NobleRottersSydney - Flagship wines

With two guests substituting for missing Rotters, we commenced the 25th year with a “Best of the best theme”, the exact requirements of which were evidently open to some interpretation. Nevertheless, the wines were mostly good:

• 2004 Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz E & E Sparkling

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  [cork, 14%] {Glenn} Bright and surprisingly youthful nose of smoky raspberries. There are liqueur/jamlike red berries on the medium-bodied palate; the fruit is dense yet refined. This is at the very driest end of this style, shows a touch of coconut perhaps from oak, and coats the tongue with creamy bubbles. There are some soft powdery tannins in evidence too; the palate presence is largely at the front of the tongue, and it finishes dry and medium-length. This is very drinkable indeed and the perfect riposte to those who think sparkling shiraz is some kind of freak wine. Drink anytime over the next 8 years quite happily.

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• 1994 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  [12.5%, cork] {Stephen} Aged. All cedar nose. Attractive in an old-fashioned way, but there doesn’t seem to be much fruit left. Sure enough, the palate confirms this, being rather gaunt and anorexic. Greg observes “the brett adds interest”…really! In fact, being light-medium-bodied, with gentle dusty tannins and an almost medium-length (but desiccated) finish, the structural balance is pretty good. Oh, yeah, except for the missing fruit. “But apart from that, Mrs Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?”

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• 1997 Cullen Wines Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot (Diana Madeline) Flawed

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  [14%, cork] {guest - David} Fading garnet colour. A shocker of a nose; absolutely rank with VA. Thoroughly bacterial. In the interests of science I ventured a taste: sharp, nasty, astringent, volatile. Diabolical. The last bottle of a stash; apparently the others were OK. This one is definitely not.

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• 1996 Mount Mary Quintet

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  [cork, 12.5%] {Graeme} Mid garnet. This is a gorgeous nose: aromas of pepper and spice, cedar and tobacco, with a touch touch of basil & herbs leap from the glass. Very seductive. The palate is dry, somewhere at light-medium weight, with soft powdery tannins and medium refreshing acid. It’s a very subtle and nuanced palate; perhaps falls just a little short of the nose for depth of flavour, but it’s even and balanced and has a medium-long finish. A middling vintage for MM: although this is drinking beautifully now, its peak is probably a little behind it, and I would consume remaining bottles over the next 5 years or so.

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• 2006 Mount Mary Quintet

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  [cork, 12.9%] {Gordon} A fine contrast to the 1996. Somewhat developing nose and succulent cherries and currants. More intense and obviously youthful than the 96, almost perfumed in its bloom. The palate is firmly medium-bodied, with ultra fine tannins; quite fruity in a restrained cabernet way, with classy dark berries and currants. Oak is barely noticeable. Here’s another even, balanced palate, with a long and finely etched finish. Wants 5 more years in the cellar and will be astoundingly good. Would that more local wines had this balance and finesse and sub-13% alcohol levels. Gorgeous wine.

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• 1999 Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz E & E Black Pepper

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  [cork, 14%] {Geoffrey} Developing sort of nose. I wouldn’t call this young or old – it seems to be in a kind of statis. What is smells of is high quality American oak. Coconut, dill and more coconut. The palate is big, rich and sweet. Raspberry and mulberry fruit, lavishly ripe, has been swathed in lashings of charry oak. Tannins are quite low and dusty; the oak is present more as flavour than texture to me. Medium-full bodied. There’s quite a long finish too. For me, it’s just a bit too oaky and one-dimensional, but this was a big hit at the table it must be said. Within this style of wine, this is a very good example. Probably at peak, seems like it will hold a while.

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• 1998 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  [14.5%, cork] {DavidM} Developing nose. All dark currants and oak seasoning; no trace of that black/green olive note that seems so common in Margaret River. The palate is surprisingly spicy and lively, with rich liquorice flavours, medium weight and acid, and moderate powdery tannins. Quite powerful, full of flavour, and coats all the tongue with its rich ripe taste. Although the finish is quite long, it does tend a little towards heat for me; at 13.5% this would have been perfect I reckon. No hurry to drink especially.

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• 2001 Penfolds Bin 389

  Australia, South Australia

  [14%, cork] {guest - JP} Bright ruby red. Developing nose, redolent of the classic Penfolds meat and tar characters. Some Rosemary, herbs. Touch of black olive. The palate follows the nose; could there be a touch of green here? It’s big-flavoured, medium-full bodied and attractive on an obvious way. To me it’s a bit baked; there’s a harshness to it which perhaps more cellar time will fix, but I’m not sure. I think Penfolds have worked hard in a drought vintage; they’ve got flavour and presence here but not really freshness or dimension. Again, others at the table liked it more than I, and I’m probably being hyper-critical. A solid wine but not a classic Bin 389. Almost certainly best before it turns twenty.

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• 2008 Penfolds Shiraz RWT

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  [14.5%, screwcap] {Greg) Dark ruby. Intense nose of lifted blueberry and sweet warm climate shiraz. Vivid in the extreme. Fruit, man! The palate is vast and velvety, full-bodied, underpinned by with high-level fine powdery tannins. You might think this too sybaritic to age, but just because the fruit is so overt doesn’t mean the rest of the structure is absent. This has a long, dry finish, but still has fruit everywhere. Come back in ten years for some real fireworks, although this does support Greg’s claim that top shiraz can be drunk at any age, because this is very drinkable.

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• NV Morris Muscat Old Premium Liqueur

  Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen

  [19%, cork stopper] {Gordon} It’s nv, but the bottle has been in Gordon’s cellar for 25 years. Murky brown. Smells of peat, molasses, brown sugar and warm motor oil. Muscat as only Rutherglen can do it. Tastes of the nose. Magnified and concentrated palate, medium-sweet, but gloriously acidic and fresh. Long, long finish. Luscious stuff. Thanks Gordon.

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A pretty good night. More pontificating on the abilities of decent local wine to age properly; to develop instead of just age. Rotter are throwing away to much wine that’s been kept too long. Although it’s not just local wines in this category (step up 94 Mouton apparently). Next month – Clare Valley.