Sunday 25th July Weekend Drinks

[Craig(NZ)]

Well a week out from the Taupo half Marathon, training is taipering off and Mel had her 35th birthday. At least I now have a wife closer to 50 than 20??

Anyway twas time to start digging into the good stuff.

Started with Morton Estate NV Brut which is a wine Mel really enjoys and bought for the occassion. Its a pretty good sparkling but not the most elegant in the world. Something to quaff on while preparing for the guests to arrive

Then 2004 Kumeu River Mates Vineyard Chardonnay. This was a lovely wine on release and is at a perfect stage in its development with lovely integration, silky texture and lovely fresh grapefruit/ mineral characters. It seems to miss a bit of the stunning X factor displayed by the 06-08 vintages though and unless you really searxch for the qualities this wine does exhibit you could almost call it plain jane. I did really enjoy though. A lovely stylish wine.

1994 Stonyridge Larose. The words 'classic' and 'wine' are used in the same sentance to often, but this is a classic NZ wine and definitely for me one of the Top 10 NZ wines ever made. It is drinking fantastically. This bottle slightly more developed than the one we had at the vertical tasting last May, and it was better for it. A highly perfumed wine with cassis, lavendar, violets, and graphite. extremely complex. The palate is just gorgeous carressing and vinuos. Endless complexity, stunning balance and enormous length. This is the real deal and a heavyweight competitor for Bordeaux. Stunning

2005 Puriri Hills Reserve. Yip lets get this baby next to a true classic to get an idea where it sits. I have a few of these in the cellar, the next one is not going to be opened for 4 or 5 years. The nose is no where near as developed as the SRL with primary black fruit, sweet herbs and nutty oak. The palate is just gorgeous, rich, layered, poised and controlled. It seems more concentrated than the SRL but you would expect that when a wine is 11 years younger. I am impatient!!!!. I want to try this wine in 8 years now!!!! This really impressed the guests, so much so that they all want to come to a tutored tasting that the vineyard now offers as soon as the 2008's are released. This will be a classic up there with the SRL in my opinion, but you can cater for my bias when it comes to this label.

2007 Church Road Reserve Cabernet Merlot. Another wine I have bought a stack of and will by even more of before they disappear from market. Mel's sister brought this along and it was another example of the stunning NZ bdx blends around. You can fget this for $25 if you are lucky! Again the youth of this wine put it a bit on the back foot in the complexity stakes at this stage but the potential is obvious. Lovely fine warm fine tannins, plenty of fruit, awesome balance. Honestly folks if you haven't bought at least a 6 pack of this on special you are fools!

2002 Bilancia La Collina Syrah. One corner of the 'holy trinity' of Hawkes Bay Syrah and the rarist of them. This was a watershed wine in the same way that 02 Le Sol was. It is a wine at a perfect stage of development. The nose is chco full of dark cherry/ blueberry/ blackberry fruit and lashings of very sweet spices think anise, cinnamon,mixed spice. The palate is broad with dusty ripe tannins. It is mouth filling and relaxed ltting it all hang out. Sultry, slutty and satisfying. Definitely one of the very best NZ Syrah I have drunk, and for once drunk at the right stage of development (I always seem to open my NZ Syrah too young)

[rooman]

Craig

Noice collection of kiwi icons. I havee one last bottle of the '94 Larose tucked away. I very nearly opened it on Friday at lunch, going with a Seppelts St Peters 98 and MItchelton Print Shiraz '98 instead. I really want to try the Mate vineyard again some time soon. Early version of this were too overoaked for my palate but I am told it has come in a long way since then. Once again a lovely collection of wines.

Mark

[Craig(NZ)]

Mark

The current 08 Kumeu River wines are lovely. Perhaps the best they have made Not such a fan of the estate one from 08, it shows the warm vintage a bit much IMO but the other 3 (mates, hunting hill and coddington) are stunning wines.

The 06's were excellent too, maybe the oak a tad more obvious than the 08 and not quite as integrated but some time in the cellar should resolve these issues.

[monghead]

Hi all, just a list and rating for now, as on holidays.

