May/June Tasting Notes

[sjw_11]

I put my last notes in the COVID thread but things are faintly normalising so proposing a new monthly tasting notes thread.

Highlights- a reminder why I used to buy a few Taurasi, really an under-rated Italian region. Should do so again. The Drappier for the money is a bargain. And I am shown again the value on offer for Montagny from good producers.

• 2015 Domenico Clerico Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (6/8/2020)
  Second bottle from a three pack. Clear ruby red. The nose opens up more over at least two days, revealing bright cherry, vanilla, cherry liqueur, a hint of varnish, and a touch of purple flowers. The palate shows sweet cherry on the open, surprisingly approachable now at, least with a long aeration. The firm, typical tannins come through to close. Overall, the fruit feels just a touch on ripe side, but the structure and length are good. Should drink well for at least a decade and may score higher in time. (92 pts.)
• 2014 Drappier Champagne Brut Nature Millésimé Exception - France, Champagne (6/8/2020)
  Very fresh and clean. Excellent quality bubbles for the price. (90 pts.)
• 2015 Château Ascension - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (6/3/2020)
  Ruby red. Spicy oak, touch of varnish, red plums, some lighter cherry fruit. Quite complex overall on the nose. Soft and inviting on the palate entry with gentle red berries, although that is followed by good length and structure with noticeable but gently furry tannins. Drinks well now, but no problem leaving this alone for a few more years. (90 pts.)
• 2018 Celliers Reine Margot Bergerac - France, Southwest France, Dordogne, Bergerac (6/3/2020)
  Salmon pink. Restrained nose with gentle strawberry. Fresh and clean on the palate, with just touch of sweetness on the finish. For about €6 you can't really go wrong for a simple summer aperitif. (85 pts.)
• 2018 Domaine Michel Colbois Chablis - France, Burgundy, Chablis (6/2/2020)
  Family run domaine with about 20ha in Chitry and Chablis. The wine comes from 25 yr old vines and is vinified in stainless steel, with 12 months in tanks on its lees before bottling. Pale yellow/green. Very pure and crystalline, with tart notes of grapefruit and lemon. There is a touch of saline behind as well. Clean and fresh on the palate with bracing acidity. Pretty decent and for c€15-17 the value is not bad. (87 pts.)
• 2017 Maison Albert Bichot Meursault - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (6/1/2020)
  The final of 3 bottles consumed over the past 6 months. Mid yellow in the glass. Ripe and waxy on the nose, with some spicy oak character as well as stone fruit, and a touch of minerality as well. Quite rich in the mouth, its certainly on the fuller bodied end of the Chardonnay spectrum. Pleasing weight and intensity, the quality here is clear. (92 pts.)
• 2012 Pietracupa Taurasi - Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG (6/1/2020)
  This spends 24 months in medium sized barriques (500L). Medium red. A mix of bright red and dark cherry on the nose, with a touch of pepper, some oak varnish, and balsamic as well. Medium bodied with plum, cherry and vanilla characters. Quite grippy tannins to finish. Drinking very well now, it might improve but I would personally look to drink in the next couple of years, the fruit has just a slight ripe/sweet character I think could become detracting if left too long. (90 pts.)
• 2019 Château de Berne Côtes de Provence Romance - France, Provence, Côtes de Provence (5/25/2020)
  Pale salmon pink. Pretty dry on the nose, even almost austere at first although with air some pretty rose floral notes and strawberry fruit emerges. Very crisp and balanced on the palate. Exceptional value at cEU8. Perfect easy drinking aperitif for spring/summer. (87 pts.)
• 2018 Giuseppe Quintarelli Bianco Secco Veneto IGT - Italy, Veneto, Veneto IGT (5/24/2020)
  This is a complicated blend of Garganega, Trebbiano, Sauvignon Bianco, Chardonnay and Saorin. Pale yellow in the glass, this has an appealing nose with a “fruit salad” flavor spectrum (but not in the bad way of cheap Verdelho, I guess you could say ripe melon, stone fruit and just a touch of citrus). A touch of minerality appears as well. In the mouth this is very clean and defined, finishing crisp and moreish. A quality white wine for sure, although the value is perhaps questionable. (90 pts.)
• 2017 Bodega Son Prim Merlot - Spain, Balearic Islands, Vi de La Tierra Mallorca (5/24/2020)
  Mid-red. Restrained and gentle on the nose. Red currant, mulberry. Maybe just a touch hot (it is fifteen percent ABV). Sweet red fruits carry through on the palate. Not much in the way of tannin structure. Very pleasant and easy to drink but not especially profound. (87 pts.)
• 2017 Hecht & Bannier Bandol Rosé - France, Provence, Bandol (5/22/2020)
  Pale salmon. A restrained and elegant style of rose. Gentle strawberry and cream flavours. Very decent, and a perfect aperitif on a surprisingly hot May evening. (88 pts.)
• 2018 M. Marengo Barbera d'Alba Pugnane - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba (5/21/2020)
  Deep magenta. Vibrant nose with blood plum, violet floral notes, and purple fruit confection. Fruit sweet and juicy in the mouth, with lovely purity and really mouth filling flavor. Terrific Barbera and for the money unbeatable value. I do think this can cellar comfortably for a couple of years at least, but it is so delicious now why wait. (90 pts.)
• 2018 Cave de Tain St. Joseph Terre de Violette - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (5/20/2020)
  Bright red. Sweet red fruit and red lolly notes on the nose- sure you could say violets! Pretty juicy and appealing and this carries through on the palate. An excellent bistro wine at a good price. (87 pts.)
• 2016 M. Marengo Barolo Brunate - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (5/18/2020)
