phillisc wrote:2012 Rockford BP...my first of these. Cork hardly stained, lovely classic BV aromas, plush fruit , savoury, twinge of oak. Medium weight on the palate, finished a fraction short with fine silky tannins. Hopefully the wine is just at the start of it's development, reasonably confident of a long life.
Cheers Craig
Thanks Craig, you saved me opening one . Recent Cellar Tracker notes seem to indicate there is no rush in opening these as well.
Yes Matt, no rush it needs more time. I did multiple runs to the winery for the 2012, so have a few bottles. If it doesn't take off, might be the first BP I would consider selling, currently $180 ea. Think it will be alright long term though.
We had another great dinner at Qualitaly...10 of us, a number of bottles consumed ( beers, sparklers, whites, reds).
The Seppelts though gave the BP a bit of a spanking, but see in another 15 years, that's where the BP could end up.
I might open a 2010 BP soon to compare.
Cheers Craig
2012 Henschke Riesling Julius Eden Valley
Moderately developed colour. Lemon and lime blossom on the nose. Palate is preserved lemon and lime with a really textural mouthfeel. Hints of lanolin. Clean as a whistle. Great persistence. Could do another 5-10 years at a canter. Excellent.
1999 Kay Brothers Shiraz Hillside Amery Vineyards McLaren Vale
Cork broke in two but the Ah-So meant it all came out. Good colour with limited bricking. Nose is spot on. Dark berries and cherries. Mushroom, beef stock and tobacco. Chocolate. Aged wood. All this and more on the wonderfully complex palate. Lightly brandied plum. Beautiful acid support. Absolutely delicious. Featherlight tannin on the finish. Amazing wine!
Tinto Pesquera Gran Reserva 1995
Double decanted with a 30 minute period in the vessel, rebottled and placed back in the fridge and then taken out 2hrs prior to consumption with a slow ox. The nose is magnificent, lots of raspberry and complexity. The colour only slightly bricking and it seems to have gained weight after its initial double decanter. Thr flavour is deep, there's lots of red fruit and the contrast between young (the fruit) and old (tertiary coffee, chocolate, mushroom and balsam) is a beautiful thing. The finish is long. It was in no danger of falling over at all. Easily one of the best wines I've had.
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That’s a glowing report! I knew I had some but didn’t realise I had a full case in the cellar after checking cellar tracker ! Must try one and your preparation noted!
"Barolo is Barolo, you can't describe it, just as you can't describe Picasso"
JamieBahrain wrote:That’s a glowing report! I knew I had some but didn’t realise I had a full case in the cellar after checking cellar tracker ! Must try one and your preparation noted!
Wouldn't say I'm nearly at your level of experience but this was a real treasure to me. When I opened the wine it had a PX/sherry type nose that had me worried it was tired and would have that prune type flavour...but it utterly transformed.
Wynns red stripe, with the addition of malbec for the 2019 edition. Lovely red blue fruits, olive and dusky notes. Has moved away from lollipop tannic perhaps too much acidity.
This is really good
Cheers Craig
First wine in 6 weeks. We actually started with a 17 Chapoutier Mirabel Viognier, which was light, mildly peachy with a good acid structure. A nice summer food wine.
After a double decant and a hour of slow sipping, the Vouvray unfurled. Colour was pale and you could easily believe it was a few years old. The nose was lanolin and honey and in the mouth it felt sweet, with some candy floss and a hint of apple. Chenin can sometimes be hard, but here its wonderfully round and textured. Finish is off dry, but not by much and feels more fruity than sweet. Lovely stuff and the only criticism is that maybe after 30 years it could have developed a bit more complexity. That will come probably with time and if you are born in 1990 and want a wine for your 50th or 60th, then buy now and put it in the coldest part of your cellar.
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This is my church, this is where I heal my hurts. For tonight, God is the Auswine Wine Forum
Out with friends at the Ed last night, a group of ten. I selected a 2013 Yalumba The Menzies from the cellar early on, tasted it and wanted to like it but had doubts, particularly given it wasn’t cheap. Eventually sent it back and got the Somm from the bottle shop to taste. I thought it was spoiled, a bit like TCA but not quite, fruit was definitely scalped. Just not anywhere near as pleasant to taste as I expected. Somewhat metallic, harsh. The somm didn’t quite agree but to his credit, they substituted the bottle with another. The second bottle was a little better but not much. I wasn’t going to argue a second time. Great meal though and good fun overall.
Anyway, tonight I thought I’d try the same label at home. Cut a long story short, the bottle tonight was very enjoyable, good fruit, structure, nothing like the bottle(s) last night. Feel a bit vindicated. There’s always bottle variation, be prepared to call it out.
