The Auswine Forum

Yes I know it is still December, but if it's good enough for winespectator, it's good enough for us to discuss a bit early. Any thoughts?

Best White
Best Red
Best Budget White
Best Budget Red
Best Latest Release
Best Cellared Wine
Best Tasting
Best <insert award>

Will fill mine in tomorrow, tonight may have some contenders!

My list below is a work in progress. I need to go back through notes to recall what was great...

Best White - 1991 Leo Buring Leonay Riesling. Current release Giaconda Chardonnay looks amazing. The 1990 Willespie Sauvignon Blanc I had earlier in the year deserves a special mention, too. That was unbelievable.
Best Red - 1998 Penfolds Bin 707
Best Budget White -
Best Budget Red - (edit) I think I found a contender in the 2008 Henschke Henry's Seven. I've seen that floating around for $20 or so. Bloody good wine.
Best Latest Release - Hmmmm...take my pick from the recent Langtons Classification tasting...Henschke Mt Edelstone really turned me on.
Best Cellared Wine - See Best Red above, but also 1982 Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon was sublime.
Best Tasting - So many contenders here. Most recently our Wynns John Riddoch vertical was a great experience. Langtons Classification Tasting was awesome.
Best <insert award>

The least amount of wine consumed for quite some time but some greats in there. Think I lost a few from the memory bank but as I can remember,

White - 2005 LEAS Chardonnay, Howard Park 2008 Chardonnay (really up there)
Red - 1991 Mosswood Reserve Cab (but early days and loads ahead, best smell of any wine)

Best White - 1998 East Arm Riesling - After last Brisbane offline - Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay 05
Best Red - 1996 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec. After last Brisbane offline - 1996 Grange
Best Budget White - 2004 Tyrrells Belford Semillon
Best Budget Red - 2001 Tahbilk Shiraz
Best Latest Release - 2004 Penfolds Grange
Best Cellared Wine - 1996 Penfolds Bin 389
Best Tasting - Range of pinots at Gibbston Valley Wines- Last Brisbane offline-
Best Sparkling - 1994 E&E Black Sparkling
Most enjoyable wine experience - drinking 2008 Felton Rd Bannockburn Pinot with assorted cheeses/crusty French sticks in the vineyard on a glorious day with my wife

Have a great xmas

Cheers

Luke

Craig(NZ) wrote:Will fill mine in tomorrow, tonight may have some contenders!

I'm hoping the tasting tonight fills in three of these categories, Craig. Like you, I'll submit my answers after!

Best White - 2007 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay
Best Red - 1990 Bin 707
Best Budget White - 2008 Voyager Chenin Blanc
Best Budget Red - 2007 Cape Mentelle Trinders Cab Merlot
Best Latest Release - 2007 Cullen Diana Madeleine
Best Cellared Wine - 1990 Bin 707
Best Tasting - Howard Park
Most enjoyable wine experience - Lunch at Vasse Felix

I tend to avoid the best ofs since the difference between 1st and 10th is often marginal, and is also highly coloured by whom I drank it with. Except for the Best Cellared I'll limit it to available still wines.

Best White - Cardinham Estate 2003 Riesling. And yes still available, but only just.
Best Red - Penna Lane Willsmore 2008, Marius Symphony 2008, Skillogalee 2006 Shiraz
Best Budget White - Kilikanoon Semillon 2008
Best Budget Red - BVE EBass 2006 Shiraz, the best indian curry wine I've ever had
Best Latest Release - Lazy Ballerina 2008 Shiraz
Best Cellared Wine - 1992 Woodstock Cab Sav. Stunning 15 years ago, still stunning me
Best Tasting - Marius, Cardinham, Paulett

Best Food Wine - Marius 2007 Symposium, the awesome complexity of this wine is made a bit easier to understand with food.
Best Alternate Variety - Madelines Primitivo 2008

I suspect all this is going to do is demonstrate peoples drinking preferences, the brilliant wines that generous friends have offered to me and a trip to Germany during the year, but I'll play:

