An amazing night two weekends ago as we gathered at Marque restaurant in Sydney, Australia for a Burgundy themed event, organised by a friend as part of his RareWineDinners business. The attendees included some familiar local faces as well as people that had flown in from Adelaide, Tasmania and even San Francisco!

I can happily report that except for 1 bottle that was really not showing well (unfortunately the DRC!), all the wines had character and life, with many in stunning condition. Of course this underlines the critical importance of provenance with these kind of wines – the majority of these bottles were sourced from two cold cellars in Europe where the wines had been purchased on release and stored until being brought over to Australia, 90 years later in some cases!

A few highlights were;

The 1985 Veuve Clicquot Rare Rose Champagne (disgorged 2007) to start was fantastic and a little bit surprising how much I liked it, considering I very often don’t care much for Rose Champagne.

The 1947 Violland Corton Charlemagne which was in brilliant form, lots of nutty aromas on the nose with richness, minerality and still having plenty of acidity to lift the wine. The 2000 Ramonet Batard Montrachet was the token young gun and it had amazing potential.

For the reds, the highlight of the night for me was the 1929 Drouhin Clos De Vougeot – a wine of exceptionally complex aromas, a classy and texturally beautifully palate that gained weight with time in the glass and above all it was just seductively delicious (a lucky person with experience in the area said that it was utterly classic 1929 Burgundy – unfortunately I don’t have the experience to say the same!). This was followed closely by the 1937 Bouchard Clos De Vougeot, 1923 De Beuverand & De Poligny Nuits St.G and the 1919 Rigault Vosne Romanee.

• NV G. H. Mumm & Cie Champagne Cordon Rouge Brut – France, Champagne
  Served as a palate cleanser and arrival drink. Some lemon curd and apple on the palate. I found the palate to be very light intensity, with decent freshness but a serious lack of depth. Okay value for Champagne, but I prefer many Australian sparkling wines at a similar price point. 86/100

• 1985 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Rosé Rare – France, Champagne
  Disgorged 2007. Redcurrant, earthy, lemon and honeycomb notes on the nose. There is lovely vibrant acidity to go along with the medium weighted richness. Great length and really impressive, especially considering Rose Champagne often leaves me underwhelmed. Good bottles will continue at this very high level for some time to come. 93/100

• 1947 Louis Violland Corton-Charlemagne – France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
  Almost the same golden colour as the 1978 Lafon, this was just slightly darker in the core. The nose does have lots of aged elements, but it retains a sense of freshness – there is orange peel, lots of nutty aromas and some old oak and mint. The palate has a fantastic line of acidity, which some felt was clearly added by the winemaker but I thought was nicely integrated. Alongside this bright acid and framing minerality is good richness that built when given time in the glass. A very classy wine in brilliant form. 93/100

• 1978 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre – France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
  Grilled almonds on the nose, with ginger and a little resin element. The medium length palate is fairly soft but has glimpses of minerality that held my interest. Very good but it would be great with a little bit more drive and persistence. It is holding but I don’t think it will improve from here based on this bottle. 89/100

• 1986 Marquis de Laguiche (Joseph Drouhin) Montrachet – France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
  Quite reticent nose with light florals, honey and some pineapple, possibly from some botrytis influence. The palate has rounded out well and has very good balance, assisted by a flash of acidity at just the right moment. Improved in the glass after some vigorous swirling and while I liked it a lot, it didn’t quite deliver enough complexity to rate this higher. Drink now. 91/100

• 2000 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet – France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
  The token young gun at this tasting. Mint, lime, spicy/toasty oak and apple aromas. The palate was especially true to the Ramonet house style – with layered and powerful fruit paired with superb tension, focus and length. Above all, though it is a outstanding wine already, the potential to improve is very much evident. 94/100

• 1929 Joseph Drouhin Clos Vougeot – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
  A stunning nose – spices, tea, cherry, roses, autumn leaves and some cocoa. The palate is beguiling, still possessing alluring red fruit and complex earthy spices. The layers of flavour, texture and especially the length are verging on out of this world. While it doesn’t have the outright structure of some of the other wines tonight, it is beautifully balanced and drinking perfectly now. Magic. 96/100

• 1919 Leon Rigault Vosne-Romanée – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
  Bramble, raspberry, rhubarb and very nice clove and earthy aromatics. Medium bodied and with a real purity to the fruit that is just unbelievable for the age. Not only is the palate fresh and lifted by this pure fruit, there is earthy complexity and even has fine structure with tannins still there to guide the wine. Totally outstanding. 94/100

