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

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Mahmoud Ali
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Mahmoud Ali »

Yes, it is too young! But what the heck, it's your wine and it's delicious, what more is there to say? Good for you.

Cheers ................ Mahmoud.

Chuck
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Location: Sydney

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

Post by Chuck »

A lost bottle in the cellar was rediscovered. The Lane 2010 Beginning Adelaide Hill Chardonnay. Thought it may have fallen over but we were pleasantly surprised at how the secondary flavours had developed. Primary flavours had subsided but the wine was still in good nick.Nice with panko crumbed flathead, crusty french baguette and salad. Drink up if you have any as I think it was better a few years ago.

Carl
Your worst game of golf is better than your best day at work

Krillian
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Krillian »

I cracked open a recently received Sami-odi #8 last night, and can see what the fuss is about. Spent a few minutes just smelling the thing! Everything in perfect balance and so much herbaceousness for me, pepper and spice... and so fine.. enjoy

Dang
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Dang »

For our anniversary? Let us try Rockford BP Shiraz '01!
Thanks for the guts for keeping it hidden so long. The cork showed stain for half of it, so a 3 h decanting was long it enough to open a nose full of anise, tobacco, cedar and leather and what else. The palate was long with all black fruits and chocolate. Satisfying!

Rossco
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Rossco »

Few notes from a wine evening last week. All wines were served blind.

2009 Jos Jos Prum Wehlener Sonnenhr Spatlelese
Nose of Sweet red apples, sherbet and nutmeg. Yellow straw in colour, Length is simply stunning.
Tension between sweetness (tropical fruits) and acidity was glorious, perfectly judged and a joy to drink. My first
Jos Jos, wont be the last and this will live a very long time (cork permitting)


2005 Clover Hill Cuvee Prestige Late Disgorge Blanc de Blanc
Faulty - Such a shame as 2005 was a top year in Tassie and I know I would have loved it


2015 (but we cant say that, so its NV) Les Semblables Clandestine - Champagne Benoit Doussot
Lovely colour, with a vibrant red tinge. This has a lot of Pinot in it....wonder if its all pinot (yes it is). Musk, Turkish Delight and rosewater. Apples with Jasmine and white flowers. Wonderfully rounded wine and bright red berries fruit. Zero dosage is a surprise.


2010 Domaine Gaston & Pierre Ravaut Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne
Lacking the power and definition I think a Grand Cru should have. Didnt take many notes, but
I have: quite delicate, feminine almost. Could see it being more in the vain of Chablis. Was this an unripe year?
One learned colleague picked up the start of pre-mox, so I kept a glass aside to come back to later in the evening. About an
hour or so later, completely fell apart, so he was spot on the money. Comment was made, 'if you have any
2010's drink now' because they are apparently very susceptible to premox.


2008 Stefano Lubiana Grande Vintage
Most picked this as French, but i wasnt so sure. It had this honeyed sweetness on the nose I havent seen
in a lot of Champagnes. Sure enough, Taswegian! Light yellow in colour, the honey and citrus abundant,
perfect balance. 60% Chard 40% Pinot. Fine persistent mousse, soft and supple. No idea
Stefano could create something like this. Ed Carr, Natalie Fryar type class here, Sensational.


2006 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
Rich, buttery & nutty Nougat. Barley Sugar, Apricot and citrus. Spicy oak... very spicy actually (cinnamon & vanilla?)
Quite different to other vintages I have had of LEAS. Sweet fruit with acidity to balance it out.


2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs
A masterclass in Sparkling/Champagne. Lemon curd, lemon leaf, cashew and very creamy macadamia.
Like a macadamia paste type creaminess. Length that doesn't stop. White peach, apple blossom and of course the
brioche/bready type notes. Stunning.


2014 Marc Colin et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets
Initial banana paddle-pop, blew off and gave way to a Slatey/Stone and metal Steeliness. Lemon
and hazlenuts, lime leaves. Flinty/Match with some slight fatty/oiliness. Lovely


2009 Koehler-Ruprecht 'R' Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese Trocken
Faulty


2010 M. Chapoutier Ermitage De L'Orée (Marsanne)
Salinity & Chalk. Iodine with a touch of sourness. The texture was compelling and never picked
as Marsanne. Thought it was white burg with the lemon and white flowers, BA BOW, Rossco you
are about 200kmls off.... and a completely different grape.


