It's Sunday and your weekly drinking reports ....

[TORB]

are now due.

Hi Good Peoples,

Time to tell us what you have been drinking over the last week. In my case, the odd bottle or two of Margaret River Cab, but you will have to wait for the Tour Diaries for all to be revealed, but in the meantime, tell us what you guys have been drinking; lists, vibes or TN's welcome.

[Ian S]

1978 Jean Leon Cabernet (Penedes, Spain)
Very juicy acidity, but just way too prominant for the rest of the wine - shame as what was lurking behind seemed interesting. Will try again tomorrow with food to see if it works better. Not expecting miracles though...

Last Night, finished off the bottle we opened last weekend (CVNE Rioja Riserva 2000). Pretty good if not overly complex. Would try this again.

Ian

p.s. Go on Ric, at least give us one TN or TV... stop being shy!

[dlo]

Pretty quiet week (several AFD's) and only wrote a few up -

Produttori del Barberesco Paje' Riserva 1997

A suave, elegantly wrought wine with a surprising amount of savoury cherry and plummy fruit butressed by exquisitely judged seasoned oak, lacy tannins and lively, bright acidity. Revealing a healthy medium ruby/red colour, a slightly rustic but very appealing bouquet followed by a surprisingly well-weighted, medium-bodied palate, this Excellent wine delivers the goods with a bright demeanour, superb balance and impressive length. Recently purchased at Langton's for $30+, I'd be happy to serve this to anyone, anytime. Should last for several more years, although drinking very well now.

Kilikanoon Mort's Block Watervale Riesling 2002

Screwcap. 12.5% A/V

Attractive bright pale straw/green in colour. Petrol and toast dominate the nose with plenty of orange blossom, lime, lemon and minerale lurking underneath. Compelling and complex. The palate displays a far more youthful "citrussy" personality albeit with a slight toasty edge, good weight, nice "glossy" mouthfeel and terrific tingling, zesty integrated acidity. Finishes crisp and long with superb flavours of citrus and minerals. A truly Excellent wine with potential for a higher rating later. Should last for many years.

Other TV's -

William Fevre Chablis 1er Cru "Montmains" 2000 - Infantile but very darn good. Tight as the proverbial fish's with admirable minerality and plenty of zip, just lacking some oomph in the mid-palate. Should get much better with several years cellaring.

Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Shiraz 1996 - my first bottle and quite possibly my last. Could hardly get through the first glass. Coconut/dill nose over sweet jammy/chocolatey fruit. Palate - sweet chocolatey/jammy fruit over dill/coconut oak. The nearly full bottle is in the fridge and I'll try to summon up the requisite courage to give it another try tonight. This style of red wine is just not on my radar these days.

[JamieBahrain]

Bannockburn Pinot Noir 1999- A no fuss pinot noir, at maturation it would seem, with great levels of complexity and good gratification. I'm tired at looking for beauty in Australian pinot noir that isn't there- Bannockburn is my consistant exception! 90pts

Henschke Keyneton Estate 1994- I should right up a detailed note on this wine. I have had three bottles over the last few weeks. They had been cellared professionally since release ( critical for Henschke wines as forward development a problem from warmer cellars ). Exceptional for the Keyneton style; medium bodied & with complexity from maturation and well meshed shiraz/cabernet fruit and clever oak usage. All bottles well received by guests. 91 pts

Also, I took the expensive Burgundy path this week with my usual disappointing results. Faiveley Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru 1999 @ $250 AUD a bottle topped off the disappointment. The wine was unyielding ( perhaps I should have decanted it ) for the most. Hints of Burghound's 93 point rating toward bottle's end- bitter cherries, sweet red fruits and game. There is finesse in the mouth, but not a $250 silk glove, structure is for a long haul ( lets hope it does better ) with very delicate fruit flavours on a base of long, grainy and dry tannin. Not rated as I don't understand red burgundy.

