The Auswine Forum

Hi, if you ever see Seppelts Drumborg Riesling on special grab it...IMHO one of Australia's best and at a price in the $30s or lower...go for it.
You are right back your own palate
Yes there are a lot of punters on here with a fair bit of experience, but its always the case, buy and drink what you like.
There are wines on here that I would never buy or drink, and equally others would say same on what I like to buy and drink.

Enjoy the journey...I'm just entering my 5th decade of wine discovery.
Cheers Craig

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Had some outstanding older Coriole wine from the cellar at the restaurant at Coriole in McLV this week

2006 Shiraz
2010 Cabernet
1990 Cabernet

2006 and 2010 were both outstanding, both in my wheelhouse, the 1990 was very good but you could see it was on the gentle downhill slope. Just fantastic to have with the "Feed Me" menu there. It was a beautiful day as it turned out, really good setting.

1994 Wynns BL Cab. Lovely wine, with a slightly muted nose, some suggesting a slight porty note, although I certainly didn't pick that up. Gentle old red, plenty of fruit, generous flavour with a nice touch of sweetness on the finish.
At its peak, I reckon, but a very nice wine indeed.
Cheers Craig

2021 Penley Estate Helios Cabernet
Well this is just fabulous, inky black, plenty of black blue fruits, olive, with a full bodied palate. Oak in control with a big lick of tannin, very smooth finish. Supposedly the top marque for this winery at $150 and certainly tastes like it...thankfully I paid nowhere near that.
Bottle finished in no time. Great reflection of a great vintage. Happy days

Cheers Craig

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1990 Wynns Michael...an epiphany, monumental in every way. Low neck, cork did the job. Still showing purple hues, so delicate but enduring, in some respects cabernet like. Smooth as silk and tannins just melted away. A fabulous bottle. A few more left to drink over the next decade, still plenty of life and not going to fall over anytime soon. I forget how good Coonawarra Shiraz can be, this was superb.

Cheers Craig

1988 Bowen Cabernet Merlot. a gracious old red at the end of its life. Went magnificently with a rib eye.
Cheers Craig

2012 Mauro Franchino Gattinara.It has lovely balance, very true to the grape, and IMO with a trad approach in the winery, also true to the region.

almost made this a new thread, but I guess I'm like a broken record.

the utter madness in Burgundy continues, it is now beyond bizarre.

I just received an offer from a premier Melbourne retailer for the 2021 wines (ordinary vintage) for several "rock star" producers. (in reality, all are middle-tier, at best)

This included the fabulous offer (limit one bottle) with pre-arrival discount for the
Taupenot Merme Mazoyeres Chambertin
..... this is discounted to a mere $1000 a bottle
I purchased the same wine in Australia in around 2012 for the far-better 2010 vintage for exactly $115 a bottle. Still have the unopened case.
Seriously, I'd really like to know, who is buying these wines??

Average producer
Average vintage
Average GC site, perhaps the "least" of all the Chambertins.

Who the f*ck actually buys this stuff?? As I said, this is now beyond bizarre.

And as I have said previously...most of this stuff is 85-87% water. However, there's dickheads who are born every minute who'll happily pay for it
Cheers Craig

There have been a few instances of Burg prices dropping this year, and one big name (was it drouhin) openly calling for price drops.

Thankfully it's not a region I'm particularly into, and what I bought was still reasonably priced. Who buys it? a mixture of enthusiasts, speculators and those seeking its prestige, and any individual might have a mix of those traits.

phillisc wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 8:53 am 2021 Penley Estate Helios Cabernet
Well this is just fabulous, inky black, plenty of black blue fruits, olive, with a full bodied palate. Oak in control with a big lick of tannin, very smooth finish. Supposedly the top marque for this winery at $150 and certainly tastes like it...thankfully I paid nowhere near that.
Bottle finished in no time. Great reflection of a great vintage. Happy days

Cheers Craig

Good to hear. I have some of this and the earlier vintages (I think). Penley used to feature more prominently in my cellar… might be a good time to revisit them.

