Appellation Australia

An excellent dinner hosted by friends Gavin and Gen. I’ve included the menu items interspersed throughout the notes. I won’t post too detailed impressions on the food, but in general they were good matches, especially the Salmon with the Champagne and the smoked Duck with the Pinot/Burgundy.

Smoked Salmon, mayonnaise and avocado

Franck Bonville Grand Cru BdB “Brut Selection” N.V - (Avize, Champagne):
Fine bead, nose of citrus, spice, chalk, sea spray, vanilla bean. Medium bodied palate shows a noticeable level of acid but it is restrained enough to refresh and provide a crisp mouth-feel rather than upset the balance. Length is good. A nice wine. 88/100

Zind-Humbrecht Riesling 2003 - (Turckheim, Alsace):
On the nose, apricot, smoke, peaches, some alcohol and phenolic characters sticking out. While the palate had an interesting texture to it, it also felt really flat and lacking in acid and the richness that I’ve heard ZH is known for. Probably a product of the vintage as well as this being one of the low level ZH Rieslings (still not cheap in Australia of course). A wine that provided a decent level of hard to pick options (with Gavin saying “Well it’s definately not Zind Humbrecht), but not a whole lot else. 81/100

Oremus Furmint 1998 - (Mandolas, Tokaji, Hungary):
Speaking of hard to pick options … a dry wine from the Tokaji region best known for their sweet wines. The nose shows aromas of funk, spice, oxidative characters and ripe bananas. The structure of the palate is sound - although it is dry and oxidative again. The length is actually quite good. An interesting experience. 87/100

Château Laffitte-Ceston “Sec” 2002 - (Pacherenc du Vic Bilh, Southwest France):
Made from Petit-Manseng grapes. Aromas of passionfruit, pineapple, kiwi and floral overtones. The palate has prominent acid and also seems a touch alcoholic or spirity. Again, interesting and something I was glad to get the chance to try. 86/100

Black Pudding in Pastry
Smoked duck and raspberry sauce

Michel Gros “Clos des Reas” 1er Cru Monopole 1998 - (Vosne-Romanee, Burgundy):
Stalks and boot polish initially which did blow off to reveal a perfumed, slightly floral nose as well as primary notes of raspberry and strawberry. Took on some truffle and undergrowth notes as it breathed in the glass. Palate is delicate and elegant and fine tannins are present and providing structure. Length is excellent with the finish persisting for quite some time. My Wine Of The Night. 92/100

Salad with vegetables and cheese
Lamb with mushroom sauce, carrot and potato

Chateau Branaire 1989 - (St. Julien, Bordeaux):
Just the slightest fading around the rim, but a deep youthful crimson core. The nose was showing cedar, cassis, pencil shavings, a touch of florality and dusty notes. Palate has good structure and balance. A fine wine. 90/100

John Duval “Plexus” 2003 Shiraz Grenache Mataro - (Barossa Valley, South Australia):
The first vintage from this new label by ex Penfolds (and Grange) winemaker John Duval. The nose stands out against the previous wines. Juicy, upfront notes of blackberry, blueberry, pepper and spices, liquorice and well integrated French oak. Palate is quite well balanced and I didn’t think it was showing its 14.5% alcohol. Soft tannins and a nice long finish. 90/100

Seppelt “Great Western” Shiraz 1997 - (Grampians, Victoria):
Nose closed up about 5 minutes after I opened it. Was given some time to breath in the bottle and a decanter. Nose remained quite closed but showed a slight floral lift along with pepper, cherry and some very restrained oak. The medium intensity palate shows sweet fruit and good length. Still very youthful and tightly coiled. Is it going anywhere good? Too hard for me to call. 87/100

Cheese Plate
Fig with prosciutto
Bread and butter pudding

Brown Brothers “Patricia” Noble Riesling 2002 - (King Valley, Victoria):
Current release of this wine. Deep amber colour belies its youth. Pears dominate the nose that also shows apricot, citrus peel, honeycomb and marmalade. The palate is very sweet and ripe, but I thought the acid flowed through the length of the palate and was enough to avoid being cloying to my tastes. It finishes crisp and long. The back label says that it can be cellared for 4-6 years and while it may be possible, I think it is drinking so well now that it would be a waste of time to wait. Great value for money at around $20AUD for a half bottle. 92/100

A really good night - good company, food and wines. There were two votes for the Burgundy as the best wine of the night and two votes for the Brown Brother Patricia. I thought they were both excellent but would (and did) go for the Burgundy.

A few short notes from a free tasting with Torbreck winemaker David Powell at North Sydney Cellars late last month.

