The Auswine Forum

impressions ? tasting notes ?? interested in feedback and opinions - cheers JB

Seeing as I made it, I wonder if my notes are a help.

99 was in Rutherglen a fairly lean hard year. The wines looked tough and short in comparision to the 98's and 2000's.
The wine is showing some browning and looks a bit thin and lean. It would have been better drinking 2-3 years ago, although the fruit is still evident its a bit lolly and simple. Oak is nice but a bit prominent as the fruit has fallen off.

in hindsight we took some overcropped fruit from a mate ( and paid him way too much as well!) Won't happen again!

Your'e way better off to look at 01, 02 03 or try the 04's (botled feb 05)
Cheers

Smithy

smithy1 wrote:8)

Seeing as I made it, I wonder if my notes are a help.

99 was in Rutherglen a fairly lean hard year. The wines looked tough and short in comparision to the 98's and 2000's.
The wine is showing some browning and looks a bit thin and lean. It would have been better drinking 2-3 years ago, although the fruit is still evident its a bit lolly and simple. Oak is nice but a bit prominent as the fruit has fallen off.

in hindsight we took some overcropped fruit from a mate ( and paid him way too much as well!) Won't happen again!

Your'e way better off to look at 01, 02 03 or try the 04's (botled feb 05)
Cheers

Smithy

Gavin Trott here.

if when you get a minute, perhaps pm or email me?

Had the '02 Reserve Durif with a friend last night - first exposure to this grape variety.

Impressions: Big and black. Had a large jolt of VA on the nose early on but this settled down after an hour or so. Not a wine I'd drink with food - I did try but I'll know better next time. Palate weight was solid and it had a viscosity to it that really got all those big fruit characters jumping on the taste buds. Long but didn't really have any "hold on, I'm getting a different flavour now"-aspect to it.

Given my inexperience with the variety, I struggled with coming up with a flavour profile: best I could come up with was big, dried-fruits (ala prunes, raisins etc.).

In retrospect, I'm sure we drank this too early but it was an interesting initiation into durif and certainly not off-putting. I'll just have to line up some brontosaurus burgers for next time.

-- George Krashos

George,
Must have been a bad bottle. Halliday gave it 93, its done spectacularly well wine show wise, I know the VA and its not high by any means. It is 17 % alc and that can give some jump out of the glass especially on a hot summer night, but contact me at the winery on andrew@warrabillawines.com.au and we'll find you a better bottle.

Cheers
Smithy

Smithy1 wrote:8)

George,
Must have been a bad bottle. Halliday gave it 93, its done spectacularly well wine show wise, I know the VA and its not high by any means. It is 17 % alc and that can give some jump out of the glass especially on a hot summer night, but contact me at the winery on andrew@warrabillawines.com.au and we'll find you a better bottle.

Cheers
Smithy

Smithy

Did you register for this forum and then never login?

I sent you a PM the other day.

Graham