Best (Non dessert) White: Why, the 09 Auburn Wines Lowburn Riesling of course (personal interest declaration)! Then the 95 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese. Dry white, the 04 Bouchard Corton Charlemagne (Again). Australian, the 79 Leo Buring DWI16 Riesling.
Best Red: 01 Rousseau Clos St Jacques. Australian: 01 Castagna Genesis.
Best Budget White: None.
Best Budget Red: 09 Mike Press Cabernet. Unbelieveable value for money.
Best Latest Release: 07 Comte de Vogue Musigny.
Best Cellared Wine: Choose from one of the above.
Best Tasting: So many good ones. If I can call 3 days in the Nahe and Mosel a "tasting" then that is the tasting of a lifetime for me. Back up the truck for the 09 Rieslings from both regions.
Best Bubbles: Love the same Henri Billiot Rose Champagne that Gavin liked.
Best Sweet: 09 Andreas Schmitges Erdener Herrenberg Eiswein.

Wizz wrote:Best Bubbles: Love the same Henri Billiot Rose Champagne that Gavin liked.
.

Errata please

Gavin LOVES!



.

Best White 2005 Tyrrells Vat 1 semillon
Best Red 2005 Castagna Genesis shiraz
Best Budget White 2007 McGuigan Bin 9000 semillon
Best Budget Red 2008 Longhop shiraz
Best Latest Release 2009 Koltz Wizard ripasso shiraz
Best Cellared Wine 1996 Rockford Basket Press shiraz
Best Tasting 2008 Sami-Odi 1921 Barossa shiraz
Best Sparkling shiraz 1994 Seppelt Long Lees Show Reserve

Ok, with the Auckland offline behind us, I can probably complete this (subject to late edits from Xmas wines)

Best White - none really stand out in my memory (!) but lets say Dog Point Chardonnay 2007 (subject to change)
Best Red - Puriri Hills The Pope 2008
Best Budget White - Shingle Peak Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - a surprisingly good supermarket cheapy
Best Budget Red - Thornbury Merlot 2008 - ditto for this red
Best Latest Release - Puriri Hills The Pope 2008
Best Cellared Wine - Esk Valley The Terraces 1998
Best Tasting - New Zealand Icons Tasting, Auckland Offline
Best Foreign Wine / Honourable Mention - Chateau Margaux 1999

Mike, your "Best Foreign Wine/Honourable Mention" would have the French in paroxysms of anger. Ironically, this would have been avoided if you had mentioned no French wine at all!

Best Red; Alex Gambal Echezaux Grand Cru burgundy 2004
Best Budget White; Petaluma riesling 2003
Best Budget Red; Leasingham Cabernet 2008
Best Latest Release; By Farr Farrside Pinot Noir 2007
Best Cellared Wine; Craggy Range Le Sol 2002
Best Tasting; Eurocentric Burgundy tasting at Fix St James, because the order of the wines was so carefully considered.

I should say that these are "the best" of what I can specifically remember and identify. There are a fair few of which I could be reminded which would change the list, particularly wines brought to various events.

Best White Shaw & Smith Chardonnay 2007
Best Red 1986 H.O.G.
Best Budget White West Cape Howe 2009 Unwood Chardonnay
Best Budget Red Charlatan 2009 Merlot
Best Latest Release Torbrecks Gask, Run Rig
Best Cellared Wine 1986 H.O.G.
Best Tasting Torbrecks in North Sydney Cellars
Best <bubbles> Devaux 1996 Curvee "D"
Cheers
Boyeah

Ok finally here is my selection after going over the list I keep of wines that have really impressed this year.

Best Latest Release White: Sorry I can't split these two. Toss up between 2009 Felton Rd Block 1 Riesling and 2008 Kumeu River Mates Chardonnay. Also special mention to 2010 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Back on form at last.
Best Budget Latest Released White: 2010 Doctors Riesling
Best Cellared White: 2004 Te Mata Elston Chardonnay
Best Latest Release Budget Red 2007 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Cabernet Merlot (or 2007 Church Rd Reserve Cabernet Merlot if your definition of "budget" stretches to $23 a bottle on special)
Best Latest Release Red: 2008 Stonyridge Pilgrim Syrah
Best Not Yet released Red: 2008 Puriri Hills Pope
Best Cellared Red: 1998 Esk Valley Terraces
Best Tasting: Esk Valley Terraces Vertical. Absolute Hedonism

orpheus wrote:Mike, your "Best Foreign Wine/Honourable Mention" would have the French in paroxysms of anger. Ironically, this would have been avoided if you had mentioned no French wine at all!

