The Auswine Forum

Here are 39 TN/TVs of wines had over the past month or so that I have not posted elsewhere. Some of these definitely deserve more respect than my short notes suggest, but time is precious at the moment. I have underlined the great experiences. I realise that they are not sorted very well and are probaby not that easy to read either... maybe more of a little diary for myself.

2005 Brokenwood Semillon
Enjoyable drink young style. Fresh and ripe with enough depth and length. 16/20, 87/100

1999 Chateau Francois Semillon - 15.7/20, 86/100

2002 Cruickshank Cabernet Shiraz (Upper Hunter)
Ripe flavours but too oaky and a little disjoined. Greenness opens up on the second day making the wine unenjoyable. 14.5/20, 80/100

2003 Cruickshank Shiraz (Upper Hunter)
Tight, good depth and very controlled but a little greenness detracts. 16/20, 87/100

2002 Elgo Estate Pinot Noir
Satisfying flavour profile and depth but acid is blocky/solid upon opening and never softened after 3 days. Disappointing as it showed potential. 15/20, 82/100

2003 Fekete Hárslevelu
Opened with Grant. Showed very well. Ripe, fresh pineapple, floral spice, excellent weight. I liked it a lot. Grant and I left half a little less than half of the bottle at the table, but I consumed the rest of it before bed whilst watching TV. Excellent dry white! 18.6/20, 95/100

2001 Guardian Peak Shiraz Mataro Grenache (South Africa) - 14.7%
Grant's Bottle. A superb wine spoilt by brett, especially as it breathed. A big Rockford Moppa Springs. Some great, deep and controlled aspects. 17.2/20, 90/100

2003 Unison Syrah - Hawke's Bay, NZ
My bottle. A disaster upon opening. It was dominated by a nail polish remover-like, artificial character. We only drank about 40mL each. I re-corked it and opened it 2 days later and that character had gone revealing a very long wine with fine structure, spicy and quite complex, but a little under-fruited. Although it gave the firm impression that it would build with time, it was not what I was expecting and still a little disappointing. Based on later tasting, 16.3/20, 87/100

2002 Luddite Shiraz (South Africa)
Grant's bottle. Despite some wonderfully powerful dark fruit, the 15.5% was massively unbalancing. 15.5/20, 85/100

2003 Tim Adams Aberfeldy – 14.5%
Big and elemental but had everything in balance. A little bit of Wendouree in the tannins. I wish a little bit of French oak was used with the American but still a wonderful wine. 18.2/20, 93/100

2001 Gloucester Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (cleanskin)
Long and complex. Medium bodied, fine tannin. Very varietal. Excellent drinking now. Great bargain. 17.5/20, 91/100

2001 Houghton Frankland River Shiraz
Powerful with good length that needs a couple of years to fill out. 16.2/20, 87/100

2004 Imre Györgykovács Hárslevelu
Deep, spicy white flowers, ripe white stonefruit, summer fruit compote and honey. Smooth and layered, a little sweaty but no glycerin. Massive broad back palate with masses of awesomely fine acidity that finishes with pineapple. Sensational wine enjoyable now with food or in 5 years. 19.1/20, 96/100

2000 Jenke Shiraz
Deep, alcoholic prune juice. Others might like it more. 15.5/20, 85/100

1996 Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royale Brut
Flowers, lime, fresh dough, green apples. Medium power. Medium finish. Very dry. Very smart. 18/20, 93/100

2002 Katnook Cabernet Sauvignon
Classy, powerful and elegant. Needs time. 17.7/20, 92/100

2004 Lark Hill Riesling
Lime with heaps of slately minerals. Enjoyable. 17.4/20, 91/100

2004 Lark Hill Shiraz/Viognier
Ripe but a little simple, especially after tasting the Clonakilla, but a good wine nonetheless. 16/20. 87/100

1997 Leroy Bourgogne Blanc
Good complexity and control but lacks stuffing. 16.1/20, 87/100

2003 Linwood Cabernet Sauvignon – Yarra Valley
Cassis, deep and long but without highlights. 17.2/20, 90/100

2002 Louis Latour Mersault
Ripe, smooth, powerful, complex with sensational control. Very slightly disjoined on the back. Excellent nonetheless. 17.8/20, 92/100

2003 Mansfield Zinfandel - Mudgee - 15.5/20, 85/100

2003 Meerea Park "Alexander Munro" Shiraz - 18.9/20, 96/100.

2004 Mount Langi Pinot Gris
Great pink, grey colour. Unfortunately not very varietal. More like a ripe, big Roussanne. 16/20, 87/100

2000 Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon
Not as taken with this release as others, but it is still my sort of wine. 16.8/20, 89/100

2004 or 2005 Elliot Rocke Ice Wine
Quite intense with lemons. Quite sweet but not rich or cloying although a little gin and tonic-like aspects do detract. 15.7, 20, 86/100

2002 Peter Lehmann Cabernet Sauvignon
Shows the great 2002 Barossa Cabernet vintage. Ripe with excellent structure. 17.5/20, 91/100