2009 Wittmann Westhofener Kirchspiel Riesling GG
Green Under-ripe Pineapple. High acidity, cork crumbled on extraction. Crunchy Pear and white peach,
picked this as Germain straight away. Acid still quite prominent and has the structure to live a very long time.
One members wine of the evening.


1965 Campbell's Vintage Port
Mint & Eucalyptus with some ash type notes. Bushfire eucalypt ash?... wonderful!
Sweet black tea, Milk Chocolate, didnt pick it as VP. Didnt have the red colour (for me to be a VP)
However as it was noted, no rancio characters either, so I should have known better. Others swore
black and blue there was red colour in the glass for VP, and they were right.
Mix of both Shiraz & Cabernet grapes, but not sure of %/split/mix. Looked like a 54 year old wine,
with very brown colour. Fortified with brandy spirit that was jutting out and sitting on top
of the fruit. A little distracting, but once you got through it, what a magnificent wine.


Wonderful evening!

Con J
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Con J »

Went to an amazing mid week dinner.

2007 Bouchard – Chevalier Montrachet. Oxidized.
2008 Bouchard – Chevalier Montrachet. Oxidized, not as bad as the 07 but still gone.
2007 Bouchard – Chevalier Montrachet La Cabotte. Lemon, citrus fruit, some match struck with a great acid spine.
2008 Bouchard – Chevalier Montrachet La Cabotte. Riper, opulent, tropical, candied pineapple, pear. Good acid but more fruit forward.
2006 Frederic Mugnier – Musigny. Perfumed cherries, ripe raspberries and amazing length.
2006 Comte Georges De Vogue – Musigny. Perfumed cherries, darker berries than the Mugnier and again amazing length.
2006 Case Basse di Gianfranco – Soldera. Purfume, spice and so much going on I just can’t describe it, one word fabulous.
2004 Bruno Giacosa – Asili Barbaresco Riserva. Brett was just too much to be enjoyable.
2004 Bruno Giacosa – Asili Barbaresco Riserva. Back up bottle, Brett was worse than first bottle.
2007 Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia – Masseto. My first, leafy, herbs, cassis and plums, Young and stunning.
1990 D’Yquem. Good way to finish.

Wine of the night was hard decide between the Mugnier and Soldera and splitting hairs with the De Vogue.

Cheers Con.
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Ian S
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Ian S »

Hi Con
I presume the Case Basse opened in tribute to the memory of the man himself passing. Seems like a fitting eulogy.
Regards
Ian

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dave vino
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by dave vino »

A few Chardys with some Chinese...

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/022019/Meursault-1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/022019/Meursault-2.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/022019/Meursault-3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/022019/Meursault-4.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/022019/Meursault-5.jpg[/img]

If you want to see what $500+ of lobster looks like... PDR min spend for the win
IMG_28952.jpg
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JamieBahrain
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by JamieBahrain »

Nice one Dave

Con- brett in the Giacosa 2004? Extraordinary. First I've heard! Any chance of cooked bottles?
"Barolo is Barolo, you can't describe it, just as you can't describe Picasso"

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Chuck
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Chuck »

The Lane 2013 Beginning Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. Another lost bottle in the cellar. I thought it may have seen better days but it was really nice. Stone fruit, cashews, melon, grapefruit and some mighty fine french oak. Plenty of gas still in the tank.

Capel Vale 2015 Cellar Exclusive Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. A solid performer but a little one dimensional. All those typical MR flavours. The Lane Chardonnay was a hard act to follow.

Carl
Your worst game of golf is better than your best day at work

Con J
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Con J »

Ian S wrote:Hi Con
I presume the Case Basse opened in tribute to the memory of the man himself passing. Seems like a fitting eulogy.
Regards
Ian
Hi Ian.

Yes the passing of Gianfranco was mentioned when the Soldera was opened. All the greats are slowly going.
JamieBahrain wrote:Nice one Dave

Con- brett in the Giacosa 2004? Extraordinary. First I've heard! Any chance of cooked bottles?
Agree nice one Dave.

Hi Jamie.

The person who put these 2 on has fair bit of Giacosa in his cellar so I’m assuming this was purchased at release and stored well, These look like they were from the same case, bottle numbers are 3775 and 3780.
The other 4 at the dinner said it was brett and they are a lot more experienced than me. This had a dirty slightly balsamic, soy nose with no fruit and a very harsh palate.

Cheers Con.

