Blind Tasting Friday session at ES

Interesting mix of wines.

• 2006 Paul Ginglinger Riesling Eichberg 88 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Appearance is clear, pale intensity, gold colour. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of fragrant petroleum, wet stone minerality, and mild honey. Developed.
  On the palate, off-dry, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, full body. Medium flavor intensity, with flavours of petroleum, honey, wet stony minerality. The minerality and petroleum dominates the palate, with just a bit of the citrus orange in the background. Medium finish.
  Good quality Alsace Riesling. Drink now, unlikely to develop any further.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1998 Tahbilk Shiraz 1860 Vines 91 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Nagambie Lakes

  Tasted blind. Pop and poured and drank over 2 hours.
  Appearance is medium intensity garnet colour. Lots of fine and coarse sediments. Legs.
  Initial nose has a bit of barnyard ?brett, earth, and sour red cherry. Very much like an aged Brunello. Developed.
  On the palate, dry, medium acidity, high alcohol, mellow integrated medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of cheesy barnyard, earth, sour red cherries. Medium+ finish.
  Sadly, it was downhill after the first glass. Cheesy barnyard became a bit more smelly socks, and the sour red cherries became more sour prunes and plums.
  Probably very good quality during its heyday. Now it is tired and past its prime. Drink up now - pop and slurp it down fast. My points are for the 1st glass.

  Read 3 Comments / Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Tahbilk Shiraz 1860 Vines 89 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Nagambie Lakes

  Tasted blind. Popped and poured.
  Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour.
  Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of capsicums, peppery spice, and a mix of red and black fruits. Developing.
  On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, high alcohol, smooth easy medium+ tannins, medium body. Medium flavor intensity, with flavours of capsicums, peppery spice, plums, blueberries, red cherries. Medium+ finish.
  Good quality. Intriguingly, this was better the last time I had this. Today, this was elegant, but seemed to be a little dilute and hollow on the mid-palate, and I didn't like the capsicums.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Gianfranco Fino Primitivo di Manduria "Es" 87 Points

  Italy, Puglia, Primitivo di Manduria

  Tasted blind. Poured into decanter and drank over an hour.
  Appearance is deep inky ugly black colour, with lots of coarse sediments in decanter. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of mushrooms, dark chocolate, sour plums and raisins. Developed.
  On the palate, dry, medium- acidity, high alcohol, dry coarse high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of mushrooms, dark chocolate, sour plums and raisins.
  Acceptable quality. My first time trying an Italian Primitivo. Can drink now, this tastes quite developed already and I feel that it is unlikely to get any better with further ageing.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Tasted blind. Popped and poured.
  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
  Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of ripe dark cherry, blackberry, chocolate, and toasted oak. Very slight hints of blackcurrant leaf and bell pepper. Developing.
  On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, refined soft approachable medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of ripe dark cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, chocolate, and bits of green bell peppers. Long finish.
  I guessed this was a medium-aged Right Bank Bordeaux with significant percentage of Cabernet Franc.
  Good quality. This Petit Mouton is still on the young side now. Give it another 5+ years to develop complexity.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue