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Denise Annual Wine Fiesta
Duxton Hill
Tasted November 30, 2008 by Alex H with 1,324 views
Introduction
A two day tasting extravaganza which I though was pretty large scale in size given it spread out over a few shops at duxton hill. Nice atmosphere for tasting wines with so many "stations" to visit. Had wished to taste over two days instead of packing all into one but had a wedding to attend. Was pretty impressed by the number of wines Denise had opened as well as the willingness to serve up expensive ones too. Wished they did this more often
Flight 1 - Bubblies! (6 notes)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Gosset Champagne Brut Excellence
83 points
Simple enjoyable citrus lifted concoction with a sweet finishing.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Gosset Champagne Brut Grande Réserve
84 points
Yeasty bready with wet dog fur smells. Warmer yellow fruits and pears.
White - Sparkling
1999 Gosset Champagne Brut Grand Millésime
85 points
Sappy lemons with grippier acidity,nice oranges and very nicely dense.
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Gosset Champagne Grand Rosé Brut
82 points
Serious effort with strawberry run-off juice albeit slightly watery.
Rosé - Sparkling
2008 Bird in Hand Pinot Noir Sparkling
80 points
Lively tropical fruits. Very enjoyable albeit somewhat simple. A bubbly for the masses.
White - Sparkling
2001 Blue Pyrenees Estate Midnight Cuvée
84 points
Lovely lemons with just some bready notes showing. Comfortable and showing some complexity.
Flight 2 - Whities (7 notes)
White
2001 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile
84 points
Nice kero showing. A very mineral focused effort with very mineral lithe. Touch of citrus but if not, wet mineral-lined quartz-limestones. An extremely dry wine.
White
2005 Mischief and Mayhem Corton-Charlemagne
85 points
Full and forward with its spices and spiced lychees. Sweet vanilla oak framing nutty flavours. An elegant busty lady.
White
2004 Louis Lequin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot
83 points
Very buttery and nutty. Bitter almond skins supported by sun dried lemons. Comparing to the previous tasting, this did not have the fishyness. So as suspected from the previous tasting, some were saying the glasses were tainted, which on second tasting here proved true.
White
2004 Louis Lequin Corton-Charlemagne
84 points
Huge bouquet of cashews and strong almond paste. Progessively had some damp wood moist soil component. Very bitter almond skins with big toasty oak. Prefer more acidity.
White
2005 Yarra Yering Chardonnay
81 points
Lemon drops. Very citrus dominated with singular focus. However, this is not good and not bad. I am divided. It could be simplistic for some.
White
2005 Yarra Yering Viognier
85 points
Nice floral aromas. Grapefruits and citrus notes. A nose filling aromatic wine. There is almost a vanilla cream feeling towards the mid to the finish. This suprises and surpasses its chard.
White
2006 The Hess Collection Chardonnay Su'Skol
83 points
Sweet vanillin nose. Lemons and pears finishing with some guava bitterness.
Flight 3 - E'sclans - The World's Most Expensive Rose (4 notes)
A testament that roses are for serious drinkers!
Rosé
2007 Caves d'Esclans Whispering Angel
83 points
Consistent notes as per last tasted. Lovely rose at the price range. This still shows the serious looking professor that is actually quite fun when its after class hours.
Rosé
2007 Château d'Esclans Côtes de Provence Rosé
85 points
Aged in a large barrel. Nice mushroom "ass" notes shows. Strawberry tinted. There is a comfortable dense beam of lightly-sweetened maraschino cherries. Lovely strength.
Rosé
2007 Château d'Esclans Côtes de Provence Les Clans
83 points
Mushroom flavoured with almost earthy undertone providing backbone structure. Uniquely different from conventional rose. The structure of this rose is serious but still carries nice strawberry pith (those dark seeds on strawberries) jam.
