Appellation Australia

A recent dinner bringing some brilliant winemakers from Europe to Est. restaurant in Sydney. Lots of great wines, some excellent food and a chance to speak with, and hear some interesting and opinionated winemakers - a superb night.

2006 Gunderloch Riesling Kabinett ‘Jean Baptiste’
Light floral and citrus notes. Simple on the palate, easy to drink. Doesn’t really punch above its weight, but it is pleasant enough.
85/100

italian buffalo mozzarella, fresh figs, joselito jamon “iberico de bellota”, pomegranate, rocket and watercress

2009 Domane Wachau Grüner Veltliner Federspiel
Strong pear element to the nose with peaches and quince supporting. Bold palate with good intensity of flavour and enough acid to keep things crisp.
88/100

2008 Domaine Ostertag Pinot Blanc ‘Barriques’
Honey, oats, and floral notes on the nose. There is a spice element to the otherwise slightly flat palate.
85/100

2008 Wittmann Pinot Gris
Light orange and mandarin peel aromas. Nicely balanced palate with medium depth.
87/100

2007 Gunderloch Pinot Gris
Interesting smoke and honey aromas on the nose. Very good and palate, has long carry and is balanced. Provides some character and interest. The best wine in this flight of four.
89/100

nage of moreton bay bug, cucumber, peas, coriander, ginger and lime

2007 Heymann-Löwenstein Riesling Rottgen
There is almost a plum aroma to the nose, as well as lemon, apricots and spice. A touch of richness to the palate, with very good length. Continues to draw interest with each sip.
91/100

2007 Brundlmayer Heiligenstein Riesling DAC Reserve ‘Lyra’
Floral with a little bit of petrol on the nose. The petrol carries onto the palate, which is pretty uninteresting otherwise. Weakest wine of this flight of four.
86/100

2007 Wittmann Riesling Aulerde Grosses Gewächs
Spices, white peach, melon and minerality on the nose. Tight and focused palate. There is fruit richness that is reined in by a beautiful line of acid. Great length, poise and balance. Delicious and even better when paired with food. Wonderful.
94/100

2006 Dönnhoff Riesling Grosses Gewächs Dellchen
Pear, struck match, stalks and lychee on the nose. Lovely richness to the palate that carries into a very long finish. There is excellent depth and layers of complexity already. Got better and better with time in the glass.
93/100

steamed murray cod fillet, abalone, snow peas, oyster mushrooms, ginger - green shallot vinaigrette

1996 Domane Wachau Grüner Vetliner Kellerberg Smaragd
Black pepper, bacon, and a little bit sweaty on the nose. Bold,deep and intense palate - a real change of gears compared to the younger wines tried next to it. Challenging.
88/100

2006 Domaine Ostertag Riesling Muenchberg Grand Cru
Honey, quince, freshly baked biscuits on the nose. The palate is great, with excellent length and richness.
91/100

2007 Wittmann Westhofener ‘S’ Riesling
Very fresh floral nose, with minerality shining through. Delicious lifted palate with great length and verve. Refreshing and interesting.
90/100

2006 Brundlmayer Grüner Veltliner DAC Reserve ‘Alte Ruben’
Spice dominant on the nose and palate, with additional aromas of straw and hay. Very persistent on the palate. Great quality fruit here.
90/100

white peach sorbet, pistachio cake, grilled peach and vanilla

2006 Dönnhoff Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spatlese
Fresh nose of crisp green apples, minerals, limes and peaches. Beautiful balance between the sweetness and acidity. Great purity on the palate.
90/100

2008 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Auslese
Very pale colour. Grapes, pear and minerals on the nose. The palate is pure and long, with the sweetness barely apparent, such is the excellent balance.
89/100

2006 Ostertag Fronholz Vendages Tardives Gewurztraminer
Intense nose with wax, honey and spices. Alcohol pokes out a touch on the palate, throwing the balance. The richness is also perhaps a bit too much for the acid. Still a nice wine but struggled to impress.
88/100

brillat savarin, aged comte gruyere, holy goat ‘la luna’, quince paste and walnut bread

