2004: Moss Wood v Voyager

Whilst I was buying the '04 Voyager Cabernet Merlot at Dan Murphy's, and after the wine had been bagged, the manager came over and had a look at the wine, and said "good choice".

"When are you planning to drink it?" he asked.

"Well, tonight," I said, knowing full well that it ought be cellared.

The manager, "How would you like a second bottle of Margaret River cabernet to drink with it?"

Me, Somewhat confused, "Let's see what it is..."

"Don't worry", whispered the girl at the checkout, "It's free"

The manager returned holding up a bottle. "Oh, Woodlands :)." I looked closer. WTF? "MOSS WOOD!!!"

I had just been gifted half of a full bottle of Moss Wood cabernet, the producer's top wine. And it's the 2004. I stood there with equal measures of shock and graciousness

The bottle had been opened earlier for staff tastings. In-bottle decanted for half a day, the manager (a true samaritan) found a good home for the remainder, telling me that the staff weren't allowed to take home due to company policy.

With that, I had myself an '04 Margaret River horizontal on my hands, North v South.

2004 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon (North MR):

Silky, velvety mouthfeel, darkfruit, very soft fine-grained dusty tannins. A lingering mid-pallate, gravelly perfect margaret river. One of the best wines I've tasted all year.

96 points, effortlessly.

2004 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (South MR):

Less expressive nose, aroma of ground-nut. Less velvety, less seamless between front and back palette. Courser tannin. Eucalyptus influence. Perhaps a bit closed as only just opened, but tried again after opened for a similar amount of time as was the Moss Wood, and it was still not as good. This review may sound negative, but it is not. It is merely a comparison to the Moss Wood. The Voyager is still a very good wine, and reasonably priced at half that of the Moss Wood.

94-95+.

Two great wines. The '05 Moss wood is out now, with a new label design (a gross error of judgement in my opinion - A beautiful, classic, iconic label has been replaced by a fugly one). Apparently the contents of the '05 bottle is better though, so it's one to seek out. It will be interesting to see what the '05 Voyager is like. Indeed, it will be even more interesting to see how voyager fares in future, now that their gun chief winemaker Cliff Royale has left the business. There are still a few of his vintages to be release though.

Why you want th(ese) wine(s): Whilst Coonawara produces the most honest cabernet in Australia, Margaret River produces the most delicious. Voyager may be a future contender to the contender to the throne, but it isn't there yet. The Kings of margaret river are of course Moss Wood and Cullen, but Moss Wood and Voyager seem the most authentic. They are both on the '04, moving to '05 release, whereas Cullen have released the '07. And I don't think the '07 Cullen is that good - A great vintage in MR, that they seem to have stuffed it up.

WYWTW

2007 Glaetzer Bishop, Barossa Valley Shiraz

My first Glaetzer wine was the 04 Amon-Ra on release, and I thouroughly enjoyed it. Since then, I've always had a soft spot for them, but over the past couple of years haven't drank much of their wine. I think i've bought a bottle of each release of Amon-Ra and Godolphin (Annaperena from '06 vintage), and there was a vintage of bishop (either '04 or '05) that I really enjoyed, and bought quite a few bottles of.

I was dissapointed however by the '06 vintage Bishop - bought 1 bottle of it, didn't enjoy it, and it dropped off my radar. I also decreased my consumption of Barossa Shiraz in general over the past 2 years. I put that down to changing tastes, and advancing age, as I have been drinking more elegant wines - Victorian pinot, Margaret River cabernet and chardonnay, champagne. Whilst these wines aren't always 'elegant', they are not in the bruising mould of weighty Barossa shiraz.

But on drinking the '07 Bishop, the nostalgia flows back. A brooding, tannic, meaty wine, ripe - but not over-ripe.

And now I'm fan once more of Barossa Shiraz, to an extent that I hadn't been since the '04 vintage. Back then I was drinking a lot of Grant Burge Filsell, St Hallett Blackwell, Gibson, and pretty much any Barossa Shiraz of similar vein that I could lay my hands on. It seems that the Bishop is one of the first '07 Barossa wines released, and I'm not sure of the quality of the vintage in general. I know that it was a bad year for winemakers, with low yields, but that may add to concentration. The '07 St Hallett Blackwell is in stores too, so i'll have to try that and see how it goes (the '06 was great also). I've seen some positive reviews of both wines already.

