Hi Good Peoples,
Its that time of the week again. Please report in with what you have been drinking. My highlight of the week as a BVE 1997 Black Pepper Shiraz. Although there was some noticeable coconut/dill oak on the opening, there was certainly more than enough fruit to handle the oak. One of the better wines from a poor vintage, the standout feature of this wine was the incredible power and persistence of the finish. If only they will all this good.
Now what have you guys been up to?
Weekly drinking reports now due
Drunk (or rather tasted) 13 wines last night, the 1986 WYNNS John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon being an absolute standout. More details on this event later.
Bought a bottle of the 2003 BRAND'S Coonawarra Chardonnay on "discontinued sale" for $11.35 that was very nice for the price. Soft and ready with lovely barrel fermented aromas and cool chardonnay flavours.
Cheers,
Attila
Bought a bottle of the 2003 BRAND'S Coonawarra Chardonnay on "discontinued sale" for $11.35 that was very nice for the price. Soft and ready with lovely barrel fermented aromas and cool chardonnay flavours.
Cheers,
Attila
Been a busy week here in the centre of the wine universe, I'm sure n4sir will cover one tasting with comprehensive TNs so I'll make some general observations.
Vintage Ports - it great that a few producers are starting to make this style again after two decades of inactivity. I've seen excellent young examples from Rockford and three unreleased VPs from Kalleske, Kaesler and Glaymond, the latter two made from Touriga.
We had half a dozen VPs from the 70s blind on Friday night. 1975 Chateau Reynella was a standout and not far behind were 1972 Stanton & Killen, 1977 Chateau Reynella (still young) and 1978 Hardy's.
Lindemans Trio - mature examples of these seem to pop up at every dinner or options night we play and pleasingly so. They are underrated wines, even lesser vintages like 1987 are surprisingly good. Needless to say many of my associates now scour the auctions for them. I think current fashion has something to do with the lack of kudos they draw.
Vintage Ports - it great that a few producers are starting to make this style again after two decades of inactivity. I've seen excellent young examples from Rockford and three unreleased VPs from Kalleske, Kaesler and Glaymond, the latter two made from Touriga.
We had half a dozen VPs from the 70s blind on Friday night. 1975 Chateau Reynella was a standout and not far behind were 1972 Stanton & Killen, 1977 Chateau Reynella (still young) and 1978 Hardy's.
Lindemans Trio - mature examples of these seem to pop up at every dinner or options night we play and pleasingly so. They are underrated wines, even lesser vintages like 1987 are surprisingly good. Needless to say many of my associates now scour the auctions for them. I think current fashion has something to do with the lack of kudos they draw.
Cheers - Steve
If you can see through it, it's not worth drinking!
If you can see through it, it's not worth drinking!
This weeks's booty:
03 Pepper Tree Grand Reserve Wrattonbully Shiraz: A leftover from a group tasting. Inky dark. Nose is tar and a little prune, some cola, blueberry and some savoury oak. Palate is juicy small dark berries, liqueur plum and licorice. Acid attack is right at the tip of the tongue giving this fesh, crunchy sensation. The tannins are chewy and mouthcoating, good length. Ripe but not overripe, this is a pretty decent drink. Structure is indeed cool climate, warm year. Nice. 89/100
02 Arakoon Doyen Shiraz: 15.5%, McLaren Vale. Screwcap. Still very dark. Nose is more settled than a year ago, bitter chocolate, tar, fennel. The palate is also a little more settled: chocolate, plum, blueberry blackberry, prune. Very ripe. Tanins are starting to show more, and there is indeed an acid profile underneath all of this. While it is a heavyweight, this is actually quite balanced, and could live for a while. 89 points on the first ngiht. On night 2, this had really started to go downhill (stored in the fridge overnight): much more pruney and oxidative., and could only score about 80 points Drink these soon.
02 Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir: No notes taken at the tine: slightly sappy, but good raspberry fruit there. Good buying at $18 or so, although Hoddles Creek and the Curlewis Bel Sel compete with this nowadays. Drink up now.
