The Auswine Forum

Arras Grand Vintage 07, Crawford River Riz, Seppelt Drumborg Riz and probably a beer or two.

Happy Xmas everyone!

It will be a traditional Canadian Chrismas dinner at my aunt's place. Whole roasted turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings. I'll probably take a bottle of N/V Lanson Black Label Brut Champagne and either a white or a lighter red to go with the turkey, especially since there is only so much dark meat to go around a large table. The last time I took a red it was an Italian Barbera.

Best wishes for a very merry Christmas and all the best in the coming year to everyone on the forum.

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

2005 Rockford Black Shiraz
1994 Best's Pinot Meunier

Merry Xmas Gavin and all forumites!

going to have some fun later tonight pulling out the shortlisted contenders
but yesterday morning a very kind gift from my carpenters arrived at the door - 2001 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
Never having had a Moss Wood Cab Sav that I can recall, that is most definitely on the list!

Bobthebuilder wrote:going to have some fun later tonight pulling out the shortlisted contenders
but yesterday morning a very kind gift from my carpenters arrived at the door - 2001 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
Never having had a Moss Wood Cab Sav that I can recall, that is most definitely on the list!

Excellent vintage so should be drinking well.

rooman wrote:

Bobthebuilder wrote:going to have some fun later tonight pulling out the shortlisted contenders
but yesterday morning a very kind gift from my carpenters arrived at the door - 2001 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
Never having had a Moss Wood Cab Sav that I can recall, that is most definitely on the list!

Excellent vintage so should be drinking well.

Provenance is key
Mine sre still young
Leave it in the glass to come up over the day at a cool temperature

Quiet night helping cook a BBQ for our church, then 11pm carols service. Sleep in. Bondi for a swim, then a seafood lunch with the family, with Rockford Black shiraz and Giaconda 2005 Chardonnay. LEAS 2005 Chardy in reserve. Nanna nap, then polish the rest of lunch for dinner.

Merry Christmas everyone, we are a fun vibrant community and I am privileged to be part of it.

Hacker wrote:Quiet night helping cook a BBQ for our church, then 11pm carols service. Sleep in. Bondi for a swim, then a seafood lunch with the family, with Rockford Black shiraz and Giaconda 2005 Chardonnay. LEAS 2005 Chardy in reserve. Nanna nap, then polish the rest of lunch for dinner.

Merry Christmas everyone, we are a fun vibrant community and I am privileged to be part of it.

All the best for Xmas, hope to see you at an off-line or two in 2017! Melb or Syd??!!

Xmas day
Mid morning the annual dozen natural oysters with a ginger/vinegar/coriander/ chilli marinate and tiger prawns matched with an Arras Premium Cuvee
Lunch: Turkey with bacon and rosemary butter with a 2010 Domain Folin-Arbelet Pernard Vergelesses Les Fichots

Two crackers for Xmas eve drinks, nothing formal just a couple with the neighbour with cheese and crackers (topped with his friends tomato chutney, that was the highlight of the arvo).

2005 Mount Langhi Ghiran Shiraz
Still youthful but showing some signs of development. Beautiful mouthfeel, tannins fan the mouth. Nice spiciness with black current and a touch of white pepper. More full bodied, maybe a product of a warmer vintage but no complaints. Ripper. Awesome.

1996 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec
Phwoah, this is the second best Wendouree I've had behind a magnum of the 1990 Shiraz. Menthol, cassis, black currant, spices. Tannins and acid resolved but still just a small amount left to give structure. Great bottle (almost perfect cork), a perfect example of Wendouree Cab Malbec I'd say, drinking at its peak now for me.

Thanks, I have the 05 Langi so I have a taste of it soon. The theme for the Xmas season this time is Barossa so here are my tests so far:
14 Rose of Virginia by Charles Melton --- for those interested in Rose (check another post) this is according to Halliday one of the best. My friends did enjoy it immensely with select cheese and mildly hot sausage.
04 Charles Melton Nine Popes---Melton's play of words on Chateauneuf-du-Pape. We are having a taste on Chateauneuf in two weeks, so this is for comparison later. This 04 Nine Popes shows great aroma and concentration after 2 h of decant. Lots of chocolate and spice, matching my roasted duck encrusted in tarragon and shiraz soaked cherries perfectly. It looks however to be at its peak, so it won't be any better (I think).
01 Hare's chase Reserve Shiraz--- lovely black fruits on top of similar chocolate and spice as for the Nine Popes considering the NP is a SGM. It is aging beautifully and could last some more years, except for mine the cork starts to break apart at the bottom. (Damn cork)
02 Trevor Jones Dry Grown Shiraz---What a pity considering what has happened to him recently! A lovely well balanced full of flavour shiraz, just starting to open up after 2 h.
Beside some Chardonnay and Riesling to be drunk at our friend's turkey blast, one more wine I am thinking of drinking for the season is the 00 Yarra Yering Portsorts. The '98 Grange is somewhere along the line.
Cheers! Have a good season.

catchnrelease wrote:Two crackers for Xmas eve drinks, nothing formal just a couple with the neighbour with cheese and crackers (topped with his friends tomato chutney, that was the highlight of the arvo).