Mahmoud Ali
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Mahmoud Ali »

Right now a 2010 Lou Miranda Estate, Old Vine Shiraz-Mourvedre 'Angel's Vineyard', Barossa Valley (14.5%) with a beef heart stew. Made from 110 year old vines, this is coming along, with lots of mourvedre dominated intensity, minerals, iron filings, black fruits, and leathery tannins that are rather ripe and non-agressive. Served a little cool, it is just the thing for a beefy, rich stew with mushrooms and onions served on boiled potatoes. This is tasty and savoury, though still young and primary. Am I drinking this too young? I suspect so but with more than a few bottles it is always easy to give a bottle a try.

Cheers ................... Mahmoud.
Last edited by Mahmoud Ali on Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

Mike Hawkins
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Mike Hawkins »

1986/Yalumba Signature.... looking tired
1986 Henschke Mt Ed... amazing nose, but losing some length on the palate
1990 Bin 389.... people like to bash Pennies, but there is no way this is a boring wine. It was excellent
1996 Dom Perignon... superb. A joy to behold
1989 Pichon Baron.. ditto
1990 Rockford BP... sensational. Best one yet.
1996 Wynn’s JR... a tad one dimensional
2002 Grosset Polish Hill... great, and still has upside.
2007 Trimbach CFE... pretty austere for this label. Should get further complexity
1996 Seppelts Dorrien Cabernet... a little jammer than previous iterations

felixp21
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by felixp21 »

2000 Clos des Papes CNDP
fully mature, there is a bit of alcohol at the end, and the wine is a little simple, but still an enjoyable drink. Wasn't a great vintage down there. Drink: now-2020, 88pts

2009 Chateau Pape Clement
yowser!!! :shock: :shock: this is a full throttle Pessac with complexity and length to burn. Showed amazingly well after two hours in the decanter, and surely will be a future legend of the vintage. Gravelly,black fruits, road tar, anise and earth... just an absolute pleasure to drink. Will improve, but no harm in having a look now if you have some. Drink: 2025-2050, 97pts

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Ozzie W
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Ozzie W »

2016 Olek Bondonio Dolcetto d'Alba
Anyone who says that Dolcetto isn't a serious grape varietal hasn't tried Olek Bondonio's version.

Blackberry, plum and some red cherry as well, earth, tar, roses. Very floral. Good acid backbone with silky tannins. Long nutty finish. In a way, it tastes more of place than varietal. It's Piedmont in a glass!

[url=https://postimg.cc/ZWsZYwJj][img]https://i.postimg.cc/ZWsZYwJj/00100d-PORTRAI ... -COVER.jpg[/img][/url]

winetastic
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by winetastic »

Open any of Olek's wines and I get excited. I may have derived more pleasure from the 2016 Barbera than the 2016 Nebbiolos (so far...)

Rossco
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Rossco »

A line up of a fair bit of wine tasted at a recent dinner. Wines were not served blind

2018 Mt McLeod Pinot - Gippsland
Light, very light in fact. Rose` almost. Iron Filings and Metalic
influences. Very high acid structure. Lacks any defining floral/Pinot nose.
No real fruit on the palate, very thin and watery. Offensive to my mouth
Big NO

2018 42 Degrees Pinot - Tasmania
Nice colour, purple tinges on the rim, but thats as far as it goes. Thin, green
very underripe. Menthol and again very high Acid that is too distracting. NO

2017 Byrne Pinot - Ballarat
Soft Tannins, Nice floral nose. Slight strawberry characters with some very faint
cherry like fruit. Would like a bit more fruit, but was well balanced and floral.
Was Ok.

2018 Storm Bay Pinot - Tasmania
Nothing there. Nothing on the nose, nothing on the palate. No Fruit, No Tannin
All acid. Big NO

Wooing Tree Bettlejuice Pinot - Central Otago
Very Dark, almost black in the glass. Very Central Otago in colour. This was so bad, my notes say 'Not even going to bother writing a note'

2016 Vine Mind Shiraz Malbec - Clare Valley
100+ Year old vines, Silky Menthol or Eucalyptus nose. Very bright fruit, but the tannins are very dry and a little
distracting. Acid sits out a little, but bottle age will fix that. Just dont have time or room to age
it. Not a pop and pour proposition unfortunately which is what im looking for at the moment (cellar is FULL)
Doesnt blow me away. Just ok. Needs food.

