The Auswine Forum

Hi Good Peoples,

It's that time of the week, time to let us know what you have all been drinking.

As usual, tasting notes or vibes, or even general impression is welcome.

Heathcote Shiraz 2003
Opened on Friday night and had another glass last night...getting better...intend to finish tonight...i hope it will hold up...just a thought, its past 12, i might have it now.

Grange 1974, glimpses of past glory on the nose, but dead and gone.

WobblyBills 2001 Reserve Durif, stunning wine, huge fruit, viscous mouthfeel, long finish, silky tannins

Bin 128 1998, Pleasant enough but I am thinking I should have had all these 2 years ago. The rest of the box is now officially on the drink now list.

Clos Clare Shiraz 2003, sensational Clare shiraz for the price. Lovely spicey fruit with ample drying tannins

Mt Horrocks Cordon Cut 2005, very nice sticky if a bit exy. Went very well with the Tassie Deep Blue (almost stiltonesque).

Tatachilla McLaren Vale Cab Sauv 1998, Travelling exceedingly well, nose and palate now dominated by violets but plenty of cassis, cigar box and tobacco leaf to go with it. Still plenty of drying grippy tannins. Turning into something very special. Who would have thought Winestate would have got it this right.

Rolf Binder Heinrich 2004, someone, who will remain nameless but he knows who he is, told me he thought Rolf was spreading himself a bit thin with all the different wines he was making and beginning to lose it. Well this wine alone shows that to be untrue. Sensational SMG, huge dollops of fruit with that sensational Mataro nose of spicey ginger tea, lovely mouthfeel and well integrated oak. Complesx and well structured and excellent value at the price. ps, We tasted a pile of RB's reds at CD as well last weekend, and this wine is no flash in the pan. The 2005 Heinrich looks to be every bit as good, if not better, and the 2003 & 2004 Bulls Bloods are sensational.

Davo wrote:Clos Clare Shiraz 2003, sensational Clare shiraz for the price. Lovely spicey fruit with ample drying tannins

How is it drinking now? I bought some mid last year and thought it needed a bit more time to come together. Have you tried the 02?

Steve wrote:

Davo wrote:Clos Clare Shiraz 2003, sensational Clare shiraz for the price. Lovely spicey fruit with ample drying tannins

How is it drinking now? I bought some mid last year and thought it needed a bit more time to come together. Have you tried the 02?

Steve, the 2003 is drinking very well right now, but certainly should improve with a little more time in the bottle.

The 2002 is also drinking very well right now, will also get better with a couple more years.

Davo wrote:

Steve wrote:

Davo wrote:Clos Clare Shiraz 2003, sensational Clare shiraz for the price. Lovely spicey fruit with ample drying tannins

How is it drinking now? I bought some mid last year and thought it needed a bit more time to come together. Have you tried the 02?

Steve, the 2003 is drinking very well right now, but certainly should improve with a little more time in the bottle.

The 2002 is also drinking very well right now, will also get better with a couple more years.

Excellent - I have 11 of each sitting in the cellar waiting for me - I might have to investigate them again soon.

1999 Stoneleigh Riesling

This is why you cellar riesling, just sensational. deepsgold in colour, rich, soft and integrated nose honey, cirtrus skin. Palate is gorgeously soft and layered, toasty, ripe baked citrus and cream, buttered toast and another layer of comb honey. Just a $13 wine, with a good reputation that was twice the wine tonight that it was on release. If all wine was like that then perhaps more than the obsessed would cellar wine!!

Shame this label seems to have gone to the dogs since montana got its hands on it.

Davo
Glad you enjoyed the 01.
Wobbly Bills is yet another really good play on the name....my all time favorite is still Wobbly Villa!

Cheers
Smithy

Chateau Branaire-Ducru, 1996, Bordeaux, France.

