The Auswine Forum

G'day I picked up a couple of bottles of this after it was my top-pointed chardonnay at a tasting in Perth a year or two ago. Trait is a small and relatively new Margaret River winery, although I believe the vineyard was planted in 1988. Poured straight out of the cellar (16 degrees). The nose is mo...

Time to open another bottle. Decanted 5 hours before service and put back into the cellar. Served at 17 degrees as a result. The colour has lightened moderately but still no signs of bricking. A slight warming of the wine (22 degrees here in Perth) allows the initially shy blackcurrant or blackberry...

G'day Ian Bell used to be a winemaker at Moss Wood, and originally this wine was labelled under the Moss Wood 'Glenmore' label. Deep crimson colour, with no igns of bricking. A typically Margaret River nose with eucalypt / menthol, blackberries, cassis, graphite, mulberries, mocha and cedar /vanilla...

I’m no expert on Aussie Nebbiolo. I’ve found them very good, with clarity and fruit purity. I’d like to delve deeper but working abroad my Nebbiolo budget stays in Italy. I can get Cru’s for the same price as Aussie Nebbiolo, when stopping over in Hong Kong. Were the wines blind tasted? Yes, they w...

G’day The usual suspects gathered at Lulu’s Little Bistro (again, a usual) for the first Grand Cru tasting of 2026. This time, the theme was Nebbiolo, from any vintage and anywhere in the world. Naturally, Piemonte, the home of Nebbiolo, was well represented, and a range of vintages were also offere...

G’day The usual suspects gathered at Lulu’s Little Bistro (again, a usual) for the first Grand Cru tasting of 2026. This time, the theme was Nebbiolo, from any vintage and anywhere in the world. Naturally, Piemonte, the home of Nebbiolo, was well represented, and a range of vintages were also offere...

G’day I’ve been a fan of this Margaret River wine since I first discovered the 2011 vintage. I have also hosted, or been involved in, a number of vertical tastings over the past few years. https://forum.auswine.club/viewtopic.php?p=160150&hilit=fraser+gallop+vertical&sid=4fa64123b2bcd87168f2...

G'day I acquired a six pack of this some years ago and stashed it away (i.e. forgot about it). Time to open one. Deep purple colour. The slightly volatile Penfolds aroma was evident during decanting, along with some leather. It settled fairly quickly in the glass, to reveal some developing dark plum...

For me in W.A., I would like to find out more detail, beyond what the news services are providing.This has the potential to be catastrophic - can more local Forumites keep us updated please?

G'day Last time I tasted this was over18 months ago, at a more general pinot noir tasting (by the Grand Cru tasting group) here in Perth. The group tasting note from that event was: Faiveley ‘Le Clos Du Roy’ 1er Cru 2017 (Burgundy). Crimson colour. Bright strawberry and cherry fruits, and cola on th...

G'day I've developed some interest in white Burgundy over the past couple of years (without having the budget for Grand Cru sadly), and have built a modest collection of wines mostly from this decade. I don't open them, however, as often as I should. Quite a deep rich yellow in the glass. A full nos...

A top set of notes, and a highlight of the year for the Forum, I expect. Thanks!

Cheers
Allan

G'day I bought a few bottles of this some years ago, and promptly forgot about them. Time to have a look. Purple black in colour. Blackcurrant, black olive, bay leaf, vanilla, dark cherry, menthol and mulberry on the nose. The palate has developed dark and red fruits,including blackberry, redcurrant...

interesting tasting, Australia's finest chardonnay without Australia's finest chardonnay?? can't have a tasting of this depth without LEAS. You're right, Felix, but there's a good explanation. All of the WA chardonnays were (deliberately) 2023, and Leeuwin is yet to release the LEAS 2023. Cheers Al...

G’day I had the immense pleasure of attending Lamont’s “Australia’s Finest Chardonnays” tasting, hosted by the inimitable John Jens (JJ – local wine legend). John hosts similar events maybe once a year, and these are a highlight of Lamont’s (extensive) tasting calendar. Check out the website Lamont'...

