The Auswine Forum

Clarendon Hills Syrah Liandra Vineyard 2002 $51.99USD

Cherry red with pink edge. Pepper and an aroma of cold fried tomatoes that turned to distinct Brett as the wine warmed. Soft and supple entry. Medium weight with lively acid across the palate. Fine tannins holding the finish. Aftertaste slightly sour and metallic (Oh, Brett what have you done!). At 24 hours the Brett was reduced revealing some blackberry and dusty oak. But on the palate the wine was quite acetic and unpleasant. 2, 2, 3.6, 9.0 = 16.6. 14.5% alcohol. Tasted September 28-29.

I've not found Brett in many Aussie wines. And this was an unusual experience as the wine was poured straight from the cellar and initially gave flavors of tomatoes - an unusual aroma for me to find in shiraz. As the wine warmed the Brett became clearly evident. For me Brett does more harm than good. I consider it a fault. The farmyard does not belong in a modern winery! Others will argue that point, and in the end it probably comes down to just how much Brett you can handle. Hence some have complained about Brett in the Liandra in previous vintages, others (we won't mention any names) continue to rave about the wine! Of course the latter don't mention the Brett.

Mike

It would be interesting to see how much of the CH wines are consumed in Oz. My bet is that the vast majority goes to the US. In my experience (which is not great with this one) the wines are overpriced and over rated.

TORB wrote:It would be interesting to see how much of the CH wines are consumed in Oz. My bet is that the vast majority goes to the US. In my experience (which is not great with this one) the wines are overpriced and over rated.

Why do you repeatedly let yourself down with such comments?

The wines ARE overpriced and overrated (actually, they are not rated very highly at all, though one person likes them). I don't know whether or not they sell well in the US, but they don't sell well in Australia.

In other words, I suspect that TORB is correct, and that Nelson has let him/herself down.

JB.

Nelson wrote:

TORB wrote:It would be interesting to see how much of the CH wines are consumed in Oz. My bet is that the vast majority goes to the US. In my experience (which is not great with this one) the wines are overpriced and over rated.

Why do you repeatedly let yourself down with such comments?

Nelson,

If you want to attack what I have to say with facts, or comments based on your own experience, then by all means please do so but kindly don't attack me personally.

I've tried three of the different Shiraz starting with 1996 (don't recall which, NOT Astralis though), all with very ordinary results. The only other Clarendon Hills wine I've tried, the 1998 Sandown Cabernet is an obsolute gem though ...ironic in a way as I immediately think 'big Parker Shiraz' when the I hear CH mentioned

Ric, I apologize if my comments were seen as personal. I do actually read your newsletter and website for perspective.

You have asked me to present facts or comments made on my own experience but you have done the exact opposite of that by describing the wines as overpriced and overrated despite admitting your experience with them is not a great one. In fact, I cannot find a single note of yours on the wine.

I don't expect to win this argument as I have had the audacity to pull you up on this point, but the principal is pertinent.

Nelson,

Thanks for the apology. Now to your comments. There is a difference between an experience level "which is not great" and one that is non existent. If my comments were made about a winery where I have no experience, then your criticism would be 100% justified.

However, I have tasted a number of CH wines, exactly how many I have no idea (I have not tasted the Australis) but in every case, including (from memory) three wines that were served blind, I have always thought they were over-rated and over priced.

FWIW, there are heaps of wines that I have tried where I have not written a TN. For example, I went into the Moss Vale Hotel this morning at 10am and my mate Tom decided we should try a 2002 Shottesbrooke Cabernet Merlot that had just arrived. I tasted the wine, formed an impression but didn't write a tasting note. Also, at many good wine dinners I go to, I prefer to just sit back and relax and enjoy the wines without making notes.

Now please tell us about your experience with CH or was this post just "a matter of principle because you think it is pertinent"? And have I "justified" my original comments to your satisfaction or do you think they are still lacking?

TORB wrote:It would be interesting to see how much of the CH wines are consumed in Oz. My bet is that the vast majority goes to the US. In my experience (which is not great with this one) the wines are overpriced and over rated.

You sure seem to rack up a lot of apologies in a week Ric . I havenÂ’t tasted any of the CH, so I canÂ’t speak on overrated, but whenever IÂ’ve considered buying some IÂ’ve noticed that they were selling at lower (sometimes considerably lower, i.e. more than 20% lower) in the US than in Oz, which seems a bit strange. I do have some of the Â’01 cabs in storage, but the shiraz was just too pricey for me. There are some US retailers I check for price references, and I have seldom seen the CH cabs. Parker also praises the CH grenache, and every now and then I get tempted to try it, but then I remind myself that in the past I have not been particularly fond of grenache , except in some of the GS and GSM blends that make nice food wines.

TORB wrote:It would be interesting to see how much of the CH wines are consumed in Oz. My bet is that the vast majority goes to the US. In my experience (which is not great with this one) the wines are overpriced and over rated.

Ric: This is the first bottle I've paid for, and only then because I wanted to sample a few $50+ Oz shiraz to compare against the Kalleske. I've tasted CH wines few times over the years at various venues, always seemed too expensive to me. But then its only been in the last year or so that I've decided that I'm willing to pay $50 for a bottle of shiraz. CH do get good press here and disappear rather quickly, although I saw a few sad looking bottles from past years in the shop last night. They claimed not to have received any comment on Brett in the Liandra, but also said that the folks who buy it would probably include Old World wine drinkers who wouldn't complain.

Just as an aside I opened up a bottle of Kangarilla Road Shiraz (2001) last night and initially thought that it had Brett. But the taint was different as the wine warmed. Went from something like a urine filled septic tank (literally brought tears to my eyes) to wet cement. Yeah it was a struggle, but I smelled on hoping against hope for that urine stained poodle leg, but never got it. Came close thou! The stink faded with vigorous swirling to a metallic nose, no fruit and a sour palate. No wet, mouldy newspaper, but the wet cement would still fit with it being corked.

Mike