This is a yearly even that is held in Australia and judged by a number of well known critics.
The Five Nations are:
Australia
New Zealand
Argentina
South Africa
Chile
The five judges select 110 different wines from their home country to compete against the wines from the other countries. For example, Bob Campbell respresented New Zealand and Huon Hook represented Australia.
They had a good broad range of different types of wine and for the most part the quality was above average.
BUT
The tasting part of the show was so poorly run, I have to question the experience of whomever was putting it on.
Let's start off with how you get a ticket in the first place:
Your options were to fax it (secure but a bit out of date).
or
E-mail it. Sounds pretty benign except only someone completely ignorant would send their credit card details over something like E-mail which is not secure. I'm not saying these people should really understand all the technical stuff behind getting credit card information but certainly doing it this way is a bit of a joke.
Don't have a secure shopping card? Have the information sent over SSL off of your website. DO NOT HAVE PEOPLE E-MAIL YOU THEIR CREDIT CARD DETAILS.
Ok so no big deal...fax it in...get the ticket (which btw was just a word document with no way to verify if you actually bought one or not).
The show was moved from its previous room at the Four Seasons to a larger room at the Four Seasons..perfect...no point in getting squeezed together...EXCEPT....
They didn't seem to have very many tables..so you had a very large room with just enough tables to fit the wine shoulder to should across all of the tables..so on the outside you had tons of free space (For what I'm not sure) and on the inside you had a ton of people squeezing in trying to get a taste.
So you had a rather unprofessionally organized event to start off...and then it gets better (worse).
It is on a Friday night...in the city...so half the people there are showing up not to taste but to get pissed drunk....People pouring each other nearly full glasses of some wine..chatting it up across the table so no one could get in..For a social event where you just want to drink some wine and come home completely off your face, it would've been great....For a tasting it was terrible.
What made this worse is there was only one bottle of any given wine. Ok, so not only are you doing this on a Friday night where you know all of the piss heads will show up and get to pour their own "tastes" but you supply a single bottle....I'm sure these wineries donated their wine for the show so I'm not sure why they'd only have a single bottle left for the tasting...who knows..
Luckily for me, I figured out that there wouldn't be enough wine to taste the ones I wanted to taste so I skipped from whites to reds for a bit and back...not exactly ideal but I would've missed out more than I did...
And finally, one of the most annoying things you can have at these events...a lack of spit buckets....There were spit buckets..small ones....spread out across the tables...but there weren't many (I'd guess about 12 in total for the entire room). This made for a terrible time if you were there to actually taste and not drink...another indication that their target market was for the after work Sydney crowd to come and get pissed on some wine..great.
There were some other minor annoying things...
The wine that they had available to buy was set aside on a different table...but no way you'd actually know that without running across it...luckily at some point I did...In many ways this was good as it ended up hiding some wine from people that I'm sure would've just come and poured themselves a few glasses full...
There was absolutely no rhyme or reason to how the bottles were placed the table except that they were in their general area. Example, Chardonnay was in the Chardonnay section...but the bottles were in alphabetical order or by vintage (which doesn't make sense to do anyways) or even by country..they were basically randomly put out across the section.....It meant if you were actually looking for something specific, it took longer than it should have..
So that was the show itself...for me, because of all the pressure to hurry up, because it was so crowded, I felt incredibly rushed...
Overall, glad I got to to but really annoyed at how it was organized...Sorry to rant about it but I figure if they ever get around to searching what people thought of the show, maybe they'll read this and make improvements...
Now to the WINE
Overall the quality of the wine was quite good...with a few very ordinary wines but for the most part, because of how the wines were selected, the overall selection was excellent.
Caro 2009 from Argentina. Consisting of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, I had never heard of this label but was quite surprised at it its structure and complexity. Dark fruit, some herbs. It was very very tannic...but the fruit still managed to come out. The wine shifted as it was in my mouth and I was actually quite surprised. I do wish it had a bit more acid but overall this looks to be a pretty good wine in 10+ years..it'll probably take that long for the tannins to soften..