00 Coldstream Hills Reserve Cabernet: Dense vibrabt red. Nose is cherry vinegar, tealeaf, tobacco, roast meat. The palate shows the tobacco tone too, with redcurrant, some lush plumminess, mint and herbs. The palate profile is interesting: there is some bright acid in the front of the mouth, but the tannins are soft and the wine feels quite plush. tasted blind, I would have guessed a fair merlot component. Medium bodied, perisitent finish. Nice gear, drinking well now. Should hold for a few years but donÂ’t expect too much improvement. 90/100.
Also went to an instore and tried the 04 Merlot, Shiraz Viognier and a MSG blend from Boireann, a Qld producer at the nothern end of the Granite Belt. These are pretty serious wines, and the quality was a surprise. The MSG was the highlight, very savoury and not sweet the way some SA blends can be, although $40+ is a big ask.
Cheers
Andrew
AB
03 Pepper Tree Grand Reserve Wrattonbully Shiraz: A leftover from a group tasting. Inky dark. Nose is tar and a little prune, some cola, blueberry and some savoury oak. Palate is juicy small dark berries, liqueur plum and licorice. Acid attack is right at the tip of the tongue giving this fesh, crunchy sensation. The tannins are chewy and mouthcoating, good length. Ripe but not overripe, this is a pretty decent drink. Structure is indeed cool climate, warm year. Nice. 89/100
02 Arakoon Doyen Shiraz: 15.5%, McLaren Vale. Screwcap. Still very dark. Nose is more settled than a year ago, bitter chocolate, tar, fennel. The palate is also a little more settled: chocolate, plum, blueberry blackberry, prune. Very ripe. Tanins are starting to show more, and there is indeed an acid profile underneath all of this. While it is a heavyweight, this is actually quite balanced, and could live for a while. 89 points on the first ngiht. On night 2, this had really started to go downhill (stored in the fridge overnight): much more pruney and oxidative., and could only score about 80 points Drink these soon.
02 Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir: No notes taken at the tine: slightly sappy, but good raspberry fruit there. Good buying at $18 or so, although Hoddles Creek and the Curlewis Bel Sel compete with this nowadays. Drink up now.
00 Coldstream Hills Reserve Cabernet: Dense vibrabt red. Nose is cherry vinegar, tealeaf, tobacco, roast meat. The palate shows the tobacco tone too, with redcurrant, some lush plumminess, mint and herbs. The palate profile is interesting: there is some bright acid in the front of the mouth, but the tannins are soft and the wine feels quite plush. tasted blind, I would have guessed a fair merlot component. Medium bodied, perisitent finish. Nice gear, drinking well now. Should hold for a few years but donÂ’t expect too much improvement. 90/100.
Also went to an instore and tried the 04 Merlot, Shiraz Viognier and a MSG blend from Boireann, a Qld producer at the nothern end of the Granite Belt. These are pretty serious wines, and the quality was a surprise. The MSG was the highlight, very savoury and not sweet the way some SA blends can be, although $40+ is a big ask.
Cheers
Andrew
AB
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JamieBahrain
- Posts: 3754
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 7:40 am
- Location: Fragrant Harbour.
Hi all,
Last night had '04 Eden Valley Chardonnay cleanskin ($45/doz from Oddbins Auction). Very nice wine with surprising good QPR. Boxing well above its weight. Yalumba '03 Barossa Shiraz Voigner fruit was not as good as '02 model however 14% alcohol better than hot 15% in 2002. A very nice drop. Also '02 Pepperjack cabernet. Lovely Barossa cabernet.
Chuck
Last night had '04 Eden Valley Chardonnay cleanskin ($45/doz from Oddbins Auction). Very nice wine with surprising good QPR. Boxing well above its weight. Yalumba '03 Barossa Shiraz Voigner fruit was not as good as '02 model however 14% alcohol better than hot 15% in 2002. A very nice drop. Also '02 Pepperjack cabernet. Lovely Barossa cabernet.
Chuck
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RB
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Martin Phillipson
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 1:49 am
Only a couple worth mentioning so far
Evans & Tate Margaret River Shiraz 2001
Strewth. 15% according to the label added for us North American types. Black as tar in the glass, with a very sweet chocolately nose which finishes with a big wallop of peppermint. (V minty indeed actually).
The first glass or so was delicious, but very much in the chocolate milkshake mode. (Not sure that's my style but the first glass was v enjoyable) Lots of sweet fruit with a delicate mint aftertase. Was eerily reminiscent of a Miltolo Jester 2002, with all that sweet fruint n mint.
