The Auswine Forum

Time for your weekly reports goods peoples.

TN's vibes or impressions welcome.

Some old wines we polished off last night:

1989 Mount View Estate Verdelho
This was a recent gift from the winery up Mount View Road in the Hunter. I was given this and a 1990 bottle as well. This was much lighter in colour, so I tossed it in the fridge and took it along to dinner. It actually drank OK. Particularly short on the palate, but some of the others picked up some pineapple among other things on the nose. What was nice was that the wine wasn't totally madeirised. There was an element of that, but certainly not overbearing. This was a good little palate cleanser wine for...

1998 Murdock Cabernet Sauvignon
I have tried the 2000 vintage of this wine on several occasions but never any others. We wondered if this was made by Pete Bissell... I thought this wine had a great deal more spice than the 2000, whilst remaining light to medium bodied. In my opinion not the depth and complexity of flavours in this bottle as what I have enjoyed in the more recent vintages I have tried, but certainly a pleasant wine.

1994 Bests Thompson Family Shiraz
This got about a 30 minute period in the decanter before pouring, but looked pretty good. Light red sprinkled with a tinge of brown. Silky and very well balanced, and more light than medium bodied. Drinking bloody well, and seemed to be well liked by everyone present. Little chocolate in amongst the fruit. A little pepper there as well. Wonder how many more years this wine will go, but have to appreciate how important that balance is. Hats off to Simon Clayfield. I think he made this wine.

1987 Leeuwin Estste Cabernet Sauvignon
This bottle was opened but not decanted immediately. Poured about 2 hours after opening. Incredibly youthful dark colour. Some wet earth, mushroom and wet oak on the nose. The oak became a distraction. Some fruit there, but I don't think I could pinpoint it. Mucho tannins. This wine cerainly hadn't fallen over, but was out of balance. The lack of fruit sweetness took away from this wine, but I wonder if some certain type of dish accompanying may have helped ?

2001 Di Giorgio Lucindale Cabernet Sauvignon
Interesting to see this wine, as I've one or two somewhere in my cellar. Opened and poured from bottle. After some of the above, this wine seemed a little youthful. Interestingly, I was kinda looking for a more textural experience by now, but this seemed simple. Perhaps needed a decant to bring it out a bit more. Not so dusty, and some pleasant enough fruit there.

All in all, I am going home satisfied, because in one of my first tries of some older wines, I found I liked the aged qualities brought on by a few years in the bottle. No need to panick about what I have sitting at home...as long as some of them turn out like some of the wines we had tonight.

Tom.

Wines from a Thai dinner last Monday night. All served blind except for the last two.

2003 Johanneshof Gewurztraminer (Marlborough)
Standout wine of the night, and what a way to start. Everyone was convinced this was Alsacian. Gorgeous nose and incredibly lush texture with an equally impressive finish and length. Top class and yes, better than the 2004.

2002 Culley Riesling (Marlborough)
Drier style that seemed a bit awkward. Good flavour profile though, with acid in check.

1997 Andrew Pirie Vintage Brut (Tasmania)
I didn’t rate this as highly as everyone else, but enjoyable nonetheless.

2005 Yalumba Viognier (South Australia)
Heat on palate with obvious viognier character. A midget that was squashed in this company.

2004 Triplebank Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough)
Not typically Sauv in that new vintage, fresh, overt asparagus style, however the acid and sweaty nose gave it away. Probably better than it was two years ago, but I still stand firm on my A-M sauv policy.

2004 Fiddler’s Green Riesling (Waipara)
This was good. Intense flavours and judicial acid use.

2003 Domaine Paul Blanck Riesling (Alsace)
More good gear, this with a superior texture on the back palate to the newer world rieslings.

2003 Taylors Jaraman Shiraz (Clare Valley)
Heat on the palate and to me, a clumsy wine.

1998 Mitchelton Print Series Shiraz (Central Victoria)
Didn’t show as well as the bottle I had six months ago, with no mint chocolate on this occasion. Still, good gear.

1996 Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River)
My equal top red of the night. Sensational and seamless marriage between tannins, mouthfeel and palate flavours right now. Impressive.