2008 Yalumba Virgilus Viognier- Good Good
2009 Robert Oatley Pinot Noir- Sub Good
2006 Yarra Yerring Shiraz Viognier- Solid Good
NV Moet et Chandon- Good
2003 Moet et Chandon Grand Vintage- Solid Good
2003 Moet et Chandon Grand Vintage Rose- Good
2009 Pike and Joyce Pinot Gris- Good 
2009 Robert Oatley Chardonnay- Solid Good
2007 Sandalford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon- Good
2009 Larry Cherubino the yard Pemberton Sauvignon Blanc- Good
NV Seppeltsfield Grand Rutherglen Tokay- Solid Good

Cheers,

Monghead         

[Gianna]

1996 - 389

Certainly a lot has been written about this wine and I will only add that it was a very ,very nice quaffer.
I wasn't overwhelmed as many have written about this wine, but I must say, there was nothing left in the bottle.

Down to 4 bottle of this vintages and I will alloacate 2 for next year and 2 for the year after.
I think this vintage is at its peak now and will hold for about another 3 years.

92 pts - Really Good

[Chuck]

Apart from the usual good quaffers during the week last night we enjoyed a Jacobs Creek 1999 Limited Release Shiraz Cabernet. Very very nice with the typical strong tannins of the cool vintage now in balance with the fruit although the new US oak still pokes out a bit too much. Judging by past bottles methinks this will not go away and may get more out of balance as the fruit and tannins mellow. JH was right in his small criticism of these show pony styles. The oak is bearable in winter but It would be a difficult wine to drink in summer.

Chuck

[orpheus]

Well a week out from the Taupo half Marathon, training is taipering off and Mel had her 35th birthday. At least I now have a wife closer to 50 than 20??

Anyway twas time to start digging into the good stuff.

Started with Morton Estate NV Brut which is a wine Mel really enjoys and bought for the occassion. Its a pretty good sparkling but not the most elegant in the world. Something to quaff on while preparing for the guests to arrive

Then 2004 Kumeu River Mates Vineyard Chardonnay. This was a lovely wine on release and is at a perfect stage in its development with lovely integration, silky texture and lovely fresh grapefruit/ mineral characters. It seems to miss a bit of the stunning X factor displayed by the 06-08 vintages though and unless you really searxch for the qualities this wine does exhibit you could almost call it plain jane. I did really enjoy though. A lovely stylish wine.

1994 Stonyridge Larose. The words 'classic' and 'wine' are used in the same sentance to often, but this is a classic NZ wine and definitely for me one of the Top 10 NZ wines ever made. It is drinking fantastically. This bottle slightly more developed than the one we had at the vertical tasting last May, and it was better for it. A highly perfumed wine with cassis, lavendar, violets, and graphite. extremely complex. The palate is just gorgeous carressing and vinuos. Endless complexity, stunning balance and enormous length. This is the real deal and a heavyweight competitor for Bordeaux. Stunning

2005 Puriri Hills Reserve. Yip lets get this baby next to a true classic to get an idea where it sits. I have a few of these in the cellar, the next one is not going to be opened for 4 or 5 years. The nose is no where near as developed as the SRL with primary black fruit, sweet herbs and nutty oak. The palate is just gorgeous, rich, layered, poised and controlled. It seems more concentrated than the SRL but you would expect that when a wine is 11 years younger. I am impatient!!!!. I want to try this wine in 8 years now!!!! This really impressed the guests, so much so that they all want to come to a tutored tasting that the vineyard now offers as soon as the 2008's are released. This will be a classic up there with the SRL in my opinion, but you can cater for my bias when it comes to this label.

2007 Church Road Reserve Cabernet Merlot. Another wine I have bought a stack of and will by even more of before they disappear from market. Mel's sister brought this along and it was another example of the stunning NZ bdx blends around. You can fget this for $25 if you are lucky! Again the youth of this wine put it a bit on the back foot in the complexity stakes at this stage but the potential is obvious. Lovely fine warm fine tannins, plenty of fruit, awesome balance. Honestly folks if you haven't bought at least a 6 pack of this on special you are fools!

