9/25/2021 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Copper coloured, cork was in great condition and less than half soaked. Popped and poured straight from the wine fridge.
Nose of marmalade and honey on toast. The nose blind I would have guessed a Sauternes. Still had a great freshness with no petrol or stickiness.
High intensity acid with the taste reflecting the nose. Again had a Sauternes feel without the richness and sweetness. There is a little bit of rs but it's well kept in check with the acid. Finish was long, and kept me going back for more.
This was delicious, but I can't see it getting any better. I wish I had more, but was a great bottle as a once off.

8/3/2021 - deejay81 wrote:

Waxy citrus, some honeysuckle development.
Starting to thin out. Very easy to drink but nothing special.

6/1/2021 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Didn't make any notes, but do remember it to be very very good. Was more medium bodied than I expected it to be.

Still has years ahead of it!

9/26/2019 - deejay81 wrote:

Going off memory from a few nights ago...

Light golden, fine persistent bead, immediately hit with aromas of roasted nuts and brioche.
There's some apple and lemon there but this was very yeasty, nutty and bready all the way through.
Length was superb with a great acid line keeping me salivating. Had this with Japanese matcha macarons. Very good way to finish the night!

9/21/2019 - deejay81 wrote:

Bottle and cork in great condition.
Opened with a nice pppsssshhhtttt indicating the wine hadn't gone flat and the cork did its job for the 30years.

A light amber colour with fine persistent bubbles however very minimal mousse. Aromas of burnt butter, caramelised popcorn, creme brulee and some toffee apple. Wine opened up over the course of an hour and displayed more intense aromas of toffee apple and that burnt butter continues throughout.
Flavours of slightly bitter toffee apple, caramel popcorn. Great acidity keeping me salivating. Paired extremely well with our Japanese degustation menu.
Finish was long and was a joy to drink. The bubbles lasted through the whole bottle too which kept things even more pleasant.

7/22/2019 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

First drink in 9 months!! Celebrating newborn coming home.

Took no notes but softer since last bottle, acidity felt less sharp and overall felt rounder with some bottle age.

10/17/2018 - deejay81 wrote:

Bottle 1019 of 8220. Sour red cherries, strawberries, raspberries with some crushed dried leaves, nutmeg spices, well integrated oak and a small amount of stalkiness. There's fine medium tannins, medium plus acid driving the wine to a long finish. Delicious, and very mouth puckering. Grab some if you can!

9/23/2018 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Blind.
Clear, medium intensity ruby.
Nose was clean, with medium plus intensity aromas of red fruits - strawberries, red cherries, raspberries, some mushroom, but very pure fruit driven. Still developing
Wine is dry, with medium levels of acidity, medium minus tannins and medium alcohol. Primary flavours similar to the nose (strawberries, raspberries, red cherries) some developing characteristics with a little bit of vanilla oak, some stems and mushrooms. Finish was medium plus. Wine is ready to drink but can definitely age some more. A very good wine, not too overworked and lets the fruit speak to the drinker.

9/18/2018 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Pretty complex but not in a overworked way. A bit of butter but not too much, a bit of cream but not too much, a bit of oak, but not too much. Some lemon and lime skins plus some stone fruits - apricots, white peaches. Good balance, and still should get better.

9/4/2018 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Very strong nose as soon the bottle is opened. Heaps of black fruits, eucalyptus and mint. Blackcurrants, with mild oak and pretty smooth tannins. This is quite good right now and should be able to age for the medium term.

8/25/2018 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear, dull pale yellow in colour. Initial slight petrol/super glue that blew off quickly leaving behind a sweet nectarines. White florals, perhaps Jasmine.
Medium minus body with sharp high acidity. Lots of white stone fruits, white peach, white nectarine with skins. Sweet but no residual sugar. A bit like biting into waxy honeycomb. Very complex and definately has some oxidative character which goes well with this.
Finish is long, with the zingy acidity with sweet fruits keeping me wanting more. Extremely satisfying wine that is dying for some food but so good on its own too.

