Bad Impersonator vs Flinders Run Shiraz - Reveals Hint in Wine Reviews

Bad Impersonator Reveals Hint in Wine Reviews - Pair of Aussie Shiraz' for hearty Angeli's Italian Dinner

With son Alec home from NYC/Hoboken for the weekend and holiday, and Aunt Dr Pat visiting for the weekend, our Italian fest this week continues with another dinner at Angeli's, our local neighborhood Italian eatery. Tonight, we shed the Italian wine for a pair of big bold fruit filled Aussie Shiraz' from Flinders Run and Two Hands 'Bad Impersonator' Single Vineyard Shiraz. Perhaps this comparison is a lesson in the subtleties of reading wine reviews. (See my earlier Winesite page on Wine reviewers and reviewers).

Two Hands Bad Impersonator Shiraz 2005

From a perennial top rated Shiraz producer, Two Hands, comes this single vineyard select label with the whimsical name 'Bad Impersonator' and faux Groucho label artwork. The winemaker writes - The charm of this label is the fact that it is not typical of Barossa Shiraz at all, it is the most finicky but perhaps one of the most interesting wines that Two Hands makes. The fruit comes from a single vineyard of mature vines on deep red sand at the top of Kalimna Road near Angaston in the Barossa Valley.

Winemaker notes - 

"Deep purple black in color to the core. Lifted notes of charcoal and dark cherry emerge from the glass, followed by some excellent spice and dark plum, complex and interesting. The palate starts out focused with great definition and weight. Pronounced flavors of warm chocolate cake, licorice and blackcurrant explode over the palate. The highlight of this wine is once again the very seamless tannins. This wine has great balance and will reward with extended cellaring."

This label received wide acclaim and high ratings including 94 Points from the Australian Wine Companion, and 90 Points from The Wine Advocate and the International Wine Cellar. That Wine Advocate rating should have been a clue to this wine since they often 'over rate' these wines, giving them higher ratings than even I would afford them. Over time, tasting, reviewing and rating a large number of wines, I have found consistency in my reviews. In light of the consistency of the professional wine reviewers, there are natural correlations between my reviews and there's. Here is one of those rare cases where we diverge. Simply put, despite the acclaim and top reviews of this wine, we didn't like it. 

Reviewers' indications that this wine may be 'off' from our preferred tasting profile is references to "bouquet of cedar, spice box, pepper, clove, and blueberry", and in the earlier winemaker's review, 'charcoal'. Note five different references before mention of fruit - the very trait we love about these (South Central Australia Barossa Shiraz/Syrah) wines. 

Another reviewer says, "Dark ruby. Smoky, graphite-accented blackberry.....". There it is again, the fruit subordinated to smoke and graphite! 

We found this wine predominantly graphite and metallic elements overshadowing the fruit so much that we capped and it and set it aside. Perhaps not a fair fight against the huge forward unctuous fruit of the Flinders Run below. We'll reopen it today and see if its Bad Impersonation of an Aussie Shiraz continues.

RM 85 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=241761

Flinders Run Southern Flinders Ranges Shiraz 2006

We love this wine and consider it a benchmark representation of Southern Australian Shiraz at its very best, and at a pricepoint between $25-30 it offers a relative great QPR (Quality to Price ratio). I wish I could find more of it. Not sure what happened to Flinders Run. It appeared on the market selectively and we haven't see it since.

Overall hit of this comparison tasting of varied big reds. Consistent with earlier notes, the 2006 Flinders is dark inky purple, full bodied, powerfully scented bouquet of dark berries, smoky minerals and fresh flowers bursting with flavors of thick chewy black raspberry, blueberry and cassis with layers of nut, vanilla and hints of mocha flavors on a tongue coating lingering finish. As much as we like this wine, the 2005 may be even better.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=579974

Amon-Ra Barossa Shiraz 2008

Amon-Ra Barossa Shiraz 2008 Overpowers Italian Dinner

For our special getaway weekend to NY/Hoboken to visit son Alec, we picked up this special wine to take for a BYOB dinner. We chose the wine and then settled on a restaurant and despite the pairing being less than ideal, the wine and the dinner individually were wonderful. 

