Appellation Australia

A recent tasting with 12 highly regarded and varied Australian Chardonnays and two French ring-ins. Unfortunately we had a few faulty bottles, but the results were still quite interesting when the wines were revealed. As it turns out, my two favourite wines and the overall preferred wines of the tasters were the only two that were sealed under screwcap (Cullen and Pierro) …

2000 Mount Mary Chardonnay
Oyster shells, minerals and smoke to begin with, but after a very short time it went all rubber and garlic dominant. Palate went the same way as well. Likely a faulty bottle.
NR/100

2002 Eileen Hardy Chardonnay
Bold nose, toasty oak, lemon and brioche. Also quite big on the palate with spice and the alcohol and oak evident on the back palate. A bit too over the top in style for me, but others liked it more.
84/100

2002 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay
Mineral, stonefruit and lime with a touch of florality on the nose. Elegant on the palate, but there is still some weight to the flavour. Good length and finishes clean. Well made, if not extremely exciting.
88/100

2000 Bannockburn SRH Chardonnay
Mildly corked.
NR/100

2004 Cullen Chardonnay
An elegant nose with pear, peach and slate. Excellent texture and the flavour really lingers on the palate. A stand out, classy wine.
92/100

2002 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
Some musk, pineapple and well integrated oak. Lovely on the palate, really good length and mouthfeel. Fruit intensity is spot on. Lots of potential from here.
90/100

2002 Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Chardonnay
Corked.
NR/100

2004 Bindi Quartz Chardonnay
Graphite, oatmeal, citrus, peach and nutty aromas. Full bodied palate, with great depth of flavour. Alcohol stands out a bit and brings this down from being excellent, but not enough to put me off too much. Very good and may be better if the alcohol manages to settle.
89/100

2004 Bass Phillip Premium Chardonnay
Extremely floral on the nose, wet stones and sawdust. Viscous texture, but is reigned in by a long line of acid. Different in style to all the other wines tasted, but very enjoyable.
90/100

1999 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
Oxidised. Smelled of cognac. Palate was dreadful. When revealed, the premature oxidisation made some sense.
NR/100

2002 Petaluma Tiers Chardonnay
Smoky coconut oak, leesy and with signs of oxidative handling. Palate was bold and seemed to lack focus. Very disappointing when revealed.
81/100

2002 Blain-Gagnard La Boudriotte Chassagne-Montrachet
A fresh, clean nose of lemon, peaches and meal. Very good structure to the tightly wound palate. Good length. Struggled a little bit to make its mark against the other wines, but it is still clearly good.
88/100

2003 Pierro Chardonnay
Nutty, grapefruit and a deft touch of oak to the nose. Superior balance and depth on the palate. Finishes long and satisfying. Surprisingly elegant for a Pierro, but this seems to be the new style for the winery based on the last few vintages. My favourite wine of the tasting.
92/100

2002 Giaconda Chardonnay
Toast, spice, honey and flint on the nose. Nice length and balance to the palate with a richness to the fruit that provides a pleasing mouthfeel. An excellent wine to finish proceedings.
91/100

Paul Bara Brut Reserve Grand Cru NV
Touch of toast, lime and chalk. Palate is refreshing with nice length.
88/100

L. Benard Pitois Reserve Premier Cru NV
Toast, brine, snap peas and seaweed. Good flavour on the palate but let down by a slight bitterness.
85/100

Pol Roger 1976
Great nose- with roasted marshmallow, caramel, ground coffee and hazelnut. Palate is full flavoured and rounded, but finishes a touch short. Very nice anyway.
90/100

Bollinger RD 1976 (Disgorged 1988)
Well past its best.
NR/100

Clonakilla Riesling 2006
Lots of fresh fruit, citrus peel and floral notes. Slightly sweet palate, seemed to be a bit flat and uninteresting, especially compared to the nose.
85/100

Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen Kabinett 2002
Light straw green coloured. Shy nose of minerals and smoke. Medium sweetness to the palate which also has a touch of spice. Good length and nice drinking, but a bit too simple.
87/100

Karl Erbes Urziger Wurtzgarten Kabinett 2004
Grass, lemon, floral and passionfruit aromas. Nice palate structure with less sweetness than the Loosen and a bit more acid.
88/100

