The Auswine Forum

BWC members:

Craig (chillwrx) recently visited the Serafino winery, and made friends with Mr Steve Maglieri. Steve's looking to sell Serafino wines in the QLD market, and sees our club as an excellent means of connecting with Brisbanian palates. He's given Craig a bunch of sample bottles for us to try, and will be in Brisbane on July 14 and 15.

I would therefore like to organise a BWC dinner, devoted to these wines, on Friday July 14. Steve may be able to join us, though he has a busy schedule, and the chances are slim. Regardless, I'm advised that we should be able to meet with him at some point over the weekend.

A "cheapie" has been requested, and so I propose Avanti (63 MacGregor Tce Bardon) as a suitable venue. Cuisine is Italian, focussing on pasta dishes. Mains are ~$20, and corkage is bugger all. BYO glassware, since theirs is crap. And they don't provide champagne glasses for BYO customers.

Unless anyone objects, I'll make a reservation for 7:30. Although the still, non-fortified wines should be covered by the Serafino line-up, contributions of bubbles and/or stickies will be welcome. I'll bring a sticky of some description. Haven't decided what.

Craig has quite a few bottles from the Serafino line-up. Whatever isn't consumed at this dinner will be brought to Brents.

So, who's coming?

Stuart

p.s. My wife had a baby girl on the weekend of the last BWC dinner. Thanks for your well-wishes everyone. We're all doing wonderfully.

sounds great.

Brett and Patricia will be there.


cheers

We're not available unfortunately.

Trev

Nic and I will be there obviously! Possibly one more. Thanks for making the booking beef. I am updating Steve today.

Cheers

Participated in a Serafino tasting in adealide last week. Very brief notes are

2004 Vinrock Adelaide Hills S.A. Grenache dark cherry savoury cherry spice SO2 gamey sour cherry high alc.

2005 Vinrock McLaren Vale S.A. Grenache young purple sweet vanilla oak nose/palate hard green fruit hot high alc

2005 Serafino Dry Grown McLaren Vale S.A. Grenache cherry red high alc nose spice cool climate rounded high acid finish syrupy palate develops with breathing

2005 Serafino McLaren Vale S.A. Tempranillo young purple/black SO2 green tea leaf spicy nose/palate ripe tannic fruit tarry high alc green berry finish

2004 Serafino McLaren Vale S.A. Shiraz young purple rich ripe tarry palate tannic high alc mocha oak

2004 Vinrock McLaren Vale S.A. Shiraz purple/dense hot high alc durif style tarry sugar sweet palate almond kernal tarry

2005 Vinrock McLaren Vale S.A. Shiraz opaque red green beans stalky palate peaty oak bourbon tea leaf

These wines were NOT decanted prior to tasting and would have benefitted imensley from a bit of air time.

would recommend this, decanting, as it will improve the flavour profile with the meal.

Hope you enjoy the meal and the wines.

Please count me in for one (and I'm checking on a second).

Regards, mark

Sorry, not available this Friday.

See you in two weeks.

Michael

Sorry, one baby sitter a month is our limit.
Enjoy

I'm two now please.
Thanks Mark

OK. The wines I will be bringing are as follows;

1 x 05 Rose
1 x 05 Sorrento (Serafino New 2nd label) old vines Grenache
1 x 05 Serafino old vines Grenache
1 x 04 Serafino Merlot
1 x 04 Serafino Shiraz
1 x 04 Serafino Cabernet
1 x 00 Serafino Cabernet (my own stock for comparison)

+ back ups of each. (And maybe a sticky)

At least a bottle per person! I will also do the same again at least for the next dinner for those who are unable to make this one.

See you there!

graham wrote:Sorry, one baby sitter a month is our limit.
Enjoy

Graham

Not sure you should be drinking babysitters in the first place.

Michael

Ode to the good old days before the creature took control of my life and wallet.
Ahhh, those delightful days of a restaurant or three per month, an open credit card for the cellar.......
Chill, you are a good chap for thinking about those who can not attend.
Michael, you haven't seen my babysitter......drive a man away from drink

Look forward to the 28th. Theme

OK, so we have:

Rudy + 1
chillwrx + 1
redstuff + 1
myself (+ 1?)

Booking is made for 7:30 under the name of Clarke (I keep forgetting to put it under BWC).

