Red Bigot wrote:I'm with the short finish group, as is my Monday tasting group. The vibrant fruit bouquet and front palate seduced a number of people and the rest bemoaned the short finish. There were a few orders discussed, but the remainder of the bottle with dinner after the tasting didn't impress and these orders didn't proceed.
I tried a second bottle a few days later over 2 days with similar results, it was a little better with more breathing and probably Ok value for the money, but I can't see how it scored all the gold - Melbourne may have been a barrel sample rather than the finished product?
Melbourne may well have been a barrel sample but it did quite well in the Adelaide Hills Show as well. Do they accept barrel samples?
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
parb wrote:For $11 it's about right. I agree with one of the other posts, that says its like a victorian wine. Also I agree with "rednut's' take on the thing (maybe we got the same 'batch')
I can't imagine the wine infront of me made it too the lofty heights of the Melbourne show and others as mentioned.
As to the guys in the office. No one liked it! I'll have to wade through the box on my Pat Malone
Nice to know I'm not alone and my taste buds weren't letting me down Parb..
"A woman drove me to drink, and I'll be a son of a gun but I never even wrote to thank her" WC Fields
Red Bigot wrote:I'm with the short finish group, as is my Monday tasting group. The vibrant fruit bouquet and front palate seduced a number of people and the rest bemoaned the short finish. There were a few orders discussed, but the remainder of the bottle with dinner after the tasting didn't impress and these orders didn't proceed.
I tried a second bottle a few days later over 2 days with similar results, it was a little better with more breathing and probably Ok value for the money, but I can't see how it scored all the gold - Melbourne may have been a barrel sample rather than the finished product?
Melbourne may well have been a barrel sample but it did quite well in the Adelaide Hills Show as well. Do they accept barrel samples?
cheers
Carl
Can't vouch for each person's reactions to the wine, as they say, different folks and different strokes.
However, I can say
Melbourne Show received both barrel samples (as required for JW) and bottled wines. As they got so many points they were then audited, that is, other barrels tasted, checked and counted etc\ to make sure all was the same wine.
All other shows were the finished bottled product.
I know as I just asked Mike, who was here a few moments ago!
My case turned up yesterday and I had to crack one given the varying comments. I am in the for crowd, sweet fruit with some excellent pepper and spice complexity, giving an interesting flavour profile. Good length but and I am in between the "length to burn" and "short finish" camps. Tossed a bottle to the neighbours and they were impressed as well. Excellent value at $11 all up.
Glen
Winner of the inaugural RB cork-count competition
Runner up RB-NTDIR competition
Runner up TORB TN competition
Leave of absence second RB c-c competition
Thanks Gavin - my case turned up this arvo- trying it now - for the bucks it good value for money and a good foil for the bigger/huge shiraz from the Barossa etc after reading some of the other posts i thought was going to be weak and insipid but agree with some of the other posts it also reminds me of some Vic Shiraz - Iam happy I completed the order.
seddo wrote:Thanks Gavin - my case turned up this arvo- trying it now - for the bucks it good value for money and a good foil for the bigger/huge shiraz from the Barossa etc after reading some of the other posts i thought was going to be weak and insipid but agree with some of the other posts it also reminds me of some Vic Shiraz - Iam happy I completed the order.
cheers Seddo
Not sure what all this means, except people are not sure about the auswine panel 'blurb'.
Happy to accept that, I am a retailer after all eh!
However, this is clearly an Adelaide Hills Wine, it is not, nor was promoted as, a Barossa or McLaren Vale Shiraz.
So similar to some Victorian Wine styles, sure, that seems fine.
seddo wrote:Thanks Gavin - my case turned up this arvo- trying it now - for the bucks it good value for money and a good foil for the bigger/huge shiraz from the Barossa etc after reading some of the other posts i thought was going to be weak and insipid but agree with some of the other posts it also reminds me of some Vic Shiraz - Iam happy I completed the order.
cheers Seddo
Not sure what all this means, except people are not sure about the auswine panel 'blurb'.
Happy to accept that, I am a retailer after all eh!
However, this is clearly an Adelaide Hills Wine, it is not, nor was promoted as, a Barossa or McLaren Vale Shiraz.
So similar to some Victorian Wine styles, sure, that seems fine.
?
Sorry Gavin not as eloquent as others - bottom line is I really enjoyed the wine and more than happy I purchased a case - do you know when or if you will get anymore??
seddo wrote:Sorry Gavin not as eloquent as others - bottom line is I really enjoyed the wine and more than happy I purchased a case - do you know when or if you will get anymore??
cheers Seddo
Sure, second week of March I get 50 more cases, then more again in April, and May if I, and my customers, want them.
