3/31/2024 - trepak wrote:

PnP - didn't think it would stand up to decating, given its almost 20 YO. To be fair it did come apart a bit over the evening, but still extreamly impressive for a <£10 wine even back in 2008 when I bought it. Its by no means completely dead. While this may sound like damning with faint praise, its actually a very enjoyable wine. While any fruit has gone, its got lovely tertiary flavours, forest floor, smoked meats, with just the slightest hint of tannin left and a slight lick of acidity keeping everything in check. A nice length slightly drying finish. Yes, i'm not going to claim its not past its best, but still a surprisingly enjoyable glass! I'm sure the current release won't last this long...they just don't make e'm like they used it!

3/23/2024 - trepak Likes this wine:

Classic SA sauvignon blanc nose, blackcurrent leaf, slightest hint of green pepper, fresh and clean. The palate is completely unexpected, but in a very good way. Huge complexity, so much going on, very rich and full bodied for a Sauv Blanc. Some citrus, but also riper fruits like guava, and also asparagus. Almost a tanic/drying finish - very long. Overall a very impressive and distanctive wine - like it a lot!

2/18/2024 - trepak wrote:

Lovely mature barolo. Fairly light colour, browning on the rim. Classic mushroomy/tertiary flavours, but with enough remnants of fruit to keep it fresh. Decent acidity with a hint of tannin, particularly on the finish. I'd say no massive rush to drink up, but don't leave it too long.

9/17/2023 - trepak wrote:

completely f***ed - undrinkable

4/3/2023 - trepak wrote:

Closed and mute on day one. Day two, much better, lots of dark fruit on the nose, rich and full. Smooth on entry, rich again, but with some nice balancing acidity. More dark fruit, plum and blackcurrant. Very long, finish with a fair lick of nicely integrated tannin. I'd say it's around its peak, maybe a year or two ahead of it.

2/22/2023 - trepak wrote:

Day 2 - rich and full, some oak on the nose along with dark fruit with slightest hint of pepper/spice. Quite rich on the palate, but with some acidity keeping it fresh, moderate length finish with a little bit of tannin. Overall in a good place right now, might not be earth shattering, but solid and enjoyable. Certainly good value that you often find in SA.

10/29/2022 - trepak wrote:

1hr decant then drank over a couple of hours. Certainly opened up over that time. Dark red with some bricking on the edge. Rich and full on the nose, lots of vanillary oak - as you'd expect! Still a little dark fruit on initally on the palate, quickly giving way to a layer of oak and a very long, finish with a fair lick of tannin. A very well balanced wine, still with some years ahead, but certainly showing that potential now. This really is first rate old school classical Rioja that will only improve.

4/9/2022 - trepak wrote:

Deep red with a hint of browning showing its age. Quite rich and full on the nose, with a bit of oak. Initially quite rich and full on the palate, a hint of fruit, but far more tertiary now. Lovely acidity kicks in on the midpalate taking it through to a good lenght fairly tannic finish. Quite a well balanced wine, that is very pleasant. Probably a few years left in it, as long as the acidity holds out, i'd say it might even improve given another 2 or 3 years.

3/11/2022 - trepak wrote:

Day 2, very dark colour with a good hint of brown. Very rich, spicy nose. Initially quite spicy on the palate, giving way to a lovely rich midpalate, a lick of dark fruit, but this is pretty mature, with a lightly tannic, but good length finish. A little lacking in acidity, but holds its 14.8% very well in pretty balanced. Maybe not the most subtle wine, but very enjoyable none the less. Probably at its peak, can’t see it getting much better.

3/11/2022 - trepak wrote:

2hr decant. Feels very much at its peak! Lovely dark colour, with some browning on the rim, clearly well aged. Rich, full nose, a little dark fruit, plum, prune and a hint of spicy oak. So smooth, not much fruit on the palate, but plenty of spicy notes on a nicely balanced body. A lovely lick of tannin gives way to a very long finish with a lovely acidic nudge (can’t say its a kick!). Overall a lovely wine, in a very good place, as others have said, this is very much like a very decent CNDP. At peak, but don’t feel there is any major rush to drink up.

2/7/2022 - trepak wrote:

Something wrong with this. Seemed corked even though it was a DIAM. Mouldy smell and taste, thought it could be a dirty/tainted glass, but tried another and was the same. A shame, I had some hope for this wine.