The joy of the first glass or so quickly faded and I honestly thought it was starting to fall apart quite quickly. So i put just under 375ml into a half sherry bottle and into the fridge. Next day it was done like dinner.
So, if 4 or 5 of you want a really tasty mofo Shiraz, open this and skull it in the first 20 mins (within which period, to be fair, it was tasty).
Can't see this going anywhere to be honest, just a bit OTT for my liking.
Martin
Evans & Tate Margaret River Shiraz 2001
Strewth. 15% according to the label added for us North American types. Black as tar in the glass, with a very sweet chocolately nose which finishes with a big wallop of peppermint. (V minty indeed actually).
The first glass or so was delicious, but very much in the chocolate milkshake mode. (Not sure that's my style but the first glass was v enjoyable) Lots of sweet fruit with a delicate mint aftertase. Was eerily reminiscent of a Miltolo Jester 2002, with all that sweet fruint n mint.
The joy of the first glass or so quickly faded and I honestly thought it was starting to fall apart quite quickly. So i put just under 375ml into a half sherry bottle and into the fridge. Next day it was done like dinner.
So, if 4 or 5 of you want a really tasty mofo Shiraz, open this and skull it in the first 20 mins (within which period, to be fair, it was tasty).
Can't see this going anywhere to be honest, just a bit OTT for my liking.
Martin
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Martin Phillipson
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 1:49 am
A ripper:
Stoneleigh Marlborough Riesling 2004
Yummo. Just arrived in the stores here, and screwcap to boot. Always thought this was a good QPR wine and it didn't disappoint.
Lovely floral nose, woth some lime accents. In the mouth, lots of lovely refreshing acid, lime cordial and just a hint of sweetness. I know this is made in the "off-dry" style but certainly not sweet. Just right.
Lovely long aftertaste of lime, not a hint of kero anywhere.
Great stuff this, wonderfully fresh fruit with just a hint of sweetness, but balanced with great acidity. A wonderful each-way bet. Was fantastic with tarte flambee off the Webber in the backyard but this could easily be left to sleep for 10 yrs. Nice drop & worth a case.
Martin
Stoneleigh Marlborough Riesling 2004
Yummo. Just arrived in the stores here, and screwcap to boot. Always thought this was a good QPR wine and it didn't disappoint.
Lovely floral nose, woth some lime accents. In the mouth, lots of lovely refreshing acid, lime cordial and just a hint of sweetness. I know this is made in the "off-dry" style but certainly not sweet. Just right.
Lovely long aftertaste of lime, not a hint of kero anywhere.
Great stuff this, wonderfully fresh fruit with just a hint of sweetness, but balanced with great acidity. A wonderful each-way bet. Was fantastic with tarte flambee off the Webber in the backyard but this could easily be left to sleep for 10 yrs. Nice drop & worth a case.
Martin
Rockford Black Shiraz ( 1998 disgorge' ) : sweet and smooth sparkling shiraz with some loss of bubbles but very good. On reflection I do not think this wine needs extended cellaring but like some sparkling wines it is worth putting some in the cellar for the sake of interest.
1995 Rockford Local Growers Semillon : lovely and complete - again sort of ready on release but no harm cellaring some if you can. The last of a full dozen.
1994 Rockford Cabernet Sauvignon : Lovely mature earthy Barossa Red wine - fully resolved - more regional than varietal but that was the aim as the back label clearly states.
1997 Wendouree Muscat of Alexandria :had lowish expectations due to some comments by others but this had gained weight in the cellar and had attractive marmalade characters. Nice with my concession to Bastille Day - viz. Saint Agur blue cheese from France.
1995 Rockford Local Growers Semillon : lovely and complete - again sort of ready on release but no harm cellaring some if you can. The last of a full dozen.
1994 Rockford Cabernet Sauvignon : Lovely mature earthy Barossa Red wine - fully resolved - more regional than varietal but that was the aim as the back label clearly states.
1997 Wendouree Muscat of Alexandria :had lowish expectations due to some comments by others but this had gained weight in the cellar and had attractive marmalade characters. Nice with my concession to Bastille Day - viz. Saint Agur blue cheese from France.