We dined at Cafe Michelina a short walk from son Alec's place - trendy' lively and quaint  traditional Italian featuring pasta dishes with some select seafood and chicken entree's. 


If you read this blog, you'll see continually that we, and especially Linda, love big bold Shiraz, so she selected this label for tonight's dinner. This was our first adventure tasting the classic AMON-Ra and this is indeed a BIG wine ...  not for the feint of heart!  While it overpowered our Italian fare and begs for a big steak, dark chocolate or hearty cheese,it was delicious none-the-less.

AMON-Ra is the flagship wine of the Glaetzer Family who have been producing Barossa Valley wines since 1888. We hold several Glaetzer wines going back a decade including one of our favorites, GoDolphin, which has since been discontinued, Wallace, Annaperenna and Bishop. The branding and labels for these wines all feature hieroglyphic symbols from ancient Egyptian mythology.  

Since AMON-Ra was considered to be the king of all gods, winemaker Ben Glaetzer chose that symbol for his flagship, top of the line ultra-premium label. Perhaps this is fitting since the temple of AMON-Ra was believed to be the first temple to ever plant a vineyard to produce wine for the citizens of the temple.

The eye on front of the AMON-Ra label is the all-seeing eye of Horus or wedjat ("whole one") - a powerful Egyptian symbol of protection. It is represented as a figure with six parts, corresponding to what Egyptians regarded as the six senses; touch, taste, hearing, sight, smell and thought.
Ben created AMON-Ra Shiraz to appeal to all these six senses. And it certainly does! 


Fruit for Glaetzer wines is sourced from the small sub-region of the northern Barossa Valley called Ebenezer. Some of the vines are as up to 80-120 years old. The 2008 release of AMON-Ra Shiraz is the eighth release of this label. The 2008 vintage in the Barossa was a difficult year for wine producers due to a heat spike during the vintage. As a result, Glaetzer limited the total production of AMON-Ra to maintain the quality of the wine. The strict fruit selections were rigorous and uncompromising to sacrifice quantity for quality resulting in the smallest volume released since the tiny 2003 vintage, lower than the 2007 production. This required carefully monitoring the vines and making multiple passes through the vineyards carefully selecting only grapes with the right intensity of fruit and balancing different levels of ripeness before the heat spike overstressed the fruit. 
 

This release was produced by winemaker Ben Glaetzer who was New World Winemaker of the Year in 2006. According to the producer, "the 2008 vintage shows great purity of fruit and firm but fine tannins, giving great structure and power to the wines."

This was dark inky purple colored, full bodied, dense powerful and concentrated with a firm structured core of fruit yet nicely balanced. The bright aromatic fruit scents filled the room upon opening - the flavors were of ripe sweet dark berry, cranberry, boisenberry with a layer of mild licorice and tones of spice turning to smooth silky clinging tannins on the long finish.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=743959

http://www.glaetzer.com/

More on our getaway weekend and dining experience to come ...

Napa Cab 95 Vintage Horizontal Tasting

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 Horizontal Tasting Flight Highlight Selection of Big Reds and Grilled Barbecue Beefsteaks and Lamb

It started with our anniversary celebration dinner a couple weeks ago when we ordered Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from the Sullivan's Steakhouse winelist. We enjoyed the Pride so much we decided then we'd pick up from there with a follow on tasting of Pride from our cellar. So when our visit from Ryan and Michelle and baby Marleigh grew into a family and friends holiday weekend barbecue, the tasting plan started there. Joining us were Johnny & Erin, neighbors Matt & Amy, Bill and Beth, and later, Dr Dan & Linda.

