The Auswine Forum

What did you actually drink on Christmas Day?

A fairly quiet day winewise for us as we have a lot of driving to do. No wines till mid afternoon prior to a late lunch/very early dinner

Starter Wine
Louis Roederer Vintage Rosé 1994
Very pale coppery pink in colour with tiny delicate bubbles rising in a steady stream from the bottom of the glass, this is a deliciously rich toasty yeasty cuvée laced with a liqueur rich dosage and tasting of strawberry with a creamy caramel overtone. Summery berry flavours linger. Very long, very delicious.

Main Course
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002 (Martinborough)
What can I say? Wow! This is perhaps the best 2002 pinot I have tasted all year. Deep ruby red with a gemmy glow. Totally enthralling and inviting aromas of smoky spiced berries and cherries with a slightly herbal savoury edge. Fruity to the taste with divine roast cherry and cracked berry flavours, a little earth, a touch of herb and creamy smoky oak binding it together with a gorgeous silky smooth texture that flows across the palate to culminate in a slightly tart finish warmed by the alcohol. Compared to something like a Shiraz, this is a medium weight wine that was just perfect for the time of day and the food (turkey with roasted red cherries, and lamb).

Later at home with nephew and fiance who arrived to crash on our lounge floor
Isabel Estate Noble Sauvage 2002 (100% Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc)
A beautifully rich and fruity, wonderfully viscous nectar, thick and sweet, apricots, peach and passionfruit, a little oak on the back palate, made to sip and savour at the end of a long day. Simply divine with fluffy pavlova and fresh summer fruits. Yummo!

Cheers,
Sue

Hi Sue,

Seasons greetings and thanks for your top notes. Just wrote these memory notes up, so I thought I'd post them here seeing you asked.

Christmas dinner was at the parents place with all the wine from yours truly. All memory notes, please excuse their brevity.

Pol Roger 1996 Vintage
More colour than the first bottle opened last week. Excellent fine persistent bead. Charred toast on the nose followed by a fresh citrus palate and a long, substantial finish. Impressive enough, but quite different (and not as good) as the first bottle opened a week ago.

Richmond Grove Watervale Riesling 1998
Bought plenty of this and have been impressed for some time with its' youthfulness and vivacity (for a relative cheapy). Strong char and oily nose, dissipating slowly to allow some slatey lime fruit to work into the equation. Powerful, primary flavours of lime amd minerals with ample acidity providing a refreshing mouthful right through the palate. Highly Recommended

Lindeman's HR Chablis Bin7875 1991
A wine I've drunk for years and generally rave about. This bottle wasn't the greatest example, revealing a somewhat tired nose and flat, acidless palate. Passed it, but still Drinkable

Seppelt's Original Sparkling Shiraz 1998
This bottle impressed for its fine colour, strong small bead, attractive spicy, earthy, choc-berry fruit and soft lingering finish. At $14 you can't get much better. Highly Recommended

Seppelt's Dorrien Cabernet Sauvignon 1990
I just love Dorrien as a rule but this bottle just didn't sing as well as I was hoping. Still a healthy deep ruby with plenty of age showing in the edge, the mature/classy nose offered up cedar, sweet earth, saddle leather and currants with a strong undertone of herbaciousness. The palate tracks the bouquet perfectly for nuance with plenty of punch, good balance and melting tannins on a mellow, yet, resilient finish. Perhaps it was the extreme heat, the Henry VIII meal and/or palate fatigue, but I thought this not quite up to the standard of the (stellar) last bottle tried. Highly Recommended but monitor carefully over the next few years. Dad thought this was terrific.

All in all, it was a great afternoon/evening for the entire family. With the lack of serious wine drinkers in attendance, I brought home a bottle of Chablis, Red Burgundy, 91 St George and an old Seppelt's Tokay. Something to look forward to over the next day or two.

Lindauer NV Reserve bubbly: very refreshing and tasty. Good QPR- $15.

Tahbilk 2002 Viognier - light and florally. Went well with prawns.

E&E 1995 SP/Shiraz - not a great year but was really very good with turkey and cranberry sauce. (Didn't get to the '92 CC sp/Sh. Not enough red drinkers.)

