chez fred: 1983HRB, 90MtE, 91 Dorrien, 95 CM CS, 93StH+white
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2005 2:38 pm
Lanson n/v champagne - not to all tastes with a little more yeast and weight than some like; perhaps not the best as an aperitif champagne compared with a lighter Taittinger or Pol n/v but very pleasant
Petaluma riesling 1997 - poor but my last bottle and opened significantly worse than previous bottles (even last month), less kero but just disappointing
Mitchell riesling 1998 - corked! (Pity because previous bottle opened superbly as mature riesling fruit without any hint of kero/petrol)
Delatite gewurtztraminer 2000 : very good Oz gewurtz but has not developed as well as some others eg 1995 but an excellent change
Lindemans HR shiraz bin 6600 shiraz 1983: magical bottle - I have gone through about 2 dozen in 6-9 months and this was one of the best: savoury length with a hint of fruit and leather and pong nose rather than palate; not a hint of drying out on the palate and this particular bottle could have gone much longer
Henschke Mt Edelstone 1990: folowing HR this was relatively vibrant fruit and Eden valley vibrancy - drinking perfectly if you like some primary fruit in the wine (as oipposed to all secondary flavours) and a truly brilliant MtE in the mould of 1986
Seppelts Dorrien CS 1991: wonderful bargain and will go for another 5+ years but one of the few really good expressions of Barossa CS because it is not lush and overblown (a shiraz waiting to escape) but rather tighter and an expression of the structured noble grape (and I am not one who regards shiraz as "that weed")
Cape Mentelle CS 1995 : hint of capsicum giving away MR origin, this wine is structured with plenty of fruit present and is a lovely counterpoint to Dorrien, Still has a few more years in it - albeit will never hit the heights of the 1991, it remains a superb CS from MR (but shy of MW or Cullen quality)
Penfolds St Henri shiraz 1993: definitely a poor vintage but the wine is drinking as well as it ever will be and has plateaued. It lacks the cleansest expression of fruit and vibrancy of the best vintages but is balanced and well made. Drink now - and although mature colour (hint of brickking) no real danger of it falling over either.
Pedro Ximinez Morla solera sherry : lovely accompaniment to dessert and all too moreish ....
Petaluma riesling 1997 - poor but my last bottle and opened significantly worse than previous bottles (even last month), less kero but just disappointing
Mitchell riesling 1998 - corked! (Pity because previous bottle opened superbly as mature riesling fruit without any hint of kero/petrol)
Delatite gewurtztraminer 2000 : very good Oz gewurtz but has not developed as well as some others eg 1995 but an excellent change
Lindemans HR shiraz bin 6600 shiraz 1983: magical bottle - I have gone through about 2 dozen in 6-9 months and this was one of the best: savoury length with a hint of fruit and leather and pong nose rather than palate; not a hint of drying out on the palate and this particular bottle could have gone much longer
Henschke Mt Edelstone 1990: folowing HR this was relatively vibrant fruit and Eden valley vibrancy - drinking perfectly if you like some primary fruit in the wine (as oipposed to all secondary flavours) and a truly brilliant MtE in the mould of 1986
Seppelts Dorrien CS 1991: wonderful bargain and will go for another 5+ years but one of the few really good expressions of Barossa CS because it is not lush and overblown (a shiraz waiting to escape) but rather tighter and an expression of the structured noble grape (and I am not one who regards shiraz as "that weed")
Cape Mentelle CS 1995 : hint of capsicum giving away MR origin, this wine is structured with plenty of fruit present and is a lovely counterpoint to Dorrien, Still has a few more years in it - albeit will never hit the heights of the 1991, it remains a superb CS from MR (but shy of MW or Cullen quality)
Penfolds St Henri shiraz 1993: definitely a poor vintage but the wine is drinking as well as it ever will be and has plateaued. It lacks the cleansest expression of fruit and vibrancy of the best vintages but is balanced and well made. Drink now - and although mature colour (hint of brickking) no real danger of it falling over either.
Pedro Ximinez Morla solera sherry : lovely accompaniment to dessert and all too moreish ....
