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

[Rossco]

2015 Pierro Chardonnay

14% ! That's a biiiiggg Bitch!

Doesn't really show it if I'm honest. Butter cream, very flinty and has that MR richness about it.
Some fennel sort of like a corton, but different. Yellow gold in the glass, has that Struck match character, but not over the top. Creamed cashew, and ripe peaches.

It's good but probably too young, missing that X factor somehow.... Or I'm missing it. Have a couple left I will revisit in another 5 years.

2017 David Franz 108 Variety Rose

Yep apparently has 108 different grape varieties in there and apparently all from the barossa.
I do like his alternative wines. His shiraz and cabs I find too rich, but he has a semm and chardonnay that are quite interesting, as is his fortifieds.

I digress, dark orange more than red. Could say it's a orange red blush, but it's a great colour whichever way you look at it. Definitely not your bright strawberry colour that you usually get in a rose.
Quite savoury on the palate too. Has an oxiditive element giving it some added complexity.
Love the texture, still crunchy red Fruit. Cranberry and cherries with some sage and red licorice. Quite Herby more thyme than anything. Best drinking is now as its not built to last. I like this because it's completely different

[Mahmoud Ali]

Auction purchases are fraught with risk, especially when one of the auctions is noted as having "potentially heat affected" wines.

So last weekend, we had the following:

- Chateau Cheval Blanc 1975: not heat affected, but corked like a @#$%ard.
- Chateau Pichon Lalande 1970: not heat affected but corked like a @#$%ard.
- Veritas Mataro Vintage Port 1975: just corked like a @#$%ard.

There are no great old wines, just great old bottles.

I really feel for you. I've not had such a bad result in many a years, a tasting in which three wines were corked, a 1985 Heitz Martha's Vineyard, a 1982 Opus One, and an 80's Bordeaux, a Gloria from perhaps '82 or '85.

Mahmoud.

[Con J]

Auction purchases are fraught with risk, especially when one of the auctions is noted as having "potentially heat affected" wines.

So last weekend, we had the following:

- Chateau Cheval Blanc 1975: not heat affected, but corked like a @#$%ard.
- Chateau Pichon Lalande 1970: not heat affected but corked like a @#$%ard.
- Veritas Mataro Vintage Port 1975: just corked like a @#$%ard.

There are no great old wines, just great old bottles.

I really feel for you. I've not had such a bad result in many a years, a tasting in which three wines were corked, a 1985 Heitz Martha's Vineyard, a 1982 Opus One, and an 80's Bordeaux, a Gloria from perhaps '82 or '85.

Mahmoud.

A couple of years ago I opened a 1983 Chateau Lafleur - oxidised, 1982 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion - Brett,
1986 Chateau Margaux - corked all on the same night.

Cheers Con.

[Con J]

Today I took my dog for a walk to the park and there was a farmers market and an artisan bakery was there. So I thought dinner tonight sourdough bread with some cold cuts, cheese and olives with a bottle of wine, by the way the bread was awesome.

First wine in nearly a month.

The bottle I opened was 1991 Seppelt Great Western shiraz.
It looked like an aged Pinot in the glass. Starts of with a bit of a pong, slight brett maybe which blew off, then there was a faint trace of some strawberries, raspberries and a bit of menthol with some decaying leaves. Palate was very developed with a little bit of fruit sweetness and still a bit of tannin.
This is definitely a number of years past it’s best and I think most would think it’s undrinkable but I had no trouble finishing the whole bottle.

Cheers Con.

[mychurch]

Dead leaves is a sign that it’s past it’s best, but if you drink enough of these old bottles, then you can get a taste for them. Sounds just like my sort of mature red.

3 weeks so far since the last tasting and I think that’s now just 2 Skype tastings in the last 5 weeks. Tempted to get a bottle of wine out of the freezer(Yes the freezer) for a lunch tomorrow, but I think I will wait until the holiday weekend.

[Ian S]

In agreement here as well. I definitely have a palate for old wine.

[Dragzworthy]

Chapoutier Les Varonniers 1999
Disappointing Vs expectations. I gave it a four hour decant but it was soft and plummy in a flabby way, lots of raisin on this and very little in the way of secondary characteristics. Some pepper on the finish but just felt a bit simple and boring. I am yet to love a chapoutier wine despite many attempts.

[Chuck]

St johns Brook 2018 Single Vineyard Margaret River Chardonnay. This is why I love MR chardy. Nectarine, peach, brioche, nice acidity from citrus and a lick of oak. Yum. Would like to see this in a few years but they are unlikely to last that long.

Capel Vale 2012 Regional Series Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. Typical MR flavours. Blackberry, mulberry. Tannins fully resolved and very pleasant to drink. Low acidity. Unlikely to get better so drink up.

[Sean]

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[Mahmoud Ali]

Only 6 months in oak? That doesn't sound right, surely longer, even for the regular Black Label Cab.