These wines are favourites of the powerful American wine critic Robert Parker, hence the prices of the top wines are beyond the budget of most people. This was a good chance to taste these wines and find out what the fuss was about, without having to spend a large amount of money to do it.

There tends to be an interesting story behind the names of each of the winery and wines. The name “Torbreck” matches the name of a forest that David worked at when he was a lumberjack in Scotland. This is also the origin for the names of the two Woodcutter wines. Cuvée Juveniles was named for a friend’s winebar in France, with a similar story of the Les Amis restaurant in Singapore approaching David to make a special blend for them. A number of the other names have Scottish origins.

All wines are from the Barossa Valley in South Australia and I’ve tried to include an approximate RRP in Australian dollars with each wine.

Woodcutter’s Semillon 2004 ($22)
Nose is reasonable but overworked - some funk, butter, citrus, and some nutty oak. The palate shows harsh phenolic characters as well as alcohol and excessive acid.
81/100

Marsanne Rousanne 2005 ($40)
65% marsanne, 35% rousanne. This wine usually has a small amount of Viognier in the blend. Nose shows candy notes, some florality, orange peel and musk. Palate is hot and disjointed with alcohol influence.
81/100

“Cuvée Juveniles” Grenache Mataro Shiraz 2004 ($28)
60% grenache, 25% mataro, 15% shiraz. Some (more) heat on the nose along with smoked meats, dirt, mulch, some green characters, cherry and some licorice. Fruit sweetness on the palate. Thought that the palate was short and uninteresting. Didn’t like this at all.
80/100

“The Steading” Grenache Mataro Shiraz 2003 ($40)
60% grenache, 20% mataro, 20% shiraz. Chocolate, licorice and some cedar oak on the nose. Shows better length, depth and power on the palate than the Cuvée Juveniles, but is still lacking some interest.
86/100

“Woodcutter’s” Shiraz 2005 ($22)
Nail polish, varnish and pepper on the nose. Palate is hot, acidic and stewed.
78/100

“The Struie” Shiraz 2004 ($55)
This is a bit more like it. Spice, licorice, smoked meat and I thought some very small cheesy notes. Lovely fruit intensity on the palate. Well balanced and and drinking very well now for my tastes.
88/100

“Descendant” Shiraz/Viognier 2004 ($145)
93% shiraz, 7% viognier. Another step up in class (and price!). Floral, sweet, slightly candied nose as well as some tobacco/ashtray, mocha and just a touch of apricot. Very mouth filling and has good intensity of flavour while retaining balance and elegance. Drinking pretty well tonight, but sure to improve.
91/100

“The Factor” Shiraz 2003 ($150)
Nose is rather tight - some spicy, peppery, smoked meat characters being all that I could get. Palate has excellent structure and balance as well as very good length. Given time, I think it’ll open up and be rather good.
92/100

“RunRig” Shiraz/Viognier 2003 ($250)
98% shiraz, 2% viognier. Restrained power on the nose with some tar, dark fruits and floral notes with balanced oak in the background. Palate is elegant, balanced and focused with good texture and flavour. Drinking alright on the night, it will still be a waste of potential if you open then before another 3 or 4 years.
92/100

“The Pict” Mataro (Mouvedre) 2004 ($250)
The first vintage of this single-vineyard old vine Mataro from Torbreck. Earth, smoke and chocolate nose. Palate structure and flavour is interesting. Tannins felt like they were chewy. Good length, but very youthful and will should benefit from time in bottle.
89/100

“Les Amis” Grenache 2004 ($250)
Nose shows blackcurrant, raspberry, chocolate, tarmac, sweet fruit, a slight oxidative character and a touch of oak. Tannins are quite prominent on the palate at this stage, but apart from that it was exhibiting balance and structure with good flavour intensity.
91/100

These are some very good wines, probably some of Australia’s best when it comes to Rhone Valley blends. It is just a shame that they are out of price reach for anything other than very special occasions for most people. “The Struie” is probably the best “value” in the lineup, but other Shiraz wines at $55 can be much better.

Still, it raises a question that often results in a heated debate - RunRig was originally released at $36 and as the reviews got better, the wine has risen in price to its current level. People say that this is “too expensive” but the economist in me says that the winery should release the wine at the price that people are willing to pay. This also stops the problem of people getting their allocation of wine and then selling it straight away at auction, making 5 or 10 times what they paid for it - when the people who should be making the profits are the people who put in the hard work (the winery).

So, are these wines “too expensive” if that is what people are willing to pay for them? Should wineries follow the lead of some of the old fashioned places (Wendouree, Wild Duck Creek etc) and sell to loyal customers at prices well below auction prices? I would be interested to hear my readers thoughts.

