It's Sundaayyy!

[daz]

So what's impressed and what's disappointed you in the last week, vinously that is? For me,

Ringbolt Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. Very good, substantial body, though not especially regional. Good length finish.

Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz 2008. Very good, on the medium side of full-bodied, black fruits, a bit meaty with a touch of regional green character on the fair length finish.

Cheers

daz

[Craig(NZ)]

1998 Te Mata Awatea. My last bottle and a lot more youthful than the past 2 or 3 I have drunk, probably to its detriment in many ways. The cork was wedged in very tight and took a bit to move! Powerful, structured and still quite fruit driven. Smooth texture. It just missed the sexiness and sultry elegance I remember in the past.

2001 SA Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese Riesling. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. I hope I have copied the label down correctly, apologies if I haven't - I am no expert in German wine! Despite NZ coming on leaps and bounds with wines of this style over the last 5 years, it takes a wine like this to highlight we still have a way to go. Lemon/ pineapple yellow in colour. Fresh, flavours of creamed honey/ mango. lovely texture with mineral chalky notes, sweet peel/ spice type edge. Excellent.

[Chuck]

Bay of Fire 2007 Pinot Gris. A good Gris. Very few and far between. Lovely mouthfeel

Grosset 2000 Gaia. A good effort from a challenging year but not great. A bit too much oak - swamped the cassis from the cabernet component.

Cleanskin 2007 McLaren Vale Shiraz by Andrew Braithwaite, ex-winemaker from the defunct Classic McLaren. He chose just one shiraz clone more suited to cool climate. It reminds me so much of the Shaw and Smith shiraz we tasted at cellar door today. Not as good but still very nice. Last taste now after 2 hours breathing is jusy wonderful. Wonderful fruit.

Black Wattle 2005 Coonawarra Cabernet. Cellarmasters label and a good example of the region.

Chuck

[Pelican]

2008 Henschke Giles Lenswood Pinot Noir ( $32.20 from auction ) : youthful in a good way - clean , fresh and fragrant pinot fruit - arguably at it's best now. Not a bad match with pies made using brisket. Was not embarassed by being drunk out of the huge Riedel Burgundy glasses.

1994 Rockford Basket Press ( from cellar of an old friend ) : a good bottle - that is to say not cork tainted or oxidised. A privilege to have this - but is it a tad oaky ? Nonetheless was enjoyed.

[Michael McNally]

Tonight sipping the second half of a 2006 Kurtz Family Vineyards 'Boundary Row' Barossa Valley Shiraz (had the first half last night at the wrong end of the night... ) Lovely dark plum fruit. Not totally unreconstructed Barossa Shiraz with dense fruit and solid oak, but the oak isn't OTT and the fruit is just so yummy and smooth without being jammy or pruney in the slightest. This is Very, Very Good with and excellent QPR.

Took one for the Board and had the 2009 Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling on Friday night - fabulous (thanks for the tip DLO). Rated as Excellent. A citrus mouth party after a lovely entry and great length. Also cracked the first of my 2008 wine by brad Cabernet Merlots. First night it was a titch green and stalky for my taste. The second half last night (at the right end of the evening ) was excellent. Lovely Margaret River Cab with solid fruit, some minerality for interest and great length for a >$20 wine. Very, Very Good to Excellent. Will loeave the rest for at least 12 months.

God I love wine......

Michael

[Waiters Friend]

A quick visit to the Swan Valley saw the following wines loaded into the boot:

John Kosovich (formerly Westfield Wines):

2007 Chardonnay: Just about to turn into the 2008, this is my final top up of a couple more bottles of what is still the best Chardonnay in the Swan. Of course, like most of the best Swan Valley producers, the grapes are from points south, in this case Pemberton / Manjimup. Grapefruit / citrus, and moderate French oak, an exercise in restraint by Swan Valley standards. Also, the price has been kept down ($26) compared to some other SV producers ($35-$50)

2008 Pinot Noir (Pemberton / Manjimup): Not a classic cool climate Pinot, but by Pemberton standards, interesting and medium bodied (with darkish colour to match). Oak a little prominent right now, but will settle down in a year or two and mesh well with the fruit. ($38)

