Wine thread

[Drew-Sta]

Coonawarra merlot usually goes ok if picked at the right time.

We do a Mount Benson merlot that is quite delicious.

Most Cab Merlot blends in Margaret are goo though.

I'm enjoying a Cab Malbec from Clare we do. Its really got me as a quaffing wine right now.

 

[Bazal]

Best Merlot I've had recently was Tasmanian (Stefano Lubiana) and a couple of local Canberra ones have been handy as well.

I'm being unforgivably common tonight....I'm drinking Save Blanc it's a Canberra one though, not NZ passionfruit water

 

[Bazal]

2007 Tyrrell's Stevens Semillon....a genuinely underrated wine IMO. Everyone fawns over the Vat 1 or the Lovedale, and rightly so, but for half the cash the Stevens has always been a serious contender despite usually being overshadowed by the HVD and the Belford.

Quite full bodied and round, grapefruit and honeydew, toasty but not overly so which allows the quality fruit characters to shine. Classic finish, mineral and slightly saline. Probably at its best now.

 

[Drew-Sta]

Enjoyed a Tomfoolery Skullduggery Mataro-Shiraz last night. It kicks ass. So smooth and silky. Great black fruit and the blended shiraz was enough to give it that diversity.

Bloody good stuff.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Tomfoolery do awesome wines.

 

[Bazal]

Crafters Union Custom Red. Some kind of Hawkes Bay red blend, it looked interesting. At a guess, Shiraz/Cab/Merlot and maybe some Petit Verdot? Almost certain it's shiraz dominant and it has that purple petit verdot fruit, but it doesn't actually say.

Anyway it's nice for $17. Good quaffer, medium bodied, loads of fruit and pepper, soft tannins, overt but tasty oak treatment.

 

[_Johnsy]

SGC/Baz

Heading over to NZ in 8 days, any must do wineries?

 

[Bazal]

Depends where in NZ you're going mate

 

[_Johnsy]

Depends where in NZ you're going mate

Couple of days in Auckland (thinking about heading over to Waiheke Island).
Then fly down to Queenstown for a few days, up to Te Anau, then taking a few days to drive over to Christchurch stopping at Tekapo for a day or two, stay in Christchurch few days then fly back up to Auckland then down to Taupo for a few days & home.

 

[Bazal]

Couple of days in Auckland (thinking about heading over to Waiheke Island).
Then fly down to Queenstown for a few days, up to Te Anau, then taking a few days to drive over to Christchurch stopping at Tekapo for a day or two, stay in Christchurch few days then fly back up to Auckland then down to Taupo for a few days & home.

Don't see many Waiheke wines in Canberra so I haven't got a load of experience with them....I've tried single bottles from some vineyards but it's a hard to make a judgement on one wine. I've had a few Soho Wines and they've been very good. Lots of them have a good reputation though so you probably won't go far wrong

Queenstown is close to Central Otago so there are tonnes of great wineries. Plus there's this place (https://www.thewinery.co.nz/) in Queenstown itself. If you head to Central Otago....

Peregrine
Gibbston Valley
Amisfield
Felton Road
Dry Gully
Carrick
Coal Pit
Maude
Two Paddocks
Mt Difficulty
Quartz Reef

Christchurch is near the Waipara Valley. Pegasus Bay and Waipara Hills are both good quality. But Otago is easily the biggest and best wine region you'll be near with that itinerary

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

SGC/Baz

Heading over to NZ in 8 days, any must do wineries?

Copy & paste what Bazal said

 

[_Johnsy]

Thanks Baz & SGC, notes taken. Much appreciated.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

No worries, I think I over contributed TBH...

 

[Bazal]

2011 Wandin Valley Bridie's Shiraz. Brilliant purple colour. Gorgeous nose of blood plums, mocha, cloves. It's unbelievably dense for a Hunter shiraz, but much prettier and more elegant than a Barossa shiraz despite matching it for depth. Ripe plum, honey blossom, sweet blackberries, the barest touch of game meat and smoky, mocha oak. Bright and pure and with great length, but the tannins are almost gone making it really moreish.

I'm quite taken with it to say the least. I almost feel bad for opening it for a Tuesday night dinner....lol

 

[Bazal]

2008 Hungerford Hill Heavy Metal Shiraz.

Honestly I'm straight away not doing this justice, I'm listening to Coheed and Cambria whilst drinking it. ool as f**k, but not heavy metal

Anyway, this stuff is rocking. IIRC it was mostly Tumbarumba fruit in 08. Mulberries, blood plums, dark chocolate, brilliant sweetness balanced by savoury olive, gamey meat characters, graphite minerality, still puckering tannins and a bright acid finish.

More Tumbarumba shiraz plz....

 

[Bazal]

I'm overcontributing to this thread, but it keeps me sharp.

Here's one for @Scott Gourley's Lovechild and @Drew-Sta if you can find it. 2013 Holm Oak Waterton Vineyard Shiraz. Really should be labelled syrah, if I'm being pedantic. 100% single vineyard Tamar Valley fruit. Pours like an Otago pinot, pure clear purple. Much lighter than you expect, but not in a bad way. It's stunning. There's f**k all oak used so it's all pure fruit, raspberry and redcurrant and blackberry, a huge but welcome whack of white pepper, very fine tannin, some herbaceous notes and a clean mineral finish It's all beautifully integrated. I should have bought more when I was down there.

We drank it alongside a Clonakilla Hilltops, a perennial favourite, and the Holm Oak stood up really well. I'd have loved to try it against the lighter weight O'Riada. You won't find a mainland shiraz like it.

 

[Drew-Sta]

I'm overcontributing to this thread, but it keeps me sharp.

Here's one for @Scott Gourley's Lovechild and @Drew-Sta if you can find it. 2013 Holm Oak Waterton Vineyard Shiraz. Really should be labelled syrah, if I'm being pedantic. 100% single vineyard Tamar Valley fruit. Pours like an Otago pinot, pure clear purple. Much lighter than you expect, but not in a bad way. It's stunning. There's f**k all oak used so it's all pure fruit, raspberry and redcurrant and blackberry, a huge but welcome whack of white pepper, very fine tannin, some herbaceous notes and a clean mineral finish It's all beautifully integrated. I should have bought more when I was down there.

We drank it alongside a Clonakilla Hilltops, a perennial favourite, and the Holm Oak stood up really well. I'd have loved to try it against the lighter weight O'Riada. You won't find a mainland shiraz like it.

I love Syrah. Would love to try it. Where did you find it?

Drinking a Rothbury '12 Central Ranges Cab Merlot. Massive fruit, more French style than shitty Aussie. Brilliant stuff.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Having a d'Arenberg "High Trellis" McLaren Vale Cab Sauv tonight. Got it for $15 from the former House of @Bazal (went to pick up those cleanskins everyone is raving about so I can drink decent plonk while cooking with the stuff). These blokes still make top quality sub $20 table wines. Down to my last glass now though, where to from here...

 

[Bazal]

I love Syrah. Would love to try it. Where did you find it?

Drinking a Rothbury '12 Central Ranges Cab Merlot. Massive fruit, more French style than shitty Aussie. Brilliant stuff.

Hey mate, didn't see this!

I got it at the winery but I was speaking to the rep a while back and she said you can get it retail in Sydney. Not sure where though....

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Ended up cracking a bottle from the old joint, Climbing Cab Sauv 2012. Light and fruity, very drinkable Cabernet. They still have the issue that their wines are $3-5 overpriced.