The Auswine Forum

Hi Good Peoples,

You know the drill. Time to let is know what you have been drinking over the past week.

Lists vibes and tasting notes all welcome.

02 Penfolds St Henri beautiful wine. This is the third time i've had it, and it just keeps getting better. Could quite well be my favourite wine ever made.

04 Bin 389 Quite a good wine, but found it a bit boring. Nothing leapt out. Similar to the 04 grant burge filsell, but more expensive.

04 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Excellent. JO only slapped 95 points on this one, I think it could do with another point. I can't find a fault in it, perfectly balanced, smooth tannins, MR character. Similarly to the 389, nothing leapt out, but for this wine that is a good thing. Constraint, elegance and construction. A perfectly congruent wine. 96.

06 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc An enjoyable quaff.

2004 Penfolds Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the 'Big Kahuna', the top of the tree Penfolds Special Bin Cabernet Sauvignon. It is rare, hyped, extremely expensive (circa $450 a bottle) and loved by collectors and those with too much money. It is a centre piece for a discerning cellar, a trophy, and a joker in a game of ‘impress your wine friends’. Oh and it’s also a pretty good drink too. To describe this wine it is easiest to compare it to the [2004] Bin 707. It certainly is related. The wine itself gives off an excellent nose of blackberry, cream, liquorice and polished leather. The palate is very creamy and compact showing gorgeous texture. Flavours are well controlled if a little one dimensional or linear – blackberries, hints of fine chocolate and cream. The wine exhibits lovely refined sweetness and ripeness through the palate. The tannins feel absolutely invisible. It did display a tiny bit of awkwardness at this stage of life but it wasn’t in any way unapproachable or monolithic. It certainly had a first growth feel to it just in regards to its control, attention to detail and deceptive power and depth. A great wine to try and tick off your list, but at the end of the day diminishing returns is rife in wines like this. Three times the price of Bin 707 for maybe 1-5% more quality?? To me it also lacked some ‘x factor’ and ‘spunk’, it did appear very clinical. Collectors will love this wine, those who drink it will enjoy it immensely, but the more ‘cool headed’ wine freak will realise bang for buck definitely lies elsewhere. 104/109

Had a trip the Barossa yesterday and after a few stops went to Cafe Blonde for lunch then Kaeslers to take a couple of friends who hadn't been there to try their wines.

This time got to try the 05 and 04 Old Vine Shiraz, newly released 05 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2004 Old Bastard, all of which were delicious.
At $160 per bottle for the OB I just couldnt justify it though.

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, at 15% just keeps getting better. Plum flavours, well balanced and smooth as the proverbial.

Also got given a bottle of Heritage Wines newly released 2005 Heritage Shiraz which I look forward to trying.

A mixed week(end), as they tend to be these days.

Wyndham Estate Show Reserve Shiraz 1998
Opened a bottle only to be confronted with a distinctive pong of manurey horsey bretty saddley stink. Didn't like this at all, so opened another bottle (the last as it turns out) and found it more or less identical. Leaving them both, they lost their unpleasantness but remained largely unimpressive. Savoury, strung out leathery, raspy tannins but still with quite a lot of fruit forwardness on the palate and reasonable length. I chewed through a half bottle and decided that was enough. The second bottle was used for cooking last night and when I actually tasted it, the stink was back with a vengeance, by then largely undrinkable.

Scorpo Pinot Noir 2003
This was a good wine. Press on these wines (or this vintage at least) indicated a resemblance to dry red in the shiraz mode. I couldn't agree as whilst this was quite forward and strong, it was very much a pinot, with loads of subtle fruit power and resounding, impressive length. A sturdy, well structured wine with some chalky tannins, lovely cherry and plum notes and a swept broomful of autumn leaf undergrowth. Quality.

Longhop Shiraz 05
Only the smallest sip of this but a pretty impressive little number with slightly hot finish but solidly built for entertaining with loads of vinous punch. Seemed pretty fruit forward but not cloying. Nice and good value.

Morris Tokay NV (White Label)
Drunk a lot of the black label but never this and was quite impressed. Quite a different drink to the Old Premium lighter and a nice match for cheeses whereas the black guy seems to generally overpower cheeses and stands alone for me usually. Very drinkable.

