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

[phillisc]

Going the other way tonight, purchased a couple of these in the wake of all the noise of what is being touted as a superlative vintage.
So my first 2021 red, Wynns Shiraz of course.
This is a bright wine with a nice fruit profile and a firm finish. Not sure how much or what type of oak was in play, but a firm finish with a lick of acid and fine tannins. A pleasant wine for $11, but think I need to look at plenty more '21s to make an honest assessment. Still for a 100000 case make, solid wine.
Cheers Craig

[Matt@5453]

Going the other way tonight, purchased a couple of these in the wake of all the noise of what is being touted as a superlative vintage.
So my first 2021 red, Wynns Shiraz of course.
This is a bright wine with a nice fruit profile and a firm finish. Not sure how much or what type of oak was in play, but a firm finish with a lick of acid and fine tannins. A pleasant wine for $11, but think I need to look at plenty more '21s to make an honest assessment. Still for a 100000 case make, solid wine.
Cheers Craig

I would say no oak. Oak additives.

[phillisc]

Yep, probably a waft of a stave or one of those big tea bag chip numbers dunked into stainless steel. Still 2-3 glasses went really well with a lamb backstrap, mash and peas.
Cheers Craig

[phillisc]

Checked the TWE website for the official TN. 13 months in seasoned French oak and planks.
So some really old shaved down barrels and a bit of floating wood work.
Cheers Craig

[cuttlefish]

Zig-zags.

[phillisc]

Well, getting these out the way
2021 Wynns Siding Cabernet 10th release of this wine...where did the time go.
Bright dark fruits, earthy tones, big lick of acid and lightish oak, again a bit more of those planks and old French barrels for 11 months. Has opened up well over an hour or so and great with home made pizza. Has the nod over the Shiraz at this stage.
Cheers Craig

[VinoEd]

Moved house this week which meant a little bit of sorting through wine and decided to take a run at this.

Really enjoyable - plenty of fruit present, dark fruit, tar, still brooding tannins. I’m a sucker for a Cabernet blend. Drinking well and will continue to for a fair while…

[phillisc]

Well done, glad you enjoyed it. Might be time to look at more Wendouree. At least the weather is for it.
Cheers Craig

[mychurch]

Almost time for someone to start the 2022 Wendouree Mailer thread

[phillisc]

A couple of 2019 Penny's Hil Cracking Black MV Shiraz. Delicious and didn't have to think too hard. A treat with a couple of rib eyes.
Cheers Craig

[mychurch]

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After the cancelation of the Petaluma tasting on Sat I ended up sharing a bottle of Moet with Trudi and then decided to try a white from the cellar. This has been stored perfectly since purchase (it’s the 2017 vintage) and it’s the worst wine I have drunk on a while. Massive Brett, Rock Festival toilets, vile, taste is acidic and devoid of much fruit with a finish that is the mousiest I have had. I love odd complex Natural style wines and while Mr Ganevat can make natural wines that can age, this is not one of them.

[Matt@5453]

Opened the account on the 2022 vintage last night. Popped and poured a ’22 Jim Barry Watervale Riesling. Very pale in colour, noticeably more of a delicate/restrained “drink now” style from what I remember on previous releases. Honeysuckle, lemon pith, a hint a talc, with a mild limey citrus nuance, acidity is on the softer side. Probably needs a couple more months in bottle, reckon it will be singing come summer.

We had this alongside a 2021 RieslingFreak No.34 Clare Valley/Eden Valley blend. This is a richer fuller style compared to the above. Beautiful florals, lime, pear with a stronger acid back bone. Slightly sweeter than the Jim Barry. Very good mouthful and length.

Both different in style but equally enjoyable. I really could not pick a winner between the two, both paired lovely with fresh gummy shark.

[phillisc]

Oh dear...
2022 Rieslings already
Hope to only buy a very very very few.
Cheers Craig

[phillisc]

Almost time for someone to start the 2022 Wendouree Mailer thread

Noooooooooooo!! a month early methinks...USA independence day is when things will get rolling...Monday July 4.
Cheers Craig

[VinoEd]

Had an Adelina SM 2020 last night, against a Seppelts Mt Ida 2019 (moved house, limited wines here) and the Adelina is so approachable already, quite amazing. The Seppelts will benefit from a bit more time before it starts showing well.

[Michael McNally]

Had a 2021 Thistledown 'Thorny Devil' McLaren Vale Grenache last night. Beautiful. Approaching medium bodied with raspberry and red cherry fruit. Lovely savoury wine built around the light raspy tannin. Very much in the Pinot mould of Grenache focused on aromatics and savoury character rather than fruit and body. More please!

