November 2018 purchases

[Willard]

Probably a few of these back into October...

6 x 2015 Domenica Nebbiolo
6 x 2015 Monchiero Langhe Nebbiolo
3 x 2015 Benevelli Piero Langhe Nebbiolo
1 x 2012 Benevelli Piero Langhe Nebbiolo
1 x 2015 Fletcher Wines X15 Langhe Rosso (Nebbiolo/Merlot/Cabernet)
6 x 2017 Stonier Pinot Noir
2 x 2000 Craiglee Shiraz
2 x 2012 Mayer Close Planted Pinot Noir
3 x 2010 Marius Matarius Mataro
3 x 2000 Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz

[Mahmoud Ali]

I'm not supposed to be buying any wine, I have too many. However, some 2014 Quinta do Crasto Reserva Old Vines, Duoro, Portugal, for half price prompted me to buy a few. Seventy year-old vines and a blend of 25 to 30 different varietals.

[Rossco]

Im not buying any more Shiraz he says BUT

Birth year wine for my son.........and i have very little 2014 put away for him.....

6 x 2014 Wirra Wirra RSW Shiraz

[FredericoWines]

Like many others said, no more for the year.

But just ordered a Flaccianello 2015 (already have two) and a Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2009

[Mahmoud Ali]

I'm not supposed to be buying any wine, I have too many. However, some 2014 Quinta do Crasto Reserva Old Vines, Duoro, Portugal, for half price prompted me to buy a few. Seventy year-old vines and a blend of 25 to 30 different varietals.

I'm not a 'Black Friday' shopper but I went to pick up my three bottles only to discover that their "30% OFF ALL WINES" included these half price wines. That made me both happy and sad, happy to get a furthur reduction but sad not to have gotten more (they were sold out).

Anyway, lots of deals for those starting out but not for me. When a helpful clerk tried to help by asking me if I've looked at the Spanish wines, or Italian Chiantis, it's a case of "Yes, I've got many of these wines in older vintages and I don't need another young vintage to cellar". But ... but ... one cannot have enough sherry to start off the evening, so:

4 x KWV Cape Pale Dry - an inexpensive South African fino, and
5 x Gonzalez Byass 'Tio Pepe' Fino En Rama.

En Rama sherries are a recent development where batches of sherry from casks with the most active flor are bottled with minimal fining and filtration. Gonzalez Byass bottles their Fino En Rama only once a year. According to the back label "The Tio Pepe Fino En Rama is an unfiltered, unclarified Tio Pepe bottled during spring when when the flor growth is at its thickest ... sherry in its raw, most delicate state, as if drinking from the cask itself." Apparently, unlike the commercial bottling, these En Rama bottlings can also be cellared.

Each year a new label is fashioned from original artwork found in their archives. I started my en rama journey with the 2016 batch, second from right. Last night I bought a bottle of the 2017 batch, last on the right and the only bottle on the shelf, and the 2018 batch, which is not pictured.

TioPepeEnRama.jpg

After writing this I'm feeling regret at having left behind two bottles.

Mahmoud.

[tuxy85]

I picked up my first bottle of Grosset Springvale 2017 to add to the collection.

I also placed an order with Deep Woods Estate and Millbrook Winery mostly to consume now:
1 x Deep Woods Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (to cellar) 2016
4 x Deep Woods Ivory SSB 2017
2 x Deep Woods Harmony Rose 2018
2 x Deep Wood Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
1 x Deep Woods Shiraz et al 2017
1 x Deep Woods Hillside Chardonnay 2015
1 x Millbrook GSM 2018

Finally I placed an order with Hoddles Creek Estate
2x Estate Pinot Noir
2x Estate Chardonnay
2x 1er Pinot Noir

I look forward to drinking a Hoddles Creek Pinot with our traditional Danish Style Roast Duck on Christmas Eve.

[Sigmamupi]

Burgundy (as usual):

3 x 2016 Comte Liger-Belair Vosne Romanee Village

3 x 2014 Trapet Gevrey Chambertin "Ostrea" Village

The Trapet was a top up as I have already knocked over a couple of these bought last year and its great quality and value for a Village wine. Critics like Allen Meadows and Neal Martin are giving this domain more prominence and and I suspect that this factor of increasing recognition, along with low yields, will mean the 2016s will not be such good value when they become available in Australia next year. Some 2016 Chambertin bought pre-arrival in HK in October was about 60 per cent higher than the 2015 Chambertin previously bought there in early 2018.