But I did like it - it was drinking beautifully! (Despite vintage being only so-so in theory). It just wasn't the best wine I had this year... that was the kiwi Pope 08. I'd say 2 or maybe 3 of the best 5 wines I had in 2010 were French... I also had a lovely Pichon Baron and a Ch. La Lagune which were both up there, as well as some cote rotie and hermitage thet were very good. I'm quite the francophile.

Best White: 2000 DRC Montrachet
Best Red: 1990 Chave Hermitage
Best Budget White:Hmmm....have to think about that
Best Budget Red: Ditto
Best Latest Release: 2009 Chateau Latour
Best Cellared Wine: 1978 Valentini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo
Best Tasting: 2009 Bordeaux En Primeur, visit's to J.F. Coche Dury, Leroy and Lopez de Heredia
Best Challenging Wines: "Orange" wines...Radikon, Corneilissen, Gravner, etc

Bick wrote:

orpheus wrote:Mike, your "Best Foreign Wine/Honourable Mention" would have the French in paroxysms of anger. Ironically, this would have been avoided if you had mentioned no French wine at all!

But I did like it - it was drinking beautifully! (Despite vintage being only so-so in theory). It just wasn't the best wine I had this year... that was the kiwi Pope 08. I'd say 2 or maybe 3 of the best 5 wines I had in 2010 were French... I also had a lovely Pichon Baron and a Ch. La Lagune which were both up there, as well as some cote rotie and hermitage thet were very good. I'm quite the francophile.

Yes, which is fair enough. They would still be upset to have one of their top wines (albeit from a lesser vintage) bested by a Kiwi upstart though .

DaveB wrote:
Best Challenging Wines: "Orange" wines...Radikon, Corneilissen, Gravner, etc

So, Dave, tell, where/how did you get to try these wines? Fascinating wines, fascinating wine making techniques etc?

.

Best White - 2001 Mount Mary Chardonnay
Best Red - 2004 John Louis Chaves Hermitage (young, but amazing. WOTY for me)
Best Budget White - 2009 Brookland Valley Verse 1 Chardonnay
Best Budget Red - 2006 Noon 12 Bells
Best Latest Release - 2007 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
Best Cellared wine - 1998 Cape Mentelle Cabernet
Best Tasting - Cape Mentelle night we had where we drank several of their wines.
Best "Winery Lunch" - Charles Melton. Beautiful Hutton Vale Pie and a local Cheese platter with a couple of glasses of Nine Popes, while our son played with Charlie's Dalmations. Virginia came out and had a nice chat with us as well.

Gavin Trott wrote:

DaveB wrote:
Best Challenging Wines: "Orange" wines...Radikon, Corneilissen, Gravner, etc

So, Dave, tell, where/how did you get to try these wines? Fascinating wines, fascinating wine making techniques etc?

.

Tried at various tasting groups over the last year...also had the 2003 Radikon Oslavje & 2007 Corneilissen Munjabel Bianco #7 at a tasting in Adelaide last night

Notes here ..... http://vinofreakism.com/

Best White: Cape Mentelle Wallcliffe Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2007, Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2003, Kooyong Faultline Chardonnay 2003.

Best Red: Bindi Original Vineyard Pinot Noir 2004, Maverick Trial Hill Eden Valley Shiraz 2005, Standish Wine Co. The Relic Shiraz Viognier 2004, Haughton Gladstone Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Greenock Creek Cornerstone Grenache, 2006 Rudderless McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2004.

Best Cellared Wine: Grant Burge Filsell Barossa Shiraz 2002, Yeringberg Cabernets Blend Yarra Valley 1998, Moss Wood Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 1996, Haughton Verdelho Sweet Show Wine 1967.

Best Bubbly: Domaine Chandon Tasmanian Cuvee 2006, Domaine Chandon Prestige Cuvée 2002, Kreglinger Vintage Brut Rose 2003, Bollinger NV Grande Cuvee.

