Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

[Teisto]

A few bits and pieces

2010 Standish Schubert Theorem
2006 Torbreck Struie
2004 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles

[Bobthebuilder]

hey hey, look who's here
got to get around soon and start designing that cellar with you

[Michael McNally]

A few bits and pieces

2010 Standish Schubert Theorem
2006 Torbreck Struie
2004 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles

Hi Teisto

How was the Juveniles holding up? Have had a few but never this old and always wondered if I should buy some to put away longer term.

Cheers

Michael

[Teisto]

hey hey, look who's here
got to get around soon and start designing that cellar with you

Yes you do .....

[Teisto]

A few bits and pieces

2010 Standish Schubert Theorem
2006 Torbreck Struie
2004 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles

Hi Teisto

How was the Juveniles holding up? Have had a few but never this old and always wondered if I should buy some to put away longer term.

Cheers

Michael

Hi Michael - surprisingly well as long as you get them under screw cap. They were doing some back vintage releases and I asked what was still holding and drinking well. They said anything prior to 04 when they moved to screwcap was looking tired. The 04 was still really good drinking - not overly complex but all in balance and still fruit forward. For $5 more than their original asking price cellared for 10 years was a good proposition. I would have thought without the oak it mightn't have held together but was totally wrong on that front. On that premise it seems they will hold together really well - I previously had some 06 which I was drinking in 2010/11 and was holding up fine.

I also bought some 98 Steading which they said was in a really good spot as well and will crack one of them for Xmas.

[Michael McNally]

Thanks Teisto

Had some 2001 Steadings earlier in the year. The corks were in great nick and the wines superb.

Cheers

[Mike Hawkins]

2004 Schubert Estate Gooseyard Block Shiraz (x 4). Had these over the past week with friends, and all 3 were excellent. Starting to drink near its peak.

2004 Taittinger Comtes BdB - seemed more restrained than past bottles - maybe just in a lull?

2004 Dom Perignon - ditto

2004 Bollinger Grande Annee (magnum) - very young from magnum. Will be very good.

[maybs]

A few bits and pieces

2010 Standish Schubert Theorem
2006 Torbreck Struie
2004 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles

How is the '06 Struie going? Got a few of these tucked away and wondering whether I should pull a few out over the Christmas break.

Also agree had an '01 Steading a few months ago at Fix St James and it was drinking very well.

[Teisto]

A few bits and pieces

2010 Standish Schubert Theorem
2006 Torbreck Struie
2004 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles

How is the '06 Struie going? Got a few of these tucked away and wondering whether I should pull a few out over the Christmas break.

Also agree had an '01 Steading a few months ago at Fix St James and it was drinking very well.

Hi Maybs - no rush but not sure how much it will improve either. We drank it after the Standish which probably didn't help due to how big and fruit driven that was currently. It was good but gee I am considering by some more 10 Standish to see what they will be like in another 10 years as it was seriously good.

[phillisc]

2002 Majella Cabernet ...in a really beautiful place right now with cassis berry black olive a touch of sweetness on the palate and really balanced tannins...no need to rush another 5-7 years easily.

Cheers
Craig.

[Scotty vino]

last night;
2011 Tim Gramp watervale riesling. nose; orchard fruits / pear.lots of Lime.
maybe a tad sweet on the palate. not overly dry and acidity about where I like it.
such an easy drinker. cleanskin case from CD. 2 bottles to go.

[Phil H]

Celebrated my better halfs Birthday at a local BYO
2009 Scarborough Chardonnay (Blue Label) Drinking at its peak, showing plenty of aged characteristics, yellow/straw in colour, melon and cashew, just hanging onto its freshness and vibrancy. Very Good
2005 Penfolds RWT Despite being impressed with earlier tastings of RWT (2009, 2010, 2012), this was my first RWT. Despite reviews showing it was just in its drinking window, technically I could not fault it, you could tell it was quality, however I found it was missing the WOW factor. Not overly complex. At first I thought it needed time to open up, however drinking it 6 hours later nothing much has changed. Oak in the background, med to full bodied, perhaps lacking fruit and identity. On finishing the bottle my last impressions - Chocolate Milkshake.

[Michael McNally]

Tonight a 2012 John Duval Wines Plexus
Beautiful floral nose of briar and blackberry, maybe some black olive. Lovely supple fruit with blackberry to the fore, but fine texture through well-managed tannin. Zero alcohol heat at 14.5%. The third glass has more grip than the first which bodes well for cellaring. As does the increasing savoury complexity as the third (and final for tonight) glass disappears. Will get more based on this.

Cheers

Michael

[Hacker]

Back to my youth.....Bacardi and Cokes, and they are delicious!

[Rossco]

Tasting note requested by griff

N/V Braydun Hill sparkling shiraz.

Im really happy with this. Was delivered today....on a Saturday?...must be Christmas, and couldnt wait
To crack it.

