Weekday Plonk 30th Nov to 4th Dec

[monghead]

I will be exploring the Mac Forbes Pinots this week...

What about you guys?

Monghead.

[TiggerK]

Look forward to your thoughts monghead, got them myself a few weeks ago. Tried the Woori Yallock and was very impressed. Only got 1 each of the Coldstream and Gruyere so be keen to hear how they go in comparison.

Must check out the Hoddles as well...

Got a wine function tomorrow, so a night off wine tonight. Had a Mumm NV last night, bit simple but nice.

Cheers
TiggerK

[griff]

My sister brought some wines over from my cellar in Sydney to check what needed drinking so we are drinking

2002 Classic MacLaren La Testa Merlot
Purple red colour. Plummy spicy goodness. A little volatile acidity didn't detract and actually added lift. Polished french oak frame with a lingering finish. Very Good. Drink up.

2002 Classic MacLaren La Testa Grenache
Rusty red colour. Very spicy. Raspberry flavours. Slightly sharper and forward in the mouth to the wine above with less oak as well. Good. Drink up.

Plenty more back in Sydney so I hope they last.

cheers

Carl

[via collins]

Escorihuela Gascon Syrah 2005

The highlight thus far in a malbec intensive. I like malbec, I respect malbec, but I could never love malbec. I'm going to try some blends, but this bodega provides some cracking wines across the board, and I'm a little in love with the syrah. Dark, spicy, fabolous body, and a palate with length, and fruit warmth, not so much the alcohol. Would happily quaff this through a winter if customs allowed me to bring a case home!

[monghead]

2008 Mac Forbes Coldstream Pinot Noir

Translucent crimson red hue. Expressive floral nose with cranberries, hints of Turkish delight, and star anise. Sour cherries dominate the palate, but hints of gravelly minerality on the background. The mouthfeel was not absolutely silky, and there was a touch of astringence in the fine tannins. This did not have the delightful cheekiness of the standard Hoddles, nor the depth of flavour of the 1er cru. Good.

Will be trying the other Mac Forbes pinots soon…

[hungus]

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 2008

like an easy woman... easy to drink, cheap, and not much depth - and there is that feeling that something is missing when your finished

[Wayno]

Salomon Wachtberg Gruner Veltliner 2007
Good, lemony tart, subtle, savoury character

Downie Yarra Pinot 2004
The sh$t. In a great spot- cherries, bacon, woodsmoke. Complex.

[Wayno]

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 2008

like an easy woman... easy to drink, cheap, and not much depth - and there is that feeling that something is missing when your finished

I'll take the chick.

[hungus]

Apparently the 09 Beajolais are heavier and have more tannins - in which case i dont see why you'd buy a beajolais - just buy a nice aussie/NZ Pinot

[griff]

2007 Almirez Toro
Inky colour with purple bubbles on pouring. Wild, savoury nose with stencils. A little lactic, high-toned, middleweight palate with screaming powdery tannin. Fruit a little closed with some cherries lurking. Should flesh out further with time. Interesting wine. Good with excellent potential.

[Michael McNally]

like an easy woman... easy to drink, cheap, and not much depth - and there is that feeling that something is missing when your finished

Hey Hungus

I find this offensive. And yes, I know it is supposed to be a joke. Ironically I just welcomed you on the Who am I thread!

Welcome still, but please avoid denigrating others to make your point.

Cheers

Michael

[Rawshack]

Angoves Long Row Cabernet 2007

Under $10 from a certain large retailer and a terrific mid week dinner wine.

It's simple, yes, but there's some lovely chocolate and spice with the dark black fruits, and the structure is excellent. After an hour in the decanter the tannins had eased up, and it all was starting to come together rather nicely. The use of grape concentrate, which can be found at this price point, was barely noticeable. A great bistro Cabernet for the money and an excellent partner to my lentil casserole.

[Luke W]

Chandon Brut Vintage 2002

Great way to start the festive season - only down side was that I had to share it with the trouble and strife.....

All together everything you could want for in an Aussie sparkling.

cheers

Luke

[pstarr]

Apparently the 09 Beajolais are heavier and have more tannins - in which case i dont see why you'd buy a beajolais - just buy a nice aussie/NZ Pinot

For me, wines made from gamay can present a different profile of smells, flavours and tannins than Australian pinot noir. I find that gamay, even up to Cru beaujolias from Chiroubles or Morgon, can handle chilling in the fridge without dumbing down. That makes them good picnic choices, or reds in hot weather, where I would not so easily reach for a pinot (at either cellar or fridge temperature). Marinated, spatchcocked organic chook, barbecued over coals with garlic sauce, green salad, a hot night and a chilled bottle of beaujolais is one of my favourite wine/food/situation combos.

