Its wet in the Yarra Valley this Sunday....

[TORB]

and the locals are loving the rain. And the good news is they have had lots of its. This bodes well for the next vintage, and after the frosts and fires over the past few years, they can do with all the help they can get.

I have had a few interesting drops. The Dalwhinnie 1987 Cabernet was interesting. Its a tannic bastard, but has a good combination of fresh fruit and aged characters. Needs food! Drink soon before the tannins completely swamp the fruit.

Zema Estate 2002 Cluny is at its peak. Very quaffable but its a tad thin. The noticeable herbasciousness add rather than detracts from the experience.

Now what have you guys been drinking? Lists, vibes, and tasting notes all welcome.

[jeremy]

2008 Karra Yerta Riesling- pristine, with lime, lemon. Some pear on the mid palate, and an appealing chalk dust like texture. Spiced green apple on the long finish. Loved it.

2008 Printhie Chardonnay - lacking the textural dimensions I like in my Chardonnay, but very nice for $17. Nuts, nougat, white peach and melons. Quite savoury on the finish, touch of cream through the middle and some nectarine and spice.

2005 Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein- lost my tasting notes for this, but dark savoury cherries and chocolate spring to mind. I really like this sort of red. Seems simple at times, but I don't think it is.

[Attila]

Since you are in the Yarra Ric...

2008 Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Chardonnay

Superb melony fruit, quite full bodied and delightful. One of the best Yarra Chardonnay of recent times!
94 pts $35
Cheers,
Attila

[monghead]

Had been sick as a dog for a week, and now back to "normal"- (wifey claims that i am never quite normal...)

Anyways, during the peak of the viral illness, wasn't able to stomach any vino (i know, blasphemy...)

As i emerged from it though, i tried a couple of wines and thought they were horrible. Possibly still virus affected, so these have asterixes next to them.

*2007 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon- Awful
*2008 rk Chardonnay- Not Good
*2001 Penfolds Bin 28- Sub Good
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs- Very Good
1999 Bass Philip Premium Pinot Noir- Superbly Good
1991 Rockford BP Shiraz- Stunningly Good
2006 Chandon de Briailles ‘Savigny les Beaune -Aux Fourneaux 1er’- Solid Good
1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel- Stunningly Good- TN later.

Cheers,

Monghead.

[ross67]

As i emerged from it though, i tried a couple of wines and thought they were horrible. Possibly still virus affected, so these have asterixes next to them.

*2007 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon- Awful
*2008 rk Chardonnay- Not Good
*2001 Penfolds Bin 28- Sub Good
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs- Very Good
1999 Bass Philip Premium Pinot Noir- Superbly Good
1991 Rockford BP Shiraz- Stunningly Good
2006 Chandon de Briailles ‘Savigny les Beaune -Aux Fourneaux 1er’- Solid Good
1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel- Stunningly Good- TN later.

Cheers,

Monghead.

8 bottles through the 'emergence' monghead....not bad

ross

[dlo]

With freshly shucked Clyde River Sydney Rock oysters, a 2005 Louis Carillon Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Perrieres" Chardonnay. Extra good. Tightly coiled but brimming with all kinds of gorgeous varietal fruit, a beguiling minerality, brilliantly worked barrel characters with matching top flight structure to boot. Drinkable now, especially after a good airing (and not overly chilled), but will be miles better in 5 years. 93 points.

[Attila]

*2007 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon- Awful
Cheers,

Monghead.

I knew it!
I've been eyeing it for a week now but waited for a tasting note. Yours short but straight to the point? Is it really awful?

[Julio G]

2008 Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling - text book young Riesling, fresh, zesty, acid present but approachable now. Good drink.

2002 Brokenwood ILR - wonderfully complex, minerality, nuts, great length. Not much experience with aged semillon but must start to change that.

1982 Chateau Montrose - simply an immense wine, still very fresh and bright in colour, fruit just starting to give over to secondary flavours of farmyard, leather and some old world things. Wonderful

[DJ]

I have had a few interesting drops.

I hope this means you are well on the road to recovery.

Most interesting this week:
2001 Domaine A Pinot Noir
The minty character kept reminding me of a Clare Shiraz. 15% quite unusual for Tassie Pinot. A shiraz drinkers Pinot but lacking varietal character.

[Chuck]

Lindemans 1998 Coonawarra Limestone Ridge. Fading fruit and lots of wood. Disappointing to say the least.

[rens]

*2007 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon- Awful
Cheers,

Monghead.

I knew it!
I've been eyeing it for a week now but waited for a tasting note. Yours short but straight to the point? Is it really awful?

I think it is the flu talking. I've tried this. It is just as good as the 2006 but the tannins are bigger. It should last 4-5 years longer than the 2006. It's on the buy listy for me. Just waiting for some more cah and DM to have it at a sub $20 price.

