I'm trying not to buy a lot of wine because I'm still struggling to figure out how I'm going to get what I have to the US without sacrificing my liver....but I recently came across a killer deal and I couldn't resist.
Leasingham Bin 8 K.S. Riesling 2008.
Leasingham has gone through some ownership issues and whether as a result of that or just the market, they have stopped exporting to the US although they still export to Europe.
The K.S. stands for Kabinett Style which basically means it has a bit of residual sugar. Personally I don't mind a bit of residual sugar as long as the acidity balances it out...I rarely get to see any quality Australian Rieslings (ones not made to be simple and sweet) with RS. The few I see have a very small bit of RS...this one actually has significantly more than what I might see from Lethbridge or Pressing Matters (both of which I think are great). Nose has a good amount of Petrol and lime. This smells like a typical dry Australian Riesling with some age on it. It is actually quite nice. Some people might be put off by it but I think it is quite nice. Nose is a bit simpler than I'd like I didn't really give this a chance to get a lot of air. The nose should have led me to this but the palate was actually quite surprising. The best way to describe it is a good amount of RS but that strong Australian acid backing it. Unlike German Rieslings which seem to seamlessly integrate the sugar as part of the wine...this is very much like half DRY Australian riesling, with the mouthfeel and acidity and that strong Clare Valley Riesling touch to it, combined with a Riesling that has a bit of RS. Don't get me wrong, it is actually quite nice. Lime, petrol, a bit of sweetness but it is quite balanced with very good acidity. Good minerality. I'm really enjoying the fact that this has a that aged Riesling taste (even though it is only from 2008) but a bit of sugar...
I'm of two minds on this wine..
On one hand, I can see this being liked by non wine geeks and wine geeks alike...On the other, I'm not quite sure this would compete properly in the same space as Kabinett German Rieslings...While I think this was quite enjoyable, there is something awkward about the wine. The ones I've seen with just a touch of RS feel very integrated and you can just catch the glimpse of sweetness....This one really did feel like it wanted to be dry but it wasn't. It certainly doesn't help that the Australian market thinks this would be more like a dessert wine (which it definitely is NOT..this wine wants food food). I do like this wine..I'm glad I have some bottles left...I'm also looking forward to having it with some spicy food in the near future. If you're looking for something completely different than what you might normally see as Riesling in Australia, definitely give this a go.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
James Halliday's iPhone Application
One of the better apps on the iPhone for wine in Australia is the James Halliday Wine Companion. While I'm not really a big fan of James Halliday's reviews, there is no doubt he has had a huge impact on the wine industry in Australia. Unfortunately, like many in the wine industry, his grasp on the current environment and technology is terrible and the way his publishing company is running his app is incompetent if not borderline thievery.
The 2012 version of the app was plagued with problems on release. It would crash, you couldn't update it to get updated notes...They finally released a stable version in March of 2012. As far as updated notes were concerned, there wasn't any since January or December and no other notes came out. So pretty poor on his part to not release a few more (why bother saying you'll do it if you don't want to or plan to). Some time in July they lowered the price because the new version of the app was to be released...ok, fair enough.
Apple then released iOS 6.0. Guess what? You could buy the app but it wouldn't work on iOS 6.0. So essentially if you had bought it in July, a couple of months later you couldn't use the app at all. Requests to update their application were ignored.
They then release the newest version of the application which is subscription based. While I have no issues with a subscription based service, what I do have issues with is they've basically had their previous version being sold after iOS 6.0 came out yet they haven't bothered to fix that (2011 still works so in many ways I feel like they broke 2012 intentionally). So you have a history of a problematic application that is now subscription based and a history of not having updated tasting notes...and why should people now subscribe to this? If they had a history of a stable application with constant updates this would be less of an issue..but since they just screwed over their customers, why should anyone trust them? Not to mention the first version of the subscription based one didn't work right...