2008 Reserve Cabernet Malbec (Pemberton / Manjimup): Like its 2007 predecessor, a big wine, but not lacking in elegance. The malbec (15%) gives the wine considerable fruit lift, while the Cabernet backbone provides a firm structure and the building blocks for a long life. My 2007s are still in the cellar, and I won't be looking again at them or the 2008 for another 4 years or so. ($38)

Lamonts:

We call out to Lamonts in the Swan Valley for lunch quite regularly, and pick up a few wines each time. Scott on cellar door is also a local icon. This time, it was their standard Chardonnay 2008 (we bought their White Monster last time), and some more of their Family Reserve 2007 (Bordeaux blend).

Cheers

Allan

[via collins]

Rose Creek Estate 2007 semillon Vibrant, sharp fruit definition - lemons and marmalade, and a warm mouthfeel. Nice.

The Story 2009 Henty pinot noir Overwhelming musky, floral notes on nose and palate on opening, but by second night had settled down to offer up meaty tones/dark cherry on palate, and also took on a nice substance in the body as well. Not by any means unenjoyable, but didn't grab my attention or love.

Karra Yerta 2005 riesling took it to the riesling thread....

[Bick]

Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2009 -
Wild Rock 'Gravel Pit Red' Merlot Malbec 2007 -
Camshorn Pinot Noir 2008 -
NCOT 2010 -

[pstarr]

Couple of glasses of 2004 Fox Gordon cabernet tempranillo last night. The fruit is from the Barossa (cabernet) and Adelaide Hills (tempranillo). Good match with pinchitos morunos (Spanish style marinated pork on a stick cooked over fire), braised peas and buttery cous cous.

[Sean O'Sullivan]

deleted

[Roscoe]

Taylors Cab Sauvignon 2004 Good. Maybe another couple of years to soften the tannins a tad.
Wolf Blass Gold Label Barossa Shiraz 2003 Very good. Not focused but a lot of flavour.
Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay 2009 A reliable cheap Chardonnay- keeps the boss happy.

[Sean O'Sullivan]

deleted

[Wayno]

Loads this weekend, a few being:

Hugh Hamilton Oddball Saperavi 2007 - lovely wine, full bodied, inky, rich and warming
Spinifex Taureau 2007 - classic Aussie style of Tempranillo, with confected character. Rustic but classy.
Alpha Box Dice 'Fog' Nebbiolo Cabernet Tannat 2006 - very good - perhaps not especially varietal, with dense Cab and Tannat characters coming through but has good line
SC Pannell Nebbiolo 2007 - masochistic - chockers with acid and hard to enjoy after a 3-4 hour decant. Needs time.
Teusner Salsa Rose 2008 - textured, full flavoured, drinking well
Cobaw Ridge Lagrein 2006 - white pepper, a bit blowsy and fat but a nice style
Tatachilla Merlot 1999 - drinking very well, almost Bordeaux-like in it's poise and character. Probably at a peak. Memorable.

[Michael R]

91 Grange Magnum
Given advice/feedback from TiggerK, decanted at 9.30am by the restaurant, served at 1.30pm. Cork popped straight out without much fuss (I’m told). It was absolutely perfect in terms of staining. Phew.
The nose was huge, lots of savoury meatiness, vanilla, some tea characteristics, balanced by oak. Definite traces of sweet fruit but these were secondary. Dark deep colour. Fruit came through on the palate nicely, some cocoa but all these characteristics faded in comparison to the finish. OMG. Long & Spicy is a major understatement. Thankfully there’s plenty of tannins supporting and I would suggest this will be the case for many more years if you’d prefer to wait. Over the next 3 hours the fruit started to dominate everywhere, whilst the tannins softened and the spice subsided. Lots of raisins and currants appearing by the end, more tobacco and tea on the nose and colour lightening. Opinions were varied, but I enjoyed this wine most at the 4-5 hour stage, still pretty broad shouldered but so impressive. Others preferred it later on. Never got to see at the 2 hour stage so not sure if coconuts were rampant (re an earlier post), but would recommend at least 3 hours decanting for a bottle of this size and condition.
All in all, a lot of fun, and relieved the bottle was in good nick.

