Appellation Australia

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 will return, but hopefully these problems have been ironed out by then.

1996 Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé
Disgorged September 2004. Brioche, orange peel and lemon aromas. Long, bold and full flavoured palate, with some acidity in the background keeping it from being too full-on. Absolutely delicious. Much less advanced that a bottle had in the last couple of years that was great but not as fresh.
93/100

2002 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Reserve
Lime and some floral characters on the nose. Palate is medium bodied with strong acidity. Lacks interest and purpose.
85/100

1985 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame
Cocoa, nuts, orange peel and saffron aromas. Creamy and long on the palate, with fresh acidity providing lift. Excellent flavour and texture.
93/100

1996 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
Citrus, earthy and a touch floral. Medium bodied with good acidity. Very good, but desperately needs time to develop and soften.
89/100

1982 Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Liesse d’Harbonville Blanc de Blancs
Pears, floral notes and a touch of toast. Deliciously fresh and fluffy palate. Amazingly youthful. this has lots of life ahead of it based on this bottle.
90/100

1979 Lanson Champagne Noble Cuvée
Honey, pine nuts and toast on the nose. Excellent complexity on the palate. Great length and balance. At its peak.
92/100

1976 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Reserve
Deep aromas of honey, toast and citrus. Palate is excellent with complexity and freshness both playing complimentary roles. Delicious and long.
93/100

1995 Moët & Chandon Champagne Dom Perignon Rosé
Delicate nose of cherry and strawberries. The palate has good body and the flavours carry into a good length finish. Very good, but it just didn’t thrill me.
90/100

1999 Bollinger Coteaux Champenois La Côte aux Enfants
Still Pinot Noir from Champagne. Black cherry, raspberry, stalks, candied aromas and a touch of pepper. Sweetly fruited, soft palate. Starting to show some signs of development, but most of the flavours are primary still. I’m glad to have tried it once, but it was interesting rather than great.
88/100

1997 Domaine Robert Arnoux Grand Cru Clos Vougeot
Raspberry, earth and some VA. Fruit is thin on the palate and the oak and tannins stand out.
84/100

1991 Michel Lafarge Beaune 1er Cru Grèves
Corked.
NR/100

2002 Domaine Meo Camuzet Grand Cru Clos Vougeot
This just kept getting better the longer it was left in my glass. Aromas of raspberry, red cherry, earth and pretty lifted floral notes. The palate is long, intense and has excellent structure. This was a standout among the Burgundies on the night and will only get better over the next 10+ years.
93/100

2004 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne
The nose is reminiscent of cool climate Shiraz rather than Pinot, with black pepper, cherry, lifted florals and mixed spices. An intense palate, dense and spicy. This is an enjoyable wine if you don’t mind that it may be hard to identify as Pinot.
89/100

1998 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs
Dark chocolate, cherry and boot polish on the nose. Good texture and length on the palate. Quite elegant and silky. Drinking pretty well right now and while it won’t fall over soon, I don’t know that there would be much more improvement to expect.
90/100

2000 Geantet-Pansiot Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin
Initially beetroot and milk chocolate aromas with bacon and sausage dominating after some time in the glass. Palate is medium bodied but there is a touch of sourness that also grew the longer the wine was left. A shame as it was very nice when poured.
83/100

1985 Lake’s Folly Cabernet
Amazing floral notes for the age, backed by tobacco, leather and redcurrants. The palate is youthful and shows plenty of softly sweet fruit balanced by savoury characters. Grew in stature and intensity as it was left in the glass, the last sip was the best. Just a touch behind a stunning 1987 recently, but extremely good anyway.
92/100

N.V. Jacques Selosse Champagne Cuvée Exquise
Very doughy aromas with quince, apple and honey as well. The palate is not as sweet as I expected, to me it was much more subtle and along the lines of an off-dry style with great balancing acidity. Interesting and very good.
91/100

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 fresh.
91/100

2005 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio:
Appealing nose with straw, citrus peel, mango and white chocolate. Surprisingly persistent creamy flavour balanced nicely by restrained acidity.
89/100

2000 Isole e Olena Chardonnay Collezione de Marchi:
Nutty old oak aromas, with some citrus as well. Clean flavours on the palate, it is a little bit straightforward but enjoyable regardless.
87/100

2000 Lake’s Folly Chardonnay:
Initially there were some onion skin aromas but these lifted with time in the glass, there were only some butty and resin aromas underneath. Rounded mouthfeel, alcohol sticking out a bit on the finish.
82/100

