Time for your weekly drinking reports.
Lists, vibes or TN's welcome, so please let us know what you have been drinking.
Sunday is here once again....
Drunk very socially, with less attention than they deserved perhaps, were 2002 Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz {cork, 15%}
Very dark, and primary-fruited, blackberry and blackcurrented fruit, not obviously cool-climate, ripe and rich, quite tight. Fine tannins, warmish finish but not dominated by alcohol, altogether very impressive. Should buy more of this label.
Equally reticent in its own way was
1998 Seppelt St Peter's Shiraz (Grampians) {cork, 14.5%}
Also very primary still, with spicy shiraz and earth scented fruit, plenty of tannin and acid bundled together, lovely balance along the palate, but really so little development that is was a pity to open. Haold another ten years at least.
At a stunning peak is 1998 Grosset Noble Riesling (Clare) {375ml, cork, 12%}; dark gold, in it's developed way its wonderfully fresh and intense - the brassy, coppery honeyed fruit not suggestive of oxidation at all. Really very good. Acidity carries the sweetness all the way. Three down, three to go - I'll gamble on getting another 4-5 years out of this.
cheers,
Graeme
Very dark, and primary-fruited, blackberry and blackcurrented fruit, not obviously cool-climate, ripe and rich, quite tight. Fine tannins, warmish finish but not dominated by alcohol, altogether very impressive. Should buy more of this label.
Equally reticent in its own way was
1998 Seppelt St Peter's Shiraz (Grampians) {cork, 14.5%}
Also very primary still, with spicy shiraz and earth scented fruit, plenty of tannin and acid bundled together, lovely balance along the palate, but really so little development that is was a pity to open. Haold another ten years at least.
At a stunning peak is 1998 Grosset Noble Riesling (Clare) {375ml, cork, 12%}; dark gold, in it's developed way its wonderfully fresh and intense - the brassy, coppery honeyed fruit not suggestive of oxidation at all. Really very good. Acidity carries the sweetness all the way. Three down, three to go - I'll gamble on getting another 4-5 years out of this.
cheers,
Graeme
1962 Lagrange St Julian - Unsurprisingly better than a sister bottle that was mid shoulder (this was at the base of the neck I guess).
Again that freshness of blackcurrant fruit with a pleasant leafiness, but in this bottle there was more depth and complexity. Perhaps drying out a little (but no more than you'd expect) and with a faint hessian like element on the finish (not in the 'corked' sense though). Acidity was lovely & refreshing & really carried the wine through.
A lovely wine to just sip and savour, really building complexity in the mouth.
Again that freshness of blackcurrant fruit with a pleasant leafiness, but in this bottle there was more depth and complexity. Perhaps drying out a little (but no more than you'd expect) and with a faint hessian like element on the finish (not in the 'corked' sense though). Acidity was lovely & refreshing & really carried the wine through.
A lovely wine to just sip and savour, really building complexity in the mouth.
2006 MOUNT MAJURA Shiraz-Canberra District
Lot's of blackberry and ribena on the nose. Soft, full and velvety on the palate. Ripe grapes, dark plum characters, chocolate, spices. Highly noticeable alcohol hotness on the finish. Label says 14.1%.
Fine lingering acid on the finish as well but this is a short stayer now to 5 years. Good Canberra effort but needs more focus. $25
Cheers,
Attila
Lot's of blackberry and ribena on the nose. Soft, full and velvety on the palate. Ripe grapes, dark plum characters, chocolate, spices. Highly noticeable alcohol hotness on the finish. Label says 14.1%.
Fine lingering acid on the finish as well but this is a short stayer now to 5 years. Good Canberra effort but needs more focus. $25
Cheers,
Attila
"(Wine) information is only as valuable as its source" DB
I tried a bunch of stuff from Wicks Estate and Protero from the Adelaide Hills at an instore yesterday, and had these impressions:
2007 Wicks Estate Unwooded Chardonnay: Too much sulphur on the nose right now, and lots of banana characters.
2007 Wicks Estate Riesling: Peaty with a touch of lime/mineral and grass, understated but good.
2007 Wicks Estate Sauvignon Blanc: Despite all the awards I haven't been a fan of this in the past, but this was good with plenty of passionfruit and little of the sweaty characters I usually pick up.
2006 Protero Chardonnay: Very closed and a little fishy at first with some subtle lemon and mineral characters - looked to be in a dumb phase.