Our collection of Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon includes an abundance from the 1995 vintage whose time has come to drink so we set upon a horizontal tasting flight from that year. Adding to the Pride, we pulled from the cellar Del Dotto and Elan. Bill and Beth joined and Bill brought from his cellar Constant Diamond Mountain and Freemark Abbey Bosche Vineyard cabernets from the same vintage to round out the horizontal selection.

Labor Day weekend barbecue ultimate wine flight

Prior to dinner we had a selection of artisan cheeses with shrimp cocktail brought by Bill & Beth, with a Carmel Road Chardonnay. The cheese flight highlighted the chardonnay as well as the cabernets.

Carmel Road Central Coast Monterey (Appellation) Arroyo Seco Vineyard Chardonnay 2004

Lemon colored, full bodied, complex citrus flavors with a buttery nut layer.  Probably held on to this too long as its past its prime and time to drink.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=592344






We grilled out steak kabobs, Ryan and Michelle brought a full side of lamb, and Bill and Beth brought New York strip and filet steak. Dan and Linda showed up later and Dan brought two big reds befitting a big Cab tasting, an Amarone from Villa Mattielli and a La Mitre Chateauneuf du Pape from Caves St Pierre. 

Villa Mattielli Amarone della Valpolicella
and
Caves Saint-Pierre Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Mitre 2010

Ryan manning the grill

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 Horizontal Tasting Flight

Elan Vineyards Atlas Peak, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

We first tasted and picked up this wine from the producers Richard & Linda Elliott-Smith during our 1998 Napa Wine Experience. 

Of the five eighteen year old '95 Napa Cab's tasted, this was the one showing the most diminution from age. Full bodied, with firm but well integrated tannins, the black berry and black cherry fruits are falling off a bit and giving way to tones of leather and tobacco, accented by anise, cedar and oak.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=72763

Del Dotto Vineyards Rutherford Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

Showing a hint of age but still life left in this eighteen year old - dark garnet color, medium-full bodied, hints of oak accent spicy forward black berry, black cherry and plum fruits with hints of cedar, leather, cigar box and vanilla with well-integrated tannins on a long complex finish. 

RM 89 points.  

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=890767

http://www.deldottovineyards.com

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Wine 1995

From high atop Diamond Mountain at the northern end of Mayacamas Range above the town of Calistoga, Fred and Mary Constant and consulting winemaker Paul Hobbs produce Bordeaux style red wine blend wines.

We visited Diamond Mountain and Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard during our 2011 Diamond Mountain Napa Valley Wine Experience. Sitting at the summit at the top of the mountain, the site offers spectacular views overlooking both Napa and Sonoma highlands from over 2100 feet elevation. Constant is among the oldest wineries in the valley with history dating back to the late 1800's.


Wow, what a surprise, we had tasted this wine previously with uninspiring results. Tonight, this wine overachieved, vastly exceeding expectations. Dark purple color, medium to full bodied, full forward flavors of black berry, raspberry and black cherry fruits with traces of anise, tobacco, tea and leather on a lingering, moderate, soft tannin finish.

RM 90 points.

Bill's tasting notes -

Deep indigo color in the glass. A bit more full bodied than I remembered. Deep flavors of dark berry...blueberry, dark cherry and raspberry, with some minerality on the finish. Not surprising, given this vintage was made in more of a Bordeaux blend style albeit a bit Cabernet heavy at (73%). Smooth integrated tannins. A nice bottle drinking at peak. Will last another couple of years but why wait?

WC 90 points.

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 73%, Merlot 18%, and Cabernet Franc 9%.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=36373


http://www.constantwine.com/

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Bosché Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

Bill's tasting notes as posted on Cellartracker - "Medium garnet color. Spice on the nose...some pepper and a bit of clove. Full bodied with a interesting layers of plum, cassis, chocolate and eucalyptus. Just a hint of vanilla from light oak. Soft, integrated tannins provide some backbone. This is always a favorite and is drinking very well. More than held its own against a flight of '95 reds including Élan, Constant Claret, Del Dotto and Pride."

