Yeringberg 2010 – what i’m drinking at the time 22.07.12

Yeringberg

1992 Coonawarra Bin 128 Shiraz – what i’m drinking at the time 15.07.12

Penfolds is probably Australia’s most well known wine label; anybody and everybody will recognise its distinctive bottle. Bin 128 is one of the most distinctive reds in under the Penfolds label but this is a little more old school.

O and a big THANK YOU to my new two email followers! Common peeps!

1992 Coonawarra Bin 128 Shiraz

The ‘Coonawarra Shiraz’ is matured solely in French oak and is one of the few Penfolds reds that isn’t a multi regional blend. Penfolds Bin 128 is typically zesty, white pepper, floral and in recent decades is richer and fuller bodied so it will be interesting to see what 20 years will do to this style. Lets do this…

With aged wines you want to decant to remove any sediment buildup but be careful not to over aerate else the wine may oxidises in your hands! This was decanted gently, then went straight into a glass/mouth, same same, whatever 😛

The nose was very light with damp earth and leaves in the foreground. There are red fruits coated by vanilla essence in the back. This wine comes off etherial and elegant; very different to what you expect from this label. The acidity limps along on the initial attack and builds up into a sour cherry mid palate backed with tobacco leaves, charcoal, grilled meats, bay leaf and other herbs; all under a light bodied guise. A multilayered wine with a great mix of secondary characters. Finished with light tannins, great bark characters, brings you to the outback with gum nuts and breadcrumbs.

I really liked the way this wine evolved and it’s style. The phrase “gentle giant” came to mind; it was an elegant wine, but still punchy and came across with strong flavours. It has a good structure at this age, nicely layered and quite complex.

Ken’s thumbs up, though having said that, it has probably juuusssst past its peak so time to venture into your cellars people, I wouldn’t wait much longer to drink this. Me thinks have it with crispy skin duck.

Kenny

The Botanical – what i’m eating at the time 03.07.2012

The Botanical

Hello my fine dining friends, welcome back for another first class post. First, some housekeeping. Thank you to my newest mystery follower no. 23, much appreciated; you made my week!  Also, thank you to the people who left some posts in the comments section, again, I really appreciate the simple acknowledgement of my work and the time taken to say hello! 🙂

Ok, so back to the good stuff. Last week we had another “birthday cousin’s night” and following tradition (like our last outing) we hit up The Botanical. The Botanical was/is somewhat of a little icon in Melbourne. It recently had a significant renovation and now is a very swish looking wine bar and restaurant with decorated Executive Chef Cheong Liew. Cheong used to head “The Grange” restaurant at Hilton Hotel in Adelaide and has been given a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services in developing and influencing the style of contemporary Australian cuisine. His approach is adopting seasonal freshness and raw ingredients and breaking a few rules in between.

Chateau Paul Mas Clos des Mures 2008 – what i’m drinking at the time 01.07.12

Jean Claude Mas, Mr Arrogant Frog himself….o hello, I didn’t see you there, welcome to my food and wine blog where I taste and review scrumptious food and wine from far and wide. Today we are back in France, south of France to be precise from the well known producer Jean Claude Mas of Arrogant Frog fame.

Chateau Paul Mas Clos des Mures 2008, GSM 14%