2006 Protero Viognier: I actually didn't mind the aromatics and flavours of this wine, but that structure is typical of the variety which I can't stand.
2006 Wicks Estate Rose: The story behind this is that they had trouble ripening their 2006 Shiraz, so they ran off some of the juice to concentrate it and ended up making this Rose from the run-off. It's unusually meaty/leathery at first and has a good deal of sweet strawberry/raspberry fruit, but the bitter finish spoils it for me.
2005 Wicks Estate Shiraz: The best wine and value pick of the day, very ripe with an unusual mix of tomato, liquorice, raspberries and black pepper, and at times just a little medicinal characters. Very smart and well under twenty bucks.
2005 Wicks Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: Looked a lot more oaky that last week with lots of bubblegum and then buttery/toasty characters, the minty fruit underneath.
2006 Protero Merlot: Not actually for release yet, and looks very raw six months after bottling - it's under screwcap but the nose is surprisingly damp and sullen which had me looking twice. The palate's similarly shut down, and the 14.5% alcohol is really sticking out mid-palate, the finish very hot.
2006 Protero Cabernet Sauvignon: This is better, with more fruit and cool minty/menthol characters and a good chalky structure, although that 14.5% alcohol is again still just noticeable on the very end of the finish.
2005 Protero Red Blend (60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon): By far their best wine, with the Merlot making a significant impact to give a much more plummy/briary/liquorice edge to the minty Cabernet, and this time there's no heat - good stuff. Maybe it's the additional year in bottle, a better vintage or the blend itself being the difference?
2005 Wicks Eminence (75% Shiraz, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon): Sourced from the best barrels of the Shiraz & Cabernet from the vintage, the high quality oak makes a pleasing impact with more subtle but creamy characters than the straight Cabernet. The fruit is well structured and complex too, but the real killer here is the alcohol - 14.7% on the label, but told over the counter it's closer to 15.5% and unfortunately it really does show on the hot finish.
Cheers,
Ian
2007 Wicks Estate Unwooded Chardonnay: Too much sulphur on the nose right now, and lots of banana characters.
2007 Wicks Estate Riesling: Peaty with a touch of lime/mineral and grass, understated but good.
2007 Wicks Estate Sauvignon Blanc: Despite all the awards I haven't been a fan of this in the past, but this was good with plenty of passionfruit and little of the sweaty characters I usually pick up.
2006 Protero Chardonnay: Very closed and a little fishy at first with some subtle lemon and mineral characters - looked to be in a dumb phase.
2006 Protero Viognier: I actually didn't mind the aromatics and flavours of this wine, but that structure is typical of the variety which I can't stand.
2006 Wicks Estate Rose: The story behind this is that they had trouble ripening their 2006 Shiraz, so they ran off some of the juice to concentrate it and ended up making this Rose from the run-off. It's unusually meaty/leathery at first and has a good deal of sweet strawberry/raspberry fruit, but the bitter finish spoils it for me.
2005 Wicks Estate Shiraz: The best wine and value pick of the day, very ripe with an unusual mix of tomato, liquorice, raspberries and black pepper, and at times just a little medicinal characters. Very smart and well under twenty bucks.
2005 Wicks Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: Looked a lot more oaky that last week with lots of bubblegum and then buttery/toasty characters, the minty fruit underneath.
2006 Protero Merlot: Not actually for release yet, and looks very raw six months after bottling - it's under screwcap but the nose is surprisingly damp and sullen which had me looking twice. The palate's similarly shut down, and the 14.5% alcohol is really sticking out mid-palate, the finish very hot.
2006 Protero Cabernet Sauvignon: This is better, with more fruit and cool minty/menthol characters and a good chalky structure, although that 14.5% alcohol is again still just noticeable on the very end of the finish.
2005 Protero Red Blend (60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon): By far their best wine, with the Merlot making a significant impact to give a much more plummy/briary/liquorice edge to the minty Cabernet, and this time there's no heat - good stuff. Maybe it's the additional year in bottle, a better vintage or the blend itself being the difference?
2005 Wicks Eminence (75% Shiraz, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon): Sourced from the best barrels of the Shiraz & Cabernet from the vintage, the high quality oak makes a pleasing impact with more subtle but creamy characters than the straight Cabernet. The fruit is well structured and complex too, but the real killer here is the alcohol - 14.7% on the label, but told over the counter it's closer to 15.5% and unfortunately it really does show on the hot finish.