Newton Forrest Cornerstone 2009 from New Zealand. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec blend. First thing that strikes me is this is a fairly medium bodied Bordeaux blend...More red than dark fruits coming off the nose...Maybe come pencil shavings...Palate has lovely acid that gives it a great lift. It is also making it stand out from the rest of the wine I'm trying. Fruit is bright and very forward but not big and overpowering. It is mainly red fruits or maybe it is just the acid that makes it feel that way..Tannins are there but mainly for structure. The wine evolves while it is in my mouth..good complexity but not more than the Caro or a few others...but either way, this is a really nice wine, something I'd gladly drink over and over.
Penfolds Bin 169 2008 from Australia. This is a Penfolds 707 but with French Oak instead of American. It is actually quite difficult to find and I'm a bit surprised it was here. Really deep deep dark fruit. Tannins are definitely there for structure and the oak is very apparent although not as much as the 707. It actually does seem significantly more elegant than a 707 would be at this stage. It is a very well made wine, it has good complexity, good structure, good balance. There is actually nothing wrong w/ this wine but for whatever reason, it isn't exciting me either. Don't get me wrong, this is very good but for the price I'd rather get multiple bottles of other things. The best way for me to describe this is...a wine that everyone (wine geeks and non wine geeks) will enjoy and everyone will be happy drinking it...but no one will remember it later on other than to say they've had it.
Pikes "The Merle" Reserve Riesling 2011 from Australia. Slight petrol notes on the nose which is nice to see on a Riesling this young. Picking up some stoney characters as well. Really good acidity on the palate and a tad of residual sugar. The RS really helps soften the acidity just a tad but not so much where you lose it...I really enjoy Australian Rieslings done in this fashion. Completely dry Rieslings are also great but sometimes they're just overdone. To put it in perspective, I liked this more than the Peter Lehmann Wigan 2006, more than the Pewsey Vale Contours 2006 and the Grosset Watervale Riesling 2011 at least on this day.
Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2010 from Australia. I'm surprised but not surprised. I'm surprised that every time I come back to this wine, it is excellent. You'd think there would be more bottle variation or my palate would change or the conditions would be different so it would taste different but no...As I've stated several times before, this is a really great Chardonnay...Good acidity, good use of oak, good fruit, has good complexity, good balance. I only wish this was priced better in Australia (it is actually cheaper outside of Australia). Do I think this is comparable to the top Chardonnays in Australia? As it is tasting now yes. Will it age well? Probably...but without the proven track record it is hard to put this at the same price point. Other "new" guns like Lethbridge Allegra or Yabby Lake Single Vineyard or something from 10 Minutes by Tractor, are also up there but at a lower price point.
Boekenhoutskloof Shiraz 2009 from South Africa. I'm not very familiar with South African wine but I'm told this is fairly well known. Very complex nose with red and dark fruits, some earth, a tad bit a of leather. Palate is has nice dark fruit and a bit fruit forward but not too much. Good use of oak, very nice balance. A bit of a fruit bomb but not a fruit bomb. Silky tannins, not as much acidity as I'd like but this has very nice balance and complexity. I would like to try this again to see how it goes....
Some other wines to mention...
Navarro Correas Structura 2006. A nice Bordeaux blend but definitely more on the fruity side. This won a Trophy in its division.
Polkura Block G+I Shiraz 2009 from Chile. BIG fruit bomb. Actually quite a complex palate. Very smooth tannins, very low acidity. A bit of heat. Not sure this will get better but it will be a crowd pleaser.
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2010 from NZ. Far more approachable than I've seen them in the past. A lot more fruit forward than I'm used to seeing them as well. Still, this was nice to have in a sea of Pinot Noir made like Shiraz.
Overall the quality is was very good..there are probably about 30 or 40 more I could mention and nearly everything there was above average so it was a good event from that standpoint. My only hope is they're far more organized the next time around...
