The Auswine Forum

Come in red rover - and c-through drinkers too.

Time for your weekly drinkin' reports.

Wirra Wirra Adelaide Hills 05 Chardonnay
Lovely, fresh and modern albeit a touch generic.

Mt Difficulty Pinor Noir 2006
Perhaps a touch underwhelming, lovely nose but slightly muddy, jammy elements to the palate. Full length and some sweet spice and perfume.

Teusner Joshua 2006 GSM
Clean, light, fresh and a wonderfully spicy palate dominated by bollied lollies but with hints of licorice and spice. Crowd pleaser.

Orlando St Helga 2004 Riesling
Love this wine, keeps coming back for more. Drinking superbly, still lots of room to move but has developed a moreish, full strength palate, dominated by limes and hints of honey and just the finest whiff of petrol.


Tscharke Albarino 2006?
Quite textural, oily and mouth coating, great nose and end palate but feels short and drab on entry. Interesting.

Starvedog Lane SB 2007
Gosh, quite bland, generic. A whatever sort of wine but I suppose pleasant enough (ie competent).

Of note the lanch of 05 Vintage Perle and new Wolf Blass super premium wines at Rockpool.
Vintage Perle really steps up post 04 vintage with inclusion of cooler climate fruit from Tumby etc. Both 06 and 05 really good fizz.

Wolf Blass
02 White Label Eden Riesling - Really good. Lime and toast with fine acid and excellent length.
03 White Adl Hills Chard - not my cup of tea. A whole box of stuck match, lime rind and stewed pear. Bit short.
06 Grey Langhorne Cabernet - minty, rich and spice. Cassis, strong tannin and good finish. Really good.
06 Grey McLaren Shiraz - very young. Maybe a bit light on or dilute. Juicy but young
04 Blackie - lots of minty dill oak but not as much as days or yore..strong and structured with excellent fruit. A brilliant wine if you like that sort of thing.
05 Platinum Shiraz - oyster sauce, flowers, vanilla and sweet blackberry. Masses of fine ripe tannin. Filling out with time in glass. Dry finish. Pretty good. A bit monolithic for me but obviously a keeper.

older wines
98 Black Label - minty and juicy. Still nice and fresh. Nice wine.
98 Platinum Shiraz - oyster, touch stewey but bright berry and mint fruit. Tannins still strong. Pretty good.
98 Platinum Cabernet - 100% clare with the fruit going into Annies Coppertrail now and you can see the resemblance. Really liked this. Best of the three 98's with sweet blackcurrant and mint fruit, fine balance and great length.

Of the current release wines I asked for samples of 05 Perle, 02 Riesling and 06 Grey Cabernet because I liked these best. In hindsight I might touch them up for a Blackie because it looks pretty good.

Food at Rockpool very good. Lovely prawn toasty things as finger food.
Crab and pork hock thai style salad a real winner (esp with Riesling)
Wagyu minute steak with pumpkin mash and roman beans was out of this world. Really Wagyu at last...not the shit that most restaurants seem to pass off as Wagyu...this was very good with the 98 Platinum cab..which is the only wine where I drank and finished the glass...yum.
GW

1st wine after a heavy cold, so nothing too pricey - 2005 Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon, which was (unsurprisingly) oaky, but also very clearly warm climate fruit and somewhat simple. I recall this label having better days, but then that was before I got seriously into wine and palates change.

A couple of wines already posted on at the other house but another notes since then. Besides these it has been rum cocktails this weekend as it has been a stinker. 31 degrees at midnight last night

Seppelt Silverband sparkling Shiraz NV
Now this is a wellmade wine. Combines the best of the Show and the Original. Dark red with a pink mousse. Spicy, slightly earthy, mulberry fruit on the nose. Elegant midweight palate that is almost creamy with fine prickling bead. Finishing not too dry, not too sweet. Just right. It has some of the savoury complexity of the Show and some of the power of a good vintage of Original (94 or 95 comes to mind). It is a lovely wine but it leaves you wanting something more. Worth sticking a few away (especially as they are under crown cap) to mature and I think it will get there. Excellent.

