Please feel free to post tasting notes, vibes or general impressions.
Newbies are especially welcome, we won't bight - I promise.
It's Sunday and your weekly drinking reports ....
It's Sunday and your weekly drinking reports ....
....are now due.
Please feel free to post tasting notes, vibes or general impressions.
Newbies are especially welcome, we won't bight - I promise.
Please feel free to post tasting notes, vibes or general impressions.
Newbies are especially welcome, we won't bight - I promise.
For us a 2002 Margrain Pinot Noir from Martinborough NZ. which was really very complex for a £10 wine. Taste spectrum was more in the cherry range than raspberry. Not up to Martinborough Vineyard standard, but at just over half the price it offers great value. The only detractor was a hint of bitterness, but others might find this adds to the complexity (a la Chianti for example).
1995 Mitchelton Print Shiraz. Dark crimson in colour, very little browning, pleasant developed nose with a touch of leather over the top of some red fruits. Red fruit followed onto the palate but not with much power or length, quite enjoyable but probably would have been better 2-3 years ago.
2002 Amberley Shiraz. Enough green, stalky characteristics that it could have had some Cabernet in it. None of the white pepper that I normally pick up in Margaret Shiraz, just some light black-currant and cassis flavour, a little of that greenness and some light, dry tannins. Drinkable but not exciting.
2002 Bremerton Old Adam Shiraz. Oak, oak and a little more oak on the nose. Fortunately balanced by some big red through black fruit on the palate, silky tannic structure and a little alcohol heat which wasn't too bad when it was 2 degrees outside. A big wine in every sense of the word that needs a couple of years to settle down, hoping that the fruit doesn't get hammered by the oak.
2006 Two Hands Moscato. Great wine to finish the night with, beautiful nose of sweet tropical fruits following onto the palate with a touch of green apple, nice light fizz, cleansed the palate perfectly.
2002 Amberley Shiraz. Enough green, stalky characteristics that it could have had some Cabernet in it. None of the white pepper that I normally pick up in Margaret Shiraz, just some light black-currant and cassis flavour, a little of that greenness and some light, dry tannins. Drinkable but not exciting.
2002 Bremerton Old Adam Shiraz. Oak, oak and a little more oak on the nose. Fortunately balanced by some big red through black fruit on the palate, silky tannic structure and a little alcohol heat which wasn't too bad when it was 2 degrees outside. A big wine in every sense of the word that needs a couple of years to settle down, hoping that the fruit doesn't get hammered by the oak.
2006 Two Hands Moscato. Great wine to finish the night with, beautiful nose of sweet tropical fruits following onto the palate with a touch of green apple, nice light fizz, cleansed the palate perfectly.
Last edited by Nick on Mon Jun 05, 2006 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bleasedale "Frank Potts" 1999 Drinking sensationally right now but still a few years to its peak for mi8ne.
Yalumba "Signature" 2002 Still the benchmark for this blend as far as I am concerned. Beautiful balance, everything in harmony and really humming. Try again in another 5 years.
Tatachilla McLarenVale Cab Sauv 1998 Winestates Cabernet of the Year Gotta say this is one really nice drink but will finish what I have left over the coming months as I think it is at the top of its curve and perhaps even starting the downslide, for my palate anyway.
Watershed Shiraz 2001 What a ripper. Has improved markedly from CD purchase at release and it was pretty damn good then. It has all melded together into one sensational drop and should keep improving for a couple more years yet, if I can keep my hands off the rest.
Seppelt "Dorrien" 1999 Holy Crap Batman. Barossa cab at its best. Great juice. Try again in 2010.
Coriole "LLoyd Reserve" 2001 For some reason I only had 1 bottle of this. Now I wish I had a whole lot more. Bloody beautiful mate.
St Hallett Cabernet Shiraz 2001 One of a carton bought at bin end prices at CD. Pales in comparison to the Signature but still a bloody good wine and would happily drink it anyday.
Seppelt DP57 Grand Tokay Super stuff. I may even prefer this to muscat. I think I will have to open another botle of each and see
Yalumba "Signature" 2002 Still the benchmark for this blend as far as I am concerned. Beautiful balance, everything in harmony and really humming. Try again in another 5 years.
Tatachilla McLarenVale Cab Sauv 1998 Winestates Cabernet of the Year Gotta say this is one really nice drink but will finish what I have left over the coming months as I think it is at the top of its curve and perhaps even starting the downslide, for my palate anyway.
Watershed Shiraz 2001 What a ripper. Has improved markedly from CD purchase at release and it was pretty damn good then. It has all melded together into one sensational drop and should keep improving for a couple more years yet, if I can keep my hands off the rest.
