Funky, cold, & Medina

T

Thor

Thor Iverson
nz05_qantas_red_plane.jpg
Theyll be on the next flight, assures the man clicking away at a computer with the sleek lines and processing power of the eighties. The early eighties. Its got a green screen, its slower than Air NZ baggage handling, and the printer issuing my lost luggage report is a noisy old dot matrix model. Dot matrix. And yes, the paper is the appropriate relic, which I wasnt even aware was still produced: alternating green and white stripes with perforated holes down the sides. What sort of bizarre time warp have we entered? Have all the countrys IT consultants gone walkabout?

continued here. Notes are very old at this point, but here they are anyway:

Margan 2003 Semillon (Hunter Valley) Herbs and grass, with a semi-hollow middle but surprising length. Tingly, especially late. It seems insufficient, but Ive learned the value of humility when it comes to assessing young Hunter semillon; Im not aware of any other wine that blossoms out of its youthful ugly-ducklingness to such an extent. (3/05)

Leeuwin Prelude Vineyards 2000 Cabernet/Merlot (Margaret River) Red pepper, dark cherry, and cassis, with a dash of eucalyptus. Good weight and balance. Admittedly a little green (not altogether unpleasantly so, but its right on the edge), and already showing some early signs of development. Somewhere between OK and good. Probably not much of an ager, though. (3/05)
 
Good God, I just mentioned Tone Loc 20 seconds ago. I think we are, like, connected.
 
Margan 2003 Semillon (Hunter Valley) Herbs and grass, with a semi-hollow middle but surprising length. Tingly, especially late. It seems insufficient, but Ive learned the value of humility when it comes to assessing young Hunter semillon; Im not aware of any other wine that blossoms out of its youthful ugly-ducklingness to such an extent. (3/05)
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Thanks for the note on this; seen a couple of Margan Semillons out around retail but haven't gotten around to trying them (as I generally prefer the Tulloch and Mt. Pleasant wines which for me seem to drink better young than a lot of other Semillons).
 
Who drinks Hunter semillon young? Not me anymore...when I can find it, which in Boston is almost never.
 
(Raises hand)
There are a few producers who make Semillon that drinks really well in its youth - Brokenwood seems to be one of the better early drinkers, and I've had a couple of really young - 2006 - Semillons from Tulloch (family) and Keith Tulloch that I found stunning, with an almost Chablis-like clarity and elegance. I don't think you're likely to find the latter two in Boston anytime soon, but they're worth keeping an eye out for if you're ever out in NSW.

Cheers,

Salil
 
OK, I'll give you Brokenwood. Nice wine, and easily available here. Tulloch...haven't seen it, but I'll keep an eye out. Thanks.

Brokenwood 2005 Semillon (Hunter Valley) 10.5%! Less angry and resentful than most Hunter semillon, but I dont think the ageability is hurt by it. Theres grass and skin here, with a June-sweat acridity and considerable palate presence, yet the finish is exquisitely balanced. Its forward, as befits a New World wine, but check out that alcohol level. This doesnt achieve the iconoclastic brilliance of the Tyrells Vat 1, but its very fine on its own merits. (9/08)
 
Let me know if you do find any of the Tulloch/Keith Tulloch wines in the States - I've rarely seen those wines around, and only had the Keith Tulloch Semillon recently because my dad grabbed a bottle for me while he was in Sydney a few months ago. And if you don't mind divulging, whereabouts is the Brokenwood available in Boston? (I'll be back in the east coast next week, and might be making a trip to Boston in early Feb - might break my resolution to cut back on my wine buying if there's Brokenwood available.)

Cheers,

Salil
 
Sincere apologies, but I have absolutely no sure recollection of where I bought mine. Possibly The Spirited Gourmet in Belmont, though you'll want to beware of their storage conditions, which are wretched. Possibly Formaggio Kitchen. Possibly Cambridge Wine & Spirits in Fresh Pond. Possibly elsewhere.

Sorry to be of absolutely no help.
 
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