What I find even more disgusting is because the application was getting hammered by reviewers, they put up a bunch of shill reviews. When you get reviewers talk about how they use it daily (the day the only working version came out) or how it gets updated tasting notes all the time (which is impossible at this point), you know they're shills...It is absolutely one of the most disgusting things I've seen from some that is so highly respected in Australia.
I have a hint for you James Halliday, get a new publisher. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you don't realize how much damage these guys are doing to your reputation and how much you've ripped off your loyal customers.
The 2012 version of the app was plagued with problems on release. It would crash, you couldn't update it to get updated notes...They finally released a stable version in March of 2012. As far as updated notes were concerned, there wasn't any since January or December and no other notes came out. So pretty poor on his part to not release a few more (why bother saying you'll do it if you don't want to or plan to). Some time in July they lowered the price because the new version of the app was to be released...ok, fair enough.
Apple then released iOS 6.0. Guess what? You could buy the app but it wouldn't work on iOS 6.0. So essentially if you had bought it in July, a couple of months later you couldn't use the app at all. Requests to update their application were ignored.
They then release the newest version of the application which is subscription based. While I have no issues with a subscription based service, what I do have issues with is they've basically had their previous version being sold after iOS 6.0 came out yet they haven't bothered to fix that (2011 still works so in many ways I feel like they broke 2012 intentionally). So you have a history of a problematic application that is now subscription based and a history of not having updated tasting notes...and why should people now subscribe to this? If they had a history of a stable application with constant updates this would be less of an issue..but since they just screwed over their customers, why should anyone trust them? Not to mention the first version of the subscription based one didn't work right...
What I find even more disgusting is because the application was getting hammered by reviewers, they put up a bunch of shill reviews. When you get reviewers talk about how they use it daily (the day the only working version came out) or how it gets updated tasting notes all the time (which is impossible at this point), you know they're shills...It is absolutely one of the most disgusting things I've seen from some that is so highly respected in Australia.
I have a hint for you James Halliday, get a new publisher. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you don't realize how much damage these guys are doing to your reputation and how much you've ripped off your loyal customers.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Vinturi or not to Vinturi
Most wine people are aware of a device call a Vinturi...When pouring a glass you pour the wine through the Vinturi which then aerates the wine..opening it up and doing all sorts of good things according to the company....
I have one and have used it quite a bit..but does it really work? And does it improve your wine?
Yes and Maybe.
It definitely aerates the wine...and feeding it oxygen to kick off that chemical process..There is no doubt about that...
But does it improve your wine? Maybe. Sometimes you want to see the evolution of the wine...especially with older wines, you might skip something really fantastic about the wine that is only going to last a short while...
I rarely use my Vinturi any longer...at least not when I'm drinking at home. I'd much rather just wait and swirl it around and watch the wine evolve...
There are times though..especially with guests..where you don't have time to wait for a wine that is just too tight....and it really just needs that kick in the behind to get it going. It is those times you're glad you have it and happy you're using it because it definitely helps...
I have one and have used it quite a bit..but does it really work? And does it improve your wine?
Yes and Maybe.
It definitely aerates the wine...and feeding it oxygen to kick off that chemical process..There is no doubt about that...
But does it improve your wine? Maybe. Sometimes you want to see the evolution of the wine...especially with older wines, you might skip something really fantastic about the wine that is only going to last a short while...
I rarely use my Vinturi any longer...at least not when I'm drinking at home. I'd much rather just wait and swirl it around and watch the wine evolve...
There are times though..especially with guests..where you don't have time to wait for a wine that is just too tight....and it really just needs that kick in the behind to get it going. It is those times you're glad you have it and happy you're using it because it definitely helps...
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
More Hunter Valley
Had the chance to visit the Hunter awhile back (again :)) but didn't have a chance to post about it..
On this trip we went to see a few different places plus some of the same..
