The Auswine Forum

You guys know the drill; time to let us know what you have been drinking.

I decided to do a Dominique Portet exercise this week.
He is French, well respected and makes great wines in the Yarra Valley. He says on the back label of his Brut Rosé that it “displays great finesse and complexity”. I beg to differ.

DOMINIQUE PORTET- LD Brut Rosé-Yarra Valley

A low dosage blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
I had high hopes for this as it was recommended in a fine wines liquor store.
Be warned, to extract the super tight Diamant cork, you’ll need considerate amount of control and power.
Once poured, it is alive and fresh.
Colour pale salmon. Tiny pinhead bubbles rushing to the surface. Fresh cherries, strawberries on the nose.
Pleasant soft palate with good freshness and sweet fruit on the middle palate, it finishes dry but short. It does not have great finesse and barely complex. Drink now because it doesn’t have any staying power or depth.
Over the years I’ve grown tired of meaningless self promoting back labels.
I hoped that Dominique Portet avoided this type of useless excercise.
Don’t build on hollow promises. Truly disappointing wine as such.
It’s only a pleasant, simple sparkling wine for $22.
By comparison Orlando’s Trilogy Rose is actually far better value and quality for $12.50.

But I haven’t given up yet.

2007 DOMINIQUE PORTET Fontaine Rosé

Beautiful colour and great presentation under screwcap.
On the palate a soft simple wine that is already getting tired. Lacks vitality, energy and freshness that better roses have.
I shared this with 3 other people and none liked it. Spend your $20 on something else.
I was expecting better from this producer. Pity.

After all this I didn’t buy Portet’s 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and I bet some of you will tell me that that is a very good wine?

Cheers,
Attila

`04 Lichtle Gewurztraminer, Alsace.

A name not too well-known, makes a terrific Cremant! This GWT fell a bit short, has all the right character but not much on mid-palate and the finish. Much better out there for $25 Cdn.

Tonight, going downtown to sample the `05 Coutale, Cahors and a new Priorate.

Besides plenty of beer (Abbey de Roc Noel beer was great!)

Louis Jadot Beaujolais villages 'combe aus jacques'
Diam cork! (Well I was surprised/pleased) A middle to light-weight purple red. Lovely Fruity jubey bubblegum flavours leap out of the glass. Slid down so easily with a bit of a chill. No rubbery notes sometimes found with carbonic maceration. Very well balanced. Noticed a bit of tannin on the second or third glass but that just made it all the nicer with a simple pasta of chilli, parsley and anchovies. Very good!

cheers

Carl

2004 Ashton Hills Piccadilly Valley Adelaide Hills Blanc de Blancs : I was thinking to myself only recently how it would be nice if Ashton Hills made a Blanc de Blancs again - I recall the previous 97 and 93 vintages. And there it appeared on the new mailing list - I must be psychic. I got 6 Salmon Brut and 6 of these. Attila above mentions the Diamant cork on a Portet sparkling - this had one too - yes a little hard to get out but hopefully no cork taint on these then. The wine itself - very nice and I've put 3 of these in the cellar to perhaps gain a bit of weight and to spread them out over the next couple of years.

1986 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1 : a recent auction purchase. Pain in the ass fragile cork but the wine was in pretty good order. Took a chance and opened about 6 hours before drinking - nice " claret " style texture - the only detraction was a very slight vinegary aspect which I suppose means this was best drunk 5 years ago. Still it was devoured quickly and was good match with lamb fillet.

2005 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon : I bought a piece of Papillon Roquefort and went in search of Sauternes proper to go with it - but I was swayed in favour of the Noble One as it was in stelvin - otherwise sods law would have meant I could have paid double and got a corked drink. This was a good sweet wine - not cloying to its credit - still a bit lightish and I reckon 3 to 5 years in a cellar would fill it out.

I also bought a fresh black truffle and will be having it tonight with the 1997 Ashton Hills Reserve Pinot Noir.

Although working later this evening, lunch with Yalumba today.

2004 Yalumba 'Virgilius' Viognier

Definitely ready for drinking now but will show stronger varietal character in 2-3 years with careful cellaring, IMO. A little lighter than many Australian viogniers which was nice. Although still rather light-medium bodied, complexities start to show once wine heats up from cellaring temperature, was best drunk from a decanter. Very solid aromats and good acid/sugar balance, but the honeysuckle I was hoping for just wasn't there yet, but again, this will develop in time.

A good wine with the delicate quail fougasse we had today.

A little treat just before xmas:

2004 Puriri Hills Estate
2005 Puriri Hills Estate
2004 Puriri Hills Reserve
2005 Puriri Hills Reserve
2005 Puriri Hills Pope

All enjoyed over almost 3 hours with food.
Yummo

Today just some cheap plonk fizz, back into it tomorrow night

Brown Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004, pleasant enough, reasonably varietally correct with blackcurrant and a touch of chocolate. Bit thin, short and unexciting though.

Castle Rock Shiraz, 2004, bit on the sweet side for me. Sweet red fruits, soft tannins, moderate length.

Salitage Pinot Noir, 2002, more like it, this one! Feral nose with mushrooms and earth. Savoury red cherry and redcurrant with easy, soft tannin and great acidity. Just a touch of alcohol burn on the end, although declared at only 13.5%. Liked this a lot though.