[Scotty vino]

1 X 2016 Standish 'Schubert Theorem' Shiraz
1 X 2016 Standish 'The Standish' Shiraz
1 X 2016 Standish 'Lamella' Shiraz

[via collins]

6 x 2015 Domenica Nebbiolo
6 x 2015 Monchiero Langhe Nebbiolo
6 x 2018 Blue Poles marsanne

[Michael McNally]

From our esteemed host at a keen price (thanks Gavin!):
6 x 2015 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon
6 x 2016 Turkey Flat Shiraz
From the winery:
4 x 2017 Hoddles Creek Chardonnay
4 x 2017 Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir
4 x 2017 Hoddles Creek 1er Pinot Noir

I have said "done for the year" before, but have just noticed that I didn't get any 2015 Turkey Flat Shiraz, so will try to track some down.

Cheers

Michael

[Dragzworthy]

Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2013 x 6
Chateau Peyre-Lebade 2010 x 6
Jean Foillard Cote Du Py 2016 x 12
Pio Cesare Barolo 2014 x 6
Contino Vina del Olive CVNE 2016 x 6
Pierro Chardonnay 2017 x 6

[Mahmoud Ali]

Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2013 x 6

Has Banfi regained street cred since being implicated in the scandal regarding using non-sangiovese grapes in their Brunellos?

[FredericoWines]

These are my first Nov but last 2018 purchases.

IMG_20181127_190945__01.jpg

IMG_20181127_191156_Bokeh.jpg

[Scotty vino]

6 X 2016 Rockford Hand picked EV Riesling
Fantastic drop, great value.

[phillisc]

24 2017 Metala at sub $9 a bottle...holiday quaffer, Christmas gifts, what's not to love

Cheers craig

[brodie]

More 2008 Champagnes (and some 2004s)

2 x 2008 Moutard Cinq Cepages
2 x 2008 Pol Roger Brut Rose
3 x 2004 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires (1st release since 1995)

Brodie

[Dragzworthy]

Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2013 x 6

Has Banfi regained street cred since being implicated in the scandal regarding using non-sangiovese grapes in their Brunellos?

Hey Mahmoud!
Wasn't actually aware of this myself.... should I be worried?
Bought in Singapore and got it quite cheap relative to where the seller is now 'marking' the wine.
Regards
Christian

[Mahmoud Ali]

Well, it was quite a while ago, and they weren't the only one investigated. The result was that many wines were declassified and sold as IGT wines. They, and all the others, had their scare and are probably not doing it anymore. It was always a worry because many producers made IGT wines so the non-sangiovese varieties were in their vineyards. I suppose they needed to do something with these non-traditional varietals so they tried to get the rules changed so that other varietals could be used in the young vine, early release Rosso di Montalcino wines. Traditionalists won the day and this move was rejected.

By the way I also have some Banfi Brunello, from the not so fancied 1998 vintage. Yet another wine I need to try at the 20 year mark. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a pinch of something else in the wine, not that I would be able to detect.

Mahmoud.

[Cactus]

I havent bought any wine this month! Wooo. Ch asnce for my overstocked inventory to come down.

[Mike Hawkins]

Another 12 x 2008 DP Legacy

[FredericoWines]

This ... 2018 WOTY by Wine Spectator

[Ian S]

A small few from a trip last week to Torino
1999 Daviddi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva
2016 Giovanni Almondo Roero (don't recall which vineyard)
Pisoni Grappa di Nosiola (a favourite grape and one I've enjoyed made into grappa before)
a 2013 Barbaresco that I'd not heard of before, and the brains of the operation liked the look of it, so we took a punt
a half bottle moscato passito Chambave (by Voyat)
2013 Accornero Grignolino Bricco dei Boschi VV (Grignolino made in the manner of a Barolo)
and another wine - was it a Boca from northern piemonte? I'll check later

sadly no Fumin, as those places listing it had sold out.

[Cloth Ears]

Tried my luck in an auction of some Coonanwarra. Good years, OK wines - I might be lucky!
6 x 1990 Brand's Laira Coonawarra Original Vineyard Shiraz
6 x 1994 Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
6 x 1996 Leconfield Coonawarra Shiraz
6 x 1990 Rosemount Estate Coonawarra Cabernet

There was an awful lot of older stuff on there with good provenance and lowish reserves. I went a more scattergun approach:
1 x 1996 HIGHBANK VINEYARDS Basket Pressed Cabernets
4 x 2001 JAMIESONS RUN Rothwell Cabernet Sauvignon
1 x 1999 KATNOOK ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon
1 x 1998 LINDEMANS Limestone Ridge Vineyard Shiraz Cabernet
1 x 1998 LINDEMANS Pyrus Cabernets
1 x 1998 LINDEMANS St. George Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
1 x 1988 MILDARA Jamiesons Run Dry Red
1 x 1993 PENLEY ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon
1 x 1993 WYNNS COONAWARRA ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon

Cheers

Michael

I was tempted by the '86 Jamiesons also - as I was looking for sets of six. But in the end I decided four 6-packs was quite enough (discretion being the better part of valour - and just in case storage wasn't quite up to scratch).

Hm. I just remembered I'm going to have to explain this to Mrs CE...maybe over a nice bottle of red?

An update.

