The Auswine Forum

Ok...I would be interested to know everyones top wines they have enjoyed in the last 12 months. Doesnt need to be high in reputation or price just a good drop you've enjoyed? A wide price range would be a good thing.


Mine in no order would be

Fox Creek Shadows Run Shiraz 02...Probly the best cheap drink now wine with tons of sweet fruit ive had.

Lake Breeze Winemakers Selection Shiraz 1998...Serious wine without reputation and a bargain for what it is.

1995 Moss Wood Cabernet...Nuff Said

Torbreck Descendant 2003..Great Shiraz blend cant wait to crack my bottles in 2-4 years. Much to the suprise of many here preffered it to Run Rig.

Wolf Blass Black Label 98...Unquestionably not worth the $ but a good mix of elegance and punch with that fammiliar Blass Taste.Look forward to my other 2 in 2 years.

Plunkett Pinot Noir 2003... Top Pinot at a bargain Price.

Leeuwin Chard 95...Near its end but magical

Mount Mary Quintet 1990...Nuff said

Penfolds RWT 98..Youthfull but Top

Bin 389...96/98... 98 too beleive it or not. I am a great fan of its length and beleive its so far in its youth that some of its haters could be shown up one day..Gets the flame suit on

Sltram Mamre 96

Best Wine: O'Leary Walker Reserve Claire 2002 (Complete & Seamless wine)

Best QpR: O'Leary Walker Shiraz 2002 (For <$20, the deal OTY)

Best Testicles Tearer: Kaseler Bogan 2002 (Immense, OTT in structure without being overipe-Porty and Jammy)

Best Cool Climate: Clonakilla SV 2003 (Exotic & Sexy)

Best Chard: LEAS Chardonnay 2001 (Best LEAS yet?)

Best Riesling: MESH 2003(perfumed, talcum powder fine, crisp, intense)

Best Cab/ Blend: Cullen DM 2001(the best young OZ Cab I ever had)

Best Frog: Pavie 2001(power with balance & symentry...simply luxurious)

Best dessert - D'bortoli Noble 1 2002(oily- lanolin, purity with lively aciditty backbone without being too sweet & cloying)

Best Other Reds Grenache/ Blend - Noon Eclipse 2001 (a lip-smacking decadent)

really liked the Turkey Flat Shiraz 2001 and Plantagenet Mt Barker Cab 1999 as very complete and balanced wines, good from start to finish....

The standouts for me were:

98 st pete's
94 Lakes folly reserve (magnum)
02 duck muck
trevor jones old tawny

Christo

96 Annies Lane 'The Contour' Shiraz - love Clare, love this wine.
98 Leasingham Bin 61 Shiraz - as above and great value.
99 Stoney Vineyard 'Domain A' Cabertnet - Tassie's best Cab, by far.
98 Majella Cabernet - try it and you'll know why !!
91/94/96 Penfolds Bin 28 - Biased I know but just love this wine.

Chow Chow wrote:Best Testicles Tearer: Kaseler Bogan 2002 (Immense, OTT in structure without being overipe-Porty and Jammy)

My best wine has to be the 1996 Penfolds St Henri from a couple of weeks ago (I'm still editing the tasting notes to trim them down from seven pages of gush to something a little more precise).

It's the type of wine that doesn't tear your balls off, it does much more pleasurable, unspeakable things (well on this forum) which if overdone could result in a very messy ending!

Cheers
Ian

Sheer class - 1994 The Armagh

Complexity - 1994 Howard Park CM

Great Fruit - 1993 Stonewell

Elegance - 1994 Greenock Creek Creek Shiraz

Best Improver last 12 months - 1996 -389

Best White - 2001 Cullen Chard

Best Beer - Peroni

Cullen Cabernet Merlot 1999 - better than 2001 DM
Penfolds St Henri 1996
Turkey Flat Shiraz 1999/2002 - both better than 2000/2001
Coldstream Hills Reserve Cabernet 2000
Plantagenet Cabernet 2001
Leasingham Riesling Bin 7 2004
Leasingham Bin 56 Cab Malbec 1999
Lindeman Limestone Ridge 1991
Seppelt Dorrien 1990
Coldstream Hills Chardonnay 2002 & 2003
Houghton SSB 2004
Stoneleigh Marlborough Sauv Blanc 2004
Cullen Mangan 2002
Cape Mentelle Cabernet 1995
Tahbilk 1860s Vines 1995
Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 2003
Penfolds Bin 128 1998 - Bin 389 same vintage probably too young
Turkey Flat Marsanne Semillon 2002
Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz 1998
Cullen Chardonnay 2001
Cullen Saugignon Blan Semillon 2002

Some of the better wines consumed among many that don't rate as highly.

Can only give almost equal ratings for the reds (age does matter) Seppelt Dorrien 90 & Tahbilk 95 though Coldstream Hills Reserve Cab 2000 resonates in my memory as well. BUT TAHBILK 1860s VINES 1995 WINS - a sublime wine that will last for another 10-15 years or more if cellared correctly.

Whites for me can be problematic; prefer them fresh, young, fruity with a dry finish. Had a good bottle of Cullen Chard 01 last year but have been disappointed with the other few - I think I know now why Vanya prefers fresh young whites as well. Coldstream Hills Chard 2002 has been good but with some bottle variation. The 2003 is good too. Had a bottle of Lehmann Chard recently that I thought was OK. I guess I'm almost leaning more to the ABC club though chardonnay would probably vie with riesling as my more frequent white wine purchase, Lehmann semillon notwithstanding. Lost interest in Hunter semillon some years ago. I've also developed an affinity with Stoneleigh SB. But the winemaker/s who put together the Houghton SSB 2004 fully deserve all the accolades this wine has garnered so far. My white wine of the last year, it displays all of the attributes of both varieties, though I suspect that earlier releases may have had a higher sauv blanc component than those I've tried since awards the stickers appeared on the bottle. Nonetheless the semillon component is fresh, citrus with good acid, well-supported by the passionfruit of the sauv blanc. One of the real white wine bargains around for $10 or less, as is Lehmann semillon 2003. I just can't go past the power of the HOUGHTON SSB 2004, my best white wine in the last year.

daz