TN: Assorted whites, often good

[Guest]

Okay, I am biting the bullet and posting my first set of tasting notes in it's own thread.
These wines have been featured at the Varietal Wine Appreciation course I have just started thru the WIAWA. (BTW... thanks for the course, guys! (gender non-specific guys, of course!))
The format is (so far) two varietals per session, tasted blind in opposing pairs. First night Riesling vs. Sauvignon Blanc , second night Semillon vs. Chardonnay. Over the coming weeks we will look at reds too, so I'll post some notes later that the collected red bigots might actually read too...
I will group them all by varietal for ease of reading (and typing). I will also skip colour and clarity, as most are varying shades of pale straw to pale gold, occasionally with hints of green, and all clear and bright.

Riesling

Castle Rock 2002 Pongerups, Gt Southern WA
Aroma: Clean, floral, lemon, hints of toast and honey already.
Palate: Delicate and crisp, good acid, lemon, fairly long mineral finish. Well balanced, 18/20 points.
Howard Park 2004 Gt Southern
A: Subtle, floral & musk P: Subtle, lemon sherbet acid with lime streak, long, long mineral finish. Closed, but showing incredible promise. 18.5.
Grosset Watervale 2003 Clare Valley, SA
A: Toasty, cheesy, hints of oil. P: Easy approach, some acid throughout, lemon, honey, pink grapefruit, peach? Medium length dry finish. Complex, but very forward. Expected more structure. 17.
Heggies 2001 Eden Valley, SA
A: Complex, toast, honey, nuts P: Rich and mellow, somewhat viscous, but still with good acid streak. Complex flavours. Very nice! 18.

Sauvignon Blanc

Willow Bridge 2003 Geographe, WA
A: Fresh asparagus, green capsicum, peas. P: Green capsicum, some acid, off dry - fruit or alcohol sweetness as opposed to residual sugar, short sour acid finish. Better washing down fish & chips? 15.5.
Ashbrook 2004 Margaret River, WA
Initially pungent passionfruit and feet, blows off to generic tropical fruit. P: Passion fruit, pear drops, reasonable acid, medium length. 15.
St Clair 2003 Malborough, NZ
A: Pungent capsicum, gooseberry, lantana P: Tropical fruit, some grassy hints, fully dry, acid streak through to medium length finish. Pretty good. 17.
Yarra Ridge 2003 Yarra Valley, Vic.
A: Subtle, sweet musk P: Musk, peach, good acid, medium length acid finish. Riper characters, interesting to compare, but nothing special. 15.

Semillon

Tyrrell's Lost Block 2004 Hunter Valley, NSW
A: Lemon, nectarine, sherbet, some green touches P: Soft approach to decent acid, lemon sherbet, short to medium length dry finish. Good quality simple quaffer. 16.5
Moss Brothers 2003 Margaret River
A: Pungent capsicum, pea, runner beans P: Pea pod, capsicum, lime, acidic, medium fruit length with a long soft acid finish. "Classic MR", apparently. Tasty. 18.
Peter Lehman 2002 Barossa, SA
A: Honey, citrus, straw P: Honey, toast, lemon/lime acid. Medium length, almost showing some oak characters, though none used. Forward for age. 17.
Vasse Felix 2003 Margaret River
A: Hard to define, subtle P: Acidic, green, lime, mineral. Actually has some oak. 15 now, should improve with age.

Chardonnay

Tyrrell's Vat 47 2002 Hunter Valley
A: Oak, vanilla, some fruit below P: Smooth, some acid, well handled oak, lemon, stone fruit, some complexity, medium length. 16, probably better with age.
Lamont's 2002 Swan Valley, WA
A: Buttery oak with melon P: Soft, butterscotch, rock melon, nectarine, good acid, chary oak finish, long and complex. Worked, but in very good balance. 18.5 - 19.
Eileen Hardy 2003 SA - largely Adelaide Hills?
A: Sweet vanilla oak, fig, melon, subtle P: Smooth, fairly rich, fig, honey, refreshing acid, complex. 18.5.
Houghtons Regional (GI) 2001 Pemberton, WA
A: Honey toast, subtle oak, warming to mocha coffee notes P: charry oak, stone fruit, warm and complex, slightly astringent long coconut oak and acid finish. 18.


...and that is it for now!

Cheers

[cranky]

Well, that's a good start, isn't it.
Next time I will remember to LOG ON BEFORE writing notes!

Cheers

[/u]

[Kieran]

The Lamont's sounds good. Any stockists in Sydney?

Kieran

[markg]

excellent notes !

[cranky]

Hi Kieran

I can't get the Lamont's web site to work on my browser, but here is a link anyway... http://www.lamonts.com.au/lamonts/default.asp. It is meant to contain a page of stockists. If all else fails, they do offer mail-order.
The price I was told is approx $28 per bottle... pretty good QPR!

I believe that the wine recently won a trophy at one of the bigger WA shows, after getting a bronze medal at the previous show entered. I (and the rest of the class) tend to agree with the gold medal level.

Cheers