Notes from a blind tasting dinner.
2010 Bonny Doon Sparkling Albarino Central Coast – light amber colour, intense nose of peach and pineapple, but also a hint of oxidation. Nice surprise.
2002 Château Olivier Blanc – oxidized dull and decrepit.
2002 Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir – light colour, funky nose, evident volatile acidity and a very slight corkiness that made any further analysis futile.
2001 Montes Syrah Folly La Finca de Apalta – medium dark sweet slightly funky nose, good fruit, medium weight, still just cruising along. Best South American Syrah? Probably.
1998 St Hallett Shiraz Old Block – dark wine with big vanilla/oak and some green leafiness, balance in the mouth and still very good.
2007 Torres Cabernet Sauvignon Mas La Plana – this used to be called Black Label, but then they used to put some Tempranillo into it in the good old days. Dark wine still showing purple edges, lots of coca in the nose and vanilla, with some underlying berry fruit, balanced and smooth in the mouth and with medium length. At plateau now, I would think.
2003 Château Clerc Milon – plum and a hint of black olive in the nose, blackberry flavours, a bit short on acidity but decent length. Should probably drink rather than holding this one.
2005 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabajà – lighter colour, really excellent Nebbiolo nose with rose hints and a bit of tarriness as well as a floral element. Good fruit levels and finished a tad soft but long. No rush on this wine.
1996 Penfolds Bin 389 – dark, ripe and smooth – in a perfect place now, and showing very good length. A lot of people drink this wine up too soon.
1990 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch – another long ageing wine. Dark, ripe but all together now – some floral and licorice notes in the nose, big and balanced and with good length. Hope no one drank this up in youth!
2003 Quail’s Gate Merlot Family Reserve – tad cheesy in the nose and ripe, big but balanced in the mouth. Simple BC wine.
1990 Graham Porto Centenary Malvedos – interesting to taste this as I’d recently had the 1988 Malvedos. Warm, but not as hot in the nose as it was when younger, and showing hints of nutmeg and allspice, it was also warm on palate and had a nice mouth feel, showing good flavour persistence and length. I’m not sure that this wine has peaked yet – think I’d hold my own store of this a few more years. Good showing.