WSET Dinner - Certificate awarding
Edinburgh Hotel, Surry Hills
Tasted Monday, December 11, 2006 by graemeg with 573 views
Introduction
As usual everyone brought a bottle (or two) but this time they were are much less cosmopolitan collection than the post exam offerings back in July.
2001 Grosset Riesling Polish Hill Clare Valley
Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley
Under screwcap, mid-yellow/gold. Developing. Minimal petroleum notes, but a honeyed richness to the fruit on the nose. Acid still persistent, quite weighty palate and solid finish. Coming along nicely, but with plenty of time.
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2006 Clonakilla Riesling
Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District
For a minute it masquerades as a gewurz, as rosewater & musk aromas leap from the glass. Softer acid than I’d expect from an ostensibly cool-climate wine. Spotlessly clean, light. Likely to be fairly short-lived, I reckon. QbA look-alike.
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2005 Tahbilk Marsanne
Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Nagambie Lakes
Muted nose, anonymous stone fruits and a minerally note keep everyone guessing (poured blind, but that screwcap bottle misleads…). In retrospect, a typical example of this wine; indistinct acid while young, but a tightness that suggests it will age well enough. Keep.
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1998 Howard Park Riesling Great Southern
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Great Southern
Aging, softish riesling; rich honey/lemon fruit but starting to lose freshness now. Average, but drink up soon.
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1996 J. L. Wolf Wachenheimer Gerümpel Riesling Spätlese
Germany, Pfalz
AP 08 97) Drinking way younger than 10 years, this melts apple and pastry together, freshened with a citric acid touch, and a light yet persistent and salivating finish. Lovely stuff.
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2004 Mastroberardino Greco di Tufo Nova Serra
Italy, Campania, Greco di Tufo DOCG
New territory for me. A spirity, grapey nose, thick texture, soft acid. Weighty wine. Italy’s answer to viognier? Is this example even typical? Dunno…
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1998 Charles Melton Nine Popes
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Well down a developmental path. Lovely decaying rich compost aromas, with some sweet-grenache thing happening too. Flavours of aged confectionary on the palate, yet not obviously sugary on the finish. Warm & comforting.
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1999 Yarra Glen Cabernet Sauvignon
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
A very cedary old nose – impersonating a flamboyant Bordeaux. Soft and leathery on the palate – very developed and aged for a seven year wine. Pleasant enough, hardly profound – drink up!
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2004 Seppelt Shiraz Chalambar
Australia, Victoria
Dark rich colour, rich spicy shiraz nose, solid weight palate. Young and elemental. Not subtle at this age, but it’s no wine caricature either. Needs some time to settle and knit attractively.
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2004 Rockford Cabernet Sauvignon Rifle Range
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Love the retro-style bottle. Rich ripe, Barossa fruit-cake style, subtle oak. Tastes older than 04 – lovely wine in a slightly old-fashioned style. Be better in three years.
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2005 Torbreck (Cuvée) Juveniles
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Young ripe Grenache nose, so cherried and candied that I imagined it was some kind of pinot at first. No oak. Warm feel. Hmmm. Can I say over-fruited?
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2002 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri
Australia, South Australia
big, luscious, upholstered nose. Solid core of dense ripe fruit. Firmly tannic, but not oaky, of course. Very elemental, however – could almost be a barrel sample. Leave for ten years.
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1998 Mount Mary Quintet
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
Solid garnet. Five Bordeaux red grapes meld nicely in a cedary yet currant-fruit nose. Clean, some development, herbaceousness still present. Super palate length and structure; not enormous in body but coats all the palate. Some complexity building, but not there yet. Persistent finish. Lovely wine – keep, keep, keep.
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