A pleasant afternoon in the garden yesterday with a focus of
Australian wines (after a round of chilled fino sherry with tapas.

1998 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc – yes, I did say 1998. I always used
to age this wine for a couple of years to let the acidity abate a
little, though most people seem to prefer it on release. This one got
away from me and when it came to light in the cellar a few years ago,
I thought I’d age it to an even 10 years and give it a try. Very
interesting nose that had elements that could have been Chenin, or
Semillon, or chard, a real hard one to label if you tasted it blind.
No hint of too much age, it was still alive and worked well with
ceviche of scallop and ahi tuna.

with spice marinated lamb grilled on the Barbie

1999 Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz – dark minty wine with good balance
and some tannin, but quite restrained in nature and I don’t think t
will improve from here.

1998 Wirra Wirra Chook Block Shiraz – a rare one that showed a deeper
mint nose, was high toned and smooth, with good length and a fairly
sweet finish. By far the better wine for me. Not over the top (which
many were in this ripe vintage).

with cheese:

1996 E&E Blackpepper Shiraz – this Barossa wine had a sweet
blackberry, and yes, quite peppery nose, was very smooth on palate
with resolved tannins, good length and is probably on plateau now and
should hold a few years.

1997 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz – glad we kept this one for last! Warm
nose of currant and spice, with a lot of depth,, ripe and long and
some cassis syrup at the end as well as in the nose. This is still a
baby and needs time. I had the foresight to lay away a case of this as
well as of the 1998, figuring they’d go long haul. Must make a mental
note to taste the two vintages side by side one of these days.

"Bill S." wrote ............
>
> A pleasant afternoon in the garden yesterday with a
> focus of Australian wines...
>
> 1998 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc – yes, I did say 1998....

Yes, and you did say *Australian* !!!!!!!!!!
I wasn't aware that we had been invaded!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


>
> Very interesting nose that had elements that could have
> been Chenin, or Semillon, or chard .......

CB does include 10-15 % of Semillon in their Sauvignon - I too find this a
little more pronounced with a few years age., when the sprightliness of
youth mellows somewhat.

st.helier

Well I WAS aware that Cloudy Bay wasn't an Australian wine but it was
just the starter wine so under house rules antipodean was close
enough.

I was not aware, or had forgotten, that they used significant
semillon, and that sure makes sense given the nose.

I still have a bottle of 2000 - I won't be in a rush to pop it. These
wines are quite nice with some age.