1995 Reynell McLaren Vale Basket Pressed Shiraz: Inky red colour with a hint of purple on the rim; there’s heavy crusting and sludge so decanting is essential. An extremely lifted nose with sweet cherry/blackberry fruit and some chocolate with an undercurrent of formic acid & nail polish remover (VA & EA), the whole mixture evolving like a weird sensation of crushed ants, rotting bananas and blue vein cheese. The palate was very acidic, with sweet cherry fruit overwhelmed by both VA and EA, while the structure simply wasn’t big enough considering the amount of extract. This wine appears to be lost already and was a real disappointment, especially compared to the 1995 Reynell Basket Press Cabernet, which is excellent.
It's been a busy week, and I've got a hell of a lot more notes to type up.
Cheers
Ian
It's been a busy week, and I've got a hell of a lot more notes to type up.
Cheers
Ian
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
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Guest
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Guest
Re: Weekly drinking reports now due
TORB wrote:Hi Good Peoples,
Its that time of the week again. Please report in with what you have been drinking. My highlight of the week as a BVE 1997 Black Pepper Shiraz. Although there was some noticeable coconut/dill oak on the opening, there was certainly more than enough fruit to handle the oak. One of the better wines from a poor vintage, the standout feature of this wine was the incredible power and persistence of the finish. If only they will all this good.
Now what have you guys been up to?
so many quite weeks lately
i read your sight and you are supposed to have some nice wines ready to drink about now in ya cellar
Attended a Mills Reef tasting on Thursday night with winemaker Tim Preston and had the chance to taste a number of their top tier wines - the Elspeth Range. We started off with the standard label Riesling which I find excellent value and have enjoyed on numerous occassions. It's a medium-dry style and has everything in the right place. Then it was the Elspeth Chardonnay which is definitley one of the best NZ Chardonnays I've had (which wouldn't be hard 
) and for a company targeting the red wine industry of NZ in the Gimblett Gravels, they were doing very well with their two introductory whites.
Following the whites came the current release 2002 varietal reds - namely the Elspeth Merlot, Elspeth Malbec and Elspeth Syrah - followed by their flagship wine, the Elspeth One. The One is meant to symbolise unity of five different grape varieties; Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Malbec and Syrah, in ratios of 40/15/15/15/15 respectively. The Elspeth Merlot I found tough going. Here is a wine with plenty of concentrated fruit but it just doesn't seem to be in balance, and the finish is a savage one with angry tannins. To me it's a style trying to emulate Pomerol without the benefit of significant blending of other varieties (this wine is 100% Merlot) and the use of very young vines (and, dare I say it, an inexperienced winemaking team).
I'm a huge Malbec fan, so I wanted to love the Elspeth Malbec, and I did enjoy it. This is a wine made in a similar style to the Merlot, with plenty of rich fruit that would break the barriers of even the most staunch Barossafile. Brooding, rich nose with a great earth character too. Palate seems a little disjointed and the finish, like the Merlot, sucks the mouth dry. A massive wine and it really needs time before getting a second look. The Elspeth Syrah followed and was volatile, again made in this same vein of big tannins that overshadowed the finish. A pretty good Syrah - for NZ standards - but I'd still go with plenty of Australian alternatives for the money.
I was very dubious of the Elspeth One, especially given the blend combination. However, it shone and was easily wine of the night. After ensuring I cleansed the palate to a degree with amples of cheese and bread, this wine noticeably had more attention in the winemaking stage, with a fantastic texture and a real polished feel. The nose is gorgeous, with dark fruit and cassis characters, a complementary dose of French oak and demands respect. Finish is drawn out well, aided by tannins that slowly reverberate like power from a defunct generator. Great, and whilst a delicious drinking wine now, needs time before reaching its full potential. I'll be tucking a couple away.
Oh and there was a magnum of '98 Reserve Cab Sauv/Syrah/Merlot to finish. Just starting to integrate and held off all these years because the tannins were too ferocious - something that Tim admitted was as much his fault as a novice winemaker as it was the dramas of very young vines.
With no formal wine-related education and lacking a vast history of experience, the wines come across a little amateurish to me, if that's the right word. I think the region that the fruit is sourced from and the vineyard practices are top notch, but the company is yet to realise its full potential - which it will inevitably attain in time as Tim Preston matures as a winemaker. Kudos to him for acknowledging this.
