The Auswine Forum

Yes, I agree. 2019 in Coonawarra will be an excellent vintage in general

Not necessarily drinking, but spent a couple of hours today shifting some new stuff to Kennards at Thebarton and shifting some older stuff from Kennards back to the cellar at home. Lots to look forward to

Yes my favourite place in the world. Was there too. Nice break from the heat of Adelaide

Online tasting tonight with the boys in the Netherlands.

Started with the '18 Chambers Sparkling Gouais. Lets of chalk on the nose, lemon oil and fairly robust bubbles. Its super dry, which actually goes really well with the bubbles. I prefer the unbubbled 08, but this is fun and very few people in Europe have ever tasted a sparkling Gouais.

The 2021 Maceration Vogelgarten O Intrant from Domain Weinbach is another oddity. Its an orange style Gewurtz/Pinot Gris Blend. Nose has some flowers and turkish delight. Colour is just off orange, with a definite tinge of pink. Its low acid and heavy of course, with 14.5% alcohol. Looked fat and flabby and not that great to begin with, but it opens up well with air. I think the Diam 10 cork is a bit optimistic, as the lack of acidity would seem to make aging pointless. Lychee, turkish delight, some honey. Really quite complex, but not the orange wine I was expecting. Cape Jaffa have made a similar wine in the past - Rose Style - which seems to be a better buy.

Nice couple of wines overall that fit the "Weird Wines" group title.

Parker estate 2019 95 Block, had three of these now, simply brilliant, blue black fruits, oak seamless with a rich palate , finishing withe finest tannins, will put the rest to bed.
Rockford BP 2000, cork soaked, still a vibrant colour for age. Slight savoury/meaty note, nice warmth on the palate, plush, leading to a delicate finish. probably at its peak, but will hold for a few years yet.
Heggies 2012 Riesling, reflection of a stunning vintage. Still has green hue, with fain yellow, crisp, with a nice lick of acid, just starting its development i feel. Bottle gone in 30 minutes.
Cheers Craig

2013 Benevelli Pierro Langhe Nebbiolo I buy this pretty much every vintage. Cracking value at $30. Having my next to last bottle tonight with homemade brisket pizza. Fruit still poking through and the tannins are so silky. Only light to medium bodied and still showing lovely bright colour. My wife commented that it’s half way between a Pinot and a Grenache. Very enjoyable and a perfect pizza wine. Bottle disappeared in double quick time, which is always a good sign. 3.5/5

My very first wine event of the year and happened a couple of weeks ago.

Theme was New World Chardonnay or Pinot

Wine # 1 (Extra/Starter) – 2007 Arras Grand Vintage
Yellow with a tinge of green in it. Looks like an older wine or has a lot of reserve material.
Nose is quite interesting, has a lovely buttery/milky note to it, some orchard fruit as well, slight yeast and autolysis.
In the mouth its missing that X-Factor minerality and complexity of top champagne. No chalky notes but does have a wonderful line of acid running all the way through the wine.
Front palate is some nice richness, that buttery note on the nose continues, nice acid but then a
huge gaping hole in the mid palate, just drops off a cliff… where did the wine go?
Quite dry, but not chalky then those rich orchard fruits make a comeback…what a roller-coaster.
Leesy/yeasty finish as well. Very ripe fruits here, yellow and white peach especially – I choose BdB as couldn’t detect any red fruit/strawberry notes and specifically from the Yarra – due to the fruit ripeness. Not overripe but didn’t think it was a cooler/Tasmanian wine – LOL WRONG – First wine event of the year – its not started well.
80/20 Chardonnay to Pinot – Didn’t feel like an Arras with that lack of mid palate – usually they are great all the way through. 2008 was a better vintage of this wine for me.


Wine # 2 - 2015 By Farr Three Oaks Chardonnay
Ok so here we go! Bright yellow, not gold, no green tinges – glistening in the light though.
Lovely nose here, powerful nose. Some grapefruits coming through, white peach, orange blossom/white florals as well, all the good things really leaping out of the glass.
In the mouth the very first thing you notice is the power of the wine, this is a seriously intense wine here. The balance is really nice, acid I thought a little pokey – others didn’t though, and it could do with a couple more years bottle age I think. Diam closure too. Those fruits are perfectly ripe, picked at exactly the right time – freshness. Grapefruit acidity is a nice touch, adds a dry element to the wine it needs to tame those fruits. Some slight Spicy cinnamon and maybe a touch of wild fennel / herbs. Very long length, silky texture, but dry in the mouth too. Complex – will only improve – yes more please.