  Production around 6,000 bottles, this sees 24 months French oak, with a portion (I believe around 15pc) new. On opening this is quite dense and rich. With more air the wine opens up, over several days in fact. Aromas of dark cherry give way to more traditional Nebbiolo traits of violets and tar. I also wrote pine needles, something I haven’t said before- it’s almost a sappy character I don’t see normally with Barolo. In the mouth this needs a lot of air for the tannins to relax a little, but there is wonderful lingering cherry fruit and nice balance already. I think this could look pretty darn good in 10 years or so. (93 pts.)
• 2017 Au Pied du Mont Chauve Montagny 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Montagny (5/17/2020)
  Yellow/green. Bright, citrus nose. Flavors of white peach and melon. Fruit driven, with pleasing elegance and purity. Looking good now but I expect it will drink well for a number of years. (91 pts.)
• 2016 Acústic Celler Priorat Ritme Plaer - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat (5/16/2020)
  A mix of Carignan and Grenache, which sees 12 months of French oak and is limited to about 500 dozen.
  Deep red with a purple tinge, this has dark fruited aromas with lots of plums, vanilla and spice. On the palate there is a balance which belies the ripeness of the nose. Sweet red fruits, a bit of confection with air, and finishing with gently gritty tannins. A pretty decent wine in a richer style- manages to carry its 15pc alcohol. (92 pts.)
• 2012 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Vintage - France, Champagne (5/16/2020)
  Bright yellow with a firm mousse (indeed this one wanted to be drunk so much the cork nearly took me out). Fresh citrus dominates on the nose. Very clean and youthful, which carries through on the palate. Nice poise, with refreshing acidity. I suspect this could improve quite a bit in the mid-term. (91 pts.)
• 2011 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (5/14/2020)
  Deep red. The nose opens with dark plum, blood, clove, and black cherry. There is a clear mahogany oak character as well but it sits behind the ripe fruit aromas, and just a touch of the glue character I associate more with American oak and in Rioja with La Rioja Alta but it doesn't detract. The palate is quite youthful, with plenty of blue and dark fruits and relatively gentle, fleshy tannins. The finish is long and lingering. Excellent wine and another example of the terrific value on offer in Rioja. (93 pts.)
• NV Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Tio Pepe Fino 'En Rama' 2019 - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry (5/14/2020)
  Glowing yellow. Intense nose of citrus, hazelnut, saline and the traditional Fino flor character. Rich and lingering in the mouth. Excellent and cracking value as so often the case with sherry. (91 pts.)
• 2017 Joseph Drouhin Montagny - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Montagny (5/13/2020)
  Glowing yellow/green. Ripe Chardonnay nose, with white peach and fresh apricot. There is a distinct structured oak character as well (which checks out- 6-8 months in barrel, 20% new oak). The palate is quite full, but with good acid balance. This is a style I personally enjoy, and great value at around €14 at Monoprix. (88 pts.)
• 2015 Domaine Font Sarade Vacqueyras Les Hauts de la Ponche - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras (5/11/2020)
  GSM blend. Deep red. Ripe, rich red and dark fruit characters. Maybe slides a shade into the over ripe spectrum but just carries it off. Think ripe plums and liquer. A bit of red fruit from the Grenache and a bit of earthiness as well. Pretty decent and nice value around €14 from carrefour. (88 pts.)
• 2018 Bodega Fulcro Albariño Rías Baixas Finca a Pedreira - Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas (5/11/2020)
  Yellow green. Tart citrus nose. Smells juicy, the nose screams out for sunshine and the sea. Loads of lemon/lime and really crisp acid on the palate. Refreshing and moreish. Great value. (88 pts.)
• 2014 Bodegas Beronia Viura Rioja Fermentado en Barrica Colección Beronia - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (5/10/2020)
  Bright yellow. Oily, waxy nose. Lemon pith, a bit of vanilla oak character. Still relatively fresh despite being over five years old, but left open for two days this has fallen into a bit of a heap so I would suggest drinking up. (87 pts.)
• 2016 Bodegas Protos Ribera del Duero Protos 27 - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (5/8/2020)
  Bright purple red. Lifted and intense nose. Lots of purple fruits, plums and violets. Touch of vanilla. Certainly ripe but still complex and inviting. Less rich and full on the palate than the nose might suggest. Cool red fruits followed by vanillin oak and quite grippy tannins. Nicely structured. Delicious now but I am sure it will develop well for at least 10 years. (92 pts.)
• 2018 Adegas Castro Brey Rías Baixas Castro Valdés Sin Palabras - Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas (5/7/2020)
  Yellow, flecked with green. Sweet peach or even apricot notes mixed with a cooler citrus fragrance on the nose. Quite ripe on the palate, with yellow nectarine. There is a slight oiliness as well. More on the riper/less crisp end of the spectrum of Albarino, and perhaps just lacks a touch of acid drive to lift it, but pretty nice nonetheless. (87 pts.)
• 2018 Antidoto Ribera del Duero - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (5/4/2020)
  Dark purple red. Sweet dark fruits- plum and blackcurrant. Not too over ripe though. Reasonable balanced in a fruit forward style. Nice drinking. (87 pts.)
• 2018 Jean León 3055 Rosé - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès (5/2/2020)
  Pale salmon. Sweet strawberry on the nose. Simple, fresh and clean. Great spring time drinking. (87 pts.)
• 2015 La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Labastida - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (4/30/2020)
  A slight dried residue of wine on the side of the neck suggests this might have been heat affected, and the wine tends to agree. Just a bit baked in the fruit flavors, a touch soupy. Not rated on that basis. NR (flawed)
• 2018 Château La Grange de Grenet - France, Bordeaux (4/29/2020)
  Bright red purple. Soft, sweet mulberry and blackcurrant. Quite fresh and crunchy red to purple fruit on the palate. Pleasant drinking. Good value around €10. (88 pts.)