Lakes Folly
Piggs Peake
Bimbadgen
Meerea Park
Pepper Tree
Lakes Folly Cabernet 2010
I remember this standing out to me because it was a very nice medium bodied, high acid Cabernet that didn't strike me as a Cabernet..it was quite nice. I can see why some people might not like this but I thought it was quite good. Nice wonderful red fruit with enough tannins for structure but just this really nice mouthfeel because of the fresh acid....This is very much a Cabernet made like a Hunter Shiraz...it's good.
Piggs Peake Cabernet 2009
Huge alcohol big brooding Cab that is almost borderline sweet. Not overly tannic, relatively good acid...nice bright fruit..but I think what stands out is you can tell the wine is highish alcohol but it doesn't come across as hot....the alcohol does give it a fair bit of weight but you can see why this would be a crowd pleaser...They say it'll age, I'm not sure as I don't have enough experience with Piggs Peake to know...but really, the way it is right now I'm not sure you want it to age...
Meerea Park Terracotta Semillon 2006
I'm not sure why I didn't buy some of this..I always tell myself to buy some...maybe it is because I have a relatively good stash of Semillon and I have very few people to share it with (actually I know this is it). Either way, my not buying it shouldn't reflect how good this is...it is very good. Wonderful acid that is still going strong...Wonderful development with Honey and Toasty notes....close to the Stevens Vineyard is what I'm told...I'm glad this wine is getting the recent recognition it deserves as it has, to me, been the pick of their Semillon...And unlike the Alexander Munro, the acid is still right there...great buy...
Ferraris Shiraz 2010
I really do wish the Boutique Winemakers Centre was still there rather than just Meerea Park...They had Ferraris, Glenguin, Chateau Pato...a lot of good stuff...In any case, Ferraris is now being carried by the Pokolbin Winemakers Outlet. The last vintage I had of this was 2007 and I thought back then it was very good value. The 2010 is no different...Very nice Red fruits...medium bodied, good acid..very Hunterish but not too Hunterish..I can see this appealing to a much larger scope of people as it lacked the really strong leather and sweat but still, this was definitely a Hunter Shiraz...I forget how much I paid but it was either 20 or 22 or something like that..Great value...
Of course there were quite a few other wines I had on this trip but these are the only ones I've bothered to mention....I think the biggest disappointment for me was Pepper Tree...it didn't have anything to do w/ the quality of their wines but the selection available for tasting was basically nothing...All of the wines I would have loved to taste weren't available..and what was really wasn't a good representation of their winery...
On this trip we went to see a few different places plus some of the same..
Lakes Folly
Piggs Peake
Bimbadgen
Meerea Park
Pepper Tree
Lakes Folly Cabernet 2010
I remember this standing out to me because it was a very nice medium bodied, high acid Cabernet that didn't strike me as a Cabernet..it was quite nice. I can see why some people might not like this but I thought it was quite good. Nice wonderful red fruit with enough tannins for structure but just this really nice mouthfeel because of the fresh acid....This is very much a Cabernet made like a Hunter Shiraz...it's good.
Piggs Peake Cabernet 2009
Huge alcohol big brooding Cab that is almost borderline sweet. Not overly tannic, relatively good acid...nice bright fruit..but I think what stands out is you can tell the wine is highish alcohol but it doesn't come across as hot....the alcohol does give it a fair bit of weight but you can see why this would be a crowd pleaser...They say it'll age, I'm not sure as I don't have enough experience with Piggs Peake to know...but really, the way it is right now I'm not sure you want it to age...
Meerea Park Terracotta Semillon 2006
I'm not sure why I didn't buy some of this..I always tell myself to buy some...maybe it is because I have a relatively good stash of Semillon and I have very few people to share it with (actually I know this is it). Either way, my not buying it shouldn't reflect how good this is...it is very good. Wonderful acid that is still going strong...Wonderful development with Honey and Toasty notes....close to the Stevens Vineyard is what I'm told...I'm glad this wine is getting the recent recognition it deserves as it has, to me, been the pick of their Semillon...And unlike the Alexander Munro, the acid is still right there...great buy...