By then too the 2005 Cabernet should be about to be released, its better than the Shiraz!
and the 2005 Merlot which is definitely better than the 2003 Merlot.
After much anxious waiting our 2 precious cases of the 2005 Shiraz arrived on Friday.
So far I am a bit bewildered over the apparent variation between bottles.
Our first bottle was a belter. Decanted and allowed to breathe for around 30 minutes, we were impressed by the luscious fruit, vanilla, oak and tightness of the tannins.
We ordered another case and would have ordered more if we had another wine fridge to put to use.
Our second bottle was a disappointment. After tasting it we actually poured it out suspecting it was off as it was tart to the point of vinegariness.
Our third bottle was an improvement - but certainly not the in the league of the first. It too was quite tart and 'youthful'. Left to breathe in the decanter for around 45 minutes improved it to the point that it was drinkable, but I have to say it wasn't a very enjoyable experieince.
Maybe I'm being a little naive. I admit that I know little about the characteristics of what other people in the forum have referred to as recently bottled wines in terms of bottle variation.
Has anyone had a similar experience with this wine?
Does anyone have any hints on getting the best of out of this wine for drinking at the moment? Breathing time? etc
A strike rate of 1 in 3 isn't inspiring confidence at the moment, and we had purchased some of the wine thinking to give it to friends as gifts.
cellared_daze wrote:After much anxious waiting our 2 precious cases of the 2005 Shiraz arrived on Friday.
So far I am a bit bewildered over the apparent variation between bottles.
Our first bottle was a belter. Decanted and allowed to breathe for around 30 minutes, we were impressed by the luscious fruit, vanilla, oak and tightness of the tannins.
We ordered another case and would have ordered more if we had another wine fridge to put to use.
Our second bottle was a disappointment. After tasting it we actually poured it out suspecting it was off as it was tart to the point of vinegariness.
Our third bottle was an improvement - but certainly not the in the league of the first. It too was quite tart and 'youthful'. Left to breathe in the decanter for around 45 minutes improved it to the point that it was drinkable, but I have to say it wasn't a very enjoyable experieince.
Maybe I'm being a little naive. I admit that I know little about the characteristics of what other people in the forum have referred to as recently bottled wines in terms of bottle variation.
Has anyone had a similar experience with this wine? Does anyone have any hints on getting the best of out of this wine for drinking at the moment? Breathing time? etc
A strike rate of 1 in 3 isn't inspiring confidence at the moment, and we had purchased some of the wine thinking to give it to friends as gifts.
Now thinking twice...
I also have had bottle variation. I feel this wine undergoes problems when being transported entering a dumb period. 1st was acidic and bright. The next few have become progressively better with the last on the second day showing true class.
I would recommend letting them sit for a month or two before trying again. The wine also responds to prolonged breathing (over a day in my case!)
Hope that helps
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
I've been rather confused by some of the comments that have preceded.
I've worked my way steadily through half a case in the last month and found no variation but then again the case was well rested before I got started on them.
The wine is very good by any standard and at $11 a bottle it's a steal. No it's not big Barossan Shiraz but it's got plenty of flavour, nice mouthfeel, good balance and length too. An excellent example of cooler climate Shiraz.
I find it's often better on the second night which is typical of good wines under screw cap.
So if you've got some and been a little disappointed, give the case time to settle and give each bottle plenty of air and see if the wine looks better than your first impressions.
Cheers - Steve
If you can see through it, it's not worth drinking!
707 wrote:I've been rather confused by some of the comments that have preceded.
I've worked my way steadily through half a case in the last month and found no variation but then again the case was well rested before I got started on them.
The wine is very good by any standard and at $11 a bottle it's a steal. No it's not big Barossan Shiraz but it's got plenty of flavour, nice mouthfeel, good balance and length too. An excellent example of cooler climate Shiraz.
I find it's often better on the second night which is typical of good wines under screw cap.
So if you've got some and been a little disappointed, give the case time to settle and give each bottle plenty of air and see if the wine looks better than your first impressions.
I'll twist the cap off a bottle the evening of delivery. By the end of the bottle, I'll have a fair understanding of that bottle and the the wine's potential. Might even twist the cap from a second and leave it opened in the aircon for 24 hrs, purely for comparison the next evening of course. My preference has been leaning to Coonawarra, Limestone Coast and some Victorian wines recently but I do still enjoy a full-bodied Langhorne Creek or Barossa red varietal i.e. shiraz or cab.
Just received my case today and just opened a bottle, so I thought I would quickly type a vibe.
Now I was never going to go gaga over the wine as 14+% alcohol wines are not my cup of tea, but this wine is still very impressive at the price for what it is.
No doubt it is sweet and quite dark, but it definitely has enough sweet spices and fine grained tannin to provide wonderful balance. There is superb acid in there too - totally undetectable on the palate but control that this wine displays does not occur unless a wine has it. Yes, the sweet flavours are quite exotic like Gavin describes... but a sweet flavour profile is, for the most part, a sweet flavour profile to me. It is about what else the wine has inside... and this wine does convey an elegance that is true to its region. The length is very good but I would not go as far to say “length to burn†and there are no holes on the palate. The alcohol sticks out a bit upon opening but as I write and taste, the fruit overtakes it. No, it is not a big bruiser, full/medium bodied at largest. In a sentence, it is generous with good line from start to finish with enough elegance and control for an educated palate to enjoy what they are drinking. It will improve over the next 2-4 years. 17.5/20, 91/100; at $11 it is absolutely fantastic value. In fact, I can’t remember a better Australian Shiraz so good at this price level.
Kind regards, Adair
What he said!!
Before re-reading Adair's TN I was thinking that it's about a 91/100 wine, just that little bit better than 90/100, especially at the price. It has some complexity too. When first opened I found some funky vanilla/plums/chocolate on the palate. With breathing dark/red berries were showing as well as some cassis. Also found some greenish, in a good way, tannins perhaps indicating a component that was whole-bunch pressed. The alcohol level is noticeable but not hot or intrusive.
Yep, Adair, this beats out my previous quaffer of the year so far, Two Hands Lucky Country Cab 04, by the difference between very good+ and excellent ratings.
I seem to be developing a liking of medium/fullbodied sweetish reds. Maybe I should open another bottle of Mildara Coona Cab 04 to recalibrate my palate.
I've ordered another case of the Press after tasting the first bottle. I'm a <$15/bottle tragic where good wine is concerned.
Daryl Douglas wrote:Well, it's sounding as though it'll be "just another quaffer" for me when it arrives, unless Gavin's latest shipment is significantly better than seems to be the majority opinion here.
daz
Damn! I was right, almost. It's not "just another quaffer" - but it is I've cruised through "all but" two cases of this wine and have another half dozen on the way with six of the 05 cab to try for the first time
It's a very smooth, medium-bodied wine that just begs to be glugged, acid is a touch noticeable on the finish but it's not harsh. After an earlier tasting event, this wine is almost a revelation, the restrained dark berry fruit, licorice in abundance, supported by quality spicey oak is excellent. Fruit tannin is there along with the slightly toasty, cedary oak on the lengthy, chalky, finish.
Thanks Gavin for the intro to this boutique winery - I'm looking forward to trying the cab 05 after enjoying the shiraz as much as I have.
Daryl Douglas wrote:Well, it's sounding as though it'll be "just another quaffer" for me when it arrives, unless Gavin's latest shipment is significantly better than seems to be the majority opinion here.
daz
Damn! I was right, almost. It's not "just another quaffer" - but it is I've cruised through "all but" two cases of this wine and have another half dozen on the way with six of the 05 cab to try for the first time
It's a very smooth, medium-bodied wine that just begs to be glugged, acid is a touch noticeable on the finish but it's not harsh. After an earlier tasting event, this wine is almost a revelation, the restrained dark berry fruit, licorice in abundance, supported by quality spicey oak is excellent. Fruit tannin is there along with the slightly toasty, cedary oak on the lengthy, chalky, finish.
Thanks Gavin for the intro to this boutique winery - I'm looking forward to trying the cab 05 after enjoying the shiraz as much as I have.
Daryl
Did you realised you ordered, and will receive, 6 of the 2006 Mike Press Shiraz with your Cabernets?
The 2005 is sold out, this is the new vintage, the 2006?
I hope this is what you intended?
BTW and for what its worth, so far all those who have enjoyed the Cabernet think its better than the Shiraz. Now, of course, opinions will differ, but early customer feedback has been very positive.
Damo961 wrote:Have you tried the 2006 shiraz yet Gavin? or anyone else? I missed the 05 just wondering how the 06 compares
Hi Damo
I have tried the 2006 shiraz and it compares very well. The fruit is slightly more forward than the 2005 from recollection with less acid and oak but its very similar in my mind. You can't go wrong really. Fantastic value.
