Nice wines I have drunk recently - Red or White

[AnzacPaul]

Looks like they ran out of Moppa at the wedding I'm at, so they've substituted it with this.

#nocomplaints

 

[Daver6]

The Philipponnat was phenomenal. Purchased this with a friend maybe 5 years ago and we finally opened it. Still so young and fresh. I wish we purchased more than one but would cringe at the asking price today.

The Black Shiraz is current release and very good. Quite restrained. I'm heading to Rockford on Friday and will try again, but I can see myself buying six. The Brash Higgins continues to bat well above it's price point (ssshh....don't tell Brad).

 

[Buzzard]

The Philipponnat was phenomenal. Purchased this with a friend maybe 5 years ago and we finally opened it. Still so young and fresh. I wish we purchased more than one but would cringe at the asking price today.

The Black Shiraz is current release and very good. Quite restrained. I'm heading to Rockford on Friday and will try again, but I can see myself buying six. The Brash Higgins continues to bat well above it's price point (ssshh....don't tell Brad).
View attachment 311835

Look forward to you reviewing some of the Rockford wines, perhaps on the other thread.

 

[blackcat20]

So, am I unlucky or just impatient? We have some close friends over every year for a pre-Christmas lunch and I always get out something special. However much I try, nothing ever lives up to expectations, including a 2013 Basket Press a few years back that was corked (and later replaced). This year I got out a Meshach, filtered it into a decanter, let it sit for 2 hours then poured back into the cleaned bottle and poured glasses using an aerator. The cork smelled good, but to drink it had some fruit and pepper, but very little aroma. We drank it over the next hour and it didn’t really open up at all. This one came from BWS as a half price clearance, I am wondering if it is false economy to buy that way if the way the were stored has an impact on the wine?

Its possible it was aerated for too long: Decanting mistakes you are making

 

[SYD]

Its possible it was aerated for too long: Decanting mistakes you are making

Yep. Younger the longer decant. Oldies shorter.

Double decant just before drinking is probably more than adequate? Decant, rinse bottle and return to bottle. Plenty of aeration but not left to age before your eyes.

 

[Daver6]

So, am I unlucky or just impatient? We have some close friends over every year for a pre-Christmas lunch and I always get out something special. However much I try, nothing ever lives up to expectations, including a 2013 Basket Press a few years back that was corked (and later replaced). This year I got out a Meshach, filtered it into a decanter, let it sit for 2 hours then poured back into the cleaned bottle and poured glasses using an aerator. The cork smelled good, but to drink it had some fruit and pepper, but very little aroma. We drank it over the next hour and it didn’t really open up at all. This one came from BWS as a half price clearance, I am wondering if it is false economy to buy that way if the way the were stored has an impact on the wine?

Smelling the cork doesn't tell you anything about TCA, especially low levels.

The lack of nose/aroma you describe could be low level TCA that has stripped the fruit away. Also could have been oxidised. Was what you described on the nose before or after the two hour decant?

 

[TheRealTMA]

Yep. Younger the longer decant. Oldies shorter.

Double decant just before drinking is probably more than adequate? Decant, rinse bottle and return to bottle. Plenty of aeration but not left to age before your eyes.

In general yes but can, however, depend on the wine style. Barolos, Sassicaia, Burgundies, Grange do often benefit from 3-4 hour or more decant.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Smelling the cork doesn't tell you anything about TCA, especially low levels.

The lack of nose/aroma you describe could be low level TCA that has stripped the fruit away. Also could have been oxidised. Was what you described on the nose before or after the two hour decant?

Idiocy of "somelliers" the "smelling the cork ritual" is one of the great furfies on the wine business. Smell the wine, taste, to define TCA, oxidations, and other faults. TCS in whites is very difficult at times since even when one can't detect TCA on the nose (without a spectrophotometer) the wine itself is just dull and lifeless. Low level TCA in reds can do the same but seems to me TCA in reds is easier to detect?

Some wines on special seem to be to have been badly stored and show no TCA etc, too much heat exposure generates a wine that's just dull and boring.

 

[kevviek]

Yep. Younger the longer decant. Oldies shorter.

Double decant just before drinking is probably more than adequate? Decant, rinse bottle and return to bottle. Plenty of aeration but not left to age before your eyes.

Thanks for all the advice. On reflection, I think the mistake I made was to put it through the Nuance into the decanter. The tannins were very fine, and I suspect got stirred up a bit much. The nose when I first opened the bottle was really good.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Thanks for all the advice. On reflection, I think the mistake I made was to put it through the Nuance into the decanter. The tannins were very fine, and I suspect got stirred up a bit much. The nose when I first opened the bottle was really good.

One thing I often do when one decants a wine is to try a small sample every 30 minutes or so. The changes over limited time can be facinating and educational. Good for aeration time for the next bottle.

 

[miketh]

Lovely Barolo!

 

[boomy]

Dinner in Melbourne.

 

[Steady]

I have a few of the Penfolds Reserve Shiraz Cab, what are they like, how are they drinking?

I wasn’t planning on trying my first until about 2028

 

[Buzzard]

+1 and I are currently drinking this, accompanied by a kilo of large king prawns and a dozen oysters. TBH I prefer a young fresh Riesling as opposed to an aged one but the drier style here probably balances the sweetness of the prawns and the citrus of the lemon juice on the oysters natural.
If you have some I'd suggest drinking it now. The cork could not be removed with a cork screw, it tore the cork. I had to use an ah-so which pulled it easily. The cork was not in good shape.

 

[Assassin]

A mixed bag at a recent function at our place. The Woodlands is still fresh at 13 yrs old. Plenty of life left in it….

I haven’t had the Hart and Hunter wine but it was ok (albeit the last one opened on the night!)

 

[Daver6]

Last night...

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Last night:

The George Jensen was ‘gifted’ by some recent visitor and the girls last night decided they would have Champagne coughtails - no way I would permit any decent plonk to be destroyed by addition of OJ, Bitters and sugar

 

[TheRealTMA]

Xmas Eve.



white was excellent. Red had good nose but not much else. Quite flat.

 

[Assassin]

Last night:
View attachment 312631
The George Jensen was ‘gifted’ by some recent visitor and the girls last night decided they would have Champagne coughtails - no way I would permit any decent plonk to be destroyed by addition of OJ, Bitters and sugar

How were the Meshach and the Old Block?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Superb