2005 Mount Langhi Ghiran Shiraz
Still youthful but showing some signs of development. Beautiful mouthfeel, tannins fan the mouth. Nice spiciness with black current and a touch of white pepper. More full bodied, maybe a product of a warmer vintage but no complaints. Ripper. Awesome.

I opened one of the 2000 Mt Langi Ghiran Shiraz two nights ago with friends in Melbourne. Beautiful wine that is now just in the right spot for drinking. Velvety tannins, long mediumish bodied with a wonderful savoury finish. Definitely one of the top wines of Xmas period.

Mark

Hacker wrote:Quiet night helping cook a BBQ for our church, then 11pm carols service. Sleep in. Bondi for a swim, then a seafood lunch with the family, with Rockford Black shiraz and Giaconda 2005 Chardonnay. LEAS 2005 Chardy in reserve. Nanna nap, then polish the rest of lunch for dinner.

Merry Christmas everyone, we are a fun vibrant community and I am privileged to be part of it.

Not sure if you tried the LEAS 2005 Chardy but if you did you should experienced a superb wine. I had it on Christmas eve with just the wee missus. God it's a great wine. Still so light and nimble on its feet with wonderful structure. A superb wine.

Mark

rooman wrote:Not sure if you tried the LEAS 2005 Chardy but if you did you should experienced a superb wine. I had it on Christmas eve with just the wee missus. God it's a great wine. Still so light and nimble on its feet with wonderful structure. A superb wine.

Mark

Yeah my final one I opened 4 or so years ago showed such awesome potential I have kicked myself ever since for not cellaring more.

TiggerK wrote:

rooman wrote:Not sure if you tried the LEAS 2005 Chardy but if you did you should experienced a superb wine. I had it on Christmas eve with just the wee missus. God it's a great wine. Still so light and nimble on its feet with wonderful structure. A superb wine.

Mark

Yeah my final one I opened 4 or so years ago showed such awesome potential I have kicked myself ever since for not cellaring more.

I think I have three left. I'm happy saving one for an offline some time next year.

Mark

rooman wrote:

TiggerK wrote:

rooman wrote:Not sure if you tried the LEAS 2005 Chardy but if you did you should experienced a superb wine. I had it on Christmas eve with just the wee missus. God it's a great wine. Still so light and nimble on its feet with wonderful structure. A superb wine.

Mark

Yeah my final one I opened 4 or so years ago showed such awesome potential I have kicked myself ever since for not cellaring more.

I think I have three left. I'm happy saving one for an offline some time next year.

Mark

Yes, think I'll organise a Chardonnay Offline in March?? You and me so far! Will do a post soon and get it locked in.

JamieBahrain wrote:

How was the Ch Batailley? I meant to grab some of either the 05 or 10 but couldn't find any at the time. It seems something of a sleeper wine - well rated without the crazy Bordeaux price tag.

Christmas day for me was Russian sparkling wine, a beer at TGI Fridays in a Moscow mall, and then a Thai dinner with vodka martinis!

Chuck wrote:

phillisc wrote:

Benchmark wrote:Beer.

PS. don't know what Ian (N4Sir) has been up to of late...I trust and hope he is well...can Chuck or Carl or any of the other Adelaide forumites throw any light here??

My star sign is Gemini so it's appropriate you mention my real name and forum nickname.

Ian has been absent from the forum for some time which is most unusual. I believe he had a health issue last year but was better. I do hope he is in good health and still enjoying a vino or 2.

From all the posts it looks like we'll all be meeting in the new year at the AA meetings, the gym and Jenny Craig. But that's what Xmas/New Year is all about....I think. Also please drive carefully, no DD and be kind to relatives you may only see once a year.

Have a wonderful Xmas and New Year and keep smiling. And thanks to Gav for putting up with us for another year. He does a lot for us tragics by giving us a forum that is populated by some nice people with a common passion. I do recall many years ago someone here dropped the line - Life's too short to drink bad wine. Not a truer word said. And continuing the theme I was listening to a podcast with Jeff Kennett, ex VIC premier during which he recommended highly we all give thanks when we wake up each morning. Good advice IMO.

