TN: Blacktongues - No Shiraz Required 29/9/04
Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 10:15 am
As usual all wines were tasted blind and served in the order listed, and after about an hour all participants voted for their most preferred, two next preferred and their least preferred drops. I have to be honest from the beginning and say that I really found it tough going this time, with my scores being the lowest for some weeks; whether it was a hangover following the Super Shiraz last week, or that I was just having an off night I’m not sure.
2001 Yilgarn Smith Brook Pemberton (Merlot blend) $25: Dark red/purple colour. A good mix of fresh red berries and vanilla oak on opening, but from there the wine starts going wrong and never returns. The nose starts getting some chemical/paint type traits, and turns rather flat, finishing with a disgusting stench of decayed earth/roadkill. The palate is just as bad, with a spicy entry and surprisingly hot alcohol (13.8%) due to the lack of fruit, finishing chalky and spirity. For a while a few of us were wondering whether it was corked, but sadly it just seems to be a bad wine; I missed writing down the vintage of this wine, not that I’ll be looking for the label anyway.
My ranking: 10th place
BTs: 0 most, 0 second, 4 least
2002 Kaesler Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon $25: Inky red/purple. The nose is dominated by malty/wheaty oak throughout the session. The palate features a soft entry, and a spicy build-up of black cherry/red berry fruit, that actually match the alcohol this time, finishing clean with lingering berry fruit. This was impressive, but seemed fairly closed with a lot more to come; one to watch.
My ranking: 4th place
BTs: 2 most, 6 second, 0 least
2003 Thorpe Wines Reserve: Dark to inky red/purple. A sweet nose of red berries and confectionery, with a lick of earth and slightly malty oak. The palate has a soft entry, and a slow build-up of balanced rich fruit, finishing with green tannins. It was easy to pick as a young wine, and probably will be even better with a year under its belt.
My ranking: =5th Place.
BTs: 0 most, 1 second, 2 least
2002 Browns of Padthaway Edward Malbec $20: Inky red/purple colour, the best of the group. A powerful nose from the very beginning, featuring elements of green, minty/chocolaty fruit and coffee/nutty oak and VA that are stunning in their intensity. The entry of the palate is soft, with an intense build up that matches the nose, finishing with good length. I was impressed from the start, and to me it was the most balanced wine of the tasting with good cellaring potential, although in comparison one panellist hated it from the start and didn’t budge. It’s also a good candidate for those of you out there practising the black art of options bastardry!
My ranking: 1st place
BTs: 4 most, 3 second, 1 least
2002 Stone Coast Wines Cabernet Sauvignon: Inky purple/red colour. A complex nose, with red berries and a touch of vanilla/coal at first, then some closed canopy green peas/meat pie characters, finishing with ground coffee oak. The chalky tannins and big structure dominate the palate, even with breathing. I didn’t find this as impressive as their Shiraz; possibly it will be a lot better with breathing if that fruit pops through, although there’s also the chance it could show more closed canopy DMS characters.
My ranking: =5th place
BTs: 1 most, 2 second, 1 least
2002 Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon $20: Inky red/purple colour. Like the Kaesler, the nose at first was dominated by malty/wheaty oak, but with breathing changed with some coffee and mint characters, and a trace of spirit. The palate has a spicy entry and mid-palate and that 14.5% alcohol grows in intensity with breathing, finishing with raisins, and some smoky bacon. This was the clear winner of the night, and came from nowhere to finish equal second on my scoresheet – still somehow I expected more from the Stoddart Trophy winner.
My ranking: =2nd place
BTs: 5 most, 8 second, 0 least
2001 Pikes Cabernet Sauvignon mid-$20s: Dark to inky red/purple. Completely closed nose at first, eventually releasing some meaty berries, greens and raisins. The palate has a soft entry, and chalky tannins that outweigh the raisiny mid-weight fruit.
My ranking: 8th place
BTs: 0 most, 1 second, 1 least
2002 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon $28: Inky red/purple colour. The nose was quite similar to the Edward Malbec at first, with that very green/tea/mint fruit matched to spicy oak with more than a lick of VA. The palate had a soft entry, and very chalky tannins that drove the palate, masking the fruit. While a few of the Black Tongues found this bottle disappointing, I thought it was consistent with what I’ve tried earlier at the Majella releases this year. While it’s not as rounded as the Edward, I think it has great cellaring potential.
My ranking: =2nd place
BTs: 1 most, 4 second, 0 least
2003 Kangarilla Road Fleurieu Zinfandel $30: Dark red/brick colour; quite a shock compared to the other wines. Nose is just as radical, with grapey sultana/raisins, stewed rhubarb, brandy spirit and tobacco spit. The palate again has those grapey/spirit characters, with a hint of smoke and negligible weight. Craig picked it as a Zin early on, but the alternative fruit sources for 2003 has resulted in a lightweight wine that to me was gutless, especially compared to the 2002. It was at the bottom of my list most of the night, but as I thought it seemed to be in the wrong line-up I managed to elevate it one place.
My ranking: 9th place
BTs: 0 most, 2 second, 4 least
2002 We-re Wines Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon $28: Dark to inky red colour. Slightly meaty, ripe chocolate/raisin, the green fruit matched to vanilla oak mark the nose. The palate again features that green fruit with chalky tannins and hot alcohol. Somehow the regionality of this wine didn’t surprise me when its identity was revealed, be it in a very extracted style.
