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

[Scotty vino]

2014 soaring kite chardonnay.
Nice floral/honey notes. A fair bit of oak but not too overwhelming.
Finishes a bit short but for $15.00 it's pretty good VFM.
Good drinking with a chook cass.

[Sean]

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[Sean]

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[Sean]

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[Phil H]

Have tried the 13 and 14 Wynns...not convinced about the 13 premiums yet...but time will inevitably win out.
Think the 13 is a lighter style, the 14 BL cab I thought was very good.

Cheers
Craig

I posted the following on the weekend, then deleted it. (Sorry, it is a bit of a rant.) But I have noticed no-one else is talking about the new Wynns wines this week. Just wondering if anyone else had a similar experience (or a better one) than mine?

Well, the tasting of the new Wynns wines that I did went something like this. I check the DM website. Big flashy ad and prices look the same as last year. I go to the Brighton store. No Wynnsday posters or the usual paraphernalia. Usually there is. Where are the cartons of Wynns wines? Where are all the Wynns wines on tasting?

I spot the two Black Labels among some other bottles of crap on tasting. The staffer doing the tasting has wandered off. I do the same. I see a few pinots like Kooyong (the Estate and the Massale), Farr Rising, Paringa Estate, Toolangi, Wedgetail and an Oregon pinot I haven't tried before. Meanwhile I notice they have the 2013 vintage of the Black Labels on the end of aisles for sale. Also cartons of the same vintage on the floor. No sign of the new 2014 vintage yet. No sign of the Michael or John Riddoch. OK there's some V&A Lane. Is that the new vintage?

Must be looking in the wrong place. But they are obviously still flogging the previous vintage. I notice the staffer is back pouring wine at the tasting bench. I go over and ask to try the BL Shiraz. I check the vintage. Yep it is the 14. Long silence. I think he is expecting me to say something. It's oaky, I tell him. He says nothing. I wonder if he thinks I said, it's OK not oaky. Pepper, spice, dark plums, red fruits and oaky I am thinking. A hit of big, powdery tannin like a film over the palate when I sip it a second time. All gone.

So did you do the Wynnsday tasting on Wednesday? I ask. Yes we did, he tells me. (My mistake going on the following Saturday afternoon.) I bet the staff enjoyed that anyway, I am thinking. He pours the 14 vintage of the BL Cabernet Sauvignon. He tells me he thinks 13 is a better vintage in the Coonawarra. Really nice aromatics, I say. It has a bit going on I am thinking. But my heart isn't in this. It is bang on actually. Mint, earth, blackcurrant. Good tannin. Feels structured, this one is playing the long game. I wonder what the John Riddoch is like. Who knows?

He is telling me there is a lot of other Coonawarra cabernet you can get instead of this. He mentions Zema. I like Zema, I say to him, but they can feel a bit warm sometimes. I like the way Wynns have been able to keep down the alcohol levels in their wines. A few Coonawarra wineries haven't done that. Silence again. I thank him for the tasting. If I was really interested in buying a case of Wynns BL or a John Riddoch I would have asked where it was I suppose. I wander off and browse the store for a while.

Here's the thing. The two wines I tried are pretty good, they are up to the standard set by Wynns in recent years. (I like the 13 BL Shiraz more than the 14 that I tasted however.) But why weren't all the Wynns wines on tasting? And where were they? I eventually find some 14 BL Cabernet Sauvignon mixed in with the 13's and get that. Get some of those pinots too, not just the Wynns. I am drinking a red I've had on the go over a couple of nights as I write this and mull it over - not the wine (I am enjoying that). Just the lackadaisical way these people sell a wine they probably think walks straight out the door every time.

Hi Sean
In a few words - yes I have had many an experiences the same as yours at the mentioned chain store. In the early stages, I wrote to head office, receiving personal apologies, and even a bottle of Wynns Black Label to make up on their failings. Despite this, they still didn't improve, and the buying experience was not enjoyable. As a result, I have only been into a store three times in the last 9months, where before it was a weekly event. Now I have found a couple of speciality stores that are more than happy to provide a wonderful service, and as a result get my business.
P.S. Keep ranting, I thoroughly enjoy your posts.

[Chuck]

2009 Diana Madeline
I have 8 bottles of these which I had purchased from the Cellar Door. Last night was my first try at the 09, and given the hefty price tag and the big JO call as 'Wine of the Year' 'Reminiscent of how Bordeaux use to be', my expectations were high. Whilst I wasn't disappointed I felt I little let down, perhaps I was expecting too much or the lighter weight of this wine wasn't to my palate. Medium purple / red with malt, black olives, black and red fruits. Very fine tannins and almost feathery through the palate. Long finish. If wines were gender specific this was certainly feminine. I could envisage this would be a polarising wine.

