Sean wrote:
Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 18 - Inky, deep red-purple colour. Really nice aromatics for a straight Cab. Sweet dark fruits, aniseed, mulberry, spice, olives and dried herbs. Cedary oak, ie. fine-grained French oak. But the oak just doesn’t matter at the end of the day. It’s all about the Coonawarra and the fruit. Mouthfilling and hits the senses in so many ways. You taste the earth in this. Dense, powdery tannins and long.
I love this vintage in Coonawarra. 2018 is the best Bowen Cab since the 2010 & 2012 vintages, its just sensational, which reminds me I should
grab some more (im all out!)
+1 Have a dozen, but might need a few more
Hopefully will be at the CD in October. For mine the Shiraz is equally impressive.
Cheers Craig
Tyrrell's Vat 9 2006 Shiraz
I know little of Hunter Valley wines but this was really pleasant. The nose was smoked meats, some gaminess and them dark fruit. The fruit carries to the palate and the tannins have melted away, it's well integrated now with some liquorice on the finish. Beautiful wine and hitting it's sweet spot.
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2013 Clover Hill Vintage
I love this wine and this vintage is just starting to show its potential. Green apple and lemon fizz. Almost Lemon sherbet type mineral thing, but not sweet. Almond meal with wild honey. Mousse is perfect, soft cloudy bubbles caress the tongue. Length is spectacular and the back bone of acidity is mouthwatering. Great match with the
Smoked salmon and prawn roulade.
2017 De Bortoli Riorret The Abbey Pinot.
Bit of an impulse buy from the big green warehouse (when grabbing the Clover Hill). Throwing them out at $32. From the tarrawarra side of the valley, big burg nose with clearly some whole bunch in there. Forest floor and mushrooms again on the nose. Very captivating. Palate let down somewhat though, didn't deliver what nose promised, and I think Just needs time. Dark plum and dark cherry type fruit, lovely balance. Length short though. Went perfectly with the confit duck main though.
2016 Rockford Rifle Range Cab Sav
My favourite out of the whole range, but this was lacking a little. Medium body, had a slight greenness to it. Sweet red fruits, nice vanilla oak, Really nice actually but overall missing that Barossa brown earth I usually see in the cabs. Maybe mild cork taint, not sure. Was good without being great. Probably should have Decanted properly, but didn't have one on hand.
Tyrrell's Vat 9 2006 Shiraz
I know little of Hunter Valley wines but this was really pleasant. The nose was smoked meats, some gaminess and them dark fruit. The fruit carries to the palate and the tannins have melted away, it's well integrated now with some liquorice on the finish. Beautiful wine and hitting it's sweet spot.
Where did you get that 2006 bottle? My 2005 Vat 9 has the traditional white label. The old fashioned yellow label is like the cellar door only 2000 Vat 11 'Baulkham Hills' Shiraz that I have. The same 2000 vintage of Vat 9 had the traditional white label. Even the 1998 Vat 8 had the white label, as did my 1995 Vat 47 that I had earlier this year.
By the way, I was in my cellar today and I just came across my 2000 Vat 11.
Tyrrell's Vat 9 2006 Shiraz
I know little of Hunter Valley wines but this was really pleasant. The nose was smoked meats, some gaminess and them dark fruit. The fruit carries to the palate and the tannins have melted away, it's well integrated now with some liquorice on the finish. Beautiful wine and hitting it's sweet spot.
Where did you get that 2006 bottle? My 2005 Vat 9 has the traditional white label. The old fashioned yellow label is like the cellar door only 2000 Vat 11 'Baulkham Hills' Shiraz that I have. The same 2000 vintage of Vat 9 had the traditional white label. Even the 1998 Vat 8 had the white label, as did my 1995 Vat 47 that I had earlier this year.
By the way, I was in my cellar today and I just came across my 2000 Vat 11.
Mahmoud.
I bought it a premium wine shop last time I was in Melbourne. I have also noticed that this vintage and others since seems to have the white modern style labels. That’s a bit of a shame to me as this old style Tyrrells label is one of the best looking labels I know in Australia.
Tyrrell's Vat 9 2006 Shiraz
I know little of Hunter Valley wines but this was really pleasant. The nose was smoked meats, some gaminess and them dark fruit. The fruit carries to the palate and the tannins have melted away, it's well integrated now with some liquorice on the finish. Beautiful wine and hitting it's sweet spot.
