TN: Various wines in August

[GraemeG]

A bunch of notes taken over the last month, ranging from a tasting to most of the bottle!

• 2016 Clonakilla Riesling - Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District (31/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 12%} Light yellow/straw. Barely developing nose of limestone and faint citrus. Are there sandstone aromas? If so, they’re here. There’s some spritzy acid on entry, with custard apple and lime flavours, and that same stoney, sandy character. Light/medium weight, bone dry but not rasping. Becomes increasingly dense on the palate, which is almost medium length but fairly translucent still. I get the sense this is in a bit of a dumb phase. Keep without much fear I think. Five more years easy.
• 2014 Brokenwood Shiraz Vegas Block - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley (29/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 14%} Deep garnet with just a hint of age. Black cherry and sandstone nose. Ripe black fruit, but all savoury; far from a fruit bomb. Yet, seems closed down and quite dense still. Medium/high acidity, medium powdery tannins, medium weight. Even palate though, seems promising. Probably far too young; let’s hope it will blossom with age.
• 2016 Bakkheia Monsieur Lapena - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Geographe (28/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Deep red garnet. Vanilla and plums. Only a little development apparent. Quite astringent palate, with medium powdery tannins and low/medium acidity. Fairly dense sort of a texture too. Could have used a little less alcohol I think. Plums, approaching prunes on the palate, with a coconut quality to the oak, despite 18 months in French barrels, not US. Medium/full weight. Seems at a point where the freshness is fading a little but complexity has yet to arrive. Makes it a bit monolithic at the moment. Keep it and cross fingers. 1412 bottles according to the label, so a fairly rare beast too.
• 2020 Seppeltsfield Shiraz Barossa - Australia, South Australia, Barossa (27/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 14%} Chocolatey smelling Shiraz, a modern cliche maybe. Very ripe fruit but not raisiny, although the palate feels a bit dilute in comparison to the nose. Lowish acidity and soft friendly tannins leave it a bit short for structure. Jammy but not too sweet. Fairly short finish though. Not worth seeking out.
• 2021 Forest Hill Vineyard Riesling Highbury Fields - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Great Southern (24/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 12.5%} Almost colourless. Apple and a bit of talc. Faint lemon curd, but subtle. Fresh spritzy acid, light/medium weight. Dry but juicy palate, nicely balanced, of about medium length. Doesn’t seem structured for long aging, but will be lovely over five years.
• 2012 Hewitson Private Cellar Marsanne/Roussanne - Australia, South Australia, Barossa (22/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 13%} Mid yellow. Developing nose of beeswax, honeysuckle, lemon curd, vanilla bean. Full-bodied palate of the same flavours, with soft oak, low medium acidity that doesn’t seem deficient somehow. Slippery sort of texture. Even palate, with a long, discreet finish. Understated but cerebral wine. Quite a bit of interest here if you look for it, but it won’t jump out at you. Will keep for an age longer I would say. Two thirds marsanne, one third roussane. At just 560 bottles made, one of the rarest wines I’ve ever drunk, surely.
• 2015 Ribafreixo Antão Vaz Pato Frio Grande Escolha - Portugal, Alentejano, Alentejo, Vidigueira (21/08/2022)
  {twintop, 13.5%} Deep yellow. Mature, buttery nose. Similar palate, with a faintly nutty, bean curd quality too. Texture is a bit greasy, medium weight, lowish acidity. Feels like something better in youth.
• 2017 Frankland Estate Shiraz Isolation Ridge Vineyard - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Frankland River (20/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Very peppery. Not unripe, but hardly generous, despite the alcohol. All cool climate and mint flavours. Medium weight. Mild gritty tannin, medium acidity. Short medium finish. Didn’t impress especially.
• 2018 Cullen Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River (20/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 13.5%} Very black in all respects. Mix of currant and black olive. Mild powdery tannins. Medium weight but without a lot of depth. Low/medium acid. A hint of being a bit stretched, but only a hint. Drink soon for best effect , but no rush otherwise.
• 2001 Highbank Basket Pressed Cabernet Blend - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (18/08/2022)
  {cork, 13%} Cork looked good, no leaking, but that’s as far as it went. Musty TCA nose, stripped finish. If you were desperate and had no other wine you might pinch your nose and drink it for the alcohol, but really, life’s too short. NR (flawed)
• 2013 Escarpment Pinot Noir - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough (18/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 13.5%} Still a deep garnet colour. Mature nose, compost and decaying leaves. Some delicatessen meat. Molten, aged strawberry. Palate is pleasant, a mix of ripe and aging fruit. Soft oak, barely detectable. Slightly steely palate, not luxurious. Less impressive than the nose. Medium length finish, dominated by a soft astringency. Probably past best as far as real interest goes, but perfectly drinkable for a while yet.
• 2018 Mount Mary Chardonnay Reflexion - Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley (15/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 13%} Pale straw yellow. Grapefruit and nut nose. Polished. Medium weight palate, in a modern Yarra Chardonnay guise; cool fruit, but ripe, classy oak, medium acid, lots of fresh nut flavours. Back label says it’s young vines from the estate; seems about right, considering the main label chard. Actually a good guide to that bottling. Tidy effort, good for another five years easy. Subtle. Even palate, medium length finish.
• 2018 Patrick Cabernet Sauvignon Two Blocks - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (13/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 14.5%} Dark colour, dark nose. Blackcurrant, malt. Very ripe. Yet the palate is dilute, relatively, and lacks depth and length. Feels very worked somehow. Big heavy bottle, esp for something at this modest price point. Dreadful label too! A bit alcoholic without the depth of flavour of length of finish to justify it. No more cellaring, certainly.
• 2015 Moorilla Muse Cabernet Cab Franc St Matthias Vineyard Tamar Valley - Australia, Tasmania, Tamar Valley (12/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 14.4} There’s an undeniably asparagus-like aroma to this, along with some dark currants and after dinner mint chocolate. Mild acid, soft dusty tannins, and gentle alcoholic warmth carry the palate, the fruit is a bit subdued, with soft black flavours at a medium weight level. Seems like a fair bit of dilute franc here somehow. Short medium finish. Perhaps more interesting on the nose than palate. Eh, keep a while if you like. Think the dark green might just keep growing though.
• 2014 Mount Pleasant Wines Sémillon Single Vineyard Lovedale - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley (11/08/2022)
  {screwcap} Quite developed, with a dusty, smoky nose to the aromas and flavours. Grass and lanolin on the palate, hints of grapefruit, with a brief burst of acid, then a fairly greasy sort of texture. Medium weight. Interesting balance of flavours, even palate, medium length finish; lacks the last word in complexity and interest. Close to peak as far as interest goes, I reckon, but it should hold a while still. $135 at Sails Mc Mahon's Point.
• 2007 Maison de Grand Esprit Crozes-Hermitage Les Seize Galets Vieilles Vignes - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (10/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 12.5%} Mid garnet, some lightening at the rim, correctly. Mature and slightly muted nose. Rustic compost and blackberry. Tiny bit of reduction, but also remnant Brett too! None of it too unpleasant. Mainly ht palate is quite dilute in flavour; not unripe st all, just a bit thin for flavour. It has medium drying dusty tannins and medium acidity, but really it’s rather light/medium in weight and finishes desperately short. I wouldn’t say it’s falling over, but it’s certainly not going anywhere!
• 2018 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Riesling Schiefergestein trocken - Germany, Nahe (8/08/2022)
  {cork, 12.5%, AP 10 19} Pale straw yellow. Honeydew and apple. Very seductive, barely past primary. Palate still has lovely spritzy acid, the same honey and apple fruit, light weight, but also a persistent purity throughout its medium/long finish. It’s not absolutely dry, but any sugar just fills it out nicely without getting near to off-dry. Hugely drinkable, probably better in its youth, I suspect.
• 2011 Matuško Plavac Mali Dingač - Croatia, Dalmatia, Srednja i južna Dalmacija, Pelješac (7/08/2022)
  {cork, 14.5%} Solid garnet, still quite dark. Developing nose of chocolate, liquorice, composting leaves and oak toast. Similar palate, with a hint of roasted red grapes, although not overtly fruity. It’s more about raisiny developed fruit and dense oak flavours. Lowish acidity, and only low/medium powdery tannins. Medium/full bodied, thickly textured, with a short but warm finish. Past peak for drinking interest I’d say, but the grape is new to me so who knows?
• 2011 Antica Hirpinia Taurasi - Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG (6/08/2022)
  {cork, 13.5%} Slightly bricking edge to the dark garnet core. Slightly camphor-like and musty nose. Stewed cherry too, but maturing. Dustily astringent palate, medium in weight, with reticent red fruit of little real distinction, and a generally drying-out sort of character. Attenuated sort of finish. Possibly too old, not especially convincing. Drink up.
• 2016 Falcon Ridge Estate Pinot Noir - New Zealand, South Island, Nelson (5/08/2022)
  {screwcap, 13.5%} Bricking, pale red. Quite developed, with fresh aromas of pastrami, cherry, stalk, and a hint of tobacco. Some brown leaf/compost too. The palate is mature also, light-bodied, with spicy flavours per the nose, high acidity, and only a faint remnant of dusty tannins. About medium length finish - just - but this is fully mature now.