Seppelt "Dorrien" 1999 Holy Crap Batman. Barossa cab at its best. Great juice. Try again in 2010.
Coriole "LLoyd Reserve" 2001 For some reason I only had 1 bottle of this. Now I wish I had a whole lot more. Bloody beautiful mate.
St Hallett Cabernet Shiraz 2001 One of a carton bought at bin end prices at CD. Pales in comparison to the Signature but still a bloody good wine and would happily drink it anyday.
Seppelt DP57 Grand Tokay Super stuff. I may even prefer this to muscat. I think I will have to open another botle of each and see
Piana Del Sole Salento Primitavo 2003 Rich, inky, slightly sour, better on the second night, lasted over 5 days on the bench without turning bad. Great value at about $11, will probably be more approachable with a couple of years longer aging.
Wynns Michael Shiraz 1993 Plenty of both aged characters and remaining dark fruit, oak not overpowering, tasty and smooth, but a bit hard on the finish. Softened a bit more on the second night. Pretty good, but not really great. Good value at the original purchase price about 10 years ago (approx $35 as part of a set "premium mixed 6-pack") More enjoyable than the 1992 John Riddoch which came with it which was consumed quite some time ago.
Wynns Michael Shiraz 1993 Plenty of both aged characters and remaining dark fruit, oak not overpowering, tasty and smooth, but a bit hard on the finish. Softened a bit more on the second night. Pretty good, but not really great. Good value at the original purchase price about 10 years ago (approx $35 as part of a set "premium mixed 6-pack") More enjoyable than the 1992 John Riddoch which came with it which was consumed quite some time ago.
Gavin's Picks!
http://www.auswine.com.au/page.asp?PageID=1064
http://www.auswine.com.au/page.asp?PageID=1064
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Anonymous
A few wines and some quick notes:
<b>2001 St Hallet Gamekeepers Reserve</b>: found in amongst some boxes, but not in the wine database. Past it.
<b>2002 Mount View Estate Reserve Chardonnay</b>: Still going along well. Light golden colour, not too much oak and good finish.
<b>1999 Crabtree of Watervale Cab Sav</b>: Drinking nicely, although a little short. Enjoyed the 1999 shiraz a little more.
<b>Storage of Stelvin v Cork</b>
I did an inventory recently of stevlin vs cork in the cellar. The results were 110 stelvin and 220 cork. I have only been collecting since 1999, so these results are reasonably contemporary. I am building a new cellar, so all I need is a bookcase for the stevlins and normal racks for the corks. After investigation the pine bookshelf can hold 180 bottles for $250 and I imagine the storage for the corks will be much much more. So, $ for $ the stelvins will be cheaper to store. This doesn't include all the vintage ports I have as well.
<b>2001 St Hallet Gamekeepers Reserve</b>: found in amongst some boxes, but not in the wine database. Past it.
<b>2002 Mount View Estate Reserve Chardonnay</b>: Still going along well. Light golden colour, not too much oak and good finish.
<b>1999 Crabtree of Watervale Cab Sav</b>: Drinking nicely, although a little short. Enjoyed the 1999 shiraz a little more.
<b>Storage of Stelvin v Cork</b>
I did an inventory recently of stevlin vs cork in the cellar. The results were 110 stelvin and 220 cork. I have only been collecting since 1999, so these results are reasonably contemporary. I am building a new cellar, so all I need is a bookcase for the stevlins and normal racks for the corks. After investigation the pine bookshelf can hold 180 bottles for $250 and I imagine the storage for the corks will be much much more. So, $ for $ the stelvins will be cheaper to store. This doesn't include all the vintage ports I have as well.
Shared a 1998 Orlando St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon with friends last night. It was pleasant enough but did not excite me the way it did last time I tried it which was about 4-5 years ago. Obviously the wine was much younger when I last tried it, but the most recent experience did not live up to my expectations.
While I'm posting, I'm getting to that stage in my collection where a lot of my wine now has 5-7 years under its belt. I'm hoping that my future experiences of my aging wines are more exciting than this. Obviously some of it will improve and some won't. Anyhow, I'm hoping to begin reaping the rewards of my patience.
While I'm posting, I'm getting to that stage in my collection where a lot of my wine now has 5-7 years under its belt. I'm hoping that my future experiences of my aging wines are more exciting than this. Obviously some of it will improve and some won't. Anyhow, I'm hoping to begin reaping the rewards of my patience.
Ciao,
michaelw
You know it makes sense!
michaelw
You know it makes sense!
zanlation wrote:<b>Storage of Stelvin v Cork</b>
I did an inventory recently of stevlin vs cork in the cellar. The results were 110 stelvin and 220 cork. I have only been collecting since 1999, so these results are reasonably contemporary. I am building a new cellar, so all I need is a bookcase for the stevlins and normal racks for the corks. After investigation the pine bookshelf can hold 180 bottles for $250 and I imagine the storage for the corks will be much much more. So, $ for $ the stelvins will be cheaper to store. This doesn't include all the vintage ports I have as well.
