11/16/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

by this stage of the night the memory was fading and it was about to be destroyed by Jezza and his bloody whiskies. And i have always had a love hate relationship with St Henri. Sometimes it impresses and sometimes it doesn't. But for value for money and ability to age compared to other overpriced Penfold siblings, its a cogent bargain. i have struggled with some 05 barossa but this was superb. still purple and sweet and lovely medium to full bodied palate with trademark penfolds layered fruit and structure. A little too much acid and tannin for me but only because it needed more ageing. Lovely drop.

11/16/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Ok so it was the reserve as Ian did not used the term "the Yarra Yarra " back in 97. however who cares. this was stunning. clearly better than 97 Mt Mary and as good perhaps on its day better than 97 Dry Red 1. medium bodied, sweet black and red current gently aged fruit. lovely fine long sweet tannin and nothing acidic at all. Superb with food and outclassed the 95 St Henri beside it ( despite it being a ripper too) . extremely rare and still with another 10 years to go. a cracker.

11/16/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Another ball tearing Standish wine from a crappy vintage. what does one say . Find a better 07 Barossa Shiraz ( ok it has a little viognier in it) . Maybe a RBP would be as good. Think his Standish Shiraz would be even better than the Relic. But a cracker. Rich decadent, young, super sweet and long in the mouth . But slowly approaching readiness. I know some preferred it over the 99 Helbig. it was excellent but like the Helbig, old Standish's are rare now and hard to get and under priced. Superb stuff.

11/16/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Well done young Sam. First boys dinner and bought a birth year wine from his cellar. It was my WOTN and suspect WOTN of many others. And boy was it a cracker. better than last bottle i had ( 97 pts) . Nothing unexpected here as the Helbig is the best of the best of all SVS made by Rockford. This bottle was simply stunning. Sometimes i find the SVS still too raw and not ready but this is approaching a superb 25+ year window which will offer extreme excitement. one of the best 99 Barossa Shiraz ever. Will hose a 99 Grange.
Very rare at auction compared to the other SVS and worth every cent if you can find it. I only have 1 bottle.. Incredible depth of fruit and sweet Barossa rockford style overlaid charm. Blackberry, blueberry, black pepper, chocolate, wet black earth, spices and multi level nuances all over it. Big tannin and Acid holding it all back but not one iota of unbalance. simply unreal. ETHEREAL perhaps!! tres bon!

11/16/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

my second WOTN for me. My birth year and one of 3 bottles i had. 69 hunters always impress and this lived up to its reputation and expected tasting experience. Lovely medium palate weight and exceptional length. It was easy to describe. Here are a few words.
Horse, saddle, leather, earth, red fruit, sweet spice, musk. just in a beautiful window and going no where. what a wine. I hope the other 2 are just as good.

11/16/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

the best of 3 pinots for me on the night and another classic aged Block 5 of surreal linear sweet velvet length. Simply glides down the throat but coats the mouth with sweet oriental spiced laden red/black fruit with medium weight and soft sweet fine tannin and acid structure. in a perfect window, if only slightly on the decline. Bloody yummy stuff. May even knock a 04 Bass Premium off line. super rare now in great condition.

11/16/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

A lovely rich, earthy, truffly, dark red fruited, ready to go Burg. Great depth and complex richness in the mouth with a super sweet finish. yummy stuff and did not get beaten by Grandpa Greg's YY Pinot 2011.. Phew!.But it was outclassed on the night by a 2004 Bindi Block 5 by a point. Well worth seeking out and drinking now but will hold for a few years. not over priced either.

11/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Grandpa Greg was up to his old tricks bringing a bottle of Pinot he knows would likely hose the competition as it had before. But on this occasion i teamed up with Timmy Bird and we ensured that a good Burgundy and an old Block 5 from Bindi would give as good or better competition. last thing we want is Greg going 4-0 up in the pinot war. We cant have that. So nice try Mr. R but no cigar for you last night.
Having said that this YY Pinot was in its usual brilliant form. If anything i found this bottle had a little more body and a tad denser and layered than the earlier one. Still light bodied in the mouth with lovely floral, musk and roses all over it, the gliding down the mouth was very easy. In its prime but no rush to consume. another cracking YY pinot.

11/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Cliffy returned to the wine dinners after a lengthy sabbatical avoiding Lockdown in Victoria. ( very smart move) and presented this lovely Chablis. It had a hard act to follow after the Giaconda and although not in the class of Giaconda, and somewhat incomparable, it was an excellent Chablis with a superb array of citrus fruit, some red apple and a wonderful acid balance that had not quite come together yet being so young but the wine deserved another 5- 6 years in the cellar where is will score much higher. A yummy drop and very well priced against more famous siblings.

