Category: France

Domaine Huet wines

I went to this tasting late last year and was so pleased to get the chance to try the wines as well as hear from the current Domaine Huet Jean-Bernard Berthomé and president Sarah Hwang. I found them both to be really passionate and proud to present the wines to the gathered trade and would […]

After a successful inaugural Sydney Burgundy Celebration in 2014, the event returned with a series of tastings and dinners that looked to be excellent. Unfortunately due to my work schedule I was only able to attend one, the Iconic Wineries master class. This tasting was fantastic and I’m glad I was able to get along […]

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 […]

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 […]

Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys 1998 – France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru 375ml bottle, 13% alcohol. From what I understand, Les Lys is one of the sections of the Vaillons vineyard, both entitled to the Premier Cru designation. A lovely golden colour, before opening I was a little bit worried that it […]

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 […]

Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 2006 A touch of smoke combined with citrus and oyster shells on the nose. Nice round mouthfeel without being too broad, the fruit richness carried along the length of the palate by a backing of minerally acid. Nice, easy drinking now and over the next 2 years. Not certain on price, but […]

A recent farewell to a friend who will be living in Burgundy for a year. So some of our usual group of wine lovers came together to send him off as best we could. Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame 1996 Opened pretty powerfully on the nose, but seemed to become reclusive after a few minutes […]

The idea of this dinner was to compare the various styles of White and Red Burgundy wines across various sub-regions. Except for a slight hiccup with the white wines, the night was very succesful and interesting. The dinner was held at Restaurant Sojourn in Balmain. After two visits I’m certain that Sojourn is my new […]