monghead wrote:Went to one of the Sydney DM shiraz bonanzas
Unfortunately, spitoons placed right next to the tables where wine was being served, thus always packed with people. Thus, had to drink most wines, rather than taste.
Our favourites were: - 04 Maurice O'Shea - 01 and 05 St Henri - 06 RWT - 05 Graveyard - 06 Mt Edelstone
And of course, the big daddy of them all... - 04 Grange
Now, do they have one for cabernets???
Yep
Would have liked to try the 06 Edelstone.
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
monghead wrote:Went to one of the Sydney DM shiraz bonanzas
Unfortunately, spitoons placed right next to the tables where wine was being served, thus always packed with people. Thus, had to drink most wines, rather than taste.
Our favourites were: - 04 Maurice O'Shea - 01 and 05 St Henri - 06 RWT - 05 Graveyard - 06 Mt Edelstone
And of course, the big daddy of them all... - 04 Grange
Now, do they have one for cabernets???
Yep
Would have liked to try the 06 Edelstone.
cheers
Carl
What vintage of the Mount Edelstone did you guys get? 05 ?
monghead wrote:Went to one of the Sydney DM shiraz bonanzas
Unfortunately, spitoons placed right next to the tables where wine was being served, thus always packed with people. Thus, had to drink most wines, rather than taste.
Our favourites were: - 04 Maurice O'Shea - 01 and 05 St Henri - 06 RWT - 05 Graveyard - 06 Mt Edelstone
And of course, the big daddy of them all... - 04 Grange
Now, do they have one for cabernets???
Yep
Would have liked to try the 06 Edelstone.
cheers
Carl
What vintage of the Mount Edelstone did you guys get? 05 ?
No idea. Wasn't feeling well on Sunday so it was a day of rest. The main thing that was getting me to go was the Penfolds and I tried them the day prior. Yet to try the 707 though. Also glad I didn't go considering what Partagas had to do through to get to the Grange.
Went to the last cabernet and champagne tastings though so I know they happen.
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
A few wines at a friend's place. The theme was the 80's. I think I have marked hard against the better wines as the duds surrounding them wasn't the best environment in which to appreciate them.
1988 Seaview Blanc de Blancs Still has a moderate bead. Sunflower yellow. A little musty on the nose and palate. Underneath some toast and dare I say it, fruit. Not rated as I thought tainted but an interesting start.
1983 Petaluma Chardonnay Deep golden yellow. A nose of hay and salted brown butter. A savoury complex palate that was quite mineral and broad with a slightly bitter finish. On the decline but it tasted a lot like the 78 Merseault that Davo brought along a while ago. Surprisingly good! Who knew that a 26 year old Aussie chardonnay from Coonawarra could go the distance! Very good wine and WOTN.
1984 Seppelt Eden Valley Maturation Release Riesling Medium yellow. Slightly closed on the nose but some lime comes through. No toast. The palate was a little one dimensional with the fruit having departed but little development emerging along with acid coasting over the top. In limbo. Agreeable. 3rd WOTN.
1989 Henschke Dry White Frontignac Honeycomb, burnt sugar, orange rind (creme catalan?) on the nose. Slightly disjointed sour sweet on the palate with perhaps some mint? Good wine.
1989 Parker Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Brown with no red in this. Capsicum and mint with earth on the palate and and lingering classy oak on the finish. On its last legs but a drinkable wine.
1987 Mt Pleasant Charles Hermitage Egg white? Pongy dud here.
1982 Chais Clarendon Cabernet Sauvignon Red with light red rim. Raspberry on the nose that is quite lifted. Fruity palate but a lot of VA. No doubt preserving it but hard to drink. Alike an Amarone red. Maybe with food.
1988 Capel Vale Cabernet Sauvignon Red/Brown. Smells alive but very bretty. Another dud.
1986 Mt Helen Cabernet Sauvignon Brown with a leathery nose. A dud but I didn't write why and I can't remember. I think brett as well.
1986 Orlando Lawson's Shiraz Brown with red hints. The good wood here. All fruit gone but Lovely nose of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and anise. Lingering oak on the finish. Liquid wood but so classy. Good wine.
1986 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Finally a red wine that isn't dead or dying. Red brown and quite a warm nose of capsicum and earth. Earthy but also some red currant in there with a bit of VA on the finish. Good/Very good wine.
1980 Thomas Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Corked. Actually looked like it could have been alive as well. Shame.
1988 Castelgiocondo Brunello de Montalcino Brown. This was the complete package of cherries and leather with tannin on the finish. Very Good wine and by itself would no doubt score higher as I can just see myself sitting down and drinking a few glasses of this.
And onto the back-up 98's. The still have an 8 in them
1998 Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Shiraz Hello! Magenta hue still. Not too much oak either so it must have sucked a lot of it up since release. Some violets on the nose. Young and fresh with a strong tannic spine. Some chocolate and tar supporting the mulberries. Should live for years as it tasted a lot more than 10 years younger than the 80's reds. Excellent wine.