Zanlation
If only I had this sort of balance. I'd love to have c. 2/3 stelvin and 1/3 cork as this is roughly where I sit between to two warring factions (a sort of vinous "no mans land"). I probably have 10% stelvin currently.
I'm interested by your planned storage for Stelvin. Will this be upright or on it's side. I'll also be interested over the years in how the old advice about cork sealed wines plays out with Stelvin. Namely
Humidity: Probably irrelevant, in fact would high humidity be a problem (time to move the bottles into the a/c house?)
Temperature variation: Was this a factor more on the corks' elasticity or on the chemical make-up of the wine (or a combination of both).
Temperature & Darkness: Both still seem relevant for Stelvin.
At this stage I don't have enough stelvin sealed wines to consider separate storage, but I can see the wine fridge in 5-10 years holding my cork sealed wines and some other setup for the stelvins. Perhaps it's time for the first "Stelvin wine fridge
"
regards
Ian
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Gianna
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 8:22 pm
- Location: The world's most liveable city - Melbourne
Spent Sat night in front of an open fire, watching the footy (AFL) and opened a bottle of:
1995 Wendouree Shiraz
Upon opening and pouring into the decanter, the floral and fruity aromas were incredible. They were more pronounced than almost any wine that I have tried before. Sat for 3 hours prior to drinking and boy was it worth the wait. This is a stunning wine. Beautifully structured for the long haul, tannins had integrated perfectly to provide a complex sensation with layers of flavours from vanillan oak to blueberries and raisins. Interestingly, had I not known this was a shiraz I would have almost bet it was a cabernet. A lingering aftertaste for a least 30 seconds. I loved it and although my only bottle for the night, it was my WOTN. 94 pts
1999 Leeuwin Estater Art Series Chardonnay
I have had this before and was impressed, however, this bottle seemed a bit "tangy". I don't think there was anything wrong, but it was a touch minerally and green. Overall, flavours of honey, butterscotch, cantelope and peach were evident. Good, but not great given reputation.
89 pts
1995 Wendouree Shiraz
Upon opening and pouring into the decanter, the floral and fruity aromas were incredible. They were more pronounced than almost any wine that I have tried before. Sat for 3 hours prior to drinking and boy was it worth the wait. This is a stunning wine. Beautifully structured for the long haul, tannins had integrated perfectly to provide a complex sensation with layers of flavours from vanillan oak to blueberries and raisins. Interestingly, had I not known this was a shiraz I would have almost bet it was a cabernet. A lingering aftertaste for a least 30 seconds. I loved it and although my only bottle for the night, it was my WOTN. 94 pts
1999 Leeuwin Estater Art Series Chardonnay
I have had this before and was impressed, however, this bottle seemed a bit "tangy". I don't think there was anything wrong, but it was a touch minerally and green. Overall, flavours of honey, butterscotch, cantelope and peach were evident. Good, but not great given reputation.
89 pts
At every turn, it pays to challenge orthodox ways of thinking
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winetastic
- Posts: 889
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:51 pm
- Location: Sydney
Some impressions from this weeks DM tastings:
Seppelt Moyston Cabernet Merlot 2004
Well structured, red fruit and mint aromas, loads of plums and chocolate, long finish with powdery tannins. I was impressed.
Rosemount Show Reserve Cabernet 2003
Far better than the 2002 which was green and stalky. Fairly subtle, varietal Coonawarra Cabernet. Definitely worth grabbing a bottle at $17.
Seppelt Moyston Cabernet Merlot 2004
Well structured, red fruit and mint aromas, loads of plums and chocolate, long finish with powdery tannins. I was impressed.
Rosemount Show Reserve Cabernet 2003
Far better than the 2002 which was green and stalky. Fairly subtle, varietal Coonawarra Cabernet. Definitely worth grabbing a bottle at $17.
Annies Lane Shiraz 2004
Very similar to the 03. Rich and ripe. Not for those who like their oak well in the background. Excellent quaffer.
Mitchelton Blackwood Park Riesling 1999
Nice developed riesling, with lots of lime character left. Easy to drink.
Tyrrells Vat 9 Shiraz 1998
Very typical developed Hunter shiraz. A very solid, respectable wine. I would drink now.
Wynns BL Cab 1994
Still had a lot of primary fruit character, with some herbaceousness. Soft tannins. On the basis of this bottle, I'm not in a hurry to drink the rest yet. Not as rich as the 90, softer than the 93 (both drunk recently).