Decanted in restaurant for about 20 mins before drinking. Deep and dark with only slight hints of aging on the rim. Absolutely singing on the night from the first small and sip but evolved throughout the night. Nose of deep cassis and leather with a whiff of smoke or perhaps smoked meat. On the palate, lots of cassis with very fine almost resolved tannins, which evolved to more chocolate and dusty/powdery tannins and the night went on. Lovely wine.

Dom Perignon, 1998, Champagne, France.

Oh wow! First DP for me it has to be admitted and the youngest on the block I am led to believe. Extremely fine an vigorous mousse. Hint of bread/yeast on the nose, but more apples and perhaps a whiff of lemon. Massively refreshing in the mouth, full of apples and biscuits with great acidity and wrapped tight as a gnats arse. I suspect this might age quite well although admittedly that statement is with little experience of this wine itself.

Pizzini Nebbiolo, 2001, King Valley, Victoria, Australia.

Decanted and needs it right now, lots of swirling required. Deep and dark, the nose gives a little in the way of tar and black fruit. In the mouth, this wine is a tannic beast but with plenty of fruit to back it up and looks like being an absolute stonker with a few more years to soften those tannins (this is the current release as I understand it). Vigorous swirling and a good lump of steak made it very approachable now. Very savoury fruit and quite European in some ways, give it a bit of time to mature though. This is good now with effort but should reward extended cellaring.

Happs Three Hills Nebbiolo, 2001, Margaret River, Western Australia.

Not decanted, 500 ml bottle. Very dark and inky with a slightly restrained nose, maybe a hint of chocolate and black cherry. Again quite savoury fruit in the mouth, but the fruit is slightly (but only slightly) more upfront Aussie style than the Pizzini. Fine powdery chocolately tannins and dark plummy/blackberry fruit, a lovely wine to drink now, especially with a hunk of meat, but its structure suggests a few more years to go.

Paitin, Sori' Paitin Dolcetto D'Alba, 1999, Piedmont, Italy.

Decanted for 90 minutes. Deep inky purple with plenty of sediment caught in the decanting stage and used for cooking. Very smokey on the nose initially followed by sweaty leather, violets and a hint of almond. Smoke and leather blows off quickly to reveal black cherry fruit. In the mouth, extremely strong, upfront very savoury black cherry fruit along with drying tannins. Very mouth-filling. A wine made for food this and tannins were resolved very well when paired with octopus in red wine. Double yum! Very smooth and silky by the end of the night, six hours post-decant. Exquisite!

Cheers

Dave

1990 Wynns Michael - drinking at its peak, but not as stellar as I would have hoped for. Earthy, leather and typical Coonawarra mint.

1997 Wynns Michael - picked this up at a clearance sale for USD 19 and its not a bad drop. Lots of licorice and varnish on the nose, reasonably fleshy and OK length.

NV Elderton Sparkling Shiraz - not as good as the last two bottles. Mushroom nose, finishing somewhat bitter.

Also, a lower end Jadot 03 Burgundy and a 00 Italian whose name escapes me. Both were ordinary.

Hey Mike

Nice bargin hunting picking up the 97 Michael for $US19. Where did you get it from? Zachys?

Cheers
Elvis

Picadilly's in Illinois. Also picked up 1997 Petaluma Tiers Chardonnay for the same price !

Mike Hawkins wrote:Picadilly's in Illinois. Also picked up 1997 Petaluma Tiers Chardonnay for the same price !

What great stores they are!!!!!!!!!!!

Other than the wines we had Saturday night at Tetsuya's, which can be found here, the following mid week quaffers were consumed during the week:

2002 Orlando Shiraz Gramps - a bit oaky but ok
2004 Schubert Shiraz M.R.S. - probably my favourite budget shiraz right now.
2004 Kalleske Clarry's Red - drinking better now than when first released. Looking forward to the 2005.