11/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

not much to say about Giaconda Chardonnay. it is the best in Australia by a mile. This bottle was as expected. Opulent fat rich laden with Pear, ripe lemon, ripe limes, melons, all wrapped in gentle toasty oak and mouthwatering acid and 10 years from being at its best where it will easily merit a higher score. Superb to drink now but you just know you are in for a treat in a decades time.

11/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

I have never had this wine but have always enjoyed Aged HV Sem's. this one was stunning. Rich and oily in the mouth with lemon, gentle tropical fruit and long linear finish. A velvet underground of acid propping it up. And easy another 20 years in the cellar. Cracking wine and one to hunt down. And a perfect starter to the evenings frivolities. Thanks Jezzer

11/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Hooray- Boys dinner back on at La Luna. Despite very poor efforts from Fatsie and Kim Jon Il's failure to turn up , we welcomed back Cliffy from 12.5 years wandering walkabout in far west Australia and Young Sam to the group who for me , got WOTN on his first attempt. Therefore Young Kim Jon Il is out... out...out...Fatsie may re- apply but he is borderline for future attendance acceptance

Anyway here is the lists of wines and the scores ( everything was fantastic) and Yodamarks avid followers, junior palates and proteges can venture to them in the search function for specific reviews and other bombastic pontificating ( just for you Cliffy) comments.

2007 Brokenwood ILR semillon - 96 pts
2018 Giaconda Chardonnay - 97 pts
2018 Laroche Chablis Premier Cr - 95+ pts
2011 Yarra Yering Pinot - 95 pts ( Nice try Grandpa Greg but the other two pinots were just as good so no win for you tonight)
2008 Rossignol Volnay PC - 95 pts
2004 Bindi block 5 - 96 pts
1969 Tyrrells Vat 10 - 97 pts
1989 Brokenwood Cab Shiraz - 96 pts
1999 Rockford Helbig - 100 pts
2007 Standish Relic - 97 pts
1997 Yarra Yarra Reserve Cab - 96 pts
2005 Penfolds St Henri - 95 pts
1975 Chateau Coutet ( this wine ) - 94 pts

so this Coutet ( from Yodamarks cellar) was in excellent condition, base of neck. just a tad of metallic shortness but it certainly improved with time. lovely apricots and marmalade on the nose after a few minutes of pong first. After 20 minutes a lovely salty tang on the back palate with a hint of chlorine. ready to go but will hold , was superb but yet scored the lowest for me on the night. Which showed the quality of the wines consumed . Everything was amazing. Thanks for a great night Gents

10/24/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Dissension in the ranks. Timmy Bird , Fatsie and I thought the 83 Mossy was a cracker. And it should be as its always a good vintage and cracking wine. this bottle had all the hallmarks of classic old Moss Wood with Savory earth, dark red and black fruit, but was still deep evolving tannic and dry. Peter was unconvinced thinking it was to tannic and dry and unlikely to improve. but whilst i agreed it was dry and tannic i still thought the stuffing and pedigree was there for this wine to continue to improve over further decades. Totally outclassed on the night by two Yarra yering dry Red no. 1's and a 34 Pommard and 53 Treasure Chest but still held it head high.

10/24/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Second or third time I've had 84 recently. And its a lovely drop but has aged quicker than its siblings. I've never thought it was as good as 82 or 85 and not in the class of the 1980 consumed beside it. However... this bottle of 84 was the best bottle i have had. it was far younger, brooding and laden with richness compared to previous bottles. Perhaps it saw its older sister by 4 years being swooned and goggled at like some sexy stripper so it decided it must party upfront and quickly. And it did. In many respects and in agreement with Fatsie this was the more enjoyable of the two YY DR1's as it was so perfectly ready to go . whereas the 1980 needed another 427 years. Not quite as rich as the 85 and no where near as rich as the 1980 beside it it was more medium bodied but still power packed, long and dense and excellent dark colour. A lot less brown and less developed than other bottles. so a little underrated this vintage but a cracking wine and stood tall against some very stiff earlier competition. Beautiful

10/24/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Just when you think you must come down from 2 x 100 pt wines of 34 Villamont Pommard and 53 Woodleys Treasure Chest, i went an opened this little beauty. The 80 is a vintage i had not had. Yodamarks avid followers know of my love of YY DR1 and recent vintages of 74, 78, 82, 84, 85 all exceptional. but this one just hosed all of those previous enjoyments and expectations. It almost made the phantasmagorical 85 and 90 look simple. This was the blackest deepest darkest fruit laden monster i have ever seen from a Yarra Valley Cabernet and at something approaching 42 years old. No other 1980 wine in Australia, if not the world could compete. Im sure there will be bottle variation ( see my review of the 84 DR 1 for example) but this bottle was flawless. How Bailey managed to get so much richness, extraction and classic deep brooding Cabernet flavor is beyond me all the while maintaining a low alcohol level and balance. The best 80 Bordeaux would pale into insignificance. 1980 Best Shiraz Mouvedre and 1980 Moss Wood are crackers and recently tried but this just hoses those. its almost as if it was a fake wine. if so i would love to know what went in it so i can get some more!!!
God only knows what it must have drunk like at 10 or 15 years old. I sit here typing and i'm stumped as to what to say. so here are some words to merge for the nose and palate combined. Chocolate, Blueberries, Blackberries, Cassis liqueur, Cabernet Leaf, Heady Spices, Blackcurrant soaked cedar. Opulent, dark, fat, rich and along with the previous two wines now giving most drinkers at the table a rumbling in their pants....And Im spent..