Cheers,
Ian
Last edited by n4sir on Wed May 14, 2008 3:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
n4sir wrote:2005 Protero Red Blend (60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon): By far their best wine, with the Merlot making a significant impact to give a much more plummy/briary/liquorice edge to the minty Cabernet, and this time there's no heat - good stuff. Maybe it's the additional year in bottle, a better vintage or the blend itself being the difference?
I had this yesteday too by chance. Very nice wine. Nice level of minty camphor sort of thing too.
GW
1961 Chateau Meyney
The capsule was corroded, the ullage was down 2cm, the cork crumbled, so we drank without delay, it looked like it would crash very quickly, but we were very surprised.
Dark crimson, odours of chamois, burnt butter, charred meat and mushroom compost.
Very earthy, leathery, some dark fruit emerging after about 30 minutes, more butter, and some brown sugar, with soft, dried-out tannins, and the barest acid on the medium finish.
After 1 hour, it was beginning to fade fast.
The concensus was positive.
Delightful.
The capsule was corroded, the ullage was down 2cm, the cork crumbled, so we drank without delay, it looked like it would crash very quickly, but we were very surprised.
Dark crimson, odours of chamois, burnt butter, charred meat and mushroom compost.
Very earthy, leathery, some dark fruit emerging after about 30 minutes, more butter, and some brown sugar, with soft, dried-out tannins, and the barest acid on the medium finish.
After 1 hour, it was beginning to fade fast.
The concensus was positive.
Delightful.
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Dave Dewhurst
- Posts: 283
- Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:03 pm
- Location: Perth, WA
Chateau de Chamirey, Mercurey, 1996. Deep red-brown centre to pale bricked rim. Lovely nose on this one, roasted meat, leather and blood. Starts off with juicy red cherries and raspberries, slightly mouth coating and moderately full bodied. Over about three hours the fruit spectrum changes considerably to savoury black cherries, seemingly with fuller body and fruit depth. Length was initially moderate but that increased with time; tannins were soft and provided a lightly drying finish, acidity was great and cut through a Chinese crispy duck beautifully. Yum!
Pizzini Il Barone, 2002. Odd blend this one of Shiraz, Cab Sav, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. Not sure what to make of this one either. Deepest darkest purple in the glass with little change to the rim. Mint, tar and leather on the nose. Savoury but quite bitter black cherry and plums on the palate hidden under loads and loads of tarriness. Tannins were moderate to firm. There is some real depth and body to this wine, but the fruit is well buried under the tarriness for now. Not great for my palate right now and I have no idea how this would age, but would be interested to try it in maybe five years time. Disclaimer – I know the WA distributor of this wine very well.
Cheers
Dave
Pizzini Il Barone, 2002. Odd blend this one of Shiraz, Cab Sav, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. Not sure what to make of this one either. Deepest darkest purple in the glass with little change to the rim. Mint, tar and leather on the nose. Savoury but quite bitter black cherry and plums on the palate hidden under loads and loads of tarriness. Tannins were moderate to firm. There is some real depth and body to this wine, but the fruit is well buried under the tarriness for now. Not great for my palate right now and I have no idea how this would age, but would be interested to try it in maybe five years time. Disclaimer – I know the WA distributor of this wine very well.
Cheers
Dave
John #11 wrote:1961 Chateau Meyney
The capsule was corroded, the ullage was down 2cm, the cork crumbled, so we drank without delay, it looked like it would crash very quickly, but we were very surprised.
Dark crimson, odours of chamois, burnt butter, charred meat and mushroom compost.
Very earthy, leathery, some dark fruit emerging after about 30 minutes, more butter, and some brown sugar, with soft, dried-out tannins, and the barest acid on the medium finish.
After 1 hour, it was beginning to fade fast.
The concensus was positive.
Delightful.
How come there seems to be so much old Meyney in SA?
Quarterly food and wine matching night last night. Very boozy and I left my notes there and there's no chance of me remembering much... suffice to say fiano, pinot meunier, obscure portugese varieties and so on (it was 'obscure varietals night'. But tonight -
Guigal Cotes Du Rhone 2004
Slightly smoky, berries and a note of chargrilled meats, nice long finish, quite a vigorous little wine and almost a bit New Worl-esque. Good value, very ripe.