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 1994
A very good BP, close to its peak, but will hold. Similar to the 96, lacking a little depth and intensity in comparison.
Very similar to the 03. Rich and ripe. Not for those who like their oak well in the background. Excellent quaffer.
Mitchelton Blackwood Park Riesling 1999
Nice developed riesling, with lots of lime character left. Easy to drink.
Tyrrells Vat 9 Shiraz 1998
Very typical developed Hunter shiraz. A very solid, respectable wine. I would drink now.
Wynns BL Cab 1994
Still had a lot of primary fruit character, with some herbaceousness. Soft tannins. On the basis of this bottle, I'm not in a hurry to drink the rest yet. Not as rich as the 90, softer than the 93 (both drunk recently).
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 1994
A very good BP, close to its peak, but will hold. Similar to the 96, lacking a little depth and intensity in comparison.
"It is very hard to make predictions, especially about the future." Samuel Goldwyn
Some bits and pieces through the week including a 2002 Juniper Crossing Cab Merlot, nothing obviously faulty, but far less appealing than previous bottles (undergrowth/mulch character did not blow off). A 2004 Vasse Felix Chardonnay was very dry, with restrained grapefruit and white peach - very food friendly, and a Jones 2004 Shiraz was pleasant, but simply too sweet fruited, with milk chocolate and sweet American Oak making any more than one glass a chore.
The real delight of the week was a 1992 Wynns Ovens Valley Burgundy. Light and hollow to begin with, but after some time it really openend up. A little black olive & redcurrant fruit left, with hints of tar, earth, leather, tobacco, and szechuan pepper. Left me lamenting the decision to share it amongst four. In keeping with the North East theme this was served with loin of North East Venison with Bright Chestnuts - a great match.
On a related note does anyone know what became of this vineyard, who currently owns it? Does it still exist?. Interested to find out.
LL[/b]
The real delight of the week was a 1992 Wynns Ovens Valley Burgundy. Light and hollow to begin with, but after some time it really openend up. A little black olive & redcurrant fruit left, with hints of tar, earth, leather, tobacco, and szechuan pepper. Left me lamenting the decision to share it amongst four. In keeping with the North East theme this was served with loin of North East Venison with Bright Chestnuts - a great match.
On a related note does anyone know what became of this vineyard, who currently owns it? Does it still exist?. Interested to find out.
LL[/b]
2002 Hidden Sea Shiraz (Limestone Coast, SA)
I saw this on special for $15. I was very surprised, a rich juicy combination of dark cherries, black pepper, moorish chocolate with firm tannins, and a nice smooth lingering finish. There is a hint of an excessive use of american oak, however this wine will reward another 2-3 years worth of cellaring where this will integrate nicely into the wine. This wine was a real surprise packet for me, guests loved it immensely with Lasagna.
2002 Longview Black Crow Nebbiolo (Macclesfield Adelaide Hills)
Some other Nebbiolos I have tried have been tannic beasts; however through some bottle age the tannins in this wine are restrained. The fruit characteristics of this wine stand out due to minimal use of older oak. The palate has rose petal, tea leaves and cherries. Like I said before the tannins are firm but not overpowering. The is alcohol is up at about 14.7%, however there is no heat due to this, this wine is a real stand out in terms of an Australian style Nebbiolo. Could well cellar for a further 5 years.
2005 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc (Malborough, NZ)
Immediate aromas of gooseberry and passionfruit, which were backed up on the palate. Great mouth feel and a lovely finish, however the gooseberry flavors are a bit too dominant for my liking and there is not enough complexity in the wine, but still a good drop for the price range.
I saw this on special for $15. I was very surprised, a rich juicy combination of dark cherries, black pepper, moorish chocolate with firm tannins, and a nice smooth lingering finish. There is a hint of an excessive use of american oak, however this wine will reward another 2-3 years worth of cellaring where this will integrate nicely into the wine. This wine was a real surprise packet for me, guests loved it immensely with Lasagna.
2002 Longview Black Crow Nebbiolo (Macclesfield Adelaide Hills)
Some other Nebbiolos I have tried have been tannic beasts; however through some bottle age the tannins in this wine are restrained. The fruit characteristics of this wine stand out due to minimal use of older oak. The palate has rose petal, tea leaves and cherries. Like I said before the tannins are firm but not overpowering. The is alcohol is up at about 14.7%, however there is no heat due to this, this wine is a real stand out in terms of an Australian style Nebbiolo. Could well cellar for a further 5 years.
2005 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc (Malborough, NZ)
Immediate aromas of gooseberry and passionfruit, which were backed up on the palate. Great mouth feel and a lovely finish, however the gooseberry flavors are a bit too dominant for my liking and there is not enough complexity in the wine, but still a good drop for the price range.
