Weekly Drinking Thread Commencing 2nd Nov.

[ticklenow1]

No one else has started one for the weekend just gone so I'll do the honours

2003 Greenock Creek Wines Apricot Block Shiraz. Barossa Valley. Lovely wine still showing strong colour. Great nose of dark fruits, coconutty oak and some chocolate and liquorice to boot. Palate did show a touch of heat but it didn't bother us at all and the balance of the wine is very good. Dark fruits are the main attraction and there is no shortage of primary fruit still going strong. Will keep on going for a while yet and considering the vintage, an excellent wine. Really enjoyed it with home made Beef and Guiness Pie. 4/5

2006 d'Arenberg Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viogner. McLaren Vale. Fairly inoffensive wine that hasn't moved much since my last bottle and I very much doubt it will get any better. Lots of black fruits, with the viogner hard to pick. Oak is in the background and the tannins are quite supple. Good quaffer. 3/5

2006 Cape Mentelle Chardonnay. Margaret River. Another fantastic Margaret River Chardonnay. In a lovely spot right now and has maybe, just maybe, started it's downward slide. Fruit is still hanging in there and the buttery, nutty oak is not overdone at all, it's just right. Really enjoyed this a lot. Wish I had more. 4/5

2006 Savaterre Pinot Noir. Beechworth Not being a Pinot Drinker my thoughts on this are probably not that relevant. Nice pinot nose of cherries and rasberries, but the palate wasn't near as good. Had reasonable colour but it was a bit all over the place. It did get a little better with a couple of hours of breathing and I'll leave my last bottle of this for a couple more years in the hope that it improves, because at the moment - I'm not a fan at all (and in all probability, will never be...). I just really don't get Pinot. I had my Pinot moment last year and sadly, nothing since has lived up to the 2008 Paringa Estate Estate Pinot that wowed me (and in a big way). I've bought a couple of cases of mainly Mornington Penninsula and Yarra Valley Pinots (all decent offerings with good reviews), I just hope I haven't wasted my money. 2/5

NV Ruinart Brut Rose. Champagne, France. I only had a couple of mouthfuls of this as the ladies were really guzzling it! They all absolutely loved it and at the price, it should be good. I'll say it was. I was really impressed as this was the first Rose style Champagne I've ever tried. I normally dodge bubbles at all costs, but this was great with Lunch on a hot day. It had amazing amounts of fizz and seemed to light up my palate. Excellent and I'd rather drink this style than plain Champers after having this to be honest. 4/5

With the Spring racing in full flight I'd imagine there will be plenty of botttles of Champers popped over the next few days!!

Cheers
Ian

[Teisto]

A bit more of a nudge this week

2004 Chateau Francois Sparkling Pinot Noir - Not too sweet, a fantastic nose of gunpowder / fireworks. Good Stuff
1998 Willespie Shiraz - At 15 years old drinking very well although nothing really complex about it.
2005 Teusner Joshua - Cottees raspberry jam. Beautiful long finish and just a solid offering. Sad to see the last bottle go. Very very good.
2005 Kalleske Pirathon- First one of these in a couple of years and still very good drinking and not fading. Not sure how much further it will develop in terms of complexity.
2005 Torbreck Bothie- Deep gold colour. Acid has predominantly gone and a deep rich flavour. Colour development could suggest not ideally stored initially as it is next to a 2007 that was at least half the depth in colour.

[sjw_11]

Grosset Polish Hill 2010... Full green/yellow colour. This has an intense "limey" nose, perhaps a little sharp, which carries through to the palate. The acid is still pronounced, and to me the whole thing feels a little disjointed.

[dlo]

Saturday and Sunday, my daughter sang for Mount Majura as part of the Wine, Roses and all that Jazz Festival. With the incredibly talented Victor Rufus accompanying on his ancient Gibson guitar, both days were most enjoyable although I left half way through Sunday's session due to the high wind, dust and an ensuing bout of hay fever. I hate Spring!

The winery makes a good sparkling with almost 5 years on lees aiding complex yeast autolysis character over still very fresh green crunchy fruit. Both the 2013 Riesling (floral, limey with crisp, cleansing acidity and long cellaring potential) and the 2013 Pinot Gris impressed greatly (both edging towards 92 points) with the pinot gris holding amazing powerful acidity throughout an explosive finish over a mouthfilling, delicious pear and honeydew melon fruit. Both worth purchasing, but very expensive, IMO at 27 and 25 bucks, respectively. The other reds I tried (2011 Pinot Noir and 2012 Tempranillo) were disappointing (especially the thin and acidic Pinot) apart from an excellent 2010 Shiraz, although the 14.5% alcohol is being totally swallowed up by excellent exuberant pepper-, eart- and spice-tinged plum, chocolate, blackberry and dark cherry fruit. There's abundant acidity keeping the wine's line tight and in focus with an exemplary, substantive but balanced tannin regime in place. The wine will cellar, but I would favour drinking it over the next several years. Worthy of a moderately strong silver medal now, about 90 points.