Also had 08 Felton Road Pinot & a bottle of Cloudy Bay Pelorus.....pretty appropriate given the rugby, jez that team is hard to watch, especially having been out since the afternoon . Lucky i backed the wobblies with the margin, however the ABs must be laughing.

Cheers
M

[Peter NZ]

2001 SA Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese Riesling. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. I hope I have copied the label down correctly, apologies if I haven't - I am no expert in German wine! Despite NZ coming on leaps and bounds with wines of this style over the last 5 years, it takes a wine like this to highlight we still have a way to go. Lemon/ pineapple yellow in colour. Fresh, flavours of creamed honey/ mango. lovely texture with mineral chalky notes, sweet peel/ spice type edge. Excellent.

Yep, pretty good, aren't they -- as I've posted previously, had a good visit there in May & bought several aged Ausleses, all of which were very good. Two doors / 30 metres down from JJ Prum in Wehlen, with at least another 2 Prum family wineries in the village -- sense of history / continuity is quite overwhelming.

For me:

Church Road Merlot Cabernet Reserve 1998 Corked.
Craggy Range Sophia 2002 Drinking pretty well now, it's a big wine without the finnesse of the later releases, but still pretty enjoyable.
Te Mata Coleraine 2000 Drunk after the Sophia, which was the wrong order, as it's a far more restrained style, but enjoyed this much more than previous bottles.

Cheers
Peter

[Wizz]

2001 SA Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese Riesling. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. I hope I have copied the label down correctly, apologies if I haven't - I am no expert in German wine! Despite NZ coming on leaps and bounds with wines of this style over the last 5 years, it takes a wine like this to highlight we still have a way to go. Lemon/ pineapple yellow in colour. Fresh, flavours of creamed honey/ mango. lovely texture with mineral chalky notes, sweet peel/ spice type edge. Excellent.

Yep, pretty good, aren't they -- as I've posted previously, had a good visit there in May & bought several aged Ausleses, all of which were very good. Two doors / 30 metres down from JJ Prum in Wehlen, with at least another 2 Prum family wineries in the village -- sense of history / continuity is quite overwhelming.

Peter, I visited JJ Prum in July (but didnt get to SA Prum). Their take on SA Prum is a little different - the name is owned by a big German conglomerate - Peter Mertes. The Prum relation ship is in name only.
Wiens Prum and Studert Prum are the other two I saw (who knows how many there really are!).

Cheers

Andrew

[monghead]

2001 Majella Malleea Cabernet Shiraz- Solid Good
2004 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Himmelreich Spatlese- Good Good
2004 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin- Extremely Good
2006 Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin- Very Very Good

Cheers,

Monghead.

[Peter NZ]

2001 SA Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese Riesling. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. I hope I have copied the label down correctly, apologies if I haven't - I am no expert in German wine! Despite NZ coming on leaps and bounds with wines of this style over the last 5 years, it takes a wine like this to highlight we still have a way to go. Lemon/ pineapple yellow in colour. Fresh, flavours of creamed honey/ mango. lovely texture with mineral chalky notes, sweet peel/ spice type edge. Excellent.

Yep, pretty good, aren't they -- as I've posted previously, had a good visit there in May & bought several aged Ausleses, all of which were very good. Two doors / 30 metres down from JJ Prum in Wehlen, with at least another 2 Prum family wineries in the village -- sense of history / continuity is quite overwhelming.

Peter, I visited JJ Prum in July (but didnt get to SA Prum). Their take on SA Prum is a little different - the name is owned by a big German conglomerate - Peter Mertes. The Prum relation ship is in name only.
Wiens Prum and Studert Prum are the other two I saw (who knows how many there really are!).

