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

[Hunter]

2005 Chateau Clinet
I love 2005 Right Bank, absolutely top-of-the-tree stuff. But sadly, this wine was ruthlessly closed. Hugely tannic, monolithic, dark and brooding, nowhere near being ready. This is very unusual for an 05 Pomerol, most of which are sublime right now. What a waste!!! 91+++pts. Drink 2030+

Have you tried the 15' clinet?

[Mahmoud Ali]

Last night, a wine from the Torres stable, the single vineyard 2006 Torres 'Mas Borras' Pinot Noir, Penedes (13.5%). This has evolved considerably since the last bottle a few years ago. The tannins have melted and the wine has developed a herb and ripe tomato palate that was ideal with poached chicken breast with asparagus, red peppers and green onions. Very, very satisfying.

MasBorras2006a.jpg

Mahmoud.

[rens]

Allies Assemblage Pinot Noir 2017: A combination of all the single vineyard pinots from this label and the combination has delivered a real nice pinot. This is as straight as an arrow, complex, with a long finish and went oh so well with the french onion soup, crusty gruyere topped bagget-who'd have thought. This is great value at under $30 direct from the vineyard and will drink well for the next 7-8 years.
Mike Press Cabernet Sauvignon 2015: It has been a while since I purchased any of Mike's wines and it has been a nice reunion. Ripe varietal fruit with the dustiness that I associate with Margaret River cabernet, but this is from the other end of the Nullabour. It's not rocket surgery, but elegant, varietal goodness-a great mid weeker or the one you have after the expensive stuff has been drunk.

[Bobthebuilder]

2011 Voyager Estate Cab Sav Merlot

Cant remember the last time I had this, or if I have even had one before, but i was thoroughly impressed.
Very elegant and silky. When I was drinking it, throughout the whole time the word 'understatement'
kept running through my head. Everything was understated. The oak, the fruit the tannins, acid... all really
nice, nothing out of place, nothing overpowering. Slightly out of balance as the finish was a little acidic/harsh, but
time will sort that out im sure.

Decanted for 2 hrs and really only started to open up after the 3rd hour as it was still quite closed.

Violets and purple berries, beautiful herbs, medium body and just a lovely perfume note. I would guess the ratio is much more cab sav... 75%++
as I didn't find much of the Merlot 'middle' palate, but there was something else in there.... cab franc maybe? Would explain the perfume.

Although I don't regret opening it, im kind of sad at the same time..... The was is not ready to drink yet and I would hold off another 5 years
possibly more (Drinking window will be open for MANY years after that). My only bottle and now I have to find more and put down for a long sleep.

tried tonight
very impressed
although I agree this will benefit from further aging I thought it was superb right now.
So much class, nothing overdone but nothing missing
beautiful fruit, nice spice, dried herbs, great texture.
Good to see 2011 delivered so well on the other side

[felixp21]

2005 Chateau Clinet
I love 2005 Right Bank, absolutely top-of-the-tree stuff. But sadly, this wine was ruthlessly closed. Hugely tannic, monolithic, dark and brooding, nowhere near being ready. This is very unusual for an 05 Pomerol, most of which are sublime right now. What a waste!!! 91+++pts. Drink 2030+

Have you tried the 15' clinet?

yea, seen it a couple of times. Beautiful wine, as are most 2015's. More fruit and less tannin than the 05 Clinet (but then again, that could be said for just about every wine when comparing the two vintages)

[Sean]

deleted

[Rossco]

tried tonight
very impressed
although I agree this will benefit from further aging I thought it was superb right now.
So much class, nothing overdone but nothing missing
beautiful fruit, nice spice, dried herbs, great texture.
Good to see 2011 delivered so well on the other side

I'm glad I wasnt the only one who loved it.
I found another bottle.... Put away for 5+ years

[dave vino]

Really enjoyable time last night with another visit of our good mate Jonathan from the US. Just the 4 of us with 4 bottles of wine All of which were showing extremely well, esp with all the reds being 20+ years old.

2014 Giaconda Estate Chardonnay
1998 Ch. Lafleur
1994 Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz
1996 Lakes Folly Cabernets

We decided to open all three Reds and sit on them for most of the night which was a revelation, 3 distinct wines, evolving in the glass over the night - no rushed flights, no tipping out unfinished wines.

We started off with a lovely 2014 Giaconda Chardonnay which was showing really well, just the right about of fruit/oak and acid and so clean and precise.

The Lafleur was that classic Pomerol, brambly elements dancing around the top parts of the wine, with the darker red fruits that went on and on. I thought although ‘young’ it was still very approachable with great grip and structure which didn’t detract from the wine. There is something so unique and complex about these wines that you don’t get anywhere else in the world.

