Been a very long, very arduous but mainly very good couple of weeks here, although I’m suffering very badly from a heavy head cold at the moment.
Attended the Merimbula Jazz Festival over the long weekend, taking extra days either side attempting to make it a more relaxing time away. All concerned seemed to have a very good time. Got to play in several bands and did some extended restaurant gigs with one of the legends of the jazz world, which was a real thrill. My daughter sang very well. Seeing and hearing our family band back on mini-disc, you are jolted with the harsh realities of your own shortcomings.
Drank many, many bottles over the past two weeks but always with a lot of people, so it probably wasn’t quite as bad, quantatively, as it looks.
From memory only -
Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2005 - excellent - still fresh and youthful with a full-flavoured, fleshy palate buttressed by excellent minerality - 90
Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2007 - outstanding - tight, focused, linear, long with good cellaring prospects - 92 (S/C)
Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 - very sound, still a little on the young side - predominantly leafy blackcurrants and cedar - 91
Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo 1997 - excellent - savoury although a tad feral - mainly cherries and old leather - 89
Dominique Laurent Serie Rare Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Chaumes 1996 - excellent savoury/sappy perfume but somewhat angular with excessive acidity and grip on the palate - just very good - time may help - 85
Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 1998 - disgraceful - overbearing dimethyl sulphide and brettanomyces - undrinkable - 50
Bailey’s Founder Muscat (current release) - moorish and raisaned with lots of Christmas cake complexity. Good age for a moderately-priced liqueur muscat - excellent - 90
Mesh Riesling 2005 - went ballistic over this some weeks ago (97). This bottle was drunk on the spot and wasn’t given the time and air my initial bottle got. Nowhere as impressed - 91 at best. Has the potential but judging and pointing in context is the issue here. (S/C)
Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2006 - still looks the goods on the bouquet but without food this looked far too astringent on the palate for my liking. With food (Cantonese spicy seafood combo in batter) looked terrific - 86/92 (S/C)
Richmond Grove Barossa Riesling 1998 - strong yellow gold colour - mix of diesel and vibrant lime/toasty fruit - still has a very good core of slightly phenolic minerally acidity, so it may keep keeping on for some years yet - 88
Houghton’s Liqueur Tokay (1 pint 6 fluid ounces on label) - ancient rancio and cold tea mixed with honey, nuts and some oxidative characters - a nice old drink but, somehow, I think this may have been left untouched just a trifle too long - 85
Domaine D’Ambinos 2e Trie Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu 1989 - remarkable - a vibrant, extremely classy medium-sweet chenin blanc of wonderful dimensions and still most youthful exuberance. Difficult to fault - 95 points with a long drinking window ahead.
Domaine D’Ambinos Clos des Mulonnierres Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu 1982 - read ditto to the above but without as much residual sugar but similar exceedingly good acidity. Beautiful example of complex demi-sec chenin blanc - will go for some years yet - 93
Mount Mary Chardonnay 2005 - brilliant wine - just too young - tight as a fish’s, terrific line and length, superb construction - almost perfect balance - leave for 3-5 years - potential of 95 points - exceptional promise (diam)
Seppelt Dorrien Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 - looked terrific - youthful, lush, full of leafy blackberry fruit, cedary oak, still fresh but full and with a twist of bitter chocolate in a long and satisfying finish - 93
Seppelt Dorrien Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 - similarly impressive but one notch down from its elder sibling - medium-bodied classic Barossa cabernet - 92
Houghton’s Jack Mann 1995 - forgot the blend here - believe it to be cabernet, shiraz and malbec - this is just starting to hit its straps - plush and decadently fruited with a wealth of gorgeously-meshed blackberry, plum and blackcurrant fruit that has all but swallowed up the savoury/malty background oak. Seamless but of full body, seriously good robust tannins slowly melting and assimilating into, what will be, a magnificent conclusion - 95 - otherworldly
Seppelt Great Western Shiraz 1995 - Ian McKenzie always held high regard for this wine and now I can see why - typical dense creamy old-vine material redolent with blackberry and mulberry and well-judged savoury oak - top wine - 92
Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 - typically weedy blackcurrants with supporting cedary oak - perhaps a tad too leafy for me on this occasion but otherwise very good/excellent - 88
Ch. Haut-Bages-Liberal (Pauilliac) 1986 - a very impressive effort from this left bank Chateau from this vintage - complex mix of wet earth, currants, lead pencil and plums with excellent acid/oak integration/balance and terrific length - still has many years fine drinking ahead of it - 92
Domaine Paul Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert 1999 - a solid wine although marred by a small brett input - otherwise somewhat savoury and earthy, nicely fruited and a “drink now up to 5 years” proposition - 87
Hermann Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese 1998 - absolutely brilliant showing of this label on this occasion - perhaps the best bottle I’ve opened thus far - very youthful straw/lime colour -compact yet somehow incredibly effusive - gorgeous lime and under-ripe stone fruits with a gently sweet personality, lithe minerally acidity - dances across the palate with the dexterity of Gene Kelly - finishes with the grace of Audrey Hepburn. 94 on its ear. Still got plenty of juice in the tank and I thought it may have peaked - fool!
Zilliken Saarburger-Rausch Riesling Spatlese 1996 - deeper colour than the Donnhoff - lemon/green gold - diesel/redcurrants/lemon custard/nectarine bouquet and palate - broader/fatter style with more weight and punch - a tad phenolic but plenty of acid for longer keeping - very darn good but not a patch on Hermann above - 88
Domaine Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling Vendange Tardive 1990 - monumentally good late-picked Alsace riesling right in the groove - apple curd, ripe stone fruits, citrus rind, spicy apricots all wrapped in a shroud of profoundly-good minerality - delivers a sensational performance in the mouth with awesome structure and simply amazing delineation - 96
) and emptying them.
Poor bugger.