Wine # 3 – 2015 Tolpuddle Chardonnay
Lighter in colour than the previous wine, looks and feels younger. Bright whiteish/yellow with green edges. No buttery/leesy notes, has more grapefruit & citrus fruits on the nose. Noticeably lack of oak on the nose but does show some hazelnuts.
This is a modern leaner style Australian chardonnay…. And it is Australian - Cooler climate, or higher altitude type wine here. Its showcasing the vineyard rather than the winemaker, who has handled and restrained their winemaking influence. Its still there (now I see some oak) but this is about the fruit. Was a tossup between Adelaide hills and Tasmania – I chose wrong – Lack of practice
There is some spicy notes as well, but the fruit is so precise and only just ripe and that acid slightly overpowers it at this stage. So young, but very high quality, some vanilla notes, more citrus and
Lovely length, too young being screwcap and that acid needs more time to settle – good wine and have another look in 5+ to see where its at. Will only get better.


Wine # 4 – 2013 Hoddles Creek 1er Chardonnay
Now we are talking! As good as the Tolpuddle was, I prefer a slightly richer style. Not 1980’s buttery “sunshine in a glass’ but not green, thin or lean either…..somewhere in the middle.
Gold in colour, striking nose – tropical richness of new season pineapple, just ripe papaya and some reductive notes.
Powerful high-quality fruits here – Not a rich ripe fruit style but perfectly picked and handled.
No tropical fruits in the mouth, this is all nectarine, cashew, and minerals on the slatey side.
Fair but of winemaker in this wine too. Noticeable high-quality oak, lovely spice – ground ginger in particular and some almond flakes.
Silky texture rolls around the tongue and just keep going. This has settled in really nicely, more stone fruits but it does feel older and in a higher altitude Yarra offering…………. But I have been nothing but wrong all night…. So its probably from WA or something like that.
I picked it as 10 – 15 years of age. Maybe a bit more advanced than it should be? Regardless this was a fantastic chardonnay in the neo-modern style that has swung back from thin and lean to the middle. Still that nose was the interesting part for me, nothing like what was on the palate.


Wine # 5 – 2013 Evesham Wood ‘Le Puits Sec’ Eola-Amity Hills – Oregon USA
First red of the night and what an offering! That nose is so floral, complex and intriguing I would never have guessed US at all. Lots of red florals, red cherries on the nose, some earthiness as well. This could easily be a burgundy on that nose, ethereal, its just so polished.
On the palate the clear superstar is the tannin. Serious, fine and dusty. Not a hair out of place here. Purity of fruit is astonishing – all red fruits, perfectly handled – feminine wine. Its delicate, yet commanding. The complexity really makes you think about the wine. Red cherries, rose petals, strawberries, more damp earth, cranberry acidity, mushrooms – are you sure this isn’t a burg?…. I have had some expensive burgs that this wipes the floor with. I wonder if this is a French (or French trained) winemaker? Nothing really else to say – contender for wine of the night.


Wine # 6 – 2010 By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir
There is just something about aged By Farr Pinot that screams it’s a ‘By Farr’. Picked this maker from the first whiff. The really only question I had was which vintage was it and was it Farrside or Sangreal
(I settled on sangreal). Darker blackish cherry in the glass. This hits you with that undergrowth/mushroomy earthiness nose straight away. Could easily be a burg if that option was on the table (Its not). Whole bunch stalks in there, some really ethereal aromas coming out. Dark cherry, herbs, and more of that damp/wet earth.
Tannin are lovely and integrated, super fine, furry with some dust thrown in. Love the length of this wine, geeze how good are ByFarrs.
As it opens up, more earthy notes and some wet alpine needles as well. Silky mouth filling texture, chewy almost, all enveloping the senses. Perfectly handled oak, is it near its peak? Cant quite tell, I don’t think so. Still has a few years to go, then will hold for a while I think. Lovely balanced acid, just a complete wine from a great vintage.