12/31/2021 - trepak Likes this wine:

No formal notes. 2hr decant. Much smoother than last bottle. Good acidity with a little residual tannin. In a good place now, but will probably age further.

11/28/2021 - trepak wrote:

2hr decant - quite a lot of sediment. Rich full nose, Blackcurrent and a bit of wood. Slightly acidic on entry, with a slight lick of tannin. Still rich and full. Very long slightly acidic finish. Little if any primay fruit left, but some nice secondary/tertiary notes. Overall, a nice wine, probably on the way down - drink up.

10/16/2021 - trepak wrote:

No formal notes - from memory. Cork crumbled on opening - quick double decant. Smooth, still a little tannin on the midpalate, but drinking well - drink up.

8/16/2021 - trepak wrote:

1hr decant - a little sediment. Fairly muted on the nose, some dark fruit, plum and a little cherry. On the palate, good acitidity and still a fair dose of tannin. Full and rich mid palate, with a decent wave of dark fruit, carrying on to a moderately long, quite tannic finish and a final lick of acidity. Overall fairly pleasent, went well with a moderatly spiced lamb tagine. May improve with a year or two further cellaring to better integrate the tannins.

8/14/2021 - trepak wrote:

No formal notes. Decanted for 2hrs, quite a lot of sediment. Very good dark fruit with good balance of tannin and acidity. Probably at peak, drink up.

8/16/2021 - trepak wrote:

Lovely pale golden colour, a little muted on the nose, but some nice lemon/lime character, with the slightest hint of petrol. Quite acidic on the palate, that carries through to a slighly muted mid palate before opening up to a nice zesty finish. Overall, not bad - not as exciting as some Aus Rieslings can be, but enjoyable none the less. Not sure about keeping it any further, in fact it could be a little past its best.

8/14/2021 - trepak wrote:

This is in a really good place right now. Zesty lime on the nose with a hint of petrol. Rich and quite full on the palate, with a nice lick of acidity on the long finish. Very good, i'd say at or around peak with little sign of declining. Still quite fresh if a little fuller on day 2.

8/7/2021 - trepak wrote:

double decanted - no formal notes. quite impressed, smooth with a lick of tannin and decent acidity - probably at peak.

2/12/2021 - trepak wrote:

1hr decant. Quite closed on opening. Fruity, Rich, easy to drink! Damson on the nose, smooth on entry with nice lick of tanin on the mid palette and a moderately acidic finish. Clearly well made if perhaps a little safe, I tend to perfer a little more wildness in Douro wines. That said a very enjoyable glass, although maybe just a little past its best.

12/5/2020 - trepak wrote:

From memory. Surprisingly still alive. Quite dark gold, but plenty of fizz. A little fat, but not bad.

1/8/2021 - trepak wrote:

PnP, quite a light colour, also slightly floral nose, this isn't your usual big Lehmann shiraz. Blackcurrent on the nose, hint of licorice, but with a bit of rose petal keeping it light and fresh. On the palate, its qutie smooth, well integrated tannin and just enough acidity to keep it fresh. The blackcurrent and licorice is very present in the midpalate, leading to quite a long, slightly tannic finish. Overall, a pleasent wine, maybe lacking a bit in complexity, but well made and enjoyable with a sense of place. This is clearly from the cooler Eden Valley, more elegent and restrainted rather than the typical Barrossa bruiser.

1/1/2021 - trepak wrote:

Day 2. Still inky dark, with a bright purple rim. You wouldn't know it was over 10 years old. Rich on the nose, with a faint spirity tingle - at 15.5% its not all that surprising. Initially quite dilute and smooth of the palate, followed by a rich acidic mid palate. Finally a very long extreamly tanic finish. Not really sure what to say about this wine, the fruit seems to have gone, but fearce acid and tanin remains. It might be in an awkward closed phase of development or could just be a bad bottle - left unrated.

12/14/2020 - trepak wrote:

PnP. Very pleasantly surprised with this one. Was rather expecting it to be over the hill, but even the initial nose on opening was very enticing. Blackcurrant, with a hint of spice and classic Bordeaux cigar box. Good acidity on the palate, quite full, but the 14% alcohol was well balanced and in no way overpowering. Tannins well integrated until the relatively short finish where they get a bit drying. Overall for a wine I had few expectations for I was quite impressed. I usually struggle to “get” Bordeaux, I’d be happy to drink this again.

