The Auswine Forum

Hi Good Peoples,

Its that time of the week again. What have you been drinkin'?

Lists, vibes or TN's welcome.

Brands Liara Cabernet 2004

I have had several of these over the last few weeks. Smells like Coonawarra, Tastes like cabernet and is "very yummy" (SWMBO wine description)

Graham

All,

Tried tonight.

Not sure what was wrong but got really good fruit flavours - cassis, dark berry etc. Still drying tannins etc..but in the mouth - the only word was "watery" on entry.

Wonder who else has tried one recently.

David

David,

That can happen if the bottling line has just been flushed out and there is still water in the lines. It is uncommon as most wineries don't distribute the early bottles off the line, but it has been known for them to slip though the cracks.

Schild estate 2003 Moorooroo Shiraz, YUM YUM Loved the palate of cherries and spice

2006 HEGGIES Chardonnay-Eden Valley

I never considered the Heggies Chardonnay before as anything worthwhile.
Things are about to change for me however. The Bernard clones, good French oak and hand picked low yield grapes delivered the goods this time.

Colour bright hay. Classic stone fruits on the nose, cool climate style with melon and white fruits.
Restrained and focussed palate with lovely concentration and focus. Definitely Chablis style, no butter, no overblown fatness and alcoholic warmth here.
Excellent balance, refined and delicious, very intelligently made. Lovely creaminess and fine acid balance on the finish. Drink it now for it’s lively character. May improve in the cellar for 3 years.
A bargain at the price of $20. If you are bored of Chardonnay, this is a nice way to stir your interest. 92 points.

Cheers,
Attila

Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 1998.

I've been getting a lot of bottle variation in Elstons from between around '98 - '01, but this was one of the good bottles. Still drinking very nicely, quite a light straw colour, and plenty of life left in this bottle. A good reminder of why I cellar some of the good Hawkes Bay chardonnays.

Cheers
Peter

Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 1998.

I've been getting a lot of bottle variation in Elstons from between around '98 - '01, but this was one of the good bottles. Still drinking very nicely, quite a light straw colour, and plenty of life left in this bottle. A good reminder of why I cellar some of the good Hawkes Bay chardonnays.

Cheers
Peter

hmm brave keeping a 98 white this long!! mind you i had a 98 judge and jury chardy a couple of months ago which was young and the 98 morton congilio lasted well too.

I didnt like the 98 elston on release and its the only vintage of it i havent bought since i have been into wine. However ive heard it turned out a goodie which makes us all happy

elston is meat and veg no brainer buy every year. Not badly priced and a proven cellar performer

Torbreck Viognier/Marsanne/Rousanne 2002
Opened last night. A touch sour then, but not in a really bad way, more like cleansing. Nothing noteworthy when cold, a bit broad and buttery once warmed to room temp.
Tonight, more approachable - toffee apple, the expected apricot more like an apricot danish, hints of nuts and sultanas, still an aftertaste of sour acid, and the merest hint of oxidation from the last 24 hours in the fridge. Cashews make a nice nibbles match.
Hypothesis: too old for the viognier, too young for the best to come from the marsanne. Probably opened at an awkward time of life. Could do better, but not a complete waste.

davidmore wrote:All,

Tried tonight.

Not sure what was wrong but got really good fruit flavours - cassis, dark berry etc. Still drying tannins etc..but in the mouth - the only word was "watery" on entry.

Wonder who else has tried one recently.

David

I shared one of these with a few mates two weeks ago - classic Coonawarra Cabernet. Cassis, berry, a bit of mint and capsicum, not watery though.

Cheers

Andrew

I tried quite a few of the d'Arenberg range at an instore yesterday, and had these brief impressions:

2006 Olive Grove Chardonnay (screwcap): A bit stinky at first, then slightly grassy/tropical melon/kiwi fruit, noticeable oak and some gunpowder. Interesting in an extreme kinda way.

2006 Lucky Lizard Adelaide Hills Chardonnay (screwcap): Mealy/citrus and fresh lemon characters, less oak/more elegant if a tad simple.

2006 Hermit Crab Viognier/Roussanne (screwcap): Grassy nose, apricot dominated palate – 70% Viognier so there’s no surprise I don’t like it.

2006 Stump Jump Grenache/Shiraz (screwcap): Good earthy/raspberry fruit, and decent length, a good lightweight quaffer.

2005 d’Arrys Original Blend Grenache/Shiraz (screwcap): Good raspberry fruit again but there’s a lick of fresh rubber like a new pair of running shoes too. It seems a little lighter and sweeter this year for some reason – more Grenache in the blend maybe?

