Wednesday - Value Drinking

[Michael McNally]

A recent high QPR wine

2005 Seppelt Victorian Shiraz. Screwcap.
Open generous nose of black fruit/plum. Bright plum fruit with a hint of 5 spice and charcoal. Not too tarry. Acid is possibly a touch over the top (marginal call). Medium length and does not drop off too short. Overall a very pleasant drop and at $11 excellent QPR.

Cheers

Michael

[Attila]

Champagne Deutz NV- by request

Best value ever, served for free in economy class on Cathay Pacific on the way back to Sydney!
Very good and delicious Champagne.
Cheers,
Attila

[Daryl Douglas]

Last bottle of the 1st case of Mike Press Cabernet 06, expecting delivery of the 2nd case any day now. And a bottle of the last 6pk of Longhop Shiraz 07.

I keep repeating myself but when I find wines I like at a good price, I keep on drinking them. Haven't had a Seppelt Victoian for quite a while, I'll have to keep a look out for it on special somewhere.

Cheers

daz

[Alex F]

Champagne Deutz NV- by request

Best value ever, served for free in economy class on Cathay Pacific on the way back to Sydney!
Very good and delicious Champagne.
Cheers,
Attila

wow how did you get them to do this!? I am flying economy with Cathay in November!

[seddo]

Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 06 - good easy drinking plummy wine from one of the best family owned vineyards in OZ


cheers
Seddo

[bacchaebabe]

A couple last night:
07 Mildara yellow label cab sav A friend brought this along and said it was out of his David Jones dozen that arrived that morning. Wasn't too impressed I'm afraid. It was about the standard of our $2 cooking wine. Simple jammy and a bit too sweet.

00 Evans Family Howard Shiraz (Hunter Valley) I found this in my cellar and didn't know I had it. I certainly didn't buy it so it must have been left by a friend after a party or something. Whatever the story, a very nice wine. Perfect age I'd say and nice full bodied with the right amount of fruit. In the blueberry spectrum with a little spicy complexity. Quite enjoyable. No idea of price and whether it was a value wine or not, I'm afraid.

[Attila]

wow how did you get them to do this!? I am flying economy with Cathay in November! :P

They are a top airline so basically you tell them that you always fly business class except on this ocassion and would love a glass or two of Deutz Champagne and they'll bring it to your seat.
Awesome.
Attila

[Daryl Douglas]

Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 06 - good easy drinking plummy wine from one of the best family owned vineyards in OZ


cheers
Seddo

Been tempted to seek out the Patchwork, but got a bottle of Gemtree Uncut Shiraz 06 because it was convenient and I was interested to try it too.

Not much plummy fruit here beyond the fore palate, plenty of black cherries, savoury dark chocolate with some smokey bacon, meaty characters. Oak plays more on the nose than the palate, adds dimension, some cedary flavour in the background. Good balance, fruit, oak, soft acid and ripe drying tannins make for a very good value red wine <$20. Halliday's 95/100? Nuh! But it is a 90+ point wine. He's right about the drinking window to 2016 but if I buy any more I'd drink the last bottle by 2014. Needs a bit of breathing.

Cheers

daz

[Sharkey]

02 Richmond Grove Barossa Vineyards Shiraz
This is an excellent wine that punches well above it's price. Every time I open a bottle I am really impressed by the quality and have to remind myself that I only paid about $14. The 2001 is still going well too - think I have about 4 or 5 of each left.

[Daryl Douglas]

02 Richmond Grove Barossa Vineyards Shiraz
This is an excellent wine that punches well above it's price. Every time I open a bottle I am really impressed by the quality and have to remind myself that I only paid about $14. The 2001 is still going well too - think I have about 4 or 5 of each left.

Another one that's been a blip on the radar for me, the 02, I'd really liked to have tried it. It should be nicely mature now but with some years to go yet.

In the (just) <$20 value stakes, over a couple of the last weekend days I tried this (edited from the weekly-drinking thread):

Paxton AAA Shiraz Grenache 06 Wasn't sure what to expect of this, it being a bit of a departure for me but it's a blend I've been exploring lately. Oak is nicely integrated as are the two varieties of fruit. Shows it's McLaren Vale origin with some savoury plum shiraz notes, a lick of dark chocolate and licorice, lightened by the grenache with some red and dark cherry characters. It's a bright, friendly, quaffable wine with good structure and fruit depth with a medium finish. Ripe, dusty tannins provide background structure. Good value for $20, think it'll cellar 8 years or so from vintage.

