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

[felixp21]

@ Mike Hawkins
couldn't agree more, the 2000's vary from nice little wines that are drinking well now to beasts where the tannins will win the "tannins v fruit" battle. I have always maintained that 2000, despite many good wines, is a vintage that was over-hyped from day one for obvious reasons. Once again, the Right Bank seems to be the star that vintage on recent horizontals.

[Mike Hawkins]

@ Mike Hawkins
couldn't agree more, the 2000's vary from nice little wines that are drinking well now to beasts where the tannins will win the "tannins v fruit" battle. I have always maintained that 2000, despite many good wines, is a vintage that was over-hyped from day one for obvious reasons. Once again, the Right Bank seems to be the star that vintage on recent horizontals.

Left bank producers had been waiting for 10 years to hype a vintage ( 95 and 96 don’t quite get there) and I agree, went overboard .... and have done so frequently since then.

[Bobthebuilder]

not 60 yet!!!!!

thats good to hear
so I guess theres a good chance rooman and I might be able to help you with those long ones
rooman less than me but either way we are both there for you until the end!

[Polymer]

Interestingly, and far more significantly for me, my doubts as to the quality of the 05 Burgundy vintage continue to creep up. The same problem in so many wines, a wall of tannins that overwhelms many wines. I am far more confident 05 Burgundy will eventually turn out just fine, but boy, it will be SOME wait!!!

05s Burgs were pretty firm...but I've had a few lately that have been pretty nice so they're worth taking a look at again...but I'm with you...2-3 years ago it felt like they'd never come around...

05 Bordeaux...I agree...they're just a wall of tannins...some of the lesser wines are drinking quite nicely though...I'm not sure when the big boys will come around..if ever..

[dave vino]

from last week...

2016 Domaine Ratte Les Corvées
This is a Trousseau made with the old school Trousseau à la Dame clone, on vines that are 80 years old. Biodynamic, natural fermentation and no S02 or filtration (holding it up to the light I can testify to that). I ran it through a very fine filter which didn’t really stop anything so the sediment is quite fine. The cork is quite soft and spongy and you can see some seepage along the fault lines of the cork already which is a bit concerning. Violets, dark cherry, black fruits, although for me, it is the palate where all the magic happens. There is almost a spritz to the wine, which is this acidic punch to your senses, in conjunction with rich fruited flavours, make you sit back and go ‘wow!’ Good length, finishes clean, touches of leather and juicy red fruits. This is really good juice, eminently quaffable, the red fruit flavours are really pure and the structure holds it all together. It has this lightness about it that I found really refreshing. (it is 12.8% alc fwiw). Yet the fruit and structure lends to a more serious intent. A fun, serious wine, or a seriously fun wine?

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/Misc/IMG_2227.JPG[/img]

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/Misc/IMG_2228.JPG[/img]

[deejay81]

2008 Pol Roger Champagne Vintage Brut

No formal notes.
A good amount of bubbles (not too little, not too much). I remember some toasty notes with green apple bordering citrus mouth feel and acidity and a perfect amount of dosage to balance.
Medium plus body and definitely pinot dominant.
Finish was long. Very delicious but still has plenty more to give with age. 92pts

[Mike Hawkins]

2008 Pol Roger Champagne Vintage Brut

No formal notes.
A good amount of bubbles (not too little, not too much). I remember some toasty notes with green apple bordering citrus mouth feel and acidity and a perfect amount of dosage to balance.
Medium plus body and definitely pinot dominant.
Finish was long. Very delicious but still has plenty more to give with age. 92pts

It’s a good wine, though I’m not sure it will reach the heights of the 90 and 96.

[Rory]

2004 Cestello D'Ama Chianti Classico
2004 was a superior year, quite ripe. Palate and aromas showed the ripeness, tho not overly so, with smooth tannins and acid.
I probably was expecting far more complexity than it showed, however it went well with the BBQ'd Rib Eye, and helped ease the pain of another Saints drubbing.

[dave vino]

Another one from me from Domaine Ratte, there is not much out there on this wine, so I've done a bit of research/cut and pasting from websites...

2016 Domaine Ratte Naturé (Savagnin) Arbois
"Naturé" the old name of Savagnin, this is from a single vineyard called Pré Levront just below Corvées. The vines are 20 years old, but a small part was planted over 100 years ago. Soil is blue and gray marl. Grapes are harvested and sorted in the vineyard by hand. Slow horizontal hydraulic press into stainless for wild fermentation. Then into old oak barrels from Meursault and bottled the following year without filtration and very little Sulphur.