Some options where we had to guess which Bin was which:
1998 Penfolds Bin 28 A warm cuddly red with juicy plummy fruit on the mid palate with some vanilla spice and a strong tannin finish. ?389. Very good wine.
1998 Penfolds Bin 389 Now this was embryonic. A seamless structured wine. The last must have been the 28 as this surely must be the 389. Excellent wine and would need a few rounds with the Signature to see which is the boss.
1998 Penfolds Bin 407 Thin weedy, dilute wine that was a complete mess. Davo said corked. Definitely a cabernet so 407. A dud.
1998 Penfolds Bin 128 This must be the 128 by default. Was actually quite elegant and I really liked it. Excellent wine.
1998 Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz x 2
Wow. Ribena syrup with some truffle. Oh oh - some tinned corn character. This is an extract of DMS. Its almost uncanny how strong it is! Both bottles tasting very similar but one perhaps slightly worse.
1998 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon A cabernet but a lot of brett here that is marring the fruit. Shame.
1998 Jamiesons Run McShane's Block Shiraz This was a little all over the shop but so are my notes at this stage. Very developed. Drinkable.
1998 Jamiesons Run Alexander Block Cabernet Sauvignon Oops I missed this one. Shame as I heard it can be good.
1998 Chateau Yaldara "The Farms" Shiraz Another nice wine. Barossa chocolate and some coconut but also some structure and perhaps some green stalks that add interest. Maybe they threw some cabernet in to lend structure? Very good/Excellent wine.
1987 Warres Port Quinta de Caveldinha Caramel and slightly tawny already. Have had much better, fresher bottles in the last year from the same shop so this was very developed. Shame as it was the last.
1976 Sedan Hotel Vintage Port (By Liebich)
This was a dud but didn't write down why.
1981 Gralyn Vintage Port Dense wine with licorice. Almost like a Mclaren e.g. Chateau Reynella. Very good/Excellent! Someone said how young the vines were so surprising how concentrated this wine is.
1989 Gralyn Auslese Riesling I tried this but no notes unfortunately.
McWilliams Show Liqueur Muscat Ooh. First class richness and length. What power! Outstanding and world class. But then Muscats and Tokay aka whatever they are called now but should be muscadelle is what Australia does so well. 2nd WOTN (the better wine no doubt but the chardonnay was certainly the most surprising)
Not a bad number of wines and eye-opening that the whites lasted longer than the reds. Also interesting to look at the 98's with some lovely wines alongside some that were quite faulty. I must have been in a picky mood due to having a cold recently.
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
Domaine de Cristia ‘Renaissance’ Chateauneuf 2003 – decant, decant, decant!
I have enjoyed every bottle from this estate recently, and all have been drunk young. But this, like (virtually) all ’03 Chateauneuf’s need extended decanting, for the underlying fruit to build weight and emphasize any structure. Other forums disagree (and Jane MacQ) on this point, but for me a minimum of 6 hours - and preferably 12 since experimenting with the 03’s - is important for the wines development. FWIW, I’m using a magnum decanter these days. So…
This is a super concentrated, mammoth wine with good amounts of blackberry liqueur showing (this will put people off already!), smoked meat, earth & spice. All very primary but with much complexity flowing underneath. The full-bodied palate is muscular and tannic with sweet black fruits, low acid & a spicy underlay. Finishes very long. This needs another 5–15 years to show its potential and will be a great wine. 15%vol. 92+pts
Phil Wilkins wrote:Holy crap Carl, fantastic notes. I only have...
Domaine de Cristia ‘Renaissance’ Chateauneuf 2003 – decant, decant, decant! I have enjoyed every bottle from this estate recently, and all have been drunk young. But this, like (virtually) all ’03 Chateauneuf’s need extended decanting, for the underlying fruit to build weight and emphasize any structure. Other forums disagree (and Jane MacQ) on this point, but for me a minimum of 6 hours - and preferably 12 since experimenting with the 03’s - is important for the wines development. FWIW, I’m using a magnum decanter these days. So…
This is a super concentrated, mammoth wine with good amounts of blackberry liqueur showing (this will put people off already!), smoked meat, earth & spice. All very primary but with much complexity flowing underneath. The full-bodied palate is muscular and tannic with sweet black fruits, low acid & a spicy underlay. Finishes very long. This needs another 5–15 years to show its potential and will be a great wine. 15%vol. 92+pts
Ha! I just drool at the wines you get to write up
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
griff wrote:A few wines at a friend's place. The theme was the 80's. I think I have marked hard against the better wines as the duds surrounding them wasn't the best environment in which to appreciate them.
1988 Seaview Blanc de Blancs Still has a moderate bead. Sunflower yellow. A little musty on the nose and palate. Underneath some toast and dare I say it, fruit. Not rated as I thought tainted but an interesting start.
1983 Petaluma Chardonnay Deep golden yellow. A nose of hay and salted brown butter. A savoury complex palate that was quite mineral and broad with a slightly bitter finish. On the decline but it tasted a lot like the 78 Merseault that Davo brought along a while ago. Surprisingly good! Who knew that a 26 year old Aussie chardonnay from Coonawarra could go the distance! Very good wine and WOTN.