Really fine & persistent bead. Has a little age as it's drinking beautifully right now. Not much acid or tannins
left, and is very smooth/silky. Tart blackberry jam, coffee beans and dark chocolate with a touch of liquorice. Dosage is perfect and accentuates the wine rather than being overpowering (like some dosages can be).
Not sweet, but there is an ever so slight raisiny taste lingering at the finish. Will buy again and will probably buy another case this week

[TravisW]

2005 Clonakilla Shiraz Voigneir A wonderful wine with bags of life left in it. No obvious signs of the Voigneir thankfully, but loads of delicious, wholesome cool climate Shiraz fruit. After one blinded sip my wife turned to me and said ""This is a great wine!". She's got a good palate.

[Hacker]

2008 Hoddles Creek Pinot - sorry, but this was flat and uninteresting. Not sure if it was past it, but there was just no focus or fruit at all. On the strength of this, drink up or give away as Christmas presents!

[felixp]

having mentioned this wine recently on another thread, I simply could not help myself, and have just cracked yet another bottle of…...
2009 La Fleur de Bouard
inky black, a nose full of black fruits, christmas cake and liquorice, this is immediately identifiable as right bank from a top vintage. Never, ever, would pick this as a Lalande de Pomerol, just a fantastic wine. So complex, so interesting, so gluggable!!!!!
I am planning to sneak this into a top-tier Pomerol tasting of 09 next year, but I better make sure i have some left!!!
This is great wine, a real crowd pleaser. Drink: now-2025, 95pts.
note to myself: another case from HK please!!!!!
PS, if you see this in Oz, please try it, my guarantee you will LOVE it!!!

[felixp]

PS… Le Plus, the super-cuvee of this house, is no better than this wine in 09, save your money and get the standard instead.

[felixp]

2nd night, 2nd half of the bottle of La Fleur de Bouard
has hardly budged at all, maybe slightly less flamboyant, but the brilliant dark fruits persist, and tonight the wonderful length of the wine is easier to appreciate.
just a fantastic wine. Made me think of the greatest wine values of my life. Still number one would be the 1976 Penfold's Koonunga Hill, but this might just about come in second, hmmm, maybe a toss-up between this and the 2000 Siaurac.

[Andrew Jordan]

2002 Leasingham Classic Clare Shiraz - this is in a very beautiful place right now. Very enjoyable. Cannot believe this is a 12 year old wine! Still plenty of life in it, while displaying a very soft, savoury, complex palate. If you have a bottle I suggest you crack one over the holiday period ... although will hold for at least another 5-8 years.

[Redav]

We were at my parents for an early Christmas dinner as it's an outlaw-year for them this year. Dad had a bottle of Yellow Glen Mascato bubbly and I brought a 2014 Rockford White Frontignac and it was quite nice. It's probably one of the first times away from a tasting where I could put a finger on what I could smell on the bouquet - passion fruit which was quite appropriate as we had passion fruit on the pavlova

And in typing this I've discovered that Chrome (default US spelling) doesn't recognise a few words and the suggested replacement is amusing;
Mascato - mascara
Frontignac - confrontation
Pavlova - lovable

[griff]

Thanks for the note Rossco! Sounds like a goer for me too.

cheers

Carl

[Michael McNally]

And in typing this I've discovered that Chrome (default US spelling) doesn't recognise a few words and the suggested replacement is amusing;
Mascato - mascara
Frontignac - confrontation
Pavlova - lovable

I reckon Google has got these about right.

Cheers

Michael

[Andrew Jordan]

1997 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet - Deep garnet in colour. Very savoury nose with notes of subtle spices and tobacco. Palate is very approachable, savoury with dark stone fruits and spice. Very elegant wine with a medium to long subtle finish. The fruit is fading so would recommend to drink this within the next year or so. For US$20 and plenty of patience (17 years), this is bang for your buck Knights Valley cabernet. Well done Beringer!

[ads_11]

A flat white out of a styrofoam cup !!

Working in a dry camp in the middle of Australia will do that. Hope all are enjoying a few, whatever flavour it may be..

Merry Christmas to all

[felixp]

twas the night before Christmas……………….

1985 Salon
brilliant, oxidative style, reminds me of a fantastic Montrachet. 97pts drink now
1985 Talbot
well, the internet buzz is right, fabulous!!!!!!! amazing!!!!!!!! 95pts drink now

Merry Christmas to you all down under,
as they say "there is no place like home"
always remember how lucky you are to be Australian

[TravisW]

Merry Christmas guys.

2007 Clonakilla Riesling. Not my cup of tea-Riesling. Acid to Hugh and lacking in palate structure and fruit flavour. Alas.

[Mike Hawkins]

twas the night before Christmas……………….

1985 Salon
brilliant, oxidative style, reminds me of a fantastic Montrachet. 97pts drink now

Nice one .. Many of these have premox issues. Glad yours was good....

[Andrew Jordan]

2007 Woodlands "Margaret" Cabernet Merlot - This comes across as a surprising big wine, but has an elegant twist to it. Quite old world in style, it does have enough fruit to reveal itself as a new world wine. Very smooth with plenty of youthful dark fruit. With a couple of hours decant this is drinking quite well now, but I am sure a few more years of patience will improve it even more as IMO it has just entered it's drinking window. A very good Margaret from Woodlands and if you do have some of this in your cellar, pat yourself on the back!