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Mistletoe
Had the opportunity to visit Mistletoe in a Sydney tasting...A bit disappointed they didn't have some of their other stuff available for tasting but I suspect it is because it is sold out...
www.mistletoewines.com.au
Mistletoe Reserve Semillon 2012
I've always been pretty neutral on Mistletoe Semillon but this one really surprised me. It has aged characters already which is really odd, maybe this one isn't for cellaring but it is tasting great now. Toast and honey with a lot of lemon on the nose....it's actually quite nice that this strikes me as very fresh but with the added complexity. Very nice acid, nice deep toasty notes, fresh lemon, a bit of grass....Great drop. Definitely better than anything I've had from them in the past and as long as it stays along its current path without dying off, this one is definitely one to get. On the downside, $30 for a new release semillon is a bit much. To put it in perspective, it is more expensive than Thomas Braemore Semillon and Meerea Park Terracotta Semillon (which is released with 5 years of age). It is tasting great now and is definitely not a bad buy...but without the established reputation for Semillon, hard to say where this will go and if the higher than its peers price is justified.
Mistletoe Semillon 2011
A very typical young Semillon. Well made, decent acidity...but it is a reminder why I generally dislike drinking Semillon young..
Mistletoe Silvereye Semillon 2011
This semillon is one that has a bit of residual sugar...it tends to appeal to people just getting into wine but to be honest, this is actually a very nice little drop. With a bit of sweetness (not too much), it'll pair well with things a Gewurztraminer or Riesling will pair with (Thai food for example). Even though Australians tend to look down on anything with RS, this wine is actually well made and has reasonable complexity. It isn't going to blow your mind but has decent acidity, good balance, not too sweet and while it has some characters of a semillon with a bit of lemon/grass, it actually tastes like it might be blended with something else like a Pinot Gris. At $18 AUD, it is a pretty good buy. Again, not a serious wine but one I'd be happy to drink with food.
Mistletoe Chardonnay 2011
Probably the biggest surprise...well balanced, good acidity, a bit of cashew, citrus...tasted a lot like the little brother of their reserve (which has been excellent lately). Spent time in older oak barrels so nowhere near over oaked...this was actually very nice...
Mistletoe Reserve Chardonnay 2010
Biggest disappointment. I've tried this before and it was very good. I think this has gone to sleep. It was very tight, didn't get anything from it. Oak was actually sticking out because the fruit seems like it has disappeared. Maybe it was the bottle, maybe it is just sleeping....
Mistletoe Petillant Sparkling Rose 2011
Another one of those wines that has actually disappointed me every time I've tried it....except this one. A nice, very refreshing Sparkling Rose. Simple but well balanced. This doesn't taste like the leftovers someone decided to make a Rose out of....Would be great on a hot day. A bit of cherry, a bit of fizz, a bit of alcohol and important (from my standpoint) for a rose, it isn't full of bad flaws making it undrinkable.
Mistletoe Rose 2011
Along with the Petillant, I've never been happy with the Rose coming out of Mistletoe, and like the Petillant, this one surprised me. It had a little bit of residual sugar but overall, a nice refreshing rose. Some light red fruits on the palate. Not overly complex but again, well made and balanced. Whatever they changed for this years Petillant and Rose, was a good change.
Mistletoe Hilltops Merlot 2009
A very nice, crowd pleasing Merlot. A bit of green pepper (capsicum), red and dark fruit on the nose. Relatively big fruit on the palate...not sweet and not over ripe but definitely fruit forward. Reasonably good acidity, sweet soft tannins. A very solid Merlot and I'd be happy to drink this with food. I don't consider this overly special but for the price (about 25AUD), it is better than most.
Mistletoe Home Vineyard Shiraz 2010
Winemakers notes say the nose is pure Hunter...but that isn't what strikes me when I first give it a sniff. Some red fruit, a tad bit of pepper...but I'm not getting that earthy, leathery nose I immediately associate with the Hunter. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't pick this as a South Australian Shiraz on the nose but I don't know if I'd guess Hunter either. The palate, however, is very much Hunter Valley Shiraz. Medium bodied, good acidity, leather, earth, peppery notes...a pretty good example of a Hunter Shiraz. Good balance, very well made. Price is right at 25AUD. I don't thin it has the depth of its bigger brothers but good nonetheless.
