The Auswine Forum

Many thanks everyone - am following up.

This is my first post for many years. I am having difficulty sourcing a bottle of vintage madeira to send to a friend in the Melbourne area. Looking only for Sercial, Verdelho or Terrantez. The Victoria company that advertises such bottles on WineSearcher apologised for their outdated weblist. Does ...

This is not just a great day for the wealthy speculator and Petrus-with-Coke brigade. This offers Hong Kong a chance to recapture its role as a place to enjoy a cornucopia of excellent food and wine - at reasonable prices. The zero duty will hopefully stimulate a spread in the appreciation of the in...

won accolades from some Oz tasters last month. Benchmark stuff, but not sure where youd find it in Oz.
Nigel

This is a round-the-world toe-dip for the uninitiated (including myself), so I'm just using the one South African representative - one boosted by RP a couple of years ago. If we go for the style, we might feature more in a future tasting.
Nigel

I saw this should have been announced end September, but their website - http://www.thegreataustralianred.com/ - has no record of the results of the judging. Anyone here got a link that does?
Nigel

I meant the 1996 Keynton :~)

Ric,
I wonder if adding Parson's Flat would offer a sample of an hmest affordable and yet elegant version of Cab-Shiraz to compare with the Godolphin, and 1996 Bin 389. We also have the 1006Henschke Keynton to add as a bonus.
Nigel

I'm putting on a tasting of cabernet [or Bordeaux blend] & shiraz wines from a range of regions, featuring a direct comparison of 3 mature vintages of Virgin Hills (1983, 85 & 8 and 3 maturing Trevallons (1989, 1990, 1995), a 1999 Argiano Solengo [which may not actually contain Syrah in that...

Danny,
Many thanks for confirming that - and the list.
If I were to choose 3 in total to compare against Trevallon, Anwilka, Solengo [- we already have 04 & 05 Godolphin and 1996 bin 389] ?
Nigel

Gavin,
Is that a wind-up? - or have the Al-Makhtoums nobbled Glaetzer with a copyright suit on the name Godolphin?!
Nigel

Danny,
Just wondering, as I'm trying to organise a cab-shiraz tasting in October, is the Duck Muck a cab-shiraz blend? - it was after all Duck Anderson's house "muck". Or has it varied across vintages?
Nigel

Just want to avoid buying a wine that I need to cage for 10 years.
How long before it mellows...?

I prefer a more classic style, not the overblown blockbuster style that seems to grab RP so much. I like what I hear about Amon Ra and the Two Hands garden series. Would Block 6 be in a similar vein?
Nigel

Allen Meadows has just released Pt. 2 of his massive trawl through 2005 red burgundies, and there is no relief in sight for fans of classic burgundy. Better get used to trawling the lower depths. Not just d'Angerville but Voillot, Bouchard, Drouhin, Jadot and Le Moine get amazingly high ratings. Wha...

- surprised no-one came in to tell you the duty was 'slashed' to 40% last Wednesday. You should see this reflected in the prices in Watsons' Wine Cellar - check out their website for locations at m Ask the staff which wines have been re-priced, and which have to be sold at the pre-budget price (cos ...

This is being touted - by Tim Atkin? - -in the Observer as the next big NZ red varietal. Seems the Stonecroft Syrah has Cote-Rotie 'white pepper' qualities, and was contrasted with Oz's heavier style. Seems many winemakers there are regretting investing so heavily in Bordeaux varietals.

Beef,
Not exactly routine as an acronym - I like it.

Googled it but, amazingly, no-one seems to think this particular acronym needs explaining ...
Nigel

Just exploring biuying 2005 burgundies in Oz. Who are the likeliest people to get some of the choice wines from?
Nigel

Depends what he paid. There's been a spate of these hitting the market, going back to 1921.
Fine & Rare in London are offering bottles of the 1921 at GBP278 per bottle. Be hard put to find a comparable price among Sauternes for that great year.

Dear 'Marsalla',
Seems Bibendum have stopped importing the Calatrasi wines. Anorak offers no clues that I could see.
I've emailed them to see if they have a new route into the UK - or here in Hong Kong.
Nigel

Nigel,
we made a pretty good cab shiraz in Sicily,Accademia del sole, doubt if it is over here. Rather than look central italy, try sicily.

Just wonderedf if you were Brian or Lisa. Do Bibendum take your Cab-Shiraz in the UK? I can source it there.
Cheers,
Nigel

Thanks everyone for the input.
I've got a good Sicilian lead - and many Aussies.
This link suggests we have a nucleus of Australian winemakers responsible for expreimenting with Cab-Shiraz in Sicily:
http://www.wineanorak.com/calatrasi.htm

Nigel

Steve,
Thanks for that quick reply. This won't happen till October, as I've got to bring some of these out to HK from the UK.
But yes, I intend to post the results - only fair given the great advice one gets on this site.
Nigel

OK - I re-phrase - is there a single cab-syrah made in Italy? I was taken with a recent thread citing the Max Schubert rationale that, in certain non-traditional climates, i.e. outside Bordeaux and northern Rhone, these grapes offered each other an extra dimension - e.g. shiraz filling the hole in t...

I've got a chance to get some 2005 Savitar - wondered how these stacked up against the 2 previous vintages?
Thanks,
Nigel

Just been offered the 2005 Godolphin - I saw a barrel sample reported some days back, but both Godolphin and Amon-Ra samples said to be open a long time. Is this vintage not yet released?
Nigel Bruce

Ric,
Thanks for that note. I've also managed to get some of the Amon Ra, that Parker has just damned with faint praise - that actually makes me believe I'll like it all the more! "restrained gobs of fruit"!
Nigel

I've just managed to get some of this in the UK. Have heard lots about this being a wine intended for ageing - but have no idea what that might mean in Oz cab-shiraz terms. Anyone tried it and can offer any projections? I live in HK, so temptation is easy to resist! - [also, re. that HK thread below...