"Syrah-Syrah"

April 25, 1998 Archive Photo taken of me surrounded by numerous bottles of Grange Hermitage.  I am holding a bottle of the 1995 Clarendon Hills Astralis contributed by one Al Chaby.  I am the one who coordinated the now famous " Grange Off Line" tasting that was centered around twenty three bottles of Grange Hermitage beginning with the 1980 vintage and concluding with the 1992 vintage.

Had these two with dinner in a side-by side over the weekend. They were both extremely enjoyable and are two outstanding examples of Heathcote Shiraz at its best! I should add that the flavor profile of both the 2000 and the 2001 are so unmistakable and distinctive that I could easily pick them out blind in a tasting lineup. To my notes:

2000 Sanguine Estate Shiraz- Medium fullish purple and ink like color showing no signs of age. The hallmark black pepper and exotic rhone-ish like aromatics were singing from my glass and only improved over the course of the next two hours. On the palate, the 2000 Sanguine Estate continues to drink exceptionally well! It not only shows the concentration and intensity of the 2001 Sanguine Estate but also conjures up huge reserves of highly extracted foreground fruit and flavor. Layers of cascading blackberry like fruit and intense black pepper flavor mask the underlying non-obtrusive tannins. The wine also finishes very well and should drink effortlessly over the next ten years or more. My sixth tasting note and the best bottle to date, score it "98/99"!

2001 Sanguine Estate Shiraz- The 2001 Sanguine Estate boasts a deep, dark ink and oil like color that was slightly more pigmented than the 2000 Sanguine Estate. The wine opens with a stunning bouquet of black pepper, blackberry liquor and spicy licorice. Like the 2000, the 2001 Sanguine Estate offers up a powerful presence in the mouth showing substantial palate weight for the long haul. Tannins here are background rather than to the fore and are moderate full and ripe. Possesses the grip, balance and finish to last another ten years or more. With a year or two of additional bottle age, I feel the 2001 Sanguine Estate has the potential to merit a perfect score. My fourth tasting note, score it "97"! 

These two back to back "head spinning" efforts will be a tough act to follow but I know that Mark Hunter and the staff at Sanguine Estate strive for outstanding quality in each and every vintage. Keep em coming, mate.

2000 Marquis Philips "Sarah's Blend" 

Well, over the last couple of weeks, I've had not one but two recommendations on the 2000 Marquis Philips "Sarah's Blend". Let me first state that generally I'm not a big fan of blended wines. However the 2000 Marquis Philips "Sarah's Blend" rocked me! Given the $15.99 "full boat" retail price tag was a good enough excuse for me to pick up a case. 
Marquis Phillips is a collaboration between Sparky and Sarah Marquis and Dan Phillips. It's a wine made from an interesting blend of 40% Shiraz, 27% Merlot and 33 % Cabernet Sauvignon. I would guess that this is one of only a handful of wines that is for export only and not available in Australia. To my notes. 
This decadent and explosively rich wine was a hit from the get-go and only improved in my glass over the course of the next two hours. The wine is literally bursting at the seams with tremendous core fruit flavor, extract and a good lashing of spice. Tannins are mild to medium and the wine can be consumed today with a great deal of satisfaction or laid down for five to seven years or more. I dare say that Sarah's Blend could easily pass for a wine three times its price. My first tasting note and an impressive one at that, score it "94". 

Had the 2000 Sanguine Shiraz at an impromptu tasting yesterday with Steve and Nancy Levy. We started with a couple bottles of the 1997 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon from Penfolds that Steve picked up at the Wine Library for an everyday house red. The Penfolds Cab was indeed good but we all had a yearning for something a little bit more substantial. So, I headed downstairs to locate and pop one of the newly released Sanguine's. This wine rocked me as well as everyone else who tasted it. To my notes:

2000 Heathcoate Sanguine Shiraz- Medium fullish color suggesting ink and oil. Huge bouquet of spice, black pepper, blackberry compote, licorice and spicy oak aromas explode from the glass! This is another wine that was a complete hit from the get-go and only improved with airtime.

