Some recent wines over the last couple of weeks. The Balnaves was one of the best wines I've had in quite a while.
•2000 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (6/17/2010)
Dark ruby in colour, with slight bricking. The nose has mainly red fruits, herbs, and red licorice. There's a slght candied cherry note too: not a classic Coonawarra nose here. Medium bodied, but with some nice concentration. Again, mainly red rather than black fruits on the palate, with slight oak notes but some ribena as well. Fairly simple right now, with some sweet fruit at the end, but it should last a while yet, and hopefully gain complexity. Edit: Slightly better on the second night (B+).
•2000 Balnaves of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra (6/5/2010)
Came across this in the cellar, and thought it might need drinking. Popped and poured. Very deeply coloured, almost black in color, with purple notes. Deeply fruity on the nose, with blackcurrant and a strong earthy note: remins me of a Bordeaux nose from a ripe year. No mint or capsicum as with many Coonawarra cabs. Wow, this is a powerful cab on the full bodied, velvety palate, with a liqueur-like purity and incredible concentration. The essence of blackberries, with slight tar, black plum and earth notes: a very long finish as well. A real fruit bomb, yes, but with great structure still, and quite young tasting, even at 10 years old. A very powerful, but not OTT wine. This is my last bottle, and the best so far, by far. An absolutely outstanding Coonawarra cabernet. (A-/A)
•2001 Mas Igneus Priorat Costers de Mas Igneus - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat (6/4/2010)
Notes from second night. Medium-dark ruby in colour, with a powerful, intoxicating nose of iron, earthy cherries and chocolate. On the silky, medium-full palate, there is more earthy cherry, black licorice, cranberry and blackcurrant. Some oak still as well (a bit too much?), and slight tannins at the end of a medium-long finish. A very interesting wine, with the Carignan element really coming to the fore now. There's a nice purity to the wine. Not overly complex, but very tasty. It should have several years left. (A-)
•2004 Gabriel Meffre Gigondas La Payouse - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas (6/2/2010)
Popped and poured. Medium brick in colour, with blackfruits and leather on the nose. Quite sweet on the palate - really a big turn off, and it overwhelms any identifiable flavours on the medium bodied, smooth palate. Some rubber too? This is barely drinkable to me. It doesn't taste corked, maybe cooked at some point? Or just nasty? Impossible to say, but after a short wait to see what would happen, it was poured down the drain. Not rated.
•2002 Château de Chamboureau Savennières Cuvée d'Avant - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières (6/1/2010)
Still a great wine. Had another bottle last night, and it was a classic example of aged chenin blanc from Savennieres. I don't take notes, but it had the same flavour profile as the last notes; a wonderfully funky chenin that was rich and ripe enough almost to pass as a chardinnay. But the funky chenin flavours give away the grape and region. I love this wine! (A-)