Great Western - 1. The always excellent 97 Shiraz.
2. One I had not tasted previously, the '98 Cab./Sav. Wow, this is a truly luscious wine. Fruit,tannins and acid all in superb balance. I actually preferred this to the Shiraz. Did not think I would ever say that but I was "gobsmacked" and kept most of it for myself. (Selfish little bugger aren't I.)

Finished with a surprise gem- De Bortoli 1974 Port. Picked up at cellar door for about $7 and comparable to Port with much better credentials.

Not many good drinkers there so brought home the rest. There is always New Year or the rest of 2004 to polish them off.

Have a very happy and safe New Year.

MM.

A fairly long day at our place, 11:00am start and 11:30pm close on play.

Seppelt Show 1993 Sparkling Shiraz
McLarens on the Lake Sparkling Shiraz NV x 2
Baileys 1920's Block Shiraz 1993 x 2
Warabilla Reserve Durif 2000
Highfield Nildottie 2001 Tinta Molle
Henschke Joseph Hill 2001 Gewurtztraminer
Tahbilk 2000 Viognier

Finished the evening with a slug of Remy Martin XO while musing on the day and watching the end of "The Meaning of Life".

Missed out this Xmas. Terrorist Alert in Bahrain so our usual watering holes and wine sources at the frontline

So my wife is in Adelaide and so I don't feel so left out this is what she shared- 1996 Moet
-1999 Rockford Sparkling Black
-2000 Chard Farm 2000 Chardonnay ( obviously lifted her Kiwi embargo).
-2001 Ainslie Crossing Heathcote Shiraz
-1994 Wynn's John Riddoch.

Well , my partner is viewing "World Idol" on TV right now so here I am in the spare room on the Internet - I've just realised my participation on Auswine coincides with "reality" TV shows that Pelicanette somehow has a soft spot for despite her otherwise general good taste. To her credit we are currently sharing a 1998 Galah Cabernet Malbec Shiraz that she bought recently - has that lovely Wendouree character.....

Anyway yesterday we had over the course of the day and night :

Drappier Signature Cuvee Blanc de Blanc : nice melony fruit. Good but not Great Champagne.

1996 Penfold's Yattarna Chardonnay : really enjoyed this. To otherwise get this quality of French Oak you'd have to spend a lot more on top White Burgundy. Had that nice honeyed quality that time brings to good quality white wine. Got this at auction recently for $66 + 13% - worth it for me.

2000 Mount Mary Pinot Noir : surprisingly rich and sweet Pinot fruit compared to what I was expecting - but I'm not complaining as it had a lovely clean finish and not oaky at all which I loved. Ate with Roast Goose which was a pleasing match. Tried all 4 MM wines recently and I liked them all a lot and come Nov 2004 I hope to have saved up enough to buy more than just 6 bottles.

2002 Joseph La Magia Botrytis Riesling Traminer : I found this a bit disappointing because I expected more acidity - it was nice and rich and sweet but lacked that acid that makes a great sweet wine for me.

Yuletide Greetings to you all !

Rockford Sparkling Black x 2
Isabel Estate Pinot Noir 2001
Palliser Estate Pinot Noir 2001
Quartz Reef Pinot Noir 2001
Waipara Springs Reserve Pinot Noir 2001
Coopers Vintage (last years - great beer now..complex smooth and yumm!!!)
Morris Old Premium Muscat

The Rockfords Black was a bit of the old Hair of the Dog..a few too many christmas eve drinks after work..you develop quite a thirst after selling/unloading grog for 12 hours!!Byron Bay loves to drink!!

The medicinal powers of the Rockies worked a treat and after a few cleansing ales we headed for a friends for one great lunch. My wife made a duck salad that was to die for..with a duck reduction dressing..mmmm went great with the pinots. All the kiwi pinots were devine..the Quartz reef was a highlight with one person commenting it was the nicest wine they had ever tried. Instant pinot convert!

The beers were sensational..though they left a couple of friends a little worse for wear.They do have a kick.

The morris muscat is too good to put words to so i wont even try. Incredible and a great match for mums Xmas pudding!

Hope all had a safe happy xmas

Cheers

Paul

Billecart Salmon NV
Pol Roger NV
Gauthier 93

Tower Estate Semillon 03

Bannockburn Shiraz 98

Seppelt DP 57 Muscat

Chambers Special Tokay



All very good,an excellent day had by all !

