The Auswine Forum

time for your weekly drinking reports.

The Kays 1998 Hillside is developing very well; tannins are still noticeable and the fruit is fresh, so there is no great hurry to drink them.

The Elderton 2001 Shiraz was a bit of a disappointment. The fruit is strating to fade and the oak is dominating; drink now.

Now what have you good folks been drinking?

1990 Mount Mary Chardonnay Considering the age of the wine, the colour is much lighter than what I expected. It didnt open up until half an hour later. It may pass it peak already but still drinking very well.


1999 Elieen Hardy Chardonnay Deeper colour than the Mount Mary. Fruity and creamy on the nose. Fruity, toasted honey on the palate. If you like the style, it is very enjoyable, especially with some rich taste food.

Leasingham Bin 61 Shiraz 1998

Decanted for an hour. Very nice wine at its peak. Soft, but with a fair bit of fruit left. Starting to dry out after a couple of hours - but that could just be me. 40% of bottle left for tomorrow night.

I tried a range at an instore during the week - despite being advertised as Jasper Hill with Scorpo, it turned out there was only one JH for tasting.

I didn't take any notes, so these are my brief impressions:

2006 Scorpo Pinot Gris - reserved nose, surprisingly (fruit) sweet palate, very long, creamy finish. Excellent but pricey.

2006 Scorpo Chardonnay - typical, boring, oaky chardy lacking mid-palate weight.

2006 Scorpo Pinot Rose - decent, considering Pinot Rose's don't appeal to me.

2004 Scorpo Pinot Noir - excellent young pinot, sweet cherry at first, then earthy/smoky, and a sweet long finish.

2004 Scorpo Shiraz - licorice/sweet nose; alarmingly sweet raspberry palate, long classy finish. A little porty/almost grenache-like at times.

2005 Ochams Razor Shiraz - fruit bomb nose; malty oak palate, lacking structure.

2005 Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Shiraz - floral nose, slightly herbal, then cool cherries; excellent mid-weight palate, long tannic finish. Only 13.5% and surprisingly elegant for JH.

Cheers,
Ian

rooview wrote:1997 Bollinger Grande Annee - worth every bith of its price of entry - depth, complexity and intrigue. Hints of warm croissant and mushrooms. Appealing and far too easy drinking with plenty of acidity providing overall balance and refreshing the mouth.

1997 Andrea Oberto Barolo Vigneto Rocche - generous and rich on the nose if slightly grapey. Not so generous on the palate and with a drying finish. Not sure what to make of this - not Barolo as I know it. Enjoyable now with a bit of protein or rich tomato stew - will it improve?

Who needs 'classic' vintages?

// edited due to post UTI

We had a bottle of the 97 Bolly last night (there's also a similar posting of this wine on Robin Garr's site). Sadly nothing like yours (or the other note I mention), with boiled cabbage being the dominant aroma/taste. Surely an 'off' bottle, but being no expert on wine faults, don't know which.

Thankfully the Roederer NV was excellent

I'm still confident on the 97 Barolos for future development, though it may be a case of variations across producers and even wines from the same producer. Maybe there's less variation in the classical vintages.

I almost forgot, I've also tried a couple of bottles of 1999 Chateau Pierre-Bise Anjou Gamay I got at auction.

The first bottle was corked, the second was oxidised.

Kilkanoon Oracle 02 - very closed wine - after 1.5 hr breathing - still closed but starting to show nice fruit and toasty oak

Leasingham Classic Clare 94 Shiraz - heaps better than the one tried 6 months ago -very smooth easy drinking red

Penfolds Magills 93 - same as the last - past it

cheers
Seddo

While in the Barossa last month, I tried many of the Kabminye wines. On Krondorf Rd and a bit further on than Rockford. Very good range with the winemaker Richard also doing nice things with stickies. One unusual if not freak wine was the Kabminye AU (gold). An absolute must taste for any red bigot who enjoys a stickie with desert or late in the evening.

On wednesday this week, I open Kabminye Barossa Shiraz and Kabminye Hubert Shiraz. Both excellent wines with the Hubert being the more longer term wine. By saturday the Hubert was singing my song. Wish they were bigger bottles. I have ordered more of both of these wines.

I also found a great place to stay in Tanunda. Very central. A unit for $90 a night ($100 on Fri & Sat). PM me if you want info. I even took some piccies.

cheers
Graham

GrahamB wrote:While in the Barossa last month, I tried many of the Kabminye wines. On Krondorf Rd and a bit further on than Rockford. Very good range with the winemaker Richard also doing nice things with stickies. One unusual if not freak wine was the Kabminye AU (gold). An absolute must taste for any red bigot who enjoys a stickie with desert or late in the evening.

On wednesday this week, I open Kabminye Barossa Shiraz and Kabminye Hubert Shiraz. Both excellent wines with the Hubert being the more longer term wine. By saturday the Hubert was singing my song. Wish they were bigger bottles. I have ordered more of both of these wines.

