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Magpie Estate Instore

Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:26 pm
by GRB
Hosted by Magpie Estate partner Noel Young who was very entertaining.

Magpie Estate The Theif Rose 2005
Light Red with Cherries and herbs on the nose. The palate is quite disjointed it is sharp on the opening and then quite hard on the back palate. Finishes is a bit short as well. I must add that it is not a style of wine I generally enjoy but I don't think this was a great example.

Magpie Estate The Schnell Shiraz Grenache 2004
Lovely spices on the nose with a unusual sweet character as well, this was obviously from the grenache but I couldn't really describe it, not unpleasant though. Red with a tinge of purple in colour. Spices and pepper with some pleasant fruit in there as well nice balance across the palate and would make a good BBQ wine which is what they were aiming for I guess.

Magpie Estate The Wit & Shanker 2003
Deep garnet in colour rich nose with dark fruits and some olives. On the palate was more fruit with some nice oak well in the background good gripping tanins with nice depth of flavour and medium length. A big step up in quality from the first 2 and I was enticed to grab a bottle to take home to have with the beef curry which was a good match.

Magpie Estate The Sack Shiraz 2004Deep red purple in colour plums and dark berries on the nose. Some nice dark berry flavours on the palate but no sign of over ripeness oak in the background, this is a well balanced wine that finish slightly off sweet. Needs a little while to settle down but I really liked it.

Magpie Estate The Black Sock mourvedre 2003
Spices olives and what I could swear was tomato on the nose. This is an unusual wine off sweet and at this stage a little disjointed, I think I just don't get this grape to be honest. Could come together down the track a bit but seemed to be a bit arms and legs at the moment.

Magpie Estate The Gomersal grenache 2004
Light Red in colour, Pepper and some sweet fruit on the nose next dip showed some spices this is the real deal. Lovely balance across the palate with more spices and red berry flavours fantastic length and the wine kept changing for about 30 sec or so excellent stuff.

Magpie Estate The Election Shiraz 2004
Deep dark purple with plums pepper and dark cherries on the nose. Nice dusty tanins and good balance more cherry flavours and deep seated fruit on the palate lovely wine that could do with a few years sleep.

All in all a nice line up of wines and a very enjoyable evening. The Gomersal was the standout in my books shame about the price tag. Probably not over the top but at the high end of my price range :cry:

Glen

Re: Magpie Estate Instore

Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:31 pm
by Gavin Trott
GRB wrote:Hosted by Magpie Estate partner Noel Young who was very entertaining.



Glen


he is isn't he!

Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:58 pm
by markg
Always a good lineup, the Election is one of my favourites.

Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:34 pm
by Davo
Yep, RB cranks out some good stuff, doesn't he. Recent barrel samples of his reds were all excellent as well, and both the 2005 and 2006 vintages looked pretty damn good with the 2005 probably looking a bit better at this stage.

Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:09 pm
by Bert Werden
I was also fortunate enough to try the 2004s recently

The Sack was the standout in a very good set of wines. Showed some lovely lifted aromatics and showed good Shiraz does not always need a splash of Viognier to be 'pretty'.

I'll definitely by getting some of The Schnell for home. Absolute crowd pleasing style that is just too easy to drink, lovely stuff.

In fact I was impressed by all wines bar The Wit & Shanker which just didn't do it for me.

Congrats to Noel and Rolf, all wines are great value considering The Sack is around the mid-$20s mark and punching well above this price point, The Schnell retailing well under $20 from memory.

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:55 am
by Michael McNally
I used to refuse to buy labels with monikers like "The Twisted Entrail" and "The Unwashed Dog". I have had to modify that stance since everyone started doing it. Apologies to all the marketers out there who think this is a brilliant way to sell plonk :shock: !!!

Is there a silliest moniker competition to be won here? What the hell, I'll start one.

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:13 am
by GRB
Noel kind of implied a lot of the names in their case were thought up after a long afternoon of blending and not enough spitting for he and Rolf. They are more meant to be a piss take than any clever marketing. Guess it is hard to tell the difference between and marketeer and a drunk some times :twisted: :shock:

Glen

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:16 am
by Gavin Trott
GRB wrote:Noel kind of implied a lot of the names in their case were thought up after a long afternoon of blending and not enough spitting for he and Rolf. They are more meant to be a piss take than any clever marketing. Guess it is hard to tell the difference between and marketeer and a drunk some times :twisted: :shock:

Glen


Some are also named for/after wine identities

Wit and Shanker is, of course, rhyming slang :lol: :lol:

Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent!!