1986 McWilliam’s Semillon Mount Pleasant Elizabeth:
Typical aged Semillon aromas of honey, toast and lemon. Toasty flavour to the palate with excellent length. Balance is superb. This was at its peak and while not quite hitting the same highs as the Lovedale of the same year, it was delicious.
90/100

1995 Gérard Chavy & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières:
Blue cheese, oxidative notes and some old oak. A bit tired on the palate as well, you can see some quality there behind the tiredness and it actually lifted a little bit with some air time.
82/100

1993 La Pousse d’Or Santenay 1er Cru Clos Tavannes:
The nose is quite open and giving with red cherry, forest and earth. A little bit thin on the palate, but it didn’t detract too much from the wine as a whole. Will probably improve with a few more years in bottle.
88/100

1986 Prunotto Barbaresco Montestefano:
Smoke, cherry, rose petals and some bacon fat. The tannins and acid are still at the fore of the palate but it works and it is very nicely savoury and the texture is very good.
88/100

1998 Giacomo Borgogno Barolo Riserva:
Corked.
NR/100

2006 Cape Mentelle Sangiovese:
Blue bubblegum and black cherries on the nose. Sweetly fruited palate with some spice laid over the top. Very approachable and nicely drinkable.
88/100

1999 Isole e Olena Cepparello:
Some earth and pepper to the nose, but otherwise quite bright and floral with some red berries as well. Nice balance to the palate, there is a rush of flavour along the length but it never seems over the top. I think this will be drinking very nicely over the next 7-10 years.
90/100

1988 Antinori Tignanello:
A nose of tobacco, smoke, cherry, red berries and with earthy undertones. The palate is superb, with long savoury flavour and great complexity and interest. This bottle seemed to be right at its peak.
94/100

1998 Antinori Tignanello:
A juicy nose of red berries, graphite, cedar and some floral and earth notes coming through as well. Intense and flavourful on the palate with the tannins needed food to be tamed. Clearly very good and noticeably of a similar bloodline to the ‘88 had by its side. It was approachable now, but will be better in 4-5 years.
91/100

1997 Hugel et Fils Gewürztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles “S”:
140 cases made. Produced only in selected years (89, 97 and 00 so far), by special strict separation of fruit at the same time the regular SGN is picked.

Intoxicating lifted nose of honey, spice, mango, quince and botrytis. Has the identifiable unctuous oiliness of Gewurtraminer as well as intense sweetness but also some amazing acid to cleanse and somehow harmonise the elements and leave the palate refreshed for the next sip. Among the top dessert wines I had last year, if not the best.
97/100

1992 Winzerkeller Leiningerland eG Grunstadter Roth Scheurebe Eiswein:
Mango, guava and pineapple aromas on the nose. Palate is round with lingering, intense sweetness. Simple but delicious, and a great end to a great day.
91/100

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 drink over the next couple of months.

All wines were tasted blind over a couple of nights. Prices are approximate.

Wirra Wirra Mrs Wigley Moscato 2007:
Peach tinted straw colour. Really good visual fizz/bead. Lovely ripe peach and grape nose. Softly sweet on the palate, but the acid and bubbles come through and cleans the sweetness up in a wave, leaving the desire for another sip inevitable. Excellent.
Crown Seal. 5.5% alcohol. 500ml. $20 - 91/100

Cascinetta Vietti Moscato D’Asti 2006:
Very fine, persistent bead. Very pale straw coloured. Floral, spice, apricot and musk on the nose. Sparkles on the palate. Absolutely delicious.
Cork. 5.5% alcohol. 375ml. $22 - 90/100

Two Hands Brilliant Disguise Moscato 2007:
Pale straw colour. Fine, constant bead. Floral, citrus and musky characters shown on the vibrant nose. Very clean, crisp flavours. Good acid, only tastes lightly sweet thanks to the acid and spritz.
Cork. 7% alcohol. 500ml. $18 - 89/100

Marenco Scrapona Moscato D’Asti 2005:
Very pale colour. Good fizz with quite a bit of mousse at first. Musky, floral, lemon and lots of peach aromas. Light, fresh and clean palate with subtle sweetness. Very enjoyable, but a bit too short to be great.
Cork. 5.5% alcohol. 750ml. $33 - 88/100

Castello del Poggio Moscato D’Asti 2005:
Mid-straw colour. Great bead, very persistent. Intense nose of musk, pear, peach and honey. Sweetness is present but it is one of many dimensions rather than the only one. Acid cleanses the palate. Needs to be drunk now.
Cork. 5.5% alcohol. 750ml. $10 - 88/100

