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

[rooman]

It appears to be Summer of Riesling time around Sydney this week. Rather than go to the big tasting in the city this week, I ducked into Paddington today to a well known wine store to try 20 Rieslings they had put together.

As you’d expect all 20 Rieslings were excellent across the board. After all you’d hardly include a dud if you are only showing 20. The 2017 vintage from Clare is however shaping up as something special. In the end I picked up 6 x Grosset Polish Hill as I can see why people are excited about it and 6 Pikes Traditonal.

I also really enjoyed for the first time Crawford River. I tried the 2015 last year at a tasting and wasn’t a big fan - high acid and austere but the 2016 is special with extra body. Apparently a dry season this has lead to a lower yield and wines of greater intensity of flavour.

Finally the Pewsey Vale Contours 2012 has been released. Whilst the winemakers can’t decide if the 2012 or 2002 is the better of the two vintages at the end of the day both are pretty special and the 2012 is a top wine so another 6 made it home.

[rens]

2012 Tahbilk Marsanne Honey in colour with a candied honey suckle nose. Ripe stone fruits with honey suckle and melon and a hint of toasty oak, supported by lean acid with a hint of bitterness on the finish. A cellar must have week night drinker (yeh, I know it's Saturday ).

[Con J]

2006 Tattinger Comtes de Champagne gorgeous, one of the very best releases. 95pts

Had the 1996 on Wednesday night at a Champagne dinner, very fresh and fabulous.
This was wine of the night for most of us.

Looking forward to trying the 2006 one day.

Cheers Con.

[Chuck]

Windance 2008 Margaret River Reserve Shiraz. OK without being noteworthy. Too much vanilla american oak. A cool climate shiraz trying to mix it with the Barossa bruisers. Drink up.

Carl

[Mike Hawkins]

2006 Tattinger Comtes de Champagne gorgeous, one of the very best releases. 95pts

Had the 1996 on Wednesday night at a Champagne dinner, very fresh and fabulous.
This was wine of the night for most of us.

Looking forward to trying the 2006 one day.

Cheers Con.

The 96 is something else. Many people rave about the 95, but every time I’ve had them side by side, it’s no contest for my tastes.... not even close. The 96 is probably my favourite Comtes ever.

[Chuck]

Yesterday with a freshly caught blue swimmer crab linguini we enjoyed a simple but tasty Swings and Roundabout 2016 Margaret River Chardonnay. Stone fruit, nuts and a hint of oak.

SA is enjoying a bumper crab season. Yesterday a mate and I raked about 50 good sized crabs (one was 425gm) at a local Adelaide beach just 20 minutes from the CBD. 2 hours from sea to table they were so good. First round was just crab and a cold beer and then the linguini for dinner. About another 10 left in the fridge. I'm in heaven.

Carl

[felixp21]

1982 Chateau Lagrange
The St Julien version, all about exotic tertiary flavours, with earth, liquorice, red fruits, super length and absolutely perfect mouth-feel. This wine comes with quite the reputation for a rather minor Chateau, but this vintage is surely the greatest at this address. Still powering on beautifully, with no sense this will fall over anytime soon. 95pts

[JamieBahrain]

I took a few 99 cabernets on a road trip to the Barossa.

1999 Plantagent Mt Barker Caberent was excellent; perhaps initial eucalyptus utterances became distracting with air. 91pts

1999 Bowen Estate Cabernet a lovely cabernet with simple blackcurrant, black olive and white pepper on a clean extract of dark fruits. 90pts

Both cellared professionally

[Dragzworthy]

1982 Chateau Lagrange
The St Julien version, all about exotic tertiary flavours, with earth, liquorice, red fruits, super length and absolutely perfect mouth-feel. This wine comes with quite the reputation for a rather minor Chateau, but this vintage is surely the greatest at this address. Still powering on beautifully, with no sense this will fall over anytime soon. 95pts

Agree with you... even the second wine (Fiefs de Lagrange) is not half bad.

[Chuck]

Watershed 2009 Margaret River Shades Single Block Cabernet Franc. I think the grape is a good blender but by itself it's a little one dimensional. Raspberry, chocolate and mocha. Perhaps it should have been drunk a few years ago.

