Tasting Notes Commencing 26th May

[catchnrelease]

Bit late but hey I'll kick it off. Tuesday night dinner at Xage in Surry Hills - small but a bloody good Vietnamese BYO restaurant, all the dishes were great.

2012 Schild Estate Riesling - Okay but not great, started to show signs of going into that dumb phase. Plenty of citrus goodness and a bit of zingy acid but not as fresh and focused as I'd like. Was better when accompanied with food.

2004 Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling - Still a LOT of life in it, as you'd expect under screwcap. Zingy and young-ish at first, much more focused than the Schild, but some slightly developed honeyed/toffee notes on the finish. Very good.

2012 Napa Cellars Pinot Noir - Never had a USA Pinot before and boy did this impress! Slightly sweet on the nose. Full of fruit and definitely not sweet on the palate, great length and substantial body behind it - smooth, elegant but powerful. Yum.

[Jay60A]

Hobbs Barossa Shiraz 2004 - top table shiraz, 15.8% and yet still somehow elegant. Hugely long and developing well. Improved over 2 days. Another 10+ years easily.

Wolf Blass Platinum Shiraz 1998 - disappointing - nice fruit but dominated by oak and oak tannins. Lacks precision and I am not sure where it's headed or whether I'll sell on the remaining 3 bottles I just bought (thankfully for a good price). Didn't improve on day 2 so ... hmmm maybe someone else will like this more than me. 2001 and 2002 both better, especially 2001 imo.

Both paled in comparison to that lovely Jacobs Creek Limited Release Shiraz Cabernet 1996.

[sjw_11]

Seppelts "Victorian" Heatchote Shiraz 2012... Almost certainly not identical to the Seppelts Victorian Shiraz you get in oz (due to the retail outlet running their own distribution, but then again there are exceptions). Medium bodied and quite sweetly fruited, this has a lot of plummy fruit and a fairly plush, velvety mouth feel. Reasonable drinking for SGD $40 == AUD Dan Murphys equivalent ~$15.

Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mouvedre 2010... Mis-priced I think by the supermarket ($40 SGD vs Bin 128/28 at $75) so I gave it a shot. Fairly typical Penfolds house style, good depth of fruit but fundamentally a structured wine with oak and tannin playing a firm supporting role. Definitively Aussie. Not bad.

Pirie "South" Sav Blanc 2012... Another label you may not see back in Aus. This was really good, cool fruit, gooseberry, a touch of citrus, minimal cats pee and no harsh phenolics, very fresh and clean still but with a pleasant textural quality.

[Mike Hawkins]

Hobbs Barossa Shiraz 2004 - top table shiraz, 15.8% and yet still somehow elegant. Hugely long and developing well. Improved over 2 days. Another 10+ years easily.

Wolf Blass Platinum Shiraz 1998 - disappointing - nice fruit but dominated by oak and oak tannins. Lacks precision and I am not sure where it's headed or whether I'll sell on the remaining 3 bottles I just bought (thankfully for a good price). Didn't improve on day 2 so ... hmmm maybe someone else will like this more than me. 2001 and 2002 both better, especially 2001 imo.

Both paled in comparison to that lovely Jacobs Creek Limited Release Shiraz Cabernet 1996.

Shame about the WB. I had it a few years ago and thought it wasn't as oaky as its stablemates

[Panda 9D]

All from memory but I thought some of you might be interested in a couple of the Spanish wines I've had recently.

1964 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 - As soon as I touched the cork with the opener, the cork shot down into the wine. In a panic I poured it into a decanter a little faster than I would've liked and as a result, some sediment was stirred up and it was a little murkier than it should have been. That said.. this wine is a beauty. The usual Gran Reserva coffee and leather were present, as were rose petals, orange peel and some kind of fruit. Over a couple of hours amazingly fresh raspberry took shape.. oyster sauce, truffles, salami. Those are some notes I remember from the nose. The palate had some structure left to keep it going a while longer. Tangy raspberry… i can't remember much else (always remember the nose more easily). Anyway.. good booze worth forking out a bit for if you're lucky enough to find a good bottle.

2001 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 - CORKED… I was gutted.

1999 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Blanco Reserva - Really interesting stuff. The nose had characteristics I would associate with a rotting corpse but somehow it was attractive in this wine. In addition to this, there were bits of berries, lemon, rocks, cherry, dust, tonkotsu ramen broth and some kind of purple on the palate and nose. Blindfolded I would pick this as a red wine. These guys just don't seem to make bad wine.

[Sean]

deleted

[Phil H]

2012 Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz I have attempted to get my hands on this vintage for the last month, with the 2010 still abundant (see previous posts - very good wine). This wine evolved over the six hours it was opened. Upon first opening I was slightly disappointed with sweet red fruits, slightly Jubey, however long finish, showing potential. This wine developed into an elegant and intriguing wine. Medium bodied, spicey - hints of white pepper, slightly green/stalky with characteristics of a cool climate Shiraz. There were still hints of sweet fruit - perhaps a consequence of a blend of Bendigo & Grampians Shiraz. Despite previous reviews oak was very much in the background and tanins were minimal. A wine you can enjoy now with decanting, however I will be interested to see how this wine develops in the next 5 - 10 years. For a wine around $20, it is great value.

