Nice wines I have drunk recently - Red or White

[baiden]

I keep saying it. Big fan of BH. This wine just re-enforced that view.

Do you buy direct?

 

[Daver6]

Do you buy direct?

Yes. While there is no cellar door you can arrange a tour and tasting by appointment (I believe). I met Brad when he was in Perth for a tasting. I got in touch when I knew I'd be in Adelaide a few years ago and we went for a tasting. He spent a good couple of hours with us and opened everything. He's a great bloke and I really like his style of wine. Some of the reds are a little lighter in style which I dig.

I know he regulardly does tastings at events around Adelaide and interstate pre-Covid. I'm sure if you get in touch he'd point you in the right direction if you want to buy local or just go direct.

I've seen a lot more of his wine in smaller bottles shops and wine lists these days too.

 

[Buzzard]

Yes. While there is no cellar door you can arrange a tour and tasting by appointment (I believe). I met Brad when he was in Perth for a tasting. I got in touch when I knew I'd be in Adelaide a few years ago and we went for a tasting. He spent a good couple of hours with us and opened everything. He's a great bloke and I really like his style of wine. Some of the reds are a little lighter in style which I dig.

I know he regulardly does tastings at events around Adelaide and interstate pre-Covid. I'm sure if you get in touch he'd point you in the right direction if you want to buy local or just go direct.

I've seen a lot more of his wine in smaller bottles shops and wine lists these days too.

@boomy
Food for thought

 

[Daver6]

@boomy
Food for thought

I think you mean wine for thought

 

[TheRealTMA]

Scientists have finally worked out the effects of consuming red wine.​

The power of Dionysus—Effects of red wine on consciousness in a naturalistic setting

There is lack of research on effects of red wine on consciousness when drank in wine bars designed to enhance the pleasurableness of the wine drinking experience. Effects of a moderate dose of red wine (≈ 40.98 g of ethanol) on consciousness were examined in a naturalistic study taking place in...

journals.plos.org

 

[tielec]

Pic from a tasting we had at the weekend. The theme was to compare typical varietals from regions within Australia to see the difference/what we liked (all done blind).

LEAS Chard (WA) v. Vic Chardonnay (Hardy)
Actually the Hardy is a multi-regional blend including Tas, so maybe not the best comparison. In this bracket it was hard to differentiate the regions particularly as the LEAS always represents the avant garde of MR Chardonnay and is much leaner than what many remember. The Hardy presented very well, deep golden colour, lots of pineapple and melon, judicious oak (maybe a touch too much). Most preferred the Hardy; although I disagreed it was much better than I expected.

Tolpuddle Pinot (Tas) v. Yabby Lake (Vic)
I love Yabby Lake, have a real soft spot for them. Gee whiz did it get steamrolled - the Tolpuddle was aromatic, kirsch cherry, clean, precise, long; made the Yabby look muddy, imprecise fruit etc... Perhaps because the Yabby was from 3 half bottles and had prematurely aged? It wasn't showing well, regardless the Tolpuddle was my WOTD. Everyone picked the regions on these immediately.

Grange Cochard
The Beaujolais was a little blind I threw in with some 'black' glasses to try and get some people tricked on wine colour - unfortunately it's such a big obvious Morgon that everyone picked it as a red. Works better with a much lighter Beauj or huge chardonnay.

WG Grace Cab (WA) v. Menzies (Coonawarra)
Sad to see the WG Grace now under foreign ownership, and have heard reports that the 18 Cabernet was average (crazy in a vintage when you couldn't make a bad cabernet!). A sigh of 'that tastes like home' the second everyone tasted the Grace - no mistaking the region. I also thought the Menzies was very typical of Coonawarra, dusty, fuller bodied, darker fruits. Given we are in WA this is a biased tasting, and we all predictable preferred the WA wine.