Palate mirrors the nose and comes across as medium full-to-full bodied with a substantial lashing of fruit, stunning extract and a powerful presence in the mouth. Huge initial and mid palate presence offering up crushed blackberry flavored fruit with moderate oak and a black pepper and spice component that was simply extraordinary! Finished with a 45 second residual sensation. This is truly a unique style of Shiraz that has made me an instant fan! Drink it over the next ten years. My first tasting note, score it "97"!

'99 Maxwell "Lime Cave Cabernet & the '98 Best's Great Western Cabernet

'99 Maxwell “Lime Cave” Cabernet- Deep, brooding ink like color. Nose opens with deeply scented aromas of crushed black currants, black plum, mocha and spice. In the mouth, the ’99 Lime Cave 
offers up a medium-full to full-bodied texture and personality with excellent  balance, substantial palate weight and a long lingering finish. The wine is literally bursting at the seams with tremendous core fruit and flavor. Tannins are mild to medium and the wine can be consumed today with a great deal of satisfaction or laid down for ten years or more. I dare say that the Lime Cave could easily pass for a Cab three times its price. My first tasting note, score it “94”.

'98 Best's Great Western Cabernet Sauvignon- Totally opaque crimson mauve color…slightly less pigmented than the Maxwell Lime Cave was. Opens with a restrained nose suggesting black plum, crushed blackberry and blackcurrant aromas. In the mouth, the wine is very concentrated and full with layers of extremely rich and intense Cabernet flavored fruit and a good dose of medium coarse foreground and background tannins. The wine may take a couple more years to integrate and come together. Thereafter, it should drink effortlessly for another 12 years or more. My first tasting note, score it “95+”

'99 Chateaux Leamon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
(October 6, 2001)

Last evening Tammy and I headed over to Aldo Cuccina, one of our favorite New Jersey "BYOB's" for a romantic dinner for two. The occasion was Tammy's birthday. Actually, her birthday falls on Tuesday of the upcoming week but we decided to celebrate it yesterday nevertheless. 

'99 Chateau Leamon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon- Let me first say that if you like terrific drinking Australian Cabernet Sauvignon, you would be hard pressed to find another bottle that is drinking as good as the '99 Chateau Leamon Reserve is right now! I believe this French oaked wine is 90% cabernet based with merlot making up the balance.

It boasts an opaque black/purple color followed by a huge rush of crushed blackberry/raspberry and sweet licorice scented fruit. The bouquet is in fact so stunning, that I would purchase the wine on nose alone. In the mouth, the wine is literally oozing with decadently rich, ripe, red currant and black cherry like flavors leading to a super sexy mouth feel. Add to that a smoky/roasted component that was just terrific. The tannins are ripe and round and the mouth-feel is pure velvet. Delicious! Drink it over the next eight to ten years. My first tasting note, score it "95+"

1995 ORLANDO CENTENARY HILL SHIRAZ- Let me first say that the ’95 Orlando Centenary Hill Shiraz is spectacular! It is by far the best example of a 1995 Barossa Shiraz that I have ever tasted! The wine has been matured for 24 months in new American hogsheads oak. The oak and fruit are beautifully married with the wine possessing a richness and intensity that is simply extraordinary! To my notes.  Deep, brooding ink like color showing no signs of age. The wine opens with a stunning black currant/blackberry and truffle scented nose that is, for the lack of a better term, a real "knock-out"! Add to that fragrance of Prune liqueur, fig, licorice and hot tar. In the mouth, the wine not only shows terrific concentration and grip but also conjures up huge reserves of highly extracted foreground fruit and flavor. I was stunned with the level of ripeness and highly extracted as well as concentrated core fruit flavors. There were also significant underlying tannins present. However, they were non-obtrusive or coarse tannins. The wine finishes with a stunning forty-second finish! Drink it over the next twelve to fifteen years. My first tasting note, score it “97+” {sidebar} After one sip, my “bud” showboat Steve Levy asked me to pick up another three cases of the wine. Hey, what’s not to like.

