The Auswine Forum

Been looking over a merchants current offerings. How does Drouhin Laroze rate in the wine making stakes these days? They've some great properties, 160+ years at making wine, but I've never thought of them as shooting the lights out, so shied away from buying the produce, but... these's some '16 Lava...

CCA Label Drinkers Society – 2013 NZ Bordeaux Blend Legends I am attending a more formal tasting in a couple of weeks that Geoff Kelly is organising that has five of these wines as the core of his lineup with the other in reserve. It will be interesting to see if the same themes follow there with a...

michel wrote:Last night had 2010 h Boillot chambertin
A feminine chambertin if there is such a thing!

Beaune, not Chambertin; last night was my last bottle of 1999 J Drouhin Clos des Mouches.
Dry, earthy, good food wine. With lamb racks, rosemary, garlic on grill.

michel wrote:

jafa wrote:michel: tasting notes from Tuesday please!!

I don't recall any Tuesday wines?!

Look at your sig.
Tuesday was International Chambertin Day.

Good to hear your drinking some good bottles Craig(NZ).

michel: tasting notes from Tuesday please!!

Hmm ... on the right; Vic Patrick, GM at Wynns?

Here's some help: m You may not be here for the festival, but some leads to waiheke island wines on this site.. I will be going over for a least one day of the festival targeting these; Mudbrick, Obsidian, Stonyridge, Te Whau, Passage Rock. I have wines from all of these in the cellar. Also, I've no...

Great thread. Time to add a little kiwi flavour. 1 Te Mata 2 Stonyridge 3 Craggy Range 4 Esk Valley 5 Villa Maria And there's no Savvy in that! Interestingly, about 45% of cellar is french, but spread around many more producers. If thread was top 12 or so,then producer list would likely include Leov...

Absolutely! While not guilty of some the described offences, I've others to compensate. Like taking photgraphs of wine bottles with a half full glass of wine next to it. Writing evocative notes about colour and smell and flavours in a little notebook. I've a stack of empty wooden boxes under the hou...

2005 Mas de Daumas Gassac Bretty and something wrong here. Not rated. Carl Arrrgh Have a few of these tucked away. For the last 4-5 weeks been on a beer journey. Been picking up a bottle any craft beers that I see. Some pretty good ones about. When I got into wine, the beer consumption declined to ...

Yikes. First wine in the door this year...........err. Think that's right. 2011 Obsidian. Actually an ep buy about a year ago, but turned up yesterday. And today's delivery; 2011 TeMata Coleraine 2011 TM Zara 2011 TM Elsdon. Saw the recent thread on buying chardie in ½bottles. Decided this a good...

Tried the latest TM showcase wines last night in Takapuna. I reported last year that I was disappointed in the 2010 vintage offerings. What a difference a year makes. In short the 2011 Zara, Elsdon, Awatea and Coleraine are far better wines. All between ½ and 1% lower in alcohol, tight acidities,...

Hmm..... 91 ?? I need to re-read the blurb sheet. I had it as the 2001 comparison vintage.
Opened one in the last few months, thought it pretty good, cool vintage, somewhat akin to '96.

Haven't been posting comsumption reports due to mostly drinking down the case lots of rose I've previously reported on. However that's not been all the action; Last night 2003 Ata Rangi PN 13.5% Alc. Deep dark red without the gloss of youth. Lovely nose of dark cherries, plum and exotic spices. All ...

For the past couple of years I've been going to Kingsleys place, over in Takapuna, for Showcase. Half the cost ($15), same crew from TM present the wines, and usually an on the night price reduction for purchases. Then there's on street, no cost parking. All of which suits me. Pays to get there reas...

Just curious, was this via Langtons? I was close to buying from them. No. I'm a kiwi, (Hence the "jafa" nim). Dunno nuffing about aussie auction houses. Purchased thro' my local specialist froggy importer, and recently uplifted, a few days after arrival in country. Had to grovel and whine...

Due to the prevailing climate of Austerity not much buying going on, but a couple of Pinot buys couldn't be passed up, the cellar being a little understrength in that area; 2010 Bannock Brae "Goldfields" Central Otago PN 2010 Anne Gros Vosne-Romanee, Echezeaux "Les Loachausses" G...

