Name: Collard-Picard Rosé Vintage: NV Region: Champagne, France Varietal: 50% Pinot Noir 50% Pinot Meunier Alcohol: 12.5% Colour: Clear pink Bead: Fine, persistent bubbles Aroma: Perfume of cherry, strawberry and raspberry aromas Palate: Refreshing, rich, baked goods Finish: Long
Comment: An enjoyable Rosé, nice way to start the night. Looking forward to trying this again.
2
Name: Dumangin Le Vintage Vintage: 2004 Region: Champagne, France Varietal: 54% Chardonnay 46% Pinot Noir Alcohol: 11.5% Colour: Bright pale straw Bead: Small persistent bubbles Aroma: Enjoyable combination of hazelnuts, honeycomb and maybe a hint of truffle aromas Palate: Complex, ripe, creamy Finish: Long
Comment: Very nice bubbles, great nose, lots going on the palate, in a good way. Cellaring has probably improved this wine. Worth a look!
3
Name: Grosset Gaia Vintage: 1998 Region: Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia Varietal: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon 20% Cabernet Franc 5% Merlot Alcohol: 14% Colour: Crimson-Brick Aroma: Perfume of cherry, blackcurrant, blackberry and a hint of spice aromas Palate: Elegant, balanced, lush Tannin: Silky Finish: Long
Comment: Awesome, WoW, magnificent. What a great wine, proves how good a winemaker Geoffrey Grosset is. Geoffrey is known more for his fabulous Rieslings, but his Gaia shows he knows how to craft a Reds as well. Definitely a wine to try.
4
Name: Wynn's Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Vintage: 1990 Region: Coonawarra, South Australia, Australia Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon Alcohol: 13% Colour: Youthful deep crimson Aroma: Elegant combination of chocolate, cedar and blackberry aromas Palate: Medium / full-bodied, polished, youthful, stunning Tannin: Silky Finish: Long
Comment: If the previous wine was awesome, WoW, magnificent, this was even more so. Considering this was a 27 year old wine it was still youthful to look at, on the nose and palate. AMAZING WINE, it was the wine of the night
5
Name: Majella The Malleea Vintage: 2001 Region: Coonawarra, South Australia, Australia Varietal: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon 45% Shiraz Alcohol: 14.5% Colour: Mid Ruby Aroma: Pleasant mix of blackberry, dark chocolate and spice aromas Palate: Medium / full bodied, balanced, rich Tannin: Savoury Finish: Medium-Long
Comment: A good quality wine, very enjoyable, but it was not in the same class as the Riddoch or the Gaia
6
Name: Jessup Cellars Louer Vineyards Vintage: 2006 Region: Nappa Valley, California, USA Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon Alcohol: % Colour: Rich deep garnet Aroma: Kit-Kat is the first thing that came to mind Palate: Medium-bodied, balanced Tannin: Savoury Finish: Medium-long
Comment: A nice, but not great Nappa Cabernet
7
Name: Wyndam Estate Bin 555 Vintage: 2007 Region: Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia Varietal: Shiraz Alcohol: % Colour: Vivid ruby Aroma: An Aussie Fruit Bomb Palate: Full-bodied Tannin: Dry Finish: Long
Comment: Not my sort of wine, also not the usual standard for a BB, plus it was a Shiraz, and this was a Cabernet night.
8
Name: Gergenti Vintage: 2012 Region: Sicily, Italy Varietal: 70% Nero d' Avola 30% Sangiovese Alcohol: 13.5% Colour: Youthful deep ruby Aroma: To me it smelled of old smelly socks (which is not strange for a Sicilian Red) Palate: Bold, full-bodied, needed time to open up Tannin: Developing Finish: Long
Comment: An interesting wine, the second Sicilian wine I have had that has a smelly socks aroma, the previous wine was very good, so was able to overcome the smell, not great, but, IMHO, a good quaffing food wine, think pasta Bolognese on cold wet night
9
Name: Masottina Al Palazzi Riserva Vintage: 2008 Region: Piave, Vento, Italy Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon Alcohol: % Colour: Youthful deep crimson Aroma: Fragrant combination of blackcurrant and black pepper aromas Palate: Medium-bodied, lush, balanced Tannin: Savoury Finish: Long
Comment: My first wine from Vento and what a great wine it was. Very enjoyable, was voted the second best wine of the night behind the Riddoch, ahead of the 1998 Gaia
10
Name: Grosset Gaia Vintage: 2007 Region: Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia Varietal: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon 20% Cabernet Franc 5% Merlot Alcohol: 14% Colour: Youthful ruby Aroma: Mix of blackcurrant, blackberry, aged cedar and spice aromas Palate: Medium-bodied, balanced, rich Tannin: Firm Finish: Long
Comment: I was a bit disappointed in this bottle, my previous bottles of the same vintage were a lot better than this one. Pales in comparison to its older brother the 1998. Guess this was just not a great bottle of it. Still very drinkable only "ok" not great.