Score: Probably 93/100, but 95 for present enjoyment. Will have to recalibrate my palate.

Why you want this wine: Because you want to drink it with a large barbequed steak for breakfast, it's that good.

2002 Bay of Fires Arras + dodgy haiku

My favourite Australian Sparkling.

Buy some.

It's delicious.

NV Lanson Black Label Brut

A bargain champagne. Pale straw and a persistent bead. Bought it for $42. Better than Australian sparkling wines at this (very cheap) price. Medium level of acidity.

Looked like a slightly old bottle, and perhaps starting to look a bit tired. Must try to hunt down a newer one to compare.

[Update: found a newer bottle, confirming my suspisions. It has a new label design with the red Lanson cross at the top of the main label (see above). A better wine - 94/100]

Score: 93/100

Why you want this wine: It is classic champagne, and can be bought quite cheaply - Enjoy the benefits of Champagne.

The Comparator: Brown Brothers NV sparkling wine. Methode Traditionalle

This wine was assessed straight after drinking the 1996 Pol Roger. At only $20, it has been considered one of the better Australian sparkling wines at that price point. So how does it compare?

The mousse on the wine is not the slightest bit persistent nor lingering, nor is the bead. Shameful for a wine bottled at least 10 years after the Pol Roger. The bouquet is garage like, or a weak acetone. There is also rancid meat. There is little acid, but a flabby, unsophisticated base wine. A real disappointment for a wine that has had some acclamation.

Granted, I tasted this straight after the Pol Roger. Had I had it on its own, I may have been happier with it. But why bother. Wherever they picked the grapes for this wine in Victoria, it wasn't cold enough. I'm not sure why anyone would attempt to make an Australian sparkling white wine anywhere other than Tasmania, or perhaps the very coldest parts of Victoria.

I am happy to view this as a $20 wine, and thus expectations ought be moderated. The problem is that I purchased a few bottles of the woolworths "reserve NV Chardonnay Pinot Noir ML25" cleanskin sparkling wine. I think that that was a better wine, and only $8 a bottle.

I believe that a good sparkling needs under-ripe fruit, and that any sparkling not coming from Tasmania doesn't stand a chance. It is an ultra-cool climate proposition. You add CO2 to an under-ripe base to perfect it.

Score: 88/100

Why you want this wine: You don't. Buy a tasmanian sparkling instead. Go the Bay of Fires, or their second label 'Tigress'. Or go the woolworths cleanskin.

1996 Pol Roger Brut

Pol Roger was Winston Churchill's favourite champagne. As either a tribute to the great man, or a brilliant marketing exercise, Pol Roger have since named their premier wine "the Winston Churchill". Pol Roger is also by appointment to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, and it's served at royal functions. That 2 of the 3 most powerful British people in the last 100 years have preferred Pol Roger is high praise indeed. I'm not sure what the other one (Tony Blair) drinks, but one would assume that he is a Moët & Chandon slut.

In its NV incarnation, Pol Roger prices on par with the fashion label champagnes of Moët & Chandon and Veuve Cliquot. Those also both have proud histories. You can buy a book at Borders called "the Widow Cliquot" (widow in french is Veuve) that will tell you how Mrs Cliqout, widowed in 1805, built one of the worlds largest Champagne houses. She is also credited with the invention of the riddling rack, allowing for the commercialisation of sparkling wine by making the degorgement process more efficient.

Both Moët & Chandon and Veuve Cliquot, probably the two most recognised brands of Champagne, are now owned by a fashion conglomerate, LVMH - Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Huge amounts are spent on marketing, and the quality must suffer as a result. The profits from the above mentioned book probably go to LVMH, as its cover is a near facsimile of the Veuve Cliquot label, and I would imagine that they take those profits. I would be surprised if they subsidised the quality of the wine.

You will be happy to hear that Pol Roger is still owned and run by the descendants of Pol Roger the man.