8/13/2018 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Clear, deep dark purple showing very little signs of age.

Nose is clean with blackberries, mint, eucalyptus, white pepper and cloves

Full bodied, medium plus tannin, medium acid. Taste is similar to the nose. Add some bitter dark chocolate, American oak presence, with a long blackcurrent, blueberry finish.

Finish is medium plus. Tasting very young for an 8 year old. Still a good few years till peaking. Good representation of a classic Barossa GSM blend.

8/12/2018 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Clear, almost no colour, perhaps a slight green tinge.

Nose is clean with freshly squeezed lemons and limes. Citrus candy. Newly cut green grass.

Body is light, high acidity, very little residual sugar, if any at all. Lemon and lime sherbet. Salty, wet rocks. Minerally driven wine.

Finish is medium length but the juicy acidity keeps the mouth salivating. Very good dry Riesling that is drinkable now but with more to come for 5-10 years.

8/10/2018 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Clear, dark ruby red, a little bit of purple.

Nose is clean with plenty of strawberries, cherries, herbal/mint tea, white pepper, tar.

Medium bodied, soft tannins, medium acidity. taste is similar to the nose. Finish is medium.

It's a very good wine that drinks well now and pairs with light food. possibly could be a little more complex and time will probably make it even better.

8/8/2018 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Clear, medium intensity purple.

Nose is clean with strawberries, under-ripe cherries, menthol, Arnott's Mint Slice. Jasmine.

Medium acid, medium tannin, light oak influence. Strawberries, watermelon, dark chocolate, cherry ripe. Black tea. Mouthwatering.

Finish is medium plus, taste is still young, yet extremely drinkable now. Should last many more years to come and develop more complexity with time in the cellar. Very good wine for a very good vintage.

6/7/2018 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Decanted off sediment, drank over a couple of hours.
Clear, dark but slightly fading purple. Not quite bricking but looks very close to around the edges.
Clean nose of dark fruits, blackberries, fresh pack of cigarettes, tar, some nutmeg spice.
Medium plus body, medium acid, medium minus tannin. Taste was similar to the nose but also had some soy and a tiny bit of eucalyptus. The softened tannins and with still a decent amount of fruit in this made this very enjoyable and so easy to drink.
Finish was long.
I wish I had more but this was my one and only bottle. The optimal drinking window is now but with the screwcap should keep this powering on for a few more years at least. Very good.

6/4/2018 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear pale lemon with green edges.
Nose was clean with freshly cut grass, lemon, lime, jasmine, and a bit of menthol.
Medium plus acid, Grassy with unripe lemons, some mint. Very fresh and hard going on its own as it's so very young. Dying for some age and has the potential to age a number of years. Finish was medium in length. Kind of simple right now, but can definitely see it getting better with at least 5 years more in the bottle

5/16/2018 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

No formal notes.
A good amount of bubbles (not too little, not too much). I remember some toasty notes with green apple bordering citrus mouth feel and acidity and a perfect amount of dosage to balance.
Medium plus body and definitely pinot dominant.
Finish was long. Very delicious but still has plenty more to give with age.

5/11/2018 - deejay81 Does not like this wine:

Clear, dark inky purple.
Nose of dark soy sauce, some black currants and cigar box.
Not much oak, not much tannin, not much body, not much complexity. Taste was very hollow and almost dilute? Little to no fruit. Possibly in a dumb phase, if these wines do go through such a phase? If not, this was a very ordinary wine.
Finish was short and had my head scratching how dull this wine was.
I only had one glass from the bottle and leaving it overnight to see if it improves at all tomorrow.