I also opened a 1990 Ch. Malescot-St.-Expurey that was right on the money for current consumption. At 12.5% alcohol and showing tell-tale left bank sweet damp earthen nuance combined with lovely mature, soft and ripe black fruit but with a exemplary, supportive tannins and fresh acidity, this was the wine of the weekend for me. 93 points.

[dlo]

Grosset Polish Hill 2010... Full green/yellow colour. This has an intense "limey" nose, perhaps a little sharp, which carries through to the palate. The acid is still pronounced, and to me the whole thing feels a little disjointed.

Opened far too early by the sound of it. 2010 is for the long haul.

[Matt]

Brown Hill Cab Merlot 2012
Cracking value for $18. Medium to full bodied dark fruits. Brambley cassis and dark stewed plums. Also has a touch of cigar box and dried herbs on the finish. Went very well with some venison. Non irrigated vines gives Brown Hill unique character. If you are sick of the straightforward MR leafy cabernet, try this and enjoy.
Bargain...

[TiggerK]

A bunch of mostly very good wines and some seriously great cooking! Who needs restaurants with good friends like these...

Tattinger Comtes De Champagne 2002 - awesome stuff, superb fruit, acidity and power. Now or anytime. WOTN. 95+
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 1997 - faded, and mainly the quality oak seeing it through, but still some hints of the good fruit left and actually matched the barramundi, bacon and lemon butter dish pretty well. 86
Les Vins de Vienne Condrieu La Chambee 2008 - Fascinating, I am now converted to the potential of Viognier. Big, impressive fruit forward nose of rockmelon, peaches and sweet apricot. Textured, but not cloying. Drink now. 92
'A Tribute to Grace' Santa Barbara Grenache 2008 (served Blind) - Very interesting, many thought Pinot Noir to start with, then it changed, and the bright red lolly elements started to emerge, with even more time the nose became quite impressive! A bit of heat, but some remarkable and vibrant fruit characters, both on the nose and palate. 92
Georges Mugneret Clos-Vougeot GC 1993 - very good, always nice to have Burg with some age, but just lacked that special 'complete' something to make it truly wow - 92
Bannockburn 'Range' Shiraz 1996 - in a really good spot I thought, very nice, lovely balance of nicely aged fruit and gamey funk 93
Abbotts & Delaunay Carignan Alto Stratus 2011 - Served Blind. A big step up on the 2010 for me, but it needs time and should emerge very nicely. 90+
The Lane 19th Meeting Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - Deep fruit, but unevolved and quite big, not at all bad, just young and demanding time to give it a chance to strut. 89+
Kuentz-Bas Alsace Pinot Gris Vendage Tardives 1989 and 1990 (both 375ml) - 1989 was #fucork (duh), but the 1990 was poised and elegant. I love the restraint and acid profile of these Alsace 'sweet' wines. 92
Framingham Noble Riesling 2012 (2 x 375ml, one colder than the other) - Lots of 'Nobility', yet luscious, clean and well balanced (but a big style). Suited being a bit on the colder side. 92

Cheers
Tim

[Mike Hawkins]

Tattinger Comtes De Champagne 2002 - awesome stuff, superb fruit, acidity and power. Now or anytime. WOTN. 95+

I've opened 8 bottles of this wine and I have to say its close to the best young champagne I've ever had. In 20+ years time I think this will be considered one of the all-time greats, and so I plan to refrain from opening any more until then !

Cheers

Mike

[Mike Hawkins]

Following on from the above comment, I also had a bottle of the 2004 Taittinger Comtes on the weekend. It is not as expressive as the 2002, and has far more lemon/lime characteristics. But in time, it will be excellent, and only a tad behind its older brother qualitatively. Definitely a champagne for the long haul.

I also had a bottle of the 1986 Wynns John Riddoch over 2 days. To be honest, I thought it was a little bit bland on day 1 (despite 2 hours air), but on day 2, it was magnificent - long, complex and elegant. Well cellared bottles have many years of peak drinking remaining.

