Brisbane Offline 25 Oct 2024 - e'cco bistro

[Michael McNally]

Five regular offliners (Rens, Nick, Ian, Gerry and me) have been getting together in Brisbane for 13 years now (some of us a few years more). With our partners it’s a good-sized wine dinner group. Generous souls with decent cellars, but no showing off. Anyway, we got together again on Friday night. We were remarking on how lucky we are to have found each other and how long we have been doing this in the context of mychurch’s passing. We made sure we had a toast to him, though none of us had actually met him.

Venue was e’cco bistro, my first time in its new location. The food was excellent. Very good glassware. Nick had arranged the meal and BYO. Ian will hopefully post the bottleshots.

2018 Glaetzer-Dixon Uberblanc Goldpunkt (me). Cool name. Tidy wine. Some light lanolin notes. Superlifted fruit and acid. Preserved lemon with some pith-like grip at the end. Only just off-dry and good length.

yellowfin tuna / parmesan custard / aleppo oil

2017 Tobin 'Lily' Chardonnay (Nick). Some struck match. Powerful peach and melon fruit. Nice balance. Very varietal but with a mineral twist which added length. Really good.

2016 Sinapius Chardonnay (Ian). Restrained nose but full palate. A lot of similarities to the Tobin with a classic Chardonnay palate, some grilled peach and guava/melon. On a par with the Tobin. Maybe slightly more complete.

local kataifi prawn / sauce gribiche

2023 Comyn’s & Co Pinot Shiraz (Rens). Classic Hunter River Burgundy blend. Fruit really popping and very bright. Quite balanced and plenty of interest. Drunk paired with the real thing which may have been a little unfair.

2013 Domaine des Croix Les Bressandes Premier Cru (Nick). Much more serious and structured. Good dark fruit and superb tannin. Super dry and savoury. Excellent.

potato gnocci / pea velouté / fetta / black olive / parmesan crisp

2015 Ruggabellus Timaeus Red (Ian). Popped and poured at the table, this was immediately interesting but developed a lot over the next couple of hours and was best at the end of the night, but which time the cherry fruit was singing and the texture was spot on. Really good stuff!

2004 Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial (me). Should have listened to Rens and double-decanted in the morning as this was excellent, but kept getting better until it was gone. Powerful dark berry fruit with some vanilla and cola (neither OTT). Great balance and length, which just got longer.

gippsland ‘little joe’ sirloin (grass fed mbs 4) / roast carot / oxtail croquette / braised onion

2004 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon (Rens). Expertly pre-decanted. Classic Cabernet. Seamless integrated blackberry, cassis and a touch of very ripe mulberry. Fruit and oak in balance. Some gravel/graphite. Note finishes with “complete Cabernet. Superb”. Would have been my WOTN but for….

1995 Howard Park Cabernet Blend (Gerry). My first note says: “Holy f*$k”. At 29 years old this wine is sensational. Another classic Cab with similar stylings to the LEAS but with a little more body, complexity and interest. Would have picked it as just a bit older than the LEAS. Evolved over the next couple of hours. Just amazing wine.

2004 Rockford SVS Hoffman Shiraz (Gerry). Disjointed, hot and OTT. Dead fruit. No thanks. And it wasn’t just me, almost universally disliked.

2014 Paul Lato ‘Lumiere’ Larner Vineyard Grenache (USA – Ian). Bought as a curio by Ian for us to taste blind. I picked it as Grenache or Grenache/Shiraz. Oaky over-fruity Grenache reminiscent of Barossans of yesteryear.

strawberry pavlova / wild berry sorbet

2005 Chateau Filhot Sauternes (Gerry). At nearly 20 entering a long drinking window (Full-sized bottle so 375mls may be more advanced). Delightful Sauternes, complex but light on its feet. Excellent finish to an excellent night.

WWOTN was the Sinapius
RWOTN was the Howard Park by a ways from the tied Burgundy and LEAS with a single vote for the SVS and the Ygay.
WOTN was the Howard Park then daylight.

