Nice wines I have drunk recently - Red or White

[blackcat20]

Cracked a second bottle of the 2014 Maverick Twins GSM over the weekend; hated the first bottle a few months ago but boy has it improved. Just shows it was a little young, but six months and some airing time and it was yummy. Unforunately I was designated driver so didnt get to consume as much as I would have liked.

Last night cracked a 2014 Wirra Wirra Catapult Shiraz. Very drinkable with a roast lamb, and a cracker at $18.

 

[Steady]

Somehow I missed out on the '14 Twins - was it a mof_ purchase?

 

[blackcat20]

Somehow I missed out on the '14 Twins - was it a mof_ purchase?

Yes it was.

 

[drron]

So the 22 year clean up is complete-3 full garbage bins,2 full recycle bins and 5 loads of assorted paraphernalia to the Salvos.Grandkids arrive tomorrow so best to enjoy a lovely,still fruity,Penfolds cabernet-

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And listen to the dulcet tones of Mr Tony Hancock from East Cheam-not to be confused with that imposter from Melbourne who tries to be a comedian.

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[drron]

So the first 9 hours of duty survived.needed a revival so back to the Hunter.but this time to an aged Semillon.They can be great.

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as it says on the back-will most certainly reward extended cellaring.And it has.Probably at it's peak.Pure nectar.So if you do like older whites this is certainly recommended.

 

[TheRealTMA]

So the first 9 hours of duty survived.needed a revival so back to the Hunter.but this time to an aged Semillon.They can be great.

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as it says on the back-will most certainly reward extended cellaring.And it has.Probably at it's peak.Pure nectar.So if you do like older whites this is certainly recommended.

Looks and sounds wonderful.

Why did they call it a Chablis? What were Lindemans thinking I wonder for a wonderful Semillon. Thank heavens this theft of IP and European names has been stopped.

 

[ste667]

So the first 9 hours of duty survived.needed a revival so back to the Hunter.but this time to an aged Semillon.They can be great.

.

.

as it says on the back-will most certainly reward extended cellaring.And it has.Probably at it's peak.Pure nectar.So if you do like older whites this is certainly recommended.

What a colour!

 

[drron]

Well the whole naming thing really was quite innocent.They called the wines by the style it represented-this was back in the 1800s.By the way our own Tony Hancock still talks of enjoying his claret.
This was one of the last of the Lindeman's wines by this name-1993 I think was the last.On the other hand the EU hasn't really helped a lot of their own winemakers by their insistence on the exclusive use of names-
Wine War - Bloomberg

And for an irreverent look at aussie wines this blog can be interesting-
d r i n k s t e r: WHITE WINE: SUCK ON THIS YOU coughS

 

[penegal]

Funny photos!

Your comments about the Miles from Nowhere Shiraz are interesting. I bought a case of Miles from Nowhere Chardonnay from the Fo as a contraband deal, I think. Have had one bottle and it was terrible ... More like a Sauv Blanc than a Chardonnay. Have been meaning to return it, but it's been so long now, not sure they'd accept it back

Thanks. The Shiraz was a genuine surprise. I was expecting to cook most of it, or use it as drain cleaner, but it as surprisingly good.

Having never heard of them before, I didn't really have expectations, but not surprised that a different variety was average.

 

[cove]

This post by penegal is encouraging me to have a look down in my cellar. I have wondered if the Chalimbar has aged well or become the perfect drain cleaner. Just as drron has some quite old wines I realise that I haven't been active enough downstairs.
Yesterday I heard my dentist had retired and my cardiologist for 22 years is retiring this month.

 

[Whodoesthat]

Working slowly through the corks.... Clyde Park 2002 Shiraz from Geelong area. I believe this was their first vintage for the Shiraz and have no idea when or where I got this.Medium bodied and quite opaque, with an immediate aroma of violets wafting from the glass. Typical cool spiciness on the mid but finishing with rhubarb tart??....in a good way. Unusual but very enjoyable.

 

[QF WP]

A really different wine last night - Mrs QF WP made mulled wine (her English heritage and a friend had never had mulled wine before)

Now it's non vintage, tasted of cinnamon, fruit and god knows what else....but it was warm and went down slowly (definitely a sipping wine).

Should have paired with biscuits and cheese, but I was tired and emotional and was not moving from my easy chair...