2001 Petersons Zinfandel - 17/20, 90/100

2001 Rockford “Basket Press” Shiraz
Big, crowd pleasing wine. I find the sweet, shaving cream characters of the American oak too prominent. It will get better with time but it will never be my sort of wine. 17.8/20, 92/100

2003 Rockford Even Valley Riesling (next to the 2002 Rockford Eden Valley Riesling)
Intense lemon citrus. Long, fine and quite acidic. Medium flavour depth. Needs more time than previous vintages. This wine is a different style to the 2002, which is deeper, more honey and lime and not in need of as much time. The 2002 is 13% while the 2003 is 11.5% alcohol. At the moment I definitely prefer the 2002, but that might change in a couple of years. 17.5/20, 91/100 (and 18/20, 93/100 for the 2002)

2003 Seppelt Victorian Shiraz
Deep and ripe with good control. Not a great deal of interest though. 16/20, 87/100

2004 Thomas Hyland Chardonnay
Surprisingly drinkable. Exceeded expectations. 16/20, 87/100

2002 Tour Des Gendes Merlot/Cabernet
Interesting and well structured but underpowered. 16/20, 87/100

2001 TyrrellÂ’s Steven Semillon
Fresh, some toast. Enjoyable. 15.7/20, 86/100

2005 Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon
Ripe nearly tropical facets with lemon, grass and even a hint of toast. Quite minerally with a long, fine flinty finish. A very good Vat 1. 18.6/20, 95/100

NV Vixen
Complex, dark and savoury. Light, balanced sweetness. Medium depth. 17/20, 90/100

1999 WriterÂ’s Block "Mark 1" Grenache
More savoury than previous bottle and a little less depth too. Still excellent. 17.2/20, 90/100

1995 Wynns Ovens Valley Shiraz
Simply gorgeous medium bodied wine. Long, savoury with dark depth. Harmonious structure. Time on its side. 18/20, 93/100

Kind regards,
Adair

Adair,

Boy have you been busy ...! Thanks for the notes.

Adair wrote:
2002 Katnook Cabernet Sauvignon
Classy, powerful and elegant. Needs time. 17.7/20, 92/100

Katnook is one of my favourite producers from Coonawarra. Thinking of buying the 2002 but haven't seen too many good reviews and have held off buying it due to the average 2002 vintage in Coonawarra.

Any thoughts/comments on how the 2002 compares to prior vintages of this wine would be appreciated. Loved the last 4 vintages of this wine.

Andrew Jordan wrote:Adair,

Boy have you been busy ...! Thanks for the notes.

Adair wrote:2002 Katnook Cabernet Sauvignon
Classy, powerful and elegant. Needs time. 17.7/20, 92/100

Katnook is one of my favourite producers from Coonawarra. Thinking of buying the 2002 but haven't seen too many good reviews and have held off buying it due to the average 2002 vintage in Coonawarra.

Any thoughts/comments on how the 2002 compares to prior vintages of this wine would be appreciated. Loved the last 4 vintages of this wine.

I have not gone out of my way to drink much of this wine in recent years due to the "service" of the cellar door staff at Katnook. What I particularly loved about this wine was the combination of traditional herbaceous characters with the more powerful darker aspects without giving me any disjointed feeling. Sorry can't be of any further help.

Adair

Adair wrote:
2001 Rockford “Basket Press” Shiraz
Big, crowd pleasing wine. I find the sweet, shaving cream characters of the American oak too prominent. It will get better with time but it will never be my sort of wine. 17.8/20, 92/100

i'll take the rest off your hands!!

c

Adair,
Thanks, you have just reminded me to get some 05 Vat 1 and 03 Alex Munro Shiraz.
Good notes.

More tasting notes about the 2003 Meerea Park Alexander Munro and Hell Hole Shiraz:

The 2003 Meerea Park Alexander Munro Shiraz is massive yet so tightly coiled that it should not be opened for novices for at least 5-7 years, although a seriously long decant does help to reveal a few more layers. As alluded to, the structure is phenomenal with extremely fine, firm but not astringent tannins covering the palate broad and long. In typical Rhys Eather style, French oak is well into the background with the fruit allowed to fully express itself, in this case not having any over/super-ripe characters to create this big wine. There is primarily dark, briary, earthy fruit although much is yet to be revealed.

If I tasted the 2003 Meerea Park Alexander Munro and Hell Hole Shiraz side by side and blind, and after a 3 hour decant (reason below - note that both are sealed under screwcap), I don't think I would be able to split these 2 wines. They are truly both marvellous. However, I expect the AM to slightly exceed the Hell Hole in a decade.

The Hell Hole needs 4-6 years to reach the start of its peak drinking window, while the AM will take a little longer and its peak drinking window will be around a decade or two, while the Hell Hole's peak drinking window might be for 5 years.

Despite also being very tight, the Hell Hole is definitely more approachable due to its style. It is something I would expect from super-premium quality Barossa Shiraz grapes handled by David Powell.

Despite its massive, dark density and palate filling properties, the wine is controlled very tightly with cushion-like, fat, silky, ripe tannins. The sensation of ripe, dark fruit, palate weight and control from the wine's structure was a sheer delight. The structure did not even hint at yielding control after 4 hours in the decanter. The wine kept extraordinary line with serious length and boldness.