Either way - thank you to David Powell and North Sydney Cellars for giving people a chance to taste these wines and make up their own mind about them.

To balance the night of French legends that I spoke of in the last post - it was decided that we should come together again in early April to have a dinner that would be a tribute to some great Australian wines.

We gathered at Restaurant Atelier at Glebe - another restaurant with an excellent reputation.

We again selected the degustation menu as we find that it is best to space out the amount of time that you spend with each wine, and this is easier to do with multiple small courses of food.

The degustation menu is decided two days prior to the booking, to take into account what fresh produce can be obtained and it consisted of the following courses;

Sourdough Bread, EVOO, Balsamic & Tapenade, Échiré Butter
Chilled Spiced Lentil Soup & Roquette Oil
Duck Egg ‘ATELIER’ w Goat Curd Soubise, Unpasteurised Ocean Trout Roe
House-Made Black Pudding with Foie Gras, Seared Scallops and Parsnip Puree
Zucchini Flower filled with Prawn, Crab and Bill, Fillet of King George Whiting, Sauce Vierge
Rare-Roasted Gauler River Pigeon, Confit Cabbage, King Mushrooms
Seasonal Selection of Cheeses, House-Made Lavosh, Sourdough.
Sauterne Custard with Lychee Gastrique
Caramelised Almond & Praline Soufflé

It was interesting to note the similarity in some dishes to the menu at Marque (the Egg, Black Pudding, Rare Pigeon and Sauterne Custard) - but while they sound similar, the difference in flavour profile was quite pronounced for some of them.

I would say that if I were to cast a critical eye on the food (and I guess I am), it was of excellent quality and taste - but it probably didn’t quite have the depth of flavour or excitement that the food at Marque did. Some members of the party were not impressed with the Pigeon dish saying it was too rare. It is very rare and that gives a certain texture to it that you may or may not like, but for my tastes it was fine.

The service was smooth and well executed and Julian the sommelier was right on top of things when handling our wines. The glasses were alright but not great (bring your own if you are bringing special wines) and the number of decanters provided was good. The chef (Darren Templeman) was also able to produce some good looking (and apparently tasting) dishes for a member of our party who has a very long list of foods that he is unable to eat.

And the bill? $110 total per person including the 7 courses ($75), bread, cheese ($8), corkage ($8 per bottle), coffee ($5) and gratuity. I think for a degustation of this quality, you would have a hard time doing much better than that.

I think that Atelier is among the top level of restaurants in Sydney and if I were to rate it, I would give it 94 points including a couple of extra points for the value.

So, with that out of the way - let’s talk about the wines. 19 bottles opened and each one a classic wine from mostly classic vintages. Our 19 bottles were from 11 different wine regions in Australia, showing that regions outside those two or three that are currently in fashion can still make great wines. They performed as follows -

Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 1996 - (Clare Valley, South Australia):
A mid-gold colour. Nose is comprised of butterscotch and lemon meringue, as well as some honey characters after some time in the glass. Length was good, but some overt acid on the palate disrupts the balance. Seemed a bit over developed, holding up alright but was apparently not nearly as good as another bottle consumed by two others at the table late last year and not a patch on the ‘96 Grosset Watervale I had recently. 87/100

Tyrrell’s “Vat 1″ Semillon 1994 - (Hunter Valley, New South Wales):
Rich nose of lanolin, honey and a small amount of toast. Palate is of medium intensity and has excellent mouth-feel, balance and length. A very good wine and it was consistent with a bottle that I had last year at a Tyrrell’s tasting. Drinking well now for my tastes, but should hold for some time. 92/100

Giaconda Chardonnay 2002 - (Beechworth, Victoria):
Nose has good intensity - toasty, spicy and caramel oak, citrus, nutty and minerally/flinty characters. What I really enjoyed about this wine was its texture and mouth-feel. It has very good length with excellent structure. It should develop very well over the next 5-7 years. 93/100

Leeuwin Estate “Art Series” Chardonnay 1987 - (Margaret River, Western Australia):
Good complexity on the nose - toasty oak, marmalade, oranges, honey and grapefruit. Palate has good depth, but there is a note of tartness on the finish just disrupting the line slightly. Sits in between the two bottles I have had previously, one better (see here) and one worse. It was still an excellent wine and did deserve to sit in on a dinner of Australian legends. 93/100

Bass Philip “Reserve” Pinot Noir 1997 (375ml) - (Gippsland, Victoria):
I was truly in the minority at my end of the table, but I really liked the complex nose on this - stems, sappy, earthy, mushrooms and a bit bloody and gamey. I did not like the palate so much, there was some tartness and some aggressive stalk characters disrupting the finish. 88/100