Cheers

Andrew

May well be correct, but it's at odds with their website & impressions -- we tasted with Erika Prum, who went into some detail on the family history & involvement (I think her father runs its, SA was the great-grandfather -- have a brochure at home somewhere), & a quick google seach shows Peter Mertes as a Bernkastel-Kues producer or negotiant ...

Cheers
Peter

[Mike Hawkins]

Also had 08 Felton Road Pinot & a bottle of Cloudy Bay Pelorus.....pretty appropriate given the rugby, jez that team is hard to watch, especially having been out since the afternoon . Lucky i backed the wobblies with the margin, however the ABs must be laughing.

Of course they're laughing now. They always do the year before a World Cup. Thankfully we'll be laughing next year with the inevitable All Blacks choke!!!

BTW, glad the 91 Grange was good. I had a bottle earlier this year which was a bit one-dimensional.

Cheers

Mike

[rooman]

Spring is here. A old gourmand friend has returned from France so it was suckling roast pig in the back yard preceded a variety of other local treat of which the wagu bresaola was stand out, fantastic marbling. No notes taken it was more a case of next day impressions

First up, a Cédric Bouchard Inflorescence (2006 disg) , a highly seductive champagne. When it comes to champagne, I really am a baby in the woods but I am told it showed "harmonious red berry fruit". All I know is that I could sample it all day and most of the night with half a chance. I especially enjoyed the savory finish.

Egly-Ouriet Vieillissement Prolongé Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs . If I enjoyed the first wine, I was less taken by this bottle. 60 months on lees and another two years on cork gave this wine a most peculiar almost musty aftertaste. My initial reaction was that the Brett monsters had escaped the asylum but others told me that was the style. Ummm, think I will stick with the first wine.

Van Volxem Alte Reben (old vine) Riesling 2008 minerality and limes. I suspect it is just starting to settle down to sleep.

Bouchard Corton-Charlemagne 2002 Sadly I was in kitchen when this wine made its appearance. On my return there enough for a thimble.

Hubert Lignier Chambolle-Musigny 1996 I had been sitting on my contribution to the lunch for some time so I was pleased to see it held up nicely. No doubt drinking at its peak, raspberry and dark cherry fruit. My first Lignier but one I think I will return to.

Mongeard-Mugneret Échezeaux 2001 Another new producer, a robust style, spicy wood, well balanced and length. Enjoyable but I would prefer to see more time in the bottle on this one. Very hard to believe it is already 9 years old.

Pyramid Vineyards Earth Smoke Pinot Noir 2007 , better than their attempt at the Calvert yard they share with Felton Road and one other. Cherry fruit, robust and controlled oak.

Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 1997 Sadly this had been picked up auction and may have lead an abused life.

Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2009 Very young for a Clonakilla but still the best shiraz made in Australia IMO. Quite a contrast to the 2008 I tried a couple of months earlier. It has just been released and I was surprised just how much difference 12 months makes. I will probably aim to hide away a case before my darling wife sees it hit the radar.

J.P. Belle-Terroir 2002 . This would have had the anti-Aussie brigade out in full force. Rich chocolate and plum fruit. No surprise it clocked in at 15.5% alcohol yet it was strangely drinkable given the controlled use of oak. Thankfully it came out with the cheese.

Clonakilla Muscat I am a sucker for Australian muscats and whilst it was not from Ruthergleen, it nevertheless had the rich consistency I seek out in muscats.

What a great way to start Spring

[jafa]

The final retail runout of 2007 Church Rd Cab/Mer Reserve seems to be underway, picked up 2 bottles cheap, and guzzled them both.
Went very well with Wobblie. opps! Wallaby and Dingo Deans stew.

And what's with the Kiwi's and bottles of 1998 reds? Craig's drinking 98 Awatea, Peter's tipping out 98 Church Rd Res, and I opened a
1998 Clearview 'Old Olive Block' Cab Sav/Cab Franc/Merlot. Decanted 40mins, rich Cabernet nose, cassis all over the place
on the palate. Oak nicely integrated, no sign of unripe flavours but a certain leanness suggesting just ripe. Lovely food wine that I
think can hold for several years if this bottle is representative. Very good.

cheers jafa

[sparky]

From the sublime to the almost ridiculous for me this week.

