The Auswine Forum

It's Sunday again... What's everyone been enjoying?

SJ Pannell Pronto Tinto 07 for me - very good midweight peppery Grenache blend. More please.

Domaine Coteau de la Biche vouvray 2008

Light straw colour, gobs of apple cider on palate with hints of quince, a little musk too. Really lovely weight to the palate too, but the initial rush quickly refines to a dry minerality. Spot-on match with a chicken casserole. Great tip from local wine shop.

Fanti Tenuta San Filippo Rosso di Montalcino 2005

Trademark Doc Martin cherry red colour, and ebulient cherry on palate, a little cedar in the mix too. A medium bodied sangiovese, the cherry taste amplifies on palate, accompanied by a little vanilla. Very good match with the colder weather, and the first red lentil soup and crusty bread. God I love autumn!

Picked up an 08 of that Pannell wine Wayno, but decided to leave it a few years. It certainly gets some good raps around the joint.

1998 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz

Really good. Masses of fruit. Spicy. Wish it had more length, but satisfying nonetheless.

sitting in front of the idiot box knocking off the tail ends of some left overs from work today:

Penfolds Reserve Bin 07A Chardonnay

Penfolds Cellar Reserve 2007 Pinot Noir

Penfolds Grange 2005

not a bad mix of wines to chill out with.

Pok

04 St Henri – (decanted 2 hours) outstanding potential. Bold impressive fruit waiting to form into something special I think. Glad I have these tucked away.
06 Petaluma cab/merl - seemed over cooked. Have had this many times over the last 5 years and there is a bit of bottle variation with these. Some have been classical and others a bit like this.

Shiraz expo
05 Grange - yum very complex in its structure great for somebody who doesn’t get to try this often (still wouldn’t pay $600 though).
06 and 07 RWT - good but not a skerrick on 05.
06 Mount Edleston - do they make this bad???? Outstanding again but think the 04 and 05 may be a little better (although this baby is a long hauler). Such a defined fruit character with these wines.
? E&E Black Pepper – a bit strange this sample.
02 St Henri – don’t know what it is about this wine but I haven’t got it yet. I am crossing everything I do though . I have lots tucked away.
06 St Henri – not bad but doesn’t come close to 04.
? Eileen Hardy – big potential, a little closed but good signs otherwise.
? Anies Lane Coppertrail – very good
? Turkey Flat – very good to outstanding. Would like to grab a few different vintages to try after this.
? St Halletts Old block - outstanding.
Many more but cant remember right now. Will post if anything significant comes to mind.

2006 PHI Lusatia Park Vineyard Pinot Noir - stunning pinot noir from the Yarra. Wonderfully complex with beautiful balance between sweet and savoury flavours. Great line and length.

A couple of curiosities from the cellar that both turned out to be badly brett-infested -- Ake Ake Syrah '04 & Margrain Merlot '03.

Also:

2002 Unison Syrah -- clumsier than more recent efforts, a big wine with drying tanins that wasn't showing any sign of fading 24 hours after opening.

2002 Te Mata Awatea -- not a top year for Awatea, but pleasant enough.

2003 Pegasus Bay Riesling -- usual story -- very very good.

2004 Trinity Hill Chardonnary -- really enjoyed this, though I'm not sure you'd say it's evolved into a classic aged chardonnay -- more a fruit salald of delicious stone fruit /citrus flavours.

Cheers
Peter

Maxime Magnon Rozeta 2007 - Corbieres...lovely stuff

Olivier Riviere Rayos Uva - Rioja....lovely pure and way too drinkable

And yesterday some skeet shooting on a mates property in the Eden Valley with an amazing lunch and a few vinos

Rene Geoffroy Brut Expression - very nice

Jean Foillard Morgon Cote de Py 2007 - excellent

Bessin Chablis Valmur Grand Cru 2007 - Terrific stuff....lovely sapid line

Ravenau Chablis AC 2007 - very good...a resonably new wine for them and sealed under Diam

Fontanfredda Barbera d'Alba 2006 - excellent...fragrant and gluggable

Radford Biodynamic Riesling 2009 - a cracker

Radford Shiraz 2005 - very expressive lovely stuff

Astrolabe Chardonnay 2007 - very good

Stonecroft Syrah 2007 - excellent....I actually prefer the cheaper Serine Syrah from this producer at this stage of the wines evolution though.

