The Auswine Forum

Post away people what you have drunk this weekend.

For me:

2004 Te Mata Awatea. I have really enjoyed this vintage before but a few reservations this time. First night seemed a bit awkward and off colour, just didn't do it. 2nd night a lot better, showing some good depth. This vintage is quite developed now with a garnety tinge and good integration. it is not a classic vintage no matter how it promised to be on release. 2007 would kick its butt. A good wine, and time to start drinking up if you have a few.

2006 Puriri Hills Reserve. These PH wines are fickle beasts, sometimes shy and unyielding but when they show their goods they are sensational. The 2006 today finally seems to have really hit its straps. A bit stinky on first pour which soon blew off. Trademark silky fine tannins, focused, complex and sensual. Lovely pretty sexy NZ Bordeaux red. Very impressive. Not a wine for the impatient, cellaring rewards.

2010 Doctors Riesling by Forrest. So easy to drink. Nothing offensive here slides down way too easily. One of the few top NZ rieslings of this style you can still pick up under $20

2008 Church Road Reserve Chardonnay. This is such good chardonnay for the $27ish you pay on special. Fine nose of bottled grapefruit, lemon with mealy notes and candied citrus. The palate is focused with roaring concentration. Toasty oak and focused nectarine/ lemon/ yellow grapefruit. I am kind of hesitant to recommend cellaring this as although the oak just falls into balance now, i'm not sure there is much room for the fruit to fade and still maintain this. Would sit alongside the best from NZ as it is now. I will buy a couple more of these when I see it on special next.

Last night with the folks, just back from another of their regular overseas jaunts, Anne-Claude Leflaive's brilliant 2000 Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru "Clavoillin", followed by a very mature but outstanding bottle of 1984 Henshke Hill of Grace with mains of beef eye fillet and vegetable shaslicks, potato bake and sauteed mushrooms, and, to round things out, a superb offering from Bourillon Dorleans to accompany baked individual apple tarts topped with fresh raspberries - their wonderful Vouvray Tris de Nobles Grains Moelleux from 1990.

The Leflaive desecrates the notion that older white Burgundy's are riddled with the "pox" (please excuse my take on the term "premature oxidation" - I have great trouble using the abbreviation "premox"). This wine has several years of development in front of it, although one could be excused for drinking any remaining bottles for any good reason today - it's that good. This wine's appearance belies its years, a bright light lemony gold. The bouquet - superbly constructed; fresh and perfectly honed, loaded with gorgeous ripe mineral-infused Chardonnay fruit and similarly impressive oak barrel contact. In the mouth, it holds a brilliant line, is still relatively taut, although incredibly expressive and so attractive to taste with nigh-on perfect structure and balance, finishing with astute grip to produce an exceptional vinous package. 95 points. Wow!

Likewise, the Hill of Grace did not disappoint, but could not compete, qualitatively, with the otherworldly Leflaive. Heavy brick-red, fully mature colour with an ethereal nose of old books, aged saddle leather, cigar box and lovely preserved plum fruit, this iconic label impressed more so on the palate with a supreme elegance, wonderful integration of creamy old fruit and subtle oak followed by an indefatigable finish. Probably just a "few" past its best, one cannot detract from the sheer class of this wine. 91 points.

The sweet Bourillon Dorleans chenin blanc was simply "delish" - very advanced deep burnished gold but remarkably fresh bouquet delivering lush baked apple and pear fruit. The palate no less impressive with decadent flavour but held together by a brilliantly focussed line and almost impossibly good acid balance. A tour de force of sweet winemaking, this wine was as long as the night and will continue to drink superbly for perhaps another five to ten years but probably needs to be closely monitored with the worrisome colour development. 93 points.

Over the last couple of weeks:

Jansz NV Premium Cuvée: Always reliably very good bubbly.
d’Arenberg Peppermint Paddock Sparkling Chambourcin: I’m a big fan of this gutsy, deep purple bubbly.

Forest Hill Block 1 Mount Barker Riesling 2007: Sorry, this is just too austere for me. Extremely minerally, like chewing on quartz gravels.
Voyager Estate VOC Semillon 2006: Slight lanolin aromas, quite appealing, may develop into an even more interesting and complex mature semillon over the next few years. Nevertheless, very enjoyable now.
Upper Reach Reserve Chardonnay 2009: Loved it. For the friends of richer and more opulent chardonnays, but far from overdone.

Upper Reach Reserve Shiraz 2009: Rich and ripe, good complexity and length. Definitely upper spectrum of Swan Valley shiraz.
Voyager Estate Shiraz 2007: On release I had my reservations about this wine but it has developed in a very interesting wine now. Very dark crimson, brooding wine. If tasted blind I would think this is a shiraz-cabernet blend. It has this licorice sweetness but also a herbal and savory twist. Do I like it? Yes, as a contrast to Barossa and McLaren Vale Shiraz.
Viña Carmen Carmen Reserva Syrah 2005: A Chilean quaffer from the Maipo Valley. Quite enjoyable.
JJ Hahn 1914 Shiraz Barossa Valley 2002: Aaarrrggghhhh, totally awesome and yummo. Typical Barossa shiraz. In great form now.
Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Shiraz 2002: Hey, seriously good wine, very rich and opulent, lots of dark berries and mulberry flavours, some licorice.