Last edited by mjs on Wed Feb 23, 2022 9:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
veni, vidi, bibi also on twitter @m_j_short and instagram m_j_short
Unusual blend, but drinking really nicely (considering it had a 220km ride in the car on Saturday). I rarely remember to take photos while we're drinking, so you'll have to take my work that it's got a nice purple colour still and is quite clear. A bit more florally than you'd think for a Shiraz blend. But really full-flavoured plums and spice, without really any Marsanne notes (although they'd probably be lost against Shiraz anyway). If I'm careful, I'd say they will see out the decade.
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Jonathan
"It is impossible to build a fool proof system; because fools are so ingenious."
The 2009 Dog Point Chardonnay, Marlborough (14%) was quite youthful in colour and according to my friend quite Chablis-like. This is very different from the last bottle of Greywhacke from the same vintage.
The 1988 Joseph Drouhin Monthelie Premier Cru (12.9%) was something I've had from the earliest days of my wine collecting, back in the day when retail was still in the hands of the Alberta Liquor Control Board - note the price tags. The wine took time to unfurl, the nose rather delicate and muted at first but growing in volume with time. Meanwhile the palate was still red fruited, with black cherries the dominant note, and no sighs of falling off. Quite feminine and elegant, this was a was lovely little Burgundy.
My friend brought the 1994 Montecillo Gran Reserva Seleccion Especial (13%), likely a museum release as it was a recent purchase. This was remarkable dark for a wine almost 28 years old. It is still very youthful and though a bit modern, the oak is nicely judged and the fruit pure reigned in to make for a delightful cool fruited, silky wine. I would love to see this in a number of years. An excellent wine from an excellent Rioja vintage. I have some older vintages of Montecillo Gran Reserva but the labels are very different and they were called 'Vina Monty'.
Cheers ........................... Mahmoud.
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2020 Boekenhoutskloof Porcupine Ridge Syrah - great value for the $20ish price point. Could almost mistake it for a Northern Rhone wine. Showing good dark fruit: blackberry, dark cherry, some ferrous savoury tones, and white pepper / bramble in a medium body despite the alcohol of a touch under 15% if memory serves. Good to revisit this wine after a few years since last trying, and will try to pick some up for the cellar along with St Cosme CdR when next I see it.
Always liked Boekenhoutskloof. The Chocolate Block is a must for all the lovers of big Cabernet, but it’s the semillon that’s the star.
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I took this along to the Melbourne get together last weekend as a backup and it’s a shame I didn’t open it as it’s great. More complex than either of the other 2 Auz examples, but still tasting young and in a very good spot. Yum.
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This is my church, this is where I heal my hurts. For tonight, God is the Auswine Wine Forum
Both the Champagne and Chablis in good place for me.
The pick of the reds was the 2001 Yeringberg Cabernets.
Cheers Con.
Any thoughts on the Block 6?
The Block 6 was a very good wine just a bit young for me at the moment, being under screw cap I wouldn’t open one for at least another 10 years, if I had any.
Actually most of us picked it as a Cabernet, still had lots of fine tannins and primary fruit.
All the reds were very good just the Yeringberg was closer to being mature.
Apologies for the multiple posts with all these tasting notes. Catching up on the past 5 months of wines i have tried.
This one was from Back in November. Theme was Italian known wines tasted blind. So basically we knew what was
being served, but not the order and all wines were masked. We then ranked pre tasting and post tasting. Very interesting
idea.
I had originally bought 2009 Roagna Barbaresco Paje- but it was slightly corked/NQR
so put my back up on instead.....
Starter - 2010 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir
Very flinty nose, Gunsmoke and iron filings.
Colour is yellow gold, but shines bright in the glass.
Palate is quite dry, but well structured. Lots of Minerals of Talc and stone, beautiful oak.
Some Fennel seed in there, white pepper. Salty saline briny notes too, love this in a white burg.
Lovey fruit, still tight, but really opens up in the glass. This is a burgundy for sure. That Length and power of fruit is something to behold, 1er cru a minimum but wouldn’t surprise me if its GC. Fruit is definitely at that level. At first I thought maybe Chablis due to that oyster shell, but the fruit profile was wrong, so went Meursault as it was quite fruit rich. Peaches, Melons, red apple,
great stuff.
Wine # 1 – 2006 Isole e Olena Cepparello
Dry Tannin, feels and looks very youthful in the glass. Bright red cherry colour, crystal clear.
Freshness of the fruit, leaps out of the glass but I still feel the wine is young. Acid is not integrated and actually dominates the wine for now. Fruit has a cherry purity about it. It feels like a neb. Dried Italian herbs, lots of violets and purple florals, furry tannins, this is a great wine with lots of upside.