Cheers

daz

[winetastic]

Cross posting from the weekly drinking thread...

Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 1997
The best "lizzie" I have tried to date, developed toasty characters, lovely backbone of acidity, a little bit of citrus, drinking at its peak. A bargain on the secondary market right now too, ~$15.

The current vintage at retail is 2003 and can be found for $12, probably lower if it happens to be discounted at the time. Between Elizabeth and Leo Buring Eden/Claire Rieslings, all your sub $15 dry white wine needs are catered for quite nicely

[John #11]

Jacobs Creek Chardonnay Vintage 2007

This is a sub-$10 wine!
Pale yellow with a green tinge.
Very aromatic, lots of yellow fruits. Nutless like a neutered tomcat!
Lightly oaked, delicate, and refined, Stonefruits, Melon, and Lemon, with just a little yeastiness, and a smidge of creamy spiceyness, and just a small hit of acid. Maybe a taste of honeycomb too.
I thought it would be simple, and short, but it was neither. Very good match for a spicey butter-chicken dish tonight.

If you like chardonnay, you have to try this, this is commercial winemaking at its very best. 91+/100

[Maroon&Blue]

02 Richmond Grove Barossa Vineyards Shiraz
This is an excellent wine that punches well above it's price. Every time I open a bottle I am really impressed by the quality and have to remind myself that I only paid about $14. The 2001 is still going well too - think I have about 4 or 5 of each left.

Another one that's been a blip on the radar for me, the 02, I'd really liked to have tried it. It should be nicely mature now but with some years to go yet.

In the (just) <$20 value stakes, over a couple of the last weekend days I tried this (edited from the weekly-drinking thread):

Paxton AAA Shiraz Grenache 06 Wasn't sure what to expect of this, it being a bit of a departure for me but it's a blend I've been exploring lately. Oak is nicely integrated as are the two varieties of fruit. Shows it's McLaren Vale origin with some savoury plum shiraz notes, a lick of dark chocolate and licorice, lightened by the grenache with some red and dark cherry characters. It's a bright, friendly, quaffable wine with good structure and fruit depth with a medium finish. Ripe, dusty tannins provide background structure. Good value for $20, think it'll cellar 8 years or so from vintage.

Cheers

daz

Dazza

Re: Paxton

Points out of 100, if you feel inclined!

Thanks
Ronaldo

[Daryl Douglas]

Hey Ronaldo

It's >90/100 for me, perhaps 92. Halliday rated it 94 but I was thinking 91+ or 92 before I re-checked his score. Agree with his classing it medium-bodied, it is attractive as he also said and I'm wishing I'd bought more than two bottles but they were bought as tasters.

Cheers

daz

[Maroon&Blue]

Thanks Daz

I am feeling a lot of punters are becoming very generous with these scores recently!

I tend to agree with Brian ( RB ), even our esteemed colleague, MR. HALLIDAY, seems to be rating a vast range of wine, rather generously!

Suppose it must mean our Aussie wine is all very good!

What do you reckon

Cheers

[Wayno]

Some good 'uns.

Hardy's Oomoo Shiraz 04
Been sitting in the cellar for what seems like forever now. An excellent value wine, still pretty fresh and lively and crammed with varietal character. Not perfect but great for $10 on release.

Pewsey Vale Prima Riesling 07
Only great value because I got it for $sub18 from a current retailer. Overloaded with limey sweetness but with a good amount of structure and acid backbone. Pleasant lifted, refreshing wine. Stocked up on some 08s at the same price.

and then a non (specific)-value ring in, for good measure

Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2004
Earth, plums, velvetty texture, rich, good length. Nicely balanced wine which left a fragrant lift and a smile.

[Daryl Douglas]

Thanks Daz

I am feeling a lot of punters are becoming very generous with these scores recently!

I tend to agree with Brian ( RB ), even our esteemed colleague, MR. HALLIDAY, seems to be rating a vast range of wine, rather generously!

Suppose it must mean our Aussie wine is all very good!