Ferraris Shiraz 2010
I really do wish the Boutique Winemakers Centre was still there rather than just Meerea Park...They had Ferraris, Glenguin, Chateau Pato...a lot of good stuff...In any case, Ferraris is now being carried by the Pokolbin Winemakers Outlet. The last vintage I had of this was 2007 and I thought back then it was very good value. The 2010 is no different...Very nice Red fruits...medium bodied, good acid..very Hunterish but not too Hunterish..I can see this appealing to a much larger scope of people as it lacked the really strong leather and sweat but still, this was definitely a Hunter Shiraz...I forget how much I paid but it was either 20 or 22 or something like that..Great value...
Of course there were quite a few other wines I had on this trip but these are the only ones I've bothered to mention....I think the biggest disappointment for me was Pepper Tree...it didn't have anything to do w/ the quality of their wines but the selection available for tasting was basically nothing...All of the wines I would have loved to taste weren't available..and what was really wasn't a good representation of their winery...
Saturday, December 8, 2012
What would you buy with $200 AUD?
My friends here in Australia were kind enough to give me a great gift which was a gift card to Dan Murphys...
Now, on one hand, I have too much wine as it is and at some point I'll be moving back to the US so if anything, I should be getting RID of my wine. Instead I have bought 6 bottles of Leasingham Bin 8 Riesling (which is made in a Kabinett Style) because the were dirt dirt cheap from Winestar at 5 dollars each...and I figure they'd be good for Indian, Thai and my wife who likes a bit of RS. So with this very generous gift I need to think of something to get....
There are several things I know I won't get...which is stuff I have bought in the US for significantly less..so that removes any Rockford or Clonakilla from the mix.
I also don't want to buy anything that I can get overseas for less..so basically any import is automatically a no (except maybe NZ but not likely NZ).
Stuff I'm considering:
Mt. Edelstone
Bass Phillip Premium if available
Lethbridge stuff although this would be on the lower end which is not what I want...If they carried the Allegra, Mietta or Indra I'd be all over it...
If I'm going down that route I could also look at Yabby Lake, Ten Minutes by Tractor, etc...but I would like to avoid buying several bottles as I still don't know how I'd get them back to the US.
Anyone have any suggestions?
Now, on one hand, I have too much wine as it is and at some point I'll be moving back to the US so if anything, I should be getting RID of my wine. Instead I have bought 6 bottles of Leasingham Bin 8 Riesling (which is made in a Kabinett Style) because the were dirt dirt cheap from Winestar at 5 dollars each...and I figure they'd be good for Indian, Thai and my wife who likes a bit of RS. So with this very generous gift I need to think of something to get....
There are several things I know I won't get...which is stuff I have bought in the US for significantly less..so that removes any Rockford or Clonakilla from the mix.
I also don't want to buy anything that I can get overseas for less..so basically any import is automatically a no (except maybe NZ but not likely NZ).
Stuff I'm considering:
Mt. Edelstone
Bass Phillip Premium if available
Lethbridge stuff although this would be on the lower end which is not what I want...If they carried the Allegra, Mietta or Indra I'd be all over it...
If I'm going down that route I could also look at Yabby Lake, Ten Minutes by Tractor, etc...but I would like to avoid buying several bottles as I still don't know how I'd get them back to the US.
Anyone have any suggestions?
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wine and a cake!
Had a few friends over to enjoy some wine and food...and a cake!
Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon 1998
I am fully convinced Tyrrells makes THE BEST Semillon in the world. 1998 and 1999, every single time I have them, are utterly fantastic.
I pop this one open, cork is in great shape...pour a little, not getting too much but at least it isn't corked...so far so good.
