The Auswine Forum

Second last tasting in the Festival of Birthday, or "FestiMal". Some oldies from the cellar. All looked good, Grange and 707 were exceptional, Bin128 was surprisingly good, I threw in the Seaview as a bit of a curio, but it was still holding up. The St Henri wasn't the best bottle I've had of this wine, even though it was clinic'd in 2002. The La Lagune was a really nice old wine, coffee, wonderful bouquet, you could still see structure

2004 Penfolds Grange
1998 Penfoldes Bin707
1987 Seaview cabernet
1981 Penfolds Bin128 Coonawarra Claret (Shiraz)
1972 Penfolds St Henri
1966 Ch La Lagune

last tasting of the FestiMal later today, some Penfolds special bin wines, bookended by Wynns JR

A few notes / impressions from the last few weeks.

A trio of McLaren Vale Shiraz’s:

2021 Beresford Wines ‘Classic’ Shiraz, McLaren Vale
2021 Olivers Taranga Shiraz, McLaren Vale
2021 Taylors Wines Masterstroke Shiraz, McLaren Vale

All of these wines demonstrate the quality of the 2021 vintage, even at a reasonable price points, the structure and depth of flavour shows the hallmark of a terrific vintage, oak plays a supporting role to the fruit. 2021 McLaren Vale is a ripper in my mind.

2022 Brothers at War “Some Other Guy” Grenache Shiraz Mataro, Clare/Barossa. I really enjoyed the structure, elegance and spice notes of this wine. Quality wine.

2022 Sidewood Estate Shiraz, Adelaide Hills. This has a nice white pepper note to it, with a richness to the wine I rather like. I’ve had a couple bottles of this now, and really enjoy it.

2024 Sidewood Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills. A fantastic example, fresh, vibrant and nice acidity.

2023 Kirrihill Regional Series Riesling, Clare Valley. This is drinking really well, beautiful fruit weight and balance - with a softer acid profile.

2023 Henschke Peggy’s Hill Riesling, Eden Valley. Precise and elegance here, an acidic 'zing' - a lovely wine for fresh king George whiting

2020 St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon. I really enjoyed this, quite approachable now with a nice richness to it, distinctly cabernet and Coonawarra.

2018 Standish Wines ‘The Relic’ Shiraz. This wine had been open for about 6 hours. Served blind. It tasted like prunes, it felt ‘hot’, confected, with a massive whack of oak. I guessed it as a Greenock Creek wine. One glass was enough. hmm.

mjs wrote: ↑Sun Aug 11, 2024 2:53 pm Second last tasting in the Festival of Birthday, or "FestiMal". Some oldies from the cellar. All looked good, Grange and 707 were exceptional, Bin128 was surprisingly good, I threw in the Seaview as a bit of a curio, but it was still holding up. The St Henri wasn't the best bottle I've had of this wine, even though it was clinic'd in 2002. The La Lagune was a really nice old wine, coffee, wonderful bouquet, you could still see structure

2004 Penfolds Grange
1998 Penfoldes Bin707
1987 Seaview cabernet
1981 Penfolds Bin128 Coonawarra Claret (Shiraz)
1972 Penfolds St Henri
1966 Ch La Lagune

last tasting of the FestiMal later today, some Penfolds special bin wines, bookended by Wynns JR

Happy birthday Malcolm. Looks like you are certainly celebrating in style!
66 LaLa would have been an experience. Same as 707 which can age exceptionally well. I will never forget the 90 & 91 I had many years ago.


Anyhoo have a great FestiMal !

Ok, last event in the FestiMal of Birthday, some exceptional cabernet based wines from the cellar, saving the best till last, some Penfolds special bins bookended by Wynns JR. Just extraordinary, the wines kept getting better and better as the tasting went on, certainly a tasting to be remembered

2005 Wynns John Riddoch
very black red, and quite tannic still, needs time, a rich cabernet, but excellent structure, taste again in ten years

2004 Penfolds Bin60A Coonawarra Cabernet Barossa Shiraz
Wow, wow! What a bouquet, a complete wine, albeit, still in its relative infancy, even after 20 years. Spice from the Barossa shiraz, structure from the Coonawarra cabernet. Hope to try this in another ten years

2004 Penfolds Kalimna Block42 Cabernet
Wow, wow! Massive wine, but still very primary, needs time, beautiful rich Barossa cabernet from the world's oldest cabernet vines still producing fruit.

