November 2022 purchases

[phillisc]

6 2021 Noon Shiraz
6 2021 Noon Cabernet
2 Noon VP
Cheers Craig

[Con J]

Hi Cameron.
The Redmans were purchased retail, sight unseen. I was told over the phone that they were VTS or BN.

Hi Craig.
I think you need to stop buying new releases

I’m done (I hope) with new release Cabernet and Shiraz, I’ve been saying this since the 2010 vintage.

I’ve decided on a new buying strategy now. New work Pinot and Chardonnay that should be drinking well in 5 or so years and back fill old wine.

I should stop buying altogether I have literally ran out of room, see pics below.

Picked up 2 each of these 2021 Ten Minutes By Tractor wines today. Might be interesting to look at all of them at 5 to 8 years old.

Wallis Chardonnay.
Mills Chardonnay.
McCutcheon Chardonnay.
Up the Hill Pinot Noir.
Down the Hill Pinot Noir.
Wallis Pinot Noir.
McCutcheon Pinot Noir.
Judd Pinot Noir.
Coolart Pinot Noir.

Going to to a Giant Steps touted master class with the wine maker this Friday. Looking 4 single vineyard Chardonnay and 5 single vineyard Pinot Noir, might buy 2 each of these on the night.

Cheers Con.

[phillisc]

Con, I thought it was only me that had to do cardboard aerobics!!
You would need to be a contortionist, any ideas what is at the back of the cupboard??

Seriously though you have a point how many more vintages do I really need. I like you was going to peg out on the 2012 vintage but 9-10 years on still going. 2022 is definitely it.
I was in MV yesterday and winemakers said the only saving grace is that it's a warm region...they do not want any more rain. So unlike 2021/22 which everyone seems very happy with, 2023 is going to be very patchy, with bud fruit set being affected with a great many less flowers on vines. I can bow out, finally

Spraying like mad down south as we speak

Cheers Craig

[mychurch]

Con

I almost booked the Friday night tasting as well, but it’s the works Xmas party that night. It’s nearby, but I’m not sure Wine Tasting and Disco go with each other.

I like the Giant Steps Chardonnays - I have a few bottles of the Sexton and the Amphora version (Ocarina). Will be interesting to see what you think.

[Andrew Jordan]

The start of a week in Margaret River. Nice 7 course long lunch at Wills Domain yesterday and have a 4 course lunch booked today at Vasse Felix. Off to Woodlands and Juniper Estate also today.

x6 2020 Deep Woods G2 Cabernet
x6 2019 Windows Basket Press Cabernet
x2 2018 Moss Wood Semillon Botrytis
x3 2016 Wills Domain Cabernet Matrix

[Dragzworthy]

The start of a week in Margaret River. Nice 7 course long lunch at Wills Domain yesterday and have a 4 course lunch booked today at Vasse Felix. Off to Woodlands and Juniper Estate also today.

x6 2020 Deep Woods G2 Cabernet
x6 2019 Windows Basket Press Cabernet
x2 2018 Moss Wood Semillon Botrytis
x3 2016 Wills Domain Cabernet Matrix

Try and fit in some time for Fermoy Estate and Flame Tree if you can...I found both new release of Chardonnay excellent relative to the bigger names

[Andrew Jordan]

The start of a week in Margaret River. Nice 7 course long lunch at Wills Domain yesterday and have a 4 course lunch booked today at Vasse Felix. Off to Woodlands and Juniper Estate also today.

x6 2020 Deep Woods G2 Cabernet
x6 2019 Windows Basket Press Cabernet
x2 2018 Moss Wood Semillon Botrytis
x3 2016 Wills Domain Cabernet Matrix

Try and fit in some time for Fermoy Estate and Flame Tree if you can...I found both new release of Chardonnay excellent relative to the bigger names

Great thanks for the suggestions. Have Flametree booked in for Friday and hopefully can squeeze in Fermoy as well.

[Andrew Jordan]

A few more from yesterday:

x12 2019 Woodlands Cabernet Merlot
x6 2019 Hay Shed Hill Cabernet Block 2
x2 2016 Juniper Estate Cabernet

The Toothfish at Vasse Felix was to die for!

