Posts Tagged ‘cabernet sauvignon’

1972 Orlando Barossa Cabernet

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

Sometimes I just can’t help myself. A random walked into the shop a while ago with three old bottles of wine that looked to be in pretty reasonable condition. He only wanted $20 a piece. This is the first of ‘em. 1964 Mc Williams Hanwood Claret and 1967 Seaview Claret.

Deep onion brown colour with onion brown hue. Earthy nose of prune, new leather and ham hock. The palate is incredibly luxuriously textured. Liquid velvet. Still some fruit lingering;  Fig, dried apricots, prunes, craisins and toffee, above new leather and green olive. Earthy back palate. Clean finish; acidity still fresh. Very long aftertaste of prune and dried apricot. Alc Unknown. Curio, not scored.

2006 Howlin’ Gale Cabernet Sauvignon

Friday, August 28th, 2009
2006 Howlin' Gale Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Howlin' Gale Cabernet Sauvignon

This was chosen by my lovely Cabernet junkie girlfriend, without the aid of her recently aquired Big Red Wine book for a friday night slurp. Seems even just owning a copy of this book improves one’s wine picking fortunes. Snapped up for a reasonable A$22 from a merchant who has exceptional knowledge, but absolutely terrible storage conditions. It regularly exceeds the external temperature on the main floor of the shop during the summer, and is absolutely bloody freezing in winter. I should know, I graced that floor for a couple of years before I started where I am now. It’s probably more advanced than it should be.

2006 Howlin’ Gale Cabernet Sauvignon – Langhorne Creek

Almost opaque deep crimson colour with brick crimson hue. Swift left minty jab to the nose opens proceedings before letting fly with a flashy combination of cassis, violet, cedar, vanilla and a touch of new leather. The palate is big and soft, fruit flavours fleshy and ripe – predominantly cassis, a smattering of spearmint, a touch of cedar and some mixed dried herbs lurking underneath. Pretty yum! The finish is clean as a whistle. Cleansing acids run side by side with very fine tannins. Perfect balance. Minty cassis aftertaste, with leathery finale, average length. At peak. 2.5, 5.5, 6. 14/20

Whilst it won’t blow you away *boomtish*, it’s a good drinker at a fair price. Would love to see a well cellared bottle. I like the 14.0% Alc/Vol too.

2006 Yalumba Coonawarra Estate Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

What a day.. honestly. Possibly my most irritating in my two years at my current employer. First, I was torched by a supplier. A small supplier who shall remain nameless. One whom I have wholeheartedly endorsed, and done absolutely everything within my power – and then some to support – purely because I liked the way he went about things, absolutely fucked me – without warning or consent, and didn’t even tell me after he fucked me. Displeased to say the very least. So much so, it was removed from my “I like” section, off to your right.

Secondly, A customer who I enjoy dealing with, whom can be time consuming but is almost always rewarding, decided today – about 8 weeks after the initial quote, which happened to say (STOCKS VERY LIMITED) rang up to place an order for about $11k worth of wine, but was disappointed when informed that about $7k of that wine he wanted was unavailable. Pissed off to the max.

Two things I care about – both fucked, one because of sheer stupidity – and short sightedness, the other, most likely because he went off checking prices with the competition. Which when you’re spending that sort of coin I can understand. The first fucking, I cannot.

It was with considerable grumblyness that I opened my 2006 Yalumba Coonawarra Estate Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon. Not just my been fucked twice, but the ominous feeling of knowing I was about to type that name again. A local joke, that’s impossible for a broad audience to understand, stamped onto a label by a bored marketing department, perhaps set to disgruntle winelist typists and retaliers alike. Thankfully, the booze is anything but stupid.

This stuff is produced from younger vines planted on the same patch of dirt where Yalumba pull the glorious grapes that make Menzies Cabernet from. That’s exactly how the wine is spruiked too, quiet little inconspicuous ‘baby’ Menzies. Pull the other one Yalumba! Price, packaging and plonk speaks louder than marketing departments, and with an RRP of $30, for Coonawarra Cabernet can mean only one thing. Yalumba are chasing Wynn’s Black Label, which in my book, is good news.. With any luck, the critics will heap praise on the wine, and Yalumba will resist the temptation to sell the wine to the deceptive and kniving lowest liquor prices guaranteed dickheads, that are incapable of selling anything without slaughtering it’s value. Sub $20 Wynn’s Black Label for example.

2006 Yalumba Coonawarra Estate Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Yalumba Coonawarra Estate Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Yalumba Coonawarra Estate ‘Cigar’ Cabernet Sauvignon

Pours a super deep purple, with bright purple with a reddish purple hue. At first, the nose squirts out enormous amounts of mint, and blackcurrant liqueur. Time in the glass and some serious agitation sees classic Coonawarra characteristics build. Cassis, blueberry, spearmint and violets, spice spice and more spice, before a slightly cedary, herby, earthy poof of an end note. The palate, much like the latest Menzies, initially delivers an explosion of sweet, ripe fruit, before the wine warms and takes on a more oak driven, savoury tone. Blackcurrant persists, but is overwhelmed by the spice, only to come back with avengence in the third quarter.  To better explain it, i’ll use a Soccer score timeline thingy. Team fruit on the left (star performers: cassis, violets, blueberry) Team tannin (star performers: oak and spice) on the right.

10m 1-0 20m 2-0 25m 2-1 30m 2-2 40m 2-3 70m 3-3 90m 4-3

As you can see, the game is close, but for decent periods is dominated by one side. Time will close these gaps I hope. The finish, which is super minty, dry blackcurrant flavours and micro fine, powdery tannins – In some ways reminds me of a fat guy running in a marathon. Just goes on forever and ever and ever. With any luck in 24-36 months, It’ll be a harmonious, vinous bundle of joy, that Menzies would be proud of.  Considering the  $25 paid for it, it’s a real table lifter. Not to be consumed infront of children, or potential inlaws. 14.5% Alc./Vol. 2.5, 5.5, 8.5. 16.5/20+.

Oh, the prawns were awesome too. Thanks! <3

Ps.. I’d have loved to have used more in the title, but didn’t have bloody room, thanks, less than subtle marketing department!