He also went OTT on the 1998 and 1999 editions which were (in that context) disappointing. Caution advised.

MR cabs and cab merlots have turned my head recently. There is just something special in them that I just love. I think them being medium bodied helps a lot after being frustrated with Coonawarra cabs that take an eternity to settle particularly those under stelvin. After visiting MR recently best part is I do not see much difference between a $30 wine and those priced much more. Tonight we enjoyed a 2014 MR cab merlot from Aldi for $9 (yes Aldi) and whilst not great was delicious with garlic prawns, veg and rice. Not as good as a Mike Press 2009 Adelaide Hills cab (thanks Gav) but still a nice drop. Recently I sold a few DM and reinvested in some good MR cabs at a fraction of the price. One house that boxes well above its weight is Capel Vale. From the Geographe region just north of MR it sources some grapes from MR.

Carl

[phillisc]

Sean, I wondered where your post went. Always enjoy your contributions.

Ahh Wynns..don't get me started but here goes. The lawyers will be circling again, but as a 30+ year buyer of these wines feel that I have more than the right to comment.
Went to tutored tasting at The Ed in Adelaide with Sue Hodder. All good, good value for money, proper glassware and good info re wines. However, when it came to hard questions, there was more ducking and weaving than a limbo dancer...towing the corporate line...very very sad and boring.

As for tastings, they are a complete non-event now. Used to be great in the good old days of Wynnsday, but the big chains might think that the white label Shiraz and maybe the black label cab will do, or an older vintage say 2009 that is not selling. The staff from Treasury don't give a shit either, as they are more pissed at the prices being offered to the punters, being very close or better than their own staff account ( that's what they told me), but I find it incredibly hard to believe that a staff member would not be able to get better prices than Joe Public.

In terms of purchasing wines, I wait for those who are prepared to give the best offers...John Riddoch and Michael approaching a RRP of $150 is just plain stupid, the CD price unfortunately not much better.
Am buying the 13s rather sparingly...convinced that the 14s are a better proposition, more rounder, fuller, plusher wines.

Cheers
Craig

Ps. BTW, I stand corrected, but do not believe that there was a 2014 Black label Shiraz release.

[Sean]

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[phillisc]

All good Sean, no problems.
Rang Wynns CD last week, they informed me that there was no 2014 Black Label Shiraz.
Nothing on TWE Cellar door site either.

Nothing surprises me, probably a cut and paste.

Thought the 2014 white label shiraz was a good wine.
Cheers
Craig

[Chuck]

On the subject of John Riddoch pricing of $150 you can get well aged JR from quality vintages eg 96 and 98 and with good provenance from auction for around $100 including buyer's premium. As they say the market is always right so the secondary market is pricing its quality in comparison with other wines so perhaps Treasury Wine should note this when it dreams up new release prices. I think TW needs to understand that the rest of the wine industry has caught up with it over the past 30 years and it no longer has a mortgage over the premium cabernet market and Coonawarra may be losing its mantle as the regional king of cabernet.

Apologies for sidetracking the thread.

Carl

[phillisc]

No apology needed Carl...you are bang on with the outrageous pricing structure of many of many of these wines.
Cheers
Craig

[Ian S]

On the subject of John Riddoch pricing of $150 you can get well aged JR from quality vintages eg 96 and 98 and with good provenance from auction for around $100 including buyer's premium. As they say the market is always right so the secondary market is pricing its quality in comparison with other wines so perhaps Treasury Wine should note this when it dreams up new release prices. I think TW needs to understand that the rest of the wine industry has caught up with it over the past 30 years and it no longer has a mortgage over the premium cabernet market and Coonawarra may be losing its mantle as the regional king of cabernet.

Apologies for sidetracking the thread.

Carl

Yes I recall their 'price correction' when they realised the market didn't value the wine as highly as they did. IIRC it was a 40-50% reduction. Maybe the time is right to repeat that. FWIW I'm a fan of this and the black label Cab Sauv, but not so much of a fan that I'll buy at any price.

[Mike Hawkins]

Coonawarra may be losing its mantle as the regional king of cabernet.