2005 Domaine Ostertag Fronholz Selection de Grains Nobles Gewurztraminer
Waxy, honeyed, ginger, apricot and smoke elements to the nose. The palate is explosively sweet but the acid is up to the task. Very good.
92/100

2007 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brucke Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule
Pure, tight, restrained nose - lots of minerality. The palate is excellent, with super balance and depth. Persistent flavour and there is potential here to improve with medium term aging.
92/100

2008 Heymann-Lowenstein Uhlen Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule ‘Roth Lay’
Green apple, passionfruit, slightly smoky aromas. Bursts with flavour and sweetness on the palate but it is balanced by excellent acidity. A wonderfully complex and intense wine.
93/100

2008 Brigitte & Gerhard Pittnauer St. Laurent
Cherry and redcurrant. Hard acid and very superficial. Interesting to try once but a small amount was enough.
83/100

Went to Stuyvesant’s House in Crows Nest last month, the food was decent but the cellar is incredible - it runs the length of the restaurant underground and contains about 10,000 bottles, including many of the most expensive wines in the world. Highlight of the night was getting a tour of the cellar (and we drank some pretty decent wine as well).

Apparently they also have a warehouse filled with wine and the restaurant cellar is described as “merely the tip of the iceberg”! Winning the lottery and raiding the cellar is now a priority.

1982 Seppelt Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz – Red cherries, earth, vanilla and spice. Palate has retained its vitality with good length and some sweet, lingering fruit. Drinking well nice with a lovely balance of complexity and freshness. 93/100

1982 Ramonet Bienvenues Batard-Montrachet – Pretty closed initially, but opened with time in the glass to show honey and wax with peaches on the nose. Unfortunately the palate is a bit tired, some early richness but it fades into acid in the mid-palate. Interesting but not amazing. 87/100

1971 Faiveley Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru – Strongly earth driven nose with some tobacco and cherry. Light red fruits on the palate. Good length and carry with fine balance. 91/100

1990 La Mission Haut Brion – Quite primary with ripe raspberry and blackcurrant, ash and black pepper. Smooth, luscious palate. Great richness and intensity with balance coming from the excellent structure. Silky and pure, delicious. 94/100

1996 Pol Roger Blanc des Blancs

Fine bead. Apples, light toast and lemon zest. Elegant palate, fine and delicate acid. Undeveloped at this stage.

90/100

1996 Pol Roger Brut

Apple, pear and stonefruit aromas. Light fruit sweetness with good acid. Good length and weight.

91/100

1998 Pol Roger Brut

Sesame, touch of smoke and some red fruits. Decent flavour, but a fair bit of sweetness and little depth.

88/100

1998 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill

Lemon, toast, some spice and floral notes. Expansive palate with good persistence. Plenty of interest. Drinking well now and the next 4-5 years.

92/100

1996 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill

Smoke, citrus and toast aromas. Very fine palate with excellent acid and structural balance. Great length and depth.

94/100

1995 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill

Toast, mushroom and a touch of yeast. Good acid and flavour, but doesn’t measure up to the depth and structure of the 1996. Still a good wine.

90/100

1988 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill

Honey, toast, smoke and cinnamon. Good flavour and length. Medium power and nicely balanced. Excellent depth.

92/100

1986 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill

Tinned asparagus and old oak. Green palate taste. Not pleasant.

78/100

1979 Pol Roger Brut

Honey, pineapple and nutty characters. Nice flavour and good balance, just not much depth.

89/100

1997 Domaine Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot

Cherry and earth on the nose. Stalky palate, slightly awkward. Okay but not special.

88/100

1999 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Vosne-Romanée Cuvée Duvault Blochet

Lovely nose with florals, cherry and swirling aromas of spice. Really good balance on the palate, medium depth and decent length. Moderate power and quite classy overall.

