CWD: '02 Rusden Christian Barossa Chenin Blanc

D

drssouth

Stephen South
2002 Rusden Christian Barossa Chenin Blanc, "Hand Picked Basket Pressed, Barrel fermented and matured in French Oak", alc 13.1%: "Cheesey" smell upon opening (Gouda I believe)...this disappates after a few swirls...crisp apricot and lime on the palate...very firm, almost sharp edges...finishes smoothly with a hint of quinine...no real wood evident...interesting!
 
This is always been my favorite variety in the Rusden lineup. I don't know that it will have the same aging curve as great Vouvray but it should age gracefully, with an arc similar to that of a well made Barossa Semillon.

-Eden (not intentionally damning it with faint praise)
 
it should age gracefully, with an arc similar to that of a well made Barossa Semillon.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I don't know much about OZ geography, topography, or climate, but I thought Barossa was where they made the Big Bruising Shirazes. Not the type of weather that I would have thought suitable for longish aging white wines.
 
Although Chenin Blanc has to be considered an outlier as far as standard varieties are concerned in the region, there are some excellent Semillons being produced in the Barossa Valley these days. Torbreck and Burge Family are my favorites - 2002 Torbreck Woodcutter's White (100% Semillon from 100+ year old vines) is evolving really nicely.

Riesling has also been a variety that's traditionally done well in the Barossa, even though the Riesling from the Clare Valley draws more attention. If you consider the Eden Valley as Barossa-adjacent, then there's a lengthy history to the aging potential of Barossa white wines. I've bought Rockford and Hutton Vale for the cellar, with the intention of tasting them at around 10 years old to see if they live up to the hype.

-Eden (rarely a lack of hype in the Barossa)
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
Riesling has also been a variety that's traditionally done well in the Barossa, even though the Riesling from the Clare Valley draws more attention. If you consider the Eden Valley as Barossa-adjacent, then there's a lengthy history to the aging potential of Barossa white wines.
Click to expand...

Interesting. The list of wine regions to study is clearly a lot longer than my current schedule can hold..
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:

Riesling has also been a variety that's traditionally done well in the Barossa, even though the Riesling from the Clare Valley draws more attention. If you consider the Eden Valley as Barossa-adjacent, then there's a lengthy history to the aging potential of Barossa white wines. I've bought Rockford and Hutton Vale for the cellar, with the intention of tasting them at around 10 years old to see if they live up to the hype.
Click to expand...
I've also enjoyed the wines made with white Rhone varieties in the Barossa. Torbreck does a pretty nice Marsanne/Roussanne blend, and I've also had some very pleasant Viogniers from Eden Valley in the past. IMO, it's worth keeping an eye out for those.
I'm not that fond of the Rieslings from the Clare and Eden Valleys - maybe I'm just opening them much too young, but I've found the likes of Steingarten and Grosset Polish Hill a little too tart or one-dimensional for my liking - the only Barossa-area Riesling I've really enjoyed was a Mt. Horrocks Cordon Cut (and unfortunately there aren't many more like that being made in the area). Right now I'll stick to Tasmania and Western Australia for my Aussie Riesling fix.

Cheers,
Salil [still wishing they would just plant more Mourvedre in the Barossa]
 
originally posted by Salil Benegal:

I've also enjoyed the wines made with white Rhone varieties in the Barossa. Torbreck does a pretty nice Marsanne/Roussanne blend, and I've also had some very pleasant Viogniers from Eden Valley in the past. IMO, it's worth keeping an eye out for those.
Click to expand...

The Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier vines at Torbreck are now in the 10-15 year-old range and are showing more depth than they once did. Dave Powell also has a more focussed vision of what the wines should be like and that too is reflected in the wines. Tahbilk in central Victoria has probably the best reputation for Marsanne in Australia, but that's likely because they've been one of the few wineries to produce it for any length of time. Yeringberg (Yarra Valley) is a favorite and like Torbreck, shows its Northern Rhne influences a little more than most of the others dabbling in the variety.

originally posted by Salil Benegal:
I'm not that fond of the Rieslings from the Clare and Eden Valleys - maybe I'm just opening them much too young, but I've found the likes of Steingarten and Grosset Polish Hill a little too tart or one-dimensional for my liking - the only Barossa-area Riesling I've really enjoyed was a Mt. Horrocks Cordon Cut (and unfortunately there aren't many more like that being made in the area). Right now I'll stick to Tasmania and Western Australia for my Aussie Riesling fix.
Click to expand...

I've come to believe that ten years worth of cellaring is a prerequisite for South Australian Rieslings. The Cordon Cut is one of the few dessert wines in Australia made in this process- most are finished dry and when young are all about gooseberries, grapefruit, and (occasionally) enamel-stripping acidity. This all rounds off with age and the wines become very enjoyable. You're unlikely to confuse them with Mosel Kabinett or Wachau Federspiel, but they're definitely into their own thing. If you like the Mt. Horrocks style, you might try their Watervale Riesling. It's a Clare vineyard that's comparable in quality to Polish Hill.

originally posted by Salil Benegal:[still wishing they would just plant more Mourvedre in the Barossa]
Click to expand...

There used to be a lot more, but a gazillion acres (plus or minus some) were grubbed up in the vine pull scheme in the 1980s. There still a goodly amount remaining, but few consumers (percentage wise) go out of their way to buy varietally-labeled Mourvedre, so most of it finds its way into GSM blends. My favorites are the Hewitson "Old Garden" Mourvedre made from vines that were planted in 1853, and Torbreck's "The Pict", made from vines in the Barossa subregion of Greenock dating from 1927. Some of the Mataro that is used in Torbreck's "Steading" GSM dates back to the mid-1850s as well.

-Eden (many picques, no valleys)
 
Eden, I'm convinced that, secretly, you're god and therefore know everything. I've been meaning to talk to you about that little episode a couple of years ago with the poodle, the inflatable Santa, the creche, and the singing girl. Could you possibly give me a call when you're free? I'd send you the number, but I assume you know it already.
 
wow an auz thread....don't we get sent to detention for this? if not, i have a question i'd like to ask about mclaren vale and barossa reds (as long as drssouth is ok for a little drifting....)
 
originally posted by Joel Stewart:
wow an auz thread....don't we get sent to detention for this?
Click to expand...

No detention, but beware of the occasional lecture or or stern tsk-tsking.

[quote}if not, i have a question i'd like to ask about mclaren vale and barossa reds (as long as drssouth is ok for a little drifting....)[/quote]

I met the doc once and he didn't strike me as someone particularly into drifting , but maybe he's put in time as an ER doc since then and has become inured to the controlled mayhem inherent in this pursuit. However, it's just finding its feet in Oz, with only one event scheduled in all of South Australia last year. FWIW, it was held in Mallalla, which is north of Adelaide, thus putting it closer to the Barossa than to McLaren Vale. Fans are not known for drinking reds though, but Coopers is a worthy substitute for wine in the appropriate context (such as drifting, unless you're driving, in which case you might as well be playing Aussie Rules Football which is a whole other subject).

-Eden (impartially and ecumenically appreciative of well made SA wines, regardless of whether they're from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, or Clare)
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Eden, I'm convinced that, secretly, you're god and therefore know everything. I've been meaning to talk to you about that little episode a couple of years ago with the poodle, the inflatable Santa, the creche, and the singing girl. Could you possibly give me a call when you're free? I'd send you the number, but I assume you know it already.
Click to expand...

I'm no god (and rarely even an angel). Although I'd like to help you out with your suppressed Christmas memory issues (sounds fascinating), I'm enmeshed in finessing this "situation" for the nonce. I'll get back to you when things calm down in Beverly Hills.

