Older Australian reds San Francisco Marina district Sunday January 27

Update January 22: confirmed Sunday January 27 3:30 pm free parking, informal, $20 to the venue plus any food (optional) plus tips. Venue on the water in the Marina district, PM me if needed.


Recent data points are overwhelming: it’s the perfect time. Shiraz and Cabernet.

Location on a Sunday in a free venue on the SF water, my usual place.

I’ve set aside many bottles see post below. Bring a white or bubbly or an older (pre-2005) Aussie cab or Shiraz or a very old syrah from anywhere.

What’s the new place in MV?

I have to check my dingo for ticks that day.

Sommelier said he’d be happy to have us. Very enthusiastic knowledgeable guy in an unusual venue. They don’t usually waive corkage but he said he would if we ever go there. Not sure he’s allowed to follow through with that so that’s all I’ll say for now. Not sure he’s ever had a wine group for dinner yet.
It’s not the Mt. View place I hosted the Williams Selyem dinner last month. That was suboptimal after years of good experiences there.

And every day. They hide in the bush from whence the dingo springs.

If you run short of wines, we still have some older vintages, 1999 to 2005 in the back room. Odds and ends from Two Hands including Aphrodite, Cape d’Estaing, Hazy Blur, Burge Family Draycott, Rusden, Langmeil, Oliver’s Taranga, Tatiarra, Greenock Creek and Hundred Acre Ancient Ways. Maybe more that Carrie hid. Friends and family pricing of course.

The last few 2003 and 2004 Shiraz we opened tasted nothing like when we first bought them and I was totally surprised that a high octane, over extracted Shiraz would turn into a wine I would have identified as a Northern Rhone.

Exactly. And some remain with that weird synergy of American tasting oak and cherry fruit. Hence the dinner. I hope for some of each. As for alcohol I think that’s a vintage thing in Barossa. 2001 avoid despite Parker incorrectly equating it to the much better 2002. 1996 the opposite, beautifully balanced but not enough oomph to age. High alcohol oaky Australian Grenache epitomizes the worst.

Then there are the lovely regions, Beechworth and Western Australia.

Do you have a list? Aphrodite would be great. Thanks!

Last week I had side by side the 1997 Roennfeldt and a 2006 Alban Reva syrah. The former was an exact ringer for a 2001 La Mouline but better, and the latter an exact ringer for a too young and therefore still too oaky Chris Ringland but not as good. I mean exact.

If it ends up in SF please count me in.

Is there a date set?

Eric if it’s in SF it will probably be the last Sunday in January. It depends on who wants to attend and when. So far it’s unanimous meaning Richard.

I’m in if it’s in SF or oakland! Woo Hoo.

Good on ya mate

I’m in as usual if it’s in SF! Great idea George.

Found some more 1998’s in my cellar it’ll be quite the retrospective

George here’s a partial:

Cabernet:
2000 Katnook Estate Odyssey Coonawarra
2002 Troll Creek Barossa Valley
2003 Rusden Boundaries Barossa Valley
2005 Two Hands Aphrodite Barossa Valley

Shiraz:
2000 Dutschke Oscar Semmler Barossa Valley
2001 Oliver’s Taranga
2002 Greenock Creek Seven Acre Barossa Valley
2003 Barossa Valley Old Vine
2003 Cape d Estaing Kangaroo Island
2003 Hazyblur Barossa Valley
2003 Rusden Black Guts Barossa Valley
2003 Tatiarra Heathcote Cambrian
2003 Torbreck Run Rig 3 liter (may have a couple 750s somewhere)
2003 Two Hands Bad Impersonator Barossa Valley
2004 Burge Family Dracott Barossa Valley
2004 Hazyblur The Invictus Limited Release
2004 Hundred Acre Ancient Way Barossa Valley
2004 Shirvington McLaren VAle
2005 De Lisio Krystina McLaren Vale
2005 Torbreck The Descendant Barossa Valley

Red Blend:
2000 Majella The Malleea
2004 Torbreck The Pict Barossa Valley Mataro
2004 Torbreck The Steading Barossa Valley
2004 Two Hands Brave Faces
2004 Two Hands Yesterday’s Hero
2005 Two Hands Brave Faces

Won’t be able to make it. Sounds like a fun tasting. I’ve a few older Aussies myself.

I’m in for SF or Oakland!

.

Thank you Randy! The main one that would bring a
different perspective to what I already have – so far I have maybe 30 separate bottlings, all pre-2005, and need to narrow it down – would be Aphrodite and that would be too young and powerful next to 1998 Shirazes. Thank you for the very kind offer. If I knew anything about the 2000 Katnook cab I’d jump on it. Bad year though. May you PM me about that wine?

Ok. After the Aussies, the next narrow-themed dinner I host will probably be Rhys because I have so many.