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

[Matt@5453]

Damn I was trying to track down some of this over the weekend but without success. It seems it’s sold out everywhere.

Mark

Mark, the 2017 Pewsey Vale 1961 block Riesling ... email me

gtrott@auswine.com.au

if you want some, I can get it!

.

Gavin

Mark, get some...brought two six packs of the 61 to put away...purchased the standard 17 and suspect will get 6 of the contours in 2022....will be a good comparison.

This bloody Riesling train is gaining speed...12 2018 Petaluma HH Andrew Hardy's last and he informs me its a treat!
As if I need anymore
Forgot 6 each of 2018 Vickery EV and Watervale...no more!!

Cheers craig

current offer for 2018 Petaluma HH at $16.5 / per bottle, is this what you paid?

[rooman]

Mark, get some...brought two six packs of the 61 to put away...purchased the standard 17 and suspect will get 6 of the contours in 2022....will be a good comparison.

This bloody Riesling train is gaining speed...12 2018 Petaluma HH Andrew Hardy's last and he informs me its a treat!
As if I need anymore
Forgot 6 each of 2018 Vickery EV and Watervale...no more!!

Cheers craig

current offer for 2018 Petaluma HH at $16.5 / per bottle, is this what you paid?

I have seen that offer. Are people of the view that the 2018 vintage is on par with the 2017. It does seem 2017 is up there with the '12, 05 and '02.

What do people think about the 2018 riesling vintage in SA? Is it up there?

Mark

[Sean]

deleted

[Michael R]

High quality notes Sean.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Very nice notes Sean. Interesting that the two Leo Buring Rieslings, presumably both screw-capped, were different only two years out of the gate.

[Matt@5453]

I have seen that offer. Are people of the view that the 2018 vintage is on par with the 2017. It does seem 2017 is up there with the '12, 05 and '02.

What do people think about the 2018 riesling vintage in SA? Is it up there?

Mark

16, 17 & 18 are all regarded as excellent vintages in the Clare Valley for Riesling (I am not sure of other regions). Some sub-regions of the Valley and producers will differ from year to year, but the consensus is they are all highly regarded. Time will tell regarding longevity.
notably, some very good wines came out of 2001 due to the natural acidity of that vintage.

[phillisc]

Mark, the 2017 Pewsey Vale 1961 block Riesling ... email me

gtrott@auswine.com.au

if you want some, I can get it!

.

Gavin

Mark, get some...brought two six packs of the 61 to put away...purchased the standard 17 and suspect will get 6 of the contours in 2022....will be a good comparison.

This bloody Riesling train is gaining speed...12 2018 Petaluma HH Andrew Hardy's last and he informs me its a treat!
As if I need anymore
Forgot 6 each of 2018 Vickery EV and Watervale...no more!!

Cheers craig

current offer for 2018 Petaluma HH at $16.5 / per bottle, is this what you paid?

Sure was Matt, very hard to pass up at that price, might have 20 vintages of this wine, beautiful outstanding VFM drinks great fresh or with age.
Cheers craig

[rooman]

I have seen that offer. Are people of the view that the 2018 vintage is on par with the 2017. It does seem 2017 is up there with the '12, 05 and '02.

What do people think about the 2018 riesling vintage in SA? Is it up there?

Mark

16, 17 & 18 are all regarded as excellent vintages in the Clare Valley for Riesling (I am not sure of other regions). Some sub-regions of the Valley and producers will differ from year to year, but the consensus is they are all highly regarded. Time will tell regarding longevity.
notably, some very good wines came out of 2001 due to the natural acidity of that vintage.

Thanks for that. I’ve loved some of the 17 I’ve tried so far. I’m not normally big on Grosset PH but the 17 was just superb. I couldn’t resist putting away a six pack. Ok. Time to also add some of the 18.

[JamieBahrain]

I had a 2002 Burge Family Olive Hill last night which was developed and svelte. Holding but drink soon if from proper cellar.

Really enjoy Rick's wines and does anyone know where he's at with the sale? Wish I was clever enough at business and had winemaking skills - would love to give up my day job !

[Rossco]

Some wines from a night with a Pinot theme. All wines served blind.