Another celebration of wine and food with good friends. Hopefully we won’t leave it more than a year between drinks this time!

Cheers

Michael

[ticklenow1]

Another great night night with great people. Janine made a mistake picking the SVS as WOTY, she claims she got flustered but has since told me she liked the LEAS Cabernet. As Michael said the Hoffmann SVS was very porty. My US Grenache was pretty ordinary too. All the other wines were superb. I really enjoyed the Sauternes which surprised me. Pictures of the wines…

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[ticklenow1]

And more

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[ticklenow1]

And more…

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[ticklenow1]

And still more…

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[Michael McNally]

Thanks Ian!

Cheers

Michael

[Waiters Friend]

Thanks for the notes, Graeme, and ticklenow1 (Ian) for the photos. Interesting that a couple of Tasmanian whites featured - I had the pleasure of visiting Glaetzer-Dizon in Hobart a couple of weeks ago, and bought the Unerblanc (among others).

I'm especially delighted that the Howard Park showed so well - I have a small collection of 1990s HP reds that will be shown as a vertical sometime in 2025. It's nice to know the 1995 is not just holding up well, but looking very good.

Cheers
Allan

[JamieAdelaide]

Looks fun!

I distinctly remember the sadness at passing on buying that SVS vintage at cellar door. The alcohol was too much . Happy now for my discipline as it was hard to fault Rockford til then.

[Andrew Jordan]

Thanks for the notes, Graeme, and ticklenow1 (Ian) for the photos. Interesting that a couple of Tasmanian whites featured - I had the pleasure of visiting Glaetzer-Dizon in Hobart a couple of weeks ago, and bought the Unerblanc (among others).

I'm especially delighted that the Howard Park showed so well - I have a small collection of 1990s HP reds that will be shown as a vertical sometime in 2025. It's nice to know the 1995 is not just holding up well, but looking very good.

Cheers
Allan

Great year 1995 ... especially for the Blues!!

Cue Hawko's reply ....

[Mike Hawkins]

The Babylon Blues have apparently adhered to the salary cap since then.

[phillisc]

Do I buy into this?? 30th year of mediocrity...I sincerely hope not.
Cheers Craig

[mjs]

Don't get me started!

[felixp21]

lols, poor old Blues. Keep getting in A-graders and going nowhere. Plain dumb to trade Kennedy out, the one type of player they lack in numbers are serious hard nuts. Poor old Paddy will find it even harder next year, he's carried that team solo for the last decade.

[phillisc]

lols, poor old Blues. Keep getting in A-graders and going nowhere. Plain dumb to trade Kennedy out, the one type of player they lack in numbers are serious hard nuts. Poor old Paddy will find it even harder next year, he's carried that team solo for the last decade.

Bang on Felix, along with Kennedy, WTF trading Matt Owies, a very useful small forward.
Equally, not moving on those duds Fantasia and Motlop
I am yet to be convinced re the twin towers, Curnow especially. Needs to have a break out year and kick 80-100 snags. Its a very lonely place being a blues supporter, especially in little old Adelaide town, but have renewed the interstate membership and will get to a few games next year.

Back on the wine thread, pity the SVS was over the hill, I have half a dozen vintages, better get on and drink them
Cheers Craig

[JamieAdelaide]

I’d be discerning about SVS - keep or sell!

Offered my brother in law $1000 cash for his three pack of SVS wines from 96. Perfectly stored ( by me ) but alas no sale!

[phillisc]

I’d be discerning about SVS - keep or sell!

Offered my brother in law $1000 cash for his three pack of SVS wines from 96. Perfectly stored ( by me ) but alas no sale!

Tempting indeed...but will keep my 1996 three pack and open in 2026 and perhaps the mag of BP of the same vintage.
Should be a good lunch

Cheers Craig

[JamieAdelaide]

Should be great lunch but one the 96 SVS was past it last I tried. Moororroo?

[Rossco]

What a wonderful evening! Thank you for the notes and pics

A couple of years ago had the 2005 of the Rockford SVS Hoffman Shiraz. Had the exact same notes!
Do they even make any more of the single vineyard wines ?

