The great Epiqure quaffer clean out

[Rugby]

I'm a bit excited about todays quaffer, a Wirra Wirra 2012 Church Block Cab Sav Shiraz Merlot. There was lots of reading to be found on this wine, maybe because 2012 was the 40th vintage. Consensus seems to be that the Church Block label is consistently a very solid value wine for around $20. Dan's has the 2012 for $18.

The word is that it'll be full bodied, lots of black and blue fruit, with a long smooth finish and lingering spices. Sounds good to me.

View attachment 45634

Well this one has delivered. I get the dark fruit, and the aniseed I read about on the nose. On tasting I picked up plum, cherry and oak. It has the smooth finish, with a bit of spice, and is nicely astringent. I would call it medium, rather than full bodied. I think $20 is the mark. A very good quaffer and it's helping me while away the afternoon a treat. Happy tasting to the Buzzard Barossa crew. Cheers.

 

[Rugby]

Tonights quaffer is a Maxwell Silver Hammer Shiraz 2012 from McLaren Vale. This project has given me an appreciation of written wine reviews. Taste's Tony Love says "This is an impressive display of all things McLaren Vale - deep dark fruits hiding down low in the glass that rise gradually through a well tempered oak layer revealing char, anise and coffee grind elements for a full bodied and smartly crafted regional expression." If I can get all that happening it'll be a good wine night.

No Dan's pricing, Epicure has it for $27. The producer says it was designed for drinking upon release, but will mature for 5-7 years. Bring on the Hammer.

 

[Rugby]

Tonights quaffer is a Maxwell Silver Hammer Shiraz 2012 from McLaren Vale. This project has given me an appreciation of written wine reviews. Taste's Tony Love says "This is an impressive display of all things McLaren Vale - deep dark fruits hiding down low in the glass that rise gradually through a well tempered oak layer revealing char, anise and coffee grind elements for a full bodied and smartly crafted regional expression." If I can get all that happening it'll be a good wine night.

No Dan's pricing, Epicure has it for $27. The producer says it was designed for drinking upon release, but will mature for 5-7 years. Bring on the Hammer.

View attachment 46198

Another very decent quaffer from South Australia. On the nose I get lots of fruit, and some vanilla. The palate has the dark fruit, lots of oak, and nice spice. I agree it's full bodied, with soft tannins and a smooth finish. Drinking well now or hold for a couple of years. Again $20 is close to the mark, I'll call it $19 in the context of the other wines to date. I hope this run of solid wines continues, but another dud is never far away. Cheers.

 

[Rugby]

Tonights night cap is the Lagavulin again. We got two bottles for $140 about a month ago, from JR Duty Free, flying out of AKL. Great hand luggage.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Tonights night cap is the Lagavulin again. We got two bottles for $140 about a month ago, from JR Duty Free, flying out of AKL. Great hand luggage.

That's a little OT but I'll forgive you

 

[TomVexille]

That's a little OT but I'll forgive you

I will if Rugby​ shares

 

[Rugby]

I will if Rugby​ shares

We'll have to invite Ron Swanson over too.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bKBTLgTubFw

 

[Rugby]

Today I'm going with a Shadowfax 2010 Shiraz from Central Victoria. This has a bit more age than the previous quaffers, so that should pay a dividend. Andrew Graham from the Lifestyle Food Channel says that the fruit is sourced from around Vic, and that "It's just medium weight, yet carries an intensity of briary, quite ripe red fruit that makes for seriously impressive drinking, if a little drawn out through the finish." This was probably in one of the first mixed cases I got from Epiqure. Pricing looks about $22 a bottle - Dan's has the current 2012 vintage at $19.

 

[boomy]

Today I'm going with a Shadowfax 2010 Shiraz from Central Victoria. This has a bit more age than the previous quaffers, so that should pay a dividend. Andrew Graham from the Lifestyle Food Channel says that the fruit is sourced from around Vic, and that "It's just medium weight, yet carries an intensity of briary, quite ripe red fruit that makes for seriously impressive drinking, if a little drawn out through the finish." This was probably in one of the first mixed cases I got from Epiqure. Pricing looks about $22 a bottle - Dan's has the current 2012 vintage at $19.

View attachment 46370

One of my favourite QF Dom J reds.
The photo reminded that I still have a couple of 'One Eye' left and they are ready to be consumed

 

[Rugby]

Today I'm going with a Shadowfax 2010 Shiraz from Central Victoria. This has a bit more age than the previous quaffers, so that should pay a dividend. Andrew Graham from the Lifestyle Food Channel says that the fruit is sourced from around Vic, and that "It's just medium weight, yet carries an intensity of briary, quite ripe red fruit that makes for seriously impressive drinking, if a little drawn out through the finish." This was probably in one of the first mixed cases I got from Epiqure. Pricing looks about $22 a bottle - Dan's has the current 2012 vintage at $19.

View attachment 46370

This is an intensely flavoured medium bodied dry red. One review I found said that it has spice and deli meats on the nose, and that's a good description. Tasting I get pepper and red fruit, the briary descriptor is spot on too. This quaffer is one to have with food. It went well with our lunch of lamb chops and salad, and will back up nicely for tonights homemade pizza.

It has been nice to have a quaffer that has a few years under its belt. On value I think that if I paid $19 when it was released that's not too bad. A nice wine. Cheers.

 

[penegal]

I have some of that somewhere, might crack it open soon...

 

[Rugby]

I've got some prior commitments this weekend so the quaffer project will be on hold until next weekend. Hope you're enjoying whatever is in your glass. Cheers.

 

[Rugby]

Tonights quaffer is a 2013 Saltram 1859 Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. Winefront says "it's essentially a ball of mid-palate flavour. Blackberried and plummy, good colour and weight, minor saltbush notes and a fruit filled finish. Low oak and with dark fruit to the fore. Inflections of ashfalt. Jubey aftertaste, flush with berried goodness."