Posted from [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/]CellarTracker[/url]

[sjw_11]

I should add- even coming out of lock down the joy of seasons in Paris- every supermarket has a wall of Rose and the quality available even for €6 is astonishing. Lolly water it (normally) isn't, far more often trending crisp and relatively dry. It is like the whole country just agrees, it is now a warm day in June- of course we drink Rose.

[GraemeG]

Notes from May:

• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8419898]2014 Peccavi Wines No Regrets[/url] - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River (30/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14%} Showing some age on the bricking rim. Nose is a bit advanced too, with a bit of green capsicum and olive, with a malt or dark chocolate aroma. Palate is a bit watery, with faint powdery tannins, medium acid, but of black currant fruit mixed with a green stalky character. Medium body, without great complexity or indeed anything beyond short/medium length on the finish. Dry, but not very exciting. Further cellaring won’t help.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8416952]2016 Tyrrell's Sémillon Single Vineyard HVD[/url] - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley (30/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 11%} Still a pale yellow straw colour. Mildly developing but reticent nose of steely grey, mineral characters, slight grassy aromas, with a grassy, lanolin quality. Imitating a Marsanne. Palate is patchy, probably too young, although the acid is soft enough that I wonder about true evolution. A bit dense despite the light/medium weight, dry but a bit washed out in flavour, more of that steel and grass without much dimension. Maybe drunk at an in-between stage, in fairness. Best to wait I think.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8414801]2017 Sons of Eden Kennedy[/url] - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (29/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Glowing bright garnet red. Stewed fruits, raspberry and strawberry, a touch of glue-like oak. Prune-like fruits, black berries, along with a scorched oak, burnt and heated, raisin fruit. Very Barossa Grenache in many of the bad ways, at least in my view. Medium/full body, but otherwise unstructured, with minimal dusty tannins and low acidity. This gives it a clunky, flabby finish, where further length doesn’t really improve things. Can’t see this cellaring.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8413006]2013 De Bortoli Riorret The Abbey Vineyard[/url] - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley (28/05/2020)
  {diam, 13%} Grapes from the Tarrawarra district. Single vineyard. Biologically farmed. What does that mean? I have no idea. Looks fairly advanced, even for Pinot. Distinct brick-orange st the rim. Mild, developing nose of aging brown leaves, gentle cherry fruit, all fairly restrained, or washed out if you were being uncharitable. The palate is similarly ‘refined’, with a fading jammy quality, almost absent fine tannins, and low-medium acidity. Light-bodied too. Thing is, it’s not especially dimensional, just a soft, gentle, fruit-driven Pinot which is slowly losing freshness and gaining very little in return. A drink now prospect.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8409686]2009 Prager Riesling Federspiel Weissenkirchner Steinriegl[/url] - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (26/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 12.5%} Medium yellow. Looks a decade, certainly. Gloriously aging nose of apple cider, brown leaves and a hint of lovely kerosene and exotic lemon and custard. Really attractive. Lively palate, with a spritzy character lifting it, medium acidity on the palate, gorgeous flavours in line with the nose. Generously medium-bodied, with just the slightest hint of residual sugar giving it an intoxicating presence, so gluggable; honestly, I could drink a bucketful of this. Still fresh on the finish, aging in character, but peaking beautifully, medium/long on the finish. Just lovely. Enough complexity to retain interest, yes, but also just sybaritically generous. Drink soon I guess, although it will clearly hold, but it’s so lovely now.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8400537]2012 Puddleduck Pinot Noir[/url] - Australia, Tasmania, Coal River (23/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 13.7%} Garnet, with a distinct bricking to it. Gentle, maturing aromas, faintly meaty and with rotting compost notes, but also with proud memories of their fruity heritage. The flavours encompass everything about new world Pinot tended with ambition; bright cherries with an exotic twist, some cured meat. Although, after twelve years I’d want something a bit more nuanced and interesting; this verges on washed out rather then ethereal. Maybe barely medium-bodied, with fine dusty tannins, and acidity that is almost missing in action. At maturity for interest, even if there’s nothing wrong with this to drink objectively, and there’s no ‘over-the-hill’ about it that’s for sure. Fairly even palate, but no more than short-medium length on the finish. I wanted this to be so much better than it was. Sigh.