2006 Feral Fox Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir (screwcap): The right funky/cherry characters are here, but the palate’s thin and quite hot on the finish (14%).

2005 The Footbolt Shiraz (screwcap): Great plummy/earthy fruit with just a little liquorice, excellent value as always and the QPR pick of the day.

2006 Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier (screwcap): Slightly stinky/toasty with earthy dark red fruit; I found the palate dominated by the 6% Viognier, obvious apricots and a horrible finish. Yuk.

2004 Sticks & Stones Tempranillo/Grenache/Souzao (cork): The only one of the day under cork and sure enough, the first bottle was corked – probably just as well future releases are under screwcap. Savoury wine with medium weight/plummy fruit with a meaty/ouzo element to it – very good, but I don't think it has the weight of the 2002 vintage.

2005 Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon (screwcap): A very ripe but varietal Cabernet with truckloads of mint, coal/graphite and blackcurrant going off with a big bang, finishing with surprisingly fine tannins. My favourite of this tasting.

2005 Dead Arm Shiraz (screwcap): Rich coffee, dark and earthy plums/raspberries and liquorice, the US oak component just a little obvious today on the palate with a hint of bourbon, but finishing with intense, powdery tannins. Cellar this baby.

2006 The Noble 375ml (screwcap): Good botrytis and buttery fruit, but the palate literally tastes dirty and finishes with massive chalky tannins. I dunno about this one.


Cheers,
Ian

Godolphin "Ben Glaetzer" Cab Sauv/Shiraz 2005

Had a bottle with lunch yesterday at Bondi Icebergs.

Not really a cab sav drinker but this really hit the spot. Drank with a medium rare steak and it went down a treat. Nothing over the top with the flavours but the blend was just right. i.e. Didn't leave that empty taste like cab sav can. A lot fuller on the palate but irrresistabley smooth for such a young wine. 4.5/5 for mine.

And FWIW, the food at iceberg's is terrible. Great view, pretty good service but for a restaurant where the cheapest main was $50+, very poor. Had better steaks at Hog's Breath!

Lots.

Highlights:

2003 Yering Station Reserve Shiraz Viognier
2001 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir
1990 Henschke Hill of Grace
1982 Penfolds Bin 389
1994 Esk Valley The Terraces
2000 Domaine A Reserve du Patron Pinot Noir
2003 Chard Farm Sugarloaf Pinot Noir
1983 Chateau Rieussec

Time for a long detox.

Henschke 2005 Johans garden,
Did not know what to think of this at first taste, it seemed a little hot with Alcohol. Settled down once had with some food, Full of red fruits, quite earthy with good tannins, defiantly a food wine. IMO

Shantell 06 Semilion, Yarra valley
A very crisp and clean wine lots of honey and citris very yummy indeed.

regards
Trev

Hope I am not overstepping the mark Ric with a second post.

After two big days with customers clutching Hallidays Top 100 booklet from the W/E Aus, I needed something nice to have with dinner.

The something nice turned out to be an O'Leary Walker Shiraz 2002 Clare/McLaren Vale. I remember tasting this at a Negociants trade day some years ago along side the O'L/W Reserve (the O'Leary Walker Claire 2002) and noticing the subtle similarities between the two wines. Similar fruit/oak handling, great balance and lovely flavour profile.

I tried to remember a single wine (label and vintage) that I had consumed more bottles of in somewhere close to 40 years of drinking red wine. Not a wine that comes close although I have had a lot of Bin 28, but not the same vintage.

Entering a drinking window that I expect to go on for at least another five years or more. I hope I can stretch out the remaining bottles to get to that time and still be here to drink them. Still youthful fruit on the nose and integrated fruit and oak on the palate. Some chocolate tones on the nose coming throught in the mouth with a very sexy mouthfeel.

I am enjoying this wine and will take a little in to work tomorrow for a "product knowledge" session with some others in the store. David O'Leary should become a national treasure.

Graham

Nice dinner with a couple of friends at a chinese restaurant.

1999 Rockford Eden Valley Riesling
Mineral Lime nose with a hint of toast, kero and perhaps oxidation. A fine racy palate yet with powerful fruit. Lacking some complexity but still very good.

1995 Jadot Clos Vougoet
Red with orange rim. Lovely warm and spicy oak - beautiful wood! Spicy oak on the palate with nice midpalate but finishes dry and tannic. Was good with duck however.

2000 Tardeau Laurent Guy Louis Cote du Rhone
Just at the edge of brettdom for me. Deep red with a nose of red fruit and top notes that oscillated between lovely herbs and slightly dirty and plastic. Firm palate sometimes lengthy and then metallic and short. It was weird and slightly disappointing.