Carl

Carl
That podcast is brilliant
I listened to it twice
Now to have my teenage daughter listen to it
Especially the bit about mobile phones

michel wrote:

Chuck wrote:

phillisc wrote:
PS. don't know what Ian (N4Sir) has been up to of late...I trust and hope he is well...can Chuck or Carl or any of the other Adelaide forumites throw any light here??

My star sign is Gemini so it's appropriate you mention my real name and forum nickname.

Ian has been absent from the forum for some time which is most unusual. I believe he had a health issue last year but was better. I do hope he is in good health and still enjoying a vino or 2.

From all the posts it looks like we'll all be meeting in the new year at the AA meetings, the gym and Jenny Craig. But that's what Xmas/New Year is all about....I think. Also please drive carefully, no DD and be kind to relatives you may only see once a year.

Have a wonderful Xmas and New Year and keep smiling. And thanks to Gav for putting up with us for another year. He does a lot for us tragics by giving us a forum that is populated by some nice people with a common passion. I do recall many years ago someone here dropped the line - Life's too short to drink bad wine. Not a truer word said. And continuing the theme I was listening to a podcast with Jeff Kennett, ex VIC premier during which he recommended highly we all give thanks when we wake up each morning. Good advice IMO.

Carl

Carl
That podcast is brilliant
I listened to it twice
Now to have my teenage daughter listen to it
Especially the bit about mobile phones

Anyone interested in the Jeff Kennett podcast check it out on Conversations with Richard Fidler on ABC web site. He is a true inspiration to us all. And the podcast on the Fine Cotton fiasco is an absolute ripper that had us in stitches.

Carl

Chuck wrote:

phillisc wrote:
PS. don't know what Ian (N4Sir) has been up to of late...I trust and hope he is well...can Chuck or Carl or any of the other Adelaide forumites throw any light here??

My star sign is Gemini so it's appropriate you mention my real name and forum nickname.

Ian has been absent from the forum for some time which is most unusual. I believe he had a health issue last year but was better. I do hope he is in good health and still enjoying a vino or 2.

Carl

My apologies guys for taking so long to say something here about my long absence.

Health wise I have been pretty good, however I had family issues and other events that have been taking up a lot of my spare time over the last year, and I am hoping they will finally stabilise in the next month or so. Under the circumstances, the process of typing up my tasting notes have taken a back seat considering my other priorities, especially since the process itself seems to have become far more drawn out due to picture/formatting issues with new computers. The increasing workload resulted in a fair degree of mental burn-out (which maybe was going to be inevitable one day), so while my "gap year" was unintended, I also probably needed it.

Some things will start appearing again as I start finding some extra time and energy to do it, starting with a landmark Riesling tasting from last week. I will work on trying to clear the backlog from last year, although initially the bulk will be individual wine reviews which are basically already done and ready to go - the longer tastings like offlines and major club events will probably have to wait until I get to them - as much as they are anticipated, they require the most work and time which is what I had precious little of lately.

Thanks again all,
Ian

Great to see you back Ian. I have missed your notes.

Regards

Hear, hear!

Christ Ian, I thought you were on deaths door, in the slammer or worse!!!
Great to hear from you, Scotty V and I are feeling the pressure that we might have to get an ADL offline sorted...shit where would we start and what would be the theme...and importantly who would compile the all important notes
Understand if its a parent or significant other that has required you to step up to the plate and take charge of things, the expenditure of emotional energy is huge, I have been there unfortunately.
Will look forward to your contributions
Well done for moving through the abyss.
Cheers
Craig

phillisc wrote:Christ Ian, I thought you were in the slammer!!!

Council Garbage collector: Where's your bin?
n4sir: I've been away
Council Garbage collector: No, where's your wheelie bin?
n4sir: ok, I've really been in the slammer, but don't tell anyone!

Apologies Ian, I couldn't help it.

Good to hear from you Ian, and I think there is a lot to be said for taking time out and 're-baselining'. Life can deliver a lot of sh*t and sometimes we have to hold our noses and accept that. Taking time out allows us to sort out the mess.

So glad everything is OK with you Ian. We were all a bit worried that maybe you were in the slammer. Crime? Drinking bad wine.

Keep smiling

Carl

Con J wrote: is always at the in laws and I’m the one that usually looks after meat.
This year we are having a whole lamb and pork belly on a spit.

I have a 2002 Andersons Sparkling Shiraz (I’ve had one of these the last 4 years) and a NV St Hallett The Black Sparkling Shiraz lined up.

Cheers Con.

Finally worked out how to post a photo from the other thread.

Cheers Con.

Quality Xmas setup there Con! Making me hungry.