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8398065]2017 Andrew Thomas Wines Sémillon The O.C[/url] - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley (22/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 11.3%} Pale straw, still flashing green. Grassy, nearly youthful, briny nose. Lightly spritzy palate, fresh without being aggressive. Straw flavours, still primary, although settling a little. Very Hunter semillon, in a discreet way. Neither austere nor blowsy. Medium acidity, light/medium body. Medium length finish. Can hold if needed, don’t expect greatness. But it’s barely $20, so no real complaints.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8396020]2014 Chalk Hill Wines Shiraz Alpha Crucis[/url] - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (21/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Deep ruby red. Looks a little past the flush of youth. Aromas are plush, rich; plum, liquorice, blueberry, milk chocolate. Palate has all the regional richness you expect of the winery’s flagship Shiraz; rich red fruit, black jam, swish cedary oak, spicy in a warm climate way. It’s full-bodied, but the impression is heightened by lowish acidity, the low/medium level fine dusty tannins, and the warmth which pervades the medium length finish. That finish; it’s somehow hollow and spotty, patchy; where’s the mid-palate? Too-ripe grapes, pushing the ripeness too far? So common. These are Wizard of Oz wines; a big impressive show up front, and then just a while in, as you contemplate the finish, it’s as though Toto has pulled the curtain aside and you realise there’s not a lot going on here. Trouble is, every subsequent mouthful just heightens the impression. So, impressive at first, then shallow; an exemplar of the uber-rich, drink-before-the-decade-is-out, flash-as-a-rat-with-a-gold-tooth style of prestige wine. Bottle 3724 of 4000; numbering bottles tells you a lot about the ambition!
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8394126]2015 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon[/url] - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (20/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Still a deep ruby hue. Youthful aromas of black pepper, black currant, malt, dark chocolate, plus a dark green olive character that dissipate a little over time. The medium/full-bodied palate is warmly black, a touch baked, seasoned with coconut oak. Low/medium acid; quite an intense but raisin/spice-driven finish, not terribly varietal, enjoyable but never really destined for greatness. Can be kept a while, might improve or develop a bit, but I think it best before its tenth birthday.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8392466]2017 Andrew Thomas Wines Shiraz Individual Vineyard The Cote[/url] - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Pokolbin (19/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Deep ruby. Youthful spicy aromas, red fruit, blueberries, and having read the term ‘Turkish delight’ on the back label, I’d agree. Some spice too. It’s a very ripe modern red trying to be savoury, but it’s pumped up with oak, a rich sweet jammy raspberry fruit, just medium acidity, low level powdery tannins, medium weight - maybe a bit more - which loses a bit of classic Hunter character but makes a no modern red. A few years won’t hurt, but they’ll moderate, rather than add to the experience I reckon.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8384188]2016 Bird in Hand Shiraz Adelaide Hills[/url] - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills (16/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Youthful deep ruby. Intense but restrained nose of spiced black currant and a cedar note. Slightly oaky palate, with warm ripe black fruits, spice verging on black pepper flavours, medium acidity, medium dusty tannins, tidy French oak. Medium weight. It’s youthful, although rather thick in texture; feels like more alcohol than printed... Could be happily left for five years with expectation of real development.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8383934]2016 Taylors Cabernet Sauvignon Promised Land[/url] - Australia, South Australia (15/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 13.5%} Crimson ruby. Confected generic red aromas. Commercial palate; a bit gritty, a bit dilute, coarse, rustic blackberry flavours, medium weight, medium acid of an artificial nature, shortish finish. Acceptable in a crisis.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8381688]2017 Tyrrell's Shiraz Old Hut[/url] - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley (15/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Crimson ruby colour. White pepper, warm earth, raspberries, gentle vanilla touch, but not oaky. The palate is fairly savoury by Oz standards, with a Chianti sort of character, drying, with fine low/medium gritty tannins. Still a bit young, there’s a glue-like aspect to the flavour, it’s bright, almost hard in character. Mostly even palate, maybe a bit subdued right in the middle of the tongue. Still, fairly subtle overall, this could be kept for another 5-8 years easily, with hope of proper development.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8379752]2016 Seppelt Shiraz Chalambar[/url] - Australia, Victoria (14/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Always promoted as a wine punching beyond its weight. Plenty of charcoal aromas, big plummy fruit, blackberries, some vanilla too. Attractive but a bit obvious. Palate has that ripe-but-dilute quality that characterises the ambitious end of the commercial market; plummy flavours, ripe but a bit hollow; medium weight but a bit baked, low dusty tannins, does finish almost with a touch of sweetness in the end; but that same rich sweetness trims it to short/medium length on the finish. Decent value for sub - $20ish, but no hidden gem. Unlikely to improve with cellaring.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8377791]2017 Tomich Wines Pinot Noir Icons of Woodside I777 Woodside Park Vineyards[/url] - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills (13/05/2020)