2012 Marc Hebrart Special Club Premier Cru Champagne
55% Pinot, 45% Chardonnay. Apples, Wild Honey, yeast, Ripe Pears and Lime. This is what Grower Champagne is all about. Has a personality about it. Very well rounded, beautiful texture and soft mousse. A little lemon acidity was there, but this drank so well now, would be very interesting to see how it develops and matures with time. Wonderful start and my first 2012. Shows how good that vintage really is and not over hyped!



1990 Jean-Jacques Confuron Nuits St. Georges Les Chaboeufs Premier Cru
Red/Brown brick in colour, clearly an older wine. Iodine, Seaweed, mushrooms and leather. Old world with a beautiful nose. Peppermint spice and although the fruit had seemed to fade, the secondary characters took its place nicely. Would have preferred a little more length although there was a hint of orange infused black tea at the end. Great wine.


2007 Domaine Dublère Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
An American winemaker in France. Immediate nose of whole bunch hits you quite suddenly. Forest floor and mushrooms with wet autumn leaves and some wet pine or pine needles. Dried strawberries in the mouth with some wild herbs (rosemary). It still needs some time to come together. Structure is overpowering the fruit a little at the moment. Others got more fruit sweetness than I did, but the quality of this wine is great



2008 By Farr Pinot Noir Tout Pres
The owner says this is a new world wine, but I think he poured Old World wine into a new world bottle. He is tricking us! The whole group picked this as old world as it was so hauntingly burgundy. Couldn’t think who in the new world could make this sort of wine. Lavender, Soy, Sage, Rhubarb, potpourri and dried red rose petals. The length is astonishing, it just keeps going. Touch of VA but there is a richness in here that ties the wine together. Quite acidic on the palate, and towards the end some Tomato Stalk or green Tomato leaf started to appear. The Only new world wine of the night.



2012 Albert Mann Pinot Noir Grand H
Strong red cherry and strawberry notes, very bright fruit. Feels like a younger wine. Cherry cough syrup with some slight blackcurrant/ribena in there. Pure fruit here, very high quality. Has soaked up any oak that was in there and come out shining. Lovely wine, never had an Alsace before let alone a Pinot from there.



2005 Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay les Grasses Tetes
Talc, Perfumed Florals, Mocha and dried herbs. Seems very young, like a 2012 or similar, oh how wrong I was! This defied being 13 years old. Was such a baby with 10+ years easy left. Bright Red Cherries and redcurrant fruit. Had some smoky minerality about it as well. Are there any whole bunch or stems in here? Palate was a little short, but I think it just needs more time to fill out. Nice acid and oak with some pomegranate right at the end.



2011 Bernhard Huber Schlossberg Spatburgunder “R” GG
Cola and coal/graphite with some lead pencil shavings. Dark & Black Cherries here with some more dark fruits. Blackberries, Blueberries really highlight the fruit driven style. This is a great drink. Some oak and has some sweetness about it as well. Length is good as is balance of acid. This was a night of firsts as I have never had a German Pinot before. Shows that the Germans know how to handle this variety just as well as anyone else, and seemed to have put a stamp on a specific style. Great wine because it was totally different to what I was expecting.



2004 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Musigny Grand Cru
Very vegetative on the nose initially. Cabbage, Asparagus, Rosemary, Graphite, Smoked Hay, and wet earth. The purity of fruit was astounding here. Perfect line and the length was sensational. Had a whole bunch character about it with what seemed like a small amount of slightly under ripe/savoury fruit with some greenish edges. Again the ash/charcoal was there and wild dry herbs.



2011 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Corton Le Rognet Grand Cru
Created a bit of lively discussion and furious use of technology to figure out exactly where the vineyard was. Great to see everyone so passionate and dedicated to furthering their knowledge. Only southern Burg/Beaune of the night . Very savoury, great length, but too young. Crunchy red fruits, biodynamic vineyard and a very modern producer here. Nice tannic grip but for me I didn’t see the power of a Grand Cru. Was that down to the vintage or the wines age, not sure but I know this will be better in 5 – 10 years.



2005 Bruno Desaunay-Bissey Vosne-Romane Les Beaux Monts Premier Cru
Some initial chlorine characters on the nose. Old world without a doubt. Perfume, florals and red fruits. Nice use of oak here too, adds a sawdust type character. The 2005’s still seem quite young and in need of more sleep. The length was a little short, but had a wonderful backbone of those delicious red cherries, red currants and strawberries. Great wine!



