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Coonawarra Roadshow
Town Hall, Sydney
Tasted August 11, 2015 by chatters with 425 views
Introduction
first time in about five years…Not as crowded as I remember it but still very much elbows at dawn. Bumped into some chums which was nice.
Flight 1 (32 notes)
Red
2012 Raidis Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Billy
On the nose medium minus intensity aromas of sweet red berry fruit, pencil shavings and Bovril notes. In the mouth there is some drying tannins, slightly juicy red over back fruit. Finishes a bit short. Meh
Red
2012 Raidis Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Aromas of pencil shavings, blackcurrant, cigar box, some slight plum notes. In the mouth slightly meaty bbq notes with chalky drying tannins, juicy with slight sour muted black currant fruit, Hmm.
Red
2013 Petaluma Cabernet Sauvignon White Label
Sweet berry fruit, slightly meaty notes. In the mouth more of the same, with medium minus chalky tannins tails off and is quite simple.
Red
2012 Petaluma Merlot Coonawarra
Slight black plum over black cherry, vanilla and sweet spice. In the mouth sweet spicy black fruit, chalky tannins perhaps a little short.
Red
2012 Petaluma Cabernet Sauvignon
Generous black currant fruit, slight pyrazine, slight vanilla chocolate and spice, cream and slight cigar box. In the mouth almost Ribena fruit initially then spicy drying, grippy tannins shut things down with some alcohol warmth on the finish. Hmm.
Red
2013 Highbank Single Vineyard Coonawarra
Slightly dusty red over blackcurrant fruit, muted pencil shavings, earthy, savoury…quite juicy and spicy over the fruit, a little short perhaps and a touch bitter.
Red
2012 Highbank Single Vineyard Coonawarra
Perfumed and floral top note, clay over red berries. In the mouth the wine is juicy, spicy with black and red currant fruit and almost instantly washed over by plentiful talc textured tannins fruit persists, well structured but fruit doesn't appeal to me. All about my taste not matching the wine.
Red
2012 Highbank Merlot
Red plum and clay, creamy, spicy, slight polished oak notes…juicy and velvety, spicy, muted plums chalky tannins, medium length. Meh.
Red
2012 Highbank Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve
Medium minus red over blackcurrant. With agitation more pencil shavings and cedar than fruit. A bit flat with plentiful tannin but lacks a bit of fruit and acidity. Meh.
Red
2007 Highbank Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve
Red currant over Ribena, sweet spice cream, slight meaty and leathery notes. In the mouth juicy, fresh, slight candied notes to the albeit savoury fruit, tannins are present but silky textured. Hmm.
Red
2012 Redman Cabernet Sauvignon
Pencil shavings, red over black fruit, some sweet spice on the nose. In the mouth the wine is wet with slight fruit and slight bitterness, talc textured tannins. Meh.
Red
2010 Redman Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Slight dirty (cork taint?) blackcurrant over red plum, dusty with some sweet spice. In the mouth the wine is spicy with black currant, chalky chewy tannins shut it down a touch but the fruit persists beneath. Long. Despite that touch of taint this is a good wine.
Red
2010 Redman Coonawarra (Cabernet/Shiraz/Merlot)
Vanilla, black fruits, currant and plums, slight pencil shavings. IN the mouth the wine is juicy, savoury and spicy with black fruits, chalky tannins, balanced. Nice.
Red
2013 Majella The Musician
muted candied fruit, slight spice, slight pencil shavings. In the mouth there is touch of residual sugar, cream slight vanilla, talc textured tannin, touch bitter. Meh.
Red
2013 Majella Shiraz
Cream and vanilla over black cherry. In the mouth more of the same with a touch of astringency and a touch of alcohol warmth.
Red
2013 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon
graphite, brambly fruit, cream, vanilla, slightly dusty notes. In the mouth there is juicy black fruit, spice, grippy chalky tannins, fruit persists. Good.
Red
2010 Majella The Malleea
A touch dusty and spicy, concentrated black fruits underpinned by slight cream and red currant notes. Touches of chocolate join the fruit on the palate and the whole is dried out and doesn't persist beneath plentiful fine textured tannin. Hmm.
Red
2010 Yalumba Cabernet Sauvignon The Cigar
Pencil shavings, red currant. Slight candied note - a concentrated fruit bubble. In the mouth the wine is juicy and fresh with red berry fruit, fine tannins, medium length. Okay.
Red
2012 Yalumba Cabernet Sauvignon The Cigar
Perfumed red fruits, slight leather and pencil shavings. In the mouth the wine is juicy, fruity, spicy, talc textured tannins. Beautifully balanced. Lovely on the palate.
Red
2010 Yalumba Cabernet Sauvignon The Menzies
red berry over blackcurrant, cedar, quite perfumed. Juicy, persistent fruit, chalky tannins, long. Good.
Red
2012 Yalumba Cabernet Sauvignon The Menzies
red currant, cream vanilla. In the mouth the wine is juicy with quite red fruit, spice and drying tannins, too young and out of whack for me.
Red
1997 Yalumba Cabernet Sauvignon The Menzies
flawed
On the nose there are slight chemical notes, it's meaty over sour red fruit with leather. In the mouth the wine is sour tending to volatile acidity, old and little out of condition. Nah. I'd suggest this is flawed. FLAW
Red
2013 Leconfield Cabernet Merlot
Quite perfumed, meaty/BBQ notes, juicy red and black fruit, slight sweet spice. Juicy with red over black fruit (the fruit is a little generic but it's not exactly a massive flaw), fine silky tannin, fruit persists. It's good but not for me.
Red
2013 Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon
Perfumed red over black fruit, vanilla, cream…coconut. Juicy, fresh, blackcurrant fruit, chalky tannins, long, good but, again, not for me.
Red
2013 Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Pencil shavings, brambly fruit, cream, vanilla, slight candied note. In the mouth the wine is juicy and fresh, quite fleshy and sapid, fruit persists through talc textured tannin. Nice.
Red
2013 Parker Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Slight maraschino cherry, perfumed, over sweet blackcurrant. In the mouth the wine is juicy and approachable but flour textured drying tannins close tings down a bit hmm.
Red
2013 Parker Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Terra Rossa
Black over red currant, slight spice, cedar and leather. In the mouth the wine has balance fruit, tannins and acidity, relatively long as well but despite these contributing factor it is a little indifferent for me. Hmm
Red
2005 Parker Coonawarra Estate Terra Rossa First Growth
Leather, slight sour fruit. With agitation gains a bit of black currant and spice. Sour fruit, barely discernible tannin. Quite Meh all in all and a bit worrying for the 2001 I have in the cellar.
Red
2012 Hollick Tannery Block
red over black berry, vanilla, slight spice…wet, juicy, anonymous for me. Nah.
Red
2012 Hollick Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium minus intensity aromas of blackcurrant, slight coffee and sweet spice. In the mouth the wine is juicy then has black currant fruit that is broadsided out of the wine by some seriously feisty tannins. Time required I think but the lack of fruit is a bit of a concern.
Red
2005 Hollick Cabernet Sauvignon Ravenswood
pencil shavings, leather, slight red currant, cream and vanilla. Juicy with more red than black fruit, silky tannins, fruit drops a bit. Meh.
Red
2010 Balnaves of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Mint, pencil shavings, cedar, black over red currant, slight cigar box…in the mouth the wine is juicy and fresh with black over red currant, chalky tannins fruit persists on the medium plus length. Quite nice.
Closing
there was across the board (with a couple of exceptions) a tendency to more red than black fruit notes than I remember being in Coonawarra before. It's not something I find that attractive I must confess.