2002 Newton Forrest Cornerstone Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec (Hawkes Bay)
A bit wishy-washy, an obviously blended style that was a bit sweet, fruity and simple. Warmish. An easy options wine.

1998 Te Kairanga Cabernet Sauvignon (Martinborough)
Noticeable lack of fruit overwhelmed by drying tannins on the palate. However, the fruit that’s there is very ripe and very good. Surprisingly so, especially for a Martinborough Pinot. Saved by the vintage no doubt. Options bastardry.

2001 Capercaillie Chambourcin (Hunter Valley)
Alasdair did his usual trick of a bizarre grape variety. Didn’t enjoy this much, though some received it well.

2004 Greenpoint Shiraz (Yarra Valley)
Could have been Hawkes Bay Syrah, such was the white pepper and violet character of the nose. Some well proportioned sweet fruit on the palate, but finishes a little quick.

2003 Okahu Chambourcin (Northland)
A pinot on steroids, a petit syrah, a pinotage; this could have been anything. A huge surprise to discover it was a chambourcin from Northland of all places. My first from the region and a bloody good example at that. Richer than you’d expect.

2003 Nevis Bluff Pinot Noir (Central Otago)
Sweet, syrupy and going nowhere. Outclassed by everything around it and to me, a noticeably inferior wine. Simple and boring.

2003 Armantes Garnacha (Spain)
Picked blind. Unmistakably Spain and unmistakably Grenache. The full throttle style of Armantes. Good value wine, lacking polish in this lineup though.

2004 Stonecroft Zinfandel (Hawkes Bay)
Another wildcard, this time thanks to yours truly. I’m a big fan of the wine, with an unctuous texture that maintains drinkability thanks to a medium body. 14% alcohol and no hint of it, with sweet dark berry fruit and some game/forest character thrown in for good measure. Yumbo.

1967 Borgogno Riserva Barolo (Italy)
The main event. The second phase plan initiated due to an oxidised ’47 Bredif Vouvray. Andy asked me to check it initially once it was opened, thinking it was past it. It was dry, supremely tannic with no fruit. But it wasn’t faulty. It slept in the decanter for three hours and emerged a totally different beast. It was incredible. The nose alone was worshiped over, and despite a gutsy resurgence by the palate, the nose was the real stunning aspect. There was so much going on, and it was so enticing. So suave, perfumed and magical. It did start to fall over after 45min in the glass, but at its prime the wine was something to remember. The fruit blossomed on the palate, the tannins standing down but the finish still dry and dusty. Great gear.

Barros 20yo Port
Yep, this was good.


Cheers,

Special night with some very close friends.

2004 Tarrington Pinot Noir Lovely wine, raspberry color with intense flavours and great length. I like this a lot.

2001 Best Cabinet Sav. Nice berry aromas with nice vanilla fruit characters. Although their Shiraz is well known they also make a very good cabinet that is well priced.

1964 Grange My birth year wine and have been waiting for this occasion since I bought it in 1995, and we weren't disappointed. A very clean and elegent wine with an aroma that serenaded and teased all of us. Wonderful meaty flavours with a hint of spice and smokiness were present. And surprisingly their was also great length that just kept on rewarding us for our patience. This is a wine experience I will cherish for life.

2003 Clonakilla Shiraz Voigner Had the added pressure of coming after the Grange, but didn't disappoint although we couldn't stop talking about the Grange. Lovely structure and balance with silky tannins, spicy flavours with the hint of voigner thrown in.

1996 Rosemount Mountain Blue Shiraz/Cabinet Deep purple color with a very slight tinge of brown due to age. Nice white peppery and spice aromas with nicely integrated berry and choclate vanilla flavours. Has developed well and still has plenty left.

2004 Wolseley Botrytis Semillon Fresh honey sweet flavour with a golden yellow color. This was bloody good with our cheese platter.

Geoff Weaver Chardonnay 2001
Still very fresh and light in colour but some excellent bottle development with several years ahead of it. Complex nose, textural mouthfeel, long. Good. Burgundian reminiscent.