1996 Penfolds Kalimna Block42 Cabernet
Wow, wow, wow! Last tasted this in magnum and bottle about five years ago, has now developed into an even more gorgeous cabernet, fully resolved, still good fruit, cassis, some secondary characters, just a beautiful drop

1990 Penfolds Bin707 Cabernet
Wow, wow, wow! A wonderful wine, beautiful bouquet. Soft tannins, still plenty of fruit, but also beautiful aged characters

1990 Penfolds Bin90A Coonawarra Cabernet Barossa Shiraz
Wow, fucking wow, fucking wow! Just sensational. Magnificent colour. Best bottle of 90A I have had, and there has been a few. Absolute pleasure to drink right now, loved smelling the glass, beautiful in the mouth

1982 Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon
My last bottle of this wine bought back on release in about 1985. Had some herbaceous notes which perhaps let it down a little, but still very very good

Probably shows how much I like good bottles of Cabernet Shiraz done well. The 90A and 60A were just sublime, the 90A at 34 years of age is at its peak and the the 60A has a massive life ahead still. The 707 as a straight cab not far behind.

Rossco wrote: ↑Mon Aug 12, 2024 7:42 pm

mjs wrote: ↑Sun Aug 11, 2024 2:53 pm Second last tasting in the Festival of Birthday, or "FestiMal". Some oldies from the cellar. All looked good, Grange and 707 were exceptional, Bin128 was surprisingly good, I threw in the Seaview as a bit of a curio, but it was still holding up. The St Henri wasn't the best bottle I've had of this wine, even though it was clinic'd in 2002. The La Lagune was a really nice old wine, coffee, wonderful bouquet, you could still see structure

2004 Penfolds Grange
1998 Penfoldes Bin707
1987 Seaview cabernet
1981 Penfolds Bin128 Coonawarra Claret (Shiraz)
1972 Penfolds St Henri
1966 Ch La Lagune

last tasting of the FestiMal later today, some Penfolds special bin wines, bookended by Wynns JR

Happy birthday Malcolm. Looks like you are certainly celebrating in style!
66 LaLa would have been an experience. Same as 707 which can age exceptionally well. I will never forget the 90 & 91 I had many years ago.


Anyhoo have a great FestiMal !

Thanks Rossco, the FestiMal has now concluded

Well done Malcolm, I can fondly remember a tasting at Melbourne St Cellars that John put on, when the 2004 Pennies special bins were allocated to punters...$400 each IIRC, and certainly could not afford wines at that price. Yes they were fantastic then, so would be magnificent now.

Fortunate to have 3 of the 7 above. Happy birthday!
Cheers Craig

Craig,

Well, I guess I didn’t think too much about how much it would cost to dawdle down to Dans (looking forward to the new Malvern shop by the way) and purchase these wines now! The ‘04’s were about $400 when I splurged on a few of them, maybe 12/13 years ago. Fortunately still have one 60A, a couple of 04 B42’s and a few 96 B42’s in the cellar. The 04 Block42 is pretty exxy now partly due to the Ampoule thing.

Cheers, Malcolm

Indeed,

I sold most of my 707s but have a couple left and of course have the JRs, purchased on release.
I feel less guilt now on what I paid for wines way back then, even the 4 or 5 bottles of Grange that cost me between $80-110, look reasonably good value.
I would really like to get a Bin 620 or 180, just to see if this is the best that Coonawarra has ever delivered, but I suspect and who knows I might already have a wine or two in the cellar that compares? I just baulk at the $1000+ price tag

Incredible line up wines you had though!

Yes hope there's a price war between the new DMs and the FC up the road...its certainly a prime spot...no teetotallers where we reside
I recall the manager at FC, (or Quaffers as it was known back then when it opened 20 years ago), saying they took $400 grand in the first week...lot of beer and Bundy then!!

Cheers Craig

90A is the best wine I've had but I'm limited mostly to OZ wines

At restaurants while in Melbourne….