The Gladesville Brown Paper Baggers also met during the week and of the ones I can remember were:

1997 Beringer Vineyards Alluvium Napa Valley, California
A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the crimson, red coloured wine was medium bodied and displayed aromas of dark berry fruit and subtle oak. The fruit is beginning to fade but provides enough flavour to carry the wine across the palate. Nice acid backbone. Not overly complex but had enough in it to keep all present interested. One punter even admited he would drink this any night of the week. Medium finish with soft tannins. An elegant wine, which will not improve. A wine which was well accepted on the night and was only beaten by a 1997 Dalwhinnie Cabernet.

1997 Dalwhinnie Cabernet
This is still a youngin with a good 10-15 years left in it yet. This is still wound very tight, but it has enough fruit to carry it through the journey ahead. Would love to try this again in 8-10 years. Should be wonderful.

1995 Greenock Creek Seven Acre Shiraz
Very Porty but one of those wines you fall in love with straight away. However, more than I glass is too much. A very good wine but a bit rich for me.

2003 Yellow Tail Premium Shiraz
This was actually quite a nice wine. Nothing really special about it, but it was well made and quite drinkable. However, the $45 price tag is a joke. Maybe half of that and I would consider buying a few bottles.

There were also a couple of Italians, the details of which escape me.

Big Dave wrote:Chateau Branaire-Ducru, 1996, Bordeaux, France.

Decanted in restaurant for about 20 mins before drinking. Deep and dark with only slight hints of aging on the rim. Absolutely singing on the night from the first small and sip but evolved throughout the night. Nose of deep cassis and leather with a whiff of smoke or perhaps smoked meat. On the palate, lots of cassis with very fine almost resolved tannins, which evolved to more chocolate and dusty/powdery tannins and the night went on. Lovely wine.

Thanks for the note. Where did you purchase this wine as I'd like to pick some up?

Andrew Jordan wrote:
2003 Yellow Tail The Reserve Shiraz
Winner of the Jimmy Watson's Trophy, this was actually quite a nice wine. Nothing really special about it, but it was well made and quite drinkable. However, the $45 price tag is a joke. Maybe half of that and I would consider buying a few bottles.

Thanks for the note, I believe it was the Cabernet that won the JWT though? Anyone here tried the Cabernet?

camw wrote:

Andrew Jordan wrote:
2003 Yellow Tail The Reserve Shiraz
Winner of the Jimmy Watson's Trophy, this was actually quite a nice wine. Nothing really special about it, but it was well made and quite drinkable. However, the $45 price tag is a joke. Maybe half of that and I would consider buying a few bottles.

Thanks for the note, I believe it was the Cabernet that won the JWT though? Anyone here tried the Cabernet?

Sorry Cam, thought it was the Shiraz. I stand corrected.

1998 Limestone Ridge Cab Shiraz: Very nice bottle. Full of blackberry, mint, plum and vanilla sweetness. Whacked by an oak tree but seemed to all fit together.

2003 Veritas Celar Release Shiraz. Simple but enjoyable. Raspberry, licorce, chocolate and plums. No mistaking it is Barsosa and good value for $20 at cellar door.

2005 Charles Melton Rose of Virginia: I dont like Rose... until now. Nice and savoury.

2003 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz: Tried at cellar door. Decent
wine from a poor vintage, will drink 6 pack over next 5-8 years.

1999 Mamre Brook Shiraz: Good stuff. Licorice, concnetrated plum, dark berries, spice, chcolate. Well intergrated and perfectly framed by oak. Classy stuff for the price.

Wines over dinner a couple of nights last week so no notes and somewhat hazy memory.

Mitchelton Print Shiraz 1997 Decanted for several hours before hand and still closed, showed hints of things to come but if you have any I would leave it for a couple of years yet. Was still very enjoyable though.

Rosemount Balmoral 1995 This was a lovely drop complex nose and lovely palate with an array of flavours and good length. Drinking well now but still a lot of life left in this one.

Tatachilla Foundation 96 Even better than the Balmoral at this stage. The depth of fruit in this wine was just outstanding the bottle was gone way to quick for my liking.

Glen

Jordan wrote:2003 Veritas Celar Release Shiraz[/b]. Simple but enjoyable. Raspberry, licorce, chocolate and plums. No mistaking it is Barsosa and good value for $20 at cellar door.

