The Auswine Forum

The mailer is out. What are your views on the wines on offer. Can anyone read between the lines of Michael Waugh's reviews????? What will you order???

DavidL wrote:The mailer is out. What are your views on the wines on offer. Can anyone read between the lines of Michael Waugh's reviews????? What will you order???

They aren't Michael Waugh's reviews, they are Philip Whites. He goes to town every year on the GC releases.

I bought in 01 and 02 and stopped after that when the alcohol levels got silly and all i could taste was alcohol. And it looks like its only up from there. 17.5%, 18% and 18.5% tis year. Yikes.

Are you going to order?

I'm assuming you mean Phillip White's reviews.

Again, amazing, fruity writing and some of them sound like they transcend the concept of wines - more magical concoctions of coal, burning jam factories and blackberry bushes from the infernal depths of alcoholic hell...

The Grenache sounds particularly upfront - well they all do in fact. They sound nothing like what I'm interested in in wine, in practice at least.

I am going to buy a smaller quantity then usual. But I still want to try these things in a few years.
Alices Shiraz 17.5%
Apricot Shiraz 16.5%
Seven Acre Shiraz 15%
Creek Block Shiraz 18% GAD!
Cabernet 15%
Greenache 18.5% Is that wine?
All above are 2005
Bruce

I usually buy the seven acres, creek block and cabernet every year but these reviews don't sound compelling. I have to buy without tasting so would love any thoughts on the high alchohol and the reviews for these wines thanks

The Grenache is 06, not 05.

I normally buy both RRs and the Creek Block. My mailer hasn't arrived, but I'll probably continue the verticals....

Had exactly the same thoughts whilst reading the mailer last night. The alcohol and the reviews weren't exactly compelling. Maybe with the exception of the RRs but the price! I'm sure I only paid $120 for the 95s and 96s. More than a 50% increase since then. Thanks Parker!

Might just get a mixed dozen but hard to know how they are going to travel. The notes suggest not checking for quite some time.

Brucer wrote:I am going to buy a smaller quantity then usual. But I still want to try these things in a few years.
Alices Shiraz 17.5%
Apricot Shiraz 16.5%
Seven Acre Shiraz 15%
Creek Block Shiraz 18% GAD!
Cabernet 15%
Grenache 18.5% Is that wine?
All above are 2005
Bruce

In the immortal words of John McEnroe...

.... YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!!


Maybe it's worth trying to get hold of a couple just for curiosity's sake - they couldn't be any hotter than Sparky's wines, right?

Cheers,
Ian

what about the ronfeldt road??

Seven wrote:what about the ronfeldt road??

16.5% for the Shiraz and 15% for the Cabernet Sauvignon

I had a Branson Coachhouse Cabernet Sauvignon a couple of weeks back that was 18.2%....couldn't drink it

What's wrong with everyone! Surely its just more bang for your buck!

I love the descriptors of playdough!

cheers

Carl

I love the notes as well, I think they're beautifully written but that's probably the extent of it. They are probably more fiction (evoked from impression) than straight impression. Cannot understand the appeal of these wines though, at least from their descriptions and alc levels (although admittedly have never tried one). Just don't sound like my idea of fun.

I was in the Barossa this week and sampled 4 GC wines at CD; cab Sav, Alice, Apricot and Seven...i have to admit being a little worried about the alcohol content before tasting...to be pleasantly surprised by how wonderfully balanced they were...remember the adage to never judge a book by its cover...well, it applies with at least these 4 i tasted. All very delicious.

I never got my mailer, so I emailed the cellardoor and in their reply, apparently some others have also contacted them about not getting mailers. Apparently the grenache is low on stocks, while the creek block has sold out.

Deano, good to hear you found the wines well balanced inspite of the high alc%.

18, 18.5%? Are you kidding me?

I've only ever had one Greenock, an Apricot Block, and that was quite nice if a little heavy handed. But that was only 16% (I think). 18% sounds impossible to cover up to me.

ChrisV wrote:18, 18.5%? Are you kidding me?

I've only ever had one Greenock, an Apricot Block, and that was quite nice if a little heavy handed. But that was only 16% (I think). 18% sounds impossible to cover up to me.