2002 Penfolds Cellar Reserve Grenache
Dark black red. Licorice and blackberries and tar. A spanish style of grenache I think with high extract of dark fruit and christmas spice on the finish along with some degree of heat. Yum! Excellent and while some may say the alcohol might show a tad I don't think this confected at all.

cheers

Carl

TOO MUCH!!

McWilliams Hanwood Chard 05, just average.

Taylors Chard 06, better.

Forest Hill Cab/Merl 04, interesting, nice.

Polleters Cab 05 - outstanding, exemplary Oz cab

daz

Penfolds Bin 389 1996 - excellent. Acid, length, oak, fruit, all obvious. Impressive.

Grosset Semillon Sauv Blanc 2007 - delightful - pineapples, lemons, zingy and fresh. Class.

Geoff Hardy Kuitpo Cabernet 1998 - smooth, drinking very well, quite varietal

Morris Old Premium Tokay NV - rich, viscous, long, delicious!

Yering Station Reserve Chardonnay 2005 - overworked, too much oak and not enough fruit. Tarry, a bit unpleasant. Not appealling.

Shaw and Smith M3 Chardonnay 2004 - good, honeyed character creeping in, otherwise very fresh

2001 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir

1994 Esk Valley The Terraces

was just thinking of sinking my 01 block 5's.....what do you think max?? when to drink??

The 94 Terraces was a touch green last time i tried it. One of the weakest Terraces??? Was it really that good?? Speaking to Gordon Russell he personally rates the 95 as the best ever terraces!

1990 HOG is a lovely wine. Its been a few years since I tried it but very scrummy!!

2007 Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills)

Plenty of cut grass and acidity, a touch of chlorine taste to this as well, not enjoyable at all. Disjointed and unbalanced wine, perhaps a faulty bottle? I cannot image them releasing a wine in this shape.

2007 Bremerton Sauvignon Blanc (Langhorne Creek)

This is a very good white wine, lovely nose of ripe tropical fruits, touch of cut grass, and lemon. Overall the wine is well structured with nice acidity, balance and nice lingering finish, at around $17, I think this a very good value.

2007 Howard Vineyard Riesling (Adelaide Hills)

Concentrated nose of lime, flint and mandarine blossom. The palate is very well balanced, the ripe concentrated fruit delivers a zesty punch. The length and structure is very good and should drink well in the short to medium term.

2007 Howard Vineyard Rose (Adelaide Hills)

I really like this. Ripe strawberries and touch of red cherry. The addition of 5% Riesling pressings adds interest and complexity. The acidity balances out the touch of sweetness, very good mouth feel and finish is lush!

Penfold’s Grange 1982: putting aside the hype it’s nice to be reminded every now and again just how good this wine is. After a long decant it kept evolving in the glass with wave after wave of flavour representing everything pleasant across the red spectrum. Lovely wine.
Jacaranda Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 1994: excellent fruit, subtle oak, all the components in harmony, good length, fine representative of Coonawarra cabernet.
Wendouree Shiraz 1997: Something seriously wrong here, smells and tastes like a field hospital, down the sink and forget it was ever opened.

mattECN wrote:2007 Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills)

Plenty of cut grass and acidity, a touch of chlorine taste to this as well, not enjoyable at all. Disjointed and unbalanced wine, perhaps a faulty bottle? I cannot image them releasing a wine in this shape.

No. Perhaps the glass was dirty. It is a very good wine.
GW

[quote="Maximus"]Lots.

2003 Yering Station Reserve Shiraz Viognier

How's this drinking? I've got 7 bottles which I was going to leave for a while, but if it's drinking well now ...

Cheers
Peter

Gary W wrote:

mattECN wrote:2007 Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills)

Plenty of cut grass and acidity, a touch of chlorine taste to this as well, not enjoyable at all. Disjointed and unbalanced wine, perhaps a faulty bottle? I cannot image them releasing a wine in this shape.

No. Perhaps the glass was dirty. It is a very good wine.
GW

Perhaps your glass was dirty too when you were tasting some 2007 Clare Rieslings earlier this year???

Perhaps. Perhaps the 2007 Jim Barry Watervale you mention (that was reductive and a wine I also freely acknowledge could be a single bottle problem and not representative) also went into dirty glasses for the other two experienced tasters too. Several times..while the 07 Petaluma, 07 Richmond Grove Watervale went into clean glasses and the 07 Kirrihill also went into dirty glasses...for the other two tasters as well...
GW

Had the fourth bottle from a case of 1997 Calon Segur bought EP, that I got out of storage a couple of months back. This was hard and green when I tried the barrel samples, but I had faith. Glad I did. Beautiful textbook lunchtime claret. Lovely good Brett and great structure. Wouldn't keep much long, but drink with pleasure over the next year and a half.

chuckles wrote:

Gary W wrote:

mattECN wrote:2007 Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills)

Plenty of cut grass and acidity, a touch of chlorine taste to this as well, not enjoyable at all. Disjointed and unbalanced wine, perhaps a faulty bottle? I cannot image them releasing a wine in this shape.

