintage, I thought it was overripe, over extracted and drifted away from the St Henri style. This bottle had been open 24 hours and looked a lot better integrated: ripe, raspberry/blackberry fruit with some leather and pepper, the powdery structure now fine and more true to style. It’s still a little simple, and the 14.5% alcohol is still a little obvious on the finish for my liking though.
1962 Penfolds St Henri: Medium brick/tawny. Wow, what a complex, exotic nose of old leather, ashtray, aged soy/Worcestershire sauce, menthol, BBQ smoke/meat, and a little chocolate and coriander at times. The palate’s still lovely and long, the tannins silky and integrated and the flavours leathery and smoky/meaty that linger long after being swallowed. Amazing considering it’s been open 24 hours.
1986 Penfolds St Henri: Medium brick red. Showing the effects of being open 24 hours at first with some overly stocky/volatile characters, but with breathing it improved to show more ripe characters than the 1962; dark/rum & raisin chocolate, a little pepper, and again some ashtray characters. Impressive, but lost in the shadow of that freaky ‘62.
Last week I also tried a bunch of stuff from Chapel Hill at an instore - I really struggled with the 2006 Chapel Hill Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, all with upfront fruit thinning out to reveal a rather nasty, bitter finish. The 2005 Sangiovese was much better, with nice cherry fruit & tobacco, but I'm still yet to be convinced that Chapel Hill is back as a force to be reckoned with.
Cheers,
Ian
Last edited by n4sir on Wed May 14, 2008 3:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
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winetastic
- Posts: 889
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:51 pm
- Location: Sydney
Lazy Ballerina Shiraz 2005
I cant believe its already been 18 months since I first tried this wine, time flies. The misses has been complaining that she has not got to try this Shiraz yet, so I dug one out of the cellar.
This time around its definitely big and flavoursome with a very dark flavour profile - licorice, ripe plum and cherry and tannins that have started to soften.
I think if you have any of these, now is not the time to be drinking any more, leave it a few years at least - it was better on release. Still a very good wine, especially for the price. I have 2 bottles left, time to let them sleep some more...
I cant believe its already been 18 months since I first tried this wine, time flies. The misses has been complaining that she has not got to try this Shiraz yet, so I dug one out of the cellar.
This time around its definitely big and flavoursome with a very dark flavour profile - licorice, ripe plum and cherry and tannins that have started to soften.
I think if you have any of these, now is not the time to be drinking any more, leave it a few years at least - it was better on release. Still a very good wine, especially for the price. I have 2 bottles left, time to let them sleep some more...
No notes but impressions from the weekend.
Lake's Folly Reserve Cabernet '94
5th bottle out of 6. These have all seemed quite mature perhaps less than perfect storage. Corks have all snapped in half. Fruit started a bit thin but built with intensity. Plenty of spice and soft? acidity. Others with me really enjoyed it. Compared it to a half bottle of 05. Lots of fruit but less gluggable now.
Penfolds bin 389 '96
2nd bottle of 6, This has been talked up by everybody, so was expecting a lot. Did not show any age for me. To my limited tasting ability it was like a good new release 389. Will not touch the others for a long time. More enjoyed drinking through bin 28 '96 because they have a nice balance of old and new right now.
Lake's Folly Reserve Cabernet '94
5th bottle out of 6. These have all seemed quite mature perhaps less than perfect storage. Corks have all snapped in half. Fruit started a bit thin but built with intensity. Plenty of spice and soft? acidity. Others with me really enjoyed it. Compared it to a half bottle of 05. Lots of fruit but less gluggable now.
Penfolds bin 389 '96
2nd bottle of 6, This has been talked up by everybody, so was expecting a lot. Did not show any age for me. To my limited tasting ability it was like a good new release 389. Will not touch the others for a long time. More enjoyed drinking through bin 28 '96 because they have a nice balance of old and new right now.
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bacchaebabe
- Posts: 1222
- Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2003 5:04 pm
- Location: Sydney
An anniversary and a catch up with friends with a decent cellar as well as mother's day so a few decent wines over the weekend.
01 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay Burnt matchstick almost bitter flavours. Opened a little in the glass to some dry pear flavours but I'm thinking drunk way too young. Was OK but I just found the flavours too intense at this stage to be enjoyable.
