Comparing Coonawarra – Bergerac, Melbourne
6 May 2016
After some rather negative reviews on the Coonawarra some staunch supporters of the area decided a comparison tasting was in order.
Amazingly no one entered a Margaret River.
Never mind. The theme for the next wine night will be Margaret River V the rest of Australia.
As is the case with these events, as the nigh wore on my notes became more vague, more brief, then non existent.
The final line up.
Shortbread, pears and almonds on the nose. Dry and youthful on the palate. Restrained and balanced. Very good drinking.
Served a fraction warm. A touch of barrel fermentation and a few years of bottle age added some interest and complexity. Lychees and some musk on the nose. The palate was difficult due to the temperature. A novelty rather than anything amazing.
Picked as a SSB from the first smell. Developed with only hints of fresh fruit remaining.
Classy stuff. One of our favourites. Tasting notes are everywhere in this blog
Classic Coonawarra. Incredible fruit weight. Outstanding structure and balance. Classy stuff with years ahead of it.
Elegant, restrained yet powerful. Silky mouthfeel with great length.
Restrained. Feminine. Classy.
Huge after the Yarra Valley duo. Fruit forward. Everything in its place and as it should be.
More elegant and restrained than the 2005. Still a very good wine.
A little more conservative than the Balnaves. Lacking the power and structure of the previous wines. Still a very good wine and ageing well.
No notes taken.
Less fruit and more tertiary on the nose. Great mouthfeel. A very good wine though a little more developed than some of the others.
Power and class. Amazing drinking. One of the wines of the night.
No notes.
Ageing well. Structure and balance. Classic Coonawarra. Amazing youthfulness for a wine that is 24 years old.
A poor bottle.
No notes.
A great way to finish.
It is hard to say if Coonawarra came out on top.
Coonawarra is all power and structure. Such big wines.
The others were more elegant and restrained, but certainly not better or worse.