[Sean]

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[Rossco]

2018 Serrat Close Planted Chardonnay

Although not as great as the 17, this was a good effort.
Feels like its made in a Chablis like style. Pale gold in colour, Minerals, oyster shell, slight brine with a hint of chalky Flint.
White peach and nectarine fruit, just a touch of grapefruit/lemon acidity. Nice weight and mouthfeel from that brine, good French oak, not overdone, but it's there in support, cheering on the rest of the wine.

[mychurch]

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First wine for almost 4 weeks. Picked up 3 different vintages of this recently - 06, 07 and 08 - and thought I’d try the middle vintage. Direct from the cellar apparently and made by Jamsheeds current winemaker.

The big mistake a lot of collectors make is aging wines that last, but don’t improve. It took me a long time to appreciate the difference, but unless a wine improves, then drink it young. I don’t know what this was like 10*+ years ago, but today it’s a pale colour and could well be a 2 year old wine. It’s richer than the Yarra Chardonnays I drink and misses both the matchstick and the saline notes I enjoy. The fruit is quality though, thick and concentrated. Makes me think more of the Margret River with it’s power. Some popcorn on the nose, melon, butter, touch of camomile and oatmeal as it warms up and a nice bitterness on the finish. Not bad and will last a while yet. It’s never going to be a top wine though - it Showed better in the cheaper Riedel glasses did than it did in either the sommelier Chardonnay and Montrachet glasses.

[Sean]

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[Dragzworthy]

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Tahbilk Marsanne 14 - Some gold colour in this, which is usually a good indicator of development. But that isn’t how the wine tastes in the glass. Citrus, tropical fruit, spice, honeysuckle and still very fresh. It hasn’t honeyed up yet and has a chalky dry finish. If you have a few different vintages, this will be one of the vintages you keep longer. Reminds me of the 06. Not ready yet, keep it a few more years.

Waiting for someone to question or opine on th closure... A robust debate on air ingress, development and longevity of the wine awaits.

Anyone?

[kenzo]

Given that my only holdings of this wine are late-90s to early 2000s I wish they were screwcap. I understand the question with regards to recent releases though (and for Vat 1 Semillon)...

[Sean]

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[mychurch]

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This is a very interesting wine. Blend of Viognier, Semillon and Chardonnay. Minimum sulphur, but it’s not a wine you would put in the Natural category. The viognier is there on the nose and in the mouth. It’s a fat grape that struggles to be fresh, but the Semillon and the Chardonnay back it it up and the acidity here is bright. Lovely fruit intensity, slightly cloudy, lemon confit, some lychee. The texture is the highlight though. Just rolls around the young. Piercing fruit flavour. I initially thought Mike Bennie was a bit generous with his 96pt score, but the more I drink and the longer the wine is open, then better it is. Yum.

[Mike Hawkins]

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Louis Latour Bourgogne Pinot Noir 18 - Handpicked, open fermented and aged for 10 months in steel vats. So you would expect this to be predominantly fruit driven, which it is. Ruby coloured and nice brambly/herb aromatics. I like the fresh acidity and mouthfeel. Dark cherry, spice, dried herbs and subtle, dusty tannin.

I had the 2016 Corton Grancey Grand Cru last night. A pretty forgettable wine that may improve with time

[Chuck]

When clearing out the cellar for our recent move to Sydney found a Thompson Estate 2013 Specialist Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. No idea where it came from. Highly rated.10% melot and 10% other varieties. Opened with family yesterday with great anticipation. Boring quite frankly. A nice MR cab but nothing to write home about. No wow factor. Tannins and acids not there so I doubt it will get any better.

[Sean]

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[Matt@5453]

Recent tasting notes/impressions from the last couple of months:

2018 Grosset Pinot Noir, Adelaide Hills
Nice medium weight/bodied wine with typical varietal notes. Not overly complex, but very enjoyable drinking.

2015 Sevenhill Cellars Riesling St Francis Xavier, Clare Valley
Far more developed than I was expecting for a wine 5 years of age, the colour turning to something more mature. Acidity has softened out, giving way to a Brown Lime / Bickfords Lime cordial flavour profile. Just a wee bit of acid lingering on the finish. Happy to capture this wine in a good drinking spot.

2013 Jim Barry Cabernet Sauvignon The Veto, Coonawarra
Some bottle age has served this wine well - it has softened out nicely and is drinking very well. Cassis dominant with a lovely lifted spice component from the French oak, very nice finish too. It was produced to be a 'drink now' wine, but still has a good 5+ years left in the tank (for well stored bottles) if you are looking for something further mature. For my tastes, in a good drinking window now.

