2010 Lake's Folly Hunter Valley
Chardonnay (Bottle no. 04167)
Honey dew melon, stone fruit & almond meal seduce the senses
from the glass. A delicate buttery kiss on the cheek with ravishing French oak.
Brilliant line and length with an immaculate finish.
Although it is drinking beautifully
now, there's structure a plenty for many years of bottle development and has
immense charisma. This is not a pretender. An Old School chardy that may not
appeal to those unoaked subscribers. I for one really LOVE this style of
chardonnay. It's bold and masculine yet is pure and so extremely well balanced.
Teamed magnificently with chilli dusted wild caught Tasmanian salmon.
The
cheeky smile on my face is because I still have another three bottles of this
vintage stashed away.
Tasted 10th & 11th March 2013
13.5% Alc Vol
www.lakesfolly.com.au
2007 Dalwhinnie
Moonambel Shiraz
Opens in the decanter with a cracking mix of spice
& a background of red and black fruit. Dense & dark in the glass.
White pepper, more licorice than fennel seed, blackcurrant tang, rhubarb,
bitumen and a mesmerising smokey haze. Bitter dark chocolate.
Initial
astringent, gritty tannins that well & truly round out by the end of the
first glass. Probably just too impatient to leave breath in the decanter a
little longer. Fully unfurls by the end of the second glass, highlighting its
suave masculinity.
This wine is calm, self assured & very stylish. No
weakness to be found unless you just don't get cool climate Shiraz. Demands a
massive medium rare rib eye on the bone.
Tasted 9th & 10th February 2013
13.5% Alc Vol
www.dalwhinnie.com.au
2009 Adams Rib The
Red (Castagna, Beechworth)
Day 1- Shiraz/Nebbiolo blend. Super savoury & spectacularly spicey. Paprika, pepper, cloves,
turmeric & fennel seeds. Smokey charcuterie and chorizo sausage. Gun flint
and granite. Blue fruits and blood plums. Ever so gentle drying tannins. No
guts, no glory...
Cracking combination with pea & zucchini risotto with
marinated veal rib cutlet.
Day 2- Dense
chocolate, more smoked meats with lashings of licorice. Some subtle dried
herbs; oregano & my good friend cumin. Certainly more academic and less
hedonistic tonight.
I think I let the wine down tonight by not providing a
suitable food pairing.
Tasted 2nd & 3rd March 2013
13.5% Alc Vol
www.castagna.com.au
2006 Katnook Estate
Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon
WOW. After only 10mins in the decanter, the entire
kitchen oozes with classy dark fruit & fabulous Coonawarra Terra Rossa. The
aroma profile is bold, convincing and seriously sinister. This wine exudes aged
characteristics that belies its seven young years. Staining the glass magenta in
homage to the red dirt from where it was borne.
Blood plums, mulberries,
vanilla oak, nougat, earth & sinewy tannins that melt away like a
gelatinous braise. Smooth, velvety, rich and sophisticated.
Multi-layered to
the point that each smell, each sip brings with it something new to ponder.
This wine is The Godfather Part 1. Probably the most outstanding cabernet I
have ever tasted.
Tasted 10th February 2013
14% Alc Vol
www.katnookestate.com.au
2012 Best's Great
Western Riesling
Delicate. Feminine. Stunning. Serious WOW factor.
Unbelievable pristine crispness. Lemon & lime juice, cumquat and a curious
whisper of wizz fizz. Mineral bones & fine chalk. Cinnamon, nutmeg, star
anise & cloves. Tantalysing off-dry sweetness.
It has a line of singular
perfection that seems to be focused on 20yrs from now. As though it already
knows how good it will be if given the chance to age gracefully. (Note to self,
hide some from the wife).
Zips through the Chinese five spice pork loin cutlets
with a self assured wave to the crowd.
Tasted 22nd February 2013
13.0% Alc Vol
www.bestswines.com