Dan's has it for $16.15, Epiqure $20. If I pick up any ashfalt inflections I'll refer to them as the taste of tarmac.

 

[Rugby]

Tonights quaffer is a 2013 Saltram 1859 Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. Winefront says "it's essentially a ball of mid-palate flavour. Blackberried and plummy, good colour and weight, minor saltbush notes and a fruit filled finish. Low oak and with dark fruit to the fore. Inflections of ashfalt. Jubey aftertaste, flush with berried goodness."

Dan's has it for $16.15, Epiqure $20. If I pick up any ashfalt inflections I'll refer to them as the taste of tarmac.

Rich dark fruit on the nose. I agree with the blackberry and plums and the low oak. It's medium bodied with soft tannins. I couldn't get the saltbush or the tarmac, but it is heavy on the berry. Not a bad quaffer, nice with some hard cheese, $16 in my book. Cheers.

 

[Rugby]

Back to Margaret River today with a Thompson Estate Locum 2012 Cab Merlot. I couldn't easily find a review of the 2012, but of the 2011 Crackawines says the wine "clearly demonstrates the art behind the use of Cabernet and Merlot to achieve a fine balance. Prepare a lamb to the slaughter and revel in this wines core of plum and blackcurrant, soft tannins and elegant structure." I'll be preparing a chorizo pizza for slaughter to have with this bottle for lunch.

Online price from the producer is $22.50.

 

[Rugby]

Back to Margaret River today with a Thompson Estate Locum 2012 Cab Merlot. I couldn't easily find a review of the 2012, but of the 2011 Crackawines says the wine "clearly demonstrates the art behind the use of Cabernet and Merlot to achieve a fine balance. Prepare a lamb to the slaughter and revel in this wines core of plum and blackcurrant, soft tannins and elegant structure." I'll be preparing a chorizo pizza for slaughter to have with this bottle for lunch.

Online price from the producer is $22.50.

This is a smooth quaffer that went well with the pizza, but slaughtering a lamb would be a big call Lots of dark fruit, medium bodied, and I agree with the soft tannins. Nice easy drinking, I'll call this one around $18. Cheers.

 

[Rugby]

Two more weekends, and 4 bottles, to go in the Epiqure quaffer clean out. At the end, next Saturday, I'll still have some quaffers left, but they will mostly be more bottles of wines that I've tried during the project. Mrs Rugby has her running event next Sunday and will have had two months off the booze with only a couple of leave passes - so kudos and a round of applause for her!

To celebrate her run and the end of the project we'll be having a 'blackcat20' FIFA World Cup Taittinger Brut Reserve followed by a 2004 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz with our Sunday lunch. But the real treat is a FASA to LHR a few days later on QF9 for 3 weeks in Europe, followed by a 'farewell FASA' home on QF2.

Tonights bottle is a K1 by Geoff Hardy 2012 Cab Sav from Adelaide Hills. I couldn't find a Dan's price, Epiqure has it for $35 - so I think it might have been in a mixed case that had bottles at a range of prices, because that's an expensive quaffer. The word is that it has "intense blackcurrant and cherry tabacco notes with toast and vanilla notes...The wine is elegant and lean with powerful tannins and a lengthy finish." This should be a nice. Homemade pizza again for dinner tonight.

 

[Rugby]

Two more weekends, and 4 bottles, to go in the Epiqure quaffer clean out. At the end, next Saturday, I'll still have some quaffers left, but they will mostly be more bottles of wines that I've tried during the project. Mrs Rugby has her running event next Sunday and will have had two months off the booze with only a couple of leave passes - so kudos and a round of applause for her!

To celebrate her run and the end of the project we'll be having a 'blackcat20' FIFA World Cup Taittinger Brut Reserve followed by a 2004 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz with our Sunday lunch. But the real treat is a FASA to LHR a few days later on QF9 for 3 weeks in Europe, followed by a 'farewell FASA' home on QF2.

Tonights bottle is a K1 by Geoff Hardy 2012 Cab Sav from Adelaide Hills. I couldn't find a Dan's price, Epiqure has it for $35 - so I think it might have been in a mixed case that had bottles at a range of prices, because that's an expensive quaffer. The word is that it has "intense blackcurrant and cherry tabacco notes with toast and vanilla notes...The wine is elegant and lean with powerful tannins and a lengthy finish." This should be a nice. Homemade pizza again for dinner tonight.

Rich dark fruit on the nose and the palate. Oak and a little spice, with firm tannins, and the long finish is present. I'd suggest better with a roast beef/lamb, rather than pizza - I was enjoying it more before dinner. I think it has a couple of more years in it. A great quaffer, but I'd rather pay $25 than $35.

 

[Rugby]

A great late autumn day here is SYD, cool in the shade and nice in the sun out of the wind. A 2012 Fifth Leg Whippersnapper Shiraz is in the decanter today. No Dan's pricing, Epiqure has it for $20. The match programme says "Ripe medium bodied. A core of fleshy red cherry and dark liquorice fruit are wrapped in chewey ripe tannins bringing fullness, texture and great flavour."

 

[boomy]

A great late autumn day here is SYD, cool in the shade and nice in the sun out of the wind. A 2012 Fifth Leg Whippersnapper Shiraz is in the decanter today. No Dan's pricing, Epiqure has it for $20. The match programme says "Ripe medium bodied. A core of fleshy red cherry and dark liquorice fruit are wrapped in chewey ripe tannins bringing fullness, texture and great flavour."

I think QF currently serve the 2013 vintage in the J lounge. Didn't like it very much, maybe 2012 is better.