The Auswine Forum

Baby Chickpea

the new 30 year owner/chef of Claude's has been the 2IC there for years under Tim Pak Poy. I doubt Claude's standards or style will drop off although it will be very interesting the next time I eat there.

Ric Claude's as you are no doubt aware, is the duck's nuts, but you will pay for it. I went to Fuel Bistro (run by the same guy as MG Garage) in Surry Hills last week and it was excellent modern australian, sensibly priced and byo. The prawn and crab ravioli was a great starter and the lamb went bea...

Surely Elderton's Command Shiraz is a walk up start ...

Being the end of the financial year when pay rises and promotions are in the air is anyone picking up any oldies from the current Langtons auction or any special current releases from fine retailers like Gavin ?

Blake

I am not surprised with your notes on the 86. I had one a few months back. I decanted about 3 hours before dinner. It is a truly massive wine. It actually filled the kitchen and livingroom with wonderfully spicy berry aromas ! It is a lovely drink. You can immediately recognise that it is superior w...

Yes ! That sounds like it. It is very off-putting.

I had a 2002 Penfolds Thomas Hyland shiraz last night. It was a last minute thing and so I had to purchase it at Liquorland for $19.95. Normally I think you could get it for about $15 per doz. But that was ok, I wanted to try it after it got a flattering review in the latest Rewards of Patience. I w...

If you are looking for investment purposes only, you should go for the best vintages only : 71, 76, 83, 86, 90, 91, 96, and 98. They will appreciate in value more quickly than the other lesser vintages. IMO the 96 is the current bargain (if a $300 bottle of wine can ever be propely described as such...

Thanks for the tips guys. I just got back from Myer in Sydney. These are great glasses. For those that don't know them, the reds are pure Riedel Vinum shiraz copies and the whites are (?) very nicely designed too. After the last two years of buying them on sale at Myer I think I have now accumulated...

I agree that the Gosset is sensational. I would have it over the Louis Roederer (a lovely drop too) every time, but isn't is about $20 more expensive ?

First of all, not the Wendouree. It is WAY too young and will rip the poor girl's mouth apart. I tasted the Grange last week and it is very young too of course, but it is a truly exceptional drink. If you are feeling in a totally extravagant mood then it is hard to pass on it. Of the others, I can o...

Hi all last night the Government announced the provision of a wine equalisation tax (WET) producer rebate. In effect, the rebate will exempt $1 million of each producer's domestic wholesale wine sales from the WET on an annual basis, and will offset the entire WET liability for around 90% of wine pr...

A great night. On my maths, it was about $150 dollars worth of wine and a free copy of the new Rewards of Patience all for $60. Can't beat that ! My views were: The riesling was very good (but could have been colder) The 2000A Chardonnay was glorious. Big and cuddly. Stunning chardonnay. 2001 Yattar...

Tyrrell's - earth floors in the tasting room and cellar. Book a tour with them and you'll be shown around the winery. Brokenwood - good range of wines in their small tasting room. Excellent service Mount Pleasant - a great range of old Elizabeth's and reds to have over lunch Lindeman's - try to book...

So what is the market value of the '46 ?

Isn't that nice. Send it back if it is no good.

Is there a greater waste of time than visiting McGuigan's whilst in the Hunter ? I was dragged along with the love of my life's parents on a horse and carriage ride around some of the vineyards over the weekend. Good idea I thought. Initially. Sadly, we had no choice which ones to visit. That didn't...

A (very) quick trip to the Hunter over the weekend : Brokenwood Graveyard Chardonnay (1999?) - excellent wine. Head and shoulders above the other whites tasted. Brokenwood Rayner shiraz (McLaren Vale) 2002 - lovely stuff. Pure McLaren Vale shiraz. Big, juicy and warm with excellent structure and len...

I agree with the previous post. These are wines that are made for the very long haul. They do not bend to the contemporary trend of being "big but approachable" when young. They are truly special wines so give them the time they need to show it. 20 years is a minimum for all but the weakest vintages...

Friday afternoon saw celebratory drinks at The Loft on King Street Wharf. It was a warm afternoon and we had already had a bottle of 1998 [b]Taylors St Andrews cabernet [/b]over lunch (a lovely drop, but not as rich and long as I remember it last time around). The wine list had [b]1991 Seppelt Show ...

Good list. I agree that the 90A should be in it. It constantly amazes me that this sells at auction for half the price of the 1990 Grange. And for that matter it constantly amazes me that 1996 Grange sells for about $200 less per bottle than the 1998. Whatever the reasons are they are not related to...

A non-wine geek friend of mine asked me over the weekend, what I considered to be the best money no object aussie wines of each of the main grape varieties. Fair enough question I thought, not an easy one to answer, as I have not drunk many of the wines I would expect to make the list, but going on ...

After having a 1/3 share of a mint condition 1976 Grange over Christmas I made a semi serious New Year's resolution to drink more Grange. [BTW that wine almost defies description. It is not wine as you know it. Have you ever had a wine that makes you feel warm and fuzzy in your stomach ? It puts a s...

Attila

you'll be happy with the 2002 I am sure. It is a big robust wine in the true Clare style. All the components are there but I'll give it a year before opening another. Oh and I picked it up for about $12 a throw a few months ago.

Blake.

I am (possibly) the most recent addition to the Rockford mailing list. It is all very exciting as you can imagine. However, my experience with the basket press is very limited - I have never had the pleasure. I am trying to pick up some back vintages on the secondary market while I wait to become el...

Sorry hear it TORB, but I went to a wedding last weekend too. It was a mate of mine who is also a wine nut. 130 people attended. The wines were as follows : 1. Croser 2000 2. Leo Buring special release 1999 Eden Valley riesling 3. 1998 reds : Limey, 389, Taylors St Andrew, Kalimna, Annies Lane Coppe...

Here's some of the more notable (or "bloody stupid") prices paid at the last big Melbourne "1998" auction. Remember to add 13.75% to all these knockdown prices : LEASINGHAM Bin 61 Shiraz, Clare Valley 1998 $34 MOUNT MARY Quintet Cabernets, Yarra Valley 1998 1 Magnum $902 (a single bottle sold for $1...

Saturday night saw me cooking a posh meal for a lovely lady with whom I am in ongoing romantic negotiations. I needed some fancy, romantic wine to compliment the salmon dish. So it had to be pinot didn't it ? I grabbed a bottle of 2001 Bannockburn, the Reidel sommelier glasses and decanter and away ...

For the first time in my life (I think) I failed to check the vintage when I picked up a box of Wynns Shiraz the other day. I thought the 2001 was the latest release, but clearly that was folly as I assume the new releases were done on Wynnsday in November 2003. So it was with some surprise that I f...

Both the current releases (1998 I think) of the Vat 1 and the Lovedale are glorious drinks. In fact neither has released a poor vintage for yonks. The ageability of Vat 1 is beyond question - 20 years in good conditions for most vintages. Mount Pleasant only started to release Lovedale again in the ...