Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

[cuttlefish]

Cracked a Woodstock Cab Sauv 1985 this afternoon and whilst a bit musty at first, opened up over a couple of hours and drank relatively well. I think it had a minute amount of TCA spoilage, but it was still very drinkable, and had some lovely fruit sweetness on the palate.

[Redav]

I opened a Henschke 2011 Keyneton Euphonium tonight to see what we thought. We liked it but not as much as the '08 that we loved or the '10 that we quite liked and felt it was probably on par with the '09 but this is good as it means we're not taking up fridge space while we wait for the 2012 in the hope that it's better.

[catchnrelease]

2013 Some Young Punks The Squid's Fist Shiraz Sangiovese - Another bottle opened due to curiosity. Dark red/purple in colour with a powerful, although slightly dusty nose. Needed a little bit of time to open up as it was a bit tight and thin straight out of the bottle. The Sangiovese lightens up the Shiraz and gives it some sappy savoury notes. This is way better than the Double Love Trouble, although I wish it had slightly better mouthfeel and was better on the mid palate. Started to fall apart in the glass after a while, suggesting this wine isn't built for the long haul. I think this may need another year or so in the cellar to settle down, but all in all not bad for an early drinking red. For $19 you're getting an interesting grape combo and a really cool label - you could do worse if you wanted to bring a red to a BBQ with mates.

[rossmckay]

Tonight it's been a Pierre Borel Clos de Pavee Monople Les Maisons Rouge...better the second night, a Moillard-Grivot Rully 1er Les Gresigney...also better the second night, and a 2003 Pesquera Reserva Especial...didn't get to last the first night

[Sean]

deleted

[JamieBahrain]

For those moving toward Piedmont, Marchese di Gresy is emerging as a personal favorite- Gauin in magnum 2004 beautiful Barbaresco! Lunch bags 96 pleasant and Fichet was my preferred white burg of the nigh ( love his stuff with age and bottle missing from picture).

[mse]

Elderton Command Shiraz 98', this time around The bottle does not exhibit the Rancio character due to over oxidation. The wine exhibits the plum, blackberry, vanilla and cedar on the nose, bit of savoury side with raspberry flavour on the palate. Just lacking the intensity like it did 5-6 years ago.

[TravisW]

Mt Horrocks Riesling 2003 - Really good stuff with the capacity to kick on for another five years easy. Polished if the last of it tonight and it showed a lovely acid/delicate fruit balance I don't often find in Oz Reisling.

Koonara Coonawarra Shiraz 2006 - pretty nicely made choc dark fruity oak plush mouthful. Not my cup of tea but nicely made. Not classic Coonawarra for me.

Give me Clare Riesling and Coonawarra Cab Sauv any day. We did a tasting in the UK many years ago which was something along the lines of Classic Areas of Australia. It was our best Aussie tasting by FAR! Semillon from Hunter, Cab from Coonawarra and Margaret River, Shiraz from Barossa and Hunter, Riesling from Clare and Sparkling from Tassie. The best are the best for a reason.

Cheers, Travis.

[daz]

1996 Penfolds St Henri
BBQ with the sons on a warm Melbourne night… gotta love GF week. Still showing firm tannins, but underlying fruit is still there, and incredibly, this is still much too young. I would still leave them alone for another five years.

Coincidentally, I shared my second and last bottle of this with some family whilst eating (inside because of mozzies) bbq'd meats on 27/9/14. Your comments reflect my own experience of it though I found oak to be more prominent than expected. But there was excellent fruit that had melded well with the oak, agree it has time on its side, was enjoyed by all who tasted it. The cork broke at about 2/3 length but the remainder was extracted cleanly.

[daz]

An 05 Hanging Rock Cambrian Rise Shiraz. It's a solid wine although not quite as good as the 04

Visited Hanging Rock CD a few months ago, was underwhelmed by the wines but there was a break in the overcast that brightly illuminated the upper half of the rock, visible from the tasting room. It was spectacular.

[rooman]

For those moving toward Piedmont, Marchese di Gresy is emerging as a personal favorite- Gauin in magnum 2004 beautiful Barbaresco! Lunch bags 96 pleasant and Fichet was my preferred white burg of the nigh ( love his stuff with age and bottle missing from picture).

Looks like the Bages was a 2006 when you zoom in. I would assume its still pretty primary. I'm sitting patiently on some 05 so I'd be interested to know if it is an 06 how it is tracking. Bar 2 bottles I have kept my hands off all the 05 - I just sit and look at it

[Rossco]

A turn in the weather meant I got a chance to have a dram of the
Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Scottish Barley. Absolute cracker and
One for the islay fans of heavy peated single malts.

[Peter Schlesinger]

A turn in the weather meant I got a chance to have a dram of the
Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Scottish Barley. Absolute cracker and
One for the islay fans of heavy peated single malts.

It's cold and wet in Canberra this morning. A bit like a balmy Islay summer day without the gale force winds. Just right for a dram of Jim McEwan's brilliant Octomore - comes in at about 150 ppm. You can smell it in the neighbour's house when the bottle gets opened. But not for breakfast.

[JamieBahrain]

rooman

06 is approachable and drinking pretty well now with an afternoon is a decanter.I'm not a big claret drinker though...

[Hacker]

2009 Tyrrells Vat 47 Chardonnay. Intensity. Quite mature and broad. Full bodied. Love it. Goes well with the risotto Mrs Hacker is whipping up

[TravisW]

2009 Tyrrells Vat 47 Chardonnay. Intensity. Quite mature and broad. Full bodied. Love it. Goes well with the risotto Mrs Hacker is whipping up

Will it age Hacker?