Wine # 7 – 2010 Main Ridge ‘The Acre’ Pinot Noir
A very light cherry red colour, quite bright – looks very young… under 5 years for sure (lol)
Man screw caps really screw with your mindset of what an ‘aged’ wine is meant to look like.
This is a goodun! Nose has some lovely violet purple florals, black millipedes (the table laughed when I made that note) red liquorice and aniseed.
Only JUST medium body, more mid-light. Some absolutely beautiful red fruits in here, cranberry, possibly some pomegranate and figs. Those red fruits are really a thing to behold. Perfectly ripe, perfectly balanced and backed by some wonderful acid. Tannin still finding their stride and will hopefully come up a bit more with age………… wait this is a 2010! Bloodyhell its young.
Long life to go, based on this bottle put away for another 5-10years. Yes please will buy more.


Wine # 8 - 2020 Littorai ‘Cerise Vineyard’ Anderson Valley – California USA
Darker in colour than the previous wine. Half way between black and red… not purple though…. Its completely different. Big hit of new season raspberry on the nose, what a wonderful experience here. Lovely red fruits and red rope liquorice,
Some bubble-gum notes starting to creep in, a sweetness type bubble-gum. My instincts think it could be USA, but I choose Australia….. dang.
I really like the balance here. Nothing out of place, has a roundness to the wine. Low acid, soft tannin, but a real drinkability, which is surprising given the young age of the wine. I thought it may have been a tannic/acid monster, but not at all. This has some wonderful blue and purple fruits, soft supporting oak, just a really nice drink. I question how long it will age for, but I will say drink within 10 years from vintage. Irrelevant as its drinking so nicely now.


Wine # 9 – 2018 Ashton Hills Reserve Pinot Adelaide Hills
This is translucent in the glass, red with a slight darker tinge as well. Very bright and shiny… almost like its been polished.
Massive whole bunch nose, some stewed rhubarb, rosemary herb notes as well Menthol.
Alcohol is noticeable and its sitting above the wine. It’s a hot type alcohol, distracting a little, I will have to find out what % it is. Will have to see if it blows off later, does alcohol ever calm down with age? I mean this is a young wine, so perhaps just needs a little time to come together.
This maker has been smashed with bushfires of late, however thankfully I cant see any smoky notes in this wine. Lovely so see them charging back into the scene with this.
The fruit weight in the wine is really something too, so concentrated, so pronounced, just coats the senses. Really lovely length, and just more of those lovely red fruits and some lavender and dried rose petals as well. Put away for a while I think.


Wine # 10 - 2018 DeBortoli ‘Lusatia’ Pinot Noir
Mid- Dark red in colour, again very clear and bright. Looks young in the glass.
This has a different nose again to all the other wines, definitely different region and one we haven’t had before. This feels like a higher altitude wine, its lighter and has a different acid profile.
Initially I thought maybe Macedon… maybe its just earlier picked fruit – definitely not overripe or blousey, this is just ripe. Lighter fruit, lighter profile style of wine. Feminine if you will
Lovely perfume, lots of redcurrant fruit and has a purity of fruit about it in the glass. Needs more time in the bottle. Look again in 5+.


Wine # 11 (Fortified Finisher) – 1980 Taminick Cellars Vintage Port
Lovely colour, some blue tar type colours in there, tinge of khaki and green olive rim.
Nose is pure blue fruits, lots of blueberry, plums with some slight bitumen /tar and coffee notes as well. Lots of fruit had
me in Australia instantaneously.
Spirit is perfectly balanced and integrated, absolutely no heat alcohol to be seen. Pure clean
Spirit which can be a difficult thing to master, but wow have they done a good job here.
Still has a freshness about it, I think 20 ish years….. nooo
Lots of spice here. Cardamon, coffee grinds, dried orange rind and some other Indian sweet spices.
Due to those blue fruits, I think its from McLaren Vale and late 90’s or early 2000’s.
Blown away its over 40 years old, So fresh, vibrant and young. Drinking beautifully now.
Silky, soft and luscious – yes !

phillisc wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 9:12 am Parker estate 2019 95 Block, had three of these now, simply brilliant, blue black fruits, oak seamless with a rich palate , finishing withe finest tannins, will put the rest to bed.
Rockford BP 2000, cork soaked, still a vibrant colour for age. Slight savoury/meaty note, nice warmth on the palate, plush, leading to a delicate finish. probably at its peak, but will hold for a few years yet.
Heggies 2012 Riesling, reflection of a stunning vintage. Still has green hue, with fain yellow, crisp, with a nice lick of acid, just starting its development i feel. Bottle gone in 30 minutes.
Cheers Craig

Have had both the Parker and the Heggies. The latter in a comparion with the 2022 which was fascinating. Great wines. The Parker 95 Block is an excellent wine and great QPR.

