The Auswine Forum

I know it's Saturday, but I wanted to start this one for the week.

2012 Running With Bulls Tempranillo Ruby red with a great hit of cherry cola on the nose. The Palate mirrors the cherry and cola and the mouth feel is velvety with nice round tannins. The acid is bright and there's some potpourri (think roses, cinnamon and fennel not so much Grandma's toilet) that adds to the complexity and interest. It's well balanced and for the price this is a winner. Goes well with almost any modern Australian cuisine from Chinese to anything from our friends in the Mediterranean. Ideal for the red drinker doing a summer in Brisbane.

Couple of wines over yesterday for a surprise mates 40th at Jonah's that once again I won't pay any great homage to with my notes. Needless to say both were excellent. The Tyrrell's a great match with cheese platters

2003 Torbreck Steading Magnum A slight fading on the edge of the rim and a whiff of heat but the palate was sure in the balance of fruit, spice and a little smokiness that ran through it. Very slurpable and in magnum format still has plenty of life left in it.
NV Tyrrells Aged Liqueur Verdelho - Not too sweet and a lovely vanilla and honey nose. Caramel finish.

Exploratory bottles of Tyrrell's 2013 Vat 1 and Johnno's semillon. Both impeccable, really promising signs for the 2013 Hunter vintage whites.

lso cracked open a 2001 Vat 1 - far more developed than the 2000 Vat 1 I had earlier in the year, but still in top form.

Last night was the last bottle of Classic McLaren 2002 La Testa Cabernet. (Should have bought more). Its a shame these guys went out of business as this was just a lovely wine. Warmer cilmate flavour spectrum with the signature McLaren Vale chocolate it will develop further over time. Still quite primary. Vineyard was bought by Mollydooker and the grapes are now used in high octane sweet wines designed for the US market.

Chuck

2010 Lawson's Dry Hill Gewurztraminer (screw cap). Clear and pale wheat-stained water. Honey, and stone fruit on the nose. The palate is sweet, clean and light bodied with honey, apricot and a hint of nuttiness and spice. Well balanced with a short finish. Very similar to the 2011 Zind-Humbrect in style, but not quite as complex. It's definitely a crowd pleaser.

I thought I'd have a taste through some of the wines from the Sunbury region this afternoon at the Sunbury Food & Wine festival. For the most part I found them very ordinary, with a few bretty messes thrown in for good measure. I'm now back home frantically searching for a wine to wipe all of that Sunbury rubbish from my memory, and have found a bottle of Stonehaven Limited Vineyard Release Shiraz 1998. Cork closure stained only about 1mm. 14.5% alc. holding its colour well and looking younger than its 15 years. At first it isn't showing much fruit on the nose, but plenty of pepper, and sweet, cedary oak, and has a certain austerity about it. When swirled in the mouth, you can start to see the secondary elements of the wine, and first impressions are that it might just have lost a fraction too much fruit. Let's see how it looks over the next couple of hours in that regard. There are still some fine tannins, and overall I find the weight and mouthfeel fairly agreeable.
Good enough to distract me


...all gone now...turned out alright

A few recent wines:
2008 Marius Simpatico Shiraz. Sheer class, pure Marius!! Malty oak, great fruit, Asian spice. Length to burn. Brilliant

2010 Wynns Black Label Cabernet. Really good. Glad I have half a dozen of these. The second night of this was really good. Worth getting hold of.

2010 Gibson Mataro Grenache. Meaty bloody earthy Mataro with some light Asian spice from the Grenache. Great combo. Not sure it will get much better but a couple of years couldn't hurt.

2004 Stanton and Killeen Vintage Port. Gorgeous sumptuous fruit. Lovely balanced spirit. Length. Better on the second night. Better again on the third and then fourth nights. Bodes well for the four in the cellar for Charlie's 18th. 21st, 30th and 40th.

