Pizza Pizza

Had a nice casual dinner with friends...

Framingham F Series Old Vine Riesling 2012....A NZ Riesling but tasted more like an Australian one...I was told 6g/L RS...that seems about right..slight hint of sweetness but not a lot...good acid...slatey minerally iron on the palate...Good depth, great acid, the sugar is coming across differently than most NZ Rieslings I've had...Really quite good this one.  I'd like to see it in 5+ years though.. 91 points

Clonakilla Viognier 2008
Far better acidity on this than I was expecting and the structure is there for this to easily got another 5+ years....Mouthfeel was very Chardonnay like...good acid, you could sense the oak but it gave it depth....The apricotiness is all gone and instead you get nice florals, minerality, a little peach....Someone said Viognier doesn't age...well, at least this is one that does...91 points

Thomas Kiss Shiraz 2003
This opens up and I get sweet French oak on the nose..sweet vanilla...reminds me of a McLaren Vale....After pouring you definitely pick up some Hunter notes...earth, some poop, leather..but the oak is throwing me off...the color is also very dark....Palate is like a cross between McLaren Vale and the Hunter.  Dark fruit, very ripe (2003 was a rather ripe year in the Hunter).  Earth, Leather, vanilla, some chocolate as well on the palate.  Good acidity and tannin structure is there as well...This could easily last another 10 years....I know Thomas reds are bigger but it has been awhile since I've had one...Put this in the Graveyard/Alexander Munro type category...whereas I'm preferring more Vat 9 type stuff...Still, very good...92 points

Ar Fion Smokestack Lightning Pinot Noir 2013.
Strawberries and Strawberries on the nose...smells a lot like a Rose made from Pinot...Color is very light but that doesn't bother me at all.  Palate was VERY rose like..but not.  This was sort of like drinking the darkest deepest Rose I've ever had...it had much better mouthfeel though...good acid..a very interesting wine...Something was missing though....Is this a Pinot Noir Rose?  Seems like it to me...weird...87 points..

Warrabilla Reserve Durif 2004
16%+ alcohol...but I really didn't get a lot of heat from it...Big big red...really ripe fruit...for people like that fruit bombs, here you go...Really quite well made, good depth and complexity... 90 points

Wendouree Shiraz 2012
Much like the Shiraz Malbec (but not the Shiraz Mataro), this is actually borderline sweet...almost has that fake candy taste I hate too.  In my mind, this is NOT Wendouree....There is structure there..acidity and some fine tannins...and the fruit is VERY young..VERY VERY young...so knowing their reputation, I'd like to give this at least 5+ years before making an assessment....I love Wendouree....but so far I'm not loving this..This and the Shiraz Malbec are probably the least "Wendouree like" wines I've ever had...87+ points but I'm expecting more later..

A little bit of this a little bit of that

Wynns Centenary Cabernet Shiraz 1991.

This is a freak of a wine.  Made up of Wynns Michael Shiraz and John Riddoch Cabernet..and in a good year...and you have a winner.

The nose struck me as Bin 389...mouthfeel 389...chalky tannins..dark fruit..but after a bit more time it started opening up a bit more..the acid was coming through, it reminded me a lot of a 1991 John Riddoch Cabernet..Really quite a nice wine, very enjoyable but it is missing something for me...maybe it is a bit too primary with some secondary and I'm looking for more? Not sure...I think this will go longer though so hopefully I'll have a chance to try it in 5 years...91 points

Wendouree Shiraz 2003

Really young..really tight...I'm not even sure it is worth talking about at this point because it needs more time.  Great acidity and mouthfilling but not gum ripping tannins..very typical younger wendouree texture.  If you like Barolo, you will like these.  A bit of nail polish on the nose which I think is very typical...fruit is coming through as red fruits but relatively simple at this point.  I like this wine for the texture but it is just too tight right now.  I do think it'll open up quite a bit later on.  90 points now...probably higher later..

Seppelt Great Western Shiraz 1992

This wine is what eventually becomes St. Peters...the 96 I had awhile back was great and still looking young..this one had a typical St. Peters type nose...red and dark fruits..some mocha...A cooler climate shiraz that somehow balances power and elegance.  Started off a bit slow but really starts to open up after awhile...but that said, a couple of hours later and this thing was dead.  90 points.

d'Arenberg Dead Arm 2002.