94 Mount Edelstone, which was a replacement from Henschke’s own cellars for a previously corked wine. This wine captured the whole peppermint/spearmint characteristic unlike I’d ever seen before in an Edelstone, such a pristine wine, sweet raspberry notes throughout, smooth and silky on the palate.

96 Lakes Folly showing really well, aged to perfection, touches of stalk, plums, dark fruit and really well integrated structurally. You could work it around your mouth and extract different flavours, great layered palate.

All 3 of the reds constantly evolved over the night.

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/032018/laf1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/032018/laf2.jpg[/img]

What a 20 year old cork should look like

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/032018/IMG_0811.JPG[/img]

[felixp21]

Many thanks Dave, very interesting, great pics!!!
Very young Lafleur, esp for a vg vintage like 98, so wonderful to hear it is drinking well. Love the way Dominus has ripped off their label hehehe
I still find the 94 Geoffrey Edelstone just about their best vintage, great to hear it is still going on strong. Give me the Henschke SV stuff over any multi-regional blend (cough cough) every day of the week

[phillisc]

Hear hear F21...I only have 1 possibly 2 94 Mt Eds, boys birth year...they were so cheap (compared with current prices) on release and drank 10 or so bottles within 10 years.
Might have to play the second hand lottery market.

Thanks for the write up Dave
Cheers
Craig

[Ozzie W]

...94 Geoffrey Edelstone...

[JamieBahrain]

I ran through these last night and have heaps left over.


Tasting Wines
Terrazze dell'Etna Carusu Etna Rosso 2014
Girolamo Russo San Lorenzo Etna Rosso 2014
Pietradolce Contrada Rampante Etna Rosso 2014
Passopisciaro Passorosso Terre Siciliane IGP 2014
Tenute Bosco Piano dei Daini Etna Rosso 2014
Frank Cornilessen MunJebel® Rosso Chiusa Spagnolo(contrada Zottorinoto) IGP Terre Siciliane 2014
I Custodi Pistus Etna Rosso 2014
Graci Arcuria Etna Rosso 2014
Tasca d’Almerita Tascante Ghiaia Nera Sicilia DOC 2014
Feudo di Mezzo Etna Rosso 2014

Dinner Wines
Etna Bianco, Vigna di Milo, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2015
Etna Rosato, Pietradolce 2016
Etna Rosso, Vinupetra, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2002
Etna Rosso, Vinupetra, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2014
Malvasia delle Lipari, Tenuta di Castellaro 2013

[Ozzie W]

I ran through these last night and have heaps left over.


Tasting Wines
Terrazze dell'Etna Carusu Etna Rosso 2014
Girolamo Russo San Lorenzo Etna Rosso 2014
Pietradolce Contrada Rampante Etna Rosso 2014
Passopisciaro Passorosso Terre Siciliane IGP 2014
Tenute Bosco Piano dei Daini Etna Rosso 2014
Frank Cornilessen MunJebel® Rosso Chiusa Spagnolo(contrada Zottorinoto) IGP Terre Siciliane 2014
I Custodi Pistus Etna Rosso 2014
Graci Arcuria Etna Rosso 2014
Tasca d’Almerita Tascante Ghiaia Nera Sicilia DOC 2014
Feudo di Mezzo Etna Rosso 2014

Dinner Wines
Etna Bianco, Vigna di Milo, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2015
Etna Rosato, Pietradolce 2016
Etna Rosso, Vinupetra, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2002
Etna Rosso, Vinupetra, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2014
Malvasia delle Lipari, Tenuta di Castellaro 2013

Nice line-up there! Which were your favourites?

[Hunter]

Really enjoyable time last night with another visit of our good mate Jonathan from the US. Just the 4 of us with 4 bottles of wine All of which were showing extremely well, esp with all the reds being 20+ years old.

2014 Giaconda Estate Chardonnay
1998 Ch. Lafleur
1994 Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz
1996 Lakes Folly Cabernets

We decided to open all three Reds and sit on them for most of the night which was a revelation, 3 distinct wines, evolving in the glass over the night - no rushed flights, no tipping out unfinished wines.

We started off with a lovely 2014 Giaconda Chardonnay which was showing really well, just the right about of fruit/oak and acid and so clean and precise.

The Lafleur was that classic Pomerol, brambly elements dancing around the top parts of the wine, with the darker red fruits that went on and on. I thought although ‘young’ it was still very approachable with great grip and structure which didn’t detract from the wine. There is something so unique and complex about these wines that you don’t get anywhere else in the world.

94 Mount Edelstone, which was a replacement from Henschke’s own cellars for a previously corked wine. This wine captured the whole peppermint/spearmint characteristic unlike I’d ever seen before in an Edelstone, such a pristine wine, sweet raspberry notes throughout, smooth and silky on the palate.

96 Lakes Folly showing really well, aged to perfection, touches of stalk, plums, dark fruit and really well integrated structurally. You could work it around your mouth and extract different flavours, great layered palate.

