The Auswine Forum

Hi Good Peoples,

That time of the week again; please let us know what you have been drinkin'. List, vibes, impressions, or tasting notes all welcome.

2008 Sacred Hill Semillon Chardonnay- started very semillon dominant. Subdued lemon & hints of white peach. As it warmed up & got some air, the chardonnay component became more apparent, the peach more prominent. A bit of lanoline in the texture, nice acidity, although a touch rough. Further time brought out some fresh nectarine flavours. A very good wine for $6.

2007 Hardys Butcher's Gold Shiraz Sangiovese- loved it. Quite a serious wine for $16. Savoury, assertive and enjoyable tannins. Cherries, blackberries, dried orange peel, tar, gravel and spice along with some almonds and peanuts. Dash of milk chocolate too. Long finish. Excellent and suited my palate.

1997 Howard Park Riesling Magnum - Yellow in colour, typical Riesling nose, lemon curd and touch of honey sweetness this was a fantastic match to the spicy Vietnamese food consumed with it at my sisters Birthday.

Wynns BL Cabernet 2003 - I reckon this has emerged from a minor rut. Drinking quite well although not especially complex.

Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz 2002 - another good surprise. I've found the last few bottles of this quite bland but this is now flourishing and is full of interest.

2007 Wantirna Lily Pinot Noir- Nice, though a touch smoky.
2004 Tim Adams Aberfeldy Shiraz- Very Nice.

Cheers,

Monghead.

Yet another 2008 Massena Barbera Great agrodolce flavour and very moreish. Very Good wine and I can't keep my hands off them.

2004 Meerea 'Epoch' Semillon
This is a beauty. Whiff of toast and lemon emerging. Racy, tight palate still. As JH is wont to say "Has line and length". Should power on. Very good/Excellent wine with potential.

2007 Tyrrells Vat 15 Semillon
It is a case filler and an early drinker but still a nice drop. More weight and texture than the Meerea but not the same drive and line. Good wine.

Riesling seems to be slowly creeping up in price these days. Semillon is rock-bottom and superb value still

cheers

Carl

Three 1996 Bordeaux this week. I may have been a little hard on the Cantemerle for points and longevity. It held in the bottle quite well for a cuppla days - no cork in, no temperature stabilisation. The Clos de L'Oratoire was the class act of the three.

Ch. Cantemerle 1996
August 09th, 2009 | Category: Bordeaux, Haut-Medoc

This Haut-Medoc Fifth Growth reveals a healthy mid-ruby colour followed by an attractive well-wrought bouquet housing the usual left bank culprits - cedar, sandalwood, weedy blackcurrants, damp earth, undergrowth and road tar. The palate delivers a stylish, moorish mouthful albeit just a little lacking in fruit strength and attack, most probably approaching something nearing its apogee’. There’s some brightness from assertive acidity with tannins that are ripe and almost fully resolved on a soft finish that lingers reasonably with a nice lick of licorice but without any great authority. Very good at best. 85 points. Drink now - 2013.

Ch. Pibran 1996
August 05th, 2009 | Category: Bordeaux, Pauillac

Recently, I opened my first bottle of a relatively minor Pauillac player, Ch. Pibran from 1996. This very good to excellent bottle of Cru Bourgeois displays an advancing brick red colour with substantial rust and pink in the outer edges. The wine has reached its peak drinking phase and although will not fall over tomorrow should be consumed over the next few years. There’s some savoury tertiary characters building in this wine including cigar tobacco, leather, cardamon and Asian mushrooms (tending towards something approaching a miso-like character) to complement the leafy blackcurrant, plum, licorice and sweet earth fragrance and flavours. With the tannins three parts resolved the wine’s structure survives on some lively residual acidity that maintains freshness and appealing equilibrium. The wine finishes long and savoury with a lovely twist of grip, intermingling with leathery, plummy and earthy fruit. A thoroughly convincing, affordable claret. 88 points. 13%A/V

Clos de L’Oratoire 1996 Grand Cru Classe
July 31st, 2009 | Category: Bordeaux, Saint Emilion

Somewhat of an obscure estate owned by Stephan Von Neipperg (who also owns the better known St.-Emilion duo of Canon-la-Gaffeliere and La Mondotte). 25.5 acres under vine with an average age now over 35 years, 90% Merlot with equal remaining parts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Up to eighteen months maturation in new oak barrels. No fining or filtration. 13.0% A/V. Cork-sealed.