Guigal Cotes Du Rhone 2004
Slightly smoky, berries and a note of chargrilled meats, nice long finish, quite a vigorous little wine and almost a bit New Worl-esque. Good value, very ripe.
Cheers
Wayno
Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.
Wayno
Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities.
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Daryl Douglas
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 7:23 pm
- Location: Nth Qld
Forest Hill Vineyard Riesling 2006 An exemplary Australian riesling that has some flint, good lime/lemon fruit and thankfully, for me, no noticeable kero. No wonder Mt Barker has gained a reputation for good riesling.
Rosemount Traditional Cabernet Blend 2002 This was a $12 clearance/discontinued wine from the barn. Pretty good for the price but at the rrp of around $20+ I wouldn't buy it. That said, the wine itself shows some varietal characters but is a bit confected, soft acid, dusty ripe tannins and noticeable American (I think) oak that adds to the sweetness of the wine.
Cheers
daz
Rosemount Traditional Cabernet Blend 2002 This was a $12 clearance/discontinued wine from the barn. Pretty good for the price but at the rrp of around $20+ I wouldn't buy it. That said, the wine itself shows some varietal characters but is a bit confected, soft acid, dusty ripe tannins and noticeable American (I think) oak that adds to the sweetness of the wine.
Cheers
daz
Nayan wrote:John #11 wrote:1961 Chateau Meyney
The capsule was corroded, the ullage was down 2cm, the cork crumbled, so we drank without delay, it looked like it would crash very quickly, but we were very surprised.
Dark crimson, odours of chamois, burnt butter, charred meat and mushroom compost.
Very earthy, leathery, some dark fruit emerging after about 30 minutes, more butter, and some brown sugar, with soft, dried-out tannins, and the barest acid on the medium finish.
After 1 hour, it was beginning to fade fast.
The concensus was positive.
Delightful.
How come there seems to be so much old Meyney in SA?
This was brought by a friend, who just turned 47. It was purchased from a little grog shop in Ohio.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Nayan wrote:n4sir wrote:Nayan wrote:How come there seems to be so much old Meyney in SA?
Are you thinking of buying another magnum or two at auction this week Nayan?
You know I only drink Meyney from double-magnums.
After the dud I brought to the offline last year, I don't blame you.
Although it did make a good volume of decent cooking wine for a month or so.
Cheers,
Ian
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
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Daryl Douglas
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 7:23 pm
- Location: Nth Qld
Sean wrote:2004 Tahbilk Shiraz - Ruby colour, tons of cedary French oak and spices on the nose, at first it tasted very porty which isn't surprising given the 15% alcohol (which could be a first), but it opened up nicely with blackberry and plummy flavours, soft, dusty tannins, but still the biggest young Tahbilk Shiraz that I've tried for as long as I can remember.
It seems Tahbilk had a good run with it's shiraz 2002-2004. I've enjoyed all 3 vintages after a bit of a break from Tahbilk reds. I agree with your comment about the cedary oak, the 2004 was to me one of the more oaky Tahbilk reds I've tasted. That's not at all a criticism of the wine - it'll cellar for 10-15 years IMO. After 5 years the oak will be much more integrated.
Cheers
daz
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Dave Dewhurst
- Posts: 283
- Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:03 pm
- Location: Perth, WA
Daryl Douglas wrote:Forest Hill Vineyard Riesling 2006 An exemplary Australian riesling that has some flint, good lime/lemon fruit and thankfully, for me, no noticeable kero. No wonder Mt Barker has gained a reputation for good riesling.
Cheers
daz
While I completely agree with the overall sentiment, pedantically I should point out that Forest Hill is just outside Denmark
. Great Southern for sure (and definitely tops for riesling in this region) but not sure if it qualifies at Mount Barker as it is over 50 km away. Do they have vineyards up in Mount Barker though?
Cheers
Dave
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Dave Dewhurst
- Posts: 283
- Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:03 pm
- Location: Perth, WA
Dave Dewhurst wrote:Daryl Douglas wrote:Forest Hill Vineyard Riesling 2006 An exemplary Australian riesling that has some flint, good lime/lemon fruit and thankfully, for me, no noticeable kero. No wonder Mt Barker has gained a reputation for good riesling.
Cheers
daz
While I completely agree with the overall sentiment, pedantically I should point out that Forest Hill is just outside Denmark
Cheers
Dave
Oh Bugger! Just went and checked the cellar and indeed, quoted as Mount Barker riesling! I'll shut up now!!
