Sunday 13th June

[monghead]

Allright everyone, what have we all been enjoying this last week.

For me, the highlight was the monster shiraz tasting earlier in the week. (see other thread)

Cheers,

Monghead.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Sitting in Georgetown, Penang, it's Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, and more Tiger beer.

Not likely to have any wine till Sydney in July.

Cheers....................Mahmoud.

[rooman]

2007 Emrich-Schönleber Riesling Lenz 11.5% alc, superb structure, long seamless line of lemon and lemon shebert. At 3 years, the finish is starting to dry out from the crisp off sweet finish this wine had 12-18 months ago. I will try and leave the remainder for another 4 years time to see what it turns into. 90

Black Jack Block 6 Shiraz, Bendigo 2002. The first wine out of a case of six, this was rather disappointing. The tannins has softened much faster than I thought they would based on samples of the wine at the time I purchase it. The finish is rather short. Drink up. 88

[TiggerK]

Yep after the mega Shiraz tasting on Tuesday (and the ensuing hangover), I've been very quiet on the alcohol front. Came out of the woodwork with a couple of beers last night, wifey had some Montana T Terraces Pinot Noir 2007 which she liked for it's light acid backbone. Might get back to a nice glass of something tonight.

Cheers
TiggerK

[pstarr]

Lovely bottle of 1996 Hayshed Hill Cabernet Franc (Margaret River). 2008 Pio Cesare Il Nebbio nebbiolo (Langhe) also looked good.

[cuttlefish]

I moved back up to the plate on Friday night for a lads night at Trevi in Baulkham Hills.

We had a degustation with the following wines:

2003 Jansz - OK, not a world-beater, and opened up a little as it warmed in the glass

1995 Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling 1995 - showed signs of leaking around the seal of the screwcap, but was in pretty sound condition. Started with clear kero, but that blew off a little, and there were some subtle citrussy flavours to be enjoyed. Others thought it not as good as past bottles, but I was well pleased with this one.

2001 Audrey Wilkinson Reserve Semillon - Still very youthful all round, typically well balanced palate as with most good quality Hunter Sems

2008 Dog Point Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc - I liked this more tonight than I did when I first tried it at the Dog Point dinner at Neptune Palace earlier in the year. Bloody sexy little wine, and I thought made a bloody good food/wine match with the battered and fried calamari and prawn dish.

2006 Tiritiri Estate Chardonnay - apparently made in micro-quantities from a vineyard in Gisborne, NZ. I found this pretty heavily worked, and perhaps lacking in structure. Very textural, and actually quite good flavour, but no zing for me.

2005 Echezeaux Grand Cru (Burgundy) - Decanted for maybe an hour, and not nearly long enough for this wine at this stage of its life. Bloody fantastic though, as it began to open up in the glass, with a superbly weighted palate, and faint mocha characters lain over some lovely sweet leafy red-berry fruits. A first for me. Lovely.

1999 Willespie Merlot - a little corked.

1985 Lindemans St George Cabernet - looking good, with some sweet bitumen, and began to really settle in the glass into quite a stunner. Was still improving as we finished it. I loved the weight of this wine. The tannins soft and quite silky.

2006 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon - A very creditable effort from such a lousy vintage. This really began to grow on me, actually. I've been overly critical of 2006 Margaret River Cabernets in the past, but I think this one actually gets across the line. Perhaps not Moss Woods greatest ever release, but not showing as many underripe characters as other similarly priced Margaret River producers...quite elegant, overall.

1987 Willespie Cabernet Sauvignon - Looked at alongside the Lindemans, this looked a good 10-15 years younger in the glass. Clear and dark ruby colour. Much weightier, and more tannic, and with a whole lot of resemblance to Bordeaux. Fruit there, but dominated by leaf, capsicum, bitumen, and overall quite powerful savoury characters. Quite impressive.

