Aside from a couple of bretty Loire reds, not many new wines have been consumed of late. Instead, lots of retasting, mostly quite pleasant. A highlight has been the 2007 Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon. If anything, I enjoyed my second tasting more than the first, as it showed tighter, with a firmer line and yet more exuberantly powdery aromatics. It has excellent complexity for a young Semillon as well as great purity of flavour. I note the 2008 Semillons are out now and am curious to try them.
On a meta front, I keep finding awesome new (to me) Australian wine blogs. Not only do we have the monumentally re-envigorated Winefront, there's also GrapeScott, the Oz Wine Review, Drinkster/Drankster, etc. Then there are ongoing favourites like the Wino-sapien. Rather an embarrasment of riches, I think. I'm glad to mention these blogs here, partly because our new theme doesn't yet have a links page, but mostly because it's interesting to reflect on where local wine blogging is "at" vis-a-vis the established wine press. Quality is certainly variable but, at their best, our blogs offer a range of perspectives and a democratic immediacy that doesn't exist in other media. There are also a range of attractive, identifiable personalities on display, a phenomenon that should ensure the durability of these voices over the longer term.
I observed a similar dynamic almost ten years ago when political and current affairs blogging became widespread. Blogging is now quite accepted (and acceptable) in that realm, and I suspect the line between old and new will also blur in our rather more specialised niche.
In the meantime, I'll keep drinking and writing about it.
Keep up the good work Julian.
On the 08 Sems I have had the 08 Thomas Braemore and 08 Hell Hole and on the strength of those two alone I think it will be a cracking white vintage, though some of the wines may need to be cellared for decades....
Thanks Andrew! Great news about the 2008 vintage -- at last, a vintage to cellar. As much as I have enjoyed the last few years' wines, I truly crave a gloriously aged Semillon in the classic mould.
Julian,
Yes, keep up the great work.
Thanks for the pointer regarding Drinkster/Drankster. I'm finding it harder and harder to keep up with all the local blogs. . .
Hi Edward,
Indeed, they seem to be multiplying. Which is quite cool but also somewhat challenging. I guess it mirrors wine itself: too many tempting choices, not enough time.
By the way, you did well to leave Ultimo Cellars with only two bottles!
Julian.
Julian,
I got a bottle of vouvray (Domaine Huet) and also a single bottle of pinot. . .
I thought that day last week was to best the markets worst!
hmmm,
the last line should have read - I thought that day last week was to be the markets worst.
Hope your ok and still drinking :)
I keep thinking every day is the markets' worst, and generally I'm right... until the day after. :) It's terribly depressing. I write this on the evening of another drop in local markets -- 8.37% down, to be precise. The index is below 4000 and I'm drinking an old vine Barossa red. One balances the bad with the comforting.
Huet Vouvray and Pinot -- you are indisputably a connoisseur. :)