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:26 am
by Gary W
I popped along to this too. I am with Bert. The Sack was excellent. The schnell really good and good value. Big fan of the Mourvedre though. An excellent wine. I'll try to throw something up later if I get time.

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:28 am
by Gavin Trott
Gary W wrote:. I'll try to throw something up later if I get time.


Perhaps a re phrase may be in order?

Doesn't bear thinking about.

:lol:

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:02 am
by Bert Werden
Gavin Trott wrote:Wit and Shanker is, of course, rhyming slang :lol: :lol:

Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent!!


C'mon Gavin, care to reveal the identities? :lol:

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:05 am
by Bert Werden
Michael McNally wrote:Is there a silliest moniker competition to be won here? What the hell, I'll start one.


I'm in, what about this lot;

The Dry Dam Riesling
The Broken Fishplate Sauvignon Blanc
The Olive Grove Chardonnay
The Hermit Crab Marsanne Viognier
The Money Spider Rousanne
The Last Ditch Viognier
The Galvo Garage Cabernet Merlot
The Twentyeight Road Mourvedre
The Custodian Grenache
The Derelict Vineyard Grenache
The Sticks & Stones Tempranillo Grenache Souzau
The Lizard Adelaide Hills Chardonnay
The Feral Fox Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir

Ditributed in Melbourne by
The Wine Company

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:18 am
by TORB
Speaking of which, at Plonk Oz, The producer that is responsible for a number of those "funny names" had a bottle of wine with The most garish label that I've ever seen in my entire life. :shock:

it would have been enough to make G.W. throw up - literally! :)

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:49 pm
by Gary W
Was this 'The Love Grass' ?
Nice wine.
GW

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:52 pm
by GraemeG
Gary W wrote:Was this 'The Love Grass' ?
Nice wine.
GW


Thought the label was "The Pot Smoker"...

cheers,
Graeme

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:05 pm
by camw
Gary W wrote:Was this 'The Love Grass' ?
Nice wine.
GW


I hope so because I hate to think of a more garish label existing.

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:20 pm
by Gary W
I liked it. Lots of fun.
It is a restaurant only wine. Very pretty wine.
d'Arenberg are excellent.

GW

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:46 pm
by KMP
The Watcher from Fetish Wines (Rolf Binder Winemaker) - 2004 Barossa Shiraz. Drinking it now, another screwcap, another stinker! There is wine in there somewhere.

Mike

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:52 pm
by Gary W
Surely it is entirely appropriate that something from 'Fetish wines' smells of rubber...
GW

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:06 pm
by KMP
Gary W wrote:Surely it is entirely appropriate that something from 'Fetish wines' smells of rubber...
GW


:D I knew there was an explanation.

Mike

Magpie Instore/ Names

Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:52 pm
by Noel
Thanks for comments but really don't tempt me re names i have many more under my sleeve, so to speak.......!! :D

Noel

Re: Magpie Instore/ Names

Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:05 am
by Gavin Trott
Noel wrote:Thanks for comments but really don't tempt me re names i have many more under my sleeve, so to speak.......!! :D

Noel


Hi Noel

Your secret is my secret!

Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:18 am
by Winefront Monthly
I just reviewed all the Magpie Estate wines and wrote a little piece - great range I reckon. I'll be buying some.

The reviews (unfortunately available to subscribers only) are at:

http://www.winefront.com.au/magpie-esta ... s-it-mark/

Campbell.


www.winefront.com.au

Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:24 pm
by Gavin Trott
Winefront Monthly wrote:I just reviewed all the Magpie Estate wines and wrote a little piece - great range I reckon. I'll be buying some.



Great to hear it, from your favourite online retailer of course!! :wink:

Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 3:08 pm
by GRB
Winefront Monthly wrote:I just reviewed all the Magpie Estate wines and wrote a little piece - great range I reckon. I'll be buying some.

The reviews (unfortunately available to subscribers only) are at:

http://www.winefront.com.au/magpie-esta ... s-it-mark/

Campbell.


www.winefront.com.au


Just had a read, doesn't look like our opinions on the wines are far apart from mine, just that your description are that of a poet and mine are that of an illiterate engineer :? . One of these days I will learn to express myself better using the written word.

Glen

Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 7:11 pm
by Kieran
Gavin Trott wrote:
GRB wrote:Noel kind of implied a lot of the names in their case were thought up after a long afternoon of blending and not enough spitting for he and Rolf. They are more meant to be a piss take than any clever marketing. Guess it is hard to tell the difference between and marketeer and a drunk some times :twisted: :shock:

Glen


Some are also named for/after wine identities

Wit and Shanker is, of course, rhyming slang :lol: :lol:

Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent!!


Not rhyming slang at all. It's a spoonerism.

Kieran