Suggestions on 2 from 4 for Friday - Now with Tasting Notes

[mychurch]

50th birthday this weekend. Having 2 bashes to celebrate. On Sunday, the day of the actual deed, its going to be a chicken and rum fest. Friday night is wine night and I was going to drink a whole lot of special wines that I had been saving for the last 10 years. Had a change of heart though and instead
Im going to only drink wines that I have never tried before....Mostly young whites, but I know someone is going to ask for some red and so I looked a few out yesterday that I have bought in the past, but never drank. I also have a pair of light reds and so from the 4, I only need to open 2 of the following

05 John Duval Plexus
05 Heritage Wines Rosco Shiraz
05 2 Hands Aerope Grenache
06 Torbreck The Gask

I think the Gask has some grenache in it,and would therefor be a good contrast to the Aerope. Choice appears then to be shiraz or grenache. My instinct says that the Grenache needs to be drunk younger generally than shiraz, but I dont really know these wines.

Any ideas ?

[Ozzie W]

When in doubt, CellarTracker is your friend. I find the drinking windows there quite useful.

2005 Two Hands Grenache Aerope Valley: 2008-2014
2005 John Duval Wines Plexus Red: 2010-2014
2006 Torbreck The Gask Shiraz: 2012-2017
2005 Heritage Wines (Steve Hoff) Shiraz Rossco's: 2011-2025

So based on that, open the Two Hand and the John Duval.

[n4sir]

I think the Gask has some grenache in it,and would therefor be a good contrast to the Aerope.

The Gask is 100% Eden Valley Shiraz from a single vineyard:
http://www.torbreck.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=D9B3zmgqEdI%3d&tabid=257

As far as which pair to choose, generally speaking Barossa Grenache/blends tgend to be lighter and earlier maturing than straight Shiraz - going by what you have said what styles you are looking for this time, I think the previous suggestion of the Aerope & Plexus is spot on.

Cheers,
Ian

[mychurch]

Thanks

My Sami-Odi order arrived here yesterday and I just have to fit in one of the Little Wines...Looks like the flight of light wines will be binned (Ganevat and Beaujolias) and it will be

2 Hands and John Duval

Followed by

Little Wine 5 and The Gask

Cameron

[mychurch]

So of course we drank the 4 reds, but at least we did it over 2 days.

Pick of the bunch was the Aerope, which was fully mature in my view. Incredible mid palate with sweet blackcurrent and raspberry fruit, which seamlessly lead into a long refined finish. Not a grenache man, but it had that balance you find in only very top quality wines. Terrible bottle though - must be near 2kg - and so despite the quality its not a wine I'll ever look to buy again. 95 pts

Little Wine V was just as impressive. A wall of vanilla on the nose, but in the mouth its rich and savoury with lots of red fruit. Just as you think its going to be over the top, the finish kicks in and its as light as a feather. Never experienced that change from power to lightness in one go. Red WOTN for everybody else, but it needs a little bit of time to calm down for me - only arrived from Auz 4 days earlier so must have had some bottle shock. 93+

The Plexus is a solid wine. Fully mature its the balance that is the key. Rounded fruit, well judged oak. Sipping wine. Nice, but not as classy as the first 2. 89pts

The Gask was not my cup of tea. It was dminated by vanilla oak and given its age, I cant really see this integrating properly in the future. Misses the balance of other Torbreck wines I have had and while there is decent fruit underneath, I dont think its ever going to escape the wood. Shame. 85pts,