2003 Pemberton Sauvignon Blanc Very floral nose, with gooseberry and lychees, no grassiness, and a hint of banana. The palate is very slender and elegant, but does fall away in the finish. Not unlike the Rymill; a good food wine at a very competitive price.
2001 Crofters Pinot Noir This was unpopular with the other tasters, but I liked it. Very stylish French oak ferment is noticeable on the nose, with hints of strawberries. The palate again has those creamy strawberries with cherries, and nutty, savoury oak in the background. Very similar to what used to be the Penfolds Cellar Door Pinot Noir, until the recent change to a more feral/rural style and a big price hike to match.
2001 Crofters Shiraz Like all of the reds tasted, matured in French oak, which lets the fruit really stand out. Very rich, sweet blackberry fruit with a hint of greenness packed into a medium frame, without the hot alcohol or the price tag of the Cape Mentelle.
2001 Franklin River Shiraz A bigger framed, sweeter version of the Crofters, but to me just went a little too far. Again the oak and alcohol is firmly in check, but there’s some sickly molasses/sarsaparilla on the palate. While the sweetness of the Crofters was acceptable, this overstepped the mark.
2001 Margaret River Cabernet The nose is a mix of coal, earth and blackcurrants, a wonderful marriage of good fruit with controlled French oak. The palate is medium bodied, elegant and long, again dominated by ripe blackcurrant fruit. Dare I say, like an excellent Coonawarra Cabernet at a great price.
1999 Gladstone Cabernet Sauvignon Deep, inky red. Very obvious, but well handled French oak barrel ferment characters interchange with coal/earthy/peaty fruit, then some dried herbs (oregano/thyme). Very thick, soft and generous - to me a bit like a cross between the 1998 John Riddoch with the latest release Leeuwin Estate. Impressive and expensive.
Cheers,
Ian
TN: Houghton Wines latest
TN: Houghton Wines latest
Last edited by n4sir on Sat Apr 07, 2007 1:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.