I pick it as the Nervi Conterno (Gattinara) – WRONG, its not even a neb. You cant even pick the right grape variety let alone the wine. Back of the class for you! (I ranked this as # 4 of the night)
Interesting that I had ranked it last in the pre-voting as the two examples I have had were horribly bretty.... yes and this was a screwcap too.
Wine # 2 - 2010 Serafino Rivella Barbaresco Montestefano
Horribly Oxidised (tipped it out and was #8 wine)
- This was my backup as my original wine was also NQR, but this was simply horrible
Slightly ox’d but I think (and it feels) like winemaker made it like this to add character, not sure but its Not faulty at all. Peppery, red cherry fruits, but its delicate fruit. Think rose & rose hip type spectrum. Autumn leaves, this could be an older wine. I didn’t see much bricking or blurring, but feels old. Im guessing the AR.PEPE
Ready to drink now, wont hold much longer.
(YES!! Got that one right) – Ranked # 3 on the night
Yeah ok now we are getting serious here. Intriguing nose, dark cherry, very complex. Earthy wine too, damp dark earth. The kind you get in a forest. Raspberry fruit, large dry dusty tannin profile, mouth coating enveloping and super serious. More fruit that just explodes in the mouth, length is fantastic. Tar, coal, licorice and an ever so slight hint of mint or spearmint. This has to be a PdB. Perfect balance here, oak well handled, good vintage… but which one!?!
This is a little disappointing. Lacking fruit, it's linear and simple. One dimensional. Some tired old leather, dark/blurry in colour. Some plummy notes, I will note the balance is good, but the wine just feels tired. Not faulty, but not a good bottle. – I picked this as the Cepparello (again cant even get the grape right) & my #7 of the night (basically last) – 2008 PdB should be MUCH better
Wine # 6 -2011 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano
Again this is in the dark cherry spectrum. Both in appearance and in fruit profile. Lovely floral nose of rose, lavender and something else…. Raspberry may be.
Powerful oak. Very prominent oak and probably dominates the wine at the moment. Beautiful acid, and those tannins…. Very furry on the tongue. Length is great, but there is a minerality here as well. Think wet black stone, iron, and charcoal. I guessed the 08 PdB – good vintage, still young and has the fruit and structure that PdB is famous for. My # 4 of the night
Wine # 7 - 2015 Nervi-Conterno Gattinara
Now this is completely different again. Has a kind of weiss bar (ice cream & tropical fruit) on the nose. Very, very fruity. Orange zest, orange rind. Pretty wine, chalky and talc as well. Cinnamon and other baking spices. Has some finesse and delicacy to it, feels like it’s a very cool vintage OR a cooler climate/higher altitude. Im a bit confused because this could be the Gattinara as well. Missing an X factor though. Cant put my finger on it, but the power isn’t there. Structure is fine, but lacking. – My # 6 of the night
Wine # 8 - 2008 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia
Yeah another superstar here. We have another contender for wine of the night. Straight off the bat you can smell it. The whole room was immediately filled with this amazing neb perfume. Super elegant, silky and just has quality written all over it. Bright red cherry, raspberry, cranberry tartness, redcurrants, tar, charcoal, hint of vanilla spice, white pepper…. But that pure unadulterated fruit is something to behold. Bit darker in the glass than the palate suggests, but gee that nose and that length. It’s a 50/50 toss up…. But # 2 wine... ONLY just. It was touch and go and really splitting hairs here, quality is outstanding, top tier producer.
Fortified - 1933 Seppelt Para Liqueur
Another lovely old port here. Don’t think its foreign, so im guessing Australian. Feels like a Portuguese grape variety, but its confusing. The the colour can only be Australian. Light Blackberry/Blueberry colour in the glass, tinge of green on the rim, but doesnt feel like a tawny.
Feels like an SA wine, Spirit is quite prominent and sits on top of the wine. Would like a touch more integration of spirit, but it’s a quibble. Lovely old port. Freshly roasted hazelnuts, crunchy texture, wonderful length. More blueberry, milk chocolate, spearmint, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon as well… again from the Portuguese variety of grape? - WOW when this was revealed we were all in awe. Such a healthy wine for its age. Another wine experience!
1986 Chave Hermitage was old but amazing burgundian silky red fruited and pure. 1996 Colgin was huge, complex deep and powerful, everything a good Napa Cab Sav should be and the 2006 Moccagatta Bric Balin was delicious in a modern sense with more polish and oak but lots of lovely fruit.
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Starting White – 2013 Domaine Parigot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St. Jean
Wow, that’s a lovely nose. Milky & creamy nose. Slightly reductive and waxy a the same time.
Bright yellow gold in the glass, just shines and brings a smile to your face. The wine looks happy to be there.
