TN: Adelaide Offline @ The Sauce with KMP 11/12/04

[n4sir]

Mark Wickman and Steve Norman arranged this very special dinner at The Sauce to celebrate Mike Pollard’s (aka KMP) trip to Adelaide. It was attended by the Auswine Forum’s Adelaide contingent of usual suspects, and presented a mighty array of fine wines to match the superb food.

I should point out in advance that my note taking at the event was not as precise as I’d like. I had some problems assessing the bouquet of a few of the wines coincidentally while the food was being served and devoured, and while I was able to go back to some of these at the end of the evening I feel some didn’t get a fair go. At this stage I turned to Mark and said he’d better do all the official note taking.

As you will gather, there were a hell of a lot of wines to be consumed so we seemed to be really racing through them at times, and at the end of the night I was exhausted and stopped taking notes altogether. I should also take to opportunity to apologize to Mike’s group who I didn’t get to talk to much at all during the night!

1993 Charles Heidsieck Mis en Cave Champagne: This was my contribution to the night, and I really wasn’t sure how it would fair; I originally bought the bottle to consume during New Years 1999/2000, and it’s been hanging around the house the last four years. Pale yellow colour with a good mousse and fine/slow but steady bead. Quite a yeasty nose at first, with hints of apricot, brandy butter and stonefruit, with the fresh bread characters becoming more dominant with breathing. The palate was very creamy throughout the tasting with hints of green apple and honey, and the finish got heavier, longer and quite nutty with air. This seemed to remind me a bit of the 1996 Pol Roger at the Blacktongues Champagne tasting a few weeks ago.

St Hallett Black NV Barossa Sparkling Shiraz: Three years ago I was lucky enough to try the prototype of this wine, the base wine blended from vintages of Old Block and originally intended to be in magnums only to take advantage of the “Black Envy” double-entendre. Dark red/purple colour with a good mousse and steady bead. Obvious coffee/vanilla oak and formic acid dominate the nose. The palate is explosive from the very entry, with a huge spritz of coffee, black cherries and a hint of VA, finishing quite nutty. There was a lot more oak/VA and less blackberry/liquorice than the prototype, possibly due to either bottle age or the smaller size bottle.

2002 Lewis Reserve California Chardonnay: Pale yellow colour. A mixture of fresh stonefruit and toasted oak at first, and later stewed peaches. The palate again features clean citrus/stonefruit with toasty oak and heavy malo characters. I thought this was about the equivalent of an above-average Aussie Chardonnay, but nothing to be excited about.

2002 Black Dog Big Fat & Gutsy McLaren Vale Shiraz: Steve bought this along to whet our appetites for the glut of classy reds to follow, starting with his next stunning contribution. Glowing dark to inky red/purple colour. Slightly closed nose at first, with earthy blackberry/plum fruit soaking up the 30 months oak in those new American and French barrels. That oak comes with a vengeance on the front palate, providing a racy spiciness to the mid-weight blackberry fruit.

1990 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz: Inky red colour. At this stage the entrees were being cooked & served so I got nothing from the nose at first apart from a hint of very sweet fruit and vanillan oak. With the luxury of a number of glasses in front of me to use (thanks Gary), I was able to let it sit and eventually smell the rich cedar that Glen and Steve referred to, and later on some coconut, coffee, a hint of VA and banana. The palate was disarmingly sweet from the start with a bubblegum-like mixture of sweet blackberry fruit and vanillan oak leading the way, and shot with spice and a hint of mint and leather. With breathing the cedar/coconut starts to appear on the palate too, which is soft but stunningly long due to those fine integrated tannins. This was a great bottle, and will continue to be stunning for many years to come; my third favourite of the night.

1990 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon: Inky red colour. Very closed nose at first, again coincidentally with the presence of my superb Yellowfin Tuna entrée. While it occupied another spare glass it released some complex hints of bread dough/biscuit, cigar box, concentrated tomato and roast coffee, but was very much in a shy mood. The palate structure was a big step-up in scale to the Michael, with spicy/powdery tannins dominating the proceedings, and the slightly green/cherry finish lingering for minutes. This wine has a lot more to give, and as Gary said probably needs another 10 years to get there.

1992 Orlando Jacaranda Ridge Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon: Dark red colour. A far more savoury/exotic nose than the previous two wines, with dried herbs, olive, banana and mixed spices. The palate is similarly exotic and also lighter in weight, with tomato and liquorice, and star anise lingering on the finish. This was an interesting contrast/counterpoint to the Michael and Bin 707 to make a fascinating trio of wines.

1994 Veritas Hanisch Barossa Shiraz: Inky red colour. Beautiful open & complex nose of boot polish, varnish, molasses, liquorice, roasted nuts, dark cherries and ground coffee. The palate is just as brilliant and sweet without being cloying, featuring fully integrated tannins and subtle power without any hint of astringency; sweet cherry, sarsaparilla, liquorice, and vanilla oak characters caress the palate in perfect balance with the ample structure. Absolutely brilliant, and yet it managed to be topped by one other wine.