Bannockburn “Serre” Pinot Noir 1998 - (Geelong, Victoria):
Nose shows stalks, cherry and earth as well as being a bit alcoholic. Palate was simple and somewhat one-dimensional, but I thought it was smooth and had good balance and carry. It wouldn’t surprise me if this took on some complexity with additional age. I preferred the aromas of the Bass Phillip, but would take the palate of the Bannockburn. 89/100

Mount Mary “Quintet” Cabernets 1986 - (Yarra Valley, Victoria):
Corked - musty and totally stripped of fruit on the palate. How can people say that they would miss the “romance” of cork? NR

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 - (Margaret River, Western Australia):
Youthful in colour. Nose has elements of violets, cedar, cassis and iodine. The palate is brooding and powerful yet beautifully balanced with all the elements present and working together. Excellent tannin structure and bound to be even better over the next 10 years. 93/100

Wynns “John Riddoch” Cabernet Sauvignon 1982 - (Coonawarra, South Australia):
This was the backup bottle for the corked Mount Mary. Mocha/chocolate, plum, earth and some capsicum (but in the background rather than the foreground “essence of capsicum” of the previous bottle I had generously been given the chance to try). The palate shows superb focus, depth and length. A remarkable wine that will live for years to come (bottle/cork variation pending). This was my Wine of the Night for drinking tonight. 95/100

Cullen “Diana Madeline” Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2001 - (Margaret River, Western Australia):
A last minute ring-in for the 1996 Cullen DM. Alcoholic heat on the tight nose as well as some violet and cherry aromas. A tannic palate that culminates in a harsh acidic finish. Just a development phase or falling to pieces, I suspect probably the former. 87/100 on this showing.

Penfolds “Grange” Shiraz 1972 - (South Australia):
Corked - One of the worst cases of TCA that I have ever experienced initally - and almost unbelievably it got worse with more air - I was unable to reuse the glass that this was poured into. NR

Penfolds “Grange” Shiraz 1978 - (South Australia):
Furniture polish as well as the furniture itself on the nose. Palate is acidic, tannic, lacks fruit and has a bitter finish. This bottle was way past its best. 78/100

Henschke “Hill of Grace” Shiraz 1986 - (Eden Valley, South Australia):
The brett police were out early on this one but I wasn’t getting any. Dark chocolate, sour cherry, leather and sweet fruit on the nose. A still youthful palate showing some tannins sticking out a little bit. The palate was getting better and taking on weight with additional airtime. A lengthy finish. Just needs to come together a bit on the palate. 93/100

Henschke “Hill of Grace” Shiraz 1990 - (Eden Valley, South Australia):
Nice complexity on the nose. Cherry, raspberry, blackberry and very well integrated oak. Palate has good structure but is powerful and intense as well. Perhaps maybe just a touch of acid sticking out on the palate to disrupt what is otherwise a wine with a very long life ahead of it. 90/100

Penfolds “Grange” Shiraz 1990 - (South Australia):
Primary, rich nose of sweet caramel, chocolate, plum, spices and American oak. Good intensity on the palate, tannins are prominent but are of high quality. Excellent length. Very young and needs a significant amount more time to really strut its stuff. 93/100

Penfolds “Kalimna Block 42″ Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 - (Barossa Valley, South Australia):
A vibrant nose of spice, raspberry, earth, tobacco, cedar, dustiness, cassis and restrained oak. The palate is very classy, elegant yet it has superb depth and intensity of fruit, wonderful balance and a long, unbroken line and length. It may not be a pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, but it is a pure expression of Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon. Needs 10, maybe 15 years to be at its peak and could be one of the all time classics at its peak. My Wine of the Night for potential and just all around class. 96/100

Brokenwood “Graveyard” Shiraz 2000 - (Hunter Valley, New South Wales):
Very closed, very hard to judge. Some liquorice, violets, blackberry on the nose. The alcohol was showing through on the palate. I was excited to taste this, but it really felt a bit lacklustre. I would not touch another one for 5 years. 88/100

Jim Barry “The Armagh” Shiraz 1991 - (Clare Valley, South Australia):
The backup bottle to replace the ‘72 Grange. From a single vineyard in the Clare Valley. A nose comprising pepper and spice, hazelnut, mulberry and chocolate. The palate has a certain vibrancy to it. Very good, long finish. Really enjoyable. 91/100

De Bortoli “Noble One” 1984 - (Riverina, New South Wales):
Nose shows a bit of promise with apricot, botrytis characteristics and sultana. The palate is disjointed, alcoholic, spiky and finishing short. Disappointing for one of the legends of Australian dessert wine.80/100

While French wine doesn’t match the theme of this site, I think it’s important for me to look beyond Australian wine from time to time. Without doing this, I can’t put Australian wines in context with the rest of what the world has to offer.