The big hit of minerality on the palate is the first thing I noticed. Sublime back bone acidity. Just perfect line here. This is everything you want in a wine. Lemony fruit, but not a tart lemon. More lemon curd, lemon tart type richness. Chalky too, lots of talc, white river pebbles. Chablis?
Again that fruit richness is something to behold. Get some green nettles too, oak is only slight but
Supporting. Length is amazing…… im more leaning to a ultra high quality NZ Chardonnay now… trying to be made in the Burg style. Feels like new world fruit its so big and powerful. Wrong. It was and always will be burg!
Wine # 1 –2018 Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvée Corcelette
Big whole bunch hit on the nose immediately. Screams Beaujolais from the very first whiff.
Blueberry type colour in the glass
Earthy wine, black wet earth, lots of violets, blackberry and blueberry fruits. This is a lovely drink and a lively start to the evening. Very fruit forward, big juicy fruit as well. Some red stuff opening up, but then that blueberry
Low tannin, well handled acid and very low oak. Some herb and spice in the oregano type spectrum, some tomato leaf and green stalk, but in a good way, a whole bunch way. Forest floor and decayed leaves, not mushroom though.
Wine # 2.1 – 2010 Telmo Rodríguez Pegaso Barrancos de Pizarra Sierra de Gredos
Left Glass – Acidic is the dominating note here. Yes there is some slight whole bunch notes here, green tomato stalk and leaf, but this feels young and not integrated/developed enough. Clear translucent colour though, it’s a really nice bright purple. Something is distracting me here though in the wine. Cant decide if its alcohol or acid. Lacks some fruit both on the nose and palate.
Wine # 2.2 – 2010 Telmo Rodríguez Pegaso Granito Sierra de Gredos
Right Glass – Something faulty with this wine. Some old coffee grounds, leather – and tipped out
Wine # 3 – 2016 Head Ancestor Vine Grenache Eden Valley (Springton)
Dark Red in the glass. Very floral on the nose, but again there is a lot of acid here. That acid and nose has me in new world. No whole bunch nose or taste. Has a Cola type notes, but there is blue fruits. Blueberry, blackberry, sweet new world fruit as well. Feels young (under 10 years). Nice
but needs time.
Wine # 4 – 2004 Torbreck Les Amis Grenache
Sultana’s, dried Christmas fruits, black millipedes, spice of star anise. Geeze this is a different wine again. Christmas cake, cinnamon, sweet fruit, again im new world here straight away. More dried raisins, kind of has a fortified Vintage Port style to it….so different!
Leather notes too, feels like its trying to be a CnDP / Southern Rhone but not. Drink up if you have any left. Its on the downslope.
Wine # 5 – 1996 Château Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve
We have an older wine here. Brick red with browning edges/Rim
Could this be from Spain? Either that or Southern Rhone, feels old world. Some spicy rose
characters on the nose, white pepper, and some crushed brick stuff going on.
On the palate has violets, lots of purple florals, lavender and some blueberry fruits. This
Feels old though. 20 ish years old.
Asian spices, purity of fruit, red cherry, roses, has an elegance about it as well. Acid is perfectly
Balanced and very long length. This is just unfurling in the glass. More delicate layers, more perfume and gentle spice. WOW
Wine # 6 – 2016 Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvée 3.14
Big whole bunch nose here, maceration but no greenness. No tomato stalk type whole bunch,
This is very well made.
Lovely dark cherry in colour, not black but has a sight purple/blue tinge that can come from a younger wine.
Very very earthy here, Lovely black earth minerals. Spicy too, but those sweet blue fruits power though.
Nose is all raspberry and blueberry. Tannis is soft and dusty, but still firm… again making me think it’s a younger wine.
Crunchy cranberry tartness balances that fruit sweetness perfectly. Lovely wine, many years left. Great wine, just young.
Wine # 7 – 2009 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
Rich and ripe on the nose, Raisin’s again, again feels like a CnDP – but what do I know!
Older wine, 15+ year, just has that gentle integrated structure of an older wine, bricking around the edges too. Soft furry tannins, liquorice, camphor, sandalwood spice. Again just lovely elegance, softness and balance to this wine. High quality fruit, but aged and integrated. This feel like a special wine… my first cornas ? ... no but i wasnt far off!
WOW what a different type of fortified this is. Lemony fly spray nose, aldehyde, cola, & sarsaparilla sweetness. Dr Pepper in there too.
Very complex nose.
Palate has lots of almond and marzipan, sour lemon sherbet, and licorice.
There is a tinge of redness in the glass, so im in VP territory. It does feel VERY old though, like a timeless classic – 40+ year old.
Acid pokes out a bit too much for me. Slightly unbalanced it feels like too much spirit in there and it's distracting from those wonderful fruits that are sitting there waiting to be discovered.