The only other wine I can remember having this week was a 2002 Kaesler W.O.M.S. that I cracked the cork on last night. Fantastic nose that immediately won me over - super concentrated, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, with plenty of chocolate around the place. It possesses an unctuous texture, the nose aromas driven through to the palate and I will eagerly await this beast to gain complexity while there's still primary fruit around. So I'll try it again in a couple of years and it should indeed become a very special wine. It reminded me a little of the Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham, without the (sometimes excessive) oak handling. Top job.
Cheers everyone,
) and for a company targeting the red wine industry of NZ in the Gimblett Gravels, they were doing very well with their two introductory whites.
Following the whites came the current release 2002 varietal reds - namely the Elspeth Merlot, Elspeth Malbec and Elspeth Syrah - followed by their flagship wine, the Elspeth One. The One is meant to symbolise unity of five different grape varieties; Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Malbec and Syrah, in ratios of 40/15/15/15/15 respectively. The Elspeth Merlot I found tough going. Here is a wine with plenty of concentrated fruit but it just doesn't seem to be in balance, and the finish is a savage one with angry tannins. To me it's a style trying to emulate Pomerol without the benefit of significant blending of other varieties (this wine is 100% Merlot) and the use of very young vines (and, dare I say it, an inexperienced winemaking team).
I'm a huge Malbec fan, so I wanted to love the Elspeth Malbec, and I did enjoy it. This is a wine made in a similar style to the Merlot, with plenty of rich fruit that would break the barriers of even the most staunch Barossafile. Brooding, rich nose with a great earth character too. Palate seems a little disjointed and the finish, like the Merlot, sucks the mouth dry. A massive wine and it really needs time before getting a second look. The Elspeth Syrah followed and was volatile, again made in this same vein of big tannins that overshadowed the finish. A pretty good Syrah - for NZ standards - but I'd still go with plenty of Australian alternatives for the money.
I was very dubious of the Elspeth One, especially given the blend combination. However, it shone and was easily wine of the night. After ensuring I cleansed the palate to a degree with amples of cheese and bread, this wine noticeably had more attention in the winemaking stage, with a fantastic texture and a real polished feel. The nose is gorgeous, with dark fruit and cassis characters, a complementary dose of French oak and demands respect. Finish is drawn out well, aided by tannins that slowly reverberate like power from a defunct generator. Great, and whilst a delicious drinking wine now, needs time before reaching its full potential. I'll be tucking a couple away.
Oh and there was a magnum of '98 Reserve Cab Sauv/Syrah/Merlot to finish. Just starting to integrate and held off all these years because the tannins were too ferocious - something that Tim admitted was as much his fault as a novice winemaker as it was the dramas of very young vines.
With no formal wine-related education and lacking a vast history of experience, the wines come across a little amateurish to me, if that's the right word. I think the region that the fruit is sourced from and the vineyard practices are top notch, but the company is yet to realise its full potential - which it will inevitably attain in time as Tim Preston matures as a winemaker. Kudos to him for acknowledging this.
The only other wine I can remember having this week was a 2002 Kaesler W.O.M.S. that I cracked the cork on last night. Fantastic nose that immediately won me over - super concentrated, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, with plenty of chocolate around the place. It possesses an unctuous texture, the nose aromas driven through to the palate and I will eagerly await this beast to gain complexity while there's still primary fruit around. So I'll try it again in a couple of years and it should indeed become a very special wine. It reminded me a little of the Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham, without the (sometimes excessive) oak handling. Top job.
Cheers everyone,
Max
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Avant d’être bon, un vin doit être vrai
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Avant d’être bon, un vin doit être vrai
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Guest
n4sir wrote:1995 Reynell McLaren Vale Basket Pressed Shiraz: Inky red colour with a hint of purple on the rim; thereÂ’s heavy crusting and sludge so decanting is essential. An extremely lifted nose with sweet cherry/blackberry fruit and some chocolate with an undercurrent of formic acid & nail polish remover (VA & EA), the whole mixture evolving like a weird sensation of crushed ants, rotting bananas and blue vein cheese. The palate was very acidic, with sweet cherry fruit overwhelmed by both VA and EA, while the structure simply wasnÂ’t big enough considering the amount of extract. This wine appears to be lost already and was a real disappointment, especially compared to the 1995 Reynell Basket Press Cabernet, which is excellent.
It's been a busy week, and I've got a hell of a lot more notes to type up.