Carl

Many would say that happened 10 years ago

[rens]

2007 Fraser Gallop Cabernet- A nice wine for the $20 I paid back on release. Typical nose and palate you'd expect from an MR cab. Finishes bit short. I don't think this will get any better, but should hold for another 5 years or so.
2006 Best's Bin 0- This is in a good place lots of dark fruit and a hint of peppery spice. The french oak is there together with a nice bit of length. I think this will improve for another few years yet.

[Hunter]

:Ballycroft 2012 small berry shiraz American oak 15.3%
Despite the high alcohol, it's not Noticable.
Very well put together,Vanilla , sweet cassis and leather. Like you've set fire to old leather couch with sugar all over it. 
Class and character.
Joe Evans is making some serious stuff here ..

[ticklenow1]

:Ballycroft 2012 small berry shiraz American oak 15.3%
Despite the high alcohol, it's not Noticable.
Very well put together,Vanilla , sweet cassis and leather. Like you've set fire to old leather couch with sugar all over it. 
Class and character.
Joe Evans is making some serious stuff here ..

I agree, really nice wine. The French Oak is even better for my tastes. They both need time though or plenty of air and you really have to like the style. Luckily I still do. It's all about balance.

Cheers
Ian

[Hunter]

I called into his on the way home from a quick trout session on the light river this arfternoon.
The cabernet is the standout. I was sent home with a half a bottle of the American oak shiraz. The French obviously more approachable. All with distinct character

[Phil H]

2001 Petaluma Coonawarra. Colour starting to show its age, tannins have all but disappeared . Cedary oak in the background, full bodied, dark berry fruits with a touch of earthiness, drink up now. Enjoyably, however worth holding onto for the last 13 years, probably not.

[Con J]

2001 Petaluma Coonawarra. Colour starting to show its age, tannins have all but disappeared . Cedary oak in the background, full bodied, dark berry fruits with a touch of earthiness, drink up now. Enjoyably, however worth holding onto for the last 13 years, probably not.

I've had a couple of these in the last 12 months and thought they were still primary and needed a few more years to gain some complexity. Got 10 more in the cellar so I should have a look at another one soon.

Cheers Con.

[Phil H]

2001 Petaluma Coonawarra. Colour starting to show its age, tannins have all but disappeared . Cedary oak in the background, full bodied, dark berry fruits with a touch of earthiness, drink up now. Enjoyably, however worth holding onto for the last 13 years, probably not.

I've had a couple of these in the last 12 months and thought they were still primary and needed a few more years to gain some complexity. Got 10 more in the cellar so I should have a look at another one soon.

Cheers Con.

Hi Con
Let us know when you open one, I will be interested on your notes. I am starting to get to wines that I collected for cellaring over 14 years ago. Now it's a decision to give them a few more years, or drink now before it's too late. I use Cellar Tracker, and there were mixed opinions when to drink this wine. Unfortunately, most of my older wines are single units, so I don't have the luxury of trying a bottle every year to check on its development. You could be right that the wine is still primary, however I did not see much change in the wine over 4 hours, and I don't think there is much left in the wine to keep it going for a few more years, but I certainly could be wrong.

[Con J]

2001 Petaluma Coonawarra. Colour starting to show its age, tannins have all but disappeared . Cedary oak in the background, full bodied, dark berry fruits with a touch of earthiness, drink up now. Enjoyably, however worth holding onto for the last 13 years, probably not.

I've had a couple of these in the last 12 months and thought they were still primary and needed a few more years to gain some complexity. Got 10 more in the cellar so I should have a look at another one soon.

Cheers Con.

Hi Con
Let us know when you open one, I will be interested on your notes. I am starting to get to wines that I collected for cellaring over 14 years ago. Now it's a decision to give them a few more years, or drink now before it's too late. I use Cellar Tracker, and there were mixed opinions when to drink this wine. Unfortunately, most of my older wines are single units, so I don't have the luxury of trying a bottle every year to check on its development. You could be right that the wine is still primary, however I did not see much change in the wine over 4 hours, and I don't think there is much left in the wine to keep it going for a few more years, but I certainly could be wrong.

Hi Phil.

You could be right it probably won’t get any better but didn’t think there was any rush to drink them. Next time I get to my offsite storage I’ll bring a couple home. It could be a personal preference, I like my wine with a fair bit of age.

I’ve got a soft spot for Petaluma, it was one of the wines I started my wine journey with. I found these at the Braybrook Hotel for about $30 each and they had just about all the vintages from 1992 to 1999. I kept going back over a couple of months till they were all gone and I had 4 or 5 dozen at home.

Cheers Con.

