Graeme Gee
Graeme Gee
Octobers Noble Rotters dinner saw a return to the 20-years-ago theme which was so successful in the past. Reduced in numbers for various reasons, we struggled on
1998 Perrier Jout Belle Epoque (Champagne) [cork]
A kaleidoscopic nose every time I went back to it, there was something different. Fresh bread aromas were thematic, but there were all kinds of biscuity notes, lightly-spiced meats, yeasts. Like walking through a perfume factory. Inside a frame of the finest delicate bubbles danced flavours of strawberries, prosciutto, bakery-biscuits, and the rest. Only really light-medium body, with a faintly chalk-tannin tail, the wine finishes long, clean and dry. Staggeringly good champagne I could have drunk the entire bottle easily.
1989 Hugel Riesling Vendange Tardive (Alsace) [cork, 14%]
Lemon-gold colour. Lots of honey and quince on the well-developed nose. The richly ripe and sweet aromas carry through onto the palate, which has a faintly greasy oiliness to the texture, plenty of body its really very powerful and a long balanced finish. Acid is unobtrusive but critically present. Finishes clean and almost dry, despite the overall sweetness level. Suspect itll hold this development plateau for years longer. Very good indeed.
1984 Leo Buring Chardonnay [cork, 13%]
No indication of region anywhere, although the old Leonay winery in the Barossa is pictured on the label and encouragingly, winemaker John Vickerys signature is there as well. Barossa is the obvious bet, but who knows? Distinct amber, but still clear and almost-healthy looking. A very aged but not collapsing nose of old wooden furniture! No apparent fruit remains. The palate is curious; most of what remains seems to be soft old oak flavours, oxidised but not harsh. Theres little acid left, so the wine has fallen away to be light-bodied and rather short on the finish, but its far from undrinkable. Certainly too old, but rather than turning feral its just become spectral and ghostly. Better than youd expect, thats for sure.
1988 Ogier Cuvee de la Reine Jeanne Chateauneuf du Pape [cork, 13.5%]
There was invariably going to be one dud wine tonight, and this was it. A respectable garnet colour was cancelled out by the dull, hazy appearance, and the nose was of rotting vegetable with a dirty machine-oil kind of smell. A little bitter dark-chocolate on the palate cant really compete with the creeping volatility, and the finish was harsh and hot. No good.
1987 Orlando St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra) [cork, 12.2%]
From an unheralded and mostly unremembered vintage, this was a major surprise. A lovely glowing garnet colour, this offers a perfectly aged and quite intense new-world cabernet nose; a dash of cassis, lashings of cigar-box, and a touch of herbal leafiness. The dry palate still presents plenty of fine powdery tannins, medium-body weight and intensity, and good length with a persistent balanced finish. Theres a lovely blurry dustiness to the texture of the wine, it richly coats the palate without being exaggerated. The style which made Coonawarra famous look at the alcohol its a tragedy that almost no-one seems to be making Coonawarra wine this way any more. A top wine.
2002 Torbreck The Descendent Shiraz Viognier (Barossa) [cork, 14.5%]
With so few attendees, and all the old wines, there was a chance wed have nothing palatable to drink at all; hence this wine. Very much the house-style of nose flamboyant smallgoods aromas, bacon, liquorice, spiced raspberries & plums. On the palate the warm spice-theme continued with fruit-cake and sultry berried fruit flavours. Tannins are very soft, and dont preclude a warm finish overall. Theres plenty of flavour extending to the back-palate; its certainly a crowd-pleaser now, but I suspect it lacks the structure to evolve into something truly interesting before fading away. Ive not much experience with Torbreck, so I wont be too dogmatic.
1989 Penfolds Grange Hermitage [shiraz] (South Australia) [cork, 13.5%]
The Rotters standby! Garnet. Surely one of the most distinctive Australian wines of the last 40 years. Theres some development here, but the wines exotic and lifted spicy blueberry liqueur and liquorice aromas are as prominent as ever. The palate is rich and lavish, with lots of powdery tannins, and medium-full weight and finish. Youd swear there was some viognier here, the lifted fruity notes are so exaggerated. Long finish; the wild fruits dont preclude some decent structure. Still, in the context of the Grange pedigree, this wine is wearing a flashing-light, spinning-around, water-squirting bow tie amid a line up of brethren in sober suits and silk ties. Enjoyable, although right on the edge!
1983 Kaiser Stuhl Selected Release Auslese [cork, 11.8%]
None of my reference books seem to adequately cover this time in Australian wine history. I figure this is probably Barossa Riesling, but who knows? It looked pretty scary who put pinot noir in a riesling bottle? I wondered but although in the glass the colour hovered somewhere between amber and brown, the wine was still clear and glowing. A decadent coppery nose couldnt quite hide a metallic note underneath; the palate presents a wild concotion of cumquats, cold tea, malt, lychees and who-knows what else. It is drying out a little, and probably is past its peak. But plenty of sweetness remains, along with barely-reigned-in acid, all resulting in an intensely-flavoured, medium-length wine. A fascinating curio, and cellared since release! Fun to drink and marvel at!