Had a bottle of each of the Head Reds - the Shiraz Viognier and the GSM. Unusually for me I rate the SV ahead of the GSM. Just a little more depth to the fruit. Both great wines and excellent QPR.

Cheers

Michael

A few friends over for Sunday lunch:

2003 disgorg. Rockford Black Sparkling Shiraz - No leaking cork but it was fully stained and another month or so it probably would have started leaking so got to it just in time! This is drinking very well right now. Probably won't get any better but still plenty of life in it. A good balance of fruit sweetness matched with a savoury backbone. Very much a crowd pleaser so the bottle disappeared in record time.

2003 Vasse Felix Heytesbury (red) - Lovevly MR Bordeaux blend with a bit of shiraz in the mix a think? Still drinking relatively young and has plenty of years left in it. Plums and blackberries on the nose and follows through on the palate. Very balanced but still a little restrained and probably needs a few more years to full integrate and soften. Beautiful long, fine grained tannin finish. No rush to drink this one.

1999 Orlando Cabernet Sauvignon Jacaranda Ridge - This gave nothing away on the nose. Dense, dark wine. Still wound very tight even after a 3 hour decant. Drunk over the next 3 hours and although opened up a bit, still finished with plenty of grippy tannins. This just needs more time. Won't try another one for at least 5-7 years.

2012 Henschke Peggy's Hill, really lovely mouth feel, already developing a green hue...just great for the money.

Cheers
Craig

Domaine Dublere 2009 Volnay Les Pitures - boring, just boring. I was hoping for so much more, especially from premier cru level. Perhaps with five or more years cellaring something more interesting may appear, but I am not convinced.

2005 vat 1 my first vat 1. Was quite special. I can't believe the delicacy of this wine and how Approachable it was. straw, lime, chalk/talc and and a hint of lemongrass. Very long length. This was a screwcap, so my other 2 will hopefully last as long as i
Can hold off drinking them.

2010 majella cabernet all class. Just astonishing. Decanted for two hours and just kept getting better. High acid at the moment due to its youth, but will live forever. Perfect oak, lashings of dense black fruits and oh that coonawarra earth. You are the reason I love coonawarra cabernet majella!!


2013 William Downie no s02 Gippsland pinot this is a weird one. At first I really didn't like it. Put it down and walked away due to the Arm pit sweat, dirty socks and green stalks. But then a day later it got better, still didn't agree with me though. Then left it in the glass for 4 hours.....and wow. Really came to life and had a hint of the reasons William is so regarded for his pinots. Meaty, gamey & dark cherry. Oak & acid not in balance, hopefully time
Will sort that out.

Basically, This needs a lot of time.....but will the no s02 allow it
To last? (I have no idea and am throwing the question out there)

Krug Grande Cuvee NV -

Loads of fruit, light, fun, winey, complex...but not so much to make it serious. I could justify paying the price tag despite Champagne being one of the biggest con's out there (I didn't have to pay for it haha).

Tonight, Janet and I got taken out for dinner by my folks to plan their upcoming 60th wedding anniversary. I took the excellent zippy 2010 Andrew Seppelt Reserve Riesling for starters but the 1988 Wynn's Black Label Cabernet was just top shelf. All the green acid and leafiness of yesteryear has now dissipated and it's now in its peak drinking window. A lovely sweet, mellow, complex, still fresh and mildly tannic Coonawarra classic with several years superior drinking to look forward to. The 12.7% A/V is nigh spot on for this style.

Hope Estate Hunter Valley Semillon 2011... Yellow/green, youthful appearance. Sharp nose of lemon/lime sherbert, the palate follows in a similar flavour profile, finishing crisp with good linear acidity. A little one dimensional, may look better in a couple of years.