[dlo]

Bannockburn Pinot Noir 1999- A no fuss pinot noir, at maturation it would seem, with great levels of complexity and good gratification. I'm tired at looking for beauty in Australian pinot noir that isn't there- Bannockburn is my consistant exception! 90pts

Henschke Keyneton Estate 1994- I should right up a detailed note on this wine. I have had three bottles over the last few weeks. They had been cellared professionally since release ( critical for Henschke wines as forward development a problem from warmer cellars ). Exceptional for the Keyneton style; medium bodied & with complexity from maturation and well meshed shiraz/cabernet fruit and clever oak usage. All bottles well received by guests. 91 pts

Also, I took the expensive Burgundy path this week with my usual disappointing results. Faiveley Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru 1999 @ $250 AUD a bottle topped off the disappointment. The wine was unyielding ( perhaps I should have decanted it ) for the most. Hints of Burghound's 93 point rating toward bottle's end- bitter cherries, sweet red fruits and game. There is finesse in the mouth, but not a $250 silk glove, structure is for a long haul ( lets hope it does better ) with very delicate fruit flavours on a base of long, grainy and dry tannin. Not rated as I don't understand red burgundy.

Hi mate,

Thanks for your notes.

1) Re 1999 Banockburn - have you tried the Serre?

2) Re the Keyneton - Henschke performed well with this label in 1994, 1996 and 1998 - haven't bought any since, though.

3) The Faiveley is too young - minimum of 10 years, preferably 15 required with their rather "hard" style and structure. In any case, I'm not a great fan of this maker. IMHO, Jadot offers better quality for the same price. $250 could get you a top Jadot, Rousseau, Meo-Camuzet, Dugat-Py, Anne Gros etc etc etc. Sorry your bad run with Burgundy has continued.

[Steve]

Impressions from a slow week:

2000 Noon Eclipse: Got distracted and left it in the decanter too long to try to get rid of the huge amount of bottle stink. Slightly oxidized, dulled fruit. Whoops.

2000 Greenock Creek Annie's: Not bad. Loads of fruit. Opened up after about six hours in the decanter.

2004 Majella Sparkling Shiraz: Crown seal - oh yeah! No more corky sparkling reds (4 in the past month ). Pretty good stuff... I'm going to have to buy more and take proper notes, 'cause everyone disappeared this one pretty quickly.

2003 Rockford Rifle Range cabernet sauvignon: Tasty. Fruit, dusty tannins. Disappeared too quickly to get a good look at it. Didn't think it was all that great... not as good as other Rockford cabernet's I've had recently.

[Andrew Jordan]

A cabernet themed week for us this week:

2002 Saltram Cabernet Sauvignon Mamre Brook - much has been written about this wine. Good value for $16 but this bottle seemed more oakier than the previous couple to the point it over-powered the fruit?

1998 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407
Deep red/black colour. Inititally nothing on the nose to speak of. Very closed and tight. But after some time it began to open up with aromas of blackcurrant, eucalypt/menthol and black olives. The palate followed the same theme with flavours of blackcurrant and olive, however, for me lost some of its appeal with a very gritty, tannic finish. Even after 3 hours of air time this wine was still wound very tight. Not sure if more time in the cellar will improve this wine (?) ... I hope so otherwise this wine from a very talked up vintage will be a dud. If you are the gambling type, don't drink for at least another 3 years, otherwise sell, sell, sell!

2002 Glaymond Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep midnight black in colour this thick, tight beast of a cabernet was very mysterious at first, deciding to stay in it's cave, lurking, hiding, waiting for the prime moment to STRIKE. And after a long, chilling wait, the monster finally stirred with fragrances of blackcurrant, olive, and cedar. The aromas continued to strengthen with more time in the glass, and like all Glaymond monsters, they need plenty of air to show their best. The full-bodied palate had ripe, juicy, up-front fruit which coated every part of the mouth, super-fine tannins and a very long finish. The only negative aspect about the wine is that it hasn't fully integrated yet, but a few years in the cellar will fix this. Although possessing a very high alcohol content (15.8%), didn't show too much heat and IMO there is enough fruit here to see the journey through to the end. Definitely my pick of the 2002 Glaymond releases, and it should age very well and continue to improve over the next 3-5 years.

1996 Orlando Cabernet Sauvignon St. Hugo
First bottle of this vintage for quiet some time. Deep red in colour this wine straight away gave off aromas of berry fruit and chocolate, followed by some undertones of mint and leaf. The palate was a delight, lots of rich, sweet, creamy black fruit offset by some good handling of oak and a well-rounded attack of acid. Concludes with a medium length finish of soft, silky tannins. Unmistakably Cabernet, and very Coonawarra. This wine IMO is the complete package ... well balanced, medium-full bodied, smooth, elegant, well structured and has a great mouth feel to boot, and refreshingly only 13.5% alcohol. Has probably peaked but has many years ahead of it. The 1991 and 1994 vintages have been my favourite of this wine up until this point, but I may have to rethink that after this bottle. A very enjoyable drop of juice. Serve me this any day of the week!