Chateaneuf du Pape Les Cailloux Andre Brunel 2000
Slightly bretty, pooey nose but blew off after a bit of audoze-ing. Delicious, structured wine, savoury characters of char grilled meats, smallgoods and leather with some good fruit still showing. Long finish, well composed and structured. My last and will be missed but think it went out on a good note.

Seppelt Moyston Cabernet 2003
The nose is quite repressed with a bit of mint and blackfruit but plenty of palatable flavour. Medium bodied but quite big and strapping for it, with dried herbs, smoke and blackcurrant sharing space in the glass. A touch of meatiness. Loads of flavour, filling the mouth and obviously varietal. Quite angular and clumsy and there are some telltale alcoholic hotspots as it slides down; this definitely needs time but with that, it will be a different beast and all the better for it.

Meeting Place Viognier 2004, Canberra, 13.5%, screwcap.
- Still a few left from a case of this I bought on special for about $13 a bottle. This does not appear to have moved much since I last had a bottle - good primary fruit, a nose of citrus, ginger and apricot, plus good texture and palate weight. I don't recall who the growers for this fruit were, but it will be interesting to see how many viogniers start to appear from Canberra district wineries in the absence of the Hardy's Kamberra brand.

Tahbilk Cabernet Franc 2004, Nagambie Lakes, 14%, screwcap.
- Good gear this, and cheap as. I visited Tahbilk for the first time last week and, remembering good reviews of the 2004 cab franc, asked if they had any out the back. A quick check, a yes we have, and 6 bottles went into my case for mailing back to Canberra. And at the same price as the current release 2006 cabernet franc. Yet another reason to think well of Tahbilk. The wine itself offers settled red fruits, attractive tannins, a lick of vanilla oak, and a refreshing line of acid. Pretty much exactly what I like in quaffable cabernet franc.

Manton's Creek Tempranillo 2004, Mornington Peninsula, 15.6%, screwcap.
- Yes, that 15.6% alcohol is not a typo. I bought a case from Manton's of all different things, including their interesting bottlings of pinot meunier as a table red. I wasn't completely sure about this tempranillo vintage from them, but wanted to give it some time in bottle to see if it achieved better integration. The answer now appears to be no. The acids are poking out as a mix of citrus characters, including some orange or mandarin. The alcohol is far too evident, the fruit clearly showing some signs of being stewed and jammy. Strangest of all, the toasty oak characters seem to be poking out even more, putting a layer of caramel onto the overripe fruits. I'll give this another look tonight, but I'm glad I only got a taster bottle or two.

Also took an MVSA Vallformosa Brut NV Cava and a bottle of Jay Tulloch's cellar door release 2005 sangiovese to a new pizzeria in Dickson on Friday night. The MVSA is about the most dangerously drinkable cava I've had - a lovely mix of green apple and nutty characters. The Tulloch sangiovese was not in a full-on cherry style, but a good, unobtrusive foil to the excellent pizza.

Redman Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, 1994.

Dark red coloured with the merest touch of brown at the rim. On decanting, lots of coffee pouring off this and in the glass, leather and solid blackcurrant fruit rising from beneath it. Initially, quite leathery and savoury in the mouth with only hints of savoury blackcurrant, but after an hour or so, cassis is beginning to rise and fill out the body. Started off a bit short, but the appearance of fruit weight lends moderate length to the finish. Smoked duck breast seemed to bring out some more cassis too. If one looks and sucks real hard, there are light drying tannins still holding on in there but generally they are mostly resolved. Became more mouth-filling over three or so hours and the last mouthful was the best. Made in the days of lower alcohol at only 12.5%. Pleasant enough now but can’t see it getting any better. Overall, an enjoyable bottle of wine and my first experience of an older Coonawarra cab.

Cheers

Dave

A few impressions

D'arry's Original 1996
Last of these and the best. Pure medium red colour with no bricking. Very fragrant on opening. Closed up slightly after the first glass and opened again after two hours. Interesting. Flavours similar to the last note but less volatility (just a hint) and a purer core of sweet kirsch. Very Good.

St Hallet's 1977 racing series VP
After a tasting where a saw a label with similar colours I thought I would open one of these. Deep red, slightly murky with just a hint of bricking. Notes of licorice on opening leading to chocolate after an hour. Sweet fruit keeping things primary still. If this was slightly less sweet this would be very impressive. Good.