1984 Seppelt Eden Valley Maturation Release Riesling Medium yellow. Slightly closed on the nose but some lime comes through. No toast. The palate was a little one dimensional with the fruit having departed but little development emerging along with acid coasting over the top. In limbo. Agreeable. 3rd WOTN.
1989 Henschke Dry White Frontignac Honeycomb, burnt sugar, orange rind (creme catalan?) on the nose. Slightly disjointed sour sweet on the palate with perhaps some mint? Good wine.
1989 Parker Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Brown with no red in this. Capsicum and mint with earth on the palate and and lingering classy oak on the finish. On its last legs but a drinkable wine.
1987 Mt Pleasant Charles Hermitage Egg white? Pongy dud here.
1982 Chais Clarendon Cabernet Sauvignon Red with light red rim. Raspberry on the nose that is quite lifted. Fruity palate but a lot of VA. No doubt preserving it but hard to drink. Alike an Amarone red. Maybe with food.
1988 Capel Vale Cabernet Sauvignon Red/Brown. Smells alive but very bretty. Another dud.
1986 Mt Helen Cabernet Sauvignon Brown with a leathery nose. A dud but I didn't write why and I can't remember. I think brett as well.
1986 Orlando Lawson's Shiraz Brown with red hints. The good wood here. All fruit gone but Lovely nose of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and anise. Lingering oak on the finish. Liquid wood but so classy. Good wine.
1986 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Finally a red wine that isn't dead or dying. Red brown and quite a warm nose of capsicum and earth. Earthy but also some red currant in there with a bit of VA on the finish. Good/Very good wine.
1980 Thomas Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Corked. Actually looked like it could have been alive as well. Shame.
1988 Castelgiocondo Brunello de Montalcino Brown. This was the complete package of cherries and leather with tannin on the finish. Very Good wine and by itself would no doubt score higher as I can just see myself sitting down and drinking a few glasses of this.
And onto the back-up 98's. The still have an 8 in them
1998 Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Shiraz Hello! Magenta hue still. Not too much oak either so it must have sucked a lot of it up since release. Some violets on the nose. Young and fresh with a strong tannic spine. Some chocolate and tar supporting the mulberries. Should live for years as it tasted a lot more than 10 years younger than the 80's reds. Excellent wine.
Some options where we had to guess which Bin was which:
1998 Penfolds Bin 28 A warm cuddly red with juicy plummy fruit on the mid palate with some vanilla spice and a strong tannin finish. ?389. Very good wine.
1998 Penfolds Bin 389 Now this was embryonic. A seamless structured wine. The last must have been the 28 as this surely must be the 389. Excellent wine and would need a few rounds with the Signature to see which is the boss.
1998 Penfolds Bin 407 Thin weedy, dilute wine that was a complete mess. Davo said corked. Definitely a cabernet so 407. A dud.
1998 Penfolds Bin 128 This must be the 128 by default. Was actually quite elegant and I really liked it. Excellent wine.
1998 Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz x 2 Wow. Ribena syrup with some truffle. Oh oh - some tinned corn character. This is an extract of DMS. Its almost uncanny how strong it is! Both bottles tasting very similar but one perhaps slightly worse.
1998 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon A cabernet but a lot of brett here that is marring the fruit. Shame.
1998 Jamiesons Run McShane's Block Shiraz This was a little all over the shop but so are my notes at this stage. Very developed. Drinkable.
1998 Jamiesons Run Alexander Block Cabernet Sauvignon Oops I missed this one. Shame as I heard it can be good.
1998 Chateau Yaldara "The Farms" Shiraz Another nice wine. Barossa chocolate and some coconut but also some structure and perhaps some green stalks that add interest. Maybe they threw some cabernet in to lend structure? Very good/Excellent wine.
1987 Warres Port Quinta de Caveldinha Caramel and slightly tawny already. Have had much better, fresher bottles in the last year from the same shop so this was very developed. Shame as it was the last.
1976 Sedan Hotel Vintage Port (By Liebich) This was a dud but didn't write down why.
1981 Gralyn Vintage Port Dense wine with licorice. Almost like a Mclaren e.g. Chateau Reynella. Very good/Excellent! Someone said how young the vines were so surprising how concentrated this wine is.
1989 Gralyn Auslese Riesling I tried this but no notes unfortunately.
McWilliams Show Liqueur Muscat Ooh. First class richness and length. What power! Outstanding and world class. But then Muscats and Tokay aka whatever they are called now but should be muscadelle is what Australia does so well. 2nd WOTN (the better wine no doubt but the chardonnay was certainly the most surprising)
Not a bad number of wines and eye-opening that the whites lasted longer than the reds. Also interesting to look at the 98's with some lovely wines alongside some that were quite faulty. I must have been in a picky mood due to having a cold recently.
cheers
Carl
Ha!
I see now why you were unwell on Sunday for the DM extravaganza!
Good little rundown!