[Gavin Trott]

2002 Glaymond Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep midnight black in colour this thick, tight beast of a cabernet was very mysterious at first, deciding to stay in it's cave, lurking, hiding, waiting for the prime moment to STRIKE. And after a long, chilling wait, the monster finally stirred with fragrances of blackcurrant, olive, and cedar. The aromas continued to strengthen with more time in the glass, and like all Glaymond monsters, they need plenty of air to show their best. The full-bodied palate had ripe, juicy, up-front fruit which coated every part of the mouth, super-fine tannins and a very long finish. The only negative aspect about the wine is that it hasn't fully integrated yet, but a few years in the cellar will fix this. Although possessing a very high alcohol content (15.8%), didn't show too much heat and IMO there is enough fruit here to see the journey through to the end. Definitely my pick of the 2002 Glaymond releases, and it should age very well and continue to improve over the next 3-5 years.

Air time, air time, air time

for these, and the new Tscharkes too.

I often find that even opening in the morning for that evening is best, and more than once, the previous day worked beautifully.

Typical with Glaymond, if you open them close to drinking, then they will only begin to open up as you are finishing the bottle!!

Just my experience with these.

[JamieBahrain]

Bannockburn Pinot Noir 1999- A no fuss pinot noir, at maturation it would seem, with great levels of complexity and good gratification. I'm tired at looking for beauty in Australian pinot noir that isn't there- Bannockburn is my consistant exception! 90pts

Henschke Keyneton Estate 1994- I should right up a detailed note on this wine. I have had three bottles over the last few weeks. They had been cellared professionally since release ( critical for Henschke wines as forward development a problem from warmer cellars ). Exceptional for the Keyneton style; medium bodied & with complexity from maturation and well meshed shiraz/cabernet fruit and clever oak usage. All bottles well received by guests. 91 pts

Also, I took the expensive Burgundy path this week with my usual disappointing results. Faiveley Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru 1999 @ $250 AUD a bottle topped off the disappointment. The wine was unyielding ( perhaps I should have decanted it ) for the most. Hints of Burghound's 93 point rating toward bottle's end- bitter cherries, sweet red fruits and game. There is finesse in the mouth, but not a $250 silk glove, structure is for a long haul ( lets hope it does better ) with very delicate fruit flavours on a base of long, grainy and dry tannin. Not rated as I don't understand red burgundy.

Hi mate,

Thanks for your notes.

1) Re 1999 Banockburn - have you tried the Serre?

2) Re the Keyneton - Henschke performed well with this label in 1994, 1996 and 1998 - haven't bought any since, though.

3) The Faiveley is too young - minimum of 10 years, preferably 15 required with their rather "hard" style and structure. In any case, I'm not a great fan of this maker. IMHO, Jadot offers better quality for the same price. $250 could get you a top Jadot, Rousseau, Meo-Camuzet, Dugat-Py, Anne Gros etc etc etc. Sorry your bad run with Burgundy has continued.

G'day David

1) This wine is allocation only in HK. I can't get hold of it. But I'm becoming very interested as I lean toward Bannockburn wines of late.

2) Agree. I stopped buying in 96 as the Barossa red wine boom took bang for buck away from the label. The 94 a class act for less than $20 on rlease.

3)

[rednut]

1992 D'Arenberg Ironstone Pressings

Very earthy on the nose, strong peppermint aftertaste and I'm afraid not a very nice wine at all. Maybe it was left too long who knows but not enjoyable.

2002 Scarpantoni School Block Shiraz

Lovely wine, bold, big and typical Scarpantoni style. Love their wines.

[Craig(NZ)]

2) Re the Keyneton - Henschke performed well with this label in 1994, 1996 and 1998 - haven't bought any since, though. [code]

Agree. 1994 was a fantastic year for henshke right across the board - Keyneton, Cyril, Edelstone, HOG. All brilliant vintages of the respective labels

1998 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407
Deep red/black colour. Inititally nothing on the nose to speak of. Very closed and tight. But after some time it began to open up with aromas of blackcurrant, eucalypt/menthol and black olives. The palate followed the same theme with flavours of blackcurrant and olive, however, for me lost some of its appeal with a very gritty, tannic finish. Even after 3 hours of air time this wine was still wound very tight. Not sure if more time in the cellar will improve this wine (?) ... I hope so otherwise this wine from a very talked up vintage will be a dud. If you are the gambling type, don't drink for at least another 3 years, otherwise sell, sell, sell!

