Last Week's Highlight

[Gavin Trott]

Hi All

Wine wise, what was the highlight of last week?

It could be a wine, in which case, how about a tasting note?

Was it a tasting, a dinner, a pleasant surprise, a gift?

Let's hear from everyone, lurkers, here's a chance for a first post in a non threatening way, just a few lines will do?

For me, lowlight was the tasting bench Friday .... very highly regarded Victorian wine very disappointing, followed by a Barossa Shiraz with American oak upfront, in the middle, on the end, in the nose, through the palate ... you get the idea. Both hit the sink! Neither wine cheap either!

Highlight ... picked up some affordable 2001 Wendourees to put in the cellar, like to get a few each year!

Now, its your turn?

[Benny]

I had a McLaren Vale shiraz that was full of oak. It was not very nice.
I also had a Yarra Valley Shiraz that was very green and weedy. I am not buying either again but I did have a Coonawarra cabernet that I liked very much. I think it was called Murdoch or something. I will buy that again for sure.

[Wycroft]

Had to work through the night last Thursday and was damned if I was going to let it be any more painful than necessary. Sipped my way through a 1990 Chateau Pavie Macquin from Saint Emilion. Stunning. Incredible mouthfeel and length, lots of earthiness and lovely fruit. Expensive, but a great experience. Probably has another four or so years before it begins to fade.

[Ben]

I tried this at the Melbourne Supper Club last night as part of a flight of Shiraz. The other 2 tried were Perrin Crozes-Hermitage 1999 (Good) and Primo Estate Joseph Angel Gully Shiraz 2001(not good had no body). I should also point out that Isole e Olena was about 2 and half times the price of the other wines.

Colour - Deep Red/Purple......but it was pretty dark and it was late. It did have the deepest colour of the 3 wines tasted.

Nose - white pepper stood out with underlying tones of chocolate.
But the thing that really turned me on was just how luscious and rich it was.

Palate - this was one sexy wine! At the front and middle you had a mouth full of silken chocolate and plums. On the finish there were fine tannins and wonderful clean acid that left you reaching for the glass again.

I loved the stuff and for me it was an exceptional wine.

I check with a wine shop today and it seems it would retail for around $70-$80 if you found it in a shop....not cheap but I would buy a bottle or 2.

[Andy]

Encouraged by the others to make my first post,

Last Thursday night at Flower Drum was talked by Thomas the sommilier into going with the 1999 Bannockburn Cabernet. Have recently had the 99' Shiraz which I thought was stunning.

The wine started very promising with a wonderful berry nose with refined oak and slight mint notes. However it did not develop as well as the initial promise.

Still great food, great company and good wine is what life is all about. (And yes, the bill was "great").

Cheers

Andy

[IanP]

Treated myself to a birthday dinner at Tetsuyas in Sydney on Thursday. My first visit there. Expensive, but a step or two above anything else I've tried in Sydney. Wine-wise, I opted for the "wine course" there rather than a bottle from the cellar. I'd recommend that to anyone going there, not becasue the wines are exceptional, but because the matches by the glass do suit the food (from a Henschke reisling with the raw dishes to a Torbreck muscat with desserts).