• 1923 De Beuverand & De Poligny Nuits St. Georges – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges
  Opened up wonderfully even a short time after pouring with tar and roses, musk and ground coffee all present. The structure on the palate had me reeling in consideration of just how good it was – at 90 years of age it was not my expectation but the tannins were perfectly placed and really gave the wine a feeling of great purpose and balance. Not quite as complex as some of the other wines that were highlights tonight, but I loved it all the same. 93/100

• 1929 Pierre Bourée Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Clos de la Justice – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin
  I adored the nose on this wine right from the first moment, it subdued a little bit over time but they still had me captive – complex spices, incense, cherry, pencil shavings and earth. The nose was hard to live up to, and for me the palate didn’t really manage it – it was taut and not willing to give much back, the length was good but it terms of depth it just wasn’t there as much as I tried to find it. Still very good and on almost any other night it might have starred. 90/100

• 1937 Bouchard Père et Fils Clos Vougeot – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
  Incredibly pretty aromas right away – highly perfumed florals, spice, truffle and a wisp of smoke. The palate has superb poise, it is balanced with a precise line of acidity and some delicious cherry fruit. Complex, depth and having great texture, this is a wine of immense class that is both appealing and extremely interesting. 94/100

• 1951 Arthur Barolet et Fils Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
  The nose is earthy and nutty, with a fair bit of volatile acidity and a yeasty character. The palate is better with some acidity to carry the light fruit but it is still lacking a bit in interest and depth. There is still life and it is entirely decent to drink, however it was just not up to scratch tonight with the interest that the other wines had to offer. 87/100

• 1961 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
  Very earthy nose, it is smoky with mulch and an edge to it that is port like. The palate for me was showing less obvious aged character, it has a sense of structure and fruit rather than either being obvious. Drinkable but probably not a bottle in great condition and certainly not meeting the lofty domaine reputation. NR/100

• 1961 Pol Mairesse Richebourg – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru
  A nose that took some getting used to – there is dettol and deep heat, with lots of charcoal, gunpowder, stems and boot polish. It had plenty of interest, though it is not particularly easy to like. The palate is more conventional, with cherry fruit and some of that stemmy character coming through. The finish is a little bit short. Overall even though I think it was a bit too confronting for me, I can’t recall drinking anything quite like it and I valued the chance to try it. 87/100

• 1928 Chevillot Tâche-Romanée Grand Cru – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Tâche Grand Cru
  A very fitting way to end the burgundy flights. There was plenty happening on the nose with five spice and hoisin, coal, red cherry and strawberries. The palate was quite elegant and restrained and while it did become a bit more expansive with time, it didn’t end up having the power or weight I might have expected from a La Tache based wine. Despite that, it was still lovely to drink with medium length and a gentle finish. Some people mentioned that it was more what you might expect from a 1928 compared to some of the other wines that were still quite impressively vibrant – not that this was falling over but it was certainly time to drink it. 91/100

• 1976 Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt a. Main Hochheimer Domdechaney Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese – Germany, Rheingau
  Good freshness and plenty of style on the nose – there is apricot, pineapple, pear and peach along with dense honey and caramel. The palate is lovely, with the acidity really driving and lifting the wine into a long finish. I do feel like this wine was on the cusp of brilliance and others at the table that have had another bottle indicated that the previous bottle had more intensity while maintaining the same impressive balance, something that I think would take it onto that next level. 92/100

Last Thursday I headed into the recently opened QT Sydney Hotel and its Gowings Bar & Grill in order to attend the annual Joh. Jos. Prüm frühstück, a breakfast tasting hosted by the Australian wine importer Bibendum. On this occasion the wines tasted were from 2011, a year in which the winery celebrates its 100th vintage.

The majority of the wines that are brought into Australia were shown at this event, from the estate Kabinett to the four Auslese Goldkapsel. There was also an minuscule amount of Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese from 2011, but these will be released at a later point in the future.

J.J. Prum is one of my favourite Mosel based wineries, which is probably not a controversial opinion given the respect they hold worldwide. I’ve tasted many of their wines with some age, including all the way back to a 1964 Wehlener Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese late last year, and can confirm that their aging potential is not in any way over stated as the 1964 seemed like it could hold for another 10 years at least and other older wines have seemed to be on similar trajectories.