Deep ruby red colour with an impenetrable core. Exuberant and flashy bouquet revealing drop-dead gorgeous cedary aromatics housing intense fruit of cassis, blackberry liqueur, a lovely plummy top note, rare roast beef topped with fresh Provencal herbs, black olives, sweet earth, plenty of well-meshed new savoury oak with added exotic, beguiling fresh soft licorice coming later with extended breathing. The palate has ample body, good attack, extraordinary ripe, lavish extract perfectly emulating the nose with seriously good ripe melting chalky tannins alongside vibrant resolving acidity. The finish maintains the preceding high standard being long and flavoursome with excellent persistence and wonderful balance. 92 points with a bullet for a higher score over the next 5 years. Should last for at least another decade after that. A revelation.

Out for a long dinner last night 2 wines were standouts neither of which I had tried previously:

Wallace by Ben Glaetzer 2007 Shiraz Grenache. Not normally a fan of Grenache I was pleasantly surprised at how it added a lovely perfume to this quite approachable young wine. Must buy for the cellar.

Protero Gumeracha 2006 Red Blend. Again quite approachable in its youth the merlot component was very impressive and complimented the cabernet well. Not your normal cool climate style. I have read a number of opposing views on this wine and I'm with the affirmative.



Checking around this morning they were both sub $25.00 and definitely heading to my cellar.

Also there was a Longview Yakka (?) Shiraz but by that time of the night it was all a bit of a blur. Also an interesting sangiovese merlot and a few more. And then some Johny Walker black label and a stagger home to bed at 4.00am. I really should get out more.

Chuck

I watched the football last night with a couple of glasses of 03 McGuigans anonymous region Cab Merlot (export label). It was a "giveaway" with Ephiphany Shiraz from GWD and I think it's nicer than the one I bought, although either is well worth the $5pb.

Cheers, Geoff

1996 Orlando Centennary Hill Shiraz. Wonderful fruit flavour, nice balance and went down a treat.

1999 Orlando Centenary Hill Shiraz Nowhere near as fruity as the 96. In fact it felt a bit bit bound up. Perhaps i should have let it breathe longer. The tannins were a little stronger too. Went down well with the food though.

1998 Stonehaven (Padthaway) Limited vineyard release shiraz. Nice wine, but slightly overpowered by tannins. Only a subtle mint undertone.

1998 Lawsons (padthaway) Shiraz. A fantastic wine. Well balanced very tasty wine.

The two Padthaway wines were to go with a leg of lamb that we were trying out on a new spit roaster i had bought. We had soooo much trouble lighting the fire in the spit we gave up and drank the wine with pizza!

Got the spit working last night..
2000 Kies Dedication Shiraz. I really love this wine. Half hour in a decanter and it really opens up. Great mouthfeel, beautiful flavour.

1998 Mildara (Coonawarra) Cabernet. Talk about lucky. I was sniffing through the wine fridge and something made me grab this bottle. I picked it up and the wine apeared a little low. I ripped off the cap to find the wine had seeped out the top of the cork. Damn. Oh well. Let's see what this is like. Expecting vinegar i was majorly suprised to find this sweet berry flavoured wine was the highlight of the night.
Soft tannin, nice mouth feel. Glad i still have a couple more. (and that they are not leaking).

1995 Cluny. Nice balance, good mouthfeel, great drink. Quite a suprise.

2004 Foggo's old vine shiraz. I was a bit blurry by this stage. I remember the strong fruit. But then each time i open one of Foggos' wines i enjoy it.
Perhaps i should have had water. I may have felt a little better today for it.

