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

[Ozzie W]

2013 Yangarra Small Pot 'ceramic egg' Grenache.

Looking at this in the glass.... Red/Dark cherry cola with a little hint of bricking on the rim.

ON the nose... fresh red currants, red/dark cherries, fruit pastille, dried tea leaves and sweet herbs and a little hint/whiff of aniseed and bitumen to finish.

Having a taste the tannins are very soft and resolved and there's an amazing bright red fruit lift that lingers giving way to some fantastic length.
There's an amazing fine bone structure too and it seems very far removed from your atypical SA grenache. Delicate red fruit to the core and every element seems to be perfectly in place. Really enjoyed this and i think it's at the top of its game right now. I don't know if i'd be leaving it much longer. Maybe 12-18 months tops.

Love to see this in a blind tasting lineup. I think it would throw a lot of experienced palates.
The complexity, structure and balance is quite a ways from those confected/lolly water bombs we so often see in SA Grenache.

Thanks for the TN, Scotty vino. Sounds like my style of wine. I've got a bottle of this in my cellar and was wondering when to open. Have put it on my list to extract from my off-site on my next visit.

[Mahmoud Ali]

A 2010 La Bastide Saint Dominique Chateauneuf-du-Pape (14%) with prawns and asparagus in a creamy sauce and orzo. I have no experience with old white Chateauneufs but for one, and it was an excellent 1993 Beaucastel VV (coincidentally also 10 years old) . The colour on this looked good but I would say this wine was straddling the line between youth and maturity. I felt it needed more fruit as it seemed to have a touch of the glue-like nature of young marsanne - the descriptor is courtesy of Jancis Robinson. Meanwhile it has yet to develop any tertiary complexities. I still enjoyed the wine and though I Initially blamed the food wine match I came to realise that the wine was too young. I have another bottle of the 2010 and one of the 2011, and I will definitely put them out of mind for the foreseeable future.

LaBastideSaintDominique2010.jpg

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

[phillisc]

KT 5452 '15 Watervale Shiraz...first of a dozen, wow what a wine. From a Riesling Master this lass sure knows how to make a Shiraz.
At 5 years rich plush deep red, nose of wonderful dark fruits some oak present and a little cool climate
Palate with acres of varietal character, lovely tannins, easy decade ahead.
For low $20s or whatever it was...fantastic.
Cheers Craig

[Mahmoud Ali]

Last night I opened a 1999 Zenato Ripassa, Valpolicella (13%). The alcohol here is quite low for a ripasso wine. The tannins are fully resolved which should not be a surprise for a 20 year old wine but what was surprising was how fleshy and sweet-fruited it is right now, completely different in character than what it was like when young. I wanted more tertiary and savoury elements but it was silky textured and glided down effortlessly.

ZenatoRipassa'99.jpg

No, I did not fall down drunk, but I should have vacuumed the carpet!

[Ozzie W]

2014 Azienda Agricola Crasà SRC Rivaggi

A blend of 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Grenache. 14% ABV.

Time to check in on a purchase from almost 4 years ago. Ah, this is why I cellar wine! A sublime tannic profile and minerality that can't be anything other than Etna. Mostly sweet red fruits (raspberry, strawberry), but also some dark ones as well (blackberry). Mountain herbs, liquorice, sweet spices, white pepper. The acid keeping it all so fresh and lively. Everything in such harmonious balance. Long finish of fruits interwoven with chalky tannins. I suspect another decade of great drinking ahead for this wine.

Day #2. The wine has improved further, adding further evidence as to its longevity. There is this wonderful interaction between the savoury notes, the acid and tannin notes and the elegant fruit. Tonight I also add red cherry to the fruit profile. The finish just goes on and on. This is Etna at its very best.


2015 Tenuta di Fessina Etna Erse

100% Nerello Mascalese. 13.5% ABV.

Quite light. Red fruits with a cranberry-like finish. Ginger, earth, ash, mint. Finish is a bit short. Under-performs.

[Wines101]

This is a wonder 2010 Clos Saint-Jean Deus Ex Machina Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Full body completely balanced long finish silky smooth top and pour

[Wines101]

I am just adding this bottle photo

[Sean]

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[Mahmoud Ali]

PS. Guys you can reduce your photo size with a free app like Photo Size, eg. from 1mb - 2.5mb to say 150kb quite easily.

Thanks for the suggestion, though I must say Wine101's glass of Chateauneuf looks all the more better, and mouthwatering, in the large image. The sideways bottle, not so much.

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

[Benchmark]

2017 Vietti Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne

Pretty wine with a medium body and good length. Sweet cherries, flowers (pretty ones) and quality oak integration. Really about balance between fruit, oak and acidity. Well made, feminine and lovely to drink.

100% Barbera.

I have no experience with the grape variety or the region. If this is an example of what to expect, I am a fan.

[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MWJYv7a1q_ ... 8-h1370-no[/img]

Edited to correct the name. Thanks for the heads up sjw.

[sjw_11]

2017 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Tre Vigne

I have no experience with the grape variety or the region. If this is an example of what to expect, I am a fan.

