Weekly Drinking Thread Commencing 17th November

[dlo]

Another week flies by and another few older wines bite the dust.

Only two in recent days for me. A bottle of 1982 Chateau Canon was right up to scratch earlier in the week which proves how resilient most fine Bordeaux can be (in this case a grand cru classe B merlot dominant from the St Emilion appellation (often referred to as part of the "right bank" of the Gironde River which geograghically splits Bordeaux into two banks/sections - the other being the mostly cabernet dominant "left bank")).

The other wine I'm meandering through is a bottle of Leo Buring Reserve P117 Tawny Port. Another cheapy auction purchase with a string of gold and silver medals from major Australian capital city wine shows on the back label - all being awarded over a relatively short period (which is a good sign) - between 1979 and 1981. This port has a surprising dark brown/chocolaty colour with zero transluscence with awesome viscours tears, sloth-like in their tortuous journey down the side of the glass. It has a perplexing bouquet harbouring all sorts of oddball aromas - road tar, bitter chocolate, rum'n'raisin, unaired antique cupboard, barley sugar, creosote, hessian and even crushed ants with more traditional tawny nuances of rancio, dried stonefruits, mixed nuts, clean spirit and dusty old oak. The palate is far less challenging, revealing quite a thick, relatively sweet palate of fruitcake and dark chocolate wrapped in a shroud of nutty rancio with lashings of most complimentary brandy spirit rounding out a very tidy package indeed. This old wine pales somewhat to the absolute magic of the ancient Lindemans RF1 Tawny I opened a few weeks back, but nevertheless would sit somewhere approaching an "excellent" rating. Great palate, shame about (parts of) the nose.

[n4sir]

Committee meeting wines last week - some of this stuff really makes it even more of a chore than it has to be.

2009 Dopff au Moulin Gewurztraminer Sporen, Alsace Grand Cru AOC (cork): 12.5% alc. Bright straw/green. Very sweet nose, rose water, lychee, musk/Turkish delight and a hint of apricot, some lemon blossoms and notable touch of sulphur with breathing; the palate's sweet and a little oily, with apricot, mineral and a little fennel. A little like a Frontignac or late pick Riesling at times; very good.

2000 Alkoomi Shiraz, Frankland River (cork): 13.5% alc. Cloudy red. Reeks of brett from the first whiff, it's full of farmyard and bacterial characters; the palate's just as bad, very dry and bandaid city with an awful, metallic/shitty finish. Undrinkable.


2000 Temple Bruer Shiraz Malbec, Langhorne Creek (cork): 14% alc. Horribly corked.

2010 Domaine Julien Cornud Cotes du Ventoux Itineraire d'un Curieux (cork): 14% alc, a blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Carignan. Bright, clear red. A little baked and porty, cherries, toast, scorched earth and black liquorice, some mint, boiled lollies and raspberry with breathing; the palate's very dry, medium-weight with a slippery mid-palate (alcohol?) and a slightly bitter finish. Pretty average.

2012 Banrock Station Montepulciano, Riverland (screwcap): 14% alc. Light to medium blood red with legs on the glass. Smells like a confected grenache, very sweet with boiled lollies, raspberry jubes and blue metal; the palate's light to medium-weight with obvious minty warmth mid-palate, finishing lean and minty. Misses the mark on so many levels.

NV Karrawirra Liqueur Tokay, Barossa Valley (cork): Unknown alc, probably bottled/released sometime in the mid-seventies. Dark amber/orange to light tawny with solid crust/floaties in the glass. It's not surprisingly heavily aged and a touch over the hill on the nose, with burnt toffee, burnt tobacco and prickly, dirty spirit. The palate's a little sweeter with some caramel, almond and candied ginger, but this really should have been drunk decades ago.

Cheers,
Ian

[Panda 9D]

Benito Santos Page de Xoan 2010 - Rias Baixas - Albarino: I don't have a lot of experience with Albarino (real Albarino that is) but this is by far the best I've tried. The nose instantly reminded me of a nice, aged champagne that has lost its bubbles. It also had notes of fresher citrus, apples, rocks, the ocean and freshly blow-dried hair. The palate had a wonderful energetic acidity and salty rocky flavor to back up the apples, lemons. I also remember a touch of honey. A really nice wine.

[sjw_11]

Cape Mentelle Shiraz 2011... On first opening this was a bit thin and weedy but it really gathered weight by the second night (held in the fridge, never decanted) showing fleshy, mid bodied red fruits, lovely acid balance, and a surprisingly furry and noticeable level of tannin. Good value and has a lot of interest.

[Rossco]

2008 Wirra Wirra Lost Watch Adelaide Hills Riesling Found 6 of these in the back of the cellar a little while ago. They were bought at auction over 2 years ago as a backup for my wedding Rieslings. (Bit sad i had back ups of each of my wine varietals)....anyhoo

This was actually a really pleasant surprise. I thought they may have been going down hill by now, but NOPE! Really hitting its strides for an older Riesling.

Was really a beautiful looking wine.Straw yellow turning to pale gold. Some kero/petrol on the nose, with green cut grass, hay and straw.

On the palate was a lot of preserved lemon, and again the hay/straw. Not as much floral aromas as I thought there would be and acid was all but gone...which makes me think i have to drink the rest this summer. While the length was was a little short, it didnt really matter. Sitting out on the deck watching the sun go down was just the perfect way to drink this.