96 Lake's Folly Chardonay Absolutely brilliant and drinking right at its peak. Deep yellow by this stage and started with a little struck match but opened in the glass to reveal something truly magnificent. Ended very creamy, cashewy and delicious. I think I have one bottle left. A stunner and WOTW.
00 Domain A Althaus RDP This is a pretty rare (1500 or so bottles) and expensive pinot noir. Very generous of my friend to bring it along. For me, we drank it a little too early. Good complexity and earthy flavours but all a bit muted and fruit is hiding still. Did open in the glass a bit to reveal more berries and forest floor but I wouldn't go back to this for at least another 5 years. Quite solid and full bodied at this stage.
89 Tyrrels Vat 6 Pinot Noir Compared to the previous pinot, it was very lightweight and thin, which is hardly surprising considering its age. However, I quite liked it. I wasn't sure if it was still going to play with us but turned out to be quite a friendly little number. All cherry and plum sweet flavours. Yes a little thin but not unappealing in a slightly over the hill kind of way. For those old timers that remember her, I think Celia (Pinot Loving Chickie Babe) would have loved this one. If you can imagine a wine has five steps up to maturity and then five steps across to plateau at its peak and then five step down to the end of it's useful life then this would have been on its second step down. I still quite enjoyed it though and wish I'd opened it a couple of years ago. Ce la vie!
03 Rieussec Sauternes Another one drunk too young. A bit closed however still went particularly well with a warm gingerbread cake cutting through the toffee sauce. Very clean and linear with lovely acidity but no dominant fruit at this stage. Slightly apricot and cumquat but these were more hints than anything overt. Should develop into something magnificent.
01 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay Burnt matchstick almost bitter flavours. Opened a little in the glass to some dry pear flavours but I'm thinking drunk way too young. Was OK but I just found the flavours too intense at this stage to be enjoyable.
96 Lake's Folly Chardonay Absolutely brilliant and drinking right at its peak. Deep yellow by this stage and started with a little struck match but opened in the glass to reveal something truly magnificent. Ended very creamy, cashewy and delicious. I think I have one bottle left. A stunner and WOTW.
00 Domain A Althaus RDP This is a pretty rare (1500 or so bottles) and expensive pinot noir. Very generous of my friend to bring it along. For me, we drank it a little too early. Good complexity and earthy flavours but all a bit muted and fruit is hiding still. Did open in the glass a bit to reveal more berries and forest floor but I wouldn't go back to this for at least another 5 years. Quite solid and full bodied at this stage.
89 Tyrrels Vat 6 Pinot Noir Compared to the previous pinot, it was very lightweight and thin, which is hardly surprising considering its age. However, I quite liked it. I wasn't sure if it was still going to play with us but turned out to be quite a friendly little number. All cherry and plum sweet flavours. Yes a little thin but not unappealing in a slightly over the hill kind of way. For those old timers that remember her, I think Celia (Pinot Loving Chickie Babe) would have loved this one. If you can imagine a wine has five steps up to maturity and then five steps across to plateau at its peak and then five step down to the end of it's useful life then this would have been on its second step down. I still quite enjoyed it though and wish I'd opened it a couple of years ago. Ce la vie!
03 Rieussec Sauternes Another one drunk too young. A bit closed however still went particularly well with a warm gingerbread cake cutting through the toffee sauce. Very clean and linear with lovely acidity but no dominant fruit at this stage. Slightly apricot and cumquat but these were more hints than anything overt. Should develop into something magnificent.
Cheers,
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
Langmeil Freedom Shiraz 2002
An elegant Barossan blockbuster, with notes of spice, clove and some floral elements contributing to a velveteen finish. Improved with time. Lovely.
Wyndham Estate Black Cluster 2003
Pleasant, but simple wine, lacking a bit in the way of structure. Nice, but not worth it's asking price.
Escarpment Pinot 2004
Delicious, the acid still a touch pokey but providing balance to an otherwise very rounded, textural pinot. Big on flavour - plums, forest floor, some lingering spices, this has it all and drunk very well.
Henschke Pinot Gris 2004
Not entirely sure about this - a good pre-dinner wine but too oily and a bit of blousy flabbiness. Full of flavour but needing more prickliness and edge.