1997 Stanton & Killeen Vintage Port Rutherglen
Aniseed, Cool mint and again some initial chlorine characters. Almond and Marzipan spirit. That spirit is not integrated though and really sits on top of those wonderful, very high quality fruits. It takes a lot to push through the spirit here, but when you do, those stunning fruits really sing and shine. This is a masterpiece of very well handled fruit. Blueberries, blackcurrants and very complex use of spice. liquorice, cinnamon, cloves, and chocolate…stunning wine. Will that spirit ever integrate though?

[Mike Hawkins]

Some wines from a night with a Pinot theme.

2012 Marc Hebrart Special Club Premier Cru Champagne
55% Pinot, 45% Chardonnay. Apples, Wild Honey, yeast, Ripe Pears and Lime. This is what Grower Champagne is all about. Has a personality about it. Very well rounded, beautiful texture and soft mousse. A little lemon acidity was there, but this drank so well now, would be very interesting to see how it develops and matures with time. Wonderful start and my first 2012. Shows how good that vintage really is and not over hyped!



1990 Jean-Jacques Confuron Nuits St. Georges Les Chaboeufs Premier Cru
Red/Brown brick in colour, clearly an older wine. Iodine, Seaweed, mushrooms and leather. Old world with a beautiful nose. Peppermint spice and although the fruit had seemed to fade, the secondary characters took its place nicely. Would have preferred a little more length although there was a hint of orange infused black tea at the end. Great wine.


2007 Domaine Dublère Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
An American winemaker in France. Immediate nose of whole bunch hits you quite suddenly. Forest floor and mushrooms with wet autumn leaves and some wet pine or pine needles. Dried strawberries in the mouth with some wild herbs (rosemary). It still needs some time to come together. Structure is overpowering the fruit a little at the moment. Others got more fruit sweetness than I did, but the quality of this wine is great



2008 By Farr Pinot Noir Tout Pres
The owner says this is a new world wine, but I think he poured Old World wine into a new world bottle. He is tricking us! The whole group picked this as old world as it was so hauntingly burgundy. Couldn’t think who in the new world could make this sort of wine. Lavender, Soy, Sage, Rhubarb, potpourri and dried red rose petals. The length is astonishing, it just keeps going. Touch of VA but there is a richness in here that ties the wine together. Quite acidic on the palate, and towards the end some Tomato Stalk or green Tomato leaf started to appear. The Only new world wine of the night.



2012 Albert Mann Pinot Noir Grand H
Strong red cherry and strawberry notes, very bright fruit. Feels like a younger wine. Cherry cough syrup with some slight blackcurrant/ribena in there. Pure fruit here, very high quality. Has soaked up any oak that was in there and come out shining. Lovely wine, never had an Alsace before let alone a Pinot from there.



2005 Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay les Grasses Tetes
Talc, Perfumed Florals, Mocha and dried herbs. Seems very young, like a 2012 or similar, oh how wrong I was! This defied being 13 years old. Was such a baby with 10+ years easy left. Bright Red Cherries and redcurrant fruit. Had some smoky minerality about it as well. Are there any whole bunch or stems in here? Palate was a little short, but I think it just needs more time to fill out. Nice acid and oak with some pomegranate right at the end.



2011 Bernhard Huber Schlossberg Spatburgunder “R” GG
Cola and coal/graphite with some lead pencil shavings. Dark & Black Cherries here with some more dark fruits. Blackberries, Blueberries really highlight the fruit driven style. This is a great drink. Some oak and has some sweetness about it as well. Length is good as is balance of acid. This was a night of firsts as I have never had a German Pinot before. Shows that the Germans know how to handle this variety just as well as anyone else, and seemed to have put a stamp on a specific style. Great wine because it was totally different to what I was expecting.



2004 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Musigny Grand Cru
Very vegetative on the nose initially. Cabbage, Asparagus, Rosemary, Graphite, Smoked Hay, and wet earth. The purity of fruit was astounding here. Perfect line and the length was sensational. Had a whole bunch character about it with what seemed like a small amount of slightly under ripe/savoury fruit with some greenish edges. Again the ash/charcoal was there and wild dry herbs.



