Posts Tagged 2011
V for Victory! Err… I mean Victoria (Part 2)
Posted by eatbikelove in Australian Wines, Producer Wine Tasting on December 20, 2013
Post the visit to Yarra Valley, it was now time to visit the other Pinot Noir and Chardonnay region in Victoria, Mornington Peninsula.
However, since we were in Melbourne, no morning will be complete without trying the famous Australian coffee (aka. flat white). So after a quick search online, we decided to visit St Ali which was closeby.
The place looked very cool and had a nice rustic charm to it.
Refreshed and woken up, it was time to set off to Mornington Peninsula. Our first stop was Merricks General Store in Merrick, the eastern end of Mornington Peninsula.
Merricks is actually a popular restaurant. It is a JV between 3 local wineries so natrually they have a cellar door to taste a massive selection of wines from 3 producers… a 3 in 1 bargain!
First up were 2 Viogniers from 2 different producers.
Elgee Park Viognier 2009
Nose: Not much nose to speak off. Perhaps the wine was served too cold?
Taste: A simple fruity and tangy texture.
Finish: Short finish of c5 seconds
Baillieu Viognier 2011
Nose: Lychee, sweet fruits
Taste: Fruity with a light to medium body
Finish: Short 5 second finish
Next up was Quealy Fruilano 2012
The Fruilano grape is a local grape from the region.
Nose: Light lemony nose, bit like a Sauvignon Blanc
Taste: Medium bodied
Finish: Short 5 sec finish
This was followed by Pobblebonk 2012 which seemed to pack a different selction of white grapes…
Nose: Fresh white flower, hint of honeycomb
Taste: Smooth white fruity balance. Low acidity
Finish: Short finish of 10 seconds.
Surprisingly Pobblebonk works and tastes great! I would recommend everyone to at least give it a try.
Quealy Moscato
Nose: Good muscat grape nose. Hint of greeness and cut grass
Taste: Bubbly with a nice hint of sweetness
Finish: Short 5 sec finish
Queally Musk Creek Pinot Noir 2010
Nose: Simple singular fruity nose
Taste: Medium bodied with strong acidity.
Finish: 10 sec finish
This is another one of those weird blends with an equally cool label to match
Nose: Red fruits, red berries
Taste: Good body and balance. The red fruit does carry over to the taste along with a low acidity
Finish: 10 sec finish
Baillieu Reserve Pinot Noir 2010
Nose: red and black fruits. Good perfume
Taste: Good balance, fruity and slightly tannic
Finish: 10 sec finish
Queally 17 rows Pinot Noir 2011
Nose: muted fruit nose and not that pronounced.
Good acidity but that seems to overpower the fruit at this moment.
Finish: Long 25 sec finish.
A good wine but 2011 wasn’t a good year so the fruit did not really shine.
We finally finished with a muscat rose
Nose: Sweet strawberries, lychees and roses
Taste: good body and balance. Decent sweetness but not overpowering.
Finish: 15 second finish.
After having a chat with the kind sommelier, he kindly informed us that Quealy is having a clear skins garage sale. That sounded perfect so off we went to pay the vineyard a visit.
We were greeted by a very observant front of house.
Quealy Balnarring Pinot Noir 2012
A simple and easy to drink Pinot Noir. Sometimes, there is no point in making wine too complex :-P.
After an extensive visit to the visit, then it was time for a quick lunch and then off to Montalto
This is what happens when you do not have enough wine!
Montalto Hawkins Hill Chardonnay 2011
Nose: Fruity- lemon, apple and white pear
Taste: Good backbone and structure
Finish: 15 second finish.
By this time my friend and I were Chardonnay’ed out. So we decided to visit a vineyard which had won a lot of awards but was off the beaten track.
Ocean’s Eight (No the proprietor is not George Clooney) supposedly makes fabulous pinot noirs and the vigneron allegedly trained in Burgundy… so this must be good…
The cellar door itself looks very pretty. It was simple (no french castles here) but still presented nicely.
We were served by a very nice (and good looking) young winemaker, but what really caught my eye were the burgundy wine bottles on the top shelf!
As for the wines, they are quite well made.
Oceans Eight Pinot Noir 2010
Nose: Red fruits, strawberry, red cherries and hint of spice.
Taste: Good fruit balance and low tannins. A typical cool climate wine
Finish: Decent 20 second fruity finish.
Aylward Reserve Pinot Noir 2010
Nose: Red fruits, cassis, hint of dark cherries
Taste: Fruity taste, good balance and overall a more elegant wine
Finish: 25 second finish
Aylward Reserve Pinot Noir 2009
Nose: Red cherries, hint of vanilla. fruit forward but still a very burgundian nose
Taste: Nice balance and a rounded texture. Silky smotth. Good fruit and a good tannic body.
