An example of a cork doing its job well. No seepage, ullage level is very good. Colour is deep gold but no evidence of detrimental oxidation.
Smells like your Nanna’s house. Has retained attention to detail. Body and facial powders. It’s honeyed and bitter. An ‘adult’ combination. Unctuous in the mouth. Orange oil, poached pears, hard cheese, pith and rind. Marmalade on buttered toast with dried flowers, tea leaf and warm spice. Pages from old novels. Complexity to get lost in. Evocative, full-bodied, intense, nutty and wonderfully persistent. 94
Region: Nagambie Lakes
Alcohol: 14.0%
Closure: Screwcap
Tasted: May 2014
I’ve just finished reading some wine reviews from Wine & Spirit magazine (Australia) from 1976. “Nice colour, aromatic nose, nice entry, tannins, nice acid, fruit and long finish”. That was it.
Descriptors such as tobacco, bacon, poached pears or Twinings Gunpowder Green Tea (or even, did you like it?) didn’t exist or at least weren’t used. How on earth did consumers know what they were buying?
Thank heavens for modern wine writing.
“Nice”
Couldn’t agree more. Descriptors aren’t an exact science by any means but I find the writers who attempt to use them in an evocative manner of more value than those who continue to use one or two sentence reviews that don’t even attempt to describe the specificity of the wine. Of course editorial constraints are an issue if you’re not publishing your own writing but on a purely theoretical level I prefer greater engagement with the wine being reviewed.
Is this from your cellar Jeremy or a sample that’s available for sale?
Funny story on this Rich. Sent to me with two other Mitchelton Marsannes but the envelope suggested the package was meant for David Brookes. Both the 2002 and 2004 were “Museum Releases” (and labelled thusly) so I presume that’s partly why they were in such pristine condition – more or less straight from the winery’s cellar.
As for availability, I’ll shoot off an email and ask.
2002 available from the cellar door apparently. I still don’t have a price. 2004 is a few years off as a museum release…which I think is wise. But I do like my Marsanne baroque and bold
The winery itself is a very striking place. Even more so compared to Tahbilk next door (modernism vs heritage). I didn’t like this much – got a lot of DMS flavours (canned corn) – which seems to be mainly an issue with aged oaked whites for me. However…
Picked up a lot of different flavours and aromas in my bottle but no DMS/corn…unfortunately I’m quite sensitive to it. Liked the body and ripeness of the 2002 more than the 2012 which I found a little insipid and not particularly interesting. Different strokes for different folks though.