But I’m loving it!
Though obviously this means no time (nor net connection) to update AHW, so the world will have to wait ’til Sunday evening at the earliest for their daily/weekly/monthly dose of AHW goodness (in light of recent events, the latter is probably the most accurate).
I’m hoping to get back home and discover that the Force managed a miracle win against the Chiefs at Subi on the weekend…
WTF I hear you cry - a wine review? Better late than never I say (probably a little too often to be honest) but now that AHW is back online, expect more regular updates and content.
One of the first 2007 Margaret River cabs off the rank, this has set a cracking pace for the others to follow. Compared to the longer, cooler ‘06 vintage, the shorter and warmer ‘07 vintage should produce more fruit-driven chardies that I suspect will look better on release, but not live as long as those from the previous vintage.
Enticing and youthful aromas of cashew, nectarine and panacotta on the nose. The tightly structured and elegantly textured palate combines nectarine, stonefruit, apple and creme brulee flavours that finishes in a length, subsiding finish with plenty of nutty complexity. Not quite as poweful and broodingly acidic as the ‘06, but a serious wine of excellent focus and texture. 18. www.mosswood.com.au
While I can do a passable job of writing, I fail horribly at most things to do with technology - maintaining blog software is definitely one of my weaker points.
Long story short: AHW wasn’t working and now is thanks to the genius of Matt at Abstract Gourmet. ty ty mate. For the record, Matt can not only write very well, but he photographs very well and knows his internet stuff. If you live in Perth and don’t already have his blog bookmarked, shame on you. Actually, who cares where you live - add it to your favourites anyhow, you won’t be disappointed. Matty, again, God bless you sir and your wine rack will be taking receipt of something really nice, really soon.
In addition to fixing the accessibility problems, Matt’s also upgraded my version of WordPress to something a little more up-to-date. The first time I logged on to my dashboard, I felt like both a fish out of water (blatant and obvious pun entirely intentional) and a kid on Christmas morning: at my disposal was a shiny new interface that was destined to usher in a new age in wine and poker blogging. AceHighWine was redefining itself for the ‘08 and getting with the times! The year just gets better and better…
Now some obligatory poker content: commiserations to John Auf who bubbled in Sunday’s $330 NZ Poker championship satellite at Burswood. According to John, the 21-strong field was just that: strong. His third place finish was good for “F*CK ALL :)” (that’s a direct quote) while first place got the seat and second pocketing $2300.
Also: being the uber-nit that I am, I played a $125 one-in-10-go-through live sat at Burswood to play the Sapphire Series Main Event (considering payout structure and capacity for just 120 players, I just think buying in 1k is still -EV) during the week and did a good job of disputing the fact that poker is a skill game.
After keeping my head above water for the first few levels, I once again found myself in that familar red zone and forced into pushbot mode. After open shoving and re-shoving a few times (what else are you going to do when you’re 6BB deep?), the rest of the players on my table were cracking the shits at my “internet player” play and rooting against me. After losing with AKs vs Aks and 99 - I turned the flush draw but missed to lose a massive pot and find myself with a pitiful short stack - they all had their wish but through the grace of God, I won all my all-ins to build myself up to an okay stack. Then the fun times began.
Folded to me in the SB, I put the rest of my chips in the middle with J7o. BB snaps with KJ and the flop of 10-K-K pretty much sealed the deal for me. However the A on the turn and Q on the river made for a pretty good exit clause and we went chop-chop.
Next I open-shoved with the massive holdings of 10-5 suited in spades and found a caller in big Wayne (who had doubled me before when my KQs rivered a straight against his AJo) who woke up with A10. Rivered the flush. Easy game.
I then open shoved 92o in MP when we were down to three tables and near the two-table bubble and found a caller on the button who had pocket 10s. God I pick my spots well. Flop 8-k-7. Turn 5. River… gutterball 6. During the hand, a small crowd had gathered around my table including many bemused dealers who all promptly threw up in their mouths as they realised I rivered a gutshot one-card straight. I walked off to the side for a bit, shook my head and then returned back to the table to offer my condolences to the poor guy with the 10s. I had previously crippled him with 55 vs his AKc on the bubble in a live satellite to last year’s Sapphire Series main event so I am expecting big fireworks the day he lays a beat on me. To his credit though he took the beat very well and plays with a lot of class which is more than I can say for 98 per cent of Burswood players who are a complete joke when it comes to poker etiquette.
