Pyrmont
Tasted Thursday, October 9, 2014 by chatters with 692 views
Another year…another six nations. I'll often write about elbows at dawn and perfumed ladies but this is the pinnacle of those types of events…self pour and every man (and woman) for themselves. This is my third year. Don't get me wrong I love this tasting but I'm still honing my plan of attack. A step closer this year with a fully printed out list of wines to try...As usual apologies apply for these most perfunctory of notes. They are based on first impressions and list what I smell (in order) and, if applicable, notes on the taste and palate feel. More of a record for myself than anything else.
Yes, there are plenty of aromatic wines at this tasting but I love Chardonnay, that most plasticine of grapes, time at the tasting is restrictive and it is here, consequently, that I commence my tasting.
The Vasse Felix Heytesbury was my winner with callouts for the Neudorf, Rustenburg, Clos du Val and Sonoma Cutrer
After the Chardonnay onto the Cab Savs - Should have been the Pinot and the Syrah first but I wanted to blitz the cab savs first as these tend to be very popular
callouts for the Trapiche, Babich wines, Diemersdal, Mulderbosch, Louis Martini...
A quick bite to eat post the cab savs and plenty of water and off to the pinots (which were few and far between)…I went straight to the US and faired well there but by the time I got to Australia there were only a couple and Kiwi's were completely depleted…
callouts for the Au bon Climat, Drew and Dutton Goldfield
Again by the time I got to the tables, wines were few and far between - the South African one looked like a plague of drunken locusts had been through it! A touch disappointing as I 'd been looking forward to trying quite a few of these.
callouts for the Luca Wines, Levantine Hill, Goldie Wines, Amapola and Reustle
Just a couple of wines I tried at other peoples recommendation
Lots of highs and lows for this tasting…High points were all vinious but the lowest point was watching an absolute arsehole empty a full bottle into four glasses and then when I asked for a taste he slurred "Oopsh, ish all gone".
2012 Bodega Atamisque Chardonnay
Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Tupungato
muted stone fruit, residual sugar. Nah
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2012 Bodega Catena Zapata Chardonnay Catena Alta Historic Rows
Argentina, Mendoza
slight oxidation, mint, peach. Hmm
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2008 Doña Paula Chardonnay Selección de Bodega
Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo
medium minus aromas of confected fruit…flabby on the palate…nah
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2013 Monteviejo Chardonnay Lindaflor
Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco
sweet biscuits, perfumes, cream…more cream on palate, bitter, lacks fruit…nah
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2012 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay Reserve
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
Cream, peach, toast, oak…old school nose…tangy and more savoury on the palate but a bit flabby. Hmm
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2012 Dexter Chardonnay
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula
Cream, peach, more of same on palate…a little anonymous
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2012 Freycinet Vineyard Chardonnay
Australia, Tasmania, Freycinet Coast
Medium minus intensity aromas of citrus and stone fruit…medium plus acid, cream citrus, stone fruit, phenolic grip. Lots going on but a bit out of whack
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2012 Hardys Chardonnay Eileen Hardy
Australia, Tasmania
Cream, toast, rich peach with herb notes as well. Juicy with a citric tang, cream, butter, oak…time required
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2012 Heemskerk Chardonnay Abel's Tempest
Australia, Tasmania
Medium minus aromas of cream, vanilla, peach…citric and tangy, juicy then creamy with phenolic grip. Meh
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2012 Heemskerk Chardonnay
Australia, Tasmania, Coal River
slight herbs and chicken meat, perfumed…lemon, very citrus, slight farty, meh.
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2012 Marchand and Burch Chardonnay
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Great Southern
good quality oak, stone fruit…quite tart, citrus notes, long, needs time. Hmm
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2013 Seville Estate Chardonnay
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
slight toast, cream, slight eucalyptus…broad, savoury with slight tanginess. Lacks fruit. Meh
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2012 Seville Estate Chardonnay Reserve
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
Medium minus intensity aromas of cream, vanilla, slight cedar, peach….tangy, savoury on the palate. Hmm.
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2012 Shadowfax Chardonnay Black Label
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Geelong
Slightly funky and cheesy, muted stone fruit…quite tart, bit meh
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2012 Vasse Felix Chardonnay Heytesbury
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Lemon, peach, toast, sl.butter great quality oak…on the mouth the wine is rich with lemon, peach, toast, cream, slight bitterness on the finish - young - needs time but very nice
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2012 Voyager Estate Chardonnay
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
Juicy and peachy, long with very slight bitterness on the end of the finish. Lovely
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2010 Viña Aquitania Chardonnay Sol de Sol Flawed
Chile, Malleco Valley
mouldy, soggy herbs…FLAW
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2012 Viña Cono Sur Chardonnay 20 Barrels
Chile, Casablanca Valley
glue, ripe peach, residual sugar, tannic grip, ugh
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2011 Maycas Del Limari Chardonnay Quebrada Seca
Chile, Limarí Valley
Stone fruit, slight oxidation, cheese, savoury, buttery notes on the palate, encroaching bitterness on the finish and lacks fruit in the mouth. Nah.
