Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV
At first the nose showed silage (with sweet hay), nut-cookie dough, and a very fresh spritzy palate, but needing to warm up a bit. After warming up/with air, a hint of lemon/Granny Smith appeared, along with cut hawthorn berry and composting wet leaves going fungal. The palate has gentle fizz (well integrated) that brings a refreshing quality, it remains crisp, and shows a tight pristine finish with plenty of toast. This has a solid core with real toasty (autolysis) character, and (in addition to the reliability) that’s why I like Roederer.
Knappstein Handpicked Riesling 2002
Kerosene, mountain river over quartz rock, steely, and soft lemon. I’ve always liked the Knappstein style because (1) it isn’t afraid to show kerosene/petrol character and, (2) the palate strikes a good balance between tightness and weightiness. The palate here is zesty-fresh and the finish has good length.
Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon 1997
Widely considered to be one of the best Vat 1’s of the 90’s.
The nose smells like hay - well, actually, it’s more like a meadow with sweet grasses in it. The warmer it gets the more toasty/butterscotch notes show, but it’s only really beginning to show the classic toasty nose and honeyed palate. Some way to develop yet, with years ahead of it I’d imagine.
Lindemans St George Cab Sauv 1991
Browny orange (terracotta brick) colour. Old sweet blackcurrant berry, musty old wood, moth balls, dominating sweet plum. Ultra smooth, almost syrupy palate with very soft (resolved) tannins, good flavour intensity, and gentle.
The next day, the nose was more herbal, with mint and a mixed-spice waft, a deep core of delicate/floral plum, vanilla cream and fantastically well-integrated oak. It still showed a smooth palate, and even at this age, showed a touch of tannins that just gave a refreshment to the back palate/finish. Sleek and elegant. It’s not showing leather/cigar box/cedar (as I’d hoped) but it’s very enjoyable as it is.
Fox Gordon Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Big ripe fruit and some toasty oak accompanied by a fresh and moderately tannic palate. Modern Barossa that only just manages to show (what most wine lovers would expect is) CS varietal character. Barossa just can’t do CS like elsewhere in Australia.
Enjoyable BBQ/“cocktail” wine fodder, but not very good with food.