2016 Jeanneret Cab Malbec - Clare Valley
No notes, but remember it was just ok and nothing special.

2013 Yalumba FDR1A Cab/Shiraz - Eden Valley
Medium body (a big surprise!) Lots of coca dust and milk chocolate powder.
Nice tannins. 2013 a highly acidic year for Yalumba (Signature was the same) but will
blow off and settle down with a decent decant. Lovely floral and cool climate wine. Needs air.

2017 Turkey Flat Butchers Block Shiraz - Barossa Valley
Back the truck up. This is QUALITY in every aspect. Equal wine of the dinner. Effing fantastic!
Beautiful silky velvet mouthfeel. Barossa Black pepper, length, oak. Has a whole bunch funk to it that makes you want more. Love it,
buy lots.

2016 David Franz HP Shiraz - Barossa Valley
Only 12.9% and it really is a revelation. I think cooler climate or higher altitude grapes
here. Although it says Barossa, it has to be from up the hill a bit more. Meduim body, lovely pretty purple florals of
violets and lavender. Some spice, but its the meduim body that really draws you in. Equal wine of the night and 100% buy
to drink.

2017 Langi Cliff Edge Shriaz - Grampians VIC
Cool climate white pepper here. Quite nice, again medium body and purple
fruits. Again violets and some plummy notes. I got a bit of dark chocolate powder
and a hint of coffee. Will age really well, but may need another 6+months in bottle to calm down and fill out a bit.

2017 First Drop 2% Barossa Shiraz
Surprise of the tasting! This was a really fantastic wine. Silky and weighty
fruit laden wine. Apricots, with bright blackberries, plums, coffee and again silky tannins
really balance out the fruit. High quality and should really buy some more of this.
(After some research, the 2% is Moscatel, apparently Just to add a splash of funk... yes it did that!)

2016 Langmeil Blacksmith Cabernet - Barossa
Disappointed with this. Love their work usually, but this was a bit of letdown.
Nothing really there. Its a red wine. Thats about it. Not really offensive, but
nothing special either. Barossa Cab is my preferred grape over the shiraz equivalent usually.

2016 Buckshot Shiraz - Heathcote
Again, not an offensive wine. Easy to drink, structure was ok but couldnt really
distinguish the 'Heathcote' aspect. Possibly came from the non-cambrian soil in the
heathcote region. Nice wine, nice mouthfeel and weight.

Bests 2017 Bin 1 Shiraz - Great Western
Man this is PEPPERY! All the pepper. Black, White, whole peppercorns, cracked peppercorns, even some szechuan pepper in there. Very overpowering and distracting. There is quality fruit there, but gets smashed by the spice.

2017 John Duval Entity Shiraz - Barossa
Again quality and class all the way. Silky tannin structure, elegant fruit and perfectly judged oak. JD knows how to make wine! Has a depth of fruit that few posses at this price range, length is astonishing, but its the elegance that really attracts you. Blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry, earth and licorice. Lovely. I can see some very small similarity to the David Franz HP. Cooler climate fruit from up the hill in there as well?

2015 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet
This was the surprise disappointment of the tasting. Palate fell off a cliff right
after swallowing. Was a weird sensation, MASSIVE tannin, and while this will live
for a very long time, it needs a very long time to come together and fill out. A little green and thin as it is right now.

Mahmoud Ali
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Mahmoud Ali »

I met John Duval at a tasting in Sydney's Custom House a number of years ago. His wines, all three that were on tasting, were classy and elegant. A person could not do much better if they had his wines in their cellar.

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Lincoln
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Lincoln »

Rossco wrote:A line up of a fair bit of wine tasted at a recent dinner. Wines were not served blind
2015 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet
This was the surprise disappointment of the tasting. Palate fell off a cliff right
after swallowing. Was a weird sensation, MASSIVE tannin, and while this will live
for a very long time, it needs a very long time to come together and fill out. A little green and thin as it is right now.
Although I haven't tried this particular vintage, I've encountered a fair number from the 1990s and early 2000s. Yes, massive tannins and lacking fruit, but I never saw one "come together" or "fill out". I hope you have better luck.

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phillisc
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by phillisc »

2015, Big and Bold Shiraz, a James Bushby label marketed for Coles/First Choice
Won a gong at a London International wine and spirit show and followed up with a trophy in the Winestate Annual Shiraz tasting. I can see why, its big brassy and technically perfect, bit like the 88 Jamiesons Run JWT winner, clinically perfect but quite one dimensional. Punters felt it to be a good $30+ red... but i love it when this happens...drink the wine not the label...$4:99 exceptional drinking.

