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

[Mahmoud Ali]

Boutari's Naoussa wines are delicious, with the reserva being particularly cellar-worthy. I have a few older vintages squirrelled away. Nice find.

Mahmoud.

[Ian S]

1998 Wynns John Riddoch, which had a cork that reeked of mustiness / sweaty socks on opening, but thankfully one of those rare instances of bottle stink that has a similar aroma.

The wine elegant, light on its feet, with good complexity, led by leafy blackcurrant fruit, with some coffee/mocha from the oak, and all very nicely balanced. Very good indeed, though inevitably thoughts turn to a comparison to the Black Label, and unsurprisingly it's difficult to see enough justification to trade up to this wine. Ready, but no rush and potential upside still to come.

[Ozzie W]

A follow-up to the 2014 Boutari Naoussa I tried last week (http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14111&start=3060#p144427)

2008 Boutari Grande Réserve Naoussa

100% Xinomavro. 13.5% ABV



Vanilla oak, orange rind, dried red fruits, dusty tannins. Vanilla oak very prominent on the finish. Too much vanilla oak for my liking. I preferred the younger non-reserve version. As previously suggested by tarija, possibly a sub-standard bottle due to non-ideal storage (3+ years on a retail shelf).

[deejay81]

2005 Pikes Riesling Reserve The Merle

Screwcap. Clear, pale lemon colour, very little development visibly.
Freshly squeezed lime juice, some smoke and sea breeze. Fairly consistent nose over 2 hours.
Lime, citrus peel, slight bitterness, high acid, light bodied. Slatey and crushed rocks minerality.
Finish was medium plus.
Really enjoyed this, very refreshing and I think at this stage still very primary. Has a long way to go and should be even better in about 3-5 years time once it develops further and adds some aged Riesling complexity. 92pts

[Matt@5453]

2017 Mount Horrocks Riesling Watervale

The 2017s Rieslings from Clare I've seen are much lighter in colour than 2016, this is no exception. Citrus nose with florals, sour sobs and flint. A very good line of acidity running through the core of the wine, typical Watervale in style with lime citrus notes, with some minerals and a touch of flint. The finish is medium to long. The wine is still very young in bottle and needs some time to settle down I think. Will revisit in about 6 months time. Given the acid structure, this should be long lived.

2017 Mount Horrocks Riesling Cordon Cut Clare Valley

Its been a while since I have had a cordon cut, but the colour seems a lot lighter than I anticipated. Gorgeous nose, fragrant sweet fruits & honey suckle. The palate is quite light and simply delicious. I feel there is a good balance between the sweetness and a line of acidity running through it. A long finish. Very good.

2015 Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon Clare Valley

The nose is very impressive, dense ripe blackcurrants, a hint of blackberry a touch of cedar/spice from the french oak. The palate is somewhat refined (the nose suggests it might be a big wine). A nice core of dark sweet cassis, with a touch of blue fruits. A very good tannin structure. There is a medium to long savoury finish with some 'furry' tannins right at the end. A good wine with plenty of ageing potential.

[Sean]

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[tonym]

2015 Usher Tinkler reserve Hunter Valley Chardonnay, don't know much about styles but we had a 2014 Shaw & smith M3 Chardonnay a couple of nights before and couldn't pick a favourite, excellent wine and well priced.

[dave vino]

A selection of quaffers from last nights banter-a-thon. Apologies for the low bottle count there was only 7 of us.

Any RFC let me know.

Margaux > Haut Brion
Le Meal = Oiliest/slipperiest wine ever
96 Barbaresco is rocking right now.
I hate corks

[Ian S]

Many thanks for the post Sean

I do understand that 'bored' feeling. In times like that, I'll leave the Cabernet Sauvignons, Shiraz etc. in the cellar. They'll keep longer, but if I'd doubt I'd appreciate them, it's away to stretch my horizons elsewhere.

One thing that Italy does well, is modest wines, perhaps a little over-cropped, but not over-manipulated in the winery to paper over the cracks. Jamie has written on this as well recently. The house wine is often decent, and supportive of the food. Then there is the great variety from the wealth of native grapes (if you want to pursue this, Ian d'Agata's Native grapes of Italy is a very fine book, albeit quite a volume.

Yes the holiday, new experiences, exciting food, finally relaxing can really help as well.

