Category: Australia

I was fortunate a few weekends ago to finally try a wine from the revered Australian winemaker, Maurice O’Shea. O’Shea is regarded as a master and pioneer of the winemaking craft in Australia and his best wines still have the potential to be great, despite the basic conditions under which they were made. The wines […]

These were tasted at The Book Kitchen Restaurant in Surry Hills. Most dishes are available in entree and main course size, so most of us opted for 4-5 entree sized courses so that we could try a wide variety. Some dishes were excellent, while others lacked flavour. The service quality was also rather inconsistent. I […]

Some short notes from a long, vaguely Italian themed lunch. N.V. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siecle: Probably around 7-10 years bottle age and it shows on the nose with aromas of honey, citrus, quince paste and some sherry. Complex and with good presence on the palate, there is also acidity coming through strongly to keep things […]

A wonderful surprise. Light golden colour. Lovely nose of honey, toast and citrus. Silky palate with depth and richness. Long, every element in balance. At its peak now, this is a world-class wine. Cork. 11.5% – 92/100

I love Moscato over summer, the best are slightly sweet but the acid and spritz can be so refreshing. The generally low alcohol is also a bonus. With this in mind, I sought out 17 Moscato based current release wins from both Australia and Italy to taste and decide what I would be buying to […]

2007 Two Hands Moscato Brilliant Disguise – Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley 500ml bottle, 7% alcohol, $18AUD from cellar door. From 80-100 year old White Frontignac/Muscat vines. Palest straw green in colour. The nose is fresh with florals, guava and mango. Clean, crisp and ultra refreshing mouth-feel from the slight spritz character. Just a […]

A hastily arranged Friday night tasting at a friends house was taken to a higher level than expected with the opening of a newly released 1996 Krug. 2006 Bellarmine “Auslese” Riesling Lemon, honey, spice and a whiff of kerosene on the nose. A lovely sweetness to the palate with good focussed acidity. Medium length. I […]

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 […]

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 […]

This is a blend of 70% Viognier and 30% Roussane. Tasting Note: An aromatic nose of musk, peach, apricot and floral notes. Medium to full weighted palate, texturally very good. Sound balance, there is a bit of warmth present but it isn’t dominating. An interesting wine that suits pairing with food and is well worth […]