There is also a perception that wines from J.J. Prum are totally unapproachable when young. This is something I’ve heard repeated over and over again but this tasting went a long way to changing my mind, at least for this vintage. The majority of the wines were open and in many cases were outright delicious to drink right away while still showing that they have enormous potential.

Overall the wines were extremely impressive, with great finesse and a purity of fruit that I view as critical for top level German Riesling. While it isn’t possible to judge a vintage on the results of one producer and a few vineyards, this was clearly yet another very successful year for J.J. Prum, and I’m looking forward to trying some of the other Mosel producers 2011s that are coming into Australia in the next few months.

Kabinett

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Riesling Kabinett -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Lemon, lime, peach and a tinge of earth on the nose. The palate continues the ripe peach character and has medium carry. Pretty tasty wine, though it doesn’t show a great deal of drive or acid structure. Drink over the next five or six years. 87/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Immediately appealing aromas – with wild floral perfume, spice, pineapple and peaches. The acidity takes an obvious step up from the standard Prum Kabinett, and as a result there seems to be more drive and persistence. Compared to the 2011 Graacher Himmelreich and Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinetts it doesn’t have the same level of purity or richness, but there is plenty to like here. 89/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  The minerality on the nose is impressive – it is steely, flinty and very slate driven, with some light spice and pear aromas. The purity across the palate is pervasive, with the minerality dominating and giving great lift and freshness to the wine. Racy acidity provides excellent precision and balances the flirtatious sweetness with ease. Excellent showing for this wine and it has great potential to improve. 91/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  There is a floral element to the nose, but it is less wild and more restrained than the 2011 Bernkasteler Badstube – there is also peach, pear and apricot coming through. The richest and most intense of the four Kabinett in this flight on the palate, it has the necessary acidity to carry the wine and give it structure. A touch more focus would take this to the next level for me but it is delicious to drink already and should also improve given time. 90/100

Spatlese

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Musk, graphite and florals that came through increasingly with time in the glass. There is good richness and acidity, both are a level up on the Kabinett from the same vineyard and vintage, but it suffers a bit from not having much depth to the fruit. 88/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Pear, spices, an earthy note and some light herbs. Very good balance between acidity and sweetness, with fine focus as well. Nice purity and intensity to the fruit which lingers on the palate. More interesting than the Bernkasteler Badstube Spatlese and competes with the high quality of the next two wines. 90/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Lemon, light white florals, smoke and the same minerality with flint and slate that I found on the Kabinett. Truly delicious palate that offers beautiful purity and is superbly balanced with the acidity providing a vibrant framework. This is light on its feet but still has excellent depth and length. Kept improving in the glass during the short time I could spend with it. 92/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Apple pie, peach, apricot and a light layer of slate on the nose. The palate is densely weighted with ripe fruit but again the acidity rises to the challenge and balance is found if not quite having the outright finesse of some of the other wines right now. Likely to be worthy and in need of a bit more time than the Kabinett. 90/100

Auslese

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Wild florals, ginger, lime and light honey aromas. The excellent core of acidity stands out with lovely sweet fruit consistent across the length. There is sugar sweetness too but it is intertwined with the other elements and doesn’t feel at all out of place. Good for drinking now and should develop well over the medium term. 90/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  This was probably the most tightly wound 2011 Prum at this tasting. The nose has some lemon, apple and pear, and it opened up a little bit in the glass but is still aromatically reserved. A delicate palate with great acidity, the depth and structure is suitably impressive that I am sure it will emerge from its shell and start to delight, but it needs time and the conservative score reflects that. 90/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  This was the first flight where the Wehlener Sonnenuhr powered ahead of the Graacher Himmelreich for me. The nose is vivid with apricot, lemon zest, apples, honey and subtle smoke. The finesse on the palate is stunning, beautifully ripe fruit is precisely guided by wonderful acidity. It is easy to be immediately enamoured with this wine but there is underlying depth and complexity to it as well. Immensely classy wine with a very long future ahead. 93/100

