The Auswine Forum

Agree Allan. Black Label Cabernet ageing is glacial. A recently opened 2012 model showed little development. Primary fruit flavours dominate. A tough gig. Even a 2008 bottle seemed just a pup. I am questioning my recent purchase of the 2021 vintage given my less that perfect cellaring conditions. G...

G'day I've not looked at one of these for some years. Decanted about 4 hours before service. Even during decanting, the primary blackcurrant and eucalypt flavours were climbing out of the decanter. The decanter was stoppered and put back in the cellar. It's settled down a little since then, but the...

Don't overlook Penfolds Bin A Chardonnay - it's my Giaconda replacement. Even their Bin 311 with a few years bottle-age are pretty handy. At its price point, which is still not cheap, it might be the best value wine Penfolds makes. I don’t buy Penfolds reds, but I do buy the whites. Yes, the Bin A ...

3 x 2024 Tolpuddle Chardonnay. Missed out on Giaconda this year, but between this, the Savaterre and Sorrenberg, I’m still very happy with my high end Chardonnay purchases. Don't overlook Penfolds Bin A Chardonnay - it's my Giaconda replacement. Even their Bin 311 with a few years bottle-age are pr...

2025 Pikes 'Traditional' Riesling - crikey, this wine's good. Bought a dozen, hearing that it was good - I will be buying more! Looks like 2025 could be a doozy for Clare rieslings. And now for something completely different! 1945 Kopke Vintage Port. Last time I sniffed and tasted this (from my fing...

Not sure if it’s all piss & wind, when out last night with some industry types, scuttlebutt is a 20 year trial concluded with stelvin versus cork. Pennies is going back to cork with all their premium reds. Yessss. ... Geeez, finally! Yalumba probably have done the same trials, and gone back to ...

I would start with Google!
Just 1 post?

When you say 'Vintage Ports', do you mean the Vintage Port style ( 12 - 18 months in barrels then many years bottle-aging) or ports from a particular year, and aged for many year in barrel, i.e. Tawny port. In Portugal, tawnies are made in low years, with very few carrying a vintage year. If the sam...

2016 Hardys HRB Chardonnay - rich, almost unctuous yet retaining a degree of freshness.
1998 Yalumba Menzies Coon. Cab. - bottle emptied too quickly! Beautifully aged and stylish red - a delight.

WR, these wines or JR? Ironically I had a 1997 JR tonight, under cork 2mm stained. Beautiful wine glorious fruit, flavour and length. Just beginning to fade. I'll check in with the winemakers next week, but this move is solely down to saving face in an international market. Nevermind asking the dom...

WR, these wines or JR? Ironically I had a 1997 JR tonight, under cork 2mm stained. Beautiful wine glorious fruit, flavour and length. Just beginning to fade. I'll check in with the winemakers next week, but this move is solely down to saving face in an international market. Nevermind asking the dom...

Thanks for the note Allan, think I went long on this vintage. Should be exemplary drinking now and in the next 10-15 years. Hooray for screwcaps. As an aside there will be some punters on here who will be over the moon, and some who will be bloody annoyed (me), but the upcoming release of 2022 John...

A shitty day in Adelaide but finally some rain! One's mind shifts to VP's when it gets cold, and dark early, so pulled out a 1975 Ch. Reynella Vintage Port - ( 'Port' was used in those days ) A quite amazing wine for its age - quite tawny in colour, a great, complex spiritous/Shiraz nose and a nice ...

Yes indeed, as dry as a chip YTD 30mm, long term avage from Jan to May 175mm Perhaps Albo can grow a pair and give AUKUS the flick and put in some decent infrastructure to drought proof the country. A metre of rain in 72 hours in NSW (double SA's yearly total), largely running out to sea, when capt...

Malcolm, I am perfectly OK with it, have actually had a bottle...nice pizza pasta red. Much better than a pet Nat. The 2021 Redman Cabernet Merlot is a very good value for money wine...matter of fact having one right now. Cheers Craig OK with that too - Limestone Coast would be good for the 'Sanga'...

I got caught up with the siren song of the $35 deal on cellarone for Gladstones. I really didn’t need it as I already have six, but was too good a deal to miss. same. I’m an intentional FIFO worker and love a bottle watching the footy . This is $20 USD which is extraordinary value considering what ...

Yalumba 1991 Signature - enjoyed with char-grilled, marinated lamb loin chops.
Great colour for age, as too the complex bouquet and a stunning palate. Perfectly mature and a pleasure to drink.

Penfolds Bin A releases. Great value, relatively speaking of course!

I have it on good authority that the Chardonnay sold out in 3 &1/2 minutes!

Might be an opportune time to conduct a poll for Top 10 Australian Chardonnay, UNDER $50. With Aussie Chardonnay very hot at the moment, there's some opportunistic pricing out there. I love Giaconda - drank many bottles in the late 80's/early 90's when it was a third of todays price. It's a world cl...

2021 Wynns Messenger Coonawarra Cabernet.
A magnificent red: opened and double decanted 2 hours before, to accompany a lovely, medium-rare fillet steak ( peppercorn sauce ) and shared with a friend the day before his open heart surgery. Figured he would enjoy something decent! He did.

Pretty happy - just picked up a mixed doz. - 6 & 6 - of the '24 Drumborg and '24 Leo Buring EV for $15 each. Probably one of my best buys in recent times. Love both these wines. Stock up on the '24's you enjoy, because of the hottest year / driest year in history, '25's might show some stress. ...

6 x 2024 Drumborg Riesling
6 x 2024 Leo Buring Riesling
In a mixed doz., $15 each - rapt.

Pretty happy - just picked up a mixed doz. - 6 & 6 - of the '24 Drumborg and '24 Leo Buring EV for $15 each.
Probably one of my best buys in recent times. Love both these wines.
Stock up on the '24's you enjoy, because of the hottest year / driest year in history, '25's might show some stress.

Wow, what a list .... certainly a trip down memory lane! Few whites - or was someone else responsible for those. Iain would have recently left CLICHY restaurant in Collingwood ( set up with Siggy Jorgensen of Monsalvat fame ) - great bloke. Can you put any prices on those wines - Grange would have b...

Three reds enjoyed over the last few days; 2012 Yalumba 'Menzies' Cabernet Sauvignon - balanced, fragrant and complex, and a good example of a variety growing in right spot. 2004 Castagna 'Genesis' Shiraz - an early Beechworth bottling which has aged gracefully. Long-flavoured - perfumed even - in a...

Andrew Buller 1858 Old Vine Sparkling Shiraz NV - Bottle fermented method and liquored with rare Muscat. Good froth, but can’t see any bead because of the impenetrable purple colour. Lots of rich Shiraz character rather than sweet. Mulberry, blackberry and spice. Fresh and inviting in the glass wit...

We love our fortified's and try as many as well can. A recent trip to Rutherglen a couple of weekends ago was a bit eye opener however. Some not producing a VP anymore at all.... While others producing what can only described as very poor examples, from what we deduced were most likely excess grape...

On the subject of ports - and I love Morris VP's also - finished last night, 1969 Taylors Late Bottled Vintage Port (bottled 1974) .... in a word glorious! Thoroughly mature but not tired, aromatic, racy and showing classic aged Touriga characters with integrated spirit. We love our fortified's and...

On the subject of ports - and I love Morris VP's also - finished last night,

1969 Taylors Late Bottled Vintage Port (bottled 1974) .... in a word glorious!

Thoroughly mature but not tired, aromatic, racy and showing classic aged Touriga characters with integrated spirit.