Thoughts for moving forward
- Ensure a balance of wine styles, not just different grapes, but perhaps more importantly a mix of prestige / modest but decent.
- Explore wine & food as a combination, exploring more wines that shine at the dinner table rather than the tasting table
- Relive the experience by doing a little Italian cooking, from a simple fresh tagliatelle pasta tossed in butter & herbs, to more time consuming 'weekend' dishes. I love picking up odds and ends from Italian food shops, and these are welcome treats when back home (I also cheat by ordering online). Maybe as part of a regular once a week 'cook something up & open a nice bottle' night.
- Develop a food obsession, eschewing the supermarket for specialists / artisans. Yes it takes more time, but internet ordering can mitigate that (chilled parcels are wonderful things). We do shop at the supermarket more than I'd like to, but I try to prioritise the specialists, but I'll generally do this on my own, as my partner prefers the simplicity/ease of supermarkets.
- If need be, a break is a good thing. I always figure that if I'm not enjoying the wines, but still drinking, then I have a problem. I do not want to drink purely to get drunk / ease the pains & frustrations.

Now I just wish I could write about wine like that.

Personally I think you did.

Regards
Ian

p.s. about mixing with people: sometimes the intensity of work / city life means many of us need quiet time alone to catch our thoughts or just to switch off. Getting enough, but not becoming hermit-like is a balance, but I find myself changing that balance over time.

[Ian S]

Hi Sean
What did you make of Trento? Should have been one of the places less impacted by tourism.
Regards
Ian

[Sean]

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[Ian S]

Hi Sean
Yes the agriturismo meals are very often wonderful multi course affairs, for a stupidly cheap price, plus they very much focus on local wine producers. A favourite place isn't too far from Milano Malpensa airport, in Ghemme (Il Cavenago), though there have been plenty of other great ones. I used to think of farmstays as being very rustic, barely a step up from camping, but the reality is very different, of well-fitted rooms / apartments, great local foods, plus a place to relax on return from a day out.

Some friends said Trento reminded them of Verona 20 years ago, before the tourist hordes descended, and the wide pedestrianised streets make for easy strolling on every day except market day (and even then it's not too crowded). I'm sure Trento will become more popular, though lack of a local airport is going to delay that. Maybe in 20 years you'll be lamenting how it's become over-touristed!

Did you get any walking in around Positano/Sorrento? For me, it's so much better walking than the Cinque Terre coastal path, which really is solid with tourists. The old paths are a great way to avoid the crowds. That said, taking the ferry into Positano on a sunny day reveals a picture postcard scene that rivals the great views on the coast.

I do recognise the irony of me despising large numbers of tourists, for I am one of them. However I visit Italy because I like Italy, not the places that are becoming like international 'theme parks', removing the essence of the Italy I love. It's no surprise that the meal in Vatican city was poor, as any place within a stone's throw of a famous landmark has an endless supply of undiscerning foreigners, so don't need to establish a local reputation. However an agriturismo often succeeds or fails on getting locals in for family meals / special occasions. Elsewhere the Italians traditionally talked a lot about the local restaurant scene, and word would get round quickly if standard slipped or improved.

Regards
Ian

[deejay81]

2012 Pewsey Vale Vineyard Riesling

Screwcap. Clear, medium intensity pale lemon in colour.
Nose was clean with lemon sherbet, nearing lemon candy. Some passionfruit as well. Slight amounts of toastiness also coming through with some swirling.
Light bodied, medium plus intensity, high acid and dry. Primary flavours of lemon juice, some mild bitterness which went away over a few hours. Lots of slatey minerals also giving it a nice freshness. Some but not much development happening with a tiny amount of sweet toast flavours too.
Finish was medium plus, and the wine is in a good place right now but still should get better. 5+ years for more development. Enjoyable and very good. 91pts

[Rossco]

2010 Penley Estate Steyning Cabernet

Gee this is a big wine....in a big, heavy bottle with a cork. Stain was prob 5 mm up the very long cork, and I have
owned this bottle since new. Lots of oak.... probably too much, but its still in its infancy.
Oak overpowers this wine at the moment, not sure if it will ever be in balance. Tannins are there, but not
as noticeable as the oak, being a bit softer & dryer/dustier....are actually quite nice.

Fruit seems a little over ripe and probably a little porty, but again that could be a oak sweetness. Wonder if there is any
american oak in there?