Chapoutier Belleruche cotes du Rhone 2005
A pleasant surprise. Light to medium red. Nice provencal herbs and raspberry on the nose. Minerally, raspberry palate with a moderate finish. A clean (no brett here), lighter weight CdR providing good news about the 2005 vintage this far south in France as well. Good to Very Good perhaps in time.

Mike Press Cabernet 2005
Similar to last time. Still too young but approachable now due to the soft but weighty tannin. Keep these for a while if you can keep your hands off them. Good

Dutschke Muscat
Slightly more acidic/brighter than the last bottle. SO zingy and fresh one could have this for a Sunday breakfast. Yum! Good to Very Good.

Oliver's Taranga Shiraz 2004
Ahh...thats more like it! A replacement for the stripped bottle last week (the hardest fault of all to get a replacement for!). Intense colour and a lovely expression of Mclaren Vale Shiraz. Additional taste of milk chocolate reminds me of a Ben Glaetzer wine. Very polished with lengthy finish. Very good to Excellent.

Hardy's Oomoo Shiraz 2005
Hmm...After a while I detect some regionality but on the whole it really is just good value for wine but that doesn't make it a good wine. Forward in the mouth and slight to moderate finish. OK

cheers

Carl

Please Note: These wines are in my portfolio.

2007 Torzi Matthews Frost Dodger Riesling

Pale straw in colour with characteristic lime and citrus aromas and hints of passionfruit. Citrus flavours dominate the pallet that has an interesting zesty almost spritzig lantana touch typical of Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is well structured and finishes with crisp acidity.

2006 Longhop Shiraz

Lifted nose of plums and raspberry with hints of licorice. Full bodied flavors of ripe berry fruits with some pepper and spices in beautiful balance. Harmonious oak integration as expected of a Torzi red and the wine finishes with fine lingering tannins and warmth from the high alcohol. A wine of elegance and length that ticks all the boxes for a perfect drink now shiraz and that would challenge many higher-priced offerings.

2006 Schist Rock Shiraz

Sweet and fragment ripe berry and plumb fruit aromas with some chocolate on the nose. The pallet abounds with the same full-bodied berry and plumb fruit with spices and dark chocolate in the background. The oak is well integrated and the usual fine tannins finish with lingering acidity that should mellow nicely with some age. Quite well balanced now but a wine that would reward with medium term cellaring. Another lovely Torzi Matthews red.

2005 Torzi Matthews Frost Dodger Shiraz tasting notes are posted under the thread by the wine name.

Maria

Leasingham Bin 61 Shiraz 1998 - Really nice aged wine. Great berry fruits on the nose and an aged varnishy flavour that reflects the integration of wood and fruit. Even better on the second night which means that I need not hurry to down my last bottle.

1998 Lindemand Pyrus
The wine opened with a very attractive nose good mix of cedar and berry fruit.
Unfortunately, the palate didn'y match. The wine was very cedary, almost over oaked for the diminishing fruit.

A style from another era almost, or they thought the fruit would carry the oak. I gave it 88/100.

Finally got back to enjoying some wine after a killer flu made it not worth drinking for a fortnight.

2005 Wynns Black Label Cab Sav: met my expectations after all the positive reviews and a previous bottle. Excellent Coonawarra cab at a bargain price.

2004 Elderton Barossa Shiraz: an excellent, ripe juicy shiraz for the price. There is a touch of spicy vanilla oak but it is well balanced by the depth of fruit. Good mid-weeker/quaffer.


2005 Shaw and Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz: this is an excellent wine and quite approachable in its youth even though there is quite a firm tannin structure. Silky palate with lots of blueberries, dark cherry, plums and nuances of pepper and grilled meats. Really good at the moment and should improve with some time.

2000 Yalumba FDR1a Cab Sav Shiraz: I enjoyed this wine immensely. Wafts of sweet blackcurrant, leather, soy and tomato sauce on the nose. The palate is medium to full bodied and backs up on he nose's promise. Nice depth of sweet blackcurrant like fruit with touches of leather, soy, dried herbs and some licorice. Fine tannins and good length. Definitely worth a look at its $38 price tag.

Mike_A wrote:1998 Lindemand Pyrus
The wine opened with a very attractive nose good mix of cedar and berry fruit.
Unfortunately, the palate didn'y match. The wine was very cedary, almost over oaked for the diminishing fruit.

A style from another era almost, or they thought the fruit would carry the oak. I gave it 88/100.