12/12/2020 - trepak wrote:

Zesty lemon and lime on the nose, a generous note of petrol/kerosene, but well integrated and not overpowering. It's filled out a bit on the palate, initially almost a little fat. The acidity reasserts itself after a bit of a flat midpalate, leading to a long zesty finish. I'd say this is maybe just on the way down, drink up. Still a top draw Ausi Riesling.

11/21/2020 - trepak wrote:

PnP. Still very dark, just a hint of bricking on the rim. Rich and deep on the nose, dark fruits. Very smooth on entry, quite a tannic mid palate, little real fruit, rich and thick, bit if oak to round it out. Very long finish. A surprise really, I expected it to be past it, but still a very enjoyable wine.

11/14/2020 - trepak wrote:

30min decant. Rich, deep nose, dark plum and blackcurrant with a hint of mint. Very smooth on the palate, still a little fruit, but more secondary/tertiary flavours of oak with a little cigar box. Acidic mid palate that melds into a moderate tannic finish which is fairly long. Overall in a pretty good place I think. Unlikely to improve, but nicely aged at the moment.

11/11/2020 - trepak wrote:

Past it's best, still quite deep and rich. A few tertiary notes, but largely lifeless. No fruit at all, mearest whisper of tannin on a fairly long finish.

7/8/2020 - trepak wrote:

Big thick nose, spicy, rich - just the slightest hint of the "South African" aroma of rubber, usually a massive fault, but actually in this case, its so slight that it actually works. On the palate however, not much going on, rather thin and acidic - a shame really, the nose promised so much. I think its just over the hill.

7/6/2020 - trepak wrote:

Still just about alive, although very tertiary - no real fruit left. Slightest hint of tannin on the finish. Drink up.

5/5/2020 - trepak wrote:

30 min decant. Quite a rich nose, mocha, some wood, and just a hint of mint. Still has some fruit, plum, maybe a little cassis - all classic cab, but with some darker tertiary notes coming in too. Very smooth with almost no tannin, just enough acidity on the finish to keep it fresh. Made in a more easy drinking style that probably isn't really designed to age this long. Possible past its best, but by no means dead. Still quite enjoyable.

5/3/2020 - trepak wrote:

Clearly an older oxidative style, although given its 20YO, that could be the reason for the very dark colour. Rich rather than very sweet, classic honey notes of botrytis, with a nice long fishing that retains some freshness. Not amazing, but quite pleasent none the less. Not bad for a cheap old Tokaji.

5/3/2020 - trepak wrote:

Day 2 - Rich and deep nose, lots of dark notes, with a good lick of oak. Initial entry on the palate is velvity smooth, if a little hollow in flavour. The mid palate is dominated by assertive tannins and good acidity. An extreamly long if slightly overly tannic finish. I've come to the conclusion that this is actually a fairly rustic wine, the high tannins and acidity will probably never die down completely, and by the time they ever do, any ligering fruit or other flavours will be long gone. Probably past its best, but not a bad wine, food certianly helps.

5/2/2020 - trepak wrote:

Failed cork - flat and oxidised. Probably shouldn't have kept it for 4 years in poor storage conditions

4/13/2020 - trepak wrote:

Lockdown had led to drinking some of my "better" bottles and also a few I forgot I had. This was sort of a former, but more a latter. The label said good for 10 year post vintage - while storage conditions certainly for the last year or so hadn't been great, this initally looked completely over the hill - flat, and dull. However, once it opened up a bit with some air, it did improve. Fairly muted nose, a little dark fruit, prune and plum with some subtle oak in the background. Very smooth initially on the palate, some tertiary flavours and the oak again just showing itself at the end. A little hollow on the mid palate. The finish is very long, with some good acidity. A few funky notes come into play that aren't exactly bad or faults, but not all that pleasent. Probably past its best, but not completely dead.

4/13/2020 - trepak wrote:

Either oxidised or just completly over the hill - i really hope its the former, but suspect it could be the latter. Not nice at all.

4/12/2020 - trepak wrote:

Not sure what was wrong with this - had a very dusty nose. Hint of rot/mold too. Underneath, it had some promise - a little fruit left, and a decent square tannic structure. Got another bottle, so may try that soon.