I don't remember this being this BIG but it was..huge wine..bit fruit...a lot of heat though.  Says 14.5 but I don't believe it...very much a big fruit bomb type of wine...Tannins have softened but I'm not enjoying this one that much and I generally don't mind Dead Arms that often...I think within the style people will like it...not quite for me but not a bad wine...88 points

Sami Odi Dallwitz .534 Shiraz 2010

Florals and a bit of stalk on the nose..dark fruits...Palate slams into my face, big but clean fruit...feels like a Barossa but finishing so much nicer and with a lot more finesse.  I'm not really sure what to think of this wine at this point but I think it is interesting..I like the concept, the wines are well made....I think with time this will be very nice..91 points.

Low Alcohol with Friends

Had a number of low alcohol wines with friends...Some of them were good, some were interesting...some were just ok..

Wynns John Riddoch 1988.  

Smells like a Coonawarra with green bell peppers on the nose...some spices..dark and red fruits...Palate is really nice...Lighter than what I normally associate w/ a Coonawarra Cabernet but still has great fine tannin structure..acidity is showing nicely as well.  Fruit is still there...I think some felt this was on its last legs..probably..but would be interesting to see if this changes a bit more in a few years.  I think this was showing better than the 91 JR awhile back...Either way, drinking very nicely right now... 92 points

Chambers Rosewood Gouais 2004.  

Gouais is apparently the parent grape of Chardonnay.  Nose reminded me a bit of an aged Semillon..but had some Chardonnay characters coming across too...Lemon pith, some honey, some peach....Palate was very Chardonnay like but with some of honey coming across as well...acidity and development of the fruit w/ the acid was very Semillon like..but this reminds me a lot of Chardonnay...Sensing a bit of oak as well...Overall these are quite nice..something different...and apparently these are also only around 15/bottle which makes it a great value.  90 points

Lakes Folly Cabernet Reserve 1994.

I didn't even know they made a reserve but apparently they did in 94 and 95.  The Hunter really comes across on the nose and palate..a bit of funk, leather, earth, sweaty saddle..but not a huge amount...Red fruits, spice, leather and earth on the palate..really very nice.  Great acidity, great texture...I can drink this type of wine all day....92 points

Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Spatlese 2006
I'm a fan of Donnhoff..I'm a fan of their Niederhauser Hermannshohle line.  2006 as a vintage is a bit fatter than what I would normally like from Riesling...and last time I had this it was a bit on the simpler side..but for me this was drinking quite nicely.  This really has come into its own with greater complexity, the acidity is showing a bit better as well...Fruit Salad on the nose...lemons, melons, rock dust...Palate has great acidity...star fruit, melon, lemon..nice minerality...Definitely a good amount of residual sugar but it balances so nicely in this wine...92 points

Main Divide Pinot Noir 2001
Some truffle and graphite on the nose...red fruits...Palate has nice acidity...Earth, minerality, red fruits...This is showing quite nicely really..and I think this is a lower tier from Pegasus Bay's normal line...Cellaring has helped this wine a lot...Actually reminds me a bit of Ata Rangi... 90 points

More wine with Friends

Plenty of wine to cover but I'll try to stick w/ the Aussies plus a few others...and for the first time I'll include scores!!

2011 Giaconda Chardonnay - I was a real fan of this when I first tried it..today it seemed a bit out of place...really quite awkward at first...really opening up with some air.  Acidity seemed really flat but it definitely started to show a bit more as it opened up.  Of the four or so times I've had this though, this was my least favorite time....Just seems to have shut down a tad and not showing as nicely....A lot of people actually don't prefer this vintage over other Giacondas but I definitely do... 89 points.

