Wine thread

[Juan Cote]

Bought some plonk on the advice of Lindommer - Clonikilla Hilltops shiraz 2008 - outstanding.

Had it with corned beef while I was licking my wounds after the Reds loss and it really hit the spot. I was surprised that it was still 14% alcohol for a cool climate wine but it didn't taste like stewed fruit that so many wines tend to these days.

Not so keen on Nepenthe Chardonnay. Had it with a roasted rack of pork and it was underwhelming. I was suitably admonished by Lindommer for buying un-oaked chardonnay which I will never do again

 

[Thomond78]

Bought some plonk on the advice of Lindommer - Clonikilla Hilltops shiraz 2008 - outstanding.

Had it with corned beef while I was licking my wounds after the Reds loss and it really hit the spot. I was surprised that it was still 14% alcohol for a cool climate wine but it didn't taste like stewed fruit that so many wines tend to these days.

Not so keen on Nepenthe Chardonnay. Had it with a roasted rack of pork and it was underwhelming. I was suitably admonished by Lindommer for buying un-oaked chardonnay which I will never do again

Clonikilla is on sale here, in my local bottle shop; been meaning to try it. Wine Geese; means the Meadow of the Church.

Anyhoo; one thing I noticed in my recent visit is that your wine pricing is all to buggery. It's cheaper buying, for example, D'Arenberg Dead Arm or the St. Andrew stuff at full whack in bottle shops here than it is in the duty free of Sydney Airport. Which is just plain daft.

Recently; a 2006 German Riesling (about €10, citrus, honey and petrol, gorgeous, long finish, good for two days, looking to get more) and last night a 2004 D'Arenberg The Custodian Grenache (McLaren Vale).

Gorgeous wine. Strawberries, then I would have said raspberries and cherries. Wonderful structure; no tanninish mouth-feel, but not flabby, still good and rigid. Had it with braaied steaks, believe it or not, and it could stand up to them while still being gloriously soft on its own. Looooong finish. 14.5%, but you'd never notice (which, in its own way, makes it bloody dangerous, but still). At about the €12-15 bracket - which is about $Aus 18-23, let's remember - you'd be damn hard put to find better value.

I've never had a bad bottle of wine from D'Arenberg. This more than continued that fine tradition. If you see it, buy it and try it.

 

[the gambler]

Or if you want to try a bunch of d'Arrenberg wines there is a d'Arrenberg wine tasting coming up next week in Annandale. Let me know if you would like any details.

 

[the gambler]

If anyone has an interest in French Wines there will be a couple of cracking Tour de France Wine tastings coming up in July. Let me know if you would like any details. As I may be breaking forum rules by advertising here, for anyone that comes from GGR I will donate $5 to Scarfmans drinking fund.

 

[cyclopath]

If anyone has an interest in French Wines there will be a couple of cracking Tour de France Wine tastings coming up in July. Let me know if you would like any details. As I may be breaking forum rules by advertising here, for anyone that comes from GGR I will donate $5 to Scarfmans drinking fund.

Apparently Scarfy drinks champagne mostly these days, so he will need to beef up the budget.

 

[Nusadan]

If anyone has an interest in French Wines there will be a couple of cracking Tour de France Wine tastings coming up in July. Let me know if you would like any details. As I may be breaking forum rules by advertising here, for anyone that comes from GGR I will donate $5 to Scarfmans drinking fund.

Just visited the Bordeaux area...the area is suffering from thinning profit margins and some wines there were absolutely affordable...nice place to tour around for 3 days and no more...

 

[Nusadan]

Anyone like to try one of these?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10673322

 

[cyclopath]

Just a little congratulations - went to The Gambler's TDF wine tasting tonight with M. Lindommer and his waxed moustache and sommelier's spoon and it was terrific. Some great wines, a bit of edyoocayshun on foine woines and the concept of "terroir" which apparently is not a small French dog.
Well done Gambler, and thanks for the heads up for it.

 

[DPK]

Hey, umm... does goon count?

 

[cyclopath]

Hey, umm... does goon count?

No. And one cannot count on goon, or indeed after it.

 

[Moses]

To be fair to goon, what other wine gives you a pillow to pass out on when you finish "goon of fortune"

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Had a nice bottle of Turkey Flat GSM last weekend. Good little winery they are.

 

[the gambler]

Just a little congratulations - went to The Gambler's TDF wine tasting tonight with M. Lindommer and his waxed moustache and sommelier's spoon and it was terrific. Some great wines, a bit of edyoocayshun on foine woines and the concept of "terroir" which apparently is not a small French dog.
Well done Gambler, and thanks for the heads up for it.

Thanks Cyclo. Very kind words

 

[PaarlBok]

Thomo watch out for the new years Paarl Red wines

Paarl Post

'Personality' wines emerging from Paarl Challenge
2010-08-05


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A DISTINCT improvement in quality and emerging ‘personality’ were identified by judges as defining characteristics at the Santam Agriculture Paarl Shiraz/Chenin Challenge 2010. The winners of the challenge will be announced on Friday 13 August.

Of the 48 wines entered into the two categories, minimal faults were found, with “pure fruit flavours” and “better concentration” found across the board.

Charles Hopkins, judging on the Shiraz panel said, “Fynbos and spicy characters were prominent in the wines – and this seems to be an emerging style.

“A definite improvement in the selection of the grapes, the wine making process and use of oak has become evident in the past few years.”