Cheers

Dave

A couple of chardys on a lovely Perth Sunday arvo in the park. Everyone seems to have left town.

2005 Lilydale Chardonnay sc
Last bottle. Lovely worked aromas and palate. Perhaps going into the 'hole' as the primary fruit has diminished. Still a superb drop at the price it was offered at. Very good.

2006 Evans and Tate Chardonnay sc
Another last bottle. This was a cross between Margaret River green melon flavour and chablis with the salty acid flavour. May improve in a year or two but always came second to the Lilydale. Good to Very good.

cheers

Carl

Just opened- Blue Pyrenees Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2004

Very little on the nose, except a faint musty odour... faint lolly flavour and slight bitterness, fruit almost non-existent. Corked, surely, though I'm not particularly sensitive to TCA. Tried this last week at the CD and thought it not bad. This one goes down the sink!

Cheers,

Mark

Apologies, just cursory notes but my mind was pretty much in a cursory state as well.

Darenberg Dead Arm Shiraz 2005
Lip smackingly impressive, long, full bodied, full flavoured wine. Drinking well now, quite delicious.

Shaw and Smith 05 Shiraz
Velvety, medium bodied, fine grained tannins. Classy.

Dennis McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004
Chocolate, spice, fruit cake and obvious oak. A bit hot on the finish but otherwise well balanced.

Brown Magpie Pinot Noir 2004
Varietal nose, lots going on and good palate, good drink, good value!

Grosset Watervale Riesling 2006
Good but not great, a touch broad but good length.

There were certainly others but they escape me just currently....

Pre Xmas family lunch today

Peter Lehman 05 Eden Valley Riesling
Majella 04 Sparkling Shiraz
Ulithorne 02 Frux Frugis Shirz
McHenry Honan 05 Zinfandel
Eileen Hardy 95 Shiraz
Rosmount 95 Balmoral Syrah
Jacob's Creek Limited 99 Shiraz Cab
Leasingham 02 Classic Clare
Kalleske 04 Shiraz

All were good, with the two 95's and the Kalleske being the standouts, gotta love xmas drinking.

Glen

Turkey Flat shiraz - 2005
Torbreck - The Struie 2055
Paringa Estate Pinot Noir - 2006
Bass Phillip Estate Pinot 2004
Gemtree Uncut Shiraz - 2003, 2006

Sparkling/Champagne
Croser 2003
Clover Hill 2003
Bollinger NV

GRB wrote:Winner of the inaugural RB cork-count competition
Runner up RB-NTDIR competition

I've nearly filled now, so there will be another cork-count competition fairly early in the New Year. It should be a bit more difficult given the irregular shape of the container.

Tonight a 1996 Macon-Cruzelle (Red) from Guillot-Beaux. Auction buy at c. £1.60 a bottle. A gamble, but it turned out to be a very good one.

Drinking Christmas arvo with father in-law and wife.

Don Perrion 1988
Moorilla Reserve chardonnay 2005
Giaconda Chardonnay 1999
Paringa Reserve Pinot Noir 2005
1969 Penfiolds Grange
1996 Grange
Diana Madelaine 2001 Cab/sav
!996 Irvine Grand Merlot
Black Noble 2000 I think can't remeber if I bought this 200 or 2001?
and finish with Morris premium Muscat

+ Beer Tinsao China's national beer very easy to frink and keep drinking

Red Bigot can you give some rough dimmensions of the container.

Too much socialising, not enough attention being paid to the wines. Been drinking Yalumba 2002 The Signature Cab Sav (which I quite fancy), Noons 2004/2005 Eclipse and Cab Sav, a lovely Stefano Lubiana Pinot (from 2004 I think), Fox Creek Merlot, Cattier champers and Moss Wood 2006 Semillon.

Allan

One extra one from last night:

Sandalford Margaret River Shiraz, 2003, given to me by a mate who wasn't happy with it. Couldn't see why though. Powerful black fruit nose, savoury blackberry on the palate with dusty milk chocolatey tannins. Great length and mouth-coating. Quite yummy. Declared at 15% alcohol too, but you wouldn't know it - lovely balance.

Cheers

Dave

dsreardon wrote:Red Bigot can you give some rough dimensions of the container.

Don't jump the gun, I'll give height and diameter/circumference at the widest point when I post the picture of it full of corks and start the guessing game.

Just a quick one....

2000 Houghton Frankland River Shiraz- Average
1996 Yalumba Signature Cabernet Shiraz- Good
2001 Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot- Excellent

Cheers,

Monghead.

Pizza and 2004 Filsell Shiraz, just perfect, and very intoxicating...

1996 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon {cork, 13.5%}
Attractive garnet, little change at the rim. Smoky, cedary nose, nicely correct developing cassis. The palate was mostly good, warm ripe fruits on entry, subtle oak, decent acid, soft tannins. Yet, it somehow seemed to turn a little hollow - lacking the complexity I was expecting - on the attenuated finish. I can't pinpoint a specific fault, it just didn't live up to previous experiences with this wine. The first of my six-pack (bought eight years ago) - hope the others are better.
regards,
Graeme

Red Bigot wrote:

GRB wrote:Winner of the inaugural RB cork-count competition
Runner up RB-NTDIR competition

I was wondering when someone would notice.

Oh and you don't need to count the corks to win the contest