A few from the wine fridge in recent weeks:

2012 Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra

I decanted this for approximately 2 hours in advance and it felt reasonably ready for business. Starting to show some development, but to be really critical, to me its in a bit of an awkward spot. The overall balance of the wine was not harmonious with the fruit feeling rich and quite ripe, but the acidity a bit ‘pokey’ and a bit of bitterness on the finish with drying tannins. Whilst enjoyable, it didn’t thrill. Under screw cap, I would come back to this in at least 5 years time.

2013 Kilikanoon Attunga Mataro, Clare Valley

This has been one of my favourite wines. I bought 2 bottles at the cellar door on release when I first tried it and then was gifted another 3 bottles later. This was sadly my last bottle. Lovely layers of spice and generous fruit and overall it feels seamless and complete. For me I wouldn’t hold any longer. I have enjoyed this wine’s evolution, albeit relatively short in the big scheme of things.

2015 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec, Clare Valley

I love this blend. 2015 was a warm and dry year with this expression feeling riper and more full bodied, but in a good way. Nice tension of the varieties giving it a lot of interest. Poured into a large open decanter for a few hours – the stunning nose is intoxicating. Clearly youthful but bloody drinkable and delicious. The structure and tannin profile suggests lots of aging potential, but I am preferring my reds on the more youthful side these days. The bottle did not last long between family.

Preference noted with the Wendouree Shiraz Malbec. Gotta make comment on the first of a 2001 I had the other day from a box of 12. Opened in the morning, a whiff from the neck and you can tell it will need air. Decanter two hours re-poured back into filter rinsed bottle, presto! A world class wine driven by fruit clarity and freshness. Amazing.

A wine dinner held mid this month

Theme was Yarra Vs Mornington Pinot

As always all wines served blind.


Wine # 1.1 (Left Glass) – 2017 TarraWarra Estate Reserve Chardonnay (Yarra)
Bright/Light yellow with a green core & clear Rim. Looks painfully young but screwcap will do that. Could be 2 years old.... could be 10.
Tropical nose, green pineapple, some reductive notes and struck match characters. Nice nose, but a modern nose – not much oak characters or spice but Some lemon rind on the nose.
In the mouth the very first thing I notice is the dryness, its very dry. Lemon acidity, green papaya – very new world fruit and style and very modern Australian. Feels stainless tank fermented, there is a leanness in wine, but not thin. Missing some roundness and fruit richness I like in Chardonnay, but this is the style. Citrus fruits, very nice wine for the style its going for, acid a bit to raw for me but will calm down with age. Will be amazing in another 10 when it fills out and grows up.


Wine # 1.2 (Right Glass) – 2017 Seville Estate Reserve Chardonnay (Yarra)
Colour is deeper and darker yellow/gold. Looks like it has more age on it.
Nose is super flinty, lots of stone minerals and noticeable oak/cinnamon spice.
Smells richer, a tad riper and more generous – could be the oak influence, winemaking or a different region…not sure.
On the palate its more reductive, the fruit is perfectly ripe and the richness comes from the Malo. Powerful fruits here, white and yellow peaches, some cashew, hint of yeast/bready things, and then more of those flinty/sone notes as well. This is much more my style and preference over the 1st one. Drinking beautifully now and will age with grace. More complex with those spicy notes, some sage or herb in there as well. Longer length is really well supported by the perfect acid line. Runs from front to back and just a whisp of soft white pepper/spice coming through. Lovely wine, top fruit too. Surprised when it was revealed as Seville Reserve. A good buy


Wine # 2 – 2012 Main Ridge Estate Half Acre Pinot (Mornington)
Mature red colour, some bricking starting to creep in and a touch of brown, not blurry, just has some age on it – I think 10->15 years.
Big mushroom nose, wet earth, roast beetroot as well. Cherry & Raspberry fruits are coming up, but its that umami and mushroom nose that is dominating.
Very soft tannin structure, dusty and dry. More forest floor notes and secondary/tertiary characters. Forest floor, wet alpine herbs, earthy, fruit is just holding in there, and it’s a sweet fruited style strawberry, red cherry. Acid has subsided and this is only just holding. Drink the rest now as its not going to get better and if anything has peaked and may be on the slow downward trend. Lovely wine though with good length.