Belated seasons greetings to forumites. Best wishes for the new year; may you imbibe some good'uns. Xmas, for me, had a french theme. Warm, wet and hummid, so lots of rose; 2011Saint-Roch Cotes du Roussillon 13% (Syrah Grenache) Nice pink colour, delicate strawberry, dry, balanced. 2011 Dom Lage &qu...

Sheesh. Dunno wot I'm drinking this weekend, let alone Xmas/NY. However over the past weekend it was; 1994 [Stonyridge] Airfield Cabernets. Alc 12.5% Lighter red in colour, classic old claret nose. Straight from bottle (no decant thinking about the age factor) Cedar, ashtray, cassis, red plum, old l...

You are starting to sound like GK Err.....Ummm.....Errr Well I did have a conversation with the mentioned gentleman at the Auckland Bdx blends tasting a while back, and then again, another brief chat at the Waiheke Wine Expo. Guilt by association? Now.... "Where's my raincoat?" cheers jafa

Couple of recent bottles, 2010 "Dr L" Loosen Riesling Alc8.5%. This really hit the spot in a way which kiwi riesling rarely seems to manage. Not intented to be profound, this is a low price offering but, I reckon, darn good value. A bit sweet, but not like kiwi reisling that tastes like it...

OK. Bunch of ( mostly ) non-wine-geek guys get together to eat meat, drink some wines and talk a load of bull. Group started mid 90's, meets around 3 times per year. Format is; host selects a wine theme for which everyone brings a bottle, and burns some meat,. Served blind and kudos to the person br...

Thanks to Craig and Mel for hosting what turned out to be a very long lunch. Thanks all for their wine contributions, especially Muscat Mike, who braved international aviation travel whilst in possession of bulk liquids, to deliver a pair of beaut Aussie icons. Many thanks Mike. The Vat 1 was excell...

2008 Julicher Pinot Noir 13.5%Alc Martinborough. Dark red, typical Martinborough nose which carries nicely onto the palate.
Warm, rich wine, plummy, hint of cherry, and a touch of herb (in a good way) and a sparkle of Christmas spices. Very good, good.
Maybe even out to excellent.

cheers jafa

2001 Te Mata Coleraine Dark red, classic cool vintage claret nose. Late choice to have wine, so a short 40mins in the decanter. Full of red berryfruits plenty of tannin still present, and strong acidity. Cool vintage cabernet savory flavours that I find appealling when accompanied with some bottle ...

I reckon the 10 is a great vintage. What $30 chardonnay would you rather drink? I wasn't so impressed with the 11, thought the 11 Clearview reserve was a way better option but the 2010 I have been really happy with Now however waiting for those 2010 Kumeu River Single Vineyards. They should surely ...

Two from the weekend. Purchased a couple of bottles of 2010 Te Mata Elsdon Chardonnay 14%Alc pre last Xmas, the intension being to drink over Xmas/New Year.. Well the weather over Xmas was overcast cool, so out came the bottles of red wine. Tasted at the TM showcase ( March) I was unimpressed with t...

2002 Calon Segur St Estephe Bdx 13%Alc. Decanted about 1hr before service. Dark black-red. Expressive claret nose that did not really carry to the palate of earth and cedar, very dry, good acidity, finishing quite astringent. Good beverage wine which went well with the medium rare T-bone steak. Har...

1999 Esk Valley Reserve (Merlot,Malbec,Cab Sauvignon) Hawkes Bay. Dark Red/black, showing some bottle development and still some tannic grip. Cooler vintage savory notes that are refered to as "classic claret" nowdays. Went well with the lump of beef that had spent about 5 hours in the sl...

Surprised there weren't a few of the classics/cults there...no Stonyridge Larose? No St Jerome Matuka? No Destiny Bay? Yeah. When I read the list of wines I enquired about Larose, Mudbrick (Velvet), Te Motu, Destiny Bay and Passage Rock specificially. Apparently all of them were invited but, declin...