[bacchaebabe]

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 2008

like an easy woman... easy to drink, cheap, and not much depth - and there is that feeling that something is missing when your finished

I think you mean "when you're finished"

[Michael McNally]

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 2008

like an easy woman... easy to drink, cheap, and not much depth - and there is that feeling that something is missing when your finished

I think you mean "when you're finished"

I noticed that too Kris, but he is new and I was already pulling him up on the gender bashing so I let it slide.

Cheers

Michael

PS Hungus, I really hope you don't take this all too personally. There have been far more offensive posts on here! Please keep posting.

[TiggerK]

Bit of an outing last night.... excuse my feeble attempts at proper notes and scores.

Wine Bar before dinner....

HRB 'D678' Chardonnay 2007 - Lovely quality Chardy in that modern fresh, rich fruit style with well integrated quality oak. 18. Rich Summer Yum.
Penfolds Grange 2001 - gotta love a bar that serves this by the glass and half glass. Loved it. Still lots of oak prominent but with dark plums and licqorice to boot. Perhaps a tiny bit of cork aged character (is that taint? Or is that normal - never can tell) - but this was a tasty wine indeed, but as always, it's just not good QPR. 18.5. Expensive Yum.

Then off to a 'Natural Wine Dinner" at Blancharu with chef Haru Inukai and wines by Andrew Guard. Tony Bilson was in attendance and an enjoyable night was had by all.

Clos de Tue Boeuf Touraine Sauvignon 2007 - I found the nose and inital taste very perfumed and delicious, but the aftertaste was just too challenging for me, seemed very powdered or chalky. 'Like drinking perfume' said my wife. 16.
(w/ Konbu marinated Snapper w/ Japanese Plum Jelly & Brocollini)

Domaine de Belle Vue Muscadet 'Granit' 2008 - Now we're talking, this was delicious. Clean fresh vibrant apple and flowery fruit flavours with a long finish, and a great food match, esp w/ the natural oyster w/ Tonazu Jelly . 18.
(w/ Coffin Bay Oysters 3 ways)

Christian Binner Sonnenberg Riesling 2005 - Another superb wine, and more opening of my inexperienced eyes to the variety of tasty Riesling options. - Very slight sweet edge, well balanced acidity and great stonefruit, passionfruit? and lime flavours. My WOTN. 19.
(w/ Pork Rilletes, wild strawberry, apple and rocket salad.)

Thierry Glantenay Pommard 1er Cru 'Saussiles' 2006 - A racy taut Pinot with a subtle depth of fruit and a wine which promises good things ahead for those prepared to wait. Went well with the amazing duck dish, but a bit much acidity and less ripeness than I personally enjoy from my limited Pinot experience. 17.5
(w/ Twice cooked Duck Breast w/ Miso glaze, nectarine & fois gras)

Maxime Magnon Corbieres 'Rozeta' 2007 - Another interesting wine, grenache based with some carignan and cincault in the mix. Good fruit depth, although tannins and acidity a tad overwhelmed the lamb I felt. 17.5
(w/ Slow cooked lamb shoulder oven bag w/ couscous)

Torbreck Vintners 'The Bothie" Frontignac 2008 - Clear, only very slightly yellow, in fact almost water-like in colour. A great dessert wine, mid range sweetness and wonderful passionfruit/berry/lemon nuances. Crisp end enjoyable, and a fantastic match with the dessert (which was amazing). 18.5
(w/ Passionfruit mousse and Coconut ice-cream)

For me, such an eye opener to these styles of refined, naturally made (i.e as pure as possible) wines. For my palate, a bit of a shock. It's a french thing I suspect, requiring a weaning off big aussie reds towards wines with a lovely perfumed nose, quality fruit but offset by what seems like higher acid and a lighter overall profile (and more subtler oak depending on style of course). More food oriented, lighter styles of character and yes, 'terroir'. I'd have to say I'm not a convert overall, but have certainly enjoyed my journey so far, and look forward to more exploration.

Cheers
TiggerK

[monghead]

2008 Mac Forbes Woori Yalloch Pinot Noir

A screw cap fault?
Externally, the bottle looked pristine. On twisting open, there was a dried sticky sediment stuck to the capsule within the screwcap. There was also the same material on one side of the screw thread on the glass bottle. Almost like the wine had leaked through the seal, then dried… Never seen this before though.
Anyway, the wine? Well, muted nose, flat and dull. Sour cherries on the palate, and a brass like zing, with nothing much else. One dimensional. Based on what others have said about this wine, I fear I have suffered a bad bottle. Since the rest was in the cellar, I couldn’t open another to compare, so I moved onto the other Mac Forbes.

2008 Mac Forbes Gruyere Pinot Noir

Perfect seal. Beautiful pinot. There was a sumptuousness to this wine that was quite remarkable. Every sip tantalises you with it’s vibrance, yet caresses you with it’s velvety silkiness. There was impressive depth and complexity to the flavours, and the bottle disappeared all too quickly. Delectably Good


Hmmmm, must try another Woori Yalloch.

