The Auswine Forum

One of my precious Australian sherries has been leaking and is perhaps desperately in need of drinking. I had thought it was a dry sherry but the back label says it's a sweet oloroso o it will have to served for desert.
Mahmoud.

Looks like a T-Stopper? I'm pretty reluctant to store them lying down.

Oh dear - the oxygen ingress appears to have turned it into sherry

It seems I forgot to post on this Lindemans Oloroso. It was opened in the first week of August at a dinner tasting and there are the wines that were opened:
1998 Schramsberg 'J. Schram' (12.5%)
2009 Christian Moreau Chablis 1er Cru 'Vaillon' (12.5%)
2005 Domaine des Perdrix Nuit Saint George 1er Cru 'Les Terres Blanches' Blanc (13%)
1985 Taurino 'Notarparano' Rosso del Salento (13%)
2007 Mastroberardino 'Mastro, Campagnia (12%)
2002 Frederic Magnien Chambolle-Musigny 'Baudes' (13%)
1985 Moutonne Baronne Philippe en homage a Pauline, Pauillac (illegible)
N/V Lindemans Show Reserve Oloroso Z273 (21%)

What I posted was the following:

"No notes but all were good to excellent wines except for the Perdrix NSG which was decidedly tired, "old and decrepit" was how I remembered it being described. The '98 Schramsberg was very nice, a grand impersonation of a champagne, still youthful, and nowhere near tired. Some of us thought it was a blanc de blanc. The '09 Moreau Chablis Vaillon was lovely, also youthful with some ways to go. The Perdrix NSG was a recent purchase and not likely well stored so it came as no surprise that it was tired with a hint of maderization, although one taster thought it interesting and not too bad. This might be the oldest white burgundy I've had. The '85 Notarparano fulfilled its duty as it was a purchase based on a rave review by Parker who said it was one to last into the next century. It is a single vineyard wine comprised of Negro amaro and Malvasia nera. The '02 Magnien Chambolle-Musigny was young and intense, it completely flummoxed us as no one picked it for a burgundy. I am now leaning towards the idea that good burgundy needs just as much as much if not more time in bottle than almost any other cellaring wine. The Mouton Baronne Philippe was just a lovely bottle of mature Bordeaux and in a very nice place. The Lindemans Oloroso was a lovely bottle of sherry and needless to say completely surprised everyone by being Australian. The play between the off dry character and the nutty, maderized notes were tantalizing."

Now, almost two months later, having had to pack and move from an insurance paid condo accommodation to back home (a long story), I finally got down to drinking the remnants of the bottle. Despite all the air in the bottle and the oxidation that has occurred, this remains a superb sherry. The nose is certainly drier, but it is laden with a fragrant oak, nutty, and madeirized nose, with a hint smokiness. The palate is a little bit lighter, but has a very intense, dry, lenghty finish, and there is a delicate, lacy quality to the palate, with peanut skins, old oak, and a sherried, oxidative character that lingers. An absolute delight.

Why, oh why, did Australians give up on their sherries? These sherries are a lost treasure.

Mahmoud.

Ian S wrote:Oh dear - the oxygen ingress appears to have turned it into sherry.

You are right, oxygen ingress seems not to be a worry!

Mahmoud Ali wrote:
Why, oh why, did Australians give up on their sherries? These sherries are a lost treasure.

Mahmoud.

There are still a few around in various parts of the country if you know where to look. I have a couple from Morris and I know Pfeiffer do a couple as well. I notice that Sevenhill do a range, and of course Seppeltsfield. Not doubt there are more out there. A few producers do Pedro Ximenes.

Hi Paul,

Perhaps I was too sweeping in my lament because I do know that there are some sherries around and I was on the lookout thr last time I was in Sydney a couple of years ago. I bought and drank a number but they were generally the simpler and more youthfull ones. Very sevicable but nothing extraordinary like this Lindemans, or the Yalumba Show Reserves, or even the ones made by McWilliams in Griffiths. I don't know if McWilliams still make them but as long ago as 15 years ago they had a good selection of reserve sherries at their cellar door. Little did I realize that I had the perfect place to transport the: the hot boot of the car! It's a huge regret as I never saw them in Sydney.

The few bottles this Lindemans Show Reserve was spotted in a large but rustic wine store at the end of Darling Street. I can't quite put my finger on the name of the shop but they used to have all sorts of old gems there.

Mahmoud Ali wrote:Hi Paul,

Perhaps I was too sweeping in my lament because I do know that there are some sherries around and I was on the lookout thr last time I was in Sydney a couple of years ago. I bought and drank a number but they were generally the simpler and more youthfull ones. Very sevicable but nothing extraordinary like this Lindemans, or the Yalumba Show Reserves, or even the ones made by McWilliams in Griffiths. I don't know if McWilliams still make them but as long ago as 15 years ago they had a good selection of reserve sherries at their cellar door. Little did I realize that I had the perfect place to transport the: the hot boot of the car! It's a huge regret as I never saw them in Sydney.

The few bottles this Lindemans Show Reserve was spotted in a large but rustic wine store at the end of Darling Street. I can't quite put my finger on the name of the shop but they used to have all sorts of old gems there.

That was Radovan's place called "60 Darling Street". He took it online and called it "Winepool". I don't know if he's still trading.

cuttlefish wrote:

Mahmoud Ali wrote:The few bottles this Lindemans Show Reserve was spotted in a large but rustic wine store at the end of Darling Street. I can't quite put my finger on the name of the shop but they used to have all sorts of old gems there.

That was Radovan's place called "60 Darling Street". He took it online and called it "Winepool". I don't know if he's still trading.

That's the one, and they used to advertise specials in the Sydney Morning Herald.

I'm still working my way through a dozen bottles of McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2002 (screwcap) that I bought from there for about $12p/b and a magnum of the 2001 thrown in! I also bought some Dalwhinnie Chardonnay, and a bit of Voyager Estate Cab Merlot 2004 there back then. His pricing was hard to beat at times !

cuttlefish wrote:I'm still working my way through a dozen bottles of McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2002 (screwcap) that I bought from there for about $12p/b and a magnum of the 2001 thrown in! I also bought some Dalwhinnie Chardonnay, and a bit of Voyager Estate Cab Merlot 2004 there back then. His pricing was hard to beat at times !

Coincidentally, I also bought some Elizabeth Semillon from them, the 1996 vintage in fact, of which I drank one young and have cellared the remaining three. I can't remember what else I had delivered in the mixed dozen but I feel certain there was some 1998 Bailey's 1920s Shiraz.

His prices could be good, no question.