Hi Good Peoples,
Its that time of the week again. I will have ot keep this short and I have to go and make breakfast from Mr and Ms Red Bigot; and Mr and Ms White Bigot are also joining us for breakfast.
We went to Eschalot last night and had a fine meal and lots of good wine. Two dud bottles, both mine including a Torbreck 2002 The Descendent which did not impress. Lucky Brian took a back up.
Hopefully he will fill in some more of the details about the wines consumed.
Now what have you guys and gals been drinking? Lists vibes or impressions welcome.
Sundayyyyyy
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Maroon&Blue
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:01 pm
- Location: Southern Gold Coast
Maroon&Blue wrote:This is what happens when 2 BIGOTS get together!
ENJOY YOU DISGUSTING HEATHENS!
Rechabite Ronaldo
Yeah, Ric is trying to cut down on his drinking, so I had to drink more to make up for him.
But his bloody dogs wake up far to early!
Highlights:
Rockies Black Shiraz 2006 disg, seemed a little sweeter than usual for the line, but still disappeared pretty quickly.
Orlando St Hugo Cabernet 1994, going well, will cellar another 10 years or so if you really want.
Houghton Show Reserve Shiraz 1995, beautiful, nearing maturity for my tastes, unfortunately my last so I'll have to drink Ric's from now on.
Woody Nook Gallaghers Choice Cabernet 1995 - trademark MR green bean, still firm and dusty, but fruit may not be quite up to too many more years, was a bargain at $17 back in 1998.
Eschalot Balsamic reduction, and Eschalot Duck breast and confit as good as ever.
Lowlights:
Orlando Reserve Shiraz-Cabernet 1996 opened volatile and oxidised enought to not bother with.
Torbreck Descendant 2002 - a bit flat and scalped, probably low-level cork taint.
Cheers
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir 07 - not as bad as I thought it would be - could not detect any smokiness - nice fruits to open up with but definitely a short term wine as it started to fall over after about 3 hrs.
Westend Durif 06? beautiful dark deep purple colour and a lovely palate - choice wine will have to source some more at $16.
the rest of the wines fade into oblivion
cheers
Seddo
Westend Durif 06? beautiful dark deep purple colour and a lovely palate - choice wine will have to source some more at $16.
the rest of the wines fade into oblivion
cheers
Seddo
Some very nice reds this week and the obligatory bottle (or three) of Tyrrell's 2000 Vat 9 Chardonnay - Outstanding aged example - holding together very well indeed.
Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 1984
11.2% A/V!
Mature hue. Reticent bouquet at first, but, bit by bit, aromas of roasted herbs, capsicum, cigar box, tar/bitumen, lead pencil, blood, hints of blackcurrant and licorice started to rise. Bloody beautiful wine to nose. A little later, a lick of creosote, some freshly turned sod, a dab of this, a touch of this - hope you get the drift - most intriguing trying to eek out the myriad of nuance. The palate delivers a most compelling package. Remarkably elegant and just medium-bodied - quite surprising for a John Riddoch. Perhaps 1984 was a cooler/wetter year than average or it might just be its maturity? The wine glides through the mouth like a hot knife through soft butter guilded with that same cool-fruited herbaceous streak found in the bouquet. There’s sufficient sweet weedy blackcurrant fruit providing counterbalance, tweaked with remarkably good lively acidity, a nice touch of wonderfully integrated savoury oak, assertive but melting tannins and a terrific long, dry finish with just the right amount of astringency and sweet/green fruit to keep the finale in perfect balance. A recent auction purchase and a lovely surprise indeed and if the other bottles are of the same calibre worth looking out for more. 93 points. And didn't fall apart sitting the bottle for well over 24 hours, albeit softer, rounder and with less structure - and a similar rating, perhaps a smidge less.