  {cork, 13%} 777 is the clone, from block I of the vineyard hence the messy name. Vary pale garnet, verging on olive skin in colour. Fragrant, perfumed nose of strawberries, cherries, sweet exotic fruits. Subtle oak. Sweetish, but sophisticated. The palate is tender and balanced, with warm strawberry fruit, medium acidity, super-fine dusty tannins, not over-oaked. Hints of pastrami too; really enticing. So lovely now it’s hard to picture it aging, but this light-medium bodied wine is really attractive now. Back label advises whole bunch ferment, natural yeast and the obvious French oak. Tidy wine indeed.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8375961]2019 Tim Adams Pinot Gris[/url] - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (12/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 12.5%} Straw yellow with a distinct grey tinge. Really! Fairly intense nose of talc, musk and pear. Eventually shows a sweet aspect too. Palate is medium weight, with ripe spicy peach mango flavours, all with a salty, briney accent, and yet finishing with s distinct sweetness to me. Medium acid, but it still sags a bit on the palate, despite the low alcohol. Ok for the grape; pg never sings, it only ever warms up. Drink now, obviously.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8370493]2017 Bakkheia Tripartite[/url] - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Geographe (10/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Vivid ruby/garnet. Youthful nose of bright raspberry, vanilla, bubble gum crimson aromas. Similar palate, with jubey fruit, plenty ripe but not raisiny, subtle low/medium powdery tannins which do grow while on the palate. Low/medium acidity. A little bit hollow on the mid-palate but otherwise pretty good, refreshing and vibrant, with mid-term aging potential. Piquant red fruit;has a lively sourness to keep it fresh. Impressive. GSM in a 56/35/9 ratio. Quite drying despite obviously sweet, ripe fruit.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8370555]NV Seppeltsfield Para Liqueur Port Bottling 110[/url] - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (10/05/2020)
  {cork, 22%} Translucent mid-brown/caramel colour. Caramel, molasses aromas, with a musty carpet or molten leather quality. Highly acidic, with piercing toffee and caramel flavours. Doesn’t really extend past the mid-palate, finish long but predictably warm, with a molten blast of runny caramel that blends the medium sweet presence with some exotic musk and wild honey. Fun wine, from the olden days.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8370116]1996 Penfolds Bin 389[/url] - Australia, South Australia (9/05/2020)
  {cork, 13.5%} A fine example. Lovely old leathery aromas, classic blend of vanilla oak, spicy Shiraz and some sterner black cabernet. Intense nose, slightly better than the palate, which is medium weight, with soft and resolved powdery tannins, medium acidity. Perhaps just a touch drying out and hollow, but still showing well, if a bit short of transcendent. Decanted immediately before service. Decent cork. No need to wait. Interestingly, was thoroughly outshone by a 99 Tahbilk Reserve cab immediately afterwards.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8370124]1999 Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve[/url] - Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Nagambie Lakes (9/05/2020)
  {cork, 13.5%} Aging, but still with freshness, power. Plums, mulberries and currants. Lovely aged cabernet flavours, with a sweet fruit twist. Medium dusty tannins, balanced medium acidity. Medium bodied, with a medium/long finish. Really impressive, and nowhere near falling over.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8370133]NV Joseph Perrier Champagne Cuvée Royále[/url] - France, Champagne (9/05/2020)
  {diam, 12%} Fresh nose and palate, fragrant Chardonnay aromas, fine bubbles, not especially yeasty. Light/medium body, medium length finish. Fairly simple but pleasant.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8364258]2017 Moppity Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Crafted[/url] - Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Hilltops (8/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14%} Plums and cranberries; blends some slightly sour aromatic fruit with a distinct sweetness on the palate, an impression heightened by soft low level dusty tannins but also fairly discreet acid. It’s a bit confected on the palate for what purports to be cool climate cabernet, but doesn’t finish too sweetly for its medium weight body, although it tends towards warmth. Not for cellaring.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8362335]2015 M. Chapoutier Luberon La Ciboise[/url] - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Luberon (7/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Medium garnet, right for age. Lots of sweet bubble gum, raspberry jam fruit aromas. Flavours too, although not actual sugar sweet. Lowish grape skin tannins, medium acidity, ripe Grenache fruit, warm and maybe a touch hollow. Patchy, shortish finish. Ok value at A$24, no better. In fairness, decent enough for five years, may hold but won’t improve.