1998 Best's Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz- This is another wine that would have benefited from additional breathing. It was also served a tad to warm for my palate but showed very well nonetheless. Dense port like color leading to a flamboyant “in your face” bouquet. Nose opens with intense aromas of crushed blackberry/raspberry compote, licorice and toasty oak fragrances. The '98 Best’s Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz offers up a medium/full to full-bodied texture and personality with excellent balance, stunning extract and a wonderfully seamless mouth-feel. Finishes with a 25 to 30 second residual sensation. The wine needs at least another year or two to knit together. Otherwise the Bin 0 should drink effortlessly for 15 years thereafter. My first tasting note, score it “96”

1999 Oliver's Taranga Vineyards Shiraz- Great color suggesting ink and oil. Fragrant nose of licorice and full toast. Fragrant and flavorful with good core fruit flavors, vanilla bean, fine extract and a moderate to long finish. Mid palate comes across as being a bit austere and slightly over-oaked. May knit together in time. Hold for six months to one year. My first tasting note, score it “91+”

1999 Fox Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon- this Fox Creek Reserve should have been opened hours if not days in advance. Opaque black/purple color followed by a restrained nose and palate. Drying tannins dominate the attack. Does not possess the richness or up front fruit of some of the other wines. Nonetheless there is greatness here!  Hold for two years. My first tasting note, score it “91”

1998 Balnaves Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon- Deep, dark color leading to a restrained aromatic impression (slightly darker color than the Fox Creek Reserve was)  Showing focused but tight aromatic fragrances. Palate comes across as a bit austere and certainly not as accessible as I would have anticipated. Palate shows a medium fullish concentration with impeccable balance and dark cherry and black currant like flavors. Solid wine but needs time. My first tasting note. Hold for two years, Score it "91+". There you have it.

Had these two with dinner in a side-by side over the weekend. They were both extremely enjoyable and are two outstanding examples of Barossa Shiraz from the 1996 and 1998 vintage.

1996 Glaetzer Shiraz- Medium fullish color and certainly not as deeply pigmented as I had expected to find. The bouquet opens with fragrances of toasty vanilla oak, licorice, asphalt and deep black plum like aromas. In the mouth, the wine exhibits a tremendous silky mouth-feel with truckloads of ominous fruit and a strong lashing of black licorice and medium fullish American oak flavors. Add to that stunning balance with an almost decadent fat sweetness to its taste. Delicious! The tannins are slowly giving way and the wine has reached its mature period, where, it should age effortlessly over the next ten to twelve years. My first tasting note, score it “93”.

1998 Glaetzer Shiraz- The '98 Glaetzer is more deeply scented than the '96 Glaetzer and cuts a fuller more complete profile on both nose and palate. It boasts an opaque black/purple color followed by a huge rush of crushed blackberry/raspberry and sweet licorice scented fruit. Add to that black plum, vanillin bean and full toast that make for a surreal sniffing experience! Gorgeous palate of concentrated but lush Raspberry/Blackberry flavored fruit explode in the mouth. This is a big, juicy, densely packed “Barossa” Shiraz that is very fragrant as well delicious to drink today! Can be enjoyed now or cellared for a dozen years or more. My first tasting note, score it "96".

1998 Bleasdale Generations Shiraz- Dense ink and oil like color leading to a restrained nose and palate impression. Bouquet opens with tight but focused fragrances of exotic spices, hot tar and black pepper infused currant like aromatics. Palate mirrors the nose and comes across as medium full-to-full bodied with a substantial depth of fruit, stunning extract and a powerful presence in the mouth. Tannins are medium/coarse and the wine finishes with a 25 to 30 second residual sensation. Hold for about a year or until the wine to knits together. Thereafter, the 1998 Bleasdale Generations Shiraz should drink effortlessly over the next twelve to fifteen years. May ultimately deserve a higher score. My first tasting note, score it "93+".

