The great Epiqure quaffer clean out

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burmans said:
Didn't this wine get the Jimmy Watson trophy, hardly a ringing endorsement that $20 is around the mark!?,
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i'm wrapping it up now and it's been a good wine, but I'm still calling it a $20 wine, maybe a couple dollars more, but I'm not handing out medals :)
 
Rugby said:
i'm wrapping it up now and it's been a good wine, but I'm still calling it a $20 wine, maybe a couple dollars more, but I'm not handing out medals :)
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Slight adjustment - I'm having a Lagavulin night cap and I give that a gold medal every time.
 
I'm feeling the burn a bit after two nights out in a row so I've just grabbed the first bottle I could reach in the quaffer cabinet. It's a Haselgrove Switch 2013 GSM from McLaren Vale. Dan's doesn't appear to have it, Epiqure pricing is $25. Wine Selectors says it's well balanced and would pair well with goats cheese pizza - very specific recommendation. It should be a winner. Mrs Rugby has hit 3 weeks in her self imposed booze ban in the lead up to her running event, so fair dues to her.
 
I'm struggling with this one a bit. Good balance and I get the pepper and herb flavours, and with the nose I get Worcestershire sauce - which seems odd, but I like it. I think it's just too young. I'm a bit shy on giving a $ value on this one because I'd like to come back to it in a few years. If you've got one of these leave it under the bed for a while. It could be a cracker.
 
Today I've gone for the oldest Epiqure quaffer I could find, which is a Mad Fish Sideways Margaret River Shiraz 2010. A bit hard to find some current pricing, but around $20 from memory seems be what I paid for it. Not the best match for my seafood lunch, but the project is the project. I've decantered for an hour before tasting.
 
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Rugby said:
Today I've gone for the oldest Epiqure quaffer I could find, which is a Mad Fish Sideways Margaret River Shiraz 2010. A bit hard to find some current pricing, but around $20 from memory seems be what I paid for it. Not the best match for my seafood lunch, but the project is the project. I've decantered for an hour before tasting.
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Lots of cherry notes with this Shiraz. A little rough around the edges and the finish is quite harsh. I'm not a fan - $10 for me.
 
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Just opened a 2010 Richmond Grove Coonawarra Reserve Cabinet Sauvignon and it popped.
Its off!, so sadly down the sink.
Dans has a 2012 bottle for $18.99
 
No spares, it was a gift last year for hubby's birthday
 
So, Rugby, if you don't make it through your stash of quaffers, will you be looking for another running event for your wife? :)

I have been enjoying your journey. I even recognise a few of the reds.
 
JessicaTam said:
So, Rugby, if you don't make it through your stash of quaffers, will you be looking for another running event for your wife? :)

I have been enjoying your journey. I even recognise a few of the reds.
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I like your thinking! Maybe it could be an annual quaffer clean out. I think I'll be suffering from mystery wine fatigue by the end of the project, and Mrs Rugby would probably glass me if I suggested she extend the booze ban beyond 16 May :).
 
Rugby said:
I like your thinking! Maybe it could be an annual quaffer clean out. I think I'll be suffering from mystery wine fatigue by the end of the project, and Mrs Rugby would probably glass me if I suggested she extend the booze ban beyond 16 May :).
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Well if she wins you can celebrate with the left-overs.
 
I think we'll celebrate with a blackcat20 FIFA World Cup Taittinger.;) We've still got a couple left.
 
Tonights quaffer is a 2013 St Hallett Obst Single Vineyard Shiraz. St Hallett seem to have a lot of Shiraz variations. I couldn't find much on this one, except on Epiqure which has it for $24. On the nose they advise to expect dark cherry, cocoa, nutmeg and eucalypt. Tasting - dark cherry, vanilla bean and spice notes. It's a nice autumn evening in SYD, perfect for a Shiraz.
 
Rugby said:
Tonights quaffer is a 2013 St Hallett Obst Single Vineyard Shiraz. St Hallett seem to have a lot of Shiraz variations. I couldn't find much on this one, except on Epiqure which has it for $24. On the nose they advise to expect dark cherry, cocoa, nutmeg and eucalypt. Tasting - dark cherry, vanilla bean and spice notes. It's a nice autumn evening in SYD, perfect for a Shiraz.
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I decanted this, and also sampled a glass straight away as per my Friday afternoon rule. Lots of dark cherry on the nose and I picked up the cocoa, but not eucalyptus. Upon tasting I got a little spice, vanilla, and lots of dark fruit - so very much as described. I'm rating this a good quaffer and am putting it at $17 a bottle.

No food recommendation, I think it'd be okay by itself on a winter afternoon. My guess is it would peek in a couple of years, but I'm happy with it now. So if you have this one in your Epiqure collection pull it out when you're after a simple easy drinking, medium bodied quaffer. Cheers.
 
Really enjoying this in-depth review. Have a few of these babies, if we ever meet - I owe you a couple.
 
I'm a bit excited about todays quaffer, a Wirra Wirra 2012 Church Block Cab Sav Shiraz Merlot. There was lots of reading to be found on this wine, maybe because 2012 was the 40th vintage. Consensus seems to be that the Church Block label is consistently a very solid value wine for around $20. Dan's has the 2012 for $18.

The word is that it'll be full bodied, lots of black and blue fruit, with a long smooth finish and lingering spices. Sounds good to me.

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Rugby said:
I'm a bit excited about todays quaffer, a Wirra Wirra 2012 Church Block Cab Sav Shiraz Merlot. There was lots of reading to be found on this wine, maybe because 2012 was the 40th vintage. Consensus seems to be that the Church Block label is consistently a very solid value wine for around $20. Dan's has the 2012 for $18.

The word is that it'll be full bodied, lots of black and blue fruit, with a long smooth finish and lingering spices. Sounds good to me.

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Always a very enjoyable quaffer.
 
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