Some liquorice & mint, but it is lacking that coonawarra red earth I love so much. Its there, but not prominent. Nice
mouth feel and weight to this wine though, the quality is there for sure..... just needs less oak and more fruit.

Ultimately this needs another 10 years. Will it ever come together.... possibly...not sure. Reminds me a little of the 96 Wynns Michael
we had at an offline a few months ago, and i think it will end up close to that type of style.

[Ian S]

Interesting seeing the name 'Steyning' (pronounced like 'Staining'), as it's the same name as a little village I used to cycle through when I lived in Sussex (a regular route that used to take in *Fulking and Beeding, villages that I'm sure caused motorists to do a quick double-take)

* and yes, there was a hill in Fulking, and relatively steep as well. I may have cursed it on occasions.

[Sean]

deleted

[Rossco]

2017 Vickery Eden valley Riesling
Man this is good....really good actually.
Fresh out of the fermenter, this is alive and really juicy.
Big hit of unripe pineapple. Some sherbert and lavender. Red apples and florals (orange blossom). Wet slatey minerals as well.
Colour has a golden tinge, so i wonder if this was a warm year or maybe picked a bit later?
Beautifully handled acid not overpowering or sudden, plays its supporting role magnificently. I really like this wine. Not sure its for long term storage, but it
Wont last in my house much longer anyway. Just so smashable, i love it. Im buying more.

[Ian S]

Hi Sean
The structure of the day in Italy can catch a lot of people out (less so in the touristy areas and many museums etc.) with the big midday closing (~ 12:30pm to ~ 3:30pm), where people historically ate, then had a short snooze to avoid the heat of the sun. These days with many people working away from their homes, they skip the snooze, but use the time to catch up on a few basic chores. It does empty the Piazzas, and can give a very misleading impression of a place being a ghost town, as with shutters down, there can be no obvious sign that there is a business there. However the upside of this is the early evening 'Passeggiata' where people congregate in the best place to walk in the town/city, maybe grab an ice-cream or coffee (or the Campanian import, the incredibly cooling Granita(s)), and catch up with the people they know, show new babies off, gossip and make those social bonds that we're losing the art of. It's definitely a cycle you have to become aware of if gravitating away from the tourist areas - even cooler Trento follows it.

Street hawkers: Yes they've been around for a while, and in most cities they are benign and friendly to chat to on the (admittedly relatively few) occasions we have, and almost always about the star footballer from their home country who is lighting up the English Premier League. For some of them English is their 2nd language and Italian the 3rd language, so they're happy to catch up on speaking it. This however is in largely functional towns and cities where tourism is a relatively minor influence. As tourism rises,so it seems the ante gets upped, and greater assertiveness comes in. There is also often a real sense of demarcation, and gangs (not in the sense of armed gangs, but of people working for someone else, all from the same background / country). Where we've found it over assertive has been Bologna with very assertive (African) street begging (very unlike the Italian demure, often silent begging) and in most towns and cities with (typically Indian asian) incredibly persistent sellers of roses in restaurants, seemingly tolerated by most owners, but a major irritation to the experience. Only once or twice have I seen the owner shoo one of them away. In Milano they also seemed to work their business in the streets, and were equally annoying.

For Cinque Terre, the chance to walk them without the tourist crowds probably ended a year or two after the publication of the Rick Steves guide in the US. It seems to have the same sort of following as Robert Parker had for a while in the wine world. The premise was that Steves was opening up Italy beyond the usual sights of Rome, Venice and Florence (the ubiquitous big 3), thus showing people lesser seen Italy that had just as much charm. The success of the book rather destroys the aim though, as the tourist hordes descended, all armed with this book. Despite the tourism, the villages lack that central tourist site that brings the worst tourist tat / supports the worst restaurants, so they are still worth a visit. If you're happy to take your chance they'll be open (landslides are a potential problem over winter), then April or October may be your best bet. Plenty of cheap apartments to rent, the concept established well before Airbnb. We stayed in Riomaggiore and I reckon it was a good choice. Easy to village hop by boat or train, as well as the paths. More recommended are the more physical routes up the hills/inland which then connect with a higher route, and these are shockingly under-touristed compared to the coastal paths.

