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

[shirazphile]

These wines are from the March 2013 Bins release.

This was really the last time I bought any Penfolds wines in quantity. A vintage like 2010 was like a litmus test for me, ie. whether or not I really wanted to keep buying Penfolds wines.

Generally these are pretty good wines. If you like the house style, you might be happy having some of these wines in your cellar.

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz 2010 - A solid 28 if you like the style. Quality fruit that has been cherry picked from around South Australia. Red-purple colour with a nice lustre to it. Blackberry, cherry, spice and a bit of earth/smoke. Subtle oak and smooth, dry tannins. Nicely balanced and a wine that shows some potential. It has been a while since I had an old 28 that had any “magic” to it however.

Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz 2010 - Got a mix of French and American oak, 50% new. A deep purple colour. Lush, ripe fruit that hasn’t been dominated by the oak. Feels rich and intense, but balanced. Some warmth, but it feels right. Black and blue fruits, spice, chocolate and deep, firm tannins. The 08 (the inaugural vintage of this) is a blinder and maybe a hard act to follow. On its own, this isn’t too bad.

Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 - A lot of Limestone Coast fruit. Got both French and American oak, nearly half of it new. A bit warm showing the Penfolds style if I am being very critical. Deep purple colour and lovely aromas. Cassis, violets, plum, tobacco and red fruits. Savoury/cedary oak. Some inky intensity on the mid-palate and smooth, dry tannins. Getting better with each vintage, with a few years on them anyway, and this is a pretty good 407.

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2010 - 51% cabernet and 49% shiraz. Got 12 months in American oak, 40% new. I guess the rest might be the “old” Grange barrels. A good vintage for Penfolds giving them plenty of choices from around South Australia and it shows. Blackberry, cherry, licorice and dried herbs. The oak is still evident without distracting too much from the quality in this. Nice fruit intensity and beautiful, dense tannins (that I am looking for in this) give it structure.

Good notes here Sean. Penfolds does not do it for me anymore. The VFM is not there, and they are made in a boring warm-climate SA style. Not for me.

[deejay81]

2014 Michel Gahier Chardonnay Arbois Les Crêts

Clear, dull pale yellow in colour. Initial slight petrol/super glue that blew off quickly leaving behind a sweet nectarines. White florals, perhaps Jasmine.
Medium minus body with sharp high acidity. Lots of white stone fruits, white peach, white nectarine with skins. Sweet but no residual sugar. A bit like biting into waxy honeycomb. Very complex and definately has some oxidative character which goes well with this.
Finish is long, with the zingy acidity with sweet fruits keeping me wanting more. Extremely satisfying wine that is dying for some food but so good on its own too. 95pts

[MattD]

Had a mini vertical of Chateau Magdelaine Saint-Émilion tasting the 2005 and 2006 side by side.

Interestingly the ‘06 tastes like it is 5-10 years older than the ‘05 despite being the younger wines. Light red with a brick tinge. Raspberry and leather dominate the nose. Juicy red fruit grab you before firm and fine grained tannins carry you to the dry almost herbal finish. Serious and savoury.

The ‘05 has much darker fruit on the nose, blackberry, blueberry and a little liquorice. Still fruit forward but a hint of leather and tobacco is coming. Big, firm tannic structure but very refined.

Both lovely but the 2005 just edges it for me, as I normally drink Australian I’m draw to the richer darker fruit of the 2005. Looking forward to seeing how they both evolve through to tomorrow night.

[felixp21]

2012 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Spatlese Auction
yes, rare and expensive bottling, but spatlese as a whole is lost on me, these days seems to be about as fashionable as Port. Not sure what you would drink this with, on it's own it is ok, pure, sweet and quaffable. Not for me. 90 pts.