-Eden (ironic, isn't it, that the byproduct of french fries can be used to replace the oil that the french fries were cooked in, all in an effort to save the planet)
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
No detention, but beware of the occasional lecture or or stern tsk-tsking.
Click to expand...

chuckle, reading that thread, it's a bit like "some of my best friends have broad palates"...
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:


There used to be a lot more, but a gazillion acres (plus or minus some) were grubbed up in the vine pull scheme in the 1980s. There still a goodly amount remaining, but few consumers (percentage wise) go out of their way to buy varietally-labeled Mourvedre, so most of it finds its way into GSM blends. My favorites are the Hewitson "Old Garden" Mourvedre made from vines that were planted in 1853, and Torbreck's "The Pict", made from vines in the Barossa subregion of Greenock dating from 1927. Some of the Mataro that is used in Torbreck's "Steading" GSM dates back to the mid-1850s as well.
Click to expand...
Agree, it's a shame how little Barossa Mourvedre there is out there - Hewitson's Old Garden IMO is a superb wine in most years (I'm looking forward to killing one of my 06s young very soon), although I wish there were a few more affordable examples out there rather than just Hewitson's (Torbreck's is priced a fair bit out of my range).

Thanks for the rec. on the Horrocks Watervale. I'll keep an eye out for that when I'm next hunting for Aussie Rieslings - although I should admit I'm much more fond of the Victorian/Western Australian/Tasmanian Rieslings, given that most of those are for me much more approachable young than their Clare/Eden counterparts. The only downside to this is that I end up drinking through my Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge bottles too quickly.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Gross.
Click to expand...

Ian, that wasn't quite the way i meant it....i changed the post a bit....hope that helps ease those fears

anyone have opinions about the whether these wines are toast at age 10+ or not? i am sitting on way too many bottles and would like to clear space.

gibson 02......not aging badly, but no fireworks either.

dead arm 01....this wine shows differently every time i have it...oftentimes like gigondas, which is a style i like. it is not elegant and neither is it all that powerful as ga-ga fans seem to think (i think the name affects perceptions) but it is, after many bottles and vintages, a wine with character, and i prefer it now with some years on it. i want to watch this wine die gracefully over 20 yrs.

kalleske greenock 02, 03, 04, 05, 06.....aging slowly. not deteriorating, but not yet developing either....sometimes they fit the mood.

glaymond landrace 02 (70/30 shiraz/mourvedre..15.7% or something like that) not aging at all...duh. that said, if i treat it like the near port it is, maybe in 30 yrs it might actually be likeable. not my style.

henry's drive 01....anyone want it? very port like...but way less bite, last time i had it. landrace kicks it's butt for drive.

laughing magpie 02....hmmm.....dead arm's little brother. pretty tough wine for $25. may be better fresh than aged...for the viognier's sake.

kangarilla rd, s/v, 03...this wine is a wonderful sh./vio blend...1 btl left...has shown well from release to now....very well done and for the price, a fluke.

killikanoon covenant 02....started out ho hum for the first 4 yrs and then opened up and is blooming perfectly now. 1 btl left...will drink soon.

coppermine cab 99...hmmm...last bottle sucked. dead fruit, zero acidity, limp mocha on the nose. barf. 1 btl left.

mitolo gam 03...cannot help but love this wine. balance, elegance, for the genre. will never turn down at least one glass.

clarendon piggot range syrah 97...as posted, i'd trade all the rest for a 6 pack of this vintage. it is in another class of wines...no doubts about how long to hold my last 2.

fwiw...

btw, me like luneau-papin too....c'est possible?
 
originally posted by Joel Stewart:
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Gross.
Click to expand...