2020 Jim Barry Watervale Riesling, Clare Valley
Soft and pleasing acid structure, lemon sherbet. With 6 months in bottle drinking very well as a young Riesling. Crowd pleaser

2020 Tim Adams Riesling, Clare Valley
More lime spectrum of fruit, slightly heavier palate weight than the Jim Barry, enough acid to suggest it will age for the short – medium term. Nice

2016 Kaesler Stonehorse Shiraz, Barossa
A dark, inky Shiraz – full on fruit flavours. Oak supports the fruit nicely. Consumed over 3 nights – held up well – shows the pedigree of the fruit and vintage. Very Good.

2019 Pewsey Vale Riesling, Eden Valley
a touch more floral than Clare, good structure and length - great with fresh KG Whiting & Coffin Bay Oysters

2018 Grant Burge The Thorn Riesling, Eden Valley
looking good after a couple of years in bottle, acid softening - drinking nicely.

I also attended the Clare Valley Wine Show lunch Friday. The Wine Show results dominated by Naked Run Wines (winemaker is Steve Baraglia who is the winemaker at Pikes) and Jim Barry Wines. Riesling was the star this year with the Best Wine of Show to 2020 Naked Run Wines The First Riesling, this wine also picking up a couple other awards. Gold medal & Trophy Wining wines were available to taste or consumer over lunch, managed to taste through the following (impressions only)

2020 Naked Run Time in Place Riesling – great intensity – I preferred this over The First actually
2020 Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling – lovely balanced wine, this was very good, was looking for a Florita to try, but missed trying it
2020 Naked Run The First Riesling – intensity - searing acid
Overall, all 2020 wines looking very youthful with intense acid, no doubt will live on.
Interestingly David O’Leary thought it was "the best Riesling Vintage since 2002" and Sarah Pidgeon also saying it was a ‘Great Year - one of the Greats'. Sort of confirming what I have been hearing around the place.

2015 Naked Run Time in Place Riesling (trophy winner) – this was stunning – acid softening nicely, fruit standing out. In a very good place. Length to burn.
2020 Pikes Luccio Fiano – not very varietal, but an utterly delicious drink now style
2019 Kingston Estate Shiraz – in a massive heavy weight bottle - a young heavy shiraz, not really my cup of tea, felt unbalanced
2019 Artwine Leave Your Hat On Montepuliciano – beautiful fruit driven wine - delicious
2018 Jim Barry Wines Single Vineyard The Farm Cabernet Sauvignon – this was polarising. Some did not like the tannins and refined fruit structure – but thought it was a fantastic wine. I will seek out some of this, should be stunning in 7-10+ years
2018 Jim Barry Wines St Clare Cabernet Malbec – I thought this a bit ho hum
2018 clo Clare Grenache – lighter style, fruit driven, good structure, perhaps finishes a bit short
2009 Stonebridge Wines Riesling – this was stunning (at 12.2%). It also won a Gold Medal in the 2009 wine show. Probably at its peak drinking, pure Riesling fruit sweetness with a touch of acid. Yum.
2012 Eldredge Wine ‘RL’ Cabernet Sauvignon – my favourite red wine of the day. Entering its drinking window – lovely fruit, balance and poise.

[Sean]

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[Mike Hawkins]

Good to read about all those rieslings Matt

[Sean]

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[phillisc]

Good to read about all those rieslings Matt

Yes indeed, just picked up a dozen of The First.
Guess The Florita, Clos Clare and Merle will be the 2020 Riesling buys, certainly do not need any more.

Cheers Craig

Ps...Sarah Pidgeon judging at Clare, no wonder I didn't see her in the 'Warra last weekend.
Have not got the time to write up Cabernet Celebrations weekend yet...100+ wines tried, the 2019 vintage particular the cabernets will be something very special, tried the 82 and '19 JR at the Masterclass, both ethereal and think the 82 has another 5-10 in it...amazing!

[kenzo]

Good to hear about the 82 JR, Craig. I'm slowly working my way through the last of mine, but work - and now COVID - has kept me from getting back to access my cellar...

[Mahmoud Ali]

I found a lone bottle of 2008 Temple Bruer Shiraz-Malbec, Langhorne Creek (14.5%) on the weekend. It must have been sitting around for some time but it was priced to clear and I figured it might be good for some mid-week drinking. Last night with some sirloin steaks I gave the wine a quick decant off a small amount of fine sediment. The bouquet was sweet and dark-fruited, quite nice really but the palate was awkward and a little tart. However, as the meal progressed the wine smartened up, got fleshier and gained a little gloss. I probably should have given it a bit more air.

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

[Cloth Ears]

Was drifting through the cellar yesterday for something to go with chicken/asparagus/pesto pasta and stumbled upon a 2011 Killikanoon barrel fermented Semillon. I think it was the last of the dozen we picked up on the SA tour in 2013. Simply delicious - lamenting that they died too soon... Still had a young, fresh, almost sherbet-y flavour and smell, with just a hint of sultana and 'wrinkly apple' indicating it wasn't just in the bottle.
If I get another case, I'll have to hide them from myself...

[Sean]

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