1999 McWilliams Maurice O’Shea Hunter Valley Shiraz: Dark to inky red colour. A complex and perfumed nose of cigar box, sweet red fruits, some leather and violets. My main course of perfectly cooked Porterhouse steak was served, and the palate was remarkably soft and sweet, seemingly with hints of passionfruit! I would have liked to have returned to this later on in the night, but all of my glasses were full and the rest of the bottle was readily consumed. This was a wine I didn’t spend enough time with, and Mark, Gavin or Mike’s comments will be far more accurate; by all accounts an impressive showing.

2000 Branson Coach House Barossa Shiraz: Inky red/purple colour. An amazingly confected nose of prune and specifically liquorice allsorts: that mixture of sweet hard liquorice with cheap, sugared, sickly vanilla candy. The palate is just as sickly sweet, with sarsaparilla and black cherry fruit swimming around a palate that really lacks structure definition and power. It’s amazing how the wine somehow bares a vague, distant resemblance to the brilliant Hanisch, and yet I couldn’t get rid of it quick enough. One of the very few duds of the night.

2002 Rusden Barossa Valley Zinfandel: Glowing inky purple. A nose that screams out Barossa and Zinfandel from the outset; smoke, chocolate and ripe raisin. The palate is just as varietal and regional, with ripe, raisiny fruit meshed with ample coffee oak, and finishing long with milk chocolate. One of the most convincing Aussie Zins I’ve tried.

2001 Russia Hill California Shiraz Viognier: One whiff and slurp of the stewed apricot blend was enough to put me off. I think everyone knows by now just how much I despise this style of wine, and I couldn’t tip it out quick enough. The less said the better.

1999 Greenock Creek Roenfeldt Road Barossa Shiraz: Inky black colour with a brilliant glowing purple hue. Right from the first look, whiff and sip of this wine we knew we were in for something very special; powerful wheaty/malty oak and formic acid characters are matched with equally lush crème de cassis/blueberry and chocolate fruit. The palate is equally a perfectly balanced match of dense, smoky, chocolaty/blueberry fruit and mealy/wheaty/black olive tannins that provide massive structure and length that dwarfed everything else. The size and richness of the wine is incredible, and yet there’s no hint of over-ripeness, extraction or excess alcohol; forget the iron fist in a velvet glove moniker, this is a velvet sledgehammer. In a very classy bunch, WOTN by a long, long margin, and in all honesty nothing else following had a remote chance of a fair go.

2003 Noons Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz: Inky black/purple colour. Obvious toasted/fireplace oak with a hint of apricot mark the nose. The palate is extremely ripe, with prune flavoured fruit, bitter tannins and high (14.8%) alcohol. This seems to show the signs of a hot, difficult vintage, but it’s way too young; Mark did the wine no favours having it follow the Roenfeldt Road.

2002 Dornier California Cabernet Merlot: It’s interesting to try some of these blends from various parts of the globe; Harry bought a South African example to the API Christmas break-up last week, and likewise this is very different to the locals I’ve tried. Dark red/purple colour. A wonderfully unique and savoury nose with a strange mixture of flint/steel shavings, smoke, smelly socks and fish sauce. The palate is just as savoury and very much medium-weight in this company, but has great length and tannin structure.

1998 Charles Melton Nine Popes Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre: I can’t believe someone’s opened yet another bottle of wine and I’m getting too drunk to assess it properly. Dark red colour. Toasty nose dominated by the oak, and a spicy palate with ripe, raisiny fruit. At this stage the coffees have been served, and I’m just too jaded with everything following the Roenfeldt Road to keep up the notes. Following this was a Seppelt DP63 Liqueur Muscat which was very nice, a (1976 Skillogalee?) Vintage Port with typically ripe but balanced prune and brandied liquorice characters, and Gary’s spare wine that turned out to be corked. I hope someone’s got a better recollection than this shambles!

That’s my (fractured) recollection of this magnificent collection of wines we sampled. My thanks again to Mark and Steve for putting this together, all the participants for a veritable orgy of fine wine, laughs and conversation, and of course the staff of the Sauce for the magnificent food and for putting up with us Bozos.

Cheers
Ian

[707]

This was quite simply a great dinner. As always The Sauce in Adelaide's near eastern suburb of Dulwich provided a perfect spot in their restaurant, great food and just right service. They really know how to cater for a group of winos like us.

The line up was the perfect mix, a few points

The 90 Wynns Michael is a very good wine and a great example of what this winery is capable of given the right "climate" that allows full use of resources. It has become popular to bash Wynns but from what I've seen happening down there in Coonawarra, they will get back to making wines as good as this.

The 90 Bin 707 still had time to go, a great example of the blenders art. Predominantly Coonawarra fruit in this vintage and why not, the Wynns JR is at least as good. Will future 707s contain the Dorrien fruit?