Ian, that wasn't quite the way i meant it....i changed the post a bit....hope that helps ease those fears

anyone have opinions about the whether these wines are toast at age 10+ or not? i am sitting on way too many bottles and would like to clear space.

gibson 02......not aging badly, but no fireworks either.

dead arm 01....this wine shows differently every time i have it...oftentimes like gigondas, which is a style i like. it is not elegant and neither is it all that powerful as ga-ga fans seem to think (i think the name affects perceptions) but it is, after many bottles and vintages, a wine with character, and i prefer it now with some years on it. i want to watch this wine die gracefully over 20 yrs.

kalleske greenock 02, 03, 04, 05, 06.....aging slowly. not deteriorating, but not yet developing either....sometimes they fit the mood.

glaymond landrace 02 (70/30 shiraz/mourvedre..15.7% or something like that) not aging at all...duh. that said, if i treat it like the near port it is, maybe in 30 yrs it might actually be likeable. not my style.

henry's drive 01....anyone want it? very port like...but way less bite, last time i had it. landrace kicks it's butt for drive.

laughing magpie 02....hmmm.....dead arm's little brother. pretty tough wine for $25. may be better fresh than aged...for the viognier's sake.

kangarilla rd, s/v, 03...this wine is a wonderful sh./vio blend...1 btl left...has shown well from release to now....very well done and for the price, a fluke.

killikanoon covenant 02....started out ho hum for the first 4 yrs and then opened up and is blooming perfectly now. 1 btl left...will drink soon.

coppermine cab 99...hmmm...last bottle sucked. dead fruit, zero acidity, limp mocha on the nose. barf. 1 btl left.

mitolo gam 03...cannot help but love this wine. balance, elegance, for the genre. will never turn down at least one glass.

clarendon piggot range syrah 97...as posted, i'd trade all the rest for a 6 pack of this vintage. it is in another class of wines...no doubts about how long to hold my last 2.

fwiw...

btw, me like luneau-papin too....c'est possible?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reports/updates.. I have Dead Arm back to '98 with 2 of the '01's around..I agree on the Magpie and the Henry's Drive and the GAM is attractive (perhaps only one glass, however)...I am looking forward to opening my lone '97 Piggot in the fairly near future...

BTW Thread "drift" if not downright hijacking is fine with me (and seems to be common on this board)
 
originally posted by drssouth:Thanks for the reports/updates.. I have Dead Arm back to '98 with 2 of the '01's around..I agree on the Magpie and the Henry's Drive and the GAM is attractive (perhaps only one glass, however)...I am looking forward to opening my lone '97 Piggot in the fairly near future...
Click to expand...

have you had the '98 dead arm recently? this takes me back to my original question....who survives until age 10...or more specifically, is it worth the wait? (my post on the 01 for 20 yrs may be a little optimistic...)

as for the piggot, fwiw, no need to decant as long as i did.....but it does need 3 - 4 hrs imo. hope you enjoy yours as much as we enjoyed ours.
 
originally posted by Joel Stewart:
originally posted by drssouth:Thanks for the reports/updates.. I have Dead Arm back to '98 with 2 of the '01's around..I agree on the Magpie and the Henry's Drive and the GAM is attractive (perhaps only one glass, however)...I am looking forward to opening my lone '97 Piggot in the fairly near future...
Click to expand...

have you had the '98 dead arm recently? this takes me back to my original question....who survives until age 10...or more specifically, is it worth the wait? (my post on the 01 for 20 yrs may be a little optimistic...)

as for the piggot, fwiw, no need to decant as long as i did.....but it does need 3 - 4 hrs imo. hope you enjoy yours as much as we enjoyed ours.
Click to expand...

Not avoiding the question but..out of 240 or so Aussie wines in my cellar, only about 25 are before 1999...I really haven't had any '98's in recent memory...we had totally gotten away from the "style" and only recently have delved back...will keep you posted
 
gotcha....i overbought in 03 and would gladly trade out 2/3's of it if i could...i have gotten pretty far away from the style myself....and the aging experiment so far is hit and miss.
 
had the killikanoon covenant 02 tonight....actually opened it yesterday, decanted a couple hrs, poured a couple glasses then recanted for tonight. no lack of acidity, bright, with a rich, heady nose. worked great with spiced pork. shared amongst 3 of us, that made for about 2 glasses each, which was also just right. for someone who has pretty much given up on the style more or less, it's great to know an occasional bottle like this can still be actually enjoyable. showing very little sign of age except for a touch of violet on the rim.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top