Oakridge Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1991
Critical data: 100% Yarra Valley fruit comprising 95% Cabernet and 5% Merlot. 13.5% A/V
Medium ruby in colour with some lightening towards the rim. Still quite solid. Offers up a melange of nicely integrated cool-climate scents covering wet earth, well-seasoned cedar, saddle leather, black olive tapenade, iodine, blood, iron with undertones of currants and satsuma plum backed with some quite savoury, quality wood and, finally, a top note of underbrush. The palate is smooth and almost fully resolved, of medum-body, revealing decent flavours mimicking the bouquet, low acidity, soft tannins and a moderately long rather soft but satisfying finish. A very nicely balanced, mature Cabernet with a degree of elegance and a wonderful “drink now†proposition. Rated as Excellent - 90 points.
Seppelt Dorrien Cabernet Sauvignon 1991
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from 50 year-old vines. 13.0% A/V 15 months in new Nevers oak.
Note written 7 hours after the wine was double-decantered and drunk with melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked medium-rare leg of lamb cooked by my wonderful 78 year-old mother.
Mostly brick-red surrounding a solid, deepish medium-ruby core. Stunning, seamless aromatics of ripe blackcurrant, autumn leaves, leafy greens, a little sweet earth, sandalwood, saddle leather with a striking iron/lead pencil top note - everything sensationally underpinned by the highest quality spicy/savoury Nevers wood that imparts a suggestion of caramel and licorice. The medium- to full-bodied palate is no less impressive, delivering a phenomenal barrage of blackcurrant fruit, a slight herbal character, even a suggestion of minerality countering the elevated sweetness of the curranty fruit, some supportive savoury oak but still with quite assertive acidity and some finely-woven still slightly chalky tannins hovering in the formidably serious and lengthy finish. The wine delivers the complete Cabernet package for me - wonderful bouquet, exceptional mouthfeel, supple texture, superb structure (no hole in the middle) and great delineation - all delivered in this case on a mature and nicely resolved platform. Definitely was a little superior earlier at the dinner table but has not suffered all that much in the last several hours. Worthy of 94 points, although if I was pushed to allocate a score at dinner earlier, I would have been a point or two higher (partnered with that gorgeous lamb). Marvellous experience, one of Australia’s truly great world-class wines and only cost a fraction of what Grange or Hill of Grace were fetching at the time.
Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 1984
11.2% A/V!
Mature hue. Reticent bouquet at first, but, bit by bit, aromas of roasted herbs, capsicum, cigar box, tar/bitumen, lead pencil, blood, hints of blackcurrant and licorice started to rise. Bloody beautiful wine to nose. A little later, a lick of creosote, some freshly turned sod, a dab of this, a touch of this - hope you get the drift - most intriguing trying to eek out the myriad of nuance. The palate delivers a most compelling package. Remarkably elegant and just medium-bodied - quite surprising for a John Riddoch. Perhaps 1984 was a cooler/wetter year than average or it might just be its maturity? The wine glides through the mouth like a hot knife through soft butter guilded with that same cool-fruited herbaceous streak found in the bouquet. There’s sufficient sweet weedy blackcurrant fruit providing counterbalance, tweaked with remarkably good lively acidity, a nice touch of wonderfully integrated savoury oak, assertive but melting tannins and a terrific long, dry finish with just the right amount of astringency and sweet/green fruit to keep the finale in perfect balance. A recent auction purchase and a lovely surprise indeed and if the other bottles are of the same calibre worth looking out for more. 93 points. And didn't fall apart sitting the bottle for well over 24 hours, albeit softer, rounder and with less structure - and a similar rating, perhaps a smidge less.
Oakridge Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1991
Critical data: 100% Yarra Valley fruit comprising 95% Cabernet and 5% Merlot. 13.5% A/V
Medium ruby in colour with some lightening towards the rim. Still quite solid. Offers up a melange of nicely integrated cool-climate scents covering wet earth, well-seasoned cedar, saddle leather, black olive tapenade, iodine, blood, iron with undertones of currants and satsuma plum backed with some quite savoury, quality wood and, finally, a top note of underbrush. The palate is smooth and almost fully resolved, of medum-body, revealing decent flavours mimicking the bouquet, low acidity, soft tannins and a moderately long rather soft but satisfying finish. A very nicely balanced, mature Cabernet with a degree of elegance and a wonderful “drink now†proposition. Rated as Excellent - 90 points.
Seppelt Dorrien Cabernet Sauvignon 1991
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from 50 year-old vines. 13.0% A/V 15 months in new Nevers oak.
