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

[Michael McNally]

Hi Michael,
It was the Morello, but I could not see any faults with it being very fresh. It was good, but not great, something different for those wanting to venture away from Shiraz. As expected with Nebbiolo, more Pinot like with tannins. The last time I tried this wine was the 2007 vintage with 5 years on it. I would give this wine a similar 5 year drinking window. The bonus being 11.5% alc, making it a good mid week wine.

Thanks Phil

I must have had a cooked or dud bottle. Definitely would not have used the word 'fresh'!

Will try another from another source.

Cheers

Michael

[Michael R]

2010 kumeu river hunting hill chardonnay

[dingozegan]

2010 kumeu river hunting hill chardonnay

And as much as you're enjoying it, you know deep in your heart that you'd prefer to be drinking a Leflaive Puligny Montrachet 2010, don't you?

[Wayno]

De Bortoli 'Villages' Chardonnay 2012 - excellent value wine. Elegant and well structured.

[maybs]

2009 Brezza Barolo. Really enjoying my initials nore serious forays into Italian wine. Yum.

[Rossco]

2008 Tahbilk ESP Cabernet. Cracking wine, can drink now or in 15 years
It's just one of those types of wine. Really good juice & the reason I love tahbilk
So much

[Luke W]

2008 Jacobs Creek St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon - took about 2 hours to start to settle and has the makings of a 20 year wine. Big black fruit, solid tannic structure, good balance and acidity. Good now but will hopefully be great in 5 or 6 years.

[Michael R]

2010 kumeu river hunting hill chardonnay

And as much as you're enjoying it, you know deep in your heart that you'd prefer to be drinking a Leflaive Puligny Montrachet 2010, don't you?

Haha, same as you!
No contest, although good thing I don't compare them, and enjoy them both.
I reckon kumeu typically has more Burgundian notes on the nose, but less so on the palate. Still lovely wines, and as u said, light years ahead of most NZ (and a lot of Oz) producers.

[TravisW]

Torbreck "The Factor" 1999.

Bought from auction at a great price, and thankfully in good condition. Yay!

Showing a touch of age on the rim, integrated tannins on the palate but not tired at all. Fell apart after the second hour, but excellent quality up until then. Drink now, don't hold.

[JamieBahrain]

Enjoyed this rusty Bandol. The cork was a touch sodden so storage may be an issue. Provençal herbs, roses then extracted hard dark fruits, pepper and smokey bacon. The wine became better with air giving some mercy on the palate where the wine was an old fashioned, heavily extracted style with meaty Mourvèdre dominating the blend. Inky tannins give a true grit on the finish. Liked the wine wouldn't hurt opening the day before and I think the storage baked away some finer nuances.

89pts+

[Luke W]

2013 Serafino Sorrento McLaren Vale Shiraz - a $10 cheapy that with a 4 hour decant can mix it with the best of them. Massive dark fruit, beautiful nose and wonderful balance. Gotta be the buy of the year.

[Teisto]

2004 Grant Burge Holy Trinity - had this wine as our wedding wine back in 2009 and bought a few bottles to stash away. This is in a nice spot and starting to develop some good secondary characteristics with a nice balance of fruit still and persistent finish. If you have some I would be looking to start opening them sooner as I think it isn't going to get any better

[maybs]

2010 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino

An hour of air time in the decanter and wow this is a lovely soft well balanced wine with plentiful fine tannins. Nice dusty fruit ans some mellow herb. Very enjoyable indeed. Does not taste like a 14.5% wine at all.

[Phil H]

2004 Mamre Brook Cab Sav 14%, Cork slightly difficult to remove (crumbling), full bodied showing its age. Cedary oak prominent. Not going to get any better, very good, drink up!

[rens]

2004 Mamre Brook Cab Sav 14%, Cork slightly difficult to remove (crumbling), full bodied showing its age. Cedary oak prominent. Not going to get any better, very good, drink up!

I have a few of these. I may take a look...
Hmm I guess they are now more than 10 years old

[phillisc]

2013 Seppelts Chalambar, now with Heathcote and Grampians fruit and at 14.5% a bit of a fruit bomb but I loved it.

Beautiful violets on the nose, great varietal expression and carries the alcohol easily.
Really enjoyed this, great VFM and will have to get a few.

Cheers
Craig.

[AaronL]

2012 Salena Estate Bianco D'Alessano Ink Series - Exotic variety (with the previous 2010 vintage picking up a gold medal at Alternative Variety show for what it's worth). Definitely an evil options wine, with the Riverland site being the only place outside of Italy being able to grow it. The nose suggests it lies somewhere between riesling and gewurztraminer. with pear, spice and pineapple shining through. These flavours follow through with the only downside being a shortish finish. Interesting mid week quaff and certainly one for the more adventurous.

[Rory]

Two slightly disappointing ones in one sitting:

The 2004 Main Ridge Estate Half Acre Pinot was drying out on the palate with some tired notes in aromas. As it was not originally in my cellar, but a gift later, I would like to put it down to that. '04 was an outstanding vintage on the Peninsula, it should have looked way better. Screwcap.

The 2002 Cullen Dianne Cabernet Merlot also should have shown better. It had lovely aromatics, looking fresh and lively, yet the palate was too short for this marque. Sealed under screwcap

A horridly corked 2000 Cullen has been offered to be replaced by the guys at Cullen cellar door. Offered to send wine, with contents and cork to them at my expense, but no need. Great service!

[rooman]

a picture speaks a 1000 words: dinner wines for Saturday night, all excellent

[Hacker]

a picture speaks a 1000 words: dinner wines for Saturday night, all excellent

How was the Cazetiers? One of my favourite vineyards, and a great year as well. The other wines looked good as well!