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Gavin Trott
- Posts: 1861
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2003 5:01 pm
- Location: Adelaide
- Contact:
Two things stood out
2005 Massena Barbera Dolcetto, very tasty and interesting medium weight wine. Not Barossa Shiraz or Grenache, not Italian either by a stretch, but sort of a Barossa meets Italy thing that was tasty and enjoyable, very gluggable stuff!
2004 De Lisio Krystina Shiraz - any of you who managed to get a little bit of this wine, are lucky. Its a stunner, long sold out unfortunately, but intense, creamy, ripe, red and black fruits, spices, earth, plums and loads more. Length to burn, complexity starting to build and great personaility. Great wine (as my wife kept reminding me with each sip).
Lovely stuff!
Oh and stuff from the tasting bench.
2005 Massena Barbera Dolcetto, very tasty and interesting medium weight wine. Not Barossa Shiraz or Grenache, not Italian either by a stretch, but sort of a Barossa meets Italy thing that was tasty and enjoyable, very gluggable stuff!
2004 De Lisio Krystina Shiraz - any of you who managed to get a little bit of this wine, are lucky. Its a stunner, long sold out unfortunately, but intense, creamy, ripe, red and black fruits, spices, earth, plums and loads more. Length to burn, complexity starting to build and great personaility. Great wine (as my wife kept reminding me with each sip).
Lovely stuff!
Oh and stuff from the tasting bench.
regards
Gavin Trott
Gavin Trott
Anne's Lane Clare Valley Riesling 2004
Drank this at my mum's place. Served cold, petroleum on the nose, waxy on the palate, some nice grapefruit/citrusy flavours showing. As the wine started to warm up I felt it started falling apart... ahh the development does not bode well for the other wines up there...
Drank this at my mum's place. Served cold, petroleum on the nose, waxy on the palate, some nice grapefruit/citrusy flavours showing. As the wine started to warm up I felt it started falling apart... ahh the development does not bode well for the other wines up there...
1989 Domaine Chandon Recently Disgorged.
Barely a whisper from the cork on opening and a fizz that had much more in keeping with San Pellegrino than Champagne. Glorious honey, white stone fruits and burnt shortbread; still held together with crisp acidity. Went beautifully with a selection of Modern Japanese entrees at 9nine in Northbridge.
1999 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bought on special from a wine Supermarket that was quitting all its premium stock to move into cleanskins
Almost certainly endured appalling storage during this time.
On first opening I was struck by the pure primary fruit as well as the excellent acid and structure of the wine - definitely no impression that I was drinking a 7 year old wine at all. With time some weak signs of secondary cedar started to emerge, but I was far from convinced. Within a couple of hours things were starting to fall apart and the rest of the bottle was passed over to my phillistine housemates. Good but not at all great.
Barely a whisper from the cork on opening and a fizz that had much more in keeping with San Pellegrino than Champagne. Glorious honey, white stone fruits and burnt shortbread; still held together with crisp acidity. Went beautifully with a selection of Modern Japanese entrees at 9nine in Northbridge.
1999 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bought on special from a wine Supermarket that was quitting all its premium stock to move into cleanskins
Almost certainly endured appalling storage during this time.
On first opening I was struck by the pure primary fruit as well as the excellent acid and structure of the wine - definitely no impression that I was drinking a 7 year old wine at all. With time some weak signs of secondary cedar started to emerge, but I was far from convinced. Within a couple of hours things were starting to fall apart and the rest of the bottle was passed over to my phillistine housemates. Good but not at all great.
Ground control to Major Tom, take your protein pills and put your helmet on.
Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sav Blanc 2005:The best sav blanc I have ever had - changed my views on what Sav Blanc can be. Grassy nose revealing aromas of peach and nectarine with a little lime too.The palate is rich, powerful and complex. Multi-layered palate showing sweet fruit but dryness as well. Amazing length for a sav blanc and with a great cut of lime/lemon acidity. One of my wines of the year so far.
I can't believe this but I am giving a Sav Blanc 96 points!
Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 2002: A good decant for this young pup which showed its quality and pedigree at this early stage. Brilliant deep purple hue. Nose revealed notes of spice, plum, sweet blackberry, a little coconut ice and black olives. The palate revealed a great depth of dark berry fruits with unnerving focus and length. Sweetness of fruit balanced by spice, cedar and assertive tannins. Great complexity at an ealry age and a supple mouthfeel.
93 points now but with endless potential
Chateau Fines des Roche Chateauneuf de Pape 1998: Very pleasant wine which is probabaly drinking at its peak. Grenache dominant palate with elements of tar and earth brinign a pleasant savoury finish. intergrated tannins and decent length. A little warm on the back palate.
