The Auswine Forum

Mt Ida is great. My 02’s still going strong. Stelvin too.

Soldera BdM Riserva 2001- the DRC of Sangiovese. They show best after 20 years and this was the first of a case. Bit of a drinking backlog. Cliche but what differentiates this from other top BdM is its Burgundian like nuances. Near perfect wine in length and balance. I see it’s $2000 a bottle now. N...

Forgot about that little surprise. I’ve paid it many times at the airport.

Would love a little government spending austerity. They get enough tax dollars.

WET and GST will remain so I doubt wine prices would change at all?

1990 Lafite (though I think it was the weakest of the firsts that year) I guess it’s why I miss the HKG wines scene so much, as I tried the 1990’s Firsts a few times in horizontals. I was a mad-man for top Barolo at the time, so my opinion may lack refinement. I found Mouton poked out a bit in clum...

I’ve stopped buying wine to help the economy and facilitate government spending.

I’ve had a few 03 Steingartens recently and not a great vintage but stelvin does the trick. It’s a grumpy Riesling, long, minerally a steely, sells it as a better food proposition.

I’m happy with my Petalumas from good vintages in the cellar. I had the 2005 alongside the 2005 Seppelt Drumborg Riesling and the Petaluma more of an upfront crowd pleaser- riper, rounder and less austerity and steeliness in the acidity. Petaluma is a decent variation from the normal in good vintage...

I recall a vintage around then that when I tried it I thought it was a terrible style and wouldn’t cellar well. I stopped buying Petaluma. Maybe it wash 2014. The 2005 was a lovely wine under stelvin. Slightly ripe and plush fruited, nicely rounded out for Riesling an an easygoing trail of acid and ...

Grandson will sell it!

There’s a lot of great wine needing drinking. Seem such a pity.

Perth has a very lively wine scene Allan. I’m envious of some of the events including this one! I looked it up on FB and not only a fantastic tasting, very nice price for Australia. Pira has always been good for me. I had a 2006 Pira Vignarionda last few weeks and it was special and should be better...

I took a couple of Italians to Chianti in Adelaide and corkage $40. Very reasonable. The Som’ came by as my wine’s caught his attention. Had a chat. One of the Brunellos I had ( Stella Di Campalto 2004 ) was the point of discussion. They’d had it on their list, just a few bottles and current release...

What’s the issue with the Petaluma?

I’ll try an 05 today under stelvin!

In Hong Kong PdB was my quaffer when released. $30 a bottle. Never worthwhile brining it to Australia but I have ended up with a few cases courtesy of wine mules. The Riservas were worth bringing down however most Cru’s had better individual producers that more heavily reflected the terroir IMO. So ...

Had the 99 and 01 MW last week or so. Preferred cork sealed 99 by a margin. How were the corks at your event Allan? Failure rates? Performance? We are at that period of time where comparisons and personal preference can be made with high quality tastings. G'day Jamie The older two of the Jack Manns...

Yes the 02 Monfortino was well regarded. The 04 100 points and the last vintage I bought. It was three to one in price versus Grange and HofG at the time and a no brainer. Then the investors and collectors moved in! I had two years free reign on Francia and Ceretta before they too moved way up in pr...

Had the 99 and 01 MW last week or so. Preferred cork sealed 99 by a margin.

How were the corks at your event Allan? Failure rates? Performance?

We are at that period of time where comparisons and personal preference can be made with high quality tastings.

Just checked the only 02 Piedmont I have is a six pack of Conterno Monfortino. This was a freakish wine when I had it on release.

03 I have five bottles of Monprivato and some Sandrone single vineyard which were good I recall.

Got to get cracking and drink up.

Lovely notes Rossco. I’ve a bit of experience with those wines and vintages and you’ve captured them perfectly. G Mascarello is my favourite producer. Conterno next. Ca' d'Morissio is brilliant but I never felt it justified the price difference between Monprivato. They produced th best wines of 03- ...

Sounds like a lot of fun but alas I won’t be there.

Finally a DRC offline in Adelaide?

I low balled a heap of wine at auction an ended up with a $2500 bill. Didn’t expect to get them .

Notables Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay and Sassetti Brunello.

Incidentally, Ornellaia was $300 a bottle on special at a Sydney Duty Free recently. Not bad pricing.

Thanks for the write up Graeme. I drink Italians about half the time and very familiar with many of wines you tasted here . I’d say le Volte can be excellent in some vintages and when travelling abroad it’s often a wine I go to for a simple and gratifying Tuscan experience. I usually pay under $40 A...

Nice to look at the SO wine at yesterday’s open day in Angaston. I was early so didn’t bump into any of you - in and out by 1030. Tasted back to 2009 with Hoffmann.

Look forward to drinking other people’s Sammi Odi. Lovely modern styles.

Pooley is close to airport and they do nice pizza. It may be a winery to box tick on your travel day to or fro?

I’ve still got some of the 71 ‘Hermitage’ back in Oz, but every time I go to the storage place, my desire to open zillions of boxes to find it and others wanes pretty quickly… and so it will sit there indefinitely Drank a fair bit of old Wynn’s Hermitaws in Hong Kong. Going great guns! They’d come ...

Great points Ian. The issue for me, with selling wines in your cellar is pricing in Australia generally poor. Prices start artificially high due taxes. During COVID, I organised colleagues selling their wine cellars whilst living in Hong Kong. Prices surprised them courtesy of wine brokers. I have g...

Lots of interesting comments. - On Wendouree, I drink mine at the 20 year plus mark and I find the Shiraz blends have a complexity I enjoy most. I have too much Wendouree and this because I couldn’t meet demand for events when living abroad. Hopefully I’ll get to present more events next year. - Aus...

Very interesting reading folks. Very diverse directions in every case, even when passionate about similar wines.