The Auswine Forum

There's just something about Thursday night that has me wanting to sip a good wine, not do an in depth tasting, not analyse, not test for auswine, just sip and enjoy!

Tonight I chose

2005 Wicks Estate Shiraz.

Adelaide Hills, and a pretty good wine.

I felt like something not so warm climate, and this sort of fits the bill. Its pretty good. Not fantastic, but pretty good, its actually a little 'ripe' for me, it tastes a little too McLaren Vale, a little liqueur plum, a bit of chocolate.

Not enough cherry, raspberry and pepper and spice for me, that cool climate expression I like from the Hills, but a very honest galss of wine for not too many $$.

So a good, but not great wine tonight.

Anyone else wish to share, anyone else sipping something worth commenting on??

Speak up!

Hi Gavin

Recently, I went to the cellar to pull out some cheapies that I might have overlooked. I decided to pull out a 2004 Maglieri Shiraz, amonst others, for 'transitional storage' (cardboard boxes in my linen press prior to their demise).

I've been drinking Maglieri on and off since Steve M still owned the place and made the wines. They have changed since joining a corporation, but my tastes have probably changed more in that time

Purple in colour, and has changed / softened a little since I first tried it a couple of years ago. Tannins are a little coarse and the berry fruit is quite tart. Seems quite light in style compared to some McLaren Vale shiraz. Enjoyable (and I will keep sipping) without being an intellectual exercise.

Happy sipping.

Allan

Waiters Friend wrote:
Happy sipping.

Allan

Happy enough so far!

Thanks

99 McWilliams Lovedale right now. Still amazingly tight and backward, showing sings of lemon curd and toast, and a cashew/almond meal savoury note.

Gee Wizz - can I swap you your Lovedale for my Maglieri?

Arguably the best dozen white wines I have ever enjoyed have been the 86 Lovedales. I had my second-last one recently - all have opened consistently over a 10-12 year drinking period, and have been superb. They appear to be in a time-warp. On that basis, you might want to put your 99 back in the bottle and recellar it

Un arguably the best white wine I have ever had was the

Lindemans 1970 White Burgundy (read Hunter Semillon)

Had a dozen (sigh) and as I enjoyed them they were alternately good, very good, great, out of this world (according to the vagaries of cork!)

Which I still had some now, but .......

Waiters Friend wrote:Gee Wizz - can I swap you your Lovedale for my Maglieri?

Arguably the best dozen white wines I have ever enjoyed have been the 86 Lovedales. I had my second-last one recently - all have opened consistently over a 10-12 year drinking period, and have been superb. They appear to be in a time-warp. On that basis, you might want to put your 99 back in the bottle and recellar it

I'm not sure how much I like aged hunter sem. I keep a small stock. I had the 99 Elizabeth last month and it was a bit further forward, and quite tasty in fact! This is the most backward I've ever seen a McWilliams wine. Some of the cork victim advanced ones have been hideous.

Cheers

Ab

Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2006
Italianate, savoury, quite nice tannins, creamy oak.

I'm not sure how much I like aged hunter sem. I keep a small stock. I had the 99 Elizabeth last month and it was a bit further forward, and quite tasty in fact! This is the most backward I've ever seen a McWilliams wine. Some of the cork victim advanced ones have been hideous.

Cheers

Ab[/quote]

Hi Wizz

Elizabeth is one wine that I buy a case or so of every year, and I have recently had an experience with the 99 you're referring to. My father and I share this wine fairly often (well, several a year, of whatever vintages we have pulled out). One night recently, we had both extracted 1999s - the first one (from his loungeroom display rack, not a cellar) was stuffed - both corked and oxidised. Mine was corked (but not oxidised) and we sipped our way through part of a glass each before deciding the second bottle should join the first (down the sink).

On my return home, I pulled one of my remaining 1999s from the cellar, and it was a delightful wine. Lighter in colour than I expected (and much lighter than the 'Draino' bottles) and at just the right age, I thought.

This is one white wine that I believe will benefit from a conversion to screwcap. I've had a few Elizabeth corkies over a number of years - fortunately, not my stash of 1996's, which is my eldest daughter's birth-year, and we crack one on each birthday. I hope a few magnums I've acquired will last to her 21st. Would you like to guess what my daughter's name is?

Can relate to aged semillon tonite. Enjoyed a fish feast - freshly caught mackeral, crumbed and pan fried with Moroccan spices. Started with:
East Arm Riesling 1999
Gold, nutty, buttered toast and honey on the nose with a remarkable clean minerally orange peel and pineapple palate that belied its age. A medium, balanced wine that got a bit more oily and caramelly as it warmed up and so full of life. I really pigged out on this one and then we opened the piece de resistance -
1998 Mt Avoca Reserve Semillon
Clear as dew with lantana, lemongrass and flint on the nose followed by smoky cut grass and gooseberry flavours on the palate. A balanced and harmonious number that just got better every minute it was exposed to air until it miraculously disappeared.

A question for LukeW:

I noticed the inclusion of 'lantana' as a descriptor in your previous Tn for the 98 Avoca Semillon. I'm not sure if we have lantana in WA, and I certainly have no understanding of what you're trying to get across as a result. I'm not taking the p*ss, it is a genuine question.

BTW, I'm still sipping the Maglieri Shiraz 04. I'd have to revise my initial comments about the tartness of the fruit - the wine has opened up in the decanter (I tend to decant reds as a matter of course now - well, at least slosh young ones into the decanter) and is more balanced, fuller, and less tart. Not bad for something that was $10 a bottle at the time.

Cheers

Allan

Peter Lehmann Eight Songs Shiraz 2002. Very slutty wine, very nice ... not one for the cellar though.