I like the idea of going to Roma for an extended period. I'd recommend the idea of taking an apartment, as it really allows you the insight to a place via shopping for food in markets, the wonderful specialist food shops in Italy and even their supermarkets can house some surprising quality on occasions. It also helps to build a little of the language. More crucially they give you more space than a hotel room, that I find can seem like a prison cell after a while. For us hotels are generally for max 1-2 nights, but the rest of the time we'll have an apartment.

Sean (Marsala) can give you plenty of pointers on Sicily, which has enough variety to easily have a 3-4 week holiday combining crazy cities, quiet countryside, coastal resorts & island hopping.

One book I'll recommend for Italy, is Fred Plotkin's 'Italy for the gourmet traveler'. Oddly it's less for the restaurant, food shop etc. tips, which are still somewhat useful, but aren't anywhere near as good/thorough as the Italian language 'Golosario' listing. Where he does excel (IMO) is in his description of the regions and of the cities, towns and villages he picks out. He has a real skill for generating interest in those places through his descriptions that typically aren't utterly gushing, but nonetheless can really spark an interest. It's often one of the first sources I'll turn to when starting to shape a holiday in Italy.

It's a big from me that you are keen to return to Italy. My first visit was in 1990 and I don't know if we've skipped a year visiting the place in the last decade.

Regards
Ian

[Phil H]

Decided to line up 2 mid priced Chardonnays
2014 Hoddles Creek Cardonnay ($20) more fruit forward, youthful and pure, less oak influence. Still a baby, in appearance and taste. My first tasting of this label - despite purchasing numerous bottles at various levels (Syberius & 1er). Impressed.
2015 Monocle Chardonnay - A restaurant label released from Ross Hill (Orange) - priced around $30, however purchased at a discounted price. Very heavily worked - strong French oak influence, Despite being a year younger - tastes much older than Hoddles Creek. Still good.

[mychurch]

Trudi and I met up with friends in town last night and we drank 2 sparklers - Andre Beaufort Reserve Brut Nature and Jacquession Extra Brut Nr 739. Not much to choose between them. The Beaufort had a bit of the Natural wine taste, with some beer in amongst the yeast and black fruit. 100% pinot noir, its fine, but nothing more. Jelle is a big fan of the Jacqession, with its oxadative style. Nice complexity, but Jelle brought a mixed case of grower champagne back from his holidays for me, and i actually prefer these - all in the 18- 22 euro mark - than either of last nights wines.

We started the evening off with a '15 Jordan Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, South Africa. Always been a fan of their chenin, which ages well. This was well made, with plenty of modern, buttery fruit. Could come from anywhere though and the lack of personailty could easily send you to sleep. Best of the wines was the 06 Huet Le Mont Demi-Sec that we had with the main course of Pork Belly and baked Cauliflower. Already showing some bottle age, this had the complexity and sense of terroir that put it a class above the rest. Yes, it was a touch sweet, but even more noticeable was the intense minerality. Yum. After the meal we headed to the local snooker hall, where beer was the best alcohol on offer.

[TiggerK]

Monthly Pizza night with the Grape Mates on Friday. Fun night as always with a great crew and the usual super eclectic selection of wines.

2014 Les Dolomies Savagnin Côtes du Jura Saint Loth
2011 Grosset Riesling Off-Dry Watervale
1983 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile
2016 Millton Gewürztraminer Libiamo
2001 Grosset Riesling Watervale
2015 Domaine Matrot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
2010 Friedrich Becker Chardonnay Minéral

NV Canobolas~Smith Barrel Aged Rosé

1989 Lindeman's Shiraz Hermitage Bin 7825
1976 Mildara Cabernet Sauvignon
2014 Passionvale Shiraz Sangiovese
2010 Paolo Scavino Barolo
2014 Luciano Sandrone Dolcetto d'Alba
2016 Mac Forbes EB28 Showdown 1 Nebbiolo Pinot
1996 Lindeman's Cabernet Sauvignon St. George
2015 Azienda Agricola F. Tornatore Sicilia Etna Rosso
2007 Domaine Font de Michelle Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Elégance de Jeanne
2014 Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny Outre Terre (Thierry Germain)
2015 Woods Crampton Mataro
2005 Ridge Geyserville


On the negative side, the 07 CndP was pretty awful with dessicated tired fruit, the 89 Bin 7825 was a bit old and porty and the 83 Trimbach and 76 Mildara were corked. The Millton Gewurtz was divisive, some hated it, some thought it was interesting. Had turkish delight, lychee, milky lactic elements, cough lollies, back to lychee, seemed different everytime I went back to it!