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 1983 (en magnum)
This was outstanding. Butter, some old caramelly oak, honey and a touch of citrus. Palate has excellent intensity and lots of rich fruit and nutty complexity. One of the best wines of the day.
93/100

Rene Monnier Puligny Montrachet 2002
Smoke, straw/hay and some cheesy funkiness. Palate is alright but lacks depth and interest as well as finishing slightly bitter.
86/100

Picardy Tete du Cuvee Pinot Noir 2001
Earth and game on the nose. Stalks on the palate, thought this to be nearing its peak.
87/100

Tollot Beaut Clos du Roi 1999
Feminine nose, very perfumed and floral. Decent structure on the palate, but lacks character.
86/100

Michel Gros Vosne Romanee Premier Cru Clos des Réas monopole 1998
A step up in quality here. Nose of earth, raspberry, strawberry and floral hints. Palate has lovely flavour with good intensity and excellent length.
91/100

Paul Jaboulet La Chapelle 1982
Nice nose with lots of aged aromas such as leather, tobacco, roast meat and strawberry and black olive. Palate is spicy and tannins were fully resolved. Needs to be drunk soon though based on this bottle.
92/100

Haut Brion 1964
On the nose, earth, liquorice, graphite and cedar. Soft, balanced palate with elements integrated. Not very complex, but enjoyable anyway. Needs to be drunk as soon as possible really.
88/100

Charles Melton Nine Popes 1991
Some funky, complex barnyardy aromas to the nose. Nice depth of flavour on the palate and lots and lots of complexity. A very nice bottle of wine at it’s peak.
90/100

Charles Melton Shiraz 1990
Menthol, pepper and some dirty aromas. Palate is resolved, but the fruit has faded a bit too much and there is nothing of great interest left.
84/100

Penfolds Bin 389 1971
Gone. Dead on opening.
NR/100

Lakes Folly Cabernet 1995
Roast vegetable, tobacco, tar. Palate disappoints, very soft and lacking depth.
80/100

Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2001
Funky aromas as well as pepper, violets, cherry and kirsch. Palate is nicely textured with good length and well balanced elements. Should drink well over the next 10 years.
90/100

Penfolds St Henri 1976
Leather, earth, spice and smoky oak. Palate lacks fruit and is only just holding on to life.
84/100

Henschke Mt Edelstone 1982
Looking pretty tired. Some cedar and spice coming through, but not enough to save the short and struggling palate.
81/100

Gruaud Larose 1982
Scalped palate. I thought it (sadly) corked.
NR/100

Henschke Hill of Grace 1989
Vanilla, raspberry, game and chocolate. Good length and interesting texture, but lacking a bit of magic and the depth to really be considered better than excellent.
91/100

Wirra Wirra Chook Block 1998
A big whack in the face of vanilla oak and chocolate and raspberry. The intense characters carried over into the concentrated, rich palate. Very good, but did struggle a little bit after so many older wines.
89/100

Bourillon Dorléans Molleaux Vouvray 1959
Dried pineapple, pear, apple and quince as well as some model plane glue. Palate is just softly sweet. Had a half bottle left over the next day and it had taken on some more nutty and tea leave characters, but still lacked the desired richness on the palate. Glad to have tried it anyway.
88/100

Alvear PX Solera 1927
Raisins, sultana, caramel, motor oil on the nose. Viscous palate with excellent flavour and length. A great experience.
92/100

Dow’s Vintage Port 1983
Nail polish dominates the nose. Seems simple and soft on the palate. I wish I’d had more time with this, but this brief encounter seemed to point towards a slightly off bottle.
NR/100

MV Krug Grande Cuvee
A pretty classic bottle of Krug MV I thought. Powerful nose with vanilla, toast, apple, lemon and nuts. Tingles the tastebuds on the palate, powerful flavour while retaining an element of elegance. Super length and a super wine.
93/100

2005 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling-Auslese #09
Great nose to this, honey, slate, earth and florality. A magic palate, incredible balance with medium sweetness and focus through brilliant acid. Impeccable length. Drinking really well now, but will probably get even better with some age.
93/100

