The Auswine Forum

Time for your weekly drinking reports.

Lists, vibes or TN's welcome, especially from the newer members of the forum, so please let us know what you have been drinking.

1999 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Champagne - I'm hoping this is a non representative bottle. It was acidic, soapy and had a chlorine note. Certainly not TCA affected as there was reasonable fruit and length. I'll try another bottle soon, otherwise the rest are off to auction.

2003 Cambon La Pelouse - ripe blackcurrant fruit, some oak and little tannin; not much structure here although pleasant enough to drink. Not a long stayer though I suspect.

2003 Tahbilk Marsanne - honey and pineapple plus tropical fruits, quite rounded, seemingly advanced for its relatively young age.

2002 Eagle Vale Cabernet-Merlot - blueberry aromas on decanting, fruit-dominated with sweet blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, slightly glycerolly, touch of tannin showing through at the end. I have generally liked Eagle Vale but this was not really my style.

Cheers

Dave

99 Charlie Melton Laura Shiraz
Interesting wine from the Flinders Ranges...Unusual to get a cool climate shiraz (elegant pepper and light spice) from Charlie.
This wine was very closed and tannin dominated on release but it had some good balance and acid when I tried it at cellar door in 2001 so I bought it for interest. It needed this time in the cellar and is only just ready to drink now.

A different style to his normal very good Barossa-style shiraz but still very well made.... I don't think he makes this often. Drink from now with anything meaty!

One bottle corked unfortunately

M.

Majella Cabernet 1998

We took this bottle on the off chance we could BYO it at a new Brisbane restaurant for a special birthday. So there was no chance to open and check it beforehand.

The cork was clean with no sign of any seepage. Colour was still quite dark, more than I expected. The bouquet had a slightly savoury and tobacco like nose. On the palate was some mint and chocolate and still nice fruit. The tannin was quite dry and fine with a structure which would seem to give this wine life for quite some time yet. Length on the palate was good. By the end of the main course, it had opened up to show a true Coonawarra Cabernet.

Excellent

Orlando Centenary Hill Shiraz 1996

This was the second bottle and served at the same time as the Majella.

Again an excellent cork, clean and stained for about a millimetre with no seepage. The nose showed a bit of oak but not enough to detract from the wine. There was hints of chocolate and maybe a little coconut. Colour was noticeably lighter than the cabernet but also two years older. Still lots of good fruit and the tannin have integrated well. Length on the palate seemed to increase as the wine opened up.

Excellent

The Wilson Vineyard Polish Hill River Riesling 1999

I had a bottle of Grosset PH some years ago but don't recall tasting other wines from this region; certainly haven't had any other aged PH rieslings.
The golden colour reflects it's age. The nose is honeyed with a slight whiff of kero, slate. The palate shows the honey with some lemon marmalade/lemon flowers. The kero is subdued, shows a little on the mid-palate before still-lively acid/citrus kicks in to provide a good-length finish.

I had an aged riesling from Tahbilk some years ago that I enjoyed (but no-one else did - philistines) but don't recall any others. So, my opinion of the Wilson is really uninformed but I reckon it's very good/excellent, ready to go now and think there's enough acid to carry it for another another 3 or so years, even though the back label says the wines are built for 5 years aging.

The Wilson website lists the current release at $22. This bottle was picked up from the discontinued lines clearance shelves at the local 1st Choice barn for $12.90 - I reckon it's a bargain at the price so will see if there's any left tomorrow.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2006

Somewhat more fruit-forward, less acid than some young Tahbilks I've had but still typical of the line. Very good.

St Hallett Faith Shiraz 2005

Perhaps I've had too much of this wine over the last couple of months or there is some bottle/batch variation. This bottle seemed to have lighter fruit, tending more to the berry spectrum than the pluminess I've found in other bottles. The alcohol seemed a bit more obvious. Still, a very good quaff.

Cheers

daz [/b]

Very quiet weekend as intended.

98 Esk Valley Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon. Perfect Hawkes Bay vino

05 Sacred Hill Whitecliff Merlot. Imperfect HB vino

2004 Beelgara Gun Shearer Shiraz

I did not enjoy this wine at all. Very strong tannins and a horrible after taste. Has caramel flavour but the tannins destroy any chance of enjoyment.

