I was looking forward to this...but unfortunately I got rushed around so I didn't get to try everything I wanted..not even close....I left with a few impressions though so I'll share those...
Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005. Smells like an aged Semillon, a bit of toast, lemon, honey...not bad, a bit muted though...It's flat though..it's on it's way out. Where is the acidity? I don't know..What I find most puzzling is the last Elizabeth I had was a 2002 and it was pure acid (which was terrible). I'm not sure what they're doing to this line but unless someone starts telling me they've improved what they're doing, I doubt I'll be buying Elizabeth anymore. I even read somewhere the newest vintage has some SB in it? WTF.
Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2005. Everything the Elizabeth wasn't. Had some age on it but still had really good acidity. Beautiful nose....The Lovedale will age nicely, no doubt. Still prefer VAT 1 and a couple of other new jack semillons (Thomas, Meerea Park and other Tyrrells) but compare them in 5 years and the Lovedale might be the best...it's good..
Capital Sangiovese (don't remember the vintage). I actually thought this was decent. Probably the first decent Sangiovese I've had in Australia....Most of them up till now have been..well, terrible. It wasn't great..but it was fairly well made....
Lerida Estate. They make some pretty decent wine. I still don't understand their high end Pinot Noir though. It's big, awkward, it's missing acidity...It's not a shiraz/syrah, I'm not sure why places make it like one. To me if you're going to do this, go full on new American Oak, make it big, make it different...It could be I'm missing something, that it's not my style..but I don't hear/see much about this at all...It's just too expensive. It might stack up ok to other NSW type Pinot Noirs...that's not really saying a lot though... Their Shiraz Viognier is pretty good though..My wife like their Merlot Cab Franc...
D'Arenberg. They have so many different things to try both at the show and their cellar door. They have everything for tasting too which is why I think they're one of the best places to visit. They also have a lot of really good stuff. I was looking forward to trying their Ironstone Pressings and the Derelict Vineyard..both are their Grenaches...Derelict was a bit of a disappointment...I'm finding that if the Grenache is sub 25, they tend to be weak. Ironstone was pretty good but I wouldn't say great. The Coppermine was really good, still really tannic but still quite approachable. I thought this was 2005 but I think their latest is 2007 and it was probably their latest. I'd still wait a few years on this one. The Dead Arm Shiraz was quite good...still very big....I like Dead Arm..it's a big wine but it ages well. I think it's a great example of Australian Shiraz that won't just poop out after a few years.... The funniest thing about the D'arenberg tasting area though was this one Asian guy that basically sat there like it was a bar...giving his opinion about each and every wine to anyone that would listen. I think the winery guys at first enjoyed having an interested customer..but I got the impression they were getting annoyed after awhile...I certainly was...especially cause he basically wouldn't move which meant people had to go around him. After trying a few I left, went to a few other places, and 30 minutes later he was still there...he was there before me...was there way after me...he even brought his own glass....He was passionate about his d'arenberg...Too funny..
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