19-Dec-2000
Friday night dinner at home with our very good old friends Yehuda and Chanita, with whom we have not met for a long time.
Food and wine were excellent as was the company and atmosphere.
Shrimps with Arogola leafs in oil and lemon
1997 Padthaway Chardonnay, Hardys
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Fondue Bourguignon (with 10 different sauces)
1996 Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tiramisu
| Padthaway Chardonnay |
1997 |
Hardys |
1/2001. Bought locally Dec-99 for $19 (which means it probably costs about $10 elsewhere).
My first taste of this relatively simple (price-wise) Australian Chardonnay.
COLOR: Medium-full golden straw color. Looks forward and promising.
NOSE: Well developed intense nose of tropical fruits and lemon. Some oak tones are there but they do not overshadow the good fresh fruit. Nothing very complex here, but very pleasant and wholesome at this point.
TASTE: Again, very pleasant on the palate with lots of ripe fruit and a reasonable structure. OK, so this is not a Premier or Grand Cru (B), but neither is it a simpleton. A surprisingly interesting and satisfying 'cheapo'.
LENGTH: Medium-long aftertaste where the flavors definitely linger.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied Chardonnay that is finely balanced and very well made. At 4 years it combines the freshness of the fruit with the harmony of its other elements.
OVERALL: Fine. I guess you can do a lot worse at this price range...
MARK: 17.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.
| Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon |
1996 |
Golan Wineries |
1/2001. Bought locally Jul-99 for $18.
The flagship wine of the Golan Wineries, the Yarden Cab is usually the best commercially available Israeli red wine.
Always a full-bodied manly Cabernet, I was pretty sure it will prove a good choice to match the multi-flavored sauces that accompanied the Fondue Bourguignon main course.
COLOR: Young looking deep purple-red color. No signs of paling around the rim.
NOSE: Intense aromas of semi-ripe black forest-fruit, raw meat, liquorice and vanilla. The nose is profound but still somewhat wild. Pretty impressive.
TASTE: Mouth-filling and vigorous. Plenty of fruit and winyness with reasonable depth and complexity. Tannins are still a bit harsh but not to the point of being distractive. Still young but an excellent 'food wine'.
LENGTH: Long finish of winey aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied Cabernet. Well endowed wine with fine backbone depth of flavors, good acidity and tannins. Will peak in 2-3 years.
OVERALL: Very Fine. Still young but already drinkable.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.
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yak@yakshaya.com
Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.