2023 Bulman Gary’s Grenache. Blewitt Springs. Stunning, just stunning. Nose is beguiling and palate follows suit. Last glass the best. Have 3 in the cellar and immediately ordered 3 more. Best Grenache I’ve had this year and I drink quite a bit of it. Can’t wait to see how this ages…or will I? 5/5
2009 Craiglee Chardonnay. Has aged superbly and quite complex. A touch flabby but really enjoyed it. 3.5/5
2013 Dom Perignon. My wife enjoyed this but not her favourite Champagne. Needs more time. 4/5
2023 Giant Steps Chardonnay. If this is the quality of the base Chardonnay, can’t wait to taste the Single Vineyards. 4/5
2023 Dhillon Glenhope Vineyard Chardonnay. Complex and like the Giant Steps, very commendable for a second wine. 4/5
2020 Moscone Nebbiolo d’Alba. Fairly simple but nice enough with an authentic style Italian Pizza. 2.5/5

Cheers
Ian

Chuck wrote: ↑Tue Aug 13, 2024 12:47 pm 90A is the best wine I've had but I'm limited mostly to OZ wines

The 90A was by far the best drinking wine last weekend at 34 years of age. Pretty sure the 04 B42 and 60A will be even better with time, and they do need a little more time to get into that maximum pleasure mode. After all, they are only 20yo wines

mjs wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 12:33 am

Chuck wrote: ↑Tue Aug 13, 2024 12:47 pm 90A is the best wine I've had but I'm limited mostly to OZ wines

The 90A was by far the best drinking wine last weekend at 34 years of age. Pretty sure the 04 B42 and 60A will be even better with time, and they do need a little more time to get into that maximum pleasure mode. After all, they are only 20yo wines

That was a pretty decent line up you had… very nice indeed!

I must have had the 90a seven or eight times, and all but one have been some of the best Aussie red wine experiences. I can’t wait to try it again after reading your note. Might try one alongside the 04 60a.

Popped and poured a 2022 Wynns Coonawarra Black Label Shiraz on saturday night, and had a glass last night. Very impressive wine with a nice spice note that I find very attractive in it. Dare say one of the better wines I have tried recently.

Going back to buy the remainder at its discounted price...

Matt@5453 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 10:50 am Popped and poured a 2022 Wynns Coonawarra Black Label Shiraz on saturday night, and had a glass last night. Very impressive wine with a nice spice note that I find very attractive in it. Dare say one of the better wines I have tried recently.

Going back to buy the remainder at its discounted price...

Yes indeed Matt, at the Wynns new release dinner, a month or two back, thought this was sensational...so rich, plush and brooding. A delicious wine, and a very different style to the 2022 V&A Shiraz, which was very thin and light in comparison. The 2022 Michael should be very good.

I am a little surprised just a month after release, that the chains have got hold of this and the BL Cabernet and thumped the living suitcases out of it...with cash rewards through a third party, I picked these up last week for a tick over $20 a bottle. The Cabernet is a 100 000+ dozen make and not sure of the Shiraz having 1895 components in it, but surely blended with other blocks, to equally be a substantial quantity.
No doubt will pick up more over the coming months.
Cheers Craig

phillisc wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 2:44 pm

Matt@5453 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 10:50 am Popped and poured a 2022 Wynns Coonawarra Black Label Shiraz on saturday night, and had a glass last night. Very impressive wine with a nice spice note that I find very attractive in it. Dare say one of the better wines I have tried recently.

Going back to buy the remainder at its discounted price...

Yes indeed Matt, at the Wynns new release dinner, a month or two back, thought this was sensational...so rich, plush and brooding. A delicious wine, and a very different style to the 2022 V&A Shiraz, which was very thin and light in comparison. The 2022 Michael should be very good.

I am a little surprised just a month after release, that the chains have got hold of this and the BL Cabernet and thumped the living suitcases out of it...with cash rewards through a third party, I picked these up last week for a tick over $20 a bottle. The Cabernet is a 100 000+ dozen make and not sure of the Shiraz having 1895 components in it, but surely blended with other blocks, to equally be a substantial quantity.
No doubt will pick up more over the coming months.
Cheers Craig

I had to look twice at the pricing. I picked up the remaining bottles of the BL Shiraz and a few of the BL Cabernet too.
What are your thoughts on the BL Cabernet? If I get a chance will open one on the weekend.

Matt, I will open one this weekend.
If memory serves, stacks of fruit, good depth, medium to full bodied, certainly worth a dozen. I will be on the look out for further discounting...I managed to pick up 24 bottles of the 2021 for $20:25 each...bargain really.
Yep I'm biased, at the price point, 60+ vintages and experienced winemakers at the helm, no other cabernet in Australia comes close.