Auslese Goldkapsel

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  Intense and exotic aromas showing ginger, sea spray, graphite, pineapple and apricot. The palate is similarly intense but the balance is spot on thanks to a wave of cleansing acidity that lifts and drives into a long finish. There is a serious ramping up of the deliciousness over the Auslese thanks to the botrytis characters shining through. Excellent and a clear favourite for me from the Bernkasteler Badstube in this vintage. 92/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  The botrytis stands out on the nose and lends it an exotic flare, it is supported by honey, smoke and passion fruit characters. The palate is very punchy and forceful, the botrytis again showing through and quite a bit of residual sugar as well. I actually found it to lean a bit too far towards being over-opulent and not quite having the acidity to finish entirely cleanly. It’s still very good, but just falls a bit behind the other 2011 Prum Auslese GK at this stage. 90/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  A floral nose with grapefruit, apricot, lemon and smoke, it was much more open than the Graacher Himmelreich Auslese at this point. The palate truly shines with astonishingly pure fruit and an extraordinary frame of acidity. Textured and deliciously long, this really soared in the glass and I imagine it will be an even more stunning wine given time. I found it hard to split this and the Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, but it is exceptional in any context. 94/100

• 2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel -
  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  A compellingly layered nose – there is peach, honey, apricot, quince and botrytis influence. The palate is breathtaking in its purity and balance, it is wonderfully textured and the ripe fruit is ever-present but never out of control thanks to the crackling acidity. A wondrous wine and a fitting end to this tasting of the 100th vintage from J.J. Prum. 94/100

US wine is not something that we get a huge amount of exposure to in Australia, probably at least partially due to the prices for the wines ending up sky high by the time shipping and taxes (in the region of 40%) are applied, so whenever I get a chance to try some I am always up for it.

This particular dinner was put on by Stewart Plant with a Melbourne based retailer, Fine Wine Merchant. Stewart has a keen interest in US wines and brings a small amount into the country when possible. The original theme was going to include a wider geographical selection of wines but in the end was restricted to a few sections of California and some highly rated wines that he thought would be impressive.

This was my first time trying all of the specific vintages of these wines, and for most of the producers the first time I’ve encountered them as well, so it was fun to not really have a preconceived idea about the reputation of specific wines or years.

As is hopefully evident by my notes I was really blown away by the Bond Estates wines. I was impressed that even though they had some family resemblance they were all distinct wines that stood out as individuals rather than blurring together with overly strong winemaker signatures. Unfortunately for me the retail prices once they get here are probably too much for me to justify, but hopefully I’ll be able to save my pennies and look to acquire a bottle of a different vintage to try at some stage.

Varner Chardonnay

• 2010 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard Amphitheater Block – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Quite restrained on the nose, with lemon, apple, spice and some graphite. The palate is a little bit more forward, showing oak and more richness to the fruit profile. Perhaps finishes a touch short but it is very good. 90/100

• 2010 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard Home Block – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Smoky oak, lemon, chalk and some estery banana style character on the nose. The palate is well proportioned, though the oak influence is still prominent at this stage of its life. Has the structure to give it good potential to improve. 90/100

• 2010 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard Bee Block – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Flint, matchstick and pear aromas with some ginger and vanilla. Great structure to the palate, with some layers of complexity and it shows fine length. More interesting texturally than the Home Block and Amphitheatre Block that it was served next to, this improved with air and I really enjoyed it. 92/100

Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir

• 2009 Neely Pinot Noir Spring Ridge Vineyard Hidden Block – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Stems, black cherry, smoke and cola aromas. Palate is forward with red berries leading. It isn’t overripe but I wouldn’t call it restrained either. Medium length and drinking well now. 88/100

• 2009 Neely Pinot Noir Spring Ridge Vineyard Picnic Block – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Black currant, smoked meats, appealing floral notes, spice and cherries. The spice comes through on the palate too, there is medium fruit density and good driven acidity. I really liked this and think it will improve over the medium term. 90/100

• 2009 Neely Pinot Noir Spring Ridge Vineyard Upper Picnic Block – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Cola, pepper and some light red berries. The palate is lean and there is a bit of bitterness that kicks in on the mid-palate. Lacks generosity and depth. Was the weak wine in this flight. 85/100

• 2009 Rhys Pinot Noir Horseshoe Vineyard – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Heady aromas of pepper, ginger and raspberry. Powerful (but bright) fruit on the palate with good acidity to keep things balanced. Very good length. There is heaps of character here and it took me a while to come around to it, but in the end I thought it was interesting and well worth trying. 91/100

Bond Estates

• 2008 Bond Pluribus – USA, California, Napa Valley
  Graphite, liquorice, blackcurrant and a layered spice element in the background that lends intrigue. Outstanding persistence and depth on the palate, the structure is there as well with serious but ultra fine tannic presence. Incredible wine that should get even better with time. 95/100