Get into them! I think, for my tastes, if I was told I had to pick just ONE type of red to have ever, and it had to always be a current release and under $40 (to avoid just picking well aged Grange or the finest Burgundy ), I would pick Piemonte Barbera.


(Btw, Benchmark, in the pic you had their Barbera d'Asti .. they also make a Barbera d'Alba Tre Vigne as well, same grape, same region, different towns!)

[Dragzworthy]

Fermoy Estate reserve Chardonnay 2015
This is simply stunning. French oak (or so I read) but theres lots of vanilla and a touch of butter from the malo. Some might contest it needs a bit more acid but I love the softness and depth of fruit, I think it's a great balance. There's grapefruit and a hint of lime. The wine has a deep finish but remains elegant. Tertiary nuttiness. I cant remember who bought this for me but I need to find another bottle....and a producer I've never heard of.

[Sean]

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[Ian S]

Hi Sean
Wynns BL is a problem for those of us who like cellaring. We know it ages brilliantly, but it's so damn approachable throughout it's lifespan, that too few ever make it to maturity.
Regards
Ian

[JamieBahrain]

100% Barbera.

I have no experience with the grape variety or the region. If this is an example of what to expect, I am a fan.

I drink a lot of Barbera. It's often and oddly shunned by many, including lovers of Barolo and Barbaresco. I find this a little odd and often wonder if the wine is understood in context. Barbera can be as complex as you want and I'm comfortable with a number of producers to put aged barbera in a blind Barolo & Barbaresco line up to upset the apple cart- Voezio, Braida, Vietti's old vines etc. Mostly barbera is the price of a VB long neck and offers as much soul and sense of place as nebbiolo.

It's a great food wine and more often than not if fine food the priority, a barbera a better proposition at a restaurant, than a 100 euro, current release Barolo. It's more durable and you won't miss the nuance as easy as a young nebbiolo pairing with food. I fondly recall tarjin and white truffles in Monferrato drinking barbera with Luca Ferraris. Or organising a wine tour in Piedmont a decade ago, and one night to shake things up a little, when being hosted at Felcin restaurant in Monforte, each diner paired with another to see who could pick the best aged barbera. Now a decade ago, Felcin had the most incredible wine list yet its barberas generally forgotten when in a little higher price bracket- it wasn't the G Conterno that won on the night either.

So in an ideal world, which is a sad play at the moment as I originally meant not working, I would like to open a bottle of Piedmont wine every night. Three to four nights I'd prefer barbera ( sometimes dolcetto and others ) leaving the sometimes exhausting and heavier cerebral or emotional nebbiolo the rest of the time. A number of locals I know in the region tend to follow this pattern too- probably due the ease of drinkability of barbera or perhaps the fact in generations past it was more sort after than nebbiolo.

[Mahmoud Ali]

I love barbera, it has a flavour profile so savoury that even the cheap ones, made by large scale producers, I find satisfying in it's own way. If I had to drink a $10-$15 wine and there was a barebera in the mix, that would be the one I would choose.

Here at the ready, perhaps for tomorrow with a beef stew, is an oldish barbera:

MarcariniCiabotBarbera2009.jpg

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

[Benchmark]

2016 Marchesi Antinori Pian Delle Vigne Rosso di Montalcino

I have a soft spot for Sangiovese. Chianti is my fall back option, with Brunello rolled out when we feel like something a bit more complex.

These Rosso di Montalicino's, baby Brunello's I guess, are good value and are often an excellent expression of the grape.

After the success of the Vietti Barbera followed by the disappointment of the Altare Barolo, this was a nice way to finish out the night.

Cherries, raspberries and sweet spices. With no oak the acidity balances the fruit. Elegant with great length. A pretty wine, that might lack power for some tastes, it carries a nice rustic feel that gives it some interest.

Good drinking.

[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kIeQXQbMaV ... 20-h558-no[/img]

[Rory]

2011 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico.

In a good place, although i do appreciate an aged Chianti. Really liked it, nothing out of place. Not sure if it needs anymore time in the cellar, will probably polish off the next one once the Peninsula group gets back together.

Gettin the band back together... sometime.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Okay, okay, sangiovese as well, another lovely wine that cellars well in its Italian guise. I find riservas from good producers to be good for two decades at least. Lovely wines, whether Chianti, Brunello or Vino Nobilo, just give it the chance to age and show itself.

[Sean]

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[Mike Hawkins]

1984 Penfolds Grange... I thought this was superb. Best Grange 84 I’ve had, and probably my favourite of the 80s save for the 86. Still plummy and chocolatey in a good way. Great length and mouthfeel.

2004 Charlemagne Mesnillesime.... two bottles and both were disappointing. Seemed to have aged rapidly

2008 Charlemagne Mesnillesime... superb, but young. Lots of citrus and lots of acid. Will be outstanding

1990 Henschke Mt Edelstone... as always, this is first class. Not as brash and ripe as others from the vintage, but greater class and elegance than most. Still plenty of life left.

1995 Taittinger Comtes... a rockstar. Citrus, toast and flowers and an adorable finish.

2006 Taittinger Comtes... being confined to home had meant I’ve opened 4 bottle of this in recent weeks. While I still maintain 04 is much better, the gap is narrowing. Really enjoyable.