Wild Woods Shiraz 2007 - lovely full blackberry nose, light pepper backing, and a refined mouthfeel. A really pleasant surprise, like to have another go in a few years

Tahbilk Shiraz 2005 - currants, cherry, pepper and leather, and a strong follow through. Perfect foil for lamb shanks cooked all day. I don't recall a recent Tahbilk shiraz quite this consistently pleasing.

Black Noble - NV (?) - tar, molasses, dutch licorice, and a caramel reward at the end. Intimidating wine, scared a few natives at first sight & taste. I'll be back for more.

via collins wrote

Black Noble - NV (?) - tar, molasses, dutch licorice, and a caramel reward at the end. Intimidating wine, scared a few natives at first sight & taste. I'll be back for more.

Yep, non-vintage, barrels topped up each vintage I believe, average age of semillon about 8 years. Love it.

Some good gear this week, but palate wonky with a cold. Best bits:
- Clonakilla 2005 viognier, cracking, WOTN at Ottomans.
- Primo Estate Joseph sparkling red (Aug 2008 disgorgement), good, but more porty/liqueur flavour than I recalled for this version
- 1996 Rockfords Cabernet Sauvignon, excellent Barossa cab, still youthful
- 2005 Mount Majura shiraz, good but a bit down on the usual spice from this vintage of this wine, and a bit shaded by the Rockys.

Tonight another cellar discovery - last bottle of the 2005 Te Mata Cape Crest oaked SB. Hope it is still good. Update - was tasty, might have to investigate this SB style some more.

Tame weekend

07 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
00 Grosset Watervale Riesling
06 Johanneshof Gewurztraminer

08 Debortoli Emeri Pink Moscato. Took this to a family afternoon tea and a good match for scones with strawberry jam. Grape juice with musk sticks and rose petals. A light, sweet, low alcohol bit of fun. I reckon sales of this style will go through the roof this summer. 86

06 Mamre Brook Cab Sav At a local pub last night. On the wine list was an 04 Dead Arm for $54 but some bastard got the last bottle two weeks ago so I went for this instead. I was chatting too much to pay close attention but it went down very well with beef cheeks and mash. Solid body and mouthfeel with soft tannins. A little bit of vanillan sweetness but a very gluggable package. 90

2007 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Kabinett: 8.5% and I could have necked the bottle while my fellow diners were talking. In fact, I pretty much did
2005 Thierry Matrot St Aubin Fleurs de Coteaux 1er 05: Nice depth of flavour but light on its feet. Really lovely chardonnay. 35-year-old vines, 10-20% new oak, 11 months on lees.
1992 Wynns Ovens Valley "Burgundy" (shiraz): Nice leathery, soft old read with plenty of interest and a touch of brett.
2001 Alexandra Bridge 101 Cabernet Sauvignon: Plenty of eucalypt here, some typical Margaret River gravelly tannins, cedar, tobacco leaf and maybe some under-ripeness. Was a little underpowered, underwhelming and on the decline I think. The leftovers were oxidised a day later.
2006 Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon: Another very approachable young Wendouree. Only a hint of mint, lots of raspberry concentrate. Very fine tannins, great balance and very moreish.
2006 Fourrier Gevrey Chambertin Combe Aux Moins VV: Quite a lean wine. Shows some red berry fruit common to the vintage, good acid, a little oak spice. Might need more time to fill out.
2007 Foillard Morgon Cote Du Py: Love this, so easy to drink. Hints of pepper background a resiny, gamey wine with lovely acid, great balance and lightness on the palate that make it dangerously drinkable.

2006 Hudelot Noellat Vosne Romanee
Much bigger and sweeter than I had anticipated. Quite muscular. Thought the 05 Pousse d'Or from a couple of nights ago was much better.