• 2008 Bond Quella – USA, California, Napa Valley
  Tobacco, tar, charry oak and some light cherry character on the nose. The fruit and tannins are well balanced, but even though the wine is high quality it lacks a little bit of depth to be really top class. No problems with drinking this young but also I think another 10 years would serve it well. 91/100

• 2008 Bond Melbury – USA, California, Napa Valley
  Lovely floral, cherry and mixed spice aromas with a minerality to it as well. The palate has a restrained fruit profile with lovely purity and savoury elements coming through strongly. I found this restraint appealing and it even had an element of refreshment in this context of a flight of wines that have such density and intensity. Even though it may not have the same fruit power as some of the other wines, it still had great structure and length and was eminently classy in my opinion. 93/100

• 2008 Bond St. Eden – USA, California, Napa Valley
  Rich and bold nose of blackberry, cassis, violets, tar and liquorice. Immensely structured, both the tannins and acidity are commanding, but they need to be in order to be in proportion with the dense and forceful fruit profile. A wine that is very impressive, but it also probably needs the most time in bottle out of the 2008 Bond range to really show its best. 93/100

• 2008 Bond Vecina – USA, California, Napa Valley
  Aromas that really drew me into the wine – cassis, black cherry, truffle, earth and a lovely smoky edge. The palate is breathtaking, there is immense fruit power that somehow retains its brightness and purity, making for compelling drinking. The structure here is brilliant and it finishes with sensational length. I was left awestruck by this wine and given time to age I think it will become even more magnificent. 96/100

Syrah

• 2008 Sine Qua Non Syrah B 20 – USA, California, Central Coast
  Appealing nose of violets, charcoal, peppery spice and raspberry. The palate is certainly intense and powerful but it doesn’t get to the point where it was over the top. There is structure there, but it is overlaid with such delicious fruit that it plays its part without attracting much attention. One of those wines that is so very pleasurable over the course of a glass or two, but I don’t think I’d want to tackle an entire bottle on my own! 93/100

• 2009 Saxum Syrah Booker Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Blackberry, liquorice, cola, oak and a lifted somewhat spirity character from the alcohol. A huge palate in the ultra ripe style, there is some spice that thankfully provided some dimension and interest aside from the fruit density. It has good length, though I could feel the alcohol following through a bit as well. 89/100

• 2007 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
  Maybe this was in an awkward spot, but I found it quite hard to really get into. The nose shows sultana, earth, blackberry, sawdust and resiny oak. The palate carries across the sensation of substantial oak and I didn’t really feel like the fruit was up to the challenge even though there is quite a bit lurking. For me, not even close to greatness on this occasion. 87/100

Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

• 2009 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace – USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
  Blackberry, kirsch, some floral notes and menthol aromas. The palate shows depth and power with a wave of fruit sweetness tempered by deft oak use and fine structure. There is good potential to improve significantly with age. 91/100

• 2009 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow – USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
  Chocolate and earth are both assertive on the nose, there is also pepper and ground coffee elements. The palate is ripe and forward, with lots of jam styled red fruit and as a result it is approachable now. For my taste this lacks some finesse compared to the other two Diamond Creek wines tasted but it is still very good.89/100

• 2009 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill – USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
  Deep and dark aromas of blackberry, blueberry, tobacco, black cherry and cinnamon. Full bodied on the palate with decisive intensity and power. This has serious tannin structure and is probably the least approachable of the three Diamond Creek wines tried at this dinner, but it also has the most potential over the long term. 92/100

This was the third masterclass I attended at this event.

The five wines were served blind, with the only information provided that they were Shiraz and each was from a different region. Wines were revealed at the end of the tasting.

Wirra Wirra Woodhenge Shiraz 2004
Crimson colour. Perfumed with violets, and rich chocolate and vanilla oak. The palate is bold as well, lots of big, ripe fruit depth. Thought that this may be Barossa but it turned out to be McLaren Vale.
88/100

Tin Shed Shiraz Melting Pot 2004
Inky black colour. Chocolate, cassis, raspberry jam and some prunes. Palate is jammy and very ripe with some spice in the background. Guessed at Heathcote but was way off as it is from the Eden Valley.
85/100

Rymill Shiraz 2002
Deep colour. Nose is dreadful, barnyard, medicinal and raw meats. Palate is a bit better but not by much. Guessed Coonawarra correctly.
78/100