[bacchaebabe]

Haven't had the time to post lately so some of these from (distant) memory:

01 Hardy's Tintara Shiraz (cleanskin) Like a dirty chico. No, I'm not being racialist here. Remember those chico lollies. Tasted like those but a bit dirty. Got better on the second night. 87
01 Jamisons Run Coonawarra Cab Sav Big crust on the bottle. Deep red purple colour. Mulberries, plums and spearmint on the nose. Nice medium body but a bit minty with a high note finish. Probably better two years ago. 89
08 Noon Rose 15% Bright strawberry musk and cherry nose with some savoury elements. Initially a bit thin but filled out with some air. Good rose in the savory spectrum. 89
98 Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Creek Shiraz Grenache Cab Sav 13.5% Bricking red with browning meniscus. Smells a bit past it with a touch of caramel. Tastes a bit past it too. Some heat on the nose too. Drinkable but over the hill. NR
99 Petaluma Riesling Colour of wee. Just entering it's drinking window for my tastes. Honey notes are evident with really good complexity. A whiff of kero but very much in the background just adding a bit of character. Good wine. 94
98 RBJ Theologian[ My last two bottles of a ripper wine at a BBQ with the family on Friday night. Quite the mouthful with lovely plum, raspberries and black fruits. I'm hesitant to say they don't make 'em like this any more but I did see the label was finishing with some discount pricing on remaining stocks. Probably should have bought some but not sure if they'd be as good as these. 94
01 Noon cleanskin Something wrong with that bottle. NR
98 Peter Lehmann cab sav Corked - how disappointment after the last one. NR
I can't remember the next one I opened but I know it had a screwcap and was in a hole. Not a good night. Three average wines in one night. I don't get that very often, thank god.

[monghead]

As i emerged from it though, i tried a couple of wines and thought they were horrible. Possibly still virus affected, so these have asterixes next to them.

*2007 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon- Awful
*2008 rk Chardonnay- Not Good
*2001 Penfolds Bin 28- Sub Good
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs- Very Good
1999 Bass Philip Premium Pinot Noir- Superbly Good
1991 Rockford BP Shiraz- Stunningly Good
2006 Chandon de Briailles ‘Savigny les Beaune -Aux Fourneaux 1er’- Solid Good
1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel- Stunningly Good- TN later.

Cheers,

Monghead.

8 bottles through the 'emergence' monghead....not bad

ross

Technically, 3 of those bottles marked with the asterixes were in the recovery stage. The other 5 were well andtruly in the "back on form" stage in the last 3 days.

Monghead.

[monghead]

*2007 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon- Awful
Cheers,

Monghead.

I knew it!
I've been eyeing it for a week now but waited for a tasting note. Yours short but straight to the point? Is it really awful?

I think it is the flu talking. I've tried this. It is just as good as the 2006 but the tannins are bigger. It should last 4-5 years longer than the 2006. It's on the buy listy for me. Just waiting for some more cah and DM to have it at a sub $20 price.

I don't know...

I did have one prior to my viral illness, and still thought it was "sub good". From memory, it was rather disjointed and angular. During my illness, it tasted terribly salty!

Monghead.

[monghead]

And to finish off the weekend,

2004 Killikanoon Oracle Shiraz- Sub Good. Too jammy sweet and oaky. Terribly disjointed, and a pronounced void on the middle palate before the firm tannins take over.

[TORB]

I have had a few interesting drops.

I hope this means you are well on the road to recovery.

Thanks David.... getting there slowly. At least (and importantly) my liver functions are the best they have been in years and I am starting to enjoy wine again.

[smithy]

Ric.
Sorry to hear liver function is down.
Hope it wasn't my 82% alcohol free reds that did the damage!
I'm disgustingly healthy and on track for the Benalla Triathalon in late Dec. (the full course)
Hope to catch up soon.
Does anyone know anything about a Yalumba premium Chardonnay which won some trophies in Barossa Wine Show recently. Absolute cracker
Cheers
Smithy

[griff]

*2007 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon- Awful
Cheers,

Monghead.

I knew it!
I've been eyeing it for a week now but waited for a tasting note. Yours short but straight to the point? Is it really awful?

I think it is the flu talking. I've tried this. It is just as good as the 2006 but the tannins are bigger. It should last 4-5 years longer than the 2006. It's on the buy listy for me. Just waiting for some more cah and DM to have it at a sub $20 price.

I had a different experience. For me the 2006 Black label is better than the 2007 and will last longer. 2007 still a good wine for me but a step down from the 04, 05 , 06 vintages. I shall wait for 2008. But a difference in taste normal regarding wine

cheers

Carl

[Chrisp]

Two very enjoyable wines around this weekend:

Warrabilla Parolas Shiraz 2004
Rockford Rod & Spur Cab Shiraz 2000

Both terrific now but with plenty of life left in them.