Peter NZ wrote:2003 Pegasus Bay Riesling -- usual story -- very very good.

Yep, I've drunk six of these over the last couple of years - couldn't keep my hands off the 6-pack. Very good indeed.

I had a couple of nice recent vintage wines over the w/e:
Peregrine Rastaburn Riesling 2008 - good, enjoyable med dry ries. Bit better than I recall the 06 (not had 07)
Stonecroft Chardonnay 2007 - splendid, one of my favourite chards of the last few years.

Seppelt Keppoch GW cabernet 1969 - this was a wonderful wine. Hints of toffee on the nose along and berries, magnificent on the palate, well balanced, and with great length. Elegant, expressive wine, still going strong.

Craggy Range "Le Sol" syrah 2007 - another excellent wine. Hints of violets and spice on the nose, great backbone, nice, long and gentle finish. However, based on the way the 2007 is drinking now, I would rate the 2002 and 2005 vintages as equal to each other, and better than this. I know this is a controversial opinion.

Chapel Hill 'the vicar' shiraz 2006 - I thought this was a superb wine on release, but I do not rate it quite so highly now. It is still a very good wine, but suffered amongst the competition this week, which was unusually strong, by my standards.

Charles Melton 2002 shiraz - wine of the week for me, drinking absolutely perfectly now. Terrific, expensive and sweet nose of oak, violets, and liquorice, followed by an impenetrably dark flavoured mid-palate of dark, dark fruit of extraordinary persistence and concentration. Finishes very, very long, and the memory of this great wine on the mid-palate remains on the tongue for what seems like an age.

Guigal "ERmitage" ex voto blanc 2003 - great structure, length, and persistence, restrained "tinned apricot" and citrus peel palate. Save yourself some money and buy a good vintage of Chateau Tahblik Marsanne. You will get the same wine painted on a smaller canvas at a fraction the price.

Regular lunch group with blind tasting. A pair that stood out for me:
Wynns BL Cab 1989
A much lighter and maligned year in the Coonawarra. This wine was in excellent condition and was classical on nose and palate if somewhat lighter in body and length than the usual BL. I have not had this BL vintage for many years and would have thought it was well past it. It was not. I picked it as a much younger version and was blown away when the label was revealed.
Wynns BL Cab 1990
This was the very next wine. It was such a contrast that I picked it as a Clare cabernet about 8-10 years old. It is still nearly black in colour but a little shy on the nose (depite being open for 3-4hrs-not decanted), but with menthol and mint rather than cassis. It has a rich full berryish palate with the finish still quite grippy. I still don't enjoy this wine as much as the 91 (never have) and I am not confident it will ever balance out. I think another 5-10 years are in order. It's a big rich gutsy wine, but to me is not a classic BL.
Perhaps the biggest BL ever, preceded by one of the lightest.

2002 Te Mata Awatea -- not a top year for Awatea, but pleasant enough.

this is the only year i have bought coleraine but not awatea. i can't have been impressed. cant remember it!

Craggy Range "Le Sol" syrah 2007 - another excellent wine. Hints of violets and spice on the nose, great backbone, nice, long and gentle finish. However, based on the way the 2007 is drinking now, I would rate the 2002 and 2005 vintages as equal to each other, and better than this. I know this is a controversial opinion.

infanticide drinking any of those 3 vintages now! ive only tried the 07 twice, the 02 once and the 05 once. based on that skinny experience id order them 02,07,05

Some good wines listed so far, so let me lower the average price somewhat with the
Paul Bettio Cabernet Merlot 2008, King Valley

Purchased for <$10 and really, this is a superb wine for the money. I'm always looking for a 'bargain' that 'punches above its weight' and this fits the bill nicely. It's a medium bodied Bordeaux blend with good blackcurrant and vanilla characters and nicely integrated oak. A lovely weight and feel in the mouth and there's a hint of mint on the finish. It's all pretty simple and it does finish a bit short but hey, it's under $10.