I have never thought this wine over oaked or oaky at all. Bottles I have had have been svelte and balanced. Hope the next one is better.
GW

1990 Guigal Hermitage - one of the best wines of the year. Complex nose of farmyard, forest floor, spices and earth. Rich, lengthy palate finishing with lovely tannin structure. Years of life left if you still have some. Not hard to see why 1990 was such a great year in France.

1998 Orlando Jacaranda Ridge Cabernet - I'm starting to think this is my favourite cab from the 98 vintage. Complex, lengthy, and still quite primary. Leave for 5 more years at least.

Mostly crook last week but 1 goodun

Seppelts Chalambar 01
Starting to develop some secondary characters. Lovely balance and length good to go for quite a few years yet.

Glen

Kalleske JMK Vintage Port: A little rough on day one, but on the second day from the bottle it was just lovely.
Noon 2005 Reserve Shiraz: Opened last night and tried half a bottle; very tight and disappointing, hopefully better on day 2.

As well as my standard quota of Mike Press wines, below are the wines I opened over the past month that I have not posted elsewhere. I do this primarily for my own benefit but hopefully they may be of help or interest to others.

1996 Redbank Sally’s Paddock: Superb wine coming out of its trough. Needs another few years to show best. 95/100 (18.7/20)

2002 Virgin Hills (Cabernets) – 13% - Macedon, Vic: Medium/light body upon opening growing to medium bodied on the second night. Blackcurrant, black olives, tomato leaf, herbs. Complex. Superb/awesome acidity – so long, intricate, delicate and fine yet prominent... in fact maybe the best acidity in a red wine I have ever experienced. I simply love it when structure itself is a highlight. Very fine tannins. Very easy to drink given its juicy, mouth-filling middle palate yet the wine is focussed, long and controlled. Grows more and more with breathing. Very food friendly. 95/100 (18.7/20)


2005 Shaw & Smith Shiraz – 14% - Adelaide Hills, SA: 2005 must have been great for Adelaide Hills reds. This is a cracker. Deep, dark, layered and long with massive interest. Reminded me of a modern St.Peters… but maybe better. Their best ever! 95/100 (18.6/20)

2007 Meerea Park Hell Hole Semillon: Sensational, particularly the structure and length. 95/100 (18.6/20)

2005 Clonakilla Riesling: Stunning wine. Lime, florals with great mineral backbone providing breadth and length. 94/100 (18.5/20) (Birthday bruch wine)

1993 Mouton Rothschild: No fruit in a New World context. Medium/full body of total savouriness. Superbly interesting. Fine, powerful tannins of exceptional focus. Although not a good vintage, this wine is great. 94/100 (18.5/20)

1991 Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon: Bought recently from an auction so provenance unsure. Very savoury, I expected more fruit, but Wendouree-like tannic grip but without the line of the Mouton. 91/100 (17.5/20)

2004 Woodlands “Margaret” Reserve Cabernet Merlot (Malbec) – 14.2%: Very savoury, similar flavour to the Mouton, with great tannic structure and class. 93/100 (18/20)

1991 Lindemans Pyrus Cabernets: Beautifully smooth and quite long but a massive hole in the middle and without the components to age longer. 88/100 (16/20)

1991 Lindemans St.George Cabernet Sauvignon: After the 1991 Pyrus, I did not expect much but this really delivered. A deep fruited and complex Coonawarra Cabernet that will continue to improve over the next 5 years. 93/100 (18/20)

1996 Penfolds Bin 389 Cab/Shiraz: Mental note: Don't open another bottle of this until 2015. 93/100 (18/20) for now.

2004 and 1998 Greenock Creek Cabernet Sauvignon: Both superb wines but the complexity of 1998 won over the controlled sumptuousness of the 2004 in terms of enjoyment at the moment but both really as good as one another. 94/100 (18.5/20)

1986 Chateau Raymond-Lafon (Sauterne): A present from PaulV. Bright and vivacious. Smooth, deep and harmonious. Finishes very long and clean. Not that I am experienced with aged Sauterne, it may have had better flavour definition a few years ago although its gentle honeyed citrus creaminess was wonderfully enjoyable. 92/100 (17.7/20) (Birthday brunch wine)

NV Larmandier-Bernier Rose de Saignee – 12.5%: Wild strawberries and Pinot savouriness on top of massive amounts of minerals. Tight and long and giving an impression of class. Like the Chardonnay based Larmandier-Bernier champagnes, this Pinot Noir based wine provides more of a mental exercise than hedonism, yet I would be happy to go through the exercise again. A real food wine. 92/100 (17.9/20) (Birthday breakfast wine)

1990 Orlando St. Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon – 13%: Drinking very well now but has time on its side. 91/100 (17.5/20).