[sjw_11]

Grosset Polish Hill 2010... Full green/yellow colour. This has an intense "limey" nose, perhaps a little sharp, which carries through to the palate. The acid is still pronounced, and to me the whole thing feels a little disjointed.

Opened far too early by the sound of it. 2010 is for the long haul.

Yes I think so David, it looked a lot better on night 2... this was just a random pick up from a store called "Providore" - a perfect imitation of a great Aussie style gourmet deli, except located on Level 5 of an apartment building converted largely to antique shops... actually that still doesn't fully explain how weird the location of this store is!

[phillisc]

Following on from the above comment, I also had a bottle of the 2004 Taittinger Comtes on the weekend. It is not as expressive as the 2002, and has far more lemon/lime characteristics. But in time, it will be excellent, and only a tad behind its older brother qualitatively. Definitely a champagne for the long haul.

I also had a bottle of the 1986 Wynns John Riddoch over 2 days. To be honest, I thought it was a little bit bland on day 1 (despite 2 hours air), but on day 2, it was magnificent - long, complex and elegant. Well cellared bottles have many years of peak drinking remaining.

Beuatiful Mike, I have a sealed dozen of 86 JR...$22 pb can remember the purchase like it was yesterday.
Probably all leaked and ullaged inside the box..but very much comforted by your note.

Cheers Craig.

[sjw_11]

I also had a bottle of the 1986 Wynns John Riddoch over 2 days. To be honest, I thought it was a little bit bland on day 1 (despite 2 hours air), but on day 2, it was magnificent - long, complex and elegant. Well cellared bottles have many years of peak drinking remaining.

Beuatiful Mike, I have a sealed dozen of 86 JR...$22 pb can remember the purchase like it was yesterday.
Probably all leaked and ullaged inside the box..but very much comforted by your note.

Cheers Craig.

Craig, what are you hoarding them for?? Why don't you crack one already
Btw I would love to see your cellar some day... From your various descriptions I can just picture it full of random cases and fantastic curios you have entirely forgotten about!

[phillisc]

Sam, I am for the first time in 5 years having a holiday soon where I am either not travelling to a conference for work or studying.
I have a 2 day plan to sort around 250 cases into some sort of order.
The storage unit and the graciously donated shelving is all waiting , just hope my back is up to the task.

I agree 100% with you...why would I hold onto several cases of wine that are 25 years old that remain unopened and true have forgotten many purchases...I "found" 2 dozen 90 Koonunga Hill a few months back, $50 a case, can not even remember where i got them from!
I was thinking about what Mike was writing about the fab champagnes he has...if you enjoy them now then why stop ....in 20 years you could be dead.
I have a dear friend, a woman I love who is 47 and will be dead by Christmas....Lung cancer with multiple secondaries and i think life is real short...real real short.

So yes drink up the good stuff. so many here must be sitting on cases and cases of Burgs and Bords and old pennies stuff when it was good and cheap...that have a 50 year window ( JR is a pup compared to these) that will make excellent drinking at the wake. Take your point Sam, will get stuck in to a sort out...will try and get a photo or two and yes wouldn't it be funny if the 86 JR was so good that I drank the whole case in a year.

i plan to start getting things into shape in a couple of weeks.
Cheers Craig.

[Mike Hawkins]

The cellar clean up is a two-edged sword. It wrecks your back, but I always seem to find an old bottle or 2 that aren't on any of my records - which is a great surprise! I'd strongly recommend opening one of the 86 JR's - they are drinking so well, and really give the 82 a run for its money when on song.

[sjw_11]

Sam, I am for the first time in 5 years having a holiday soon where I am either not travelling to a conference for work or studying.
I have a 2 day plan to sort around 250 cases into some sort of order.
....
Cheers Craig.

Craig, I am very sorry to hear about your friend, I am sure we all know people who have likewise faced or fallen to cancer and you are right it makes you think how short the time we have really is...

It reminds me of a business client, not well known to me but very well known to my then boss... this gentleman was a very successful and well off fund manager only in his early 50s, I suppose, who died from a particularly rapid cancer. Towards the end he could not drink very much but he was determined not to leave his Grange collection behind so he would open a bottle each night, take a small taste which was all he was able to, and pour the rest away.

As they say, you can't take it with you.

Anyway, good luck re-organising the cellar... I have to do likewise next time I am back in Adelaide, though I only have about 45 dozen to wrestle with. I will look to see if there is interest when I am back possibly the end of January for an Adelaide offline - feel free to save an 86 JR and bring it along to that if you need some help to polish them off!!

