The Auswine Forum

Anthony's turn to put on a few "quaffers" at Taste of East - food was really well matched to the flights of wine. He presented the wine masked, in flights of two - one Old World and one New World. In attendance, Anthony, Sanjay, Neville, Rory, myself and the two lurkers.


1998 Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir
Picked this as the 98, then switched to an older version when given the Options questions because the colour was quite developed. Mid red, browning at the edges. Complex and multifaceted to smell - dark cherry fruit, camphor, rhubarb, coffee and so on. Rich and lovely to taste, with the fruit matched by integrated oak - the level of oak meant this had to be the Reserve (18.5)

2000 Rousseau Chambertin
Red-ruby colour. Classy nose of perfumed black cherries with some earthiness and supporting oak. A youthful and structured palate, hasn't really opened up as yet. Long tannin/acid finish. Obviously a young Burgundy, maybe 98 - Options reveal this as a really good wine that will be great in a few more years (18 but will point higher in future)

1997 Mastrojanni San Pio
What the heck is this - Nebbiolo, tannic Bordeaux ? Dense red. Initially quite leathery and tannic. With food it improved greatly and the fruit emerged. Revealed to be a traditional style Super-tuscan (15.5)

1998 Coriole Lloyd Sangiovese/Cabernet
Hands up who has heard of this one ??!! - he's a sneaky bugger that Anthony. Ruby-red colour. Rich, tannic but hard to pick what it is as the fruit is vinous (17)

1995 Guigal Cote Rotie
Brick red. Spicy and meaty on the nose - has to be Northern Rhone. Spicy, savoury blackberry fruit to taste - will become more complex in time but good now (18 )

1998 Bannockburn Shiraz
A bit of a surprise. The lifted character had me thinking of Shiraz-Viognier. Ruby with crimson touches still. Quite fruity to smell, and swear I am picking up apricots ! Rich, lifted fruit to taste but with good structure (18 )

1995 Stag's Leap SLV Cabernet
One of their two single vineyard wines. Brick red colour. Initially showing cedar and subdued fruit, then opened up to reveal rich tarry fruit and even nuances of toffee. Lovely blend of cedary oak, rich tarry fruit and a soft tannin structure - Moss Wood from a warm year maybe ? (17.5). Revealed as U.S. - the mark was probably a bit tough as the last glass was really opening up.

1996 Chateau Gruaud Larose
Nothing like a bit of controversy on the last red of the night ! Some at the table were adamant this was full of Brett - I wasn't so sure, particularly when the wine was revealed. Dense red-ruby. Coffee oak on the nose and not much else. Fairly closed and tannic to taste as maybe could be expected of a claret year Gruaud - anyway, this led some to go for Brett. I am more tolerant of Brett than other so I can't definitively say - anyone else had experience of this ?

1995 Chateau Doisy Daene (375ml)
Light yellow colour. Elegant style of sauternes - citrus, honey, hints of barley sugar. Drinking well (18 )


regards
Chris

Sounds like a great dinner.

How would you compare the Bass Phillip to the Bannockburn ? Your points suggest the BP - Just asking in relation to other posts here about the BP's

Mark

I find Bass Phillip pretty consistent and I love the style. Others don't, but then I don't like many McLarenvale reds these days and other do for example - c'est la vie.

I have had some lovely Bannockburns, howeve they do seem more variable. Not many have reached the heights of Bass Phillip for me, in terms of sheer complexity. However it is much cheaper, and its QPR is excellent. I have both in my cellar, although no recent BP's as they have just become too expensive - $220 for the Reserve means you can buy a really top Burgundy instead.

regards
Chris

The 1998 Bass Phillip Reserve was for me wine of the night and perhaps one of the best Australian pinots I have ever drunk.

It had a sumptuous perfumed bouquet redolent of cloves, all spice, ripe cherries, rose petal; absolutely captivating. It was almost a caricature of a wine: rich, ultra ripe, fleshy opulent sweet fruit. Dead sexy. Voluptuous mouthfeel, marvellous length and persistence, rich and creamy with a nice acid backbone: a precocious wine which I guessed as a superior Clos Vougeot. Bracketed against one of the great wines of the world: Rousseau Chambertin it was a stunning foil to the coiled sophisticated and at this stage, subdued power of the Chambertin. 19+

The Bannockburn was a tour de force: silky cool climate fruit with seamless integration and harmonious balance. An eye opener one off blend of Gary Farr's friends' grapes. I thought it was Clonakilla SV.

For me, the Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot 98 was also WOTN.

However, by the end of the night, it had fallen away. Perhaps suggesting it won't be a long-living Pinot. The surprise packets were the Stags Leap and Coriole Lloyd Sangio/Cab. I liked the Mastrojanni but then again, I am also a big fan of old-school Amarone

Disappointment for me was the 96 Chateau Gruaud Larose. All up, I'd say points were about even for Old World V New World. And if push came to shove, I'd favor the Old World as my favorite wines overall for the night.

cheers
anthony