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

[mjs]

Thanks Ian... I come back to the fact that many of the best Aussie wine experiences I've had are 1991 and older, and in the main, these are sub 14% cabs and shirazes. I realise in the past couple of decades, vines have been trained to be 'photosynthesis machines' and this has an impact on alcohol levels, but I wish we'd go back to the 'good old days' (I'm sounding more and more like my old man by the day...). 13.5% would be right in my sweet-spot, and I daresay, most of Europe and North America's.

Cheers

Mike

Mike,

You should try some Eperosa Wines (Barossa, Eden Valley) made by Brett Grocke. All the 2013 wines bar the straight Grenache (15%+) are under 13.5% and I have to say they are very impressive.

Cheers
Ian

I love what Brett is doing with his wines

[Hunter]

2010 chris ringland reservation
Alcohol settled down alot since last trying, very little tannin although I'm sure it would mature for a long time.
Deep purple, sweet mulberrys and a touch of spice.
Very enjoyable. Reminds me a bit like G. hobbs range.. guess he's only a stones throw away.

[Phil H]

2012 Tiefenbrunner Lagrein (Italian) This is my second Lagrein I have tried, with the other being from Domain Day (Mt Barker). Medium Bodied with a wonderful dark crimson hue. High in acid,, dark berry fruits. A bit one dimensional, enjoyable and definitely a food wine. Sitting at 13.5%, and purchased for $30. Worth trying, but I won't be purchasing any more (one left in the cellar - will try again in a couple of years).

[tj2]

Lucky enough to have had a great dinner with friends with the table wines shown in pairs with food. All the wines showed very well and for me a celebration of what I love most about wine which is the infinite diversity. A little sketchy on all the details unfortunately and no photo. If I had to describe all these wines in two words they would be balance and potential...or maybe fun and excitement...

2004 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame

2015 Unico Zelo Panda Panda Fiano
2004 Spatlese Trocken Riesling from Pfalz, producer ?

2007 Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon
2011 Felton Road Bannockburn Chardonnay

2010 Bass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir
1999 Rousseau Clos des Ruchottes Chambertin Grand Cru

2008 Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino
2013 Luke Lambert Nebbiolo

2008 CNDP...Pignan, producer ? not Rayas
2005 Chateau Musar

Moscato di Cagliari, producer ?

[dave vino]

Nice casual quaffer. Still going strong over two nights.

IMG_4237.JPG

[JamieBahrain]

Yes… the whole range holds up well. I bought a mixed case of CR including Le Sol a few years ago. The importer changed and the label was ceremoniously dumped in a massive loss of face. The wines were half the price of NZ and I should have bought more. They were mostly quaffed too.

This week a few solid Aussies from modest vintages- Rockford R&S 2001, Wirra Wirra Stonehenge shiraz 2007 & Leasingham Classic Clare Cabernet 1997. All good. Happy with currency swings bringing Aussie wines back into the quaffing scene though you are dusty in the morning with an extra glass.

[Bobthebuilder]

2003 stefano lubiana chardonnay
Last bottle of 3
This one is way above the other 2 that seemed to have something a bit too funky going on (they drank much better on day 2???)
The cork on this one was soaked over 1/2 way through and I had low expectations, but a pleasant surprise
Nicely aged, toasty smokey flavours with a little bit of fruit still there.

[Mike Hawkins]

1999 LEAS Chardonnay - really good, albeit not quite as great as a recent 1994... in a great spot right now nonetheless. Nutty, with notes of honey dew melon and figs. Oak handled impeccably. Was better when the wine warmed up.

1991 Henschke Mt Edelstone - popped and poured. Fantastic wine. left 2 glasses in the decanter and came back to it 5 hours later and it was even better. Perfumed notes of roses and (I think) violets (I'm not quite a florist). Nice malty oak and a finish that went on for ages. Truly superb, and almost as good as the 2 recent bottles of 1990.

2002 Billiot Champagne - not sure of the composition, but seemed to have a fair whack of pinot. Nice champagne that was a real hit with the non wine loving crowd.