Carl

[mychurch]

Very impressed with the 2016 Hanford Hill Gru Gruner Veltliner. It's not anything like a top Austrian, but that's what I hoped for. Good depth of fruit and acidity, but it's Jasmin notes on the nose and in the mouth that hook me. Don't who else has planted these vines, but it shows promise.

[Willard]

2005 Karra Yerta Riesling, Eden Valley. A nice stage of development, preserved lemons and a touch of honey, still fresh line of acid. Terrific. Shame they closed.

2015 Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir. This is up there with any 2015 Yarra I’ve tried, a clarity and a weightlessness with intensity. Delight.

2015 Fromm La Strada Pinot Noir. Red fruits and fennel, a little tarry, firm tannin. Very good value.

[dave vino]

Very impressed with the 2016 Hanford Hill Gru Gruner Veltliner. It's not anything like a top Austrian, but that's what I hoped for. Good depth of fruit and acidity, but it's Jasmin notes on the nose and in the mouth that hook me. Don't who else has planted these vines, but it shows promise.

Lark Hill in Canberra were one of the first to do one. https://larkhill.wine/all-wines/gv-2017 from memory it tended towards the traditional style.

[michel]

2005 Karra Yerta Riesling, Eden Valley. A nice stage of development, preserved lemons and a touch of honey, still fresh line of acid. Terrific. Shame they closed.

2015 Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir. This is up there with any 2015 Yarra I’ve tried, a clarity and a weightlessness with intensity. Delight.

2015 Fromm La Strada Pinot Noir. Red fruits and fennel, a little tarry, firm tannin. Very good value.

Snap
Gembrook is tidy Willard
Have tried a few
Very deft on its feet

[Willard]

2005 Karra Yerta Riesling, Eden Valley. A nice stage of development, preserved lemons and a touch of honey, still fresh line of acid. Terrific. Shame they closed.

2015 Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir. This is up there with any 2015 Yarra I’ve tried, a clarity and a weightlessness with intensity. Delight.

2015 Fromm La Strada Pinot Noir. Red fruits and fennel, a little tarry, firm tannin. Very good value.

Snap
Gembrook is tidy Willard
Have tried a few
Very deft on its feet

Deft is a good word, I like this style. Any other local producers you like Michel?

Will

[Dang]

40 th anniversary dinner cooked by our son the chef: fresh BC scallop and sable fish, strip loan steak with trimmings, farm beet salad all washed down with 03 Yattarna and 99 Grange (queen and king). Memorable wines.

[Hunter]

Congrats dang

[Dang]

Thanks Hunter. Yattarna just turned gold and gone too fast. Grange is big and deep. Pity it has years to go. Too bad, my only bottle bought in 04.

[Dang]

We went on with Heitz Cab from Napa. It's Napa 05, a bit too vegetable for me, I am missing the eucalyptus.

[felixp21]

Finally, the hordes that descended six days ago have left this afternoon, CNY (for us) has finally ended, at chu wu, which is ten days earlier than many (how the hell can they possibly do that??!!??)
six days of unending eating and drinking, enough to kill any lao wei, particularly me!!
out "host" year is over for another four years, ours is of course the most popular, given the South of China is warm(ish) even at this time of the year, and is infinitely more pleasant than the -20C we will have to suffer thru at the uncle's place in Shenyang next year
As host, I dragged a couple of cases out of the HK cellar for everyday drinking, a cheap Bordeaux and a cheap Burgundy... both went down a treat:
The 2012 Gevery Chambertin Villages Denis Mortet is an absolute ripper at the EP price of around $45, everything you could want in a young Burg, full of bright red fruits, Gevrey earth and candy, it will surely repay 5-7 years in the cellar, but is delicious now (91pts)
As an alternative, we also went thru a case of the 2005 Chateau La Clemence, Pomerol which is a wonderful wine, again around the $50 mark. Deep rich and still tannic, this had masses of violets, chocolate and liquorice, with length to burn. Classic Pomerol, young right now, but still very enjoyable (92pts)
Of course, there were masses of other offerings, including such legendary wines as the "Australian Tiger" shiraz (NV) which comes complete with a picture of the Aussie basketball team on the back... over-oaked, sweet and short, plenty of the masses absolutely loved this. (76pts)
One fine dining night with wine-bore Chinese mates, the highlight being a 1980 DRC La Tache which was drinking beautifully, although easily outshone by the utterly majestic 1989 Chateau Haut Brion which continues to build on it's reputation as one of the greatest Bordeaux, possibly even one of the greatest wines, ever made. Perfect in every sense (100)
To celebrate the return of silence and order, I made myself a decent Aussie steak and (small) salad tonight, washed down with a bottle of 1995 Chateau Brane Cantenac which has the grumpy 95 tannins, and is a little clipped, although pleasant drinking (88)
Contemplating this wine as I relaxed, I thought back to the 95 vintage at the ep stage, when the Bordelaise were only too happy to quickly pronounce it as (yet another) legendary vintage, aided by mystifying and completely inaccurate scores by Monsieur Parker... the 95 point Clerc Milon, dear Bob, is a lot closer to an 85 point wine today hehe. The Bordelaise have never been known for their scruples, which leads me to a word of caution about the 2016 vintage, which I personally think is no-where near as good as the Chateaux and Scribes are shouting. Time will tell, lets have a look at 2016 in the year 2039, as I am looking at the 1995 vintage in 2018.