So, along with 11 others, I made my way to the modern French restaurant Marque that received “three hats” (highest possible rating) and chef Mark Best was the winner of the “Best Chef” in the 2006 SMH Sydney Good Food Guide.

We had the degustation menu that consisted of the following;

Chaud-Froid Free Range Egg
Almond Jelly with Crab, Almond Gazpacho, Prune Oil, Herring Roe & Sweet Corn Custard
“Risotto” (no rice!) of Local Calamari and Harbour Prawns, Cauliflower Puree
Potato Mille-Feuille with Smoked Mackerel Bonito & Olive “Truffles”, Hazelnut Emulsion
Boudin Noir with New Garlic, Sea urchin, Fresh Snails & Young Shallots
Roast Wood Pigeon and Rare Chicken Breast with Parsnip & Chocolate Tart, Salad Burnette
Roast Venison with Carrot Confit, Sweet&Sour Turnips & Bitter Chocolate Sauce, Potato
Mixed Cheese Platter
Sauternes Custard with Caramel
Roast Tomato with twelve different flavours and Star Anise Ice-cream

Now I’m not a food critic by any stretch of anyone’s imagination, but I thought the food was world class. While I would be struggling with some of the dishes to say that I liked them, they were challenging and had excellent depth and balance of flavour - none could be said to be bland or boring.

The service was very good - I’m certain that it’s not easy dealing with demanding wine nerds who have twenty bottles of wine that need to be decanted at specific times during the evening and then poured in the correct order with the right dishes of food. We were provided with clean, high quality Riedel glasses after every set of wines (two at a time) and we were given a separate table for our bottles and 5 or 6 restaurant provided decanters. The food arrived close to the same time for all at the table and each dish was accompanied by a verbal explanation of the various components.

The total cost was about $170 per person including the above food, coffee, corkage and an automatically added 8% “gratuity”. I’m not sure if I take issue with the automatically added gratuity or not. I wonder if there would be many people who go to a restaurant of this level who wouldn’t tip if they received good service. I think in our case by automatically adding the tip, they probably missed out on a higher amount that we would have given.

If I were scoring the restaurant out of 100 like I do for wine, I’d give it 96 points.

Anyway, on to the wines - the following 23 wines were tasted -

Champagne:

Moet et Chandon Cuvée Dom Perignon Oenotheque 1988 (disgorged 2002) - (Champagne):
Very fine bead. Nose and palate show exceptional freshness and vitality. Nose shows some cut grass like aromas as well as strawberry, mushroom and citrus. Lacks some of the aged complexity of the Krug, but makes up for it with its supreme elegance and length. 95/100

Krug Vintage 1979 - (Champagne):
Nose is oxidative, toasty with marmalade notes but still shows signs of freshness with some apricot and lime. I liked the palate better than the nose with some brilliant intensity and concentration. 94/100

Chablis:

Domaine Jean Dauvissat Cuvée Saint-Pierre 1er Cru 1999 - (Chablis):
Showing predominantly sulphurous, reductive aromas on the nose. Palate is tight and finishes short and watery. 85/100

White Burgundy:

Domaine Fontaine-Chandon de Briailles 1999 - (Corton-Charlemagne):
This was the best of the white wines in my opinion. Showing aromas of grapefruit, honey and some spicy oak on the nose. The palate is lean and tight but with much better balance and length than the Chablis. This wine shows excellent potential. 91/100

Chateau Génot-Boulanger 1998 - (Corton-Charlemagne):
Nose is fairly full on - butter, oak, smoke and cheese. I found the palate to be alcoholic and acidic. I felt it had poor structure and is a wine that is going nowhere fast. 83/100

Domaine Marc Jomain 1997 - (Batard-Montrachet):
Struck match/sulphur and dirty cheesy aromas dominating. Palate was acidic, bitter and short. 79/100

Red Burgundy:

Domaine Fourrier 1997 - (Griotte-Chambertin):
Nose is quite nice, herbs and stalks, spice and cherry. Palate doesn’t live up to the interesting nose, being tannic, acidic, short and simple. 85/100

Domaine Pierre Damoy 1997 - (Chapelle-Chambertin):
This was the best of the red Burgundy for my tastes, but it was polarising. Nose of lavender, stems, and cherry and yes call the brett police if you must on the funky barnyard aromas but I thought they were restrained, not dominating and added some complexity. Palate is youthful but shows good structure and potential. 90/100

Domaine Robert Arnoux 1997 - (Echezeaux):
Exhibits aromas of earth, stalks and mushrooms but with oak coming in over the top. There is some texture to the palate but it is rather simple otherwise. 87/100