Cheers

Michael

Hi Michael, having the last hurrah with Riesling. Getting a few 2022 but in much less numbers to 2002/12. I agree some of these screw cap wines will go decades.
Cheers Craig

Rossco wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 6:51 pm Wine # 11 (Fortified Finisher) – 1980 Taminick Cellars Vintage Port
Lovely colour, some blue tar type colours in there, tinge of khaki and green olive rim.
Nose is pure blue fruits, lots of blueberry, plums with some slight bitumen /tar and coffee notes as well. Lots of fruit had
me in Australia instantaneously.
Spirit is perfectly balanced and integrated, absolutely no heat alcohol to be seen. Pure clean
Spirit which can be a difficult thing to master, but wow have they done a good job here.
Still has a freshness about it, I think 20 ish years….. nooo
Lots of spice here. Cardamon, coffee grinds, dried orange rind and some other Indian sweet spices.
Due to those blue fruits, I think its from McLaren Vale and late 90’s or early 2000’s.
Blown away its over 40 years old, So fresh, vibrant and young. Drinking beautifully now.
Silky, soft and luscious – yes !

Hi Rossco.

Great notes as usual.

I’ve got a bottle of the 80 Taminick VP, sounds like it’s time to dig it out.

Cheers Con.

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Con J wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 4:11 am

Hi Rossco.

Great notes as usual.

I’ve got a bottle of the 80 Taminick VP, sounds like it’s time to dig it out.

Cheers Con.

You won't be disappointed con. It was a great fortified. Some can be a bit hit and miss, but this was fantastic.

As posted on another board (is that allowed?) where some members have said that their tastes have evolved from an earlier fascination with some of the bigger (Parker influenced) Aussie wines.

1996 Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz. Magnificent wine, that will cure your "tired of Aussie" blues. Third of six. Showing very well now, but I'm also looking forward to trying it on its 30th. Yummm.

With some cooler weather over the weekend I pulled out some reds:

A very good 2016 St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet.

I think I paid about ~$30 for this when Woolworths actually had some decent wine sales/discounts, represents very good drinking at this price point.
Still youthful in colour, structure & taste – drinking very well actually, in the medium/medium + style. Fruit is well presented, cassis/black currant and touch of menthol, perhaps some eucalypt/gum leaf note. Depth of flavour and finish is good. Oak well balanced, in fact, the wine is well balanced overall. Nice ripe tannins with a touch of grip on the finish. This will age well I suspect.

A sub-par 2017 Grosset Gaia (Cabernet Franc)

Purchased on release ex CD and has been in my wine fridge since. The colour was not looking so youthful which is a worry. Day 1 was hard work didn’t really impress – not much to it really and felt a bit flat/lifeless. Day 2 it opened up to be more fruit forward, the palate feels generous in the mouth but there is not any great depth of flavour to it, with a slight acidic note to it. Does not feel like a complete wine. For the price, it didn't really win me over. Who knows, may fill out in time but the colour was a worry to me. Generally speaking a lot of 2017s I have tried have not been that great.

Matt, I hope you can give Jeffery a call for a replacement Gaia
I agree with 2017, I have found many to be a little harsh, thin, and overly acidic. Unfortunately cruelled by 2016/18/19. I think 2020 may suffer a similar fate, small crops with green characters.
Thanks for the note on the St Hugo, looking forward to trying one in a few years.

Cheers Craig

Bytown Rick wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 11:03 am As posted on another board (is that allowed?) where some members have said that their tastes have evolved from an earlier fascination with some of the bigger (Parker influenced) Aussie wines.

1996 Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz. Magnificent wine, that will cure your "tired of Aussie" blues. Third of six. Showing very well now, but I'm also looking forward to trying it on its 30th. Yummm.

Glad you enjoyed it. I’ve been through most of a six pack and felt Penfolds whiffed on this one. Given how good some of their other releases from this vintage have been, for me, it’s a disappointment.

Mike Hawkins wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 10:02 pm

Bytown Rick wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 11:03 am As posted on another board (is that allowed?) where some members have said that their tastes have evolved from an earlier fascination with some of the bigger (Parker influenced) Aussie wines.

1996 Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz. Magnificent wine, that will cure your "tired of Aussie" blues. Third of six. Showing very well now, but I'm also looking forward to trying it on its 30th. Yummm.