The wine is really tight...I'm really not getting much from the nose. The palate was really tight..not getting much from it either..the acid seems rather low at this point..I'm a bit disappointed. My friend thinks it is over the hill...I don't see how though unless it is completely oxidized but I think it would taste differently...
Near the end of the first glass and a LOT of swirling, the wine starts to wake up a bit..acid is coming through..nose is coming through...My friend asks if I have a Vinturi..and what do you know, I do. Give that a go and wow...I normally don't care if I use a Vinturi and it only makes a slight difference here or there...This time it made a HUGE difference.
Honey, grass, biscuits and toast on the nose...this is what I love about aged Semillon. Still had a lot of very lively acid which is fantastic...This has at least another 5+ years....Honeysuckle, toast and a just a tad of lanolin on the palate....ever so slight. I really love this stuff. I have yet to be bored of good aged Semillon, maybe because I don't get enough opportunities to drink really good ones or maybe because it is just that good..either way, great way to start the evening.
Meerea Park Terracotta Shiraz 2002. This is actually a Shiraz Viognier but it is labelled as a Shiraz. I'm going to guess because every year it doesn't hit that 5% Viognier but who knows.
I've always had mixed feelings about this line from Meerea Park...At its best, you get very nice florals and aromatics combined with this added depth and softness to the shiraz....at its worst it is quite harsh on the palate and the Viognier seems to stick out but only the bad parts...This was a combination of the two. Wonderful aromatic nose...red fruits, some smokiness, some very savory notes coming from the nose..a bit of herbs...quite nice. The palate still had great acidity, a wonderful array of red fruits, cherries even. It didn't have that overly savory characteristic I tend to see from Australian SV's and I'm going to guess it is because of the bottle age...This is actually very Rhone like and while I hate using that term...it was actually very much like a Cote Rotie...BUT, at the end there was this slight spike of something...I'm going to guess Viognier..that didn't go down quite right with a few other people..but I thought was fine.
Yering Farm "John's Estate" Winemakers Selection Limited Release 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon.
This was the first "Premium" type wine I bought in Australia while on a trip to Melbourne. I actually think I bought it before moving to Australia and I think I even took it back to the US and then back here again. I had somewhat low expectations for this wine for several reasons. First off, it has gone through a lot of travel and probably more than a few less than ideal storing conditions. Secondly, I felt this would be on the end of its life based on other things I read... Third, my palate has changed quite a bit from when I bought this so I wasn't sure what to expect...
I cut off the wax capsule, popped the cork...so far it all looks ok. The nose has some very nice herbal notes and a lot of red fruit. It smells a lot fresher than I would have expected it to and the color of the wine isn't showing its age nearly as much as I would have expected. Still very bright, no signs of bricking at all...Interesting...
Palate had loads of very FRESH red fruits..bright fruit..I'm really really shocked...Maybe it is because this was the 4th wine of the evening...I'm not really sure but this is really standing out. Some herbs on the palate, a very slight touch of mocha...The palate had great acidity...The tannins are very well integrated...From memory the tannins on this were very fine and silky when I bought it so this isn't a big surprise...This is actually very much in a style that I'd like today but really just odd ball luck. I doubt I liked this before because of the acidity but the cool climate of the Yarra probably just pulled it out for me....I'm really sad to see this one go but it was a good time to open it...
Franciscan Estate Merlot 2008.
A wine a friend bought from their trip to the Napa. Franciscan has always made a relatively good wine at a reasonable price and this is no exception. Nice solid fruit, well made wine but maybe a bit simple compared to the others...Granted, the others had a bit of age as well...Overall a good wine, good QPR..
And lastly....A cake that my wife made for me....The best cake someone has ever made for me...Tops the bear cake my mom made for me when I was 3 which eventually fell over. R2D2 in his Iron Man costume.
Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon 1998
I am fully convinced Tyrrells makes THE BEST Semillon in the world. 1998 and 1999, every single time I have them, are utterly fantastic.