[JamieBahrain]

Great line-up Rooman. Diverse and interesting. Makes one wish they were there.

[rooman]

a picture speaks a 1000 words: dinner wines for Saturday night, all excellent

How was the Cazetiers? One of my favourite vineyards, and a great year as well. The other wines looked good as well!

I had two friends from Bangkok join us for dinner on Saturday night (together with another mutual set of friends). My friends from BK had been incredibly generous when we have visited them 18 months ago so when they came for dinner I wished to repay their hospitality with some decent wines and good food. The meal was five courses starting with oysters with a prosecco gel c/o Movida, pumpkin ravioli with burned butter and sage sauce, osso bucco with risotto milanese with a beef marrow base, local burned fig ice cream and cheeses.

The Cazetier was superb, albeit still a tad young. We started the oysters with the Sons of Eden riesling. I then filled up my BK friend's wine glass with the burgundy without signalling the change to the good wines. He was mid sentence when he took his first sip. He stopped, took another sip, looked at me and commented;"God this is f**king excellent" looked at his wine glass again, sipped again and then went back to complete his story: a classic moment. Superb bouquet, strawberries and mushroom savoury fruit with a hint of earthen forest floor. I doubt however I will try any more from the case for another few years. They are still putting on weight.

Next up was the Brunello which is just superb, tar and roses and red berry fruit. 1999 was an excellent vintage and the fruit and tannins are still holding up beautifully. Served with the ravioli.

I think the Clos de Papes was probably the wine of the evening for me. This wine I had a problem sharing. The tannins have now softened and the wine is velvety sumptuousness on a stick. It was superb with the osso bucco.

With dessert there was a Noble One 2002. Thankfully I put a case away years ago and keep finding the odd bottle from time to time. These wines really are superb value and in my opinion the best Aussie dessert wines. Starting to move into the deep golden yellow/browny colour range. Good acid all the way through with a hint of marmalade and honey.

PS Jamie with a bit of luck I might be one day.

[winetastic]

2004 Mamre Brook Cab Sav 14%, Cork slightly difficult to remove (crumbling), full bodied showing its age. Cedary oak prominent. Not going to get any better, very good, drink up!

Had one of these over the weekend myself, tannins never really fully integrated making this more of a food wine (read: needs beef), cant complain for the price.

Some others from the weekend:
Majella Cabernet 2005 - Excellent balance, glorious fruit, spoiled somewhat by a strong vanilla oak influence. Prefer my wines to be more savoury these days...

Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - Plenty of blackcurrant and eucalypt/mint, outstanding bang for your buck, should continue to look good for anther few years at least

Lakes Folly Cabernets 2006 - This is the kind of wine that makes it all worthwhile, medium bodied, hunter first and cabernet second, its a wine that requires you to come to it and is all the better for it. Amazingly perfumed nose, length and interest for days. Should continue to improve for another 5 years.

Blue Poles Allouran 2007 - Simply outstanding, the best of margaret river in a glass, could charge twice the price and id still be thrilled

[JamieBahrain]

2009 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape- Near pungent boot leather and black strap molasses and a wee big of brett make way for a Châteauneuf showing a good purity of fruit- wild strawberry like. Pepper, herbs and a rock like minerality make for plenty of interest. On the front and middle the fruit is lush and round, the hot 09 vintage is pronounced on the back and finish making for a winter warming red that time may or may not balance out.

89pts

[Phil H]

2006 Teusner The Riebke Ebenezer Road Shiraz 14.5%. Med bodied, touching upon full bodied, deep ruby colour showing a bit of bricking. Mulberry with a touch of liquorice, acid still present giving freshness, however still a bit simple, and not fully integrated, failing to keep my interest. At the time of purchasing this wine, I was alternating between the Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz, being at the same price point and region. After about 7 years, my preference is the Shotfire. Would be interested to try the current release of the Shotfire to the Riebke.

[felixp]

2009 Fourrier GC Combe Aux Moines VV
Was a little worried about opening this as the general trend over on cellar tracker is that this is still closed. Not for me, rich and round, bright red fruits and beautiful Gevrey earth. After Fourrier completely stuffed up 08, he really made amends with his 09 portfolio, which see to be universally excellent. Higly recommended but give it a two hour decant first.
Drink: 2019-2029 93pts.

[felixp]

Nice line up Rooman!!!!
Love Cazetiers too, Faiveley has really been on a roll with his version over the past five years.
How was the John Riddoch?? I haven't had much luck with the 98, but I know I got some more tucked away somewhere!!!!

[felixp]

Jamie,
I am not a fan of 09 CNDP, I think it was waaaaaay over-rated initially, and agree it is hard to see them making decent old bones.

[phillisc]

Nice line up Rooman!!!!
Love Cazetiers too, Faiveley has really been on a roll with his version over the past five years.
How was the John Riddoch?? I haven't had much luck with the 98, but I know I got some more tucked away somewhere!!!!

Yes would be interested in the 98 JR, a couple of cases quietly sitting in a dark hole!

Cheers
Craig

[Hacker]

2009 Fourrier GC Combe Aux Moines VV
After Fourrier completely stuffed up 08, he really made amends with his 09 portfolio, which see to be universally excellent.
Drink: 2019-2029 93pts.

Interesting, I tend to agree about 2008, especially the Gevrey VV, but not tried the 1er's yet. On a Levi Dalton audio interview with Fourrier, Jean-Marie really rates his 2008's. He does indicate they need a long sleep though. But acid always remains?? Time will tell.