First tasting notes, here goes -

Nepenthe Zinfandel 2004

My first foray into Zin. Berry fruit jam/preserve notes on the nose as I expected, although not candyish. These were also on the palate, with some earthy and spicy flavours to balance it out. Very little in the way of tannin, a medium bodied wine, but finished very nicely.

Went very well with Thai

Windance Cabernet Merlot 2005

Bright plum/berry fruit on the nose. Initially similarly bright/ripe fruit on the palate, with some oak and coarse tannins at the end - ?is this what they mean by disjointed/not integrated. After half an hour in the glass the furry tannins dominate.

Certainly not up to my memory of the 04 cab merlot

O'Leary/Walker Shiraz Clare McLaren Vale 2002

Today I severed my association with an independant wine store and needed a fine wine to have with dinner.

I have been drinking this wine for some years now and this bottle is just sensational. Rain on the roof and I can't find a good reason to leave some of this for Monday. So it's needing to be consumed.

Tomorrow is the Coonawarra barrels and roadshow in Brisbane, so I probably won't be in any condition to evaluate the OL/W when I get home.

So good fermented grape juice in a glass container waiting for someone to finish the bottle.

L plater wrote:First tasting notes, here goes -

Nepenthe Zinfandel 2004

My first foray into Zin. Berry fruit jam/preserve notes on the nose as I expected, although not candyish. These were also on the palate, with some earthy and spicy flavours to balance it out. Very little in the way of tannin, a medium bodied wine, but finished very nicely.

Haven't tried it myself, but does sound like a textbook example of Zin. What was the %alc?

Nayan wrote:

L plater wrote:First tasting notes, here goes -

Nepenthe Zinfandel 2004

My first foray into Zin. Berry fruit jam/preserve notes on the nose as I expected, although not candyish. These were also on the palate, with some earthy and spicy flavours to balance it out. Very little in the way of tannin, a medium bodied wine, but finished very nicely.

Haven't tried it myself, but does sound like a textbook example of Zin. What was the %alc?

Has anyone tried the Kabminye Zinfandel that seems to lift the bar on Australian Zinfandel when it was a barrell sample. Hope there is some left when I visit the Barossa in a couple of weeks.

I tried a few of the Penley Estate range at an instore and had these impressions:

2007 Over The Moon Rose: Nice nose but awful, tart/bitter palate; made from Cab Sav, Petit Verdot & Merlot.

2004 Chardonnay: Surprisingly good if you can handle the oak, with nice cinnamon toast and oyster characters.

2006 Sparkling Pinot Noir (Red): Nice cherry fruit, not overly sweet, but way too hot (15%), the start of a common theme.

2005 Gryphon Merlot: Overly toasty/charred oak at first, then very ordinary, slightly bitter sour plum fruit.

2005 Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon: Noticeably riper fruit profile than the '04 but there's no heat - very good.

2005 Hyland Shiraz: Best value of the reds, the slightly toasted/charred oak blowing off to reveal peppery/sweet raspberry fruit.

2005 Condor Shiraz Cabernet: Too much oak on the nose, too much alcohol heat on the palate.

2004 Chertsey: Classic Bordeaux blend nose with a little funk/vegetal characters, then coal, cassis and cedar; the palate's a huge disappointment in comparison, surprisingly short and a little hot.

2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Gorgeous, complex nose of ripe, inky cassis fruit with classic oak; the palate's just as perfectly ripe and complex/layered, but mid-weight at best and not particularly long. It's a lot better than the Chertsey, but I still expect a lot more for $60/bottle.

Cheers,
Ian

Nayan wrote:

L plater wrote:First tasting notes, here goes -

Nepenthe Zinfandel 2004

My first foray into Zin. Berry fruit jam/preserve notes on the nose as I expected, although not candyish. These were also on the palate, with some earthy and spicy flavours to balance it out. Very little in the way of tannin, a medium bodied wine, but finished very nicely.

Haven't tried it myself, but does sound like a textbook example of Zin. What was the %alc?

15% alcohol


Graham -

The Kabminye Zinfandel was available on the mailing list sent out last week - might go quickly from reputation though

6 clarets on saturday night, which hopefully I'll write up soon, but a little short of time at the mo with the outlaws staying with us...

We had some friends over at our place yesterday, and we tried some stunning wines:

1996 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz- perfect wine, dark colour, caramel, coffee and big, very black fruits.

2000 Rockford SVS Hoffmann Shiraz - stunning already, thick velvety tannins, very nice drinking already. And the best, it will keep on getting better and better.