Note written 7 hours after the wine was double-decantered and drunk with melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked medium-rare leg of lamb cooked by my wonderful 78 year-old mother.
Mostly brick-red surrounding a solid, deepish medium-ruby core. Stunning, seamless aromatics of ripe blackcurrant, autumn leaves, leafy greens, a little sweet earth, sandalwood, saddle leather with a striking iron/lead pencil top note - everything sensationally underpinned by the highest quality spicy/savoury Nevers wood that imparts a suggestion of caramel and licorice. The medium- to full-bodied palate is no less impressive, delivering a phenomenal barrage of blackcurrant fruit, a slight herbal character, even a suggestion of minerality countering the elevated sweetness of the curranty fruit, some supportive savoury oak but still with quite assertive acidity and some finely-woven still slightly chalky tannins hovering in the formidably serious and lengthy finish. The wine delivers the complete Cabernet package for me - wonderful bouquet, exceptional mouthfeel, supple texture, superb structure (no hole in the middle) and great delineation - all delivered in this case on a mature and nicely resolved platform. Definitely was a little superior earlier at the dinner table but has not suffered all that much in the last several hours. Worthy of 94 points, although if I was pushed to allocate a score at dinner earlier, I would have been a point or two higher (partnered with that gorgeous lamb). Marvellous experience, one of Australia’s truly great world-class wines and only cost a fraction of what Grange or Hill of Grace were fetching at the time.
Cheers,
David
David
Kilikanoon Morts Block Riesling 2007
A bit sweet for me but a pleasant aperitif style.
Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2006
Terrific. Some slight tropical nuance, lovely viscous mouthfeel and length, stone fruits, the whole shebang. Still grippy and tight but with generosity.
Penfolds Cellar Reserve Pinot Noir 2004
Good, earthy cherry nose. Quite fat bottomed as a wine but with strength and balance - certainly still pretty upright and fresh.
Mountadam Barossa Shiraz 2006
Don't remember too much but quite good from recollection!
A bit sweet for me but a pleasant aperitif style.
Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2006
Terrific. Some slight tropical nuance, lovely viscous mouthfeel and length, stone fruits, the whole shebang. Still grippy and tight but with generosity.
Penfolds Cellar Reserve Pinot Noir 2004
Good, earthy cherry nose. Quite fat bottomed as a wine but with strength and balance - certainly still pretty upright and fresh.
Mountadam Barossa Shiraz 2006
Don't remember too much but quite good from recollection!
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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Waiters Friend
- Posts: 2963
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 4:09 am
- Location: Perth WA
It's Spring In The Valley (Swan Valley, that is) in WA this weekend – an annual festival where the Swan Valley wineries are invaded by bus-loads of roving party animals (as compared to civilised wine drinkers). Not wanting to mix it with the madding crowd, a group of us got together over a BBQ with a different theme - each guest brought a bottle from a non-WA valley, for the group to taste.
The wines included
Eden Valley:
2008 Pewsey Vale Riesling. Lovely clean limes and quite high acid.
Yarra Valley:
2003 Yering Station Shiraz Viognier. Double decanted a few hours before service. Medium bodied, lovely fruit lift (presumably from the viognier), and this was the red of the night.
2005 Diamond Valley Chardonnay, 2005 Green Point Chardonnay, 2006 Clos Pierre Chardonnay. All similar in their level of oak treatment, with the Green Point probably my favourite – it seemed a little more ‘worked’ or developed than the other two.
Hunter Valley
2000 Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon. The traditional honey and toasty characters of a mature Hunter Semillon were a bit muted here, and I suspect the bottle was mildly corked.
2006 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Sauvignon Blanc Semillon. Passionfruit and pineapple, clean and still reasonably bright and fresh.
2005 Margan Botrytis Semillon: A good sticky – rich apricot and a clean finish.
Barossa Valley
2005 Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz: I suspect we drank this too young. It needs more time to soften and mellow out a little.
2002 St Hallett Faith Shiraz: Medium to full bodied without being a really big Shiraz. Good uncomplicated wine.
Goulburn Valley
2005 Tahbilk Marsanne: I like my Marsannes around this age – they’ve started to develop some of the honey characters and richness that the young wines don’t have, without going over the top. This wine drew some comment from those not familiar with the style.