Cheers,
Graeme
1998 Perrier Jout Belle Epoque (Champagne) [cork]
A kaleidoscopic nose every time I went back to it, there was something different. Fresh bread aromas were thematic, but there were all kinds of biscuity notes, lightly-spiced meats, yeasts. Like walking through a perfume factory. Inside a frame of the finest delicate bubbles danced flavours of strawberries, prosciutto, bakery-biscuits, and the rest. Only really light-medium body, with a faintly chalk-tannin tail, the wine finishes long, clean and dry. Staggeringly good champagne I could have drunk the entire bottle easily.
1989 Hugel Riesling Vendange Tardive (Alsace) [cork, 14%]
Lemon-gold colour. Lots of honey and quince on the well-developed nose. The richly ripe and sweet aromas carry through onto the palate, which has a faintly greasy oiliness to the texture, plenty of body its really very powerful and a long balanced finish. Acid is unobtrusive but critically present. Finishes clean and almost dry, despite the overall sweetness level. Suspect itll hold this development plateau for years longer. Very good indeed.
1984 Leo Buring Chardonnay [cork, 13%]
No indication of region anywhere, although the old Leonay winery in the Barossa is pictured on the label and encouragingly, winemaker John Vickerys signature is there as well. Barossa is the obvious bet, but who knows? Distinct amber, but still clear and almost-healthy looking. A very aged but not collapsing nose of old wooden furniture! No apparent fruit remains. The palate is curious; most of what remains seems to be soft old oak flavours, oxidised but not harsh. Theres little acid left, so the wine has fallen away to be light-bodied and rather short on the finish, but its far from undrinkable. Certainly too old, but rather than turning feral its just become spectral and ghostly. Better than youd expect, thats for sure.
1988 Ogier Cuvee de la Reine Jeanne Chateauneuf du Pape [cork, 13.5%]
There was invariably going to be one dud wine tonight, and this was it. A respectable garnet colour was cancelled out by the dull, hazy appearance, and the nose was of rotting vegetable with a dirty machine-oil kind of smell. A little bitter dark-chocolate on the palate cant really compete with the creeping volatility, and the finish was harsh and hot. No good.
1987 Orlando St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra) [cork, 12.2%]
From an unheralded and mostly unremembered vintage, this was a major surprise. A lovely glowing garnet colour, this offers a perfectly aged and quite intense new-world cabernet nose; a dash of cassis, lashings of cigar-box, and a touch of herbal leafiness. The dry palate still presents plenty of fine powdery tannins, medium-body weight and intensity, and good length with a persistent balanced finish. Theres a lovely blurry dustiness to the texture of the wine, it richly coats the palate without being exaggerated. The style which made Coonawarra famous look at the alcohol its a tragedy that almost no-one seems to be making Coonawarra wine this way any more. A top wine.
2002 Torbreck The Descendent Shiraz Viognier (Barossa) [cork, 14.5%]
With so few attendees, and all the old wines, there was a chance wed have nothing palatable to drink at all; hence this wine. Very much the house-style of nose flamboyant smallgoods aromas, bacon, liquorice, spiced raspberries & plums. On the palate the warm spice-theme continued with fruit-cake and sultry berried fruit flavours. Tannins are very soft, and dont preclude a warm finish overall. Theres plenty of flavour extending to the back-palate; its certainly a crowd-pleaser now, but I suspect it lacks the structure to evolve into something truly interesting before fading away. Ive not much experience with Torbreck, so I wont be too dogmatic.
1989 Penfolds Grange Hermitage [shiraz] (South Australia) [cork, 13.5%]
The Rotters standby! Garnet. Surely one of the most distinctive Australian wines of the last 40 years. Theres some development here, but the wines exotic and lifted spicy blueberry liqueur and liquorice aromas are as prominent as ever. The palate is rich and lavish, with lots of powdery tannins, and medium-full weight and finish. Youd swear there was some viognier here, the lifted fruity notes are so exaggerated. Long finish; the wild fruits dont preclude some decent structure. Still, in the context of the Grange pedigree, this wine is wearing a flashing-light, spinning-around, water-squirting bow tie amid a line up of brethren in sober suits and silk ties. Enjoyable, although right on the edge!
1983 Kaiser Stuhl Selected Release Auslese [cork, 11.8%]
None of my reference books seem to adequately cover this time in Australian wine history. I figure this is probably Barossa Riesling, but who knows? It looked pretty scary who put pinot noir in a riesling bottle? I wondered but although in the glass the colour hovered somewhere between amber and brown, the wine was still clear and glowing. A decadent coppery nose couldnt quite hide a metallic note underneath; the palate presents a wild concotion of cumquats, cold tea, malt, lychees and who-knows what else. It is drying out a little, and probably is past its peak. But plenty of sweetness remains, along with barely-reigned-in acid, all resulting in an intensely-flavoured, medium-length wine. A fascinating curio, and cellared since release! Fun to drink and marvel at!
Cheers,
Graeme