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Wine thread

Bazal

Bazal

Post Whore
Messages
102,821
Tyrrell's Special Release Fiano 2022. Hunter fruit.

Nose is kind of light preserved lemon, saline and citrusy, backed up by fresh pear. The bottle talks a lot about intensity and spice but I don't get that, its pretty delicate and fruit centric. Cold settling probably helps there, it's very pure. Pear juice, a little mineral salinity, then a classic fiano finish getting rounder and more textured than the start. It's not a super intense flavour bomb compared to, say, a Fox Gordon fiano but it's clearly not meant to be, it's about purity and balance and it's done really well.
 
horrie hastings

horrie hastings

First Grade
Messages
7,927
Langmeil Blockbuster 2017 Shiraz.
Have been saving this one for when were having lamb and it did not disappoint.
Mainly a very refined subtle licorice note and also subtle tobacco leaf taste, an absolute pleasure to drink.
 
Drew-Sta

Drew-Sta

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
24,740
Bazal said:
Tyrrell's Special Release Fiano 2022. Hunter fruit.

Nose is kind of light preserved lemon, saline and citrusy, backed up by fresh pear. The bottle talks a lot about intensity and spice but I don't get that, its pretty delicate and fruit centric. Cold settling probably helps there, it's very pure. Pear juice, a little mineral salinity, then a classic fiano finish getting rounder and more textured than the start. It's not a super intense flavour bomb compared to, say, a Fox Gordon fiano but it's clearly not meant to be, it's about purity and balance and it's done really well.
Click to expand...

Didn't know Hunter did Fiano.
 
Scott Gourley's Lovechild

Scott Gourley's Lovechild

Referee
Messages
23,965
It's been a while, and it's my birthday today, so time to dip into the cellar.

d'Arenberg "The Garden of Extraordinary Delights" Single Vineyard McLaren Vale Shiraz 2010.

Bought this eons ago at Cellarbrations Belconnen (Luxton St). No idea why they had this on range, they are definitely a beer & bourbon venue, or they were at the time when I just started working for Think (now Amber Bev). I think I bought it for $50-$60 alone when you were actually supposed to buy 3 different d'Arenberg "Garden of Extraordinary Delights" vineyard wines for nearly $200 (or that's how I remember it).

Filtered and decanted for 2 hours. Terracotta colour, still with plenty of classic primary Shiraz notes on the nose - almost more like a Barossa nose than McLaren Vale. Those tannins have stuck around even after 14 years in the bottle, plenty of grip on the palate. Still vibrant, bitter chocolate and black stone fruit up front. That classic Shiraz spice has died off to more a mild white pepper. Medium finish, almost sweet. Quite enjoyable.
 
Bazal

Bazal

Post Whore
Messages
102,821
2017 Tenuta san Guido Guidalberto. Baby Sassicaia. 60/40 cab/merlot

I think I said previously in this thread that this was my favourite wine of the stuff I drank over in Tuscany. So ofc I'm going to nerd out.

I bought this case cos it was supposed to be 2016 in theory, which was an all time vintage in Tuscany. But when it arrived I was stuck with a mere 93/100 instead. The shame.

Super dark and intense. Massive cabernet nose, briars and brambles and black and purple berries. Good spice character, leaning into black, clove and anise and pepper. A little tobacco, more like an unlit cigar.

It's still too young, let's be honest. 4 hours breathing just to get it peeking out. Black cherry, sort of floral herbs tending into rosemary or even lavender. Classic cabernet up front with the back end tobacco and earthy wood. But the European merlot fills the middle of it with dense, savoury fruit, warm spices and licorice. Finishes long with some sweet dried fruit, and the tannins are still super intense. Give it 2-3 years IMO, or a 6+ hour decant.
 
Bazal

Bazal

Post Whore
Messages
102,821
Guillaume Gonnet Cotes du Rhone Villages. Cheeky Frenchy for the start of the Tour.