On the sublime side was an '83 Moss Wood Cabernet - don't ask for tasting notes, it was late at night and dark, but I do remember that it was a beautiful mouthful and outstandingly youthful.

Balgownie '95 Cabernet was also drinking very well and maturing gracefully from its rambunctious youth

Work chaser most days last week was one of my favourites, the Penny's Cellar Reserve '08 Gewurztraminer - one of the perks of working the clinics

On the ridiculous side was a Slovenian Riesling, much later at night, but worked ridiculously well - well enough anyway that I'd try another if I stumbled across it.

Finishing off the week with an Adelaide Hills Amadio Sangi, which is a happy flavoursome mouthful for the money. I'd buy again.

[seddo]

Kilikanoon Oracle 02 - disappointing
Peter Lehman Stonewell 02 - brillant full bodied and flavoursome
Saltrams No1 02 - as above

cheers
Seddo

[bacchaebabe]

Howdy, haven't posted for ages and ages. Back from overseas and straight into the job from hell with no spare time for the last 8 weeks or so.

Anyhoo, I've been working my way thorugh a dozen 98 Chateau Tahbilk Cab Savs. This is right in its prime drinking window, which is why I'm glugging them all. Nary a tannin to be seen, a lush lash of blackcurrant and some nice complexity and length to add to the interest. At around $10 each, this was a pretty good investment paying back in spades now. 91

[Michael McNally]

Howdy, haven't posted for ages and ages. Back from overseas and straight into the job from hell with no spare time for the last 8 weeks or so.

Welcome back. So when can we expect the el Bulli post/report/pics?

Cheers

Michael

[Waiters Friend]

Howdy, haven't posted for ages and ages. Back from overseas and straight into the job from hell with no spare time for the last 8 weeks or so.

Anyhoo, I've been working my way thorugh a dozen 98 Chateau Tahbilk Cab Savs. This is right in its prime drinking window, which is why I'm glugging them all. Nary a tannin to be seen, a lush lash of blackcurrant and some nice complexity and length to add to the interest. At around $10 each, this was a pretty good investment paying back in spades now. 91

Welcome back, Kris, and I also would be interested in travel reports.

More immediately, though, thanks for the note on the Tahbilk CS. I enjoyed these on release, but kept some back and forgot about it. Time to go look for them, based on this advice. Tahbilk has always given its wines large drinking windows, but in practice, is there that much to be gain by keeping them for 20 years rathe than 10?

Cheers

Allan

[Craig(NZ)]

And what's with the Kiwi's and bottles of 1998 reds? Craig's drinking 98 Awatea, Peter's tipping out 98 Church Rd Res, and I opened a
1998 Clearview 'Old Olive Block' Cab Sav/Cab Franc/Merlot. Decanted 40mins, rich Cabernet nose, cassis all over the place
on the palate. Oak nicely integrated, no sign of unripe flavours but a certain leanness suggesting just ripe. Lovely food wine that I
think can hold for several years if this bottle is representative. Very good.

My 98's are nearly all gone. Have some 98 coleraine and one bottle of unison selection and apart from that the great vintage is all drunk.

Coleraine and Terraces to me are the only serious contenders for wine of the vintage. Perhaps Terraces now, and Coleraine in 10 years time. Both probably sit in my Top 10 NZ wines of all time. Then Unison Selection and Esk Reserve are in the the next slot back. The rest are quite a bit behind.

[Bick]

The final retail runout of 2007 Church Rd Cab/Mer Reserve seems to be underway, picked up 2 bottles cheap...

Yep, I picked up another btl of this at P&S in Glen Innis for $24. Amazing value. Must... get... more.

[Craig(NZ)]

Yep, I picked up another btl of this at P&S in Glen Innis for $24. Amazing value. Must... get... more.

ripped off $23 at botany

[jafa]

ripped off $23 at botany

Been following your spectacular wine buys, however very nervous about crossing Waipuna Bridge into bandit territory.