They do it all the time in Portugal

cheers

Carl

ChrisV.
The 4 i tasted, as mentioned previously, were the only ones available at the CD for tasting. Going by the quotes from other people, the range i must have tasted was from 15 - 17.5%. Thats all i'm commenting on.
Dean

I saw a bottle of the 2006 Cornerstone Grenache at my local yesterday and picked it up to try sometime out of curiosity - the salesperson recommended it really needs about 24 hours breathing time or else it will look horribly hot and porty, and to keep it away from all naked flames. (OK, I made up the last bit of that)

One thing I did notice on the back label just above the 18.5% alcohol level were the words "Special Late Harvest". Is this the first time this has been included on the label, and if so does this effectively mean this is some kind of experimental/new style, or a one-off because of the vintage?

Cheers,
Ian

n4sir wrote:One thing I did notice on the back label just above the 18.5% alcohol level were the words "Special Late Harvest". Is this the first time this has been included on the label, and if so does this effectively mean this is some kind of experimental/new style, or a one-off because of the vintage?

Cheers,
Ian

This is for the UK and USA markets (maybe others as well), they can't sell high a/v table wines (over 14.5% or 15%) without this form of words.

Deano wrote:I was in the Barossa this week and sampled 4 GC wines at CD; cab Sav, Alice, Apricot and Seven...i have to admit being a little worried about the alcohol content before tasting...to be pleasantly surprised by how wonderfully balanced they were...remember the adage to never judge a book by its cover...well, it applies with at least these 4 i tasted. All very delicious.

Deano, when were you at cellar door?

I was also in at Cellar Door this week and echo the above sentiments. Bought Apricot and would have bought Grenache if it was available (yes, there was a bottle under the counter that we tasted from). Sure it's 18.5%, but I see more alcohol in a lot of 15% wines than I did this one - it's all about balance. Certainly not a wine for all occassions, but when circumstances permit, this would be a treat I'm sure.

Maximus, i was there on Wednesday 29th. It was my birthday and i took a day off from work (officially an annual leave day). Joe suggested i drop into Rockford as well, hadn't planned to as i am intending to do this in Stonewaller month (ie October), but enjoyed a wonderful one-on-one reception there...finished at Turkey Flat...had a wonderful, sunny arvo, without the weekend attendance.
Cheers
Deano

Deano what wines were on offer for stonewallers at Rocky's? and did you try the current release shiraz and cabernet at Turkey Flat? If so how do they compare to the 04's? thanks

Stonewallers had on taste:

?? Riesling
07 White Fronty
07 Alicante
2003 Moppa Springs
2000 BP 375ml
2000 SVS Hoffman - first bottle corked and picked by Max

Took young Maximus in for a Rockford experience.

Graham

double post

i had one (or three) of their cabernets the other week at assaggio and it was magic

must be current release. was $85 at the restaurant, so must be maybe $55 at bottle shop?

I was in the stone waller about 4 months ago and they had the 94 basket press on tasting as no svs at that time /shame i would have loved some svs

Hey Dean , how was the 2000 basket press traveling as i got a few bottles and i want to leave them to keep for my sons birthdays !!

Not Dean Dazza, but I don't hold out much hope for the 00 Basket Press, lowest regarded year for this wine in a long time, not an ageing vintage. Mine are long gone.

cheers

Andrew

Firstly, apologies for contributing to general thread drift...

It's still a bit early for the 05 releases. Definitely the last time I was there, which was about three months ago, they let me buy another 6 pack of 04 BP and it must be said that this was drinking beautifully (yay) but everything else was down to bare bones. Yes there was some 94 BP but the 04 Rifle Range was down to half bottles. We consequently busted into one of these over dinner a little while later and I loved it, bless it's rustic, medium-weight little heart!

There's no reason to think that the 05 BPs should be anything less than impressive, given the general buzz about this vintage.

As for the comments about the 00 Basket Press I agree. I had two bottles of this a couple of years back and both were unattractive and bland even then. They were, of course, still quality wines but there was nothing especially memorable about them and I recall a definite flatness.

In some ways, I think the 03 lacks much in the way of charm and class also, being more robust and hefty in character. Maybe time will see it settle down?