The Auswine Forum

Great and rare wines at the 2nd Club Dinner

Seven of us gathered on Saturday night in the suburb of Coogee for our second club dinner. Auswine regulars Adair, Danny aka Mr.Chickpea, myself and Ric aka TORB were there with MW student David and our new member, Stephan. The host, Peter Z. prepared sensational dishes that included W.A. lobsters. Almost all bottles were served blind. Using the double blind or ‘Spot On’ system, we had to taste and name the wines without clues whatsoever. Seven drinkers, 19 bottles, the theme for this evening was “Grand and Rare”.
Date: April 24, 2004.

1995 POL ROGER Champagne-Epernay.
This 9 years old Champagne is from a house that is a club favourite. Danny and Stephan guessed the vintage correct while everyone knew it was Champagne.
Colour pale gold, beautiful flowery aromas on the nose, delicate and promising. The palate is silky smooth, cool and slightly mineral with chardonnay dominating. A highly intelligent wine with a long and beautifully dry finish. Starting to drink now, will peak around 2011. A classic. PeterÂ’s bottle.

1992 LEASINGHAM Classic Clare Sparkling Shiraz
This 12 years old sparkling red wasnÂ’t actually part of the dinner. Ric brought it along to entertain himself while we were going through the whites. Most of us tasted it anyway and as I already wrote about this at Christmas, all I can say that the wine is brilliant and is consistent with my previous notes.

1989 TYRRELLÂ’S Vat 1 Hunter Valley Semillon
This 15 years old white did not show well this time at all. My very good friend, Adair brought it along as this wine is my absolute favourite and is usually great. However, this bottle was a TyrrellÂ’s re-release, complete with the new label and countless gold medals. Appeared light with lots of vanilla flavours, it ended up on the shelf, not drunk, as it was a disaster. The same wine tasted last year from the first release with the original old label, was sensational.

2001 A.ROSTAING La Bonette Viognier- Condrieu
This 3 years old flat tasting and seriously boring wine damped the spirit further. To start with, the nose was floral and promising with lovely honeysuckle and melon but this promise faded away on the palate. The wine lacked life and excitement appearing already old and tired. I thought the AU $120 asking price was ridiculous. “I reckon it’s a nice wine… I haven’t tried it yet”- commented Peter while working in the kitchen. We kept his glass aside and moved on quickly to our next white. It was his bottle.

[b]2001 IMRE GYÖRGYKOVÃ

Excellent note, thanks for sharing the experience with us !

Great notes (and night) Attila ... a bit lavish with the ratings though

DidnÂ’t take many notes (left to others) but my transient thoughts and recollections were as follows (wines ranked in order of preference).

<b>NV Campbells Isabella Rare Tokay (Rutherglen; 375ml)</b>
Super wine. Amazing length and complexity. Rich, intense, hints of peach marmalade, tea leaves, sugared figs, honey, barley, dark chocolate, coffee, mandarins, forest, etc. World class. I preferred this to the Buller but only fractionally.
<b>Grand Vin! 19.0 / 20</b>

<b>NV R.L. Buller & Son Rare Liqueur Tokay (Rutherglen; 375ml)</b>
As above almost exactly but just missing a smidgin of the complexity. Also I found this sweeter too. Still superb wine.
<b>Excellent 18.9 / 20</b>

<b>1981 Château Haut Brion (Graves)</b>
The wine of the night for me, and the biggest surprise given I have never really been impressed other 1981s. Distinctly un-Bordeaux on the nose – almost Burgundy with its perfumed and floral aromas. Appears youthful with years to go. Silky, elegant, balanced, but lacking the intensity and concentration to make it a really outstanding first growth. But I’m not complaining.
<b>Excellent 18.0 / 20</b>

<b>1966 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz (Magill)</b>
Another massive surprise. I thought it was Grange! Sweet nose, complex palate. I donÂ’t remember the 66 Grange being this good (when last tasted in 2002). Served after the Haut Brion, it was only a fraction below it. One of the most resplendent 389s I can remember tasting.
<b>Very Good 17.9 / 20</b>

<b>1992 Jasper Hill EmilyÂ’s Paddock Shiraz/Cabernet Franc (Victoria)</b>
I was smitten by this, an excellent wine from a supposedly indifferent vintage. Nuances of plums, spicy oak, earth, venison, olives and tar. Seamless package. If anything, needs more time and may even improve.
<b>Very Good 17.5 / 20</b>

<b>1986 Chateau Tahbilk Claret 1860Â’s Vines Shiraz (Victoria) </b>
Excellent colour and still youthful. Nice nose of spice and liquorice. Palate has good integration of fruit, oak and tannin but very deep an pronounced olive-like taste put me off slightly. No hurry to dink up.
<b>Very Good 17.3 / 20</b>