Rosé
2007 Château d'Esclans Côtes de Provence Garrus
88 points
The best rose I have ever tasted and scored. Without a doubt, this is complex almost like a beaune red from a cooler climate. Very floral with peach-mango body spray / spritz that makes it inviting. Wet earth compounded with minerality on the structure. The flavours revolves around the mouth, throat and belly constantly in a cycle as though it were a living microcosmic cloud. It shows itself like a middle-eastern belly dancer with face veiled and oozing mystery yet treating you ever so often with the swaying of her hips and gyrating of tooshy. Serious fun!
Flight 4 - Prieure Roch - 50% DRC-owned but so are the prices! (5 notes)
In general, all the wines showed high quality but nothing mind blowing to warrant very steep prices of $400 per pop. Am glad I tasted it here for a token sum.
Red
2004 Domaine Prieuré Roch Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
87 points
Stewed hawthorne berries with spiced herbs. Cured meats and chinese medicine shop stretching through the long mile of flavours. A particular chinese herb called "du chong" - a type of bark herb features nicely with slightly savory soy sauce notes.
Red
2005 Domaine Prieuré Roch Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
86 points
Dark decomposing mushroom pile with soy sauce notes. Muscular dark berries provide great strength...in fact I though it just a bit too big. Still young and prodigous as it is an 05. Needs more time. At the moment the 04 does better.
Red
2004 Domaine Prieuré Roch Clos Vougeot
85 points
Herb-tainted cherries. Sappy and elegant hawthorne berries shines through a murky stew of red dates and cherries. Very earthy on the finish but still carrying lovely fresh acidity.
Red
2005 Domaine Prieuré Roch Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots
85 points
Lots of soy sauce lifted by mentholly chinese dried herbs and medicine shop.Very dark cherries that have yet developed into secondary complexities. This is sappy and tannic at the moment. I feel potential though.
Red
2005 Domaine Prieuré Roch Vosne-Romanée Les Clous
85 points
This is good! given it is the cheapest of the bunch of Prieure Rochs tasted. Elegant and pretty. Hawthorne flake candy boiled in water. Simple and focused cherries on the palate. Simple but true. Very likeable.
Flight 5 - Other Pinots (5 notes)
Red
2003 Mischief and Mayhem Chapelle-Chambertin
83 points
The first bottle was cooked but the second bottle turned out fine. Dark cherries framed by earthy mushroom undertones. However, this is quite dense and big and sweet cherries surfaced. Not as balanced as I would have liked it to be.
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Red
1995 Comte Senard Corton-Clos des Meix
82 points
Lovely tannins on the surface but aging chewy fruit that is waning away. Mushrooms and earthy nuances dominate with a waning finish. Drink up!
Red
2005 Yarra Yering Pinot Noir
82 points
Sweet floral nose reminiscent of chambolle. Very sweet palate of sweet strawberries and strawberry consome.
Red
2004 Domaine Cornu Corton
86 points
Brownish tinge giving more age than should be warranted from such a young vintage. Lovely nose with nice stewed razor bright cherries scented with pungent floral tones. Leroy like flavours of nicely stewed dates, strawberries and cherries with a dash of earthyness. Daintily sweet like a first love.
Red
2005 Domaine Cornu Corton
84 points
Not too expressive on the aromatics but its definitely more mushroomy than the 04. Bright cherries with a drop of strawberry juice and just a handful of cranberries.
Flight 6 - Cabernet, Merlot Blends (8 notes)
Red
2005 Château Siran
83 points
big nose of coffee and oak. Dark fruits framed by hard tannins. Needs time definitely.
Red
2005 Yarra Yering Dry Red N°1
82 points
Green peppers and eucalyptus lift. Ripe fruits show but not without hints of bordeaux suggestions.
Red
2003 Domaine de Chevalier
85 points
Very wild nose of tobaccoey leathery hide nicely married with green capsicum. Coffee-flavoured intense berries. Lovely wine though lacking in elegance. It is a very frank wine.