2002 Bilancia La Collina Syrah. One corner of the 'holy trinity' of Hawkes Bay Syrah and the rarist of them. This was a watershed wine in the same way that 02 Le Sol was. It is a wine at a perfect stage of development. The nose is chco full of dark cherry/ blueberry/ blackberry fruit and lashings of very sweet spices think anise, cinnamon,mixed spice. The palate is broad with dusty ripe tannins. It is mouth filling and relaxed ltting it all hang out. Sultry, slutty and satisfying. Definitely one of the very best NZ Syrah I have drunk, and for once drunk at the right stage of development (I always seem to open my NZ Syrah too young)

Agreed, Craig, the Bilancia 2002 is a sensational wine and drinking well now. I had one late last year. I bought a dozen of the 2007 on the strength of the 2002, but I am not sure that it is in the same league as the 02 (which is every bit as good as the 02 Le Sol).

[Wayno]

Rockford Basket Press 2006 - big style, loads of life ahead of it... very good.

[via collins]

that's a lip-smacking line-up Craig, hope you enjoyed thoroughly.

1er Hoddles Creek 2008 pinot blanc Subtle lime colouring, musky stone fruits on the nose, exceedingly clean palate that featured lemon curd up front, cripsy apples and a whack of acid throughout, and just a hint of effervescence, and a slight sourness at close. Dangerously gluggable in hot weather I'm sure, terrific wine.

O'Leary Walker 2009 Polish Hill riesling Creamy lemon lime sensations at the front end, a bit too much acid for mine at the opening, but finds its stride soon enough. Terrific volume and body, clean and satisfying finish, and I'm happy to have a handful of these put aside for a look in a few years.

Tahbilk 2006 shiraz Dark colouring, ain't it always at this age? Complex palate - some meatgoods from deli counter, some earth, some cigar box too - in fact, fruit takes a little while to poke through. As per many others, I love this, and have to assume it'll just improve. Yum.

Nino negri vatelina riserva nebbiolo 2005 - gorgeous dark cherry colour, and a dusty nose, but somehow, the least satisfying nebbiolo i've struck in the last little while - elegnat body, but the fruit tasted a little tired, and it didn't stick around long enough on the palate.

The Story 2006 Grampians shiraz - a muscular bloody wine that hangs around the glass edges for an eternity - a real stainer! I don't have the word for it, but like last time we drank one of these, it's got a clean, organic (?) mouthfeel, just fresh, punchy and full of dark fruits, and a nice peppery hit. Very good.

La Linea 2009 tempranillo - Dark purple in glass, a real lean bodied wine - smallggods, blackcurrants and tar, not too sweet, just a little belt of licorice at the back. Solid good.

Uberblanc riesling 2009 - this one turned up late in the meal on Friday night, don't know a thing about it - impressive though. Really fresh apple with smoky underyones. I'll be seeking some more of this out. For me, another style of Australian riesling that I could easily get next to!

[Rednick]

Some Young Punks 2010 Riesling - Monsters Attack An early drinking off dry style, very floral with good textrure from the residual sugar - followed by nashi pear and honey - nicely balanced - perhaps the fruit characters were slightly subdued - but still enjoyable

Domaine Meo-Cazumet 2006 Bourgogne Hhm, a plush dense wine and with a surprising amount of structure for a Bourgogne, too much perhaps for the fruit which is overpowered by the fierce drying tanins and oak - fingers crossed that it may come together in a few years but I'm not holding out much hope

Nick

[daz]

A couple of cheap Margaret River cabs $16-$18:

Rosabrook 07 is very good+, medium-bodied, black/red cherry, rasberry fruit with cassis/blackberry in support. The flavours are deceptively mouthfilling with some sour cherry appearing and good persistence on the finish. The tannins are fine with well-integrated cedary oak in support, a flick of minty greenness.

Ringbolt 08 is more full-bodied with plum and black cherry, some cassis, cedary oak more noticeable but not overly intrusive. Tannins are ripe, a little grainy, it lacks the persistence on the finish of the Rosabrook 07. Perhaps a warmer vintage? Still, it's a very good example of MR cab for less than $20.

Cheers

daz

[The more the better]

2004 Kalleske Old Vine Grenache - Lovely wine, holding up very well. Slightly sweet but nice structure and perfumed nose of forrest fruits and jubes. At least another 2-3 years left in it. Matched up very well with a hearty seafood bouillabaisse.

2002 Henrys Drive Reserve Shiraz - Big, smooth, well structured, not hot or overpowering considering it's 16% alcohol content. Just got better and better in the glass with time. would think it will drink well for at least another 5 years. Classy stuff...