<b>1970 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port (Douro) </b>
Pretty classy stuff and not as weighty as other 1970 Portuguese ports I have tasted. Impeccable balance with a myriad of nutty flavours and just-right sweet fruit and stunning alcohol integration. Not as "hot" as the 1970 Taylors, Grahams and Dows I have had.
<b>Very Good 17.3 / 20</b>

<b>1992 Leasingham Classic Clare Sparkling Shiraz</b>
Very good – nice juxtaposition between primary fruit and complex spice and earth flavours. “Classic” in the true sense of the word.
<b>Very Good 17.2 / 20</b>

<b>1983 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac) </b>
Quite good considering the vintage. Holding up well but will never be top tier. Nice balance, fine length but lacks oomph!
<b>Very Good 17.0 / 20</b>

<b>1995 Pol Roger Champagne (Epernay)</b>
Surprisingly very upfront and drinkable with some obvious residual sweetness. Good length and well balanced. At its peak.
<b>Very Good 17.0 / 20</b>

<b>1931 Beregaria-Genuine Old Commandaria (Cyprus) </b>
High expectations for this unfortified 15% wine from its very fortified owner. Yes, itÂ’s very good and very sweet but not great. I liked it more than most but clearly just lacking requisite complexity and backbone to rein in the sweetness.
<b>Good 16.9 / 20</b>

<b>1971 Domaine Clair-Daϋ Le Cazetiers-Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru </b>
Others enjoyed this more than I. Far, far too acidic and slightly unbalanced for me. WouldÂ’ve been better a minimum 5 years ago. Nose (sweet, meaty) held up better than the palate. Still, a good showing given its age and pedigree.
<b>Good 16.8 / 20</b>

<b>1996 Rockford SVS Hoffmann Shiraz (Barossa) </b>
My only scribbled comment was: “Daffy Duck wine”. Far too over-the-top and richly sweet. A caricature wine - almost Botrytis Shiraz. Not even Duck Muck is this flamboyant. Not impressed. Give me the blended Basket Press any day.
<b>Good 16.7 / 20</b>

<b>1975 Château Léoville Las Cases (St Julien) </b>
Very dry and savoury with some cedar, oak and mocha, ash and pepper. Tannin cuts short the length. A good wine but it ainÂ’t gonna get better.
<b> Good 16.6 / 20</b>

<b>1983 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (St Julien) </b>
Not as good as the 83 Pichon but still holding up pretty well. Less body and focus.
<b> Good 16.5 / 20</b>

<b>2001 Imre Györgykovács Barrique Furmint- Somló Hill (Hungary) </b>
Compelling nose of wax, butter. Palate very youthful and restrained. To quote the bottle’s owner Attila: “this needs 40 years to show its best”. I’m not so unequivocal.
<b> Good 16.5 / 20</b>

<b>1997 Luce Della Vite by Frescobaldi and Mondavi (Tuscany) </b>
50% Sangiovese and 50% Merlot. Top vintage. BUT quite tough fruit-wise, very dry and savoury. Noted: “A bit all over the shop”. Seems too young but not sure how this will age.
<b> Good 16.0 / 20</b>

<b>1989 Tyrrells Vat 1 Hunter Valley Semillon</b>
This re-released bottle was past its best unfortunately: under-fruited, too oaky, very tropical nose and overdone.
<b>Poor 14.5 / 20</b>

<b>2001 A. Rostaing La Bonette Viognier (Condrieu) </b>
My only note was: “Past it”.
<b>Poor 14.0 / 20</b>

Thanks to all participants – especially Peter (chef) who did a fabulous job in the kitchen.

2 things.

* The SVS is not made for export. It is made for Stonewallers

* There is no oak used in the Vat 1 Semillon.

Granted - still very "vanilla"-like (hence the oaky synonym), which is how i meant it! (Attila stole that word).

Anonymous wrote:2 things.

* The SVS is not made for export. It is made for Stonewallers

* There is no oak used in the Vat 1 Semillon.

Hello Guest,

Why was all the 1997 SVS Rockford Hoffmann destined solely for export???

I too am a Stonewaller and am most sympathetic to Rockford idealism, but this above fact is most interesting!? Yes and No. As I understanding it, the 1997 Hoffmann went to a very loyal friend of Robert in Switzerland but it still enables Attila's statement to be justified. The contents of the wine definitely pointed to the connection.

With regard to the Vat 1, I understand that one of the reasons that Tyrrell's will not be going Stelvin is that the cork imparts an oaky flavour over time.

Adair

Gentlemen...the club dinners serve only one purpose, to straight out the great learning curve regarding wines. I've learned a lot from this dinner which like all others before, in the last 12 years, served surprises and created the excitement that should surround all exciting bottles of wine.
I am now in preparation for our next event.
Cheers,
Attila