Wine thread

[Twizzle]

yeh, thanks Baz

I've never eaten peat, so any clues as to taste

 

[Bazal]

yeh, thanks Baz

I've never eaten peat, so any clues as to taste

Smoke, usually.

They use peat smoke to dry malted barley, basically. Cos in some.plaves there's bigger all trees to burn, like Islay. Different whiskey tastes peaty in different ways though....a Lagavulin tastes like a driftwood campfire, a Laphroaig tastes like cigars and seaweed, an Ardbeg tastes like smoked meats, etc etc.

That Connemara is really nice I reckon. Cos it's Irish pot still whiskey it kind of tastes like lightly smoked butter shortbread

 

[Twizzle]

interesting

do DMs sell it ?

 

[Bazal]

The Connemara? Yep that's where I got it.

 

[horrie hastings]

Smoke, usually.

a Laphroaig tastes like cigars and seaweed

I remember having a Laphroaig tasting when i worked at Quaffers, it was pure smoke and pure heaven.

 

[Bazal]

I remember having a Laphroaig tasting when i worked at Quaffers, it was pure smoke and pure heaven.

I'm definitely a bit of a peat head these days. The Laphroaig Lore is one of my favourite whiskey's when I can get it

 

[horrie hastings]

Peterson House 2014 Pinot Noir Chardonnay Meunier .

Wow, beautiful , nutty yeasty flavour, love the yeasty toasty aroma i got when i popped the cork, just stunning to drink, probably wished i would have left this a bit longer now but totally enjoying it now.

 

[Drew-Sta]

Jacob 2017 Chard, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier - not worth the $35 price tag. Short and lacks the developed flavours of a sparkling in that price bracket.

Jacaranda Ridge 2010 - old school lighter style Cabernet from Coonawarra. It’s enjoyable but somewhat forgettable.

Centenary Hill 2012 - cracker. Get on it.

German dry riesling 2013 - lovely apricot and nectarine to go with the citrus and petroleum.

Dowie Doole Estate Cab 2015 - chocolate, mocha, black fruit bomb. Some developed characteristics. Should have had more time.

 

[Drew-Sta]

The $12.99 Puglia Zinfandel that Aldi are selling is good. Fantastic value.

Ripped out a 2013 Rothbury Black Label Sem. Nice, but lacked a bit of depth.

 

[horrie hastings]

The Peterson House 2014 Pinot Noir Chardonnay Meunier was so good i just ordered some more with 20 % off on top of the members discount.

 

[Bazal]

Turns out Xmas was mostly gin and brandy (if anyone can find it....HIGHLY recommend the Joadja Estate Southern Highlands brandy, aged in PX casks).

But we did have one of the 2010 Cimicky Grenache. Outrageously good for $20, full and rich, all black fruits and spice. I wouldn't suggest it will improve but it's drinking amazing now.

On the other end of the spectrum, a $90 Chartogne-Taillet St Anne. Grower champagne, delicious. Pinot dominant, plenty of structure, stonefruit curd and even slightly into cherry, very full bodied but with a clean mineral finish. Really good

 

[Bazal]

2020 Mallaluka Aligote....

King Valley, cos everything in Canberra had AIDS from the smoke.

Look Sam is a lunatic, in a good way. He just about never does anything classically. So for reference, classic Aligote is sort of reminiscent of semillon, lemony and clean. Racy, it's normally used to add acidity to Burgundy Chardonnay. It's a clean variety that the French see almost exclusively as a blend component.

Sam doesn't. This is cloudy, thanks to whole bunch pressing and wild fermentation. There's a slight touch of lemon, but this more about pears. Custard. Maybe even custard apple? A little herby, butter pastry like an Irish whiskey, even a little cashew nuttiness. A marked sweetness but not moscato sweet, orange blossom, more like an oily viognier or pinot gris. And somehow he's kept the finish clean and lean, like an underripe green pear.

An insanely great white wine to drink, just find it

 

[Bazal]

Investigating the famed $6 Aldi Nero. Also picked up an $11 Argy Malbec cos I am a sucker for it, so I'm looking forward to that at some point.

Solid. I do love Nero and I definitely like it. There is a thinness and a sharpness to the finish that stops me from going all in for it like I did the old $7 Aradon Rioja or Norton Malbec at 1C, but that's just my being overly critical given the price. It's certainly a better than decent little wine and I can imagine getting through a lot of it at a nice chilled out BBQ or dinner party. It mellows with some air too and the finish lengthens.