10/24/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Having being blown away by the 54 Treasure CHest some time back, along came this little number to join the 34 Pommard and score another easy 100/100.. From Yodamarks cellar ( mid high shoulder fill) and from the get go it was just sensational. Lovely brick red with gentle crimson centre masking its age and completely unlike the colour of the 54 Treasure Chest which was murky brown. The nose was laden with red coonawarra wet soil, chocolate, dark berries, some VA, a gentle waft of oriental spices and mixed nuts along with the most beautiful peppermint undertone. Just something you could smell all day. Again and like the 54 these are Shiraz's not Cabernets but we move on. The palate was equally fat, long rich and laden with dark decaying red fruit, some spirity lift and chocolate. Just an ETHEREAL work of art. Impossible to decide which glass you picked up and drank against the 34 Pommard so basically I had both hands full with glasses of wine. Which kept my hands busy from doing anything else and given how good these were it had crossed my mind....
Again a wine i would unlikely repeat as so hard to get but another show stopper rendering us speechless..

10/24/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Jeepers Creepers. first time i can have family and mates over after lockdown so we decided to go BIG!! And BIG it was. How often can you sit down and drink a brace of amazing wines with the first 3 all unanimously scoring 100/100 and the 4th bottle getting 98/100. And then you start on the crappy stuff like special bin Penfolds and 83 Moss wood.

So with no further adieu here is the list and scores of an amazing brace of wines so proteges, avid followers, loyal subjects and junior palates can venture to the specific wines for reviews.

1934 Henri Villamont Pommard Epenots - 100 pts
1953 Woodleys Treasure Chest Shiraz - 100 pts
1980 Yarra Yering Dry Red no 1 - 100 pts
1984 Yarra Yering Dry Red no1 - 98
1986 Penfolds Special Bin 5/105 Cabernet - 95 pts
1983 Moss Wood Cabernet - 95 pts
1985 Seppelt Sparking shiraz - 94 pts
2005 Dominique Laurent Aux Combottes -93? pts
Yodamarks Special Fortified Solera - 150 pts....!

Anyway, onto the 34. The Laurent was a baby and had all the stuffing but never gave up its fruit after 4 hours so unsure on its future. Timmy Bird delved deep and dragged this beauty out and served us blind. Easy to pick straight up as something from at least the 1950's. Peter got closer with 40's. A pale limpid murky brown with translucent edge and no hint of red. Timmy didn't hold us out long and revealed it. Despite and expected of the colour, its the nose and palate that merited the perfect score. Hints of decayed red fruit, rotting vegetation but overlaid with sweet forest floor mushroomy truffled scents. Quite subtle but very heady and spicy. Some nutmeg as well and stale nuts. No , not those kind of nuts.... Palate was light bodied but was long fat rich and laden with spice, earth, hint of VA but absolutely no sherry or spirit or drying out. long finish and just an amazing experience that held up for several hours. 34 was a great vintage. This is the second or third time I have had 34 Burgs and they are crackers. Lady Frenulum stooped to a new low by insisting sample bottles were put into an uber and delivered to his home so he could try them as well. what are we going to do with him... Anyway thanks Timmy Bird an absolute privilege

10/17/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

I think this might have been one the first of the new vineyard cabernet malbecs that Bailey did. Not in the class of the normal 93 dry red 1 and missing a little pedigree and stuffing its more famous big brother would have, but still a lovely wine. Drank with a 92 Johns Blend Langhorne creek straight cabernet that was stunning ( 96 pts). the YY New Vineyard wine had lovely mature red fruits and some savory stalkyness. Lovely medium bodied mouthfeel and drinking in its prime. Some cheese and bikkies went well with it. It continued to improve over time and Timmy Bird said both wines got even better later that evening. Anyway a yummy wine but outclassed by the superb 92 Johns Blend ( Glaetzer) on the day by a poofteenth.