Woops. Posted in the wrong week

2007 Spinifex Esprit GSM etc.
Ooer! First Spinifex that I have liked and it came through with a bullet. I wasn't with the programme in the past. Thought the 05 of this quite boring and skipped the 06. This however was the goods. Spicy, dark fruits a plenty. Licorice. Vinous! A long mouthfilling yet textured palate with a lingering finish. Some heat perhaps at the end but nothing untoward. Excellent/Outstanding wine! No idea if this would age as I'll drink them all now!

cheers

Carl

Three 07's and all good, this weekend:

Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 07 - very good concentration, rather nutty, good crsip citrous flavours

Millton Te Arai Vineyard Chenin Blanc 07 - exceptional chenin; heaps of apple, crisp acid, lovely perfume, good mouthfeel - luscious and rich. One of the best NZ whites I've had. On day two, just as fresh and outstanding. Must try more Millton wine... and, what's more

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot/Cabernet 07 - its good, but its not ready to drink yet, IMHO, even after a good splashy decant. Needs at least 3 years. Acids and tannins are very big, fruit is ample to cope, but needs to sit for a bit. Worth cellaring; its showing a lot of classy potential, I think.

1999 Greenock Creek Creek Block Shiraz

Dark, earthy, licorice, smooth....still a gutsy shiraz, yum!

2002 DArenberg Dead Arm Shiraz

I was dissappointed with this. Was weak in comparison to the Creek Block. Seemed to lack the guts I was expecting.

Giant Steps Sexton Pinot Noir 2006 - Seems very closed. Once it opens up it is pretty good with some cherry and what I think of as forest fruit flavours. It is quite savoury. Has pretty good length and slight spiciness. I remember seeing a Campbell Mattinson review mentioning it would be best drunk from 2012 (seems this may be right).

Yeringberg Yeringberg 1999 - Clearly the best of the three bottles have had of this (has been quite a variation but I did buy at auction). Lots of plum and red berry flavour (maybe a touch of blackberry as well). Has sort of leathery tannins and that slight Yarra Valley greeness (to a good extent). Pretty long as well.

Pondalowie Special Reserve Shiraz 2003 - It is a big wine. But is pretty to very good for what it is. Heaps of plum and particularly blackcurrant/blackberry flavour with also quite a lot of spice. Bit of a licorice and vanilla oak flavour as well once it opens up more. Can do with a few hour decant. Beautiful rich colour and velvety tannin. A bit of mint/menthol smell became evident on the second night.

Also attended a couple of wine tasting events last week and have just noted the highlights and lowlights.

Tasmania Unbottled

Highlights

Stefano Lubiana Vintage Brut 2003
Clover Hill Blanc de Blancs 2005
Coombend Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Pooley Coal River Riesling 2008
Pirie Estatae Chardonnay 2007
Freycinet Chardonnay 2008 (maybe favourite wine of the day and I definitely preferred to the 2006 I have previously had)
The quality of the Freycinet Louis wines (Chardonnay 2008 and Pinot 2006) as more quaffable wines
Clemens Hill Reserve Pinot 2006
Josef Chromy Pinot Noir 2008 (thought this was a big step up from the Pepik of the same vintage)
Dalrymple Reserve Pinot Noir 2007
Home Hill Pinot Noir 2008
Glaetzer-Dixon Family Winemakers Mon Pere Shiraz 2008 (was not expecting much from a Tasmanian Shiraz but actually preferred this to their Pinots.)

Lowlights

Not necessarily bad wines but I just don't seem to be able to appreciate the wines of Frogmore Creek and Bay of Fires despite them seeming to be highly regarded.

Sixth Annual Fed Square Finals (or whatever it is called)

Highlights

Plunkett Fowles Stone Dwellers Riesling 2008 (apparently received best white wine - was much relieved a Sav Blanc did not win)
Limbic Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Galli Estate Artigiano Chardonnay 2008 (may have skewed by the 96 from JH for this, although sometimes that also creates an expectation that can not be met - but there was definitely something about this wine, elegance was the main thing I noted)
Nintingbool Pinot Noir 2007 (apparently this received Best Pinot)
Olsen Wines Reserve Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (the 2007 Preservative Free Cab Sav was also surprisingly good - assume it would not last long but pretty good drinking now)
Dinny Goonan Shiraz 2006 (just for drinkability)
Warrenmang Estate Shiraz 2006
Maygar Hill Shirazes (and wines generally)
Getting to taste some different wineries would not normally try and some varieties would not normally try much (eg. Rutherglen Durif).