[Bytown Rick]

being confined to home had meant I’ve opened 4 bottle of this in recent weeks.

Home is where the wine is.

[Mahmoud Ali]

6D47CF41-DEEB-41DE-B344-2759A1495624.jpeg

Peter Lehmann Mentor 12 - A Cabernet blend, this one Cab and Merlot. Almost perfect vintage for it. Yields were down, but great fruit. The brilliant colour is still there. Got 18 months in French oak hogsheads, but it is seamless. Smoother, textured and a little mellow with a few years on it. Sweet plums, cassis, dried herbs, leafy and soft folds of tannin that I am still thinking about.

Hi Sean,

I wonder if you can do me a favour and tell me what the back label of the 2012 Mentor says with regard to the blend. The reason I ask is because there seems to be some year to year difference and confusion about what goes into the blend. I have a few vintages of the Mentor and the earlier vintage is a blend (57% Cabernet, 20% Merlot, 14% Shiraz, 9% Malbec) whereas the 2010, like your 2012 says Cabernet on the front label. My notes on the 2010 has Patrick Eckel of Australian Wine Reviews saying "The 2010 release of the Mentor is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the blend in other years made up with a portion of Shiraz and Malbec" while Jeremy Oliver review of the wimne refers to it as a Bordeaux blend. It strikes me that there must be a reason for the Lehmanns to put 'Cabernet' on the label when in the past it was just 'Mentor'. To complicate matters the current website makes no mention of The Mentor.

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

[Sean]

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[Sean]

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[Rory]

2018 Poggio Anima Gabriel Pecorino.
A cheapy purchase yesterday as I just wanted something different with the lemon/prawn risotto is was cooking for dinner. I was looking for a Grillo, but the Local had none.

Generally, I like a good Pecorino, and considering this was under $20, it did its job.
Textural and lemony, plenty of interesting flavour without being rich.

[Ozzie W]

After Scotty vino's TN last week for the 2013 Yangarra Small Pot 'ceramic egg' Grenache piqued my interest, I decided to pull my bottle out from off-site amongst some others. Turns out I had incorrectly thought I had the same wine. Mine is a 2014 vintage. Never mind. My experience with the 2014 very similar to Scotty vino's experience with the 2013.

2014 Yangarra Estate Grenache Small Pot Ceramic Egg Grenache
(14.5% ABV)

Red fruits, but not at all confected like most Aussie grenache, in fact, not even sweet in the slightest. The savoury elements also play a significant role. Tarragon, pepper, and other spices. Has a real pinosity about it with its light body. I reckon many would pick this as Pinot blind, including myself. Beautifully balanced. Lovely long dry finish.

I think the winemaking plays a huge role in this style of this Grenache. For those interested, here's the details from Yangarra. "The fruit was hand-picked, then 100% was de-stemmed and mechanically berry-sorted, with only 50% crushed and tipped into two 675L ceramic eggs. The fermentation occurs in the eggs, and the wine remains on skins for 120 days post-fermentation. The pressings are not used for this wine."

I haven't kept up with this producer for a few years. I see they have a Yangarra Estate Ovitelli label since 2015. I assume this is a continuation of the Small Pot Grenache experiment?

[Rory]

On the subject of Grenache.
It can, like Gamay, be absurdly variable in its iterations to label what is varietaly correct.
There is the wildly bretty versions like Ch Rayas, over ripe and jammy like in Australia, juicy and gluggable from Spain, and spicy dark fruit from Sardinia in the form of Cannonau.
And then the Yangarra sounds interesting, as does Cirillo.

[phillisc]

2002 Leo Buring Leonay Watervale Riesling
A simply amazing stunning wine, words and these, won't do it justice
The first bottle since purchase, the faintest yellow (thought it would be the colour of pee, but nowhere near it) with green hues, appears with a screw cap to be sooo underdeveloped.
No whiff of kero, just lovely varietal character, so mellow/delicate on the palate little bit of wet stones and enough acid to suggest that this is no where near peaking...an easy decade left and I have a few more left...speechless and very happy days. The best Riesling I have have had since a 2012 Merle and or Florita on release.

2014 Lindemans 1400 Hunter Valley Shiraz
Whilst like many others, went berserk on the 1403, however, managed to get a few of these.
Lovely wine, earthy savory tones beautiful sweetness so balanced now, but all indicators will be that it will be very long lived. Smashing wine, a joy.
Must now track down the elusive 1410.

2018 Petaluma Riesling, consistent as always, bright colour, fruit salad , granny smiths, easy drinking and certainly has a bright future

2017 Wynns red stripe, nice wine, sub $10, blue black fruits, pepper and medium weight, top quaffer.
Cheers Craig

[Benchmark]

I love barbera, it has a flavour profile so savoury that even the cheap ones, made by large scale producers, I find satisfying in it's own way. If I had to drink a $10-$15 wine and there was a barebera in the mix, that would be the one I would choose.

Here at the ready, perhaps for tomorrow with a beef stew, is an oldish barbera:

MarcariniCiabotBarbera2009.jpg

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

Did you crack this?