Cheers
Craig
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Scotty vino
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Scotty vino »

always heard good things about First Drop.
They'll be at the cellar door festival next week i'll be checking in. :D

Tonight im checking out a 2018 Rockford Vine Vale riesling.
lychee, lemon and grassy/green straw notes here. some real subtle hints of apple, floral and leafy herbs the more i give it a whirl.
Doesn't seem too bitey in the acid department either. nice bit of sweetness. Not quite the edginess of a stock CV rizza.
Going down way too easy once it's warmed a tad out of the fridge.

Last night a Wynns 08 BL cab. No notes but it was humming along nicely. Oak integration and fruit all there building slowly.
One thing i noticed is the 'menthol' characters we often see in Coonawarra Cabs in spades was really backed off here.
Seemed quite harmonious at this early stage of it's life. At the risk of stating the bleedin' obvious...hold on this one folks.
There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.

Rossco
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Rossco »

Mahmoud Ali wrote:I met John Duval at a tasting in Sydney's Custom House a number of years ago. His wines, all three that were on tasting, were classy and elegant. A person could not do much better if they had his wines in their cellar.
I have a doz Entity 2010 & 2012 in the cellar which im itching to try. Wisely I put them right down the back and have stacked other wines
on top....so not easy to get to :D

Rossco
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Rossco »

Lincoln wrote:
Although I haven't tried this particular vintage, I've encountered a fair number from the 1990s and early 2000s. Yes, massive tannins and lacking fruit, but I never saw one "come together" or "fill out". I hope you have better luck.
I will never know, as I dont plan on buying and waiting based on this bottle. I 'may' hunt some aged down at auction, but that will be about as far as it goes.

Cactus
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Cactus »

Dexter Pinot Noir 2017. Very nice assertive Mornington Pinot. Going to be blitzed by a thai green curry on the stove in 20mins. Wine and food matches be damn.

Chuck
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Chuck »

Alkoomi 2008 Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon. Another lost bottle from the cellar. Thought it might be past its best but quite pleasant with sweet blackcurrant fruit and some nice used oak. Acid and tannin fully integrated. Improved with breathing. Drink now. Nice with BBQ lamb loin chops with fatty tail intact. Fat is flavour.

Carl
Your worst game of golf is better than your best day at work

sjw_11
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by sjw_11 »

Some recent notes:
  • 2013 Anwilka - South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch (3/10/2019)
    This is 62% Syrah, 25% cab Sav, and 13% Petit Verdot, and it sees 50% first fill 400L French oak for 15 months.

    A serious attempt to create a flagship red, this is certainly densely fruited with a lot of structure from the oak. The palate opens with quite bright red fruits and clearly shows both the Syrah and some purple florals from the touch of petit Verdot. Still youthful. Finishes with quite firm, gritty tannins. Will certainly drink well for another 5-10 years, but will it evolve into something special? (90 pts.)
  • 2016 Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Central Coast (3/6/2019)
    Opens with a slightly interesting, almost sweaty nose of sweet red berries. With air it settles into a more straight forward fruit driven mode- bright blackberry on the nose and sweet red fruit in the mouth. Some red lollies and floral notes too. Decent wine. (87 pts.)
  • 2014 Domaine Belle Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Louis Belle - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (3/2/2019)
    Dark red in the glass. Fresh, sweet nose of red fruits, some stewed lollies, with a touch of herbaceousness underneath. Quite unevolved. Carries through on the palate- very bright acidity, crunchy red fruits. I suspect it will be better still in a couple of years. (89 pts.)
  • 2016 Domaine du Clos des Fées Grenache Blanc Vieilles Vignes - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (2/12/2019)
    90% Grenache blanc and 10% Grenache gris from over 100 year old vines. A small amount of old oak is used as well as lees stirring.

