Sydney Good Food & Wine Show Ramblings

[action2096]

Managed to get out to the Good Food & Wine show yesterday. Overall an enjoyable day out with a few nice wines to sample.

I'm far from being a wine expert although i am trying to work on it so make of these ramblings what you will.

Pretty good selection of wineries represented including a number from WA which was good to see. Didn't get round them all but the few stands i did visit included

Pierro

2003 Chardonnay - Great wine.but $65 a bottle.. I could almost get 2 Vat47s for that

2001 Cabernet Merlot. Dar purple colour in the glass starting to brick very slighty around the edges. Plenty of berry fruits on the nose along with a hint of vanilla from the oak. Berry fruits continues onto the palate with a firm fine finish..

Planatagent

Not tried any of there wines before so was keen to give them a go. Not overly impressed by the Omrah. Not bad quaffers but very much overshadowed by the Plantagent Shiraz and Cab Sav. The shiraz i particularly enjoyed. Plenty of spicey tones on the nose & palate along typical brambleberry Shiraz flavours.. Good long finish with well integrated tannins.. A nice wine which i would imagine improving over the medium term

Majella

Quite a lot has already been written about the 03 Cabernet by more esteemed posters on this board and i don't think there is much that i can add other than buy some of this wine !!

Also tried the 02 & 03 Shiraz. Didn't like the 02 at all but the 03 is also another very nice wine. Intense plumfruit flavours on the nose & palate and the a fine finish..

Had a bit of a chat with the guy doing the tastings. I think his dad maybe runs the winery and just as i was about to leave he produced a bottle of the 2002 Malleea to try.. Soon as i picked the glass up my nose ws hit by a mass of fruit.. Just think of the 03 regular cabernet on steriods.. Heaps of tannins and probably not really approachable for a few more years but bloody nice stuff. Managed to try some of the Balnaves Tally 2001 about 30mins later. Again a very nice wine probably a little bit smoother and more settled than the Malleea.

Which one would i go for ??? Both

PS: Only dissapointment was Devils Lair. Was looking forward to trying some of the flagship reds only to find out they only had the Fifth Leg Range


Cheers

Chris

[camw]

PS: Only dissapointment was Devils Lair. Was looking forward to trying some of the flagship reds only to find out they only had the Fifth Leg Range

Chris

Chris,

A tip for next time, it never hurts to quietly ask the people at the booth if they have the premiums available for tasting. They can only say no (and in the case of Devils Lair, they seemed quite happy to say yes and to bring them out from under the table/out of the fridge if you showed that you knew they had a premium range as well as the fifth leg stuff).

Edit: Sorry, this was on Saturday, it's possible that they might have been out by Sunday if you did ask and they said no.

[Kieran]

Yep...I asked at Devil's Lair and had no problems tasting the 02 Cab and (I think) 03 Chardonnay.

Kieran

[Guest]

Hi guys I am new to this Forum and nervous.

Is the Devels Lair 01 Cabernet worth buying? I have heard both gleaming and average reports and am unsure if I should spend so much on a bottle. I've only ever spent that much on Penfolds which is my special treat.

[Wizz]

Hi Guest,

Yes, the 01 Devils Lair Cab is a super wine, I like it a lot and it is also held in high regard by many. Whether you should buy it or not depends on what type of red you like, as this was fairly tannic on release (I'm sure others have tasted it more recently than me). To help compare, which Penfolds reds do you like to buy as a treat?

regards

Andrew

[Guest]

Hi Andrew

My favourites are the 2002 407 which I think will be pretty special in a few years. I also luv the Bin 389 with 707 being a rare specialty. Just dont like ST Henri but dont know why, perhaps not full bodied enough for me. How would Devils 01 compare to the Cabs from Penfolds?

[Bill]

Hi guys I am new to this Forum and nervous.

Is the Devels Lair 01 Cabernet worth buying? I have heard both gleaming and average reports and am unsure if I should spend so much on a bottle. I've only ever spent that much on Penfolds which is my special treat.

Yes, it's definately worth buying. If it's a bit too pricey for you though I'd recommend getting the Voyager Cabernet Merlot 2001 instead. It can be found for around $30 and IMO is just as good, if not better, than the Devils Lair. Also, another Margaret River Cabernet worth looking out for is the Howard Park 'Leston' Cabernet 2001, which is also around the $30 mark. You couldn't go wrong with any of these.


Bill

[Guest]

Hi Bill

For the sake of another $14 over the Voyager I might try the Devils. I just wanted some more positives about it before I went ahead.

I have not heard of the Howard Park or seen it but I am new to all except the biggest wineries mainly, Brown Brothers,Penfolds,Wolf Blass. I have heard a wine called Houghten Cabernet 2001 is Unbeleivable but I found it at over $70 I think which makes me wonder if its worth it?