[vovo]

Yarra Yering 2012 Chardonnay
Grapefruit, white peach and toast on the nose
Very creamy and buttery with a very long finish

Mount Mary 2012 Chardonnay
Toast and spices on the nose
A little bit buttery but quite sharp after and in comparison with the Yarra Yering, decent length on the finish

Yarra Yering is my pick of the two

[rens]

IMG_1203-1.JPG

After bagging them in the other thread, it's Penies tonight for our wedding anniversary.
Cork broke in two after the Ahso pushed it into the bottle.
Smells like Grange, tastes like Grange. Now to hold off until dinner...

[Willard]

After bagging them in the other thread, it's Penies tonight for our wedding anniversary.
Cork broke in two after the Ahso pushed it into the bottle.
Smells like Grange, tastes like Grange. Now to hold off until dinner...

Congratulations Rens.

What vintage do you have there?

Will

[rens]

After bagging them in the other thread, it's Penies tonight for our wedding anniversary.
Cork broke in two after the Ahso pushed it into the bottle.
Smells like Grange, tastes like Grange. Now to hold off until dinner...

Congratulations Rens.

What vintage do you have there?

Will

'87.
Purchased when Grange was 1/3 the price it is now.

[rooman]

Got to a Crawford River tasting this evening at 5 Ways in Paddington. CRs are one Riesling I have been dying to taste recently. Tried the Young Vines 2014, Standard 2014 and a Reserve 2004 together with the sweet wine in the range. . Beautifully made wines but wines that really do need a considerable amount of time in the cellar. The 04 had hardly budged since first placed in the bottle. Superb depth of flavour through the middle with just a hint of honeysuckle. The acid structure however would probably see me resisting this wine for another 5-7 years. Still really a very light yellowy green tinge. The 2014 was simply a younger version. Built to go decades, with just a tad more residual sugar over its local competition, the Drumbourg. I had a 2006 Drumbourg out of the cellar last week and it just hasn't budged one inch in years.

Surprisingly enough the Young Vines was probably my favourite wine of all three Rieslings. A fuller flavour with limes and hint of pineapple. Less aggressive structure and more approachable now as intended. Almost like a dry German style with the extra sugar levels.

The 2010 Nectar Riesling, the sweet wine in the line up was also memorable. Close your eyes and you could believe it was a Barsac. Well worth adding to the cellar.

[sjw_11]

Last night tried a Sokol Blosser "Evolution Red" NV... this is an Oregon wine made with "Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Syrah and a splash of Evolution Luck No. 9". The Luck No 9 is a white blend with "nine grapes-Chardonnay and Pinot Gris among them", according to the winery website.

Given the previous debate about whether wine list mark ups are better in London than in Sydney etc, I should report I was suckered into this from the special recommendations board at £40, which was middle of the range on the list (most were £30-60). The restaurant was Foxlow in Clerkenwell, which generally bills itself as a cheaper "neighborhood" version of Hawksmoor.

Checking out the wine now, I find it sells from the winery at US$15... or c£9.70. That is a 4.1x mark up...

Anyway the wine was very nice, perfect bistro wine. On the nose it is softly floral, with a hint of tart black cherry , probably from the Sangiovese. The palate is soft, approachable and gluggable, with just a hint of gritty astringency to keep it vaguely serious and prevent it becoming cloying.

[Luke W]

20151015_192036-240x427.jpg

An evening with Perry, his partner Mary and Ian (ticklenow).
Aperitif - 1987 Chateau Reynella Reserve Claret - what a beatiful old girl. Held up with remarkable fruit and balance - came back to it 4 hours later after the restaurant and it had improved even further! Not bad for 28 years old.
3 great cabernets followed with glorious food from the Pearl Cafe in Wollongabba (they had a byo/tyo) nite with no corkage - that's take your own bottles home. The Cabernets were a 2005 Rockford RR, a 2001 Wynns Harold vineyard, and a 2012 Domaine Naturaliste. All stunning, all quite different styles and a great nite had by all.

[ticklenow1]

20151015_192036-240x427.jpg

An evening with Perry, his partner Mary and Ian (ticklenow).
Aperitif - 1987 Chateau Reynella Reserve Claret - what a beatiful old girl. Held up with remarkable fruit and balance - came back to it 4 hours later after the restaurant and it had improved even further! Not bad for 28 years old.
3 great cabernets followed with glorious food from the Pearl Cafe in Wollongabba (they had a byo/tyo) nite with no corkage - that's take your own bottles home. The Cabernets were a 2005 Rockford RR, a 2001 Wynns Harold vineyard, and a 2012 Domaine Naturaliste. All stunning, all quite different styles and a great nite had by all.