Domaine Geantet-Pansiot 1998 - (Charmes-Chambertin):
Opens with alcoholic heat on the nose making it difficult to smell some present nutty and cherry aromas. Palate is better but there was nothing of great significance to redeem the poor nose. 86/100

Domaine Harmand-Geoffroy 1996 - (Mazis-Chambertin):
The nose is comprised of stalks, meat, yeast and freshly burnt rubber on tarmac. Palate is sharp and has spiky acid. Please may we start the Bordeaux section now? 78/100

Red Bordeaux:

Château Haut-Brion 1966 - (Pessac):
This was an amazing colour, with only the slightest hints of brown around the edges. Complex nose of pencil shavings, blueberry, soap, liquorice, smoke, mushrooms and earth. The palate is all class, you can still just feel the tannins propping up the structure of the wine but they are integrated almost perfectly and the mouth-feel is silky smooth. It was wonderful, stunning and superb; roll out all the superlatives for this one. 97/100

Château Margaux 1978 - (Medoc):
Some floral nuances and perfume on the nose as well as violets, herbs, clay and brine. Palate isn’t as good as the nose, medium-bodied with some elegance but the Haut-Brion was a hard act to follow. Seemed to be falling apart structurally after only a short time in the glass. 91/100

Château Mouton-Rothschild 1985 - (Pauillac):
A complex, but not exactly pleasant medicinal, herbal, iodine, smoked meat, cedar and savoury nose. The palate was smooth but didn’t really have the intensity or complexity to save the day for this wine. Other members of the table reported that they have had better bottles in the past. 88/100

Château Lafite Rothschild 1983 - (Pauillac):
A tight, closed nose of assorted herbs, graphite, cedar a bit of meat and a whiff of hospital hallway. Palate is elegant and is not unbalanced in any way but is also lacking in interest and intensity. 90/100

Château Certan de May 1982 - (Pomerol):
Shows a lovely lush nose of plums, liquorice, raspberry and blackcurrant. The palate is also good, fleshy round mouth-feel, with balanced components and great length. This bottle was drinking very nicely now. 93/100

Château Ducru Beaucaillou 1982 - (St.-Julien):
Has a very tight nose of earth, cedar, blackberry and plums. Palate exhibits some stalk and I felt as though the fruit was thinning out a bit as it was left to sit in the glass for half an hour or so. Good structure, but will the fruit remain long enough for everything to come together? 91/100

Château Leoville Las Cases 1982 - (St.-Julien):
Opens up with a youthful, powerful but tight nose, with cassis, blackberry, some minerality, tobacco, smoke, cedar and graphite. Palate is tight, yet concentrated and powerful - superb structure, lots of tannins and a very long finish. Just a glimpse at its potential tonight, it will continue to improve over the next decade or longer and hold its peak for some time thereafter. 96/100

Château Leoville-Barton 1990 - (St.-Julien):
Showing an intense, surprisingly open/forward nose of tobacco, earth and flint. The palate delivers a rush of flavour across the length of the wine. I thought it had the structure to age further, but I quite liked drinking it at this stage of its life. 92/100

Sauternes and Fortified:

Château Climens 1986 - (Sauternes):
The nose is comprised of apricots, honey and ripe citrus. Palate has an intense sweetness to it, but it is reined into line by good acid structure. As others mentioned, the finish was a letdown with a bit of a harsh, bitter character. 90/100

Château Climens 1996 - (Sauternes):
Exhibits some dirty, feral aromas on the nose as well as hazelnut and orange peel. Has a very young, tight palate revealing little at the moment. If it shakes off the funk, it may develop nicely. 87/100

Château Rieussec 1990 - (Sauternes):
This wine has rich aromas of oranges and other citrus fruit and honey. A very rich, sweet, viscous, long palate. Perhaps it is just a touch broad/unfocused to be great. 92/100

Seppelt Rare Muscat GR113 - (Rutherglen, Australia):
The ring-in from Australia was very good - intense, complex, layered nose of caramel, raisins, nuts, rancio and mocha coffee. The palate is vibrant and has excellent balance. The length is superb. 95/100

The Nepalese Kitchen is a busy restaurant in Surry Hills. The food and spicing wasn’t ideal for wine matching, but I thought it had good flavour and there were lots of vegetarian options. Plus, at $121AUD for 6 people, the value was excellent. The downsides were that we were shifted from place to place, initially upstairs and then into a private room and then back downstairs and then at the end of the meal they tried to charge us $240 (perhaps a mixup due to the tables being changed).