Cheers
Dave
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Daniel Jess
- Posts: 214
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- Location: Brisbane, Qld, Australia
- Contact:
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Daryl Douglas
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 7:23 pm
- Location: Nth Qld
Dave Dewhurst wrote:Dave Dewhurst wrote:Daryl Douglas wrote:Forest Hill Vineyard Riesling 2006 An exemplary Australian riesling that has some flint, good lime/lemon fruit and thankfully, for me, no noticeable kero. No wonder Mt Barker has gained a reputation for good riesling.
Cheers
daz
While I completely agree with the overall sentiment, pedantically I should point out that Forest Hill is just outside Denmark
Cheers
Dave
Oh Bugger! Just went and checked the cellar and indeed, quoted as Mount Barker riesling! I'll shut up now!!
Cheers
Dave
No probs Dave. One of these days I may get around to trying a Howard Park Riesling too. The 2006 is another JH 95 pointer.
Cheers
daz
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Dave Dewhurst
- Posts: 283
- Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:03 pm
- Location: Perth, WA
Here's an extra one from tonight:
Picardy Merlot Cabernet, 1998, Pemberton, WA. Popped and poured after an initial taste. Crimson centre with the faintest tinge of red brown to the edge. Initial nose of mint followed later by dark berry and perhaps a whiff of port. Gentle mouth-coating soft red berries initially, perhaps becoming slightly darker berry for a while but back to red berry by the end of the evening. Beautifully integrated wine with balance and soft seamless tannins, moderate redcurrant length on the finish with a slightly drying acidic swish. My guess is this won’t get any better with further age so get stuck in! Bought as a test as I hadn’t had an older wine from this producer and I will be going back for more!
Cheers
Dave
Picardy Merlot Cabernet, 1998, Pemberton, WA. Popped and poured after an initial taste. Crimson centre with the faintest tinge of red brown to the edge. Initial nose of mint followed later by dark berry and perhaps a whiff of port. Gentle mouth-coating soft red berries initially, perhaps becoming slightly darker berry for a while but back to red berry by the end of the evening. Beautifully integrated wine with balance and soft seamless tannins, moderate redcurrant length on the finish with a slightly drying acidic swish. My guess is this won’t get any better with further age so get stuck in! Bought as a test as I hadn’t had an older wine from this producer and I will be going back for more!
Cheers
Dave
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Daryl Douglas
- Posts: 1361
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 7:23 pm
- Location: Nth Qld
Lots of wine... can only remember two
2006 Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay - Rich, concentrated and long, but wonderfully only in the green and yellow melon spectrum with underlying slately minerality. Lovely. I understand JH's rating. 94 from me. I have the 2006 Picardy to open next to compare.
2005 Yarra Burn Sparking - Seems to be my "Go To" sparkling at around $18 (2001 to 2005 now all pretty good), especially as the 2006 Taltarni is too sweet. 89/100.
Adair
2006 Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay - Rich, concentrated and long, but wonderfully only in the green and yellow melon spectrum with underlying slately minerality. Lovely. I understand JH's rating. 94 from me. I have the 2006 Picardy to open next to compare.
2005 Yarra Burn Sparking - Seems to be my "Go To" sparkling at around $18 (2001 to 2005 now all pretty good), especially as the 2006 Taltarni is too sweet. 89/100.
Adair
Wine is bottled poetry.
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Dave Dewhurst
- Posts: 283
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- Location: Perth, WA
Daryl Douglas wrote:Picardy seems to be generally well-regarded(Penguin, Halliday etc). Isn't it more renowned for it's pinot noir? I don't drink pinot as a varietal, there are more than enough shiraz', cabs and blends around to keep me pissed.
Cheers
daz
BTW, Forest Hill's cab/merl is very good value for ~$20.
Yup, its two pinots and the chardy seem to be the ones that generally get the praise. However, I have always preferred their merlot-cab and shiraz, which at $20 from the winery are absolute bargains. The 05 shiraz is just lovely.
Cheers
Dave
2006 Escarpment Pinot Gris Pinot Gris for chardonnay drinkers (MLF, oak), which suits me just fine. Full bodied & an excellent food wine, without any of the flabbiness of many PGs.
