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

[Ian S]

Some old shit for us tonight, and good old shit it was too, from an vintage held in poor regard

• 1980 Château La Gaffelière - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (12/02/2017)
  A good start with a very long cork, in fine shape, easily coming out in one piece.
  
  A very healthy colour (red-claret) with a definite band of bricking at the rim. Considering the age, in very good shape.
  
  The nose would have fooled me towards Pomerol, which we've had better luck with than St Emilion. Plum/Blackcurrant, leafy/green pepper, mocha, backed by a little orange.
  
  On the light-medium bodied palate more red-fruited with a hint of green pepper. Not especially complex, but good balance with acidity that works well with a guinea fowl roast, but doesn't dominate when sipping the wine after the meal. Perhaps a hint of tannin, nothing more.
  
  Better or worse than it would have been a decade or two ago? Difficult to say, but I reckon this would be a different experience. No expectation for future improvement, but this is a wine in good health and this bottle would have lasted a good few years longer.
  

Ignore the CT picture, it was a 1980. FWIW the level was VTS.

[deejay81]

Had a ''11 disgorged NV Bollinger the other day, beautiful... Just the right amount of oxidised flavours, some orange, orange peel and nuts...
Apart from Krug and Charles Heidsieck, prob my fave NV Champers with a little bit of age on it.

[Con J]

Just finished a 1996 Moss Wood cabernet, drank over 3 hours.
Powerful but not a big wine, in the dark fruit spectrum with secondary characters , oak and tannins integrated and nothing out of place. As good as an Aussie cabernet can get for me and no chance of falling over anytime soon, absolutely fabulous.

Cheers Con.

[JamieBahrain]

Forgot to mention a wonderful Wynn's Michael en magnum 1998. Lovely, soft and intense shiraz. 93pts

[phillisc]

Forgot to mention a wonderful Wynn's Michael en magnum 1998. Lovely, soft and intense shiraz. 93pts

Thanks Jamie, have one of these and a six pack of singles.
Might finally be time to have a look.

Cheers
Craig

[rooman]

Lynch-Bages 2005 an amazing bouquet rich and deep with the fruit positively tumbling out of the glass. The wine itself is still very primary with rich tannins delivering a mouth coating experience that went on and on. First bottle out of the case, it's clear the wine will still be going strong years after I've departed the mortal coil. Part of a collection of 2005 purchased in the birthyear of my first son.

[Bobthebuilder]

2009 Giaconda Nebbiolo. My first try of their Nebbiolo and very happy with it. Could have easily mistaken it for a decent Italian. Went very well with 6 hour smoked/bbq'd beef ribs too.

Just over 1 year and I am having my first try of their neb same vintage, and very impressed too.
The nose is gorgeous, and everything after is just as good.
A serious wine, built to last IMO
I was really hoping this would last through to tomorrow, but the missus is loving it to so that is highly unlikely!

[Luke W]

1998 Tahbilk Reserve Shiraz - just stunning and still with plenty of life. Complex, interesting, full of just about everything u want in a wine!

[Chuck]

Last night with some rare scotch fillet and red wine sauce we enjoyed a Majella 2005 Coonawarra Cabernet. A little more full bodied than I remember (14.5% ABV) but well balanced and ready to drink. Got better with air time. Coonawarra all over it. Will last at least another 5 years and likely more. Interestingly the stelvin had a gash about 6mm x 2mm on the top edge however there was no leakage at all even though it was stored on its side. The inner seal had a corresponding gash but was not aligned with the cap's gash. Guess this stopped any leakage. Wine was not affected at all so go figure! Can't recall if the stelvin seal had already been broken that would have given away someone fixing the problem before I bought it at auction.

You may want to keep this in mind for holed stelvins

Carl

[michel]

1998 Tahbilk Reserve Shiraz - just stunning and still with plenty of life. Complex, interesting, full of just about everything u want in a wine!

Sounds brilliant
I have a magnum as a birth year wine for my daughter
Your note is encouraging
Much appreciated

[mjs]

Forgot to mention a wonderful Wynn's Michael en magnum 1998. Lovely, soft and intense shiraz. 93pts

Thanks Jamie, have one of these and a six pack of singles.
Might finally be time to have a look.

Cheers
Craig

Took a '98 Michael magnum to an off-line just before Xmas. It was superb

[conformistpete]

Jadot Chambolle Musigny 2010 with some duck breast

[michel]

Jadot Chambolle Musigny 2010 with some duck breast

Should be racey and great
We had a lambs woolly 2005 jadot 1er suchot last night.

[rooman]

I went to see Springsteen at Hope Vineyard in the Hunter Valley last night. The only wines you can drink are those for sale at the venue so I ended up with a Tower Pinot Gris. I had no idea it was actually possible to make a damn near undrinkable pinot gris. Until last night I'd always thought the grape variety was near indestructible. Seems not. Drinkable Pinot gris should have a crisp refreshing structure not taste like damn dishwater.