1997 Amberley Estate Cabernet Merlot– 13.5%: Opens with a little greenness but the powerful Cabernet fruit takes over with a backbone of gravely tannins. Needs time. Could be greater than 91/100 (17.5/20).

2004 Rosemount Hill of Gold Shiraz – Mudgee: Excellent value for $10. Deep, dark and smooth with enough dark earth complexity for interest. Will take medium term age. 89/100 (16.7/20).

2004 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon: Nice but not enough interest to buy anither bottle at the asking price. 89/100 (16.7/20)

2003 Durius Tempranillo – Alto Duero, Spain – 14%: Deep dark fruit with massive savouriness, most probably some brett in there. Should be my type of wine but the savouriness, uncharacteristically, did not please. 82/100 (15/20).

2004 Vasse Felix Shiraz – Margaret River, WA – 14.5%: Very ripe and lush but with excellent control. 91/100 (17.5/20)

2006 Bress Pinot Noir – Yarra Valley, Vic – 12.5%: Despite the 12.5%, it is quite ripe and very enjoyable, but not more than a great quaffable due to lack of complexity. 88/100 (16.5/20).

2001 Tyrrell’s HVD Single Vineyard “Reserve” Semillon – 10.7%: 92/100 (17.7/20)

1998 Undercliff Shiraz - Very Lower Hunter Valley: At its peak upon opening with a wonderfully complex red and dark fruit and savoury nose, but degraded after a few hours. Nonetheless, its glory was impressive and it was rated so. 90/100 (17/20)

1999 Undercliff Shiraz - Very Lower Hunter Valley: Unlike the 1998, this needs more time and surpassed the 1998 after a day in the bottle and will be the better wine. 90/100 (17/20)

2000 Undercliff Semillon – Very Lower Hunter Valley - 11.9%: Harmonious with rich body. Very enjoyable but too simple for higher rating. 89/100 (16.7/20)

1996 Castle Rock Cabernet Merlot – WA - 13.2%: Found a single bottle of this in the cellar and was greatly surprised with its quality. Deep dark berries with unmistakeable Cabernet complexity. I wish I bought a case of this to drink over the next 7 years. 91/100 (17.5/20)

1991 Lindemans Hunter River Burgundy (Shiraz): Nice and very light body upon opening but bigger, medium bodied, and absolutely singing after 3 hours. Drank like a 16 year old quality Burgundy. I hope I get the chance to drink another bottle of this in the future, but this time over the course of an evening. 92/100 (17.7/20)

1997 Lakes Folly Cabernets: Much more depth and power than I expected given the vintage with the classic Folly elegance. 91/100 (17.5/20)

1996 Yalumba Signature Cab/Shiraz: Heavy handed oak. Disjoined. Waste of great grapes. 87/100 (16/20)

2002 Buller Calliope Durif – 16+% (from memory): Ridiculous! Needs at least another 10 years for it to be balanced or harmonious, although I doubt it will ever will. 82/100 (15/20)

2000 Fern Gully Shiraz – Shoalhaven, NSW - 11.5%: Very old, light Hunter. Savoury and red fruits. Held interest for a while. 87/100 (16/20)

2004 Gyorgykovacs Imre Olaszrizling - I felt like quaffing a great wine and this was the perfect solution. Ripe summer fruits with great depth and length. 92/100 (17.7/20).