Tempus Two Copper Moscato 2007:
Straw coloured. Slow rising, fine bead. Blueberry, tropical fruit and passionfruit. The palate is dry, with only a very slight sweetness coming through. Medium length.
Crown Seal. 7% alcohol. 750ml. $20 - 87/100

Innocent Bystander Moscato 2007:
Pale pink colour. A bit yeasty at first, but that blew off quickly and showed strawberry, musk and citrus. Fine and persistent bead in the glass. Full flavoured palate, fresh flavour but maybe a little too heavy though. Fun to drink, but a glass was enough.
Crown Seal. 5.5% alcohol. 375ml. $11 - 85/100

Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards Moscato 2007:
Very pale, a tinge of yellow. Visibly fizzy only briefly on pouring. Nose is pretty closed, some grape and soft citrus notes only. Palate is dry and a little bit tart in comparison to some of the previous wines. I don’t mind the dry aspect and the acid is good, but there isn’t much depth to it.
Crown Seal, but with a cork inlay. 7.5% alcohol. 750ml. $17 - 85/100

Tosti Moscato d’Asti NV:
Pale colour. Bubbles only stay in the glass briefly. Apples and some floral aromas. Palate is a bit cloying on the front palate, the acid picks up a bit on the middle and the freshness improves as a result. Finishes a bit short.
Cork. 4.5% alcohol. 750ml. $20 - 84/100

De Bortoli Emeri Bianco NV:
Straw colour. Good stream of bubbles on pouring with some mousse. Lemon and floral aromas. Soft sweetness to the palate, with a touch of bitterness at the back.
Diamante Cork. 8% alcohol. 750ml. $12 - 84/100

Stella Bella Pink Muscat 2007:
Pink tinged peach colour. Strawberry, cranberry, cherry. Not very much fizz/frizzante. Very sweet on the palate, probably a bit too sweet, without the acid to back it up it ends up a bit cloying and doesn’t taste refreshing. Alright only.
Screwcap. 7% alcohol. 375ml. $18 - 84/100

Banrock Station Moscato 2007:
Light straw colour. Light fizz dissipates quickly. Nose shows apples and grapes. Simple palate, slightly sweet and with some crisp acid as well. Without fault, but also without any depth.
Screwcap. 5.5% alcohol. 750ml. $5.60 - 83/100

Brown Brothers Moscato 2007:
Straw coloured. Simple grape and lemon nose. Not much spritz. A tangy element to the clean tasting palate, just a touch of sweetness.
Cork. 5.5% alcohol. 750ml. $12 - 83/100

Long Flat Moscato 2007:
Bubbles only stay in the glass briefly and are gone. Straw colour. Blueberries, pineapple and lemon on the nose. Quite simple and sweet on the palate and it doesn’t really have the acid to counter.
Screwcap. 5.5% alcohol. 750ml. $7 - 82/100

Dan Murphy’s Cleanskin Private Bin Moscato 2007:
Coarse, lazy bubbles. Nose is mute and boring. Fair bit of sweetness initially but there is some acid that comes through afterward on the mid palate. Finishes very short.
Cork. 6.5% alcohol. 750ml. $7 - 80/100

Grant Burge Moscato 2007:
Muted, grapey nose. Palate is thin and dilute, no carry or even much flavour. Insipid.
Screwcap. 9% alcohol. 750ml. $12 - 79/100

Warburn Estate Stephendale Winemakers Reserve Moscato 2007:
Pale straw colour. Spritz dissipates straight after pouring. Nose is bland, some grape aromas, maybe a bit of peach and not much else. Palate is cloyingly sweet, lacks any vibrancy - misses the point of these wines.
Cork. 5% alcohol. 750ml. $10 - 78/100

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 tinge of sweetness to compliment the crispness, finishing with decent length. As long as you don’t try to take it too seriously, I think it is immensely enjoyable and fun. I have adored this and the previous couple of vintages of this wine. Drink it from now until the release of the 2008. 90/100

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 would drink over the next couple of years.
88/100

1996 Krug Champagne
A multi-layered nose with cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, ginger, apple, honey and fresh floral aromas - every exciting sniff of the glass revealing something new. Incredible intensity of flavour on the palate with remarkable acidity and balance. Extraordinary persistence and length, leaving its mark on both your palate and mind with each sip. Breathtaking even now at such a youthful age, I am certain it will be a legend with time.
99/100

