Sunday drinking reports 12/8/12

[Sean]

deleted

[Chuck]

Chain of Ponds 2003 Adelaide Hills Cachet. A cabernet blend this reflects the warmer year in AH and was well received by all at last night's dinner. Yummy and right in its drinking window.

Amadio 2004 Sebatian's Adelaide Hills Cabernet Sauvignon. A lucky dip from auction it did not disappoint.

Interestingly both wines were quite similar despite one being a blend. I think they may have been related in some way as Amadio is a name linked to Chain of Ponds although COP was sold by Amadio a few years ago. Anyone able to elaberate on this? Perhaps our resident wine encyclopedia Ian can help.

Carl

[Matt]

[b]Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cab Sav 2007[b]
This was so disappointing - Tart and acidic. Just medium bodied, candied nose that seemed to promise but didn't deliver. Left it overnight and the acidity had somewhat dissipated however still no fruit and a lack of depth. $60 - What a joke. Maybe it needs 10 years. Maybe it has suffered some heat damage somewhere along the way. I don't know - very disappointed.

[shirazphile]

Was sick most of the week. However managed to drink the following wine in last couple of days:
Richmond Grove Barossa Shiraz 1998
Flavours of ripe plum, liquorice and blackberries with a thread of chocolate through the palate. The tannins have softened beautifully. Excellent length with long lingering aftertaste.

[via collins]

2008 Kidnapper Cliffs "Ariki" blend - Merlot, Cab Franc, Cab Sav. Deeply dark colour, just a lick of brett or some alien fiend upon opening, but soon blew away. Viscous body, dense and brambly, fresh dark fruits, and a little cinnamon and other spice moving into view. It's lively as can be, not overly fruity at all, wonderful sense of balance. A rim of cola on second day adds another dimension. Rippingly good wine, glad I have some more for years ahead, i suspect its best is yet to come. Time and again, Hawkes Bay delivers the goods.

1993 Post Phillip Estate chardonnay - picked up in a 3 for $5 pick a bottle at local school fete. Interesting purely from archeological viewpoint - made by Alex White, light green bottle, and heaven knows where it's been. Foil was bonded to the glass, cork producing a hint of muck from the top, things were looking pretty dire, but the cork was 95% good, and the nose was, "interesting" all agreed. But the wine was in fine condition, the fruit was on its last legs, the pineapple notes just hanging in there, but the structure was buttery oak, blowsy goodness if you like that feeling. Which I do now and then. Good length, good body, and good on it for being drinkable and bloody enjoyable.

[GraemeG]

Last few days:

1992 Leo Buring Riesling Leonay - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley (8/11/2012)
{cork, 12.5%} Partly ruined by a failed cork. Sometime in the last few months (after 15 years cellaring) this has begun to leak. It's a good 2cm down on its companion bottle. The cork is totally sodden; the wine is a golden yellow. The nose is aged; but not totally ruined. There are seductive aromas of brown apples and honey, with a touch of vanilla bean. The palate offers the remains of vibrant acid, and gloriously developed honeyed fruits; great presence on the mid and back-palate, as well as the lingering impression of a great long, medium-weight, but quite dry finish. Yes, the whole thing is just slightly overlaid by a patina of staleness, thanks to the tree bark. How I hate the things. Fingers crossed for the last bottle.

2007 Turkey Flat Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (8/10/2012)
{screwcap, 14.5%} It might be five years old, but it's as black as a coal mine. Deep, rich aromas, only slightly along the developmental path, of blackberries, raspberries, milk chocolate, and only a dash of vanilla oak. Ripe but not too raisined. The palate starts out pretty broad-boned too, but turns into components; mild gritty tannins here, some rather harsh acidity there. It's medium/full bodied, very ripe and fruit-bomb-ish (although not sweet), but lacks the depth of fruit and length of finish that could lift it into the truly memorable class. Still, it's a pretty generous mouthful of wine, and would please all but the pickiest (of whom I suspect I am one). I think the 10-year aging promise on the back label is something of an ambit claim; in my experience wines of this style generally decline gently from about three years after vintage, but it's not too alcoholic or over-oaked, so it might hold well enough. But I doubt it'll actually improve from here.

