The Auswine Forum

I now live in HB, above the (now George Fistonich owned, and previously Esk Valley / Villa Maria) Terraces Vineyard, located between Bay View and Eskdale. From a wine perspective, Gabrielle’s most extensive impact was in Eskdale / the Esk Valley, home to ~5% of HB’s vineyards, with most vines there ...

Funnily enough I opened this just a couple of weeks ago for our weekly tasting group, on the basis that most of the Central Otago wines we open are from Bannockburn, Lowburn and Bendigo, with very few from Gibbston (noting most of Gibbston Valley Winery’s wines are from Bendigo), and that this is a ...

2009 Felton Road Block 5, if Burgundy is better than this, sign me up. This is a wine to die for, maybe Burgundies are wines to live for?? Snap, just about - yesterday's wines: IMG_3114.jpg I'm with you on the '09 Feltons, all of which seem to be drinking particularly well now. (A Bannockburn a cou...

This is an all time favourite of mine, and was probably my WOTY in 2018. Funnily enough I opened this for a local tasting group the week before last. No one picked it as Australian, with most picking it as 90s, probably 98, Hawke’s Bay. My impression was consistent with your day 1 note - cool climat...

My first time posting in quite a while, though I still lurk occasionally. I've got into the practice of buying wines on release from two Victoria wineries which export direct to NZ, Giaconda & Yarra Yering. On looking at the YY site I see they've got various back vintages at same / similar price...

Once. A very oxidised Escarpment Kupe chard, either '08 or '09, a couple of years ago. Larry McKenna replaced it but said he'd not come across any others. One of 6 purchased direct from winery with others all fine.

Some overseas action for me: 2 x 2004 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2 x 2010 Montes Carménère Purple Angel I picked up 6 of the 2001 Ygay Gran Reserva Especial (for NZD 66 --what's the Aus price on the '04?). In addition: 4 each of the Felton Road 2012 Banno...

Sounds similar to the '01 I opened last week -- fully agree that they're stunning value. Will leave the rest for a few years before revisiting. And fully agree re the Rioja renaissance (though there's a few who've been consistent excellent forever --eg CVNE and Lopez de Heredia).

Cheers
Peter

Some overseas action for me: 2 x 2004 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2 x 2010 Montes Carménère Purple Angel I picked up 6 of the 2001 Ygay Gran Reserva Especial (for NZD 66 --what's the Aus price on the '04?). In addition: 4 each of the Felton Road 2012 Banno...

Waiters: None of the places I've been to in Bordeaux operate like they do in Australia...although some might. Most will require appointments and none I've been to will actually sell you anything. I think this is starting to change a bit in France though because some other regions are starting to se...

6 x Burn Cottage '11 Pinot
6 x Charvin '10 CDP
Mixed dozen of Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst '11 (Kab, Spat,Aus)

Congratulations Craig ... you've obviously not been spending enough on wine ...

Interesting to see the release day prices from one of the largest NZ retailers:

NZD 60 for Bin 389

vs

NZD 66 for Bin 407 ... !! Full retail for both wines reported as $79.

(Both prices for case buys, with 2 Riedel vinum shiraz glasses thrown in.)

A pretty well identical story in Hawkes Bay -- the Bridge Pa station (within a few kms of Gimblett Gravels) shows about 92 mls from 1 Jan - 3 March 2009 (arguably the greatest HB vintage to date) & 22 mls for the same period this year ...

389 2005 (for NZD 28.50, the same as I paid for the '96)
St Henri 2004 (6 for less than Craig at NZD 57 but no Rewards of Patience)

Unfortunately neither of the official ones work for me - will be in Akld on the 6th, when they're in Wgtn, and in Wgtn on the 7th, when the Akld event is on, so am going to Caros. A pity as I'd have liked to see the '91.

Cheers
Peter

Most impressive wines from the relatively small number I managed to get through at the public tasting at Pinot 2013 (event was far too crowded, & with limited ability to spit, to get through more than 10 – 15 or so of the 100 or so producers pouring their wines): Bell Hill, 2009 & 201...

Thanks for the notes on the Bell Hill Peter. I will keep my remaining bottle longer! Agree re Neudorf too, though since 2006, Kumeu river has really picked up their game I think with the single vineyard selection they are doing. Have you puit your name on the wish list for the 2010 Kumeu Rivers? Lo...

Sunday is BYO night at Logan Brown in Wgtn, & for once I didn't have an early morning flight to Akld, so two wines that'll both be on the short list for my 2013 wines of the year: 2005 Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay Favourite NZ chard at the top of its game -- pefect balance & weight, & mout...

Had to relieve a liquor chain of all of their $35 2011 Dry River Gewurtztraminer . Timely as I drank the last bottle in my cellar on Xmas Eve Well done -- a national chain? Coincidentally managed to pick up a half dozen rebadged '09 Dry River Syrah for $20 a couple of weeks back, which I thought wa...

A few of my recent wines. Christmas Day 2007 Quartz Reef sparkling . Classy stuff – noticeably drier than most other domestic sparklings. 2007 Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate (magnum). In a good place with excellent balance / structure. No hurry. 2002 Alpha Domus Aviator (magnum). A little simple,...

Wine of the year for me was the CVNE Vina Real Reserva Especial 1964, with an honourable mention for the '62 of the same wine, both drunk at Rekondo in San Sebastian. My first experience of Rioja anywhere near this age, & absolutely stunning. Winners of a couple of other very specific categories...

Knocked off a 2009 Felton Rd Block 3 Pinot Noir a couple of nites ago. Probably prefer the Bannockburn as its got more grunt and I found the Block 3 a little bit too delicate. Maybe some decant time would have helped but it was still pretty light after 2 hours. Any one got any experience with the B...

1978 Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva - Beautiful transparent ruby fading to amber. The nose was always changing but I remember some flowers, orange, red fruits, smoke and on and on. The palate was elegant but powerful and also changing almost sip by sip. To be honest, I can't really describe it. Beautif...

Did you ever finish this Craig? Had my last '99 3 or 4 months ago, with consistent notes to your's, & in consequence picked up a dozen in the last Webb's auction (for around $25 all in). Had 1st one last night but it was totally past it -- unopened carton in pristine condition, but suspect it's ...

Impressive line-up guys -- I'm jealous.

The '07 Coleraine was the 1st one I bought a case of ('09 was 2nd), & your's & Jafa's notes confirm what I was planning on doing in any case -- not touching it for at least another 5 years.

Cheers
Peter

A few thoughts from 5 days in the Mosel at the start of the month: - there haven't been any poor vintages since 2000, though there is a fair bit of variation between vintages. I'm enjoying 2004 at present - at a tasting a JJ Prum, they specifically poured the '04 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese ahead of...

Sad news indeed Craig. Thinking of Mel, you and the girls.

Peter

2010 Church Rd Reseve Syrah. $28 at supermarket. Worth a punt. Anyone tried this? Any other kiwis post here anymore? Yes - have tried a couple of times and been very impressed - certainly on par with the prior 3 vintages. 2010 seems to have been a very good vintage for HB syrah, based on a sample c...

Just spotted this - haven't been around much of late, mainly due to work pressures.

I'm keen, but probably a while before I could make it work - among other reasons because we're off to Europe for Sept / early Oct, including stops in Mosel, Bordeaux and Rioja.

Cheers
Peter