1989 Chateau Montrose
just a magnificent bottle of wine, at age almost 30, it is still youthful. Rich and long, complex and polished, an amazing wine experience. Probably will improve over the next decade, but a fantastic experience right now. 99 pts

2004 Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Cabernet
in no way shamed by the Montrose, indeed, it made a fascinating contrast between the best of the Old World v a super wine from the New World. Lacks the drive and tannin structure of the Bordeaux, but offers beautiful fruit and very decent complexity. Well done. 93 pts

[Matt@5453]

2017 Adelina Wines "Field Blend", Clare Valley

A blend of Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro, Ugni blanc, Roussanne & Carignan. A “Pinot like” lighter bodied style wine. An intriguing nose of strawberries and fresh florals. The palate is fresh with refreshing acidity, wild strawberry undertones and a touch of graphite; finishing with some tannic grip. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[phillisc]

2002 Rockford Cabernet
Really lovely wine, lovely berries, quite fruit forward and savory
Gentle tannins and great mouth feel...have plenty of BP but need to think about more of these.

2001 Virgin Hills...beautiful wine, absolute wow...so sad that this label is confined to history and just about removed from memory. Complex, bright berry, a little olive, fabulous palate, went on for ages, twinge of berry sweetness at the end. Cabernet, Shiraz, Malbec and Merlot all in harmony, at the top of its game...good bottles should go a while yet.

Cheers
Craig

[Rory]

1998 Wynns Black Label Cab.

Cant remember when i opened one of these, so it may well been the first!
Considering the ridiculous hype over the vintage I wasn't expecting too much, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Its was mistakenly Coonawarra on the nose, but lovely soft fruit with enough power to keep me interested. Length was good too. Whilst its not a patch on '90, '91 or '94 (or good bottles of '96), it was rewarding.

[grhm1961]

2008 Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon

The first one of the 2008s we've opened ... Dark, vibrant ruby red; very lustrous. Big bouquet of blackcurrant, plums, chocolate, blackberry, undergrowth, spice, toasty oak and vanilla. Very lovely palate of elegant, creamy plums and dark berries, chocolate, spice, and lavender with supple, fine tannins and long, lovely fruity/creamy finish... sorry for the purple prose, but there was a lot of interesting things going on with this wine.

Wow, what a wine. This is great, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how these develop over a few more years. In a rare moment of agreement, Jeremy Oliver and James Halliday both scored this wine 94 points and suggested a long life ahead of it. I’m inclined to give it a point or two more; and while it will certainly live for many more years yet, it is so delicious now…

[Ian S]

2008 Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon
In a rare moment of agreement, Jeremy Oliver and James Halliday both scored this wine 94 points and suggested a long life ahead of it.

I didn't realise Halliday hated it

It's probably my favourite wine from South Australia (certainly in VFM terms), and so often a lot of cellaring potential yet also remarkably approachable in youth. For my palate it typically has great balance, something the fancier labels have struggled with in the past.

[felixp21]

1963 Mildara Cabernet Sauvignon
I have been so fortunate to have seen this wine dozens of times over the past 40 years, for me the greatest wine I have ever seen, and easily the greatest Australian made.
My last two tastings, about 5 and 7 years ago, suggested that this was in graceful decline. So my expectations for this bottle were high, but not the bottle of perfection I have seen so many times long ago.
However, this particular bottle defied all my notions of it's decline. Unbelievably, this was fresh as a daisy, multilayered and ridiculously complex and polished... perhaps it is the undertones of mint that provide that freshness and give rise to it's description as a "vinous Peter Pan"
But once again, the single quality that, for me, puts this wine on a pedestal that none other has come close to matching is it's completely absurd length... it simply seems to go on and on forever.
A genuine unicorn wine, something that the producer has never even come within a million miles of re-producing, and indeed, the region has never produced anything of this quality, Woodley series included.
A wonderful treat to see such an old friend soldiering on magnificently.
100pts, at 55 years of age, on the evidence of this bottle, it will easily last another three decades.

[JamieBahrain]

Incredible !

[TiggerK]

Peppermint Pattie!! Fabulous stuff felixp21.

Those freak wines from an era long past, like this, some of the Woodleys and of course the legendary 1962 Bin 60A do so much for the standing of Australian wine on a world scale. I wonder what wines of the current era could have a chance at such longevity and true greatness? (if any)

[phillisc]

Good to hear, apart from Halliday who in one of his books had a photo of a receipt of a two dozen purchase at around a dollar something, and a couple of old Mildara stalwarts, you must have the only bottle(s) in existence.