Never even seen one of these before, let alone tried one. Wine experience right here!
The most keenly anticipated event of the entire year. Not just that exquisite wines are going to be consumed, not just that the restaurant we are at is something special, but also we can kiss goodbye to yet another super shit year in Vic full of lockdowns and heartache. Celebration time!
Wine # 1 - 2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs
Look at that colour, shining green/gold bright, its as if it knows what it is, and knows it time to shine is now.
Huge chalky hit on the nose, it just screams ultra premium champagne immediately. Some lemon nougat as well.
In the mouth just an explosion of flavours. Lost of talc and white minerals, lemon cream, but that acid…. Oh my goodness it’s the star here. All encompassing, mouthwatering, dry and whole. From start to finish it’s mind-blowing. That spine is something truly to behold…. A chiropractor's dream.
Full and round in the mouth, feels majority Chardonnay. Don’t get the strawberries and cream richness of Pinot, but there is a purity of fruit that very few producers can achieve. White peach, slight nectarine, more lemon curd, but perfectly gentle handling of oak. Maybe very old, large barrels in fermentation stage. Length, mousse, perfect tiny cloud like bubbles just go off like fireworks in your mouth begging you for more. WOW
Wine # 2 – 2013 Chave L’Hermitage Blanc
First smell in the glass has a large reductive nose. Rich & nutty (particularly hazelnuts)
Large oak influence as well, white pepper and very phenolic. Bright gold colour
In the mouth, it is old world, but not a Burg. Fruit doesn’t have the power of a Burg (1er or GC)
This is more waxy and if anything it feel over worked. Feels like the winemaker has had too much influence in this, like its trying too hard. Cant put my finger on why I feel this way, but I think I was slightly disappointed in it. The others loved it though.
Has a dryness in the mouth too, some dry hay and honeysuckle. Waxy Green melon, good length, falls a little short. One thigs for sure, I haven’t had anything like this before.
Wine # 3 – 2010 Domaine de la Vougeraie Corton Le Clos du Roi
Earthy nose immediately. Some slight oxidative characters. Not sure if its meant to be there or not.
This is an old wine, brown in the glass, slight blurring too. Smells like a Nebbiolo … but I have been fooled many times before.
Some rose petals and red flowers as well, very neb like tannin, but soft and integrated.
This feels like a 90’s wine, OR its very advanced. Its ok.
Wine # 4 - 2005 Bonneau du Martray Corton
Needed a longer decant even after an hour, as it was still unfurling in the glass every swirl and every sniff revealing something different, more complex and ultimately the last sip was the best.
Very earthy here, forest floor type wet earth, mushroom, and a big hit of red cherry and some slight darker cherries as well.
As it airs, there is some cranberry & pomegranate notes, however not acidic. Lovely balance but probably still to young and still needs some time.... and yes longer than 16 years apparently. Great Burg not even near its peak.
Wine # 5 – 2001 Léoville Las-Cases
Now we are in super wine territory here. My nostrils are overcome with that huge powerful fruit. Black fruits, complex and earthy again, but not forest floor earth, this is different.
Licorice on the nose, blackberries and some floral violet type characters.
Wonderful tannin as well, all encompassing. Graphite and some fine minerals like talk/chalk which is unexpected as well. Has a leafiness, but not green, cedar oak, feels bdx and in particular left bank,
I love the structure in this wine, its just has everything you could want. Perfect balance, fruit, acid, gravely tannin. Very few wines are as complete as this…. First growth?
That purity of fruit makes this a joy to witness and be a part of. Ground black pepper and spice.
Although this feels young, well cellared, high quality bdx like this can be 20+ years old and you would never know. Still has a dark red hue, but not blurring or bricking, it still has its youthfulness about it.
I guessed 1996 –
Wine # 6 – 2005 Aldo Conterno Romirasco
Dried herbs here, lots of Italian herbs. Oregano, sage… and something else.. .tarragon maybe?
Huge tannin dances on the tongue… ferrous tannins. Serious wine and serious tannin. A bit overpowering and distracting. Needs more time to integrate and settle down. Feels younger (10-ish years old)
Nice oak though, well handled and complements the fruit, not intrusive at all.
Fruit is raspberry, red cherry, some tar and tobacco…. Oh there is some orange rind in here
too, that’s an interesting take. Some iron minerals, and graphite as well.
Powerful wine, but too young. I thought 2010…. Oh how wrong I was!
Timeless really for this age, will live a long time… wow
Rich and sweet fruit on the nose… rich sweet oak too. Coconut oak.... which always leads me to one producer.
Very dark blue in the glass. Plum like colour. Its kind of Bordeaux like, but its not bdx. The fruit is too sweet for that, and plus it feels like American oak from the coconut and vanilla notes im picking up in the oak as well.