1997 Domaine Vincent et Francois Jouard Batard-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes
Oxidised :\
NR/100

2001 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres
Golden in colour, maybe looking a bit advanced for its age. Nose is reclusive with some smoke, sesame, lemon and a hint of toasty oak. Palate is a letdown, okay flavour but finishes too short and without focus. Drink now.
86/100

1998 Domaine Armand Rousseau Ruchottes Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Monopole
Gamey, red cherry and musk aromas. Light, softly textured palate, very approachable. Nice but lacking character and depth. Disappointing for the reputation of the producer and the vineyard status. Drink now.
87/100

2000 Domaine Leroy Nuits-St.-Georges Les Boudots
Nose shows aromas of earth, raspberry, a hint of game and swirling florality. The palate is seductive and supple, but with the structure to keep the wine focused. Excellent length. Drink now and over the next 5 years.
93/100

1993 Gaja Barbaresco
An awesome layered nose of coffee, earth, violet, roast meat, and anise/licorice. Palate seems to be reasonably resolved, just a little bit of tannin propping things up nicely. Nice balance overall, palate is actually quite restrained. Drink over the next 6-7 years.
92/100

1982 Chateau Langoa Barton
Classic Bordeaux nose of tobacco, blackberry, cedar as well as some pepper and spices. Palate is nicely balanced with good length. Youthful still, but showing some textural complexity on the palate. A lovely wine for drinking over the next 10 years.
91/100

1983 Château Léoville Las Cases
Youthful nose of sweet blackberry, cassis, tobacco, smoke and licorice. Palate is medium bodied and approachable, with sweet fruit at the fore. Very nice drinking but needs to find some additional complexity over the next couple of years to be excellent.
89/100

1995 Bodegas y Viñedos Alion Cosecha
Bramble, cherry, coffee, musk and plenty of cedar on the nose. Interesting texture to the savoury palate but the fruit seems to be a bit all over the place. Struggled tonight and I don’t know that this bottle would have improved with time.
87/100

2004 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro
Inky black colour. Blue and black berry, vanilla, spice and chocolate. Superb, classy fruit on the palate. Great intensity of flavour without ever looking like it would be out of balance. Approachable and delicious now, but has the structure to improve over the next 10 years as well.
91/100

1995 S. A. Huet Vouvray ‘Cuvée Constance’
Honey, lime, figs and apricot to the nose. Lovely medium honeyed sweetness to the palate. Very nice but needed a bit more intensity, depth and complexity to take the step to excellence.
91/100

Curly Flat is a small producer in the cool climate region of Macedon in Victoria, Australia. They have been gaining a reputation for excellent Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the past few years, so I was glad to get the chance to try this lineup of their recent Chardonnay releases.

2005 Curly Flat “Lacuna” Chardonnay
This is un-oaked, with Lacuna translating to “missing space”. Pale straw colour. Lovely bright nose, very reminiscent of Chablis with flint, slate, chalk as well as some lychee and lime. Palate is medium weighted and has good texture and focused acid. Could be seen as a little bit simple side by side with the regular Chardonnay, but I think this is a brilliantly pure wine that over delivers for the money.
92/100

2002 Curly Flat Chardonnay
Deep nose of cashew, butternut squash, peach and some funky yeast. The palate is powerful in flavour but still seems well weighted. Has enough acid for now to bring the wine into line. Drink now.
89/100

2003 Curly Flat Chardonnay
Seemed to be in an akward stage between youth and maturity. Nose was very restrained, some peach and pear but quiet otherwise. Good length to the palate but lacked weight and complexity. I think this may look better in a couple of years.
86/100

2004 Curly Flat Chardonnay
The nose on this was just exceptional - Layered oats, hay, wet wool, lilies, slate and minerals. Palate shows off great clarity and superb length. Continued to get better and reveal more layers with each sip and by the end left me convinced that this is a world class wine.
93/100

2005 Curly Flat Chardonnay
A taut nose, but some lime, slate, florals and pure Chardonnay fruit managed to shine through after some time spent swirling. The balance of the palate was impossible to fault. Good flavour intensity and lots of potential to improve. To be released very shortly I believe.
91/100

2006 Curly Flat Chardonnay (Barrel Sample)
Looked pretty promising from the sample. I think it may head along the same lines as the 2005. Lots of floral notes at the moment and pure fruit on the palate. Not rated.

