Nice wines I have drunk recently - Red or White

[baiden]

Last weekend, both very nice wines. The SOE one of the best GSMs I've drank if not the best. Full body, great flavour lots of cool fruit on the nose - 4 left could easily drink this every week.
As far as GSM types go (that I have tasted) this one was better than Ulithorne (2013 Dona), Happs (2013 Three Hills), Hewitson (2012 Ned and Henry), Clarrys (2013 Kalleske), Schild 2013, Robert Oatley 2014, Purple Hands 2013. The other Teusner wines Avatar 2012 and Joshua 2010 are pretty good alternatives (IMHO).

The margie was a lovely shiraz, well balanced and great length to the palate. Last one, made a mistake - only bought 1.

 

[Steady]

I started with this (picked up in a mixed case a few years ago), decanted for 2 hours, horrible bitter and acidic
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So I have moved onto a '12 Maverick Twins GSM - lovely

A day has done wonders to the Katnook Founders Block - not enough for me to buy more, but at least it is drinkable and doesn't have to go down the drain

 

[Sedimental]

Last weekend, both very nice wines. The SOE one of the best GSMs I've drank if not the best

Concur, a great example of this style, and 2012 Barossa reds sing!

 

[Daver6]

It's a bazillion degrees and equally as humid in Perth today, so this is on the cards with dinner tonight.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Superb drinking. Cellared at insulated but non temperature controlled BNE temperatures for several years. Great drinking, fruit, cassis, great soft tannins, long finish. Fab.

 

[blackcat20]

Absolute perfection. Just the right amount of age (for us).

 

[Wozza]

First of my birthday dinners, and two absolutely amazing 4.5 star wines:


I loved the obvious shared DNA of these two Rockfords. You could tell they were from the same family.

The two Whites were also incredible, the first being my best White of 2016 (and still amazing in 2017), the second was lighter in style but very similar top end Margaret River Chardonnay flavour profile of nectarine, melon, minerals, struck match & spice:

 

[penegal]

First of my birthday dinners, and two absolutely amazing 4.5 star wines:

How was table 22? Better than table 21?

 

[sagittariusdrake]

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Finally got to try a bottle of the 2013 Warrabilla Parola's Limited Release Durif gifted to me (amongst other bottles) by an über-generous fellow AFFer and I must confess I've been a bit nervous about the 17.5% rating on this "behemoth "! Wow, double-wow, this wine is worth diving in head-first and jettisoning any preconceptions you may have...I've jotted down a few observations as they unfolded after the first glass (wasn't game to consume this mammoth beast over any less than three nights):
Appearance: Viscous, clinging, the oft-abused term 'brooding' comes to mind, all nigh impenetrable in its inky lagoon-like depths, paradoxically it bleeds to dark carmine at the juncture with glass.
Nose: The alcohol-warmth rises from the glass and opens up the olfactory senses in much the same way as a brandy balloon full of Hennessy, blackberries, actually blackberry jam of the most refined home-style manufacture infiltrates the nasal cavities, I could blow over the limit just smelling this stuff! Sweet estery goodness washes over in waves, I am struggling to identify the components and I know this will be divisive but there is something reminiscent of hydraulic fluid, fleeting and not at all a negative.
Palate: There is something of the deep-sea diver descending through the stratification of plums, vanilla bean paste, blackberry compote, immense-but softly so, the classic iron fist in the velvet glove, like a large iron bolt only made of tobacco and treacle that's had the corners rounded off, astonishing....


Stock photo from Vivino (my photographer's gone to live in Sydney)

Told you their wines are exceptional I'll be getting more soon ...

 

[botchee]

Have you received/tried the Thompson Estate "13 Cab yet from Dominguez Cellars? You're in for a treat! and another big wine...my tasting notes to follow.

Mine just arrived, looking forward to the tasting notes

 

[Whining&dining]

Warrabilla....Told you their wines are exceptional I'll be getting more soon ...

Abso-bloody-lutely, Rug already knew but now I've caught the comet it's definitely onwards and upwards!

Mine just arrived, looking forward to the tasting notes

Will attempt a bit a of a walkthrough myself just to add to the mix....

 

[Rug]

Abso-bloody-lutely, Rug already knew but now I've caught the comet it's definitely onwards and upwards!



Will attempt a bit a of a walkthrough myself just to add to the mix....

Warrabilla wines is an exciting journey. How Andrew Sutrherland Smith is able to tame the beast into a drink that is just brilliant one will never know. To quote Cambell Mattison from another brand I think the same could be said here " if you put a Penfolds label on it it would be worth three times the amount asked". Simply one of the best wineries and winemakers. Love the stuff. Cheers

 

[afro]

for $10(retail $12?) a bottle, this really knock some shame on a lots of $20(or over) bottles, enjoyed over a few nights.

Night 1 ,notice a very green nose,smells quite awful , let it sit in the glass for 30mins and nothing much has changed, only a little fruit is showing at the moment, quite dry on the finish.

Night 2 , the green herby smells are gone, black fruits, blackcurrants quite noticeable ,this is smooth and easy to drink.

Night 3 , since i can't finish the leftovers last night, this goes on into a bit more sweeten ,not a bad thing until the last bit, quite a bit of sediments , the finish wasn't bad either , doesn't taste like a cheap wine at all.

can't wait for the other vintages to mature like this.

 

[Daver6]

Vertical of Howard Park Chardonnay last night. 2007 - 2016, plus three vintages of the Allingham Chardonnay and a sneaky magnum of the 1997 Chardonnay. We had a representative from Howard Park join the group. He brought along the 2016 which is yet to be released and the 1997 magnum.

The constancy of this wine is amazing.

 

[penegal]

Vertical of Howard Park Chardonnay last night. 2007 - 2016, plus three vintages of the Allingham Chardonnay and a sneaky magnum of the 1997 Chardonnay. We had a representative from Howard Park join the group. He brought along the 2016 which is yet to be released and the 1997 magnum.

The constancy of this wine is amazing.

...

That would have been a fun night for Chardy drinkers.

 

[baiden]

Vertical of Howard Park Chardonnay last night. 2007 - 2016, plus three vintages of the Allingham Chardonnay and a sneaky magnum of the 1997 Chardonnay. We had a representative from Howard Park join the group. He brought along the 2016 which is yet to be released and the 1997 magnum.

The constancy of this wine is amazing.

Looks like a great night. Love the fact you even had a rep on board - fantastic idea !

 

[boomy]

Fighting the QLD heat with bubbles.

 

[JohnM]

That would have been a fun night for Chardy drinkers.

Why do they do the good tastings when I'm away, I wonder?

 

[TomVexille]

Why do they do the good tastings when I'm away, I wonder?

TKWYA

 

[Daver6]

Why do they do the good tastings when I'm away, I wonder?

If we had to wait for you to be around, we'd never do any tastings