2011 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Corton Le Rognet Grand Cru
Created a bit of lively discussion and furious use of technology to figure out exactly where the vineyard was. Great to see everyone so passionate and dedicated to furthering their knowledge. Only southern Burg/Beaune of the night . Very savoury, great length, but too young. Crunchy red fruits, biodynamic vineyard and a very modern producer here. Nice tannic grip but for me I didn’t see the power of a Grand Cru. Was that down to the vintage or the wines age, not sure but I know this will be better in 5 – 10 years.



2005 Bruno Desaunay-Bissey Vosne-Romane Les Beaux Monts Premier Cru
Some initial chlorine characters on the nose. Old world without a doubt. Perfume, florals and red fruits. Nice use of oak here too, adds a sawdust type character. The 2005’s still seem quite young and in need of more sleep. The length was a little short, but had a wonderful backbone of those delicious red cherries, red currants and strawberries. Great wine!



1997 Stanton & Killeen Vintage Port Rutherglen
Aniseed, Cool mint and again some initial chlorine characters. Almond and Marzipan spirit. That spirit is not integrated though and really sits on top of those wonderful, very high quality fruits. It takes a lot to push through the spirit here, but when you do, those stunning fruits really sing and shine. This is a masterpiece of very well handled fruit. Blueberries, blackcurrants and very complex use of spice. liquorice, cinnamon, cloves, and chocolate…stunning wine. Will that spirit ever integrate though?

Love the Hebrart Special Club. 2008/12/13 are all great, just need a few years after release to really shine. His wife Isabelle runs Diebolt Vallois and I was at the winery on Thursday. She gets on his case for releasing the wines too early which is understandable. Her 2008 Fleur de Passion is stupendous btw.

[Chuck]

To celebrate our son moving to Melbourne for his first job post uni I brought out a Brands 2002 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon in magnum. Not expecting much we were pleasantly surprised with a classic aged Coonawarra cab. I think being in magnum helped a bit. Everything in its place. I have never been disappointed with any wines from 2002 particularly with some age. I do recall being in front of a computer in February here in Adelaide with ugg boots on. Indeed it was a cool year.

Carl

[TiggerK]

Nice dinner out with friends last Thursday.

Highlights for me were the brilliant Lindemans 1988, then the Barbaresco 2001 which was singing nicely. Then the Folly 1992 which also rocked. But good wines all night, except the Fleurie 2009 which was a bit of a mess. Really enjoyed the 2012 Bordeaux too, surprisingly approachable, but still not exactly open for business either.

Think I missed one or two...

Pierre Gimonnet Cuvee Fleuron 1er Cru 2006
Domaine des Marnes Blanches Savagnin En Quatre Vis 2015
Andre Perret Condrieu ‘Chery’ 2014
Tyrrells Belford Semillon 2011
Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2012
Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay 2010

Lindemans Bin 7603 Hunter River Burgundy 1988
Lakes Folly Cabernets 1992
Jules Desjourneys Fleurie 2009
Jules Desjourneys Fleurie Chapelle des Bois 2010
Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva ‘Ovello’ 2001
Star Lane Shiraz 2012
Chateau Pontet-Canet 2012

Cheers
Tim

[grhm1961]

Hmm, well perhaps not quite in the same league as some here, but we did have a bit of a dinner party the other night with some decent drops:

Howard Vineyard Amos Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2015: Pale lemon with a gentle, floral nose of honeysuckle and frangipani. On the palate, apricots and melon. Beautiful mouthfeel, great acid, top fruit. Top wine.

M. Chapoutier Les Meysonniers, Crozes-Hermitage 2011: Big nose of earth, cheese, stewed fruits and big, jammy fruit on the palate, definitely can't be confused for an Oz wine. Big wine, with a big finish; a big surprise and very, very good.

Wendouree Cabernet Malbec 2010: Dark crimson red with nose of acetone and plum. Huge, grippy, stick-to-the-teeth tannins overpowered any fruit on the palate even after a double decant and 3 - 4 hours breathing; still waaaaaaay too young. Be patient.

Noon Twelve Bells 2017: I only opened this following a glowing review from the inimitable Philip White. At $12 I wasn't expecting much, but, oh boy! Pale crimson with a beautiful, earthy, mushroom nose, not unlike a fine Hunter shiraz. Beautiful mid-weight palate with more savouriness like a superb Tassie Pinot, not at all what I was expecting from this shiraz/grenache/cabernet/graciano blend. Savoury and wonderful. Love it!