The 1998 407 on release I liked better than the 389! I even rate it as my second favourite 407 vintage after the 1994, and even better than the 1996 which I though was majorly in the shadow of the 389 that year. I tend to agree, many 98s from aussie are not really delivering anything extra with bottle age especially at this sort of price bracket

As for me one interesting wine 2000 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet. I counted on release basically the entire 2000 range as muddled and muddied and bought none. This wine appeared at a party and I tried it out of interest. It was still the same - disgusting stuff. However tried it again tonight and its actually not too bad, blackcurrant and mint, quite restrained. A reasonable wine until you put qpr in the mix.

Also 2005 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc which is quite a flamboyant Sauvignon blanc, but still dry enough to be almost classical with piles of lime spectrum fruit. Reasonably relaxed style

2000 Church Road Chardonnay Lacks a bit of concentration, almost slightly dillute, but a reasonably complex wine that is easy to drink. Maybe a bit past its peak

Anyway a bit of a go at other peoples picks, interesting to try a few outside my usual buying

[Jordan]

2005 Kanta Adelaide Hills Riesling: This Riesling is made by Egon Muller from Adelaide Hills fruit. Second time trying this wine and still slightly baffled by it. Bouquet of sweet floral characters, a touch of lime zest and steeliness. Palate of yeastiness, apple and pear followed by peach and then overripe banana. Excellent length with soft acids on the finish but alcohol warmth sticking out a little. Interesting result of Germanic style and Australian fruit. 89/100

2002 Tim Adams Aberfeldy Shiraz: A great example of what Clare Valley shiraz can achieve. A fantastic bouquet of deep spice, musk, chocolate and berries - I could have sniffed this all night. Sweet Dark berries open the palate with hints of mint, eucalypt, licorice and vanilla supported by cedar in the background. Very approachable now with velvet like tannins but should be even better with up to a decade in the cellar. Elegant yet powerful shiraz. 94/100

Sunday wines:

1997 Wynns Black Label Cab Sav: minty cassis, cedar and vanilla. Straight forward but quite good. 90/100

1990 Wynns Black Label Cab Sav: Very good aged cab sav. Mint, cassis, cedar, dusty earth, leather, eucalyptus. Beginning to fully integrate with tannins softening yet life ahead of the fruit. 91/100

2001 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec: plum, mint, pepper, cedar. Very primary with hard tannins. Like all Wendouree needs age. 88/100

1992 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec: maybe going through a sleep. Tannins still hard yet fruit seemed to be fading. Starting to doubt the Wendouree legend. 87/100

1996 St. Hallett Old Block Shiraz: too young. Plum, black berries, vanilla and drying tannins. Very lush, full wine yet still balanced. Needs another few years. 90/100

[Andrew Jordan]

2003 Rockford Rifle Range cabernet sauvignon: Tasty. Fruit, dusty tannins. Disappeared too quickly to get a good look at it. Didn't think it was all that great... not as good as other Rockford cabernet's I've had recently.

Steve,

Agree with you on this one. Had the 2003 RR at cellar door last year and I definitely thought that it was not as good as the previous 2 vintages of this label. Looking forward to the 2004 ... hopefully a return to form!

[DJ]

Been relatively quite on the interesting drinking front recently but a real high light this week:

1992 Reynolds Semillion Might be an upper Hunter rather than lower but best aged Semillon in ages. Toast and honey, great acid holding it together. Outstanding with char grilled salmon cutlets.

Does anyone know what has happened to Jon since the Orange venture went under?

[n4sir]

1998 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407
Deep red/black colour. Inititally nothing on the nose to speak of. Very closed and tight. But after some time it began to open up with aromas of blackcurrant, eucalypt/menthol and black olives. The palate followed the same theme with flavours of blackcurrant and olive, however, for me lost some of its appeal with a very gritty, tannic finish. Even after 3 hours of air time this wine was still wound very tight. Not sure if more time in the cellar will improve this wine (?) ... I hope so otherwise this wine from a very talked up vintage will be a dud. If you are the gambling type, don't drink for at least another 3 years, otherwise sell, sell, sell!

