Trying the New

The arrival of Niggle and Teacher-Ma'am was an opportunity to try a few new and old wines. It is easy to keep on consuming what you know is true to form in your eyes, and it can take a little courage to taste beyond your comfort zone.

Our drinking day started with a 2007 Spy Valley 'Echelon' Methode. It was clean and fruity, with a proper austerity, yet a fruit sweetness, enhanced by its pink hue. Up a step to an NV Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne. The real thing always tastes better, with autolysis and depth of character. A very drinkable style. But that's what we've been conditioned to expect and like! The introduction to the night continued with a 2008 Shaky Bridge 'Pioneer' Pinot Gris, gentle, easy, and a commercial pleaser.

Serious reds began with a trio of Escarpment 'Kupe' Pinot Noirs, Larry McKenna's babies. The 2006 is a gorgeous wine. Lovely plump primary fruits, fully-ripened tannins and a perfectly pleasing balance. Young, but ever-so drinkable now. The 2005 was far more structured, and in fact a monster in texture. Cool blackcurrant fruits intermixed with summer fruits, in a frame that needed resolution. The 2003 was more elegant, and now starting to show a little secondary development in flavour. Fresh as a daisy still and with super aromatic lift of florals. A beauty that can age still. We've never tried all three together before - a new and rewarding session.

Then to the Bordeaux oldies, which had damaged labels. The properties we could ascertain, but not the vintages. We knew they were from Margaux. So it was a surprise to see from the corks that we had a 1982 Ch. Prieure-Lichine, plump and full, but packed with brett and tainted with a little TCA. Ouch. Better was the 1979 Ch. Giscours, more true to form with elegant style and some savoury aromatics and freshness from the acidity. A little horsey too, but acceptable for those with higher thresholds to the dreaded yeast.

Then some newbies to test our willingness to try something different. We were given by the Little Aussie Battler and the Drama Queen, a Dumangin Ratafia de la Champagne, a Pineau de la Charentes style sweet wine at 18.0%. Orange, unfiltered, but lovely orange and sherry flavours intermixed with Champagney notes. Quite delicious and it was a good accompaniment to all the sweet things we were eating. Then a high octane Sileni Liqueur Muscat, 10 years in barrel and 22.5%. Beautifully musky and muscatty on nose, but slim line and fiery on palate. It needs riper fruit and longer time in barrel. But then, we are looking at Rutherglen as the model. Should we? It's something new, after all.