89 points
I can't believe this but I am giving a Sav Blanc 96 points!
Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 2002: A good decant for this young pup which showed its quality and pedigree at this early stage. Brilliant deep purple hue. Nose revealed notes of spice, plum, sweet blackberry, a little coconut ice and black olives. The palate revealed a great depth of dark berry fruits with unnerving focus and length. Sweetness of fruit balanced by spice, cedar and assertive tannins. Great complexity at an ealry age and a supple mouthfeel.
93 points now but with endless potential
Chateau Fines des Roche Chateauneuf de Pape 1998: Very pleasant wine which is probabaly drinking at its peak. Grenache dominant palate with elements of tar and earth brinign a pleasant savoury finish. intergrated tannins and decent length. A little warm on the back palate.
89 points
Last edited by Jordan on Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Premierships and great wine... that is what life is all about
Nick wrote:2006 Two Hands Moscato D'Asti. Great wine to finish the night with, beautiful nose of sweet tropical fruits following onto the palate with a touch of green apple, nice light fizz, cleansed the palate perfectly.
Yer jokin, surely? Someone's making a wine in Australia in 2006 and labelling it 'Moscato d'Asti'?
Stone the crows! Bring back Grange Hermitage, I say. 
cheers,
Graeme
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Gavin Trott
- Posts: 1861
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2003 5:01 pm
- Location: Adelaide
- Contact:
[quote="Jordan"]Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sav Blanc 2005:The best sav blanc I have ever had - changed my views on what Sav Blanc can be. Grassy nose revealing aromas of peach and nectarine with a little lime too.The palate is rich, powerful and complex. Multi-layered palate showing sweet fruit but dryness as well. Amazing length for a sav blanc and with a great cut of lime/lemon acidity. One of my wines of the year so far.
I can't beleive is but I am giving a Sav Blanc 96 points!
quote]
Could not agree more, absolutley stunning stuff! While I don't give points, simply THE best Sav Blanc I have ever had!
I can't beleive is but I am giving a Sav Blanc 96 points!
quote]
Could not agree more, absolutley stunning stuff! While I don't give points, simply THE best Sav Blanc I have ever had!
regards
Gavin Trott
Gavin Trott
only because you said you wont bite.....
didn't write anything down but had these wines at what was could an "icon" lunch, with 2 fellow work colleagues. We set about trying some of the higher rated wines (according to Halliday). These were consumed in order of cost (maybe need to review that approach next month)
2002 Wirra Wirra "the Angelus" - 95 pts from Halliday; we started with this wine and it met expectations. What a great wine (80% McLaren Vale 20% Connawarra). Still had another 3-5 years before being at its best I think. Deep dark Purple (very dark). This wine really impressed and matched it with the most expensive wine we had on the day. 2002 must have been a great year for Wirra Wirra. We all agreed to get a case if possible!
2002 Petaluma "Coonawarra" - 92 pts from Halliday (could have been 94 pts); it may have been that we had this wine second and, after the Wirra Wirra, we had already established a benchmark. It was a very smooth and silky wine. Lighter in colour but had the great Coonawarra nose and smooth mouthfeel. From my view not a great wine but I could have still be saying "gosh" after the Wirra Wirra. By itself it may have been fantastic and certainly grew on me but wouldn't rush to get a case.
1998 Peter Lehmann Stonewell - this was rated 95 or 96 by Halliday. This is a very very good wine. Nice brown tinge coming through. We had it breathing since morning and I couldn't help but continually "check " the wine by smell. We had very high expectations with this wine and it met them. There was some "debate" about whether this was better than the Wirra Wirra but class stands out and this is a very classy wine. I'm glad I have another two bottles of this one put aside. Close to peak now but will be there for many years as well. No signs of anything fading in the foreseen future.
For me I think the ratings from Halliday were fairly spot on. Very pleased with all wines. (Wirra Wirra was best value for money, Stonewell shaded it for best wine).
We had Spanish Tapas as the meal and we went for 2.5 hours. We finished with a 25yr old Spanish Sherry. "NOE" I think it was called - but you could have told me anything at that stage..
We are so lucky in this country and it looks like the Icon wine lunch is off to a flyer.