Some notes from a tasting earlier this year hosted by Bert Salomon. Each Salomon wine has the closure type listed at the start of the note. Bert stated that he thought the glass closure and screwcap are in technical terms almost equal, but the glass stopper is emotionally better and he will be going forward with increasing amounts of glass stoppers over the coming vintages.

Salomon Austrian Whites:

2005 Salomon Undhof Hochterrassen Gruner Veltliner
Screwcap. Pale straw colour. White pepper, lilies, chalk and grapefruit on the nose. Palate is clean and crisp, a little short and simple, but it has nice balance and it was certainly very easy and enjoyable to drink.
86/100

2003 Salomon Undhof Lindberg Reserve Gruner Veltliner
Cork. A mature but enjoyable nose of pine nuts, honey and toast. Creamy palate with some spice to the finish, lacking a bit of focus though. Drink now.
83/100

2005 Salomon Undhof Kremser Kogl Riesling
Glass. Pale colour. On the nose, sourdough, florals and apple. Palate has good fruit sweetness with some crisp acid driving the line and focus into the finish. Seemed like it would be best drunk now.
86/100

2005 Salomon Undhof Kogl Kremser Reserve Riesling
Glass. Nose is wound up tightly, with some spice and lemon coming through with vigorous swirling. Palate is richer and the palate slightly longer than the standard release. Needs time, but should be very good.
88/100

1993 Salomon Undhof Kogl Library Reserve Riesling
Cork. Amazing colour, it looks the same as the ’05s next to it! Aromas of lemon, earth, roses with some kerosene and lots of toast. Lovely creamy texture on the delicate palate. Acid is well integrated but still carries through the length of the wine. Should drink very well over the next 5 years.
90/100

2003 Salomon Undhof Von Stein Reserve Gruner Veltliner
Cork. Slate, citrus peel, peaches and spice on the nose. Great richness and spice to the palate, with good acid providing some focus and stopping the richness from being overwhelming. Excellent length. Very enjoyable.
89/100

Salomon Australian Reds:

2004 Salomon Norwood Shiraz Cabernet Merlot
Cork. Blackberry, mint, spice and cherry nose. Medium bodied palate, smooth and with well integrated oak. Drink now.
86/100

2004 Salomon Finniss River Shiraz
Cork. Smoky, meaty, red berries and cherry with a splash of background oak. Savoury, medium bodied palate with decent depth of fruit and good length. Well balanced and should improve over the next 5 years and drink well for the next 10 years.
88/100

2004 Salomon Fleurieu Shiraz Viognier
Glass. Violets and other florals, pepper, meat and a touch of apricot. Palate is fresh and vibrant with good length and tannins in the background providing good structure. Good length finish and drinking well now for my taste.
87/100

2004 Salomon Finniss River Cabernet Sauvignon
Cork. Briar, tobacco, blue bubblegum/blueberry. Mouth coating flavour on the palate without being at all over the top. Nicely textured with good grip from the tannin. Should get better given 5 more years in the bottle.
88/100

Kracher Austrian Sweet Wines:

2005 Kracher Cuvee Beerenauslese
Green apples, peaches and pears with a browned butter on toast character. The palate is brilliant, sweet but with cutting acidity following the sweetness and cleansing the palate. Absolutely delicious.
91/100

2004 Kracher Cuvee Eiswein
Light straw colour. A fresh nose of nectarine, honey and orange peel. Lightly sweet palate with clean sweetness and refreshing acidity. Medium length. Simple but enjoyable.
88/100

2003 Kracher Trockenbeerenauslese #1 Nouvelle Vague
The only TBA produced by Kracher in 2003 due to a very difficult vintage. Light golden coloured. Intoxicating aromas of vanilla, shortbread, butterscotch and peaches. The palate is nothing short of magnificent. Beautiful balance between intense sweetness and acidity. The finish is incredibly lengthy. I think that in 10 years time this could be even better but it is superb now as well.
94/100

