The Auswine Forum

Folks

The Melbourne group is having a Petaluma tasting next Sat. Courtesy of a generous member all the wines are being supplied and we will be tasting 4 vintages of Riesling from the noughties, a few Cab Merlots and a selection of the reds from 90 to 04. Pictures and notes to follow.

We have had 1 call off today so if anyone else is interested and available, please send me an email. It will start at 1pm and will be held in Fairfield.

Cameron

Don't think I can get there in time, but regards to all!

Look forward to the notes. Someone should throw in a modern Petaluma Riesling to see how far the mighty have fallen. Woke-wine that’s lost its steely Australian heritage.

JamieAdelaide wrote: ↑Tue May 31, 2022 7:58 am Look forward to the notes. Someone should throw in a modern Petaluma Riesling to see how far the mighty have fallen. Woke-wine that’s lost its steely Australian heritage.

Not sure I can let that one go...12, 16-21 all quite steely and with a nice lick of acid to finish. Have a 2000 (cork) in the fridge, so will see how that goes. I do agree that Ox Hardy probably made the best Petaluma's

Cheers Craig

Find it an awkward style now trying to please everyone. The price is crazy for what it is.

phillisc wrote: ↑Tue May 31, 2022 9:06 am

JamieAdelaide wrote: ↑Tue May 31, 2022 7:58 am Look forward to the notes. Someone should throw in a modern Petaluma Riesling to see how far the mighty have fallen. Woke-wine that’s lost its steely Australian heritage.

Not sure I can let that one go...12, 16-21 all quite steely and with a nice lick of acid to finish. Have a 2000 (cork) in the fridge, so will see how that goes. I do agree that Ox Hardy probably made the best Petaluma's

Cheers Craig

There will be a 2015 in the mix.

Opened a few Petaluma Rieslings a couple of weeks ago.

2001 and 2002 both under cork were very developed, drinkable but not very enjoyable, the 01 a little better than the 02.
2005 on the other hand under screw cap was a lovely Aussie Riesling with some honeyed development and a touch of kero.

Hope you’re 2000 shows well Craig.

Cheers Con.

Con J wrote: ↑Tue May 31, 2022 10:00 am

phillisc wrote: ↑Tue May 31, 2022 9:06 am

JamieAdelaide wrote: ↑Tue May 31, 2022 7:58 am Look forward to the notes. Someone should throw in a modern Petaluma Riesling to see how far the mighty have fallen. Woke-wine that’s lost its steely Australian heritage.

Not sure I can let that one go...12, 16-21 all quite steely and with a nice lick of acid to finish. Have a 2000 (cork) in the fridge, so will see how that goes. I do agree that Ox Hardy probably made the best Petaluma's

Cheers Craig

There will be a 2015 in the mix.

Opened a few Petaluma Rieslings a couple of weeks ago.

2001 and 2002 both under cork were very developed, drinkable but not very enjoyable, the 01 a little better than the 02.
2005 on the other hand under screw cap was a lovely Aussie Riesling with some honeyed development and a touch of kero.

Hope you’re 2000 shows well Craig.

Cheers Con.

Thanks Con, was down in the cellar the other day, found a couple of very old boxes of aged Rieslings, Petaluma '95/97, St Helga '96, Pewsey Vale '96, Pikes '96, Skillagalee '96, Sevenhill and a few other assortments. Will pull the corks and have the sink on standby
Cheers Craig

Good cork & storage sees the 02 a cracker. I’ve heard some preferring cork to screw cap. Though earlier arguments on winebeserkers favouring the screw cap.

JamieAdelaide wrote: ↑Tue May 31, 2022 7:58 am Look forward to the notes. Someone should throw in a modern Petaluma Riesling to see how far the mighty have fallen. Woke-wine that’s lost its steely Australian heritage.

Agreed, its a shame. Same grapes/vineyard still going into it.

These are sitting in the fridge and look in good condition

It’s the 1990 on the far left. Obviously the owners lost a bit of confidence in the wine after Brian left and had to compensate with a larger bottle.

It’s great to see these sorts of tastings. I miss doing at least one a week in Hong Kong where they popular too. I’ll be living in Melbourne ( commuting Adelaide ) again soon so I’d love to join and contribute to an event.

phillisc wrote: ↑Tue May 31, 2022 11:20 amThanks Con, was down in the cellar the other day, found a couple of very old boxes of aged Rieslings, Petaluma '95/97, St Helga '96, Pewsey Vale '96, Pikes '96, Skillagalee '96, Sevenhill and a few other assortments. Will pull the corks and have the sink on standby

I'll be looking forward to hearing about these wines. For my own part I still have a 1992 Petaluma, a '98 Best's, a '98/'00 Mitchell's Blackwell Park, a '00 Pikes, and, of all things, a '00 Leasingham Bin 7!