Cheers Craig

Can anyone please PM me the retailer selling BL at stupid prices. Ta

Chuck

Chuck wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2024 4:06 pm Can anyone please PM me the retailer selling BL at stupid prices. Ta

Chuck

PM sent
Cheers Craig

Last weekend, a long time mate from Beechworth visited my wife and I in Adelaide (via Kununurra - but that's a story for another day!) so felt it a good opportunity to open some decent bottles. Previously, he's been most generous when visiting direct from Beechworth, but this time any wine would have needed some time to recover from a near 3,000 km trip.

First up, some nice steaks so after,
2023 Jim Barry Watervale Riesling as a starter we coupled,

2019 Vasse Felix 'Tom Cullity' Cabernet &
2019 Wynns 'John Riddoch' Cabernet - interesting contrast. Vasse Felix was open, showing the glorious MR cab attributes and generous on both bouquet and palate. A contrast to the Riddoch, which was more powerful yet restrained, great Coonawarra Cabernet character but drunk too young!

A 2019 Dalrymple 'Ouse' Pinot -for lunch next day - unctuous, long-flavoured and at its peak. Great Tassie Pinot.

NV Arras Brut Elite began a lovely seafood evening ( featuring some KG Whiting he'd picked up in Port Lincoln ) followed by a bracket of,

2023 Ashton Hills Reserve Chardonnay
2017 Penfolds Bin 17A - two very good Chardonnays; rich yet balanced - both showing great varietal character allowed to take centre stage with very restrained, classy oak.

2022 Traviarti Beechworth Rossi with cheese; a youthful, lighter style Neb. To finish,

1995 Quinta do Noval
2000 Taylors good excuse to open up and compare two good-uns! (Stood up for a week, carefully decanted over my German torch and enjoyed over 2 nights.) Slept well that night.

Next day, some (marinated ) char-grilled steaks, preceded with,

2019 Schlumberger 'Ketterle' Grand Cru Riesling - stunning, dry German white of both power and finesse. Then,
2019 Trediberri 'Berri' Barolo
2017 Pichon Lalande - wow, lucky we had time, and large glasses, to enjoy these reds following decanting. Pretty much typical of both variety and region.
Thought it a good time to open that
2003 Ch. d'Yquem (375) I'd kept in the wine fridge for all those years. Simply stunning.

Began to think that we should slow up a tad, so dinner, over a lamb dish, was started with,
2012 Pol Roger - a singleton bottle - superb, still showing some lovely strawberry Pinot.
2017 Tapanappa 'Foggy Hill'
2022 Bay of Fires - two impressive Pinots of differing ages. Then, because it was the last night,
1994 Fonseca VP - my favourite port house since a 1970 tasted when working for Orlando in the mid-'70's, the then Australian importer. (Got to meet both Bruce, and later son David Guimaraens, when working in NE Vic in the mid '80's.)

My mate and I have both been collecting for over 40 years and it's a joy to open those 'special' bottles you've carefully cellared, not knowing exactly when is the right time - then an old friend visits and you know it's time to grab the corkscrew and decanter.

Farewelled him the next morning. Some great palate memories. We're catching up in October, in Beechworth, so some good bottles are anticipated!

Know exactly what you mean, given a whole lot of bottles opened here over the last couple of weeks, great stuff, that's what wine enjoyment is about

Love to hear about your Beechworth trip. Nice wines too btw

Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz 22 - Drinking this over a couple of nights, even better on the second. Open fermenter, basket pressed and 12 months in large format oak. A big 15% alcohol and tastes like every bit of it. Dark coloured and intense fruit character. Blackberry, dark plums and spice. Got some tannin, but it is very smooth and all about the Barossa fruit. - 18/7/24

Paringa Estate Peninsula Chardonnay 23 - Sourced from vineyards they lease in the Red Hill area of Mornington Peninsula. Whole bunch pressed, solids, wild yeast, barrel fermented and 9 months in used French oak. Flinty, whiffy aromas and lots of natural acidity. Peach, melon and citrus with nutty/leesy barrel influences. - 21/7/24

Chrismont La Zona Nero d’Avola 21 - A lush, medium-bodied red from King Valley. Might go looking for some Sicilian wines to explore the varietal a bit more after drinking this. Vibrant, bright ruby colour and floral aromatics. Plums, red fruits and dried herbs with fresh acidity. Not too much tannin, rather it feels soft, supple and very fruit driven on the palate. - 22/7/24