Mrs CE was quite on-board when I mentioned the prices. And we've opened one each of the Brand's, Mildara and Rosemounts. The first one was slightly disappointing, but only because I gave it only 90 minutes to gasp for air. The last glass was definitely better than the first. The other two were given 3-4 hours and were excellent. All three still had some fruit left and were essentially tanninless, but with none of the darker flavours you sometimes get with the older wines. I'd suspect they were younger wines put back into older bottles (if I didn't know better). The cork for one of them was just about shot, but the other two were very firm and only had about 5mm of super redness on the end.

(to be honest, I cannot remember which order we opened the wines in. I promise better attention will be paid - I was just so surprised they were in such good condition)

[Michael McNally]

There was an awful lot of older stuff on there with good provenance and lowish reserves. I went a more scattergun approach:
1 x 1996 HIGHBANK VINEYARDS Basket Pressed Cabernets
4 x 2001 JAMIESONS RUN Rothwell Cabernet Sauvignon
1 x 1999 KATNOOK ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon
1 x 1998 LINDEMANS Limestone Ridge Vineyard Shiraz Cabernet
1 x 1998 LINDEMANS Pyrus Cabernets
1 x 1998 LINDEMANS St. George Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
1 x 1988 MILDARA Jamiesons Run Dry Red
1 x 1993 PENLEY ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon
1 x 1993 WYNNS COONAWARRA ESTATE Cabernet Sauvignon

Cheers

Michael

I was tempted by the '86 Jamiesons also - as I was looking for sets of six. But in the end I decided four 6-packs was quite enough (discretion being the better part of valour - and just in case storage wasn't quite up to scratch).

Hm. I just remembered I'm going to have to explain this to Mrs CE...maybe over a nice bottle of red?

An update.

Mrs CE was quite on-board when I mentioned the prices. And we've opened one each of the Brand's, Mildara and Rosemounts. The first one was slightly disappointing, but only because I gave it only 90 minutes to gasp for air. The last glass was definitely better than the first. The other two were given 3-4 hours and were excellent. All three still had some fruit left and were essentially tanninless, but with none of the darker flavours you sometimes get with the older wines. I'd suspect they were younger wines put back into older bottles (if I didn't know better). The cork for one of them was just about shot, but the other two were very firm and only had about 5mm of super redness on the end.

(to be honest, I cannot remember which order we opened the wines in. I promise better attention will be paid - I was just so surprised they were in such good condition)

Hi Cloth

I have only opened one of the 2001 JAMIESONS RUN Rothwell Cabernet Sauvignon. Really top notch aged Cabernet. Not sure it was worth the 75 2001 dollars it cost on release, but was well worth the pittance I paid for it. Obviously professionally stored and bodes well for some of the others that were from the same seller.

I probably should have decanted mine for longer but was worried it might fall over (if it hadn't been stored properly). I will definitely give the next ones more air time.

Cheers

Michael

[Chuck]

A number of premium special JR wines from Coonawarra were made in the period around 1998-2003 including the Rothwell. There was also a McShanes Block Shiraz, Winemakers Reserve Cabernet, Winemakers Reserve Cabernet Malbec, and O'Deas Block Cabernet. The label also resurrected the Alexander Cabernet after being discontinued in the early 1990s.They were priced in the premium end at around $60 however suffered from the JR label. The wines are quite good and long lived. There's a few stray bottles still in the cellar that should be interesting. Picked a number at at auction a while ago for sub $20.

[phillisc]

A number of premium special JR wines from Coonawarra were made in the period around 1998-2003 including the Rothwell. There was also a McShanes Block Shiraz, Winemakers Reserve Cabernet, Winemakers Reserve Cabernet Malbec, and O'Deas Block Cabernet. The label also resurrected the Alexander Cabernet after being discontinued in the early 1990s.They were priced in the premium end at around $60 however suffered from the JR label. The wines are quite good and long lived. There's a few stray bottles still in the cellar that should be interesting. Picked a number at at auction a while ago for sub $20.

Chuck, purchased most of the JRs range at Booze Brothers at the Norwood Hotel many years back when they were throwing them out for a song. I went to the winery CD which I oddly remember made excellent coffee. It closed shortly thereafter (it was a makeshift Southcorp shop front...Coonawarra Wine Gallery??) and to be honest was a shadow of the glory days when Lindies and Rouge Homme were the winery that is now the DiGorgio CD and of course Mildara had their own show.
I remember speaking to winemaker Andrew Hales at the time of the 01 Rothwell, it was a label that was plagued with problems, both in the vineyard and the winery, similar to the chequered history of another JR (Jacaranda Ridge) where vintages were pulled or declassified. At the CD 01 Rothwell was sold as a clean-skin at $180 a dozen...I picked up three cases and still have a few bottles left, they are excellent drinking, but certainly not worth $75 a bottle.
Cheers
Craig