Red
2004 Alter Ego
80 points
Sandalwood and wood spices. Extracted plums and dark fruits that falls apart midway.
Red
2004 Château de Fonbel
82 points
Bull-meaty with hints of green pepper. Slightly musky. This has musky tannins.
Red
2002 Château Malescot St. Exupéry
85 points
Musky savory nose. Lovely perfumery in the mouth consisting of dried indian flowers scented with sandalwood and warm red berry fruits.
Red
2005 Château Sociando-Mallet
85 points
Detectable cologne ...the expensive kind. Good cherry weight. At the moment in time, too young with powdery and heavy tannins. Though heavy, the tannins were not harsh. Definitely needs time.
Red
2005 Bird in Hand Cabernet Sauvignon Nest Egg
83 points
Very eucalyptus driven with an overwhelming minty nose. Ripe black fruits but still pretty balanced. Some herbs on the finish .
Flight 7 - Rhones (3 notes)
Red
2004 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac
85 points
Slightly gamey with almost malt whisky aromatics. Beautifully scented. Dainty sweet flowers! on the palate with licourice and some spices. Indulgent and lovely style. Quite elegant.
Red
2004 Ferraton Père & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Le Parvis"
81 points
Nice confectionary nose of sweet red to purple fruits. Nice elegant fruit body with just enough acicdity. A nice wine but just okay.
Red
2001 Ferraton Père & Fils Hermitage Cuvée des Miaux
84 points
Razor minerality on the nose. Palate has evolved nicely with secondary notes of dark densely infused berries with meatyness and herb spices.
Flight 8 - Aussie Shiraz and blends (6 notes)
Red
2006 Two Hands Shiraz Sophie's Garden
84 points
Eucalyptus oil aromatheraphy scents. Nice coffee chocolate framing pretty decent not-overly ripe dark fruits. In fact, this is a rather balanced effort.
Red
2006 Two Hands Shiraz Max's Garden
83 points
Except for flashing scenes of some dark brambly fruits, the nose was slightly muted given its pedigree. On the palate though it was a different story. Sweet confectionary blueberry and blackberries were showing and laced with some nice mocha tones.
Red
2005 Two Hands Shiraz Lily's Garden
82 points
Smoky, dried scorched earth. Again sweet confectionary but more subdued on the sweetishness than the Max's garden. Confused between being a watered down version of the other garden series or being made more elegantly.
Red
2006 Two Hands Shiraz Harry & Edward's Garden
83 points
Smokey gunpowder but with overwhelming dark barries too. Similar sweet ripe black fruits palate as the others with good ripeness.
Red
2006 Heartland Shiraz Directors' Cut Langhorne Creek/Limestone Coast
84 points
Spices-lifted. Subtle ripe jammy fruits with dominating blackberries and blackcurrants. Rounded finish.
Red
2006 Glaetzer Anaperenna
84 points
Sweet confectionary nose of dark blackberry jam. Tar, smoke, dark berries. Juicy and succulent. This has a bit of everything.
Flight 9 - An assortment of others (4 notes)
Red
2007 Heartland Dolcetto/Lagrein
83 points
Smelly mushrooms with savory tones. Smells old. Sweet jam still shows but enjoyable wine. Finishes with some spice.
Red
2004 Outpost Zinfandel Howell Mountain
82 points
Milk chocolate covered preserved sweet plums. Very confectionary sweet jammy black berry pie.
Red
2005 Outpost Petite Sirah The Other
84 points
Smells of an old lady's bedsheet, a bit musky and quite perfumed too. Dark fruits infused spice cake with some mocha and bitter dried herbs.
Red
2002 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Reserva Finca Ygay
83 points
Almost perfumed bit came out eventually more savory with some leather. Detectable nail varnish but nice fruits providing balance. Quite okay.
Closing
All in all, a good outing! A good spread of wines and of cos... my favourite station - Prieure Roch.