10/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

So whilst this wine is not in the class of the BP or the straight cabernet ( and its never meant to be) it runs an easy 3rd for top level Rockford reds and capable of extended cellaring. Proof of 99 being such an amazing vintage. Each time i try 98 versus 99, 99 always seems to come out on top. This was a good deep red, slight browning edge, lovely earthy red fruited nose with a persistent minty push up from underneath that Lady Frenulum excellently picked to be Cabernet behind the Shiraz. Superb mouthfeel , long, sweet and beautifully resolved and ready to go but not falling over. Perfect with food. Just another cracking 99 Rockford wine. Its getting boring extolling the virtues of their wines. I think i will stop writing about them.... would i do that?...NEVER

10/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

I have always had a soft spot for LB as it has given much pleasure over the decades. A particular 85 vintage drank in Singapore was a stunner. So at the Saturday soiree after an ethereal 99 Hutton Vale shiraz ( 99 points) and a lovely 99 Rockford Rod and Spur ( 96 pts) i thought i would trump the boys with this big classy bordeaux. Bottle in fantastic condition high neck fill. Virtually no seepage on cork. Pop and out it came. Je regrette mais F@#$King corked. C'est la vie Monsieur Timmy Bird
Second bottle thankfully sound. Dense chewy, savory, blackberry, tar and mint. We probably drank it too fast and too cold. but dont be in a rush to consume good condition bottles, probably needs to be drank when its 50 years old. Superb.

10/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Will keep it short. Just another amazing 90's vintage Jack Mann. every vintage from 94 to 99 are stunners. this was still way to young but so perfectly balanced and enjoyable now but if lost in the cellar for 20 more years then no big deal. dark, rich, sweet, long, and almost makes you speechless. such a great wine

10/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Well well. I think i gave the last bottle of this 98/100 when tried at the winery back in April . This bottle opened to celebrate some good news in the Angas family. This bottle from Lady Frenulums cellar and it pains me to admit it but was superior to the bottle from my cellar I took to the winery by a poofteenth. This was primal, tight, dark, young and has hardly moved an inch since release. Deep brooding crimson purple oozing chocolate, blackberry, sweet sandalwood almost earthy rubber exotic hints ( not unlike old Basket Press) and the palate was dense rich and extremely long. A 99 Rocky Basket Press would give it a run for its money but other than that there is no better 1999 Barossa or Eden Valley shiraz i can think of or have tried. 99 HOG tried recently was lovely but not in this class. Just an ethereal work of art. Give it 20 more years.
This wine is orgasmic and defies all logic, and given the madness of the world at present what a great combo..

9/20/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

I haven't bought Troys wines for a few years as I just have too much barossa shiraz. Which is a pity because he makes cracking wines and is a ripper ripper bloke. And great value for money too. This 2002 was topping the scales at 15.5% alcohol which does concern me but it didn't drink like it at all. And plenty of other "supposed" great 2002 Barossa shirazes teetering at post 15% alcohol would currently drink terribly with hot unbalanced palates and dead fruit. For this wine though the fruit was still big enough and rich enough to soak up the alcohol and provide a lovely drink. Ready to go but will hold for a while yet. Provided the fruit and acid and tannins stay married to the alcohol and dont get divorced in the coming years. It is NOT as good as 2002 Rockford basket press or 2002 Hutton Vale or 2002 Standish or 2002 Dutschke in my humble opinion but this does not detract from it being a cracking wine. For the junior palates, proteges, avid loyal subjects of Yodamark, check out Troys bargain other wines, Buckboard Durif, Moppa Shiraz, his Grenache's and GSM's. Great great wines and his top shelf Edouard and Johann are stunners too. Source and drink.

9/20/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

A short note as this wine continues to shine. Back in March, I had a sterling example that i gave 97. This bottle was also fantastic but to me it just had a slightly lesser edge than the previous one. A little disjointed and weaker structured. Less cohesive. But only a tosser like me would determine such a difference. Regardless still a lovely drop with a lot more time to go and perhaps it was just in the shirty mood on the day. Easy to pick as 20 year Barossa shiraz but again it wasn't a definitive Rockford SVS. Otherwise i think we would have said that earlier. Anyway just semantics. Yummo.

9/20/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

I opened this wine after the 75 Black Label Wolf Blass in hope it would be sound and drinking well and be able to compete with the Black label. And boy did it do that. From the initial pour and the ensuing 15-20 minutes it just keeping opening and flowering and fattening up. Just a superb example of old Barossa Cabernet. The boys understandably struggled with the year and region but grape variety was easier to pick. Colour and structure and fat palate made it nigh on impossible to pick as a 65 as it appeared to me to be younger looking than the 75. Im struggling to think of a better 65 Cabernet from Australia, perhaps an old 707?
But anyway a stunning wine which i felt drank younger, richer and more complex the preceding Black label that was 10 year younger. My WOTD. One more bottle in the cellar still in the neck and no rush to consume it. Another cracking old Yalumba wine.