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8360501]2015 Tyrrell's Sémillon Single Vineyard Belford[/url] - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Belford (6/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 11%} Pale, washed out yellow straw colour. Developing nose of grapefruit, smoke, brown straw. Smells a bit of brine and seashell, but not exactly in a fresh way. Mature palate, still with a hint of medium acidity, muted fruit, none of it primary, squash, aged lemon perhaps, only light body and although the finish is fairly even across the tongue, it remains clearly on the short side. Maybe the semillon didn’t escape the rain curse this vintage after all. Not worth keeping further, in my view.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8358842]2013 Petaluma Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Merlot Evans Vineyard[/url] - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (5/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Aging garnet. Looks right. Gently pungent black currant, plums, gentle oak cedar qualities on the nose. Open palate, easy tannins, in a low gentle manner, medium acid; nicely ageing and fairly soft, medium weight, with open, brambly, developed yet ultimately fairly simple fruit on the palate. Ok wine, but surely a long way from the ultimate ambitions of Petaluma, Evans Vineyard, Brian Croser...
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8356948]2016 Hardys Shiraz HRB D676[/url] - Australia (4/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Deep ruby red. Youthful nose of coconut and vanilla, with some generic black fruit. Pungent, fumey palate, less about fruit than a minty, cool climate character; odd for a blend from McLaren, Clare and Pyrenees. Medium weight, but with a rather hollow palate; it seems a little raisin-like and tending to the over-ripe. Low acidity, medium sandy tannins, very drying and oaky but not in a sweet way. Finishes a bit short to be very exciting, or to justify cellaring.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8353827]2013 Seppelt Riesling Drumborg Vineyard[/url] - Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Henty (3/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 11.5%} Still a very pale straw yellow. Lightly developed nose of steel, faint lime, austere, minerally. Palate is an odd mix of potentially interesting flavours with an odd structure; it seems initially steely in acid but then turns all fluffy and soft; the steely citrus just fades softly instead of powering through. It’s medium bodied, but with no great drive somehow. Could be something to blossom, I’m not certain. Feeling like it’s missed its mark somehow. Perhaps keep it to see. Not bad to drink now, to be fair, just not hte transcendent experience I was expecting.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8353669]2015 Sinapius Chardonnay Home Vineyard Pipers Brook[/url] - Australia, Tasmania, Pipers River (2/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 13.5%} Pale straw yellow, hint of green. Matchstick and grapefruit nose, with light cedar oak. Polished, reserved palate, tight grainy oak, some malo richness, cool grapefruit and lean flavours, no tropical fruit here. Light/medium weight, dry, with open flavours, tingly acid persistence on the palate but not a lot of fruit richness. Might age nicely for a while, but I don’t think it’s a really long-term prospect.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8353691]2018 Bakkheia Different Drummer[/url] - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Geographe (2/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 12.5%} As impressive as last November’s bottle. Steel and brine, a gooseberry/lychee presence, with just a leavening of fine oak. Medium weight, lovely balance. Light/medium body. Impressive stuff. I think SB is a better grape with just a touch of oak.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8349263]2010 Kilikanoon Shiraz Green's Vineyard[/url] - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (1/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5} Quite Deep garnet still. Restrained, polished nose, light on the cedar, with drenched blackberries and even cherries. Not exactly cool climate, but lacks the chocolate richness you might expect from Barossa. Ultra fine dusty tannins, medium acidity. Quite balanced, even on the palate, with only a medium length finish. Just seemed very restrained in a way I wasn’t expecting. Medium weight, no more. A little lacking in personality somehow, although further cellaring is unlikely to hurt.
• [url=https://www.cellartracker.com/note.asp?iWine ... te=8349291]2016 Andrew Thomas Wines Shiraz Elenay Barrel Selection[/url] - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley (1/05/2020)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Deep garnet. Chocolate and oak nose, blackberry, a savoury note. Plenty seductive; same on the medium/full-bodied palate, avoiding sweetness or too much oak. Black cherry. Medium fine grainy tannins, low/medium acidity. Medium length finish, will mellow for plenty to time still. Not terribly Hunter, has a little bit of ‘could be from anywhere’ about it, otherwise pretty tasty.