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2012 Ventisquero Chardonnay Grey Flawed
Chile, Casablanca Valley
Corked - FLAW
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2012 Viña William Fèvre Chardonnay Gran Cuvée
Chile, Maipo Valley
medium minus intensity aromas of stone fruit; nectarine, medium plus acid on the palate - there is fruit here but also slightly burnt notes. Hmm
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2011 Giesen Chardonnay The Fuder Clayvin Vineyard
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Toast, butter, slight fruit, spritz on the palate…out of whack, nah
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2010 Greywacke Chardonnay
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Toasty with peach notes, vanilla and coconut…very oaky. Hmm
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2011 Kumeu River Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard
New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Kumeu
Medium minus aromas of spice, stone fruit, butter, cream. Juicy and tangy and a touch warm on the finish. Hmm.
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2012 Martinborough Vineyard Chardonnay Martinborough Terrace
New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough
Peach, cream, butter…well made, balanced, slight warmth on the finish though. Nice but, perhaps, a bit anonymous.
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2012 Neudorf Chardonnay Moutere
New Zealand, South Island, Nelson, Moutere
herbs, peach…more of same on palate, tangy, front of mouth tannic grip. Long. Nice.
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2012 Palliser Estate Chardonnay
New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough
Vibrant stone fruits, spice, cream and toast on the nose…little buttery notes join on the palate. Plentiful tannic grip on the front of the mouth. Structured, needs time. Hmm.
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2012 Villa Maria Chardonnay Single Vineyard Keltern
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
medium plus intensity aromas of toast, slight spice and funky farmyards….medium plus intensity acidity, some citrus flavours, butter, vanilla out of whack. Meh
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2012 Villa Maria Chardonnay Taylors Pass Vineyard
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough, Awatere Valley
Polished oak is married to stone fruit with plentiful tannic grip but the fruit is quite short. Meh.
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2013 Chamonix Chardonnay Reserve
South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley
Herbs especially thyme, quite green, touches of wet stone and chalk…touch of spritz in the mouth, tangy, front of mouth phenolic grip. Hmm
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2013 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay
South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
aromas of butter, cream, toast and slight citrus over stone fruit translate to a citric tang with butter and slight astringency on the palate. Hmm
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2013 Iona Chardonnay Elgin
South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin
Perfume, cream, peach, toast, medium plus acid then bitter and astringent. Meh.
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2013 Jordan Winery (Jardin) Chardonnay Nine Yards
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch
peachy notes over cream, butter and slight toast, tangy but the fruit drops quickly and all one is left with is a certain bitterness
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2013 Mulderbosch Chardonnay
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch
On the nose it's floral with stone fruit and toast but in the mouth the acidity is so searing it distracts from everything else. Ugh.
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2013 Paul Cluver Chardonnay
South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin
biscuit and slight thyme, muted fruit…quite anonymous. Meh
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2011 Rustenberg Chardonnay Five Soldiers
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch
ripe peach, stone fruit and fig even, toast. Tiny bit flabby on the palate otherwise quite nice.
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2012 Acacia Chardonnay Carneros
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Slightly meaty, with stone fruit notes, herbs…quite fleshy on the palate but a little warm with plentiful grip and an astringent note on the finish.
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2012 Baileyana Chardonnay Firepeak
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Medium minus intensity aromas of initially a quite metallic note then cream and slight stone fruit. There is also a closed, almost reductive note here. Nah
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2012 Beringer Vineyards Chardonnay Luminus
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District
Medium minus intensity aromas of stone fruit, cream, peach but quite flabby and unfocused on the palate. Nah.
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2011 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay Robert Young Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
Medium minus intensity aromas of peaches, cream, butter and vanilla. Perfectly acceptable if not a little anonymous.
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2011 Clos du Val Chardonnay Single Vineyard Lone Cypress Ranch
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
highly perfumed, cream, butterscotch, slight peach, tangy, beautifully balanced and harmonious. Lovely.
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2012 Davis Bynum Chardonnay River West Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Very toasty initially with stone fruit butter and spice…more of the same on the palate. Okay
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2011 Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay Les Pierres
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Butterscotch dominates the nose with slight vanilla and peach notes…more of the same on the palate. I know I shouldn't but I rather like it.
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2012 Trefethen Chardonnay
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District
peach fruit, slight butter notes on the nose….initial spritz on the palate, then the wine is quite tangy with alcohol warmth intruding on the long finish. Hmm.
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2013 Baleia Bay Chardonnay
South Africa, Coastal Region
Medium minus intensity aromas of stone fruit, cream, slight spice, more of the same on the palate with some tannic grip. Balanced. Okay
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