9/20/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Another Soiree with superb lamb ribs and mushroom risotto started with a lovely 75 WB Black Label. A wine that i have not enjoyed in the past and consider them over priced and out of balance and incapable of competing with similar pedigree wines. So the first Black Label for me for at least 25 years. It was slow to open showing its advanced years but it did do a slight "invert" and opened into a lovely balanced red fruited savory but sweet wine. A blend of Cabernet and Shiraz and Jimmy Watson winner ( which as i have stated before i do not regard it as a significant award) but nonetheless this was singing. Not going to improve any further and on the slow decline so drink up but a lovely lovely wine. Surpassed on the day by a stunning 1965 Yalumba Bin Q Cabernet ( 96 pts) , 2001 Rockford SVS (96pts) Pressings and 2002 Kalleske greenock Shiraz ( 95 pts) but do let this detract from its enjoy-ability. Thx Chaps

9/12/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

An interesting old King valley Browns Cabernet that most would consider past its best or undrinkable. When first opened it was poo pooed with upturned noses due to some old stink and VA and clearly displayed "I'm old and tired" characters. As we all know, avid followers and proteges, with old bottles of wine it can be a lottery as to whether they improve or fall over. Colour and nose suggested it was going to die a fast death but the palate showed promise so we let it open and breathe and then in about 10 minutes Division 1 in tatts kicked in. I dont recall seeing such a wine do a magic act and reverse itself. Ooops i mean "invert" itself. And clearly i need to expand Yodamark's theory of "invertedness" into some old other varieties. This did a Lazarus and opened to a lovely sweet long medium bodied classy earthy red fruited savoury palate, a little watery but still nice. The nose continued to protest and gave up but in the mouth a lovely lovely drop. Past its best but i suspect a well cellared bottle still at BON or above would be even fresher. Further evidence of how great the old reds are in North East Victoria.

9/12/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

I dont even know if these guys are still going but we met them 15+ years ago in the Valley and stocked up. Alas no more in my cellar but Timmy Bird dragged this one out at the Saturday Soiree. And it was very easy to pick as 20 year old Barossa shiraz and I said it had a element of southern barossa in it. The fruit, from memory , was all an old Moorooroo vineyard perhaps no longer in existence ( a shame) . However this was quintessential Barossa earth, blackberry, sweet spices, chocolate, a tad Rockford-ish and still full bodied, young decadent and purple. just a ripper ripper Barossa Shiraz. Wish i had some

9/12/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Sadly another winery that has gone by the wayside into corporate ownership but back in the 80's and 90's made sensational cabernets.
The 90 vintage is the somewhat unofficial 6th great Cabernet from 1990 in the Yarra Valley ( Yarra yering DR1, Mt Mary, Yeringberg, Yarra Yarra and Wantirna Estate being the famous 5) . Oakridge is returning to some form with its chardonnays and Pinot but not their cabernets. This 85 is another example of how great 85 was and another superb example of 85 YV Cabernet. Not in the thick dense decadent spectrum of the 1985 YY DR1 but instead in a medium bodied , ready for business classically structured Cabernet of cool climate. Sweet and immensely smooth in the mouth it was sublime letting it glide down the throat. Structurally perfect and will hold for another 5-8 years easily but why wait. its so yummy now just enjoy it if you can find it. Which is nigh on impossible. But Yodamark has 2 more bottles...hehehe...

9/8/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

65 was a great Hunter vintage and despite this wine not being in the class of Lindemans Bin 3110 or Draytons Bin 51 this was still a lovely drop. Very Hunter with typical 65 vintage smokey bacon, meat, leather and spicy red fruit. overlaid by typical Pennys taste, some wood varnish and bitter chocolate. Medium bodied in the mouth and still with a lovely back palate sweetness. Tiring out and will not improve but still a nice wine.

9/8/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Another soiree and another stunning YYDR 1. This time a 78. Just sensational. Not the blockbuster dense rich decadent version like the 74 or 82 and 85 , this 78 was still medium to full bodied and power packed but far more balanced, extremely Bordeaux in smell and taste and just a ripper wine. in fact i found it more enjoyable and easier to drink than some of its closest vintage brothers and sisters which still need more time, as I believe its absolutely in its prime peak drinking window. Still with excellent color and a superb long sweet plum and cassis style palate with smooth herby tannin it will continue to hold for at least another 10 years. Which will be the time i open the 1 remaining bottle of 1978 YYDR1 in my cellar. superb!

8/29/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

well this was an interesting wine. Jimmy Watson Trophy winner but i dont rate that as being special. The boys did better at picking the grape variety than i did. To me it smacked of an obscure 30+ year Aussie Pinot, a little Giaconda-ish, even old Yeringberg. it was a pale limpid brown/red, see through and with an all brown/light edge and not much given away on the nose. Very light bodied in the mouth with secondary residual sweetness. ( Yodamark cannot get everything right and must let his proteges have a few victories) Nothing special and not in the class of the other two wines ( 1997 RBP - 97 pts and 1991 Orlando Lawsons - 96 pts) but nothing bad either, quite a nice drop of red. Amazing given the vintage was not recognized. And completely incomparable to the normal Coonawarra Cabernet i drink, for example this and Riddoch are chalk and cheese. Nonetheless, not a wine i would seek out, but absolutely lovely to drink but in the last gasps of life. Drink up . Very interesting wine.