My ranking: 7th place
BTs: 1 most, 1 second, 0 least
Again my thanks to the Steve and the gang for hosting another challenging line-up.
Cheers
Ian
2001 Yilgarn Smith Brook Pemberton (Merlot blend) $25: Dark red/purple colour. A good mix of fresh red berries and vanilla oak on opening, but from there the wine starts going wrong and never returns. The nose starts getting some chemical/paint type traits, and turns rather flat, finishing with a disgusting stench of decayed earth/roadkill. The palate is just as bad, with a spicy entry and surprisingly hot alcohol (13.8%) due to the lack of fruit, finishing chalky and spirity. For a while a few of us were wondering whether it was corked, but sadly it just seems to be a bad wine; I missed writing down the vintage of this wine, not that I’ll be looking for the label anyway.
My ranking: 10th place
BTs: 0 most, 0 second, 4 least
2002 Kaesler Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon $25: Inky red/purple. The nose is dominated by malty/wheaty oak throughout the session. The palate features a soft entry, and a spicy build-up of black cherry/red berry fruit, that actually match the alcohol this time, finishing clean with lingering berry fruit. This was impressive, but seemed fairly closed with a lot more to come; one to watch.
My ranking: 4th place
BTs: 2 most, 6 second, 0 least
2003 Thorpe Wines Reserve: Dark to inky red/purple. A sweet nose of red berries and confectionery, with a lick of earth and slightly malty oak. The palate has a soft entry, and a slow build-up of balanced rich fruit, finishing with green tannins. It was easy to pick as a young wine, and probably will be even better with a year under its belt.
My ranking: =5th Place.
BTs: 0 most, 1 second, 2 least
2002 Browns of Padthaway Edward Malbec $20: Inky red/purple colour, the best of the group. A powerful nose from the very beginning, featuring elements of green, minty/chocolaty fruit and coffee/nutty oak and VA that are stunning in their intensity. The entry of the palate is soft, with an intense build up that matches the nose, finishing with good length. I was impressed from the start, and to me it was the most balanced wine of the tasting with good cellaring potential, although in comparison one panellist hated it from the start and didn’t budge. It’s also a good candidate for those of you out there practising the black art of options bastardry!
My ranking: 1st place
BTs: 4 most, 3 second, 1 least
2002 Stone Coast Wines Cabernet Sauvignon: Inky purple/red colour. A complex nose, with red berries and a touch of vanilla/coal at first, then some closed canopy green peas/meat pie characters, finishing with ground coffee oak. The chalky tannins and big structure dominate the palate, even with breathing. I didn’t find this as impressive as their Shiraz; possibly it will be a lot better with breathing if that fruit pops through, although there’s also the chance it could show more closed canopy DMS characters.
My ranking: =5th place
BTs: 1 most, 2 second, 1 least
2002 Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon $20: Inky red/purple colour. Like the Kaesler, the nose at first was dominated by malty/wheaty oak, but with breathing changed with some coffee and mint characters, and a trace of spirit. The palate has a spicy entry and mid-palate and that 14.5% alcohol grows in intensity with breathing, finishing with raisins, and some smoky bacon. This was the clear winner of the night, and came from nowhere to finish equal second on my scoresheet – still somehow I expected more from the Stoddart Trophy winner.
My ranking: =2nd place
BTs: 5 most, 8 second, 0 least
2001 Pikes Cabernet Sauvignon mid-$20s: Dark to inky red/purple. Completely closed nose at first, eventually releasing some meaty berries, greens and raisins. The palate has a soft entry, and chalky tannins that outweigh the raisiny mid-weight fruit.
My ranking: 8th place
BTs: 0 most, 1 second, 1 least
2002 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon $28: Inky red/purple colour. The nose was quite similar to the Edward Malbec at first, with that very green/tea/mint fruit matched to spicy oak with more than a lick of VA. The palate had a soft entry, and very chalky tannins that drove the palate, masking the fruit. While a few of the Black Tongues found this bottle disappointing, I thought it was consistent with what I’ve tried earlier at the Majella releases this year. While it’s not as rounded as the Edward, I think it has great cellaring potential.
My ranking: =2nd place
BTs: 1 most, 4 second, 0 least
2003 Kangarilla Road Fleurieu Zinfandel $30: Dark red/brick colour; quite a shock compared to the other wines. Nose is just as radical, with grapey sultana/raisins, stewed rhubarb, brandy spirit and tobacco spit. The palate again has those grapey/spirit characters, with a hint of smoke and negligible weight. Craig picked it as a Zin early on, but the alternative fruit sources for 2003 has resulted in a lightweight wine that to me was gutless, especially compared to the 2002. It was at the bottom of my list most of the night, but as I thought it seemed to be in the wrong line-up I managed to elevate it one place.
My ranking: 9th place
BTs: 0 most, 2 second, 4 least
2002 We-re Wines Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon $28: Dark to inky red colour. Slightly meaty, ripe chocolate/raisin, the green fruit matched to vanilla oak mark the nose. The palate again features that green fruit with chalky tannins and hot alcohol. Somehow the regionality of this wine didn’t surprise me when its identity was revealed, be it in a very extracted style.
My ranking: 7th place
BTs: 1 most, 1 second, 0 least
Again my thanks to the Steve and the gang for hosting another challenging line-up.
Cheers
Ian