Thank you to those who attended for being so generous with wines and time travelling to somewhere local to me
It was a privilege to be able to compare the wines of Ruggabellus, Eperosa, Standish, Sami Odi, and Alex Head; my impression of which are the "up and coming" Barossan winemakers. I had a great night and enjoyed everyone's company very much. Usually I lose my tasting notes but this time I forgot the paper napkin on which Dave and I solved one of the world's hardest problems. Ah well, P = NP will have to wait till the next onee.
The wines were all mostly amazing. I think some testament to this is that no one poured any out until maybe the 8th wine
. The absolute standout for me was the Dutschke Oscar Semmler 2006. I also really enjoyed Sami Odi, Head, the other Dutschke, the Turkey Flat, and the Standish. The two Kalleskes did not show well, neither did the Hutton Vale. I do not think that there is any point in drinking the Ruggabellus early: for the price, I would take two of the Fluus right now. I am going to leave my remaining bottle alone for fifteen years and pray something miraculous happens. The Standish, Sami Odi need to be left for a very long time due to the tannins. For me, this tasting reaffirmed that I should continue collecting Barossan shiraz and (mostly) trust winemakers to put wine in the bottle that is adequately described by the back label. That is, the hype is (mostly) justified (if you like big wines). I am not terribly happy with the choice of cork for Standish/Sami Odi/Eperosa. Does zero defect eliminate bottle variation as well as cork taint?
My tasting notes in the order the wines were tasted:
We started with the
Ruggabellus Archaeus 2018 (4/5 stars). It was a blazingly hot day and we wanted something light to start the evening with. This was poured and everyone remarked on its beautiful colour - garnet/amethyst; One could propose with a gemstone of such clarity and brilliance. Beyond the plummy primary fruit, I got spice - cloves, cinnammon on the nose. Very very light bodied (especially revisiting after all the 'big' wines had been done). Does have more concentration and length compared to the Fluus 2018, but at this stage not substantially different, including notes of vinegar (in a good way). I do not get this wine at this stage of its life, it needs a really long decant, the wine was only really hitting its straps (amazing chewy texture!) on the second/third days after opening. I am going to trust the winemaker on this one and lay it down for a while and hope for the best - https
://www.ruggabellus.com.au/august-2018-tasting-notes/
Then going from old to new, starting with the
Turkey Flat 2002 (4/5 stars): A wine to restore one's faith in aged Barossan shiraz. Cork broke into two. Still quite a dark colour (i.e. darker than the 2002 Dutschke). Some leatheriness that seems to blow away with air. Secondary flavours of cedar and spice shine through. Delicious wine, medium weight, good balance and finishes long with medium intensity and good supporting acid. Fully ready to go for me.
We did the two Dutschke's next. This was a very interesting and rewarding comparison of two wines from the same vineyard, but the Oscar Semmler is the top X barrels selected. On the evidence in front of us, the barrel selection clearly works. Or, maybe, it is to do with the different closures, cork for the older wine, and screwcap for the younger. Or, the difference between 2006, and 2002 (a cooler vintage). This pair were highlights of the evening for me. Both wines had a texture like liqueur and shared a terrific acid line to the finish. I have no hesitation naming the
Oscar Semmler 2006 (5/5 stars) as my favourite wine of the evening, it was a dark, impenetratable colour, still brimming with rich primary black fruits. I think age has lent it terrific balance and linearity throughout the entire palate and I am sure it will continue being stunning for the next 10 years. On the other hand, the
St Jakobi 2002 (4.5/5 stars) was a much lighter colour, barely beyond red, bricking extending quite far in from the edges. Lots of secondary flavours, the nose hints at a wine that is about to go into decline. Kirsch like palate with supporting tannins still on the finish. Impressively unchanged the next day (after using the winesave). As an aside, this great bottle was by far the best one I've had from my six-pack.
After some thought, I have come to the conclusion that the two Kalleske's that followed were not favoured by the cork gods. The
Greenock Shiraz 2005 (3/5 stars) was a pretty dark colour, especially compared to the
Greenock 2007 (3/5 stars) which was as light as the 2002 Dutschke. However, it was very hollow in comparison to other wines. Very charry oak/savoury notes on the nose, seems to hit you upfront in the mouth, then drops completely away before finishing acidic, hot (15.5% alcohol!), and a bit tannic. Much worse than the previous bottle. Some people thought that the 2007 was a bit oxidised, I thought that maybe the vintage may not have done it any favours; for me, it was dominated by oak. Both corks presented perfectly. Such is the insidious nature of this closure.
The
Head Redhead 2012 (4.5/5 stars) was up next. After smelling the menthol, mint, eucalypt, I knew that I was going to like this wine. Still manages to be a bit sweet at an astoundingly restrained 14% alcohol. Flavours were linear and finished very long.
The next two glasses pitted the
Sami Odi Mahe 2015 (4.5/5 stars) against the
Eperosa Magnolia (4/5 stars). The Sami Odi was quite herbaceous on the nose (despite the 14.8% alcohol), a character which I liked as I thought it lent plenty of interest. It also had brilliant tannin structure with oodles of oomph, finishing long with a bitter, savoury edge. The Eperosa was very gamey/sour on the nose, it was only the next day that I remembered that they use wild yeast ferments so it makes sense. Apart from this, this seeems to be a very pure, sweet fruited, almost a bit too sweet for me, Barossan shiraz, with just enough tannins at the back to suggest that it will be good to see where it goes after the puppy fat is shedded.
Finally, to wrap up the tasting, the
Hutton Vale 2012 (3.5/5 stars) versus the
Standish Lamella 2017 (4.5/5 stars). These two wines come from the same vineyard and I have always wondered how much of it will be the terroir versus the wine making (Tuesner made the first one). Unfortunately, I really do not like the Hutton Vale. It was remarked upon that it had a strange nose. This I agree with, for me I got really dominant charry oak, and the palate seems all out of whack, with a texture, maybe from the tannins, which was a bit like boiled milk. Not any better the next day. I am fervently hoping this is in a dumb phase, for I cannot see Halliday's 98/100 rating on this. The Lamella was incredibly concentrated both on the nose and palate. Very spicy: pepper, eucalypt, five spice, very much so on the nose and leading onto the front palate. A very very rich dark fruited wine finishing with incredible tannins. Has incredible intensity and length to the finish. It was nice to have a tasting of it but very hard drinking at the moment, especially after fruit seems to subside after the second day open.
