Mount Mary 2011 Vintage – What I’m Drinking At The Time 20.10.2013

Mount Mary 2011 Vintage

 

Last year I was fortunate to attend the 2011 Mount Mary vintage release tasting. I gotta, say, if it weren’t for their recent website update I would have forgotten to posted this. For those who don’t know, Mount Mary is one of my favorite wineries who stay true to quality. I am lucky enough to visit them every year and hope to eventually have a long list of vintage to reflect on in years to come.

The 2011 vintage hasn’t been a strong one and I felt that the wines were a bit boardline and not up to their usual awesomeness. It felt that whist the wine making was exceptional, the fruit was a bit lacking. Mount Mary are known to produce a “second label” for bad vintage when quality is threatened so suffice to say, the experts think that the 2011 vintage is up to scratch. The go to wines for me were the Bordeaux wines; the Triolet, highly complex and well balanced with the Quintet looking like a wine to cellar for a little while yet. The Burgundy expressions were sorely missed.

 

The 2011 Mount Mary Lineup

 

2011 Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz – What I’m Drinking At The Time

Ahoy hoy me hearties. Got a little bit of time to spare here to post another one of my backlogged wines, Barossa’s Torbreck Woodcutters Shiraz

2011 Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz

This is the kind of red I like to drink with a hearty meal after a hard day’s work in the wood, but you don’t have to be a wood-cutter to enjoy it. Sláinte mhath

– David Powell

2007 Miceli Chardonnay – what i’m drinking at the time

Once again, hello all you wine folk! Happy to be here to post another backlogged wine post from…not too long ago, maybe from the start of March? Working my way through the phone notes here, bear with me, it will happen.

Anyways, allow me to present to you today, Miceli’s Olivia’s Chardonnay.

 

2007 Miceli’s Olivia’s Chardonnay

Chateau Bernadotte 2006 vs Thomas Hardys Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 – what i’m drinking at the time 05.02.14

Its Cab night tonight, old world vs new world, french vs aussie. Looking into my cellar it looks like I need to drink more, oh woe is me, so I decided to do a comparison for some fun and games. Today we have a French Bordeaux from the Medoc, recommended to me a few years ago pitted against the well regarded Thomas Hardy’s Cab Sauv from the Margret River.

Both wines come with a bit of age and don’t come cheep coming in around the $50 mark at time of purchase with the Hardy’s currently coming in at just under $100. Expectations expectations…

Chateau Bernadotte 2006 Haut Medoc
Thomas Hardys Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Margaret River

2009 The Dead Arm – What I’m Drinking at the Time 23.01.14

Le Dead Arm 2009

 

…named after the father of winemakers who was brutally punched in the arm in the first vineyard and upon seeing the deep dark purple bruise which marked his now dead arm, was inspired to create a wine to mimic its color, depth, power and intensity like none the world has ever seen…or not. Would be cool though!

Billecart-Salmon & Saint Joseph – What I’m Drinking At The Time 16.01.14

Sup peeps! Today we have a few wines I had last week at a little place called France soir. It’s my go to French restaurant and has been for some time now. The food here is excellent, the service is cheeky and crisp and their wine bible….oh yeah…I would read it for hours!

It was a bloody hot day last week and I ended up getting to the restaurant about 30mins early so I decided to wet my whistle whist I flicked through their wine tome.

 

Billecart-Salmon NV
$21 / glass

Yarra Yering Members Tasting 2011 – What I’m Drinking At The Time 05.05.13

Yarra Yering Members Tasting 2011 Vintage

Many many moon ago, I was fortunate to attend the 2011 Yarra Yering vintage release tasting. I’m sure that I will not tire of this little winery and look forward to eventually have a long list of vintage tasting notes to share with you all in years to come. For now, (and to be updated in past and future posts), a link to the back vintages will be situated at the end of each members tasting.

The 2011 vintage fell a bit short to me especially after the standout vintage of 2010. Wines generally felt a bit tight and closed, little less balanced as usual and will require some time in the bottle. The whites were found wanting whist the dry red stalwarts led the charge and as usual the Carrodus labels didn’t disappoint. A little warmth in the glass will serve this vintage well and the back vintage bracket showing you what could be with a little patience.

In the previous 2010 post, I mentioned I missed out on the private tour around the very picturesque vineyard but was lucky enough to jump into one this year. If you get a chance, it is well worth it, digging into the dusty cellars of this boutique wonderland.

No delicious sparkling this year (if you find some, snap them up!) so straight to the tasting table.

1999 château d’yquem– What I’m Drinking At The Time 18.11.13

Man, let me tell you. Whatever you THINK you know about château d’yquem, believe me, nothing will prepare you for the awesomeness of actually tasting this wine…ever.

1999 château d’yquem

est. – what i’m eating at the time 18.11.13

est.
Peter Doyle

Last week, I had an indulgent weekend. Yup, pretty indulgent. I’m pretty sure the culinary part of my tummy got sick of the amount of butter, wine, foam, deconstructed powder, smears and  reductions one can have in three days, needless to say I needed to cap it off with some pizza from the hut itself just to balance it out. I was lucky enough to score tables at Sepia, Quay and, as you may have guessed, est.

Now if you haven’t been to est., let me tell you that compared to the caliber of restaurants I just laid out, this was certainly the best of the bunch. Yup, we talking top shelf here, far far better than pizza hut and just as satisfying (i’m sure a little special wine may be making me biased but we shall get to that in a second). Est. restaurant is found on level 1 in the Establishment Hotel and headed by Peter Doyle who specialises in modern Australian cuisine currently holding 3 hats and 3 GT stars, sweet looking wine selection and a beautiful room to boot. Wait staff was very patient  and courteous and we were lucky enough to get an extra little bit of desert! Apologies for the lack of note taking today, I’ve been a bit lax in that department so please enjoy the lovey photos of the 4 course lunch with possibly the most kick ass wine matched dessert I have had the pleasure to experience. Please enjoy.

the menu
salad of spanner crab, green mango, cucumber, heart of palm, lime and lemongrass
sashimi of tuna, tapioca, ocean trout roe, puffed quinoa, white soy, lime
spinach ricotta tortellini, snap peas, shimeji mushrooms, green shallots
moreton bay bug, prawn, clams, squid, fregola, jamon, broad beans, chives
john dory, grilled scallop, spinach, sauternes- carrot juice emulsion
murray cod, abalone, snow peas, black fungi, ginger – green shallot vinaigrette
passionfruit souffle, passionfruit sorbet

2007 Jacob’s Creek St Hugo – What I’m Drinking At The Time 24.10.13

Hello hello the slacker is bbbback! Yes it has been a full 2 months since I have posted anything which I do apologize for BUT I have some backlogged tasting sessions hopefully coming up for you depending on time wise so stay tuned.

It’s breakfast time and as I’m reaching into the fridge for some eggs I notice the half finished bottle from yesterday’s dinner just chillin there so…as you do….wine and scrambled eggs, the choice of champions. Today it’s le Jacob’s Creek’s St Hugo 2007 Cabernet Sauvgnon, a wine which has some fairly good reputation and named after Hugo Gramp, grandson of Johann Gramp, who is the founder of Jacob’s Creek.

 

2007 Jacob’s Creek St Hugo