Was a bit too 'tired' after all that to write notes on the Mount Langi Ghiran Cane Cut Riesling 2014 or the Campbells Vintage Port 1994 but they were class acts, too. So far as I remember...

[Con J]

I've had a couple of these in the last 12 months and thought they were still primary and needed a few more years to gain some complexity. Got 10 more in the cellar so I should have a look at another one soon.

Cheers Con.

Hi Con
Let us know when you open one, I will be interested on your notes. I am starting to get to wines that I collected for cellaring over 14 years ago. Now it's a decision to give them a few more years, or drink now before it's too late. I use Cellar Tracker, and there were mixed opinions when to drink this wine. Unfortunately, most of my older wines are single units, so I don't have the luxury of trying a bottle every year to check on its development. You could be right that the wine is still primary, however I did not see much change in the wine over 4 hours, and I don't think there is much left in the wine to keep it going for a few more years, but I certainly could be wrong.

Hi Phil.

You could be right it probably won’t get any better but didn’t think there was any rush to drink them. Next time I get to my offsite storage I’ll bring a couple home. It could be a personal preference, I like my wine with a fair bit of age.


Cheers Con.

I've had this in the wine fridge at home for a while now and opened it tonight with a traditional pizza at a pop up park close to home.

lots of lovely dark fruit with plenty of tannins still showing, I think it's it's just starting to get in it's groove but no rush for me anyway.

Cork was barely stained, cellared from release.

Cheers Con.

[Matt@5453]

Weekend drinking:

2017 Adelina Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
Not hitting any heights; sea shells, salty, nuttiness, no real depth of flavour, acidic/sharp taste. Can’t detect any oak, one of his concrete tank experiments perhaps? A bit of a miss.

2016 Maude Pinot Noir, Central Otago
Served too warm at a BBQ. Ripe raspberries, jubes, a touch of spice, little or no tannin. Simple.

2017 Taylors Wines Jaraman Chardonnay, Clare Valley/Margaret River
Depth of flavour, minerals, balance, spice from the oak, length. Very Enjoyable. 5-10 year window.

2016 Taylors Wines Jaraman Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley
Savoury fruit, spice, tannic grip, long length, very enjoyable Pinot. 3-5 years to balance out

[JamieBahrain]

1973 Eileen Hardy Cabernet and 2006 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay.

Extraordinarily interesting drinking.

[grhm1961]

Blood Brother Republic 'BBR' Blewitt Springs McLaren Vale Grenache 2017

This wine won the 2018 Halliday Grenache Challenge, and I approached it with high expectations, although it must be said, I was more than a little perplexed by the wide disparity of awards it had received, from national trophies to mere bronze medals ... what were the awards really saying about this wine? An 'exotic wine uncompromising in its quality' was the promise, but the price point of about $20 suggested either this was an exaggeration or a mistake. Either way, I was a little uncertain as to what to expect.

With two hours breathing and a double decant, the wine opened promisingly enough: bright, vibrant, and a very enticing cherry pink with a sparkle that suggested something special. It was encouraging, even if the nose, an equally enticing but hardly trophy-winning waft of cherry and savoury tart perhaps suggested otherwise.

On the palate there was, as the back label stated, plenty of silken fruit and super-fine tannins, and it was indeed a wholly satisfying grenache worthy of the $20 or so we had parted for it. But a trophy? Hmm, maybe that's a stretch too far. I understand that the prize of a trophy is very much dependent upon the competition of the day, but for the show results to vary between a bronze medal all the way up to a double gold/trophy is pushing its credibility in my opinion.