Wine # 3 - 2019 Main Ridge Estate Half Acre Pinot (Mornington)
Completely different in both style and colour. Much darker almost black cherry in colour, some dark red/purple in there towards the rim, looks much younger and brighter.
Very fragrant and completely different to the previous wine. This has a lot more florals coming out, Frangipanni, Moroccan spice / Dukkha and satsuma plums, so very fragrant but darker fruit style, not a red cherry or strawberry style, more blueberry/light plum.
Lots of fruit on the palate, rich and ripe, im wondering if it was a ripe year, musk and Turkish delights, rhubarb tang/acid with that sour black cherry fruits. More plums, although the oak isn’t as noticeable as the colour would suggest, it’s a big wine. Not sure of the alcohol, but its not hot or spiky which is a relief. First vintage of the new MRE winemaker, so I think they are still learning, completely different to other Main Ridge I have enjoyed. At this stage it’s a bit too big, too rich and ripe for me (given the vineyard). Will it lighten up/calm down with age, maybe and it has some good structure for ageing potential, so only time will tell. Amazing back to back experience though – Same winery, same vineyard – different vintage and different winemaker yet you couldn't get two more different wines.


Wine # 4 – 2012 Moorooduc Estate ‘Robinson’ Pinot (Mornington)
Very young colour here, super shiny almost like its been polished. Bright Rhubarb red looks under 5 years old, smelly young and fresh too with some red cherry and new season strawberry.
Very precise fruit, hard to explain – its not powerful, not rich or over ripe, just clean and precise. Has that Mornington fruit character that I pick easily, but no one else does. Im the only one that choose Mornington and I was second guessing myself for a minute. Lacking a bit of complexity, its straight up and down/by the numbers. Nice acid, good oak, but missing that X factor. Some good peppery spice and its drinking well now, will keep for a while yet unlike the Main Ridge of the same vintage. Be interesting to see if it gets better.


Wine # 5 – 2019 Wantirna Estate ‘Lily’ Pinot (Yarra)
Darker red/black cherry colour, looks like another young wine, but I have been fooled before (by the previous wine) so who knows. Green herb nose, lots of purple florals, perfume notes, red fruits and oak spice. Wonderful aromas leaping out of the glass, an absolute sensory pleasure to experience and completely different to the other wines – I think this is our first yarra! Fruit profile is different, acid is very different and there is this fruit purity and elegance to the wine. Ultra high class wine, the ripeness is perfect, picked at exactly the right time. Fruit weight is noticeable but the fruit quality is outstanding, soft and sweet strawberry, raspberry as well. Tannin is on the dry but stoney end and the acid is just a little dominating right now. However it will calm down with time as this is just such a young wine. Lots of potential, super high quality, and my first Wantirna Pinot – Easy buy recommendation. I loved this


Wine # 6 – 2008 Yarra Yering Estate Pinot (Yarra)
Old, blurry and starting to brown. Brown/brick red this has some age on it.
There is some slight VA and Oxidative notes on the nose that im not enjoying, I don’t think Its faulty and neither do the others. Has an old nose too, like a linen chest that hasn’t been open for years. Old leather and all secondary characters, doesn’t look or smell like a Mornington, but its so old its hard to tell. By default I choose yarra.
Soft red/blue fruits, acid is very spiky and disjointed, its dominating that oak and fruit, not in a hot/alcohol way just in an unbalanced way. I didn’t finish it, and drink whatever you have left in the cellar. Its on the downhill slope. Apparently a valley floor vineyard – it’s a no from me.