5/10/2018 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear bright yellow gold, looked premoxed for such a young Chardonnay.
Nose was smokey, banana skins, guava, honey, some vanilla essence too.
Acid medium, very complex taste of unripe tropical fruits, green banana, guava, quite minerally, some very well integrated oak.
Finish was long, and quite possibly made in an oxidative style unless this bottle was an anomaly. I wouldn't hold this for too long, probably drink now to 3-5 years. Very good drinking now.

12/5/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

This was so beautifully fragrant throughout the whole night, colour was still purple but having some dark crimson red in there. Tannins still present but so smooth. Blueberries, blackberries, dark plums, some menthol. This was yum, and I'd say in the start of a long, prime drinking window.

10/25/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Clear, medium intensity purple showing very little signs of age.
Nose was clean and had pronounced notes of red berries, chinese 5 spice, menthol, eucalyptus.
Dry, medium acidity, medium plus but fine tannins, full bodied. Flavours of red berries, raspberries, blueberries, drying tannins and some oak flavours. Finish was medium plus.
Overall I really enjoyed this wine. It hasn't really moved much, possibly tannins feel a bit more fine compared to last time I had this, about 3 years ago. Didn't really go well with the food I had (8 course vegan tasting meal) but the wine on its own was very nice.
1 bottle left and I think i'll have it in about 5 years time.

9/29/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Screwcapped.

Medium intensity pale yellow approaching pale gold.
Tiny bit of petrol which blew off quickly but also still has plenty of fresh lemons transitioning to sweeter citrus fruits. Nose became more reserved throughout the night.
The taste I think pretty much reflected the nose but also has some nice minerality and still has great acid. Finish was long.

Was tasted in a flight with the 07 Grosset Springvale and the PH looked, smelt and tasted more complex and younger.

This is a very good wine that has gained some complexity with age but is still a baby and will easily hold another 5 years especially thanks to the screwcap.

9/29/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Medium intensity, pale gold with fine persistent bubbles.

Apple pie, brioche, smokey, slatey, freshly baked bread on the nose.

Very pinot dominated flavours but also continued with the baked apples and minerals. Medium acid there but the finish was on the shorter side (medium minus). Would have liked to have tried more but only had a small pour.

From what I tasted, I don't think it's going anywhere so I'd say drink up from now and within 2-3 years or it could start to get a bit flabby. Good but not great.

9/29/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Decanted for air and to remove quite a bit of sediment for about 3 hours.
Colour was intense dark purple with the faintest of crimson on the edges.
Upon opening, the nose filled the room of eucalyptus and black fruits with a noticeable but not offensive lift of VA typical of an old school Wendouree. These scents continued in the glass.
Medium intensity palate, medium acid, oak was there but well integrated. More eucalyptus, blackberries, some tar and and bitumen. Quite complex and felt this captured what Wendouree typically tastes like. Finish was medium plus but kind of started to fade a little by the end of the night.

9/21/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Intense bright straw coloured with fine persistent bead.

Smokey, flinty, toasty nose with citrus and stone fruits. There is so much going on from just the nose.

There are underripe apricots, and lemons, mixed with that toastiness, a good line of acid to back it all up. Lots of complexity happening but also extremely easy to drink. Finish was long and had me wanting more.

Still young and should be able to last for 5+ years.

9/21/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Bottle kept upright for a couple of days for sediment to drop.

Cork was in great condition, and only soaked about 1/5 of the way up. Decanted for a couple of hours.

Colour was a medium intensity purple/crimson with no bricking and showing very little signs of age. Looks closer to half it's 28 years of age.

Initial nose of nail varnish, sweat, with some red fruits in the background. this then reversed over the course of 6 hours, with more fruit coming out with more air and the nail varnish all but blown off. Still maintained some funky barnyard, leather, sweaty scents throughout the night.

Taste evolved throughout the night with the wine starting with quite a bit of funk - dirt, barnyard, leather, but also with some red fruits, strawberries, raspberries poking though. Tannins have very much integrated and medium acid is still there to keep things held together. The wine kept getting better, more smooth and soft and just a joy to drink with the last glass being the best. Finish was long.