Penfolds Cellar Reserve Pinot Noir 2004
Once again, pinot shaped in the Penfolds style - big, rich and heavy handed but with the varietal tracings of pinot still quite evident, obscured a little behind the heavy handed-ness. Actually drinking much more varietally than it was a few months back and on that basis, could improve quite nicely over the next year or so.

Penley Estate Cabernet Shiraz 2001
Meaty and rich, menthol and berries. A touch dried out and with some bitterness evident but a good, hearty drink, consumed appropriately with BBQ. Honest.

Margan Semillon 2004
At first dead and watery, all front and end palate but no middle. After time, opened and developed well, proving to be quite a rounded and generous wine. Very reminiscent of a recent experience with the 02 Rockford Semillon. Ended up in good shape.

Farr Rising Pinot Noir 2002
A bit sappy and meaty and muddled but through it all, quite pleasant to drink. Some complex characters evident halfway through the bottle and began to take bloom near the end of the night, coinciding with my brain cutting out for the day.

Morris Premium Liquer Tokay (black label)
Delicious as always, unctuous, rich and balanced. All the good stuff. I love this.

Had some good gear this weekend.

95 Veuve Grand Dame

Quite a big fat style which surprised me from the more delicate Vintages I've seen. Great honey and toast bottle development with some coarseness in there. A bit of fine Chardonnay butteryness with some delicate yeasty fresh bread on the nose. Palate gorgeous luxurious and tight with great acid and mouthfeel. Not a style you'd rush out for but interesting to see.

97 Billecart Salmon
Heaps of really searing acid. Amazing reduced yeast chrachter on the nose...OK so it was H2S! Palate was so crisp it was hard to see the delicate Chardonnay as there was a bit of butcher shop Pinot sitting on it.
This wine needs heaps more time. Tough. We didn't finish it.

99 Louis Roederer
Love it when you see a house style but better. Our first vintage LR. Familiar mid weight srructure with a richness and feint coarseness to it. Obvious P/M in the blend with softer acid than many other houses. Not a great wine to age as there is some bottle development already but yummo stuff.

99 Moet
All bubbles should be this good and price! Fine delicate yeasty nose with low colour firm yet not searing acidity and a lovely minerally chalky structure. Nose is floral, with a fineness and squeaky clean autolysis charachters. Fine and persistent bead lasts the whole glass thru....and the next!

99 Veuve
Another old favorite but perhaps a little coarser and harder than the 95 and 96's we've enjoyed. Quite a robust nose showing perhaps a riper year. Good yeast on the nose, possibly a bit more vegemitey than fresh bread but still nice. Palate was good. Long rich and lingering with the sugar being well balanced by the acidity and fruit. Good Veuve, not stunning.

Cheers
Smithy[/b]

Celebrated 12 years in captivity with a bottle of MV Krug at a fav BYO tonight. All that after a romantic day at WineNZ. Havent counted them all up yet but about 200 wines

Notes to follow on WineNZ but the real standout wine for me was the 04 Pegasus Bay Encore Noble Riesling. Real world class sweet wine and after trying the 01 Yquem last week maybe im qualified to say that. Just so so goood!!

The broad reaching quality of the 05 vintage was evident this year in the Pinot Noirs especially. A few excellent Sauvignon Blancs saw me tasting more of that variety than usual. Riesling also excelled with both 05 and 06 vintages looking excellent. Many winemakers are now following Fromm La Stradas lead in producing more germanic styles instead of the plain ol kiwi formula. There are some very pretty wines around. Chardonnays were a bit painful with only a few standouts though remembering the best chardy producers were absent. I really struggle to get excited with new vintage chardonnays. Gewurtz was a bit ho hum as was Pinot Gris. Didnt try a huge amount of bordeaux styles - maybe the calm before the 05 storm?!? A few excellent syrahs too.

Found a massive amount of new wineries which I suggled to get anywhere near with the time we had. Had 4 of the kwfc team there today so will compile and compare over the next week

The 2003 Piggs Peake House of Sticks Shiraz is made from a blend of 60% unirrigated 1940 Broke Shiraz, 30% seaside McLaren Vale Shiraz, and 5% each of Orange Shiraz and Merlot.