Cheers
Ian
Darth (where have all the avater gone, long time a...never mind), I've had this several times over about 6 months, last one about a year ago. Unfortunately, all showed the same, too much acid, a very 'hard' tannin profile with the fruit playing second fiddle, resulting in a wine that I can't see it coming around, ever. Doh
Somebody save one for another 5 years if you have it, just in case?Re: Weekly drinking reports now due
Anonymous wrote:so many quite weeks lately
True. For the last few months I have not been well and although I am recovering, it is bloody slowly and I am still nowhere near right yet. For example, I worked all day Saturday and was completely knackered on Sunday, spending many hours sleeping.
The vast majority of my wine is in the cellar (not at home) and I have not had the energy to bring much home lately, so the quantity at home is small which gives me limited choice.
Many nights I just grab a bottle and am not particularly fussed as long as its drinkable; also most night I have no interest in making TN's.
You did ask.
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bacchaebabe
- Posts: 1222
- Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2003 5:04 pm
- Location: Sydney
Sorry to hear you're not tip top Ric. Hope the recovery is complete and you're back on your game soon.
As for wine. Not so much this week other than a dinner with friends who supplied all the wine. Coals to newcastle with these people so we took flowers instead.
Anyway, WOTN was far and away a 1995 Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon. Fantastic stuff. Was this bottled yesterday? As I've just bought some of the 98, I guess not but this was fresh as. Very clean and vibrant and lovely zingy lemon nuances. Slight taste of butter giving away a little bit of it's age. At ten years though, this is looking mighty fine and will easily go on for another five and quite possibly ten. Very glad to have purchased some 98 and will be looking for some of this around the traps.
We also had a 95 Syrah from Russian River but I can't remember the brand as it wasn't something I've had before. Maybe starts with "H". Strange plastic smell and taste initially. Reminiscent of rubber ducky squeaky toys. This note eventually faded to be a quite respectable drink but quite different from a SA shiraz. Nowhere near the fruit.
And there was also a 96 Maglieri Cabernet which was a little overcome by the blue cheese and the goats cheese we were having so hard to give a true impression other than pleasant but nothing earth shattering.
[/b]
As for wine. Not so much this week other than a dinner with friends who supplied all the wine. Coals to newcastle with these people so we took flowers instead.
Anyway, WOTN was far and away a 1995 Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon. Fantastic stuff. Was this bottled yesterday? As I've just bought some of the 98, I guess not but this was fresh as. Very clean and vibrant and lovely zingy lemon nuances. Slight taste of butter giving away a little bit of it's age. At ten years though, this is looking mighty fine and will easily go on for another five and quite possibly ten. Very glad to have purchased some 98 and will be looking for some of this around the traps.
We also had a 95 Syrah from Russian River but I can't remember the brand as it wasn't something I've had before. Maybe starts with "H". Strange plastic smell and taste initially. Reminiscent of rubber ducky squeaky toys. This note eventually faded to be a quite respectable drink but quite different from a SA shiraz. Nowhere near the fruit.
And there was also a 96 Maglieri Cabernet which was a little overcome by the blue cheese and the goats cheese we were having so hard to give a true impression other than pleasant but nothing earth shattering.
[/b]
Cheers,
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
Kris
There's a fine wine between pleasure and pain
(Stolen from the graffiti in the ladies loos at Pegasus Bay winery)
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Waiters Friend
- Posts: 2782
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 4:09 am
- Location: Perth WA
Bannockburn Chardonnay 2001
I don't know about you, but I have different friends who have different wine preferences, and therefore with whom I share different wines. Anyway, my "CC" (Chardonnay Companion) and I decided to share a bottle of this in the midst of a fairly 'big' dinner party last Saturday.
TN? Slight butter, lots of white peach and a little cashew, and tremendously integrated oak treatment. A savoury wine, with (contradictory) delicate balance between fruit on the nose and textured weight on the tongue. I've had this wine twice this year - once with the vineyard manager from Cullen - and he thinks its better than the current release Cullen. I'll let you know when I compare it to the 2001 Cullen.
TN? Slight butter, lots of white peach and a little cashew, and tremendously integrated oak treatment. A savoury wine, with (contradictory) delicate balance between fruit on the nose and textured weight on the tongue. I've had this wine twice this year - once with the vineyard manager from Cullen - and he thinks its better than the current release Cullen. I'll let you know when I compare it to the 2001 Cullen.