I also found a great place to stay in Tanunda. Very central. A unit for $90 a night ($100 on Fri & Sat). PM me if you want info. I even took some piccies.

cheers
Graham

Rick's not the Winemaker (well, not the table wines at least) although he has a pretty big influence in directing what approach the actual Winemakers take. For the record Christa Deans made the whites, Paul Lindner the red blends, and Colin Glaetzer the varietal reds.

I like what they're doing there - lots of very unusual and interesting things along with some classic Barossa styles. The food there is great too.

Cheers,
Ian

2004 Mr Riggs The Gaffer Shiraz
Opened with a snootful of H2S, which was difficult to get past. Some reasonably bright fruit up front, but could not finish the glass.

2002 Kilikanoon Parable Shiraz
Dark plummy fruit, and some intense regional earthiness, and a little mushroom/undergrowth thrown into the mix. Dark plums up front, and a little black olive and tar through the middle. Pulls up a little short, but a reasonably satifying drop.

2005 Grampians Mafeking Shiraz
Have always enjoyed this label. Lifted rasberry and blueberry fruit, with whisps of gound pepper and a little oak extract. Linear palate, tightly wound up, but good depth and would love to see in 5-6 years.

LL

Friday
2001 Villa Antinori
Choc bomb dropped in the dirt. Finished nice and savoury.
Yum+
2002 Ata Rangi
Walking through the farm with a basket of berries. Nicely developed, maybe a little green, but I like it alot.
Yum++
97 Leeuwin Art Series Cab
Lost in the forest. Dark and brambly. Drinking very well
Yum+
2005 Clonakilla SV
Savoury apricot tart. Bit young but bloody good.
Yum++
Very good nights drinking. Very sore head on Sat morning

Koonara Angels Peak Cab Sav 2004
Raved about by the illustrious GW and I have to agree punches well above its weight. Needs a bit of breathing to kick it into life.

Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 1998
A 98 that is far from falling over, lovely wine with great depth and complexity will the recent offerings turn out this good, will have to wait and see?

Glen

[quote="GrahamB"]While in the Barossa last month, I tried many of the Kabminye wines. On Krondorf Rd and a bit further on than Rockford. Very good range with the winemaker Richard also doing nice things with stickies. One unusual if not freak wine was the Kabminye AU (gold). An absolute must taste for any red bigot who enjoys a stickie with desert or late in the evening.

On wednesday this week, I open Kabminye Barossa Shiraz and Kabminye Hubert Shiraz. Both excellent wines with the Hubert being the more longer term wine. By saturday the Hubert was singing my song. Wish they were bigger bottles. I have ordered more of both of these wines.


Couldn't agree with you more Graham, I love Kabminye wines. Dining in their restaurant is also really good. Not a huge menu but it was one of the best meals i have ever eaten.

Wine of the week was a toss up between:-

Seppelt Dorrien 1999, seriously good Barossa cab 8 years young and still showing lovely primary fruit.

St Hallett Old Block 2003, the current release and really a sensational shiraz from a vintage no one raved about. Lovely complex of fruit and cedary spice with a whack of char all rolled into a viscous palate with a long savoury finish. Stunner.

04 Wolf Blass Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz
I didnt really enjoy this. It reeks of American oak, and on the third night, was still excessively oakey and quite simple.

99 Greenock Creek Creek Block Shiraz
I enjoyed this wine.Its pretty balanced, and has a core of good fruit, that will be better in a few years.

02 Kaesler Old Vine Shiraz
The oak has been swollowed up by the fruit since my last bottle, and I really enjoyed this wine.

02 Heritage Roscos Shiraz
This has really come on in the past year, and is brilliant drinking. Great wine.

GRB wrote

Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 1998
A 98 that is far from falling over, lovely wine with great depth and complexity will the recent offerings turn out this good, will have to wait and see?

I also had a bottle late last week and agree is still brilliant and travelling well. What a bargain of wine from auction. Plenty still out there and has at least a couple of years to still peak. Would really like to know of a better aged Shiraz for the price if it exists.

Partagas wrote:GRB wrote

Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 1998
A 98 that is far from falling over, lovely wine with great depth and complexity will the recent offerings turn out this good, will have to wait and see?

I also had a bottle late last week and agree is still brilliant and travelling well. What a bargain of wine from auction. Plenty still out there and has at least a couple of years to still peak. Would really like to know of a better aged Shiraz for the price if it exists.

Which price? The 29.99 recommended retail or the 19.99 for which it was widely available, or the current auction price?

2004 Voyager Estate Chard - very nice. Still fresh with a good balance of acid, melon and stonefruit and oak characters.

2004 Rockford Rifle Range Cab Sav - very full, rich Barossan style of cab. Lots of plums, cherries and blackberries with notes of licorice and dried leaf. The high alcohol is evident but does not feel out of place. Softish tannins carry through the finish. This is not a wine to sit and contemplate but to enjoy its generousity of flavour.