Dead Arm (SA) v. St Peters (Vic)
All allocations were done randomly, and I ended with SA Shiraz, which I have barely any of. Never the less I thought to bring the Dead Arm which I see as very typical of the McLaren Vale style. I had low hopes for this wine, and fully expected to be beaten by a lovely aromatic cooler climate style. Unfortunately the St Peters did not show well at all, and one of my favourite Shirazes! On the other hand the Dead Arm was delightful only ever so slightly burnt, rich but mellow, long and starting to enter it's window. Everyone picked the regions, but probably by exclusion as the Dead Arm was so obvious and everyone preferred the Dead Arm. Such a pity, and further damages my campaign to get this group to drink cooler climate wines.

 

[Daver6]

Sauv Blanc can me delicious when done right

 

[boomy]

Sauv Blanc can me delicious when done right

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My thoughts exactly after having (white) Sancerre few weeks ago. So different from AU/NZ SB.

Why is one of the bottles in the background covered in foil, were you doing blind tasting?

 

[Daver6]

Why is one of the bottles in the background covered in foil, were you doing blind tasting?

Yes and no. It was dinner with friends rather than a tasting. Two of the wines were initially served blind just for a bit of fun.

 

[henleybeach]

2014 Georgia’s paddock was Devine
Rich yet smooth and fruity.
Went nicely with the steaks

 

[qaz]

Sauv Blanc can me delicious when done right

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only when blended, botrytised, or oaked imo





been a while since i've had Alsatian riesling, Valpolicella/Amarone, or WA shiraz/syrah - all enjoyable, especially the reds

still haven't tried a malbec that i'd like again

 

[cove]

We finally tried the imported Penfolds 704 and it was pretty good.

 

[Daver6]

only when blended, botrytised, or oaked imo

Here here. And not even sure on the blended part. But I'll add also, extended lees contact.

 

[boomy]

An excellent expression on SA Syrah.
Medium bodied and soft yet still packs a punch.

 

[afro]

Yesterday I
Travel over 5km away from home for breakfast,done!
had lunch in a chicken shop,done!
Went out with a bottle after dinner,done!
I felt normal again.

 

[Bill Bosworth]

So, will it be off? They once made these to last...

 

[SleepyPolarBear]

Worst wine: William Fevre Saint-Bris
Most interesting: Renardat Fache Blanc de Blanc
Corked Wine: Famile Perrin Gigondas

 

[Chardonnay]

So, will it be off? They once made these to last...

Peaking more like it. Had a 05 Jaluka recently that still has life in it. Enjoy!

 

[cove]

Was pleasantly surprised by the Grace Madeline at Cullens Winery today. The 2018 is a white wine that I really enjoyed even though I generally only drink reds.

 

[JohnM]

Was pleasantly surprised by the Grace Madeline at Cullens Winery today. The 2018 is a white wine that I really enjoyed even though I generally only drink reds.

Sounds interesting @cove.

But I had to stifle a laugh when I looked at the label and it has a picture of a bird's nest that Vanya Cullen collected in that vineyard in 1987.

I may be wrong, but it has a striking resemblance to the nest of the Western Silvereye (scope the 'Feeding' section here: Western silvereye - Wikipedia), which can be a serious pest of vineyards in Margs in years when flowering of Marri (aka 'redgum') (Corymbia calophylla) is poor.

It caused huge grief in the early days. I remember talking to Tom Cullity at his then fledgling Vasse Felix about the problem in the autumn of about 1972 when his riesling was still fermenting (he'd just been tasting barrel samples when I rocked in, which is what I distinctly recall).

A brief research project soon after, apart from clarifying the importance of Marri flowering, was inconclusive as to control measures (nets hadn't been thought of then and would have been too costly in any event).

(Anecdote: Asking for directions to the Vasse Felix vineyard at the Cowaramup general store or servo was met with puzzlement until someone asked someone else and I eventually got a vague description to where, in effect, some weirdos were growing grapes to make wine. How things have changed just in our lifetime - especially for a younger bloke like you. )

Ironic if that's the case - especially given not just the organic, but biodynamic , push by Cullen.

That bird is the reason for the widespread netting in Margs.

Biodynamics notwithstanding, Cullen is not immune. Eg. check 2010, 2015 and especially 2019: Cullen Wines - Wilyabrup Margaret River

But maybe those thousands of square metres of synthetic bird-exclusion mesh were produced biodynamically...