I'm actually a big fan of James Halliday, having been weaned on his early National Times pieces in the '80s which were less about point scoring and marketing, and more about vinous prose geared to making you think about and appreciate wine from a personal narrative: here was a wine writer you could relate to, even if he was writing about vertical tastings of La Tache and Petrus whilst you were still harbouring fond memories of Ben Ean Moselle and Quelltaler Hock... or maybe even still limited to drinking the stuff... or even worse. It is true that I was devouring Halliday's writing at about the same time I was known to be doing comparative tastings of Leo Buring flagon claret versus Coolabah shiraz from a 4L cask. (For the record, the Coolabah cask won, if only because the Buring left ominous red stains on the glass. Otherwise, both wines were equally ... rough. )

But getting back to the BBR grenache... Halliday, or at least his tasting panel that awarded this wine the top prize, scored this wine 98 points. I'm more than familiar with Halliday's scoring, and even on his elaborate scale I'd give this no more than 94 points, perhaps 95. It's true that it really opened up and showed its class with the rare rib eye steak and Dijon mustard that we consumed it with (a slightly unusual pairing, as I noted to Mrs grhm) and which made me think that perhaps 95 Halliday points would be fair, but then it dived with the cheese course, being a poor combination with both the triple Brie or the Gorgonzola. I don't score wines anymore, having long ago given that up as a lost and useless cause, but even based on my old scoring system, I'd probably have given it no more than 91 points.

And it made me wonder, how exactly did the wine judges award this wine 98 points? Did they, too, consume it with a properly paired rare rib eye steak and their favourite Dijon mustard? I'm guessing not.

But, hey, it's a damn fine Grenache, and at a fair price. I'm happy with that. But I do wish Halliday would write more like he used to.

It ain't a 98 point wine in my book, but if you like Grenache, for about $20 this is pretty decent.

[Mike Hawkins]

1973 Eileen Hardy Cabernet and 2006 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay.

Extraordinarily interesting drinking.

Good to hear. I have some old EH cabs hiding somewhere

[Con J]

Some wines from a night with a Pinot theme. All wines served blind.

2012 Marc Hebrart Special Club Premier Cru Champagne
55% Pinot, 45% Chardonnay. Apples, Wild Honey, yeast, Ripe Pears and Lime. This is what Grower Champagne is all about. Has a personality about it. Very well rounded, beautiful texture and soft mousse. A little lemon acidity was there, but this drank so well now, would be very interesting to see how it develops and matures with time. Wonderful start and my first 2012. Shows how good that vintage really is and not over hyped!



1990 Jean-Jacques Confuron Nuits St. Georges Les Chaboeufs Premier Cru
Red/Brown brick in colour, clearly an older wine. Iodine, Seaweed, mushrooms and leather. Old world with a beautiful nose. Peppermint spice and although the fruit had seemed to fade, the secondary characters took its place nicely. Would have preferred a little more length although there was a hint of orange infused black tea at the end. Great wine.


2007 Domaine Dublère Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
An American winemaker in France. Immediate nose of whole bunch hits you quite suddenly. Forest floor and mushrooms with wet autumn leaves and some wet pine or pine needles. Dried strawberries in the mouth with some wild herbs (rosemary). It still needs some time to come together. Structure is overpowering the fruit a little at the moment. Others got more fruit sweetness than I did, but the quality of this wine is great



2008 By Farr Pinot Noir Tout Pres
The owner says this is a new world wine, but I think he poured Old World wine into a new world bottle. He is tricking us! The whole group picked this as old world as it was so hauntingly burgundy. Couldn’t think who in the new world could make this sort of wine. Lavender, Soy, Sage, Rhubarb, potpourri and dried red rose petals. The length is astonishing, it just keeps going. Touch of VA but there is a richness in here that ties the wine together. Quite acidic on the palate, and towards the end some Tomato Stalk or green Tomato leaf started to appear. The Only new world wine of the night.



2012 Albert Mann Pinot Noir Grand H
Strong red cherry and strawberry notes, very bright fruit. Feels like a younger wine. Cherry cough syrup with some slight blackcurrant/ribena in there. Pure fruit here, very high quality. Has soaked up any oak that was in there and come out shining. Lovely wine, never had an Alsace before let alone a Pinot from there.



2005 Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay les Grasses Tetes
Talc, Perfumed Florals, Mocha and dried herbs. Seems very young, like a 2012 or similar, oh how wrong I was! This defied being 13 years old. Was such a baby with 10+ years easy left. Bright Red Cherries and redcurrant fruit. Had some smoky minerality about it as well. Are there any whole bunch or stems in here? Palate was a little short, but I think it just needs more time to fill out. Nice acid and oak with some pomegranate right at the end.