Had these two with dinner over the last two evenings. They were both delicious and a real pleasure to drink. To my notes:

'99 Henry's Drive Reserve Shiraz-dark purple and ink like color. The take no prisoners bouquet offers up a fabulous mix of cocoa, licorice, spice and toasty new oak fragrances. In the mouth, the Henry's Drive is ever so slowly coming together and is beginning to hit stride. The palate impression mirrored the nose with gobs (forgive me"RP") of exceptionally ripe currant and Raspberry flavored fruits, tar, medium dry tannins, oak and a roasted/toasty texture that was just first rate. Add to that a fat sweetness to it's taste. The '99 Henry's Drive Reserve Shiraz also finishes very well and should drink effortlessly over the next ten years or more. My third tasting note, score it "94+".

'98 Elderton Shiraz- I was fortunate to jump on this wine after my first sip and proceeded to purchase all I could find. Great color suggesting ink and oil...slightly less pigmented than the Henry's Drive was. Explosive nose of licorice and full toast made mean instant fan. On the palate, the wine is extremely flavorful and lush with dense core fruit flavors, fine extract and a substantial finish. This is a stunning example of Elderton Shiraz at it's best that is both decadent and bursting at the seams. Drink it over the next seven years. My ninth tasting note, score it "94".

While I love this wine, the 94 Araujo is almost completely shut down! You heard it right sports fans. The tannins have firmed up and taken hold of the 94 Araujo. Yup, she's closed for business!  Had my crystal ball been working, I would have opened a 94 Bryant Family in its place! This bottle was even considerably  more backward than the bottle sampled at the October Cult Wine off line. What it did show were primary core fruit flavors suggesting currants and plums. Add to that smoke, road tar, and moderate toast. The Araujo did not possess the aromatic intensity and mouth feel of the Henry Drive but is considerably more concentrated and built for the long haul.  On the palate, searing tannins conceal the mountain of densely packed core fruit flavors. The 94 Araujo does possess great power, extract and grip and should drink and improve over the next twenty to thirty years. Hold for five years.  My sixth tasting note. Score it "96+". Simply another case of infanticide.

While I have several tasting notes on the outstanding '97 Greenock Creek Cabernet, this was my first opportunity to taste the newly released '98. To my notes:
'98 Greenock Creek Cabernet Sauvignon-The wine shows a saturated purple and deep ink like color. Let me first say that the '98 Greenock Creek Cabernet has *ALL* the components to make one an instant fan! The wine opens with a stunning black currant/blackberry and truffle scented nose that is, for the lack of a better term, a real "knock-out"! In the mouth, the wine is enormous and massive, showing plenty of power, extract and grip a la the great '97 Greenock Creek Cab and is even a bit more concentrated. If that's at all possible? The '98 Greenock Creek Cabernet can be consumed today with a great deal of satisfaction or over the next twenty years or more. My first tasting note and a memorable experience at that, score it "99"! Impressive!

I opened a bottle of the '99 Hare's Chase Shiraz with dinner last evening. Dan Phillips personally recommended the wine to me about a month or so ago. Now, the last time "DP" recommended a wine was the Dutschke "Oscar Semmler". Well, I didn't purchase any "Oscar" as I had already blown my budget on the '98 Fox Creek and Draycott Shiraz Reserves. Not bad purchases mind you, but I've been kicking myself ever since I missed out on Oscar! Anyway, I expected great things from the Hare's Chase and I was not disappointed. To my notes:

'99 Hare's Chase Shiraz- The color was an impressive deep purple suggesting ink and oil. Nose is tightly wound with only spice and primary core fruit fragrances present. Fortunately however, the palate impression more than makes up for that! Gorgeous palate of concentrated but sweet Raspberry/Blackberry fruit and pepper and underlying toasty oak melt in the mouth. Add to that a strong dollop of licorice scented fruit. The '99 Hare's Chase offers up a medium to full-bodied texture and personality with excellent balance, stunning extract and a wonderful mouth-feel. Finishes with a 25 to 30 second residual sensation. Should drink and improve over the next twelve to fifteen years. My first tasting note, score it "95". My thanks again, "DP" and keep em coming.