2012 Hoddles Creek Estate Pinot Noir This needs some time. At first it was a thin and a little watery, but left it overnight and it really came out.
Was a little Blurry and the label didnt make any mention of fining or filtration, so i assume that was franco's intention. Was VERY light....not like a rose` or anything, but i was surprised how light (albeit bright) red it was. Quite juicy after it opened up and very fruit forward. Oak not dominant in any way with cherry & raspberry some greenish leaf / forest floor. Acid & Tannins were there, giving the impression you should just put this in the cellar for 3-5 years.

For the money, this is a fantastic wine. Is it the best Pinot i have had, No, but its the best one you will find circa $20.

[timmspe]

...and freshly blow-dried hair.

Nice one.

2010 Domaine Pichot Coteau de la Biche Vouvray (Stelvin). Pale yellow with a green tinge. Clear. The primary aromas speak of dust and farmland, with apples, pears and melons trying to emerge. The palate is exceedingly grassy, with apple juice and a bit of hops. It is sharp and dry with a short-to-medium finish... I had this one over three nights. It seemed to improve, gradually, during that time, with the fruit becoming more apparent. To be fair, it paired well with baked chicken stuffed with sage and thyme. It is a picturesque wine, but it's not for me.

[phillisc]

2012 Jacobs Creek Steingarten

First Riesling for a while, lovely minerally critrussy nose with just a hint of acid on the palate. Palate dominated by the flinty minerally slatety limestone character, with a lovely touch of sugar on the end. Just yum and will do the 20 years like the label suggests. A good lunch time option.

2012 Mike Press Adelaide hills shiraz
for $120 a dozen, really quite impressed but not as much as JH Top 100. a lovely easy drink, nice vanillian oak, no harshness, a little alcohol heat (14%) but extremely balanced on the palate.

Cheers Craig

[dlo]

Just opened a 2010 Hungerford Hill Hunter Valley Semillon under screw cap, 11.5 % A/V, very bright pale straw colour, enticing nose of mown hay, sunlight soap, lemon grass, lemon zest, lanolin, a strong mineral quality with grilled nuts lurking at the death. The palate is somewhat underdone in weight in comparison, far less complex with lemon curd and grassy notes to the fore and ample tart acidity yet to integrate. Lingers quite well but it's way too early to drink this particular wine. Expect a much better showing in 5 years time. Nice nose, shame about the palate!

[Franco]

Hi Rossco,

Glad you liked it. Spot on, it's unfiltered and unfined. Needs time to evolve but has everything there. Line and length, structure. Really happy with how it has come along and will be good for 5-7 years.

I'm not filtering any of my reds anymore, wines are clean so can't see the point. With a light, delicate year like 2012, all filtering does is remove the soul of the wine.

Cheers
Franco

[Mike Hawkins]

Consumed over the past couple of weeks...

2004 Gaston Chiquet Special Club - not as good as I remember. A little simple at this time in its life.

2006 Giaconda Warner Shiraz - in the past, I haven't been the greatest fan of this winery given its hype. But I have to say, this was an excellent shiraz. A touch of blueberry and mulberry with cool climate pepperiness and a long, elegant finish. Will look even better in 3 or 4 years.

1996 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz - really good, but I preferred the Giaconda duie to its length. The RBPS had lovely fruit,but finished just a tad shorter than previous bottles.

2004 (I think) Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling - this is one of the great bargains IMO. Its released with age, the fruit is wonderful and it drinks well for 8 years or so. I'm yet to have an average one.

1995 Dom Perignon Oenotheque - this is one of my all-time favourite champagnes. It really delivers on every measure - complexity, mouthfeel, length and 'intangibles'. I love it.

2009 Chateau Rieussec (375ml) - this is going to be really great in 10 years time and I'm annoyed at myself for opening another one ! Qualitatively, not too far behind the magnificent 2001.

1996 Wynns John Riddoch - again, this failed to deliver, especially given how good the vintage was. I'm convinced the releases under this label from the 80s were (generally speaking) infinitely superior to their 90s brethren. I'd take the 82 and 86 and possibly the 88 before the 90 and 98.... I'm sure others will have diverging views....

Cheers

Mike

[Rossco]

Hi Rossco,

Glad you liked it. Spot on, it's unfiltered and unfined. Needs time to evolve but has everything there. Line and length, structure. Really happy with how it has come along and will be good for 5-7 years.

I'm not filtering any of my reds anymore, wines are clean so can't see the point. With a light, delicate year like 2012, all filtering does is remove the soul of the wine.

Cheers
Franco

Franco your 2012 estate chardonnay is an absolute masterpiece and a real credit to you and the team. I was so impressed i bought a case of each....with more planned once Xmas is over. They are both well deserved of all their accolades.

[dlo]

The band came to my place this morning for a blow, then lunch and a few bottles immediately thereafter. Grosset's 2005 Watervale Riesling is a cracker and firing on all cylinders, although I detect there's scope for more improvement to come. Rated outstanding, chockablock full of limey goodness and perfectly judged minerally acidity. Seppelt's 2001 St Peters Shiraz impressed with its awesome fruit, fullsome aromas and medium to full bodied palate. I didn't get much of this but what I tried seemed of very high quality and well balanced. Could go for some time to come with the appealing youthful persona showing in the glass this afternoon.