Im in new world… and perhaps cab/shiraz and feels more cab dominant. Has more cab tannins than other varieties… and hence the initial confusion as to bdx or not.
Some blue plum fruit, mint, and red clay earth. I wonder if there is any Coonawarra in this?
Very, very good length, can only be a penfolds with that fruit & oak regime. Im thinking mid-early 90’s? YAY!
Wine # 8 – 2009 Chateau La Conseillante
Very dark red in the glass, smells immediately of Bordeaux varieties. Possibly some merlot in there but mainly cab.
Big cassis hit, iron minerality & crushed stone. Gravelly/Dusty tannins, but with this beautiful floral nose I see in bdx. Purple and feminine floral, this has an elegance to it. Truffles and a little mushroom, tobacco and cedarwood. Lovely wine. Almost delicate lavender and perhaps lilac? Stunning wine yet SO different to the 2008 of a year or so ago.
That was a barrel sample, yet this was in its prime drinking window. I didnt even make the connection to the same wine from a different vintage; it was THAT different. Night & day type thing. Still a lovely wine.
Wine # 9 (Sweet Wine) - 2001 Chateau La Tour Blanche
Lovely dark gold/amber colour in the glass. Funky nose of chemical/chlorine that thankfully blow off in the glass, to reveal this stunning wine.
Toffee apples, dried apricots, cinnamon. Balance is beautiful with just the right amount of acid so as not to make it too sweet. Length is extraordinary, goes on and on.
Lots of fruit weight in here, silky too just coats the mouth. Some wild honey notes, cardamom, and some nuttiness at the end, pistachio spectrum. Nicely done and very fitting way to end the year and dinner.
When I pulled this out this morning, I was looking forward to a Barberra / Shiraz blend, but of course I just misread and this is the 2001 Barbera Shiraz from Rowley Estate. This was a filler in a mixed lot from an auction and it’s really nice. It’s was a bit gloopy on opening, but the acidity came thru with a lot of air and it’s drinking well now 5 hours later. Lots of eucalyptus, red berry, spice and some dark cherry. Really singing now. No idea what the reputation was of this producer, or if they are still around, but this is a lovely bottle.
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This is my church, this is where I heal my hurts. For tonight, God is the Auswine Wine Forum
3 very different wines last night at one of our local Italians that allows BYO wine.
2017 Pooley Cooinda Vale Chardonnay Took a little to open up, but gee was this good. Still needs a bit longer in the bottle to show its best. I’ve not had huge amounts of Tassie Chardonnay, but I suspect this is at the bigger end of the scale. Oak was there but not over bearing at all. Well balanced and by the last glass I was getting the hype around this wine. 4/5
1972 Xavier Vignon Chateauneuf du Pape Interesting story behind this wine. From what information I can find, it was in a concrete vat that was sealed off from oxygen and bottled a couple of years ago. It was a generous gift from a good friend for my 50th (birth year wine). Cork was perfect, as it should be being only bottled recently. The nose was just incredible. Blue fruit, red fruit, lavender and a touch of leather. The palate was a little closed at first as we only opened the bottle an hour or so before drinking. No decant as I just wasn’t sure how it would go with too much air. Quite delicate and only light to medium bodied. Super fine tannins and great balance, just a pleasure to drink. So different to AUS blends of the same. A real eye opener. 4.5/5
2004 Greenock Creek Apricot Block Shiraz After the CDP, this was quite a brute. The cork was in perfect condition and was bought direct from GCW and stored in my cellar. Still has incredibly bright colour. Should have decanted a bit earlier to let it open up a bit more. Still a pup at 18 years old. 14% alcohol and no heat at all. Lots of dark fruit and the oak gives it a bit of coconut creaminess. Quite well balanced and a real surprise. When GCW get it right (lower alcohols), they are excellent wines. Just a little apricot and leather on the palate but both are dominated by the fruit. Well stored bottles will go another decade on this showing. 4/5
Cheers
Ian
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If you had to choose between drinking great wine or winning Lotto, which would you choose - Red or White?
And we are back folks for another year and hopefully one which we don’t repeat the last 2 !
Fantastic theme, summer in Melbourne and the Australian Tennis Grand Slam is on, so lets celebrate all that is good about Australian wine.
Wine # 1 (Starting Sparkling) – 2008 Marc Hebrart Special Club Champagne
Very bready and biscuity nose. Some talc and chalk minerals there too, but then a big hit of sweet red apples…. That’s interesting! That nose threw me a bit as I was in champagne, but now the red apple is giving me second thoughts…. Hmmmmm lets taste.