Beats out plenty of $16 wines that's for sure. I'll be grabbing some more.

 

[horrie hastings]

the old $7 Aradon Rioja .

Someone came in looking for that today, didn't believe that we haven't stocked it for a year or so, probably closer to 6- 9 months ago.

 

[Bazal]

Someone came in looking for that today, didn't believe that we haven't stocked it for a year or so, probably closer to 6- 9 months ago.

What a wine it was too. I actually did a quick search for it when I thought of it and First Choice still carry it, and currently it's 6 for $36! I know where I'm going on the weekend.

Also @Drew-Sta not sure if you've got around the $11 Argentinian Malbec from Aldi, but I've gotta say...while I like the Nero, early drinking I think I'd grab this every time. Appreciating the $5 price difference, I feel like the value extension is pretty similar and on first taste I can recall $25 Malbec models that Coles brought in (different market at the time to be fair) that didn't match this one.

Not gonna mow it down cos I have cricket tomorrow so I'll whack it in the fridge overnight and see how it comes up.

 

[Drew-Sta]

What a wine it was too. I actually did a quick search for it when I thought of it and First Choice still carry it, and currently it's 6 for $36! I know where I'm going on the weekend.

Also @Drew-Sta not sure if you've got around the $11 Argentinian Malbec from Aldi, but I've gotta say...while I like the Nero, early drinking I think I'd grab this every time. Appreciating the $5 price difference, I feel like the value extension is pretty similar and on first taste I can recall $25 Malbec models that Coles brought in (different market at the time to be fair) that didn't match this one.

Not gonna mow it down cos I have cricket tomorrow so I'll whack it in the fridge overnight and see how it comes up.

I’ll give that a look. Haven’t ventured to that yet. Had the $9 Durif the other day. Not enough fruit and like drinking dark chocolate but not in a good way.

I’m glad you liked the nero. Smart wine for $6. Very keen to try the malbec now given your review.

Jason at Aldi is a ripper buyer.

 

[Drew-Sta]

@Bazal , not sure on that malbec. It’s got smoke taint on it.

 

[Bazal]

@Bazal , not sure on that malbec. It’s got smoke taint on it.

Really? The Argentinian, Piedra Negra?

What vintage, cos I've literally just poured a glass third day and it's still going pretty good. Certainly no smoke taint. I can see a little oak smokiness now that it's in my head, but I didn't even really get the oak prominently until this afternoon, it was mostly just really dark fruit and that stony South American malbec thing

 

[Drew-Sta]

Really? The Argentinian, Piedra Negra?

What vintage, cos I've literally just poured a glass third day and it's still going pretty good. Certainly no smoke taint. I can see a little oak smokiness now that it's in my head, but I didn't even really get the oak prominently until this afternoon, it was mostly just really dark fruit and that stony South American malbec thing

Yep, right brand. 2018. No characteristic malbec notes on the nose - just wood and smoke. Usually I get ‘purple’ and lavender and a bit of potpurrie.

The palate flavours are reasonable, but too much wood, not enough fruit. Yes, the dark fruit is there but the oak is too prevalent IMHO.

I get the flint you mention but expected that.

Maybe I’ve been drinking too much AU malbec...

 

[Bazal]

Yep, right brand. 2018. No characteristic malbec notes on the nose - just wood and smoke. Usually I get ‘purple’ and lavender and a bit of potpurrie.

The palate flavours are reasonable, but too much wood, not enough fruit. Yes, the dark fruit is there but the oak is too prevalent IMHO.

I get the flint you mention but expected that.

Maybe I’ve been drinking too much AU malbec...

Yeah I have 2018.

That's really weird, particularly because I generally hate over the top oak. I've been drinking a lot of peated whiskey lately, not within the last seven days though but maybe that's dulled my sensitivity to the smoky aspect?

100% I got that purple and black fruit into red plums, really intense too. Not so much of the lavender/violet, it's definitely a big fruit forward malbec without much delicacy but I like that so no problems there for me. Plus I personally find that character more in Chilean malbec. On reflection I think I did get the oak earlier, but it presented as coffee/mocha. I never even thought smoke until you mentioned it and then I got a hint of it.

I'll have to try a second bottle...what a shame