2007 Escarpment Riesling Another excellent wine -- I'll be buying some more of this to cellar.
2000 Millton Opou Riesling A long time favourite, medium-sweet style & drinking very nicely now.
2003 Martinborough Vineyards Manu Riesling Another medium-sweet wine that's drinking well now.
2002 Coopers Creek Swamp Reserve Chardonnay Typical Hawkes Bay stone fruit, wouldn't keep much longer.
1999 Babich Irongate Cabernet Merlot Medium bodied, cab berry fruit still predominant, good drinking during the current NZ heat wave. (1997 vintage -- which generally wasn't up to much -- of this wine is in my all time top 10 NZ red experiences.)
2005 Seresin Marama Sauvignon Blanc I'm partial to 'worked' SBs, & this is a good one, with a little age doing no harm at all.[/b]
2007 Escarpment Riesling Another excellent wine -- I'll be buying some more of this to cellar.
2000 Millton Opou Riesling A long time favourite, medium-sweet style & drinking very nicely now.
2003 Martinborough Vineyards Manu Riesling Another medium-sweet wine that's drinking well now.
2002 Coopers Creek Swamp Reserve Chardonnay Typical Hawkes Bay stone fruit, wouldn't keep much longer.
1999 Babich Irongate Cabernet Merlot Medium bodied, cab berry fruit still predominant, good drinking during the current NZ heat wave. (1997 vintage -- which generally wasn't up to much -- of this wine is in my all time top 10 NZ red experiences.)
2005 Seresin Marama Sauvignon Blanc I'm partial to 'worked' SBs, & this is a good one, with a little age doing no harm at all.[/b]
I was at David and Pam's at Winter Creek with the family for lunch on Saturday. David and Pam had some oenophilic friends visiting and some interesting wines were served. I didn't write any notes so I'll just post my impressions as I remember them. All reds were subjected of a “for fun” wine quiz, which I failed terribly on 
. It was a great lunch with good wine and good company!
Paulette Polish Hill River Riesling 2004
Straw yellow in colour and showing hints of aging on the nose amongst the citrusy aromas. Lovely wine.
Evan's Family Hunter Valley Semillon 1998
I have not got much experience with drinking Semillon so I didn't really know what to expect. On the nose I got some honey and fresh sea water. A slightly one dimensional palate. Herbs? Very dry, but still balanced. Interesting wine. Just entering the drinking window according to David.
Winter Creek Shiraz 2006
Having not spent many weeks in the bottle this shiraz showed an intense fruity aroma of black cherries. After a couple of hours in the decanter I also got some chocolate and liquorish. The palate was clean and fruity, reflecting the young age of the wine. Very good intensity and lenght. Totally fruit driven. Very good wine, which will be very interesting to follow over the years to come.
Baileys of Glenrowan Shiraz 1995
Brick red in colour with browning on the edges. Intense leather on the nose with some earthyness to it. No fruit left on the palate, just leather. Still good structure with lovely tannins. Seems to just have moved out of it's drinking window.
Best's Wines Shiraz (cannot remember which!) 2003
Delicate nose showing some plum aromas. Also some spicyness. Excellent palate with black fruit flavours, great intensity, smooth tannins and impeccable balance. A shiraz style quite different from what I've tasted so far. I really liked this one. My shiraz quest is getting a bit complicated now. I thought I might find a style that was really “me”, but I now realize that Shiraz can be made to my liking in most wine regions in Australia. Good for me!
. It was a great lunch with good wine and good company!
Paulette Polish Hill River Riesling 2004
Straw yellow in colour and showing hints of aging on the nose amongst the citrusy aromas. Lovely wine.
Evan's Family Hunter Valley Semillon 1998
I have not got much experience with drinking Semillon so I didn't really know what to expect. On the nose I got some honey and fresh sea water. A slightly one dimensional palate. Herbs? Very dry, but still balanced. Interesting wine. Just entering the drinking window according to David.
Winter Creek Shiraz 2006
Having not spent many weeks in the bottle this shiraz showed an intense fruity aroma of black cherries. After a couple of hours in the decanter I also got some chocolate and liquorish. The palate was clean and fruity, reflecting the young age of the wine. Very good intensity and lenght. Totally fruit driven. Very good wine, which will be very interesting to follow over the years to come.
Baileys of Glenrowan Shiraz 1995
Brick red in colour with browning on the edges. Intense leather on the nose with some earthyness to it. No fruit left on the palate, just leather. Still good structure with lovely tannins. Seems to just have moved out of it's drinking window.