The 1998 407 on release I liked better than the 389! I even rate it as my second favourite 407 vintage after the 1994, and even better than the 1996 which I though was majorly in the shadow of the 389 that year. I tend to agree, many 98s from aussie are not really delivering anything extra with bottle age especially at this sort of price bracket

I never liked this wine, probably never will and I don't think it will improve - a lot of the same was said this time last year:
http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=2676

Cheers,
Ian

[Deejay]

Montana Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Nice nectarine fruit a good wine. 87 points
Bay of Fires? Tigress Riesling 2004 Good Tassie riesling nice balance of fruit and acid 89 points
LEAS Cabernet 2001 Quite advanced tasting alot older than a 2001. Very good gear but I would be interested to taste another based on Digs review above as this one didn't seem to have the same long life ahead of it. 91 points
Wynns John Riddoch 1992 Bloody Yum! Will last a fair while yet, but not sure it will improve as it was delicious now! Only have 1 more bottle and will probably keep it for a couple more years. 94 points
Tim Adams Aberfeldy 1996[b] Strong Vanillan Oak with great fruit support, this one is another drinking nicely but with plenty of time infront of it. this made 3 very nice bottles of wine in a row. 92 points

On another night:
[b]Madfish Riesling 2005 Great value for money 88pts
Bannockburn Pinot Noir 1996 I am not a very experienced Pinot Drinker, but this was very good. QUite big and fruity and holding up very well. 91 pts.

[platinum]

2004 SEPPELT VICTORIAN SHIRAZ....Outstanding VFM & a great Quaffer if you like this style. Based on this wine, I have no doubt that the 2004 Challambar could be excellent and ST Peters 2004 Great. A real Bargain!

[Maximus]

No official notes, just vibes.

2002 Dry River Lovat Gewurztraminer - fruit sourced from the renamed Arapoff vineyard. Made in a late harvest style, we soon discovered. Fantastic nose that was tight initially, blossoming with complexed spice notes and lychees with time. I love my Gewurz a little warmer. A texture that was all Alsace in the mouth, with plenty of sweet fruit adding to the evident residual. Could have done with some extra acid to balance it up, but I was just as happy with the style the way it was. The best Gewurz I've had to date.

1997 Gaja Darmagi - the most disappointing wine experience I care to remember. You may as well flush your money down the toilet. Where's the fruit? Where's the seductiveness? This was plain. No faults, just an average wine from a sensational year from a sensationalised producer. Never again.

2004 Mt Difficulty Sauv Blanc - I like Central Otago Sauv when done right (which is not often). This was very dry, minerally with the good 'ol asparagus nose. Okay for end of night drinking plonk.

2005 Felton Road Riesling - Yummy. Medium style, with residual sugar of around 55g (heaps!) balanced by some zingy acid. This is a keeper. Will last ten years, and still be improving.

2002 Felton Road Block 5 Magnum - One of the best pinot noir experiences. This came out of the bottle wonderfully, and got even better over the ensuing four hours much to my amazement. Big vintage with fruit concentration matched by the extended oak handling that the block 5 attracts. Seemless texture, with a brooding mouth presence that will see this cellar effortlessly (especially out of magnum).

2001 Alkoomi Blackbutt Cab Sauv - young, tight, dark, concentrated. Just bloody great cabernet that has a long future.

2000 Huttonvale Shiraz - my first Huttonvale session, and hopefully not my last. Gorgeous nose from what was a canned vintage. Lots going on, with a gentle lick of vanillin oak on the nose. Rippling fruit on the palate. Young. Too young.

2002 Torbreck Runrig - what's all the fuss about? Closed nose that had to be coaxed over a couple of days at repeated intervals. Great texture, very velvety, but I hardly thing this is worthy of all the status and associated pricetag.

Rockford Black (2002 disgorgement) - always a hit. Less in your face fruit or sweetness on the palate than the '04, but you could almost claim that the '04 will taste like the '02 a couple of years down the track. Just starting to mellow out and come together in a very attractive package.

A 1990 Bin 90a and 2003 Amon Ra were also opened on Saturday night, but unfortunately I was suffering from a cold of sorts and was somewhat compromised.

