Australian wine selection

[carpet bagger]

If you had to select just three of the following which would they be? 1998 Greenock Creek Seven Acres Shiraz.

1998 Killibinbin Shiraz.

1998 J J Hahn Block 1914 Shiraz.

1998 Jasper Hill Georges Paddock Shiraz.

1998 Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz.

1998 Old Bastard Shiraz.

And for good measure two California Syrahs.

1998 Araujo Syrah.

1996 Orion (probably mostly Syrah) . Please fill me in?

[Adam Balic]

The Greenock Creek as an excellent old vine Barossa red and the Georgia's Paddock is world class. The only issue I would have with these two wines is the age. Five years of ages is drinking them very young.

[Beachfan]

Killibinbin is nice; I'm drinking my 98 Aussie's now as I'm not convinced they'll age.

well.

Tomorrow night I'm having a 98 Fox Creek Reservew Shiraz.

["T"]

Australian Shiraz are sooooooo tasty they only last at the most 3 years with me. But I'm working on it. Perhaps a 12 step is in order.

[eat2much]

how many more years before I can crack open my1998 E&E Black Pepper?

Edited April 3, 2003 by eat2much (log)

[carpet bagger]

Beach fan how was the Fox Creek Reserve? What did you eat with it? Where did you eat? Did you have any other wines at the same dinner?

[carpet bagger]

Eat2much, how many bottles of 1998 E&E Black Pepper do you have? If you have at least 3 then try one and judge for yourself when to open the others. Please let me know once you open one though.

[Beachfan]

Beach fan how was the Fox Creek Reserve? What did you eat with it? Where did you eat? Did you have any other wines at the same dinner?

It was a little on the disappointing side. Not as jammy as I had hoped with an herbaceous overtone that a didn't care for. It wasn't bad, but the other bottle was much better.

That bottle was a ZD Pinot Noir 2000. I'd never had thought it was good, but at a wine dinner, someone opened it as a bonus wine and it was delicious. More RRV tasting even though it was a Carneros wine. So I picked up a few bottles.

I had dinner at Zemi, my favorite restaurant in Boca Raton, Florida. Unfortuntately, that food was only average, usually it's superlative. I had grouper over crispy spinach with shrimp risotto but the grouper was surprisingly drab (and I LOVE grouper).

They did have a fabulous shrimp cocktail made up of great U10 monsters.

[eat2much]

Carpet Bagger, sadly I have but one bottle and want to make it count! The 1999 is still available here but at $90 Cdn (approx $60 US) I don't think I'll be buying too many bottles.....or should I?

Edited April 5, 2003 by eat2much (log)

[carpet bagger]

Good morning, Eat2much. The 99 is not the same as the 98 and I would try to find the 98 and put it away for 2-5 years. Try Michael Opdahl at Joshua Tree Imports. He can often find hard to find items at very reasonable prices. mdo@joshuatreeimports.com. Tell him George sent you. The 98 is definitely worth $60.00 and he may find it for you for less.

[raspoutine]

eat2much,when you say "here"you 're refering to Montreal are you not? If so, where exactly?SAQ Signature?I have not seen it around myself .Thanx for the info.

[eat2much]

Bien sur! Bought the 98 at Signature a year or so ago for about $80. According to the SAQ website there are only 13 bottles left in the province (at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City).

[Scott]

Beach fan how was the Fox Creek Reserve? What did you eat with it? Where did you eat? Did you have any other wines at the same dinner?

It was a little on the disappointing side. Not as jammy as I had hoped with an herbaceous overtone that a didn't care for. It wasn't bad, but the other bottle was much better.

That bottle was a ZD Pinot Noir 2000. I'd never had thought it was good, but at a wine dinner, someone opened it as a bonus wine and it was delicious. More RRV tasting even though it was a Carneros wine. So I picked up a few bottles.

I had dinner at Zemi, my favorite restaurant in Boca Raton, Florida. Unfortuntately, that food was only average, usually it's superlative. I had grouper over crispy spinach with shrimp risotto but the grouper was surprisingly drab (and I LOVE grouper).

They did have a fabulous shrimp cocktail made up of great U10 monsters.

The fox creek isn't jammy enough for you??

Jammy is not a good character for Mclaren Vale Shiraz.

Nonetheless the Fox Creek wines are so ridiculously overripe, I wonder what you thought you needed more of? Fruit, tannin, extraction, less tartartic, maybe even more time in a centrifugal concentration machine.

The 1998 Oz red's are probably not ready yet, but it depends on what you want. if you want lot's of fruit and oak while it still has good grip then they are probably ready to go - if you like them slightly more mellow give them another 2-3 years. I would caution against waiting if you like them now, you may not like them in 5 years.

As for the original question:

7 acre shiraz

Jim Barry Armagh

Georgia's paddock

None of these wines are very good match's with food though - most Australian wines aren't, they lack acidity and have too much pronounced oak.