Thanks for having me Luke and a big thanks to Mary and Perry. The food at Pearl was exceptional and the BYO/TYO concept is fabulous.

The 1987 Chateau Reynella Claret was quite a surprise for me. The tannins have all but disappeared but it actually still had a bit of fruit left. Not a huge amount of length but just very enjoyable to drink. Thanks Perry for your generosity. 4/5
The 2005 Rockford Rifle Range Cabernet opened up a bit pongy and I actually thought it could have had the slightest bit of cork taint. This did blow off rather quickly and got better and better in the glass. Should only get better over the next 5 years or so. Needs more time 3.5/5
The 2001 Wynns Harold Vineyard Cabernet was still drinking quite young. Perfect cork that was only stained 1mm up and the wine still had quite a youthful colour not really showing it's age at all. A big hit of chewy tannins awaits and plenty of dark fruit, integrated oak and some mint for good measure. I'm not a huge fan of Coonawarra Cabernet but this (and a 2002 Wynns BL I had last week) slightly restores my faith. Should only get better and I honestly wish I had more. 4/5
The 2012 Domaine Naturaliste Rebus Cabernet was also a pleasant surprise. I'm not normally a huge fan of young Margaret River Cabernet but this was stunning. It's very easy to see why Mr Halliday gave it a huge point score (98 Perry mentioned and I am one of the more sceptical people of his stupidly high ratings!). It just drinks so well now, but will only improve over the years to become what I believe will be an amazing wine. It truly did awaken my senses when I put my nose to the glass. A huge hit of dark fruit, sweet oak and earthiness. The palate was just as good. Silken tannins, beautiful oak balance and plenty of length. Just beautiful. Went straight home to chase some up, but alas it's sold out as is the 2013 vintage If you have some, consider yourself very lucky. Incredible VFM. 4.5/5

Cheers
Ian

[Rory]

2012 Moorooduc Estate The Duck Chardonnay.

Serious contender for top Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay.

[Mike Hawkins]

2003 Leoville Poyferre - this and the last bottle have been underwhelming..... not sure why there has been a sudden downturn given the heights of other bottles last year.

1976 Wynns Black Label Cabernet - magnificent as always. Obviously includes the fruit that in future years went into the John Riddoch. Still has lots of life.

1971 Wynns Hermitage (sic) - hanging on nicely, and another fabulous wine.

1998 Dom Ruinart BdB - pretty good, but doesn't hit the heights of the 96, 02 or 04.

1996 Rockford Basket Press - in a super spot right now, but will hold for a decade plus.

1996 Cos d'Estournel - underwhelming. Nothing wrong with it, just should have been a better wine.

1990 Penfolds St Henri - if the 2012 progresses as well as this one has, I will be happy. Fantastic wine.

1998 Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon - ditto for the 2015.

1996 Thomas Hardy Cabernet - too sweet.

2004 Kalleske Greenock Shiraz - pleasant wine drinking nicely now.

2002 Goutorbe Special Club - really nice Champagne, but once again made the mistake of drinking it when it was too cold (initially).

2002 Pierre Peters Les Chetillons - magnificent wine in the making. Give me 4 bottles of this over 1 x Salon any day.

[winetastic]

From Sunday evening...

Tahbilk Cabernet 2006
Needs 30min or so to open up, drinking really nice right now if you like your cabs to retain a bit of tannic grip, plenty of blackcurrant, whiff of menthol/mint, amazing value considering the purchase price was $15 - give me this over village Bordeaux any day. Fine to hold for another 5 years if you so desire, but probably peaking now.

[felixp]

Mike, I have had a similar experience with the 03 Poyferre. Pretty ordinary bottle a couple of months ago after soome good ones last year. The 03 Barton is miles better at this point.

[Luke W]

2013 Seppelt Chalambar - for $17 a bottle this has got to be the BVWOTY. Massive fruit bomb with so much potential. Prefer it at the moment to either the 2012- 389 or the Mt Edelstone (and my wallet goes double for that). Beautiful balance, mouth coating, black fruit dancing a tango in ur gob. Yum yum yum

[Luke W]

After bagging them in the other thread, it's Penies tonight for our wedding anniversary.
Cork broke in two after the Ahso pushed it into the bottle.
Smells like Grange, tastes like Grange. Now to hold off until dinner...