2004 Odfjell Armador Aliara (Chile - Maule Valley) - a Chilean blend of cab sav, merlot, carignan and cab franc. A medium bodied wine with cherry and briary fruit filling out the taut palate. There are nuances of smokiness, earth and a backbone of fine tannins. Very subtle and svelte wine that was goo wit food. Good stuff.

Tried 3 vinages of the cheaper Parker Cabernet (about $35 retail)
1998 Parker Terra Rossa - Whilst in good nick this was the least balanced of the three and I can't really see it improving, although 9 years old is still young for Coonawarra. Just seemed to lack the finesse of the other vintages
1999 Parker Terra Rossa - Leathery Coonawarra Cab with good underlying fruit and well balanced tannins made this excellent drinking.
2001 Parker Tera Rossa - Much more pronounced fruit on this one compared to the 1999. Blackberry with a hint of chocolate. Mmmm.
2001 Wolf Blass Black Label Cabernet Shiraz - Very soft easy drinking with good fruit/oak/tannin balance however probably not worth the price tag but I was glad to share it with friends who brought it along.

Davo

Which price? The 29.99 recommended retail or the 19.99 for which it was widely available, or the current auction price?

The auction price. I think about $24. So ended up being just under RRP but that vintage of that wine is so much better than any other vintage I've tried. In fact (beides the 98 and maybe 04 which I'm yet to try) I'm not a big fan of the 128 in general.

Partagas wrote:Davo

Which price? The 29.99 recommended retail or the 19.99 for which it was widely available, or the current auction price?

The auction price. I think about $24. So ended up being just under RRP but that vintage of that wine is so much better than any other vintage I've tried. In fact (beides the 98 and maybe 04 which I'm yet to try) I'm not a big fan of the 128 in general.

The 98 Bin 128 is indeed hanging in there very nicely. I have not tried a 98 Bin 28 for several years.

04 Rouge Homme Limestone Coast Cab Shiraz
Good mid week wine but not that exciting

02 Igoldby Shiraz
CORKED

02 Leasingham Baston Cab Sauv
The last of 2 dozen. For under $10 on special one of the great value wines of the last few years. Roll on the release of the 04 (03 still at my local)

2001 Glenguin Christina Semillion
This had the classic problem in Hunter Semillion of aged character being too close to maderised rather than development. Acceptable but no inclination to finish the bottle.

2004 Happs Verdelho
While didn't match the fish and chips that well by itself afterwards excellent. When there is some room to move in the budget it will be time for a couple of cases of Happs - I just wish they were a bit easier to bet in the east.

2004 Red Mullet Blend (Pike's Clare Valley)
A good bistro wine. At $14 not too unhappy but not particularly interesting.

Domaine d'Andezon Cotes du Rhone 2004
Bought a couple of CdRs this week. One made me yawn. This one's a bolter. Open and perfumed violets and raspberries on the nose. Blackberries and cassis on the palate. Clean as a whistle ... palate interests with good length and structure and great purity. Blind I'd pick it as a very good Victorian Shiraz. Peaking in 2 years and holding for 5. Recommended and great QPR at $20nzd.

More investigation confirms why I like it ... 80% syrah. Anyone who likes Seppelts is going to love this baby.

DJ wrote:
2001 Glenguin Christina Semillion
This had the classic problem in Hunter Semillion of aged character being too close to maderised rather than development. Acceptable but no inclination to finish the bottle.
.

More of a problem with the closure than Hunter semillon usually I would say.
GW

Yeah sorry Davo, I think you know I did mean 28 (Kalimna) not 128 (Coonawarra). Have not enoyed any 128's at all but have not tried 98 vintage. Maybe I will now on that note. But do try 28 98

Penfolds St Henri 2001

Wish I could be more enthusiastic about this. Flavoursome and full but very rustic and edgy, not the subtle, classic wine I've known previously. A fair bit of complexity, with jags of warm cedary oak, berry fruits, tar and smoke but not the smooth and pleasant ride I was probably expecting. Frankly a touch ordinary for it's reputation. Not as good as the last bottle of 01 I had.

Wayno wrote:Penfolds St Henri 2001

Wish I could be more enthusiastic about this. Flavoursome and full but very rustic and edgy, not the subtle, classic wine I've known previously. A fair bit of complexity, with jags of warm cedary oak, berry fruits, tar and smoke but not the smooth and pleasant ride I was probably expecting. Frankly a touch ordinary for it's reputation. Not as good as the last bottle of 01 I had.

It's funny, I tried it again last weekend and came up with a similar conclusion from a different starting point.

A couple of years ago I thought it was very atypical for a St Henri, extremely ripe/primary blackberry fruit with powdery tannins.

This time it was more in the classic St Henri style, pretty approachable with resolved fruit/leather and chocolate/violet characters already, but still with a hint of raisin and just a bit of alcohol heat sticking out on the finish. All of a sudden it's a drink now/soon prospect without ever having the voluptuousness of the 1996/2002, or the elegant beauty of the 1998/1999.

Cheers,
Ian