The only issue I found with the Hell Hole is a reductive, sulfur character that is very apparent upon opening and even after 3 hours in the decanter is still able to be detected. Wrongly or correctly, I have overlooked this aspect as it was obviously dissipating with time, and I don't think it will be a worry for cellaring.

There are only a few Aussies Shiraz that I have tasted this year that I rate higher than these wines. Off the top of my head, only the 1983 Grange and 1990 Wendouree Shiraz... which reminds me, here is my tasting vibe of the:

1990 Wendouree Shiraz - Clare Valley, SA
Didn't bother looking at the colour. Sometimes the colour of Wendourees don't mean much anyway. Brown sugar and liquorice with a gamut of deep dark fruit. Very deep and well layered with no glycerin feel or flabbiness. A light sweet mint, menthol pleasantly runs through the wine. The wine opens on the back plate with massive amounts of very fine tannin. Simply wonderful. 19/20, 96/100 at least, with many years, decades, to burn. Would hold its head on any table, in this case it was at a restaurant's in Blackheath.

Kind regards,
Adair

Brucer wrote:Adair,
Thanks, you have just reminded me to get some 05 Vat 1 and 03 Alex Munro Shiraz.
Good notes.

Quick! I don't think there would be much of the 2003 Alexander Munro left after all the cases that I bought.

The 2005 Vat 1 will undoubtedly be around much longer. I stocked up on the 2004.

Adair

Christo wrote:

Adair wrote:2001 Rockford “Basket Press” Shiraz
Big, crowd pleasing wine. I find the sweet, shaving cream characters of the American oak too prominent. It will get better with time but it will never be my sort of wine. 17.8/20, 92/100

i'll take the rest off your hands!!
c

Thank you for your consideration ... however I have good stock of wines like these, in this case I only have 5 more bottles, to serve to people who really like it and don't have any themselves.

Adair

Adair,

Garth still has some Alex, so have ordered some.
Good to read about the 90 Wendouree Shiraz. I still have 6 bottles, so might open one. Bought on release, it cost me $14!
Bruce

Brucer wrote:Adair,

Garth still has some Alex, so have ordered some.
Good to read about the 90 Wendouree Shiraz. I still have 6 bottles, so might open one. Bought on release, it cost me $14!
Bruce

Wow. 1990 Wendouree Shiraz $14 in 1992. 2003 Wendouree Shiraz $42 in 2005. 250% increase in 13 years!

I just hope some of my 2001, 2002 and 2003 Wendourees taste like the 1990 in 13 years.

Adair

Hi Adair,

Five odd years ago I shared a bottle of 1990 Wynns Ovens Valley Shiraz that had been won in a chook raffle and cellared not very well.

I remember enjoying it very much with great surprise given its provenance, and your notes seem to apply to the bottle I tried also.

Do you know when this label was discontinued, and if any winerys current releases mirror this style?

Regards, Ralph

Adair wrote:

Brucer wrote:Adair,

Garth still has some Alex, so have ordered some.
Good to read about the 90 Wendouree Shiraz. I still have 6 bottles, so might open one. Bought on release, it cost me $14!
Bruce

Wow. 1990 Wendouree Shiraz $14 in 1992. 2003 Wendouree Shiraz $42 in 2005. 250% increase in 13 years!

Adair

Yes and about £50 ($125) to get hold of a bottle in UK. I'd love to try it but I'm not keen on lining the pockets of the profiteers who buy from Wendouree only to feed direct into the auction market.

Ian

Ralph wrote:Hi Adair,

Five odd years ago I shared a bottle of 1990 Wynns Ovens Valley Shiraz that had been won in a chook raffle and cellared not very well.

I remember enjoying it very much with great surprise given its provenance, and your notes seem to apply to the bottle I tried also.

Do you know when this label was discontinued, and if any winerys current releases mirror this style?

Regards, Ralph

Sorry Ralph, no idea. I bought this bottle from the Wynns Cellar Door in December 2000, and I think I remember them saying that it was the last of this quite famous line.

I reckon the Lindemans Hunter River Burgundy would be a good wine to try if you like the style.

Adair

Ian S wrote:

Adair wrote:

Brucer wrote:Adair,
Garth still has some Alex, so have ordered some.
Good to read about the 90 Wendouree Shiraz. I still have 6 bottles, so might open one. Bought on release, it cost me $14!
Bruce

Wow. 1990 Wendouree Shiraz $14 in 1992. 2003 Wendouree Shiraz $42 in 2005. 250% increase in 13 years!
Adair

Yes and about £50 ($125) to get hold of a bottle in UK. I'd love to try it but I'm not keen on lining the pockets of the profiteers who buy from Wendouree only to feed direct into the auction market.
Ian

I agree with your sentiments. The wine world world would be a much more pleasurable place without auction profiteers, but your comment reminds me of the "don't cut off your nose to spite your face" cliche. I would part with $125 for another bottle without much thought.

Kind regards,
Adair