For me it was a trek back down the path to my old stomping ground and an opportunity to revisit some of the absolutely fabulous wines I procured (funnily enough from FineWinesnMore)during my tenure for Marriott Hotels.
Pool side at the JW added a touch of romance to the whole affair, but for me the night was about drinking classic wine. And they did not disappoint.
The Australian sparkling from the Yarra, certainly gave credence to my thinking that Champagne is totally over priced for what you get and there is a whole world of affordable contenders to the crown just waiting to be discovered.
The Riesling was as you would expect...to die for!!
The reds were nothing short of excellent. Old vine Barossa Shiraz meets Classic Coonawarra Cabernet meets extraordinary Cool Climate Shiraz. Where else would one wish to be!! I now know why I went to great pains to get these wines exclusively for the Marriott.
It didn’t take long for everyone gathered to realise what they were drinking was something you just don’t find everywhere. Actually, let me rephrase that; anywhere. And at Rs 5000 a bottle everyone ensured their glass was justifiably full!” I have very small amounts of these classics sitting in the FineWinesnMore wine cellar if anyone would like to taste,
Craig Wedge
Here are details of all the wines served at the event
YERING STATION Yarra Valley Australia
“Born of a collaboration between Yering Station in the Yarra Valley and French champagne house Devaux, Yarrabank sparkling could well be Australia’s finest.”
Yarrabank Cuvee 2001 (Stephen Tanzer 95/100)
The traditional Method used for Yarrabank is a complex and rigorous series of winemaking procedures which takes at least three years to complete. Each bottle is treated individually from the time of tirage to consumption.
The palate is elegant and harmonious with complex nutty yeast and delicate fruit flavours. This wine has a rich creamy mouthfeel complimented by complex autolysis characters adding weight and intensity. The palate has wonderfully pure natural acidity with great 'cut'. The finish is crisp, precise and lingering. The reserve wine adds weight and complexity and the 4 years aging on lees provides the overall balance and array of flavours.
This wine is wonderfully long and intense, yet retains its delicacy and poise.
WEINGUT HANS LANG Rheingau Germany
Few white wines have achieved the fame that Riesling has in Germany. Its ability to produce a wide range of styles, from bone dry to lusciously sweet, in an even wider range of climates has made it the grape of Germany
Hattenheimer Hassel Riesling Spätlese 2005
Clean and bright, with a hint of straw in colour. The 2005 is fuller in style than the previous vintage, with ample perfumes of apricots and peaches on the nose. On the palate, it is beautifully balanced with the ripe fruit and residual sugar in perfect equilibrium with the characteristic zingy acidity of good Riesling. Long and slightly spicy on the finish.
ROCKBARE VINEYARDS McLaren Vale South Australia
Sit down in an armchair and get comfortable, as this wine won’t be over in a hurry!
Barossa Babe Shiraz 2004
(Robert Parker 94/100)
Much of this wine is made from 140 year old Barossa Valley Shiraz vines. Coupled with power and complexity, this creation from Mother Nature will continue to improve in the bottle over the next 15 years or more”
The intense Black, brooding fruit rule the palate. It’s simply brimming with quintessential Barossa Shiraz flavours of black cherries, black plums, blackberries, and some dark chocolate for good measure. The length of this wine is outstanding, and the velvet tannins have you licking your lips for more. An excellent vintage; this is one of the finest Barossa Babe’s produced to date.
MOUNT LANGI GHIRAN Grampian Ranges Southern Victoria
LANGTONS CLASSIFICATION; EXCELLENT
A deeply flavoured, compelling Shiraz from the parched aspects of the Grampians, it stands as one of Australia's most esteemed and stately wines
Langi Blue Label Shiraz 2003
(Robert Parker 90/100)
“Langi” Shiraz is a unique expression of the Shiraz varietal, with seasonal variation showing the hallmarks of this single vineyard wine.
A complex wine showing blueberry, blackberry and classic Langi mixed spice. Dense and concentrated, structured tannins build on the palate. Balanced between power and elegance, the wine continues on the palate with ripe blueberry and blackberry fruits, hints of pepper and tight acidity adding length and definition.
PARKER ESTATE Coonawarra Australia
Meticulously handcrafted, iconic Cabernet Sauvignon from the red earth of Coonawarra
‘First Growth’ Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
(92/100 Robert Parker, 90/100 Wine Spectator)
This wine is a formidably endowed, immensely promising Coonawarra Classic. A Cabernet Sauvignon dominated offering, with a touch of Merlot in the blend. Its opaque purple colour is followed by gorgeous aromas of scorched earth, crème de cassis, blackberries, cedar, caramel, and liquorice. Full-bodied, with an opulent attack followed by a structured, tannic finish, this pure, dense, promising wine will be at its finest for 15 years
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