William Fevre Vaillons Premier Cru Chablis 2005
Just because. A pale yellow with green hints. Beguiling nose that was hard to pin down but varied with crisp lemon rind and a slightly smoky/sulfur note upon opening leading into honeydew melon. Crisp palate with refreshing acidity yet always integrated. Reminded me of lemon meringue pie. Beautiful texture in the mouth but finishes slightly short. Very good with more to come.

Teusner Avatar 2002
Deep imperial red. Whiffs of cherry fruit on the nose. An initial taste of red fruit that leads into a secondary savoury kirsch finish that lingers long time baby Just entering peak drinking and very satisfying. Very good indeed.

cheers

Carl

William Downie Mornington Peninsula 2006 (Pinot Noir)
I do very much like some of the Mornington Pinots, eg Kooyong, Eldridge Estate, Stonier KBS and Windmill, but the Yarra Valleyistes will probably proclaim superiority.
Very much taunted as a "drink early" and "fun" Pinot, lots of pristine red fruit, spice, crisp acid backbone and supple tannins. Some background oak. Long finish, very moreish. Will improve over the next 2-3 years and become exceptional.

2004 Greenock Creek Alices Shiraz
Absolutely lovely straight from the wine fridge, strong Barossa style, lots of Plum. Rich in colour. Couldnt fault.
2004 Beer Bros Old Vine Shiraz
Bought this from Maggie Beers after trying it there. Once again my type of strong Barossa Red, rich plum taste, deep dark colour, toffee almost. Sold out now but worth the $49 asking price in every drop and scored a 95 from RP.

The weekend started well enough, with an instore tasting of the Leeuwin Estate Art Series range where I had these brief impressions:

2006 LEAS Riesling: Great structure and mineral characters, but a little on the green/weedy side.

2007 LEAS Sauvignon Blanc: Very fruity with tropical lychees & passionfruit and just a little asparagus.

2005 LEAS Chardonnay: Outstanding - still an incredibly youthful green tinge to the colour, and the nose is beautifully perfumed; oak's more noticeable on the palate but meshing well, very complex already and perfectly structured. I wish it wasn't $85/bottle.

2003 LEAS Shiraz: Very fruity with bright cherry, plum, pepper and a little leather, but it's on the lean side for me.

2003 LEAS Cabernet Sauvignon: Pleasant enough but again on the lean side, especially compared to Moss Wood and Cullen of the same vintage which dwarf it.

After this tasting I cracked a wisdom tooth eating lunch and lost a quarter of it - that put a stop to going to the AFWAC start of year BBQ today, and for that matter any wine consumption until I get a Dentist appointment.

Cheers,
Ian

Haan 2005 Wilhelmus (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot/Malbec) $40.

Haan 2005 Hanenhof Cabernet Franc (85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Petit Verdot). $16.

These Haan wines were great value and high quality. One thing I have learnt with these wines (especially the Wilhelmus) is that they need to be decantered at least 1 - 2 hours before drinking. Slowly these wines become better over time. It must be the high alcohol.

2005 Shaw & Smith Shiraz - Always a great wine. Love their Sauvignon Blanc also.

2000 Elderton Command Shiraz- What a great big, full bodied Barossa red. The nose was superb. The palate is mouthfilling with plum, blackberry and chocolate flavors. Velvety tannins and a smooth aftertaste.

Cheers
Leigh

Serafino McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004
Oak dominated nose, but not hiding all the shiraz fruit. Good mouth feel, but seems a bit out of balance.

De Bortoli Windy Peak King Valley/Yarra Valley Riesling 2006
Classic citrusy nose and flavours. A touch to sweet for me, but still OK.

Grant Burge Filsell Shiraz 2005
Big wine with aromas of red plum and chocklate steaming out of the glass. Lovely mouthfeel with perfect tannins and structure. Well integrated oak. Good value IMO. Second time I've had this and still find it very good.