Domaine Santa Duc Prestige des Hautes Garrigues Gigondas 1996: Vieilles vignes (old vines) grenache and mourvèdre blend. Dark crimson, dark berry aromas, some herbs. Coming to age now but still holding very well. Somehow reminds me a little bit of some Nine Popes (Charles Melton).
R Wines Chateau Chateau Chateau Grenache 2006: Hmmm…not overly impressive. Seems to slowly fall apart. Very short and uninteresting. Dud bottle? Disappointing for a fairly expensive wine.
Greenock Creek Cornerstone Grenache 2006: I think I did mention earlier that this is my Grenache favourite. Ripe, opulent, brooding, firm, seductive, luscious, spicy, warm, addictive.
Kilikanoon The Duke Grenache 2006: Completely different to the Greenock Creek Grenache. I found it difficult to really enjoy this wine in its current condition. It is very savoury and herbal. It has almost the bitterness of a herbal root extract. It is very rich and concentrated but maybe a little bit too extracted? I am missing the ‘yummo’ factor here. Maybe needs time?
Penfolds Cellar Reserve Grenache 2002: A very good bottle of this once outstanding wine. Still lots of joy here but very slowly going downhill.
Richard Hamilton Marion Vineyard Grenache Shiraz 2001 & 2002: Both wines are now down the hill. The 2002 had more life in it, there’s still some sweet enjoyable fruit but the 2001 is well past its peak, drinkable but pretty lifeless.
Izway Mates Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre 2009: Quite ripe and rich. Very enjoyable but not really top-notch. A little bit boring.
Murray Street Vineyards Benno Shiraz Mataro 2004: Gorgeous, very rich and ripe, luscious wine. Really classy and with the yummo factor. Excellent.
Spinifex Barossa Valley Esprit Grenache Shiraz Cinsault Mataro Carignan 2005 & 2007: The 2005 is a really excellent wine, shows no real tiring, great with food. 2007 is a not so up to scratch vintage.
Spinifex Barossa Valley Indigene Mataro Shiraz 2005: Excellent.
Lion Mill Vineyards Zinfandel 2008: Not for everybody but I loved it. This can be best described as an off-dry, port-like red wine. Ultra-ripe and rich, spicy and heady. Jeez, I discredit myself now completely and admit that I am quite a sucker for this wine…slurp slurp. From the Perth Hills.

And a quick visit at the Paxton CD:
2009 Tempranillo was too hard and angular for me. 2009 MV Shiraz was very good. Loved the 2009 AAAShiraz-Grenache. The Jones Block 2007 tasted...'salty'...not a good vintage.

Had lunch at Fino in Wilunga: Wow, what a beauty. Awesome restaurant. An absolute 'must do' if you are in the area.

Cheers,
Mario

2007 Stanton and Killeen Shiraz-Durif - Wow deep richness. Colour of deep red not really going to purple. Dark chocolate, licorice, and plum/raisin. I will be be giving some more time to Durif and Durif blends. Very enjoyable drinking all round.

2009 Castle Rock Estate Riesling...Limey, slatey minerally... very much in the GS style, good stuff.

2007 Gilbert's Riesling... a bit more forward than expected, but lovely balance honey notes and acid .

2007 Higher Plane Chardonnay...Grapefruit, spicey, good balance, big in style ( in context of the much leaner styles of today). Nice stuff.

2001 Plantagenet Cabernet Sauvignon...Gorgeous velvety silky mouthfeel, no hint of eucacypt here. All oaqk soacked up
by wonderful Blackcurrant/cassis friut...right in the zone now...

2004 Woodland's Margaret Cabernet Merlot....Wow fantastic nose, great fruit, good acid and balance, great length of palate this stuff will only get better over the next 15 years...

Vasse Felix 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon...Lovely/lush fruit, the oak slightly dominating at the moment, but the fruit will
have no problem in overcoming this down the track...

2008 Feet First Grenache Barbera...Aromatic, light to medium weight, spicey and a touch savoury with a good lick of tannin to boot, such a nice little wine that matches food perfectly . a steel at a tad under $7 at auction ( took a punt on it).

Not a bad wine all weekend, don't you just love it!

Cheers S

2004 Woodland's Margaret Cabernet Merlot....Wow fantastic nose, great fruit, good acid and balance, great length of palate this stuff will only get better over the next 15 years...

Stavros, totally agree this is a beautiful wine with loads of potential and superb value for money.

UberBlanc 2010 Riesling very nicely structured wine with a lot of acidity to back up the delicte blossom like fruit 11.3% ABV. If I can find some I will grab some more for the cellar at around $22 good value.

2001 Seppelts Chalambar not as good as some recent bottles of this, losing some of the primary fruit which makes it delicious, turning to dusty tarry tannins which don't quite have the interest factor. My assesment on this bottle would be to drink up, but you never know with Chalambar they can go the distance.

2004 D'Arenberg Original Shiraz Grenache Still quite primary fruit, a good BBQ meat wine for sharing and drinking without a lot of thougth.

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2008 McClay Rd Cab Sav
Comes from Giaconda, their entry level label but i think they just downgraded the 08 estate cab sav.
Blackcurrant, dark plums, enough dark fruits around, but too much oak and tannin on the finish.
Only gave this 90mins breathing, but I think it needs a few more years yet, and possibly has enough to last beyond that.
However for $45, I couldn’t recommend.

Cheers
Michael