Have a 6 course degustation long lunch booked in at Leeuwin today with visits to Stella Bella, Howard Park and Xanadu also planned.

[phillisc]

6 2021 Bowen Estate Cabernet

Cheers Craig

[Andrew Jordan]

The CC continues to get a belting here in Margs.

x6 2018 Stella Bella Cabernet
x2 2021 Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay
x3 2018 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet

Tomorrow 4 course lunch at Voyager Estate and visits to Evoi and Preveli planned.

[VinoEd]

How was the Leeuwin degustation? Did it last year and was brilliant. The gallery and back vintage wines a treat - I’m a big fan of their Cabernet.

Cheers Ed

[phillisc]

Don't know if it's a good price but the local chain has a few vintages of LE Cab for $60 or so.
Cheers Craig

[Mike Hawkins]

Well let the games begin, think it will be like collecting stamps !!
6 2022 Florita
6 2022 Merle
6 2022 Mitchell

Cheers Craig

Must be time for me to buy the Merle

[phillisc]

Indeed, top of the tree for me now, price through the wine club is quite solid. Managed to pick up a few extra Florita in a BF sale.
I am looking at going a little smaller on the 22s...yes they are great but are going to wind back.
Who knows might even get some Grosset PH but at $70ish very exxy compared to the others.
Cheers Craig

[Andrew Jordan]

How was the Leeuwin degustation? Did it last year and was brilliant. The gallery and back vintage wines a treat - I’m a big fan of their Cabernet.

Cheers Ed

Ed,

Our group was placed outside on the veranda over looking the concert grassed area which was fantastic. The food and wine pairings were top-notch as expected and we went for the Museum matched wine tasting with it. However, we think the Wills Domain degustation probably just pipped it for the food.

Agree on the Art Series Cabernet ... beautiful drop ... especially the 2018. 2018 and 2020 definitely two very good vintages here in Margs for reds ... 2020 excellent for Chardonnay. 2019 good too but more on the elegant side and probably not as long lived as the other 2.

[Andrew Jordan]

Last couple of days in Margs went so quick but managed to pick up the following:

x2 2013 Evoi The Satyr Reserve Cabernet
x3 2018 Evoi Reserve Cabernet
x6 2016 Evoi Cabernet
x6 2018 Howard Park Leston Cabernet
x3 2018 Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet

Lunch at Voyager on Thursday was very good (our waiter was very engaging and entertaining while the food and wine matching was exceptional) ... we finished at Cullen on Friday which, out of all the degustation lunches we had during the week, was the most disappointing. In fact the Cullen cellar door feels tired and the price of a tasting is insane ... all the other wineries waived the tasting fee if you had lunch there but Cullen was the exception. Probably the most disappointing cellar door experience of the week.

So in light of that theme, awards for the week go to the following:

Best Degustation Lunch - Wills Domain
Best Cellar Door Experience - Woodlands (thanks to David Watson for giving us an hour of his time talking about the history of the winery and the tour of the facilities) which concluded in a 5 vintage vertical of the flagship cabernet ... followed closely by Moss Wood (can't beat barrel tastings!).
Best Red Wine - 1997 Vasse Felix cabernet (had a bottle of this with lunch at cellar door)
Best new Release Red Wine - tie between 2018 Woodlands Xavier Reserve Cabernet (wow, wow, wow) and 2018 Vasse Felix Tom Cullity Cabernet
Best White Wine - 2009 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay (had with lunch at Leeuwin)
Best new Release White Wine - 2019 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay followed closely by 2021 Stella Bella Chardonnay Serie Luminosa
Best surprise cellar door experience - Windows Estate and Evoi ... both had a very impressive range of well made wines at great QPR. Check them out if you haven't already before it is too late!

Already planning the next trip!

[VinoEd]

Thanks for all the notes AJ.

Had a 1998 Cabernet at Vasse last year and it was sensational, glad to hear the 97 was a winner too.

Disappointing re Cullen. I don’t quite know what to make of them. Have a few of the DM and KJ wines across various vintages, but pricing is getting higher each year and harder to justify on-going purchasing.

Looking forward to getting back to Margs in the not too distant future.

