The Auswine Forum

Following the flabby Valdemore Albarino, I was looking forward to what I was hoping was going to be a fine example of classic Spanish red in a Rincon de Navas Crianza Rioja 2004 to accompany the peleton out of Spain and through Andorra. As expected, those feisty lads on orange from Euskaltel-Euskadi hit the front. Impressed with Txurruka and the amount of time he spends out the front.

Corked, Goddam it! Back to the Bottle-O with that one.

Resorted back to the Domaine du Vieux Chene Cuvee des Capucines 2006 from Provence. 100% Organic Grenache.

Full of woodsmoke on the nose. Could have something to do with the fact that I'd just had my face in the fireplace getting a reluctant fire going. Just a hint of dusty lollyshop, and something like yellow plums.
Light on the palate, with some enthusiastic tannins soon elbowing their way in to stomp around on the finish. A bit like that bunch of prima donna toyboys who did their best to make Cadel unwelcome in the breakaway. Very unmemorable.

Into France proper with a Chateau Bonnet Entre-Deux-Mers 2007 from Bordeaux. Sauv Sem with a lick of Muscadelle. Screwcap, finally!
Juicy nose wih good varietal representation. Fresh grass under the lemon tree with some subtle richness and spiciness. Beautiful mouthful of flavour with some welcome softness in the middle palate. Drying off on the finish with a blast of apricot. Great length of flavour and plenty to savour. Nice - will go back for more of this one.

Up there with all the Frenchman finally getting some stage wins on home soil! The GC race is turning out to be more boring than mud, but at least there's some entertaining action in the breakaways and the KOM, not to mention Martinez's delightful accent - he now has the 'yersey', and well deserved.

... I had an encounter on Sunday with a car driver who must've had enough of Le Tour, since he had not one, but two goes at knocking me off my bike. First time was close, but the second time his wing mirror actually fell apart when it hit my forearm, and somehow I managed to stay upright. Thank god for crappy old cars and lax roadworthy laws in Oz! He didn't stop and I didn't get his rego. Dammit.

So, to celebrate being still alive, we watched more Tour and had a Latitude 41 Sauv Blanc from NZ which was 'very tasty', and a 2005 Blackjack Block 6 Shiraz, which was 'great'. This weekend I'm thinking about just doing a few thousand laps around the carport.

GoCadel, as my 2yo calls him, has his work cut out from here I think. I hope Matt Lloyd and the rest of Lotto ride well in the hills, because Cadel could use some team support.

cheers,

Dave.

Gee Dave, these sorts of stories scare the bejesus out of me. Shame you didn't get the license plate but it's often difficult to think of these things in the heat of the moment.

I drive and cycle and have always cycled on the road since 14 or so when I rode to school. I really think it's about time that the fines and or imprisonment terms for motorists that fuck with cyclists needs to be upped in a very serious way. There's been two serious incidents in Sydney of motorists running through packs of cyclists on South Dowling St causing serious injury and thousands of dollars damage to the bikes.

I've personally never come near to having an accident but I follow the road rules religiously, don't come up between lanes and wait in line behind cars. They have recently changed the road rules in NSW allowing bikes to go to the front of the queue at an intersection but I never do it as I know it just shits motorists.

I know cyclists do a lot of annoying things but it is so dangerous for a car to hassle a bike that there needs to be seriously significant disincentives to stop people doing it once and for all. Saying that, the number of cyclists that can't even be bothered to wear a helmet to protect themselves never ceases to amaze me.

I live on a street with a major dedicated cycling lane and every evening after dark more than half of the cyclists don't even have a front light let alone a helmet. I had a friend die while I was at Uni after going over the handlebars on his bike while just trying to jump up a curb. He landed on his head, went into a coma and died three days later. Preventable by a $60 helmet!

Best story I've ever heard was from a mate who was a passionate cyclist and rode about 50kms every day. He was riding down Bondi Rd towards the beach one day in summer when a open top 4WD came up beside him and the guys in it started flicking their towels at him while he was riding along. He swore at them and they drove off. Of course he caught up with them at the next lights and came around to the drivers side, reached in, turned off the car and grabbed the keys, riding off with them. When he got to the end of Bondi Rd, he chucked them off the cliff into the ocean. He said it was a big bunch too with house and probably work keys on it. Sometimes, revenge can be very sweet indeed.

I empathise Dave

I ride to work every day and have been knocked off my bike. I once saw a guy knocked off his bike when someone turned across him into a side street from the oncoming direction. I heard the thump from 20 metres away and watched him through the air for about 5 metres. I assumed he would be dead when I got to him, but all that had happened was a broken wrist.

I was more lucky. I was hit by a person who raced up on my right and turned left into the street we were at the corner of. Thank christ for peripheral vision as I was turning away before she hit me. I wasn't injured and ended up on my knees on the footpath which was grass. She didn't stop but I got her numberplate and called the police. They came round and got a statement from me (I was still shaking like a leaf) and went and talked to her. She told them she hadn't realised she had made contact with me. They left it at that.

I never expect a car to obey the road rules. I always ride as if every car on the road can't see me. I wait until I am sure that a car is stopping for me if I have right of way. It's the only way to stay alive.

Cheers

Michael

For some reason I can't help thinking that grenache should smell like coffee. What an interesting name

cheers

Carl

griff wrote:For some reason I can't help thinking that grenache should smell like coffee. What an interesting name

cheers

Carl

http://www.bouche-duvieuxchene.com/wines/capu2.htm

Isn't it? When I put it though Babelfish which is of course, a most reliable translator, it comes back back with the totally delighful

Field of the ancient oak - vintage of the nasturtiums

The Chateau Bonnet Entre-Deux-Mers translates as 'between two seas', otherwise known as the Dordogne and Garonne rivers - I'll give them that as they're tidal

sparky wrote:

griff wrote:For some reason I can't help thinking that grenache should smell like coffee. What an interesting name

cheers

Carl

http://www.bouche-duvieuxchene.com/wines/capu2.htm

Isn't it? When I put it though Babelfish which is of course, a most reliable translator, it comes back back with the totally delighful

Field of the ancient oak - vintage of the nasturtiums

The Chateau Bonnet Entre-Deux-Mers translates as 'between two seas', otherwise known as the Dordogne and Garonne rivers - I'll give them that as they're tidal

Even better! I think our wine names have some catching up to do

cheers

Carl