[mjs]

Ahh, Pinot Gris .... white paint on a white canvas !!

[shauno]

Tried my first Blue Poles - a 2011 Allouran

I'm not usually a big fan of merlot, so maybe it's the cab franc talking - but this is delicious

[Bobthebuilder]

Last night, theme 2002 Australia
2002 Lakes folly Cabernets - absolutely delightful. I could go on and on but won't, it was just classic lakes folly Cabernet in a perfect place displaying all the things fans of the wine like about it, with that hunter terrior alive and kicking.
2002 St Hallet Riesling - gone through 3 of these already and they are gorgeous. Bright gold, touch of kero, honey, cashews, pineapple syrup, juicy lychees and lemon thyme. Big oily mouth filling wine with a lovely long finish. So good.

[conformistpete]

Jadot Chambolle Musigny 2010 with some duck breast

Should be racey and great
We had a lambs woolly 2005 jadot 1er suchot last night.

It was! Lots of bright red fruit and lacy tannins to boot... lovely wine for a cool Melbourne sunday evening.

[Rory]

2011 Forest Hill Chardonnay

A well made, rounded Chardonnay, plush fruit, good length. Had a fair bit of warm climate "pineapple" though, which may well be to some punters tastes, but not mine.
Overall, pretty good though.

[Matt@5453]

2012 Tim Adams Cabernet Malbec, Clare Valley

A lovely medium to full bodied wine; the Cabernet on the palate was noticeable at first showing cassis, cigar box & violets. The malbec adds a "juiciness" and roundness to the wine, I found it well balanced. There are fine tannins and it finishes very well, with good length. A very enjoyable wine with many years ahead of it for well stored bottles.

[michel]

Jadot Chambolle Musigny 2010 with some duck breast

Should be racey and great
We had a lambs woolly 2005 jadot 1er suchot last night.

It was! Lots of bright red fruit and lacy tannins to boot... lovely wine for a cool Melbourne sunday evening.

noice

[rooman]

Stonyridge Larose 2007. one of NZ's top Bordeaux blends. Good tannins and lovely length but I suspect it is still in a dormant phase as the secondary flavours have still to emerge. I will try again in a few years.

[michel]

2010 Tarrawarra Reserve chardonnay
viscous and intense
length with oyster shell
great wine in a beautiful position at 7 years of age

[brodie]

Stonyridge Larose 2007. one of NZ's top Bordeaux blends. Good tannins and lovely length but I suspect it is still in a dormant phase as the secondary flavours have still to emerge. I will try again in a few years.

Rooman, definitely needs more time. I have the Larose back to late 1990s in the cellar and I think it shows best after about 15 years from vintage. Had a 2005 last year and it was delicious but still youthful. With enough age they become quite difficult to distinguish from a good Paulliac or St Julien. Lovely cigar box and blackcurrant.

Keep it another 5 years would be my advice.

Brodie

[rooman]

Stonyridge Larose 2007. one of NZ's top Bordeaux blends. Good tannins and lovely length but I suspect it is still in a dormant phase as the secondary flavours have still to emerge. I will try again in a few years.

Rooman, definitely needs more time. I have the Larose back to late 1990s in the cellar and I think it shows best after about 15 years from vintage. Had a 2005 last year and it was delicious but still youthful. With enough age they become quite difficult to distinguish from a good Paulliac or St Julien. Lovely cigar box and blackcurrant.

Keep it another 5 years would be my advice.

Brodie

Yep that was my take on the wine as well. I only have one left from the 90s being a 93. Have you tried one of these recently? If you are Auckland based, do you know Steve White over on the island?

Mark

[brodie]

Stonyridge Larose 2007. one of NZ's top Bordeaux blends. Good tannins and lovely length but I suspect it is still in a dormant phase as the secondary flavours have still to emerge. I will try again in a few years.

Rooman, definitely needs more time. I have the Larose back to late 1990s in the cellar and I think it shows best after about 15 years from vintage. Had a 2005 last year and it was delicious but still youthful. With enough age they become quite difficult to distinguish from a good Paulliac or St Julien. Lovely cigar box and blackcurrant.

Keep it another 5 years would be my advice.

Brodie

Yep that was my take on the wine as well. I only have one left from the 90s being a 93. Have you tried one of these recently? If you are Auckland based, do you know Steve White over on the island?

Mark

Hi Mark, never had the 1993, mine "only" go back to 1996. I have not met Steve White and now not likely to. I was on the mailing list for quite a long time but gave up afer the 2013 vintage when they increase the EP pricing from NZ$100 to NZ$125 in a single vintage and that was after they "drifted" the EP price up from $80 to $100 over the prior two years. I wrote them a long email about why I thought this was a poor way to treat the long term mailing list supporters. The response was less than satisfying, something along the lines of "f**k you" in marketing speak. I then decided there were plenty other places to spend my wine related $$.