What's really good about this wine is that it's structurally sound; there's a good balance of acidity and tannin and you feel they haven't messed around too much trying to cover up all the bad bits. An elementary drinkable wine from a small producer that seems to fly well under the radar.

I was drinking this as we watched a friend of ours win a logie last night - I know, it should have been Champagne, but times are hard

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Shiraz expo
05 Grange - yum very complex in its structure great for somebody who doesn’t get to try this often (still wouldn’t pay $600 though).
06 and 07 RWT - good but not a skerrick on 05.
06 Mount Edleston - do they make this bad???? Outstanding again but think the 04 and 05 may be a little better (although this baby is a long hauler). Such a defined fruit character with these wines.
? E&E Black Pepper – a bit strange this sample....(2004)
02 St Henri – don’t know what it is about this wine but I haven’t got it yet. I am crossing everything I do though . I have lots tucked away.
06 St Henri – not bad but doesn’t come close to 04.
? Eileen Hardy – big potential, a little closed but good signs otherwise. (2004)
? Anies Lane Coppertrail – very good...(2006)
? Turkey Flat – very good to outstanding. Would like to grab a few different vintages to try after this....(2007)
? St Halletts Old block - outstanding....(2005)
Many more but cant remember right now. Will post if anything significant comes to mind.

Will fill in the Vintages for you Partegas,(in brackets above). I was also at the Shiraz Expo and liked:[/quote]

My List in no particular order:

Petaluma 2005
BVE E & E Black Pepper 2004
Henschke Mt Edelstone 2006
Tuesner Albert 2006
Clonakilla Hilltops, O'Raida and SV 2008
St Hallett Old Block 2005
Saltram No 1 2005
Penfolds RWT 2007
Shaw & Smith 2008
Les Vinnes De Viennes Cote Rotie 2006
BVE Black Pepper Sparkling Shiraz 2004 ( best Red Sparky I have tried and it'll be on the dinner table this Christmas !)

Best QPR stuff:
Two Hands Gnarly Dudes 2008 $22.90 ( definite buy at this price)
Gemtree Uncut 2008 $18.99
Tar & Roses 2008 $15.99

All up around 65 wines to taste from most regions of Oz plus a few froggies thrown in. a good show, now bring on the
cabernet show ( in August, i think).

Cheers S

Funny. I was there as well

Standout wine for me was the 2006 Henschke Mt Edelstone. Found the Hardy's (Eileen, Leasingham and E&E) a little mute although the sparkling was good. Have to admit to not liking the French wines. Thought the 2006 St Henri a decent drop as well as the 2006 Albert. And yes the 2005 Grange was nice if you like a chocolate coffee milkshake

QPR would go to either the 2008 Chalambar or the 2008 Best's Bin 1 for me although I didn't get around to the Gnarly Dudes. The better half liked the Tar and Roses for the price. Was 2008 a good year for shiraz in Vic?

cheers

Carl

Some brief impressions of some Schild Estate Wines at an instore last Saturday - all of the wines were bottled under screwcap except for the sparkling shiraz & the flagship Moorooroo Shiraz, which were sealed with natural cork:

2009 Schild Estate Barossa Riesling: Very juicy limes and mineral on the nose and palate, and there’s a strange fishy character there too – not sure at this stage whether to call it a positive or negative. The length is outstanding though – one of the wines that sold out at the instore.

2009 Schild Estate Barossa Semillon Sauvignon Blanc: A decent quaff with the Sauvignon Blanc standing out; passionfruit tinged with asparagus, then creamy/green banana. Calamari please...