2001 Bremerton Old Adam Shiraz - Deeply coloured, excellent nose, very well balanced with a creamy length.

2001 Amarone Montecariano - WOW!!! Highlight of the evening. Although, the other wines were already very excellent but this wine was like heaven. Perfect nose, you could smell this lovely wine even when your nose was 20 cm away from the glass. Complex array of flavours, sweet and fruity - sensational.

A truly remarkable evening. I am very happy that I have some more bottles of these wines.

Cheers from Switzerland.

L plater wrote:

Nayan wrote:

L plater wrote:First tasting notes, here goes -

Nepenthe Zinfandel 2004

My first foray into Zin. Berry fruit jam/preserve notes on the nose as I expected, although not candyish. These were also on the palate, with some earthy and spicy flavours to balance it out. Very little in the way of tannin, a medium bodied wine, but finished very nicely.

Haven't tried it myself, but does sound like a textbook example of Zin. What was the %alc?

15% alcohol


Graham -

The Kabminye Zinfandel was available on the mailing list sent out last week - might go quickly from reputation though

Hhmmm - might give Old Adam a run then. I had better contact Kabminye.

04 Grant Burge barossa vines Shiraz, Nice blue/black Berrys, Vanilla oak and touch of spice. Went great with a hearty steak & Kidney stew.

Was blocked up with the flu during the Week but had a Client evening at work and picked out a few Reds

05 Red Rock [Craggy Range] under arm Syrah. Big wine,Drinking well now but can't wait to try it with some age
06 Rabbit Ranch Pinot Otago
06 Stugglers Flat Pinot Martinbough

At around $25 both are pretty good value for money Pinots at the Moment.

We had Wither Hills chardonay and Allan Scott Sav Blanc for Whites which theyseem to like. Don't drink Whites so can't comment.

Cheers

1999 Mitchelton Print Shiraz
Starting to become earthy in color but still vibrant. On opening, full nose with ripe red fruits and evident French Oak. Not overdone, just complimentary. Coating the glass well but not inky like McLaren Valesque wines. Mouthfeel initially a let down. Somewhat lean and drying with a light pepper finish. Opened up as I kept drinking and became a bit fuller with more fruit showing. Wasn't weak by any stretch, more, and I'm guessing, that it's the style. Although it gave more as I kept drinking I felt a little let down. One, because it was my first 'fine wine' purchase and two, I just expected more.
Is this what Mitchelton Print and Central Victorian Shiraz is about? Maybe I drank it too young. I still have a 2002 which they say is the best of the lot. Anyone???

Dr - 307 wrote:Is this what Mitchelton Print and Central Victorian Shiraz is about? Maybe I drank it too young. I still have a 2002 which they say is the best of the lot. Anyone???

No...Yes...Yes

The best Print Shiraz yet is the most Rhône-like and presents the deepest and most interesting expression of varietal fruit under this label. Given less oak than its predecessors, it’s deeply perfumed and heady, with musky layers of spicy black and dark red fruit aromas supported by a measured complement of lightly smoky vanilla oak. Full to medium in weight, it’s smooth and velvet-like, offering a deep and slightly withdrawn expression of lightly minty deep, dark fruitcake-like flavours of plums and berries framed by assertive, but fine, powdery tannins. There’s creamy richness and alcoholic warmth, but the fruit avoids over-ripeness and baked characters. Builds along the palate, before its deep core of fruit persists with intensity and length. (Nagambie Lakes, $48 retail, approx., 95/100, drink 2010-2014+) Jeremy Oliver, OnWine

2005 Sydney International - Blue-Gold Medal

2005 Hobart Wine Show – Gold Medal

WFM 8/05
Mitchelton Print Shiraz 2002: Fascinating introduction, all oysters and all-spice and plums. Pure but complex. The palate is then something else, and something elegant: well constructed tannins, deftly arranged notes of pepper and olive and black cherries. It’s very young, and very good.
Drink: 2008-2015. 93 points.

Peter Lehmann Reserve Semillon 2000, Barossa Valley, 11.5%, cork.
- Lovely Barossa semillon, showing some lanolin characters but still astonishingly bright lemony acids for a seven year old wine. Excellent as an aperitif and with some cheese.