WC 92 points.

Another eye-opening standout of the evening, this was medium to full bodied with bright vibrant forward ripe plum and black raspberry fruits accented by tones of currant, clove, hints of vanilla and sweet oak with smooth polished silky tannins on the finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=780698


Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

We visited Pride Mountain Vineyards and Winery high atop Spring Mountain of the Mayacamas Range overlooking Napa Valley to the east, and Sonoma Valley to the west during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999 and again in 2003. We've enjoyed Pride since and often 'gift' Pride to friends on special occasions. We're big fans of rich concentrated extracted mountain fruit and hold Pride Cabernet going back to the mid-nineties. We love the Spring Mountain expression of terroir which I believe is as complex and flavorful as the other popular mountain appellations.

Dark, full bodied, firm, initially closed and tight - decanted and set aside, after an hour and half it started to open up to reveal big full complex dark blackberry and black currant fruits accented by anise, with hints of spice, dusty cedar, and a subtle sweet dark mocha on the full firm lingering tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6236

http://www.pridewines.com/

Caves Saint-Pierre Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Mitre 2010 

Dan brought this CDP from the much heralded blockbuster 2010 vintage. Garnet colored, medium bodied, surprisingly light for such a hearty vintage, slightly earthy black cherry, leather and tobacco notes with modest tannins.

RM 87

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1616011












Villa Mattielli Amarone della Valpolicella 2009

Lacking the big body and complexity of an Amarone, ruby colored, medium bodied, still has that signature raisin and fig tones with hints of anise, cola, vanilla and nut on a modest tannin finish. 

RM 87

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1573099

While it was getting late for some, (Erin & Johnny and Ryan & Michelle set out to get grandkids home and to bed, and Amy was bidding farewell for the evening, wishing to head home, I held her hostage until she'd tasted a dessert wine), mid-way through the evening we opened a Ruster Ausbruch with chocolate, cheese and fresh fruits course.
 

Herbert Triebaumer Ruster Ausbruch Burgenland Neusiedlersee-Hügelland Rust 1996/1997

This is a Chardonnay blend of Fürmint and Gelber Muskatellier (Furmint and Gold Muscatel grape varieties). While this was no doubt straw colored upon release, over time it darkened to butter color, then weak tea colored, eventually darkening to the dark orange rust color it possesses now. Allowed to continue to age, this will likely eventually darken to dark strong tea color, although I suspect it won't necessarily improve the flavor and suitability of the wine. Some classic dessert wines are built to last decades, I suspect this Ruster Ausbruch is at or even past its peak drinking window. We still have a case of this wine, so watch this blog as we monitor this over the coming months and years.

The thick almost syrupy extracted sweet fruit has been offset by a smoky almond nut flavor. Rather than the highly desirable apricot or peach flavors, this tended to be more cirtus focused. This was a great complement to hard Parmesan cheese.

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1455246

Later, deep in conversation solving the world's problems, I had long ago cried 'Uncle', as by this time my pallet or discrimination for tasting wine was gone and I was done tasting for evening. Linda, having not kept pace wanted another glass of wine so opened one of her favorites, a big Aussie Shiraz.

Ben Schild Barossa Valley Reserve Shiraz 2008

The story of the controversy of this label are chronicled in an earlier blogspot posting.  

The colour of this Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Big, forward, thick, chewy, almost tongue-coating with huge aromas of blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with hints of black pepper, spice and nicely integrated oak on a long lingering soft tannin finish.

My earlier review gave this 93 points (with a footnote of possibly warranting a 94) ... this time there re-emerged a bit of a graphite tone which detracted somewhat from the fruit so I took off a couple points.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1386115

http://schildestate.com.au/ben-schild-reserve-shiraz

Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz 2010

Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz 2010

Sara stopped over for Sunday brunch and we popped and poured this Aussie Shiraz to accompany Linda's Italian roast beef. Sara brought two similar wines to our recent Open That Bottle Night so we served this up as a comparison, as these wines are favorites of both ladies.

