Working backwards, last night we very much enjoyed a 2006 Hoddles Creek Estate Chardonnay (13.2% A/V, S/C, 92 points, drink now - 2020+). Still relatively infantile with only a bright pale straw/light lemon colour, holding a remarkably tight persona and just starting to emerge from a long slumber. There's an understated and refined class with Franco D'Anna's Chardonnay's and this startling good example continues to the beat of the same drum. Restrained but gorgeously integrated aromas and flavours of green honeydew melon, fig and grapefruit mesh seamlessly with racy/mealy/spicy French oak and wonderfully-judged mouthquenching, mineral-tinged acidity. The wine now has fleshed out a little since release but is true to Franco's thumbprint of tightly coiled, linear, ageworthy Chardonnay. Envoking similarities to a fine Puligny-Montrachet, the sustained finish of this wine reiterates the theme found throughout - focussed, forever unfolding and perplexing. A top effort. An under $20 and with this complexity and quality - you've gotta be kiddin' me.
Friday, I opened another bottle of 1998 Jamieson's Run Coonawarra Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (13.5% A/V, Cork, 90 points, drink now - 2016) - a wine I tried recently and thought had reached its zenith. In a way, I'm pleased to report this bottle was far fresher with a more youthful and vibrant colour ruby colour, more pronounced black fruits and an appealing vein of Coonawarra's famous mint. I mentioned, "in a way", because now I have bottle variation issues and constant unreliabilty with any wine is not a situation I enjoy. So now I have to drink the remaining bottles to determine the frequency of the problem. Oh well, $%^& happens!
FWIW, the wine was excellent, the only criticism being a slight excess of vanillin/chocolatey oak.Thursday afternoon at our weekly jazz band gig, we enjoyed a 2008 Brindabella Hills Shiraz (14% A/V, S/C, 91 points, drink 2015 - 2023) - a terrific example and most likely worthy of a higher rating once its seen more time in bottle. Loaded with high class, ripe, fleshy fruit from a great vintage in the Canberra District, this outstanding red possesses all the hallmarks for future success, harbouring integrated lively acidity and complimentary seasoned oak before finishing with ripe fine tannins and a decadently long departure. This wine impressed me more than Tyrrell's 2008 Canberra District Shiraz I opened last week.
Wednesday night with a family get together that included a visit from my mum's siter and brother-in-law, we cracked a mature, but mildly disappointing for the vintage, offering from Jim Barry, their 2002 Lodge Hill Riesling (very good, 87 points, S/C, drink now) and an excellent bottle of red burgundy from Robert Chevillon, his 1995 premier cru, "Les Vaucrains" (Cork, 90 points, drink now). I thought this bottle of Lodge Hill just on the slippery slope although the others at the table seemed to like it more. Another bottle opened a while back seemed fresher and far more enticing. The Chevillon offered up a mature elegance on a platform of softening plum and cherry fruit with sous bois and delicate mushroom notes added complexity to a long and smooth wine on the palate. Nothing startling but in a very good place. 1995 is not my favourite red burgundy vintage. Over the years, I've generally found it lacking in fruit.
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