1997 Jasper Hill Shiraz - Donated to our table by the restaurant owner, and looked fabulous, to be honest (15.5% alc)

1998 Geoff Merrill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - struggling to recall this wine, but it was in great shape. Powerful, and clean.

2004 Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz - Living up to the hype, by being good in almost every way. Give this some years in the cellar.

2006 Ch.Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Sauternes) - Clean light gold colour. Utterly captivating nose of an exotically spiced honey, just superb, and a pleasure to drink.

2004 Beelgara Estate Sun Dried Botrytis Semillon - Thicker, much darker in colour, and really, really nice in it's own way.

NV Boys Own Show Reserve Premium Muscat - from a barrel managed by members of our dining party. Had had some younger material added fairly recently, and it showed, but this is by all accounts typically a cracking wine.

Slight hangover the next day, but I was able to sleep it off !

[Craig(NZ)]

dunno what took more out of me, running a hilly half marathon in the wind and rain this morning or tidying up my cellar this afternoon

Found a 94 Peninsula Estate Cabernet Merlot in the clean up which has a very slow seep happenning so might have to knock that off tonight. Shame in a way as it was a wine i wanted to drink at 20-25 years old, such a great nz cellar wine and my last bottle. Maybe it is a reflection that my economy class section of my cellar is not as good as it was at the old house.

Not much drinking this weekend just 07 Carrick Pinot Noir which i really like, real pinot not jammy dry red like so many nz pinots are. Then last night a 07 Villa Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet as we watched the All Black v Ireland Circus. This is really good stuff. Hard to believe it has dipped below $12 at the supermarket occassionally this year.

Good luck to Australia vs Slovina tonite. If we can't make it to whatever game we need to make to beat England, I hope you guys do

[cuttlefish]

We play Germany tonight.

[Red Smurf]

Yes a few beers for me as well for recovery purposes on an overload of shiraz on Tuesday and finished reading the Shiraz booklet from the tasting. Great Stuff TiggerK!
Got back into it last night with more shiraz and a little Cab sav.

03 Petersons Back block shiraz. Odyssey will have to fill you in on this one as they drank the lot before i got to it.
04 Penfolds Kalimna as always a good drop in a great vintage. Slight wiff of dusty earth, blackberries and balanced vanilla oak, was sweet plums and a little spiced raisin with a dry tannin finish.
99 Broke estate Cab Sav Very interesting nose, funky, earth, herbs. Still a little blackberry left and big tannin hit at the finish. Enjoyable.

Cheers
Smurf

[Eurocentric]

2005 Echezeaux Grand Cru (Burgundy) - Decanted for maybe an hour, and not nearly long enough for this wine at this stage of its life. Bloody fantastic though, as it began to open up in the glass, with a superbly weighted palate, and faint mocha characters lain over some lovely sweet leafy red-berry fruits. A first for me. Lovely.

Interesting that an 05 Echezeaux would be drinking well. Who was the producer?

[Craig(NZ)]

We play Germany tonight.

Yes, that you do, good luck anyway!!

[Sean O'Sullivan]

deleted

[Chuck]

Greenpoint 2006 Yarra Valley Chardonnay. Domaine Chandon discontinued still wine label sld off for a song. If this is an example of the new wave in Aussie Chardonnay then I'm a convert. Delicate, subtle with some nice acidity. A nice tad of oiliness to boot. It was with regret about 1/4 went into the Jamie Oliver lamb shanks. Winter is here!

First of the 2007 Fraser Gallop Margaret River Cabernet. Very nice but the delicate flavours were a little overwhelmed by the chilli in the lamb shanks. It smacks of MR and will be interested to see how it matures although it was quite approachable now.

Tonight with home made pizza a Coriole 2004 Diva Shiraz. Export order leftovers. Lovely fruit from a vintage that continues to impress.

Friday night was a Leabrook Eastate 2003 Adelaide Hills Cabernet Merlot. A quality wine that was perfect with rare atlantic salmon, pasta and fresh asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

During the week a Day break Ridge 2004 Clare Valley Cabernet. Very nice indeed.