Wine, women and song. Ideally, you can experience all three at once.
mills reef
Max
I think I slightly prefered the 00 batch of elspeth reds over the 02s. The 00s just seemed to have a bit more polish though I have long term wine friends that arent so quick to agree.
Elspeths to me are always very solid wines, but sometimes just lack that x factor that extracts the wallet from the pocket
good reading your notes
C
I think I slightly prefered the 00 batch of elspeth reds over the 02s. The 00s just seemed to have a bit more polish though I have long term wine friends that arent so quick to agree.
Elspeths to me are always very solid wines, but sometimes just lack that x factor that extracts the wallet from the pocket
good reading your notes
C
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Guest
Re: Bannockburn Chardonnay 2001
Waiters Friend wrote:I don't know about you, but I have different friends who have different wine preferences, and therefore with whom I share different wines. Anyway, my "CC" (Chardonnay Companion) and I decided to share a bottle of this in the midst of a fairly 'big' dinner party last Saturday.
TN? Slight butter, lots of white peach and a little cashew, and tremendously integrated oak treatment. A savoury wine, with (contradictory) delicate balance between fruit on the nose and textured weight on the tongue. I've had this wine twice this year - once with the vineyard manager from Cullen - and he thinks its better than the current release Cullen. I'll let you know when I compare it to the 2001 Cullen.
03 Was a good vintage to my understanding. It might not have been 10/10 but 8.5-9/10 is good.
Normans Chais Clarendon Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 (McLaren Vale/Adelaide Hills)
Bright red, approaching pink at the edges. A colonel Sanders wine - lots of herbs and spices. Luscious deep-set fruit up front with positive oak (french?) treatment. Tannins are assertive but by no means overbearing. Subtle leather and earth secondary characters. Quite some time left in this one, though excellent drinking right now. There is high quality fruit in here; a welcome chainge to my at-home-quaffers. A relative bargain at $20.
Rouge Homme Coonawarra Cabernet 1999
For some reason I wasn't really expecting much from this wine, but, like the wine above, for its price it overdelivered. Not in the same class as the Chais Clarendon, however it was half the price. Strong blackcurrent, backed up by mint and clove aromas. Oak is a bit dominating. Tannins are also firm. Less advanced than the Normans, however I do have a question mark on the fruit/oak/tannin balance with regard to longer term storage. I don't think the tannins have softened as much as the fruit at this stage. I'll be drinking my other bottles over the next 2 years or so.
Bright red, approaching pink at the edges. A colonel Sanders wine - lots of herbs and spices. Luscious deep-set fruit up front with positive oak (french?) treatment. Tannins are assertive but by no means overbearing. Subtle leather and earth secondary characters. Quite some time left in this one, though excellent drinking right now. There is high quality fruit in here; a welcome chainge to my at-home-quaffers. A relative bargain at $20.
Rouge Homme Coonawarra Cabernet 1999
For some reason I wasn't really expecting much from this wine, but, like the wine above, for its price it overdelivered. Not in the same class as the Chais Clarendon, however it was half the price. Strong blackcurrent, backed up by mint and clove aromas. Oak is a bit dominating. Tannins are also firm. Less advanced than the Normans, however I do have a question mark on the fruit/oak/tannin balance with regard to longer term storage. I don't think the tannins have softened as much as the fruit at this stage. I'll be drinking my other bottles over the next 2 years or so.
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kimbapuppy
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 3:26 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
Had the Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 and I was in heaven.
So far, that shot up to my number one as my most memorable wine for 2003.
The during and after taste were phenomenal. I could feel the fruitiness on my tongue growing and growing. It was a fruit bomb!
The other one tasted in the past week also include Kays Brother Block 6 2002. Another awesome wine, big, oaky, yet elegant indeed. Congratulations to Kays Brothers for making onto the Langton's Classification !
So far, that shot up to my number one as my most memorable wine for 2003.
The during and after taste were phenomenal. I could feel the fruitiness on my tongue growing and growing. It was a fruit bomb!
The other one tasted in the past week also include Kays Brother Block 6 2002. Another awesome wine, big, oaky, yet elegant indeed. Congratulations to Kays Brothers for making onto the Langton's Classification !