4/11/2020 - trepak wrote:

Day 3 (no notes from day 1/2). Very open, dark forest fruit on the nose with hint of oak. Super smooth on the palate, just a hint of fresh acidity. Complex on the mid palate, with more dark fruit, blackcurrent and prune. Moderately long finish, rich and full, with a whisper of tannin at the very end. Another lovely bottle of a fantastic wine that shows that the barossa has world class fruit that can do stylish and eligent as well as big and bold. This wine is eligent but with a nod to the big and bold history of the region. In my view up there with the best Syrah has to offer.

3/2/2020 - trepak wrote:

1hr decant - lots of chucky sediment. Very fragrant, dark fruit, plum and touch of blackcurrant. Slightest hint of acetone, but not too strong. Quite tannic entry, but a full rich palate with a bit of acidity as the tannin dies away. Long, persistent finish. A very good to excellent wine, probably around its peak, although I don’t think there is any major rush to drink up.

3/1/2020 - trepak wrote:

1hr decant. Quite refined, but a little simple. very good for chilian Cabernet, still a fair bit of fruit, a touch of tertiary flavours, with a senitive lick of oak. Good length finish. Pleasent but not outstanding. I think it has benefited from a few years bottle age. In a good place now, no rush, but unlikely to improve.

2/29/2020 - trepak wrote:

Fantastic. Much lighter and brighter than most Spanish PX. Very smooth, wonderfully sweet but in no way cloying. Plenty of richness, caramel, but with enough acidity to keep it fresh and clean with a long but light finish. A really lovely and interesting wine.

2/29/2020 - trepak wrote:

Muted on the nose to start - perhapse a little over chilled. Once it warmed up, expressive nose, minerally, a little lime and the slightest hint of petrol. Very clean on the palate, lovely acidity that perfectly matched the residual sweetness. Wonderful balance you get with good german riesling. In a great place now. Very impressive for an "entry level" Prum.

2/29/2020 - trepak wrote:

no formal notes. Decanted 30min. Still alive, but tertiary. little fruit left, but still rich and smooth. good acidity, a little lick of tannin on the finish,

2/28/2020 - trepak wrote:

Quick 15min decant. A little cold at first, but as it warmed up, a very rich nose, dark fruit with a little oak and chocolate. Very smooth entry on the palate, slips down very easily! A little lacking in the mid-palate, but a little dark fruit and the hint of chocolate carries through from the nose. Nice long finish, with a lick of acidity and just the smallest suggestion of residual tannin. Overall a very nice wine - i'd say it at its peak and may even be on the way down.

2/14/2020 - trepak wrote:

?flawed - oxidized. Cork looked in pretty poor condition. Little fizz, very dark gold colour, sherried nose and palate. Not 100% sure it's flawed, but certainly not in great condition.

1/25/2020 - trepak wrote:

My first Alsace Pinot Blanc, so can't say if its representative or not. Lots of stone fruit, apricot and a hint of pear. A bit flabby in the mid palate, lacking in acidity. The lack of acidity makes it taste almost slightly off dry. Still, clearly a very well made, pleasant and interesting wine. Can’t see it improving.

1/13/2020 - trepak wrote:

No formal notes. Consistant with last bottle. A little more "obvious" than a good quality white burg, with a little more heavy oak, but still very vibrant. Very nice wine overall, would buy again.

1/12/2020 - trepak wrote:

No formal notes. PnP - Quite tight, much more elegent than most Lehmann shiraz - more in the Rhone Syrah style, clearly cooler climate. Hints of pepper but still a bit of primary fruit. A good lick of tannin on the finish.
Day 2 - openned up a lot, added complexity and tannin had calmed down a little.
An interesting take on Shiraz from a rather traditional "big Barossa" producer. Will probably impove over the next 3 or 4 years. Overall, a very pleasant wine, not going to set your world on fire, but very nice none the less.

1/1/2020 - trepak wrote:

No formal notes - from half bottle. Textbook perfect 20YO tawny. Bright red with hints of orange. Still enough youth and fruit but with nice aged notes. Rich and smooth but with enough tannic edge and acidity to keep it fresh. This really is first rate 20YO - to me its what others should aim for.

1/1/2020 - trepak wrote:

Quite rich and earthy, good colour and body. Not much primary fruit left, very much secondary/tertiary now. A lick of tannin on the mid-palate and finish, supported by good acidity. In a pretty good place at the moment, but could probably improve given a year or two.