Melbourne Offline: Coonawarra Cabernet V

[Benchmark]

We will bring a white to get things started.

Coonawarra or rest of Oz?

Rest of Australia.

[cuttlefish]

Hi everyone,

I'm still coming, but my +1 won't be coming, so that opens up a spot for someone else.

I'll still be bringing the same wines.

Cheers !

Cf

[Ozzie W]

Wouldn't mind confirming numbers to see if my mate grb2001 is going to get a gig

A place is now available for grb2001.

[mjs]

Excellent, taken!

[Ozzie W]

grb2001 is bringing balance to the force. We are still well split between Coonawarra and the rest of oz.

[grb2001]

Looking forward to it!

[Benchmark]

Are we bringing our own glasses?

[mjs]

Glassware at Bergerac was pretty good last time, so I would suggest not, but up to personal taste I guess. I wasn't planning to byo

[Ozzie W]

+1

Bergerac have some good glassware which they are happy to provide if we ask for it.

[Benchmark]

No worries.

Shell will be very disappointed that her Vinum XL Cabernet glasses will not be rolled out

[mjs]

Haha ... OK, Shell can bring the XL's

[Ozzie W]

I've got a bottle of Champagne I can bring along to get us started if there's any interest?

[mjs]

Fizz is always good Ozzie, and I will have a second bottle of something outside of the specified parameters but relevant and of interest

[Chris H]

A cheeky Coonawarra Pinot Grigio King ?

[mjs]

Ah, pinot grigio/gris ..... white paint on a white canvas

[Ozzie W]

Will bring the Fizz along.

Ah, pinot grigio/gris ..... white paint on a white canvas

This reminded me of a "painting" I saw at the National Gallery of Australia about 15 years ago. It was literally just a blank white canvas.
Looks like it's still there: http://nga.gov.au/international/catalog ... IRN=115581
Someone paid money for that?

[cuttlefish]

Ok, I don't think I need to bring the white I was going to bring, then. I'll just stick to bringing reds. Really looking forward to this, everyone !

[phillisc]

Have a great night ladies and lads, very very annoyed to miss the company of mjs and others , plus the wines will be top shelf.
To console myself, I am having a catch up with the Groomsman and a few others tonight and will look at a 90 and 91 BP side by side. Only have 4 left of each, will try and concoct a tasting note.
Eh Malcolm, since when have you been bestowed the title of King? Will I have to doff me cap next time we meet!

Cheers
Craig

[conformistpete]

Does anyone have a spare sock or two. I forgot to wrap my wine this morning

[Ozzie W]

Does anyone have a spare sock or two. I forgot to wrap my wine this morning

You can use the sock from my Champagne bottle after I've revealed it.

[Benchmark]

Does anyone have a spare sock or two. I forgot to wrap my wine this morning

I will wear thongs just to help you out mate

[mjs]

Can I bring some foil?

[Benchmark]

Thongs will do me mjs.

Thanks anyway.

[Chris H]

Would have preferred long pants with your thongs tonight. Long white socks and shorts is not a good look.

[Ozzie W]

Firstly, thanks to Benchmark for initiating this offline. What a fantastic evening we all had! Thanks to everyone for their generosity with the copious amounts of wines shared at the table. Such a great theme too. At the end of the evening, it seems that Coonawarra won the battle, even though we couldn't agree on a specific WOTN.

More to come in due course, including photos of the bottles.

[Chris H]

For me, non Coonawarra - Lakes Folly, Mt Mary, Yarra Yering and Cyril Henschke - the elegant end of the spectrum perhaps.

[mjs]

I think the winner for me last night was cabernet, a great line up, almost all wines in their sweet spot at between 10 to 20 years of age, with one JR and the 920 (ok, a cabernet shiraz ring-in) being a little older. Apart from one TCA bottle, there was something to like about all of the wines. More later. Looking forward to some pics from OzzieW and some notes from cuttlefish.

Would have liked to have seen more presence from WA in there somewhere, maybe Jack Mann, Cullen, Yoyager, Cape Mentelle etc. Next time!

[mjs]

Ozzie, you have me salivating at this one.
I am considering coming to Melbourne for that weekend , specifically to see my beloved Blues take on the Pies ( Saturday May 7th at the G)
So if I can get a cheap flight, I may be a starter.
If I got to the offline, I would perhaps look at a 80's Coonawarra and a 90s Yarra Valley (not all just about MR).

Not sure that I am the Coonawarra King (ha ha), but might just be able to work out who Chris may be referring to
Appreciate that you have very limited spaces, so will try and sort something shortly.

Cheers
Craig

Craig, I can add you to the list?

We might have to ban footy talk. The Pies will trounce your Blues

Craig/Grant, well, it seems that the planets aligned both last night and this afternoon!! Go Blues!

[Ozzie W]

Here are the photos.












WOTN for me was the 1992 John Riddoch. This was a perfect example of how good a JR can be. Still so fresh and vibrant.
Disappointment of the night for me was the 1983 Torres. I had high hopes for this wine, but it was completely dead.

[Benchmark]

Ozzie, you have me salivating at this one.
I am considering coming to Melbourne for that weekend , specifically to see my beloved Blues take on the Pies ( Saturday May 7th at the G)
So if I can get a cheap flight, I may be a starter.
If I got to the offline, I would perhaps look at a 80's Coonawarra and a 90s Yarra Valley (not all just about MR).

Not sure that I am the Coonawarra King (ha ha), but might just be able to work out who Chris may be referring to
Appreciate that you have very limited spaces, so will try and sort something shortly.

Cheers
Craig

Craig, I can add you to the list?

We might have to ban footy talk. The Pies will trounce your Blues

Craig/Grant, well, it seems that the planets aligned both last night and this afternoon!! Go Blues!

Thanks Malcolm....