2007 Schild Estate Alma Schild Reserve Chardonnay: The toasty/sweet oak is just as noticeable as last year, and while there seemed to be slightly more obvious lemony/peachy fruit this time, it still lacks the acid and structure for all that wood. There must be a few people who like this style though, and the wine did sell out before the two days of the instore finished. I’m still not a fan.

2008 Schild Estate Sparkling Shiraz: Good, entry level fizz like the old Seppelt Original used to be like, light to medium weight without a lot of creaminess, but sweet berry fruit.

2008 Schild Estate Barossa GMS: Very similar to the tasting note last year, quite ripe and slightly smoky although there’s less apricot characters this time around. Still holding well.

2007 Schild Estate Barossa Merlot: One bottle was removed before I got to taste it because it was oxidised, the possible culprit being speculated was heat exposure or a dented screwcap. The replacement bottle was pretty advanced itself, a pale bricking colour, and lightweight, smoky/savoury plum/mulberry fruit with chocolate/cinnamon, and the length borderline decent. A day to day proposition at best.

2008 Schild Estate Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon: Another rather smoky wine, surprisingly lighter weight compared to the previous couple of vintages but still very ripe – unless I read the label I’d have trouble guessing it was a cabernet. Missed the mark this time.

2006 Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz: Marginally better than the same time last year, but not enough to get excited about; it seems better integrated/less overtly porty/green, although those characters are still definitely there, but is still on the light/short side. Going by the colour another very quick developer too.

2005 Schild Estate Ben Schild Reserve Shiraz: They’ve wheeled this out at the instores the last previous three years, and here it is again – it’s gotten progressively worse each time, and today it was borderline oxidised, a brick red colour and very stocky/leathery/vegemite characters. The degeneration of this wine in the course of just five years is nothing short of alarming.

2006 Schild Estate Moorooroo Shiraz: A rare tasting the day before it was due for official release. Much more impressive than the previous two wines, but given their quality and the $100/bottle price tag it should be; that said it’s another early drinker, earthy/chocolaty plums with some herbal/liquorice elements, finishing not particularly long with some warmth (I think about 15.4% alc).


Followed this up with the AFWAC annual BBQ last Sunday (no notes):

NV Cattier Brut Premier Cru Chigny-lès-Roses, Champagne
NV Tapestry Sparkling Merlot, McLaren Vale
1989 Kroemer Estate Sylvaner
1998 Chain of Ponds Adelaide Hills Riesling
2001 Maison Champy Vin de Bourgogne Blanc, Saint Aubin, Burgundy
2002 Penna Lane Riesling, Clare Valley
2004 The Willows Vineyard Barossa Semillon
2008 Leeuwin Estate Siblings Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Margaret River
2008 Tilbrook Estate Pinot Gris, Adelaide Hills
2009 Two Hands Brilliant Disguise Moscato, Barossa Valley
1994 The Fleurieu Shiraz 1.5L magnum, McLaren Vale
1996 Haselgrove Futures Shiraz, McLaren Vale
1997 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon
1998 d’Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz, McLaren Vale
1998 Fox Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale
1998 Wild Duck Creek Vat 1 Alan’s Cabernets, Heathcote
1999 Grant Burge MSJ4 Shiraz Cabernet, Barossa Valley
1999 Burramurra Cabernet Merlot, Nagambie Lakes
2001 Phoenix Estate Grenache, Clare Valley
2003 Fox Creek Shiraz, McLaren Vale
2003 Taylors St. Andrews Shiraz, Clare Valley
2003 Saltram Pepperjack Shiraz, Barossa Valley
2004 Giaconda Nanuta Vineyard Pinot Noir, Victoria
2005 Dutschke St. Jakobi Shiraz, Barossa Valley
2002 Trevor Jones Sticky Boots, Barossa Valley (375ml)
2006 Tilbrook Estate Botrytis Pinot Gris, Adelaide Hills (375ml)
NV Liebich 20 YO Fortified Frontignac, Barossa Valley (barrel sample)

Cheers,
Ian

Pity about the Schild wines Ian. But were there any standouts at the bbq?

Cheers

daz

2000 Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cab Merlot. A lovely deep dark colour but smelled really awful when first opened and I thought it was shot, but the unpleasantness blew off after a few minutes in the decanter and it started to taste pretty good. After about 30 minutes it was a very good drop, nice and smooth, well integrated with nothing sticking out and nicely balanced all 'round. After an hour it was still good, but with a table of 6 that was as long as it lasted.

Small ParcelsThree Vineyards Shiraz Grenache 2008

Never heard of "young winemaker" Nic Bourke but then I'm not that totally involved. A limited make of 275 doz sourced from three McLaren Vale vineyards with different soil types/terroirs. It reflects the region with black fruits, dark chocolate, some licorice and a touch of rasberry from the 10% grenache. The oak is well-integrated. It has good depth on the palate and fair length on the finish. OK value at $16

daz

Craggy Range "Le Sol" syrah 2007 - another excellent wine. Hints of violets and spice on the nose, great backbone, nice, long and gentle finish. However, based on the way the 2007 is drinking now, I would rate the 2002 and 2005 vintages as equal to each other, and better than this. I know this is a controversial opinion.

infanticide drinking any of those 3 vintages now! ive only tried the 07 twice, the 02 once and the 05 once. based on that skinny experience id order them 02,07,05[/quote]

Yes, I think you are right to say that the 2002 is better than the 2005, by a small margin. The 2007 I will reserve my judgment on. I have 4 bottles left, and I will not open another one for 5 years.

No longer infanticide with the 2002, I think, it is drinking very well now.

1999 Mountadam "The Red" Cracked this to have with some braised beef cheeks and gnocci...mmm wintery food. Some bricking, but not too much. It, needed about 4 hours in the decanter to really come out of its shell, initially being very thin and sharp with not a lot going on. When it finally did come out it was pleasant, medium-bodied and cab dominant, but lacking complexity and length. Cassis and mint appeared on the nose eventually, but black cherries were the dominant fruit, backed up with a mild cedary mid palate and fine tannins.

orpheus wrote:

Yes, I think you are right to say that the 2002 is better than the 2005, by a small margin. The 2007 I will reserve my judgment on. I have 4 bottles left, and I will not open another one for 5 years.

No longer infanticide with the 2002, I think, it is drinking very well now.

Cool, I will probably leave my 2002 a bit longer

You know I have been posting on this forum for about 11 years now. One thing I have noticed is Australians are slowly becoming more mature when it comes to NZ wines, especially reds. Granted there are more labels these days worth a look, and probably better accessibilty too but even considering such there has been notable progress. Pleasing to see Aussies developing even verticals of some NZ wine labels!!

C

Craig(NZ) wrote:

orpheus wrote:

Yes, I think you are right to say that the 2002 is better than the 2005, by a small margin. The 2007 I will reserve my judgment on. I have 4 bottles left, and I will not open another one for 5 years.

No longer infanticide with the 2002, I think, it is drinking very well now.

Cool, I will probably leave my 2002 a bit longer

You know I have been posting on this forum for about 11 years now. One thing I have noticed is Australians are slowly becoming more mature when it comes to NZ wines, especially reds. Granted there are more labels these days worth a look, and probably better accessibilty too but even considering such there has been notable progress. Pleasing to see Aussies developing even verticals of some NZ wine labels!!

C

These, I think, are the reasons;

First, the success of NZ pinot really made an impression on Australians.

Second, the range of very good NZ red has increased exponentially over the last 10 years. It seems that better grape selection and improved canopy management have something to do with this.

THe Australian palate is biased towards ripe grapes, and I plead guilty to this sin. For years, many NZ reds suffered from under-ripe grapes, and it is still a problem, IMO. It seems to be tolerated in NZ; the Vidal Reserve Syrah 2006, for instance, seemed to me to suffer from this problem, with stalky, sour tamarillo characteristics which were anathema to the Australian palate.