Glad you enjoyed it. I’ve been through most of a six pack and felt Penfolds whiffed on this one. Given how good some of their other releases from this vintage have been, for me, it’s a disappointment.

I guess I got lucky

“ I think I missed the hey-day of this St Henri vintage though I agree it will hold fine in a clash between adolescence and tertiary decline.”

A few weeks ago I scribbled this thought on 96 St Henri. First from a pro-cellared six pack! I’ll try again next to a magnum of 96 Grange next week.

Another 1996
Pikes Riesling, cork shattered, must get one of those durrand jobbies. Anyway a bit of parachute cloth and all good. Golden yellow like a consomme with the faintest whiff of variety. Palate soft, rounded, with a lick of sweetness and the faintest acid remnants.Not corked which I was very grateful for. Last of a case, back label suggests 10 years, I went a bit longer, but a nice old curio to have with a bit of fish and salad.
Cheers Craig

Pretty amazing it’s held up that well Craig - benefits of good cellaring in action.

A few recent ones from me:

The champagne was stunning, a 2018 disgorged date I believe (wasn’t on the label, and purchased a few years ago now). Yellow colour, great flavours, carry.

Pooley Pinot was just ok. Lacking balance and finesse, probably expected as it’s their entry level. Didn’t wow me.

Powell & Sons was a cheap purchase and a good quaffer. Great mouth feel, tannic, plenty of red fruit. Will be at its best in 5-10 years.

Cheers Ed

Standouts from last weekends trip to McLaren Vale

2020 Bekkers Grenache
2020 Bekkers Syrah Grenache
2020 Bekkers Syrah
2015 Bekkers Syrah Grenache
2017 Dowie Dooie The Architect Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Hugo Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
2013 Hugo Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
2020 Yangarra Hickinbotham Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon
2020 Yangarra Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Shiraz
2014 Yangarra Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Shiraz
2020 Yangarra High Sands Grenache
2010 Honey Moon Vineyard Shiraz
2012 Honey Moon Vineyard Shiraz
(Honey Moon is in Echunga)

Other CDs that didn't make this list .. Gemtree, Bec Hardy, Shingleback

Interestingly. from three days of tasting, there seems to be a lot of cabernet wines tasted. Unexpected. A great weekend

2009 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cab - this is one of my favourite wines, and the 2009 is coming along well. Still packing tannin, dark fruit, good length, powerful and subtle. Has another 10 good years ahead of it.

Cheers Ed

2019 Marius Symphony. What a wine, dark fruits chocolate rich palate long finish. First of a dozen and special as it was Roger's last release and I played a small part in picking some of the grapes.
2022 Rockford EV Riesling. Palate of fruit salad, lovely lick of sweetness and lingering acid. Much more approachable than the rather austere Vine Vale.
Cheers Craig

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A few impressions from the last couple of weeks

2021 Grosset Springvale Riesling – Clearly young & fresh, but fruit weight, texture and acid is nicely balanced. On the lime spectrum of fruit. Lovely length - this was outstanding.

2019 Wild Duck Creek Springflat Shiraz – a bit of a ‘bruiser’. Full bodied, dark and inky. Plenty of ripe fruit and oak to support it. Day 1 was okay, fell apart a bit on Day 2 – feeling more ‘porty’ / alcoholic. Shows the dry / warm year.

2022 Leo Buring Eden Valley Riesling – very drinkable (well smashable). Light citrus notes, with well balanced acidity. Beautiful match with Tempura.

I have been looking for the ideal wine to match with South Bluefin Tuna Sashimi. I have tried lighter bodied reds, fuller bodied reds and various white wines, but this time I cracked open a 2015 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling – this hit the spot nicely. Its colour is just starting to turn; as the acid fades and fruit ‘sweetness’ develops, it was a perfect match with the tuna. As I was tasting this, I couldn’t help but think that this is about ‘halfway’, i.e. drink over the next 8 or so years (for my taste).

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Sean wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 7:35 pm 763E16D5-2BB8-4E92-8BBB-A4AEFAEA251C.jpeg
Jim Barry Watervale Riesling 22 - Riesling producers reckon this is an outstanding vintage. So you should see great fruit and ageability in wines like this. Light straw colour and fragrant lime/citrus character. The mix of lush, sweet fruited mid-palate and racy fresh acidity feels almost perfect in its simplicity.

I reckon you'll find its just more than Riesling producers Sean.