Food -

Smoked trout in bechemel and watercress sauce on toasted sourdough
Homemade rillettes de porc
Boudin noir en croute
Veal wrapped in pancetta with asparagus and mushroom sauce
Roasted beetroot, cherve and spinach salad
Braised cauliflower and spinach salad
Spinach braised in beef stock with anise
Wagyu beef steak with potatos new potatos roasted in duck fat
Roast milk feed lamb with kifler potatos
Cheese plate with Roquefort, Epoisses and others
A quince and frangipani tart

Moet Rose NV -
Quite an appealing pink-tinged copper colour. Redcurrant and strawberry with a touch of a reductive character. The palate is light and has decent acid. There is no real complexity or depth, but there probably isn’t supposed to be as it would defeat the purpose of this wine.
84/100

Lanson “Gold Label” 1996 -
Green apple, minerality and citrus peel on the nose. The palate shows off the trademark crisp, acid driven style of this house - some may like it and some may dislike it, but I think that for the intended style, this is a very good wine and I think it should get better with age.
89/100

Domaine Coteau de la Biche Sec 2002 -
Grapefruit, pears and just a light honey touch to the nose. A medium bodied wine with a tinge of sweetness giving the otherwise slightly one dimensional palate a point of interest. A good wine probably sacrificed a few years before its time had come.
87/100

Coolangatta Estate Semillon 1998 -
Was an aged golden colour. Honey, toast and nutty characters on the nose. Plenty of acid and fruit weight left on the palate, with good length - but didn’t really have near the complexity that I saw in a previous bottle of this wine.
87/100

Laroche “Fourchaumes” 1er Chablis 2002 -
Mineral, citrus, seashells and floral scents. Striking purity and elegance with seamless balance on the palate resulting in a wine that is incredibly delicious to drink.
89/100

Craggy Range Les Beaux Cailloux 2001 -
A very nutty nose with toasty, caramel oak and some interesting wild, funky complexity. The palate shows the same caramel oak coming in over the top of any fruit - but there is lots of intensity here, it is a wine that intends to take no prisoners. An interesting contrast to the pure, focused Laroche that came before it. I thought the Laroche a better wine, but I liked aspects of this as well.
87/100

Tyrrells Vat 6 pinot 1991 -
Corked.
NR/100

Rockford Basket Press 1996 -
Meat and licorice on the nose. Palate has some sharp edges. Developed some oxidative notes after a short while. Probably a faulty bottle, others I’ve had have been much better.
NR/100

Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Rouge 2003 -
Something wrong here - Very weedy, funky and harsh. Declared a faulty bottle. 60 odd points if that is how it is meant to taste.
NR/100

Pegau Reservee 2003 -
Cherry, garrigue/undergrowth, violet, five spice and white pepper. Palate shows off very deeply-set ripe fruit and has good length, also seems to hold its high alcohol content well. Much better than the last bottle (77 points), but still not up to the level that others have seen in it.
90/100

Pegau Cuvee Da Capo 2003 -
Concentrated and intense nose of earth, white pepper, bramble and cherry. The palate is also incredibly concentrated and layered with flavour that coats all corners of your mouth. Finishes warm and brilliantly long. I really wonder how this will age, but it is certainly something I hope to find out!
93/100

Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 anos 1992 -
Sadly, it was swampy, vegetative and heading into oxidised territory. Palate had fairly harsh acid and was stripped of fruit. From the same batch as a bottle the owner had a few months ago that was excellent. This cork was soaked through. Damned cork variation.
NR/100

Sassicaia 2002 -
Cedar, milk chocolate, briar and redcurrants. Palate shows lovely balance, elegant and restrained savoury flavours. A lovely, stylish wine, but I think it is going to be best drunk early probably best over the next 5 years.
93/100

Standish “The Standish” 2001 -
I have tasted two bottles of this in a couple of weeks, and if they were representative, hopefully they will be the last two I taste. Iodine, brine, ink and raspberry nose. Palate is angular and struggling for focus.
82/100

Standish “The Relic” 2002 -
Floral and fragrant nose that also gives off apricot, blackberry and liquorice. The palate is soft and sweet, despite the fruit intensity it is easy to drink - just lacking the depth to be better than very good.
89/100