Wine # 7 – 2016 Yeringberg Estate Pinot (Yarra)
Ahhhhh now we are back in the swing of things! Look at that colour; clear, red, bright and just a happy colour/ happy wine. I love the colour of this and the clarity. I think this has a touch of age on it (under 10 years) and the nose screams yarra to me. Bright red fruits, cranberry and rhubarb with strawberry and some raspberry as well. There is some oak influence which is a bit heavy at this point, but the fruits are well up to the task. Some beautiful herbs and spice complement the fruit, alpine herbs and a hint of pine. Red earth spectrum which adds interest and discussion among the group, acid it perfectly handled, nice mouthfeel, silky and generous without being over the top. Not as elegant as the Wantirna, but in a similar vein. I really liked this wine and would be great to revisit in 5 and then 10 years to watch its evolution. I feel it will be a stonking wine with more age. Yum


Wine # 8 – 2015 Montalto ‘Merricks Block’ Single Vineyard Pinot (Mornington)
Another wine that brings joy to the senses. Clear, translucent red, bright and just happy to see you. Big Mornington fruit hit, its so prominent and different to the previous wines can only be Mornington. Salty sea breeze, young raspberry and strawberry again with some cherry. There is some noticeable oak spice on the nose, but its not overpowering or distracting. Hint of pepper and herb, rose florals but those spices come racing through. Palate is much the same, but that spice is more noticeable. High quality fruit, power but not overbearing. Nicely ripe without being rich and again red fruits. Crunchy acidity brings the fight to the oak and try to tame it. I really like this mouthfeel, completely different. Not silky but fruity and spicy. Needs more time to come into balance, but the stuffing is there for great ageing potential and I can only see upsides, Good wine that will become great.


Wine # 9 (Finisher) – 1973 Kaiser Stuhl ‘The Commemorative Official Opening’ Vintage Port (Barossa Valley)
Brown and Tawny/Khaki colour, some green olive / oil edges but this is NOT a tawny. Too much
Fruit on the nose to be a tawny. Very fresh nose, red/purple fruits, I can smell plum in here, can only be a VP (or LBVP). Some wonderful spice lifting out of the glass, some salty/saline notes, raisins, red and black liquorice. Ethereal.
On the palate that spirit is just perfect. So well balanced, seamless and well integrated. It makes the wine and is the true hero here. Lots of sultana and raisins, some coffee / mocha notes, more liquorice and salty caramel. The wine is silky and thick, its art in a glass / liquid form. Unbelievable that it’s a 50 year old wine. Balance, power and fruit with that spirit makes it one of the best VP’s I have had this year. WOW !

What ever happened to the Kaiser? A huge name back in the 70’s & 80’s but now long gone and somewhat forgotten (not by this group though). Without doing any research, I can only assume it was bought out by a big multinational, integrated into their portfolio, then deleted and bastardised like usual. Anyhoo some great Australian history here.


Wonderful night again

Rossco, KS like Tollana, Seaview, Rouge Homme and others were largely obliterated by Southcorp and made extinct by TWE. These labels I drank by the bucket load in my teens and twenties...a lifetime ago.
Cheers Craig

Tollana Shiraz and Kaiser Stuhl Red Ribbon Shiraz were my first ever dozen buys. I must have had been through 15 cases of each back in the day…. Quality wines for less than $10 a pop. And for a couple of bucks more the Rouge Homme Shiraz cab blend really hit the spot…

phillisc wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2024 7:14 pm Rossco, KS like Tollana, Seaview, Rouge Homme and others were largely obliterated by Southcorp and made extinct by TWE. These labels I drank by the bucket load in my teens and twenties...a lifetime ago.
Cheers Craig