The 94 Veritas Hanisch showed what this line can develop into. A great example of maturing Barossa Shiraz. A pity it's become so difficult to get hold of here in Australia. The fact that they don't release it in some lesser years gives the label real integrity.

The Maurice O'Shea (was this a 99 or a 00 guys? I thought it was a 00)was one of a handful of Hunter wines I've enjoyed and enjoy it I really did. This is good wine by any measure and will become only the second Hunter to reside in my cellar, worth seeking out.

The Noons 03 Reserve Shiraz is just a pup. All the components are there for it to be a very worthy part of this great line but it needs time. As Ian said, should not have followed the 99 Roennfeldt, earlier in the night it would have had more WOW factor.

The Rusden Zinfandel was an excellent example, as good as any I've had. Rusden really do make very good wine.

Ian, I think the Dornier was South Efrican not Californian.

Thanks everyone for a fab night, Mike I trust it kicked of your Oz trip suitably and hope you're finding the Barossa a hoot.

[markg]

Thanks Ian for the great notes, don't expect too much from mine as I seem to spend too much time talking (although I have noticed you gas-bagging between sips), I do have a few photos though

[707]

Oh no, not the photos! Had I sucked in my guts and pushed out my chest before you snapped?

AAAAND - no doctoring the colours to make it look like I tried the Chardonnay either !

[markg]

Oh no, not the photos! Had I sucked in my guts and pushed out my chest before you snapped?

AAAAND - no doctoring the colours to make it look like I tried the Chardonnay either !

Nice preemptive strike Steve but pictures speak a thousand words and you have been CAUGHT RED HANDED !!!! How do you explain this picture huh huh huh ?????

[n4sir]

Nice preemptive strike Steve but pictures speak a thousand words and you have been CAUGHT RED HANDED !!!! How do you explain this picture huh huh huh ?????

Nice try Mark, I may have been pretty drunk but I don't think I was so bad as to remember the pink elephants flying in that bottle of Jacobs Creek in the picture!

The Maurice O'Shea (was this a 99 or a 00 guys? I thought it was a 00)

The wine was poured and disappeared over the other side of the table in a flash. I think it was 1999 but I could very well be wrong.

Ian, I think the Dornier was South Efrican not Californian.

Again this flashed before my eyes at the wrong end of the evening. To much drinking and gas bagging on my behalf.

Cheers
Ian

[markg]

Definately the 1999

[TORB]

Nice preemptive strike Steve but pictures speak a thousand words and you have been CAUGHT RED HANDED !!!! How do you explain this picture huh huh huh ?????

I am .... .... Steve, you are disgrace to red bigotry and should hang your head in shame.

[Guest]

Torb

This must make Steve a whed bigot!

and I would say that he was caught white handed.

[707]

As an old English manager of mine used to exclaim "you basstards".

You IT guys are just too clever clever. As if I, a true red bigot through and through would be caught holding such low grade c-through and as for posing with it and having it in my glass, well that's just plain fantasy.

Mr. Wickmam, a pox on you and may all your back vintage Roennfeldt Road be corked!

Oh, and if I was on the "other" forum I'd say - "GET STUFFED"!

[markg]

As an old English manager of mine used to exclaim "you basstards".

You IT guys are just too clever clever. As if I, a true red bigot through and through would be caught holding such low grade c-through and as for posing with it and having it in my glass, well that's just plain fantasy.

Mr. Wickmam, a pox on you and may all your back vintage Roennfeldt Road be corked!

Oh, and if I was on the "other" forum I'd say - "GET STUFFED"!

Oh shame on you Steve for telling such porkies.

The picture cannot lie, you were caught sure enough !! How do you explain that look on your face, I suppose that was superimposed as well ? Huh Huh Huh ???

[markg]

Steve, Steve, Steve.......

We don't want another incident like that time you were sneaking a glass of champagne and you denied it outright, look what happened !!!

[Guest]

You IT guys are just too clever clever. As if I, a true red bigot through and through would be caught holding such low grade c-through and as for posing with it and having it in my glass, well that's just plain fantasy.

Mr. Wickmam, a pox on you and may all your back vintage Roennfeldt Road be corked!

Steve, I believe you, you set the red bigot standard that all of us aspire to live up to.

[Red Bigot]

That was my vote of confidence....

[707]

Good one Mark, I'm still laughing!

Thanks for your vote of confidence Brian. Of course guys like us are always the envy of those who lower themselves to drinking c-throughs, that's why they lampoon us - out of sheer red envy.

[JamieBahrain]

Looks like a great evening that only an Adelaide rabble could put together!

Envious!!!

[markg]

Looks like a great evening that only an Adelaide rabble could put together!

Envious!!!

Hey Jamie, next time you are in Adelaide visiting your wine, why not give us some advance warning and we will organise another of these ? But not a Pinot and Duck just yet though ok !

[JamieBahrain]

Thanks Mark

Look forward to it.

The veritable rat race here, can't do without my services for another few months at least.

How I long for fine SA food & wine!