What Did We Drink Over Christmas?

 It is common in many families to pull out nice wines and champagne over Christmas. I was on a plane this year, really over two days. So there was only some average French Champagne.

I am in a remote area of Indonesia. Therefore this post is also a bit late.

So what did you drink over Christmas? In the past we had some nice reports.

The Five Most Read Blog Posts This Year

 Looking at the five most red blog posts of the year, there were certainly surprises. A mix of known high quality wine reviews and the eclectic. This tells me I have a sophisticated (as far as wine is concerned) readership. At number

5): Penfolds 60A from 2004

4): Bisci Verdicchio

3): Tyrells 4 acre and 8 acre

2): Chatto Isle Pinot Noir from Tasmania

1): Underestimate or overestimate

The winner is certainly curious. I am not sure if it was the mysterious title or the unusual comparison of a Chilean Pinot Noir to one from the Southern Highlands.

Good drinking everyone this Christmas, but be careful with the heat in Australia.

TOP NSW Wines

 Wines from New South Wales do not have a great reputation. I do not know if it is the arrogance of Sydneysiders, or what is causing it, but a recent tasting of premium NSW wines demonstrated they can mix it with the best. I will comment briefly on five wines in this tasting.

The first two wines are from Orange, a cool climate region, which produces increasingly exciting wines. The 2022 Canobolas Chardonnay is citrus and floral flavoured. It is a very elegant wine. It does not undergo malolactic fermentation, and is matured in oak. The vineyard slopes down the mountain of Mt. Canobolas, and this translates into an energetic wine with a mineral finish. This wine is absolutely first class (94 points).

The 2023 ChaLou 'Quixotic' Reserve Pinot Noir is equally impressive. This is the first Reserve Pinot Noir from this producer. The wine is obviously very young at this point and quite restraint. The grapes are grown on volcanic soil. They deliver an appealing blend of black cherry and mulberry fruit and some savoury characteristics. The finish is caressing and long (94 points).

Then came the known big guns. The 2019 Tyrrells Old Patch Shiraz was most impressive. It comes from the oldest vineyard in NSW, planted in 1867. This is a medium bodied wine with great purity of  red fruits. The wine has a velvety texture and a piercing drive. The wine is elegant and powerful at the same time. The excellent balance between fruit, acidity, and tannins points to a long future (97 points).

Tasting the 2009 Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier straight after, was a tough assignment. This is quite a different wine - softer and fruitier, with a bigger mouthfeel, and some five spice. It was quite harmonious at 15 years of age (95 points).

The 2000 Lake's Folly Cabernet Blend from Magnum was equally fresh, after 24 years. What an achievement! The vineyard is on a unique plot in the Hunter Valley, red clay over limestone. The wine is red fruited with a characteristic earthy flavour. The beautifully structured palate delivers great concentration of fruit and a long finish (97 points).     

 

What Happens When You Buy Cheap Bordeaux?

 What is the experience of buying a cheap bottle of Bordeaux? When I say cheap, I do not mean real cheap, but, say, under $100 per bottle. Yesterday, I tried the 2016 Château Clos de Boüard. Depending where you live, this wine can be found for under $50 per bottle. The owners also own Château L'Angélus, one of the top right bank producers.

This is a right bank wine, so unsurprisingly, the dominant grape is Merlot with 85%, then 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is quite a dark wine, and the fruit is quite concentrated. Mainly blackcurrant, but also licorice and tobacco. The mouthfeel is quite complex and attractive. Unfortunately, the tannins are somewhat coarse, and the finish is a bit harsh. Overall, a good wine, in particular with protein food.

If you go for this kind of strategy, looking at the right bank makes sense. In contrast to the Cabernet Sauvignon dominated left bank, Merlot at the lower price point would be less astringent, generally speaking. The Clos de Boüard comes from Montagne, a satellite of St. Emilion. This explains the lower price point.

I found this quite an acceptable value for money proposition. Is it better than a similarly priced local wine. I think this depends; sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Score: 90/++

Peay Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

 Buying American wine in Australia, or anywhere else for that matter, is always a difficult value for money equation. Peay Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is somewhat of an exception. The wine is priced like a blended wine from purchased fruit, but in this case, it is all Estate fruit at relatively low yields. The vineyards are only 4km from the coast. The grapes benefit from frequent fog and overnight cooler temperatures, and avoid the heat spikes further inland.

A couple of nights ago, I poured the 2019 Peay Sonoma Cost Pinot Noir. The wine has an appealing aromatic nose of rose petals and hibiscus. Red and black cherry fruit is blended on the palate with mild savoury notes of forest floor. This delivers an appealing, slightly soft mouthfeel. The wine is framed by solid acidity and dry tannins.

This wine has all the ingredients of a great wine, but it ultimately lacks some depth and drive for it to be outstanding.

Score: 94/++