After a few hours in the glass, revelaed medicinal and sour edged notes. Not as good as I thought . Must drink the other 2 in the cellar faster!

Maxwell Ellen St Shiraz 02- Enjoyable, restrained for the vintage & region, medium to full shiraz. One or two in the cellar to see how this style goes. 90pts

Rockford Moppa Springs 98- Bottle variation here. Unfortunately, average and a touch hard drinking with grenache raspiness dominating. there a re beaut' bottles out there- but do you get four of these per case, five, six or seven? 84pts

Pikes Reserve Cabernet 99- Good long structure with supporting French Oak. Not quite the fruit to boot to fill out the wine, but very good drinking indeed. 89pts

Fermoy Estae Cabernet Sauvignon 2001- Simple initially. Spicey wild berry fruits and good weight developed in time. OK. 85pts

Pascal Jolivet Pouilly Fume 2003 (Cork, 12.5%) 375ml

Pale yellow. Passionfruit, tropical fruits, and flowers. Good mouthfeel, almost feels like it has spent some time with oak. Lemony slate finish. Not as crisp and fresh as other SBs tasted. Could be just past its prime because it is in a half bottle.

Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2002 (Cork, 14%)

Dark purple. Fruity bouquet of cherries and raspberries intermingled with some vanilla-like oak and spice. Soft tannins. Glides the throat very smoothly. Loads of fruit. Very drinkable now. Barely notice the 14% alcohol content. This is my first Poliziano, and if they are all like this, methinks I will buy a few more. Actually, I do have one more, and itÂ’s the 2001 vintage.

Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2002 (Cork, 14%)

Ruby. Initial nose of funky farmyard and oak masking most of the cherry fruit. Cherries with some nice acidity. More breathing in the glass (20+ minutes) and cherries and some spice start to show more on the nose.

Handy wrote:

Big Dave wrote:Chateau Branaire-Ducru, 1996, Bordeaux, France.

Decanted in restaurant for about 20 mins before drinking. Deep and dark with only slight hints of aging on the rim. Absolutely singing on the night from the first small and sip but evolved throughout the night. Nose of deep cassis and leather with a whiff of smoke or perhaps smoked meat. On the palate, lots of cassis with very fine almost resolved tannins, which evolved to more chocolate and dusty/powdery tannins and the night went on. Lovely wine.

Thanks for the note. Where did you purchase this wine as I'd like to pick some up?

Handy,

We got this in Winos restaurant in Margaret River. I have no clue as to its availability outside that.

Cheers

Dave

Two pretty speccy wines opened with dinner on Saturday night...

Saltram Winemaker's Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Gosh what a wine! The nose is pure blackberry fruit with a little bit of spice thrown in for good measure. In the mouth, ripe tannins and incredible depth of classic cabernet falvour and concentration - lots of blackcurrant and notes of licorice, freshly ground coffee, pencil shavings. What got me about the wine was its amazing succulence, fullness and balance for a wine that packed as much of a flavour punch as this did. Absolutely dominated the lamb and fettucine dish I whipped up. I expect it'll gain layers of complexity over the next five to eight years but if you're like me and enjoy plenty of upfront fruit, this special wine is wonderfully approachable now.

Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Milenaires 1995

Considering this wine's age, this is still an incredibly fresh and youthful sparkling wine. Taking after the nose, there's plenty of yeasty character in the mouth, plus a generous dollop of cashew-y flavour. Creamy mouthfeel and clean lingering flavours make for a very easy-to-drink champagne. Enjoyed with smoked salmon and camembert savoury boats and the combination was a treat!