Chalk Hill McVale Shiraz 2010... Blood red. Intense nose of plums, dried fruits, Christmas spices... on the dried/stewed fruit end of the spectrum but not "cooked". The palate is rich and mouth filling, with supple tannins. Very drinkable. Will age nicely for 3-5years.

dlo wrote:Tonight, Janet and I got taken out for dinner by my folks to plan their upcoming 60th wedding anniversary. I took the excellent zippy 2010 Andrew Seppelt Reserve Riesling for starters but the 1988 Wynn's Black Label Cabernet was just top shelf. All the green acid and leafiness of yesteryear has now dissipated and it's now in its peak drinking window. A lovely sweet, mellow, complex, still fresh and mildly tannic Coonawarra classic with several years superior drinking to look forward to. The 12.7% A/V is nigh spot on for this style.

I loved the two bottles of 88 Black label I had in 2011. Excellent wines, right at their peak for my tastes.

Mike

Saltram Mamre Brook Barossa Shiraz 2010 is worthwhile value at less than $20/btl delivered in a 6pk. There's a fair whack of oak that seems a combination of French and American. Black fruits, blueberry, blackberry and some red mulberry have a savoury, greenish edge with lively acid that contributes to the lengthy finish with dusty fruit tannins supported by the oak tannins. It's drinking well enough now, with some complexity that should develop as the components better integrate over the next 3-5 years. It has the structure and inherent balance to cellar to 2025+.

2008 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Riesling Schieferterrassen.
hitting it's straps now. Pity it was the last one from the case.

I dug deep into the cellar reserves recently and over the last two nights have struck gold with the effort. Tyrrell's 1999 Vat 1 Semillon lives up to its lofty reputation delivering a bright straw green colour with pale gold tinges, a wealth of preseved lemon, lanolin and mown hay combined with the first vestige of honey, nuts and lemon butter lingering around the peripherals of the bouquet. The palate is just so tight, clean holding a ridiculously good line, marvellous acid cut, perky, tight crunchy green fruit and an interminably long expansive dry finish littered with perfectly poised Hunter semillon fruit. Without a doubt, the best Hunter Sem I've drunk since the 1970 Lindemans Chablis and the 1984 Lovedale Semillon and probably (at the same age) better than the otherwordly 1986 Tyrrell's Vat 1, I have regarded in the past as their best ever I've tried in the past. A new heir to the throne?

Secondly, with my best friend around for dinner tonight, over marinated frenched racks of lamb and a simple but delicious fresh garden salad, a bottle of 1996 Jean-Jacques Confuron Vosne-Romanee, Les Beauxmonts. I will not elaborate on how good this was, just wanting to say, catching a mature red burg in this form is one of those all too few moments you will be able to easily afford and enjoy if you started collecting as I did about 25 years ago. So few and far "stars" in "between" and hardly worth all the trouble, but just utterly impossible nowadays with the ridiculous prices red burgundy now commands at release. Only for fools destined to be wine rich and penniless sooner than they will ever realise.

Thanks David
Enjoyed your notes.

I've only had the 99 vat 1 a couple of times, a lovely drop indeed, but the vintage that really knocked my socks off is the 98.
Again, only had a few bottles though. Where does the 98 sit for you?

Ps classic comment on the financial folly of Burgundy. I admit when it comes to white burg, I'm a financial dunce

Picked randomly out of the cellar for no good reason apart from fancying a seriously good bottle after a hard day at the office - life is short.

Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 1999 Lovely wine, that elegant BP balance you get in good years - precise, fresh, seamless, tannins nearly fully resolved but still remaining there to add interest. Secondary and savoury flavours, outstanding length in the mouth, no alcohol as it slips down far too easily. If you know BP you know the flavours ... for me blackberry, a touch of cherry/cola, dusted with icing sugar, a lick of vanilla. Very very more-ish indeed. Drink now at 14 years. Excellent

Jay60A wrote:Picked randomly out of the cellar for no good reason apart from fancying a seriously good bottle after a hard day at the office - life is short.

Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 1999 Lovely wine, that elegant BP balance you get in good years - precise, fresh, seamless, tannins nearly fully resolved but still remaining there to add interest. Secondary and savoury flavours, outstanding length in the mouth, no alcohol as it slips down far too easily. If you know BP you know the flavours ... for me blackberry, a touch of cherry/cola, dusted with icing sugar, a lick of vanilla. Very very more-ish indeed. Drink now at 14 years. Excellent

One of my favourite Rockfords - think 1999 was sometimes a seriously under rated year.

Just opened a 1977 Yalumba Surround Vintage Port - down to high shoulder, bought for a bargain because it was leaking, just arrived from W.A.. Thought that I would check and re-cork the leaking bottles but I couldn't resist a wee taste of the one with the greatest ullage. Wammo! unbelievably unctious, licorice, dark berry assault. Suspect this one won't get re-corked. Been drinking these for 30 years (and enjoyed almost everyone of them) but this one is fabulous - maybe it's just hitting its drinking window!

2011 Domaine Zind Humbrect Pinot Gris (cork). Pale yellow and clear. The nose is pretty subdued, with apple, pear, and a hint of minerality. The palate is definitely more fruit forward, with pear and peaches. Off-dry and light bodied. Not very complex but well balanced and pleasant. Enjoyed with pork tenderloin with pears, and cider sauce.

Michael R wrote:Thanks David
Enjoyed your notes.

I've only had the 99 vat 1 a couple of times, a lovely drop indeed, but the vintage that really knocked my socks off is the 98.
Again, only had a few bottles though. Where does the 98 sit for you?

Ps classic comment on the financial folly of Burgundy. I admit when it comes to white burg, I'm a financial dunce

Variable bottle to bottle. The best are quite thrilling, my last one was unusually "nettly" (as in "made from nettles") with a peculiar prickly acidity I often find in "off" Hunter sem's. I have about 2/3's of a case in the cellar with pretty much wrecked labels (as a result of a flash flood that hit my then cellar in the early naughties). No doubt I'll be drinking them sometime down the track. Stay tuned .... I might grab another one and check it out soonish. BTW, the 1998 Vat 1 only scored a bronze at the 2012 Hunter Wine Show.

Agree with Michael and dlo. 98 and 99 VAT 1 are the best Semillons I've had. The 99's seem like they'll go a bit longer than the 98s...but utterly fantastic wines..I can only hope some of the other VAT 1 I have will be as good...

95 HVD was the semillon that got me going, The vat 1 from that year not far behind. Variable like all Hunter semillon under cork unfortunately.

1998 Orlando Jacaranda Ridge Coonawarra Cabernet, intense wine, puts a lot of other Coonawarra to shame...what a wine! nicely resolved but still quite primary but delicious fruit. some cab complexity, lovely etherall nose and gorgeous velvet palate. wine of the year for me so far trumping 02 Seppelt St Peter's. restored my faith in Coonawarra

My first post after following the forum for 2 years. 1993 Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon This is aged Coonawarra drinking at its peak, just wow! Colour is clear brown, nose has the most wonderful perfume of plums, eucalypt and leather. Palate is incredible, still some dark fruit present, dark chocolate, plums. Length is very long, fully resolved tannins, lively acids to finish! Matched perfectly with the rare roast beef.

Bern wrote:My first post after following the forum for 2 years. 1993 Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon This is aged Coonawarra drinking at its peak, just wow! Colour is clear brown, nose has the most wonderful perfume of plums, eucalypt and leather. Palate is incredible, still some dark fruit present, dark chocolate, plums. Length is very long, fully resolved tannins, lively acids to finish! Matched perfectly with the rare roast beef.

Welcome aboard and good tasting note!

Bern wrote:My first post after following the forum for 2 years. 1993 Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon This is aged Coonawarra drinking at its peak, just wow! Colour is clear brown, nose has the most wonderful perfume of plums, eucalypt and leather. Palate is incredible, still some dark fruit present, dark chocolate, plums. Length is very long, fully resolved tannins, lively acids to finish! Matched perfectly with the rare roast beef.

Nice Note Bern. Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to your contributions.