Noon Reserve Shiraz 2004 -
Tar, liquorice, chocolate and tobacco. Powerful, cheek punching flavour. Less obviously alcoholic and porty than the last bottle, but still didn’t bring me any enjoyment.
86/100

Noon Reserve Cabernet 1999 -
Tobacco and ash aromas on the nose. The palate has strong intensity of flavour that was close to overwhelming the other characters of the wine. Drinking close to its peak I thought.
87/100

Star Lane Shiraz 2002 -
The nose shows tobacco, ash, wet earth and tomato leaf. The palate is one dimensional and couldn’t be more awkward, balance and flow were practically non-existent. Had this twice and neither have been good which is a shame as I really liked their Merlot from this vintage.
80/100

Battely Shiraz 2002 -
Pepper, boot polish, apricot and tar. Palate seems disjointed and somewhat hot. Disappointing considering the excellent reviews from others.
82/100

Whistling Eagle Eagle’s Blood 2004 -
A bold nose of chocolate, earth, blackcurrant and oak. Some alcoholic warmth to the palate, but if you don’t mind that then the texture and length are very good. A nice wine, but I preferred the 2002 that I had a week earlier more.
88/100

Kalleske Greenock Shiraz 2004 -
Chocolate, graphite, blueberry and fragrant floral aromas. Palate is tightly wound, but shows obvious class. Balanced and long. Should be really singing around 2009 or so.
90/100

Rockford Home Block Cabernet 1999 magnum -
Rose petals, tobacco, blackberry and cassis. Medium bodied, showing restraint and flowing across the palate beautifully. A super wine for drinking right now and over the next 3-4 years.
90/100

Wilson Hippocrene 1996 -
The nose is entirely barnyardy, bandaidy and meaty. The palate is metallic, bitter and finishes very short. Genuinely dreadful. I see this in a shop from time to time and the memory of the taste of this causes me a great deal of pain on each occasion.
62/100

Neudorf Moutere Pinot Noir 2003 -
Stemmy, dark cherry and coconutty nose. The palate is plush with some spice and stem characters providing some points of interest. Tannin structure is good and this could develop well over 4-5 years.
87/100

Houghton Gladstone Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 -
Ash, briary characters, blackcurrant and blackberry nose. The balance of the palate is a standout feature. A very classy and enjoyable wine that I would like to see how it has progressed in another 5 years time.
91/100

Wendouree Shiraz 2003 -
Raspberry, lots of red cherry, spearmint and wafts of floral characters. Very approachable on the palate, nothing aggressive or out of place as winery reputation may have led me to expect. Excellent depth of fruit across the very good length of the palate. Already showing some texture and complexity. Very good now, but should also improve over the next 10 years.
91/100

Villa Maria Botrytis Selection 2003 -
Intense nose with toffee, honey and botrytis. Palate is slightly overly sweet, with a long finish. Drink now as I don’t think it has the structure or acid to age.
87/100

Cascinetta Vietti Moscato d’asti 2005 -
Very lightly fizzy. Fresh aromas of grapes and flowers. The palate is light and slightly sweet but still doesn’t really have the acid to bring the palate flavours into focus. Enjoyable for what it was anyway.
86/100

McWilliams Botrytis 2004 -
Corked.
NR/100

Seppelt Tawny Para “Port” 1983 -
Layered complexity on the nose with aromas of fruitcake, peaty spirits, ground coffee and raisins along with a slightly elusive rancio character. A rich and intense nutty palate with loads of depth and complexity. Superb length.
93/100

Valdespino Jerez Olorosso (Solera 1842)-
Rancid, cooked nose. Palate is all alcoholic heat. Horrible.
NR/100

Louis Roederer Cristal 1999 -
Not a half-bad way to finish the day, thanks Adam! An intriguing nose that draws you into the wine with forest floor, strawberry, toast and apples. The palate is elegant and there is a balanced vein of acidity along the length of the wine into a long finish, but it left me with a feeling that there was something missing in terms of intensity and depth of flavour. Perhaps it just needs more time but my first taste of Cristal didn’t really live up to its lofty reputation.
91/100