Mahmoud.

Bad news. The flu/cold bug has wiped out a number of the Melbourne group, so we are going to postpone the tasting. Did I jinx it by taking these photos beforehand ?

Shame - was looking forward to reading the notes!

There are a few 1985 (birth year) Magnums at auction at the moment. Hmmm

Worth a crack! Coonawarra in magnum from that period can be wonderful.

Yes those Petaluma magnums came from Langton's, multiple vintages. Rang a broker, I purchased an 86, went in with a couple of others, a multiple buy saw them at around $100.
Haven't seen them at auction yet, were they at Langton's or MW in Melbourne VinoEd?
Cheers Craig

So it’s back on again and these should be tasted tomorrow afternoon, along with a couple of other. Last time there was of course a lot of last minute sickness, but hopefully we are all healthy this time. Looking forward to it. Notes etc to follow.

Can't wait for the notes! Seeing that lineup reminded me of how impressive the Petaluma packaging looks, especially in quantities like that!

Nice. I’ll have to find a way to wrangle myself into some of these tasting in future!

I have a couple of 1985 Evans Magnums (birth year) to be consumed at some point. Perhaps at the 40 year mark. Very interested to read the notes too.

Cheers Ed

So it was a very nice afternoon.

More notes to follow, but a few observations

- the 2 white under cork (01 and 02) were very different in taste and age to the following 3 vintages
- the 02 and 03 Rieslings were the pick of the whites. Hard to choose between them
- the 90 was a class above the other reds
- going from old to young the amount of Cabernet in the blend decreased, as did the quality
- the 2 Merlots were nice drinking wines, but missed the complexity of the blends
- the 79 Port, 13 desert wine and 57 Blue Nun all added to a lovely afternoon
- bitterballen are food of the gods

So, these were the extras we had a outside the main tasting.

I was really impressed by the 09 Churchview Sparkler, which was served blind. It had an old taste and feel, but there was a lot of bread and toast on the nose and palate together with a creamy texture. Once we found out it was Chenin, I did find a trace of quince, but that may have been wishful thinking.3.5*

The 57 Sichel Blue Nun was bought for the label, but it turned out to be easy better than expected. It was slightly darker than the sparkler, but I would not have guessed more that 20 years old. Tinned peaches, good acidity, just off dry. Biggest surprise of the day. 3*

The 79 Port was just like you would expect a port to be. Warm and caressing, with the spirit integrated. Nice, but lost after the great flights of red. 3*

Onto the Rielsings

The 01 and 02 were under cork, with the 03, 04, 05 and 15 under a screw cap. The difference between the 2 categories was crystal clear.

The 2 cork wines had more complexity and a richer mid palate, with fruit that was hitting the stone fruit spectrum. The acidity was there but it was round and there was no real citrus for me.

Initially the 01 seemed to be a bit off, but it really opened up with the air (same happens with old German Rieslings). It needed the sea food to be really enjoyable, but later on it was full of peach marmalade and maybe a hint of petrol. 3.5* and was better 24 hours later, so no need to hurry.

The 02 and the 03 were my 2 favourites. The 02 was a cleaner, younger more vibrant version of the 01, with stone fruit and a lovely creamy texture. Blind I may have gone for German GG. The 03 was very different with lemon and lime on the nose, a youthful color and the acidity I wasn’t expecting after the first 2. This has hardly budged, although with air it did put on some weight and had more midpalate creaminess . I gave them both 4*. The lesson here is that while the screw cap does cut down on cork taint, you have to wait a long long time for the wine to age.

The 04 and 05 were very much in the same mould as the 03, with the citrus notes that the 2 cork wines missed. They were all enjoyable, but seemed to taste younger and younger. I gave them all 3.5*, but you have to ask what the real point of aging these wines is if it’s going to take 25 to 30 years to gain complexity.

I didn’t like the ‘15 on the day and it’s not much better today. Different winemaker of course. It’s softer and more accessible, but it’s also a bit grapey and gloopy. Reminded me why I never liked young Petaluma.

We had 1 ringer at the end - a ‘13 Cane Cut. Way darker, with lots of sweet marmalade jam and apricots. Yum, but it needed blue cheese or a very sweet desert. 3*

The reds were the main event and we had these from old to young in flights of 2.

