Wine tasting 27 September 2016

This month, a line up of 6 shiraz, 5 from Oz and 1 from Europe, all served masked. But first, the Tyrrells Vat 1999 was a pretty good aperitif, even if the cork seal meant inevitable bottle variation. A Lustau amontillado was reliably excellent, as were a range of aperitifs from chef of the day Leigh Hall: superior trout pate topped with capers, a tasty assemblage of goat’s cheese, pesto and a bit of anchovy, and a hot Spanish salami with avocado mash on bread rounds.

The tasting itself produced the usual range of opinions when wines are served masked, although all agreed that the choices were quite different in weight and palate. Probably the most favoured were the 3rd and 5^th wines, and it was interesting that both were Barossas: members’ tastes haven’t changed.

In order, they were:

A 2011 from St Joseph, a Northern Rhone appellation, which attracted criticism for its lack of flavour and length

2011 By Farr shiraz from Geelong, a cool climate wine with elegance, but needing more time

2004 Torbreck The Struie, a Barossa monster in the house style, rich and developed, but balanced

2004 Yarra Yering Underhill, again lighter and with some green fruit characters which were offputting to many

1998 Hewitson, at its peak from a great year, although lighter and more tannic than the Struie

1998 Tyrrells House Block, with top fruit spoiled by dirty characters, perhaps from a touch of brett.

The accompanying food was an unusual match: individual pastry parcels of sea mullet with a tapenade on top, and nicely crunchy green beans. Fish with (big) reds was a brave choice, but the oily earthiness of the mullet, and the bite of the olives in the tapenade at least gave it a chance. Good marks for presentation, with a slightly caramellised slice of lemon atop the pastry parcels.

The tasting wines proved an ideal complement for the cheese, an Italian taleggio washed rind in beautiful condition with salty orange rind and a wonderfully nutty sticky paste. A simple green salad, with a big garlic hit in the dressing, accompanied it.

The coffee was a New Guinea Pearl bean, good rich mouthfeel and a nice note of citric bitterness in the finish.