Nice wines I have drunk recently - Red or White

Had a Penfolds 407 at the Epicurean in Perth today. It was overpriced and there was sediment in my glass at the end of our lunch that was surprising.
 
Finally I can enjoy a good wine. HRB opened for the reason for comparison. Art is more balance. It occupies everywhere in my mouth, whereas HRB isn't. The fruity favour has gone a bit and can't cover all of the alcohol favour, but it is still a good wine. HRB shows mutuarity of melon.

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Had a Penfolds 407 at the Epicurean in Perth today. It was overpriced and there was sediment in my glass at the end of our lunch that was surprising.
I opened the first ‘14 407 of 6 during the last week figuring 10 years to be a good starting point and was quite disappointed with the first glass, so left the rest until the next night and it was no better. No sediment in my bottle though. I picked them up on a sale from DM on release and don't have any other vintages.
 
I opened the first ‘14 407 of 6 during the last week figuring 10 years to be a good starting point and was quite disappointed with the first glass, so left the rest until the next night and it was no better. No sediment in my bottle though. I picked them up on a sale from DM on release and don't have any other vintages.

I've only ever found 407 disappointing, especially for the price point. I've never understood the appeal of this wine.
 
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Anyone in Sydney up for doing a vertical tasting of these? I could supply a 13, 14, 15 and probably a couple of others.
Funny you should ask... can't help sorry but can report that last night for a friend's birthday we did a fun blind taste of BLs from my cellar... '01, '13, '15, '18, '21, asking people to put them in date order. People even had a chance if they wanted to taste a smidge a while before we covered them up...

The surprise was only one of our 20 people got more than 1/5. The 1 everyone got was the 01 being oldest, and that could well have been from seeing the pour and it being the only non-stelvin! Nearly everyone (me included) thought the '15 was the most vibrant (and tasty) and put it as youngest. Was a funny and entertaining thing to do for a party.
 
Funny you should ask... can't help sorry but can report that last night for a friend's birthday we did a fun blind taste of BLs from my cellar... '01, '13, '15, '18, '21, asking people to put them in date order. People even had a chance if they wanted to taste a smidge a while before we covered them up...

The surprise was only one of our 20 people got more than 1/5. The 1 everyone got was the 01 being oldest, and that could well have been from seeing the pour and it being the only non-stelvin! Nearly everyone (me included) thought the '15 was the most vibrant (and tasty) and put it as youngest. Was a funny and entertaining thing to do for a party.
Still have a couple doz of the 15’s cooking. Happy days.
 
Hand carried back from winery in Ribera Del Duero visit in ‘18’.

Brilliant. 100% vino Tinto. (Tempranillo clone ). Just wonderful, rich, fruit, a bit like an aged CS. Pity can’t find in Australia. (Found one at restaurant in lucerne in 2021)

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Last night a cheeky vertical of four chardonnay (2022, 2019, 2018, 2015) and ten cabernet sauvignon (2021-2013, 2010) from Xanadu.

Consistent style, with the red steadily softening and mellowing with age. Red WOTN was the 2013. IIRC, the 2018 was white WOTN, but nothing much in it.

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Last night's pinot tasting 2023-2014. All sound wines. A couple of late withdrawals and with @Daver6 away, which at least saved us from his recent offerings of corked wines :rolleyes:, we had only six people attend. IIRC WOTN was, after two countbacks complicated by the even number of participants, a split decision between the HRB and the Picardy.

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Last night's pinot tasting 2023-2014. All sound wines. A couple of late withdrawals and with @Daver6 away, which at least saved us from his recent offerings of corked wines :rolleyes:, we had only six people attend. IIRC WOTN was, after two countbacks complicated by the even number of participants, a split decision between the HRB and the Picardy.

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How was the Felton Road?
 
How was the Felton Road?

IMO, good, but not great - but that opinion of mine applied to all the wines.

Apart from a steady, fairly shallow, age profile development, they all had quite similar characteristics, although the 2023 Soul Growers was much the lightest, but rather delicious with it.

To me, none had that almost indefinable 'wow factor' that I have experienced with pinot and which is what can set it apart.
 

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