2008 Tahbilk Marsanne - Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Nagambie Lakes (8/7/2012)
{screwcap, 12.5%} Still youthful; a touch reductive/rubbery too. Typical Tahbilk marsanne aromas & flavours; honeysuckle, lanolin, etc; there's is some acid here thankfully, but it's a bit reserved; and that reductive note doesn't really seem to dissipate sufficiently for me to truly enjoy the wine. Dry, medium-bodied; developed characters are quite some way off yet. Cellar longer for more than a one-dimensional experience at this stage.

cheers,
GG

[Mahmoud Ali]

Sunday dinner, salad, steak, chips and mushroom sauce. I had been out for a drive in the late afternoon and forgot about wine for dinner. Pulled out a bottle of '07 Rosemount Traditional, the one that had been heavily discounted and discussed on this board a few years ago.

Prior to dinner we had a couple of glasses of white, the first from an open bottle, the '10 Annasdale 'Double V' Verdelho Viognier 12%, a forgetable wine from a wine club case. It did nothing to justify the blend, it was dry, had nothing of the weight and richness one expects from either of these varieties, and rather characterless. Produced by Woodnibs Pty Ltd in the Hunter Valley it semed like it was trying to be a Sauvignon Blanc. The next glass was from the same case buy, a 2011 Grant Burge Chardonnay, 12%. It was no better, a souless wine that was marginally better in that it had some vrietal identity.

2007 Rosemount Traditional,Show Reserve, Mclaren Vale, 14.5%
Just a wee bit softer than what I recall from a few years ago, this wine drank quite well with a t-bone steak. It was of course still tannic and could withstand quite a few more years in a cellar and cetainly a long decant. It was dark fruited, had a leathery component and a nice savoury edge. It was still somewhat tannic but went well with the steak.

After dinner we sipped on the better part of a 250ml bottle of the '03 Tempus Two Botrytis Semillon, 10%
This has developed a deep colour with a gold/copper hue. It had plenty of apricot and melon fruit and a lovely rich botrytis nose. The palate was broad, again the botrytis notes and rich, soft, tinned fruit elements. A nice note to end the evening.

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

[dlo]

Pol Roger 1996 Sir Winston Churchill Champagne - quite developed in colour than previous bottles, excellent fine persistent streams of bubbles and sensationally mature (in a good way) on the nose. The palate a bit fresher with terrific complex fruit, fantastic acid cut, simply amazing autolysis character and superb length. Terrific stuff, but the time to drink these, if this bottle is representative, is now. 92

Ch. Clerc Milon (Pauillac) 2000 - my first bottle and double decanted 2 hours before service. An elegant wine, just medium bodied with attractive sweet black fruit abounding in the bouquet, just a touch of Bordeaux barnyard, a little tapenade and herb; silky, soft blackcurrant fruit, low acidity and relatively soft tannins on the palate with reasonable length and a most satisfying medium finish. Close to being ready, nothing special, but no faults. 87 Upper end of very good.

Peter Lehmann Reserve Eden Valley Riesling 2002 - far more developed on the nose than previous bottles with strong toast and petrol character dominating limes underneath. Fresher palate with lively lime and toast flavour and robust acidity riddled through the back end. Very nice indeed although not as good as the two previous bottles. 91

Christophe Vaudoisey Volnay 1er Cru "Clos des Chenes" 2002 - I bought half a dozen of these at auction some time back and the first bottle was an abject failure - dirty nose, sharp, angular, lacking fruit on the palate and just so bitter and astringent in its finish - worthy of less than 60 points! I was considering selling the remainder off but due to the great run I'd had with this maker and vineyard in the past (since the 1993 vintage), decided to give another one a chance tonight. Glad I did, this bottle was sensational. Nose and palate both to top of the tree with just so much Burgundian complexity from start to finish. I'll give another 24 hours and write it up on my website. But, on tonight's performance, I'm thinking 93/94 points, it's that good!

Unfortunately, 24 hours later and this wine had totally fell apart, as happens with Burgundy on a regular basis. Although this particular trait is sometimes taken as a sign of a lack of staying power, with Burgundy you never can tell.

[sjw_11]

Hugh McLaren Vale Cabernet 1992... An auction pot luck dip, the label was a bit faded and the colour didn't look great in the bottle so I unplugged this for a quiet Sunday night steak and what a surprise it turned out to be. Actually still mid-garnet, albeit browning at the edges, this was still alive and varietally recognisable. Tobacco leaf, earth and red berries on the nose. The palate structure was holding together, perhaps lacking a little in the mid-palate and in the length. A genuine surprise.