Unoaked, super tasty. Perfect pick for a stage one Tour wine. Fresh and vibrant, strawberry and dark cherry, licorice, cinnamon and flint, a little fennel seed. It's not complicated and it's not fancy, it's just a great $20 bottle that would make any wine drinker happy.
 
Bazal

Bazal

Post Whore
Messages
102,821
Drew-Sta said:
They're a sham.
Click to expand...

Yeah I always chuckle when their adds pop up in my FB feed carrying on about all the dodgy stuff the major retailers do....which is pretty much exactly the same dodgy stuff Naked Wines do 😂

I always say buy what you like where you like but tbh for a subscription service, just go direct to a region try some wines, and sign up for a club or two. Or check if the wineries you like retail have a club on their site.

I'd rather go into Uncle Dan's and choose what they rip me off with lol. At least I can read the labels, do a google if needed, and usually work out what I'm drinking. Of course the standard wine drinker may not have that knowledge.
 
Bazal

Bazal

Post Whore
Messages
102,821
Drew-Sta said:
Yeah. I think it was inevitable.

Vineyards, everything gone.

Another one bites the dust.
Click to expand...

As in they've ripped the vines out, or just it's all been sold off? That's a surprise if so. They had some good fruit at some good sites.

Tbh I kind of forgot the label existed otherwise so it's not a surprise to hear they've wound up. They were a fad for a while and the wines were always reliable but never exciting.
 
Drew-Sta

Drew-Sta

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
24,740
Bazal said:
Yeah I always chuckle when their adds pop up in my FB feed carrying on about all the dodgy stuff the major retailers do....which is pretty much exactly the same dodgy stuff Naked Wines do 😂

I always say buy what you like where you like but tbh for a subscription service, just go direct to a region try some wines, and sign up for a club or two. Or check if the wineries you like retail have a club on their site.

I'd rather go into Uncle Dan's and choose what they rip me off with lol. At least I can read the labels, do a google if needed, and usually work out what I'm drinking. Of course the standard wine drinker may not have that knowledge.
Click to expand...

I spent 6 months working for them. They completely f**ked the business. Went huge during COVID with securing supply, but as eComm numbers came back (as EVERYONE with half a brain knew they would) they're now stuck with extra stock. Were sitting on $43.8m (wholesale $'s) bottled / committed in a business that was $53m (retail $'s) big. Madness.

So what did they do?

v22 - they bought 8m bottles
v23 - they bought 5m bottles
v24 - they committed to buying 750k bottles

They gutted the independent winemakers who they say they support. Some of these little guys were rekt because of it.

Sham. Absolute sham.

Bazal said:
As in they've ripped the vines out, or just it's all been sold off? That's a surprise if so. They had some good fruit at some good sites.

Tbh I kind of forgot the label existed otherwise so it's not a surprise to hear they've wound up. They were a fad for a while and the wines were always reliable but never exciting.
Click to expand...

Vineyards sold to Oatley I think. Fruit was indeed good but as you say not exciting.
 
Drew-Sta

Drew-Sta

Moderator
Staff member
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24,740
Reply
Dark Corner said:
Explain as I always like the wines they provide and love the social element of the tasting tours....mind you I did stop my dealings with the Times Wine Club.
Click to expand...

As expressed to Bazal:

I spent 6 months working for them. They completely f**ked the business. Went huge during COVID with securing supply, but as eComm numbers came back (as EVERYONE with half a brain knew they would) they're now stuck with extra stock. Were sitting on $43.8m (wholesale $'s) bottled / committed in a business that was $53m (retail $'s) big. Madness.

So what did they do?

v22 - they bought 8m bottles
v23 - they bought 5m bottles
v24 - they committed to buying 750k bottles

They gutted the independent winemakers who they say they support. Some of these little guys were rekt because of it.

Sham. Absolute sham.
 
Drew-Sta

Drew-Sta

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
24,740
Additionally, they do not treat the winemakers as well as people suggest (commercially) and when winemakers wish to try and take the brands they build and use them elsewhere (after having volumes cut) Naked kicks up a stink. Even though they don't own the IP.
 
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