There is plenty of structure in this to keep it lasting for another 5-10 years at least. With the decant, it was very much in its long drinking window for my tastes. If you drink it now, I would suggest a longish decant and then watching it evolve in the glass for most enjoyment.

9/1/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Screwcap. Clear, medium intensity pale lemon in colour.
Nose was clean with lemon sherbet, nearing lemon candy. Some passionfruit as well. Slight amounts of toastiness also coming through with some swirling.
Light bodied, medium plus intensity, high acid and dry. Primary flavours of lemon juice, some mild bitterness which went away over a few hours. Lots of slatey minerals also giving it a nice freshness. Some but not much development happening with a tiny amount of sweet toast flavours too.
Finish was medium plus, and the wine is in a good place right now but still should get better. 5+ years for more development. Enjoyable and very good.

8/28/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Screwcap. Clear, pale lemon colour, very little development visibly.
Freshly squeezed lime juice, some smoke and sea breeze. Fairly consistent nose over 2 hours.
Lime, citrus peel, slight bitterness, high acid, light bodied. Slatey and crushed rocks minerality.
Finish was medium plus.
Really enjoyed this, very refreshing and I think at this stage still very primary. Has a long way to go and should be even better in about 3-5 years time once it develops further and adds some aged Riesling complexity.

8/25/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Screwcap, pop and poured, slightly chilled.
Wine was clear, star bright, light gold. Very vibrant coloured.
Strong scent of kaffir lime, very little petrol which blew off almost immediately in the glass. Some honeysuckle and toasty notes too.
Medium acid and not cloying, lots of lime juice and almost had honey spread on toast flavours.
Very easy and pleasant to drink. With a medium length for finish.
Very good wine and just short of excellent if the finish was longer. This is in a very good spot right now but with the screwcap can hold for at least another 3-5 years.

8/22/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Pop and poured. Clear, medium density purple, turning garnet and showing the first signs of age.
Still a good nose of ripe cherries and red fruits.
Medium bodied, quite a bit of fruit has gone since last time making way to some secondary characters of tobacco ash and dirt. Oak and tannins have resolved well into the wine allowing for a smooth medium length finish.
2 bottles left and if you are after fruit first Shiraz, I'd drink up, otherwise should be good for 3-5 years to see even more development.

8/14/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear, very pale yellow, almost water-like.
Nose is clean with lemon and lime juice, no petrol/gasoline, a bit of sea spray. Became gradually muted over a couple of hours.
Light bodied, medium plus acid, more lemon, lime and citrus peel, salty rocks, slate and very mineral driven. Finish was medium plus.
Still very fresh and young, the acidity hit felt dialled down one notch compared to when tasted before but not in a bad way. Very refreshing and will easily hold for 5-10 years.

8/12/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear, light golden with fine persistent beads.
Clean nose of lemons, marmalade, honey and some yeasty breadshop too.
Light to medium light bodied. Flavours similar to the nose with medium acitdty to back it up. Finish was medium.
Not overly complex but enjoyable.

8/10/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear, pale gold with hints of green, showing no signs of age.
Slightly sweaty nose upon opening changing to burnt rubber and squeezed mandarin skins.
Clean, medium minus body, not much alcohol. Freshly cut grass with more mandarin peels with hints of lemon. Quite refreshing with enough acid to back everything up. Seems to be in a bit of a transition phase, as it is not completely fresh like a young hunter Sem, but not evolved yet as there didn't seem to be much taost or honey showing through.
Finish was medium. A very easy to drink wine. I'd say hold a few years for some more complexity and evolution.

8/9/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear, pale yellow, medium sized persistent beads.
Dominant scents of freshly cut red apples, lemon lime and bitters.
More apples upon taste with a little bit of honey (but dry) and wax. Not a bad amount of wax to back it all up.
Finish was medium minus, not very complex but refreshing. Not bad for a cheap Cava. I'd drink it again for the price.