We tried the following seven wines;

Lakes Folly Chardonnay 1994 - (Hunter Valley, New South Wales):
Light golden colour with some hints of green at the core. Nose is alright at first, some butterscotch and grapefruit, but quickly starts to show wood and varnish. Fruit is gone from the palate. Short and some harshness on the finish. Drinkable if you were really desperate! 83/100

Seppelt Maturation Release Riesling 1984 - (Eden Valley, South Australia):
The first thing I mentioned was how youthful this looks, not knowing the identity of it. The nose was not showing much intensity, some kerosene and toast. The palate was watery and short.

I left some in the glass to warm up, and it didn’t fall apart any more over the course of an hour but it remained mediocre. This wine is an Australian legend in Riesling circles, it’s something I have wanted to try for a long time, unfortunately it didn’t live up to it on the night, but that is one of the “joys” of cork. 85/100

Sorrenberg Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2004 - (Beechworth, Victoria):
Interesting nose, grapefruit, lime, wet slate, some spice and florality, candy (which ended up reminding me of those faux banana shaped lollies) and just a hint of toffee oak. Palate was good as well, creamy and with some balanced acidity flowing across the palate and into the finish. I really liked it for its difference. (I also love a tough to guess options wine as long as I’m not the one trying to guess it!) 90/100

Charles Melton Sparkling Red NV (Disgorged 1996) - (Barossa Valley, South Australia)
Some dirty horse-osity initially which did blow off which a bit of time to reveal raspberries and some plum. Some sweetness and some background oak on the palate. An okay wine, but not really my thing. 86/100

Lindemans St George Classic Release Cabernet Sauvignon 1980 (Released 1989) - (Coonawarra, South Australia):
The person who brought this wine warned us that this would either be herbaceous and horribly under-ripe or would be very good.

Youthful violet with not the slightest hint of fading or browning. Powerful, beautiful nose of tobacco, ash, tomato leaf, cedar, roast vegetables, blackberries. Palate is vibrant, yet elegant - with all facets having integrated and balanced perfectly - tannins, oak and fruit were all there but acting as one. The finish is amazingly persistent. After 45-60 minutes of breathing, it was just as good if not even better.

In one word, stunning - I could still taste this wine the next morning and couldn’t think about anything else on the drive to work or for most of the morning at work. I initially said 92, then 94 after half an hour before coming to rest at 96 the next morning. Thank you to the person who brought this. 96/100

Viking Grand Shiraz 2000 - (Barossa Valley, South Australia):
These grapes were previously part of the parcel used to select Penfolds Grange from and to be fair, 2000 was a very difficult vintage in many parts of the Barossa.

Iodine, band-aids, sawdust and a chemical smell along the lines of what I imagine a mad scientist’s laboratory would smell like. Some heat on the nose. Shockingly the palate actually wasn’t too bad, young and showing some obvious tannins but the length was good and the finish was fine. 84/100

Glendonbrook Shiraz 2001 - (Hunter Valley, New South Wales):
Bacon and a spirity liqueur character and well as a hint of violet and blackberry. Palate was smooth and easy to drink and matched up with the price point of the wine.

Apparently not a representative bottle based on the nose. It had been sitting in a car boot for a week. 84/100

Fast Facts: Variety: Riesling Region: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Country: Germany Winemakers: Ernst and Thomas Loosen Closure: Screwcap Alcohol: 10%

This is the entry level Loosen Riesling which is made from non-estate fruit and made in an off-dry style. It cost me $20AUD, but I have heard reports that it can be found for under $10USD in the USA, Europe and Asia.

I am happy to see that it is sealed with screwcap (as are most of the Loosen wines that I have seen in Australia).

I have notes on the rest of the Loosen range (including two wines from his joint venture in the United States), that I will publish when I put up the notes from the recent Frankland Estate Riesling tasting. I believe that Hugo and Mick from the OzWineShow podcast also have an interview with Ernst Loosen coming up which should be good.

Tasting Note: Very pale green in appearance. Fresh nose shows peaches, apples, oranges, some banana and a hint of florality. Palate is a little bit broad and initially it seems a bit too sweet, before the crisp acid comes in on the mid-palate and follows through to the finish.

When to Drink: Now - 2008

Verdict: It isn’t destined to develop further, but it is very refreshing and the low alcohol (10%) is great - I rarely drink during the week at home - but this is a perfect wine for those occasions when I do. At $20 the value is good, but at $10 the value would be excellent. 88 points.

Fast Facts: Variety: Riesling Region: Clare Valley, South Australia Country: Australia Winemaker: Brian Croser Closure: Cork Alcohol: 12.8%

At the time that this was initially released, Brian Croser said that he thought that this was the best Riesling made from the Hanlin Hill vineyard since the famous 1980 Petaluma Riesling. This was the 23rd consecutive vintage that Brian had made Riesling from this vineyard, so he should be in a position to know.