Best White - 2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile
Best Red - 1990 Penfolds Bin 90a, narrowly in front of 1986 Henschke Mt Edelstone
Best Budget White - 2009 Petaluma Riesling
Best Budget Red - 2008 Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon
Best Latest Release - 2002 Dom Perignon
Best Cellared Wine - 1990 Penfolds Bin 90a
Best Tasting - Trimbach CSH and CFE verticals
Best Champagne - 1995 Dom Perignon Oenotheque, narrowly in front of 1985 Dom Perignon and 1990 Krug

Been a fantastic year of events and great wines. Cheers and Happy Christmas everyone. I've certainly enjoyed your company both online and offline.

Too many good wines, I couldn't decide on just one.... had to limit myself to the serious highlights..

Best Young White - Pyramid Valley Lions Tooth Chardonnay 2009, Giaconda Chardonnay 2008
Best Older White - Rapet Corton-Charlemagne 1999, Penfolds Yattarna 2000 and most of a number of 40-50 yr old German rieslings I've been privileged to taste.
Best Budget White - Louis Latour Macon-Villages Chameroy 2008 ($19) - note 2009 is not as good.
Best Young Red - Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2007, Dry River Pinot 2008, Bass Philip Premium Pinot 2008
Best Old Red - Grange 1967, John Riddoch 1982, Pio Cesare Ornato Barolo 1998
Best Budget Red - Barwang Shiraz 08
Best Latest Release - McWilliams Mt Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz 2007
Best Cellared Wine Surprise - my St Henri 1970 that went from a zero point evil stinker to an interesting curio 83 pointer after an hour in the decanter.
Best Tasting - Other than 'All of Them' ?? OK, redvelvets' Old and Rare Wine night, Langtons Classification and Grape Mates Italian & BBQ tasting.
Best Champagne - Dom Perignon 1990, Tarlant Brut Prestige 1998
Best Sparkling Wine - No.1 Family Estate Reserve Cuvee 10 NV
Best Beer - BrewDog 5am Saint Amber Ale, Epic Pale Ale.
Worst Hangover - Grape Mates Premium Shiraz Event (but worth it).

And my best wishes for a very enjoyable 2011 to you all.
Tim

Mine were:

Best White: Leo Buring Leonay Riesling 1998
Best Red: Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape 1970
Best Budget White: Pewsey Vale Prima Rielsing 2009
Best Budget Red: Penfolds Koonunga Hill 76 2008
Best Latest Release: Grosset Off-Dry Rielsing 2010
Best Cellared Wine: Wynns Cabernet 1991
Best Tasting: They're all good!
Best Restaurant Experience: My 40th birthday dinner at Vincenzo's Cucina Vera in Adelaide. It got two mentions in this month's GT magazine. Great place.

-- George Krashos

George Krashos wrote:Best Restaurant Experience: My 40th birthday dinner at Vincenzo's Cucina Vera in Adelaide. It got two mentions in this month's GT magazine. Great place.

-- George Krashos

Nice one George- I love this place !
I had my birthday dinner there (41st)- jf mugnier clos de marachele and a blain gagnard
I left a glass of both wines for the kitchen
michel

"My 40th birthday dinner at Vincenzo's Cucina Vera in Adelaide. It got two mentions in this month's GT magazine."

George, I've been back to front and back again through the GT and can find no mention of your birthday.

Boom! Tish! I'm here all week, please try the veal.

Ha ha. Or as the young uns say these days ROFLMAO.

Thanks

Michael

"My 40th birthday dinner at Vincenzo's Cucina Vera in Adelaide. It got two mentions in this month's GT magazine."

pfft. I'm on the cover of The Rolling Stone!

via collins wrote:"My 40th birthday dinner at Vincenzo's Cucina Vera in Adelaide. It got two mentions in this month's GT magazine."

George, I've been back to front and back again through the GT and can find no mention of your birthday.

Boom! Tish! I'm here all week, please try the veal.

Wine fans and grammar nazis. This place has them all.

But now that I think about it, I'm a tad miffed GT didn't write up my 40th birthday dinner ...

-- George Krashos