Henschke Louis Semillon 2004
SA can do a fine Semillon and this is one of them. Full of flavour although with a tiny little watery hole in the middle. Terrific picnic wine.
An elegant Barossan blockbuster, with notes of spice, clove and some floral elements contributing to a velveteen finish. Improved with time. Lovely.
Wyndham Estate Black Cluster 2003
Pleasant, but simple wine, lacking a bit in the way of structure. Nice, but not worth it's asking price.
Escarpment Pinot 2004
Delicious, the acid still a touch pokey but providing balance to an otherwise very rounded, textural pinot. Big on flavour - plums, forest floor, some lingering spices, this has it all and drunk very well.
Henschke Pinot Gris 2004
Not entirely sure about this - a good pre-dinner wine but too oily and a bit of blousy flabbiness. Full of flavour but needing more prickliness and edge.
Henschke Louis Semillon 2004
SA can do a fine Semillon and this is one of them. Full of flavour although with a tiny little watery hole in the middle. Terrific picnic wine.
Cheers
Wayno
Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.
Wayno
Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.
03 Rieussec Sauternes Another one drunk too young. A bit closed however still went particularly well with a warm gingerbread cake cutting through the toffee sauce. Very clean and linear with lovely acidity but no dominant fruit at this stage. Slightly apricot and cumquat but these were more hints than anything overt. Should develop into something magnificent.
I found this wine very sickly and difficult to drink and I am a sweet wine fan
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
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bacchaebabe
- Posts: 1222
- Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2003 5:04 pm
- Location: Sydney
Craig(NZ) wrote:03 Rieussec Sauternes Another one drunk too young. A bit closed however still went particularly well with a warm gingerbread cake cutting through the toffee sauce. Very clean and linear with lovely acidity but no dominant fruit at this stage. Slightly apricot and cumquat but these were more hints than anything overt. Should develop into something magnificent.
I found this wine very sickly and difficult to drink and I am a sweet wine fan
Interesting Craig. Didn't find it sickly at all although I don't mind that but I thought it was quite austere if anything. Certainly needed time though.
Cheers,
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
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Mike Hawkins
- Posts: 2747
- Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2003 9:39 am
Interesting Craig. Didn't find it sickly at all although I don't mind that but I thought it was quite austere if anything. Certainly needed time though.
yeah i guess im in the 'found it flabby' camp. i struggled also to drink the 02, it was just 'too much'. hopefully one day i will 'get' this wine but my experiences so far make me nervous buying any more. Maybe it just isnt my style
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
1999 Clos Clare Shiraz
Fare amount of oak in this but has the fruit to handle it. Lovely wine great length, right in its window at the moment. Shame the winery has changed hands. Interesting to see how it goes with the new ownership.
Glen
Fare amount of oak in this but has the fruit to handle it. Lovely wine great length, right in its window at the moment. Shame the winery has changed hands. Interesting to see how it goes with the new ownership.
Glen
Winner of the inaugural RB cork-count competition
Runner up RB-NTDIR competition
Runner up TORB TN competition
Leave of absence second RB c-c competition
Runner up RB-NTDIR competition
Runner up TORB TN competition
Leave of absence second RB c-c competition
GRB wrote:1999 Clos Clare Shiraz
Fare amount of oak in this but has the fruit to handle it. Lovely wine great length, right in its window at the moment. Shame the winery has changed hands. Interesting to see how it goes with the new ownership.
Glen
Oh I think I have a few of these floating around. Thanks for the note
Agree regarding the new ownership. They have some great fruit. As the wine was mostly contract-made the transition hopefully should be smooth. I think that Barry said that they will continue to bottle the Riesling separately. Do they own the Florita vineyard entirely now?
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
A nice weekend with some remarkable wines:
Havens Wine Cellars Syrah Hudson Vineyard 1999 (California)
Elegant and well balanced, peppery and a long finish. Very good indeed.
Chapel Hill Shiraz 1997
Very smooth and harmonious with deep colour. Still going strong and very pleasant to drink.
James Irvine Grand Merlot 1994
Perfect wine, dark colour, very black fruits - Merlot at its best. I wish I had more than 3 bottles left.