Cheviot Bridge Pyrenees Shiraz 2003
Crimson coloured. Spice, violets, red berries and a hint of oak on the nose. Smooth, well balanced palate. A pleasant, drinkable wine. Figured on cool climate so I thought it may be Yarra Valley, but I was wrong.
87/100

Bimbadgen Shiraz 2005
Burgundy coloured. Nose is fairly subdued, some spice and earth. Palate carries across the spice and earth characters. Medium bodied, decent length, just not very exciting. Correctly picked it as Hunter Valley.
86/100

Recent birthday celebrations with a friend saw a wide ranging selection of bottles opened –

1990 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut (Magnum – Disgorged 5th March 2002):
Pastry, apples, toast and lemony nose. Good intensity and full mouthfeel to the palate, but fades away a little bit sooner than expected. Balanced but quite simple, lacking complexity. Very, very good rather than great.
90/100

1990 Krug Champagne Brut:
Cheesy, ginger, brioche and nutty nose. Palate is very powerful, but it is classy, balanced power so that it is part of the whole structure rather than dominating. Excellent length. The funky characters on the nose were a little bit odd, but I still thought this excellent.
93/100

2005 Domaine des Souterrains Sauvignon Blanc Jacky Goumin:
Pineapple lollies, passionfruit, apricot and some floral aromas. Palate is fresh but unremarkable and uninteresting to me.
83/100

1998 Gyorgykovacs Imre Somlo Olaszrizling:
Aromas of smoke, citrus, slate, honey and petrol. There is almost a somehow floral lift to the palate. Very good length and lots of interesting things going on here. Towards its peak I though. Was great to try this and the next wine as I have read about this producer a number of times but have not been able to experience for myself.
89/100

2003 Gyorgykovacs Imre Somlo Furmint:
Honey, spice and lemon rind aromas. The palate shows off spicy characteristics as well with richness and power but also some restraint. Very good now and has the potential to get better in the next 5-7 years.
90/100

2002 Max Ferd Richter Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese:
Slate, floral and some honey character starting to develop. Superb balance to the palate, not very complex yet but I could drink this all day, every day. So easy to like.
91/100

2001 Savaterre Chardonnay:
Butterscotch (butter menthols), nutty and honeyed. Smelling and tasting unexpectedly developed. Palate is on the edge of falling over, just holding on. I had a lovely bottle of this a year and a half prior, hopefully this was just a bad bottle and it hasn’t taken such a dramatic downward turn.
80/100

2002 Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grande Montagne:
Banana, matchstick, lemon and some cheesy characters. Clean palate with a good core of acid. Medium body and length. Very nice.
88/100

2002 Domaine Rémi Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Le Poruzot-Dessus:
Very tight nose, slate, citrus and minerally characters. Very classy palate with a well maintained balance between richness and raciness. Good length. A good wine.
89/100

1999 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jesus:
Musk, raspberry, a bit of smoke and stalk. Medium bodied, youthful and tight -with the tannins standing out and lacking some texture and depth right now.
87/100

2000 Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées:
An appealing deeply seated nose on this wine of chocolate, red berries, smoked meats and some florals undertones. The palate is bold, with tannins standing out initially but they are tamed by food. Good texture and lovely depth to this wine.
90/100

1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques:
Such amazing lifted perfume on the nose along with earth, cherry and some blood. So pure, classy, balanced and long on the palate. Has taken on some palate complexity and will be closing in on its peak over the next 5 years.
94/100

1960 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet:
Leather, spice, violets and tobacco form the nose. Structurally this is sound on the palate, with components having resolved and integrated well and there still being enough fruit to hold it up. In great condition and very good to drink.
90/100

1964 Mildara Cabernet Shiraz Bin 33:
An amazing nose, with honeycomb dominating as well as violets, chocolate and some earth in the background. Sweet fruit across the good length of the palate. Deep and interesting, another delicious wine from this source.
91/100

1982 Chateau Pavie (St Emillion):
Wispy smoke, tobacco, blackcurrant, cedar and some briary characters. This bottle was right at its peak for my taste, it is balanced with soft but long intensity of flavour. This was great, although I would be drinking any remaining bottles over the next couple of years.
92/100

1988 Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle:
Blackberry, cherry and earthy aromas. Acid presents itself on the palate and leaves a slightly tart sensation. Medium length. Not bad, better than our last bottle of this (which was corked!) but looking a bit tired.
86/100