More red apples on the palate, that fruit weight is stunning. Depth and power of quality fruit is where this wine is coming from. I feel this is a grower as doesn’t fit a house style.
Lemon sherbet fizziness and more lemon zest too.
Colour is a slight yellow gold and feels like there should be some age on the wine. Either that or a good hit of reserve wines.
Tasting it immediately screams champagne, you just cant mistake that minerality, chalkiness. Oh that line of lemony acidity is mouth-watering. This is bone dry too, low dosage?
Feels like there is oak here too. Well handled, fermented in oak? Creamy mouthfeel, white peach, green melon and some slight candied or preserved lemon. Nice start!
Wine # 2 – 2015 Penfolds Reserve Bin 15A Chardonnay
Huge hit of oak on the nose. Immediately makes its self known, geeze I hope it doesn’t dominate the palate. Creamy/Milky nose too, some flinty characters, but lighter straw in colour. Not a deep yellow at all, this has a green edge on the rim. Looks under 5 years old, but screwcaps are deceiving.
Fair but of Acid in the mouth, kind of distracting BUT does balance out that oak, so had to be done. In the mouth it feels as young as it looks. Unripe tropical fruits, papaya, green melon, possibly young peaches. However you need to really look deep in the glass pass that acidity to see the true quality on offer. It is a lovely wine, just needs time to settle and integrate.
Wine # 3 - 2019 Yabby Lake Single Vineyard Mornington Pinot
So first controversial wine of the night. This looked NOTHING like what it ended up being. No one in the entire group even got the variety right… and there are a LOT of very experienced wine people here.
This was hot, alcoholic, again feels young. Lighter in colour so thing more cranberry red colour. Very, very grenache like and I was (and still am) in Grenache territory, Specifically a bit higher McLaren Vale Hill. I thought maybe a Yangarra or S.C Pannell.
In the mouth it had Raspberries, lots of wood/oak characters. Tannin was super harsh… almost offensive, but dominating the wine. Acid was equally as harsh…. This is a really tough slog to drink and needs food. Still firmly in grenache territory (everyone was) and a gasp was lt out when it was revealed a pinot.
This was a really spicy, peppery wine. Its lacking that X factor, and clearly lacking varietal and regional definition. Lacking weight, lacking fruit. I still don’t get pinot….very confusing variety sometimes. No from me.
Wine # 4 – 2013 Tolpuddle Pinot
Faulty. Cloudy, Blurry, Dirty and NQR. Heat affected, or no So2?
Wine # 5 - 1984 Taltarni Special reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Again lots of oak on the nose, coconut oak too. Very definitive and sweet oak. Im already in penfolds territory just based on this.
Dark red/purple in the glass, with the slightest of blurring. This is defiantly older. Its soft and gentle in the mouth, sweet blueberry and blackberry fruit, somehow reminds me of old spice aftershave…. A fond memory. Dry and dusty tannin, they are just superb. Everything is in its place here and a very well-made wine. I feel there is a touch of Cab in here. Possibly Cab/Shiraz blend? (lol got half right)
That tannin profile is wooing me….
Some mint, liquorice and old leather as well. Stunning.
Wine # 5 - 1991 Wendouree Shiraz
Oh wow another older wine here. Not sure if its as old as the previous one, but it definitely has age.
Still has a slight/bright red/purple to the wine. No blurring but its not in its youth. Excellent example of very well and carefully cellared wine.
Nose has a Salty Sea air freshness to it. Saline type thing going on, very intriguing.
More old spice (surely one of the tasters here is wearing it!) but this is a superstar. Length and power of this wine is unparalleled. Black tea tannins, sweet purple fruit, pastilles, touch of dark plums with more mint and leather. Liquorice/aniseed notes at the back, wow it just keeps building and building in the glass. Not a penfolds, oak regime is all wrong for that but another top tier super high end producer.
Oak not noticeable, this is all fruit power. WOW wine of the night so far. Blown away
Incredible label when revealed. Looked BRAND SPANKING NEW… like it had just been printed and stuck on. We all commented that we didn’t know Rudy was back and doing Wendouree labels…. LOL!
Wine # 6 – 2006 Bests Thompson Family Shiraz
Super Dark Purple almost black in the glass, this has a density that light cannot penetrate… must be a black hole. However it’s a bright/vibrant colour at the same time.
Smells of black fruits as well. Blackberries, white pepper, coal and some herb characters.
On tasting im in cool climate territory… but which one. Doesn’t have the acidity profile of as Tasmanian, but does have that peppery notes I smelt.