2011 Bernhard Huber Schlossberg Spatburgunder “R” GG
Cola and coal/graphite with some lead pencil shavings. Dark & Black Cherries here with some more dark fruits. Blackberries, Blueberries really highlight the fruit driven style. This is a great drink. Some oak and has some sweetness about it as well. Length is good as is balance of acid. This was a night of firsts as I have never had a German Pinot before. Shows that the Germans know how to handle this variety just as well as anyone else, and seemed to have put a stamp on a specific style. Great wine because it was totally different to what I was expecting.



2004 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Musigny Grand Cru
Very vegetative on the nose initially. Cabbage, Asparagus, Rosemary, Graphite, Smoked Hay, and wet earth. The purity of fruit was astounding here. Perfect line and the length was sensational. Had a whole bunch character about it with what seemed like a small amount of slightly under ripe/savoury fruit with some greenish edges. Again the ash/charcoal was there and wild dry herbs.



2011 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Corton Le Rognet Grand Cru
Created a bit of lively discussion and furious use of technology to figure out exactly where the vineyard was. Great to see everyone so passionate and dedicated to furthering their knowledge. Only southern Burg/Beaune of the night . Very savoury, great length, but too young. Crunchy red fruits, biodynamic vineyard and a very modern producer here. Nice tannic grip but for me I didn’t see the power of a Grand Cru. Was that down to the vintage or the wines age, not sure but I know this will be better in 5 – 10 years.



2005 Bruno Desaunay-Bissey Vosne-Romane Les Beaux Monts Premier Cru
Some initial chlorine characters on the nose. Old world without a doubt. Perfume, florals and red fruits. Nice use of oak here too, adds a sawdust type character. The 2005’s still seem quite young and in need of more sleep. The length was a little short, but had a wonderful backbone of those delicious red cherries, red currants and strawberries. Great wine!



1997 Stanton & Killeen Vintage Port Rutherglen
Aniseed, Cool mint and again some initial chlorine characters. Almond and Marzipan spirit. That spirit is not integrated though and really sits on top of those wonderful, very high quality fruits. It takes a lot to push through the spirit here, but when you do, those stunning fruits really sing and shine. This is a masterpiece of very well handled fruit. Blueberries, blackcurrants and very complex use of spice. liquorice, cinnamon, cloves, and chocolate…stunning wine. Will that spirit ever integrate though?

Thanks for the great notes Rossco.
Not a dud all night, a couple started a bit iffy.
Fabulous night.

Cheers Con.

[Sean]

deleted

[phillisc]

Con, what was the particular bottle of Petaluma that the photo of the cork belonged to?
cheers Craig

[Con J]

Con, what was the particular bottle of Petaluma that the photo of the cork belonged to?
cheers Craig

Hi Craig.

This was a 2001 Petaluma Coonawarra.

Cheers Con.

[rooman]

Con, what was the particular bottle of Petaluma that the photo of the cork belonged to?
cheers Craig

Hi Craig.

This was a 2001 Petaluma Coonawarra.

Cheers Con.

Interesting wine. I learnt two lessons from this particular wine. The first is how long sometimes decent cab sav takes to emerge from its shell like a monarch butterfly and the second one being the benefit of buying a case. I purchased a case off a friend back in the early 2000s and started dipping into the case around the 7-8 year mark, thought the wine was ok but nothing special and was effectively just taking up space. Around the 12 year mark I thought best to plough through the case as it was a total disappointment.

About a year or so ago I discovered a couple of bottles i had buried in another case and, like the monarch butterfly, the wine had emerged and was excellent. More than any wine, this particular wine reminded me of the benefits of buying 6 or 12 of a particular wine so there is hope of seeing the full potential of wine.My trouble with just buying 1 or 2 is inevitably we end up drinking all the bottles before they reach their optimal point. I hope Con it was still enjoyable.

Mark

[phillisc]

Mark, with out poking the bear again in the Rockford thread, the tips for collecting thread, I am actually really happy that 75% + of all the wines I have purchased are either in 6 or 12...yes might mean I have got to get stuck in, but should have plenty in the drinking window.

Don't know if its too early for 2019 NYE resolutions...but certainly going to try to drink much more next year...if i am honest 2018 has been fairly lean...have not had a drink for nearly 3 weeks, but might have one tomorrow.

