Vinoculation

Now I’ve been back from the German odyssey for a while, its back to life as normal - and drinking as normal.  hers a few things that we’ve consumed at our place over the last week or so:

07 DeBortoli yarra Valley Reserve Pinot Noir: 2 bottles.  The first tasted like a bandaid dipped in iron filings and stuck to a horses backside, which was then ridden in the rain, though some mud, and rubbed against a similarly wet dog.  The second also took a fair bit of time to show itself.  All pooey and mushroomy at first, some bright strawberries, raspberries and cream emerged after a fair bit if breathing and coaxing.  If you have some, cellar it a while longer for it to all come together - there are some nice ingredients here but they aren’t talking to each other just now.

07 Carrick Pinot Noir: After the DeBortoli, this could have been a shiraz.  Weight and richness reflecting the year in Central, black cherries and plums, and a mocha character which is usually oak or shiraz - I’m not sure what that reflects in this wine though.  Big and powerful, a tasty drink as long as you aren’t looking for Burgundy.  not overly complex though - just drink it and enjoy.

07 Egon Muller Scharzhof QbA Riesling: As QbA’s go this is expensive - more expensive than most Kabinetts.  This is now losing the white flower freshness and vibrancy of its youth and picking up more palate weight and some honeyed notes to go with its citrus flavours.  Suggest if you have any, wait a few years for it to build complexity and enter the secondary phase of its life.

06 Dr Loosen Erdener Pralat Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel: My first look at the 2006.  Initially a bit strange and plasticene like and not pleasant to smell or taste.  Some air time does this a lot of good, and on the palate is shows its Pralat origins - its all yellow fruit, peaches, apricots and oranges.  It seems to be relatively lightly touched by the honey of botrytis.  Acids are present but not yet really asserting themselves.  More in the pure and clean mould than anything complex and spicy, and it does show its origins.  Nice enough, but $75 for a half is getting a bit steep. Drinking window brought forward, as this is already approachable.

Monteiths Crushed Apple Cider: Went to a local chain looking for a cider for some cooking - and spotted this.  So a little bit of it went toward braising some fennel, a little went toward an apple crumble, and a lot went to wards slaking my thirst on a lazy afternoon.  Lovely spicy clean apples, slipped down a treat.

Cheers

Andrew