[Michael McNally]

30/05/2014 1999 Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz. Cork is in pretty good shape. Solid colour. Shy nose on opening with hints of vanilla bean tobacco and meat juices. More medium than full-bodied palate of savoury blackcurrant compote with vanilla bean and eucalypt notes in the background. Good complexity and interest and the tannin is weighted perfectly. Another win from the auction lottery this just got better and better until it was all gone. Rated as Excellent and almost Outstanding. Well-stored bottles will do another 5 years at a canter but no need to wait!!

Cheers

Michael

[Michael R]

2010 Domaine Rolet, l'etoile Chardonnay (Jura)
Lovely wine, thanks to my fellow Jura nut, Redsmurf!
Not an obvious Jura example on the nose, quite fresh, clean. Oak is in the background, but there.
Quite light, creamy. Definitely balanced, smooth, pretty good finish too. Actually perhaps the best thing about this wine was the acid, certainly not poking out, but present and excellent. Polymer....one for you mate!

Actually, one of Polymers favoured wineries (I think) is Lethbridge Estate, and funnily enough tonight I'm drinking a 2006 Lethbridge Chardonnay.
Drink now, not going to get better, possibly just on the decline but still very enjoyable. Good, solid Chardonnay. 90 Wheeler points.

[n4sir]

Some notes from a couple of committee meetings, all wines presented blind:

1991 Mitchelton Reserve Marsanne, Nagambie Lakes (cork): 13% alc. Dark gold/light amber. Quite a lot of acid and toast on the nose, at times like an old Semillon, some butter, French vanilla, almond, but also a touch of cork; the palate’s dry, toasty and predominantly sherried, with a very dry finish. Barely hanging on by a thread.

2006 Leasingham Classic Clare Sparkling Shiraz, Clare Valley (cork): 14% alc. Dark red/purple with a good mousse. The nose is very weird and stinky, sweet raspberries and redskin/confectionery sticks, BBQ meats, banana oak, corn on the cob and camphor wood; the palate’s just as strange, sweet and sour cherries with funky/charred oak, mushroom and herbal touches, finishing very dry. Dunno about this one.

2010 Mount Langi Cliff Edge Shiraz, Grampians (screwcap): 13.5% alc. Medium blood red with just a hint of purple on the rim. Young and jubey, more than a little Pinot-like with red cherries, white pepper, a little blue metal and kirsch; the palate’s tangy and light to medium-weight, with bright cherries and white pepper, finishing minerally. Not bad, but compared to recent vintages it seems on the very light side for Langi – a future change in direction?

2003 Ashton Hills Mount Lofty Ranges Shiraz, Burra Burra (screwcap): 14% alc. Medium to dark red. Very spicy, slightly hot and unusual nose, black cherries and espresso, spice, vanilla, smoked meats and BBQ pork; the palate’s medium to full weight with sweet cherries mid-palate, some warmth on the quite dry, tannic and slightly bitter finish. At one stage I was wondering if there was possibly some viognier in this, but it’s supposed to be from the Lonestar Vineyard which I think automatically rules that out.

2002 R.L. Buller & Son Calliope Limited Release Durif, Rutherglen (cork): 16.0% alc. Dark to inky blood red, still a hint of purple at a mere 12 years of age! Porty nose, slightly stocky at first, becoming sweeter to show blackberry, prune, black liquorice, wintergreen, sarsaparilla, bitter chocolate and boot polish; a soft entry quickly builds in the mouth, filling it with sarsaparilla, black liquorice and menthol, but its’ also refreshingly dry and hides its 16% alcohol disarmingly well, no sign of any minty heat or glycerol here. Impressive now, it should outlive most of us, cork permitting.




2000 Claude Carré et Fils Champagne Cuvée Passion (cork): 12% alc. Medium straw/yellow with a good mousse and medium to fine bead. Quite yeasty and a touch green and sweet, apple cider characters with good creaminess up-front, a yeasty, crisp mid-palate and very dry finish. Seems to have obvious age on lees and high dosage, perhaps it’s Pinot dominant? Not bad, but not really my thing either.

2006 Rothbury Estate Gerry Sissingh Selection Limited Edition Semillon, Hunter Valley (screwcap): 11.5% alc. Bright straw/green. Grassy and lemony, quite herbal too, soap suds and glossy magazine print scents with breathing; the palate’s spicy and lean at first, but gets fatter with breathing, finishing dry and slatey. In between phases right now, but there’s some promising signs here.