All 3 of the reds constantly evolved over the night.

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/032018/laf1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/032018/laf2.jpg[/img]

What a 20 year old cork should look like

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/032018/IMG_0811.JPG[/img]

Wow, the colour in the Mt Ed. Nice one dave.

[Ian S]

I ran through these last night and have heaps left over.


Tasting Wines
Terrazze dell'Etna Carusu Etna Rosso 2014
Girolamo Russo San Lorenzo Etna Rosso 2014
Pietradolce Contrada Rampante Etna Rosso 2014
Passopisciaro Passorosso Terre Siciliane IGP 2014
Tenute Bosco Piano dei Daini Etna Rosso 2014
Frank Cornilessen MunJebel® Rosso Chiusa Spagnolo(contrada Zottorinoto) IGP Terre Siciliane 2014
I Custodi Pistus Etna Rosso 2014
Graci Arcuria Etna Rosso 2014
Tasca d’Almerita Tascante Ghiaia Nera Sicilia DOC 2014
Feudo di Mezzo Etna Rosso 2014

Dinner Wines
Etna Bianco, Vigna di Milo, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2015
Etna Rosato, Pietradolce 2016
Etna Rosso, Vinupetra, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2002
Etna Rosso, Vinupetra, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2014
Malvasia delle Lipari, Tenuta di Castellaro 2013

Interested in your views on the Vinupetra reds. I picked up one (the 2014) recently off the back of remembering a friend speak highly of Salvatore Foti, when he'd just started up his own winery.

Interested also (because they appear to be such marmite wines) what you made of Cornilessen's wine

Great to see an Aeolian wine there as well. We stayed a week on Lipari and enjoyed it.

[Ian S]

For me a very disappointing Nosiola from Cesconi (2016 vintage), this beautiful grape badly obscured by rubber/creosote aroma & flavour. Screwcap, so I figure it might be a reduction problem. Maybe the Italians still learning how to overcome that problem?

Sort of confirmed on the second night, definitely better balance though the creosote was still there, but no longer in the foreground.

[winetastic]

I ran through these last night and have heaps left over.


Tasting Wines
Terrazze dell'Etna Carusu Etna Rosso 2014
Girolamo Russo San Lorenzo Etna Rosso 2014
Pietradolce Contrada Rampante Etna Rosso 2014
Passopisciaro Passorosso Terre Siciliane IGP 2014
Tenute Bosco Piano dei Daini Etna Rosso 2014
Frank Cornilessen MunJebel® Rosso Chiusa Spagnolo(contrada Zottorinoto) IGP Terre Siciliane 2014
I Custodi Pistus Etna Rosso 2014
Graci Arcuria Etna Rosso 2014
Tasca d’Almerita Tascante Ghiaia Nera Sicilia DOC 2014
Feudo di Mezzo Etna Rosso 2014

Dinner Wines
Etna Bianco, Vigna di Milo, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2015
Etna Rosato, Pietradolce 2016
Etna Rosso, Vinupetra, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2002
Etna Rosso, Vinupetra, I Vigneri di Salvo Foti 2014
Malvasia delle Lipari, Tenuta di Castellaro 2013

Also very interested in any recollections you may have from the lineup. Have only tried around half of the producers there.

[JamieBahrain]

Wild Duck Alan's Cabernets 2002

Very modest dry red. More shiraz than cabernet- a little echo of capsicum on the gritty finish the only hint.

[Chuck]

With SWMBO away I've been tucking into some quaffers and some curios lost in the cellar. Last night I opened a 375ml cleanskin 1998 vintage port from Seppeltsfield. You may recall they were clearing out the cellars about 10 years ago after (I think) the winery changed hands.

The cork was solid with barely 2mm of stain at the base. Dominant aroma and flavour of dried apricot and very nice indeed. Just a pup at the moment this gem will likely go another 20-30 years even in the smaller bottle. There is just one bottle left unfortunately however I might just bring it along to the Adelaide offline if anyone's interested. It fits the 8 theme.

Carl

[swirler]

Seppelt Original SS. The NV version. The concept went down very badly on here, yet Tyson Stelzer gave it his SS of the year and best sparkling wine under $30. Thought I'd have a crack seeing as though it's only $18.

First impressions aren't so good. Typical Grampians Shiraz fruit. Decent depth of flavor. Just tastes a bit manufactured, chemically or something that I can't put my finger on. Probably too young. I can see it coming good with a bit of cellaring, but I like to cellar wines I can appreciate on first tasting and this looks like a bit of a gamble to me.

Let's see how it develops over a night (or two.)