92/100

2006 Clos Salomon Givry 1er Cru Clos Salomon

Bubblegum and jubes with sour cherry aromas. Fruit driven palate with decent weight but no depth or complexity.

87/100

1966 McWilliams Traminer Sauternes

Orange gold in colour. Honey, apricot and brown sugar. Medium sweetness. Just holding on to life. Touch short but okay.

86/100

2006 Dr. Loosen Riesling Beerenauslese

Grapes, melon and honey. Lovely palate with great balance between sugar and acid. Deep and long flavour profile. Young with potential.

92/100

2003 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Herrenweg de Turckheim

Toast, mango and nutty aromas. Good richness and length to the palate. Drink over the next couple of years based on this bottle.

91/100

Bouchard Meursault Perrieres 1er cru 2002

Acacia, butter, lemon and a touch of smoke on the nose. Lovely richness on the palate with exceptional length. Wonderful wine that just got better and better the longer it was in the glass.

93/100

Rene Engel Echezeaux 2001

Corked.

NR/100

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Bonnes Mares 2001

Iron, soil, cherry and red berries on the nose. Palate is powerful and there is a good balance between fruit and acid. Will develop over the coming 10 years.

92/100

Chateau Angelus 1996

Chocolate, cedar before some strong brett characters come in over the top. The palate is okay, but this would be a better bottle of wine without the brett.

88/100

Kracher #6 TBA 2001

Light golden colour. Apricots, mandarin and peaches on the nose. Lightly poised palate, with lovely balance and very delicious.

92/100

Dan Aykroyd Vidal Signature Reserve Icewine 2005

Deep amber colour. Poached pears, raisin, spice and honey aromas. Extremely rich and dense palate but there is enough acidity to keep it in balance. Long and interesting flavours. A celebrity wine that isn’t just about the name on the bottle.

94/100

An amazing experience, I’ll let the photos do most of the talking. There were 20 pieces to this meal, 18 pictured below.

Entrance to Sushi Kanesaka, Ginza, Tokyo

Sashimi Baby Scallops

Cod Liver

Sashimi Yellowfin Tuna

Sashimi Tuna

Sashimi Horse Mackerel

Grilled Sea Eel

Shinji Kanesaka at work

Lightly grilled Tuna Cheek

Sushi Yellowfin Tuna

Chutoro Tuna Belly

Otoro Tuna Belly

Sushi Squid

Shinji Kanesaka

Sushi Sardine

Sushi Prawn

Sushi Mackerel

Sushi Giant Sea Clam

Makizushi Sea Urchin

Grilled Sea Eel

Some wines consumed at a friend’s birthday;

1981 Louis Roederer Cristal
Vigorous bead. Honey, nutty, quince and oxidative notes on the nose. Just enough acid to give the palate some life but there isn’t a great deal of complexity. This bottle would have been better when it was fresher but it was still enjoyable.
89/100

2007 Schloss Lieser Dry Riesling
Lovely floral nose, with slate and some smokey notes. The palate is dry with and has beautiful balance and length with a super line of acidity. Refreshing and delicious with the potential to improve.
92/100

2007 Willi Schaefer Graacher Trocken Riesling
Tropical fruit aromas with some light spice. The palate is nice and easy to drink, although there is a touch of warmth on the finish that throws the balance off slightly.
88/100

2007 Reinhold Haart Haart to Heart feinherb Riesling
Perfumed nose of musk and spice with some lemon and a touch of petrol. Palate shows a bit of spice as well. Simple but well made.
87/100

2007 Knebel Winninger Bruckstuck feinherb Riesling
Chamomile floral scents with chalk and slate in the background. Great balance and depth of fruit. There is just a touch of restrained sweetness that results in a lovely lingering flavour. Brilliant wine now and will develop well also.
92/100