Popped the cork and been decantered for about 2hrs. The nose is attractive, with a scent reminiscent of rasberries and vanilla. The taste reveals similar with soft tannins. It's no great Shiraz, lacking those full, wonderful dark fruits and drying tannins you expect from a Barossa Shiraz. A more elegant style, it tastes lovely with some Grana Padano split and eaten neat. Drink now.

If anyone visits the Hunter (It will be a long time before I do again, as my tastes have changed), this is one place to stop. David (winemaker) is very accommodating and is quite happy to grab the pippette and get into some samples out the back. Their sticky Zinfandel in Russian Oak and sticky Verdhelo are something to savour.

Maximus wrote:2003 Domaine Paul Blanck Riesling (Alsace)
More good gear, this with a superior texture on the back palate to the newer world rieslings.
2002 Newton Forrest Cornerstone Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec (Hawkes Bay)
A bit wishy-washy, an obviously blended style that was a bit sweet, fruity and simple. Warmish. An easy options wine.

1967 Borgogno Riserva Barolo (Italy)
The main event. The second phase plan initiated due to an oxidised ’47 Bredif Vouvray. Andy asked me to check it initially once it was opened, thinking it was past it. It was dry, supremely tannic with no fruit. But it wasn’t faulty. It slept in the decanter for three hours and emerged a totally different beast. It was incredible. The nose alone was worshiped over, and despite a gutsy resurgence by the palate, the nose was the real stunning aspect. There was so much going on, and it was so enticing. So suave, perfumed and magical. It did start to fall over after 45min in the glass, but at its prime the wine was something to remember. The fruit blossomed on the palate, the tannins standing down but the finish still dry and dusty. Great gear.
Cheers,

Max
Sounds great.

Re: the Paul Blanck - do you ever see the cru bottlings, especially the Schlossberg. That latter wine is stunning IMO. I'm guessing it would be around the $45-50 mark if you do get it.

Re: the Cornerstone - Damn This has been a reliable wine for us and this sounds out of keeping with what we like about it. I got two bottles of the 02 and would typically aim to open the 1st in a couple of years (one more 2000 to slot in beforehand) and the 2nd one in a further 1-3 years depending on the first. Not sure whether to change this now.

Re: the Borgogno Riserva - Yes they're a gamble these Barolo's, but when they sing they're enchanting. I'm hoping to pick up some older bottles sometime, one Giacosa from a merchant friend and possibly some from an upcoming trip to Turin/Alba. It's a pain when even the 96's are way too young <impatience icon>

Many thanks for the notes

regards

Ian

Hardy's Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2004: Complex nose of lemon, lime grapefruit, melon, with notes of smoke and wet stones. Fantastic palate combines elegance and power with flavours of cashew, yeasty biscuit, lemon, melon, peaches and nectarines with a long acidic finsh bringing mineral elements with it. Very lean and tight but with great depth of fruit. One of my favourite recent release chardonnays ~ 93 points

Seppelts Moyston Cab Sav 2004: I have really enjoyed this wine since release but found a slight tart and green element to this bottle. Slightly dissapointing ~ 86 points

Giaconda Warner Vineyard Shiraz 2004: This was a very enjoyable wine which delivered upon expectations. Let the wine breathe in the decanter for approx 2 hours giving it a chance to open up, which it did even more in the glass. The nose revealed elements of lead pencil, pepper, dried herbs, earth, meatiness with plums and cassis - lots of interest. The palate showed great complexity and elegance delivering plum, blackerry, cherry with a savoury edge. Notes of spice, meat and smoke give a great complex edge to the wine. A wine exhibiting great finesse and fruit purity ~ 95 points

Wirra Wirra RSW Shiraz 2002: The antithesis of the Giaconda in style but no means lacking any itself. Wonderful ripe fruit giving a sense of plum and blackberry jam with elements of chocolate, coffee and toasty cedar. Excellent McLaren Vale shiraz ~ 92 points

On Friday night our little wine group of 7, I call the Boys.
Had dinner at one of our members homes as it was his turn to
do a once a year presentation and we had to guess the theme.