In past vintages, a number of Noon Reserve and Noon Eclipse offerings have been difficult for me to judge. Such was the case earlier in the week when I first sampled the'99 Noon Reserve Shiraz. Perhaps these wines require a bit more airtime to show therefull potential. However, this bottle was consumed in short order. The '99 Henry's Drive Reserve Shiraz was almost as ungenerous as the '99 Noon Reserve was. Time will tell if the
'99 Henry's Drive Reserve Shiraz will be as promising as the '98 regular cuvee. Today, both the '98 Henry's Drive Shiraz as well as '98 Henry’s Drive Cabernet are drinking great! To my notes:

'99 Noon Shiraz Reserve- Mid neck fill and showing a fullish ruby color leading to a tight, rather undistinguished aromatic impression. What it did show were primary core fruit fragrances suggesting currants, dark cherry fruit and spice. In the mouth, searing tannins dominate the attack. In addition to the tannins, the wine offers up a good dose of alcohol with a medium to fullish concentration. Add to that a coarse, dry leather quality. Finishes with a thirty-second residual sensation. Hold for two years. My first tasting note, judgment reserved.

'99 Henry's Drive Reserve Shiraz- High neck fill. Deep, dark color leading to a tight aromatic impression (slightly darker color than the Noon Reserve). Comes across as a bit austere and certainly not as accessible as I would have anticipated. Palate shows a medium fullish concentration with impeccable balance and dark cherry and raspberry like flavors. Solid wine but needs time. My first tasting note. Hold for two years, Score it "93+". There you have it.

The Henry Drive was a hit from the get go. The color was a deep purple suggesting ink and oil. The wine offered up a  full throttle bouquet suggesting chocolate, raspberry, licorice and a good dollop of new oak. Hell, I would buy this wine on nose alone! The dense, port like palate impression mirrored the nose with exceptionally rich, ripe, SWEET fruit, tar, moderate to full toast and a purity of fruit that must be experienced to be believed. Finishes with a 45 to 50 second residual sensation. Ripe, round tannins dominate the initial and mid palate. Wonderfully crafted and singing! This is a big, juicy, densely packed monster of a wine that is very fragrant as well delicious to drink today! Can be enjoyed now or cellared for a dozen years or more. My fourth tasting note. Score it "95".

Insignia Galore!

Well, in an effort to tune up and cross-train my palate for the January 29th Premium Syrah tasting, Tammy and I met  Steve Levy and his personal Physician (also affectionately know as Dr. Nancy) for dinner last Friday evening. The venue was Steve's favorite haunt, also known as Café Panache. The causalities of the evening were four Joseph Phelps Thoroughbreds. They were the '91, '93, '94 and '95 Insignias.. We started with the '91 and '93 with the appetizer course and finished with the '94 and' 95 with the dinner entrée. For after dinner, I opened a '90 Veritas Tokay from Australia. Before I get into my notes, I have some general observations on the four wines that we tasted. First of all, the four Insignias were showing little if any age and all were very backward and ungenerous showing medium full to aggressive, coarse tannins. It indeed may have been a capital crime in opening such wines at this point in time but then again this was not our first infanticide offense. To my notes: 

1991 Insignia -Medium neck fill showing a deep dark rubby almost purple color. The deeply scented bouquet suggests ripe black fruits; licorice and Smoky oak like aromas. The palate showed some very slight corkyness that I picked up, but the wine was very enjoyable nonetheless. The '91 Insignia possesses great richness and depth of fruit to match the medium coarse foreground and mid palate tannins. Hold for three years. Score it "94+". 

1993 Insignia- The '93 Insignia seemed to be very similar to the '91 except that the aromatics were not as evolved. Medium fullish neck fill leading to a saturated ink and deep ruby color, slightly deeper color than the 91 Insignia showed. Aromatically, the wine is somewhat tight with light oak and plum like fragrances detectable. In the mouth, the '93 Insignia also shows the great power, extract and depth a la the '91 Insignia and even shows slightly more aggressive tannins. Hold for five years. Score it "94+".