[phillisc]

Graeme, thanks for the notes.
Picked up the Petaluma for sub $30 so might have to do based on your assessment.
Majella is an interesting one, I like them all. However, tried a 2010-19 vertical last October, 10, 12 and 16 smashed everything else. Had a recent 16 which will be great in a few years and have a 17 ready to look at.

Cheers Craig

[Matt@5453]

2015 Marions Vineyard Syrah, Tamar Valley, Tasmania

I visited this producer back in 2019, a great location with stunning views of the Tamar River. The owner was very hospitable and I bought this a memento. I tasted it at cellar door and was hoping some 15 months later it would taste as good (lets be honest, sometimes wines taste good at a cellar door and then are a real let down when you try them the next time). Happy to report this was a fantastic wine and surpassed all my expectations. This wine shows what I enjoy in cool climate Shiraz. Pepper, spice, plush plum fruit, blackberries and fine structure. Redolent of a Clonakilla wine, tasted blind I would pick this as an O'Raida Shiraz. Lovely stuff.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Thanks for the notes.

Interestingly your review of the 2013 Riorret The Abbey describes to a tee the Estate version from the same vintage I had recently.

It was a nice enough drink when opened but, lacking in acid and stuffing, it fell away quite quickly. I guess not every wine can be like the glorious (for the price), longer lived 2008 vintage, but early reports were pretty positive.

[Tucker Wine Studios]

Sevenhill Inigo Riesling 2019: Loved this wine right from the first sip, so seductive, rich in lemony flavour, mild not searing acidity, dry but touch of fruit sweetness, not the typical bone dry minerally chalky Clare Riesling.
Lino Ramble Ludo Fiano 2016: Lovely yellow colour, now developed aromas of marzipan and malt lozenges, great richness and mouthfeel, leans towards mature chardonnay.
Cullen Wilyarup Amber Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2018: Wow, what a flavour density, feels really rich and condensed, not skinsy at all, more like concentrated and ripe Rhone white (Viognier/Marsanne/Roussanne), loved it.
Yetti and the Kokonut CC&dry (Pedro Ximenez, Chenin Blanc, Crouchen) 2018: Geez, some serious funk here, actually tastes like a scrumpy cider, enjoyable but you need to be very open-minded and in the mood for a wild ass drink.
Elephant in the Room Palatial Pinot Noir 2018: A rather gutsy and assertive style, closer to cold climate spicy Shiraz, not bad, I actually like it.
Anderson Hill Down She Goes Pinot Noir 2016: Lovely flavour-rich seductive pinot, drinking from a take away coffee cup, great with the wood oven-baked pizza from the winery, sitting in my camping chair in chilly temperatures, listening to the music blasting over the vineyard.
Aphelion Grenache 2016: Wonderful wine, ripe fruits but not confect sweetness, a dash of herbs and spice, still tastes very fresh and vibrant.
Aphelion Sagaro Sagrantino Mataro 2019: Ouch, quite raw, wild and edgy, back label suggest early drinking, not so sure about this, feel like the wine needs some time to relax and come together, a bit hard going and somewhat too rugged for me at this stage.
Greenock Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2006: Started a bit funky-stinky, thought it suffered from oxidation, however really bloomed after some aeration, prunes and rum & raisins.
Noon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016: Ah, nice winter red, warm, cuddly, full bodied, a touch of portyness, typical Noon style.
Pasqua Amarone della Valpollicella 2011: I really like this Amarone, quite a bit of fruit sweetness, good tannin structure, reminded me a bit of Noon reds.
d’Arenberg The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2007: Wow, wall of tannin, huge wine, a cracker, rather savoury-herbal than sweet fruited, I’m gobsmacked, what an impact, great bottle, best d’Arenberg red I had so far.
De Bortoli Deen Vat Series No 5 Botrytis Semillon 2009: This is really good, feels quite serious, wouldn’t say that this is a much lesser wine than the Noble One.
Sandalford Botrytis Semillon 2009: Nice medium sweetness, lovely.
Jim Barry Sauternes 1992: Lovely old Clare Valley botrytis wine made from Semillon, good old bottle.
d'Arenberg The Noble Botryotinia Fuckeliana Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2015: Had cravings for something sweet and sugary and this wine delivered in spades, very satisfying. I obviously liked this wine much more than Campbell (TWF) and yes I’m a bit an aficionado of super-concentrated ultra-rich hyper-sweet botrytis wines. And I sometimes enjoy a tea spoon of gooey honey, guess that says it all.

Cheers, Mario

[sjw_11]

Rounding out the last of my notes for June.