1986 Hill of Grace, my 3rd the group rating was 1st.

1990 Wendouree Shiraz, everyone rated this last.

1986 Grange, my 4th the group rated this 6th.

1986 707, my 2nd and the group rated it 4th.

1990 Basket Press,my 1st but the group rated this one 3rd.

1990 Mount Mary Quintet, mine and the groups 5th.

1987 Moss Wood Cab, my 6th wine and the groups 2nd.

This was my best ever wine experience and I will remember it for a long
time to come. And all these wines where in top shape.
Also in the theme we had a 1988 Leewin Art Series Chardy but it was
oxidized.

MartinJohnC wrote:On Friday night our little wine group of 7, I call the Boys.
Had dinner at one of our members homes as it was his turn to
do a once a year presentation and we had to guess the theme.

1986 Hill of Grace, my 3rd the group rating was 1st.

1990 Wendouree Shiraz, everyone rated this last.

1986 Grange, my 4th the group rated this 6th.

1986 707, my 2nd and the group rated it 4th.

1990 Basket Press,my 1st but the group rated this one 3rd.

1990 Mount Mary Quintet, mine and the groups 5th.

1987 Moss Wood Cab, my 6th wine and the groups 2nd.

This was my best ever wine experience and I will remember it for a long
time to come. And all these wines where in top shape.
Also in the theme we had a 1988 Leewin Art Series Chardy but it was
oxidized.

Were the wines tasted blind?

very quiet week on the wine front:

2005 Turkey Flat Rose

Reasonably nice nose of crushed strawberries on opening, but that is about as good as it got. The palate was missing, barely any fruit showing. Quite a dry style of Rose, no lingering finish, a hint of glazed cherries, a lick of acid. Below par, disappointing wine for the price.

Ian S wrote:Re: the Paul Blanck - do you ever see the cru bottlings, especially the Schlossberg. That latter wine is stunning IMO. I'm guessing it would be around the $45-50 mark if you do get it.

Re: the Cornerstone - Damn This has been a reliable wine for us and this sounds out of keeping with what we like about it. I got two bottles of the 02 and would typically aim to open the 1st in a couple of years (one more 2000 to slot in beforehand) and the 2nd one in a further 1-3 years depending on the first. Not sure whether to change this now.

Re: the Borgogno Riserva - Yes they're a gamble these Barolo's, but when they sing they're enchanting. I'm hoping to pick up some older bottles sometime, one Giacosa from a merchant friend and possibly some from an upcoming trip to Turin/Alba. It's a pain when even the 96's are way too young <impatience icon>

Many thanks for the notes

regards

Ian

Ian,

We do see the Schlossberger and other cru bottlings over here but they're pretty rare. Blanck isn't a fast seller, certainly down here in Chch anyway, and I actually scored the riesling and Altenbourg Gewurz at half price. Makes it a no-brainer. Interesting to see screwcaps on his '03 riesling.

The Cornerstone showed okay. Is it the cab/merlot/malbec you have? Because I had a same vintage merlot several months back that showed a lot better than this blended bottle:

A deep, inky red. Nose closed. Wild raspberry, smoke, violets and a cacophony of other flavours. Dark berry fruit with earth and chocolate on the palate. Young, aggressive tannin profile. Ample structure, with good, ripe fruit, complementary acid and a generous finish. Will age well.

At least the blend isn't faulty, nor is it green or tannic. I'd suggest you keep on with your drinking plan, because any extra bottle time will only assist with development of some complexity.

And re the Barolo impatience, would you not be referring to the '97s?