Brian has also compared the excellent 2005 release (and his last vintage with Petaluma) to this wine, so it will be interesting to see if the 2005 develops along the same lines.

I saw this wine recently for $30AUD on re-release at a local liquor store, so I thought it would be a good chance to try it, even though it was the cork version rather than the screwcap release.

Tasting Note: A very pale straw green in colour. On opening it is showing tight, delicate floral and minerally scents as well as hints of lime. The superbly balanced dry palate has an excellent acid structure as well as the intense, pure layers of fruit to stand up to it. It exhibits a long, clean finish that completes the overall stunning package. The kind of wine that makes me glad I got into wine.

After two hours it was still super tight (and still super delicious) with no real signs of opening up.

When to Drink: I would be putting this away for another 5 years before trying again, and would think that it will peak in around 10-15 years time.

Verdict: I haven’t had the legendary 1980, but it wouldn’t surprise me if people are talking about this in a similar reverential manner in 10-15 years because I can’t help but think that it is bound for greatness. 94 points.

Zilzie Wines (Murray Darling) -

Chardonnay 2004 - Melon, lemon and some toffee. Palate is creamy and mouth-feel is good, there is also some slight sweetness on the palate. 86/100

Viognier 2004 - Apricot dominant as well as peaches and lemon rind. Palate is simple and length is slightly short. 84/100

Pinot Grigio 2005 - Peaches and spice. Palate is oily and shows some viscosity. 83/100

“Selection 23″ Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2005 - Pine tree and fruit salad on the nose. It has a fruity, slightly sweet, mellow palate. 82/100

Yering Station (Yarra Valley) -

“Yarrabank” Sparkling 2001 - Yeasty nose with citrus, cherry, and some earth. Palate strikes an excellent acid balance that is crisp and refreshing while not being acid dominant. Good mouth-feel and good palate length. Ready to drink for my tastes, but should hold for a few years. 89/100

“E.D” Rosé 2005 - The best Rosé that I tried at this event. The E.D stands for “Extra Dry”. Showing raspberry, strawberries and cherry on the nose. The palate matches the name in dryness. It actually exhibits some depth and structure on the palate, I would still be drinking it within a year of bottling, but it is slightly more interesting than your average easy drinking Rosé. 88/100

“Yarrabank” Creme De Cuvee NV - Not a wine that I have tried previously, but it left me with a good impression. Not sure of the exact composition of this, but nose suggests that it has a strong Pinot Noir component. A nose showing strawberry, cherries and pink fairy floss. Palate is creamy, and only shows a hint of sweetness that is balanced by acid. It was an interesting, slightly different sparkling wine. 87/100

Marsanne Rousanne Viognier (M.V.R) 2005 - Lemon, lime, spices and apricots on the nose. The palate is well balanced. I would drink this in its youth over the next year or two while it retains its fruit vibrancy. 87/100

“Late Harvest” Pinot Gris 2004 - The nose leaps out at you with some concentrated honey and apricot characters. An intense sweetness to the palate, perhaps a little bit too much sweetness to be balanced. With the right food to foil the sweetness this could be quite good. Mostly late-harvest grapes, but a small amount were Botrytis affected as well. 87/100

Shiraz Viognier 2004 - A spicy, floral nose. Viognier does not dominate, but just contributes to the floral lift on the nose. Palate is silky smooth. It doesn’t have the depth or structure of the highly regarded Reserve Shiraz Viognier, but should be nice drinking over the next year or two. 87/100

Chardonnay 2004 - Fruit driven nose of grapefruit, peach and some apples. Palate is medium bodied and pulls up slightly short on the finish. Best to drink this over the next 1 or 2 years. 86/100

“Mr Frog” Chardonnay 2004 - A new low priced wine in the Yering Station range. It has tropical fruit and primary grape notes showing on the nose. Palate lacks interest and finishes rather short. 83/100

Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 - Leafy, herbal, sappy green nose. The palate is thin and finishes short. 80/100

Yarraloch (Yarra Valley) - A brand new producer and based on their “Stephanie’s Dream” Chardonnay, one to watch out for. Wines are made by Sergio Carlei.

“Stephanie’s Dream” Chardonnay 2004 - Lovely minerality, tight and focused but with good flavour intensity as well. Exhibits very good length. I really like this! It’s not a bargain at $40AUD, but it does justify the price. 91/100

Arneis 2005 - Citrus and slightly perfumed nose. It is vibrant and crisp with zesty acid on the tight, focused palate. Not bad at all. 87/100