I was fortunate to try 3 of the 7 Woodley treasure chests about 15 years ago, a 55 Michael in 1984 and some mid 60s Wynns black labels in the 80s.
Never seen a 59 Rouge Homme that many bang on about, but the model day equivalents would be 80 St George, which I have been lucky to try a few times and 82 Riddoch, which thankfully I have a few left.

Felix, don't know about you, but three decades puts me into the mid 80s...anything might taste superlative by then

Cheers
Craig

[grhm1961]

2015 Clydesdale Southern Highlands Shiraz

Well, this is a surprise. I bought half a dozen of these at auction for $2 each to use as cooking wine, but one has to try them to ensure they're suitable first before putting them in the beef bourguignon, of course. And blow me down, this is actually very pleasant. Light in colour, as you might expect from a cool climate shiraz, and loads of pepper and cherry bouquet ... if I had it blind and you'd told me at this stage it was a $20 Rhone syrah I'd have believed you. The palate was pleasant, though a little lightweight ... too lightweight for the bourguignon, but plenty more of the cherry fruit and peppery spice to keep me interested, and fine to pair with chicken, lamb or pork, perhaps. Or perfectly fine as an aperitif, which is what I'm doing now.

Perhaps it's not quite a $20 Rhone, but at $2 and eminently drinkable, I'm pretty happy.

[Wayno]

Peppermint Pattie!! Fabulous stuff felixp21.

Those freak wines from an era long past, like this, some of the Woodleys and of course the legendary 1962 Bin 60A do so much for the standing of Australian wine on a world scale. I wonder what wines of the current era could have a chance at such longevity and true greatness? (if any)

An interesting topic for a speculative thread...

[felixp21]

Peppermint Pattie!! Fabulous stuff felixp21.

Those freak wines from an era long past, like this, some of the Woodleys and of course the legendary 1962 Bin 60A do so much for the standing of Australian wine on a world scale. I wonder what wines of the current era could have a chance at such longevity and true greatness? (if any)

It is a bit like the greens at Royal Melbourne.... changed environment laws means we will never have greens as good as they were in the 60's, 70's and very early 80's under Claude Crockford because you can no longer use lead spray when lifting the turf. Similar environment-conscious changes in the Australian Wine Industry mean the wines of a bygone era had somewhat of an unfair advantage (in some cases). Will we ever see another Bin 60A? Possibly, but IMO unlikely.
Having said that, the 63 Mildara is a unicorn wine, there are mountains of theories and rumours about how it turned out like it did, but no hard evidence one way or another. Yes, it was $15 a dozen ( ) on release.... my old man went hugely long on the stuff. I believe it wasn't released until 66, a little unusual for this winery.
Don't know about present-day Australian wines, but I am totally convinced that in 40 years, people will speak of the "legendary" 2010 Bordeaux vintage and it's wines. I have spoken to multiple old-timers in both Bordeaux and London who are now convinced that 2010 is the modern equivalent of 1961.

[michel]

Peppermint Pattie!! Fabulous stuff felixp21.

Those freak wines from an era long past, like this, some of the Woodleys and of course the legendary 1962 Bin 60A do so much for the standing of Australian wine on a world scale. I wonder what wines of the current era could have a chance at such longevity and true greatness? (if any)

An interesting topic for a speculative thread...

Agreed
As Felix said a Unicorn wine
But how do you identify them

[rooman]

Don't know about present-day Australian wines, but I am totally convinced that in 40 years, people will speak of the "legendary" 2010 Bordeaux vintage and it's wines. I have spoken to multiple old-timers in both Bordeaux and London who are now convinced that 2010 is the modern equivalent of 1961.

I like that. 2010 was the last Bordeaux vintage I went long on during a year I was making good cash. At the moment the few 2010 I have opened have appeared tannic monsters unlike the lush 2009 so I am happy just leaving them alone for an decade or so.

PS i saw another forum somewhere you were continuing your vocal dislike of the 2005 - time will tell.

