Come in red rover - weekly drinking reports due....

[TORB]

Hi Good Peoples,

Two wines worthy of mention this week, one I loved and I was was not so found of but no doubt many people will think I am mad, which to some extent is true.

The good - Orlando 1991 Lawson Shiraz. Brilliant, full of fresh blackberry fruit with dark chocolate plum and mint. The wine still has an excellent tannic backbone but the tannins are soft and smooth. The fruit purity is amazing and the finish is soooooo Long. Yummo! I had trouble not jugging the bottle.

The second wine that I was not so keen on was a Noon 2000 Reserve Cabernet. The nose was a bit spirity with inky dark fruit, tar, mint, and loads of dusty vanilla oak. It is a big wine with medium-grained tannins that are softening nicely, deeply seated fruit and balanced acid. The wine is well balanced and constructed for its size. Palate flavours are blackberry, prune, liquorice, tar, meat, and plum and the wine finishes reasonably cleanly despite the tannins grain.

If you were expecting a varietal Cabernet, you would be disappointed but if you were expecting a huge in your face Shiraz like wine then you would probably enjoy it. The back of the label talks about the growing conditions and then says, “The result is an intensely aromatic wine with a more elegant structure than in other recent vintages and great length of flavour.” I must admit I preferred the 2001 wine which was sold as a clean skin because it was not up to scratch.

I also far preferred the Lawson even though they have similar flavour profiles.

Now what have you guys been drinking?

[Sean]

deleted

[Anthony]

Went to the footy Friday night and saw the Bombers beat the Blues and drunk (amongst the dozen beers as I drowned my sorrows) the 2002 Ingoldby Cabernet Sauvignon. For such a great vintage this wine should have a lot more intensity. Had the same age the 98 Ingolby Cab/Sauv wa smiles in front of this wine.

Got a sneek look at the Saltrams 'The 8th Maker' Shiraz 2000. One of the best full-bodied Shiraz's I have tried at such a young age. An awesome wine.

Palliser Martinborough Pinot Noir 2002: a very good wine. Drunk out of shabby glasses at I Carusi in Brunswick and even with crappy glasses, it was still a very impressive wine. On another note, what sensational Pizza's. This is easily as good as the Pizza's in Italia (and especially Napoli!!)

cheers,
anthony

[MartinC]

earlier in the week;

Fox Creek Rsv Shiraz 2002 - Immense!!! The best Rsv. to date? I think so, better than the burly and oaky 1998. A full blown Mclaren Shiraz.


Last Nite;

D.Laroche 1stCru Blancot 1996 - Stylish showing minerality characteristic, a well rounded Chablis as compared to their flagship L'Obediance(more intense). Excellent lenght.

Antinori Solaia 1996 - a reasonaby well made but a major disapointment given the reputation of the wine. Lacking in concentration, flavour and finishes reasonably short. I understand for this vintage it's a 100% Cab.

Noon Rsv Cab 2002 - Fully loaded to the max. tthis wine scream everything except Cabernet varietal characteristic. I will be dumbfounded if it's tasted blind. As a wine it's extremely satisfying.

Noon Rsv Shiraz 2002 - Even thicker(glycerol) and richer than the Cab, only losing out on the nose. Both wine are quite identical sharing almost the same characteristic. Lacking the "ommph" factor of their previous 2001 vintage. Structurally not as "taut". A 1 glass is enough wine.

Rant: Prefered the Noons Cab over the Shiraz if "typicity" is being overlooked. I've no problem with that knowing the Noon's uncompromised style.

Courtet 1989 - courtesy fr the restaurant. A disapointment given the stellar vintage in Sauternes. Lacking in the "oily bortrytis" mouthfeel and found it too elegant(being diplomatic) and austere.