1998 Rymill Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra (cork): 14.3% alc. Dark to inky red/purple. Surprisingly green nose, a huge wallop of capsicum, tomato leaf and tomato skin, then blueberry, musk and peppermint, obvious banana/vanillin oak with more breathing. The palate’s just over medium weight and is sweet and sour with lots of charred oak, peppermint and a hint of barnyard; the tannins are chalky and fine, lingering on the finish. I had this pencilled in as an early drinker until I saw the vintage – while the colour is strong it’s a little disappointing compared to what it was like on release: the 1998 Shiraz was up and down like a yoyo, so maybe this will come around with a few more years.


Finally to round out the month, a small birthday dinner at Park Lok with Seven & Mark Jappe:

1999 Ayala Champagne Blanc de Blancs (cork): 12% alc. Bright straw with a good mousse and fine bead. Yeasty and bready with good creaminess and a crisp, dry finish; a good start to the night.

1997 Müller-Catoir Haardter Bürgergarten Riesling Auslese, Pfalz (cork): 10.5% alc. Medium gold. Quite soapy and sweet nose, some banana cake, candied pineapple and sugared biscuits; the acidity is quite soft but still big in scale mid-palate, finishing sweet and sugary. Overall, pleasant enough but a little too simple/one-dimensional.

1969 d’Arenberg Gold Medal Burgundy (sic), McLaren Vale (cork): alc unknown, a blend of Shiraz & Grenache. Good light brick/mahogany colour. A famous wine critic once said “good Burgundy smells like shit” – well this has the word on Burgundy the label, and it certainly smells like it’s come out the back end of a horse! It’s also smoky and green, slightly metallic, green capsicum, pepper and geraniums; the palate’s also metallic and herbal, but is surprisingly well balanced with silky tannins. A bit too feral for our table, but the Burgundy group the other side of the restaurant loved it!

1999 Pipers Brook Vineyard The Blackwood Single Site Pinot Noir (cork): 14.4% alc. Medium to dark brick/red. Starts off smoky and savoury, some bacon, dried herbs, but also some sweaty socks; the palate’s sweeter at first, jubey with some mulberry and blueberry, but the finish is stripped by faint cork taint which becomes more obvious with breathing.

2008 Wolf Blass Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Malbec, Langhorne Creek, Barossa Valley & McLaren Vale (screwcap): 15% alc. Glowing, dark to inky purple. Lots of attractive sweet timber and fruit on the nose, cedar, blueberries, spice and boysenberry; a fruit-sweet entry leads to a full-weight palate of black cherries and raspberries dusted in castor sugar, the mid-palate a touch warm with obvious cedar oak, finishing dry and grippy with chalky tannins. One for the hedonists right now, although the magnum of 1985 at the beginning of the year is a good clue as to where this will head.

2008 Dupont-Tisserandot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers (cork): 13.5% alc. Very cloudy, murky plum/red colour. Surprisingly medicinal and herbal, weak cherry cordial with white pepper, fresh parsley and geranium; the palate’s riper, strawberry and zippy/tingly acidity mid-palate, finishing minerally. It’s tough to follow a big Wolf Blass Black Label, this was okay.


Cheers,
Ian

[Mike Hawkins]

2008 Camille Saves Millesime (x 3) - all bottles very similar. Rich, ripe(ish) pinot dominant champagne with the house's tell tale granny smith acidity finish. Really good champagne, which will potentially approach the 2002 qualitatively, with time.

2002 Groom Shiraz - a bit too ripe for my tastes, but most people raved about it.

2000 Louis Roederer Cristal - received as a gift a few years back. I'm glad I didn't pay the asking price for this. Not in the same postcode as the 99 and 04, let alone 96 and 02. If it was a sub $100 wine, I'd say it was acceptable. But as a tete du cuvee, not a wine I'd pay for. It's a good lesson (albeit generalisation) - buy the top champagnes in the 'great' vintages if possible, as the cheaper champagnes in the 'great' vintages are often better than top champagnes in a weaker year (and a third of the price)..

1999 Houghtons Jack Mann - fabulous wine from a fabulous vintage. Years of excellent drinking in front of it.

2002 Petaluma Riesling - can't belive I paid <$20 a bottle for a wine of this quality. What a cracking wine. Has the richness a good riesling gets with age... and no kero yet.

2003 Chateau d'Yquem - some feel this is bordering on flabbiness, but I can't agree. Sure, it doesn't have the acidity of the 2001, but nevertheless, it has sufficient acidity. This is a truly melliflous drink; the honeyed fruit salad flavours just glide down the throat with a fantastic finish. Will drink even better in 2020+.

1997 Tignanello - not as good as previous bottles. A bit of a mess actually.

1998 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz - superb wine that dominates the 99 IMO. I hope the bottle they plan to open at the Rockford vertical in Sydney is as good.

1980 Penfolds Bin 80a - I've had this about a dozen times over the past 20 years, and this was one of the best showings yet. Coffee, tobacco and caramel nose, with a bitter dark chocolate palate. Good length, with much better tannin integration than the last few bottles.

1976 Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon - remains my favourite release of this wine. I'm happy I got on the JWT band wagon when I was younger (albeit there have been a number of duds as Ian's recent post suggest) and bought reasonable quantities of this. .... they don't make 'em like they used to....