Any suggestions on our next Icon wines?? I'm thinking, Lakes Folly Cabernets, Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Shiraz, Houghtons Jack mann, Balnaves The tally, Saltram No.1.. Happy to receive views from others
didn't write anything down but had these wines at what was could an "icon" lunch, with 2 fellow work colleagues. We set about trying some of the higher rated wines (according to Halliday). These were consumed in order of cost (maybe need to review that approach next month)
2002 Wirra Wirra "the Angelus" - 95 pts from Halliday; we started with this wine and it met expectations. What a great wine (80% McLaren Vale 20% Connawarra). Still had another 3-5 years before being at its best I think. Deep dark Purple (very dark). This wine really impressed and matched it with the most expensive wine we had on the day. 2002 must have been a great year for Wirra Wirra. We all agreed to get a case if possible!
2002 Petaluma "Coonawarra" - 92 pts from Halliday (could have been 94 pts); it may have been that we had this wine second and, after the Wirra Wirra, we had already established a benchmark. It was a very smooth and silky wine. Lighter in colour but had the great Coonawarra nose and smooth mouthfeel. From my view not a great wine but I could have still be saying "gosh" after the Wirra Wirra. By itself it may have been fantastic and certainly grew on me but wouldn't rush to get a case.
1998 Peter Lehmann Stonewell - this was rated 95 or 96 by Halliday. This is a very very good wine. Nice brown tinge coming through. We had it breathing since morning and I couldn't help but continually "check " the wine by smell. We had very high expectations with this wine and it met them. There was some "debate" about whether this was better than the Wirra Wirra but class stands out and this is a very classy wine. I'm glad I have another two bottles of this one put aside. Close to peak now but will be there for many years as well. No signs of anything fading in the foreseen future.
For me I think the ratings from Halliday were fairly spot on. Very pleased with all wines. (Wirra Wirra was best value for money, Stonewell shaded it for best wine).
We had Spanish Tapas as the meal and we went for 2.5 hours. We finished with a 25yr old Spanish Sherry. "NOE" I think it was called - but you could have told me anything at that stage..
We are so lucky in this country and it looks like the Icon wine lunch is off to a flyer.
Any suggestions on our next Icon wines?? I'm thinking, Lakes Folly Cabernets, Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Shiraz, Houghtons Jack mann, Balnaves The tally, Saltram No.1.. Happy to receive views from others
Last edited by scuzzii on Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Regards,
John
You're dead a long time..
John
You're dead a long time..
Gavin Trott wrote:Jordan wrote:Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sav Blanc 2005:The best sav blanc I have ever had - changed my views on what Sav Blanc can be. Grassy nose revealing aromas of peach and nectarine with a little lime too.The palate is rich, powerful and complex. Multi-layered palate showing sweet fruit but dryness as well. Amazing length for a sav blanc and with a great cut of lime/lemon acidity. One of my wines of the year so far.
I can't beleive is but I am giving a Sav Blanc 96 points!
Could not agree more, absolutley stunning stuff! While I don't give points, simply THE best Sav Blanc I have ever had!
It is super stuff. Complexity that I thought was exclusive to only the finest aged chardonnays or rieslings for white wines
Premierships and great wine... that is what life is all about
-
Anonymous
Ian S wrote:zanlation wrote:<b>Storage of Stelvin v Cork</b>
I did an inventory recently of stevlin vs cork in the cellar. The results were 110 stelvin and 220 cork. I have only been collecting since 1999, so these results are reasonably contemporary. I am building a new cellar, so all I need is a bookcase for the stevlins and normal racks for the corks. After investigation the pine bookshelf can hold 180 bottles for $250 and I imagine the storage for the corks will be much much more. So, $ for $ the stelvins will be cheaper to store. This doesn't include all the vintage ports I have as well.
Zanlation
If only I had this sort of balance. I'd love to have c. 2/3 stelvin and 1/3 cork as this is roughly where I sit between to two warring factions (a sort of vinous "no mans land"). I probably have 10% stelvin currently.
I'm interested by your planned storage for Stelvin. Will this be upright or on it's side. I'll also be interested over the years in how the old advice about cork sealed wines plays out with Stelvin. Namely
Humidity: Probably irrelevant, in fact would high humidity be a problem (time to move the bottles into the a/c house?)
Temperature variation: Was this a factor more on the corks' elasticity or on the chemical make-up of the wine (or a combination of both).
Temperature & Darkness: Both still seem relevant for Stelvin.
At this stage I don't have enough stelvin sealed wines to consider separate storage, but I can see the wine fridge in 5-10 years holding my cork sealed wines and some other setup for the stelvins. Perhaps it's time for the first "Stelvin wine fridge
regards
Ian
My plan is to have the stelvins upright.. like books.
It was a crappy week all round, and capped off on Saturday morning with one of the worst rounds of golf I've ever played. Didn't even hit a ball far enough to lose it. Got home and said to the bride 'we're opening something decent tonight...'