Dark black coffee color with a dark garnet hue on the rim, medium-full  bodied, this 2010 Schild is a bit too tight and a bit metallic for my preference with a slight hard edge on the front before opening to forward black berry fruit with a layer of black olive, grilled mushroom, creosote and a sweet cassis liquor tone on a focused spicy finish. Similar to its previous vintage which was more approachable lacking these tight and hard tones. This producer's Schild Reserve was much ,smoother, polished and flavorful providing much better QPR despite being 60% higher priced.

The pundits rated this higher but I give it RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1451068

http://www.schildestate.com.au/

Schild Reserve Shiraz 2008 and Hall Napa Cab 2006

Schild Reserve Shiraz 2008 and Hall Napa Cab 2006

Two tasty contrasting wines taken BYOB to holiday dinner with friends Mark and Gayle at favorite local Italian Trattoria Angelis Italian in Naperville. The big flavorful chewy tongue coating Schild Reserve Shiraz was great with starters and salads, then the firmer tighter Hall Napa Cabernet Sauvignon  accompanied the entrees.

Ben Schild Barossa Valley Reserve Shiraz 2008

This wine is dedicated to the producer patriarch Ben Schild who has been farming the Schild Estate Three Springs property in Rowland Flat Barossa since 1952. Today the property is farmed by second and third generation Schilds. Fruit for this wine is sourced from a single vineyard in the Hills overlooking Lyndoch where the elevated location and cooling winds helped temper the effects of a warm year resulting in earlier ripening thereby avoiding a late season heat wave that afflicted other growers in the Southern Barossa.

By the way, a remarkable interesting side note; this is not the same wine but it is the same producer and vintage as the Schild Barossa Shiraz that after receiving high reviews, 94 points, and placing in Wine Spectator’s Top 10 Wines of the Year in 2010, naturally subsequently sold out. Schild then proceeded to purchase, blend and bottle additional wine from other producers, but still market such under the 'same' label. Extraordinary, unethical, deceptive, conniving, but legal, none-the-less.

(Imagine buying a new Ford but finding out Ford ran low on engines and purchased and provided alternative replacement engines from some other supplier. (See Bait and Switch?; Schild Estate: Questionable Bottling Practices in 2008 Shiraz; What Makes a Wine a Wine?).

Only after being challenged by reporters did the winery affix an extra label to the secondary bottlings identifying them as a second blend.

The colour of the Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Huge aromas of blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with hints of black pepper, spice and nicely integrated oak on a long lingering soft tannin finish.

RM 93 points - (perhaps  merits a 94).

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1386115

http://schildestate.com.au/ben-schild-reserve-shiraz

Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Deck the Halls with boughs of holly ... We discovered Hall wines during our Napa Wine Experience 2003 with their moderrn op-art scuplture garden. The 2006 vintage was a high achievement for this Estate standard label Napa Cabernet with a Wine Spectator 93 point rating. Their flagship wine, Katheryn Hall 2006, was #20 that same Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2010 mentioned above, with a score of 96 points!. This year it was selected the #2 Wine of the Year in Wine Spectator's annual roundup.

This wine started with a tightly wound concentrated forward layer of cedar and graphite eventually revealing ripe black berry fruits. Dark inky color, rich, dense, concentrated, style, full-bodied, fruit forward ripe black currant, black berry and black cherry fruits with hints of milk chocolate and cassis on a long firm but smooth tannin finish. More closed and tight, not as lush and jammy as earlier tasting notes. This would be ideally suited with a charbroiled steak.


RM 92 points (vs 93 in earlier reviews).