[phillisc]

Yeah Sam, got to come to an Adelaide offline some time.
Think it would be great fun locking horns with Mr Wickham and the Enforcer. Two blokes here that I really reckon know whats going on. Oh and you too Gavin.

Cheers Craig

[monghead]

Tattinger Comtes De Champagne 2002 - awesome stuff, superb fruit, acidity and power. Now or anytime. WOTN. 95+

I've opened 8 bottles of this wine and I have to say its close to the best young champagne I've ever had. In 20+ years time I think this will be considered one of the all-time greats, and so I plan to refrain from opening any more until then !

Cheers

Mike

I'm going to have to try some of this!

[timmspe]

2012 Vavasour Pinot Gris. Clear and pale yellow. There's a good vinosity about it, with lemon, orange blossom and a slight butteriness on the nose. The palate has more in the way of pears and nectarines. It's light bodied and mouthwatering (almost spritzy). I know the sample size is limited, but it has been interesting to compare the French vs. New Zealand expression of Gewurtz and Pinot Gris. You'll have to forgive me for the chauvinistic analogy, but at this stage, the NZ wine is pretty sexy (with more in the way of instant gratification), while the French equivalent is little more beautiful, if that makes any sense. Haha, I'm preferring the NZ wines at this point, but I look forward to testing out the theory further

[sjw_11]

Louis Latour Beaujolais-Villages 2012... Why they waste the effort of the full scale heavy bottle on this cheapie I will never know (say hello to stupid air freight wastage). Anyway this is a perfectly unobjectionable "pretty" wine. Its carbonic macerated red lollies and bright cherries are typically correct and the whole production is squeeky clean, with fresh, cleansing acidity avoiding any cloying sweetness to the style. Slightly chilled it goes down fine without being of any great interest.

[Matt]

Rosabrook Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Medium bodied, luscious blueberry fruit with raspberry overtones. A touch leafy on the finish. Very MR however, with a subtle nod to Bordeaux. Pleasant...

[Mike Hawkins]

Tattinger Comtes De Champagne 2002 - awesome stuff, superb fruit, acidity and power. Now or anytime. WOTN. 95+

I've opened 8 bottles of this wine and I have to say its close to the best young champagne I've ever had. In 20+ years time I think this will be considered one of the all-time greats, and so I plan to refrain from opening any more until then !

Cheers

Mike

I'm going to have to try some of this!

You won't be disappointed, but patience will be rewarded. Virtually every critic has raved about it - and they certainly have better palates than I do. That said, 2002 Comtes was made in tiny quantities - there is much more of the 2000 and 2004 still in the 'system'. Consequently, the 2002 has gone up in price by >50% in the past year in the US and UK retail markets.

Cheers

Mike

[rooman]

Grosset Polish Hill 2010... Full green/yellow colour. This has an intense "limey" nose, perhaps a little sharp, which carries through to the palate. The acid is still pronounced, and to me the whole thing feels a little disjointed.

Opened far too early by the sound of it. 2010 is for the long haul.

Yes I think so David, it looked a lot better on night 2... this was just a random pick up from a store called "Providore" - a perfect imitation of a great Aussie style gourmet deli, except located on Level 5 of an apartment building converted largely to antique shops... actually that still doesn't fully explain how weird the location of this store is!

David is definitely correct about it being opened too early. All the Grosset Polish Hills really need at least a decade before being opened. I got impatient recently and opened a 2005. It was still incredibly young at 8 years with a slight lime greenish tone in appearance and massive acid. I put it back in the fridge and retried 48 hours later. By this stage the wine had opened up, the colour deepened and the palate filled out. On that basis of the development in the bottle over the two ensuing days i doubt I will bother opening another again inside 5 years.

[Panda 9D]

I've had a new shipment of wine so have been trying out the ranges of Head Wines and Michael Hall. Both are making awesome wines and I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything they make. I won't go into detail on them because it would be unseemly, I think.

Jacques-Frederic Mugnier - Nuits Saint Georges Clos des Fourches 2008: This was wine that didn't hit your palate but somehow, miraculously, floated above it. Tasting notes wouldn't do this wine any justice. It's fruit was clean, pure, long and quite difficult to define on the nose as well as the palate. It's tough for me to decide between this and the DRC RSV for pinot of the year. The RSV ticked more boxes but this wine had a mysterious beauty that was utterly pleasurable but impossible to grasp. If you see this, I would recommend you buy it.