There were a couple of others as well, but, as they didn’t come from a ‘valley’, I haven’t included them.
This exercise has now provoked some discussion amongst my friends, regarding doing similar ‘themed’ events in future. Instead of valleys, we could go for wineries with the word ‘River’ in their name (or Brook, or Hill, or Vale, or….), for example, or wines which have the strangest names or labels. Whatever the theme, they could be interesting.
Cheers
Allan.
The wines included
Eden Valley:
2008 Pewsey Vale Riesling. Lovely clean limes and quite high acid.
Yarra Valley:
2003 Yering Station Shiraz Viognier. Double decanted a few hours before service. Medium bodied, lovely fruit lift (presumably from the viognier), and this was the red of the night.
2005 Diamond Valley Chardonnay, 2005 Green Point Chardonnay, 2006 Clos Pierre Chardonnay. All similar in their level of oak treatment, with the Green Point probably my favourite – it seemed a little more ‘worked’ or developed than the other two.
Hunter Valley
2000 Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon. The traditional honey and toasty characters of a mature Hunter Semillon were a bit muted here, and I suspect the bottle was mildly corked.
2006 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Sauvignon Blanc Semillon. Passionfruit and pineapple, clean and still reasonably bright and fresh.
2005 Margan Botrytis Semillon: A good sticky – rich apricot and a clean finish.
Barossa Valley
2005 Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz: I suspect we drank this too young. It needs more time to soften and mellow out a little.
2002 St Hallett Faith Shiraz: Medium to full bodied without being a really big Shiraz. Good uncomplicated wine.
Goulburn Valley
2005 Tahbilk Marsanne: I like my Marsannes around this age – they’ve started to develop some of the honey characters and richness that the young wines don’t have, without going over the top. This wine drew some comment from those not familiar with the style.
There were a couple of others as well, but, as they didn’t come from a ‘valley’, I haven’t included them.
This exercise has now provoked some discussion amongst my friends, regarding doing similar ‘themed’ events in future. Instead of valleys, we could go for wineries with the word ‘River’ in their name (or Brook, or Hill, or Vale, or….), for example, or wines which have the strangest names or labels. Whatever the theme, they could be interesting.
Cheers
Allan.
Wine, women and song. Ideally, you can experience all three at once.
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Mike Hawkins
- Posts: 2797
- Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2003 9:39 am
A hit and run raid on my Aussie cellar.
1990 Seppelts SR Sparkling Shiraz - good wine. Not as much brett as last time.
1986 Wynns John Riddoch - horribly corked. The smell permeated the room sadly.
1986 Bin 389 - singing. This what can result from cellaring relatively inexpensive wines in great years.
1991 St Henri - super wine in the making. Opened too young.
1996 Black Queen Sparkling Shiraz - good wine. A touch behind the SSRSS.
1998 Rockford BP - pretty good, but not at the lofty levels of the bottle of last month's.
1990 Rockford BP - awesome. Right alongside the 91 as the best of this label IMO.
1990 Seppelts SR Sparkling Shiraz - good wine. Not as much brett as last time.
1986 Wynns John Riddoch - horribly corked. The smell permeated the room sadly.
1986 Bin 389 - singing. This what can result from cellaring relatively inexpensive wines in great years.
1991 St Henri - super wine in the making. Opened too young.
1996 Black Queen Sparkling Shiraz - good wine. A touch behind the SSRSS.
1998 Rockford BP - pretty good, but not at the lofty levels of the bottle of last month's.
1990 Rockford BP - awesome. Right alongside the 91 as the best of this label IMO.
seddo wrote:Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir 07 - not as bad as I thought it would be - could not detect any smokiness - nice fruits to open up with but definitely a short term wine as it started to fall over after about 3 hrs.
Westend Durif 06? beautiful dark deep purple colour and a lovely palate - choice wine will have to source some more at $16.
the rest of the wines fade into oblivion
cheers
Seddo
Agreed on Westend Durif but it is 3 Bridges label. Secured a case