No. Perhaps the glass was dirty. It is a very good wine.
GW

Perhaps your glass was dirty too when you were tasting some 2007 Clare Rieslings earlier this year???

Its an ambush, but is it marketing?

cheers

Carl

Primo Estate Joseph Sparkling Red - very good, opulent and generous.
Balnaves Shiraz 2001 - earthy, plummy fruit and smooth tannins - drink now. Great match with Ying Chow E-shand beef.
Petaluma Shiraz 2002 - nice style, dark berry fruit, well judged oak and a crack of pepper.

Lots of Peroni and Mojitos to celebrate final law exam

Whipped through the Barossa on Sunday with a nasty hangover in tow:

2002 Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz - looked excellent. Quality fruit, decent oak handling and velvety tannins.
2004 Grant Burge Shadrach Cabernet - tight, austere and varietal. Excellent structure. Looks like one for the cellar.
2007 Turkey Flat Rose - dry with a super spicy finish.
2005 Turkey Flat Mouvedre - super stuff.
2005 Turkey Flat Shiraz - good but too many others at the same price which I like more.
2006 Turkey Flat Grenache - a little too sweet and confected for me.
2003 Rockford Moppa Springs GSM - quite plush and fruit forward - in the slot to drink now.
2004 Rockford Rod & Spur Cab Shiraz - quite lean and balanced. A good food style.
2005 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz tight, balanced, good depth of fruit without pushing over-ripeness. Looks very good and needs time.
2005 Rockford Rifle Range Cab Sav - I think Rockford cab sav is getting better all the time. Nice cassis like fruit and touches of dried herbs - showed elegance for a Barossa Cab.

griff wrote:

chuckles wrote:

Gary W wrote:

mattECN wrote:2007 Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills)

Plenty of cut grass and acidity, a touch of chlorine taste to this as well, not enjoyable at all. Disjointed and unbalanced wine, perhaps a faulty bottle? I cannot image them releasing a wine in this shape.

No. Perhaps the glass was dirty. It is a very good wine.
GW

Perhaps your glass was dirty too when you were tasting some 2007 Clare Rieslings earlier this year???

Its an ambush, but is it marketing?

cheers

Carl

It is definitely not marketing!

I don't even work for the winery, I just happen to like the wines they produce.

I just don't think it is fair to shitcan a wine for something as ridiculous as "reduction on the palate", which is something that doesn't exist, when there are numerous other wines that suffer from problems far worse than "reduction on the palate"

Having said that, I am only one drinker and probably should be disregarded as a lover of substandard wines.

Cheers

Charles

chuckles wrote:

griff wrote:

chuckles wrote:

Gary W wrote:

mattECN wrote:2007 Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills)

Plenty of cut grass and acidity, a touch of chlorine taste to this as well, not enjoyable at all. Disjointed and unbalanced wine, perhaps a faulty bottle? I cannot image them releasing a wine in this shape.

No. Perhaps the glass was dirty. It is a very good wine.
GW

Perhaps your glass was dirty too when you were tasting some 2007 Clare Rieslings earlier this year???

Its an ambush, but is it marketing?

cheers

Carl

It is definitely not marketing!

I don't even work for the winery, I just happen to like the wines they produce.

I just don't think it is fair to shitcan a wine for something as ridiculous as "reduction on the palate", which is something that doesn't exist, when there are numerous other wines that suffer from problems far worse than "reduction on the palate"

Having said that, I am only one drinker and probably should be disregarded as a lover of substandard wines.

Cheers

Charles

Here is the review. If this is being 'shit canned' then I'd not like to look at you the wrong way whilst walking down the street... and I'd not disregard you on the basis of being 'a lover of substandard wines' either...there are far better reasons to disregard you

Jim Barry Watervale Riesling 2007
Fairly subdued aromas of lime and spice with some meaty sweaty overtones. On the palate the pace steps up with explosive lime and lemon sherbet fruit and some sulphide characters. Lots of flavour but a little coarse and lacking finesse. Good drinking but not for keeping.
Rated : 89 Points
Tasted : Aug07
Alcohol : 13%
Price : $14.95
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2007 - 2009
Source : Winery Sample