Chenin class panel member Ken Forrester found “very good fruit quality” to be the common thread in the wines that made the top ten; with “different sites and soils” and “cooler, elevated slopes” seen by the Chenin en*thusiast as Paarl’s main advantages in producing premium Chenin Blanc wines.

This is the first year that a trophy will be awarded to a Chenin Blanc at the awards, which began ten years ago with an exclusive focus on Shiraz.

The wines are narrowed down in a two-stage process to the top ten and the top three, before a trophy is awarded to the best wine in each category.

A seated consumer tasting will be held on Friday 15 October at Rhebokskloof Estate. Tickets will be available from eWine.co.za from 10 August at a price of R120 per person.

and another one about the Charge Office Coffee

Brandewyn kom met goud in die hand huis toe
2010-08-05


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WAT Bafana graag nog op die sokkerveld wil vermag, het Suid-Afrikaanse brandewyn loshande op die internasionale kompetisie-arena reggekry deur ’n ryk oes toekennings - ingesluit vier goue medaljes – in te palm by die 2010 International Spirits Challenge (ISC).

Dié prestasie herbevestig brandewyn, een van Suid-Afrika se mees ikoniese produkte, se internasionale status as die beste ter wêreld.

Slegs Suid-Afrikaanse produkte kon dit regkry om goue medaljes te verower in die betrokke kategorieë waarin hulle deelgeneem het. Die vier uitblinkers is KWV 20 Year Old Potstill (gedistilleer deur KWV by hul Worcester distilleerdery) asook Van Ryn’s 10 Year Old Vintage, Van Ryn’s 15 Year Old Fine Cask Reserve en Mellow - Wood Standard, almal gedistilleer deur Distell by hul Van Ryn’s Brandewynkelder op Stellenbosch.

Suid-Afrika het ook verreweg die meeste silwer medaljes - vyf uit die ses wat toegeken is - ontvang. Dit is verower deur Oude Meester VSOB; Oude Meester Reserve 12 Year Old; Klipdrift Export en Richelieu (almal van Distell) en Uitkyk Brandy, geproduseer deur Cape Legends.

Sewe bronsmedaljes is ingepalm, terwyl nege brandewyne vermeldings ontvang het.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I've had some bloody good wine while in Paarl. I particularly like the pinotage varieties being produced out of that district.

 

[Thomond78]

Paarl is Pinotage country, no doubt. In fact, either side of the ridge just above the R44 running up from Die Dorpie to Paarl is Pinotage country, all the more so now they're getting more of the pinot noir heritage out, making it to be drunk younger and getting a raspberries-and-cherries-in-spicey-dark-chocolate vibe going (Boekenhoutskloof - and I know it's Franschoek, but it's luscious).

The Helderberg for Bordeaux blends. I would have said the same for Chenin, or maybe the top of the Helderberg. Durbanville for SB, and some amazing Chenins, too; Diemersdal can do no wrong at the moment.

I can also only assume that the judges at the ISIC weren't told about spoek-en-diesel...

Anyhoo, all this pales into insignificance when I give you arguably the greatest name for a red wine ever.

http://www.bubblebrothers.com/proddetail.php?prod=CASC02

And you know what? It's not half-bad, either.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

That's gold right there

So the places I went to where I really enjoyed their reds (in particular the pinotage) were: Allee Bleue, Backsberg, Simonsvlei

I also got to try some great stuff made in Franschoek and Stellebosch from Delheim, Kanonkop (probably my favourite of the whole lot), Simonsig and Graham Beck. I'm sure I missed out on some real gems, but time is limited in these matters

 

[Thomond78]

BH, you've got probably the best set there.

Backsberg are across the road from, and brothers of, the whole Goats Do Roam/Charles Back empire. I reckon they're better for single varietals. Simonsvlei are excellent. Allee Bleue aren't Paarl, but are Pinotage specialists deep in the Drakenstein valley, next door to Boschendal (where the R310 meets the R45, Oom), and do top of the range Pinotage. As well as a delectable naturally sweet pinotage. I've got some of their stuff that's been aging for eight years now, and should just be ready.

Delheim, at the moment, are making better whites. They've a Chardonnay sur Lie that's superb, and their Chenin Blanc is wonderful, and amazing value.

On those proving my comments about either side of the R44 heading up from Die Dorpie to Onskwaddeoompiesedorp, Simonsig are brilliant, especially in the upper end like the Frans Malan and Tiara as well as having some of the best sparkling wine I've ever tasted. Kanonkop - amazing. Had a 1999 Paul Sauer a couple of months back, and it was as good a red wine as I've ever had. Have a load of their estate Pinotage, made by Beyers Truter (who can do no wrong with Pinotage), which is just now ready, and I'm looking forward to my Matie matjie visiting so we can open some.

Nice work in a short time, fella.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Dessert Wines

Is the sticky coming back into fashion?

Or in the best of houses did it ever go out of fashion?

Have polished off a 2008 Margan Botrytis Semillon tonight while watching the CG 7's rugby.

Very passable drop indeed. would recommend it. Part of a mixed dozen from the Margan estate mailout order.

Only problem would appear that either one of the kids knocked to bottle over, or the hot dry conditions tonight have significantly increased the local evaporation, cause the 375ml did not last too long.

Recommended. Think you have to contact Margan's in the Hunter valley to get some. Not sure that you can get it at your local bottlo.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

As far as I'm concerned, the sticky never went out of fashion.