Cheers,

Jordan wrote:Giaconda Warner Vineyard Shiraz 2004: This was a very enjoyable wine which delivered upon expectations. Let the wine breathe in the decanter for approx 2 hours giving it a chance to open up, which it did even more in the glass. The nose revealed elements of lead pencil, pepper, dried herbs, earth, meatiness with plums and cassis - lots of interest. The palate showed great complexity and elegance delivering plum, blackerry, cherry with a savoury edge. Notes of spice, meat and smoke give a great complex edge to the wine. A wine exhibiting great finesse and fruit purity ~ 95 points

Jordan,

Thanks for the note. I'm interested to hear how the '04 Warner is received, and the '05 when released. What was the tannin profile and texture like? Was it rich and bold or more elegant and sophisticated (you mention finesse, so the latter?). And also, do you know much about the Warner Vineyard? Age of vines, site aspect, etc etc?

Cheers,

Mitchelton Print Label Shiraz 2002
With Lunch on Friday and I can definately see what all the fuss is about over this one. I had a 99 a few months back and while that was a good wine this was fantastic. Needs a good decant (which we didn't do) the last glass was by far the best and it was still building in complexity until the end. Lovely rich palate of dark fruit flavours with some classy oak backing it up.

Seppelts Chalambar 2001
Been a fan of this label for quite a few years now and this one didn't dissapoint. Spices and fruit with the tanins starting to settle down in this one. Don't think it will be as long lived as some of the other vintages but it still has a good few years ahead of it yet.

Hardys Tintara Shiraz 1996
Had several bottles of this over the last 12 months and a lot of bottle variation, this one was a goodun though. Lovely aged shiraz that is at its peak for my palate.

Glen

1996 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz
Nice rich smooth red but may be a bit boring - the first of three bottles I bought - no hurry to drink the others just hope it develops a bit more personality.

I quickly tried the Leconfield range Saturday afternoon.

The 2003 Synergy Coonawarra McLaren Vale Cabernet Shiraz wasn't bad, but the standout was the 2004 Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon; none of the overly breezy/green characters typical of the label, but strong blackcurrant fruit with a hint of black olive. Not quite as good as the Majella, but not too far off either.

Cheers,
Ian

GRB wrote:Mitchelton Print Label Shiraz 2002
With Lunch on Friday and I can definately see what all the fuss is about over this one. I had a 99 a few months back and while that was a good wine this was fantastic. Needs a good decant (which we didn't do) the last glass was by far the best and it was still building in complexity until the end. Lovely rich palate of dark fruit flavours with some classy oak backing it up.

Glen, Had the 99 in January this year, and felt it was on the start of a slippery slide downhill. But it was an outstanding bottle of wine. I'll look forward to the 2002. My notes on the 99...

Blood red in the glass, pink to the edge. On opening at cellar temperature - intense aromas of rich blood plum and blackberry, giving way to dark chocolate with time in the glass. On the palate - medium bodied, delicate, soft silky tannins - plum, chocolate and aniseed. Finish - long and lasting mocca. A great wine with tremendous structure and delicacy - perhaps reaching the prime of its life, with the alcohol just beginning to show as the fruit begins to subside. Drink up.


Now to weekend notes...

Last night I finally opened a 2004 Godolphin to see what all the fuss was about. Having only 2 bottles of this, I thought I'd experiment with Bottle #1 to find the ideal decantering time...

2004 Glaetzer Godolphin
Opened and double decanted, then left to sit in open bottle...

0 Hours: Dark and musty, ruby/purple grape colour. Rich blackberry liquor nose. Intense dark fruits and toasted oak on the palate. Slight acidic kick but no signs of alcohol or heat. Beautifully textured mouth feel. Silky, sweet tannins and a medium-length finish.

+3 Hours: Dark fruit in the background, with a bouquet of gorgeous floral notes now dominating the nose with a touch of vanilla. Sweet blueberry on the palate with acidity in perfect balance. Full-bodied without being heavy. Elegant, delicate and fresh.

+5 Hours: Aromas fading. Plum replacing blueberry, with fruitcake components now giving a bit more complexity on the palate. A little spice gives the wine some extra length and bite.

At present, best overall at +3 hours.

Max,

The tannin profile was superb. Very fine gained tannins that gave the wine a feeling of tension - if that makes any sense . The tannins are key in the tight, coiled feeling of the wine at the moment and will see great longevity for this wine in my opinion. The mouthfeel is all about finesse and elegance. Very medium bodied with perfect balance and structure.