I really like the wines as they are not over ripe or over oaked, but like many other wineries they have decided that $$ are everything and relationships with long term customers are secondary. I have plenty in the cellar so will enjoy them slowly over into the future.

Brodie

[rooman]

[quote="brodie]

Hi Mark, never had the 1993, mine "only" go back to 1996. I have not met Steve White and now not likely to. I was on the mailing list for quite a long time but gave up afer the 2013 vintage when they increase the EP pricing from NZ$100 to NZ$125 in a single vintage and that was after they "drifted" the EP price up from $80 to $100 over the prior two years. I wrote them a long email about why I thought this was a poor way to treat the long term mailing list supporters. The response was less than satisfying, something along the lines of "f**k you" in marketing speak. I then decided there were plenty other places to spend my wine related $$.

I really like the wines as they are not over ripe or over oaked, but like many other wineries they have decided that $$ are everything and relationships with long term customers are secondary. I have plenty in the cellar so will enjoy them slowly over into the future.

Brodie[/quote]

Brodie

If you saw the owners lifestyle you would know why he had to put it up to $120 pb. In all seriousness however $120 puts it on par with its peers in this part of the world such as Moss Wood, Mount Mary, less than the 707 and sort of in the 2-5th growth range. Personally I believe it's the same quality as its peers so I understand the pricing even if I have also stopped buying.

With respect to the price, I came to the view years ago there is nothing egalitarian about the world of wine. If a producer can charge $100 or $500 or $1000 and sell his wines then more power to him and his buyers. Like you I'm happy hunting out new pastures and smile at his continued success.

Mark

[michel]

[quote="brodie]

Hi Mark, never had the 1993, mine "only" go back to 1996. I have not met Steve White and now not likely to. I was on the mailing list for quite a long time but gave up afer the 2013 vintage when they increase the EP pricing from NZ$100 to NZ$125 in a single vintage and that was after they "drifted" the EP price up from $80 to $100 over the prior two years. I wrote them a long email about why I thought this was a poor way to treat the long term mailing list supporters. The response was less than satisfying, something along the lines of "f**k you" in marketing speak. I then decided there were plenty other places to spend my wine related $$.

I really like the wines as they are not over ripe or over oaked, but like many other wineries they have decided that $$ are everything and relationships with long term customers are secondary. I have plenty in the cellar so will enjoy them slowly over into the future.

Brodie[/quote]

Brodie

If you saw the owners lifestyle you would know why he had to put it up to $120 pb. In all seriousness however $120 puts it on par with its peers in this part of the world such as Moss Wood, Mount Mary, less than the 707 and sort of in the 2-5th growth range. Personally I believe it's the same quality as its peers so I understand the pricing even if I have also stopped buying.

With respect to the price, I came to the view years ago there is nothing egalitarian about the world of wine. If a producer can charge $100 or $500 or $1000 and sell his wines then more power to him and his buyers. Like you I'm happy hunting out new pastures and smile at his continued success.

Mark[/quote]

I have had a few over the years recent and older purchased from cellar door.
Some can be pretty good indeed - but the cellar door now is a marketing machine- I wanted to face slap the American wine industry student whom wouldnt shut up during a recent cellar door visit. I am happy to pay for wine but not for aggressive marketing hype.

[Ian S]

1998 Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz
Ok, it's probably lost a little over-exuberance and has a degree of balance/restraint, but there really isn't a heap of complexity. It has me questioning whether it was worth cellaring. Not bad, just somewhat uninteresting.

[Matt@5453]

2009 Mitchell Wines Sevenhill Cabernet Sauvignon, Clare Valley

Nice cassis, cigar box, and mocha/chocolate. The wine has softened nicely, the tannins are well integrated into the wine, with good supporting oak lurking in the background. The finish is very flavoursome. Overall a very good wine and thoroughly enjoyable.

2013 Ara Select Block M62 Limited Release Pinot Noir, Marlborough

Lovely perfumed nose. Light to medium bodied with aromatic black fruits, dark cherry with supporting oak. There is a touch of tannin grip on the palate. The finish is good and lingering. Most enjoyable for the discounted price I got it for.

2016 Reg & Co “Tank Slap” Watervale Riesling, Clare Valley

The fruit is sourced from a vineyard in Watervale of excellent pedigree. The wine is light and delicate with citrus blossom and limes, with excellent fruit purity. There is a delicate mineral component to it without dominating. The balance of acid / fruit is excellent, there is enough acidity without being overpowering. A very good Riesling - popular with the locals. Track down Reg and get yourself a case of this!