Majella Coonawarra Shiraz 2000
My first auction purchase. Delicious stone fruit on the nose with a whiff of mint and eucalyptus. Some barely noticeable leather aromas. The palate shows high concentration, red plum and some of the leather again. Still a lot of fruitiness left. A harmonious wine. I'm very happy that there are 5 more left in the box! Yet again my shiraz quests emerging conclusion is being verified - Aussie shiraz can be made impeccably in all Australian wine regions and it's still my favourite Australian variety....by far.

We had these last week at a little BYO in Brisbane West. Ten friends having dinner with some fine wine.

2006 Velo Riesling Screwcap
1993 disg Rockford Black Shiraz
2006 disg Rockford Black Shiraz
Kaesler NV Sparkling Shiraz
1990 Petaluma Coonawarra
1998 Mitchelton Print Shiraz
1996 Peter Lehman Stonewell
2002 Craggy Range Le Sol
2005 First Drops Fat of the Land Ebernezer
2005 First Drops Fat of the Land Seppeltsfield
2005 First Drops Fat of the Land Cream of the Crop
1945 Old Dolcetto Port

Graham

Ok, I ended up trying many, many wines this week but this one stood out by far, which surprised me a bit, too.

2004 Monichino C/Sauv - Goulburn Valley (VIC)

A soft beginning, developed in the mouth on the back palate, long finish, moderate leather and spice, tiny hint of menthol (but literally only just on the breath), some vanilla and definitely a mod-bodied wine. For the price, even at retail, this is a cracker of a C/Sauv and I would strongly recommend getting a few bottles and stowing her away for a few years. By 2012 this wine will be worth its weight in silver. And an Italian family! Excellent drop.

Wholesale LUC ~$10 mark.
14.5% alc/vol (if memory serves well?).
Beautiful label and under SC.

Tahbilk Marsanne, 1996, honey, lemon with a touch of oranginess to it and a slight dustiness - in a good way, mouthfeel almost like soft tannins in red wine! Still retains good acidity too and moderately long orangey cheek-drying finish.

Chateau Franc Cardinal, 2001, Cotes de Francs, minty nose; lovely integration of blackcurrant, dusty chocolate and a touch of mint. Soft drying tannins on the finish. Easy drinking wine.

Mann Sparkling Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, found this as the last a a six pack purchasd a fair while ago. Very bready nose with coarse-ish mousse. Lovely dry yeasty bready flavours shot through with hints of red currants and reasonable length.

Capel Vale Whispering Hill Riesling, 2004, bought this on offer on the strength of the 05 that I had previously purchased and loved. This wine has nowhere near the fruit intensity or length of the 05 but is very enjoyable nonetheless. Only 11.5% alcohol too - roll on!! Gently limey, with a touch of honey and soft acidity but a shortish finish. Not a long keeper I suspect but lovely right now and perfect given the current Perth climate. The last few weeks here have made me re-think my strategy of being a 40+ year old opening bowler!!

Patrick T 'The Caves Vineyard' Wrattonbully Riesling, 2003, getting very partial to these (non-Clare/Eden) SA rieslings. Touch of yellow gold, with honeyed nose. Lemon and honey on the palate but with the mid to end palate finish of what seems to be a trademark Granny Smith apple-like crunchiness to it. Seen this in a few Coonawarra rieslings too. Yum! Ditto regarding going with the climate and also an apple and pork risotto.

Cheers

Dave

Stonier Mornington Peninsular Chardonnay 2004 - Nice, perhaps starting to develop a touch of aged character but still quite fresh, straw colour with a tinge of gold, perhaps a litlle heat from the 13.5% alc. A bargain for $13 from the barn's runout shelves.

daz[/b]

Vasse Felix Adams Road Cab Merlot 03 - I quite liked this, decent structure but it was nothing too special. I got it because I know MR was supposed to produce good cab in 03, but I don't really know this specific label - I imagine its the Vasse 2nd label?

