Dinner with Runny

It has been an age since Runny and I have been in the same city together - so the perfect opportunity to open a couple of special bottles over a super dinner at our old haunt, Crown Wine Cellars.

We finished off the Catena Zapata on the outside terrace with a couple of vintage Bolivar Double Coronas.

• 1998 Penfolds Grange 93 Points

  Australia, South Australia

  A glass gifted by the ever-generous Steven Wickens and contemplated over 3 hours. Deep semi-translucent purple-red. Nose is pure but very closed and young.....but absolutely stunning in terms of potential. Palate is very tannic, structured, dry.....and lovely. Winfanticide.....come back in 10 years' time. 93+ for now but could go to 97, easily.

  Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley 95 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Decanted 6 hours beforehand and drank over the next 3. Purple-red just starting to turn to crimson, densely opaque but just lightening a bit at the edges. Nose is discreet and muted - massive black/red brooding currant fruit, pencil lead and vegetable heap. Palate is "oh, wow!" - lovely medium acidic black/red cherry fruit freshness, fully integrated tannins, lots of structure and a wonderful linear purity. Lots of hauteur. Got sweeter and lusher with more time in the glass...got even more deeply plummy and lush, almost too lush. Still a baby in terms of its evolution. Hopefully it will tone down a little and harmonise between palate and nose over the next 10 years. It has been 2 years since I last drank this and its evolution has been glacially slow. It remains in Runny's and my top place from some 20 wines we investigated as contenders for "The Next Grange?" 9-10 years ago. Hold.

  Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolás Catena Zapata 94 Points

  Argentina, Mendoza

  Decanted for 6 hours then drank over the next 3 alongside a 2006 Ben Glaetzer Amon-Ra. Totally opaque black-red colour just lightening slightly at the meniscus. Nose is muted but gorgeous blackberry fruit and structured but harmonious oak. The palate is sensationally drop dead near-100pt gorgeous - linear purity and a brilliant harmony of ripe black fruit, pencil lead and a graphite precision and elegance. This is immediately resonant and reverberant inside the head even whilst still in the mouth, which is a rare quality indeed. The finale leaves an intensity of black currant and black berry fruits which is very special and only marred by still a bit too much alcohol, which should tone down over the next decade. Absolutely brilliant and so pleased that I have a case to enjoy and share. 94+

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

A great evening and so pleased that our "The Next Grange" hunt nearly a decade ago produced such a find as the Amon-Ra.