The best NZ reds, be they Cabernet based, syrah, or pinot (please leave the Merlot to the French, only they seem to have the conditions which suit it), have the generous fruit of the best South Australian reds, but an added dose of finesse, subtlety, and wonderful, aromatic noses (which you can get if the grapes are not over-cooked, but which is neglected or difficult to achieve with South Australian reds).

A few wines converted me;

1999 Gibbston Valley Reserve Pinot
Ata Rangi pinot (not sure of the vintage)
Craggy Range Le Sol syrah 2002.
The Tom (perhaps the first vintage)
The first vintage of the Cross Roads Talisman
Bilancia La Collina syrah 2002.

THe "Name" NZ wines are very highly sought after here, as you may know, and go for a premium at Langtons.

That's an excellent reply to Craig's query Orpheus. I can only concur on the points regarding taste, and I'll defer to you on the technique issues.

Nice list of wines that led you in too. For me, I was lured by the 2007 Coleraine that literally stopped me in my tracks. Quickly followed by the gewurztraminers that also opened up another world. It's been a slippery slope since, and a week rarely goes by without enjoying an NZ wine: last night, a 2006 St Clair Reserve Chardonnay that was excellent, and just different enough from what I enjoy here in Australia to make it worth the effort.

This year's discoveries have been how stunning the Palliser Estate wines from M'borough are, at first, and second tier, and how universally superb the 07 Hawkes Bay wines have been. The way that NZ posters are talking about the latest vintage has me tickled too..

The best NZ reds, be they Cabernet based, syrah, or pinot (please leave the Merlot to the French, only they seem to have the conditions which suit it

I agree in most cases it is best blended with other varieties

you will be pleased to know merlot is a waning trend in NZ. Merlot seemed to be the fad in late 90's but it is clear Cabernet is on the way back. I think many are now looking at those who are having success with cab and are envious especially with the way they develop. They are looking at the merlot wines and seeing nothing too exciting in them a few years down the track. The best examples of merlot pred wines now have a good chunk of other varieies in the mix.

Even Unison Selection is to be a Cab blend from 2009! Big change!

Hopefully this time round with the help of better viticulture and site selection we wont have the hard, green cab issues of the past.

That's an excellent reply to Craig's query Orpheus. I can only concur on the points regarding taste, and I'll defer to you on the technique issues.

Nice list of wines that led you in too. For me, I was lured by the 2007 Coleraine that literally stopped me in my tracks. Quickly followed by the gewurztraminers that also opened up another world. It's been a slippery slope since, and a week rarely goes by without enjoying an NZ wine: last night, a 2006 St Clair Reserve Chardonnay that was excellent, and just different enough from what I enjoy here in Australia to make it worth the effort.

This year's discoveries have been how stunning the Palliser Estate wines from M'borough are, at first, and second tier, and how universally superb the 07 Hawkes Bay wines have been. The way that NZ posters are talking about the latest vintage has me tickled too..

It does take a while for opinion to follow 'fact'. There been great NZ wines for a long time. in th e90's there were stunners like 94 stonyridge larose, 91,95,98 coleraine, 95 + 98 terraces, 94 goldwater etc. I guess though there has also been a good pile of rubbish.

A good run of vintages will no doubt now help the profile even further over the next couple of years

via collins wrote:
This year's discoveries have been how stunning the Palliser Estate wines from M'borough are, at first, and second tier

Fully agree -- they've been pretty well my top QPR pick for NZ wineries for a few years now -- the whole range is very good, & it's difficult to go past the chard, PN, riesling or sauv for value for money ...

Cheers
Peter

I'm extremely jealous of having easy access to that range at those prices Peter.

Mind you, with Hoddles Creek, Delatite and Tahbilk here in Victoria as consistently over-delivering QPR wineries, we'll get by somehow!