Domaine Alary Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne 05 - I was very taken by this, good nose, restrained, elegant, tasty palate with smooth tannins. I believe the blend is 75% grenache, 25% syrah. My wife loved it; buying more.

d'Arenberg Custodian 04 - loads of sweet ripe fruit, and went down very easy. Less elegant than the Alary, its 'bigger' and more upfront. May get more of this though, it was tasty stuff, but I'll have it with quite rich food next time. Can anyone tell me how the 05 stacks up compared to the 04?

Bick wrote:
d'Arenberg Custodian 04 - loads of sweet ripe fruit, and went down very easy. Less elegant than the Alary, its 'bigger' and more upfront. May get more of this though, it was tasty stuff, but I'll have it with quite rich food next time. Can anyone tell me how the 05 stacks up compared to the 04?

Unfavourably.
GW

2004 Croser - Gorgeous mousse and mouthfeel, with an excellent balance of yeast and honey characters. Made all the more lovely for the reason it was drunk. hehe.

Another bottle
2001 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir (South Africa) is in a very enjoyable stage of development and for me bridges the gap nicely between new world and old. Certainly accessible and the fruit is showing some nice aged character.
An old fave and this consistently delivers for me. I suspect 5-8 years after vintage is ideal to my palate.

Gary W wrote:

Bick wrote:d'Arenberg Custodian 04. Can anyone tell me how the 05 stacks up compared to the 04?

Unfavourably.
GW

Thanks Gary. Admirable brevity.

(Perhaps the 05 lacks potential )

04 Amon Ra
Really good.

98 Dead Arm
Bit like a meal. Lots of oak. Not sure about the style now.

02 Mr Riggs shiraz
Just lovely

04 Thomas Vineyards Reserve shiraz
corked (even with a conglomerate cork)

03 Kilikanoon R Reserve Barossa shiraz
Gee! Can they jam anything more in the bottle? Bit too much VA, but otherwise, pretty damn good.

02 Mitolo Savitar shiraz
Entering its drinking window. really really good. Could have a little more length for the price.

05 Hewitson Shiraz Mouvedre
2 bottles. Both sensational.

05 Poonawatta Cutting shiraz Eden Valley
Very good wine.

02 Fox Creek Reserve shiraz
Drinking really well now. Very good wine

03 Standish shiraz
Yummo. Needs time

02 Wirra RSW shiraz
Entering its window. very good.

02 Keith Tulloch Kester shiraz
Good, as Hunter goes.

98 Zema Cab
Outshone in the company below

98 Wirra Vineyard series Penley Cab
Fruit from Penley, made by Ben Riggs. Has the Riggs style, and initially was really good, but as the evening wore on, the wine below showed its colours.

98 Penley Cabernet (Reserve)
Apparently, very similar fruit to above wine. Initially the big style of the Wirra shone, but then the pure Coonawarra cab fruit showed thru, and it was brilliant.

02 Schild Estate Moorooroo shiraz
This is a very good wine. Everything in balance, and great fruit.

cheeers
Bruce

2 really good kiwi whites over the weekend.

2007 Carrick Riesling (Central Otago)

Off-dry in style, fragrant/perfumed nose with lime, mineral, as the wine warmed up a touch it got better and better. The palate equally lived up to the nose, again limes, touch of orange blossom, slight hint of natural sugar, lovely balance and acidity. Just got better and better the glass. Good hallmarks to age for the next 5 or so years if desired, perfect now though.

2005 Chard Farm ‘Judge and Jury’ Chardonnay (Central Otago)

Again excellent; nice ripe fruits with touch of rockmelon, peach, ripe granny smith apple accompanied with spicy oak. Great mouthfeel, balance, acidity and length. I am not an expert on chardonnay, but this was excellent and drinking beautifully on a lazy Sunday in the Adelaide Hills.