1998 Prunotto Barbaresco Bric Turot:
Young but very forward nose of cedar, licorice, blackberry, black cherry and tar. Weighty palate, tannins are there but balanced by the weight of deep fruit. Long and intense, this is looking good now, but should be better in another 5 years or so.
91/100

1999 Beni di Batasiolo Barolo Vigneto Bofani:
Chocolate, tobacco, spice and cherry on the nose. Bit more approachable than the Prunotto with the intense fruit taking centre stage. Medium length and the potential to develop further in the bottle.
90/100

1997 Dalwhinnie Shiraz Eagle:
Ripe nose (especially after the Italians) of blueberry, chocolate, pepper and spice. Lots of ripe medium weighted fruit on the palate as well but it is well balanced with the good tannin structure. Needs some time to develop complexity.
89/100

1983 Chateau Palmer (Margaux):
Beautifully complex nose of tobacco, red berries, chocolate, briar, gunflint and truffles. Some at the table suspected some brett influence, but I didn’t see it. The palate is structurally excellent with long, complex and superbly balanced flavour. It lived up to both reputation and expectations for me, this was my wine of the night among some excellent company.
95/100

1996 Houghton Jack Mann Cabernet Shiraz:
Lots of cedar aromas prominent, there is also blackberry and mint. Medium bodied, needs time for the oak to recede, I think it has enough fruit for this to happen in the next 5 years. Very good apart from the oak, but was always going to struggle coming after the Palmer.
87/100

1988 Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Sauterne):
Sun gold colour. Raisins, toffee, marmalade and nuttiness. The sweetness is refined with medium acidity and medium length. Very nice and ready to drink.
91/100

1989 Hugel et Fils Riesling Vendange Tardive (Alsace):
Honey, botrytis, spice, mango and pineapple and on the nose. There is an initial rush of sweetness, but it finishes nicely crisp and dry. Not overly complex, but it was still a good way to end an excellent day.
88/100

A superb night at Tetsuya’s in Sydney for an end of year get together with friends.

I feel Tetsuya’s is on a tier of its own in Sydney, I’ve been to three times now and each time I’ve been blown away.

The Food:

Cold Corn Soup with Saffron & Vanilla Ice Cream

Smoked Ocean Trout & Avruga Caviar with Seared Scallop

Leek & Crab Custard

Sashimi of Big Eye Tuna with Wasabi and Eschallot

Confit of Petuna Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Konbu, Daikon & Fennel
Seasonal Green Salad

Ravioli of Queensland Spanner Crab with Tomato & Basil Vinaigrette

Baby Abalone with Braised Ox Tail and Orange

Twice Cooked De-Boned Spatchcock with Olive & Caper Jus

Grilled Wagyu Beef with Lime & Wasabi

Comte Gruyere Cheese with Lentils

Beetroot & Blood Orange Sorbet
Summer Pudding of Blueberries and Raspberries

Blue Cheese & Vanilla Bean Bavorois with Sauterne Jelly

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with White Beans & Dates

Chocolate Terrine with Mascarpone & Cognac Anglaise

Coffee or Tea & Petit Four

The Wines:

1990 Salon “S” Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil
Straw yellow coloured. Fine bead. Initially quite shy in the glass but opened over time to reveal honey, floral notes, vanilla, apples and lemon pastry on the nose. The palate is fine, long and balanced, there isn’t a great deal of depth or complexity yet but I am confident that this had the structure to develop beautifully over the coming 10 years.
94/100

1964 Veuve Clicquot
Gold colour. Seems to have lost its fizz along the way. The nose though makes up for it in complexity with toffee, caramel and apple cider. Lots of character to the palate as well. Well balanced, and it lifted several notches with the Smoked Ocean Trout & Avruga Caviar dish. Very much a Champagne for lovers of aged character, I thought it excellent for my taste.
91/100

1989 Billecart-Salmon Elisabeth Salmon Rose
Strawberry shortcake and a bit of cherry and earth showing on the nose. Medium body and length. Very elegant on the palate, maybe a bit too much elegance and not enough depth. There is a touch of sweetness there as well. Otherwise, there is not much else to talk about, it was good but lacked character.
88/100

2000 Max Ferd. Richter Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese
Intriging nose of floral notes, apricot, pineapple, orange zest and slate. The palate is lovely, I cannot fault the balance between acidity and sweetness, the sweetness gives a generous mouthfeel but then the acid comes in and refreshes the palate. I love Riesling of this style.
93/100

