Christmas Day 2013
Pine Close
Tasted Wednesday, December 25, 2013 by Derek Darth Taster with 320 views
Introduction
Annual Christmas get-together with the regular gang. Lots of good wines brought out. Nice turkey and many good cakes!
Flight 1 (6 Notes)
Closing
An interesting 3 main wines, with Penfolds Bin 707 the clear winner for wine of the day. Shafer fared well too.
2010 Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau 84 Points
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Beaujolais Nouveau
Tasted blind. Old apple on the nose. Still fruity with apple juice flavour, but somehow tastes old and tired. Hardly any tannins. I guessed Beaujolais or Bourgogne Rouge. This is past it's drinking window. The fruit is getting tired.
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1997 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707 97 Points
Australia, South Australia
Tasted blind. Wonderfully beautiful nose. Rich berry, vanilla oak, and chocolate aromas. Grapey, berries and blackcurrants on the palate. Fruity but in great structure and maintaining good balance. Tannins so smooth and caressing the tongue. However, the finish is wild and intense, in a great way. Just a hint of dustiness on the finish.
I guessed 10 year old Left Bank Bordeaux, but somehow the nose just didn't quite fit. Pleasant surprise. My first experience with Penfolds Bin 707. Quite a clear winner for wine of the day. Probably wasn't so good years ago, but at this point in time, this is drinking so well now I have to give it 97 points.
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2005 Shafer Relentless 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Poured through Vinturi and left to air in decanter for 3 hours. Dark opaque almost black colour. Beautiful aromas of vanilla oak, blueberries, and chocolate. On the palate, blueberries, blackberries, and slight white pepper with a mild sour herb towards the finish. Very smooth and a little creamy mouth-feel. Long finish. So good that the alcohol was hardly felt.
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2004 Torbreck Descendant 92 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Tasted blind. Saw the cork crumble while my friends tried to extract it. They finally managed to get the remaining half of the cork out with an Ah-So. Left to air in decanter for 2 hours.
Woody oaky nose. Aerosol propellant (somewhat like the smell you get when you spray insecticide but without the nasty bit) hits the nose and top palate on the entry. This went away with vigorous swirling in the glass. On the palate, I got bell peppers, mint, and eucalyptus. Quite complex. Got sweeter as the wine gradually opened up. Mouth-feel was razor sharp and long alcoholic finish. Blockbuster Aussie wine. My opinion is that this wine should be waited on for another 4-5 years, or given an extended air time in the decanter if drinking now. I gave an extra point for complexity and another point for future potential.
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2012 Woodbridge Moscato Western Cape 83 Points
South Africa, Western Cape
Straw yellow colour. Sweet fruity nose. Peach dominated, with some apricot and an orange zing. Medium bodied. Sweetness is alright, but too much alcohol on the finish. I prefer Moscato d'Asti.
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2009 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
Opened by my uncle. Not rated because popped and poured and drank from a small glass. Green capsicum nose. Green herby notes continue onto the palate. Rounded mouth-feel, but a lot of alcohol heat on the finish. My opinion is this is probably too young. Give it another 5+ years. A Cab Sauv from one of America's most famous and highly regarded wine-growing areas, it will be interesting to try this again properly a few years down the road.
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