Cheers Craig

[rooman]

Mark, with out poking the bear again in the Rockford thread, the tips for collecting thread, I am actually really happy that 75% + of all the wines I have purchased are either in 6 or 12...yes might mean I have got to get stuck in, but should have plenty in the drinking window.

Don't know if its too early for 2019 NYE resolutions...but certainly going to try to drink much more next year...if i am honest 2018 has been fairly lean...have not had a drink for nearly 3 weeks, but might have one tomorrow.

Cheers Craig

Snap, I am in the same boat. I have been on a diet that has meant pretty much no wine over the past two months. I am also looking to break my fast tomorrow night with friends.

[Con J]

Con, what was the particular bottle of Petaluma that the photo of the cork belonged to?
cheers Craig

Hi Craig.

This was a 2001 Petaluma Coonawarra.

Cheers Con.

Interesting wine. I learnt two lessons from this particular wine. The first is how long sometimes decent cab sav takes to emerge from its shell like a monarch butterfly and the second one being the benefit of buying a case. I purchased a case off a friend back in the early 2000s and started dipping into the case around the 7-8 year mark, thought the wine was ok but nothing special and was effectively just taking up space. Around the 12 year mark I thought best to plough through the case as it was a total disappointment.

About a year or so ago I discovered a couple of bottles i had buried in another case and, like the monarch butterfly, the wine had emerged and was excellent. More than any wine, this particular wine reminded me of the benefits of buying 6 or 12 of a particular wine so there is hope of seeing the full potential of wine.My trouble with just buying 1 or 2 is inevitably we end up drinking all the bottles before they reach their optimal point. I hope Con it was still enjoyable.

Mark

Hi Mark.

Yes this was very enjoyable, Just starting in it's drinking window for my taste.

I've been guilty of of doing what you done, drinking a wine just for the sake of drinking it. A long time ago I've actually used a few bottles of 2000 and 2001 Bin 389 for cooking because I wasn't enjoying them. A couple years ago someone put on a 2001 Bin 389 at an offline and was nearly the WOTN for me.

I think now I'll be taking Mahmoud's suggestion that's in another thread, which is if your not enjoying a wine forget about it for a while and see what happens to it.

Cheers Con.

[Stomper]

Mark, with out poking the bear again in the Rockford thread, the tips for collecting thread, I am actually really happy that 75% + of all the wines I have purchased are either in 6 or 12...yes might mean I have got to get stuck in, but should have plenty in the drinking window.

Don't know if its too early for 2019 NYE resolutions...but certainly going to try to drink much more next year...if i am honest 2018 has been fairly lean...have not had a drink for nearly 3 weeks, but might have one tomorrow.

Cheers Craig

Snap, I am in the same boat. I have been on a diet that has meant pretty much no wine over the past two months. I am also looking to break my fast tomorrow night with friends.

Friends will probably go best with some tempranillo.

[rooman]

Mark, with out poking the bear again in the Rockford thread, the tips for collecting thread, I am actually really happy that 75% + of all the wines I have purchased are either in 6 or 12...yes might mean I have got to get stuck in, but should have plenty in the drinking window.

Don't know if its too early for 2019 NYE resolutions...but certainly going to try to drink much more next year...if i am honest 2018 has been fairly lean...have not had a drink for nearly 3 weeks, but might have one tomorrow.

Cheers Craig

Snap, I am in the same boat. I have been on a diet that has meant pretty much no wine over the past two months. I am also looking to break my fast tomorrow night with friends.

Friends will probably go best with some tempranillo.

Only if we only roast them slowly over an open firepit.

[sjw_11]

Mark, with out poking the bear again in the Rockford thread, the tips for collecting thread, I am actually really happy that 75% + of all the wines I have purchased are either in 6 or 12...yes might mean I have got to get stuck in, but should have plenty in the drinking window.

Don't know if its too early for 2019 NYE resolutions...but certainly going to try to drink much more next year...if i am honest 2018 has been fairly lean...have not had a drink for nearly 3 weeks, but might have one tomorrow.

Cheers Craig

Snap, I am in the same boat. I have been on a diet that has meant pretty much no wine over the past two months. I am also looking to break my fast tomorrow night with friends.

Friends will probably go best with some tempranillo.

Perhaps some fava beans and a nice Chianti ...