1994 Insignia- Unquestionably the top dog in this tasting! High neck fill leading to a saturated purple and ink like color. The bouquet was singing with fragrances of toasty vanilla oak, deep plum and currant like aromas, licorice and asphalt. On the palate,  the '94 Insignia is enormous! It not only shows the concentration and grip of the '91 and '93 Insignia's but also conjures up huge reserves of highly extracted foreground fruit and flavor. The wine finishes with a stunning forty-second finish! It can be enjoyed today with a great deal of satisfaction, but  it ideally requires five to seven years of bottle age. Score it "98".

'95 Insignia- High neck fill showing a similar ink like color of the '94. The monolithic bouquet of the '95 Insignia was so tight and ungenerous that I could not get much out of it. In the mouth, the wine was a brute and definitely closed for business. What it did show were primary core fruit flavors suggesting currants and plums. Add to that smoke, road tar, and licorice. The '95 does not possess the aromatic intensity and mouth feel of the '94 Insignia but is equally concentrated and should be equally long lived. Hold for ten years. Score it "96+". There you have it. It was fun and just what the Doctor ordered! 

For Christmas Eve, Tammy and I enjoyed a quite dinner for two and a bottle of the '96 Draycott Burge Reserve Shiraz. I've been very fortunate to have had the '96 Burge Reserve nine times over the last ten months. Its stunning flavor and seamless mouth feel make the Burge one of my favorites as well as one of the Grateful Palate's most sought after wine imports! What fun it will be to tasted the '96 Burge Reserve side by side with the '97 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz, '97 Noon Reserve Shiraz and the '96 Trevor Jones Wild Witch Shiraz (among many others) at the January 29th, Premium Syrah Tasting. To my notes: High neck fill and showing a very dark ruby, almost purple color. The deeply scented nose offers up medium to full toast, licorice, coffee and sweet Raspberry scented fruit. In the mouth, the highly extracted well endowed Burge Reserve shows remarkable concentration and impeccable balance. It is this balance and Grange like mouth feel that make the Burge Reserve one of my all time favorite Australian wines. However, the '96 Burge Reserve may be ever so slowly closing down. Specifically, this is the first bottle I've tasted where the tannins were not completely masked by the huge reserves of core fruit. These light to moderately coarse tannins are background rather than foreground tannins.  Still, the '96 Burge Reserve is a great bottle of wine and a real treat to drink. Drink it over the next 15 years. My ninth tasting note. Score it  "97"!

When I ran into Chris Kravitz yesterday, he said to me that you have to try this wine. Chris went on to say that at a recent tasting the '98 Wild Duck Creek Springflat Shiraz blew away wines like the '96 Trevor Jones Wild Witch Shiraz. Having sampled the Wild Witch on a number of occasions, I was shocked with his statement! I was even more shocked after I tasted the '98 Springflat Shiraz. Let me first say that I was absolutely floored with the level of ripeness and highly extracted core fruit in this wine! Somehow I was not surprised. Given the overall quality of the vintage, this is yet another sensational example from 1998! Believe it or not, the '98 Wild Duck Creek Springflat Shiraz is more deeply scented than the 97 and cuts a fuller more complete profile on both nose and palate. It boasts an opaque black/purple color followed by a huge rush of crushed blackberry/raspberry and sweet licorice scented fruit.  Add to that road tar, Cherry jam and toasty new oak fragrances. It is a big, juicy, densely packed monster of a wine that is very fragrant as well delicious to drink today! The dense, port like palate impression mirrored the nose with exceptionally rich, ripe, SWEET fruit, tar, vanilla and a purity of jammy fruit that must be experienced to be believed.  Riveting lushness, grip and finish make the '98 Springflat Shiraz one of the most flamboyant wines that I've tasted from the 1998 vintage!  Score it "95+"