G'day I've been a fan of this winery for well over a decade now, and have cellared and drunk their wines back to the 2007 vintage. Deep purple in colour. A developed and dusty nose with quite sweet blackberry, bay leaf, blueberry, and modest savoury (oak?) notes. The palate is very fruit (sweet) dom...

G'day A freebee and a speculative wine as to whether it would be sound. It is, surprisingly. Colour is a quite deep purple. The nose is relatively primary, with red cherries, even a little stewed strawberry, and a touch of balsamic vinegar. The palate has plenty of freshening acid, more primary and ...

G'day 18 months on from the last bottle, this has changed and developed somewhat. Colour has lightened a little. As before, it was decanted immediately before service nd then set aside for a while as a huge whiff of leather accompanied the Cherry Ripe aromas initially. Time and swirling allowed the ...

G'day I've had a few of these over the years. This was the first tasting note, from a vertical tasting of HP Chardonnay I hosted in 2017: 2016 Howard Park Chardonnay (Mt Barker 46%, Margaret River 54%, 13.0% alc). Bottled in December 2016 and not yet released, this is a very pale straw colour. The n...

G'day Pale yellow colour. An expressive nose with yellow peach, a touch of apricot, white flowers, ripe pear and just a hint of savoury oak. The palate is medium weight, with the fresh fruit flavours to the fore. Relatively soft acid and modest length. A straghtforward and reasonably enjoyable chard...

A couple of years on, and time to look at one of the 6 pack I purchased following my trip to Italy. About $80 AUD from memory. Crimson colour.A powerful nose with lots of dark cherries, tobacco, dried herbs (similar to the 2023 tasting note), mocha, and just starting to show hints of leather. The pa...

G'day MyattsField was the first winery to import and plant this variety in WA. They've done well with it over the last decade or so. Deep purple in colour with a ruby rim. The nose is earthy, with blueberries, tobacco, dark plums, spicy oak, peppercorns and a touch of leather. Durif is known to be b...

G'day I found a couple of these lurking in the cellar. These are made from Pemberton fruit by this long-established and talented Swan Valley winemaker. Crimson with a touch of tawny. Developed nose with a touch of VA on first pour. Leather, vanilla, crushed violets, menthol, black olive, Christmas c...

G’day For my last vertical tasting of the year, we met (as usual) at the wonderful Lulu’s Little Bistro. We were privileged to be joined for this event by Dario Sirotti, the Sales and Marketing Manager for Fraser Gallop Estate. Dario was in support the last time I hosted a vertical of this wine (in ...

G'day I've been through phases with Fermoy Estate. It was my favourite Margaret River winery in the early 1990s, and has moved in and out of my orbit in the intervening years. Chardonnay and Cabernet were always the go-to's. Medium yellow and bright in the glass. A moderately complex nose with prese...

G’day A few of the usual suspects descended on the wonderful Lulu’s Little Bistro for our monthly Grand Cru tasting. This month, it was wines from South America – red, white and no other restrictions apart from being from somewhere on the South American continent. Mark and the team at Lulu’s provide...

A further update, nearly 2 years later. Again, the colour does not seem to have shifted much. Quite a powerful nose, but not harsh, with mocha, coffee and cloves now coming to the fore. Red plums are now fully developed and retreating slightly, while the cranberry note is a little more evident. A to...

My prediction from the last TN in 2022 has turned out to be spot on - this has held for 3 years and has improved slightly. Colour hasn't changed noticeably. The nose opened initially with some leather, but this cleared to reveal red cherries and red plums. There's a touch of vanilla, tar and cedar, ...

G'day This is the flagship Chardonnay from Cape Mentelle, and 2023 has emerged as an excelent vintage for Chardonnay in Margaret River. Pale yellow in colour.A fairly intense nose with ripe stone fruits, a little tropical fruit, some struck match, and nutty oak. The palate adds a gentle splash of le...

Another couple of years down the track, and time to have another look. The colour has lightened slightly, and is now a paler crimson. Spice, especially cloves, and Christmas cake (brandy) dominate the nose, with a little furniture polish, and fully developed red fruits behind these. The palate shows...