Best's Wines Shiraz (cannot remember which!) 2003
Delicate nose showing some plum aromas. Also some spicyness. Excellent palate with black fruit flavours, great intensity, smooth tannins and impeccable balance. A shiraz style quite different from what I've tasted so far. I really liked this one. My shiraz quest is getting a bit complicated now. I thought I might find a style that was really “me”, but I now realize that Shiraz can be made to my liking in most wine regions in Australia. Good for me!
Gustav the Norwegian
"Progress is not achieved without deviation from the norm" - Frank Zappa
"Progress is not achieved without deviation from the norm" - Frank Zappa
Have walked past the Knappstein Enterprise Ale in the local DM's scoffing at the price for some weeks. Thankfully a mate brought half a dozen over to share whilst we prodded all kinds of meat around the barbie. Tasty, full flavoured, some fruity high notes, without too much hoppiness. Kind of full flavoured, but light in the mouth. That's far more analysis than any beer needs, but it was a blody enjoyable drop.
2003 Calliope Shiraz
A more modern Calliope, with more oak, and less saturated plummy, pruney fruit. Dense raspberry, bitter chocolate and earth. A touch porty, and some alcohol warmth, but seems to carry it well. I think it will do well in the medium term.
1998 Wirra Wirra RSW
Maybe it wasn't in great shape (sourced from auction), but a disappointment. Took some coaxing, but finally stumbled across some dark fruits, with earthy cocoa notes. Rich and brambly, oak and tannin all but integrated, and finished short. Simple.
1993 Barkly Durif
Interest to declare with this one, but nevertheless a delight. Maybe I expect less given the vintage, but on a number of occasions this has shown up more fancied wines. Smoky raspberry fruit, hints of tobacco, sweet soy and earth. Complex chewy tannins, and a thread of acid keeping it lively. May not improve much more, but not going downhill in a hurry.
2002 Margaretes Blend Shiraz
Maybe a hint of TCA. Husky coconut, and slightly tired plummy fruit. A waxy mouthfeel, with wood tannins a little dominant on the finish. Improved on the second night to show some plum and carob through the middle, and much better mouthfeel. Maybe its faulty, maybe its having a snooze, but I have had better bottles.
2003 Calliope Shiraz
A more modern Calliope, with more oak, and less saturated plummy, pruney fruit. Dense raspberry, bitter chocolate and earth. A touch porty, and some alcohol warmth, but seems to carry it well. I think it will do well in the medium term.
1998 Wirra Wirra RSW
Maybe it wasn't in great shape (sourced from auction), but a disappointment. Took some coaxing, but finally stumbled across some dark fruits, with earthy cocoa notes. Rich and brambly, oak and tannin all but integrated, and finished short. Simple.
1993 Barkly Durif
Interest to declare with this one, but nevertheless a delight. Maybe I expect less given the vintage, but on a number of occasions this has shown up more fancied wines. Smoky raspberry fruit, hints of tobacco, sweet soy and earth. Complex chewy tannins, and a thread of acid keeping it lively. May not improve much more, but not going downhill in a hurry.
2002 Margaretes Blend Shiraz
Maybe a hint of TCA. Husky coconut, and slightly tired plummy fruit. A waxy mouthfeel, with wood tannins a little dominant on the finish. Improved on the second night to show some plum and carob through the middle, and much better mouthfeel. Maybe its faulty, maybe its having a snooze, but I have had better bottles.
Interesting to see the TN for the 93 Barkly. I actually had the 03 last night:
Tscharke Albarino 06?: Fairly sweetish start that mellowed out as the wine got warmer. Nice white peach flavours mixed in with a little bit of acidity. I think this wine could hold for a little while yet.
Barkly Durif 03: Beautiful and intense menthol/eucalypt aromas tempered with quite bold fruits. Developed wonderfully over the next 30mins into nice chocolatey notes. Still quite young, probably peak in 5-8yrs.
Tscharke Albarino 06?: Fairly sweetish start that mellowed out as the wine got warmer. Nice white peach flavours mixed in with a little bit of acidity. I think this wine could hold for a little while yet.
Barkly Durif 03: Beautiful and intense menthol/eucalypt aromas tempered with quite bold fruits. Developed wonderfully over the next 30mins into nice chocolatey notes. Still quite young, probably peak in 5-8yrs.