Nice wines I have drunk recently - Red or White

[QF WP]

Hmmm, maybe a venue for my future visit to PER in January...look forward to seeing their bottle shop

 

[JohnM]

Hmmm, maybe a venue for my future visit to PER in January...look forward to seeing their bottle shop

I was thinking exactly the same that it would be a good venue for an AFF gathering. It's on the Terrace only about a block from the Trustee where we've had a couple of recent meets.

 

[blackcat20]

JohnM, can you recommend a Malbec I can buy locally without breaking the bank? I really enjoyed the Argentinian drops I tried while in the States.

 

[JohnM]

JohnM, can you recommend a Malbec I can buy locally without breaking the bank? I really enjoyed the Argentinian drops I tried while in the States.

Check out Vintage Cellars. They used to have Norton - a basic one and Privada. The Privada was very good and about $30 IIRC. They didn't have any in my local VC today but they did have a 2011 Archaval-Ferrer that I haven't seen there before but I know to be a good producer. It was $55 (full single price), so it's getting up there. I was there to get some quaffers so I bought one amongst those, making it $50. I'll try it tomorrow night and let you know what I think.

Being in MEL, your options for getting Argentinian wine should be much better than in PER.

 

[JohnM]

Check out Vintage Cellars. They used to have Norton - a basic one and Privada. The Privada was very good and about $30 IIRC. They didn't have any in my local VC today but they did have a 2011 Archaval-Ferrer that I haven't seen there before but I know to be a good producer. It was $55 (full single price), so it's getting up there. I was there to get some quaffers so I bought one amongst those, making it $50. I'll try it tomorrow night and let you know what I think.

Being in MEL, your options for getting Argentinian wine should be much better than in PER.

Breaking news .

I've just had half the bottle of Archaval-Ferrer. Did it scream malbec, Mendoza? - no. Did it whisper malbec, Mendoza? - barely.

Am I disappointed? - yes. (but my motto in life is: Always be prepared to be disappointed[SUP]TM[/SUP].). It was sealed with some primitive bit of tree bark called cork - but it was sound. I'm sure that was no problem. It wasn't oxidised. It was sort of fruity, but it was hollow on the mid palate - and that's not what Mendoza malbec is about. What it lacked was that unique smoothness of texture cutting across a subtle fruit flavour, combined with body and elegance, of truly good Mendoza malbec.

So, don't buy it would be my recommendation. It's certainly not worth $50 IMO.

If you can find the Norton Privada, snap it up! It's much more Mendoza...malbec! On reflection, the Norton was always the 2007, or was that 2009?, and I've never seen another year - so what I suspect is that VC bought a lot and then either they or the importer didn't follow it up. We get so used to seeing new vintages of the trusty Australian brands that we probably don't realise that a lot of overseas stuff is one-offs or remainders.

I guess I was expecting it to keep appearing on the VC shelves, so I'm now regretting that I didn't buy plenty of the Privada. C'est la vie...

 

[drron]

Yes turning 65 is now coming all too quickly. JohnM I was probably the youngest in the class as I remember matriculating high school at 16.
In the seventies we could drink the big Australian red wines for between $5 and $12 and many would not drink them because of headaches the next day. I actually paid 2 dollars more for an Alkoomi than a Grange back then.
I will keep this one for you to share JohnM. I think I have quite a few bottles of Grange left so we could make a night of reds.

Being a slightly older vintage in the 60s I used to take a bottle of Para port to parties.An old wino.$2 a bottle for the 1924 then 1927 releases.

 

[JohnM]

Being a slightly older vintage in the 60s I used to take a bottle of Para port to parties.An old wino.$2 a bottle for the 1924 then 1927 releases.

Sophisticated, huh? And what was wrong with Brandivino :shock:.

 

[drron]

Sophisticated, huh? And what was wrong with Brandivino :shock:.

Nah.Porphry Pearl at a pinch.But if I was trying to be sophisticated it had to be Mateus.

 

[Major]

Nah.Porphry Pearl at a pinch.But if I was trying to be sophisticated it had to be Mateus.

Or Ben Ean Moselle

 

[JessicaTam]

Or Ben Ean Moselle

I stuck with the Coolibah.

 

[QF WP]

Okay, enough of the off topic discussion please - otherwise I'll add Passion Pop.

Back to normal programming please *looks at the 3 members who took it off topic - particularly JessicaTam* tsk tsk

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

I had a Mateus a few nights ago.. Still quite good on a warm humid Brisbane evening
How's that for back on topic

 

[Deleted member]

One last effort. Back in the day ( when my family owned a hotel in country Queensland) we used to sell bulk sherry from 40 litre vats for a couple of bucks a bottle. ( bring your own bottle)

 

[blackcat20]

Breaking news .

I've just had half the bottle of Archaval-Ferrer. Did it scream malbec, Mendoza? - no. Did it whisper malbec, Mendoza? - barely.

Am I disappointed? - yes. (but my motto in life is: Always be prepared to be disappointed[SUP]TM[/SUP].). It was sealed with some primitive bit of tree bark called cork - but it was sound. I'm sure that was no problem. It wasn't oxidised. It was sort of fruity, but it was hollow on the mid palate - and that's not what Mendoza malbec is about. What it lacked was that unique smoothness of texture cutting across a subtle fruit flavour, combined with body and elegance, of truly good Mendoza malbec.

So, don't buy it would be my recommendation. It's certainly not worth $50 IMO.

If you can find the Norton Privada, snap it up! It's much more Mendoza...malbec! On reflection, the Norton was always the 2007, or was that 2009?, and I've never seen another year - so what I suspect is that VC bought a lot and then either they or the importer didn't follow it up. We get so used to seeing new vintages of the trusty Australian brands that we probably don't realise that a lot of overseas stuff is one-offs or remainders.

I guess I was expecting it to keep appearing on the VC shelves, so I'm now regretting that I didn't buy plenty of the Privada. C'est la vie...

Thanks for being the guinea pig.

 

[OATEK]

I stuck with the Coolibah.

Where are all the Cold Duck devotees!!

 

[liparj]

Or Ben Ean Moselle

Tasted more like Benzine Moselle...

 

[QF WP]

Selection at the QF J Lounge MEL:



The Pinot was a little heavier than I expected - tastes more like a Shiraz.

 

[JessicaTam]

Okay, enough of the off topic discussion please - otherwise I'll add Passion Pop.

Back to normal programming please *looks at the 3 members who took it off topic - particularly JessicaTam* tsk tsk

Hey, don't look at me:

I had a Mateus a few nights ago.. Still quite good on a warm humid Brisbane evening
How's that for back on topic

One last effort. Back in the day ( when my family owned a hotel in country Queensland) we used to sell bulk sherry from 40 litre vats for a couple of bucks a bottle. ( bring your own bottle)

Where are all the Cold Duck devotees!!

Tasted more like Benzine Moselle...

 

[ozkid]

Stonefruits, spice and oak, slippery, lingering and dry on the aftertaste
Simply. Spectacular.

 

[Steady]

Had one of my DM "secret selection" champagnes tonight