I recently saw some of this come up at auction. With the knowledge that I could get more if I wanted some, I opened my last bottle. It’s a wine I was in love with when I first started at my current job some three and a bit years ago. It’s been interesting to re-visit some of the wines that captivated me a few years ago. In some cases, I’ve wondered what I was so taken by, others, I’ve thought damn, you were spot on. Regardless, it’s been fun. The palate and the brain are continually evolving thingoes, and watching them change is ever so entertaining.
Superb, inpenetrable black purple colour with black purple hue. Perfumed nose of blackberry, plum, violet and pepper. Full bodied palate delivering explosive, seamless flavours of freshly crushed blackberry & plum above a layer of spicy black pepper and liquorice. Astonishing length & persistence. Micro-fine velvet smooth tannins. Pristine balance. Exceptionally taut finish, with relentless, crisp & taut blackberry flavours. 3, 6.5, 9. 18.5/20 Cork. Drink after 2020. 15.5% Alc./Vol.
A perfect example of Heathcote Shiraz, amusingly sourced from nowhere near Heathcote.
Well, hasn’t this stuff caused a stir! I had to try a bottle. Word on the street is, it’s 2006 Chateau Reynella Basket Pressed Shiraz… $50 retail, and it was available as low as $10 in a case buy. Crazy considering it got some rave reviews. I guess it about sums up the fortunes of Constellation wines though.
Cleanskin sediment
Cleanskin laser etching
Cork and label
Photos are bad, sorry. Laser etching reads L72919 04010. Sourced from www.mayerlingcellars.com.au. Cork has a tree on it.
Opaque black purple colour with deep crimson hue. Slightly restrained top note, blackberries, red currant, fresh mollassesy liquorice, spice, smidge of plum. Best described as brooding. Will probably open up. The palate is plush, and generous. Ripe blackberries, plums, liquorice, quite spicy, some top quality oak involved. Plenty of fine yet firm, ripe tannin, fresh racy acidity. Perfect balance. Very long blackberry, plum and spice aftertaste. Disgustingly good for $10. Will improve in the bottle for another couple of years yet, and will drink well for atleast six. 14.37% Alc./Vol. 3, 5.5, 9. 17.5
Almost translucent black crimson colour with brick crimson hue. Red rope liquorice, cherry and strawberry on the nose, above hints of tar, fennel and soy sauce. the palate is light and lively, flavours of wog cherries in a jar, strawberry, dried herbs, liquorice allsorts and tar. Fans out on the finish like good pinot, giving a sour cherry & spice kick before the long sour cherry aftertaste. Actually drinking really well, but won’t get any better. A pleasant surprise. 1.5, 5, 7. 13.5/20
I came home early tonight. Was woken by fucking idiots with fireworks, and a manic dog breaking down the back door. I tried as hard as I possibly could to go back to sleep, without any luck. Despite my raspy throat, and sore head, I decided to capitalise on my awakeness, and non-wakeup requirements tomorrow.
Two perplexing subjects tonight. A wine by Dave Powell, of Torbreck fame, and a new album by Wilco. Perplexing because I’m never quite sure where I stand with either subject. One day I’m convinced either one is simply brilliant, the next I’m convinced they’re deceptive, and little more than ho-hum. I don’t mind the variety, and I guess it shows I’m constantly thinking about things, instead of being completely stuck in my ways.
Wilco (The Album) can be summed up in a few words. I’m onto my third listen tonight, and it’s not improving with more wine, or more volume. It’s a collection of very solid songs, that hums along with ease, however, it fails to excite. I’d liken it to a statesman, or a fairlane, nice car sure, will get you from a to b with a smidge more style than average joe, but that’s about it.
Track #3, “One Wing” shows moments of glory, with a delicately structured and enticing intro, that starts with gentle strums and expressive, emotive vocals, building into assertive drum snaps, all incredibly enticing, more about what it’s not doing, or what it may be leading into than what it’s actually doing. However, that’s about as far as it goes, such a promising build up doesn’t really deliver much more than a solid pop song. Frustrating indeed.
Track #4 is probably the album’s highlight. You and I, a gorgeous duet! As heard below
There, I conclude my brief thoughts about Wilco (The Album). If you’re a fan of Wilco, it’ll be enough to keep you amused, if you’re not, check out Wilco’s epic Sky Blue Sky album. Who knows, I will probably wake up tomorrow and adore this album. Then be ho hum about it again on Monday. A classic example of why Wilco is a very good band, but in my book, not a great one.
Now, onto the other subject.. Another, confusing one. Torbreck & Dave Powell.. I’m not sure if he’s a genius, rip-off merchant, or a masquerading also-ran. Wines like this cause the confusion.
2008 Torbreck Cuvee Juveniles – Barossa Valley
Produced from Barossa Valley Old Vine Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro, without the use of any oak. This stuff shows a really bright, lively, vibrant deep purple colour, with bright crimson hue. On the nose, blackberry, raspberry, plum, chocolate, espresso, violets, pepper and allspice intermingle to create a wonderful whiff. It really does smell lovely, so enticing. The palate bright and fresh, and delivers the ripe fruit flavours exceptionally well. It’s erring on the side of a lightweight, but that’s to be expected on account of the absense of oak, but it’s made up for by the concentration and intensity of flavours, which mirror the nose to perfection, the only addition to the palate that didn’t really appear on the nose was a good lick of fresh darrell lea liquorice, and a sort of jubey character, but not an excessively sweet or confectioned kind of jube. The fruit tannins are ripe, and very subtle – definately there, but very fine, and non-obtrusive. The aftertaste is exceptionally long, and shows sour cherry/kirsch, above blackberry, liquorice, raspberry and pepper. The acidity keeps things fresh, and keeps the flavours going on and on. This can’t rely on wood tannin for structure, so the acidity delivering fractionally sour fruit characters I can accept. 14.5% Alc. 2.5, 7, 9. 18.5/20.
Reading my notes above, and taking note that the bottle is now empty, I obviously love the stuff. I think what troubles me is the sort of wine that I could be buying for the $30 investment that this stuff commands. If only the marketing department at Torbreck humoured me by saying it came from 80+ year old vines, and the yields were less than a ton to the acre, it would help ease the pain. I’d love to show this wine to any narrow minded fuck who thinks Australian wine is one-dimenisonal and over-alcoholic. It’s simply gorgeous stuff, but not something I’d be buying too often, if nothing else, to save my liver!