I'll be bringing a Seppelt 1983 Para.

See you all there.

Hi all,
Would love to come, have been watching the forum for a dinner I can attend so its a bit of shame I can't make it as Avanti is close to home. Alas, I'll be in Sydney for Wine Australia, particularly looking forward to the Riesling International Benchmarking masterclass. See you some time in the near future.

Oscar

Goose Island Rose 2006 - Light pink, strawberries and cream on the nose, sweet with a whack of residual sugar, strawberry cordial to taste. Apparently recently bottled.

Sorrento Dry Grown Grenache 2005 - Bright, vibrant red with some initial volatility. Chocolate and light red berries, light not at all concentrated. If this is about $12, it's good VFM.

Serafino Dry Grown Grenache 2005 - Deep and glossy, thick tears, hints of cherry and sweetness on the bouquet. Thick mouth feel, background tannins. Lovely wine. Evolved after a few hours into a more complex wine. Equal WOTN for me.

Serafino Merlot 2004 - Deep red, oaky on the nose with some black fruits. Somehow concentrated but light - nice enough but lacking structure.

Serafino Shiraz 2004 - Bright and glossy, dark chocolate and sweet nose, cocunut oak, good acid structure with the tannins barely perceptable. I would have picked this as Grenache it it was served blind. Drinking very well now and equal WOTN for me, not sure how it might keep.

Serafino Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 - Not sure about storage on this one - deep crimson, touch of mint, grippy tannins and perhaps sour cherry. Seemed thin.

Serafino Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - Glossy bright red, minty and chocolate on the nose, sweet redcurrents and capsicum.

Para 1983 - Yum.

Overall, an enjoyable night with nice wines. Much appreciate the generosity of the winemaker to share the wines for tasting. I didn't note the alcohol levels.

Cheers, Mark

graham wrote:Ode to the good old days before the creature took control of my life and wallet.
Ahhh, those delightful days of a restaurant or three per month, an open credit card for the cellar.......
:

And it gets worse. School fees, dresses, basketball boots, pocket money...... Anne and I now drink cleanskins, < $15 jobs and good stuff from the dwindling cellar on special occasions. If sex wasn't so good......and the latest trend is for kids to hang around home until 30's. Pass me the bottle; I need to forget.

Chuck

Avanti’s. Great food and the biggest main course I have ever been served (Great Lamb Shanks). Hope every body had a good time. It was a really good end to a really bad day for me!

Peterson Sparkling Chambourcin – Andrew brought this and proceeded to pass a glass around the table that what not unsurprisingly reminiscent of nail polish remover. He did drink some, however, which says a lot for his constitution but not a lot for his good sense.

Sparkling Chenin Blanc? – Demi Sec starter from Patricia’s home town. Very nice to start off with and would be great with Thai.

Goose Island Rose 2006 - recently bottled, not yet released. Very sweet and cordial like. For the for the beginner winos only.

Sorrento Dry Grown Grenache 2005 – Great colour, no discernable oak, almost a big pinot without being a pinot I liked it. New release for the QLD market I believe. Great VFM.

Serafino Dry Grown Grenache 2005 – Much bigger and definitely not pinot like! Fine tannins, exceptional dark fruit and peppers on the nose. Oak is there but only just. Great mouthfeel. Top wine.

Serafino Merlot 2004 – Oak on the nose but not in the mouth. Strange wine that should improve, but probably not enough to make me want to drink more of it when I can taste the shiraz, cabernet or even better the Grenache.

Serafino Shiraz 2004 – Once again great colour as it should be. Definitely not a big bruiser of a wine but one that takes time to reveal itself. Typical mclaren vale fruit with oak in the background. Opened a second bottle two days later with some friends and it was much better – more concentrated and if anything bigger in the mouth.

Serafino Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 – Storage poor which can probably explain the thin mouthfeel. Typically varietal C/S. Would loved to have a better example as on this showing it would have been an exceptional example of McLaren Vale cabernet.

Serafino Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 – Just as rudy described – we must have drunk the same wine!

Para 1983 – Really good.

My wine of the night was the Serafino Grenache. I was all tasted out by the end of the night so I could not but agree with Rudy’s assessment of the 04 Cabernet. Look forward to seeing everybody next week.

Cheers

Craig