Cheers

Michael

[Matt@5453]

A mate brought around a 2019 Taylors Wines St Andrews Shiraz, Clare Valley.

Very good intensity of fruit, its rich, dark and inky. Ripe Plums, black olive, vanilla, cigar box, and toastiness from the oak. It is rich and decadent, but also balanced with substantial depth of flavour and length on the finish. Just right on a bloody cold night.

[Matt@5453]

Sitting in front of the fire on a dreary, cold overcast Clare day, post a delicious lunch at Pauletts. A New winter menu today, was fantastic.

Had a 2020 Pauletts '109' Reserve Riesling over lunch. The first of the free run juice ex press. Lovely limes, slate, bone dry, great intensity and length, with a beautiful backbone of acid. Lovely now, will evolve over many many years.

[mychurch]

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Fill was just below the base of neck. I have been buying some of these old wines just to get a feel how long certain regions and grapes can age. This has a lot of brown on the edges and forest floor on the nose, but the fruit texture is good and there is enough acidity to keep the dried fruit, prunes and Xmas cake flavours in check. Needs food, which is when these old wines come alive. I think I have an Cabernet of a similar age from the same producer and it will be interesting to see the difference.

[Mike Hawkins]

2006 Taittinger Comtes… pretty good bottle but not as good as others. Slightly muted nose and lots and lots of salinity on the finish… more than I remember. I still think the 08, 04and 02s are superior releases.

[VinoEd]

Gave this 1994 Keyneton a go today over lunch, along with a 2010 Marius Mataro, and a 2021 Leo Buring Clare Valley Riesling.

The Keyneton had me nervous, however it pulled through brilliantly. Plenty of tertiary characteristics but the fruit was still present and the balance good.

The Marius is a powerhouse, very youthful in comparison and a long future ahead of it.

The LB CV is a class act. Approachable now but plenty ahead of it. Glad I have a few cases in reserve…!

[phillisc]

Bit of a Coonawarra/Redman fest
2016 Parker Estate First Growth Cabernet, just at the edge of its window. Wonderful dark core of blue fruits, really rich palate and a twinge of sweetness on the end with chalky drying tannins. Wow just wow cracking wine, will do two decades easily.
2010 Redman The Redman opened well and really showed after a couple of hours in the decanter. So balanced, fleshy and seems much younger than it is. Lovely cab/Shiraz/merlot...glad I finally got a few.
2018 Redman Shiraz nice wine, coming together well, but very much overshadowed by the...
2019 Redman Shiraz, superb reflection of the vintage 2019 from Coonawarra to date has been great. Lashings of fruit, lovely sweetness, so approachable now...great wine.
Cheers Craig

[Rossco]

Another wine evening, from Back in April.

Bordeaux vs bdx Intimidators was the theme, and as always, all wines
served blind.

Wine # 1 (Starter) – 2009 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
Straw yellow in colour, tinge of green – looks young.
Nose has lots of fruit, explodes out of the glass, this is a richer or riper style
On the nose. Festively plump, a lot like myself.
In the mouth, we are in burg for sure, but this is a bit different.
Like the nose, the fruit here is solid, weighty and very high quality.
Lovely acid line, but I’m not getting any oyster shell or brine notes.
So for me, that points towards Meursault or Corton straight away.

Love the fruit here in this, its really the star of the show. Powerful and commanding.
Oak up to the task, acid complementing nicely. Some green papaya
And fennel (narrows it down to Corton for me) that length, that power, that structure and fruit, for sure its GC.
Very, very high-quality producer on top of their game…. Wow
Some flint, not a lot of minerality here though, its all about the fruit. Melon, yellow peach, touch of lemon citrus and lemon curd. Touch of spice, cinnamon from the oak. Silky, elegant amazing.
A very quiet hush came over the table as it was revealed. Super expensive, and our last
Two bottles previous to this were completed Ox’d. Nice to have a good one


Wine # 2 – 1976 Mount Mary Cabernet
One sniff and I’m in the new world. Just that rich sweet blue/purple fruit on the nose.
Quite dark in the glass, has a elegance about it though.
In the mouth, im a bit confused (which is easily done). Very dry, quite tannic and a real surprise
That the structure is that I typically see in bdx. SO we have a new world nose and fruit profile with a bdx structure… hmmm.
Blackberry & blueberry, some very slight plum notes.
Furry and fine tannin, coats the mouth. I love the earth in this, dark earth.
As it opens up, there are some lighter red fruits coming through. Redcurrant in particular.
Spice is wonderful, oak integrated and subtle. What a fantastic old wine in top form.