1986 Mount Mary Chardonnay - Didn't strike me as a nearly 30 year old Chardonnay...Good acidity, oak seems to have fully integrated..a bit of peach, lemon pith....An interesting find if you can get it... 90 points

1981 Henschke Hill of Grace - I had really high expectations of this..not sure they were met...Mint and earth on the nose...dark and red fruits...felt like it had more acid than younger HoGs but that is to be expected IMO...Tannins were fully integrated...Not quite the complexity I'm expecting though..something is missing for me...Good wine though.. 90 points

1991 Wynns John Riddoch - Coonawarra on the nose...Green Bell Peppers for days.  Dark fruits, pretty good acidity too which is probably the most surprising and most impressive thing here.  Tannins were there but integrated nicely into the wine.  This is actually drinking quite nicely...I actually had higher expectations for this wine complexity wise..but was pleased with the overall mouthfeel and texture.. 91 points

1996 Seppelts Great Western Shiraz - This is the wine that is now called St. Peters...Showing a lot younger than I would have thought for a 1996 St. Peters...Bright red fruit, herbs, some earthiness....Good acidity...Oak present but not overpowering..tannins there but well integrated.  My understanding is bottle variation on these is quite high but this one was a stunner and could easily go another 10 years... 92 points

1996 Peter Lehmann Stonewell - This was a bit on the ripe side..even seems to have some residual sugar as well..drinking nicely overall with well integrated tannins and oak...acidity is a bit on the low side....87 points

1992 Jim Barry Armagh - These seem to be in very high demand..but really not the style I like.  Big brash shiraz..Big dark fruits, felt rather viscous to me...I'm feeling a bit of heat but that said, overall the wine integrated quite nicely together...hard to believe this is a 92 and this will easily go another 10-15+ years...87 points

1996 Wendouree Cabernet Malbec - I had high expectations of this but had a feeling it would be too young..and it was.  Great texture and mouthfeel..the structure is there..the fruit will integrate nicely later on and the wine should be great..in another 10 years...  I actually enjoyed this because of the texture but definitely felt this was missing something..more so than other younger Wendourees I felt this needed a lot more time..but I think it'll be quite good...91 points

Others:

2003 Armand Rousseau CSJ - I really like Rousseau...I think the wines are fantastically balanced and always have that great power + finesse...This one was..well, not something I expected.  On the very overripe side for a red Burgundy...I would have guessed New World...a lot of graphite...felt really quite overworked.  Some people really love this but I don't.  It could be this will end up being fantastic in 10+ years....Acidity is there but there is something just not right with this....If someone told me it was an Aussie or CA Pinot, I would have believed them..89 points

2010 Foillard Cote du Py 3.14.  This might have been my favorite wine of the night..great mouthfeel and texture...like red fruits.  At first sip I thought this was Beaujolais (it was served blind) then I felt the tannins and thought, maybe Jura?  Once I found out it was Beaujolais I knew it was Morgon but the tannin structure really threw me off...A bit stalky (which I like), good acidity, lighter spicy red fruits...I really like this a lot...Might've been my favorite of the night...92 points

1999 Shafer Hillside Select - Creamy Dark Fruit...Definitely on the fruit bomb side of things...low acidity..big fruit..vanilla oak...It is very much a steak house wine...Was it enjoyable?  Yeah...but could I drink this often?  No...it wasn't a big brash red...but yeah...for me these feel flat but I can see why a lot of people like them..88 points

Cellar Favorites with Friends

I met up with some friends for a wonderful evening of food and wine....

2003 Keith Tulloch Semillon - Just starting to develop some toasty notes.  Good acid, good depth...This looks like it'll go quite awhile longer and I'd love to see this in five more years.

2006 De Iuliis Semillon - The acid is fading away on this...not a lot of development going on either...Maybe this will turn a bit but it isn't what I'm looking for in Semillon..

2012 Lethbridge Dr. Nadeson Riesling - I'm a big fan of these and still a big fan.  10g/L of RS and 13g/L of TA....Served a little cool which made the sugar stand out a bit more but once it got going the acidity and depth really showed..the sugar offset some of the searing acidity..I really enjoy this style...I wish more places made Riesling like this.

1996 Lakes Folly Chardonnay - I wasn't expecting much here because of the age but this had a wonderful nose and equally wonderful palate.  Reminded me a lot of an aged Champagne with some yeasty notes, lemon pith, nutty notes as well.  Acid still going strong.  Quite a revelation for everyone at the table as I think everyone expected this to be past it.

1991 Orlando Lawsons Padthaway Shiraz (Magnum) - Deep dark fruited Shiraz, big fruit, mocha notes, some secondary minty and herby characters as well...In quite a nice spot really.  Not quite the style I like but drinking fantastically well.  Really no complaints here, I'd be perfectly happy drinking this.