8/29/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Another cracking Lawsons. One of Australia's unsung under rated Shiraz's from the often forgotten region of Padthaway. Approaching its prime it was dense deep crimson red, oily fat rich and laden with blackberry, chocolate and slight spearmint synonymous of the region. Impossible to pick as Padthaway shiraz and 30 years old. Just a ripper wine pipped on the day by an ETHEREAL 97 Basket Press. I have one more bottle of the 1991. I will keep it for a few years yet. Yummo

8/29/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Another soiree in order (also had 1991 Orlando Lawson - 96 pts and a surprising 1984 Hollick Coonawarra Cabernet - 93 pts)
and this bottle. Another lazy bottle of near 25 year old Rockford Basket Press that simply was amazing. its almost boring to keep writing about potentially one of Australia's most iconic shirazes. Here it is again locked between two amazing vintages of 96 and 98 and somewhat overshadowed but was just stunning. A lovely sweet balance, with earth , cedar, chocolate and sweet dark red berried exotic ripe fruit. Full bodied and rich in the mouth with extreme length and multi faceted tang swirling the mouth. Many years, possibly 2 decades to go, A little Cabernet/Bordeaux -ish in style which i find in old Basket Press from less recognized vintages but for which i love. 87,88,89 prime examples. But all minor semantics. This was just in a world of its own. Comparing it to a 97 Grange would be unfair to the Basket Press, as a 97 grange would not even come close. A McLaren to a LADA. Just amazing stuff and served with the softest lamb cutlets ive ever had. They had the texture of marshmallow.

8/18/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

a lovely wine. I got close with region and easy to pick as Shiraz but it drank a lot older than 1999. More like something in late 70's or early 80's in colour development and nose but this did not detract from its enjoy ability. Classic Heathcote structure, some mint/eucalyptus, dark red cranberry red current fruit, oily, very sweet and absolutely in it prime. no further ageing needed. outclassed by the 1980 Bests and the 2001 Montrose but still a lovely drop.

8/18/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

I love Montrose. i think the 1990 is one of the greatest Bordeaux wines ever made. Alas i only have one bottle. In weaker years they tend to still make very acceptable and affordable wines. Whilst this 2001 is not in the class of 2000 or 2003 as its closest siblings it was a monumental effort for the vintage. Some colour development on the edge and a nice brick red with crimson center it is therefore clearly ready to go but will hold at least another 10. It is a little new world in structure and palate and harder to pick as a Bordeaux blind apart from clear Cabernet based fruit. it is rich and sweet and lush in the mouth and would be a superb match with slow cooked lamb. Drink up but no rush. Yummo

8/18/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Another cheeky soiree without Chaps this time so no food. Also had 99 Wild Duck Creek Bridies row ( 94pts) and 2001 Chateau Montrose ( 95 pts) . But the winner on this day despite the other two wines being superb was a masterful and rare Bests Shiraz Mouvedre. From the concongella vineyard and a plain white cellar door label, Timmy Bird and I had this wine in our cellars and had drank a few over the years. it was in perfect condition still 1 cm into the neck. When decanted it naturally belied its age, the boys guessing it as 99/00 SA shiraz, so only 20 years out but understandable as it is impossible to pick it as 1980.. The nose was a kaleidoscope of cranberry, raspberry, sweet ground spice, peppermint spearmint. the palate was fat rich laden with ripe dark red fruits and and a minty spicy linger . it was full bodied lush, fat and oily in the mouth and just ETHEREAL. Would annihilate a 1980 grange. A wine made 12 years before the first ever Thompson and at 41 years old still has 2 decades to go. if you can find it. near impossible i reckon. Kudos Viv

8/8/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

its an impossibility to give this wine anything less than 100/100. This half bottle was from an early bottling when the Rare, Grand, Classic, classification system came in. but it was .....it was....it was.....it was....i dont know what to say.
A golden green colour, with a viscous sheen from any angle permanently staining the glass. Nose was walnuts coated in sweet oriental spice and sugar. Ripe sultanas soaked in brandy spirit all balanced by lovely acidity. its basically indescribable. Just find some and buy it. One more bottle in the cellar. ETHEREAL. Then again all the top Rutherglen fortifieds are.... just buy them

8/8/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Another underrated Aussie great wine and one to fool mates with. Padthaway Shiraz at its best from Lawson vineyard by Orlando. The mid 90's are drinking superbly and still with many years to go ( 96,97, 98 are stunners). I had one bottle of 1985 in the cellar and keen to see how it drank at 36 years old. And it was excellent. Good colour, vigour, sweet berried nose with some spices and a hint of coffee and sweet glue. rich and dense still in the mouth with long spicy finish. Nowhere near over the hill but not going to improve further. in a perfect window. Continued to drink well over 2 hours. well worth seeking out but very hard to find. Must be well cellared bottles of course. And another great Aussie wine from underrated vintage of 1985. Yummy stuff.

