(Notes, as with any large portfolio tasting of this nature, are brief. I return for second tastes of some of the more difficult-to-decipher wines, but most are relatively quick takes, and should be considered in that context.)
Altos Las Hormigas 2001 Malbec (Mendoza) – Tough, structured peanut butter and tannic concord grapes. Not why I turn to malbec.
Altos Las Hormigas 2000 Malbec "Reserva" (Mendoza) – Black pepper and dark chocolate with burnt fruit and tough, brawny, nut-like structure. Better, if brutal. The kind of wine that would beat you up in a dark Buenos Aires alley and take your money and your credit cards, leaving you with malbec-tinted bruises all over your body.
Torbreck 2002 "Juveniles" (Barossa Valley) – Fecal, simple, and obvious, with only a little bit of blueberry. Boring.
Torbreck 2001 "The Steading" (Barossa Valley) – Much better, but still not good enough. Blueberry and boysenberry with a very, very hot finish. For fire-eaters.
Torbreck 2001 "The Factor" (Barossa Valley) – Dense plum, blueberry, and boysenberry in a concentrated sludge of wild fruit. There's great structure and apparent potential on the palate, but the finish is no more than a microsecond of light bitterness. Where'd the wine go? I'd worry.
Torbreck 2002 "The Struie" (Barossa Valley) – Pepper powder with green, underripe, and overwhelming tannin. Grossly out of balance.
Steamed by the Bay Bridge
Torbreck 1999 "Run Rig" (Barossa Valley) – More pepper powder, with dusty celery and huge, dark blackberry fruit. However, the tannin has a strongly rotted character to it. Were there skin problems with this vintage? Since there's a possibility that this bottle is bad, judgement reserved.
Woop Woop 2002 Shiraz (South Australia) – Soft fruit jam with powdered sugar. For kids and their sugar-loving palates.
Hanehof 2001 Shiraz (Barossa Valley) – Prune juice and salinated tuna with a glaze of balsamic vinegar and molasses. Disgusting.
Mitolo 2001 Shiraz "Jester" (McLaren Vale) – Plum blossoms and some dirty menthol notes, with drying, slightly leafy tobacco and mint jam. Overall, this is just a green, underripe wine.
Kaesler 2001 "Old Vine" Shiraz (Barossa Valley) – A thick sludge of leftover winemaking products that probably would have clogged up city sewers for miles around. Utterly worthless.
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