The Auswine Forum

For durability take a look at the titanium crystal-ware they are significantly tougher - yes, I've practiced with both

GG

Only Len Evans had a greater influence on Australian wines - but Dr Lake ran him lap for lap. He had that huge intellectual capacity ... I would term him a "Renaissance Man" ... an inquiring interest in almost everything. It is to him I owe my study of Pinot noir - for at a time that it wa...

Villa Maria Reserve Pinot noir, 2004 (excellent) Linde's Watervale Spaetlese 197? (silverfish have eaten that bit), soft cork, but sound, dry but still showing marmalade plus deep kerosene. Lovely, lovely wine. Liindauer Reserve just on midnight (we're two hour's ahead remember) Now a selection of G...

PaulG, do you drink malts yourself? If not, they have thre predominant characteristics (and a thousand subsidiary ones!), malt - peat and alcohol. The malt forms the major flavour component; with the intensity of the peating smoke altering it; then the heat, citrus (heady, spirity) or oily (heavier,...

To answer the question - thirty years. As always it depends on provinance. In 1999 I tasted a Lindeman's Watervale Spaetlese 1967 form a private Sydney cellar (passive). Sealed with cork in those days of course. I hunted out my notes and in brief:- A fine wine, drying but sound as a bell and with lo...

I am afraid that all these posts only go to prove the nonsense of "pointing" wines - without making the effort to either project into the future (for vins du garde of course), or to comment on potential in the notes. TORB does a several level rating - an improvement on the standard system ...

GraemeG is right of course - no one would think of taking food ....... However history of the licence schemes of old has created this anomaly and BYO is seen as a"right" in Aus and NZ. In part this is also made worse by the ridiculous mark-ups on wine. Though this varies, in general it is ...

mkcoleman - yes, bad - but true. You can only laugh or cry - and as the saying goes - laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone. My grandfather's generation went in to the front line in 1916 - 18 with black humour - jokes as a mordant against the horror (800 died in four hours 90 ye...

Ye Gods Craig, don't mention the "c" word in an Aussie BB - they actually follow the game with about the fanaticism we follow football (and I don't mean soccer!). I see that Bendon are setting up a new bra factory in NSW as they can't keep up with supply from the one in NZ - y'know - all s...

Though thoroughly enjoyable (for a pedant such as I am) - the thread has drifted from RB's initial wine-related post. My pet hate (at the moment) is "sulphur" spoilage. I can tell you that damn few consumers can pick this fault - some wines do have it. Please, sulphide. By the way fred - w...

It is a special skill - destroying a powerful brand - degrading established labels with long and revered histories. They are like generals who keep flinging more troops into hopeless battles just because of the "plan". For this they are paid salaries often exceeding $250K. Though the peopl...

All right - already Ric! Attended the Cloudy Bay annual International Pinot Tasting yesterday. As always, superbly organised and carried out with CB's usual panache. Nineteen wines tasted (2004 vintage), with the Grand and Premier Cru wines struggling with each other for bottom places (one honourabl...

I hope the dogs enjoyed their walk. We have to rank many things in our lives and while I completely agree with the thrust of the comments that GraemeG makes - ranking things is none the less a necessary reality. When drinking wine with a meal however - I simply just enjoy. In awarding points I was t...

I had the '96 late last year and it has come together very well. Nicely structured with good depth and persistence.

As I had took the wine to a dinner I didn't rate it in any way. From memeory I'd say very good and 19/20 (old scale).

GG

Sue, that last question sounds just like my partner. I answer her - Yes. Marlborough's harvest is in - brilliant Riesling and Pinot - very good Gris, and some high brix Sauvignon ( the whitecoats wanted to give it "hang-time" to get rid of the TA - which dropped out 3g/l at the crusher - a...

Wow!! RB, you've kept one in your cellar all these years!

Now that photo brings back memories.

And I remember Purple Para too!

GG

Mahmood, I'll risk being castigated for drifting off-thread but this is a significant concern of mine. While some wineries charge excessively for sub-standard product and others, by both good making and good marketing, receive prices well above their apparent worth (DRC, Grange, HOG, etc), the marke...

Yes, however these laws are in relation to the SALE of liquor. On the other hand, once purchased, I can consume that liquor anywhere I please - in any public or private place. Certain bye-laws, in certain places have been enacted to limit the public consumption of alcohol - most particularly by the ...

Mid vintage, tired, a little crabby as a result of a couple of 30+ hour "days" but even so, are we not letting plonkers rule our lives here? Providing I am in compliance with the age restrictions (and I have done now, for more than 40 years), on the purchase of alcohol what right does some...

I am a strong advocate of exceptional wines getting good prices. If this doesn't happen all we get is the "rush to the lowest denominator" seen in Australia, Chile and sundry other countries. Though I personally would not (could not), pay $200 for a bottle of wine, I see pricing in the ran...

Early vintage in Aus?

Arrowfield (Hunter Valley) harvested their 1979 (sic) Gewurztraminer on the 30th and 31st of December 1978.

I sawed it wiv me own eyes, I did!

It was on sale at Camperdown Cellars in the first or second week of March.

GG

Machine harvesting. Two simple figures 1. Hand harvesting $350 to $400 a tonne. Varietal dependent of course - I could pick 1 1/2 tonnes of Doradillo a day - but only half a tonne of Pinot noir. 2. Machine harvesting (contract machine) approximately $70 a tonne. In my experience, if the fruit is les...

You are right!

Graeme ... I apologise ...

My thanks.

GG

Derek, I agree, but this is exactly the point I was attempting to make - that charging creates ill-will. Your point on goodwill is valid - however it too has a "cost" that maybe out of proportion for a small winery - or even a large one with a specialised ultra-premium. To put numbers on i...

RB It's age - experience - call it what you will and anybody who can remember the kookaburra at the flicks HAS to be as old as me. Need to change you soubriquet then to the OldRB and Ric to TOORB - I'll keep mine as Grey until all my hair drops out (too much gone already). I agree, we have to drink ...

Thanks N4sir, the names took me back - Hardy's 454 - that was a seminal and new wine style in its day. I had them at 15 yo in my cellar and drank them in time to enjoy them. And so it goes for so many of the wines you reviewed - to the point I feel both pleased and sad. Pleased that I drank so many ...

The points made above are valid - cellar-doors have an influence on longer term sales. They are, generally, a loss making exercise for the majority of wineries, even at 67% margin. Assuming a cellar-door that has to be staffed say 10am to 6pm on seven days = $900 in wages as a minimum. This means, e...

Wine Doctor - your headline surely did catch attention! Perhaps not the attention that you wished! Bad news travels fast - and everyone then shoots the messenger. I expect some fall-out from this vintange on both sides of the ditch; low crops (however good they may be) do not attract higher payments...

Chuck, What Smithy says - and to give you some idea of what "green" tannins are in red wine (.. how can red wine be green? ...) get hold of some good green-tea leaves (pi lo chun would be good) also some good black-tea leaves (Keemun is best) Make a proper brew of each and decant all the i...

Welcome Alex, This is a question for which there is no answer. Everything said above is where you may go. I grew up with watered wine on the table for the children for special meals; my big day came at Christmas dinner 1956 or 57, when I was allowed to choose the wine from the wine list - I liked al...