[rooman]

Not in the same vein as the heady wines above but finally the 2004 Balnaves Cab Sav is starting to come around and cease being a brooding teenager. I had bottle last night at my new favourite Vietnamese in Surry Hills. At 14 years, the tannins are now softer and integrated with the fruit giving an enjoyable cassis, tobacco, saddle leather cabernet. Opened and decanted around 4 hours pre dinner, it may be time to start to reexamining the 2004 SA wines which up until now have all been quite closed.

The preceding wine over starters was a 2007 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett. Enjoyable without being great. I suspect it is still just a little too early to drink given the primary sweet fruit is fading without the onset of the secondary favours and additional depth associated with older rieslings. If you have any, perhaps best to wait.

[felixp21]

Don't know about present-day Australian wines, but I am totally convinced that in 40 years, people will speak of the "legendary" 2010 Bordeaux vintage and it's wines. I have spoken to multiple old-timers in both Bordeaux and London who are now convinced that 2010 is the modern equivalent of 1961.

I like that. 2010 was the last Bordeaux vintage I went long on during a year I was making good cash. At the moment the few 2010 I have opened have appeared tannic monsters unlike the lush 2009 so I am happy just leaving them alone for an decade or so.

PS i saw another forum somewhere you were continuing your vocal dislike of the 2005 - time will tell.

haha, I certainly don't "dislike" the 2005 vintage, as I said on that forum, it is an excellent vintage, but IMO overrated by many. Will the fruit outlast the enormous tannin structure? I don't know, but I have my doubts. 2005 equally divides the Bordeaux community itself, half saying it is sensational, and the other half saying they have their doubts. One thing both sides agree upon, that the top wines will need another two or three decades to reach their plateau. That, of course, raises the philosophical and practical questions of the worthiness of buying a wine knowing that you cannot really drink it for another 30 or 40 years. Given the modern day prices of Bordeaux, therein lies the vinous catch 22..... those that will be alive to drink the wine at their peak cannot afford to buy such wines given their tender age and therefore limited ability to purchase such wines!!!!

[Chuck]

We are travelling in Europe and don't know much about the wines so it's been a bit hit and miss. Keeping drinking down market but hits (in a comparative sense) have been:

Chateau D'Arche 2012 Saint-Emillon Grand Cru. Tasted like a cab dominated blend. A good Tuesday night wine.

Maison Vialade Chardonnay. I think it was French. Forgot the vintage but it tasted fairly new. It was a cheaper house wine and we thought it was very smart and would buy some if available in OZ.

Misses have been less than satisfactory including a cab from Chile which was virtually undrinkable.

Carl

[swirler]

Carl,

I guess that's what somms are for.

Also, given you're an traditional Aussie wine drinker, maybe Languedoc-Roussillon reds, being from a warmer climate will better suit. DT Emillion, as you've found, is another likely candidate.

[Bobthebuilder]

Not in the same vein as the heady wines above but finally the 2004 Balnaves Cab Sav is starting to come around and cease being a brooding teenager. I had bottle last night at my new favourite Vietnamese in Surry Hills. At 14 years, the tannins are now softer and integrated with the fruit giving an enjoyable cassis, tobacco, saddle leather cabernet. Opened and decanted around 4 hours pre dinner, it may be time to start to reexamining the 2004 SA wines which up until now have all been quite closed.

Hi Mark, any chance you could drop me the name of the new favourite?

[rooman]

Not in the same vein as the heady wines above but finally the 2004 Balnaves Cab Sav is starting to come around and cease being a brooding teenager. I had bottle last night at my new favourite Vietnamese in Surry Hills. At 14 years, the tannins are now softer and integrated with the fruit giving an enjoyable cassis, tobacco, saddle leather cabernet. Opened and decanted around 4 hours pre dinner, it may be time to start to reexamining the 2004 SA wines which up until now have all been quite closed.

Hi Mark, any chance you could drop me the name of the new favourite?

its on the BYO THREAD. I have been three times in the last two weeks, experimenting with the different dishes. Uber cheap.