Pfeiffer Pinot Grigio 23 - A wet vintage with major flooding. The fruit for this came from King Valley. Free-run juice and tank fermented. Some lees influence to build texture. Very little colour. Pear, citrus blossom, herbs and fresh acidity. Really like the subtle savoury, dry finish. - 23/7/24

Wynns Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 16 - Some good purple colour and lighter at the rim, which you expect with an 8 year old wine. Initially warm and loads of ripe plummy aromas. Much better on the palate. Blackberry, plums, aniseed and spice. A bit of tannin on the finish, maybe another few years to get some earthy maturity. - 24/7/24

Campbells Classic Rutherglen Muscat - I think sometimes these fortifieds set off your senses, so that you taste more than what is really there. Average age drawn from the solera is about 15 years. Tawny coloured and sticky or viscous from the get go. Raisins, dried fruits, lemon peel, dark toffee and moderately sweet. This is fresh on the palate with typical clean spirit balancing it. - 24/7/24

Pizzini Riesling 23 - They have grown Riesling in King Valley since the 70s well before the Italian varietals. Some years it is lean and citrusy, other years rounder and grapey. This comes somewhere in the middle. Green straw colour with florals, citrus blossom, limes, apple and talcum. Good natural acidity and a clean, dry finish. - 25/7/24

Pepperjack Certified Shiraz Cabernet 21 - This feels like the essence of a big South Australian red in so many ways. The rich fruit character, the wine style and winemaking. Got 15 months in new and used oak barrels. Dark purple colour and jumping out of the glass. Blackberry, cassis, plum, spice and sweet coffee oak. Banging with flavour and intensity. This is also unbelievably smooth with velvety tannins and long. - 26/7/24

Ten Minutes By Tractor 10X Chardonnay 23 - Whole bunch, wild yeast, malo and 5 months in French oak. Light straw colour. Citrus, stonefruit and minerally acidity. As it warms up in the glass, you get rounder fruit (the malo) and some nice spicy/toasty oak flavours. - 27/7/24

Port Phillip Estate Pinot Noir Shiraz 23 - An equal blend of Pinot Noir and Shiraz from the Red Hill vineyard. Some whole bunch, wild yeast and 9 months in French oak barrels. Ruby coloured and regional earthy pong. Dark cherry, plums, spice and florals. Medium-bodied with moderate tannins. - 28/7/24

Paringa Estate Peninsula Pinot Noir 23 - The fruit came from various vineyards picked over March and early April. Got 11 months in French oak. Ruby colour. Cherry, rose petals, rhubarb, spice and ripping acidity. Showing nice pinot character when you get into it and moderate tannins. - 29/7/24

Wynns Shiraz 12 - A bit of age on this, so I expected it to be fully mature. Not really. Strong red colour with some bricking. Maybe the big vintage. Also they were still making this in barrels, recent ones are tank and oak planks. Dark fruits, mulberry, cherry and spice. Feels a little earthy with dry tannin. - 31/7/24

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 19 - The front label has a different artwork each vintage, this one features the Bungle Bungles in WA. It is 96% Cab and 4% Malbec. Got 22 months in French oak, 50% new barrels. That’s the techs, the wine is poetry. Deep, lush purple colour and beautiful aromatics. Tells you this is Cabernet from start to finish. I was expecting big structure and tannins. But this is very nice. Cassis, violets, florals, mulberry, some capsicum and dried herbs. Oak and velvety tannins give it slow building texture rather than dominate. Just getting better and better in the glass. Really like this, must get another bottle. - 1/8/24

Chrismont Pinot Gris 23 - Est. in King Valley in 1980 and specialising in Italian varietals. This Gris is more the riper, bigger French style however. Picked late season for fuller flavour in the fruit and partly barrel-fermented. Got 6 months maturation in barrels for complexity. Feels full-bodied with leesy influences. Pear, nectarine and spice. This is OK (nice enough, but boring). I had a glass, left the rest for Wendy who likes it and opened a red. - 2/8/24

Chambers Durif 18 - Durif can be big and tannic, often with alcohol levels around 15% or 16%. This is 13.5%! A strong red-purple colour. This is unbelievably smooth and balanced. Violets, plum, dried herbs and soft tannins. Fresh on the palate with vibrant primary fruit and acidity, and runs against everything you think durif is. The back label suggests this can be cellared to 2032. Well they would know. - 2/8/24

