Wine thread

[horrie hastings]

Actually I agree pepper jack has gone down in years. Still vintage cellars are flogging them with a saltram 1859 or whatever it is for 30 bucks at the moment

Yeah Liquorland seem to flog the Pepper Jack with the Saltram 1859 a lot and the sheeples seem to flock to it. So glad I got the Audrey Wilkinson chardonnay before the nobs at Liquorland realised their mistake at $9 a bottle.

 

[horrie hastings]

Tussock Jumper Malbec, easy drinking with mainly plum and raspberry characteristics, good for $10 and went perfect with the steak and salad dinner.​

 

[Bazal]

2018 Mallaluka Sangiovese.

100% estate grown Yass fruit. Not fined or filtered, whole bunch natural ferment, split between oak and stainless.

Beautiful cloudy ruby colour. This doesn't really smell or really taste like classical Sangio. There's cherry, sure, like early season red cherries. But there's also apple, maybe pink ladies, and tart redcurrant. I think the confusion comes from the stemmy, sappy character that makes you think of pinot, and the weight and mouthfeel is similar as well. It's light and crunchy and simple, made like a classical French wine with a proper Italian spirit, all about drinkability and brilliant with food.

I love it.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Sounds very unusual, can’t think of a light Sangiovese off the top of my head. Might have to grab a bottle on my next trip to Canberra.

 

[horrie hastings]

Swinging Bridge Mrs Payton Chardonnay, tried this at Orange 360 at the Pyrmont Festival last Sunday, beautiful lightly oaked, got whacked by nectarine and peach straight away followed by vanilla, just the way i like a Chardonnay so bought a few bottles.

 

[Bazal]

Sholto Rouge Clair 2019, Canberra (Gundaroo mostly)

This stuff is right up my alley straight away. Take Cab Sav, Malbec and Petit Verdot, a classic Bourdeaux blend. Then, make it like a Beaujolais. Treat the fruit gently, put it through carbonic maceration, chuck it in a bottle after letting it kiss an old oak barrel for 8 weeks.

The result is just ridiculously tasty. Juicy, full bodied, soft and easy, like a nice midnight girl...The structure is awesome, not as front-heavy as you might think given the style. Flavours are obviously fruit driven; blackberry/mulberry, dark cherries, liquorice, the classic Petit Verdot purple, a little chocolate. Simple, sure, but f**k me it's tasty. And the tannin is surprisingly robust too, drying the back of your tongue and nullifying any lingering sweetness in the young fruit.

And only 12.5% alcohol, so it's hugely drinkable. Shame about the Preschool quality label.

 

[Bazal]

Mallaluka Fiano Viognier

These guys are funky... As this is as funky as you can get.

70% Fiano, 30% Viognier. Whole bunch, fermented on skins. It almost pours like it's f**ked, heavily cork tainted. But it's supposed to look like that. Cloudy orange, like my dads old homemade mead.

Smells like orange blossoms, really ripe golden Sultana grapes, and sweet Limoncello. It's a massive fruity, spicy thing...honey and apricot, mostly. Honestly, it tastes like the most perfectly made white sangria.

Really unusual wine, not for everyone by any means, but definitely going to get a good run at my place over the summer

 

[horrie hastings]

2009 Gramps Shiraz, was just like drinking pure velvet, cant think of as better way to describe it, perfect marriage with the beef cheeks i cooked .

 

[horrie hastings]

2009 Cassegrain Edition Noir Semillon

Beautiful drinking, still quite crisp and still a hint of lemon, worked perfectly with the best seafood risotto that i and my better half created and have tasted.

 

[Bazal]

This thing from Uncle Dan's

Lightly chilled. $11. Young, fresh, vibrant. Sweet red fruits and spice, lean and clean.

Get around it. Delicious.

 

[Misanthrope]

Not sure if they do it in Oz, but Aldi in the States does a wine advent calendar that the wife and I have been really enjoying.

The only downside to it is that they've relabelled everything as Aldi Festive Collection, which makes it hard to ever track down a wine you like from the pack >_<

 

[YoHadrian]

We had a nice beaujolais with double brie last night after the kids went to sleep.

 

[horrie hastings]

Seeing this is a wine thread I will post this here, usually head office at Liquorland give their loyal staff a bottle of one their exclusive wines and a six pack of one of their exclusive beers but this year we got f*ck all, really great from a company that makes their managers jump through hoops and pay them peanuts . I suppose they couldn't give their staff their piddly little presents this year because they had to pay the dairy farmers the millions they ripped them off. Coles the Christmas cringe, no wonder staff are leaving left right and centre.

 

[horrie hastings]

This thing from Uncle Dan's

Lightly chilled. $11. Young, fresh, vibrant. Sweet red fruits and spice, lean and clean.

Get around it. Delicious.

What is the main grape variety of it? I love a nice red you can lightly chill down in summer.

 

[Bazal]

What is the main grape variety of it? I love a nice red you can lightly chill down in summer.

100% Carignan, which is not a common find. Especially imported to Aus

 

[horrie hastings]

100% Carignan, which is not a common find. Especially imported to Aus

Will have to head into Dans but will wait till after New Years to check it out if they have stock left.

 

[Bazal]

2011 Goaty Hill Maia Sparkling.

I had at least 17 Manhattans this evening with Bryan Martin's vermouth that I mentioned in the spirits thread. But the missus is definitely not going to be going for bourbon based cocktails and thus wanted a sparkling from the cellar.

Grabbed this, from a trip to Tassie in 2016, which I forgot I had. Nose of buttery bread and marmalade indicates a strong Chardonnay percentage. Bubbles a little harsh in the mouth, but it doesn't detract from the flavour which is absolutely ripping. Brioche toast, blood orange peel, honey, almond, and a vibrantly clean acid finish.

This shit is gorgeous. If I'd have known in advance I would have had one fewer Manhattan and three extra glasses of this. or just half a bottle of this as well, the misso doesn't drink much.

I feel like the current vintage is 2013? 45 bucks or so. Buy heaps, this would still be drinking beautifully in 2025.

 

[horrie hastings]

Pieter Van Gent Sundance Red, beautiful light red served chilled, light but fruity, mainly raisins followed by a spicy peppery finish, delicious and went well with the duck salami, caper berry,smoked eggplant and smoked garlic pizza i made.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

That sounds really interesting and unique. Any idea of the grape make-up? Peppery notes make me think it would be either a straight Shiraz or a blend where Shiraz dominates.

 

[horrie hastings]

That sounds really interesting and unique. Any idea of the grape make-up? Peppery notes make me think it would be either a straight Shiraz or a blend where Shiraz dominates.

No idea really, it just mentions a blend of red wine grapes but there is definitely shiraz in there with peppery finish, not sure what variety would give it the initial sweet raisin taste before you get spicy peppery finish, it is an interesting wine.