Oh wow what an experience! Tasting arguably the best wines in Australia all in one night and worth every cent the tickets cost. I decided I would take a few quick notes so I could share this experience with all of you. I will apologise in advance for the short notes and not the entire classification but as you can understand 139 wines plus the tables that had multiple vintages is a lot to get through in 3 hours so I'll stick to the memorable (not that others weren't I just didn't capture the essence on the night). So lets start at the top shall we:
Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 2009
There has been a lot of hype in the market around the release of this wine and how it lacks in quality compared to the previous vintage, this I think is ridiculous! This wine is a wine, a bloody good wine and is no different to any other wine in the market that is at the mercy of vintage, treatment, time in bottle to peak or show it's beauty and most of all opinion. I mean lets be honest it is Grange and I felt most humbled to be tasting it. Rich and elegant but young and abrupt, this wine I think will probably outlive me, considering its age and all I still think it's worthy of a strong 95pts which lets be honest if bloody great for any wine irrespective of it's price or pedigree. There is the old argument of is it really worth $650+ to which I would argue is a Chateau Margaux worth what you pay for it, or Hill of Grace (we'll get to her) or even a humble $100 Moss Wood Cabernet, to be frank is a Black Label McGuigan worth the $7 you pay on special. Supply and demand like in the case of Chateau Margaux would say yes it is even in a vintage where it's not looking like the previous which was outstanding.
Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet 2010
Now if you want to taste a wonder of the modern age then please please invest the $350 to have a crack at this little beauty. Lovely structure and weight with elegance that is unsurpassed (I'll use this statement again before this blog is through). Deep broody dark fruits and defining acidity that give this wine length I'm yet to experience from a wine. It would be a lucky man who could quaff this on a regular basis. 97pts from this humble wine experiencer.
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2010
Ok wow, there is power and then there is power! Deep, dark, broody & delicious. This wine is so dense in such a good way that who in their right mind could resist. Of course it could do with a good 10 years to soften up but it's plush already and effortlessly drinkable. 98pts
Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz 2009
This my friends was the stand out red of the night for this little black duck. So elegant in it's structure and weight, so effortless in it's delivery, so plush that I nearly went back for more. If I was dropping $3.5k on the night it was on a 6er of this little beauty. 98pts
Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 2010
Wow value for money here!!! Such a price drop from the HOG but delivers just as well. Brighter, sweeter fruit perhaps and slightly less work but god I could sit and sip all night. 98pts
Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet 2010
Fresh release here and poured by the great lady herself to which I felt honoured, now for me this should be left in the bottle for another 10 years before even being looked at but god it was an outstanding example of what Coonawarra Cabernet should be. All the elegance and richness but those beautiful earthy tones will shine in years to come. Gentle on the minty characters which I really enjoyed and delivered on those beautiful firm tannins. Jeremy Oliver's wine of the year and 97pts from me. Well done Sue, a real fine drop!
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
A young wine but looking smart. Traditional Margaret River style and back to the style that Moss Wood have done well in the past but lost in the past couple of releases. Nice structure and fruit. A beautiful display of a great vintage in Margaret River. 96pts
Cullen Diana Madeline 2011
Vanya and crew can do no wrong, this wine year in year out just delivers and this is no exception. A great display of what Margies does best. 96pts
Mount Mary Quintets 2010/2011
I'll use one note to sum these two up as it's much easier. 2010 WOW 97pts, 2011 WOW a lighter and elegant style that probably won't last anywhere near as long in the cellar as it's older sister but really still a very excellent wine 95pts
Grosset Rieslings
Springvale in that much more minerally, steely style, beautiful line, length, structure and weight. Delivers as we all knew it would. 96pts. Polish Hill a little fatter with rounding fruit flavour. Much more in the citrus spectrum but beautiful none the less. 96pts
Chris Ringland Shiraz 2006
Typical Ringland Shiraz, I can see why Chris makes so little of this wine and it truly is to preserve the pureness and quality this wine possesses. Huge in style but still possesses an elegance and raw power that is very very impressive. Supply and Demand price point again here but 96pts.
Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2012
The great man Tim Kirk has done it again! Such a pretty pretty wine, the nose is so beautiful and lifted I could smell it as it was being poured. In that red and blue spectrum of fruit & such silk on the palate. This wine I love! 97pts. We tasted the '06 as well which was beautiful and 95pts for me but the '12 stood out heads and shoulders above.
Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz 2010
Clare Valley Shiraz just doesn't get the recognition it deserves and this wine is a great representation of what it can deliver. Rich and complex but lighter and spicier than its Barossan cousins, a truly beautiful wine. 96pts
Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir
Oh wow! God I love Pinot Noir and this doesn't disappoint. Such a rich complex beast but yet a beauty in the next breath. GIVE ME MORE!!! 97pts
Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling 2008
WINE OF THE NIGHT!!!! So good I wanted to bathe in it. Right in a wonderful drinking pocket where the rough acidic edges have rounded off and the raw power of this wine is shining so bright! 98pts and me scouring the Internet looking for as much as I can get my hands on!
Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz 2012
This is a great wine and is wearing the more modern styling Kate has applied so well it could be on any table in the world. If this wine can be thought of in it's current form and not be compared to it's previous styling then there will be not a disappointed palate from any tasting. 96pts and a case in my cellar.
Vasse Felix Heytesbury Cabernet Blend 2011
It's Heytesbury at it's best, great structure, great length, great fruit and a truly great wine. 96pts
Houghton Jack Mann Cabernet 2011
If you can be blessed enough to have/get/taste/drink/experience this wine then you are a very lucky person. Such finesse, such beauty, such delivery that it will knock your socks off! 97pts
Now I did taste an note many many more wines which I will come back and do as a part II to this post but for tonight I am signing off and finishing the glass of Pinot I've poured to accompany me for the evening.
Enjoy & happy drinking!
P.s. When Langton's hold a Classification event for Pete's sake BUY A TICKET!! You will not regret it!
