Appellation Australia

1996 Jacquesson Grand Cru Avize
Straw coloured. Fine bead. Powerful nose of honey, toast and citrus. Long and refined palate, while there was some good acid there it also tasted like this bottle was nearing its peak. Excellent.
92/100

2006 Bellarmine Off-Dry Riesling
Musk, floral and citrus aromas. Nicely balanced palate with the touch of sweetness giving richness without broadness. So easy to drink and the people I was dining with loved the style.
89/100

N.V. Primo Estate Joseph Sparkling Red
Disgorged 2006.
This is my favourite red sparkling wine at the moment. Lovely depth to the nose with spices, cherry, earth and game style aromas. Palate shows similar characters with plenty of spice and savoury flavour. Good length, great depth. Will get better with a bit of bottle age as well I suspect.
91/100

2006 Spinifex Papillon
Grenache 46%; Cinsault 28%; Carignan 26%
Very clean, new world styled. Cherry, blackberry and spice on the nose. Palate is bright and juicy. Medium length. Easy drinking style, but lacks a bit of depth and interest factor.
87/100

1976 Bollinger RD
Disgorged 14 April 1988. Fine stream of bubbles still. Toasty, nutty and earthy aromas. Medium body and length. Lacking depth and complexity. Nice, but not great.
87/100

2006 Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Kabinett:
A floral lift on the nose, with a touch of mineral in the background. A touch of sweetness on the palate. Someone commented that it reminded them of moscato without the spritz and I would agree with that.
86/100

2000 Domaine Chandon de Briailles 1er Cru Ile des Vergelesses:
Cheesy, smoky nose. Palate was very dull, lacking fruit. Drinkable but without depth or substance. Possibly an off bottle.
82/100

2004 Kooyong Meres Pinot Noir:
Beetroot, earth and spice on the nose. Palate is surprisingly elegant - good depth of flavour without being too obvious. Balanced and with good length. I thought it was very nice and should be good to drink over the next 4-5 years.
88/100

1997 Domaine Jean Grivot 1er Cru Les Roncieres:
Earthy, raspberry, cherry and a touch of funk. Nicely balanced palate without being very complex or long.
87/100

2000 Rousseau Clos St Jacques:
Lovely nose with bright strawberry, cherry and some savory spice and game. Lovely texture to the palate, a definite step up from the previous two Pinots. Built weight and power in the glass over time but retained its brightness and purity of flavour. Very long length. Excellent.
92/100

1982 Chateau Les Ormes de Pez
Game, graphite and some wafting perfume. Medium bodied, good balance with tannins resolved and some ripe fruit still remaining. Was drinking well straight out of the bottle, but fell away a bit with time in the glass.
87/100

1995 Wegeler Erben Bernkasteler Doctor Auslese:
Very honeyed nose with toast, cinnamon, citrus and some kerosene. Very light sweetness remains on the medium length palate. Not as much complexity as hoped for. Good only.
88/100

2004 Robert Weil Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Auslese:
Floral, lemon, honey and some strong mineral notes. Palate has very good structure with the sweetness present but blending in well with the acid. Very classy, needs time to blossom (but this bottle was starting to leak, so it wasn’t able to get it).
91/100

Taittinger Brut Reserve NV
Bready, citrusy aromas. Clean flavours but with little depth.
85/100

Taittinger Millesime 2000
Bread, toast and citrus fruit. Medium bodied with decent length.
86/100

Taittinger Prelude Grand Crus NV
Bready yeast, citrus, minerally with some floral notes. Good body, mouthfeel and length. Well balanced. Could improve with a couple of years in bottle.
88/100

Pol Roger Brut NV
Bursting nose of apples and citrus. Palate is vibrant and balanced.
87/100

Pol Roger Brut Vintage 1998
Citrus and some smoke. Good flavour persistence and medium depth. Open and enjoyable now.
89/100

Pol Roger Brut Blanc de Blancs Vintage 1998
Spice and bread on the nose. Palate is simple and shows some bitterness on the finish which lets it down.
85/100

Tsarine Premier Cru NV
Peach and some sweaty characters on the nose. Palate is cleaner but not much of interest.
82/100

Tsarine Vintage 1999
Grapefruit and guava aromas. Lick of sweetness to the palate. Seems a bit flat and lacking character.
84/100

Tsarine Rose 1999
Strawberry and a bit of earthy funk. Palate lacks length and depth. Nothing to interest me into trying it again.
82/100

Philipponnat Brut Royal Reserve NV
Sea spray and oyster shells. Palate is clean but a bit short and quite boring.
85/100

Philipponnat Reserve Millesime 1999
Apples and pears. Crisp palate, but again lacking length and depth.
85/100

Philipponnat Brut Reserve Rose NV
Strawberry and earth. Bit of sweetness to the palate. Disappointing intensity and depth. Didn’t really like this.
83/100

Pannier Brut NV
Apples and peaches. Clean palate, finishes crisp with good length.
86/100

Pannier Brut Vintage 2000
Bready and biscuity nose. Nicely weighted fruit on the palate, but needs more depth/dimension.
86/100

Pannier Blanc de Blancs 1998
Peaches and cream. Palate is fresh but there is a touch of acid out of place on the finish.
85/100

Nicolas Feuillatte Particuliere Brut NV
Marmalade and orange peel. Softly bodied and easy to drink, but not very exciting.
85/100

Nicolas Feuillatte Blanc de Blancs 1999
Peachy nose. Palate has too much lemony acid for my liking.
83/100

Nicolas Feuillatte Cuvee Palmes D’or Vintage 1997
Appealing nose - toast, slate, orange and nutty aromas. Very good fruit intensity on the palate with a strong acid core maintaining focus. Lingering sweetness. Very good, but needs a bit more depth to be a 90+ wine.
89/100

Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose NV
Musk sticks dominate the nose. There is a bit of sweetness to the palate but it does not seem to be out of place. Very simple though.
85/100

Perrier Jouet Grand Brut NV
Flowers and berries. Medium intensity. Good without being very exciting or memorable.
86/100

Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Blanc 1998
Very classy on the nose, full of florals, toast and citrus. Palate is long, clean and with very good structure.
91/100

Mumm Cordon Rouge NV
Floral and citrusy. Clean and refreshing palate. Balance is fine.
85/100

Mumm Millesime 1998
Mute nose, very hard to get any aromas even with quite a bit of swirling. Soft palate with a hole in the middle. Not very good,
82/100

Mumm de Cramant NV
Expressive floral nose with citrus and even some plum aromas as well. The intensity, structure and balance on the palate lifts this a level. Creamy mouthfeel and texture. Excellent.
91/100