This wine has a quality about it I cant put my finger on. Its almost timeless. This could be
20 years old or it could be 5 years old. Mesmerising in every way. Hugh quality dark berry fruit, lovely oak… not subtle, not domineering… but pronounced. Fruit swallows it up whole and just powers through… the power of this wine is astonishing. Length for days, perfect acid and perfectly ripe fruits. Wow, yes now the timeless thing makes sense. These Thompsons live forever, pretty much like the Houghtons Jack Mann. More please
Wine # 7 - 2004 Mt Mary Quintet
Again this looks older in the glass. Some slight dulling (ie its not bright and vibrant) and a little blurry, but not distractingly so. You just get the feeling this is exactly what the winemaker envisioned and wanted the wine to be.
Ripe red fruits, again no one picked this as Victorian. I think most of us were in WA cab territory, possibly blended with something due to the ripeness and sweetness of fruit. I felt majority cab as well. Some slight red sweet capsicum, mineral notes, flinty/graphite type, but not dense or dark minerals. I expected more herbs when revealed. This was actually quite a powerful wine due to the fruit profile. Strange one, and has to be due to vintage variation.
Wine # 8 – 2004 Seppelt Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz
My first of 3 bottles I own. All crown seal and I wanted to see how they were tracking. Very happy to report I wasn’t disappointed.
Super fine mousse, tiny purple bubbles bursting from the glass. Intoxicating nose as well, crushed ants and blueberries. Has that Great Western fruit profile as well, fine white pepper, spearmint, graphite, oregano and some other regional herbs.
Liquorice and that spice just comes racing in…then creamy milk chocolate. Oak is supporting only, lovely acid that holds it all together…. But really its those super high quality fruits that are the star here. Sweet, without being over ripe, perfumed, elegant and just a pleasure to drink. Bursting with nuances and intrigue with every sip. Always revealing more. Not in a hurry to drink, has a long life ahead.
Another controversial wine tonight. Yet another wine that no one even could pick the variety.
We all went SA Shiraz!.......... Wait……… WHAT
This was everything wound up to 11ty. Super Ripe, super sweet fruits. I would say over ripe and Juby. Oak totally dominating everything at the moment…. Is this a young penfolds? Im not convinced as the oak is wrong. Its still tick syrupy oak in the penfolds style, but not Pennies. No coconut.
This is hot and alcoholic, the acid and alcohol make it unpleasant to drink. Definitely not varietal, definitely not regional. Don’t know what to make of this. Im going to say unfortunately waste of money and I would expect MUCH better things from this wine. Big no from me. Look at this in 20+ years….maybe.. if your game (in not)
Wine # 10 – 1972 Yalumba Vintage Port
Almond & Marzipan on the nose, some spirit heat on the nose too, but not distracting or overpowering… you just know its there.
Lots of fruit cake characters. Preserved orange rind, citrus peel, sultanas and this maritime salty mineral character. Kind of like the vineyard was closer to the ocean and had a influence on it. Lovely integrated spirit, not hot or pokey at all, beautiful silky mouthfeel, wonderful length & balance. Some liquorice, mocha and Chinese 5 spice hints. Wonderful end to the (slightly controversial) evening.
1972 Xavier Vignon Chateauneuf du Pape Interesting story behind this wine. From what information I can find, it was in a concrete vat that was sealed off from oxygen and bottled a couple of years ago. It was a generous gift from a good friend for my 50th (birth year wine). Cork was perfect, as it should be being only bottled recently. The nose was just incredible. Blue fruit, red fruit, lavender and a touch of leather. The palate was a little closed at first as we only opened the bottle an hour or so before drinking. No decant as I just wasn’t sure how it would go with too much air. Quite delicate and only light to medium bodied. Super fine tannins and great balance, just a pleasure to drink. So different to AUS blends of the same. A real eye opener. 4.5/5
That is fascinating... I have had a few Xavier Vignon wines lately, they seem to have a good relationship with one of the online stores I use here in Paris. Lovely wines, but I have mostly had their cheaper, entry level stuff. To be fair even that has been very slick.
I’m a fan of the Hebrart SC but am yet to open any of the 08s. I recall speaking to Isabelle Diebolt (of Diebolt Vallois) at the time of release - it’s her husband who owns and makes Hebrart. She felt it was being released way too young with resultant qualitative implications. Glad to hear that’s not the case. Cheers
Mike Hawkins wrote: ↑Sun Mar 20, 2022 1:40 pm
Thanks Rossco.
I’m a fan of the Hebrart SC but am yet to open any of the 08s. I recall speaking to Isabelle Diebolt (of Diebolt Vallois) at the time of release - it’s her husband who owns and makes Hebrart. She felt it was being released way too young with resultant qualitative implications. Glad to hear that’s not the case. Cheers
I think this is my second SC. Love them and 08's will live a long time.
Maybe even longer than 2012's. Great maker!
. Recent Cellar Tracker notes seem to indicate there is no rush in opening these as well.
