Short notes from the tasting at Ralph's wine shop featuring Fox Creek, Australia.
Fox Creek Red Baron Shiraz 2006 - Very dark purple. Good nose. Very oaky, spicy. Acidic finish. A bit short, hot. I hated this wine the first time I tried it about half a year ago. This time around it seemed to have improved somewhat. At least drinkable in any case although it's still a pass for me.
Fox Creek Duet 2005 - Cabernet/Merlot blend. Very dark. High alcohol. Red berries. Tannic. Young. Sweet fruit. Good balance if you can get past the alcohol. Good, and my favorite in the lineup.
Fox Creek Short Row Shiraz 2005 - Woody nose. Rich, plummy, coarse tannins. Sour cherry. Monolithic, one dimensional. Not bad but uninteresting.
Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz 2005 - Rootbeer, oaky nose. Sweet, rich, smoke. Very close to the Short Row but at nearly 3 times the price, a definite pass.
Generally, the wines were just OK. No excitement here.
After the Fox Creek we had a lot of bonus bottles.
First, served blind for an options game:
Young, minty, juicy, tannic, sweet. I guessed 2005 Argentina Cabernet. Turned out it was a Cuvaison Syrah 2003. Nobody got this right.
Lots of random bottles in haphazard order followed:
Jansz Tasmania Sparkling Wine 2001 - Bready, refreshing, very light. Not bad but I prefer more weight in my sparkling wine.
Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2005 - Gentle coconut, orange. Very smooth, easy. Very good.
Marques de Murietta Rioja Reserva Finca Ygay 2002 - Classy, chocolate nose. Cherry confit. Well integrated. Balanced. Tea. Raisin. Smooth, spicy. Good for drinking now and will probably not improve further. Very elegant. Excellent stuff.
CVNE Imperial Rioja Reserva 1998 - Tobacco. Very soft. Starting to decline. Slightly hollow. Fades on the finish.
Wente Riesling 2005 - Pomelo. Quite sweet. Citrus rind. Gentle, soft acidity. Not bad.