Rosemount "Roxburgh" HV Chardonnay 2002... (cork) Mid-golden colour, the nose instantly proclaims its buttery/French oak style, while the palate remains well intact despite the 10-yrs age (Halliday said drink a fair while ago). There is perhaps a slight sharpness on the palate, which otherwise carries through the flavours the aroma makes you expect: melon, stone fruit and a creamy or buttery finish. Not bad.

Orlando St Helgas Riesling 1999... Great looking bottle (unknown provenance), multiple gold medals, good fill level nearly to the cork and a good cork ... but no dice. Although there was a divergence of opinion with a fellow drinker finding it a bit past it but enjoyable, I called this gone. Definitely still some lime marmalade/toast on the nose, but the palate was a bit stripped and there was a distinct oxidative character. I bought 3 of these at auction so hopefully the other 2 will be better?

Leo Buring CV Riesling 2011... Still very pale clear/green despite being a 1-yr old. Absolutely crystalline fresh nose and palate. Citrus/floral notes on the aroma, while the palate is still extremely tight and linear, with lashings of mouth puckering acidity running through it. Refreshing now, better later - will age well.

[Teisto]

2007 Domaine Des Comtes Lafon - Monthelie Les Durresses Drunk by myself on our wedding anniversary as the wife is pregnant again A lovely drop to slurp over dinner that got better over time.

[Thommo]

Double congratulations!

[Cloth Ears]

Rosenvale 2006 Estate Semillon - Starting to come into its own now. I probably should have left this for a while longer. Previously a bit acidic, but now qutie smooth and flavourful to taste. Nose is light, florally without being able to pin down exactly what it's like (maybe a touch of lavendar and honeysuckle) but still with that fresh green grape. Lovely to drink - to much so, we'd only one glass left by the time it came to eat dinner and we'd only opened it while serving. 89

P.S. Didn't chill it, and boy did it reward that!

[Luke W]

2008 Pierro Cabernet Merlot wtcf - decanted and aerated - started drinking about 5 minutes later and within an hour or so showed its wares. Gorgeous aroma and taste of plums, coconut and spice, milk chocolate - beautifully balanced, medium bodied wine. Lingering flavours of black berries left me wanting more (my darling only got a glass of this and I let that go unwillingly). The touch of cabernet franc may well be the key for the extra aroma and flavour.

2010 Yalumba Patchwork shiraz - a little disjointed at first and improved steadily in the glass over the evening. By the end was quite lovely although a bit furry on the middle palate. Have heard all sorts of rumours about this having some Octavious fruit and others have mentioned that it even is better on the 3rd day after opening which means a long life I imagine. Pretty good value wine - expect to see the darkest tongue you can imagine in the mirror when you clean your teeth after having a couple of glasses.

[porschemad911]

2010 Pankhurst Cabernet Merlot
From the Canberra region. Really nice! A little too much spicy oak straight after decanting, but after this settled, just a lovely red with rich fruit and a good measure of tannin. A shame I don't have any more of this.

2010 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet
Nice enough, simple red. Everything tasted in balance to me, nothing standing out particularly. Decanted and mellowed as it aired. Ok, but I won't buy again probably

[rens]

2010 Yalumba Patchwork shiraz - a little disjointed at first and improved steadily in the glass over the evening. By the end was quite lovely although a bit furry on the middle palate. Have heard all sorts of rumours about this having some Octavious fruit and others have mentioned that it even is better on the 3rd day after opening which means a long life I imagine. Pretty good value wine - expect to see the darkest tongue you can imagine in the mirror when you clean your teeth after having a couple of glasses.

Yes Luke, I got some of the 2007. There were rumours that because the signature was not made that year that some of the fruit went into this one. I've had most of the case (more because I need the room in the cellar, not because they were due). I've got about 3 left that I will not open for another 3-4 years.

[Luke W]

What was the 07 like, Rens?

[rens]

Hi Luke
Just had a quick look and I had the last bottle on Australia day this year (3 to go) and I noted:
A dark ruby colour. Black plumb menthol and spice on the nose. The Palate has violets, vanilla, licorice and spice with a reasonable weight and mouth feel. The tannins are juicy yet slightly drying. Still improving and I'll leave the rest for another 3-4 years. It won't blow your socks off, but for the $16 price tag a very good QPR.

[Luke W]

Ta

[Scotty vino]

Wendouree 03 Shiraz.

2007 Paulett Polish Hill River Shiraz