2005 De Bortoli “Reserve” Chardonnay
Mealy with straw and some lees style aromas. Some rich flavour to the palate with good texture and nice balance between the richness of the fruit and elegant minerality.
88/100

1998 Domaine Bart Chambertin “Clos de Beze” Grand Cru:
A powerful nose of cherry, stalks, violets and earth and game character. The palate is approachable with fine tannins and chalky acidity. Medium length and reasonably interesting.
88/100

1988 Jaboulet “La Chapelle”
Corked.
NR/100

1991 Petaluma “Coonawarra” Red
Pine needles, tobacco, mint and ash form a not very appealing nose. The palate is hollow, lacking depth, body and structure. Very disappointing.
80/100

1990 Yalumba “The Reserve” Shiraz Cabernet
Blackberry, cassis, tobacco, vanilla and some leather rounding out the mostly primary aromas. Seamless medium bodied palate, no hard edges or any elements out of balance. Very fine tannin and excellent structure. A delightful wine with plenty of years left to develop.
92/100

1998 Peppertree “Reserve” Merlot
Raspberry, blueberry and plummy aromas. Palate has strong acid but other elements seem to be lacking. Didn’t really enjoy this wine based on this bottle. I’ve had the “Grand Reserve” Merlot from this producer and vintage before and thought it was great.
84/100

2005 Chateau Pato “D.J.P” Shiraz
“Fresh rubber hoses” was the quote from Danny and that summed it up pretty well. A little bit of mulberry and blackberry with time but the faulty rubber did not lift. Palate has some good spice and savoury character but there is also a kick of alcohol on the back palate. A shame as I had heard good things about this wine and producer.
78/100

2005 Meerea Park Terracotta Shiraz Viognier
Floral, briar, blackcurrant, leather and a citrus peel and apricot lift that gives away the presence of Viognier. The palate is fresh and vibrant with the bright fruit flavour a highlight. Slippery texture and with good length. A very “pretty” wine that I really enjoyed.
90/100

2001 Kracher Trockenbeerenauslese #8
Lots of aromas reminiscent of dessert on the nose with coconut, honey, oats, brown sugar and cookie dough. Intense, voluptuous sweetness that I personally found delicious but may be a bit too over the top for others. The deep sweetness did seem to be the sole focal point of the palate and I would have liked a little bit more texture and structure to be able to rate this higher.
90/100

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
This is un-oaked, with Lacuna translating to “missing space”. Pale straw colour. Lovely bright nose, very reminiscent of Chablis with flint, slate, chalk as well as some lychee and lime. Palate is medium weighted and has good texture and focused acid. Could be seen as a little bit simple side by side with the regular Chardonnay, but I think this is a brilliantly pure wine that over delivers for the money.
92/100

2002 Curly Flat Chardonnay
Deep nose of cashew, butternut squash, peach and some funky yeast. The palate is powerful in flavour but still seems well weighted. Has enough acid for now to bring the wine into line. Drink now.
89/100

2003 Curly Flat Chardonnay
Seemed to be in an akward stage between youth and maturity. Nose was very restrained, some peach and pear but quiet otherwise. Good length to the palate but lacked weight and complexity. I think this may look better in a couple of years.
86/100

2004 Curly Flat Chardonnay
The nose on this was just exceptional - Layered oats, hay, wet wool, lilies, slate and minerals. Palate shows off great clarity and superb length. Continued to get better and reveal more layers with each sip and by the end left me convinced that this is a world class wine.
93/100

2005 Curly Flat Chardonnay
A taut nose, but some lime, slate, florals and pure Chardonnay fruit managed to shine through after some time spent swirling. The balance of the palate was impossible to fault. Good flavour intensity and lots of potential to improve. To be released very shortly I believe.
91/100

2006 Curly Flat Chardonnay (Barrel Sample)
Looked pretty promising from the sample. I think it may head along the same lines as the 2005. Lots of floral notes at the moment and pure fruit on the palate. Not rated.

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 with increasing amounts of glass stoppers over the coming vintages.