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=761928

http://www.hallwines.com/

Chateau Tanunda "Chateau" 100 Year Old Vines Barossa Shiraz

Chateau Tanunda "The Chateau" 100 Year Old Vines Eden Valley Barossa Shiraz 

Full bodied, complex, concentrated, full lingering tannins predominate the dense, black and blue berry fruits with hints of liquorice, plum and spice and spicy oak.

RM 93 points.

The Barossa is home to some of the world’s oldest Shiraz vines and the grapes for this wine come from hundred year old vines from a high altitude, one acre single vineyard in the Eden Valley.


We discovered this wine at the Wine Spectator Grand Tour in Chicago when it was being poured by Chateau Tanunda's Dagmar O'Neill. Only 100 cases were produced. We orchestrated a purchase of nine three packs in OWC's (shown below) which we split amongst the wine team, pictured below.

Tasted with/at Eric & Cathy's - a perfect combination with bar-b-que'd boneless pork loin ribs and roast with Shoup's famous Indiana Bar-B-Que sauce.

Shown at left are the three pack OWC (Original Wood Cases of
Chateau Tanunda "The Chateau" 100 Year Old Vines Eden Valley Barossa Shiraz.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=937673

http://www.chateautanunda.com/

OTB - Open That Bottle! Wine team at Grand Tour Chicago -
(L-R) Rick, Ernie, Bill, Dan, Eric and Lyle.

Here are Bill's notes from Cellartracker.

"WOW! A real heavyweight and a spectacular bottle of wine. Deep indigo color. Clings to the glass. Full of fruit as expected but rounder and better balanced than most Aussie Shiraz. Does not express the tangy almost medicinal taste associated with the better Shiraz."

Bill C - 96 points. 



 

Torbreck Vineyards Barossa Valley Woodcutters Shiraz 2009

Dark inky purple color, big full body - big aromas of floral and perfume, forward full flavors of black and blue berry fruits, a layer of metallic mineral, vanilla, and spice on a full lingering tongue coating tannin finish. 

RM 89 points. 

L loves this style but the metallic tones detract from my preference. Taken and tasted with L, BYOB in the concierge lounge at JW Marriott in Indy w/ artisan cheese and biscuits prior to Kara and Gary's wedding.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1035343

Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz 2009

Schild Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz 2009

Recently purchase a half dozen selections of the same vintage and varietal, 2009 Australian Shiraz' from different producers. Will be tasting and journaling over the coming weeks. Ideally would do a comparison tasting in one sitting. Hopefully will do this soon. Meanwhile watch for these posting. 

Schild Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz 2009

 

Dark inky purple color, big full body - big aromas and forward full flavors of black and blue berry fruits, a layer of metallic mineral, a layer of black cherry with hints of vanilla, and spice on a full lingering tongue coating tannin finish.

RM 89 points. 

Tasted with artisan cheeses, pear fruit, smoked salmon and various biscuits as shown. L loves this style but the metallic tones detract from my preference.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1276854

St. Hallet Gamekeeper's Reserve Barossa Shiraz Grenache 2009

St. Hallet Gamekeeper's Reserve Barossa Shiraz Grenache 2009

Another discovery of a great value over-achiever from this Barossa Valley South Australia producer. See recent review of their St. Hallett Faith South Australia Barossa Shiraz 2006.
.

Dark black purple color, full  bodied. Full forward flavorful black berry, black cherry and a layer of red berry fruits accented by pepper, spice, hint of floral, with a slight metallic note which I associate with the Grenache. Moderate to full tannins on the lingering finish.Great value Barossa Shiraz that is somewhat complex but pleasant for easy drinking.

This was available by the glass at Seasons 58 Restaurant in Atlanta/Dunwoody. Great compliment to the beet salad, cheeses, and the chocolate mousse desert. Blend of 56% Shiraz, 35% Grenache, and 9% Touriga Nacional.

RM 88 points. 

http://www.sthallett.com.au/

http://www.seasons52.com/