Some issues with photos coming through from App...two views for the price of one

 

[JohnM]

Last night in Clarens, South Africa. Very good Cab Sav, C Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot blend,

 

[QF WP]

Aaah, a Stellenbosch wine JohnM - it's on my bucket list to go and visit...

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Aaah, a Stellenbosch wine JohnM - it's on my bucket list to go and visit...

Meerlust Rubicon is about as good as you'll get. I gave away several cases I'd acquired at good prices in SG, which I deeply regret now, considering how expensive (relatively) it is to acquire here...

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Kicking off the week with this Aussie classic: Castagna Genesis Syrah 2010 - 98% shiraz, 2% voignier. Floral, fruity nose - strawberries and darker fruits - plums, blackberries etc. The palate is light and fruity, with medium tannins, with a bit of a zing the aftertaste. Will do better with additional age IMHO. Great alongside scotch fillet. 93 on CT from me:



Mitolo Savitar 2005 and Oakridge 864 Pinot Noir were good drinking mid-week, in amongst some very ordinary stuff (Rosemount Little Berrie GSM, and Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Pauillac Légende come to mind).
Mitolo Savitar: Crimson red colour. Meaty and funky notes upon opening, but that blew off after an hour or so. Velvet smooth on the palate, with creamy flavours of dark fruits. Tannins very mild. Savoury notes linger on the after-taste. Recommend at least a 30-60 minute decant if opening now.



And to kick-off the weekend, d'Arenberg Dead Arm 2006: still quite tight/closed in my opinion. Acidity is there, black fruits are there, tannins drying but smooth. Spices (pepper) and chocolate on the after-taste, but really could do with far more aging. Looking good for the remaining bottles.



Took a delivery of Grant Burge Meshach 2002 today, so will look to pair with something suitable tomorrow night. Bring on the weekend!

 

[beefarmer]

Seriously good drinking again AC. Some comments from one of the above winemakers considering cork. Interesting.

The continuing and increasing problems with natural cork have sparked a huge debate, especially in the New World, on finding appropriate, alternative closures for wine and there is little doubt that screw caps seem to be becoming the closure of choice.
I am not convinced.
I am not convinced that the emotional side of drinking fine wine is satisfied by bottles sealed with screw caps; I am not convinced that it’s best for the wine in the long run. Fine wines need to age and develop in the bottle over time – part of this process is a very small ingress of oxygen through the cork allowing the wine to age successfully. Perfect gas barriers don’t allow this to happen and the wines will age in atypical ways. I am also not convinced that the majority of our customers want fine wine bottles sealed with screw caps, I certainly don’t. What I want and what I think all of our customers want is a wine to be as the winemaker intended when they come to drink it.
Those of you who bought wine from us last year will have noticed that all Castagna wine is now sealed with Diam.
Diam is a technical cork. Natural cork is reduced to powder then washed with super critical Carbon Dioxide – a process which removes all measurable levels of releasable TCA from this raw cork material. This process has undergone many tests by independent organisations using laboratory equipment which can detect TCA at less than 0.5 parts per trillion. The powder is then reconstituted using the same polymer that contact lenses are made from. So the guarantee is100% TCA free – a near-perfect seal with virtually no random cork oxidation, which in itself has proven almost as big a problem as TCA.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Some very ordinary stuff mid-week stuff (Rosemount Little Berries GSM 2014, and Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Pauillac Légende 2010 come to mind).

Just tried the remnants of the Little Berries, and it's turned into some sickly-sweet strawberry-toffee-flavoured monstrosity. Probably good if you like sweet alcopops-style drinks, but down the sink for me...

 

[sigmadelta]

Just tried the remnants of the Little Berries, and it's turned into some sickly-sweet strawberry-toffee-flavoured monstrosity. Probably good if you like sweet alcopops-style drinks, but down the sink for me...

Is thats whats called an 'alcopopsalypse'?

 

[JohnM]

At JNB tonight with flight to TNR in the morning and decided to eat at the Intercontinental.

Hmmm, Rubicon on the wine list - albeit at 2x the price I paid in little Clarens last night . Have to go for it again.

With ostrich carpaccio, crusted wildebeest fillet with a sort of risotto made from maize and, though not usually a desert eater, the licorice icecream tempted me.

The IC at JNB is about 50m from the terminal through the blue-lit curtains, for those unfamiliar with JNB - an excellent airport IMO.