And after golf today a nice jug of Carlton Draft. Don't get to try many keg beers and this was delicious.

Chuck

[Michael McNally]

And after golf today a nice jug of Carlton Draft. Don't get to try many keg beers and this was delicious.

Chuck

The tastiest beer of the week is always the pot or two after football (soccer) on a Sunday morning! Something about draft beer after sport I think Chuck!

Cheers

Michael

[Matt]

Brown Hill Fimiston Shiraz 2007 (MR)
Initially a little closed but opened up beautifully after 45mins in the decanter.
Dark berry/cherry fruits intermingled with spicy xmas fruitcake. Ever so subtle oak charaters with a very satisfying finish.
The non irrigated vines allow maximum fruit concentration in every mouthfull. This was a real stunner. Well done Brown Hill.
Halliday says 94pts. A well deserved rating!

[Bick]

Sitting in Georgetown, Penang

Aah, Penang. I like Georgetown. Great feel to it, and much nicer place to stay imho than the beach resorts up the coast...

[monghead]

2008 MacForbes Woori Yalloch Pinot Noir- What a lovely drop! Succulent, sensuous, silky. Extremely Good. Definitely sure my other bottle was stuffed due to a screwcap problem. Still waiting for a replacement or refund though from last year!
2004 Wynns Johnsons Block Cabernet Sauvignon- Classic pure coonawarra cabernet. Very Good.

Cheers,

Monghead.

[rens]

2008 MacForbes Woori Yalloch Pinot Noir- What a lovely drop! Succulent, sensuous, silky. Extremely Good. Definitely sure my other bottle was stuffed due to a screwcap problem. Still waiting for a replacement or refund though from last year!
2004 Wynns Johnsons Block Cabernet Sauvignon- Classic pure coonawarra cabernet. Very Good.

Cheers,

Monghead.

Can you put a time frame on the MacForbes Monghead? I have 5 and would be interested in your thoughts.

[TiggerK]

Can you put a time frame on the MacForbes Monghead? I have 5 and would be interested in your thoughts.

My thoughts exactly!! Got 5 as well.

[monghead]

Guys,

Regarding the Woori Yallochs, they are such a great drink now I would struggle to keep my hands off them. I think they have plenty in the tank for at least another 5-8 yrs. I personally, am going to buy another 6-12, then aim to open one yearly until I think it is plateauing, then enjoy the rest over that year...

Cheers,

Monghead.

[via collins]

Williams Crossing 2008 chardonnay (Macedon) Gorgeous yellow apple colouring. A great whack of peaches, grapefruit and almond meal on palate, and a good hefty body. Not overpowering though, great balance with food. This was love at first taste. Very very good.

Stonier 2008 pinot noir (MP) really light and bright colouring. Cherry and sour strawberry tastes, and a deceptively full body, and a full loving exit. Ridiculously good value PN.

Paesa Tuoi 2004 barolo (Piemonte) chocolate and dark cherry palate, slightly sour finish in first hours, so okay. Three hours in, body sumptuous, sourness gawn. Need to spend a little more time on this next time but good now.

Seppelt GR54 1999 VP (Barossa) Tawny, rusty colouring, molasses and xmas pudding, citrus peel and tar, and some leathery berry fruit tones, with fruit in retreat. Very nice for my taste, but I hear what others are saying by comparison with the 98 cleanskin. It's going to be a GR54 kind of winter I suspect!

[Teisto]

Pirathon 2005 shiraz (Kalleske) Drinking really well. I think this is a great value sub $20 shiraz depending on where you get it from.

Bay of Fires 2006 Pinot full of strawberries and raspberries and very fruit driven still. I had one of these last year and it had some stemmy overtones but this has gone from the latest bottle I opened.

Sorry my tasting notes aren't flash with descriptions.

[seddo]

Wynns Black Label 1998 - not bad with a few years left in it - maybe a touch too much acidity

cheers
Seddo