Snap!!! Drank a lot of these wines in my early wine days. A Seaview 1978 (I think) McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon in about 1982 at a French restaurant in Brisbane was my epiphany wine moment. Went down the rabbit hole, dug a corner for myself, and now a long term resident. Tollana did some great rieslings and cabernets. Bought some Rouge Homme cabernets when we first moved to Adelaide in 1990. All were great value wines back in the day. Then I discovered the Penfolds 1986 Bin 389. Wow!!! What a wine. Southcorp and then TWE stuffed it all up.

phillisc wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2024 7:14 pm Rossco, KS like Tollana, Seaview, Rouge Homme and others were largely obliterated by Southcorp and made extinct by TWE. These labels I drank by the bucket load in my teens and twenties...a lifetime ago.
Cheers Craig

Snap!!! Drank a lot of these wines in my early wine days. A Seaview 1978 (I think) McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon in about 1982 at a French restaurant in Brisbane was my epiphany wine moment. Went down the rabbit hole, dug a corner for myself, and now a long term resident. Tollana did some great rieslings and cabernets. Bought some Rouge Homme cabernets when we first moved to Adelaide in 1990. All were great value wines back in the day. Then I discovered the Penfolds 1986 Bin 389. Wow!!! What a wine. Southcorp and then TWE stuffed it all up.

Last night a Dowie Doole 2017 The Architect McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon. One of 1500 bottles as per label. Blewitt Spring fruit which would normally suggest a lighter style. This wine was bang on with layers and layers of blue and black fruits and perfectly balanced. Enjoyed with a scotch fillet. We were fighting over the last drops which is a good indication. Bought from an e-tailer who suggested winery was in difficulties. Very sad. Blame China?

phillisc wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2024 7:14 pm Rossco, KS like Tollana, Seaview, Rouge Homme and others were largely obliterated by Southcorp and made extinct by TWE. These labels I drank by the bucket load in my teens and twenties...a lifetime ago.
Cheers Craig

still got about half a dozen of the 1990 Seaview Cabernet Sauvignon, as of about 3 years ago it was drinking beautifully.
Wynns Ovens Valley Shiraz and the Seaview CS were absolute bargains in the 1970-90's.

Seaview Cabernet was a great label.

Allow me to go back even further to Southern Vales Co-op Trophy Cabernet from the 70's

Chuck wrote: ↑Wed May 01, 2024 4:48 pm Last night a Dowie Doole 2017 The Architect McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon. One of 1500 bottles as per label. Blewitt Spring fruit which would normally suggest a lighter style. This wine was bang on with layers and layers of blue and black fruits and perfectly balanced. Enjoyed with a scotch fillet. We were fighting over the last drops which is a good indication. Bought from an e-tailer who suggested winery was in difficulties. Very sad. Blame China?

Dowie Doole has a great cellar door. One of our mates designed the "container" structure of the premises.

phillisc wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2024 7:14 pm Rossco, KS like Tollana, Seaview, Rouge Homme and others were largely obliterated by Southcorp and made extinct by TWE. These labels I drank by the bucket load in my teens and twenties...a lifetime ago.
Cheers Craig

I assumed as much, such a sad period in Australian wine history....well that and the vine pull.
Anyhoo thanks for confirming

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Mudhouse 2020 Claim 431 Central Otago Pinot Noir. Bought as part of introductory red pack from Accolades Wines (thanks Craig for the link). Wasn't expecting much but quite impressed at this fuller bodied Pinot. Plenty of spice and red/black fruits. Well balanced and quite unlike CO I am used to. Ordered another 6 pack. It will age well I think.

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Wynns 2008 Coonawarra Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon. Screw cap. From a warmish year where the fruit reached good ripeness with the sweet fruits on display. Blackberry and other blue/black fruits. Tannins and acids well integrated. Perfectly balanced. No rush on this sleeper. Hopefully one of those great vintages that will age forever. Coonawarra cabernet from warmish years can be so rewarding with little of those greenish chewy characteristics that can be frustrating particularly under screw cap.