• 2008 Le Ragose Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Caloetto - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (6/28/2020)
  Mid red. Classic Amarone raisin on the nose, plus liqueur plums- a hint of undergrowth, but quite pure and fruit driven despite the age. A hint of spice as well. Sweet but not unbalanced on the palate. Prune, raisin, and red fruits. Furry tannins. Carries the alcohol well. Obviously it is rich and ripe by its nature, but this is lovely and a great example of the style. (92 pts.)
• 2016 Domaine Ostertag Gewurztraminer Fronholz À l'Orient d'Eden - France, Alsace (6/27/2020)
  Mid yellow in the glass. Very aromatic as expected on the nose. Lots of exotic musk, rose water, lychees, a bit of ripe apricot as well. The apricot character follows through and I can't help wondering if there is a touch of botrytis? Quite ripe and rich, maybe just lacking a touch of acid balance to lift the score higher, although it just carries the sugar (which at 50g/L is pretty hefty). (91 pts.)
• 2016 Louis Jadot Morgon Château des Jacques - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (6/25/2020)
  This is just lovely. Deep red colour. Glossy, deeply scented nose with red and dark fruits. Some blackberry jubes, floral notes, very pristine. Sweet fruited and fleshy on the palate. Of course it’s a bit simple by its nature, but for €13 it is hard to beat for easy bistro drinking. Delicious. (91 pts.)
• 2018 Fabre Montmayou Chardonnay Vinalta Marks & Spencer - Argentina, Mendoza (6/23/2020)
  Clear yellow. Gentle ripe peach and apricot on the nose. A hint towards slightly sweeter tinned apricot, but there is also a touch of mineral character as well. Surprised to read that it is entirely unoaked, as there is a certain richness there. The palate melds ripe apricot with vibrant acidity. Very easy to drink, and good value. (87 pts.)
• 2009 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Vignolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (6/21/2020)
  Quite deep red in the glass, this is still youthful on the nose and quite exuberant in a way (in the context of Nebbiolo at least). It is quite dense with relatively dark fruits, plums, meat juices and a touch of undergrowth. With air some more floral, bright cherry notes appear. The palate is quite fleshy, with cherry fruit dominant. The tannins remain firm but a bit over ten years in the bottle has clearly let them become unobtrusive. This continued to hold while open for three days, suggesting plenty of life left, although I do think this is in a pretty good place now. Without question a very good wine, maybe just because of the price point I wonder if it perhaps lacks a certain X factor, but probably this is at the level of splitting hairs. (92 pts.)
• 2014 Blason D'Issan - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (6/19/2020)
  Clear ruby red. On the nose there is pure black currant, cassis. A touch of pencil shavings. There is a certain ripeness hiding there, a quiet power, but it still presents quite a classic Bordeaux profile. On the palate there is sweet red fruit and gentle, furry tannins. Quite balanced now although certainly keeping it for up to another decade is unlikely to see it fall over. (91 pts.)
• 2019 La Source Gabriel Côtes de Provence Rosé - France, Provence, Côtes de Provence (6/19/2020)
  A blend of Granche, Cinsualt and Syrah. Pale salmon colour. Slightly shy on the nose, with traces of strawberry and cut citrus. The palate offers juicy strawberry and red fruit characters and crisp acidity. Finishes fairly dry, with just a lick of natural fruit sweetness. With smart packaging (and a slightly less grandiose bottle than some in Provence seem to prefer) this is not bad at just under €10. (86 pts.)
• 2018 Denis Sarda Bobo Languedoc Domaine le Vieux Chêne Rosé - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc (6/15/2020)
  Very strange nose- developed and vinegared with a strange, almost rubbery over tone. The palate is a little better but really this can only be described as faulty. Sealed with a plastic cork so it is not a cork issue. Noted as being "bio" so maybe low intervention creating unfortunate bottle variation or the wine is just poorly made. Down the sink. NR (flawed)
• 2013 Les Demoiselles de Larrivet Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (6/10/2020)
  The first surprise with this wine was when I opened it- a plastic cork. That is a first for me in Bordeaux above the ten euro price point. Lots of comments on the cork itself about being “select” and green friendly but still...
  Medium clear ruby red. Immediate appeal on the nose- soft red berries, plum, mulberry. A touch of cut capsicum, and undergrowth. The palate carries this through, with just a touch more mulchy development and a smooth, even finish. The nose is perhaps a shade ahead of the palate. I wouldn’t keep this any further but it still drinks well, and for EU25 at the supermarket the value is not bad. (91 pts.)
• 2018 Ferraton Père & Fils Crozes-Hermitage Blanc La Matinière - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (6/10/2020)
  Had 6 of these as everyday drinking whites during March - June 2020.
  Medium yellow colour. The nose has pleasant notes of fresh apricot and honeysuckle. A touch of lemon as well. More expressive when a little warmer, so don't drink too cold. The palate carries this flavour profile through with good balance, and a rounded, almost creamy finish. Very pleasant, and good value. (87 pts.)

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