[sjw_11]

David is definitely correct about it being opened too early. All the Grosset Polish Hills really need at least a decade before being opened. I got impatient recently and opened a 2005. It was still incredibly young at 8 years with a slight lime greenish tone in appearance and massive acid. I put it back in the fridge and retried 48 hours later. By this stage the wine had opened up, the colour deepened and the palate filled out. On that basis of the development in the bottle over the two ensuing days i doubt I will bother opening another again inside 5 years.

Thanks for the note on the 2005... I only have the 2011-13 of these in the cellar so will TRY to resist those for at least 10-yrs.

I should point out in defense of my infanticide I dont have a wine fridge here yet, so... even under screw caps the consistent 29o everytime I turn the air conditioning off would probably not facilitate a long and restrained ageing process. Hence, buy, pop and pour on this occasion!

[Gavin Trott]

I've had a new shipment of wine so have been trying out the ranges of Head Wines and Michael Hall. Both are making awesome wines and I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything they make. I won't go into detail on them because it would be unseemly, I think.

Jacques-Frederic Mugnier - Nuits Saint Georges Clos des Fourches 2008: This was wine that didn't hit your palate but somehow, miraculously, floated above it. Tasting notes wouldn't do this wine any justice. It's fruit was clean, pure, long and quite difficult to define on the nose as well as the palate. It's tough for me to decide between this and the DRC RSV for pinot of the year. The RSV ticked more boxes but this wine had a mysterious beauty that was utterly pleasurable but impossible to grasp. If you see this, I would recommend you buy it.

I had Michael (Hall) here recently, showing me all his wines. I agree, he is making awesome, thoughtful, insightful, classy and classic wines. Loved them all, now

can I sell them, that is always the question!?

.

[VINH NGUYEN]

Just wandering, for those have had the Bass Phillips Estate Chardy 2010, could you recommend a similar styled wine? Had it on the weekend and thought it was great, but was looking for something similar to it but is more easily attainable

[dave vino]

Moss Wood Chardonnay might worth a look at.

[Panda 9D]

I've had a new shipment of wine so have been trying out the ranges of Head Wines and Michael Hall. Both are making awesome wines and I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything they make. I won't go into detail on them because it would be unseemly, I think.

Jacques-Frederic Mugnier - Nuits Saint Georges Clos des Fourches 2008: This was wine that didn't hit your palate but somehow, miraculously, floated above it. Tasting notes wouldn't do this wine any justice. It's fruit was clean, pure, long and quite difficult to define on the nose as well as the palate. It's tough for me to decide between this and the DRC RSV for pinot of the year. The RSV ticked more boxes but this wine had a mysterious beauty that was utterly pleasurable but impossible to grasp. If you see this, I would recommend you buy it.

I had Michael (Hall) here recently, showing me all his wines. I agree, he is making awesome, thoughtful, insightful, classy and classic wines. Loved them all, now

can I sell them, that is always the question!?

.

I'd much rather have a bottle of his Chardonnay than a Leeuwin Art Series at double the cost, for example. It's not our job to follow the consumer.. it's our job to whip them into shape

[Bern]

I've had a new shipment of wine so have been trying out the ranges of Head Wines and Michael Hall. Both are making awesome wines and I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything they make. I won't go into detail on them because it would be unseemly, I think.

Jacques-Frederic Mugnier - Nuits Saint Georges Clos des Fourches 2008: This was wine that didn't hit your palate but somehow, miraculously, floated above it. Tasting notes wouldn't do this wine any justice. It's fruit was clean, pure, long and quite difficult to define on the nose as well as the palate. It's tough for me to decide between this and the DRC RSV for pinot of the year. The RSV ticked more boxes but this wine had a mysterious beauty that was utterly pleasurable but impossible to grasp. If you see this, I would recommend you buy it.

Had the Jacques-Frederic Mugnier in July this year and your description is spot on! Absolutely loved it.

Bern

[Mike Hawkins]

Tattinger Comtes De Champagne 2002 - awesome stuff, superb fruit, acidity and power. Now or anytime. WOTN. 95+

I've opened 8 bottles of this wine and I have to say its close to the best young champagne I've ever had. In 20+ years time I think this will be considered one of the all-time greats, and so I plan to refrain from opening any more until then !

Cheers

Mike

I'm going to have to try some of this!

A couple more to keep an eye out for..... 2002 Pol Roger Winston Churchill should be released any day now, and the 2002 Salon should be out by March next year. 2002 Krug is some way off - they're going to release 2003 first.

Mike