This is not an in your face Savignin, no oxidative characters here, it is clean and crisp. There is a touch of nuttiness, vanilla, lemon curd and hints of grass. It comes across as full and weighty in the mouth with a good searing acidity. Grapefruit, lemon pith, hints of melon and apples. This is the sort of wine that is made for seafood.

If you want to try something edgy and hipster but still can't quite stomach those oxidative styles synonymous with Jura, this ticks all the boxes, Jura, biodynamic, hand harvested, wild ferments, no filtration and minimal SO2

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/052018/IMG_2263.JPG[/img]

[dave vino]

Some pics from our casual Aussie Classics dinner during the week. Cork gods were not too kind.

Some great wines, showing really well. Moss Wood, Lindemans, Brokenwood etc, etc.

Let me know if you want details on any, although I didn't take notes.

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/052018/AuClassics-1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/052018/AuClassics-2.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/052018/AuClassics-3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/052018/AuClassics-4.jpg[/img]

[swirler]

Great lineup, Dave! Love those Mouton labels How come the 2000 LEAS have different coloured glass?

[Rocky]

Thanks Dave

Interested in more details on the MW. Also what ratio of good v bad cork did you have? Recent post on Ian’s online notes revealed 4/13 as cork fails.

[dave vino]

Great lineup, Dave! Love those Mouton labels How come the 2000 LEAS have different coloured glass?

LOL not different coloured glass, oxidised badly.

Faulty Wines..

1999 LEAS - Corked
2000 LEAS - Oxidised (funnily one of the other guys had the same wine as a backup which was fine)
1983 Signature - Shot, oxidised
1999 Petaluma Coonawarra - corked
4/20 wines

Moss Wood was showing really well. Second dinner we've had recently where the Moss Wood was definitely in the top 3 wines for the night. Really well balanced and drinking great at the moment.

[Chuck]

Awesome wines and food looks great. Is that the Lindemans 1990 Sesquicentenary Cabernet Sauvignon in magnum? If so I hope it was a lot better than the one we tried a few years ago. We found it a quite average wine and underwhelming. Only bottle I've had so no benchmark available for comparison. As I recall it was about 12% ABV which may have translated into under ripe fruit. Either that or the cork gods weren't kind although I could not detect any known faults.

Carl

[felixp21]

Hi Dave,
how was the 2009 de Iuliis? I cracked open a case when last down in Oz, and the 3-4 bottles we had were only average, probably still too young. Your thoughts?

[Ian S]

2012 Massa Tortona Timorasso 'Monte Cimitorio' yesterday, posted on the Italian sub-forum.

[deejay81]

Hey Dave, how was the 94 Lakes Folly? Got 1 left And haven't tried one for a couple of years.

[dave vino]

I knew I should have taken notes... maybe someone who was there can remember...

1990 Lindys Sesq. en magnum - from memory I think it was a touch madeirised, chocolatey sort of flavours.

De Iullis was a good counterpoint to the 1990 Steven, but it was still very primary, big, in your face. So yeah no hurry to drink these.

Lakes was good, at first I thought it had a bit of TCA but must have just been bottle stink. Still going really well, the bigger oak treatment is helping it here now.

[tuxy85]

On Saturday night I had a few glasses of Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz 2014. It was a truly lovely wine. Dark squid ink in colour with a garnet hue. The tannins were nicely balanced with the black fruit, pepper and star anise. I have 5 more bottles. Despite being so delicious I am going to given them some time and start drinking the remaining 5 between 2025 and 2030. 4.5 stars now but I am expecting 5 stars in years go come. I'll also have a bottle of the Old Paddock & Old Hill Shiraz 2014 and the 1880s Vines Shiraz 2014 to open in a similar drinking window althought I might give those a bit more time.

[Sean]

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[dave vino]

Big shoutout to Winesave!! Had a Mothers Day dinner on the 8th of May and took mum's favourite (not sure where she gets that from...) anyway we still had half a bottle at the end of the night which I took home. I gassed it and put it in my beer fridge and promptly forgot about it, until I went to grab a beer while watching my beloved Doggies play (and gaining a few more grey hairs) I usually put half empties in the main fridge so I see it every time I open the door, but for some reason didn't this time.