Mistletoe Hilltops Shiraz 2010
A lot of reasonably good stuff coming out of the Hilltops region. On the plus side, it all tastes very "clean", nice, good quality fruit...good balance...Good wines but nothing special (at least I haven't seen anything special). Maybe it is the lack of anything really different. Either way, this wine definitely falls into the same category I've seen a lot of Hilltops Shiraz fall under. Well made, nice to drink wine without any weird flaws or anything too odd about it. At the same time, it is very forgettable too. A wine you'd drink during the week or with food and be perfectly happy to drink..but not something very memorable.
Mistletoe Hilltops Shiraz Viognier 2010
Take the well made but nothing special Hilltops Shiraz and add Viognier and you get a slightly more interesting wine. I like that this isn't being overpowered by the Viognier, I'm not getting that overly savory characters I might from a lot of SV. Instead the Viognier is adding some nice complexity to the nose...some floral characters but nothing too strong, not getting that strong apricot you might see from other SVs. Palate is similar to the standard Hilltops Shiraz but added depth. A bit more herby, slightly more savory, floral notes...I'd much rather have this than the straight shiraz....
www.mistletoewines.com.au
Mistletoe Reserve Semillon 2012
I've always been pretty neutral on Mistletoe Semillon but this one really surprised me. It has aged characters already which is really odd, maybe this one isn't for cellaring but it is tasting great now. Toast and honey with a lot of lemon on the nose....it's actually quite nice that this strikes me as very fresh but with the added complexity. Very nice acid, nice deep toasty notes, fresh lemon, a bit of grass....Great drop. Definitely better than anything I've had from them in the past and as long as it stays along its current path without dying off, this one is definitely one to get. On the downside, $30 for a new release semillon is a bit much. To put it in perspective, it is more expensive than Thomas Braemore Semillon and Meerea Park Terracotta Semillon (which is released with 5 years of age). It is tasting great now and is definitely not a bad buy...but without the established reputation for Semillon, hard to say where this will go and if the higher than its peers price is justified.
Mistletoe Semillon 2011
A very typical young Semillon. Well made, decent acidity...but it is a reminder why I generally dislike drinking Semillon young..
Mistletoe Silvereye Semillon 2011
This semillon is one that has a bit of residual sugar...it tends to appeal to people just getting into wine but to be honest, this is actually a very nice little drop. With a bit of sweetness (not too much), it'll pair well with things a Gewurztraminer or Riesling will pair with (Thai food for example). Even though Australians tend to look down on anything with RS, this wine is actually well made and has reasonable complexity. It isn't going to blow your mind but has decent acidity, good balance, not too sweet and while it has some characters of a semillon with a bit of lemon/grass, it actually tastes like it might be blended with something else like a Pinot Gris. At $18 AUD, it is a pretty good buy. Again, not a serious wine but one I'd be happy to drink with food.
Mistletoe Chardonnay 2011
Probably the biggest surprise...well balanced, good acidity, a bit of cashew, citrus...tasted a lot like the little brother of their reserve (which has been excellent lately). Spent time in older oak barrels so nowhere near over oaked...this was actually very nice...
Mistletoe Reserve Chardonnay 2010
Biggest disappointment. I've tried this before and it was very good. I think this has gone to sleep. It was very tight, didn't get anything from it. Oak was actually sticking out because the fruit seems like it has disappeared. Maybe it was the bottle, maybe it is just sleeping....
Mistletoe Petillant Sparkling Rose 2011
Another one of those wines that has actually disappointed me every time I've tried it....except this one. A nice, very refreshing Sparkling Rose. Simple but well balanced. This doesn't taste like the leftovers someone decided to make a Rose out of....Would be great on a hot day. A bit of cherry, a bit of fizz, a bit of alcohol and important (from my standpoint) for a rose, it isn't full of bad flaws making it undrinkable.
Mistletoe Rose 2011
Along with the Petillant, I've never been happy with the Rose coming out of Mistletoe, and like the Petillant, this one surprised me. It had a little bit of residual sugar but overall, a nice refreshing rose. Some light red fruits on the palate. Not overly complex but again, well made and balanced. Whatever they changed for this years Petillant and Rose, was a good change.