What do you reckon

Cheers

I'm a bit reluctant to give points ratings to wines, as with Ric and Brian, preferring to describe the wine as I find it. It's all very subjective not only for me but for all of us. I guess if I do points-rate a wine it's very much based on my enjoyment of it relative to other wines I tried and enjoyed, regardless of variety, so they would tend to cluster in the 90-94/100 range. If I use "recommended" it'd be for a wine I consider to be approaching very good, "highly recommended" would be for a wine that I think is near excellent for me.

Depending on preferred variety/style, there are few Aussie wines these days that aren't at least good quaffers. Given the huge number of wines that Halliday tastes, assesses, I've found that his succinct TNs give me a good sense of the wine and his ratings are usually pretty close to the mark. Sometimes I'd rate wines higher than him, simply because it appealed more to my palate than his. My necessary admission here though, is that I think Halliday has had some significant influence on my choices of wines that may also have contributed to the development of my palate's preferences.

Cheers

daz

[seddo]

Teusner Riebke Shiraz 06 what I would call a restrained barossa shiraz but all the better for it- all the right components in the right place.

Love these Teusner wines particularly the Albert and Avatar, the Riebke is up there with them as well

cheers
Seddo

[JJap]

Jacobs Creek Chardonnay Vintage 2007

This is a sub-$10 wine!
Pale yellow with a green tinge.
Very aromatic, lots of yellow fruits. Nutless like a neutered tomcat!
Lightly oaked, delicate, and refined, Stonefruits, Melon, and Lemon, with just a little yeastiness, and a smidge of creamy spiceyness, and just a small hit of acid. Maybe a taste of honeycomb too.
I thought it would be simple, and short, but it was neither. Very good match for a spicey butter-chicken dish tonight.

If you like chardonnay, you have to try this, this is commercial winemaking at its very best. 91+/100

Brought a half bottle of this to fill out a case and I tried it last night. Agree that it really is very good for its price ($4.80).

Great quaffer

[Jules]

When I bought this I couldn't believe that I had only paid ten bucks for it. Thats right $10.

Dan Murphys stocks it (and a host of other excellent quality and reasonably priced Bordeaux) and I was blown away by the quality for the price. Most Australian wines at this price are fuit bombs with little structure. This wine has structure, and finesse.

The French have been heavily influenced by New World winemaking, and while I hope that this sort of wine never ends up tasting like Jacob's Creek, they are far more generous with flavour than perhaps they used to be which appeals.

[Maroon&Blue]

Thanks Daz

I am feeling a lot of punters are becoming very generous with these scores recently!

I tend to agree with Brian ( RB ), even our esteemed colleague, MR. HALLIDAY, seems to be rating a vast range of wine, rather generously!

Suppose it must mean our Aussie wine is all very good!

What do you reckon

Cheers

I'm a bit reluctant to give points ratings to wines, as with Ric and Brian, preferring to describe the wine as I find it. It's all very subjective not only for me but for all of us. I guess if I do points-rate a wine it's very much based on my enjoyment of it relative to other wines I tried and enjoyed, regardless of variety, so they would tend to cluster in the 90-94/100 range. If I use "recommended" it'd be for a wine I consider to be approaching very good, "highly recommended" would be for a wine that I think is near excellent for me.

Depending on preferred variety/style, there are few Aussie wines these days that aren't at least good quaffers. Given the huge number of wines that Halliday tastes, assesses, I've found that his succinct TNs give me a good sense of the wine and his ratings are usually pretty close to the mark. Sometimes I'd rate wines higher than him, simply because it appealed more to my palate than his. My necessary admission here though, is that I think Halliday has had some significant influence on my choices of wines that may also have contributed to the development of my palate's preferences.

Cheers

daz

DAZZA

Thats why MY bible is "TORBS TASTING NOTES" !
Thats as long as the RB doesn't lead him astray, on their many winery escapades!

Sorry Brian

Cheers
The Opionated Ronaldo

[Daryl Douglas]

Cheers

[Luke W]

2006 Maglieri shiraz was $125 a carton and you get a free carton of german beer (very nice) at First Choice. It's a very well put together drop that can be drunk now (the Maglieri).

[Wayno]

St Urbans Hof Mosel Riesling 2007
Great stuff this, quite sweet but in a fruit sort of way, lots of lemon, luscious, rich and still structured well.