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

[TravisW]

2013 Giaconda Chardonnay. My first bottle and it was stunning. Drunk over two nights. Delicious.

[JamieBahrain]

Oh I should mention last week's dinner party - 10 bottles between about 4 of us:

Started with a couple of bottles of Billecart Rose Champagne
Then a couple of bottles of Montrachet but can't remember which ones!
2005 L'Enfant Jesus
2008 Clos des Lambrays
1990 Lafite - this was the absolute standout
1995 Latour - great, but just didn't compare to the Lafite
1982 Haut Brion
1995 d'Yquem

The Sunday morning headache was worth it!

You forgot the Montrachet?? OK were they premoxed?

Interested in the Lambrays 08. I bought a case after being impressed at a vertical and I think this was the last vintage before silly price hikes.

[Sean]

deleted

[tonym]

2002 Harlan Estate the Maiden, one of two bottles I bought back from a trip to the US in 2010. beautiful wine, very dark colour and has lovely powdery tannins and and perfectly matched to the BBQ Lamb chops we had with it

[tonym]

2013 Giaconda Chardonnay. My first bottle and it was stunning. Drunk over two nights. Delicious.

We had the first of our 2013 Giaconda Chardonnay last week and it was as you say stunning. The Warner vineyard shiraz is also a stunning wine.

[WAwineguy]

2013 Giaconda Chardonnay. My first bottle and it was stunning. Drunk over two nights. Delicious.

We had the first of our 2013 Giaconda Chardonnay last week and it was as you say stunning. The Warner vineyard shiraz is also a stunning wine.

Shame to drink it so young!

[TravisW]

2013 Giaconda Chardonnay. My first bottle and it was stunning. Drunk over two nights. Delicious.

We had the first of our 2013 Giaconda Chardonnay last week and it was as you say stunning. The Warner vineyard shiraz is also a stunning wine.

Shame to drink it so young!

tonym, you have a fine palate.

WAwineguy, I love old and young Chard and I hadn't tired a young Gia before. We received some sad news from overseas so it was a matter of walking into the cellar and grabbing the first bottle of excellent wine we could fine. It sure did the trick.

[mse]

Wendouree Shiraz/Mataro 2012

Intense black fruits on the nose, Blackberry and Mulberry, then White Pepper, Tar, Licorice, Nutmeg and finally Blood Orange. Perhaps the perfume is more sweet than savoury, and not as lifting compared to 2013. The body and flavour are slightly denser but little less tannic than the 2013, with a hint of Blueberry and gentle oak on the finish.

Lovely wine, somehow I prefer the 2013, as the colour is more vibrant (no purple tinge on this 2012), the aroma is more lifting, and more edgy on the finish.

[Rossco]

2010 lakes breeze bernoota cab/shiraz

This is what a solid cab/shiraz should be. At the price point this is a stunning wine. Deep, dark and brooding. Nose of chocolate, earth and crushed ants. Slight mint/eucalypt. Bit of acid on the finish, hopefully that will fade with time. Only have 2 left which seems wrong. Wish i bought a doz. Can only imagine how sensational this wine will be in 10 years.

[mse]

Wendouree Shiraz/Malbec 2012,

This is like the horizontal comparison with the only 2 types of Wendouree reds that I managed to secure for 12' vintage.

Colour: Dark Red, and slightly Magenta on the rim.

Nose: Rasberry, Candied Blueberry, Liquorice, Tar, Cedar, Amaretto Liqueur and weak hint of Barbecue meat.

Palate: Redcurrant, Almond, and finally Blueberry with hint of oak. The tannin is milder than the Shiraz/Mataro.

This one is more racy and ready to drink early compare to the somewhat muted Shiraz/Mataro 2012. More likely than not, I would finish the remaining bottles of Shiraz/Malbec sooner than the Shiraz/Mataro in the next 15 years.

P.S. For aroma, hint of Eucalyptus and Black Tea on the 2nd evening of tasting (as of 19/12/15).

[felixp]

Milavuolo Aglianico 2011
Organic, and a beautifully balanced, fruit-coward red from Campania. Nuances of ash, dirt, red cherries, smoke and chocolate, this is an amazingly complex wine gunning way above it's price point. Drink: now-2025 90pts

[bigtinnie]

2010 lakes breeze bernoota cab/shiraz

This is what a solid cab/shiraz should be. At the price point this is a stunning wine. Deep, dark and brooding. Nose of chocolate, earth and crushed ants. Slight mint/eucalypt. Bit of acid on the finish, hopefully that will fade with time. Only have 2 left which seems wrong. Wish i bought a doz. Can only imagine how sensational this wine will be in 10 years.

Definitely my favourite wine. Terrific value for money. The 2012 is excellent too. I haven't tried the 2013 but assume it will be top quality too.
I have some 2009's in storage. I can't imagine they'll get any better than they are now.

[swirler]

Penfolds Bin 389
Developing slowly. Reasonably enjoyable.

henschke-mount-edelstone 1998
Still reasonably youthful. Nothing spectacular.