Chrismont Riesling 23 - Drinking this with a fish curry tonight. This comes from a single block at Whitfield, which is a higher altitude area of King Valley. Average vine age is 38 yo. They pick the grapes when it has lots of citrus flavours and acidity. Shows in the wine. Light straw colour and florals. Clean and fresh. Jasmine, citrus, herbs with a deep core of acidity. - 3/8/24

Warrabilla Reserve Durif 19 - I drank this over a couple of nights. 5th generation Rutherglen winemaker, Andrew Sutherland Smith, is well known for his big alcohol reds. This is 15.5%. But feels toned down a little and very fresh. Matured for 10 months in larger French and American oak puncheons. Deep purple colour. Violets, blackberry, plum, aniseed and some obvious oak flavour. No prune or porty character at all. The extraction of fruit and oak must have been perfectly judged. I was expecting huge tannins, but this is lush and intense. Everyone says these reds are balanced, and they are. - 5/8/24

Campbells Limited Release Malbec 18 - A few years bottle age has probably helped make this less oaky and more expressive. Lighter red-purple colour and feels medium-bodied. Got the varietal earthy pong and spice. Plum, red berries, rhubarb and tobacco leaf as it opens up with soft, powdery tannins. - 7/8/24

Phaedrus Chardonnay 23 - Wendy drank most of this and liked it. Made from the Burgundy clones. Wild yeast and moderate oak influence. Citrus, florals, pear, spice and some texture showing the extended lees contact. Not much complexity, but it is clean and fresh in the glass. - 8/8/24

Xanadu Vinework Chardonnay 21 - All of it Gin Gin clone, whole bunch pressed, wild yeast and barrel-fermented. Got 9 months in French oak. Straw colour and a little flinty. Citrus, nectarine, melon and almond. Shows leesy influences and texture with minerally acidity on the palate. - 8/8/24

Campbells Rutherglen Durif 21 - Got 10 days on skins during the ferment and 18 months in French and American oak hogsheads. But doesn’t feel too extracted I think. Deep red-purple colour. Dark plums, morello cherry, warm spice and mocha oak. Full-bodied with typical sweet, rich durif character and moderately firm tannin. - 9/8/24

Xanadu Vinework Chenin Blanc 22 - The third Chenin Blanc release and comes from a vineyard in Yallingup subregion. Wild yeast, barrel-fermented and 8 months in French oak. This is very fresh, the oak influence isn’t all that obvious. Texture perhaps rather than flavour. Apple, pear and spice. A subtle savoury, saline note and minerally acidity. - 12/8/24

Merricks Estate Pinot Noir 18 - The wines are released with age on them. The 19 is the current release. When you open one, you see why. Handpicked, open fermenter, some extra time on skins after the ferment and 11 months in French oak. Ruby colour and fragrant. Cherry, red fruits, rhubarb and forest floor. Showing earthy Western Port character and slowly evolving with age on it. Noticed the tangy acidity, feels very fresh with soft tannins. Under screwcap so I think it is still early days with this pinot. - 14/8/24

Pfeiffer Riesling 23 - Really tough, low yielding vintage with flooding. Some blocks 80% to 90% down. So this is actually King Valley and Clare Valley fruit. Pale straw colour. Lime, citrus blossom and a hint of kero. The latter is more noticeable as it warms up in the glass. Loads of varietal character and clean, fresh acidity on the palate. Really enjoying this and happy we have a second bottle. - 18/8/24

Phaedrus Shiraz 23 - Drinking this over a couple of nights. Not sure they have found their groove with the Shiraz yet. Some years it is very good, others not. Spice, blackberry, red fruits and some mocha oak. Just 13% alcohol. Feels medium-bodied with soft tannins. - 21/8/24

Phaedrus Pinot Noir 23 - Really is all about the fruit for better or worse. Low yielding vintage, but the fruit and acidity are bang on. Hand plunging, foot crushing and wild yeast ferment. Larger hogsheads rather than barrique barrels. Similar to the Shiraz with the 13% alc, medium-bodied feel to it and soft tannins. But obvious Pinot character. Ruby colour. Raspberry, cherry, rhubarb and spice. Will fill out with another year or two on it. - 22/8/24