Which bring us to our present wine, the 1996 Pol Roger Brut, in all its historical glory. The 1996 vintage is regarded as one of the best in Champagne in the last 100 years, perhaps the best ever. At this stage in its development the wine has a light to medium golden hue. A strong line of acid runs through the wine, and granny-smith apples predominate on the palate. A rich and smoothly complex wine, it is consolidating nicely. It has a bouquet of rare book, or pleasant old house (or perhaps even wads of paper-based [not polymer] currency). I think I may even have smelt a tinge of illicit hemp - sheer brilliance.

Score: 96/100

Why you want this wine: Because it's good, no, great. And it isn't a fashion statement.

NV Balnaves Sparkling Cabernet

A complex wine, blended from 8 vintages of reserve wines.

When I tasted this wine, I liked it. Was quite pissed though.

Score: 89-90/100

Why you want this wine: Interesting in that it is a Cabernet based sparkling wine. Better than some of the cheaper sparkling shiraz options.

Coonawarra road trip: 2005 Mildara Cabernet Shiraz

A blend of cabernet and shiraz from the great 2005 vintage, this wine exceeded expectations. Listed for $25 at cellar-door, and I would have been happy to pay that

It was half price on a 12 bottle purchase, so I managed to get a dozen for $150. It was probably the best value case purchase ever encountered.

A $12.50 bottle of wine in any other circumstance would likely be horrible and industrial.

Price: $25, though $12.50 in a 12-pack purchase.

Rating: 93/100

Why you want this wine: You might not, but at half price for the 12-pack purchase, it may well be the best value wine you have ever bought.

Coonawarra road trip: 2005 Katnook Estate Chardonnay

2005 Katnook Estate Chardonnay:

Prior to the roadtrip, I don't think I had ever drank a white wine from Coonawarra. Superb structure, flavours of stone fruits, and delicious oak (french).

At $28, this wine is not very expensive, indeed great value compared to Margaret River, Yarra Valley and Mornington wines of similar quality.

Score: 92/100

Drink: 2012

Price: $28

Why you want this wine: It's a full bodied white.

Restaurant Review: Gigibaba

102 Smith Street, Collingwood.

This restaurant is in the mould of a turkish Movida, but still quite different. The room is less polished, the food is more rustic. One does not feel the same sense of occasion sitting in Gigibaba as one does in Movida, but it's equally enjoyable

No reservations are accepted, and it opens at 6. At 5:40 I was standing in a short line, for a small room. By 6pm the line was long. I wonder what time the first ones in the queue got there.

We were seated at the bar (where most people will have to sit). My girlfriend was of the opinion, that she was sitting next to Nick Cave. And she knows her music, I would be surprised if she was incorrect.

A turkish beer, efes, was well recieved. The menu listed a number of entree and main options, as well as a chef's banquet for $55. We chose the banquet.

During the first hour, around 10 cold vegetable dishes were brough out, each delicious, especially the silverbeet. There were also dips (hoummus spiked with tahini, a smokey eggplant babaganoush, and a delicious tomato based dip. And we were also granted and oyster each to begin (dressed with tomato and pomegranite).

My usual expectation is that when I start to get full, the banquet is nearing its end. And I was starting to get full after the vegetable dishes. Next were Kofte, the finest example I've had, and cheftalye (as translated by my Greek Cypriot girlfriend), also the finest example.

At that point I was getting very full, and was glad when a waitress delivered prawns in a claypot, and a pidgeon pastry, and told us that that we were "done".

But we weren't.

A main size barbequed chicken arived, a leg and a breast, and it was delicious. At this point I was very full, and assumed the dinner to be over - but again I was wrong.

Next up were Lamb cutlets, expertly seasoned an perfectly cooked, with a blast of oregano. Again I assumed we were finished, but 2 hot vegetable dishes arrived, as well as a salad, and I think a couple more meat dishes that I can't remember. And again we were told that we were done.

Desert, however, arrived in the form of middle eastern pastries. Bakalva, a birds nest, and a middle eastern quince tart.

All delicious, and I was ready to explode from the quantity of food eaten.

As noted, an efes pilsner (from turkey) was drank first, and it exceeded expectation. My girlfriend had a virgin mary, that she proclaimed as the best she has had (and she is an expert on virgin marys - it is her drink of choice). I followed the pilsner with a pinot noir from Domaine A's second label (92), and then a peppery Rhone valley syrah(93). A spanish cava (95) followed as a pallate cleanser, and then a bortrytis infected sauternes (91) to match with dessert.