Finish: 25 second finish
We were really trying to squeeze in as many cellar doors as possible now. We were very lucky to be able squeeze into Prancing Horse. A beautiful estate which winemaker was an ex-Accenture consultant. The owner (tony Hancy) told us that his Prancing Horse wine (the Pony) are currently being served on Qantas’ business class routes. Classy stuff! However that was not the biggest surprise, he also has a vineyard in Burgundy and was only too keen to crack opena few bottles to share (or compare).
Unfortunately to me, I felt Tony shot himself in the foot as the Morey St Denis was just sublime (when one ignores the price).
Prancing Horse, Morey St Denis, Clos des Ormes 2007
Nose: Red berries, raspberries, red cherries, hint of spice and light soya sauce
Taste: Lovely balance, beautiful fruit profile, good acidity and sweet tannins.
Finish: 20 second finish
Sadly, after I tasted this burgundy, it just did it in for me for all pinot noirs that day. No matter, Paringa Estate, which is just up the road, makes very good Pinot so hopefully they can salvage some credit for the Mornington Peninsula.
This was sadly our last stop in Mornington Peninsula… but what a view!
Imagine sitting down by the window, sipping wine and soaking in the magnificent view… ahhhhh bliss!
Paringa Estate Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2010
Nose: a bit of heat, Lemon fruits
Taste: Good rounded texture. The fruit envelops the mouth. Good balance and acidity.
Finidh: 15 second finish
Paringa Estate Peninsula Pinot Noir 2011
Nose: Strawberry, fruit forward nose, red fruits
Taste: Simple fruity texture
Finish: 15 second finish
Paringa Estate Peninsula Pinot Noir 2009
Nose: Dense red fruits, Cassis and hint of black berries
Taste: Smooth Texture, red fruit carries throughout the palate. Slight acidity but good tannins.
Finish: 15 second finish
Paringa Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009
Nose: Dense and concentrated. Red berries, hint of cassis and liquorice.
Taste: Very good balance, sweet tannins and a super smooth texture.
Finish: 25 second finish
This wine is very elegant and is a bigger but finer wine than the non single vineyard version. Lovely wine! Shame about the price (over A$100 a bottle)!
This was a very successful trip and deepened my understanding of Aussie new world wines. It was now time to drive back to Melbourne and there was just one last drink to try before making the journey back…
… a well needed Piccolo.
Back to the ‘Old’ world…
Posted by eatbikelove in Wine Tasting Notes on August 27, 2013
Spending over a month in Australia has definitely helped in improving my understanding and appreciation of Australian wines. Interestingly, it has also helped solidify my wine preference. There are lots of very good wines in Australia but, I’ve realised that I am a crazy fan of aged old world wines which focuses more on balance and the wines being velvety smooth.
I do have lots of friends who are big fans of strong and powerful red wines (such as Barossa Valley Shiraz’s) and I can completely understand their preference. Post my trip, I have been checking my wine notes of recently tasted old world wines and I can happily say…”Honey, I’m Home!”
Tasting
Lumiere Histoire 2011
OK… after all this talk of old world wines, what is a Japanese wine doing here :-P. This is an interesting wine from Yamanishi prefecture which I recently tasted with a few friends in Tokyo. Tasted: June 2013.
Nose: Cheesy smell, hidden white flowers, white pear
Taste: medium light body, smooth body, no acidity, no dryness.
Finish: no finish to think off.
I admit, this is not my first choice if I have one.
Champagne Lahaye, Blanc de Noir NV.
Tasted June 2013 when I visited my friends in Singapore. I’ve had this on numerous occasions and it does not disappoint.
Nose: almonds, lemon zest, hint of green apple
Taste: great balance, medium weight, good acidity,
Finish: decent finish of 20 second
A v v nice champagne to go with Chinese food (tasted with Teochew cuisine)
Clos des Papes 2001
Nose: red and blackberries, strong cherry nose, hint of white pepper
Taste: good smooth texture, secondary flavours of berries and plum. Hint tannin
Finish: long finish of 30 second
A very nice GSM blend from this legendary producer. Given its age, all the harsh tannins have receded leaving a lovely smooth texture. Tasted along the champagne with Teochew cuisine. Lovely!
Blain Gagnard Chassgne Montrachet Caillerets 1er Cru 2009
Tasted July 2013
Colour: pale straw yellow
Nose: oily, white apple, pear, white flower, honey
Taste: beautiful silky texture, typical Chassagne body with the fruit taking centre stage. White flowers and good acidity
Finish: white apple and pear finish. c25 seconds.
Lovely wine and keeps on improving in the glass. After lots of swinging, the wine opens up to velvety smoothness.