[deejay81]

2014 Howard Park Mount Barker Riesling

Just a hint of pale yellow, almost colourless. Slight kero aromas as soon as you open the bottle. Lemon lime citrus coming out of the glass, almost like a lemon lime fruit jelly, some sea salt, sea spray as well.
Tasting very fresh and young, lemon, lime, acid all there, dry with barely noticeable rs. Kerosene wafts off after a little bit of time in the glass. Medium plus finish. Very good, and should last many more years. Will try to pick up some more. 90pts

[WAwineguy]

2005 Bouchard Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus

After drinking this stunning wine, how can one go back to Aussie pinot?

Michel, what do you think?

[deejay81]

2015 Pewsey Vale Vineyard Riesling Dry Eden Valley

Clear with very pale lemon. Crunchy sliced granny smith apples with some lime juice on the nose. Dry, very sharp and acidic with more unripe green apples and lime on tasting, this tastes so young, not really ready to drink and will need more years before it becomes more enjoyable. It's not too bad if you want this style, should be more suited for a warmer day. I don't think i'll drink the next bottle for a couple of years. Finish is medium plus. Pretty good example of a young, ageable Riesling. 88pts

[Bobthebuilder]

2000 St Hubert's Cabernet Sauvignon

Night 2 on this and just as good as night one if not a little smoother with some added complexity
Nice ripe berry fruit, earthly, leathery, a little bit of subtle spice
Longish finish and very moorish
Perfect winter red to go with the hearty casserole tonight
Should keep for a while but drinking perfectly now

[Chuck]

On the subject of John Riddoch pricing of $150 you can get well aged JR from quality vintages eg 96 and 98 and with good provenance from auction for around $100 including buyer's premium. As they say the market is always right so the secondary market is pricing its quality in comparison with other wines so perhaps Treasury Wine should note this when it dreams up new release prices. I think TW needs to understand that the rest of the wine industry has caught up with it over the past 30 years and it no longer has a mortgage over the premium cabernet market and Coonawarra may be losing its mantle as the regional king of cabernet.

Apologies for sidetracking the thread.

Carl

Yes I recall their 'price correction' when they realised the market didn't value the wine as highly as they did. IIRC it was a 40-50% reduction. Maybe the time is right to repeat that. FWIW I'm a fan of this and the black label Cab Sauv, but not so much of a fan that I'll buy at any price.

Interesting to note recent releases of the Wynns Black Label Cab have a retail price in mid $40s but are selling for a little over half this in the secondary market. Having said that I reckon many actual retail sale prices are closer to secondary market prices.

Carl

[rooman]

2005 Bouchard Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus

After drinking this stunning wine, how can one go back to Aussie pinot?

Michel, what do you think?

I'm interested to know a bit more about how you found this wine. I have a few tucked away as part of the wines I collected for my son's birth year. So far I've kept my hands off these I was concerned they would still be too under developed. Sounds however as those they might be open for business?

Mark

[shirazphile]

Wynns Coonawarra Estate White Label Shiraz 2008
This is drinking beautifully right now, but still has a few more years of development left. The colour looks primary, and that is how it drinks to a large degree. Taste more primary than secondary. Plums and forest fruits on the nose. The palate adds some cedary characters, and lovely red fruits. Brilliant wine for the $9.75 per bottle I paid. This is one of the great cellaring bargains of Australia.

[WAwineguy]

2005 Bouchard Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus

After drinking this stunning wine, how can one go back to Aussie pinot?

Michel, what do you think?

I'm interested to know a bit more about how you found this wine. I have a few tucked away as part of the wines I collected for my son's birth year. So far I've kept my hands off these I was concerned they would still be too under developed. Sounds however as those they might be open for business?

Mark

I'm a member of a Bordeaux-based wine "club" - they partner with most of the top Chateaux and Domaines to bring wines to members ex-chateaux.

[rooman]

2005 Bouchard Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus

After drinking this stunning wine, how can one go back to Aussie pinot?

Michel, what do you think?

I'm interested to know a bit more about how you found this wine. I have a few tucked away as part of the wines I collected for my son's birth year. So far I've kept my hands off these I was concerned they would still be too under developed. Sounds however as those they might be open for business?

Mark

I'm a member of a Bordeaux-based wine "club" - they partner with most of the top Chateaux and Domaines to bring wines to members ex-chateaux.

My apologies, by "found" I meant please tell me more about the wine, tannin structure, flavour development, is it still too young to drink? Should I hold for a few more years or is it in its drinking window.

The wine club also sounds interesting and would happily receive information about it on the side or by a private message of it's still open to new members.