Enjoyed the (now compulsory at these events) Savagnin and the two Grosset's, the 01 Springvale looked really good under screwcap and the 11 Off-Dry was really pretty with just the right amount of RS. Nice to have a young Mersault Perrieres as well, not the best M-P but solid and I expect it might be better in a year or two.

Hands up who's had a German Chardonnay? Needless to say we didn't guess it! It was a very worked style, round, soft and creamy with plenty of fruit and a fair bit of good oak. Well handled but the result wasn't a great success overall, esp for the pretty high price.

For the reds, the Ridge 05 was very good, as was the Roches Neuves (Loire Cab Franc), those two being the most memorable for me amongst a sea of reds. The Scavino Barolo was decent enough, felt like a $40 wine to me though, wouldn't want to have paid the RRP $100 or so for it, no wonder it was available cheaply. Mac Forbes was very in his style, 12.5%, light bodied, juicy and fresh (maybe too fresh?). I quite liked the Canobolas Smith Rose, was well made and very food friendly. The Woods Crampton was pretty good too, don't think any picked it blind but we weren't too far off.

Cheers
Tim

[Ozzie W]

2015 Azienda Agricola F. Tornatore Sicilia Etna Rosso

This is an Etna producer I haven't heard of before . What was it like?

[Rossco]

2015 Best's Bin 1 Shiraz
This was really good. Considering how disappointed I was with the 2015 Mt Langi Cliff Edge,
I didnt hold much hope (being from the similar region) but this was a revelation. The two couldn't be more
different. Medium body, immediate hit of spice. Cloves, violets and lavender. Fruit its solid and on the blue scale. Not watery or thin, this has texture and a velvety / silky feel to it. Yes.

2006 Schubert Goose Yard Block Shiraz
Bought at auction, the label was a bit stained and the capsule covering the cork seemed to have
dried out red wine on this.... not looking good and no mention of this in the auction report or the photo... grrrr. Anyhoo... all doubts were cast aside when a perfect cork was extracted showing a very small red disc at the end. What eventuated was simply a wonderful experience. This wine is thick... not porty or over ripe (although its still a barossa shiraz from Roennfeldt Road) but THICK. Balance and length was sensational. . Quite a heavy use of oak, but the fruit held its own no problems. Not hot or alcoholic, which I was very surprised about. Deep dark, almost black fruits. Blackberries, tar, liquorice, but i got some old cigar box,
leather and polish as well. Filled up and overwhelmed the senses....and that mouthfeel.....


2004 Dutschke St Jakobi Shiraz Magnum
I love this producer. Bottle number 398 and signed by wayne himself in gold pen. This is and absolute
cracker of a wine. Shared it with the Father in Law and wifes family. Was a massive hit. This is really
fruit driven. Unlike the Goosey, oak plays a supporting role and the fruit is the superstar. So juicy with
aged red and black fruits. Plums, blackberries, blueberries and spicy black pepper. Tannins are soft and the brown barossa earth is perfect. Secondary characters are starting to come in. Slightest hint of herbs, dried basil/oregano... loved by all and especially the FIL.


2015 Mr Riggs Outpost Cab
Not really any varietal characters in there. Could be a cab from 'South Eastern Australia'.
Nice drink though, good length, very soft tannins, nice fruity blackcurrants especially and some slight mint. Didnt get any of those earthy characters though. Not much oak, and due to being so young, there was a bit of acid. Winter Pizza wine type of thing. Not offensive at all... but 2014 was SO much better. Maybe its just too young and needs to develop some more.

2010 Petaluma Essence Botrytis Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon
This was really good and a wonderful end to fathers day. 55/45 blend from coonawarra....who knew!
Not sickly sweet at all, wonderful line of acid and amazing dryness. In fact it was the dryness that really
won me over. Not oily or fat at all in the mouth like some sweet wines are. Beautiful length, balance and feel.
Marmalade, kumquat and citrus / orange peel.
Apparently a limited release and only made in wet years (2003 was the one before this release). I need to find more, as I only have 2 left.

[TiggerK]

Wasn't taking notes, it got a bit lost sadly in amongst a flurry of wines coming out at that point. I do recall it was a solid good wine with some Etna style, albeit a bit more full bodied than I was expecting/hoping for.