[ChrisH]

Anthony

Palliser seems to have really lifted their game in the last couple of vintages - don't know whether changes in their winemaking or lower cropping but they are certainly tremendous value.

regards
Chris

[David]

I have a half dozen of 1997 Cullen Cab Merlot and decided to see how it was going which I never tried it after the purchase. I bought these wines under recommendation from a friend.
As soon as I pulled the cork out the first instant I noticed was a beautiful perfumay nose coming out of bottle. The colour was a nice deep red and I just couldn't wait to taste it as I was pouring into Riedel glass !
First thing I noticed was this lovely nose and it filled the mouth all the way and lingered with a hint of oak and tannins beautifully ! Nothing was overpowering! My friend initial reaction was WOW!!! His comment was "this is a really lovely and well balanced throughout!" This wine is if not the best but one of the best wine I ever tasted. I will open another one end of this year to see how it is travelling and will let you know.

David
PS. I better register this forum.

[n4sir]

We had a great evening to celebrate Dad’s 75th birthday, but we only opened two bottles for the occasion. As promised, the tasting notes:

1973 Penfolds Grange Hermitage Despite being a museum re-release, the cork was well and truly soft and stained right through, as though it hasn’t been replaced. Glowing brick red colour. Vibrant raspberry and mulberry filled the air as the wine was put through a breathe-easy into a decanter. As the wine breathed, that initial freshness disappeared, and the wine really appeared a touch stale, as though there was some cork taint or it was a bit past it. That said there were very noticeable dusty varnish characters, prune, pickles, and at one time even some dried apricot. After a soft entry the palate flexed its muscles, with powerful tannins driving a hefty mid-palate, and a long, dry finish. The flavour aspects were really secondary to the structure; some mulberry, dry-dirt, and green apple, but almost verging on cloying semi-sweetness and/or staleness. While it really seemed its best after two hours breathing, I somehow got the feeling this either wasn’t a good bottle, or the wine is past its best.

1996 Mitchell Peppertree Shiraz Deep, dark red colour. Vibrant nose with dark chocolate and black cherries and a touch of licorice, which flow onto the heavyweight palate. There’s a youthful lick of oak somewhere in the nose, but it’s battered into the background by that sweet fruit. This is a classic that somehow is at least five years off its best, when you just know the last of the few remaining rough edges will be smoothed out.

We didn’t open the 1930 Para Liqueur Port – maybe next year.

Cheers,
Ian

[Ed W]

martin: now you have totally put me off buying the fox creek reserve since you like it so much!

anthony: so glad to hear the 02 palliser PN is up to standard of your fine melbourneian palate! i was a bit worried about how they did in 2002...its PN's rating was down compared to 2001 (5stars--> 4 stars)----afterall it has been my "staple pinot noir" in hk for the last 3 years. it's the only NZ pinot available here at a sanely price. will open one this week and find out.

on to the wines:

2000 Dry River Gewurztraminer: yellow gold. intense lychee/floral perfume--its almost intoxicating (which would not be a bad way to die). A medium style, thick viscous wine. Honey, marmalade galore. just bordering on being a little fat.

1990 Gruaud Larose. Once again i am failing to appreciate the prices of some of these classed-growths. brick hue, good cedar/earthy/cured meat nose. it has the depth, complexity, aged naunces and all that but its just not pushing my bottons hard enough to justify its $200 price tag.

cheers
eddie

[Ed W]

and david: agree on the 97 cullen. from memory it was far more enjoyable than the gruaud larose.

ed

[Guest]

Anthony

Palliser seems to have really lifted their game in the last couple of vintages - don't know whether changes in their winemaking or lower cropping but they are certainly tremendous value.

regards
Chris

Yeah would have to agree with you Chris. I don't think they are that far away from taking there wines to the next level again. They have improved out of sight and the 02 Pinot and 03 Chard are very good. It will be interesting to see how they back it up in a not-so-great year.

cheers
anthony

[Guest]

Fox Creek Rsv Shiraz 2002 - Immense!!! The best Rsv. to date? I think so, better than the burly and oaky 1998. A full blown Mclaren Shiraz.

Is this a return to form? I tried the 2001 late last year, and found it very hot in the mouth. It certainly wasn't lacking flavour or complexity, but the mouthfeel was a step in the wrong direction from previous vintages, with that big, rounded Fox Creek feel missing. A 2002 Short Row tasted recently had the same 'problem'. It seems they don't make 'em like the used to, or do they now, with the 2002 Reserve?

[Andy]

Just a few weeks until we move overseas, so the cellar reduction process is well underway with a few farewell dinners - a thoroughly enjoyable exercise.