[Bobthebuilder]

2011 Cherry Tree Hill Chardonnay - they say the best Riesling in NSW on the signs as you head down the Hume just before Moss Vale. I really like the Riesling, but reckon the chardonnay is the standout. This is really good, bright fruit and lovely minerality, with very good oak integration. Dave’s dad Gaby is Hungarian and I know they blend both French and Hungarian oak into certIn wines, mainly the entry level wines, I think this is the case here and the Hungarian oak is giving this wine an added dimension I am really enjoying. Dave the owner is on old mate from school days but I would cross paths with him once every decade or so, hence there is no bias in this review, except if the wine was no good I just wouldn’t of posted anything!



2013 Yangarra Mouvedre - earthy, inky, blood plumbs and blackberry,relatively big but not heavy, 24 hrs to breathe has seen it balance out a lot (it was a bit closed and disjointed last night upon opening) . A wine to keep you curious which makes it moorish. Nice drop, and appears to have quite a few years left in it.

[Bobthebuilder]

2011 Cherry Tree Hill Chardonnay - they say the best Riesling in NSW on the signs as you head down the Hume just before Moss Vale. I really like the Riesling, but reckon the chardonnay is the standout. This is really good, bright fruit and lovely minerality, with very good oak integration. Dave’s dad Gaby is Hungarian and I know they blend both French and Hungarian oak into certIn wines, mainly the entry level wines, I think this is the case here and the Hungarian oak is giving this wine an added dimension I am really enjoying. Dave the owner is on old mate from school days but I would cross paths with him once every decade or so, hence there is no bias in this review, except if the wine was no good I just wouldn’t of posted anything!



2013 Yangarra Mouvedre - earthy, inky, blood plumbs and blackberry,relatively big but not heavy, 24 hrs to breathe has seen it balance out a lot (it was a bit closed and disjointed last night upon opening) . A wine to keep you curious which makes it moorish. Nice drop, and appears to have quite a few years left in it.

[grhm1961]

2017 Peter Lehmann H&V Eden Valley Pinot Gris

I normally run a mile from Pinot Gris, but this one is actually rather good: classic apple & pear plus a bit of citrus on the palate, all very clean and well balanced and not at all over the top like so many of them are.

Just the thing to have with a few prawns in a burnt blood orange sauce. Yum.

[Bobthebuilder]

2017 Peter Lehmann H&V Eden Valley Pinot Gris

I normally run a mile from Pinot Gris, but this one is actually rather good: classic apple & pear plus a bit of citrus on the palate, all very clean and well balanced and not at all over the top like so many of them are.

Just the thing to have with a few prawns in a burnt blood orange sauce. Yum.

That sounds delicious
How do you do that sauce?

[grhm1961]

2017 Peter Lehmann H&V Eden Valley Pinot Gris

I normally run a mile from Pinot Gris, but this one is actually rather good: classic apple & pear plus a bit of citrus on the palate, all very clean and well balanced and not at all over the top like so many of them are.

Just the thing to have with a few prawns in a burnt blood orange sauce. Yum.

That sounds delicious
How do you do that sauce?

For 2 people you'll need the zest and juice of 1 blood orange; 1/2 cup sugar (I use glucose, see below) some rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar is fine) and a little neutral oil, such as rice bran oil.

Combine the sugar with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water ... I use glucose with this because it produces caramel with less sweetness than regular sugar, but feel free to use raw sugar (or demerara if you like the extra caramel hit) and boil without stirring until it is good and brown in colour. Take off the heat and once the bubbles have reduced, slowly add the blood orange zest and juice, stirring constantly. Add back to a gentle heat and stir until there are no pieces of caramel remaining. Remove from the heat again and stir in a teaspoon of rice bran oil (or whatever oil you like) and a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar is fine). Too easy! It just takes a lot of watching and then a bit of stirring... all the while you have to taste test the wine, of course.

Out of the blood orange season you can also make this with regular orange (duh!), in which case I'd use raw sugar rather than glucose; I just think the glucose allows the blood orange to really zing, which is the whole point of blood orange, I think.

This works with prawns, but its true magical pairing is with Atlantic salmon, in which case I'd spend a bit more money on the wine. A cool climate Riesling is superb (something from the north east of Tasmania is perfect), but don't hold back ... chardonnay or semillon work as well.

Enjoy!

[Cactus]

Grhm. Awesome post.