Did too much driving, so only got a taste of each, but that was enough.

Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay '96.
Oxidised, badly cellared I assume. Bummer.
Barossa Valley Estate E&E Sparkling Shiraz '96.
Bit dissapointing this, considering how good the "Black Pepper" shiraz of the same vintage is. I think the '94 & '95 I enjoyed more.
Kings Creek "Reserve" Pinot '00.
Lacks any sweetness, slightly hard and tannic, can't see it getting any better. 95/100 from Mr Halliday.. I can't see why.
Reynell Cab/Sauv '95.
Big, rich, time to go yet, not bad for the vintage.
Nicholson River Pinot '99.
Not bad, sweet nose and palate, rich fruit, good length of finish. Drinking well.
Crittenden at Dromana Chardonnay '02.
New label for Garry Crittenden, if you liked his Dromana Estate Chardonnays, you'll love this, Intense, elegant, good oak.

Rory

Rory wrote:Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay '96.
Oxidised, badly cellared I assume. Bummer.
[Rory

Don't feel too bad about this one, Rory, I've only seen one good report on this wine, amongst plenty, of late. My two bottles were 1)corked and 2)oxidised. The corked one is sitting right behind me with many other a mongrel I'm too lazy to send back to their makers for replacement!

Hope (viniously) things pick up for the remainder of the festive season.

In order:

1988 Krug;
1995 Bollinger Grand Anee;
1982 Chateau Montrose (St. Julien);
1996 Chateau Haut Brion (Pressac);
1935 Chateau Filhot (perfect bottle, but over the hill);
1990 Chateau Rieussec;
1966 Dow's Port.

V Enjoyable, esp the Bordeaux.

JM

Its actually a bit of a blur...

1988 Krug - great wine
NV Moet
NV Veuve
NV Lanson - good value

1999 Chateau Palmer - I just love this, everything I look for in Cab
1999 John Riddoch - great stuff
2000 Katnook Cabernet - very good
2001 Katnook Shiraz - cant remember...
2001 Leibich Darkie Shiraz - I just found the bottle of this open in the morning, apparently I helped drink it.
2000 Wolf Blass Platinum Cab - why did I open this..from what I can recal it was from the big end of town.

2000 Noble One - ok

Also intermingled in between were cocktails made with raspberries and bacardi, others with watermelon and vodka...then things starting trending down hill and all sorts of ingredients went in, infact at one stage I added a little turkey to a cocktail...very tasty indeed.

We all then went up for a round of ice skating, one word of advice, skating and drinking dont mix...my boss had 11 stitches above his eye, I busted a knee, another colleaugue got a black eye and one more a sprained wrist!

In the morning the place looked like a typhoon had been thru...

All in all a a good day but not quite in the classical styled christmas, although the tailored made red and white tuxedos surely did make an impression in the bars later on....if only I could post photos...

Oh dear
I seem to be rather inadequate

Michelle & I shared a single bottle of 1998 Martinborough Reserve Pinot Noir.

... and we only drank 1/2 the bottle with the remainder now in a half bottle in the cellar waiting a 2nd visit this week. I am not worthy of this company

Was actually a little disappointed with the Martinborough. Have had a few bottles of the standard bottling & on 1st tasting this was less inspiring than the standard 2000 we had earlier in the year. Still relatively young in colour (for a 1998 at least) , though certainly red at the rim. Fruit was still strong with subtle smoky Pinot character. Noticeably bitter finish which detracted. We'll see what's become of the remainder

New years resolution... must drink more

Ian S wrote:Oh dear
I seem to be rather inadequate

Michelle & I shared a single bottle of 1998 Martinborough Reserve Pinot Noir....

Ian, I've refrained from posting on this thread, but I'll add my 2c now, it might make you feel better

My wife and I had Christmas day to ourselves, so we booked lunch at one of the major hotels in Brisbane. A$165/head seafood smorgasboard, should be good. The food was excellent, mainly fresh seafood, good range, excellent quality. For a spread like this (at a price like this!) you'd expect decent wine in the package, yes?

No.

The beverage package included Lindemans Premier Selection bubbles, Sem Chard and a red I didnt even look at. About $12/bottle I think. Not happy, Jan!