Cathiard Vosne Romanee Aux Reignots 1er Cru 2008
Tasted July 2013
Colour- dark ruby red
Nose- dense mix of red n black fruits, hint of vanilla, upon opening smells like a Pauillac then reverting back to a Vosne nose.
Taste- velvety smooth with power! Good balance between fruits and tannin. Hint of mint @ finish.
Finish- long minty finish of over 30 seconds.
A very good wine that is bound to put on more weight and improve with age.
Jean Grivot Vosne Romanee Village 2005
Tasted August 2013 in Sydney Australia.
Nose: beautiful red and black fruits, cherries, velvety rose perfume, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium bodied, good fruit, velvety fruit,
Finish: good 20 second sweet fruity finish.
A good wine but shame about paying the WET tax in Australia.
Domaine Tollot-Beaut Chorey Les Beaune 2010
Tasted August 2013
Nose: cowpat at first, then slowly opened up for red fruit, cherries, raspberry,
Taste: acidic taste, red fruits, medium light body, simple structure.
Finish: 15 second finish.
A decent and simple glass of burg. On of those daily wines if you can afford it.
Domaine De la Vougeraie, Gevrey Chambertin Les Evocelles 2009
Tasted August 2013
Nose: red fruit nose, green muskiness from the oak, hint of vanilla
Taste: medium bodied, red fruits, slight hint of acidity
Finish: short finish of 15 second
Interesting wine with the potential to add on weight after a few more cellar age.
Domaine De la Vougeraie, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2007
Tasted August 2013
Nose: red fruits, strawberries, hint to green, velvet texture, hint of mint
Taste: medium full bodied, red fruits, good texture, velvety smooth
Finish: 25 second finish
On a different level to Evocelles even though it is from the 2007 vintage. Good concentration.
Olivier Leflaive Meursault Tillets 2010
Tasted August 2013
Nose: white flower, lemon peel, hint of honeysuckle
Taste: sweet fruits, hint of apricot, slight acidity. Good texture.
Finish: 15 second semi dry finish.
Relatively simple wine given the price. Not sure if I am paying for the wine or for Leflaive???
Sebastien Magnien, Beaune !er Cru, Les Aigrots 2006
Nose: red fruits, strawberries and raspberries, hint of vanilla and lavender.
Taste: red fruits, started out light but gained weight once opened, good texture with a slight acidity
Finish: fruity finish of c20 seconds.
A half decent wine. Shame I only have a bottle.
How to add flavour to wine… and make any wine a Grand Cru!
Posted by eatbikelove in Wine Tasting Notes on June 26, 2013
I recently read an interesting article in the UK’s Guardian stating that wine tasting is junk science.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/23/wine-tasting-junk-science-analysis
This got me thinking… do we really know how to taste wine or is that just a whole bunch of codswallop??? One of my theory about the variation is that wine is ever evolving. Think about it, how many times have you had wine that tasted so tight upon opening but after a nice dinner, it opens up and you regret you drank most of the bottle too soon? Or a wine smelled so fruity and floral upon popping the cork but faded within 20 mins (that is how I got my negative Rioja experience- now thankfully cured).
But I think all the above is just trimmings at the edges. I think there is a quick sure fire way to add flavour to any wine and make it taste better. And the secret is… drumroll… drink it with REALLY GOOD COMPANY!!!
Yes some of you might be disappointed that I wasn’t suggesting adding black pepper to a glass of Syrah to enhance the peppery taste etc. But I do believe that who you drink wine with does make a huge difference and the impression on the wine. Remember Einstein’s quote of relativity: “When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity.”
So make sure you drink your wines with good company, the wines would definitely taste better!!!
Anyway, here’s some of the wines which I have been drinking in May 2013…
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer 2009
Colour: pale Orange
Nose: lychee, peachy, sweet
Taste: hint of dryness, semi sweet, good velvety texture like 50% of a dessert wine
Finish: short finish of 10 second
Overall a nice aperitif but a bit too sweet if drunk as a main meal, although next time I want to try this wine with some Thai spicy and sour dishes.
Chocolate Block, South Africa Pinotage 2011
Colour: deep red
Nose: merlot nose, red fruits, slight reduction, hint of mocha
Taste: slight acidity, creme de cassis, goos chewy texture, fruity, medium bodied
Finish: short finish of 15 second.
A good simple n fruity wine. Very easy to drink.
Louis Jadot, NSG, Les Cras 1999
Colour: pale ruby red
Nose: red fruits, raspberries, hint of strawberries, slight vegetal and hint of minerality,
Taste: Medium bodied, slight acidity, good weight n balance. The fruits have taken a back seat for the wines but are there. A hint of cherry @ finish
Finish: 15 second finish.
A nice wine which is showing well given almost 14 yrs of age.
Winston's Wine World 
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