I made it to the final table where seven got seats and eighth took home $880 and UTG as the short stack, an M of .8 or something and the blinds about to go, I put it in with 2-3o after doing a half-hearted lookatholecards-think-hmmm-shove as I figured I had to shove ATC. The SB called with KJ (after some other player told him openly ‘call, call’) and rivered a full house and I (justifiably) get the boot. I say I was lucky to make it as far as I did.
Back from a weekend in Adelaide catching up with my brother and some of the ol’ beach volleyball crowd while the Swatch FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour was in town. A thoroughly enjoyable time was had in the seaside town of Glenelg and I implore anyone going to Adelaide to set aside some time in the city - and not to mention spend some quality time in South Australia’s wine regions!
Just stumbled across the link for the Western Australian Poker Meetup Group. If you’re a West Australian keen to get stuck in to the game of cards but aren’t sure where to start or feel a little too intimidated to play at the casino or pub games, consider giving this a whir.
VINTAGE 2006 was very late in Western Australia and people aren’t expecting the traditional red powerhouses (cabernet, shiraz and associated blends) from the season to be stand-outs: clever winemaking will no doubt be the year’s saviour. However, some of the ’06 pinot noirs that have trickled on to the market place and in to my glass have been tasty efforts, though many such as the Cullen offering are (or were) cellar-door only jobbies. While I doubt Western Australia will ever compete with Victoria’s Yarra Valley in the top value pinot stakes – some “experts” even (wrongly) suggest WA has no place being involved with any kind of pinot production – this MadFish release is all about accessible, food-friendly pinot for those after quality and value. Very varietal and complex Aussie pinot aromas of earth, herbs, blackberries, that unmistakable pinot stink and a flash of mintiness. A string of juicy fine tannins create a velvet, seamless mouthfeel tying together baskets of cherry and red berry fruit that linger on the palate and finish. Perfect summer style of red that was perfectly suited to Friday night pizza after a whirlwind week (and a couple of slices of post-Saturday morning gym pizza too). 17. www.madfishwines.com.au
In a tasting last night where too many wines were overpriced and quite frankly overdone to the point of looking like caricatures of the big, bold, predominantly South Australian blockbuster style of red, this came up smelling like proverbial roses: though in reality, it was more like a hedonistic, heady flurry of white pepper and grilled meats. The effects of this wine (a blend of shiraz, grenache, mourvèdre and viognier) in the mouth were almost instantaneous - I sat up a little straighter and my chicken-scrawl handwriting jolted to life, trying desperately to keep up with the stream of superlatives being relayed synapse-to-synapse from my brain. Incredibly balanced and poised and defined by shades of pepper, meat and ripe plums whose purity, clarity and restraint shone like a beacon. Finishes clean and dry with a lingering trail of succulence. Fine, elegant and lengthy - one of the best Henry’s Sevens I’ve quaffed in recent memory. And finally, does anyone else think the name sounds like a championship winning rugby side? 18 www.henschke.com.au
Things have been a’changing at Capel Vale. There’s been a uniform lift in the quality of wine across the board, the introduction of the exceptional “Debut” range and the winery’s logo has been given a modern, fresh new look that mirrors the brand’s own tale: moving forwards whilst still respecting its history. A story also embodied by this wine, drawing on the Pratten family’s old-vine holdings in the state’s cool Mt Barker region. While masochists might enjoy the brute force of high-powered riesling and its cutlasses of lively acidity, I’m enjoying tasting riesling later rather than sooner as it lets the wine settle down a tad and give those subtle palate nuances more of a chance to shine. In this case, it’s a gently acidic mouthful of clear-cut lemon and lime flavours delivered with elegance, poise and softness. Everything is looking remarkably balanced and the wine finishes dry and clean with a burst of lime and citrus succulence. Refreshingly cleansing and seemingly tailor-made for this God-awful hot spell being suffered by us good West Australians - I wish I had more bottles of this in the fridge over the past eight weeks. 17. www.capelvale.com