Pfeiffer Garganega 23 - Italian white varietal originally from the Veneto region. This has been sourced from a Nagambie Lakes vineyard (that specialises in new varietals) and handpicked. Got 9 months in older French oak barrels and lees stirring. Pale straw colour and nice florals. Citrus, apples and almond. Fresh in the glass with a dry finish. - 23/8/24

Chambers Shiraz 18 - The current winemaker Stephen Chambers is 6th generation taking over since 2001. Lot of history in the wines, especially the fortifieds of course. This has probably been tweaked a little, winding back those big tannins. But still has a rustic, old style feel to it. Threw a crust in the bottle. Cherry, plum and blackberry. A little earthy and softer, smooth tannins with some age on it. - 24/8/24

Thanks for the notes Sean.

I purchased a few of the LEAS Cabernet - haven’t tried one yet, great to hear it’s showing well - seems to be a well regarded vintage.

Cheers Ed

Last bottle of Wynns 2008 Black Label Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. From our old Adelaide wine cellar. Decanted for 2.5 hours. Plenty of sediment. Inky black showing no signs of age. Cassis, black fruits, modest oak. Everything fully integrated but hardly out of primary stage. Acid and oak now in the background. A nice wine that was nice without being great.

As in the decanter thread
Wynns 2022 BL Cab. Sublime.
Inky black, such a good nose, dark fruits, a bit of spice. Palate of dark fruits a bit of olive, no discernable oak... scary easy to drink now. Long plush mouth feel with drying tannins. Just a cracker of a wine...for a 100, 000 plus dozen make the consistency and quality is remarkable. Will source more as just over a dozen bottles in the cellar simply won't cut it.

2019 Leconfield Cabernets, mix of Cab Sauv and Cab Franc. Lovely nose, violets, plums, big palate with an even bigger whack of oak. A fraction disjointed, but think time will be kind...needs 5 years.
Cheers Craig

2021 Majella The Composer Cabernet.
Picked these up in the recent sale, $18 a pop. Really enticing nose, dark fruits, spice, palate allover the place unfortunately, oak and tannin all out of whack. No discernible acid, or harsh edges, but not great. Time maybe kind, poor representation of the vintage.
I have never been enamoured with the second/third string labels from Majella. I know the musician has picked a swag of gongs and people here rave about it, but for me the standard Cabernet, plus The Mallea and GPL are miles ahead. Will taste all three again this Friday at the roadshow, but can't see me getting any more of this.
Cheer Craig

Update, even more disjointed on day 2, couldn't drink it, so down the sink. Had a Hendricks instead

A few recent ones…

2017 CW Ferguson is excellent. It’s bold. Plenty of dark red fruit, hints of pepper, chalky tannins, long finish. Will go the distance.

2005 LEAS Cabernet is one of my favourite wines. This isn’t the best bottle I’ve had if I’m being picky, but it’s amazing nonetheless. Fruit, moving into secondary, leather, dusty, integrated tannins. Soulful.

2021 Sidewood Shiraz picked up for a steal. A lovely mid week drink. All the components are there. Pop and pour. Drink within 10 years.

Cheers Ed

A couple of easy drinking wines over course of Fathers day:

2023 Henschke Peggy’s Hill Riesling, Eden Valley. A beautifully crafted wine, fruit driven with lovely limes, some slate/mineral tones, nice acidity with very good length. A real crowd pleaser.

2022 John Duval Concilio Grenache/Shiraz (86%/14%), Barossa..

Drinkability + here. Bright fruits, textural, savoury with lovely tannins and long finish.

Exceptional tasting as ever in Amsterdam with the boys. I took along 3 of the best Auz wines I know of and it was interesting to see the reaction, especially to the 04 Drumborg. European Riesling is very different to the Auz style and i think you need to try a few of the aged versions before you finally get it. It went great with the BBQ salmon, but I rated it higher than the other very experienced tasters. The Triolet cork almost broke the Durand, but the contents were fine.

I rated 6 wines at 4.5*, which is probably a record for me. The 96 Trevalon White was the one to drink today. Incredibly complex with a finish that was up with the Talijancich. The Grivot Echezaux was in its window and so round and and balanced, especially after a clunky Gantenbin. Superb, but I thought the 96 Haut Bailly was the best if the reds. Fully resolved and dripping in Pessac terroir - the bottles that was drunk the quickest on the day.

