The Auswine Forum

Nice write-up. Has Highbank just disappeared into the ether? Family schism or something?

any trust in Aussie wine critics went out the door when they continually rated the DM red so highly. I seem to recall Jeremy Oliver eventually making a call that the DM at least wasn't up to scratch compared to the 90s wines. And he got stuck right into the KevinJ even earlier. It's been a very hit...

In total, at auction, after sellers premium, you're unlikely to do better than $400 all up. Is it worth the admin?
Me, I'd open them over a long bbq with the kids. Might turn you into a wine guy, you never know!

As I referenced in the intro, over the five previous dinners of this type, we'd definitely be running at the typical old-fashioned 5% fail rate for corks. Even that 89 HB - which I've now tasted 7 times - is quite variable, and they've all been bottles from the same cellar over that ~20 year period.

2016 Georg Breuer Riesling Terra Montosa - Germany, Rheingau (27/07/2025) {cork, 11.5%, AP 2 17} Mid/deep yellow. Developing nose, but restrained, of pineapple, stewed apple, rockmelon. Palate has a stoney riesling purity about it, beyond primary but not much, with medium acidity. There's a honey/l...

For some reason I recall this as something of a bargain wine in earlier years, but the price has spiralled alarmingly. It's rarely disappointed, though, to be fair.

NOBLEROTTERSSYDNEY - SOMETHING IMPRESSIVE - Glass Brasserie, Sydney (6/08/2025) An open theme with the expectation of something special. Glass put on a San Francisco-grill style dinner, with carvery & preparation at the table. Lots of fun. A smaller group tonight, but universally excellent wine...

That MM Pinot was hugely acclaimed on release - a scary note indeed. It certainly can age - I had the 2004 at a ~decade old and it was luminous. Diam seal, so should be OK unless storage was a culprit. Or the wine was grossly over-rated, of course!

A busy dinner is a bugger of a time to take detailed notes, isn't it?

NOBLEROTTERSSYDNEY - GREAT OZ VINTAGES - Glass Brasserie, Sydney (2/07/2025) A theme to look at some great local vintages over the past 30 years or so. Lots of corks, but we seem to have got away with it this time. Most of the reds decanted just before service. 2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée...

NOBLEROTTERSSYDNEY - SHIRAZ 2015 & PRIOR - Glass Brasserie, Sydney (4/06/2025) Shiraz at ten years plus – not restricted to local wines, but that was the almost inevitable consequence, I guess. 2013 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé - France, Champagne {cork} [DavidH] The developing no...

NOBLEROTTERSSYDNEY - UNDER A$30 - Glass Brasserie, Sydney (7/05/2025) The Chairman goes on vacation, and leaves us with a cut-price theme (presumably to avoid missing out on anything wonderful). Still, we found various ways around the $30 limit, including special deals, quite a few of Andrew’s Secr...

CELLAR DOOR - SLOW WINE CO, ORANGE - Millthorpe, NSW (17/04/2025) Late afternoon visit just prior to the Opera Festival - they were really open for wine & tapas sales, not tastings, but were prepared to offer a few tastings from their 13-bottle list if I was discreet! Cool-climate region, winer...

NOBLEROTTERSSYDNEY - GORDON'S BDX LEGENDS - Glass Brasserie, Sydney (2/04/2025) After the generous ‘top Bordeaux” nights of 2006, 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2022, Gordon once more raids the cellar to put on a night of unaffordably legendary wines. We have generally been blessed by the cork gods in past ...

NOBLEROTTERSSYDNEY - BLIND CHARDONNAY - Glass Brasserie, Sydney (5/03/2025) Chardonnay blind-tasting, with a few reds for contrast. Given there were just the eight of us, how on earth did we manage to get fourteen bottles on the table? And a couple of back-ups went home unopened as well! 2019 Egly-...

TEUSNER UNLEASHED - White Bay Brewery, Sydney (26/07/2025) Sydney visit by Barossa-based Teusner to the White Bay Brewery pouring the whole current release range, plus private bottlings from proprietor Kyn Teusner under his Utopos label, along with a new range of ‘Righteous” wines under the Teusner...

As I recall from a decade ago everything seemed to be from Oatley, not surprisingly!

NOBLEROTTERSSYDNEY - CANBERRA - Glass Brasserie, Sydney (5/02/2025) Glenn makes a trip around his local neighbourhood and brings a case of Canberra wine for us to work through to kick off 2025. Still wines were served in pairs. 2022 Lake George Winery Blanc de Blanc - Australia, New South Wales, So...

Never lunched at Chromy, though it looks very pleasant. Esp if you want to sit outside in the garden. Don't think the food is bargain-priced, though!

WINERIES TAMAR & VIC JAN 25 - Tamar, Glenrowan (13/01/2025-20/01/2025) A few random wineries picked up on travels around the Pipers Brook region of Tasmania, plus one Victorian on the way home. There are at least 36 wineries open for tastings in Pipers Brooks if you followed a ~170km loop drive...

Actually, Seppeltsfield was interesting in one sense. I was taking notes on my little printed template as usual. This prompted a bit more interaction with the server, who was less than month into the job. After prompting, I confessed to earning the WSET III certificate years ago, and she had just do...

ADELAIDE AREA WINERIES DEC 2024 - Cellar Doors (26/12/2024-31/12/2024) This was mainly a family trip so wine-related matters were secondary. Even when we did visit it was pretty cursory normally and I didn’t usually interact with the staff as much as I normally might, nor did I seek out anything ot...

Finally flying down to Adelaide next Monday to see my brother for a week, about 6 years after he moved there! My first time there in 24 years! Not fully organised yet, but I thought of getting through a 98 Wendouree Shiraz, 99 Quintet, 02 RWT shiraz, 04 Yeringberg cab blend as things that are due to...

Be lovely to know the prices - or the retail ones at least.
This is always where the whole Burgundy train comes off the rails, at least in my experience!

NOBLEROTTERSSYDNEY - WYNNS CABERNET VERTICAL: 06-15 - Glass Brasserie, Sydney (6/11/2024) Back in 2003 Stephen put on a dozen-bottle vertical of the Wynns Cabernet (actually labelled ‘Black Label’ since about 2009?) covering 1986 and 1990-2000. This is a later iteration, served blind, with only ten...

Wretched, awful news.

Nice notes. I'd certainly have bet against both Vat 9s being drinkable at that age (brett, etc) yet not surprised about the St Peters'.

Only ever been to Cafe Sydney on company coin.
Never been to Aria!

2015 Bleasdale Cabernet Sauvignon The Iron Duke - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek (31/07/2024) {screwcap, 14.5%} Showing some age in the hue. Evolving nose of stewed blackberry, soy, raisin, balsamic. Medium full weight, warm, with flavours tracking the aromas. Mild tannins, s...

NOBLEROTTERSSYDNEY - EXHUMING RELICS - Glass Brasserie, Sydney (7/08/2024) “Bring your oldest wine to share” was the theme. That meant back-ups! Perhaps surprisingly, nothing was undrinkable, although one or two bottles turned out to be for emergency use only. Otherwise the overall standard was ama...