Overall, a great dining experience. Traditional and rustic, but cooked with creative eye, and expertly seasoned and spiced.

The price was also good - $162.50 before tip, with one heavy drinker (as above).

This establishment will not replace fine dining, nor Movida and the like. It is however a better option than Abla's, but similar in idea (at least as far as food is concerned). It is most likely a cross between Abla's and Movida however. The wine options also make it a better option, as Abla's is strictly BYO. And this venue takes a creative approach to wine service. All drinks are properly measured, and you have the choice of a 120ml, 300ml, or of full bottle serving.

A brilliant restaurant, would not be surprised if it got at least a hat in the next Good Food Guide.

Definately Melbourne's best Turkish restaurant (15/20).

2005 Leeuwin Estate Art Series (LEAS) Chardonnay

Brilliant concentration of depth and aroma. A full bodied Chardonnay. Not crisp or mineral, this wine is a barrage of fruit flavour and toast. 

The body of this wine does not however overshadow the complexity, which is equally elaborate.

Whilst a great vintage for white in Margaret River, watch out for the '06 which by accounts of other Margaret River chardonnays, may be superior yet. The 06 Cape Mentelle was better that the '05. And the Cape Mentelle vineyards is situated close to Leeuwin Estate, in the southern part of Margaret River.

Why you want this wine: This is an exceedingly good example of the LEAS Chardonnay - whilst LEAS Chardonnay is itself generally considered the finest chardonnay in Australia. And this one is a very good vintage. Whilst there may be reluctance considering the next vintage may still be better yet, the '05 has been discounted in Woolworths from $97 to approx $75, making it good value. It might be discounted elsewhere also, to make way for the new release.

The budget option: Buy the '06 Cape Mentelle or the '05 Voyager Estate - CM is better to drink now, the Voyager to cellar.

The verdict: This blog tried the '06 Cape Mentelle and '05 LEAS side by side, and the LEAS was clearly superior. Is it worth twice to thrice the price? that's a judgement for you to make, based of the value you put on perfection (or nearer thereof).

We also tried the '06 CM v '05 Voyager together. The Voyager, being highly acidic, ought not be drunk now and is better suited to long term cellaring.

Scores:

2005 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay - 97/100

2006 Cape Mentelle Chardonnay - 95/100

2005 Voyager Estate Chardonnay - 95+/100

 

Trentham Estate Chardonnay 2008

Discounted to $7.something. Apparently was $15ish.

Not a bad wine - indeed, quite good for a white. There is a hint of oak, perhaps even more than a hint. Definite chardonnay varietal expression.

I will not apologise for liking this wine, why should I? It was bought at heavily discounted price, but it's worth the list ask. The back label says "sourced from our finest vinyard". That's vineyard, singular. And it tastes great.

And yet again, this is another example of cheap white being far superior to cheap red. I can't imagine a $7 bottle of red tasting this good.

I like Trentham, and I may not be sure why. I seem to remember a good wine of theirs 4 or so years ago. A nebbiolo I think. And I remember it being great. Light, but highly complex. This is another in the same mould. Trentham can be bad - I had a very bad pinot from them the other week, but when they are good they are great. One to watch.

Score: 90/100

Why You Want This Wine: Trentham has potential, and a few of their wines are great value. Just pick the right one.

Oz and James's BIG WINE ADVENTURE (DVD)

A humerous series. From the blurb:

"Featuring Oz Clarke - renouned wine authority, Francophile and former Wine Tasting Champion of the World - as he attempts to reveal the wonder of the world's most complex viticulture to James May - a beer drinker who admires the Renault 4 but can identify a wine only as being 'nice' or 'nasty'.

I really enjoyed this series. They toured through all of France's major wine regions, and it is a pleasure to view these regions second-hand. Parts are insightful, but mostly it is the humor of James May, and the probably unintentional humor of Oz Clarke, that makes this series work. Top Gear fans will no doubt enjoy seeing James May taking on an alpha-male role, a role that he could not achieve next to Hammond and, more so, Clarkson, on the BBC car show. May is humerous and obnoxious, a brilliant combination, but he takes the subject matter seriously enough to make the show work, and to culminate in what is a friendship between Oz and James, and a true appreciation of wine by May.