Robert Weil Spaetlese 2006
Wow - what a nose. Vibrant and very elegant wine with flavours of citrus, melons and, and.... Will easily last for another 30 years - as many German Rieslings it's just simply heaven on earth.
Cheers.
Havens Wine Cellars Syrah Hudson Vineyard 1999 (California)
Elegant and well balanced, peppery and a long finish. Very good indeed.
Chapel Hill Shiraz 1997
Very smooth and harmonious with deep colour. Still going strong and very pleasant to drink.
James Irvine Grand Merlot 1994
Perfect wine, dark colour, very black fruits - Merlot at its best. I wish I had more than 3 bottles left.
Robert Weil Spaetlese 2006
Wow - what a nose. Vibrant and very elegant wine with flavours of citrus, melons and, and.... Will easily last for another 30 years - as many German Rieslings it's just simply heaven on earth.
Cheers.
2002 Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz
another "fast developer". Smooth and sweet, stunning red and black fruit, background oak, balance looking very good. I wish I had another case. Very Good. Drink soon.
2005 La Pleiade Shiraz (Heathcote)
Very big, abundant chalky tannins, copious sweet red and black fruit, but clearly inferior to the above wine. Alcoholic heat present. Might need time, but could also be over-rated. Average. Not my style. Pass.
another "fast developer". Smooth and sweet, stunning red and black fruit, background oak, balance looking very good. I wish I had another case. Very Good. Drink soon.
2005 La Pleiade Shiraz (Heathcote)
Very big, abundant chalky tannins, copious sweet red and black fruit, but clearly inferior to the above wine. Alcoholic heat present. Might need time, but could also be over-rated. Average. Not my style. Pass.
John
I am a bit concerned about your thoughts on the 02 Bin 28 being a fast developer! What sort of lifespan do you give it. I last had one middle of last year and it appeared unchanged from release period. Any thoughts?
Weekend drinking
98 Baileys Cabernet - beautiful soft mellow easy drinking cabernet of the richer style . I think this has aged quicker than ideally and as a result might be the equivalent of a well stored 15 year old example (stored under friends house and prone to warmish summer heat on ocassions) - however well balanced and more complex than expected. Very nice
04 Noons Eclipse - as usual a very well balanced wine for one carrying 15.5%. Only a hint of heat/alcohol on the back of the throat towards the last of the bottle. However nice rich dark fruits and aslo very enjoyable.
02 Wirra Wirra RSW - First and last bottle of this and wished I had more. Consumed over 2 nights and a fantastic swathe of rich essence like dark fruits with well balanced but asssertive oak. Strong and seductive aromas wafted to me whilst watching telly making it impossible to ignore. Similar in style to the 04 Dead Arm for me. Lost a touch of its freshness on day 2 but I didn't vacuum and left in fridge. A fantastic rich wine and excellent value at around $35 from memory
None of these were on the elegent side of things however all supplied great bang for buck value particulary with rich and heavy dinners. I like the cooler weather.
I am a bit concerned about your thoughts on the 02 Bin 28 being a fast developer! What sort of lifespan do you give it. I last had one middle of last year and it appeared unchanged from release period. Any thoughts?
Weekend drinking
98 Baileys Cabernet - beautiful soft mellow easy drinking cabernet of the richer style . I think this has aged quicker than ideally and as a result might be the equivalent of a well stored 15 year old example (stored under friends house and prone to warmish summer heat on ocassions) - however well balanced and more complex than expected. Very nice
04 Noons Eclipse - as usual a very well balanced wine for one carrying 15.5%. Only a hint of heat/alcohol on the back of the throat towards the last of the bottle. However nice rich dark fruits and aslo very enjoyable.
02 Wirra Wirra RSW - First and last bottle of this and wished I had more. Consumed over 2 nights and a fantastic swathe of rich essence like dark fruits with well balanced but asssertive oak. Strong and seductive aromas wafted to me whilst watching telly making it impossible to ignore. Similar in style to the 04 Dead Arm for me. Lost a touch of its freshness on day 2 but I didn't vacuum and left in fridge. A fantastic rich wine and excellent value at around $35 from memory
None of these were on the elegent side of things however all supplied great bang for buck value particulary with rich and heavy dinners. I like the cooler weather.