Killikanonn Oracle 2004
Very youthful, coiled and showing potential complexity. Great wine.

[Hacker]

Penfolds Bin 389
Developing slowly. Reasonably enjoyable.

henschke-mount-edelstone 1998
Still reasonably youthful.

Which vintage 389?
Wasn't the 1998 Mt Ed the one suffering from a high degree of brett?

[Michael McNally]

Tonight a five-year-old McLaren Vale Shiraz tasteoff.

2010 Marius Simpatico McLaren Vale Single Vineyard Shiraz
Inky black red. Everything black on the nose. Nice florals notes, soy and Asian five spice. Chocolate notes. Very black cherry and dark plum palate. Nothing jammy. Clear clean fruit. Gorgeous balance with good oak support and fine tannins. This is ready to go now, but will pile on further complexity as it ages. Very, Very Good.

2010 Wirra Wirra McLaren Vale Shiraz.
Very dark red. Lighter nose of black with some red cherry. More powerful tannin and a slightly sweet soy sauce character in the finish. A lot more grip suggests this still might have some way to go before hitting its peak. Very, Very Good.

Very similar wines in some way (fruit profile/tannin) but still individual wines and neither "generic red wine number 37".

Cheers

Michael

[swirler]

Thanks for the query. Too much shiraz..My bad. 1998 389. 1999 Mount Ed. Oops!

I was pleasantly surprised by the total lack of Brett in the Mount Ed.

The Oracle reminded me a lot of Wendouree. I guess that shouldn't be surprising given they are both from the same region.

[Andrew Jordan]

Had a few friends over for dinner last night.

2005 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Speciale Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons Chardonnay - From a warmer (weaker) vintage, comes across as fairly ripe with not much of an acidic backbone. Bread/brioche on the nose with plenty of ripe stone fruit, apple and a hit of lemon on the palate. Finish is surprising long. Very enjoyable and cannot see this improving much in the short or long term.

1999 Peter Lehmann Shiraz Stonewell Barossa Valley - Decanted for 3 hours. In a very good spot currently. Really has softened since the last bottle. Plenty of elegant fruit, silky smooth, wonderful concentration and balance. Finishes long and flavoursome. A great example of aged Barossa shiraz. Should keep for a few more years yet if you have the patience but why take the chance with the space it is currently in. Beautiful.

2005 Hobbs Sémillon Barossa Range - Nothing to exciting here. Went well with the baked chocolate and raspberry cheesecake. But pretty one dimensional with no real acidity to offset the abundance of rich fruit which left a very sweet cloying aftertaste.

[Luke W]

A few with my nephew and his fiancé in the last couple of days.
2001 Penfolds Grange - starting to settle but still a long way to go. Massive sensory overload
2001 Henschke Mt Edelstone - not at the same level as the Grange and the others but still very pleasant wine - wonder if I'm starting to find straight Shiraz a little less interesting.
2002 Henschke Keyneton Euphonium - one that JO got right - an absolute stunner, drinking to perfection
2003 Classic McLaren La Testa Blend - another level above all of these! Mindblowingly good wine that just seems to add something new every year.
Piper Heidsieck NV - pretty average fizz - would say that it's no better than the NV Arras or NV Chandon

[rooman]

Oh I should mention last week's dinner party - 10 bottles between about 4 of us:


2005 L'Enfant Jesus

The Sunday morning headache was worth it!

WA

How was the 2005? I have a few tucked away but have resisted opening any so far as I was concerned they were still shut down. how'd you find them?

Mark

[Matt@5453]

A bit of Christmas ‘cheer’ of late:
2014 Pauletts Clare Valley Chardonnay. Lighter oak treatment, great fruit, a great lunch wine.
2015 Pikes Traditionale Clare Valley Riesling. Beautiful wine. Put a few of this away.
2012 Richard Hamilton Centurion McLaren Vale Shiraz. Tight as a drum, even after 3 hours in the decanter. Rich dark fruits, laser like tannins, concentrated, everything you’d expect from an old vine wine. This is a pup and needs at least 10 years. Has the hallmarks of an excellent wine.
2014 Henschke Archers Vineyard Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. Very good wine.
2015 Crab Tree Clare Valley Riesling. Another fabulous looking Clare Riesling
2005 Taylors St Andrews Cabernet. Drinking absolutely superbly.
2013 Jim Barry Wines ‘Veto’ Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. A new release wine, fantastic, classic Coonawarra fruit, I like this as the tannins are well played out. Drinking well now, come back to this in 5-7 years time, should be a cracker.

[tonym]

before dinner Piper Heidsieke Brut and then with my medium rare bbq'd scotch fillet a 2010 Pepperjack shiraz.

[Hunter]

1998 langmeil the freedom
If was tatsed blind I would have said it's 5 years old still so fruit driven. Yet matured secondary notes developed. Sweet elderberry some mocha and aniseed. In such a perfect spot.
Enjoy now!

[Luke W]

Xmas wines:
Rockford Black Sparkling (disgorged in 2008) - opened with a slightly cooked flavour which disappeared after an hour or so. Became quite soft and lovely but missing some of the interest that I've seen in other bottles. May re-evaluate my obsession with the brand.