Why You Want This Wine: It's not a wine, it's a DVD, and a pretty good one at that. It will make you want to tour the French wine regions with one of your mates.

Rating: 95/100

GFC update #2: Bargain winelists - expensive on the cheap

My last GFC update concerned cheap wine. This post concerns expensive wine on the cheap. 

My comparator is the 1996 Krug. A serious wine, that I have not yet tried, but hope to soon. It has the remarkable distinction of being one of, I think, 3 that James Halliday has rated as 100/100 over the course of his career. Sheer Perfection, it appears.

The cheapest that I could find it at an online discount merchant: $649.99 at Winestar (http://www.winestar.com.au/prod427.htm).

And on to winelists.

The Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, 3.5 hours west of Melbourne, has long held distinction for a very impressive cellar, at equally impressive prices. In recent times, the added distinction is that of Dan Hunter, former head-chef at Mugaritz (rated 4th best restaurant in the world), now at the helm in the kitchen.

And as for the '96 Krug: $664, only $14 more expensive than the online retailer. The added benefit, one assumes is that if corked/faulty, one can have a replacement in minutes.

Can that be beaten? It appears so.

Quay, a Sydney restaurant, that swept the board last year winning 3-hats and best NSW restaurant in the most recent Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, and best restaurant in Australia according to Gourmet Traveller, has re-evaluated it's winelist.

In times of GFC, to get more patrons through the door, and increase their alcohol spend, it has discounted its winelist, hoping for volume over margin.

And the price of a bottle of '96 Krug? $516. Buy a meal and the obligatory cheap bottle of Krug, and the meal is, in relative terms, practically free.

Time will tell whether other restaurants follow suit.

Why You Want This Wine: It's more than a wine, it's a winelist. And if you have just recieved Kevin's tax-bonus, do your bit and stimulate the economy.

Westvleteren Abt 12 - Trappist

This blog discloses where if first found this beer: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/westvleteren-abt-12/4934/

It rates at number 1 of the best beers in the world, and this blog had the pleasure of drinking 6 of these beers about a year ago.

Westvleteren is available only at the abbey, in theory!

The blog had the Westvleteren ebay'd to it at its home address. But the literature suggests that evading the abbey will subject one to excommunication.

We compared the beer to the rochefort trappistes 10, allegedly the 6th best beer in the world, and the only other beer in the top 10 that is a trappist beer (which is this blog's preference). 

The difference between the 1st and the 6th best beer in the world is unimaginable. The Westvleteren is amazing, the greatest possible beer experience ever. Much superior to the 6th best, the Rochefort.

Score: sheer perfection 100/100

Why You Want This (Beer): Because the greatest beer in the world is many magnitudes cheaper than its wine counterpart! ($20 compared to $6000+)

2006 Wynns black label, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra

Wynns Black Label is one of my favourite wines - It's always of good quality, and it is available at most outlets - it is one of the most accessible good wines.

I like the 2006 because it has class. The 05 was a crowd pleaser, and I purchased many bottles. But I have the feeling that the 06 will be a better long-run prospect. I think the 05 was too reliant on its vanilla oak profile, as a delicious wine whilst young. The 06 relies upon it's structure.

My advice: Buy a bottle of 06 Wynns Cabernet.

Score: 94/100

Why you want this wine: Because it is available almost everwhere. It is a great wine, and you can do much worse when purchasing from an outlet that has few other $30 wines that are good.

2007 Stonier Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula

Pinot is difficult, in that it is a 'fickle grape' (see Sideways). It will cost more to find a good pinot (usually). Many pinots are abhorrent, and bad pinot is disgusting. You should look at around the $25-$35 price point. Being fickle, however, there are good value options at these lower price points, and also at the higher. It is that there is much variance, that a great degree of research is required, from vintage to vintage. 

