I just came across this forum and had no hesitation in joining. I've been mostly posting to alt.food.wine and I'm really sick of all the French stuff the yanks drink. Whilst I am quite keen on the top end, the village wines they go on about endlessly are either too expensive or unobtainable here. 95% of what I drink comes from the wide brown land so I am pleased (relieved?) to have found this group. I'm a 41yo Food & Beverage professional (Exec Chef/F&B Mgr in 4.5 * City Hotel) who has a passion for flavour. I'm not sure what constitutes initiation for a newbie in this group but thought I wouldn't go too far wrong if I contributed a tasting note on a little known spectacular wine, so here it is (tasted 4 Feb 05)
Cheers Andrew
The Stumpy Gully Rep brought a bottle of this wine in to taste this afternoon. (yes it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it
)They only produced 360 bottles of this wine, this vintage (its first) and are looking to grow it to around 2000 bottles by 2005 Vintage. From 12 year old vines it was heavily pruned and only cropped at about 1.8 tonnes per acre. This is a remarkable cool climate shiraz, totally opaque black red colour with a huge chocolatey sniff. Some violets also on the nose, great mouthfeel with excellent balance. A burst of fruit flavours with chocolate & liqourice to follow, excellent length with plum pudding spices left in the after taste. Tannins were, as to be expected in such a young wine, still a little aggresive and the wine doesn't feel fully intergrated yet. Still this is one I will be stocking in my personal cellar to watch it develop.
And drink!! 