Brands of Coonawarra Chardonnay 2005, Coonawarra, 14.5%, screwcap.
- I'm a fan of the under-sung whites from the Coonawarra, especially the rieslings. I could see the show success in this, as the fruit weight is excellent. Stonefruit, nuts, a texture halfway to creamy, barrel ferment characters, evident French oak - all good. For me though, there was a bitterness coming through on the finish and a notable alcohol heat. OK in its style, but I would go for the 2005 Lilydale as a Yarra alternative.

Beronia Mazuelo 1996, Rioja, 13%, cork.
- I've written this up in another thread, as an interesting bottle, and my first go at older mazuelo/carinena/carignan. Fell over badly on the second day, so a drink up proposition.

Fox Gordon By George Cabernet Tempranillo 2004, Barossa Valley/Adelaide Hills, 14%, screwcap.
- Taken out to pizza on a Friday night with no decant, this presented as too tight and unyielding. The nose showed up a good mix of cabernet and tempranillo characters, especially a nice hit of blueberry, but the palate was not really ready to go. With a glass left in the bottle from Friday until Sunday night, this looked a very different wine, with far more generosity to the fruit and good tannins. The tempranillo is from the Adelaide Hills and the cabernet from the Barossa. Look at again in 2009, I think.

Massena Barbera (I think 2005 and I think Barossa)
- Brought along to dinner by someone else, and notable for me as the first time I've had an Australian barbera and thought they'd really got the fruit ripe and well-handled. Full and long sour cherry character, but in a good way. Lacked any complexity, but an interesting take on the grape.

Tahbilk Cabernet Franc 2004, Nagambie Lakes, 14%, screwcap.
- I seem to recall having one of these last week as well. Pretty much as per the last bottle - straight, varietal cabernet franc, ready to go now. The fruit carries through just a bit of that blackcurrant leaf character that I like in cabernet franc, without being 'leafy', vegetal or herbal. Nice wine.

MartinE,
So I take it you're a big fan?

Dr - 307.

Dr - 307 wrote:MartinE,
So I take it you're a big fan?

Dr - 307.

Yes, in a good year like 98, 01 and 02...They are quite variable and the 03 for instance was overcooked and quite underwhelming.
OTOH a group of us did a pretty extensive 98 shiraz tasting a few years back and the Print was one of the standouts.
As a general rule they need 10 years for a good vintage and why would you buy a bad one? There's a good chance your 01 was in a dumb period which I find more prevalent with shiraz than you may expect.

I really like the 02 but then again my elegant, mature palate prefers Vic shiraz these days!

cheers,

MartinE

Queit week with on notable

Henschke Keyneton 2004
The fruit in this wine is amazing bright clean and smooth a silk with impressive depth. Hide it drink it now for up front impact or hide it for a decade as it will turn into something special.

Glen

Two bottles of interest for me:

Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2004: Very nice midweek drinking. Medium bodied with a smokey, earthy palate of red fruits. Good balance of sweet fruit and savoury elements. Some wiry tannins and a cut of fresh acidity. Quite feminine for Chianti. Good stuff.

Te Mata Estate Bullnose Syrah 2005: I really like the 2004 of this wine and was a little disappointed by the current vintage. Its got all the elements of a classy cool climate shiraz - blueberried plummy fruit, a crack of pepper and spice and some fine, firm tannins - but the wine felt a little flat and over oaked. The caramel oak character really dominated over the fruit lurking beneath. May need time or just may have been an ordinary bottle.

n4sir wrote:Some say the outline of his left nipple is exactly the same shape as the Nürburgring.

Best drive on the planet. Nearly 20 years since I've driven it, but there are some things you never forget!
And actually, from a distance, you wouldn't look all that deformed, nipple-wise, because it's broadly circular in shape (as opposed to Mt Panorama, say).
cheers,
Graeme

GraemeG wrote:

n4sir wrote:Some say the outline of his left nipple is exactly the same shape as the Nürburgring.

Best drive on the planet. Nearly 20 years since I've driven it, but there are some things you never forget!
And actually, from a distance, you wouldn't look all that deformed, nipple-wise, because it's broadly circular in shape (as opposed to Mt Panorama, say).
cheers,
Graeme

The old Nürburgring was a classic circuit, much more of a spectacle and more dangerous than todays rather tame version - I've got a book with some amazing photos of just how airborne the F1s would get back in the '70s. Dunno if it would happen with all today's ground effects/downforce devices though.

We had the last episode of Top Gear Series VIII last Monday, so I guess it's about time I thought about changing my avatar again...

Cheers,
Ian