Cheers, Travis.

[Hacker]

Hi Travis, being a tad broad on the palate I would think it would not improve much, but is not about to fall over either. But I defer to Gary at Winefront who sees a horizon of 2020+.
Cheers,
David

[Polymer]

Most of the Vat 47s I've had with age were all doing quite well..some surprisingly so...I actually think Hunter Chardonnay is quite underrated...

[Rossco]

It's cold and wet in Canberra this morning. A bit like a balmy Islay summer day without the gale force winds. Just right for a dram of Jim McEwan's brilliant Octomore - comes in at about 150 ppm. You can smell it in the neighbour's house when the bottle gets opened. But not for breakfast.

I went to a Jim McEwan tasting last week when he was in Melbourne. Amazing
Man with one of those very special rare gifts. His creations speak for themselves
And the quality is unsurpassed. He has a few stories and knows how to tell them. The
Night finished with the whole room standing on tables shouting scottish war cries. Classic Jim!

[felixp]

1982 Leoville Las Cases
For a wine that commands such a high price, this has, yet again, failed to deliver. Opened to celebrate a roast leg of lamb lovingly brought in from New Zealand by a mate, it is a wine that is maybe more impressive than enjoyable, which is so often the case with this producer. Whilst impressively huge and retaining admirable structure, it fails to deliver any real personality, more the university professor than the rock star. Impressive but a tad boring. I guess this is still too young, but 32 years from vintager is enough to test even the patience of Job. For me, the 86 Las Cases is a far, far more impressive wine.
92+ points. Drink: 2020+
I have three bottles left and won't touch them for a decade.

1982 Bon Pasteur
Whilst not exactly a substitute, a first look at the Las Cases had me rushing to the wine fridge to open a wine I know will do justice to my first western meal and lamb since AFL GF weekend. And it did not disappoint. Tremendous nose of cassis and currants, chocolate and a touch of fig, with tremendous opulence, full bodied and complex. Sigh…. my last bottle, and a great one at that. Drinking beautifully now, but no hurry.
97 points Drink: now-2020+

[daz]

It's warming up so a Sainsbury-labelled McWilliams Hunter Valley Semillon 2006. There's a bit of marmalade aged character with lemon, lively acid with a softened bite providing reasonable length on the finish.

[Peter Schlesinger]

It's cold and wet in Canberra this morning. A bit like a balmy Islay summer day without the gale force winds. Just right for a dram of Jim McEwan's brilliant Octomore - comes in at about 150 ppm. You can smell it in the neighbour's house when the bottle gets opened. But not for breakfast.

I went to a Jim McEwan tasting last week when he was in Melbourne. Amazing
Man with one of those very special rare gifts. His creations speak for themselves
And the quality is unsurpassed. He has a few stories and knows how to tell them. The
Night finished with the whole room standing on tables shouting scottish war cries. Classic Jim!

Yeah, it's quite an experience. We had it at Bruichladdich in 2010 during a week on Islay for their annual whisky festival. Brilliant performer who is revered in the industry. The only thing missing at the end was the blue paint for the Slainte cheer. Good thing though. Eighty or so pumped up tourists baring their bums and screaming their sozzled lungs out would not have been a pretty sight.

[rossmckay]

Finished off a 2010 Chateau Haut Coteau Mystic, used some 2011 Le Caveau Bugist Manicle with the morel risotto and the rest down the throat and a 2010 Domaine Parigot Pommard-Epenots 1er to finish things off.

You can track me by the empty bottles

[Michael R]

09 Collector Reserve Shiraz

At il Baretto, decent food, worst glasses in Sydney....byog!

[Phil H]

As I am posting notes on the Penfolds premium release:
Marqués de Riscal Próximo Rioja 2009 - Earthy, Rustic thoroughly enjoyable, at around $10 you can't go wrong. Current release is 2011 which I tasted along with the Bin 28, 407, 389. Not in the same class however at the price point what a great mid week quaffer to go with a pasta dish.

[TravisW]

How's the Collector Res 09 looking Michael?

[Rossco]

2012 Cullen Diana Madeline cabernet

This was my first diana and a thoroughly disappointing one.
I know it was too young and all, was bought at a restaurant. Was decanted with
Nice glassware but that's as far as it went.

Lacked power, lacked fruit and lacked tannins. It was silky smooth, but
Had little body and was quite thin/watery.

I really hope I was having a bad palate day and didn't give this enough
Attention or it was a bad (screwcap) bottle.

Maybe it was me not knowing what to expect and a bit of ignorance, dont know.

[dave vino]

1996 Wynns CSM drinking really well. The cork was perfect. Really surprised at how this is showing.

[Mike Hawkins]

2012 Cullen Diana Madeline cabernet


Maybe it was me not knowing what to expect and a bit of ignorance, dont know.

My guess is it was the wine....

[tj2]

Luke Lambert Sparkling Chardonnay 2012 - hard to get a read on this but interesting, sparkling Chardonnay with a little "s" and a big "C". All acid and citrus at first, more enjoyable at room temperature as it broadens with some salty, bready characters

home...Ochota Barrels 2013 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir - super pale more pink than red colour, looks watery, strawberry stalkiness on the nose, palate has an enjoyable, slippery silky texture and the fruit is ripe...a wine that's light without being weak, delicate but balanced.

2003 D'Arenberg Sticks and Stones Tempranillo Grenache Souzao - big, a little oxidative, still lots of fruit, cherries, savoury, lovely texture and tannins prolong the finish...good fun