Some Recent TV's (About 8 or 9)
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2004 5:11 am
Hi All
Haven't posted for a while (that's what two little uns will do to you). Anyway. some stuff I have tasted lately:
2001 Madfish Shiraz
Halliday gave this 94 points, RPJ 90. Nice wine but not great. Could maybe use a year or two. Some nice peppery notes and a v thick texture in the mouth (fat??) but nothing to rave about. A pleasant drop.
1997 Zema Estate Shiraz
I think this is past its best. Some herbal notes and a whiff of black pepper but really quite thin. Was much better a few years back. Drink up!
1999 Pirramimma Petit Verdot
Now we're talking. Holy moly what a wine. Gorgeous black colour, lovely nose and a sensational mouthfeel. Lots of soft tannins there and a flavour that goes on and on. Built to last but v v hard to resist now. One of the best wines I have had in ages. A big blockbuster style but beautifully balanced. Delicious.
1992 Elderton Shiraz
Sigh, the last of my dozen. Was runner up to it's sister (brother?) the 1992 Cab Sauv for the Jimmy Watson but IMO this was the better wine. Absolutely gorgeous mature Barossa Shiraz. Lots of lovely carob flavours and just a delight to drink. Don't think it's going to improve though. Drink up.
A few non aussie wines that stood out too:
Concha y Toro Casillero Del Diablo Syrah 2001 (Chile)
Look out Rosecorp et al they are coming to steal your market share. Fabulous syrah for the price (about $11). Tastes like a good Rhone syrah. Buy it buy the case! The 2002 is good too. Right now I think the Casillero Del Diablo range represents the best QPR line up in the world. The Cabernet, the Merlot, the Chardonnay, the Sauv Blanc and the Syrah are all quality wines with real varietal characteristics at a knock down price.
For a few dollars more ($16) I was blown away by its stable mate the:
Concha Y Toro Marques De Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Wow, hard to find a better sub $20 Cab Sauv than this anywhere. Big black colour, gorgeous nose of earth and some mint and thick blackcurrant fruit to burn. Will cellar for a few years yet too. The 2001 Merlot in the same range is almost as good.
1998 Meerlust Chardonnay (South Africa)
Beautiful mature Chardonnay. Certainly a "toasty" style but there is enough fruit in there to handle the oak. At it's peak now and a wonderful antidote to those insipid, generic any old Chardonnays. When it's made like this you understand why Chardonnay can be a great wine. Not cheap at about $27 but well worth it. Great food wine, went wonderfully with some salmon and all those PCB's and dioxins (!!!!)
2002 Pegausus Bay Sauvignon Semillon Blanc (Waipara NZ)
Wow. What a wine. It's actually got 24% barrel fermented Semillion in it. This wine gets the full treatment: wild and indigenous yeasts, malo-lactic etc. Gorgeous texture and wonderfully long finish. Will cellar well too. Reminiscent of good white Graves. Not cheap at about $28 but again well worth it.
Marcarini Ciabot Barbera D'Alba 2001
Delicious wine. Lovely purple colour, fruity nose and dangerously easy to drink. Just one of those wines that you don't want to think about too much, just pour another glass, open another bottle, go buy another case! Great with pizza the last time I had it.
Sorry for the length of this, will try to post shorter and more regular messages.
Cheers
Martin
Haven't posted for a while (that's what two little uns will do to you). Anyway. some stuff I have tasted lately:
2001 Madfish Shiraz
Halliday gave this 94 points, RPJ 90. Nice wine but not great. Could maybe use a year or two. Some nice peppery notes and a v thick texture in the mouth (fat??) but nothing to rave about. A pleasant drop.
1997 Zema Estate Shiraz
I think this is past its best. Some herbal notes and a whiff of black pepper but really quite thin. Was much better a few years back. Drink up!
1999 Pirramimma Petit Verdot
Now we're talking. Holy moly what a wine. Gorgeous black colour, lovely nose and a sensational mouthfeel. Lots of soft tannins there and a flavour that goes on and on. Built to last but v v hard to resist now. One of the best wines I have had in ages. A big blockbuster style but beautifully balanced. Delicious.
1992 Elderton Shiraz
Sigh, the last of my dozen. Was runner up to it's sister (brother?) the 1992 Cab Sauv for the Jimmy Watson but IMO this was the better wine. Absolutely gorgeous mature Barossa Shiraz. Lots of lovely carob flavours and just a delight to drink. Don't think it's going to improve though. Drink up.
A few non aussie wines that stood out too:
Concha y Toro Casillero Del Diablo Syrah 2001 (Chile)
Look out Rosecorp et al they are coming to steal your market share. Fabulous syrah for the price (about $11). Tastes like a good Rhone syrah. Buy it buy the case! The 2002 is good too. Right now I think the Casillero Del Diablo range represents the best QPR line up in the world. The Cabernet, the Merlot, the Chardonnay, the Sauv Blanc and the Syrah are all quality wines with real varietal characteristics at a knock down price.
For a few dollars more ($16) I was blown away by its stable mate the:
Concha Y Toro Marques De Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Wow, hard to find a better sub $20 Cab Sauv than this anywhere. Big black colour, gorgeous nose of earth and some mint and thick blackcurrant fruit to burn. Will cellar for a few years yet too. The 2001 Merlot in the same range is almost as good.
1998 Meerlust Chardonnay (South Africa)
Beautiful mature Chardonnay. Certainly a "toasty" style but there is enough fruit in there to handle the oak. At it's peak now and a wonderful antidote to those insipid, generic any old Chardonnays. When it's made like this you understand why Chardonnay can be a great wine. Not cheap at about $27 but well worth it. Great food wine, went wonderfully with some salmon and all those PCB's and dioxins (!!!!)
2002 Pegausus Bay Sauvignon Semillon Blanc (Waipara NZ)
Wow. What a wine. It's actually got 24% barrel fermented Semillion in it. This wine gets the full treatment: wild and indigenous yeasts, malo-lactic etc. Gorgeous texture and wonderfully long finish. Will cellar well too. Reminiscent of good white Graves. Not cheap at about $28 but again well worth it.
Marcarini Ciabot Barbera D'Alba 2001
Delicious wine. Lovely purple colour, fruity nose and dangerously easy to drink. Just one of those wines that you don't want to think about too much, just pour another glass, open another bottle, go buy another case! Great with pizza the last time I had it.
Sorry for the length of this, will try to post shorter and more regular messages.
Cheers
Martin