Various TN's:
Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 1:39 am
A few terrific wines over the last couple of weeks.
Firstly, over a long chinese banquet lunch:
2004 Godolphin
Now I know that this wine has been written about a fair bit, but I still don't quite appreciate it. Granted, a great nose, massive vapours filled the room full of plums and ripe cherries, but I think that's where it stops. I found the wine too hot, too high in alcohol that was overpowering.
Too "syrypy", too forward and in your face. I'm sure that is the intended style, but perhaps not for me. Will probably stand corrected in 5-7 years when it settles down, but I ain't buying it yet. 89 pts
1994 Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet / Merlot 60/40
Now this was a beautiful wine. Decanted for 2 hrs, when it hit the glasses it just oozed class. Powerful nose of leather, forest floor, licorice, mild oak and dark stewed sweet cherries. The palate did not dissapoint. It glided down effortlessly. Smooth, silky and elegant. A very complex wine whose flavour evolved in the glass over the rest of the hour. Given the relatively cheap prices you can buy this wine for (less than $75) , to me this is the bargain of the year. I have a stack of 98 and 99 in the cellar and dearly hope they develop like the 94. Top stuff 94 pts
A 1962 Bas Armagnac finished off the lunch just perfectly before we convinced ourselves that a "clenza" was needed before we departed.
Chinese was the flavour of the last two weeks for me and the flower drum provided one of the best meals I have had for while. Life was tough when our guest ordered 707 and nothing else for the day.
1999 Penfolds 707
It definitely needed an hour to breath, but after it had, this wine really struted it's stuff. Long lingering flavours that developed beautifully over the day. Still displaying fruitty characteristics rather than earthy cabernet flavours. An underated vintage. 91pts but will improve
1991 Penfolds 707
I opened this the next night at home to see how the older 707 are developing and I was not disappointed in any way. This is a magnificent wine. Not a heralded vintage, but it still had many years left. A dark, dark ruby red with only slight bricking at the edges. The nose was restrained, but was predominantly cedar, tobacco and blackberrry. The palate was smooth. Integrated oak flavours that were slightly vanillan influenced. My WOTM. 94 pts
1998 Bannockburn Pinot Noir
I think this is the vintage that was collected from other vinyards with the bushfires destroying the bannockburn crop. The wine is on its last legs, but still holding ok for another year or so. Sweet jammy nose and a nice influence of strawberries and roses on the palate. Drink up if you have. 88 pts
1996 Kays Emery Block 6 Shiraz
A big, massive brooding shiraz. Years left in this wine. Was tasted blind and it reminded of a big barrossan shiraz. Vanillan oak, grippy tannins, but not a long aftertaste. Nevertheless, a high quality wine. Will develop into a classic by 2010 + 92pts
2000 Cullen Cab Merlot
Was drunk fairly quickly after being pulled from the cellar and was still a bit cold so it took a while for it to open and by that time, most of it was gone.
Deep cabernet earthy flavours that linger for ages and ages. Mulberries, cassis and tobacco nuiances. Great structure, this wine is not considered an outstanding vintage, but I think it will develop into a first rate Cullen. A classy wine. Drink 2012 + 92 pts
Seppelts DP 90 Rare Tawny
No deserts or cheeses to share this wine with. Was opened and drunk as meal in itself. This tawny lives up to all the hype, except for the exxy price of nearly $55, should be more like $40 and then it would be a steal.
The palate is dominated by the high alcohol that has not settles - 20% 90 pts
2002 Evasham Wood Cuvee J
A first class pinot. My second bottle and still a favourite. Qutie savoury, not a fruit driven pinot like bannockburn. Lush texture. 91 pts
Off to Paris and a few greek islands for the next month, so will try to log in and contribute if I come across any decent wines.
Firstly, over a long chinese banquet lunch:
2004 Godolphin
Now I know that this wine has been written about a fair bit, but I still don't quite appreciate it. Granted, a great nose, massive vapours filled the room full of plums and ripe cherries, but I think that's where it stops. I found the wine too hot, too high in alcohol that was overpowering.
Too "syrypy", too forward and in your face. I'm sure that is the intended style, but perhaps not for me. Will probably stand corrected in 5-7 years when it settles down, but I ain't buying it yet. 89 pts
1994 Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet / Merlot 60/40
Now this was a beautiful wine. Decanted for 2 hrs, when it hit the glasses it just oozed class. Powerful nose of leather, forest floor, licorice, mild oak and dark stewed sweet cherries. The palate did not dissapoint. It glided down effortlessly. Smooth, silky and elegant. A very complex wine whose flavour evolved in the glass over the rest of the hour. Given the relatively cheap prices you can buy this wine for (less than $75) , to me this is the bargain of the year. I have a stack of 98 and 99 in the cellar and dearly hope they develop like the 94. Top stuff 94 pts
A 1962 Bas Armagnac finished off the lunch just perfectly before we convinced ourselves that a "clenza" was needed before we departed.
Chinese was the flavour of the last two weeks for me and the flower drum provided one of the best meals I have had for while. Life was tough when our guest ordered 707 and nothing else for the day.
1999 Penfolds 707
It definitely needed an hour to breath, but after it had, this wine really struted it's stuff. Long lingering flavours that developed beautifully over the day. Still displaying fruitty characteristics rather than earthy cabernet flavours. An underated vintage. 91pts but will improve
1991 Penfolds 707
I opened this the next night at home to see how the older 707 are developing and I was not disappointed in any way. This is a magnificent wine. Not a heralded vintage, but it still had many years left. A dark, dark ruby red with only slight bricking at the edges. The nose was restrained, but was predominantly cedar, tobacco and blackberrry. The palate was smooth. Integrated oak flavours that were slightly vanillan influenced. My WOTM. 94 pts
1998 Bannockburn Pinot Noir
I think this is the vintage that was collected from other vinyards with the bushfires destroying the bannockburn crop. The wine is on its last legs, but still holding ok for another year or so. Sweet jammy nose and a nice influence of strawberries and roses on the palate. Drink up if you have. 88 pts
1996 Kays Emery Block 6 Shiraz
A big, massive brooding shiraz. Years left in this wine. Was tasted blind and it reminded of a big barrossan shiraz. Vanillan oak, grippy tannins, but not a long aftertaste. Nevertheless, a high quality wine. Will develop into a classic by 2010 + 92pts
2000 Cullen Cab Merlot
Was drunk fairly quickly after being pulled from the cellar and was still a bit cold so it took a while for it to open and by that time, most of it was gone.
Deep cabernet earthy flavours that linger for ages and ages. Mulberries, cassis and tobacco nuiances. Great structure, this wine is not considered an outstanding vintage, but I think it will develop into a first rate Cullen. A classy wine. Drink 2012 + 92 pts
Seppelts DP 90 Rare Tawny
No deserts or cheeses to share this wine with. Was opened and drunk as meal in itself. This tawny lives up to all the hype, except for the exxy price of nearly $55, should be more like $40 and then it would be a steal.
The palate is dominated by the high alcohol that has not settles - 20% 90 pts
2002 Evasham Wood Cuvee J
A first class pinot. My second bottle and still a favourite. Qutie savoury, not a fruit driven pinot like bannockburn. Lush texture. 91 pts
Off to Paris and a few greek islands for the next month, so will try to log in and contribute if I come across any decent wines.
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