2007 Schloss Lieser QbA Riesling
Restrained nose with a touch of yeast. Off dry palate with good balance but not a lot of interest. Easy to drink and not think about too critically.
86/100

2007 Knebel Winninger Rottgen Kabinett Riesling
Touch of floral and lemongrass scents and some spices. Sweetness is evident but it is balanced by a good line of acid. There is great power and quality to the fruit without any broadness.
90/100

2002 Didier Dagueneau Pur Sang Sauvignon Blanc
Intense smoke, honey, wax and passionfruit on the nose. A viscous mouthfeel with good intensity and a wild element to it. Good length and intensity. So much going on and it requires attention to unravel it - very interesting.
91/100

2001 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze Pinot Noir
Sandalwood, intense cherry, oven roasted tomato and beetroot on the nose. Muscular and powerful fruit on the palate. There is structure there behind the immense red fruit and I think this will improve over the next 10 years.
92/100

2006 Holyman Pinot Noir
Musk, red cherries, raspberry, spice and a fair bit of oak on the nose. Medium bodied without much depth. Decent length.
87/100

1991 Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon
Briar, spice, redcurrant, tobacco and timber. Medium bodied with good flavour and length. Still youthful and has the structure to continue to develop complexity over the next 7 years.
89/100

1976 Bailey’s Bundarra Bin 18 Hermitage
Nutty, sweet caramel and Vegemite aromas. Acidic and a nutra-sweet type flavour. Nicer on the nose than the palate but still not good.
81/100

1977 McWilliams Philip Shiraz
Dead.
NR/100

2004 Wild Duck Creek Wondallee Cabernet Franc Melot
Cherry, earth and plum aromas with medicinal and grassy notes. Medium bodied palate with okay depth and length.
86/100

2005 Baumard Quarts de Chaume
Apricot syrup, quince, honey and peaches on the nose. Intense and rich palate with enough acid to carry it into a long finish and avoid being cloying. So intense that a small amount is enough to satisfy. Lovely now, but seems to have the balance to last for 20 years.
93/100

A few food photos from a dinner put on by Ultimo Wine Centre at Bentley Restaurant & Bar, comparing (one of my favourite) Australian wine producers Clonakilla with wines from the very well respected French producer Cuilleron. I’ll try to put some tasting notes up soon. The food was very good and I’d be keen to try their regular menu at some point.

Mahi Mahi with Globe Artichoke, Potato Yoghurt Puree and Squid Ink Crumbs

Roasted Duck Breast with Lentil Puree, Pumpkin and Rhubarb

Wagyū Beef Cheek with Smoked Beetroot, Mushroom and Horseradish

Personal Cheese Plate

Toast Custard with Lychee Puree and Chocolate Parfait

Service: Friendly
Food: Very good overall - a couple of excellent courses, a couple great and a one not to my taste
Value: About $120 a head all up including corkage, coffee and tip.
Glassware: Good
Wine list: Had a quick glance but we brought our own wine so I didn’t spend much time going over it.
BYO Details: $8 per bottle

Score: 13.5/20

Photos:

Jerusalem artichoke, walnut soup

Scallops, picada, foie gras

Bantam egg, tasmanian truffle, brioche

Mulloway, fennel, speck, black sesame pearls

Chicken, celeriac, puffed grains

Pork, kartoffel knodel, kale

Calvados custard, jasmine, pink lady

Pear, chocolate, celery sorbet

Petit fours

Cuisine: Chinese
Service: No problems.
Food: Very good - a couple of dishes were maybe a step below others, but overall a good experience. Spices obviously feature prominently, but for the most part were well balanced. The hottest dishes are indicated on the menu if you want to either avoid or try them, none that I tried were mouth searingly hot for my taste.
Value: Worked out to about $55 a head all up excluding wine. There is also a $69 banquet option.
Ambiance: Impressive, really well thought out use of lighting.
Glassware: Excellent
Wine list: 100 wines with most looking like they would go well with various dishes. We had the 2007 Hirsch Heiligenstein Gruner Veltliner for $69 and the 2007 Marcel Deiss “Alsace” (listed on the menu as Pinot Gris, but I think it’s a blend) for $70. Both went well with the food and I thought the prices were reasonable for a restaurant.