1995 Penfolds Trial Bin Semillon – Adelaide Hills, SA – 13%: Great length. Deep body. Smooth and harmonious. Just not greatly complex. 91/100 (17.5/20)

NV Bollinger – 12%: Ripe and quite complex with considerable yeastiness. A top NV. 92/100 (17.7/20)

2006 Millbrook Estate Chardonnay – 12.8% - Very Lower Hunter Valley: Sweet fruit that cloys a little. Complimenting sweet oak. Reasonable length with a mineral aspect. Great quaffer if you don't mind the sweetness. 88/100 (16.5/20)

2000 Arras Sparkling: Rich, mouth-filling and complex. Highly enjoyable but lacking tightness and control next to most NV Champagnes. 91/100 (17.5/20)

2005 Bay of Fires Tigress Riesling: Wonderful fruit sweetness balancing a hint of residual. Very juicy palate with control but this Riesling lacks any acidic excitement. 90/100 (17/20)

Rockford Black Shiraz Disgorged 2004: Great lunch wine. Enjoyed immensely. Any cola aspects have settled down. 92/100 (17.7/20) (Birthday brunch wine)

2003 Domaine Chandon "Tasmanian Cuvee": A little, elegant yet mouthfilling sparkler. 90/100 (17/20) (Birthday dinner wine at Atelier)

2004 Cracroft Chase "Wood's Edge" Pinot Gris - Canterbury, New Zealand: Impressive wine with clean flavour definition; controlled yet rich with very good length. 91/100 (17.5/20) (Birthday dinner wine at Atelier)

Kind regards,
Adair

Edited once to correct Clonakilla Riesling score out of 100

Jordan wrote:2000 Yalumba FDR1a Cab Sav Shiraz: I enjoyed this wine immensely. Wafts of sweet blackcurrant, leather, soy and tomato sauce on the nose. The palate is medium to full bodied and backs up on he nose's promise. Nice depth of sweet blackcurrant like fruit with touches of leather, soy, dried herbs and some licorice. Fine tannins and good length. Definitely worth a look at its $38 price tag.

Oh yes, I had one of these too thanks to a swap with GW. Agree with your note. Medium/full body was a pleasant surprise. Should add that I really apprecaited the texture of the tannins and the way they carried the fruit but also added a little chalk and gravel themselves. 92/100 (17.7/20). Its balance indicates time will be of benefit.

Adair

Adair wrote:2004 Woodlands “Margaret” Reserve Cabernet Merlot (Malbec) – 14.2%: Very savoury, similar flavour to the Mouton, with great tannic structure and class. 93/100 (18/20)

Yes this wine has class written all over it. Had a bottle a few weeks ago and the depth of fruit and structure were super impressive. Time in the cellar should see this wine really blossom.

Jordan wrote:

Adair wrote:2004 Woodlands “Margaret” Reserve Cabernet Merlot (Malbec) – 14.2%: Very savoury, similar flavour to the Mouton, with great tannic structure and class. 93/100 (18/20)

Yes this wine has class written all over it. Had a bottle a few weeks ago and the depth of fruit and structure were super impressive. Time in the cellar should see this wine really blossom.

Points Miser.
GW

Gary W wrote:

Jordan wrote:

Adair wrote:2004 Woodlands “Margaret” Reserve Cabernet Merlot (Malbec) – 14.2%: Very savoury, similar flavour to the Mouton, with great tannic structure and class. 93/100 (18/20)

Yes this wine has class written all over it. Had a bottle a few weeks ago and the depth of fruit and structure were super impressive. Time in the cellar should see this wine really blossom.

Points Miser.
GW

Further explanation: Interestingly Gary, the flavour profile of this wine was very different to your note and different to a bottle I had a year or so ago - much more savoury as if aged for 10 years, although the structure still youthful. Maybe this bottle was not stored well but the underlying class shone through. I think that lack of "line" probably swayed me to point a little down but, having sad that, I did not think it a 96 point wine a year ago either.

Wow, I have never been called a point miser when I make a post like this.

Adair

2006 Kiss Chasey Premium White
I was very interested to try this - someone else with a similar blend to Houghtons White Burgundy and from WA. Seen on special recently for about $10 by doz. Very drinkable, I am trying to decide whether it has a bit more intesity than the Houghtons or is it higher alcohol (I didn't think to check). Nevertheless a great quaffer at the price - would like to see how it ages.

2006 Terra Felix Shiraz Viogner
This could easily become a house red. Good stuff. Juicy smooth and rich.

2005 T'gallant Pinot Noir
Bought a mixed 5 Victorian Pinots to try a couple of weeks ago, this is the second one. I prefered this to the De Bortoli of a couple of weeks ago. While it was lighter bodied it was more perfumed and interesting.

1998 Disgorge Rockford Black Shiraz
After a dull bottle 2 weeks ago thought we'd drink the last one. Much better bottle still perhaps a year or two past its best and the cork was dogy.