Yarra Vally and the Mornington Peninsula are the most obvious locations. Geelong, Macedon, are regional examples. For the most part, I prefer Yarra Valley, as Mornington usually costs more for the same quality, due perhaps to the 'toff' factor. But a great Pinot is the 2007 Stonier Pinot Noir, from Mornington Peninsula, and it's not the reserve one. Around $30+ at supermarkets, it can be had for $24 at discount merhcants. My comparator is the Yarra Valley's De Bortoli Estate Pinot Noir, the '06, which commands a price of around $30 at discount merchants, and $40 at supermarkets.

I think that the Stonier is superior. It is fuller, and more engaging. Flavours of Strawberry and Plum, but also pine needles and forrest floor. With age, one might hope for truffles (hopefully). The De Bortoli was however weaker, and not just with regards to present taste, but to its future profile. It lacked the presence, and the degree of pinosity that the Stonier had. It was slightly harsh and incongruant.

I don't want to give the wrong impression, the De Bortoli is a great wine, and probably great value at the price. But I like the Stonier, and it gets my vote.

Score: Stonier - 94.5/100; De Bortoli - 94/100

Why you want this wine: This is one of the best value Pinot's.

GFC update #1: Cheap white v Cheap red

My last post alluded to this, where I recommended that you by a cheap white instead.

Whilst this blog generally drinks red wine (70-80% of the time), this blog is firmly of the opinion that cheap white is far superior to cheap red. Firstly, many whites do not need, or need less, oak. And oak can be expensive. And a corollary of less oak is that it spends less time in the barrel. It can therefore be released sooner, and the time value of money therefore becomes less important in whites. Because of this, a better white may be had for a cheaper price. 

But that is not the end of the matter. For some reason, bad red wine is often more offensive than bad white, regardless.

My normal advise would be to buy beer instead, but with the price of a 6-pack of local beer now costing $15 at the supermarkets, cheap wine may look attractive. However:

The Golden Rule: Whilst cheap white is better than cheap red, cheap beer eclipses both. 

It is just a pity that supermarkets are pricing beer out of the market on the 6-pack level. For slightly more than the price of two 6-packs, one can buy a slab from a discount liquor merchant (e.g. $30 v $32 for two 6-packs of carlton at safeway/woolworths versus a slab of carlton at 1st Choice or Dan's).

Why you want this wine: It's white, it's cheap, it's better than red for the price. Go the beer though if you can afford the slab purchase.

2007 Arrogant Frog, Ribet Red, South of France

Perhaps it is suitable that the first wine that this blog reviews is of a humble nature, given the blog's humble aspirations. Notably, the wine is made by the self styled 'humble winemaker', Jean-Claude Mas. 

The wine is self-deprecating, and I like that. It won't win any fans in France, but will he win friends here?

Firstly, the wine is not very good at all. But it is not entirely undrinkable either, which for a $10 bottle of red is high praise indeed. It definitely has the cheap red-wine taste - the disgusting smell of a watered down raspberry vodka-cruiser, a slimy mouth feel, practically no tannin, an aftertaste of running engine. On the whole, industrial. 

But what more can one expect. It compares favourably to other $10 bottles of wine, it is free of wine-making faults, and most people will find it mildly-inoffensive.

This blog predicts that many people will be looking to buy cheaper wines due to the Global Financial Crisis (hereinafter GFC). This wine may be a good choice if you are looking to spend $10. The positive effect that such a purchase may have is that you will be encouraging a segment of the french wine industry (the low-end) that ironically (and this wine is proof), is not 'arrogant' in the least.

My advice: buy a cheap white instead (see next post).

Score: 84/100

Why You Want This Wine: Because it's cheap, and during the GFC that matters - and it's french, at no extra cost.

Opening Post

Welcome to my new blog.

This blog intends to review mostly Australian wines, across a range of price points. The wine reviews will differ from most - the tasting note concept will be largely abandoned. Whilst discussing a wine's flavour profile will be inevitable, I will focus on mounting an argument for or against the wine, culminating in a reason as to 'why you want this wine'.

This blog lacks both pretense and grand aspirations. It is not however 'light hearted' nor 'fun'. It is very serious. If I say that the reason you want this wine is because you are 'cheap and nasty', I mean it. Really:)

This blog welcome comments/criticisms on any post or as to how the layout of the blog can be improved.

Kind regards,

WYWTW