Photos:

Animated, digital display on the front door

Steamed shredded chicken with garlic and spring onion oil

Fried squid with whole five spice and dark chilli paste

Stir fried spicy pork and fermented chilli with crispy fried noodles

Fish drowned in heaven facing chillies and Sichuan peppercorns - Leatherjacket Sichuan style

Hunan style crisp pork belly with fresh and dried chillies and mushroom soy

Tea smoked chicken with black vinegar

Three shot chicken - Beer, chilli and soy

Hot pot of fresh shiitake, oyster, enoki and wild Chinese mushrooms,Yunnan style

Mango mousse and sesame nougatine

Peanut, chocolate and caramel parfait

Jasmine rice sherbet and banana ice cream with candy corn

I went along with a group of friends to Glebe Point Diner a couple of weeks ago. I was very impressed by the restaurant and I may put up some images and impressions of the food in a separate post later on. The wines brought along by our group were almost all outstanding and it was a great night!

Taittinger Comte de Champagne 1982 -

Dark golden colour. Fine bead, quite lively. The nose got better with time in the glass, developing citrus rind, honey and roast chestnut aromas. The acidity on the palate is fresh and lends a crispness to the aged flavours. Around its peak as long as you like the aged style of Champagne. Drink over the next couple of years.

93/100

Krug Collection 1985 -

Astoundingly youthful on both the nose and palate as well as the light straw colour. Aromas of quince, citrus notes and floral characters. The palate has excellent flavour intensity and has lovely length. Probably needs another 7-10 years to reach its peak.

94/100

Zind Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Pinot Gris 1995 -

Light golden coloured. White florals, quince, light spice and lychees on the nose. The palate is beautifully rich and unctuous, and it has the acidity to carry the flavours through into a long finish. Drinking very nicely now, but should be great over the next 3-4 years as well.

95/100

Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne 2000 -

At first this was a little bit closed, but with some vigorous swirling and time in the glass it opened up beautifully. Light popcorn and hazelnuts, gunflint and steel, with a edge of musk. The palate shows very good focus, restrained flavours with a tight core of acid driving the line. I’d wait another 4-6 years before opening another, and I think it will be at its best around the later part of that timeline.

92/100

Arnoux Romanee St Vivant 1993 -

A rich, perfumed nose with intense violets, forest floor, red cherry and raspberries. Lovely pure fruit on the palate with lots of depth and texture. Got better as it was allowed to breath. Very well balanced, genuinely pleasurable to drink now and with the potential to improve over the next 10 years.

94/100

Penfolds Grange 2004 -

Intense purple colour. Very opulent on the nose, black fruits, raspberry, liquorice, vanilla and coffee notes. The oak is noticeable on the palate currently, but it is balanced by the depth and intensity of fruit. Indisputable class showing right now, but will be superb given enough time to develop.

95/100

Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella 1998-

The very definition of full throttle wine. Extremely intense nose of liquorice, blackcurrant, ash and tobacco. Bold, luscious flavour that fills the mouth and finishes long and intense. 17.5% alcohol, but the alcohol didn’t stand out or seem out of balance for my taste. An experience.

94/100

Huet Moelleux 1ère Trie 1961 -

Lanolin, mandarin, wax, resin and some funky earthy characters on the nose. Superbly balanced palate, I expected it to be sweeter but it had quite good richness instead. Still youthful thanks to the acid and structure of the palate. Very good.

91/100

Quinta de la Rosa 1998

Sultanas and dark chocolate on the nose. Palate shows the alcohol a bit too much over the top of the medium body of the wine for my liking.

87/100