2005 Woodstock Shiraz, McLaren Vale (screwcap) 14.5% Alc

Very impressed with this wine and it represents great value at about $18. Rich ripe dark fruits, full bodied palate of milk chocolate, ripe plums, spice with hints of unobtrustive vanilla oak, seductive mouthfeel and lingering finish. Very well structured/balanced wine that could easily go 10 years. I loved the mouthfeel and weight of the fruit on the palate. On the basis of this I look forward to seeing what the 2005 Stocks has to offer.

Craig(NZ) wrote:2004 Penfolds Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the 'Big Kahuna', the top of the tree Penfolds Special Bin Cabernet Sauvignon. It is rare, hyped, extremely expensive (circa $450 a bottle) and loved by collectors and those with too much money. It is a centre piece for a discerning cellar, a trophy, and a joker in a game of ‘impress your wine friends’. Oh and it’s also a pretty good drink too. To describe this wine it is easiest to compare it to the [2004] Bin 707. It certainly is related. The wine itself gives off an excellent nose of blackberry, cream, liquorice and polished leather. The palate is very creamy and compact showing gorgeous texture. Flavours are well controlled if a little one dimensional or linear – blackberries, hints of fine chocolate and cream. The wine exhibits lovely refined sweetness and ripeness through the palate. The tannins feel absolutely invisible. It did display a tiny bit of awkwardness at this stage of life but it wasn’t in any way unapproachable or monolithic. It certainly had a first growth feel to it just in regards to its control, attention to detail and deceptive power and depth. A great wine to try and tick off your list, but at the end of the day diminishing returns is rife in wines like this. Three times the price of Bin 707 for maybe 1-5% more quality?? To me it also lacked some ‘x factor’ and ‘spunk’, it did appear very clinical. Collectors will love this wine, those who drink it will enjoy it immensely, but the more ‘cool headed’ wine freak will realise bang for buck definitely lies elsewhere. 104/109

Thanks for the detailed report Craig - it's great to hear an unbiased opinion on this one, and given all the hype about this wine it probably deserved a separate posting.

Cheers,
Ian

deleted

Adair wrote:2005 Bay of Fires Tigress Riesling: Wonderful fruit sweetness balancing a hint of residual. Very juicy palate with control but this Riesling lacks any acidic excitement. 90/100 (17/20)

Kind regards,

Adair

I'll back the NWS judges and JH on this one. What is acidic excitement?

I think it's an excellent young riesling - but I do like 'em juicy. Bought only 2 bottles but want to get more for the coming spring/summer. Excellent/94+pts for me.

But then it's a all a matter of palate preference.

Cheers

daz

Sean wrote:Adair,

Nice wines.

Is "Very Lower Hunter Valley" a new sub-region?

- Everyone thinks Pokolbin, Broke, etc. when they think of Lower Hunter Valley, while these wines are frm the Wollombi area, whcih is probably 15-20km closer to Sydney than Pokolbin. Just being pedantic!
Adair

Daryl Douglas wrote:

Adair wrote:2005 Bay of Fires Tigress Riesling: Wonderful fruit sweetness balancing a hint of residual. Very juicy palate with control but this Riesling lacks any acidic excitement. 90/100 (17/20)
Kind regards,
Adair

I'll back the NWS judges and JH on this one. What is acidic excitement?
I think it's an excellent young riesling - but I do like 'em juicy. Bought only 2 bottles but want to get more for the coming spring/summer. Excellent/94+pts for me.
But then it's a all a matter of palate preference.
Cheers
daz

Yep, absolutely palate preference.
Acidic excitement - I guess I could have said strcutral excitement. This wine was really juicy and relatively sweet yet controlled, but the back palate seemed boring (to me) compared to other Riesling such as, say, the 2005 Clonakilla that I went a little bit gaga over last week due to being able to easily sense the structure/acid of the wine and that acid was powerful yet delicate and intricate, and possessed what seemed a white and grey minerally taste of its own - apart from the lime, etc. flavours in the wine. I found this apect of the Clonakilla exceptionally pleasant, although some might find it simply too acidic. This might also give the wine greater length although I thought the length of the 05 Bay of Fires quite good.
I hope this helps.

Side Note: Huon Hooke in the Good Living last week wrote that JH employs a group of tasters to do some (although not all) his notes and point scoring.

Kind regards,
Adair