    Extremely pale colour, almost like water. Restrained but attractive nose of white peach, floral notes and a touch of honey suckle. Nice balance in the mouth, with the flavours carrying through and a pleasant lingering finish. Interesting wine. (89 pts.)
  • 2017 Pierre Gaillard Condrieu - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu (2/10/2019)
    Quite pale in the glass. Sharply defined nose dominated by classic Viognier apricot character. Slightly limpid in the mouth, not quite carrying the weight or depth of flavour you might hope for. Smart wine, will be interesting to see it evolve over 3+ years. (90 pts.)
  • 2016 Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough (2/4/2019)
    Very fresh and pure. Excellent length and depth. Drinking very well now, but good acid balance and structure suggests no rush to drink. Under screw cap this could make an interesting proposition in 3-5 years time. (92 pts.)
  • 2017 Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fumé Les Terres Blanches - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé (2/3/2019)
    Good purity, some intriguing flinty and smoky notes. Somehow leaves me wanting more however. Worth trying again. (86 pts.)
  • 2012 Château Bouscassé (Alain Brumont) Madiran Argile Rouge - France, Southwest France, Madiran (2/1/2019)
    Very rich, ripe and new world-esque. The flavours are more towards the stewed plum or prune end of the spectrum, drenched in sun but not cloyingly so. Sweet and juicy on the palate, with a hint of confection even - like black currant pastilles. Decent balance and length. Won’t be everyone’s cup of tea I suspect- too much fruit ripeness, but for my tastes drinking very well. I expect no rush to drink up, but this is tasty now so why wait? (89 pts.)
  • 2013 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (1/28/2019)
    Deep colour. Quite rich nose- stewed plums, a touch of Xmas spice, plus vanilla. Quite restrained. Still youthful on both the nose and the palate. Slippery red fruits on the mouth, followed by a surprisingly firm finish with relatively dense tannins. I suspect this will drink better in 2-3 years and hold for at least a decade. (91 pts.)
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Mahmoud Ali
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Mahmoud Ali »

I found a few wines on clearance on my way home late Saturday afternoon, a Bordeaux, a Burgundy, and a Sauterne. They were $10 a bottle and I had never tried them before. No need to overthink this, I bought one of each and later that evening tried two of them.
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The 2014 Thomas Bassot Pouilly-Fuisse was okay, certainly serviceable, with honeyed, tropical fruit, a nice touch of cashew-like oak, but was a bit overblown and lacked a certain freshness. The 2014 Chateau Pomies-Agassac, Haut Medoc, was the better wine, a balanced, approachable claret with fruit and ready tannins both in play. It is young of course but is already drinking well and yet gains a little with airing. This is the second wine of Chateau d'Agassac and is a 80% merlot 20% cabernet blend. All in all this was well worth the price and worthy of a return to the store for some more.

Mahmoud.
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Matt@5453
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Re: Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

Post by Matt@5453 »

2016 Marius Wines Shiraz Simpatico, McLaren Vale

Rich dark fruits jump out the glass. Flavours of plums, raspberries, milk chocolate, olives with good supporting spice/cedary oak characters encasing and supporting the lovely fruit. I'd say it's in the savoury spectrum of fruit, the structure is very good with some good acidity also. The finish is long and delicious with just a touch of tannic grip on the finish. The longer the bottle was open, it showed more and more. Over the next 7-10 years this should evolve nicely. A very good McLaren Vale Shiraz.

Chuck
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Location: Sydney

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

Post by Chuck »

Last night we celebrated our 30th anniversary at the french restaurant - The Delicatessen in Adelaide. Really nice french food and they allowed BYO. Opened a Tapanappa 2005 Rattonbully Whalebone Cabernet Shiraz at home to breath a bit but found it a little past its best so it was recorked and place in the fridge for the next Tuesday Night Wine. The cork was stained on the top which extended down the cork side suggesting perhaps heat affected. Bought from auction. So opened a Wynns 2008 John Riddoch Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. Wonderful nose and stunning blackcurrant fruit and well balanced. Everything integrated with usual pronounced oak absorbed by the fruit. A very special wine however it started to slip slightly when the last glasses were poured at around 9pm. Ready to drink and should last a while with good cellaring conditions. I think my passive underground cellar may have led to a faster maturation so with excellent cellaring it should get better.

Carl
Your worst game of golf is better than your best day at work

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Ozzie W
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Location: Melbourne

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

Post by Ozzie W »

2011 Suvla Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Bozokbag

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This is from the Bozokbag vineyard in Gallipoli. My first Turkish wine. 14.5% ABV.

Soy sauce, beef stock, nuances of cassis. Very savoury. but a bit one-dimensional. Tastes much older than 8 year old Cabs I'm used to. Not my cup of tea.

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