Rockford Riesling 1995 - Fully mature and drinking beautifully. I sometimes forget how good aged riesling can be. Will hold for a while longer but I doubt it will improve.

Giaconda Aeoli Roussanne 2001 - Simply a stunning wine. The richness and viscosity of rousanne has been captured by some very smart winemaking. As always with Giaconda wines, it feels very clean.

Chateau de Charmes Late Harvest Riesling 1998 - A Canadian desert wine that went very well with creme brulee. Rich, great mouthfeel and a long lingering finish.

Cullen Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2001 - This was the one that Jeremy Oliver rated as 19.1 a couple of years ago, which is incredible for a SSB (He subsequently downgraded it to approx 18.. I had a bottle a month or two ago which was brilliant, however this bottle was good without being great. Appeared more semillon dominant and a touch boring. Still, it went very well with a rocket, fig and goats cheese salad.

Diamond Valley Close Planted Pinot Noir 2000 (Black label) - Powerful perfumed nose - fruits of the forest and charred cherry. The wine is wonderfully balanced and appears to have integrated well. I tried it on release and believed it to be one of Australia's best pinots - a view confirmed with this tasting. Perfect with duck and honey soy sauce. A joy.

Cape Barren Old Vine Shiraz 2001 - I have written on this wine in the past and was again very impressed by it. Had that purpleish hue that just gets you excited about what is to come. Perfect example of how good McLaren Vale shiraz is - and at $33 such good value.

Bannockburn Shiraz 2001 - Have really enjoyed this wine over the past two vintages and it certainly rivals the pinot for which Bannockburn is more renowned. This wine has fine tannins that suggest it will last for the long haul. I was more impressed with the 2000, but think this will probably improve with age.

[GraemeG]

Drank another 1999 Lindemans Nursery Vineyard Riesling (Coonawarra) in two sessions over the weekend. Much less developed than previous bottles, this one was tight, lean, lemony and quite steely. Not dumb, but some way from showing much in the way of development. So, surprisingly primary still, with plenty of prickly acidity. Another example of the wine world's ultimate crapshoot - riesling under cork!

Also drank our last 1999 Vasse Felix Shiraz (Margaret River). A lovely raspberry/mulberry aroma was present while decanting, and vast tracts of sediment and solid matter coated the inside of the bottle. Aromas of stewed fruits are prominent - the palate is pretty long from front to back, but weighty with astringency. Not really developed much at all, yet I'd hesitate to call it dumb. The wine still carries its 14.3% pretty well, but I don't know if it'll ever develop into anything terribly special. Gains from further cellaring? Hard to call...

cheers,
Graeme

[simm]

No notes as these were from a barbeque:

Yering Station Pinot Noir: Very light and bright marachino cherry colour, the nose was delightfully fresh with and a hint of ripe strawberry. The palate was mostly of a strawberry flavour with with a base support of the cherries from the nose and earthy attributes. Not terribly long and I don't know the price so I can't comment on the value. 88/100

Wynns John Riddoch 86: Beautiful colour with a deep brick coming through, all the purples dropped away with the tartrate gunk. The cork disintegrated (I wasn't nearly as gentle as I should have been) but the mess of it was easy to get out with a bit of care and on inspection there wasn't any sign that the wine had even begun to rise up the cork ! After double decanting and an 2 hours in the bottle the nose was blossoming with rich and sweet cassis, blackberries and a ripe vegetal ribbon I couldn't figure out until it came out on the palate as huge and sweet black olives. Still big on the palate and the black olive of the nose dominating the berries in a most delightful way. The whole thing sings smoothness and whispers sweet nothings till you have to shake yourself awake. The texture had obviously gone from velvet to satin over the years and all this combined with an almost non-existent tannin level made it a honey of a wine. It will last a fair while longer but this is as good as it gets for this vintage of JR so hop in !! WOTN at 95/100

Ferngrove Cab Merlot 01 is a real winner for the $12 dollars/btl you pay (notes elswhere) and the Ingoldby Shiraz 2002 is in a similar boat but not quite as good for the same price/dzn as the weight is down a little this year, still they get around the same points as the Yering Station (maybe more for the Ferngrove because of my preference for a Cabernet and blends).