Salomon Austrian Whites:

2005 Salomon Undhof Hochterrassen Gruner Veltliner
Screwcap. Pale straw colour. White pepper, lilies, chalk and grapefruit on the nose. Palate is clean and crisp, a little short and simple, but it has nice balance and it was certainly very easy and enjoyable to drink.
86/100

2003 Salomon Undhof Lindberg Reserve Gruner Veltliner
Cork. A mature but enjoyable nose of pine nuts, honey and toast. Creamy palate with some spice to the finish, lacking a bit of focus though. Drink now.
83/100

2005 Salomon Undhof Kremser Kogl Riesling
Glass. Pale colour. On the nose, sourdough, florals and apple. Palate has good fruit sweetness with some crisp acid driving the line and focus into the finish. Seemed like it would be best drunk now.
86/100

2005 Salomon Undhof Kogl Kremser Reserve Riesling
Glass. Nose is wound up tightly, with some spice and lemon coming through with vigorous swirling. Palate is richer and the palate slightly longer than the standard release. Needs time, but should be very good.
88/100

1993 Salomon Undhof Kogl Library Reserve Riesling
Cork. Amazing colour, it looks the same as the ’05s next to it! Aromas of lemon, earth, roses with some kerosene and lots of toast. Lovely creamy texture on the delicate palate. Acid is well integrated but still carries through the length of the wine. Should drink very well over the next 5 years.
90/100

2003 Salomon Undhof Von Stein Reserve Gruner Veltliner
Cork. Slate, citrus peel, peaches and spice on the nose. Great richness and spice to the palate, with good acid providing some focus and stopping the richness from being overwhelming. Excellent length. Very enjoyable.
89/100

Salomon Australian Reds:

2004 Salomon Norwood Shiraz Cabernet Merlot
Cork. Blackberry, mint, spice and cherry nose. Medium bodied palate, smooth and with well integrated oak. Drink now.
86/100

2004 Salomon Finniss River Shiraz
Cork. Smoky, meaty, red berries and cherry with a splash of background oak. Savoury, medium bodied palate with decent depth of fruit and good length. Well balanced and should improve over the next 5 years and drink well for the next 10 years.
88/100

2004 Salomon Fleurieu Shiraz Viognier
Glass. Violets and other florals, pepper, meat and a touch of apricot. Palate is fresh and vibrant with good length and tannins in the background providing good structure. Good length finish and drinking well now for my taste.
87/100

2004 Salomon Finniss River Cabernet Sauvignon
Cork. Briar, tobacco, blue bubblegum/blueberry. Mouth coating flavour on the palate without being at all over the top. Nicely textured with good grip from the tannin. Should get better given 5 more years in the bottle.
88/100

Kracher Austrian Sweet Wines:

2005 Kracher Cuvee Beerenauslese
Green apples, peaches and pears with a browned butter on toast character. The palate is brilliant, sweet but with cutting acidity following the sweetness and cleansing the palate. Absolutely delicious.
91/100

2004 Kracher Cuvee Eiswein
Light straw colour. A fresh nose of nectarine, honey and orange peel. Lightly sweet palate with clean sweetness and refreshing acidity. Medium length. Simple but enjoyable.
88/100

2003 Kracher Trockenbeerenauslese #1 Nouvelle Vague
The only TBA produced by Kracher in 2003 due to a very difficult vintage. Light golden coloured. Intoxicating aromas of vanilla, shortbread, butterscotch and peaches. The palate is nothing short of magnificent. Beautiful balance between intense sweetness and acidity. The finish is incredibly lengthy. I think that in 10 years time this could be even better but it is superb now as well.
94/100

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 a look.

Score: 87/100 Drink: 2007-2008
Price: $22 AUD RRP
Source: Winery Sample
Producer Website: http://www.kidyounot.com.au/

This is from the Yarra Valley in Victoria and is a blend of 81% Chardonnay, 14% Viognier and 5% Sauvignon Blanc. There is also a “Red Hat” blend that I didn’t get the chance to try. The marketing angle is quite clever with the two wines in the range easily identifiable and a link to the Shelmerdine family’s past as hat manufacturers. I did find the label to be a little bit “busy” for my personal liking, but it may appeal to others more.

Tasting Note: Stonefruit, apricot, lots of peach and a mealy, spicy oak character aromas comprise the nose. It possesses good intensity of fruit flavour on the front and mid palate, although it fades slightly at the finish. Even though the wine is 13% alcohol, there is still a hint of some heat to the nose and certainly a little bite of alcohol on the finish - perhaps this is the (typically high alcohol when ripe) Viognier influence showing through? It’s an interesting wine for sure, but I’d want to see it around at a lower price than the RRP to recommend trying it.

Score: 85/100 Drink: 2007-2008
Price: $17.99 AUD RRP
Source: Winery Sample
Producer Website: http://www.hatwines.com