Congratulations Rens.

What vintage do you have there?

Will

'87.
Purchased when Grange was 1/3 the price it is now.

How did the Grange open up? Best wishes to u and Kell

[rens]

How did the Grange open up? Best wishes to u and Kell

Thanks Luke for the wishes
I tasted it when opened to see if it was corked, which it was not. That taste made me think it was not quite right. Anyway, it was double decanted at 10am and a stopper put in the top.
My thoughts were that it was either scalped by heat (Auction buy) or in a cocoon, tightly wound waiting to be unfurled.
When we got to Brents (Now 85 Miskin St) at about 7pm I was prepared to fork out the money on something from the wine list if it was indeed not right. A visit to the cellar the previous day resulted in two dozen going in and two dozen going out. However in my enthusiasm to get home I forgot the backup for our night at Brent's.
We were greeted, seated and got some house bubbles to start. Mind you we knocked off a bottle of 2006 Arras in the hotel prior to our arrival but the sight of some froggy bubbles by the glass got our attention. We ordered our meals and finished the bubbles when the ever attentive waitress poured a glass of the Grange. Thinking we were going to be disapointed-Kell had tried it that morning too we did not have high hopes. A big swirl in the glass followed quickly by my big proboscis wiffing up the fruit and volatiles gave me a big grin and when I glanced over at my bride, her smile was just a wide. Wow! This had turned from a pouring down the sink, to licking the bottom of the glass type of wine. Everything you want from Grange-balance, elegance, layers upon layers of nuanced flavour filling the mouth and stunning the senses. Just what I prayed to the wine gods for.
If I had one criticism, it would be a slight hit of alcohol heat on the palate, but the fantastic and persistent length more than made up for it. So glad the double decant oxygen, and a bit of time worked it's magic.

[Luke W]

Good to hear, thanks Rens

[Mike Hawkins]

Mike, I have had a similar experience with the 03 Poyferre. Pretty ordinary bottle a couple of months ago after soome good ones last year. The 03 Barton is miles better at this point.

Thanks Felix - I haven't had the 03 LB for a while and only have a few left, so will hold off for another 5 years or so.

[Rory]

Two at dinner last night at DOC in Mornington.

Fattoria la Rivolto Falanghina 2013. I have always enjoyed Falanghina, when it's made well, and this is a good example. Textural, aromatic and good length.

GD Vajra Bricco Delle Viole 2007. Beautiful aromatics, soft and good fruit. Perhaps not as complex as I was expecting.

[phillisc]

2013 Seppelt Chalambar - for $17 a bottle this has got to be the BVWOTY. Massive fruit bomb with so much potential. Prefer it at the moment to either the 2012- 389 or the Mt Edelstone (and my wallet goes double for that). Beautiful balance, mouth coating, black fruit dancing a tango in ur gob. Yum yum yum

Luke, would have to agree. With Seppelts, I like everything in their range in terms of the 5-6 different Shiraz, Drumborg Riesling, Salinger and show reserve.

Chalambar is an excellent VFM red.

Cheers
Craig

[Luke W]

1997 Wendouree Malbec Pressings - surprisingly fresh and youthful for an 18 yr old. Menthol and eucalyptus aromas with a touch of VA. Wonderful mouth feel and balance with drying tannins, spicy licorice and soft black berry predominate. Better than the last one I had about 10 years ago. No hurry to drink - think it'll go another 10 years.

[Phil H]

2006 Petaluma Shiraz(Adelaide Hills). Dark Intense color, not showing any aged characteristics. Nice wine, but that's about it. Med bodied, not showing any real complexity or length. According to the back label 4% Viognier has been added, however not showing. Drink up, it's not going to get any better.

[Rory]

2005 Chateau de Puligny - Montrache, Puligny Montrachet.

As the wine is sealed in cork, and there is, according to Burgundy producers, no such problem as premature oxidation, this is exactly the way the maker intended the wine to look after 10 years.

Yellow and caramalised.

The second bottle however must have been made by someone else, because it was completely different. For what one would have paid for this, it is comparable in development to any good cool climate Australian Chardonnay of the same price at ten years of age. Complex, full, driven with good length.