Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:11 am
Hi all,
Chapel Hill The Vicar Shiraz 1998
(decanted for 2 hrs)
Colour: Deep blood red, a little dusty after a shake up on the way home, impenetrable centre.
Nose: Sweet ripe cherries, red berries, and autumn leaves burst from the decanter with toasty oak and leather. Quite a big, yet elegant bouquet.
Palate: Cherries and red berries. Initially is overwhelmed by the oak but after a bit of time the fruit expands with fine tannic structure. There is a very small hole in the mid palate which I found quite odd and there is always the threat of the leathery, savoury oak overwhelming the fruit. I wonder whether if needs a bit more time but suspect that the fruit simply isnÂ’t there to support the wishful thinking.
90/100 and tolerable value for $30/btl.
Pirramimma Hillsview Cabernet Merlot 2000
Guests arrived so an impression only: garnet but nose and palate are not too dissimilar to the Chapel Hill The Vicar 1998, adding in some cassis to replace some of the leathery, savoury aspects. A pleasurable wine 88/100 but much prefer the straight Cabernet. At $13/btl a good quaffer.
Huntington Estate Mudgee Shiraz 1998 (straight from the bottle)
Colour: This is getting some serious aging qualities of strong, dark brick red with roof tile dominations around the shallows.
Nose: Fruit dominant with cassis, fresh forest berries, sweet red plums, vanilla nuances (not sure if this is line with the oak used but this is how I am getting it). Gentle aromas.
Palate: Black cherry, Blueberry, red forest berries with a balanced and lingering balsa tannins on the tail end of a good acid length.
Drinking perfectly now 91/100 and great with blue Castello.
cheers,
Chapel Hill The Vicar Shiraz 1998
(decanted for 2 hrs)
Colour: Deep blood red, a little dusty after a shake up on the way home, impenetrable centre.
Nose: Sweet ripe cherries, red berries, and autumn leaves burst from the decanter with toasty oak and leather. Quite a big, yet elegant bouquet.
Palate: Cherries and red berries. Initially is overwhelmed by the oak but after a bit of time the fruit expands with fine tannic structure. There is a very small hole in the mid palate which I found quite odd and there is always the threat of the leathery, savoury oak overwhelming the fruit. I wonder whether if needs a bit more time but suspect that the fruit simply isnÂ’t there to support the wishful thinking.
90/100 and tolerable value for $30/btl.
Pirramimma Hillsview Cabernet Merlot 2000
Guests arrived so an impression only: garnet but nose and palate are not too dissimilar to the Chapel Hill The Vicar 1998, adding in some cassis to replace some of the leathery, savoury aspects. A pleasurable wine 88/100 but much prefer the straight Cabernet. At $13/btl a good quaffer.
Huntington Estate Mudgee Shiraz 1998 (straight from the bottle)
Colour: This is getting some serious aging qualities of strong, dark brick red with roof tile dominations around the shallows.
Nose: Fruit dominant with cassis, fresh forest berries, sweet red plums, vanilla nuances (not sure if this is line with the oak used but this is how I am getting it). Gentle aromas.
Palate: Black cherry, Blueberry, red forest berries with a balanced and lingering balsa tannins on the tail end of a good acid length.
Drinking perfectly now 91/100 and great with blue Castello.
cheers,
Better the money in my pocket than yours! 