Cheers,

Andrew

Penfolds Kalimna 1998 - made the mistake of opening on a 38 degree Perth day. Too full bodied for a hot day. Great stuff but still too young. I never learn.

Leo Buring Leonay 1994 - very developed in colour. Not in the same class as the Leonay 1991. Palate initially seemed a tad oxidised and sharp but opened up to reveal a quite well balanced wine. Enjoyable complex characters on the palate. Good but not a standout.

Leasingham Classic Clare sparkling 1994 - Yummy. I can confirm other comments from this forum in recent days that this will live for years.

Seppelt Original sparkling 1998 - all has been said but interestingly I tried alongside the Leasingham. Sure there was difference but worthy of twice the price? - No. Shows how good the Original is.

Metala Black Label Original 1996 - I know some forum members thought the 98 was overoaked and I did find this vintage pushed my limits but I still loved it. Classic regional eucalypt and american oak aromas. Superb fruit intensity. Quite similar to the 94 tried recently. Picked up at bottle shop for $33. There are still some 'old' prices floating around.

Devils Lair chardonnay 2001 - very restrained and very good. Not 100% sure that the fruit intensity will see it age for too long, but I could be wrong. Had open with the Metala and preferred the Metala at the time.

Wynns Michael 1990 - my friend opened this on Christmas Eve. He had it stored in his living room for almost 9 years. Amazing how a full bodied wine can withstand a beating and still drink superbly. A pleasure and better than another 90 had a few months back that had been relatively well cellared.

As a postscript to the 1998 Martinborough Reserve, we finished off the remaining half bottle (re-corked in a half bottle) today 1st Jan.

Much improved and now would certainly rank alongside the Martinborough 2000. Colour still a pale claret, but far more happening on the palette today. The slight bitterness on the finish is still there, but today is hardly noticeable.

I suspect it's got a few years left on todays evidence & the remaining bottle will be earmarked for ~ 2006+.

Happy new year

Ian

Ian S wrote:As a postscript to the 1998 Martinborough Reserve, we finished off the remaining half bottle (re-corked in a half bottle) today 1st Jan.

Much improved and now would certainly rank alongside the Martinborough 2000. Colour still a pale claret, but far more happening on the palette today. The slight bitterness on the finish is still there, but today is hardly noticeable.

I suspect it's got a few years left on todays evidence & the remaining bottle will be earmarked for ~ 2006+.

Happy new year

Ian

Ian
Happy New Year, That Martinborough reserve was always a monster of a wine. Glad to hear it improved with opening. Would you recommend decanting?
Cheers,
Sue

SueNZ wrote:

Ian S wrote:As a postscript to the 1998 Martinborough Reserve, we finished off the remaining half bottle (re-corked in a half bottle) today 1st Jan.

Much improved and now would certainly rank alongside the Martinborough 2000. Colour still a pale claret, but far more happening on the palette today. The slight bitterness on the finish is still there, but today is hardly noticeable.

I suspect it's got a few years left on todays evidence & the remaining bottle will be earmarked for ~ 2006+.

Happy new year

Ian

Ian
Happy New Year, That Martinborough reserve was always a monster of a wine. Glad to hear it improved with opening. Would you recommend decanting?
Cheers,
Sue

Sue
I didn't think about decanting, but now you suggest it, I think it would be an excellent idea. Wish I'd thought of it!
Ian

Rory wrote:Kings Creek "Reserve" Pinot '00.
Lacks any sweetness, slightly hard and tannic, can't see it getting any better. 95/100 from Mr Halliday.. I can't see why.

Hello Rory,

I must assume that you had a bad bottle. I had a bottle of this on Saturday night. Mine was a big Australian Pinot Noir full of sappy strawberry and black fruits with heaps of vanilla and creamy French oak. Mouthfeel was excellent. Depth was great but was probably plagued by a bit of simplicity. After having this wine, I took another bottle out of my cellar, leaving only one left, for short term drinking as I felt that the structure was starting to fade making the wine soup-ish.

This is definitely a different wine to your bottle - with maybe too much sweetness and not enough tannin... I still concur with your 95/100 question but this is why I am keeping one in the cellar for a few more years to get to the end of JH's 2006 drinking window estimation.

Kind regards,
Adair