[Chuck]

Last night with simple crab cakes (from freshly caught crabs) and cole slaw we enjoyed a Kilikanoon 2016 Golden Hillside Clare Valley Riesling. A good honest expression of CV rizza. A touch of talc that makes me go weak at the knees, plenty of citrus and minerality and zing.

Crab recipe from Rick Stein.

Carl

[BrandonS]

Last night with simple crab cakes (from freshly caught crabs) and cole slaw we enjoyed a Kilikanoon 2016 Golden Hillside Clare Valley Riesling. A good honest expression of CV rizza. A touch of talc that makes me go weak at the knees, plenty of citrus and minerality and zing.

Crab recipe from Rick Stein.

Carl

Very much enjoy Kilikanoon's Rieslings, the Mort's Reserve '15 was a particular favourite. So far though, IMO 'Shut the Gate' still do the nicest CV Rieslings (that I have come across), definitely worth swinging by them if you're out that way again.

[Dragzworthy]

Finally, the hordes that descended six days ago have left this afternoon, CNY (for us) has finally ended, at chu wu, which is ten days earlier than many (how the hell can they possibly do that??!!??)
six days of unending eating and drinking, enough to kill any lao wei, particularly me!!
out "host" year is over for another four years, ours is of course the most popular, given the South of China is warm(ish) even at this time of the year, and is infinitely more pleasant than the -20C we will have to suffer thru at the uncle's place in Shenyang next year
As host, I dragged a couple of cases out of the HK cellar for everyday drinking, a cheap Bordeaux and a cheap Burgundy... both went down a treat:
The 2012 Gevery Chambertin Villages Denis Mortet is an absolute ripper at the EP price of around $45, everything you could want in a young Burg, full of bright red fruits, Gevrey earth and candy, it will surely repay 5-7 years in the cellar, but is delicious now (91pts)
As an alternative, we also went thru a case of the 2005 Chateau La Clemence, Pomerol which is a wonderful wine, again around the $50 mark. Deep rich and still tannic, this had masses of violets, chocolate and liquorice, with length to burn. Classic Pomerol, young right now, but still very enjoyable (92pts)
Of course, there were masses of other offerings, including such legendary wines as the "Australian Tiger" shiraz (NV) which comes complete with a picture of the Aussie basketball team on the back... over-oaked, sweet and short, plenty of the masses absolutely loved this. (76pts)
One fine dining night with wine-bore Chinese mates, the highlight being a 1980 DRC La Tache which was drinking beautifully, although easily outshone by the utterly majestic 1989 Chateau Haut Brion which continues to build on it's reputation as one of the greatest Bordeaux, possibly even one of the greatest wines, ever made. Perfect in every sense (100)
To celebrate the return of silence and order, I made myself a decent Aussie steak and (small) salad tonight, washed down with a bottle of 1995 Chateau Brane Cantenac which has the grumpy 95 tannins, and is a little clipped, although pleasant drinking (88)
Contemplating this wine as I relaxed, I thought back to the 95 vintage at the ep stage, when the Bordelaise were only too happy to quickly pronounce it as (yet another) legendary vintage, aided by mystifying and completely inaccurate scores by Monsieur Parker... the 95 point Clerc Milon, dear Bob, is a lot closer to an 85 point wine today hehe. The Bordelaise have never been known for their scruples, which leads me to a word of caution about the 2016 vintage, which I personally think is no-where near as good as the Chateaux and Scribes are shouting. Time will tell, lets have a look at 2016 in the year 2039, as I am looking at the 1995 vintage in 2018.