[rens]

2005 John Forrest Collection Cabernet Sauvignon: Still lacking something-will keep the last one another 5 or 6 years to see if it gets it self together. It's balanced, but lacking the the wow.
2008 Mamre Brooke Cabernet Sauvignon: Barossa cabernet, which is not my thing. Alcohol heat is very obvious. Hoping there is no more in the cellar.
2012 Greenock Creek Grenache: everything you expect from this label. It's big, bold and right in the Greenock Creek grove. It is probably one of the better recent vintages on the palate and the finish has length. Still has that tingling bitterness that gets you on the side of the tongue that detracts a little for me.

[rens]

2008 Marius Symphony: My last bottle and it is in a suburb place. A nose of dark fruits, a hint of roasted game meats with lovely ripe figs, light soy and beef stock. There is plenty of velvety, black and red fruit on the palate-the ripe plum is just superb. It coats the mouth beautifully with hints of dark chocolate, great balanced acidity and a lingering length with almost resolved tannins. Take a bow Roger-just magic.

[Bobthebuilder]

Glad to see Sunday night finally came through after the previous!
I haven’t tried Rogers wines yet,
But looking forward to it

[felixp21]

1990 Chateau Lagrange, St Julien
fully mature, but powering on superbly. Brilliant wine. 95pts

1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild
still young, still tight, but just plain awesome. Needs another 10-15 years. 99+pts

1998 Chateau l'Evangile
again, pretty young, but opened up over the night, having been decanted 12 hours beforehand. Love this Chateau 96pts

2004 Dominus Estate Napa
very fruit-forward and "warm" when compared to the above three, but still a lovely drink. Ready to go. 94pts

[Mahmoud Ali]

2008 Mamre Brooke Cabernet Sauvignon: Barossa cabernet, which is not my thing. Alcohol heat is very obvious. Hoping there is no more in the cellar.

I don't have experience with the 2008 but was impressed enough by the early reviews to have bought a couple of bottles of the 1998. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will develop into something special. Normally I would caution a person from expecting too much from a big cabernet in only a decade but am alarmed about the "alcohol heat".

Mahmoud.

[rens]

2008 Mamre Brooke Cabernet Sauvignon: Barossa cabernet, which is not my thing. Alcohol heat is very obvious. Hoping there is no more in the cellar.

I don't have experience with the 2008 but was impressed enough by the early reviews to have bought a couple of bottles of the 1998. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will develop into something special. Normally I would caution a person from expecting too much from a big cabernet in only a decade but am alarmed about the "alcohol heat".

Mahmoud.

1998 may be a different proposition. I have a feeling that the fruit quality may have gone the way of many such labels. Think Kanunga Hill etc

[Matt@5453]

A lot of good wines consumed over Easter with family & friends. Highlights were:

2015 Paulett's "Antonina" Riesling, Polish Hill River: clean & fresh with lime dominating the palate, the acidity is starting to soften. Excellent balance with a long lingering finish. A very good wine, should be good for longer term cellaring.

2015 Taylors Wines St Andrews Shiraz, Clare Valley: Consumed over 3 days ex decanter, it kept on getting better and better. Rich dark fruits, plums, chocolate & vanilla (American oak). Needs time to come together, should look good in 8-10 years times.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Garrison 'In Session' IPA from Nova Scotia on Good Friday, then Bentstick Session Ale from a new nano-brewery in Edmonton following an afternoon run in a still cold but sunny Saturday afternoon. Sunday night we had 2009 Florio 'Vecchioflorio' Marsala Superiore, an aperitif followed by a 2005 Melville Estate Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills (15.3%), and then some 2007 Dow's LBV with cherry ripe easter eggs from Australia. The Melville was not at all overwrought or alcoholic considering it was Californian and 15.3%. It wasn't at all tired, flabby, or oaky, just nicely balanced, rich and long. Very nice and a perfect compliment to our dinner of rosemary chicken.

Melville.jpg

[sjw_11]

With SWMBO away I've been tucking into some quaffers and some curios lost in the cellar. Last night I opened a 375ml cleanskin 1998 vintage port from Seppeltsfield. You may recall they were clearing out the cellars about 10 years ago after (I think) the winery changed hands.

The cork was solid with barely 2mm of stain at the base. Dominant aroma and flavour of dried apricot and very nice indeed. Just a pup at the moment this gem will likely go another 20-30 years even in the smaller bottle. There is just one bottle left unfortunately however I might just bring it along to the Adelaide offline if anyone's interested. It fits the 8 theme.

Carl

Carl, thanks for the note. I think I have about 7 bottles of this myself... well certainly some kind of unlabelled 1998 Seppeltfield VP! Hopefully it is the same one you tried which bodes well as I kind of forgot about them. I also have some 2005 touriga based VP in the full sized bottle under screw cap. There was some real bargains in that cellar clear out.

[Ian S]

Hi Mahmoud
What did you make of the Florio Marsala?
I hadn't realised they were part of Banfi, who I don't have a lot of time for - a conglomeration of mediocrity normally.
Regards
Ian