8/8/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

86 bin 389 is a wine i have not had for 20 years. I do remember always liking them though, especially the better vintages. Poorer vintages tended to be acidic and harsh. At this soiree it was outclassed by a 91 Katnook Odyssey and a "Timmy Bird Ethereal" 91 Mick Morris Durif but this was still a lovely drop. I do not think its going to age further and it had hints of green olive and green Cabernet leaf, which i have noticed in other 86 Penfolds wines. both 707 and the 86 Grange are a little green, but the rest of the wine is strong enough to hold it up. This 389 also had lovely mulberry, light bodied cassis, sweet earthy savory plate. Quite smooth and sweet in the mouth and ready to go but not falling over. typical Penny's nose and structure but not in an overdone way that some other stablemates suffer from. Just a damn good wine. Drink up.

8/8/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Bloody hell. if you want a wine to totally gazump your wine mates with in a blind tasting, then this is one of those wines to do it with. Yodamark's avid followers, proteges, junior palates and loyal subjects know my love of Morris Durif. And i had the 71 a while back and from memory, without checking, i think i had mentioned the 90 and 91 at that time. This was dense, black, laden with blackberry, plums, bitter chocolate, damp black wet earth, spices and pepper. No way to pick as 1991. And almost impossible ( even for Yodamark ) to pick it as a Rutherglen Durif. Just simply stunning. One of, in not, the most underrated great Aussie dry red of all time. Needs another 25 years. An amazing drinking experience AGAIN....but if some comes up at auction then DO NOT buy it please. Just leave it for Yodamark to accumulate.... :)

8/8/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Saturday soiree with Mango slaw and meatballs and slow cooked beef with polenta followed by cheese platter. 3 more fantastic wines. This 91 Odyssey, a 1986 Bin 389 (94 pts), and a phantasmagorical 1991 Mick Morris Durif ( 97 pts).
The 91 Odyssey is the first time i have tried it. I have several of the standard Cabernet in the cellar and they are amazing. i have written those up before. in fact i think they are more quintessential Coonawarra than its reserve big end brother. having said that there is nothing wrong with this wine. It is dense, chewy, dark berried and power packed with a long time to go. Not as good as 91 Riddoch but not sure what other 91 Coonawarra Cabernet would be up there with both these wines. Still impenetrable crimson dark red and very hard to pick as 1991. In fact hard to pick as Coonawarra Cabernet at all given its massive structure. but in unfurls slowly in the glass. 5 hours later with half a bottle left it finally revealed its true making. it was so much better and so much more Coonawarra Cabernet. it had exploded with Peppermint, spearmint, blueberries and dark red soil. a bit like a 1963 Peppermint Patty in smell. ( what a wine that is, 1 bottle in the cellar) . So a wine still with more ageing needed and although drinking very closed and rich still at 30 years old, i would therefore give it at least another 10 years.

8/4/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Orlando Steingarten . 25 year of age proving how well Aussie Rieslings age. From a vineyard high up on the west facing hill overlooking the valley ( from memory) . Not sure if thats classed as Barossa or Eden or Flaxman there but who cares. Always is a good Riesling and long lived. This one was quite deep yellow with a golden edge lots of oily spicy tropical fruit on the nose and palate with a hint of earthy kero. But in its prime and drinking very well. Not getting better but well cellared bottles will be an enjoyable drink. Went perfectly with La Luna Scallops and Prawns.

8/4/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

from Yodamarks cellar. Always a good value Sauternes. Drinking extremely well now despite still being a little closed and with some upfront acid. But the back palate was laden with apricots, orange, citrus and honey. a wonderful long finish but marred a little by no nose or front palate. just needs more time to balance out. But worth the wait

8/3/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Will keep this short as Yodamarks followers ( i think 6 now) know my love of this wine and i have written about the 99 before. This one from fatsies cellar since new and was just a primary, purple, rich, blackberried, chocolate earthy fruit bomb still nowhere near ready. Give it another 15-20 years of good cellaring. still tannic and with a considerable about of acid present but a core of Barossa shiraz fruit lurking behind it. All the bits are still not getting along like brothers in the sandpit throwing Tonka trucks at each other but eventually they will grow up and learn to get along. A cracker.