Brucer wrote:98 Wirra Vineyard series Penley Cab
Fruit from Penley, made by Ben Riggs. Has the Riggs style, and initially was really good, but as the evening wore on, the wine below showed its colours.
cheeers
Bruce

Really appreciate the note on this as we have just a single bottle of it. What's your view on this one iro further ageing? I'd pencilled in this year as earliest time to drink it, with maybe another 6 years beyond that. I'm generally happy to go for a bit more age than most.

ta

Ian

Couple of interesting ones........
I also had the current release of the Tscharke Albarino:
Not much straight after opening, but once it warmed a little almost took on Viognier type characteristics. Very good food orientated white.

Taylors 96 Riesling: Poured down the sink. Not enough acid, too much sugar and the flavour disappeared about two seconds after tasting it.

Mesh 07 Riesling: Way too young. Lots of acidity, which I normally like, but in this it was just unbalanced. Great potential though with subtle citrus and nashi notes.

Bay of Fires Chardonnay 06: Competes with the Shaw and Smith as my top chard of 06. Lovely balance between oak and fruit. Very complex wine.

Brook Eden Vineyards 05 Pinot Noir: Very short aroma, but on tasting exploded beautifully. Very earthy notes combined with lovely raspberry jam flavours. restrained rather than over the top like the Northern Tassie 04's. One of my top pinots at the moment.

Bahans Haut Brion 04: I can't drink Pinot all the time, so......
I now know why people love Bordeaux. Beautiful spicy plums, subtle vanillins and caramel notes. I will definitely be drinking more....

It is Festivale in Launceston this coming weekend, so will have lots of Tassie specific notes for next week.

n4sir wrote:
2005 LEAS Chardonnay: Outstanding - still an incredibly youthful green tinge to the colour, and the nose is beautifully perfumed; oak's more noticeable on the palate but meshing well, very complex already and perfectly structured. I wish it wasn't $85/bottle.

Relative to great chardonnay from other parts (i.e. Burgundy) this is still a bargain. Top Australian wines should be priced appropriately and I think this one is. If it was $100 I would still buy it.
GW

2004 Stefano Lubiana Primavera Chardonnay
May have been 05. Quite oak dominant, with smoky barrel ferment notes, and sulphurous struck match. Quite full bodied, green nectarine and white peach, textured without being phenolic. Oak a bit dom on finish, but otherwise smart for the money. Incidentally, was great with a gorgonzola, grilled pear and walnut salad.

2004 Ridgeback Cab Merlot
A cheapie from auction, but I think it retails in the low twenties. Only brought because we have a Ridgeback! Moderately intense plummy fruit on the nose. Medium bodied, with a mulchy character I have come to associate with underipe reds from the YV. Fine powdery tannins, and a lick of oak keep it all in check. Happy enough for the $5-$6 we paid.

2005 Hope Estate Shiraz Malbec
From Macedon, presume from the Virgin Hills vineyard? Lot’s of fragrant, leafy Malbec notes on the nose. Spicy redcurrant fruit, with roasted meats, and gravel through the mid palate, but quite short to begin. Opened up with time to show richer raspberry and cocoa through the middle, and the finish stretched out a little. It was a gift, but I think its about $30, and reasonable value at that.

Cheers,

LL

Really appreciate the note on this as we have just a single bottle of it. What's your view on this one iro further ageing? I'd pencilled in this year as earliest time to drink it, with maybe another 6 years beyond that. I'm generally happy to go for a bit more age than most.

ta

Ian

Ian
I think the Wirra Panley is drinking well now. It wont last as long as the Penley I feel. Drink the Wirra in the next couple of years.
cheers
Bruce

Daniel Jess: Ok, I ended up trying many, many wines this week but this one stood out by far, which surprised me a bit, too.

2004 Monichino C/Sauv - Goulburn Valley (VIC)

Hi Daniel, This winery is about five minutes from our house, so we visit it quite often.
They produce a number of good value wines there including the cab/sav you mentioned.
In recent years they have leaned towards producing more italian wines, which is more fitting with their heritage.

They also cater for functions there, with some of the most authentic italian food this side of italy. I recently had my 30th there and was certainly not dissapointed.

Regards
Trev

I had a very dry week , too hot for red in the west so out came the apple cider, Yes its shameful i know so this week will make it up. Dazza