Overall wine of the day was the 90, which had everything you want from a mature Coonawarra Cabernet. There was the tomato leaf and bell pepper on the nose, cassis and plum in the mouth. Perfect balance between the red fruit and the acidity. Lovely, lovely wine which i think is at the peak of its power. From the same Cellar i have been lucky enough to try some classic Black Labels (76 add 82) and while this was great wine, its not quite at the same level as the very top BL Open now if you have some 4.5* (12% Merlot)

The 92 had Gravel and some dried spice on the nose. Richer in the palate, with herbs and plenty of dark berry fruit. Good effort for the vintage. Lasted well overight and I'm sipping the remains as I type. (3.5*)

Next up were the 2 Melots the 96 and 98. Thinking back, there was a big Merlot thing in the 90's and maybe thats the reason for the single varietal blends. These have aged well and both were supple and easy drinking, without having any complexity. The 96 had gravel and almost a bretty touch on the nose, with plenty of blackcurrent. Not my sort of red wine (2.5*). There was more to the 98 though, with more structure, although again it was pretty easy drinking and accessible. Fruit was again in the black spectrum and it was a nice wine (3.5*)

The next pairing only had the 96 as the 98 was corked. The 96 was another lovely wine in the style of the 90. The difference between the 2 was the complexity that was missing here on the nose, with the paprika and tomato leaf notes present, but turned down a notch. The palate made up for it though, where the blackcurrant fruit was denser and more intense than the 90. The wine dried out a bit overnight, and my instinct would be to drink in the next 5 years - its still a 4* wine and one of the best of the day

On retasting the wines this afternoon it was the 99 and 01 that showed the best. The 99 had a much higher merlot blend that the previous wines (40%) and none of us knew why. This trend was continued by the next flight as well and my guess is that it was a conscious decision to make a more drinkable and accessible wine - leafy complexity is not for everyone. Very drinkable, but i think we all wanted some more complexity. The 01 was a 50/50 blend and was the better of the 2 on the day with loats of ripe red fruit, supple tannin and chocolate. Overnight both wines improved and developed gravel and pebble on the nose and savoury finishes in the style of the 02. Interesting. (3* yesterday, 4* today, so 3.5* overall)

The 04 was a 65-35 blend, with not a hair out of place and consequently was a little bit dull. packed with lovely red fruit. lavender, violets and chocolate, this was classy without offering any complexity. Not bad. Drying tannin appeared overnight and I'd give this a bit more before approaching again. I'm not sure if that was the last Crozer vintage or not. The 05 surely is not one of his as the blend includes 5% each of Petit Verdot and Malbec as well as 30% Merlot. This was very modern in style, but did have some leafy notes on the nose. I really liked the powdered fruit in the mouth along with some Xmas cake and black fruits. Pretty sexy and on the border between 3.5* and 4*

The Final flight featured the 12 and the 15. The 12 was the pick and it featured 20% Merlot and 5% Shiraz. Again its very modern, with warm red fruits on the nose, a mouth coating powered texture, voilets, red berries and some spice. Dark chocolate features on the finish. One you can easily drink now, which I think is the point (3.5*). The 15 was the only wine to feature some jammy notes. Not sure what happened as we are back to only 15% Merlot. As with the 12 there is berry fruit, violets and chocolate, but with air the tannins really come out and this needs time (3*)

Overall this was a great afternoon. My opinion on the Riesling was completely changed and the red showed they can be very good, although the heights may well be in the distance past - I personally wont be rushing out to buy any of the recent releases. . I have an 85 and and 86 in the cellar an I think I need to open them soon.

Thanks for sharing those notes, much appreciated.
Cheers Ed

It was a great tasting. Very fortunate to be a part of it. Thanks for the notes My Church. Con, thanks for supplying these superb wines.

My notes, FWIW(Cam, your extensive notes cover everything, really)
Churchview St Johns Sparkling Chenin 2009
Just gold straw colour. Faintly autolytic bottle character. Lovely hints of honey, citrus and dusty mineral. Gently creamy on the palate with excellent closing acidity for a clean finish.

Petaluma Riesling 2001
Deep, clear golden hue. Showing some age. Fruit at first looking a little simple with a fine, lemony zestiness. Beginning to open up with pleasant citrus-rind/candied citrus notes. Nicely rounded on the palate but driven by acidity. Mature/ripe lemon type flavours.

Petaluma Riesling 2002
Beautiful sizzled butter aroma, custard-citrus, pepper, and lemon-pith mineral. A touch fuller on the palate, with a richer, denser acidity. Good palate length, with lemon/lime flavoured phenolic grip through the finish. Very, very subtle petroleum aromas do not detract.