Well, I often get to sample McLaren Vale wines. The '96 Balmoral being my house red and some others like the "Rayner Vineyard" and Fox Creek Reserves are remarkably distinctive in there own right. Some of the unique qualities would include the regions dry grown Syrah fruit and a dry earth and leathery like quality. These distinctive qualities are evident in the Brokenwood Rayner Shiraz! Anyway, back to my notes: The wine showed a deep ruby color leading to a full throttle bouquet suggesting chocolate, raspberry, licorice and a good dollop of new oak. Hell, I would buy this wine on nose alone! On the palate, the wine was a bit of a brute and maybe a bit disjointed. Searing tannins conceal the mountain densely packed raspberry and blackberry like fruits. Add to that vanillin oak, dry, dusty, medium coarse tannins and spice. It also showed great power, extract and grip for the long haul. The '97 Brokenwood Rayner Shiraz is at least three years away from even being approachable and should drink and improve over the next fifteen to twenty years. I could see why the style might turn some off but not me. Score it "95"+. Not for the wimpy. 

  Last evening I joined showboat Steve Levy and another friend at Marchello's Restaurant of Ridgewood, New Jersey. It was a good excuse to open some great wines to go along with some outstanding northern Italian cuisine to boot. Lets see with the appetizer course we started with the '98 "ADW" Sheeraz and' 98 "ADW" Hattrick. For dinner we opened the '95 Bryant Family Cabernet.

This was my second opportunity in the last three weeks to sample the '95 Bryant Family Cabernet. It was my fourth tasting note on the '95 Bryant, my fifth on the '98 "ADW" Hattrick and my first on the '98 "ADW" Sheeraz. We started with the two wines from "ADW" (Australia Domain Wines) the Hattrick and Sheeraz. The Sheeraz showed a medium fullish concentration, fragrant aromas of Raspberry and heavy toast and a flavorful initial and mid palate. Score it "91". 

The '98 Hattrick is a blend of 52% Syrah, 42% Grenache and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. There is no arguing that the Hattrick offers up plenty of spice on the mid palate, however I feel  that the wine is dominated by extremely full-bodied, massively concentrated and explosively rich, Grenache like flavors! As for the aromatics, I worked this wine for more than three hours and did not get much out of the nose. However, the palate impression more than makes up for that. The wine is literally oozing with decadently rich, ripe, jammy, licorice and black cherry like flavors leading to a super sexy mouth feel. Layer upon layer of dense fruit mask the mountain of ripe, background tannins. Drink it over the next ten years. My fifth tasting note on the Hattrick. Score it 94/95. 

The '95 Bryant Family Cabernet is ALL that I could ever ask for in a Cabernet. First of all, the bouquet is hauntingly reminiscent of the great '94 and '95 Colgin's. Huge Blueberry compote and licorice scented fragrances explode from the glass. In the mouth, the wine is enormous! The palate mirrors the nose offering up intense Blueberry and dark fruit like flavors. The '95 Bryant Family is extremely rich and complex with a purity of fruit and flavor that simply must be experienced to be believed! A perfect wine in every sense of the word. Score it "100"! It was for me, a real treat and a pleasure to drink.

I had first tasted the '95 Eileen Hardy at a trade show last October where it was up against some stiff competition. Actually, it was the best Syrah at that tasting, domestic or import! Anyway, I was so moved with the quality that I picked up a six pack shortly thereafter. The '95 Eileen Hardy has all the components to make one an instant fan! From a stunning Licorice and Raspberry scented nose to a super concentrated and highly extracted palate of dense black fruits, tar and medium toast. It also finishes very well and should drink and improve over the next fifteen to twenty years. My second tasting note. Score it 97/98! Awesome juice!

Well, I recently discovered (actually on Monday) that I still had nine bottles of Cos remaining in cellar out of my original two case purchase. I decided to pop one with dinner last evening to serve with a traditional Italian Bolognese sauce served over four cheese Ravioli. Yum!

For those who don't know, Cos is certainly not your everyday Bordeaux. It is usually big, brawny and loaded with fruit, extract and tannin...not to mention that it some times can be a bit angular. I have always felt that the palate impression is like getting hit over the head with a 2 x 4 compared to other elegant if not wimpy Bordeaux profiles. Actually, me likes em this way.

Anyway, while I have dozens of notes on Cos, the '85 and possibly the '86 have been my long-standing favorites. Yea, I have had the '82 on a number of occasions as well but I've always thought that '85 and '86 were and are better bottles (IMHO). To my notes.