Mistletoe Hilltops Merlot 2009
A very nice, crowd pleasing Merlot. A bit of green pepper (capsicum), red and dark fruit on the nose. Relatively big fruit on the palate...not sweet and not over ripe but definitely fruit forward. Reasonably good acidity, sweet soft tannins. A very solid Merlot and I'd be happy to drink this with food. I don't consider this overly special but for the price (about 25AUD), it is better than most.
Mistletoe Home Vineyard Shiraz 2010
Winemakers notes say the nose is pure Hunter...but that isn't what strikes me when I first give it a sniff. Some red fruit, a tad bit of pepper...but I'm not getting that earthy, leathery nose I immediately associate with the Hunter. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't pick this as a South Australian Shiraz on the nose but I don't know if I'd guess Hunter either. The palate, however, is very much Hunter Valley Shiraz. Medium bodied, good acidity, leather, earth, peppery notes...a pretty good example of a Hunter Shiraz. Good balance, very well made. Price is right at 25AUD. I don't thin it has the depth of its bigger brothers but good nonetheless.
Mistletoe Hilltops Shiraz 2010
A lot of reasonably good stuff coming out of the Hilltops region. On the plus side, it all tastes very "clean", nice, good quality fruit...good balance...Good wines but nothing special (at least I haven't seen anything special). Maybe it is the lack of anything really different. Either way, this wine definitely falls into the same category I've seen a lot of Hilltops Shiraz fall under. Well made, nice to drink wine without any weird flaws or anything too odd about it. At the same time, it is very forgettable too. A wine you'd drink during the week or with food and be perfectly happy to drink..but not something very memorable.
Mistletoe Hilltops Shiraz Viognier 2010
Take the well made but nothing special Hilltops Shiraz and add Viognier and you get a slightly more interesting wine. I like that this isn't being overpowered by the Viognier, I'm not getting that overly savory characters I might from a lot of SV. Instead the Viognier is adding some nice complexity to the nose...some floral characters but nothing too strong, not getting that strong apricot you might see from other SVs. Palate is similar to the standard Hilltops Shiraz but added depth. A bit more herby, slightly more savory, floral notes...I'd much rather have this than the straight shiraz....
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
What to buy?
I get asked by a lot of people..."What should I buy?".....but rather than give them the answer they want to hear...I always give them back something they probably don't want to hear...which is...Buy what you like to drink..
I've heard some people say that is a bad idea...I don't see how that is possible. If you are going to buy wine, it should appeal to your palate...and the only person that will know what you like is you.
How much wine you should buy will depend on each individual but here are my suggestions...
If you are getting into wine and you plan on tasting many different things and you are thinking of being a bit more serious/geeky about your wine...do not buy more than a couple of bottles of any one thing. I can think of no better way to get a cellar full of stuff you no longer want to drink than to buy wine by the case. This isn't to say you'll never buy a case of anything...but it is fair to say, if you're getting "into" wine, your palate will probably change quite a bit over the next couple of years...It'll change faster than you'll be able to drink that case because you'll have bought cases of other stuff as well.....On the plus side, you'll have plenty of wine your non-wine geek friends will likely enjoy..
If you like wine but don't plan on doing tastings on a regular basis, go ahead and buy a case or maybe just half a case. Your palate will likely not change quickly and you should buy stuff you like...
I've heard some people say that is a bad idea...I don't see how that is possible. If you are going to buy wine, it should appeal to your palate...and the only person that will know what you like is you.
How much wine you should buy will depend on each individual but here are my suggestions...
If you are getting into wine and you plan on tasting many different things and you are thinking of being a bit more serious/geeky about your wine...do not buy more than a couple of bottles of any one thing. I can think of no better way to get a cellar full of stuff you no longer want to drink than to buy wine by the case. This isn't to say you'll never buy a case of anything...but it is fair to say, if you're getting "into" wine, your palate will probably change quite a bit over the next couple of years...It'll change faster than you'll be able to drink that case because you'll have bought cases of other stuff as well.....On the plus side, you'll have plenty of wine your non-wine geek friends will likely enjoy..
If you like wine but don't plan on doing tastings on a regular basis, go ahead and buy a case or maybe just half a case. Your palate will likely not change quickly and you should buy stuff you like...
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