Wine # 3 – 1985 Petaluma Coonawarra
Pure sweet fruit nose. Soft fruit though. Clearly new world, but not young. This has a majesty about it, something timeless. Has moved to the red/brown phase of colour, it’s lost its shine, but the fruit is still here in spades. Blueberry, some soft blackberry, redcurrants, touch of lighter plum as well.Tobacco notes, lots of herbs, touch of red earth or clay as well.
Liquorice, mint and some tomato leaf with just a wonderful oak profile. French oak, possibly older and a large format. But this wine is old, so hard to tell. What a grand old dame this is. Prime of her life, strutting her stuff and has been sitting patiently waiting for her time to shine. Still lots of life left, acid hanging in there too. Ahhhh its from Magnum when revealed…. WOW


Wine # 4 – 1994 Howard Park Cab Sav Merlot
In what was a very well kept secret, it was great to see this man back after a hiatus away
For family reasons. Wonderful to have you back mate!
Again the nose is new world, sweet blackberry fruit. Touch of ribena as well. Looks quite young in the glass, dark but still has that brightness about it, but yes slightly browning edge.
Prominent alcohol is a little disjointed, fruit is on the ripe side too.
Unfortunately it fell apart in the glass and became quickly oxidized . Shame

Wine # 5 – 2000 Chateau Lynch-Bages (Pauillac)
Here we have something very different to the others. The nose is nowhere near as sweet. This
Feels old world. Nose was a little dull, but only due to the others being so fruity and rich/ripe.
Im in bdx with that structure, and tannin, but there is something mute about the nose.

I wasn’t happy with this wine; others were loving it but for me there was something NQR about it
Metallic, alcohol dominating, was it young? TCA possibly …. or its just me.
Seemed a bit dull on the palate as well. I would have expected more, but maybe it was still a bit closed or young.


Wine # 6 – 2008 Alter Ego (Margaux)
Nose is all graphite and gravel. I think we have another Bordeaux here.
Love the fruit profile here, pristine fruit. Clean and pure. I could smell this all day, that gravelly nose is enthralling. I wonder if there are a lot of rocks in the vineyard or soil profile here, as they come all through the wine.
Commanding tannins, from mid all the way to the back of my jaw. So dry and dusty is the tannin profile, its wonderful. This is all about structure, its built to last and live a long time. Fruit is there, but its in the background.
Lots of cassis, very dark berry fruit, plums, tobacco, black cherry and some pencil shavings and more minerals. Will it hold up to those powerful tannins, possibly and I would take the punt that, yes it will. Great wine!


Wine # 7 – 2008 Yeringberg
Rich and fruity nose again. Are we back to new world. I have been fooled before, so lets not rush into things.
This is really dry and tannic on the palate. Dark purple, with some dark cherry red colours too, but its bright and vibrant colour. Pretty striking actually and different to the others.
Again the alcohol is poking out here, feels like a high % or a warm year.
Fruit is rich in the mouth, but still feels young. Im thinking 2012?
Lots of life ahead, lots of fruit and oak and alcohol still to settle into itself.
Hold for 15+ with confidence.


Wine # 8 – Double Presentation – One Bdx & One New World - guess which one
Left Glass – (I think Bdx) – 1996 Clos du Marquis (St Julien)
Very leafy here, some slight green leaf as well as some crushed autumn leaves.
Feels left bank, again that tannin profile is dry and firm, but still somehow soft.
Love this purple fragrance that’s leaping out of the glass. So perfumed, it’s a wonderful experience.
Lots of lavender here, herbs of sage and bay leaf. Touch of aniseed, oregano.
Length is just wonderful, goes on and on.


Right Glass Wine # 9 (Im picking as New World) - 1996 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
Love the nose on this, I could smell this all day: Black olives, green capsicum, more lavender, cedar and tobacco… lovely aromas.
Palate is a little disappointing. One of those wines where the palate doesn’t live up to what the
Nose promises. I’m in Margaret River territory. The top producers of Marg Cabs, have this silky elegance about them and this wine has that mouthfeel. Not a super spicy wine, but there is definite oak, and oak spices. Touch of vanilla, blueberry, and pastilles. Feels past its prime though.


Wine # 10 – 2000 Mount Mary Quintet
Now here is a wine totally out of left field, and one that really confuses.
Bit hit of wild, waxy honey on the nose. Never experienced this in a cab or bdx blend before.
I wasn’t the only one, lots of others in the group picked this up as well. Strange!
Anyway, nose has cassis and tobacco, hint of riper fruit.
Im picking new world, and in particular Yarra Valley – but upper Yarra. Has a lightness about it
That comes from a higher altitude. Elegance that great Yarra producers have.
Doesn’t have the earthiness, and its lighter in style, Medium body only. Interesting that each Quintet
I have had has been completely different. All of them very much speak of, and reflect the ‘Vintage’ conditions of that year. Remarkable yet all different and I don’t think anyone picked Mount Mary.