Where did you get that 2006 bottle? My 2005 Vat 9 has the traditional white label. The old fashioned yellow label is like the cellar door only 2000 Vat 11 'Baulkham Hills' Shiraz that I have. The same 2000 vintage of Vat 9 had the traditional white label. Even the 1998 Vat 8 had the white label, as did my 1995 Vat 47 that I had earlier this year.
By the way, I was in my cellar today and I just came across my 2000 Vat 11.
I bought it a premium wine shop last time I was in Melbourne. I have also noticed that this vintage and others since seems to have the white modern style labels. That’s a bit of a shame to me as this old style Tyrrells label is one of the best looking labels I know in Australia.
A couple of wines with reputations to live up to that I took to a friend's place for a footy night watching the Raiders and Brumbies games (both positive results for a Canberra resident). The 2015 Raveneau Montee de Tonnerre as expected - lemon blossom nose, plenty of lemon again on the palate with river rocks minerality. Great match with Tasmanian Pacific oysters natural. I had bought the 2004 Soldera Brunello Riserva in 2012 at Enoteca al Parlamento in Rome, which has deep underground storage, an important consideration when purchasing in Italy as storage there is not always optimal. Labelled as Lot F77 which is from Intistieta vineyard, which web research indicates is the source of the greatest Soldera brunellos. Given 2 hours in the decanter it certainly lived up to expectations. Rich cherry/raspberry character with smoky and spicy characters and great with a rack of lamb and grilled vegetables. I now understand the Soldera mystique. I wish I had bought more than one, as it was 250 euro at the time but I also bought 2 bottles of 2004 Giacoma Conterno Monfortino at that time to make up my duty free allowance on return home so I can't complain.
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A couple of wines with reputations to live up to that I took to a friend's place for a footy night watching the Raiders and Brumbies games (both positive results for a Canberra resident). The 2015 Raveneau Montee de Tonnerre as expected - lemon blossom nose, plenty of lemon again on the palate with river rocks minerality. Great match with Tasmanian Pacific oysters natural. I had bought the 2004 Soldera Brunello Riserva in 2012 at Enoteca al Parlamento in Rome, which has deep underground storage, an important consideration when purchasing in Italy as storage there is not always optimal. Labelled as Lot F77 which is from Intistieta vineyard, which web research indicates is the source of the greatest Soldera brunellos. Given 2 hours in the decanter it certainly lived up to expectations. Rich cherry/raspberry character with smoky and spicy characters and great with a rack of lamb and grilled vegetables. I now understand the Soldera mystique. I wish I had bought more than one, as it was 250 euro at the time but I also bought 2 bottles of 2004 Giacoma Conterno Monfortino at that time to make up my duty free allowance on return home so I can't complain.
Balnaves The Tally Reserve Cab Sav 12 - Sourced from their Dead Morris vineyard. Handpicked, long maceration, got 20 months in French oak barriques, 50% new. A deep, dense red colour. Dark fruits and cedar. Full-bodied with smooth, grainy tannins. Just never really got going. Not a good bottle. Cork.
Interesting Sean, left it too late to pick up some half priced 2010 Tally last week.
Have tried 10 or so vintages over the journey, but for mine have always thought pipped by JR and Odyssey. I am going to the CD in October, have not visited for nearly 20 years, but would like to get a better assessment of the wine. Apparently if you join the wine club, which I might do, you get better access, and believe there are vintages of the Tally going back to 06 that one can taste and or purchase.
Cheers Craig
Ferraris Agricola Opera Prima Ruche Di Castagnole Monferrato 2016
I know very little of the Ruche grape other than its from Piedmont. The nose on this was very unique with a burnt butter/molasses flavour and theres stacks of raspberry. The wine is full of tannin with plenty of tongue scraping quality. Nice wine but I'd like to see some more bottle age with integration. The 15.5pct abv shines through with some heat on the finish.
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Balnaves The Tally Reserve Cab Sav 12 - Sourced from their Dead Morris vineyard. Handpicked, long maceration, got 20 months in French oak barriques, 50% new. A deep, dense red colour. Dark fruits and cedar. Full-bodied with smooth, grainy tannins. Just never really got going. Not a good bottle. Cork.
Interesting Sean, left it too late to pick up some half priced 2010 Tally last week.
Have tried 10 or so vintages over the journey, but for mine have always thought pipped by JR and Odyssey. I am going to the CD in October, have not visited for nearly 20 years, but would like to get a better assessment of the wine. Apparently if you join the wine club, which I might do, you get better access, and believe there are vintages of the Tally going back to 06 that one can taste and or purchase.