[VinoEd]

Thanks for the notes Graeme.

Good to read re the Reflexion Chardonnay - have a few of them in a box somewhere that I couldn’t put my hands on readily last weekend in the storage - glad there’s more time!

[mjs]

Graeme,
I'm a bit concerned at your wine choices There are a lot of wines here, and not many that you would appear to recommend!
cheers, Malcolm

[phillisc]

Yes...intrigued that its not just me that has second thoughts about Patrick Coonawarra, never been overly taken with the wines. Even Riesling which I am a big fan doesn't quite hit the mark.
cheers Craig

[GraemeG]

Graeme,
I'm a bit concerned at your wine choices There are a lot of wines here, and not many that you would appear to recommend!
cheers, Malcolm

Well, I try to experiment! Although I do think they read a bit more negatively than I intend, I must say.
Maybe I tend to focus a bit too much on what's missing in a wine.
That's how it goes in the quest for perfection!

[JamieAdelaide]

Politely, it can be a very Australian thing. I find Aussies can be quite technical wine consumers. See it a bit on the Wine Front in the comments section. Just an observation and not meant to offend. Overseas drinkers can be far more tolerant in my experience. Not always a great thing!

[GraemeG]

Politely, it can be a very Australian thing. I find Aussies can be quite technical wine consumers. See it a bit on the Wine Front in the comments section. Just an observation and not meant to offend. Overseas drinkers can be far more tolerant in my experience. Not always a great thing!

Maybe it's the osmotic effect of all that Wine Show heritage, the fault-picking!
My notes tend more to try and record what I thought about a wine, rather than necessarily how much I enjoyed it.
Just because I think it may have peaked a few years ago, say, doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. It might be more a warning to me that it won't get any better from here. In case I think of buying more! Occasionally my own notes have actually stopped me bidding at auction.