Cheers Ed

[phillisc]

Thanks Andrew planning a long lost return to WA next year...it will be 36 years since the last visit.
I am a bit wary of MR, no competition from any other region so can go crazy on the prices.
Out of interest was thinking of getting some of the 2018 VF TC...is it worth $180??
Cheers Craig

[Ian S]

Yes I used to hold Cullen in very high regard, but some disappointments with the DM Cab blend, plus big price rises (and a new fancy bottling) mean I've stopped thinking of them as reliably good... at their best they'd struggle to justify the cost, but their worst is appalling value.

A real shame to see that respect eroded, and yet the price rises don't seem to have skipped a beat.

There are always others coming through, and Woodlands is one that seemed to ignite overnight, and don't seem to be letting their standards slip. Good to see Juniper Estate get a mention up top as well, and I'm sure the last decade has seen other stars emerge.

[Andrew Jordan]

Thanks Andrew planning a long lost return to WA next year...it will be 36 years since the last visit.
I am a bit wary of MR, no competition from any other region so can go crazy on the prices.
Out of interest was thinking of getting some of the 2018 VF TC...is it worth $180??
Cheers Craig

Craig wow 36 years between visits ... and I thought 15 years for me was a long time!!

2018 VF TC is undoubtedly a very good wine ... but for my tastes there are better value options out there in MR for less than that ... Woodlands, Evoi, Windows, Deep Woods, Stella Bella, Juniper and Hay Shed Hill are all making some very good wines that are up there with the TC or maybe even better. The Woodlands 2018 Xavier Reserve Cab for me was the wine of the trip ... and even the 2018 Woodlands Margaret was probably in the top 5 for a third of the price. It is a pity VF stopped making the Heytesbury red as that was by far for my tastes their best red and nowhere near the $180 asking price for the TC.

Hope when you visit there are still some 2018s on tasting as it is across the board a very good vintage. Although the 2019/2020s are good as well (probably don't have the fruit purity of the 18s though) and what we tasted in barrel the 2022s are going to be up there as well. You should have a great trip!

Regards

[phillisc]

Thanks Andrew
The WA stocks in the cellar are slim, but always had a hankering to chase a few.
Have a mate who has a property and a car I can use at Yallingup.

Thanks for the info, WA and the Hunter are areas that require a bit of homework.
Cheers Craig

[phillisc]

The Riesling run continues
6 OLW PH
6 OLW Watervale
6 Leo Buring Leonay
6 Petaluma
6 Seppelts Drumborg

Cheers Craig

[mychurch]

Picked up a few things at the last MW Auction.

From the mixed lots I won a 79 Petaluma and 2 bottles of the 86 Jamiesons Rum red, which is an old favourite.

From the other I bought
- 1 * 05 Granite Hills Riesling
- 1* 04 Seppelt Drumburg Riesling
- 2* 08 Seppelt Drumburg Riesling
- 1* 03 Elizabeth Semillon, Mount Pleasant
- 1* 06 Elizabeth Semillon, Mount Pleasant
- 1* 12 Cellar Reserve Semillon, Penfolds
- 2* 67 Kaiser Stuhl Shiraz
- 2 * 07 Hermitage Blanc, Kilakanoon Cave de Tain

Last 1 is interesting. I presume Kilakanoon were working with the well known Coop in the Rhone.

Actually put 18 bottles to the auction to make some room and I seem to have failed in that regard.

[Ian S]

Indeed that last one looked like a typo, as I'd not heard of that collaboration (they're obviously not as shouty in marketing such things as Penfolds!). Are they themselves growers of Marsanne & Roussanne?

[mychurch]

Ian, from what I can see on cellar tracker, these wines were made in the Rhone using local grapes. There are only a few vintages - 3 red, 1 white, and I presume either there must have be some sort of connection - maybe the Kilikannon wine maker was French, or the owner is a big importer.

If you look at the web site now, they are still selling a Sparkling Kilikanoon Vouvray.

[Ian S]

If they're doing a Vouvray as well, it does indeed feel more like the francophile / importer / other french connection, than what I was thinking of, that they wanted to contrast with their own efforts with the same grapes.