[phillisc]

2017 Vickery Eden valley Riesling
Man this is good....really good actually.
Fresh out of the fermenter, this is alive and really juicy.
Big hit of unripe pineapple. Some sherbert and lavender. Red apples and florals (orange blossom). Wet slatey minerals as well.
Colour has a golden tinge, so i wonder if this was a warm year or maybe picked a bit later?
Beautifully handled acid not overpowering or sudden, plays its supporting role magnificently. I really like this wine. Not sure its for long term storage, but it
Wont last in my house much longer anyway. Just so smashable, i love it. Im buying more.

Yes Rossco...the inevitable 17 Riesling train has left the station, this, the Watervale, Grosett's ...all on order I really do not need anymore.
Cheers
Craig

[phillisc]

Interesting seeing the name 'Steyning' (pronounced like 'Staining'), as it's the same name as a little village I used to cycle through when I lived in Sussex (a regular route that used to take in *Fulking and Beeding, villages that I'm sure caused motorists to do a quick double-take)

* and yes, there was a hill in Fulking, and relatively steep as well. I may have cursed it on occasions.

Ian made me think of a particular problem many Aussie test batsman had and would certainly have with STEYNing...of the creams that is
Lehmann should get him to do some net sessions...to sharpen the Aussies up before we fall foul of your mob in December
Cheers
Craig

[Rossco]

2017 Vickery Eden valley Riesling
Man this is good....really good actually.
Fresh out of the fermenter, this is alive and really juicy.
Big hit of unripe pineapple. Some sherbert and lavender. Red apples and florals (orange blossom). Wet slatey minerals as well.
Colour has a golden tinge, so i wonder if this was a warm year or maybe picked a bit later?
Beautifully handled acid not overpowering or sudden, plays its supporting role magnificently. I really like this wine. Not sure its for long term storage, but it
Wont last in my house much longer anyway. Just so smashable, i love it. Im buying more.

Yes Rossco...the inevitable 17 Riesling train has left the station, this, the Watervale, Grosett's ...all on order I really do not need anymore.
Cheers
Craig

All aboard the Riesling train Craig if this Vickery was anything to go by. I have to see if I can get hold of some Kerri Thompson & Mt Horrocks
2017's.

I am actively trying to reduce my stock of reds and build up my whites for the cellar. Its a long/slow process though... and requires
great restraint not to buy reds.... which im failing at.

[Ian S]

Interesting seeing the name 'Steyning' (pronounced like 'Staining'), as it's the same name as a little village I used to cycle through when I lived in Sussex (a regular route that used to take in *Fulking and Beeding, villages that I'm sure caused motorists to do a quick double-take)

* and yes, there was a hill in Fulking, and relatively steep as well. I may have cursed it on occasions.

Ian made me think of a particular problem many Aussie test batsman had and would certainly have with STEYNing...of the creams that is
Lehmann should get him to do some net sessions...to sharpen the Aussies up before we fall foul of your mob in December
Cheers
Craig

A bit of a shock against the Bangla boys last week . Interesting response in the test selection for this week, 1 quick, 3 spinners (Lyon opening the bowling and ripping through the top order!) plus two all-rounders stronger on the batting than bowling. Khawaja dropped again.

[Mike Hawkins]

Interesting seeing the name 'Steyning' (pronounced like 'Staining'), as it's the same name as a little village I used to cycle through when I lived in Sussex (a regular route that used to take in *Fulking and Beeding, villages that I'm sure caused motorists to do a quick double-take)

* and yes, there was a hill in Fulking, and relatively steep as well. I may have cursed it on occasions.

Ian made me think of a particular problem many Aussie test batsman had and would certainly have with STEYNing...of the creams that is
Lehmann should get him to do some net sessions...to sharpen the Aussies up before we fall foul of your mob in December
Cheers
Craig

A bit of a shock against the Bangla boys last week . Interesting response in the test selection for this week, 1 quick, 3 spinners (Lyon opening the bowling and ripping through the top order!) plus two all-rounders stronger on the batting than bowling. Khawaja dropped again.

Yet serial ineptitude in the form of Wade gets selected.... where's Joe the Cameraman to say 'can't bat, can't keep'?

[Madanie7]

2015 Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling.
Honestly my first crack at Riesling. Not sure where it sits quality-wise but I don't mind it at all