Monghead.

[Wayno]

Cape Mentelle Marsanne Roussanne 2006
Oily, honey, very textural if a little heavy. Good with food.

[Gavin Trott]

Delicious, light, tight, taut and elegant, but ever so moreish.

2009 Jim Barry Watervale Riesling

The best of these for years, I reckon. The nose is all flowers, blossoms, citrus, loads of lime, a hints of spice and a touch of pears all combine, but its the lemon/lime blossom character that dominates, and makes this incredibly inviting. The palate follows through too, its delicious, its tight and taut, its structured and its tasty, again, lemons, limes, spices and a touch of grapefruit thought the finish. So fresh there's still a touch of spritz.

Now don't get me wrong, this is not Grossett, it doesn't have the intensity and weight of the best Rieslings, but dang, its deliciously drinkable. I'm really enjoying this ... if you are after a regular drinker that won't break the budget, and is often (ridiculously) discounted, you could do far worse! Well done Jim! and, I think, well done 2009!

.

[dlo]

I opened a 1999 Marc Pavelot Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode last night and, wow, what a wine for what it is. Sensational saturated deep ruby with very little lightening, sensationally opulent nose brimming with dark berried fruit (raspberry, strawberry, blueberry and black plum) over a strong sappy core, gorgeous oak spice with notes of ground cardamon, spice box and a haunting gamy undertone. The palate is equally opulent but delivers sublime structure and brilliant delineation to counter the wealth of sap-infused fruit and, yes, I think it's sensational, too, with its mouth filling flavour, amazing length and just an awesome, mesmerizing finish to a great wine. I paid something in the order of 45 bucks for this at release and have been sitting on the remnants of a case for some time now. Every one I open just keeps getting better! 94 points. Drink now - 2019.

[Rawshack]

Delicious, light, tight, taut and elegant, but ever so moreish.

2009 Jim Barry Watervale Riesling

The best of these for years, I reckon. The nose is all flowers, blossoms, citrus, loads of lime, a hints of spice and a touch of pears all combine, but its the lemon/lime blossom character that dominates, and makes this incredibly inviting. The palate follows through too, its delicious, its tight and taut, its structured and its tasty, again, lemons, limes, spices and a touch of grapefruit thought the finish. So fresh there's still a touch of spritz.

Now don't get me wrong, this is not Grossett, it doesn't have the intensity and weight of the best Rieslings, but dang, its deliciously drinkable. I'm really enjoying this ... if you are after a regular drinker that won't break the budget, and is often (ridiculously) discounted, you could do far worse! Well done Jim! and, I think, well done 2009!

.

Thanks the notes Gavin - Being a Riesling acolyte, I went out and bought a few of these based on another board members review. I'll crack the first this weekend and see how the others develop

How do you think it'll be looking in a couple of years?

[orpheus]

Two unimpressive wines at a function last night;

Wolf Blass Gold Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Coonawarra) - raw, sweet, thin, lacking in structure and generosity.

Maglieri McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - slightly more interesting, a little bit of weight and complexity, some blackcurrent, but a slightly unpleasant taint on the nose carrying through to the palate, a sort of moudly vanilla/cassis quality that was distracting.

[Gavin Trott]

Thanks the notes Gavin - Being a Riesling acolyte, I went out and bought a few of these based on another board members review. I'll crack the first this weekend and see how the others develop

How do you think it'll be looking in a couple of years?

Well

It was quite light, not particularly powerful, but balanced.

I don't know that I would be aging it myself, although it would probably surprise us both! More for current drinking, and delicious at that!

If you want one to enjoy now, and then age it, I'd give the

2009 Crabtree Watervale Riesling a go

or

2009 Sevenhill Inigo Riesling

.


perhaps?

Let us know how you found the Jim Barry btw?

[griff]

Tonight:

2008 Some Young Punk Lust Collides Mataro
Opened it yesterday and it was quite interesting. Musk sticks, fresh and middle weight with some tannin on the finish. Tonight it fills out with some savoury brambly goodness. Very Good wine.

1995 Miranda Golden Botrytis
No back label so don't know what it consists of other than it is from Riverina and King Valley. A medium brass colour. Very Good a couple of days ago but somwhat sweet and simple. After two days open this is a revelation. Caramel base with peach, marmalade, honeycomb and flower pollens. Yes, pollen. A rich, viscous mouthfeel which tastes creamy with beautiful toffee superbly balanced by tingling acidity. A lengthy finish. A truly Outstanding wine drinking at its peak. You know, one of those wines that reminds you of what sparked your passion.

cheers

Carl

[monghead]

Bit of an outing last night.... excuse my feeble attempts at proper notes and scores.