1997 Mount Mary Quintet (Yarra Valley){12.5%, cork, $73}
Garnet red. Lovely nose, mid-intensity cedar/truffle/blackcurrant aromas. Really quite developed - it actually smelt quite old. The tannins are fine and soft, there's medium acidity, and although it's only medium bodied in weight (at best) it is nicely balanced across the palate, and really has a quite persistent finish. My last bottle (this is the third drunk at yearly intervals); I have no experience with very old MM, but it's difficult to see this particular vintage going anywhere much in future. Still saving the 96 &98s...
cheers,
Graeme
1997 Mount Mary Quintet (Yarra Valley){12.5%, cork, $73}
Garnet red. Lovely nose, mid-intensity cedar/truffle/blackcurrant aromas. Really quite developed - it actually smelt quite old. The tannins are fine and soft, there's medium acidity, and although it's only medium bodied in weight (at best) it is nicely balanced across the palate, and really has a quite persistent finish. My last bottle (this is the third drunk at yearly intervals); I have no experience with very old MM, but it's difficult to see this particular vintage going anywhere much in future. Still saving the 96 &98s...
cheers,
Graeme
Maurice O'Shea Shiraz 1998 - Slightly disappointing compared to 2000 vintage. Maybe slightly more complex than 2000 but no where near the overall fruit/oak balance, length and mouth feel.
Penfolds 407 1998 - Silky texture and balance ready to drink now. I don't think will improve further.
Wynns Black Label 2003 - As per usual will travel well with time, but the more I drink and compare my home states Cabernet (Margaret River) with Coonawarra, the more I appreciate the amount of wines within the region that produce much richer blackcurrant/earthy fruit. Not saying that the Coonawarra don’t make complex full bodied Cabs but just prefer Marg style more.
Voyager Reserve SemSavBlan 2002 - Wow. I don’t usually drink much of this style, but the wow factor as the wine got closer to room temperature was enormous. Citrus fruit balanced magnificently with cashew and herbs finishing smooth.
Penfolds 407 1998 - Silky texture and balance ready to drink now. I don't think will improve further.
Wynns Black Label 2003 - As per usual will travel well with time, but the more I drink and compare my home states Cabernet (Margaret River) with Coonawarra, the more I appreciate the amount of wines within the region that produce much richer blackcurrant/earthy fruit. Not saying that the Coonawarra don’t make complex full bodied Cabs but just prefer Marg style more.
Voyager Reserve SemSavBlan 2002 - Wow. I don’t usually drink much of this style, but the wow factor as the wine got closer to room temperature was enormous. Citrus fruit balanced magnificently with cashew and herbs finishing smooth.
Jordan wrote:Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sav Blanc 2005:The best sav blanc I have ever had - changed my views on what Sav Blanc can be. Grassy nose revealing aromas of peach and nectarine with a little lime too.The palate is rich, powerful and complex. Multi-layered palate showing sweet fruit but dryness as well. Amazing length for a sav blanc and with a great cut of lime/lemon acidity. One of my wines of the year so far.
I can't believe this but I am giving a Sav Blanc 96 points!
Mine too...remarkable NZ drop. I gave it 97 points because it'll be a while before we'll drink something like this.
http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.p ... ght=#32009
http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.p ... ght=#34543
Cheers,
Attila
"(Wine) information is only as valuable as its source" DB
Yeah let me add my vote for the 05 Te Mata Cape Crest, since praising sauvignon blanc en mass is rarer than an All Whites victory over Brazil, i better jump in while i get the chance.
Over the last decade ive tried probably 1000 kiwi sauvignon blancs, id probably rate it number 2 (Id still have to consider 96 Cloudy Bay as the best ever SB for me. Drunk a dozen times over 5 years, Legend Immortal), but Cape Crest 05 definately is in the top 5 ever, and in the context of its style - bdx blanc, number 1. Must buy some more actually, heading to Te Mata in 2 weeks, so may just have to! Can you think of a better wine to match with roast chicken?? And its $25, a steal for a wine of its style and class
When you grab an 05 Cape Crest also snatch an 05 Elston Chardonnay - Huge wine, huge potential, great qpr (in NZ anyway)
C.
Over the last decade ive tried probably 1000 kiwi sauvignon blancs, id probably rate it number 2 (Id still have to consider 96 Cloudy Bay as the best ever SB for me. Drunk a dozen times over 5 years, Legend Immortal), but Cape Crest 05 definately is in the top 5 ever, and in the context of its style - bdx blanc, number 1. Must buy some more actually, heading to Te Mata in 2 weeks, so may just have to! Can you think of a better wine to match with roast chicken?? And its $25, a steal for a wine of its style and class
When you grab an 05 Cape Crest also snatch an 05 Elston Chardonnay - Huge wine, huge potential, great qpr (in NZ anyway)
C.
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson