TN: St. Julien Lookalike from Australia?

[jrufusj]

• 1996 Yarra Yering Dry Red #1 - Australia, Victoria, Yarra Valley (9/4/2005)
  Tasted with an assortment of cheeses after a cookout dinner at Bryan and Amy's. Young claret purple has softened to red except at the very center. Nose is completely closed at first, taking about ten or fifteen minutes to open up. Once open, the nose is a dead ringer for a St. Julien like Beychevelle or Ducru -- has that elegance masking weight that I associate with St. Julien, with classic cassis, cedar, graphite, a little herb, and a dose of sweet vanilla. On the palate, it is of middle weight with substantial but fairly well resolved tannins. Nice dry (if a little short) finish from the silky dark berry and deep cherry fruit. Perhaps a the high degree of ripeness on entry says Australia, but otherwise still seems like a good St. Julien from an average year. After another fifteen minutes or so, though, it all starts to come apart. Nose turns a little dusty, fruit a little muddy and disjointed and the oak steps up to dominate the finish. This could have been a result of mismatched cheeses or of a dumb phase, but troubles me enough that I wouldn't buy it without tasting again.
  

Posted from CellarTracker

[JohnL]

Hi--

Could you elaborate on "nice masking weight..."

I have never seen this in tasting notes and am not quite sure what you mean.

also

In general I have found that red wine does not go well with cheese or vice versa.

The fats in the cheese dull the palate.

Before I am labled an insane heretic which is what I thought I was for years--folks with far more attuned and experienced palates than mine agree that red wine and cheese are not a match made in heaven. I would cite Robert Parker and Chef owner of Le Bec Fin, Georges Perrier on the topic.

[jrufusj]

John:

Thanks for your comments.

The phrase I used was "elegance masking weight". What I mean is that the nose and smooth entry of this wine, with very refined and classic "library" flavors (cedar, graphite, cigar, and the like), can obscure the heft (and, perhaps, tannin) that is there. I find that to be a classic St. Julien presentation.

I find Pauilliac to be more about concentrated power, like a strong fullback in American football. With the sudden rush, I see an amazingly focused force. Only after that amazement goes away do I notice both the grace of the fullback's movements and his sheer size and muscularity.

Hope that helps.

On the cheese comment...please don't be offended, but I really couldn't give a damn what Parker thinks. I do care what you think. If I were talking to Parker, I would care what he thought.

I've got nothing against Parker (and have stayed out of all the threads as I just don't have the time or energy). I think he has a remarkably accurate palate, much more consistent than I could ever hope to be. But he and I are not in alignment. Even if we were, I still buy wine based on what I think of it, not what he thinks.

Now, all that being said, I do partially agree on the cheese thought. As I said in my note, mismatched cheeses may have contributed to the way the wine showed. I find that many (most) cheeses don't go well with reds. However, I do find that certain hard cheeses go very well. Like all blanket statements, a "no cheese with red wine" statement does as much harm as good.

Take care,

Jim