Lowlights

That by the 6pm mark (it started at 4.30) that it was very hard to get to exhibitors as the throngs of people there to get drunk had arrived (like being at a winery cellar door when the bus rolls up with 30 people on a bucks or hens party). This is really the biggest downside to this event.

Was a bit disappointed some exhibitors did not bring their highest level wines (but very understandable given the nature of the event).

That I didn't really get through tasting Shiraz and particularly ports/muscats as had to get going and the crowd made it hard to taste much before leaving.

"That by the 6pm mark (it started at 4.30) that it was very hard to get to exhibitors as the throngs of people there to get drunk had arrived (like being at a winery cellar door when the bus rolls up with 30 people on a bucks or hens party). This is really the biggest downside to this event. "

Amen to that.

I rolled up to one at 4.30pm a few months back, and had a super time. Lovely pace, really good conversation, access to stalls. But when I left at just after 6.00pm, there was a massive queue lined up outside, clearly ready for a "good time". I felt for those stall-holders.....

rednut wrote:1999 Greenock Creek Creek Block Shiraz

Dark, earthy, licorice, smooth....still a gutsy shiraz, yum!

2002 DArenberg Dead Arm Shiraz

I was dissappointed with this. Was weak in comparison to the Creek Block. Seemed to lack the guts I was expecting.

Rednut

I have never had the Creek Block but am working my way through the '99 Apricot Block which is at it's peak and drinking very well.

Have you tried the Apricot Block at all?
Fairly big price difference i think as well
The Dead Arm not in the same class as the Greenock?

ross

De Bortoli Cab Sauvignon 1995
Strong aromatic nose but sadly fading with its volume of fruit and tannins. Still drinking just ok

Chain of Ponds 'Ledge Shiraz' 2002
Lovely Clare Valley SA Shiraz med/full bodied with good concentration of darker fruits

ross

ross67 wrote:

rednut wrote:1999 Greenock Creek Creek Block Shiraz

Dark, earthy, licorice, smooth....still a gutsy shiraz, yum!

2002 DArenberg Dead Arm Shiraz

I was dissappointed with this. Was weak in comparison to the Creek Block. Seemed to lack the guts I was expecting.

Rednut

I have never had the Creek Block but am working my way through the '99 Apricot Block which is at it's peak and drinking very well.

Have you tried the Apricot Block at all?
Fairly big price difference i think as well
The Dead Arm not in the same class as the Greenock?

ross

Ross,
I have tried the Apricot Block, not the 99 though. I like it and buy it every year. I love the Alices. Cheaper and one of the best they make and yes they are all a bit cheaper than the Creek Block but all great wines.
I agree with you re the Dead Arm, I was really disappointed. Oh well.

Cheers
Ian

Drinking not tasting this week so impressions not TNs:

Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz 2002 Has everything going for it and probably needed a few more hours in a decent decanter. Complex, brambly, very long, power, iron fist / velvet glove etc ... needs 15 years. Superb. Poured for friends visiting from overseas.

Esk Valley Merlot-Cabernet-Malbec 2006. Nice, plummy, long and savoury, marred only by a marginal astringency on the finish. Still at about 5 pounds as a quaffer it punches well above it's weight.

2006 Hoddles Creek Pinot good value for the money, now quite resolved. The acidic palate makes this a good food wine, had it with quali and mushroom risotto. Bright cherry flavours.

2006 De Bortoli Windy Peak this is even better value for money, not the depth of flavour of the Hoddles but gee it is refreshing in a quenching fashion. A little musky complexity adds extra interest. Easily finished the bottle.

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