Petaluma Riesling 2003
A touch of petroleum on the nose, with gentle lemon citrus notes. Richly flavoured, but overall zesty and light. Excellent vibrancy and palate length.

Petaluma Riesling 2004
Faint pine notes and creamy citrus backed by petroleum. Faint riverstone, mature lemon- and orange-citrus notes. Much less assertive acid, here; roundness, with good balance across the palate. This acid is wonderfully even and persistent through the finish.

Petaluma Riesling 2005
Remarkably youthful colour. Some petroleum notes, and faintly peppery. Excellent palate entry, with very silky acidity. There's still a degree of youthfulness to the citrus flavour profile, and somewhat shorter on the palate than previous vintages tasted today.

Petaluma Riesling 2015
A far more floral bouquet, here, with some petroleum notes. Silky palate entry with fine, powerful lemon/lemon-pith flavour. Good length.

Petaluma Coonawarra 1990 (88%cab, 12%merlot)
Lifted sappy pine, red-strap liquorice, gravelly earth, tomato-leaf, faint mint, and beautiful sweet, dry cedar aromas. Very well resolved tannins and excellent med-bodied palate weight with red fruits almost like strawberry(!)

Petaluma Coonawarra 1992 (75%cab, 25%merlot)
Pepper and herb notes, rust, sneezy bitumen, gravel, ink, and greener tomato leaf aromas. Grippy, fine tannins with some density. There's perhaps a greenness to the tannins here?

Petaluma Merlot 1996
A lovely influence of toasty dry cedar. Doesn't have the tomato-leaf. Dry gravelly earth, with blackberry, blackcurrant type fruits, and faint mint. The palate is fine and powerful with quite juicy acidity. Good power.

Petaluma Merlot 1998
I thought this was subtly corked, oddly enough. Damp earth and dark, plummy type fruits, with complex spice. The palate here is juicy, with dense, plummy red-fruits. The tannins are a touch chalky.

Petaluma Coonawarra 1996
A faintly green sappy aroma, with mint, blackcurrant, ink, and faint alcoholic lift, backed by dry cedar and wood-spice. Nice density to the palate; fine and powerful, with still vibrant acidity. There are dry blackcurrant type flavours and firm, fine tannins drawing out the finish.

Petaluma Coonawarra 1999 (60%cab, 40%merlot)
A plummier fruit profile, with nice meaty, savoury herbal notes lurking. Dry earth without the gravelly bitumen character.
Some intensity and palate weight here, with vibrant acidity. Fine, but grippy tannins. A touch green.

Petaluma Coonawarra 2001 (50%cab, 50%merlot)
Some leafiness to the nose. Red and dark fruits, gravel, faint sweet cedar, and faint VA. A gluey sappiness. Good density to the palate with powerfully dry, and very fine tannins.

Petaluma Coonawarra 2004 (65%cab, 35%merlot)
A touch closed on the nose. A touch austere. Sweet and deep red and dark fruits. Excellent palate entry, with that typical intense, fine acidity. Very good balance. A promising future.

Petaluma Coonawarra 2005 (60%cab, 30%merlot, 5%petit verdot, 5%malbec)
Leaf and asparagus notes. A less expressive nose. Fine, powerful tannins. Loads of power. A youthful wine.

Petaluma Coonawarra 2012 (76%cab, 20%merlot, 4% shiraz)
Bitumen, blackberry and sappy leaf notes. Very good wine, but far less expressive than the older vintages.

Petaluma Coonawarra 2015 (85%cab, 15%merlot)
Mocha, spiced red fruits and big acid. Drops short on the palate. Needs years.

Petaluma Cane Cut Riesling 2013
180g/L residual sugar. Lime marmalade aromas. Very tasty.

Phew. My notes petered out a bit, as I was enjoying the banter. Not drinking as I was driving, but more looking away from my notes and enjoying the company!

Thanks, all!!

Cf.

Great notes Cf

The 99 and 01 were still drinking well on Monday night as was the 02 Riesling.

Thanks guys great write up and covered it well.

No surprise that that older wines were my favourites, the 90 and 96 Cabernets were my picks.

I like the bit of green you can get with aged Coonawarra Cabernet like leafy, capsicum and dried chilli flakes that I pick up sometime.

Thanks guys overall I thought it was a great day.

PS: The Blue Nun was an experience.

Cheers Con.

Thanks for the notes guys... looks like a really fun tasting.