8/3/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Arguably Tasmania's greatest Cabernet and up there with the best mainland versions. Usually long lived. And like Clare and sometimes Coonawarra i have found Domaine A cabs to be quite minty. But this mintyness is wrapped in small dark blue and red berried fruit with a wonderful opulent oily palate. Quite a full bodied wine and still with 10+ to go but hitting its straps right now. Outclassed by the 90 Wantirna against it but a beautiful wine and one worthy of a place in Yodamarks cellar. let me think if I have some of these...hmm. yes lots!!! Thx Jezza

8/3/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

WOTN for Yodamark. One of the famous 5 from 1990 of Yarra Valley Cabernet. Being - Yarra yering Dry Red 1, Mt Mary, Yeringberg, Yarra Yarra and Wantirna Estate. i had not had this wine for 20+ years. it is NOT as good as best bottles of YY DR1 but its damn close. I suspect this is better than 90 Mt Mary now. This bottle was VHS, but when opened was the immediate party girl. laden with blackberry, cassis, tobacco, cedar and plums it was quintessential YV Cabernet. The palate was equally as rich and long and elegant with a leafy and savory cedaryness wrapping the tannins and fruit. Still a deep crimson in colour belying its age - just a ripper ripper wine. Thx Brodes.

8/3/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

will keep this note short. This 09 Polish Hill at 12 years old tasted 12 days old. The colour had hardly aged at all. The palate and nose were mostly closed and wound up in a ball of lightly oily acid. But all in a good way. There was hints of apple, citrus trying to break out but were reeled back in very quickly if they broke ranks. This is a baby and has decades to go. And proves that Grosset PH along with Rieslingfreak wines are the king pins of Aussie Riesling. Seriously dont touch for another 10 years. It is in a surly period where it probably entered a dumb phase and shut down period at 3 years old and generally they come out of it at 8 years and start to party and develop some lovely secondary elements. But this one at 12 years old has decided to remain in a slumber and stick it up the establishment. Almost non enjoyable if you know what i mean but headed for a fantastic life ahead.

8/3/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

Well what a turn up for the books and the cause of much frustration for Yodamark who just cannot win a pinot challenge with Grandpa Greg.. since releasing Yodamarks theory of inverted Pinots with the 2009 YY PN, along comes this 2011 YY Pinot from a lesser vintage in the Yarra Valley compared to closer years. This wine was the antithesis of the 1999 Boillot Volnay. This was a limpid brick red with translucent edge, quite see through. Extremely light bodied and feminine in the mouth like gentle liquid silk gliding down . Nose had hints of ripe strawberry, red currants, a little jam, some cranberry. Palate was similar fruit profile and just an extremely elegant, gentle velvety wine that just caressed you like a massage from a..... nevermind.
Not a wine i would have targeted at auction and absolutely in its prime and ready to go, no need to age further (unlike the Boillot) and therefore unlikely to have to endure an episode of Invertedness!!!!!
Yummy yummy stuff and caused my Boillot to finish second against it by a smidgen and allow Grandpa Greg to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Grrrrrr. Game on

8/3/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine:

This bottle of Boillot Volnay Chevrets was a stunner. Some varied previous reviews but i can tell you this bottle from my cellar was still very dark, rich, a little raw and with years to go. But it was laden both on the nose and palate with dark berries, plums and a oriental perfumed spicy lift with a lovely wad of balanced acid and tannin encircling the massive core of fruit to give it a long life ahead. Still a deep crimson. A bit new world in style if anything. And no shrinking violet
This was consumed at another La Luna Boys dinner with Grandpa Greg, Jezza, Brodie, Timmy L, Fatsie and Kim jong il and Yodamark - yours truly. Cliffy away but Timmy Bird and Lady Frenulum showing very high levels of weakness and being under the thumb
As grandpa Greg and I are in a pinot war, when we starting drinking this wine I knew i would blow him out of the water against the 2011 Yarra Yering Pinot he bought along. I had a quiet snigger to myself. i thought finally a win for Yodamark on best pinot on the night. Hmmmm. Well its now 0-3 in this pinot war for Yodamark. The YY PN was amazing and from a lesser vintage. ( 97 pts). A completely different animal of course but sublime. if you looked at both the wines in the glass and smelt them and asked to pick which one was Burgundy and which one was Australian, you would have got it wrong. ( Yodamark would have got it right of course)

Heres the rest of the list so proteges, junior palates, avid followers and disciples can read my reviews on the wine frivolities and gastric beauties consumed last night.

2011 Yarra Yering Pinot Noir 97
1996 Orlando Steingarten Riesling - 93
2009 Grosset Polish Hill - 95
1990 Wantirna estate Cabernet blend - 98
2004 Domaine A Cabernet - 96
2001 Rockford SVS pressings - 97
2003 Lafaurie Peyreguey Sauternes - 94
2009 Farr Rising CHardonnay - unsure on this wine on the night so not scoring it