Waiters Friend wrote:A question for LukeW:

I noticed the inclusion of 'lantana' as a descriptor in your previous Tn for the 98 Avoca Semillon. I'm not sure if we have lantana in WA, and I certainly have no understanding of what you're trying to get across as a result. I'm not taking the p*ss, it is a genuine question.

We sure do. People treat it as an ornamental/hedge plant over here. Strange coming from NSW where it is officially classed as a noxious weed. Can't help with the descriptor though

cheers

Carl

Had an 01 Wynns Harold last night - pleasantly surprised at its full bodied texture and still with decent complexity. Tannins had softened nicely. Reminded me of an 01 Cape Mentelle Cab i had recently. Certainly not a medium bodied cab so often the case with Coonawarras I buy. Very enjoyable and unfortunately my last one.[/b]

98 esk res merlot mealbec cab sav

lovely wine now but drink up if you have any. nearing the downhill slide part of life i think

Harewood Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Reserve - new release this year. Lovely balanced wine with fruit salad and lemon butter nose, crisp full mouthfeel and a nice lingering dry finish.

wiggum wrote:Had an 01 Wynns Harold last night - pleasantly surprised at its full bodied texture and still with decent complexity. Tannins had softened nicely. Reminded me of an 01 Cape Mentelle Cab i had recently. Certainly not a medium bodied cab so often the case with Coonawarras I buy. Very enjoyable and unfortunately my last one.[/b]

I drank my three also Wynns Harold Block 01s and regret it. Nice wine which I think this would have gone into the John Riddoch if they'd been making any.

I thought the 01 Cape Mentelle (drunk last year) was a brute needing another 4-5 years (from now) to tame ... high extract and tannin levels.

I had a bottle of 2007 Tar & Roses Shiraz last night, which may have been a little cold, but took ages to open up (hour and a half). When it did I was rewarded with an elegant, value for money shiraz. It has a dark crimson hue, and has plum and dark cherry flavours with very smooth tannins.

I can't help thinking it won't get better with a few years, age.

Just finished a 98 Wild Duck Creek Alan's Cabernets (Vat 1) which is a very nice wine - if only I'd let it breath for a couple of more hours.

Now onto a Dutschke 2001 St Jaks - not a great vintage for Dutschke - but still showing a little chocolate, a little oak and nice fruit flavours. Not a great St Jaks, but still worth the drinking.

Caronne St Gemme 2005 - bloody gorgeous and will benefit from 5+ years of laying down too.

Cheers

Dave

Dave Dewhurst wrote:Caronne St Gemme 2005 - bloody gorgeous and will benefit from 5+ years of laying down too.

Cheers

Dave

Me too....Nice

A bargain.

This one should be right up Gavin's alley - the 2002 Jeanneret Clare Valley Riesling - a cracking musky amalgam of minerals, crisp granny smith's, limes, toast and indelible acidity. Young, fresh, crunchy and long in the mouth. Great drinking now or over the next decade or thereabouts. Screwcap and 12.5% A/V. 92 points. Seriously good wine.

Oh, and I almost forgot ..... I bought a case of this for $10.35 a bottle.

dlo wrote:This one should be right up Gavin's alley - the 2002 Jeanneret Clare Valley Riesling - a cracking musky amalgam of minerals, crisp granny smith's, limes, toast and indelible acidity. Young, fresh, crunchy and long in the mouth. Great drinking now or over the next decade or thereabouts. Screwcap and 12.5% A/V. 92 points. Seriously good wine.

Oh, and I almost forgot ..... I bought a case of this for $10.35 a bottle.

Definitely sounds as if it belongs in the good value thread

...and on that note, a cleanskin Nashwauk shiraz 06 keeping me very content with the world for $10.50 delivered.

Cheers

daz

Wayno wrote:Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2006
Italianate, savoury, quite nice tannins, creamy oak.

Nice one Wayno. I've been looking out for this one given the vintage hype.

Mike

I'm halfway through a bottle of 1994 Peter Lehmanns Stonewell Shiraz. A boring wine akin to a lukewarm cup of coffee. I hope its better tonight.

2nd half of a bottle of Kays Hillside 2005 tonight. Even better than the 1st half last night. Still infanticide but oh so good right now.

Currently finishing the evenings with a glass of Harry's Block Special 2004 Liqueur Shiraz. Intoxicating (in all ways) glass full of intense chocolate fruitcake with thick viscous mouthfeel and a length of palate to see out the week. Made in only a very tiny amount and available only to a very special few on the planet. Money cannot buy this treasure.

It was Tuesday night here, at a very, very early Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt's place:

a 1997 Edwards & Chaffey Section 353 Chardonnay. The wine was fairly viscous with lots of legs on the glass, and the colour was a deep yellow gold, showing age. The palate had a slightly yeasty nose reminiscent of champagne with hints of ripe melon and pistachio--a nose that only a fan of older wines might like. The palate was much the same, not a lot of fruit but again slightly madeirized yeasty malolactic notes and a toasty nutty-like finish. It had plenty of mouth-feel and enough acidity to compliment the roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams and cranberry sauce.

Cheers.............Mahmoud.

Having a 2003 Chateau Cabezac Cuvee Arthur tonight, and finishing off the bottle I opened up last night. It just went on sale here yesterday (from $33 to $23), so I made sure I picked up three more today. Great QPR wine from Minervois (Languedoc, France), with lots of eastern spice and redfruits on a velvety palate and long finish. A great mouvedre, sryah and grenache blend (A-).

Dave Dewhurst wrote:Caronne St Gemme 2005 - bloody gorgeous and will benefit from 5+ years of laying down too.

Cheers

Dave

Hey Dave & Platinum - where did you pick this up from? And what was the bargain price?

cheers
Sarah