As to the Warner vineyard i know very little about it besides it is Giaconda's neighbour's property and makes a very fine cool climate Shiraz!

Cheers,

Jordan

Maximus wrote:

Ian S wrote:Re: the Paul Blanck - do you ever see the cru bottlings, especially the Schlossberg. That latter wine is stunning IMO. I'm guessing it would be around the $45-50 mark if you do get it.

Re: the Cornerstone - Damn This has been a reliable wine for us and this sounds out of keeping with what we like about it. I got two bottles of the 02 and would typically aim to open the 1st in a couple of years (one more 2000 to slot in beforehand) and the 2nd one in a further 1-3 years depending on the first. Not sure whether to change this now.

Re: the Borgogno Riserva - Yes they're a gamble these Barolo's, but when they sing they're enchanting. I'm hoping to pick up some older bottles sometime, one Giacosa from a merchant friend and possibly some from an upcoming trip to Turin/Alba. It's a pain when even the 96's are way too young <impatience icon>

Many thanks for the notes

regards

Ian

Ian,

We do see the Schlossberger and other cru bottlings over here but they're pretty rare. Blanck isn't a fast seller, certainly down here in Chch anyway, and I actually scored the riesling and Altenbourg Gewurz at half price. Makes it a no-brainer. Interesting to see screwcaps on his '03 riesling.

The Cornerstone showed okay. Is it the cab/merlot/malbec you have? Because I had a same vintage merlot several months back that showed a lot better than this blended bottle:

A deep, inky red. Nose closed. Wild raspberry, smoke, violets and a cacophony of other flavours. Dark berry fruit with earth and chocolate on the palate. Young, aggressive tannin profile. Ample structure, with good, ripe fruit, complementary acid and a generous finish. Will age well.

At least the blend isn't faulty, nor is it green or tannic. I'd suggest you keep on with your drinking plan, because any extra bottle time will only assist with development of some complexity.

And re the Barolo impatience, would you not be referring to the '97s?

Cheers,

Max
Thanks for this - yes a good deal on the Blanck's (though I couldn't recommend the standard Gewurz - it wasn't very impressive, but I expect the Cru you've got tp be much better).

Cornerstone is indeed the blend. I'll stick to plan and we'll see how it goes.

Barolo/Barbaresco - yes got a range of vintages 96,97,98,99 and 2000 and only ones drunk recently have been a 95 Vigna Munie by a lesser known Conterno and a 2003 Barbaresco Corsini by Araldica (cheapie). Will probably crack one soon, but I reckon whatever I open will need a vigourous or long decant. 96 is generally a very "tight" vintage with 97 being warmer with lower acidity, so possibly more open, but I still would like to wait a few years (esp. the 97 Aldo Conterno Cicala). Hopefully we'll nab an older bottle or two whilst in Alba/Torino. Caveat: I do like aged Barolo!

regards

Ian

Cleared out the remaining Tollanas from my cellar. The results below show how much this once well respected label was dumbed down over the later part of the 90s

Tollana SHZ 1998
Did not need any more time and well integrated with some plummy fruit still showing. Nice but lacked any real grunt on the back palate.

Tollana Shz 2000
The label said the fruit came from South Aus and this about summed up the bottle. A simple shiraz that could have been sourced from just about anywhere in South Eastern Aus!

None of these do justice to the best of the 222s of the mid 90's which represented the best value going around. I had the last of my 98 222s about 12mths ago and it was not of the same quality as previous releases.

I understand that the brand has been re- introduced but have not seen any recent releases here in Tas. Any reports about this once well respected Eden valley brand from forum members?

Possum

Hobart

2002 Pinot Noir - Morgan Vineyards - Yarra Valley
The discussion of Five Oaks in another thread had me pull out this wine along with a few others from a trip to the Yarra Valley and Warburton a little while back.

light garnet in colour with a strong cherry/forest floor nose with hints of white pepper - strawberry and leather long but rather delicate finish.