Wine Bar before dinner....

HRB 'D678' Chardonnay 2007 - Lovely quality Chardy in that modern fresh, rich fruit style with well integrated quality oak. 18. Rich Summer Yum.
Penfolds Grange 2001 - gotta love a bar that serves this by the glass and half glass. Loved it. Still lots of oak prominent but with dark plums and licqorice to boot. Perhaps a tiny bit of cork aged character (is that taint? Or is that normal - never can tell) - but this was a tasty wine indeed, but as always, it's just not good QPR. 18.5. Expensive Yum.

Tigger, what wine bar is this?

Cheers,

Monghead.

[TiggerK]

Gazebo Wine Bar in Elizabeth Bay.

Very cool place, funky garden retro french feel, good service and food looked good. I just wish I didn't live out in the styx so I could try more of their selection..... They use one of those Enomatic wine dispenser things, so it should be fairly well kept.

Have to say though, I wouldn't get the 2001 again for the price they charge ($40 half glass, $79 glass). The web site listed the 93, which was a bad year for Grange (apparently), so I was happy to see the 2001 on tasting. But the guy did say it was their last bottle, so would be worth a phone call to see what year they are serving now. Wouldn't I just love an 86, 90, 91 or 96...... Would be there tomorrow.

Sample menu.... This seems like good value.

The Grange affair
$99

To start
Oysters with Shiraz Vinaigrette
with
Yarra Burn "Premium Cuvee" NV

Mains
Your choice of
Grilled sirloin, café de Paris, shoestring fries
with
2007 Maxwell “Silver Hammer” Shiraz, McLaren Vale SA
------------------
Salad of grilled chicken, chilled prawns, avocado, cabbage
with
2007 Gregoris Soave, Verona, ITALY
------------------
Rustic tart with goats cheese, warm leek, confit cherry tomatoes & basil
with
2007 Brumont Gros Manseng/ Sauvignon, Gascogne FRANCE
------------------
Char-grilled ocean trout, asparagus, potato rosti, tomato & basil dressing
with
2008 Scotchmans Hill Pinot Grigio, Mornington Peninsula VIC

To finish
A selection of International cheese, crisp breads, apple & grape chutney
with
half a glass of Penfolds “Grange”

Cheers
Tim

[TiggerK]

2008 Mac Forbes Coldstream Pinot Noir

Translucent crimson red hue. Expressive floral nose with cranberries, hints of Turkish delight, and star anise. Sour cherries dominate the palate, but hints of gravelly minerality on the background. The mouthfeel was not absolutely silky, and there was a touch of astringence in the fine tannins. This did not have the delightful cheekiness of the standard Hoddles, nor the depth of flavour of the 1er cru. Good.

Had this tonight, and agree very much with this description. This was still a very nice drink, but the Woori Yallock was such a more refined and smooth wine that it's no contest.

Cheers
TiggerK

[monghead]

2008 Mac Forbes Coldstream Pinot Noir

Translucent crimson red hue. Expressive floral nose with cranberries, hints of Turkish delight, and star anise. Sour cherries dominate the palate, but hints of gravelly minerality on the background. The mouthfeel was not absolutely silky, and there was a touch of astringence in the fine tannins. This did not have the delightful cheekiness of the standard Hoddles, nor the depth of flavour of the 1er cru. Good.

Had this tonight, and agree very much with this description. This was still a very nice drink, but the Woori Yallock was such a more refined and smooth wine that it's no contest.

Cheers
TiggerK

Hmmm, I'm quite sure my Woori Yallock was stuffed.

Gavin, what are my chances at a replacement?

Anyways,

Monghead.

[Rawshack]

Thanks the notes Gavin - Being a Riesling acolyte, I went out and bought a few of these based on another board members review. I'll crack the first this weekend and see how the others develop

How do you think it'll be looking in a couple of years?

Well

It was quite light, not particularly powerful, but balanced.

I don't know that I would be aging it myself, although it would probably surprise us both! More for current drinking, and delicious at that!

If you want one to enjoy now, and then age it, I'd give the

2009 Crabtree Watervale Riesling a go

or

2009 Sevenhill Inigo Riesling

.


perhaps?

Let us know how you found the Jim Barry btw?

Hey Gavin

I had the JB riesling over two nights on the weekend and I thought it was a belter. Lovely floral, citrus nose and bright and crisp palate with a touch of what I thought was a sweet, tropical notes. You were right about the 'spritz' - that minerality is definitely there.

As for aging, well I think that the fruit and acidity are there to give it a go, but it's so utterly delicious and fresh now, I don't know why you'd want to. There was a comment in this months GTWM about how we should try and convert sauvignon drinkers to Australian Rielsing, and I think that this might be an ideal canditate.

A lovely wine that will be consumed in large amounts over the coming summer months