1998 Penfolds St. Henri - Some felt this was in a good spot, to me it was way too young.  Great structure, tannins were firm but not too aggressive but definitely there in force...Good acidity, fruit was still very young...some development but this will probably not be its best for 10+ years..at least...

1990 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon (Black) - A bit of funk on the nose but that blew off...Acidity was quite good, redder fruits but definitely a Coonawarra feel to it.  Tannins were fully resolved....Was probably a bit past it but still a very nice drop.  Considering this was probably 5 dollars on release and was probably near the bottom of their releases, this is looking very good.

2009 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 3 - A mix of different Tourigas...I've never been a fan of this...still not much of a fan of this.  Really young bright fruit....feels a bit awkward to me...

1996 Sallys Paddock - Nice mouthfeel to this...great little bordeaux blend.  Darker fruits with some herby characters to it...Good overall structure and mouthfeel.  I haven't had a Sallys Paddock and been blown away by it..but they're always consistently pretty good...

2013 Yellow Tail Merlot (this was a bit of a joke wine) - Most people have the same response...Yellow Tail?  And a MERLOT at that?  Haha.  To me, a lot of cheap wine or a lot of wine that the winemaker is new to making have this manufactured fake red candy smell to it...as well as on the palate.  I tend to see it in wines that are 5-15 dollars.  Not everyone seems to pick this up though as I've seen plenty of wines that have this and people don't sense that.  For me, even blind I'm picking this up.  I'm not sure what it is and obviously there are tons of cheap wines I DON'T pick this up in..but a lot of them I do.  I suspect some sort of winemaking flaw but I don't know what it is.  Either way, this has it in spades.  Palate is relatively sweet too so I suspect a good amount of residual sugar...If you don't mind the fake candy, I can see why people would drink this..easy to drink, a bit sweet (even though they don't know it is)...

2006 Glen Eldon Twisted Trunk Reserve Shiraz - A big bruising Shiraz...Huge oak on the nose and palate...This probably needs more time for the oak to integrate..not sure if that'll happen but it needs more time...I'm sure this is a crowd pleaser though...

1999 Yalumba Signature - Still a young pup...Big dark fruit, very viscous on the palate.  A lot of oak but it has integrated relatively well.  Tannins are there but not overpowering....This is in a pretty good spot right now if you like them a bit young but I can see this going another 5-10 years.  Again, not the style I prefer but this was still quite nice.

2005 Rockford Cabernet Sauvignon - This fell a bit flat for me..probably needed to be served earlier in the evening.  Light for a Cabernet...this seemed to be in a bit of an awkward spot...

2004 Buller Calliope Durif - VERY viscous...Almost port like in thickness...very dark dark fruit, big big fruit on the palate...To me this seems almost sweet...I'm not sure how much residual sugar is here but I've seen stuff that suggests it is relatively high for a red...and this is also labeled 16% alcohol but it is probably closer to 17%.  That said, I wouldn't guess 17% as it isn't finishing very hot..but definitely finishes a bit hot to my palate.  This would definitely be a crowd pleaser..I can see a lot of people loving this.  For me, just too big..

2004 Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz - I've not always been happy with their Hilltops..I think they tend to be a bit awkward...but this has integrated nicely...it has a dash of Viognier and the Shiraz has really started to develop some secondary characteristics.  Very Hilltops region on the nose and exhibits some of that on the palate.  Overall a pretty good wine.

Rockford in 2014

Had a gathering with some friends for a Rockford BP dinner...a lot of great fun but a lot of very good wine as well..

Now, to start off, I do enjoy Rockford Basket Press.  I do NOT enjoy it as much as most though.  They are consistently very good..very clean...always good fruit, solid structure...Overall a very good wine...I'm not sure I consider them very exciting though.  Again, don't get me wrong, I enjoy drinking them..I think the wines are very good...I just think they're very safe.

We had:

1996 Rockford Basket Press
1997 Rockford Basket Press
2004 Rockford Basket Press
2006 Rockford Basket Press
2008 Rockford Basket Press
2009 Rockford Basket Press
2010 Rockford Basket Press
1997 Rockford Cabernet Sauvignon
Rockford Black Sparkling Shiraz from 2001.