Every year is a great year in Bordeaux unless it’s a terrible year in which case it’s an “early drinking year”.
2014 is underrated. 2015 supposed to be good and 2016 even better (supposedly). I wonder how anyone can tell early given how these wines typically need 10yrs minimum... I think your decision to reserve judgement is spot on. I’ll be drinking a Duhart Milon 2005 in the coming days during my holiday in Koh Samui... I’m sure it’s too early after only 13 years but after trying the 1996 a few months back, I’m craving Pauillac.

[felixp21]

yea, too right!!!
Bordeaux is incredibly difficult to assess out of barrel, much harder than Burgundy. My rule of thumb is that if it tastes good in barrel, it will be good. The 2015's were beautiful in barrel, as were the 2009's and 2010's. The Left Bank 2016's were/are fiercely tannic, IMO, and I am not confident of their balance. They might well go the way of the 2005's, (I never tasted this vintage in barrel), which remain, largely, tannic and un-yielding on the Left Bank, and super duper on the Right.
Plenty of palates far, far better than mine remain super-confident of the 05's, but I have my extreme doubts 12 years down the track..... are we looking at another, slightly better, version of 1986? Goodness, I hope not!!!
If I were a young Bordeaux lover, I would jump all over 2015, and have a quiet look at how 2016 turns out after a few years in bottle.

[Bobthebuilder]

2012 Mount horrocks Riesling - very good, great acidity with lovely ripe summer stone fruit, preserved lemon and some fresh garden herbs.
2015 head GSM - simple but nice, blood plums with Asian five spice, drink now type wine

[Ian S]

2012 João M Barbosa 'Ninfa' from Tejo (Ribatejo, Portugal) tonight. Great complexity on the nose, more linear on the palate but eminently drinkable, with lovely balance. Impressed by this modestly priced wine.

[michel]

2005 Karra Yerta Riesling, Eden Valley. A nice stage of development, preserved lemons and a touch of honey, still fresh line of acid. Terrific. Shame they closed.

2015 Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir. This is up there with any 2015 Yarra I’ve tried, a clarity and a weightlessness with intensity. Delight.

2015 Fromm La Strada Pinot Noir. Red fruits and fennel, a little tarry, firm tannin. Very good value.

Snap
Gembrook is tidy Willard
Have tried a few
Very deft on its feet

Deft is a good word, I like this style. Any other local producers you like Michel?

Will

Still pondering your question Will

[rens]

2007 Kreglinger Vintage Brut: A good Tassie sparkling that always delivers more than its price point suggests.
2015 Moondarra Studebaker Pinot Noir: I really loved this, sappy with rose petals and a savoury spiciness and a very lengthy finish.
2007 Dehasa La Granja Tempranillo: Oak in spades, of the french variety. Full palate that strikes me as a bit flabby. Not my thing, but my wife loved it.
2014 Chateau Mazeris Bordeaux: Earthy and savoury with slightly puckering tannins. A nicely structured wine. Went oh so well with the cheddar.
2015 Lamole Chianti Classico DOCG: Nicely structured, well perfumed wine that went well with the other half of the cheddar.
2016 Albino Rocca 'Rosso Di Rocca' Langhe: Everything you want in Langhe, good fruit with a medium weight palate and good use of acid and tannin.

Oh and a couple of pints of Kilkenny.

[Willard]

Snap
Gembrook is tidy Willard
Have tried a few
Very deft on its feet

Deft is a good word, I like this style. Any other local producers you like Michel?

Will

Still pondering your question Will

Haha, Damning!

[Dragzworthy]

Snap
Gembrook is tidy Willard
Have tried a few
Very deft on its feet

Deft is a good word, I like this style. Any other local producers you like Michel?

Will

Still pondering your question Will

Paringa? Pooley? by Farr? Domaine A? Moorooduc?

Negatory?