The 76 Deinhard was served at my first wedding in 89 and kudos to Jelle for finding a bottle and remembering the story. It’s TBA, so almost immortal, and lived up to the memory and the reputation of the vintage.

Deep Woods Estate Chardonnay 23 - Often had a bottle of this on the go in the fridge lately. Wild yeast and 6 months in a mix of French oak barrels. Lightly oaked style with clean, fresh fruit character. Straw colour. Citrus, stonefruit, spice and some leesy influences. - 25/8/24

Phaedrus Dry Pinot Rose 23 - A copper gold colour showing the skin contact this got. The aromatics are jumping out of the glass. Really clean and fresh. Strawberry, red fruits, turkish delight and moderately dry on the finish. - 27/8/24

Phaedrus Pinot Noir 11 - A wet, low yielding vintage. Remember this was pretty green when it was released. Ewan has stuck with it (he likes it) and I have to admit it has come up nicely with age on it. No Reserve pinot, just this standard label from 2011. Ruby colour. Dark cherry, dried herbs, beetroot and earth. Notice the acidity in this, it still feels fresh with soft tannins. - 28/8/24

Phaedrus Fiano 23 - Picked early for the florals and natural acidity. Lightly pressed, wild yeast and some leesy influence gives this texture. Straw colour. Clean and fresh in the glass. Citrus, pear and herbs with a moderately dry finish. - 29/8/24

Campbells Bobbie Burns Shiraz 21 - A blend of 15 shiraz blocks, each batch made a little differently. Aims for a consistent style over 52 vintages. You probably see that more with a bit of age on them. Lots of rich fruit and intensity, sometimes noticeably warm and porty. Got 18 months in French and American oak barrels. Dense colour and varnish that takes a while to blow off. Plums, sweet dark berries, aniseed, chocolate and tannins like a deep bass note. - 29/8/24

Scorpo Aubaine Chardonnay 23 - Sourced from a block next door to their Merricks North property. Handpicked, whole bunch and 6 months in a mix of French oak barriques. No malo. Light gold colour and florals. Citrus, stonefruit and oak spice with some textural phenolics and acidity. - 30/8/24

Pfeiffer Funky Pig 23 - Got this in the latest wine club pack and it will probably be a regular pick. The bottle goes pretty quick. Full solids, wild yeast and leesy influences. Clean and fresh with good varietal character. Citrus, pear and vibrant acidity. - 31/8/24

Deep Woods Estate Cabernet Merlot 18 - I am flying through these MR Cabs I got. A couple of 21s were disappointing, this is better. Drinking it over two nights. Sourced from original estate vines planted in 1987. Got 18 months in French oak barrels. Fruit and oak feels pretty balanced. Good purple colour. Some nice herb and cassis Cab notes, plums, aniseed and tannin. - 31/8/24

Sidewood Shiraz 21 - Loads of medal stickers on this bottle. Some whole bunch, wild yeast and 15 months in larger French oak barrels. A dozen different clones. Nothing simple about this, but here we go. A richer style of Adelaide Hills shiraz. Deep, lush colour and peppery. Blackberry, dark plums, chocolate and spice. Good intensity and elegant with lingering, soft tannins. - 1/9/24

Rockford Frugal Farmer 23 - A blend of Grenache and Mataro that has been co-fermented with Alicante Bouchet skins. Gives this colour and a very fragrant character. A softer, low alcohol style just 12.9% a/v. No oak influence. Cherry, raspberry, spice and some moderate tannin. - 3/9/24

Fraser Gallop Estate Cabernet Merlot 21 - A blend of 59% Cab, 28% Merlot, 7% Cab Franc and 6% PV. Got 9 months in used French oak barriques. Deep red-purple colour. Nice inviting aromatics. Mulberry, cassis, plums and dried herbs. This has a lush fruity quality, which is why the bottle went pretty quick. Feels smooth and medium-bodied with moderate tannin. - 4/9/24

Rockford Eden Valley Riesling 23 - Sourced from old, dry grown vines in Eden Valley, incl. the hundred year old Stephens block. Missed the last couple of vintages, so I got 3 bottles of this. Screwcapped. Light gold colour and florals. Lemon, lime and pears. Fills out in the glass as it warms up. Moderate, fresh acidity with soft, chalky texture. - 5/9/24