Going by this recent tasting binge, I think there's a lot said for targeting wines that avoid the hype and are priced attractively for what they're offering. Certainly avoids the disappointment which seems recurrent in these circumstances.

Cheers,

[Mike Hawkins]

Max,

For my tastes, the 02 Run Rig is one of the best ever young wines I've had. I think you need to take into consideration that its young and was built for the longer haul. Just my two bob's worth.

Mike

[Max]

Gday everyone!

Been laying low and busy rejigging the website (*plug plug* have a look!), but it's about time I popped my head up!

Highlight of my recent tastings have been the 01 and 02 Grosset Gaia - both superb wines but the '01 is currently the lead car in the title for Wine of the Year. A bloody beautiful wine. I'll post a tasting note in a little while!

Hope all of you are well!

cheers
max

[Andrew Jordan]

2001 Alkoomi Blackbutt Cab Sauv - young, tight, dark, concentrated. Just bloody great cabernet that has a long future.

Maximus,

Agree with you on the '01 Blackbutt. Gorgeous MR cabernet at a decent price.

2002 Torbreck Runrig - what's all the fuss about? Closed nose that had to be coaxed over a couple of days at repeated intervals. Great texture, very velvety, but I hardly thing this is worthy of all the status and associated pricetag.

I am with Mike on this one. Thought this was one of the top wines from the '02 vintage in the Barossa. World class stuff and hence the price point. However, in a way I am with you in regards the price ... why buy this when you can get x5 Kalleske's, x5 St Peters, etc.

[GRB]

Better late than never

Peppermint Paddock Whatever the current Disg is Vivid purple with purple moose, fantastic colour. Quite a savoury nose with some fruit in there as well. Nice on the palate, not a sweet as some FRS at this price point. I think JO complained of a lot of acid, but this may have been a earlier version as I didn't get this at all. On the buying list.

Lehmann 2002 Cab Sav Finally got around to getting a bottle of this to try after all the glowing reports, and it didn't dissapoint. Drank well over 2 nigths with a lovely complex nose a good depth of flavour, have a 6 pack tucked away now.

Maglieri 2002 shiraz Showing better that some bottles of this I have had but Maglieri is now on the try before I but list rather than a sure thing as it was a few years ago.

Wynns 1989 Shiraz Dirt cheap wine from a pour vintage and it was still good stuff at the end of its life now but still some fruit peaking through the nice aged characters. If Wynns can get this quality from there bottom end label again they will be back on the right track. I lament the decline of this label almost as much if not more that the big guns.

Tintara 1996 Shiraz Outstanding wine rich nose of cedar and tobacco with choc and fruit. On the palate it is still going strong with quite a few years ahead of it, tanins are still there but in the background now really enjoyed this wine.

Stanton & Kileen Shiraz Durif 2001 Quite a lot of fruit but not much else, pleasant enough drinking but couldn't follow the Tintara.

Primo Estate Il Briccone Shiraz Sangiovese 2000 This is a very interesting blend, had the primary fruit of the Shiraz with a lot of savoury characters, I am guessing from the sang. A little to much for my liking and a lot to much for my wife. It was much better with food but I still don't quite get it. Would be worth a try for anyone who likes there shiraz with herbs and spices.

Glen

[Gary W]

2001 Alkoomi Blackbutt Cab Sauv - young, tight, dark, concentrated. Just bloody great cabernet that has a long future.

Maximus,

Agree with you on the '01 Blackbutt. Gorgeous MR cabernet at a decent price.

It is not MR..is from Great Southern but I agree. I like Blackbutt a lot.

GW

http://www.winorama.com.au

[JamieBahrain]

I find Torbreck wines ho-hum- even Run Rig.

I don't know why, it seems they are trying to be something they are not. Perhaps critcs and punters comparing them to top flight Cote Rotie has me too critical, baffeld and consequently finding them souless.

[griff]

Short note this week

Anastasia's Sparkling Shiraz Cabernet (Mintaro):

Nice earthy shiraz nose with some aged character. On the palate a very nice dry somewhat lean savory style of shiraz cabernet that had that Clare Valley minty earthy characters. Nice wine but a little diluted. Mouthfeel was a little too many babbles that were a little large if you know what I mean. I believe the current wine has replaced the cabernet for grenache. I'm happy to try that as well. This wine was good value at $17 by the case but not as good as the Seppelt 02