[phillisc]

2006 was the last SVS release I believe.
I'll take my chances with the 96s and give them a couple more years...I purchased them personally from Robert...so if the wines are shot, I'll let the winery know.
Cheers Craig

[JamieAdelaide]

I think there was a lot of commentary on the forums the Moorooroo was developing very early. This was in the early 2000’s! I recall the wine being better than that though I can’t be sure. So long ago! The other two should be good though certainly peaking. I had a magnum of Rockford Basket Press 1996 last November and it was charming. I’m an aged wine aficionado more than most Aussies and even I’d admit it would have been better a decade ago. I even remember when the 96 BP finally gave up its mantle to 98 BP. The 96 for so long outperformed though in the end ( for me ) the 98 became an all time great BP.

I’m wondering if I’m leaving my BP’s too long these days as they don’t have the stuffing they used to?

Still have Helbig! My all time fav.

[phillisc]

I agree, have a lone 86 and 4-6 of each vintage from 1990. All stored well, but the vagaries of old bottles, unreliable corks might mean many are duds.
I think I will start with a 1990-99 vertical and go from there. A 99 that i had mid year was quite good.
Always had the romantic idea of looking at 30+ vintages in one hit, but glassware, logistics and so forth are challenging.

First world problems...
Cheers Craig

[JamieAdelaide]

Yep had a 99 magnum with the 96 and the 99 a rip snorter!

[felixp21]

I'm not a huge Barossa Shiraz fan, but we had a magnum of the 96 Basket Press over the Christmas break last year and it was fabulous. Not a life-changer, but a wonderful example of the variety.

[Mike Hawkins]

I think there was a lot of commentary on the forums the Moorooroo was developing very early. This was in the early 2000’s! I recall the wine being better than that though I can’t be sure. So long ago! The other two should be good though certainly peaking. I had a magnum of Rockford Basket Press 1996 last November and it was charming. I’m an aged wine aficionado more than most Aussies and even I’d admit it would have been better a decade ago. I even remember when the 96 BP finally gave up its mantle to 98 BP. The 96 for so long outperformed though in the end ( for me ) the 98 became an all time great BP.

I’m wondering if I’m leaving my BP’s too long these days as they don’t have the stuffing they used to?

Still have Helbig! My all time fav.

I haven’t had too many post 2004 vintage save for tasting them at the time of release. I’m quite happy to wait. For that reason I’m hoping the style hasn’t changed from the 90s. I still think the good BPs drink well at c20-25 years of age and the great ones at 30+. Even the 89 a year or two ago was excellent, and that was a dud vintage.

[Rossco]

Yep had a 99 magnum with the 96 and the 99 a rip snorter!

I have found 99 is a very underrated year in Barossa. Some magnificent wines were made that are ageing very gracefully.

[ticklenow1]

I think there was a lot of commentary on the forums the Moorooroo was developing very early. This was in the early 2000’s! I recall the wine being better than that though I can’t be sure. So long ago! The other two should be good though certainly peaking. I had a magnum of Rockford Basket Press 1996 last November and it was charming. I’m an aged wine aficionado more than most Aussies and even I’d admit it would have been better a decade ago. I even remember when the 96 BP finally gave up its mantle to 98 BP. The 96 for so long outperformed though in the end ( for me ) the 98 became an all time great BP.

I’m wondering if I’m leaving my BP’s too long these days as they don’t have the stuffing they used to?

Still have Helbig! My all time fav.

We had the 3 '96 SVS's quite a few years back at one of our Brisbane forumites place and they had been cellared perfectly from release (very long time Stonewaller) and the Moorooroo was definitely past it's best. The Flaxmann was stunning and the Hoffmann had just a smidge of taint, but you could sense the underlying wine was excellent.

[JamieAdelaide]

Ok so definitely the Moorooroo that was struggling. Plenty of forumites reported as much and over at the winefront Campbell gave it 88pts 2004-2011