Becks was the beer of the night and for me it was light on, watery in texture and shallow on flavour. I need more ooomph in my beer but is was a pleasant enough intro to the night (as was the Yering Pinot).

cheers,

[Kieran]

David Wynn Chardonnay 00 - Purchased from the winery (Mountadam) for $65 per case (they're still selling it), this label has been scrapped and replaced with Mountadam Barossa. It's drinking pretty well, picking up some of the nutty, toasty characters of old chardonnay without looking tired yet. We'll probably drink the rest within a year.

Turkey Flat Grenache 02 - 15%. The fruit is sweet and the flavour abundant. Evolved a bit in the glass, so it might well have modest cellaring potential. I'd check it again today, but it's all gone.

Kieran

[BenK]

A couple I can remember

Rockford RD Pinot Chardonnay - not surprisingly big fruit and not a very refined style. Drinkable though.

1998 Main Ridge Chardonnay - outstanding

1991 Cape Mentelle Cabernet - big hole in the middle, dissappointing.

1995 Chianti - excellent but cannot recall producer. Let me know if anyone cares and I can find out.

2001 Wild Duck Creek Estate Shiraz - huge. You could leave it open for days ad it would still not be any softer. Double decanted and left for 8 hours before drinking. interesting but not to all tastes. Not typical of the region. I loved it.

2001 Noons Cleanskin Cabernet - excellent.

[Brett H]

Had a Rippon Pinot 2000 the other night with an excellent double cooked duck at Benchmark wine bar in canberra. I was just continuing my love affair with Otago Pinot and wasn't disappointed.

[Rory]

Some good ones out of the cellar to celebrate the 11th the wedding anniversary.

'99 Trembach Cuvee Frederic Emile Alsace Riesling.
Soooopoib!
One of those wines that make you whistle with appreciation. Rich developed nose that leads on to an impressively rich palate that goes on forever. I was expecting it to be a little fresher, but that may just be the fact it's in cork. But nonetheless, a very satisfying wine that even stopped the owner and chef of the restaurant in thier tracks.
This wine will continue to improve and build richness with many years yet.

'93 Zema Estate Family Selection Cab/Sauv.
Ah, no doubt about the Family Selection, they don't even beging to hit thier straps until 10 years of age, and this wasn't a great vintage. It had all the hallmarks of a very good Coonawarra Cab, only a little short on the palate. Otherwise it had great flavours and some years on this plateau yet.

'02 Murdoch James "BLue Rock" Pinot Noir.
The more readily approachable of the troika that Murdoch James have produced, and a lovely rich Pinot with good length and satisfying mouthfeel as well. Enjoyed it!

Rory

[Rob]

Gosset Brut Excellence N/V

A light honey colour, much deeper than other N/V champagne. A citrus and summer flower aroma on the nose. The bubble is fine and persistent but lacking the creamy mouth feel that made french champagne a class of its own. Strangly this champagne has a very slight honey finish on the palate.
I am not sure if this wine is a good example of Gosset, will evaluate again when new stock arrives.
Based on this experience, Pol Roger is a much better champagne.

[AlanK]

Rob,

How long have you, or the bottle shop stored the wine? I checked the website of gosset and brut excellence is a blend of 42% C 45% PN 13% PM. Maybe the honey tasted is from the aged chardonnay? Just a thought.




Was a busy week for me, but nevertheness tried:

Maurice O'Shea Shiraz 2000 (excellent balance of fruit and acid, very good wine, need at least another 5 years to show its best).
Rochford Macedon Ranges 'R' Chardonnay 2002 (I love charonnays from macedon ranges--e.g. Cleveland--honey melon, french like and rich on the palate, yum)
Amulet Sangiovese 2002 (richer than their 2001, need more time)

[Rob]

Rob,

How long have you, or the bottle shop stored the wine? I checked the website of gosset and brut excellence is a blend of 42% C 45% PN 13% PM. Maybe the honey tasted is from the aged chardonnay? Just a thought.

Alan,

Agree with your thought. The colour of the champagne is a lot deeper and toward golden combined with the hint of honey did suggest to me this bottle has been in storage for sometimes.

Cheers,
Rob