Max wrote:
Saltram Winemaker's Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Gosh what a wine! The nose is pure blackberry fruit with a little bit of spice thrown in for good measure. In the mouth, ripe tannins and incredible depth of classic cabernet falvour and concentration - lots of blackcurrant and notes of licorice, freshly ground coffee, pencil shavings. What got me about the wine was its amazing succulence, fullness and balance for a wine that packed as much of a flavour punch as this did. Absolutely dominated the lamb and fettucine dish I whipped up. I expect it'll gain layers of complexity over the next five to eight years but if you're like me and enjoy plenty of upfront fruit, this special wine is wonderfully approachable now.

Great note Max. I totally agree with you, this is one hell of a wine! Its going to be hard to resist cracking open my case before the 5 years it needs to start really singing. My favourite of the 2002 Barossa Cabs so far.

Jordan wrote:

Max wrote:
Saltram Winemaker's Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Gosh what a wine! The nose is pure blackberry fruit with a little bit of spice thrown in for good measure. In the mouth, ripe tannins and incredible depth of classic cabernet falvour and concentration - lots of blackcurrant and notes of licorice, freshly ground coffee, pencil shavings. What got me about the wine was its amazing succulence, fullness and balance for a wine that packed as much of a flavour punch as this did. Absolutely dominated the lamb and fettucine dish I whipped up. I expect it'll gain layers of complexity over the next five to eight years but if you're like me and enjoy plenty of upfront fruit, this special wine is wonderfully approachable now.

Great note Max. I totally agree with you, this is one hell of a wine! Its going to be hard to resist cracking open my case before the 5 years it needs to start really singing. My favourite of the 2002 Barossa Cabs so far.

That makes 3 of us. Tried it at CD and immediatley melted the plastic. The fruit for this was destined originally for the Mamre Brook label but they figured some of it was pretty special and decided to do a special. Mind you the Mamre Brook was pretty special itself.

Available at CD only. Ask nicely (or spend enough) and they will drop the price by 20%. Freight free too.

Jordan wrote:

Max wrote:
Saltram Winemaker's Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Gosh what a wine! The nose is pure blackberry fruit with a little bit of spice thrown in for good measure. In the mouth, ripe tannins and incredible depth of classic cabernet falvour and concentration - lots of blackcurrant and notes of licorice, freshly ground coffee, pencil shavings. What got me about the wine was its amazing succulence, fullness and balance for a wine that packed as much of a flavour punch as this did. Absolutely dominated the lamb and fettucine dish I whipped up. I expect it'll gain layers of complexity over the next five to eight years but if you're like me and enjoy plenty of upfront fruit, this special wine is wonderfully approachable now.

Great note Max. I totally agree with you, this is one hell of a wine! Its going to be hard to resist cracking open my case before the 5 years it needs to start really singing. My favourite of the 2002 Barossa Cabs so far.

You bought a case? Good times indeed! If only I got paid a little better than what my fortnightly pay cheque says!

Davo - thanks for the tip, might have to get on the blower ASAP!

Max wrote:

You bought a case? Good times indeed! If only I got paid a little better than what my fortnightly pay cheque says!

Max, in this instance a case is a six pack, the maximum amount they will sell to any one customer. Of course if the wife bought six as well....

1995 Wynns Ovens Valley ShirazLight cherry palate very thin and musty. Suspect low level TCA scalping the nose and palate.
2004 Tait Ball Buster This is massive 15.6% APV. Marichino cherry, alcohol sits a little heavily with this one making the wine too sweet, best sipped rather than quaffed. May come together with a little time but not my cup of tea.
2004 Torbreck StruieNot a bad wine, a bit funky on the palate and nose, but if you can get past that it tends to grow on you. Kept half a bottle overnight and these flavours blew of a little. Again I found it a little too sweet for food.
2003 St Hallet riesling Lovely lime and lemon palate, a little kero on the nose - Lime marmalade. Palte clean and refreshing acidity cleans up the palate nicely. Excellent with food.

It's been a while since I've had a chardonnay this good. Drunk with a seafood Yum Cha early on a Sunday arvo. Utterly seamless, not a thing out of place. Beautiful straw-yellow colour, lightly honeyed citrussy nose. Long, smooth, voluptuous palate. As good as it gets.