8/6/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Clear, faded yellow, tiny amount of bubbles sticking to the glass.
Powerful scent of freshly squeezed lemon and the Clare opened can of tennis balls. Smelt very fresh.
Lemon juice, lemon peel (bitterness), a bit of saline and minerals, crushed rocks and powerful hit of acid that got my saliva running. Felt dry but also possibly a very small amount of RS if you really tried to look for it.
Finish was long. Perfect example of a young, fresh Clare Riesling but would definitely hold if you want some development maybe 10 years later.

8/6/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear, dark ruby/purple. Seems a little lighter in colour than my other bottles.
Fruit forward nose of blueberries, blackberries, some strawberries too. Some eucalyptus and nutmeg spices.
Similar taste profile but with the addition of some softened toasty oak and equally mellow tannins. There's some alcohol felt but not overwhelming.
Finish was medium plus and overall a pretty enjoyable and good QPR wine that can still cellar for a number of years.

8/3/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear, light golden with medium density persistent bubbles.
Orange blossom, orange peel and some citrus coming out of the glass, and a little bit of sweetness upon swirling.
Had that orange peel bitterness with a little bit of mandarin candy throughout the bottle. Taste profile didn't really change over 2 hours. Had a really nice cut of acidity to go with all of this. The finish was medium plus.
I think the bottle had been in my cellar for about 2-3 years but overall was showing reasonably fresh. Not sure about the bitterness and was looking for a bit more oxidative flavours that comes with age so hopefully will gain more complexity with some additional cellaring.

8/1/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear, dark purple but not inky. Only a small amount of sediment at this stage which was decanted off.
Scents of black cherry, cloves, dark chocolate, a bit of mint and eucalyptus too. Tastes similar to nose but also add some blackberries and earthiness. Tannins were fine and very minimal oak, certainly not popping out but very well integrated and well used.
Finish was long. Still very primary and the wine should deliver for many more years.

8/1/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Disgorged 09/2015
Clear, fine persistent bubbles continuing through the night. Colour was light golden with a very minute tinge of pink.
Immediate sniff of Granny Smith apples upon opening with some lemon and lime.
Would say a reasonably light bodied wine, with the apples and lemon continuing through the palate backed up with plenty of acidity.
Bottle felt like it had some development (only slightly) but this can age a bit more for a number of years to give it more complexity. Finish was long. Will try another bottle next year to check on development.

7/11/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Stood for half a day, then pop and poured, and drank over 5 hours.
Cork was in pristine condition.
Clean, dark garnet, showing only small signs of age. Nose was very complex with blueberries blackberries, eucalyptus, burnt rubber, tar, and some cigarette smoke.
Body was medium plus to full. There was flavours of dark plums and plum skins. Oak and silky tannins very well integrated with the fruit with not one characteristic overpowering any other. Finish was long. It is drinking extremely well now but I think still has the potential to develop even more complex characteristics with more time. Very very good wine.

7/10/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Pop and poured, taken from cellar @ 17°c. Label suggests to chill but drank straight from cellar.
Clean, pale straw yellow. Nose was between citrus and tropical with some orange peel with swirling, some struck match as well.
Medium minus to light bodied. Taste reflected the nose with a slight honeysuckle finish. After about an hour it was very much pineapple cocktail/ pineapple alcohol. Subtle hints of oak, very subtle. Not very complex.
Finish was medium minus and got less interesting the more I drank. Decent, but nothing special.

7/3/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Clear, dark purple but less dense than before. No sediment when decanting.
Nose was a little muted, but swirling gave off blueberries, coconut, a little bit of tobacco.
Similar taste profile with some acid, but very much in check with some tannin, fruit, and oak. Not very complex but a good clean drinking wine. Well balanced, great value wine with a medium finish.