Opened it up and poured it, not expecting much, and wow! just as fresh and had hardly budged in nearly 2 weeks. Very happy chappy.

Guess the secret is keeping it upright and not moving much,

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/Misc/IMG_2264.JPG[/img]

[JamieBahrain]

I spent three nights in Barossa . Enjoyed Hutton Vale Riesling , Sami Odi NV and Yalumba virgilius At Fermentasia.

I hired a cottage for 300 a night and they had goblets for glassware so didn’t crack my top stuff but enjoyed 99 Moss wood and their 99 Ribbon Vale. A few bottles of 99 Bowen cab too. Usually I carry my own stems but a 3am drive from Barossa to ADL airport today meant I skipped a visit back to cellar where good stems kept

Enjoyed the Massena range and JC’s own. The only CD I visited

[Gavin Trott]

I spent three nights in Barossa . Enjoyed Hutton Vale Riesling , Sami Odi NV and Yalumba virgilius At Fermentasia.

I hired a cottage for 300 a night and they had goblets for glassware so didn’t crack my top stuff but enjoyed 99 Moss wood and their 99 Ribbon Vale. A few bottles of 99 Bowen cab too. Usually I carry my own stems but a 3am drive from Barossa to ADL airport today meant I skipped a visit back to cellar where good stems kept

Enjoyed the Massena range and JC’s own. The only CD I visited

Did you come for the Football Jamie?

.

[swirler]

Wendy and I had lunch on Sunday at The Craft & Co cellar door, which is at Bangholme, s/e of Melbourne. The wines have the Port Phillip zone on the label, not close enough to Mornington Peninsula and surrounded by new housing or industrial estates and old market gardens. They have a vineyard and winery there. (Also a brewery and Gin distillery in Collingwood.) I ran through a few wines on tasting before lunch. The whites were the 17 vintage and the reds the 16 vintage. I liked the rustic, red fruited/spicy Grenache and Mourvedre blend and had that with lunch. The Pinot Noir and Merlot wines might be worth a second look. Not on tasting, but I will look for the wood matured Sav Blanc and Reserve Shiraz, the latter co-fermented with a bit of Viognier and some Mourvedre added to the final blend.

The Craft & Co Viognier 2017 - Got a bottle to try at home. This had been partly matured in older French oak barriques. Adds something interesting to the flavour and texture. Straw coloured with florals, stonefruit and a nice savoury or slightly funky element to it.

It's listed as at the same address as The Story wines? Is there any connection?

[felixp21]

I spent three nights in Barossa . Enjoyed Hutton Vale Riesling , Sami Odi NV and Yalumba virgilius At Fermentasia.

I hired a cottage for 300 a night and they had goblets for glassware so didn’t crack my top stuff but enjoyed 99 Moss wood and their 99 Ribbon Vale. A few bottles of 99 Bowen cab too. Usually I carry my own stems but a 3am drive from Barossa to ADL airport today meant I skipped a visit back to cellar where good stems kept

Enjoyed the Massena range and JC’s own. The only CD I visited

Did you come for the Football Jamie?

.

you are using the term "football" quite loosely, Gavin.

[Sean]

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[swirler]

Thanks, Sean. Not a bad article for a local newspaper.

I'm guessing he shares the winemaking facilities with C&Co.

[Chuck]

A couple of noteworthy wines of late:

Hay Shed Hill 2007 Block 2 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon.

Not your typical MR cab although may be in another 10 years. Full bodied. Blackcurrant and other black fruits with some big oak that needs more time to integrate.

The Lane 2016 Block 5 Adelaide Hills Shiraz.

Some black fruit coupled with pepper and spice and all things nice. Great colour. Modest oak. Lovely mouthfeel. More full bodied than the usual AH shiraz. Quite drinkable now and should develop further with some sleep time. Great value.

Tonight we are celebrating our birthdays at Chianti taking along a Mosswood 2005 cab plus another bottle yet to be determined. Can't wait!!

Carl

[Cactus]

Might pop a special red as a prequel to watching Liverpool beat Real Madrid. Perhaps a Rockford Basket Press 2012

[Cactus]

Rockford Basket Press 2012
Its certainly a surprisingly lighter style of barossa shiraz. The tannins are soft and integrated. It seems like an early drinker. Its nice and long. Does this really need much more time in the cellar? Drinking well now