Tardieu-Laurent Saint-Joseph vielles vignes 2000

88 points

Saint-Joseph, Rhône, France. 13%

Warm modern, sweeter than the Faurie of the same vintage with less depth.  Nice fruit purity.  Enjoyable.

Bernard Faurie Saint-Joseph 2000

90 points

Saint-Joseph, Rhône, France. 12.8%

A lovely gentle medium bodied savoury shiraz with nice concentration.  Spotlessly clean.  This is my first encounter with a wine from Faurie, I’m impressed – enough to immediately order a dozen of the 2005.

Chateau Les Trois Croix 2004

84+? points

Fronsac, Bordeaux, France. 13%

This was a surprise.  Difficult drinking.  A dense, minerally, hard young wine.  It softened slightly over several days, but only slightly.  Leave for a couple of years.

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2002

90 points

Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France. 13%

I expected to like this a bit more than I did.  For a 2002 it is a big muscular claret.  After tasting several vintages I really do suspect that they add acid, and pick pretty ripe.  I prefer a more charming style, but this is impressive nevertheless.  Needs a few more years, but definitely try again before 2012 it might mature early.

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Lengs & Cooter Old Vines Shiraz 2002

91 points

Clare Valey, South Australia. 14.5%

A surprisingly old-fashioned but also full flavoured shiraz with somewhat surprising degree of development.
Enjoyable now.

Bethany & Red Nectar Barossa Shiraz 2004

90 points

Bethany 13.5%

Red Nectar 14.5%

Of these two wines the Bethany is has the riper and more fragrant nose, the Red Nectar is very deep, perhaps more extracted, but with a green note.

On the palate the Bethany is big and sweet in spite of being lower in alcohol.  It’s a fresh and stylish modern Barossa.

The Red Nectar is a good wine, but more extracted, deeper but less expressive.