1998 Domaine Rapet Pere & Fils Corton-Charlemagne
Quite tight, but some swirling revealed honey, oatmeal and hay/straw aromas. Palate has very good texture and medium length. Still quite youthful, it could perhaps use a few more years in bottle.
90/100

1993 Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron Romanée-St.-Vivant
An open, generous nose of vanilla, coconut, bright red berries and cherry. Tannins stand out a little bit, but there is enough boldness to the fruit to carry them. Very good, but hopefully it will take on more complexity with time.
91/100

2001 Domaine de la Romanée Conti Richebourg
A deep, rich, brooding nose of smoke, earth, black cherry, five spice and wafting perfume. Length and depth of flavour on the palate is superb. The excellent structure indicates that this has brilliant and obvious potential. One of the best (of the few) DRCs that I have been privileged to enjoy.
94/100

1986 Château Cos d’Estournel (St.-Estèphe)
The nose on this just bursts out of the glass with blackberry, cedar, vanilla, raspberry and gravel. The palate shows that good bottles of this have decades ahead. Brilliance on the palate, long, balanced and while the tannins are still at the fore they are very fine and classy. Without doubt, a superb wine.
95/100

1962 Penfolds Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet Barossa Valley Shiraz
The colour of this wine when poured was very promising – ruby red in colour on the edge, darkening toward the centre. My very first sniff caused a rush of emotions, this was obviously something special. Soft gasps and exclamations could be heard around the table as each person lifted the glass to their nose. There was stunning complexity to the nose, with raspberry, cedar, sweet vanilla, graphite, spice, molasses and cherry. Every time my nose returned to the glass I could pick up on another fleeting aroma. The palate has youthful power but also impeccable balance as well as super length, great texture and soft tannins holding the structure in place. All the elements were working together in harmony to form something truly special. On reflection over the past few days, it seems unjust to hold any points back, so I’m not going to.
100/100

1967 Penfolds Bin 7 Cabernet Shiraz Coonawarra-Kalimna
Another legend of Australian wine. Great colour to this as well, medium red with no visible browning around the edges. The nose initially showed some volatility but this cleaned up in the glass with some air to show blackberry, tobacco, cherry and violets. The palate is long, balanced and deep but as with the nose, it suffers in comparison to the complexity and emotion invoking character of the 60A. Still a world class wine that stood up admirably after an impossible act to follow.
94/100

1964 Vega Sicilia Unico (Ribero del Duero)
Tempranillo 65%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Merlot, Malbec, Albillo 20%. A very bold, confronting nose of charcoal, charred cedar, varnish, earth and game. The palate is rounded and mature, with lots of savoury character. Food was essential for this to show well. We gave this plenty of time in the glass and some of the less desirable aromas lifted, leaving the savoury characters and a still very interesting wine. This bottle was ready to drink.
92/100

1976 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
Very deep colour for the age. Some VA, blackcurrant, kirsch and vanilla on the nose. The palate is youthful but the components have integrated nicely. A very good wine, but seemed quite one dimensional compared to the wines that had preceded it, this is something that could come with additional time.
90/100

1949 Ferd. Pieroth Gau-Odernheimer Petersberg Muller-Thurgau Beerenauslese (Rheinhessen)
Golden brown coloured with some red tinges on the outer rim. Honey, coffee and toffee on the nose. Very softly sweet on the palate with good acid still present. This was very interesting and there was a great deal of enjoyment to be had from drinking it. A unique experience.
92/100

1989 Château d’Yquem
I had high expectations for this. The nose was reticent and it took close examination to find mandarin, brown sugar and honey. The palate was elegant and balanced but the depth and interest were not there to see. Still very good, but just seemed a little bit off-key this evening.
91/100

1906 Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Port
Deep mahogany colour, so viscous that it stains the glass with each swirl. A nose dominated by alcohol and VA, in behind there were signs of coconut, burnt toffee and raisins but they were hard to get at. The palate is dense, intense and chewy and there is a bitter dark chocolate character to it that I think subtracted from the balance. Over the next few nights the alcoholic overtones faded but it was replaced by a burnt cedar character and the VA remained, the bitter chocolate on the palate got even more prominent. Nothing like the experience I’ve had with the 1880 and 1905, either this bottle or this vintage isn’t up to scratch.