Nice wines I have drunk recently - Red or White

[penegal]

Looks nice Roo Flyer... I'll take it.

QF WP, can you call my banker please

 

[QF WP]

You can do your own dirty work . Our respective bankers would be in apoplexy penegal, as would my wife [that I decided to have a sea change, not about the money]. She'd have packed our house by the time I got home tonight

 

[Sedimental]

Friday night's wine with friends in Cooroy. (Sunshine Coast/Noosa hinterland)
2013 Willow Creek Sans Restraint Chardonnay.
A bottle from the barrique our luncheon group commissioned, blended and named under the watchful eye of young Mornington Peninsular winemaker Gerri McFaul.
1999 Wild Duck Creek Cabernet.
In the groove!
2007 Eumundi Wines shiraz.
Now defunct local organic winery.

 

[Sedimental]

Tell us more :!:.

50th birthday celebrations. Vertical of basket press was the main theme! Few mid 80s and solid line-up thru to 2010. Surprisingly the 89 was a standout! Lot more elegant than the renoun (read big) vintages of 90 and 91. Rocky's latest newsletter has an interesting article about the difficult 2011 vintage and the effort that went into sourcing grapes to make a wine he was happy with. Perhaps it will be a restrained sleeper too.

 

[QF WP]

Friday night's wine with friends in Cooroy. (Sunshine Coast/Noosa hinterland)
2013 Willow Creek Sans Restraint Chardonnay.
A bottle from the barrique our luncheon group commissioned, blended and named under the watchful eye of young Mornington Peninsular winemaker Gerri McFaul.
1999 Wild Duck Creek Cabernet.
In the groove!
2007 Eumundi Wines shiraz.
Now defunct local organic winery.

Great part of the Sunny Coast. My uncle and aunt lived in Cooroy for many years (Mackay Court/Wallaby Lane on 100 acres) until they sold and moved to Noosa Parklands. Eumundi Wines, now that rang a bell. Like the Eumundi Brewery - good in its prime.

 

[JohnM]

50th birthday celebrations.

So young :!::mrgreen:.

 

[JohnM]

Continuing the endless JohnM search for things different/outside the mainstream. (Unfortunately Australia, and PER especially, is not the best place to have this obsession - but living in God's Own Place In The Known Universe has to outweigh that deficiency. :mrgreen

The white: Albarin (not to be confused with Albarino) is rather interesting. It's a very rare variety. There's only about 50 ha of it grown in the far NW of Spain (Galicia) which, coincidentally, is near the Albarino appellation.

I had a glass and a half as a pre-dinner drink with some nibbles and I enjoyed it very much. Typical of European wines, it didn't have big flavour, but it had good acidity with good texture, making for some finesse. A little tartness on the finish made it work well with the home-made Italian sausage snack (PJM's (finally) fairly new son-in-law is of Italian heritage and the annual sausage-making is a massive ritual that I participated in for the first time last year .) It was a little like Albarino (probably my favourite white wine), but more austere.

It was $30 at a non-chain wine shop, so perhaps a little exxy. But, to me, it was worth the spend for something outside the square and that I'll drink over three nights.

The red: Guigal is a massive producer and negociant in the Cote du Rhone (nice valley to drive along BTW). Again, typical of the arcane, arguably asinine, French appellation laws, there is nothing on the label to indicate what variety(s) the wine is. I think the local marketers would be working on the basis that Australians would be thinking it's predominantly Syrah-based. That may be the case if it were from Cote-Rotie (where it could include some Viognier.)

However, I suspect this was from further S and therefore was predominantly Grenache, with some Syrah for body. It is clearly not a high-level Guigal label (and they produce some massively high-level stuff.)

Anyway, putting aside the mysteries of French appellation laws, it was pretty darn good. Warm day in PER today, so I BBQ'd some nice thick lamb chops pink and had them with a Greek-type salad. The wine, which is quite acidic and not too full-bodied, worked very well with the lamb. B* good and at $25/bottle, single price, at Vintage Cellars I think good value. But - if you've grown up on Australian wine, don't expect a 'sunshine-in-the bottle' fruit-bomb.

 

[TheRealTMA]

However, I suspect this was from further S and therefore was predominantly Grenache, with some Syrah for body. It is clearly not a high-level Guigal label (and they produce some massively high-level stuff.)

Internet suggests : 60% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre.

 

[Steady]

living in God's Own Place In The Known Universe

You moving

 

[JohnM]

Internet suggests : 60% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre.

On reflection, that makes more sense.

 

[penegal]

The white: Albarin (not to be confused with Albarino) is rather interesting. It's a very rare variety. There's only about 50 ha of it grown in the far NW of Spain (Galicia) which, coincidentally, is near the Albarino appellation.

I have recently developed a liking for the latter.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I have recently developed a liking for the latter.

Try some pecorino! Molto interessante!

Can't access my JR wine grapes atm, but this is interesting...

http://fringewine.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/albarin-blanco-tierra-de-leon-spain.html

 

[JohnM]

Try some pecorino! Molto interessante!

Can't access my JR wine grapes atm, but this is interesting...

Fringe Wine: Albarín Blanco - Tierra de Leon, Spain

I have a hard copy of JR et al.'s Wine Grapes, so easily accessible. Your online account is more detailed but the underlying message is similar.

 

[Major]

When I opened this wine just before dinner it had very little bouquet and the first few sips were fairly bland. After about half an hour the flavour really filled the mouth and by the end of the meal (BBQ chicken) this wine is just fantastic. It has big potential and will reward patience. Something I am not noted for.

 

[QF WP]

Empty glasses Major - from the looks of the photo, it was taken after some of the wine was inbibed

 

[QF WP]

Who'd like to get (lost) amongst QF's cellar *hic*

The Qantas Group - most awarded at Cellars in the Sky Awards 2014

 

[Major]

Empty glasses Major - from the looks of the photo, it was taken after some of the wine was inbibed

Yes, on the way to the recycle bin this morning I thought I would take a quick photo but the table needed something extra for balance

 

[TheRealTMA]

Yes, on the way to the recycle bin this morning I thought I would take a quick photo but the table needed something extra for balance

No come on, the glasses aren't that bad!

 

[blackcat20]

We're going to crack another bottle of the 2002 Patricia Cab Sav tonight, but we've learnt from the previous bottle that it does not need decanting. Within an hour it had gone from spectacular to just a little bit past it as the air caused it to deteriorate. Theres a lovely red wine beef in the slow cooker too...

 

[Daver6]

Who'd like to get (lost) amongst QF's cellar *hic*

The Qantas Group - most awarded at Cellars in the Sky Awards 2014

This annoys me. They have a lengthy wine list, yet only have a few options available on board. I mean why not just print a list that contains all the great wines of the world so you can win some pointless award and gloat but never actually have to serve it?