I pop this one open, cork is in great shape...pour a little, not getting too much but at least it isn't corked...so far so good.
The wine is really tight...I'm really not getting much from the nose. The palate was really tight..not getting much from it either..the acid seems rather low at this point..I'm a bit disappointed. My friend thinks it is over the hill...I don't see how though unless it is completely oxidized but I think it would taste differently...
Near the end of the first glass and a LOT of swirling, the wine starts to wake up a bit..acid is coming through..nose is coming through...My friend asks if I have a Vinturi..and what do you know, I do. Give that a go and wow...I normally don't care if I use a Vinturi and it only makes a slight difference here or there...This time it made a HUGE difference.
Honey, grass, biscuits and toast on the nose...this is what I love about aged Semillon. Still had a lot of very lively acid which is fantastic...This has at least another 5+ years....Honeysuckle, toast and a just a tad of lanolin on the palate....ever so slight. I really love this stuff. I have yet to be bored of good aged Semillon, maybe because I don't get enough opportunities to drink really good ones or maybe because it is just that good..either way, great way to start the evening.
Meerea Park Terracotta Shiraz 2002. This is actually a Shiraz Viognier but it is labelled as a Shiraz. I'm going to guess because every year it doesn't hit that 5% Viognier but who knows.
I've always had mixed feelings about this line from Meerea Park...At its best, you get very nice florals and aromatics combined with this added depth and softness to the shiraz....at its worst it is quite harsh on the palate and the Viognier seems to stick out but only the bad parts...This was a combination of the two. Wonderful aromatic nose...red fruits, some smokiness, some very savory notes coming from the nose..a bit of herbs...quite nice. The palate still had great acidity, a wonderful array of red fruits, cherries even. It didn't have that overly savory characteristic I tend to see from Australian SV's and I'm going to guess it is because of the bottle age...This is actually very Rhone like and while I hate using that term...it was actually very much like a Cote Rotie...BUT, at the end there was this slight spike of something...I'm going to guess Viognier..that didn't go down quite right with a few other people..but I thought was fine.
Yering Farm "John's Estate" Winemakers Selection Limited Release 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon.
This was the first "Premium" type wine I bought in Australia while on a trip to Melbourne. I actually think I bought it before moving to Australia and I think I even took it back to the US and then back here again. I had somewhat low expectations for this wine for several reasons. First off, it has gone through a lot of travel and probably more than a few less than ideal storing conditions. Secondly, I felt this would be on the end of its life based on other things I read... Third, my palate has changed quite a bit from when I bought this so I wasn't sure what to expect...
I cut off the wax capsule, popped the cork...so far it all looks ok. The nose has some very nice herbal notes and a lot of red fruit. It smells a lot fresher than I would have expected it to and the color of the wine isn't showing its age nearly as much as I would have expected. Still very bright, no signs of bricking at all...Interesting...
Palate had loads of very FRESH red fruits..bright fruit..I'm really really shocked...Maybe it is because this was the 4th wine of the evening...I'm not really sure but this is really standing out. Some herbs on the palate, a very slight touch of mocha...The palate had great acidity...The tannins are very well integrated...From memory the tannins on this were very fine and silky when I bought it so this isn't a big surprise...This is actually very much in a style that I'd like today but really just odd ball luck. I doubt I liked this before because of the acidity but the cool climate of the Yarra probably just pulled it out for me....I'm really sad to see this one go but it was a good time to open it...
Franciscan Estate Merlot 2008.
A wine a friend bought from their trip to the Napa. Franciscan has always made a relatively good wine at a reasonable price and this is no exception. Nice solid fruit, well made wine but maybe a bit simple compared to the others...Granted, the others had a bit of age as well...Overall a good wine, good QPR..
And lastly....A cake that my wife made for me....The best cake someone has ever made for me...Tops the bear cake my mom made for me when I was 3 which eventually fell over. R2D2 in his Iron Man costume.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)