Wine # 11– 2011 Woodlands ‘Alex’ Cabernet Sauvignon
Again new world nose, leaps out of the glass. Sweet blackberry fruit, slight rich and ripe.
Lovely in the mouth though! Bdx palate, classy and there is a familiarity about this, same notes as Ray’s right glass, so im in Margaret River. Bay leaf, violet florals, black olives again.
There is this intensity about this wine that makes you sit up. Very high-quality wine here. Oak, fruit, acid, body… its all intense and very powerful. Feels young, 10-ish years old. Has a very, very long life and will only get better as all the elements become better friends and integrate. 10+ years with ease.


Wine # 12- 2000 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron
Faulty – shame!


Wine # 13 – 1996 Chateau Montrose
Vegetal nose, cedar, touch of VA and some greenie meanies….. not pleasant to smell.
Green Capsicum, green tomato stalks. Again I think its NQR. Didn’t finish and poured out.


Wine # 14 (Backup) – 2001 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
Ok so now we are again in serious wine territory. But new world, and wow… what a wine to have as
As backup. This could easily have been the first wine such is the quality.
More cedar, tobacco, oak, spice of cardamom, star anise, and a touch of 5 spice.
This is really, really youthful. Feels 5 years old.
The vibrancy and brightness that is in the glass is something to behold. Pure dark purple almost black, shines bright but at the same time its impenetrable.
Lovely class here, so silky and fine.


Wine # 15 – Fortified – Yalumba Multi Vintage Port 1975-1979 (Special Blend)
Toffee, caramel, Mocha on the nose.
Lots of acidity too from the spirit, Not hot or alcoholic, but acidic.
Touch of cherry but the wine falls off quickly in the mouth. Very short length which is
Disappointing. Feels like an oxidative style of wine, which isn’t my favourite style.
I think it’s a Tawny, but I’m not getting that Rancio character, so im a bit
In the dark here, confusing wine. Its not rich or sweet fruited but it is new world, that colour in unmistakable.
Region could be SA, but its hard to tell. I feel this is past it.

[mjs]

Rossco, I might have been convinced to give up my left nut for that tasting

cheers, Malcolm

[Michael McNally]

Rossco, I might have been convinced to give up my left nut for that tasting

cheers, Malcolm

Rossco, I would definitely have given you Malcolm's left nut to attend that tasting!

Cheers

Michael

[phillisc]

Malcolm I'm in the car now with a pair of secateurs
Wow what a tasting Rossco, had plenty of Howard Parks, but consumed way too young. Have a few of the 2000 Mount Mary. Might look at one soon.
Cheers Craig

[mjs]

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Fill was just below the base of neck. I have been buying some of these old wines just to get a feel how long certain regions and grapes can age. This has a lot of brown on the edges and forest floor on the nose, but the fruit texture is good and there is enough acidity to keep the dried fruit, prunes and Xmas cake flavours in check. Needs food, which is when these old wines come alive. I think I have an Cabernet of a similar age from the same producer and it will be interesting to see the difference.

Really great to have the opportunity to taste these sorts of wines/labels, you are drinking history in a glass

[Rossco]

Rossco, I might have been convinced to give up my left nut for that tasting

cheers, Malcolm

Rossco, I would definitely have given you Malcolm's left nut to attend that tasting!

Cheers

Michael

Lol @ you all.

Was a very good tasting that's for sure!

Looks like Malcolm will be walking with a limp in the future, if there is another event like that one.

[mychurch]

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Had an online tasting again on Sunday night. Started with a bottle of the 21 1850 Rosatto, Cirillo Estate, which I have reviews before. Will be peaking for the summer season. 2nd bottle came from Jelle and he has been going on about the ‘17 Chinon Blanc, Les Mains Rouge for a while. Now I know why. Only the 2nd Chinon Blanc I have had and it does seem to make for a very powerful expression of Chenin. This has lots of hay and a touch of caramel on the nose, powerful yellow fruit, some lanolin, nice acidity and a clean finish. Lovely. Shame it does not seem to be available here.

[phillisc]

2019 Frank Potts. A cab quintet blend from Bleasdale at Langhorne Creek. Good drinking with a very board palate of black plummy fruits and oak. My conclusions it that is needs 5-7 years to settle. VFM at $17.
Cheers Craig