The Auswine Forum

The winner is HoG - by a long way. 1999 Grange: Disapointing to be honest. A tired wine out of balance. The nose was dominated by oak, the black fruits struggling to make an appearance, no lifted notes. The palate lacked concentration, the acid had faded, leaving a flabby wine. The saving grace was ...

[quote="Mahmoud Ali"] Perhaps the secret of these long lasting wines were their balance, unlike some of the present day ripe, oaky, high alcohol wines. Just a thought. [quote] For sure, I couldn't agree more. It's good to see these elegant styles are having somewhat of a revival at the mom...

I recentlly attended an organised tasting of cabernets of various age, see below. I took limited notes - just enjoying the wine. Most were drinking fairly well, with the exception of the Pikes and the Mildara. The standouts however were the Wynns 90, Taltarni 85, Mount Mary 83 and suprisingly Reynel...

Really what does it matter.... Getting worked up over pronunciation (or spelling for that matter) is what I deem to be wanky... And as for marketing threats, another smart little drop I heard of got by just calling itself "Hermitage" for a while...didn't seem to do it any harm. LL Well yo...

My Aussie pinot recommendations at any price range are ... Tell that to the wine judges (including James Halliday I think) who rated Stoniers Reserve Pinot Noir 2003 above many Burgundies in a blind tasting some time ago. I don't think you could get it anymore (it was about 40 bucks), but it was a ...

Definitely agree with Wayno on the 02 Wynns Cabernet. Too austere/herbaceous on the palate even for me given that I am usually a fan of wines in the savory spectrum. I thought the 01 a much better drop and although I wouldn't call it dirty, dusty does come to mind, and I am a big fan of earthiness i...

How does everyone (actually just Australians) out there pronounce the word shiraz? I say shiraz like it rhymes with pizzazz. But I have noticed an increasing trend of people of people pronouncing shir(ah)z, like it rhymes with Mars or syrah. What is the deal there? Fair enough if you say the word sy...

Of course, Not only is palate variation physiological it's psychological. You have to be in the right frame of mind to have one of those "one of the best wines I have ever had" moments. I bet you have never had a really good wine when you are angry or stressed. One cannot seriously evaluat...

My friend who happens to be on the Giaconda mailing list recently recieved his allocation for the current vintage of both the pinot noir and chardonnay. He promptly invited me around to sample both wines. I had never tried either, but was acutely aware of the esteem that the label carries. Never had...

Hi everyone, I wanted to get an opinion, maybe from someone closer to the wine industry than myself, about the purpose(s) of cellar door wine tasting and wine sales at wineries from an industry perspective. Are they set up as marketing tools - just advertisments for thier products? Are they set up a...

Stuart if you have a low tolerance to oak why dont you try a few un-oaked red wines. Torbreck Juvenilles, Teusner Joshua and Teusner Riebke. Thanks for the tips, but I do actually enjoy the addition of oak and believe that overall it enhances wine - as long as it is in balance. I was just making th...

Point taken, indeed it is a personal choice.

I'd be interested to see which of these you think are over-oaked. Cullens Cabernet Merlot 2003 Penny's Hill Shiraz 2004 Domaine A / Stoney Vineyard Coal River Cabernet 2000 I agree with Cullen, Domaine A and others on the list, but Penny's Hill? I haven't had the 2004, but the other shiraz's I have...

Oak is killing our wines. They may as well not be called wine these days because I can't smell or taste fruit anymore. It's just oak. Don't get me wrong oak is an integral component in red wine, but it should be in balance with the rest of the wine. These days winemakers are just appying lashings of...

Nice post, but I have to agree with Grant on this one. I think Halliday acknowledges excellent wines regardless of style and provenence.

It's still early days, but I reckon that most 2001 Coonawarra Cabernets that I have tasted are faring far better than the 2002's in spite of the 2002 vintage getting a better wrap for reds by some experts (eg Halliday). I have found the 2002's a little flabbier and riper, than the 2001's which I fin...

2002 Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon A disappointing wine from what usually delivers good quality and value. An over-reliance on oak here to try and bring up the fruit which is leaning too far into the savoury/herbal spectrum. No typical Coonawarra warmth and dustiness to be found here with the wine...

2003 Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir A fantastic wine for the now cheaper price of under $40 (used to be $60). The most burgundian Aussie pinot I have had for a while. On the nose and palate great pinot notes of red berries strongly supported by decaying leaf/earthy/manure tones, which I think all great...

[quote="Attila"] 2001 McWILLIAMS Regional Collection-Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon By far the best Coonawarra Cabernet I've drunk in recent memory for less than 20 dollars. I couldn't agree here. I recently had this wine and thought that it was the poorest vintage for this label that I hav...

No way! Cool climate cabs are here for the long haul.
I couldn;t agree with Adair more, in that there is more highs and lows with cooler climates, but it's worth the wait.
A recent 98 Domain A cab was amazing.

Cheers,

Stuart.

Great note, good to see some fans of cooler climate styles on this site.
If only I had one!

I also agree with the general opinion. Undoubtedly, the best wines I have had have been in a relaxed atmosphere, usually accompanied by great food and great people. Usually I have not intended to analyse the wine that night. But I find in situations like this, one is much more perceptive of detail b...

Thanks for the tips everyone. Its good to know I'm not the only one who is crazy enough to go to lengths to keep a wine in good condition. Mark S: I like to keep a few on the go at the same time too. Comparison is a great teacher I think. Handy: No I'm not an engineer, I'm a botanist. Cheers, Stuart.

Less (not none) oak is definately a good thing.
Bring it on!

I drink wine most nights with dinner, my partner usually does not indulge. I only like a small glass or two however. The solution - a quaffing wine. Cheap if you are drinking every night and you are not wasting too much money as the wine gradually spoils thoughout the week. The problem - I am am fai...

Hello, Pinot Noir is in my opinion, the greatest red grape on Earth which makes the greatest wines on Earth. I think it makes the most complex wines, which reflect terrior more than any other, but unfortunately is also the most tempermental grape. It is dissapointing that its lack of boldness turns ...

An amazing wine. Striking the perfect balance between elegance and boldness. The nose so intense, so pervasive, yet never jammy or cloying. The oak ever-present but never dominating the powerful red and black fruits. Same story with the palate. How they make the tannins with so much mouth coating po...

Steve,
I started drinking black label when I was about 18, with the 1994 vintage. I have never really been dissapointed with a vintage since. Vintages previous to this must have been pretty good.
Stuart

What is the single wine (not vintage specific) that you have drunk more bottles of than any other?
Mine would be probably be Wynn's Black Label Cabernet - beacuse it is a coolish climate cabernet of outstanding quality and consistency.
Anyone else?
Stuart.

Here's one for Melbourne:

France-Soir - except Sat Nights, mains about $25-29