There were a few other wines that even but sticking with the Rockford theme...

1996 Rockford Basket Press - This has always been one of my favorite BPs and today was no different.  Redder fruits, solid structure, good acidity, great complexity to the wine.

1997 Rockford Basket Press - I've had this several times and they're always just...well..*shrug*.  I'm not even a fan of selling wine but I had several of these and I just ended up selling them because while they were good, they weren't worth what they were selling for.  I picked up quite a bit of oak from this...fruit was decent, not great..overall structure was decent but I didn't really pick up much from this.  This will sound bad but the wine was very non-offensive in the best possible way.  Solid wine but forgettable.

2004 Rockford Basket Press - Picking up a bit of sweetness on this.  I'm not sure what the residual sugar is on this but I'd imagine it is in the 3g+ range.  Nice bright fruit, probably one of the freshest of the night...Overall structure is good...solid tannins but nothing overly grippy..decent acidity...a combination of red and dark fruits, a hint of mint and herbs...Some earthy tones but what is really standing out is the fruit and solid structure.  A very enjoyable Basket Press and one of my favorites of the night...I think this one will age quite well...

2006 Rockford Basket Press.  I think this really suffered next to the 2004 which had been decanted.  Really quite tight..and very aggressive tannins.  Fruit was there but hiding a bit in the background.  Not sure what to think of this...I tried it several times over the evening and it was just too tight to really judge.

2008 Rockford Basket Press.  A lot of people liked this one...for me it was very ok.  Really soft, too soft really.  Low acidity, soft tannins...up front fruit..a very enjoyable drink for now and maybe a few more years.  Structure was not there to go the long haul.  I'd drink these now or very soon in the future.

2009 Rockford Basket Press.  Dark fruits, decent acid, but getting a lot of heat from this as well.  Not sure why but the alcohol is really noticeable.  Given this was the later part of the evening I didn't really nurse this one the way I should've but it was just showing ok.

2010 Rockford Basket Press.  Still one of the best young BP's I've tried...Great fruit, great overall structure.  Tannins are there but not aggressive...good acidity (although added I'm sure)...Good complexity..a bit tight but showing nicely for such a young BP.  I think this will end up being one of the better BPs.....

1997 Rockford Cabernet - I actually enjoyed this a LOT more than the 97 BP.  Reddish fruits, good acid....The Barossa produces rather atypical Cabernet and this is no different...lighter than its Shiraz brother...still very lively and looking quite good.

Rockford Black Shiraz NV (2001 Disgorgement).  These are always fun wines..I'm not quite sure I get them like a lot of my Australian friends...The dosage tends to be from a fortified which lends this some extra residual sugar...For a fun sparkling this quite complex and has some nice savory aspects but still, there is something lacking.  I look at it as it tastes nice, is a bit of fun but still has some geeky things about it too...

Petaluma Shiraz 2008

In general I'm pretty unhappy with how most Australian Shiraz Viognier tastes when young..there are some exceptions but I often find them very awkward and the viognier sticks out as very bitter...

Petaluma Shiraz 2008.  Their Shiraz has had a bit of Viognier for quite awhile...I'm not sure what possessed me to try this when I know it needed more time but I did...
Normal savory but awkward nose...not picking up any florals but getting some umami...Dark red fruits..a little bit of coffee..Palate is really awkward.  I'm not liking this but not because it isn't well made or the style...I just don't think the Viognier is working well...By the end of day 1 this is waking up a bit..getting nicer umami that is harmonizing with the red fruits...less awkward bitterness.

Day 2.  The nose is fresher, some floral notes but more importantly, it is smelling like a better shiraz viognier..one that is starting to come together.....Palate is MUCH MUCH better...the viognier is adding complexity and deep savory notes, still getting coffee, red fruits, good acid, fine tannins..the wine is really starting to come together.  I'm not going to say it is great..but it has turned into a wine I'd drink whereas Day 1 I wasn't interested at all...

Still not convinced this is the right blend for Australia...there are a few good examples like Clonakilla...and I've seen some good examples when they've aged for 10+ years...but earlier than that and most of them just aren't great...I'm going to guess the quality of their Viognier is just not there and that is doing it...