Dont get me wrong I will spend $ on great wine I just hate dissapointments.I know 707 is great every time I have had it which it should be for the $. Hope you dont mind me asking.

[Bill]

For the sake of another $14 over the Voyager I might try the Devils. I just wanted some more positives about it before I went ahead.

Why not try both? The Voyager has been getting a lot of rave reviews lately, and seems to have been one of the top wines of the tasting at the recent Cape Mentelle International Cabernet Tasting where it was up against some very stiff competition including some top level Bordeaux.

I've been a fan of the Voyager in the past, and really liked the '98 and '99 vintages, however I think the '01 is their best one yet. I tried it next to the '99 a couple of weeks ago, and there really was no comparison!

I have not heard of the Howard Park or seen it but I am new to all except the biggest wineries mainly, Brown Brothers,Penfolds,Wolf Blass. I have heard a wine called Houghten Cabernet 2001 is Unbeleivable but I found it at over $70 I think which makes me wonder if its worth it?

Howard Park is one of the top group of producers in the Margaret River region. Their top level cabernet is around $66, and the 2001 vintage of it is supposedely outstanding (I haven't yet tried it). The 'Leston' is one of their regional range and is quite commonly available at most bottle shops for around $30. It has been my clear favourite 'value' pick from the 2001 Margaret River vintage, although now I've tried the Voyager......

I'm not sure which Houghton Cabernet you're referring to, as there is a number of them in their range. The Jack Mann is their top wine which retails for around $90 (although I've sometimes seen it down to about $75) but I don't think the 2001 vintage has been released yet (correct me if I'm wrong). Their next level down is their 'Gladstones' Cabernet, which is around $50. The '99 Gladstones was very impressive when I last had it. I haven't tried the '01 yet.

Dont get me wrong I will spend $ on great wine I just hate dissapointments.I know 707 is great every time I have had it which it should be for the $. Hope you dont mind me asking.

The 707 is a wine that tends to polorise opinions. Many people don't like it because of the use of American oak in it. Personally I don't mind a bit of American oak, but each to their own. I think most people would regard the 707 as overpriced and for that sort of money would prefer to get one of the top Margaret River cabernets instead, like Moss Wood, Cullen or Howard Park. These are generally more highly regarded wines than the 707 and are also less expensive.

Bill

[Wizz]

Hi Andrew

My favourites are the 2002 407 which I think will be pretty special in a few years. I also luv the Bin 389 with 707 being a rare specialty. Just dont like ST Henri but dont know why, perhaps not full bodied enough for me. How would Devils 01 compare to the Cabs from Penfolds?

The Devils Lair is a different style to the Penfolds reds you mention. You might find the DL a bit more refined than the Pennies reds, more tannic and less immediate up front fruit. The 02 is available already, but if you can get the 01 in preference go for that, a much better vintage in Margaret River.
The other suggestions here are also good, The 01 Voyager Cab Merlot is a beauty at about $30.
For the 01 Howard Park Leston, you might have trouble getting hold of it, as the 03's are just out I think.
There is a Houghtons Cabernet at a bit under $30, much cheaper than the Jack Mann or Gladstones! I have only had the 99 and liked it.
Also consider the Vasse Felix Cabernet at about $30.

If you are looking to try Margaret River Cabernet without risking too much money, perhaps try the Clairault Cabernet. The 01 got some good reviews and it was available at release for $15, I think some places might still have some.

As an aside, to illustrate how peoples palates differ, the St Henri is my favourite of the Penfolds reds, I rarely buy the others, and have never bought the Bin 407.

Hope this is helpful. If you try it, tell us what you thought of it,

Andrew

[Guest]

Hi Guys

Will go Voyager for its better price and above good reviews. I can get the 98 & the 99 for only $5 more per bottle than 01. Which would be the best bet?

[Guest]

I will also get 1 Majella 03 Cabernet which I saw there to see what all the fuss is about. Is this really that good? Should make for an interesting comparo.

[Wizz]

Hi Guys

Will go Voyager for its better price and above good reviews. I can get the 98 & the 99 for only $5 more per bottle than 01. Which would be the best bet?

I slightly preferred the 99 over the 98, but many others rank them the other way round. I asked Cliff Royle about the success of their 98 when others in Margaret River didnt do so well: I cant remember the exact answer, but it was along the lines of missing some rain that others got. Cant recall if it was geography or if they picked early.

I'd still rank the 01 ahead of both of these, though,
AB

[Guest]

Guys, I am currently enjoying the Majella 03 Cabernet very very much. It is a "great wine", grab some of this without thinking. I am going to get 6-12 bottles.