Cheers Craig
Yes, interesting. Perhaps not surprisingly I am fan of this label and others from Balnaves (club member and all that). I did happen to pick up some cheap 2010s last week and tried a bottle of the 2010 Tally on Sat alongside a Brands 2010 171. To be honest it was good and we enjoyed it, but just not great, seemed a bit lost, don't think it was in a hole, bottle variation maybe? That bottle just didn't clearly shine through as a great cabernet. By comparison the 171 was drinking superbly.
veni, vidi, bibi also on twitter @m_j_short and instagram m_j_short
Lakes Folly Cabernets 2009
After drinking the vat 9 Shiraz last week and then this, I clearly need to explore more hunter valley wines. This fits in my top five reds of the year and one of those was a DRC. Beautiful nose of violet and the balance between Cabernet sauvignon, Shiraz, petit verdot and merlot is in harmony here. There's so much dark cherry and the tannins have melted away. I gave it a two hour decant and it was singing.
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Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 1 2013
Blueberries, coffee, mushroom and there's a sweetness but not in a cheap way but rather fanciful and elegant. The taste lingers in the mouth that great wines do but one has difficulty explaining despite the bullshit that's thrown around...apols for the lack of eloquence
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This bottle has settled into its elder age, and now is big and rich, but losing its structure of youth. It is sealed under cork, so that may be having an effect in variation compared to one drank last year that seemed more youthfull.
Overall it went well with the slow cooked Osso Bocco, but probably needed more structure.
Still, If you like em big and rich.. its the goods,
Balnaves The Tally Reserve Cab Sav 12 - Sourced from their Dead Morris vineyard. Handpicked, long maceration, got 20 months in French oak barriques, 50% new. A deep, dense red colour. Dark fruits and cedar. Full-bodied with smooth, grainy tannins. Just never really got going. Not a good bottle. Cork.
Interesting Sean, left it too late to pick up some half priced 2010 Tally last week.
Have tried 10 or so vintages over the journey, but for mine have always thought pipped by JR and Odyssey. I am going to the CD in October, have not visited for nearly 20 years, but would like to get a better assessment of the wine. Apparently if you join the wine club, which I might do, you get better access, and believe there are vintages of the Tally going back to 06 that one can taste and or purchase.
Cheers Craig
Yes, interesting. Perhaps not surprisingly I am fan of this label and others from Balnaves (club member and all that). I did happen to pick up some cheap 2010s last week and tried a bottle of the 2010 Tally on Sat alongside a Brands 2010 171. To be honest it was good and we enjoyed it, but just not great, seemed a bit lost, don't think it was in a hole, bottle variation maybe? That bottle just didn't clearly shine through as a great cabernet. By comparison the 171 was drinking superbly.
Had another 2010 The Tally tonight from original stock in the cellar rather than the latest cheap deal via Qantas. Have to say that tonight's bottle was drinking far better than the bottle from a week ago, properly representative of the label. Hope that is just bottle variation and not reflective of the wine in the Q deal.
veni, vidi, bibi also on twitter @m_j_short and instagram m_j_short
2019 Bellvale Pinot Noir
For circa $20 retail, can't think of many that competes at this price.
Whole bunchy, stalky and lots of rhubarb.
Crystal clear, no blurring so has been fined.
Explosive nose of strawberry compote, yet still quite savory on the palate. That rhubarb fruit is potent.
Nice acidity, lacking a little tannin to make it 'burg like' but it's drinkability is off the chart. Not spicy or particularly herby, but just lovely fruit. If this is what gippsland is serving up count me in.
Great matchstick nose. Tight, flint, linear structure, white grapefruit. Bouncing with energy. Really brilliant wine. Needs some time to open. Very good QPR - buy by the case if you see it.
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This is my church, this is where I heal my hurts. For tonight, God is the Auswine Wine Forum
mychurch wrote:Great matchstick nose. Tight, flint, linear structure, white grapefruit. Bouncing with energy. Really brilliant wine. Needs some time to open. Very good QPR - buy by the case if you see it.
Yes really liked this and meant to go back and get more!
Correct call on the QPR. Unfortunately a rave review on the Wine Front meant that they had sold out of the Pinot before I could try it, but have sourced some online.
mychurch wrote:Great matchstick nose. Tight, flint, linear structure, white grapefruit. Bouncing with energy. Really brilliant wine. Needs some time to open. Very good QPR - buy by the case if you see it.
Bit of a house quaffer this, another one bit the dust at a (small) party last night. Has good overall balance and mouthfeel, perhaps a bit broad, but QPR quality can't be denied. Sad to have missed out on the 2018 which apparently was even better.