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
Daryl Douglas wrote:Well, it's sounding as though it'll be "just another quaffer" for me when it arrives, unless Gavin's latest shipment is significantly better than seems to be the majority opinion here.
daz
Damn! I was right, almost. It's not "just another quaffer" - but it is I've cruised through "all but" two cases of this wine and have another half dozen on the way with six of the 05 cab to try for the first time
It's a very smooth, medium-bodied wine that just begs to be glugged, acid is a touch noticeable on the finish but it's not harsh. After an earlier tasting event, this wine is almost a revelation, the restrained dark berry fruit, licorice in abundance, supported by quality spicey oak is excellent. Fruit tannin is there along with the slightly toasty, cedary oak on the lengthy, chalky, finish.
Thanks Gavin for the intro to this boutique winery - I'm looking forward to trying the cab 05 after enjoying the shiraz as much as I have.
Daryl
Did you realised you ordered, and will receive, 6 of the 2006 Mike Press Shiraz with your Cabernets?
The 2005 is sold out, this is the new vintage, the 2006?
I hope this is what you intended?
BTW and for what its worth, so far all those who have enjoyed the Cabernet think its better than the Shiraz. Now, of course, opinions will differ, but early customer feedback has been very positive.
Thanks Gavin for your phone call to ensure I was aware that it's the 06 that I'll get - much appreciated. I did actually think I'd ordered more of the MP Shiraz 05 but I'm not disappointed about getting the 06, quite looking forward to trying it and the CS 05 when they arrive any day now.
FWIW I think every bottle of the Shiraz 05 that I had was a solid "recommended" in Ric-speak or 90/100 on that other scale.
It is some months now that I sat with Gavin and tried the Mike Press 2005 Shiraz. The panel was blown away with the wine even before we knew the price. I bought 4 dozen myself and since then have read the mixed reviews from many purchasers of the wine. The poor reviews worried me as some of the descriptions sounded like a totally different wine to one we tried. I am currently sipping on the first bottle of said wine that I have opened since I purchased them and I can say it tastes just like the first bottle. I can only think that there was some bottle shock in some of those wines that were dispatched shortly after the initial review. Recently bottled and transported from the Eden Valley and then transported on to customers obviously had some effect on the wine. For those who have not rushed into drinking the wine, the pleasure will be immeasurable. It obviously didn't win those gold medals and trophy for nothing.
AND NOW THERE IS A 2005 MIKE PRESS CABERNET OF EQUAL QUALITY Who said 'Life was meant to be easy'?
We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!
Shadrach wrote:It is some months now that I sat with Gavin and tried the Mike Press 2005 Shiraz. The panel was blown away with the wine even before we knew the price. I bought 4 dozen myself and since then have read the mixed reviews from many purchasers of the wine. The poor reviews worried me as some of the descriptions sounded like a totally different wine to one we tried. I am currently sipping on the first bottle of said wine that I have opened since I purchased them and I can say it tastes just like the first bottle. I can only think that there was some bottle shock in some of those wines that were dispatched shortly after the initial review. Recently bottled and transported from the Eden Valley and then transported on to customers obviously had some effect on the wine. For those who have not rushed into drinking the wine, the pleasure will be immeasurable. It obviously didn't win those gold medals and trophy for nothing. AND NOW THERE IS A 2005 MIKE PRESS CABERNET OF EQUAL QUALITY Who said 'Life was meant to be easy'?
I was one of the ones who mentioned that the fruit was slightly dampened on delivery. Subsequent bottles have improved out of sight. What is interesting though is that the 06 Shiraz is more fruit-forward upon delivery. Perhaps it spent less time in oak? Would be interesting to know.
Just as an aside, I find that in general the younger the red wine, the greater the bottle shock. Perhaps a different thread though...
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
MP Cab 05 is interesting but I need to try another bottle before trying to present a firm opinion. There were some flavours there that I haven't seen before. I'll reserve my opinion of the shiraz 06 too other than that it is quite similar to the 05.
Different styles of course but at this stage, I'm leaning more to the Taylors 05 duo in this price bracket (when on discount locally).
Maybe I should open another bottle of Mildara Coona Cab 04 to recalibrate my palate.
I've cruised through "all but" two cases of this wine and have another half dozen on the way with six of the 05 cab to try for the first time
I can only think that there was some bottle shock in some of those wines that were dispatched shortly after the initial review. Recently bottled and transported from the Eden Valley and then transported on to customers obviously had some effect on the wine. For those who have not rushed into drinking the wine, the pleasure will be immeasurable. It obviously didn't win those gold medals and trophy for nothing.