'85 Cos d' Estournel - Medium neck fill leading to a very deep,,, dark ruby color. Nose conjures up deeply scented fragrances of grilled meats, spice, mocha, vanilla oak and background fruit. In the mouth, the wine exhibits a tremendous silky mouth-feel with truckloads of ominous fruit and a strong lashing of black licorice flavor. Add to that stunning balance with an almost decadent fat sweetness to its taste. Delicious! The tannins are slowly giving way and the wine has reached its mature period, where, it should age effortlessly over the next ten to twelve years. My fourteenth tasting note, score it "96"!

I picked up eight of these back in June of 1989 for $20.00 dollars a bottle. Seems like a good deal given the quality of the wine. Anyway, last evening, I opened a bottle to serve with grilled Porterhouse and sweet potato. To my notes: 

Medium/low neck showing a medium to medium fullish color. A lovely but restrained nose of cedar, earth, cassis, and truffle scented aromas were just great! In the mouth, the wine is delicious, superbly balanced and splendidly concentrated! Lush, earthy, savory with chewy black fruit and ripe tannins dominate the attack. The wine showed plenty of extract and grip to go along with a chunky, medium full to full-bodied texture and mouth feel. Maybe more akin to a St. Estephe than a Margaux. A lovely Margaux with a terrific mouth feel, although not quite as aromatic as I would have liked. Drink it over the next ten to fifteen years. Score it "94".".

1990 PAPE CLEMENT

It was indeed a pleasant surprise to find addition bottles of Bordeaux in my cellar from the 1990 vintage. Such was the case last evening when I literally stumbled across four bottles of the '90 Pape Clement that I hereto fore thought was long gone.  We celebrated my discovery by opening one last evening to serve with dinner. To my notes:

Low neck fill.  The color was a dark ruby leading to a classic Graves bouquet of minerals, cured tobacco and dark fruit fragrances.  Add to that, hot tar, earth and a background pepper and spice component.  The palate impression mirrored the nose with gobs of exceptionally rich, ripe, sweet fruit, tar, medium dry tannins, oak and a roasted/smoky texture that was just first rate!  The wine was also very silky and lush. The '90 Pape Clement is ever so slowly approaching it's plateau on maturity...where, it should age gracefully for the next ten to fifteen years! Score it 94/95! 

A hugh gathering of 28 wine board personalities attended the April 25, 1998 Grange Off Line tasting and dinner. The location was once again Cafe Panache located in Ramsey, New Jersey. This was the site of the last Grange Off Line some two years earlier. This tasting with duplicate bottles from the same vintage proved once again that there isn't just great wines, there are great bottles. Lets see, there were 23 bottles of Grange. Throw in another 17 bottles with names like Astralis, Hill of Grace, Elderton Command, Armagh, DeadArm, Balmoral, Rockford and Classic Clare and you have what it takes to make a raging "OZ" blow-out! 

We started with a bit of Champagne and then proceeded to open the older vintages of Grange. We started with the 1980 vintage and concluded with the 1992 vintage. After we sampled each and every vintage of Grange, we moved to the second course of luxury Australian reds. Sadly, I did not take any tasting notes. My job as "Master of Ceremonies" made this all but impossible. I was literally pouring fine wine all evening. However, I do have some general observations. First of all, we simply had to much wine...I mean thirty seven reds (not including the Champagne and dessert wines) for twenty eight guests! Talk about over-kill! At the end of the evening, I was giving wine away to perfect strangers. 

Of all the Grange we tasted, the '82 was outstanding and was voted the "clear" overall consensus favorite of the group! The '86 was equally impressive with the '91, '89 and '90 all showing remarkably well! Of the other non-Grange wines, the '92 Elderton Command, '94 Classic Clare and '94 Armagh all showed very well! While others like the '95 Astralis, '90 Hill of Grace and  '94 Dead Arm all seemed to be down right backward and ungenerous, if not palate killers.

click here for photos of the Grange Off Line

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