7/2/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Cork in pristine condition. Had bottle upright for 24 hours, and decanted through a strainer to catch sediment. Slow o'd for 6 hours before drinking.

Wine was clear, dark, purple with no visible signs of aging. Great nose of dark chocolate, black berries, cigar box, the nose lasted for the entire evening. Taste had plenty of fruit but with some oak poking through and tannins had resolved and was only playing a supporting role. Finish was long. Very much in balance and I would say into the start of its peak drinking window. Should stay here for a number of years to come.

7/1/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Clear, very pale almost water like. Some effervescence immediately in the glass. Strong scent of candied lemon and lime with some tropical fruits nearing pineapple. Some gunpowder and wet rocks. Fairly light bodied, sweetened lemon and lime. Granny smith apples too. The acid coming on strong to balance the sweetness. Finish was medium plus with the acid leaving me wanting more sweetness, then sweetness wanting more acid. This Riesling delivers and finished the bottle way too quickly. Can't wait to see this evolve.

6/26/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Opened another screwcapped version last night.

Clear, bright gold, lots of lanolin, honeysuckle and some sweet lemons in the background. A lot more acid and less bubbles appearing on the glass than my last bottle. Definitely tasted younger than my first bottle, but looked older. More lemon/lime coming through with some waxiness coating the mouth. The finish was medium. 1 more bottle left and i'll probably wait a couple of years before trying it.

6/6/2017 - deejay81 wrote:

Screwcap. Decanted for an hour and removed a fair bit of sediment. Wine otherwise was clear but dark purple with only the slightest signs of aging.
Initial nose was of stewed strawberries, some cigar box and vanilla and dark chocolate. After time in the decanter and swirling, came more darker fruits like blackcurrants with menthol and eucalyptus, a bit like a packet of blackcurrant soothers lozenges.
The taste didn't change much over the course of 2 hours and had some mostly resolved fine tannins but with some alcohol heat and definite American oak.
Finish was medium plus length and I kind of wished I had this with some lamb chops or a juicy steak instead of having it on its own as it was a bit monodimensional. Wasn't too bad but nothing special. I think it is at its drinking peak and can hold for a few more years but not getting any better.

3/14/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Screwcap

Colour was light golden, not quite fully gold with only a small amount of aging visible. The screwcap definitely assists in keeping out the oxygen. The screwcap version looks so much younger than the equivalent cork sealed bottle of this.
Initial opening had a bit of kerosene on the nose that my wife noticed more than I did. I noticed more some honeyed citrus/honey lemon and a little bit of toastiness as well due to the age. Some noticeable alcohol is there too. There are also some white florals happening with some swirling.
Taste had some more honey lemon but not sweet, with the acid still there. It definitely has both primary and secondary characteristics. Bottle age is obviously there but the screwcap keeping in the freshness of everything still.
Finish was medium plus and this can still go in this format for years judging what state it's in currently. I'll enjoy watching its slow evolution.

2/19/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Slow O'd for about 6 hours, then poured into a decanter to remove sediment. Cork was in great condition and very tight.

Dark impenetrable purple with no signs of aging. Nose had plenty of dark chocolate, blackberries, menthol and eucalyptus.

Bitter chocolate, dark fruits and vanilla oak and pretty tannic. Tannins settled as the night progressed as did the bitter chocolate with more blackberries and raisins coming out. Could have done better if decanted overnight as this wine was tasting super young particularly at this age for this vintage. Finish was long and had me wanting more.

2/19/2017 - deejay81 Likes this wine:

Pale lemon with a constant and vibrant bead. Sweet lemon and caramlised nuts on the nose.
Very tight and acidic with slight yeastiness initially but opened up over 2 hours into a fuller buttery and nutty wine with the initial acid still there to back it up. Finish was long
This worked well with the freshness and acidity great to get the taste buds flowing, then evolving through the night to turn into a really nice Champagne with more vintage characteristics. Still young and i'll have no problem drinking my next bottle in 3-5 years time.