2000 Arras EJ Carr - what was missing with the former was made up in spades by this wine. Superlative fizz up there with the best of the frogs. This one was almost as enjoyable as the 2004 Taittinger Comtes at around half the cost. Many years of life left in this vintage yet.

2013 Brookland Valley Cabernet Merlot - good value premium from a good vintage. Lots of wonderful berry flavours bouncing around in harmony with the light grainy tannins. One of those wines that the missus fights for her share and it consequently disappears at a great rate of knots.

[Phil H]

2011 McWilliams Mount Pleasant Mothervine Pinot. Despite my initial impressions, found this bottle to be disappointing. Full bodied, slightly confected/sweet, one dimensional. Not showing any spice or elegance which I enjoy in a Pinot. 3 Bottles left

[Andrew Jordan]

A few bottles drunk with friends visiting from NZ and the UK.

2015 Dutschke Shiraz Rosé St. Jakobi - Initial release. Quite light bodied. Plenty of strawberry on the nose. Dangerously easy to drink, dry in style with some fruit sweetness on the finish. Not a super long finish but a crowd pleaser none the less and a perfect match for a summer BBQ. Won't get any better so enjoy it now for what it is.

2002 Saltram Cabernet Sauvignon Mamre Brook Barossa - Still going strong considering most professional wine critic drinking windows had this bottoming out after 2015. IMHO it has many years in front of it yet. Still quite ripe but has softened immeasurably since the last bottle a few years ago. Still some black fruit and mint on the palate but the most noticeable characteristic was how balanced this wine has become. A pleasure to drink. I paid $18 for this on release ... bargain! Should have taken Campbell's advice and bought multiple dozens of this.

2002 Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon Branding Iron Oakville - Very expressive nose of dark fruit and vanilla. Medium bodied and very flavoursome. All fruit here with little or no tannin to speak of. A very approachable wine which will have many fans but if you are looking for something a little more complex and exciting then pass this by. Won't get any better so drink up. A wine to enjoy now.

2011 Woodlands Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve "Alex" - Still very young. Decanted for 2 hours but currently needs much more than that to show it's best. Beautiful fragrant nose of dark fruits and herbs. Medium bodied, it has a lovely elegance to it, wonderfully balanced structure of tannin, acidity and fruit. Long, long finish of fine grained tannins which dance across the palate. Needs time to show it's best so don't rush this one.

2003 Woodlands "Margaret" Margaret River - Popped and poured, we probably didn't do this wine the justice it deserved. However, it has softened since the last bottle we had a few years ago. Loads of black fruit on the pallet. Lovely long finish of sandy fine grained tannins. Drinking well now but no rush to drink.

2002 Kalleske Shiraz Greenock Barossa Valley - Black and brooding this is still going strong and has many years left in the tank. Soft, smooth, complex, balanced ... everything in all the right place ... a fantastic example of what Barossa shiraz is all about when done right. Reminds me of Penfolds Grange at a fraction of the price. A classic in the making. Beautiful, beautiful wine! What more can be said.

[Luke W]

A couple of Kiwi wines in the mix last night. A 2009 Coleraine Estate Chardonnay - don't usually drink chardy but found this one quite pleasant - still only half a glass. Imagine it would appeal to the premium chardy set, tighter, longer mouthfeel and flavour.
2003 Magrain Martinborough Pinot Noir - lots of earth, terroir and funk but one glass was enough.
2008 Bin 389 - decanted only an hour or so and reckon a better showing with at least 4. Not as together as many drunk previously and am wondering whether it's going into hibernation for awhile.
2002 La Testa Shiraz - 2 hour decant and needed more - 2 hours later and was the universal RWOTN.
2005 Arras Rose Sparkling - chalk and cheese to the last one of these opened. Last time I didn't enjoy it until it reached room temp but this time it was stunning from the outset.
2013 Dyson Reserve Chardonnay Viogner - interesting and pleasant chardy but wasted on me.
2013 Muscat de Beaumes de Venisi - a sweet rather than sticky wine with a bit of acid - good mix with the mango panacotta dessert.

[swirler]

More Old School reds recently: 1998 407, 2001 Dead Arm, 2000 Tahbilk 1933 Vines shiraz. Not what I usually drink. Dead Arm was the pick for me. Could have opened a Tally as well, but magnums are too big for 2-3 people.

[Jay60A]

Orlando Jacaranda Ridge Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 - very old school, very impressive. Intense, long and yet still some elegance and certainly aging well and in a nice place. Classic flavours, oak well integrated though evident and for my palate the wine will still improve as it ages and could be lovely - should do 5 years, maybe 10. Love wines like this, NB the 13.5% alcohol.

[tonym]

before dinner a Moet 2004 then as the night moves on a 2010 Bass Phillip premium Pinot

[rens]

2007 Fraser Gallop Cabernet: A good little wine and probably hitting it's window about now with good fruit, nice acid and grippy tannins. This will have a long window of say another 10 years or so, but it is pretty delicious now.