Appellation Australia

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 in the glass. Fresh green apple, dough, citrus peel and sherbert. The palate is soft and fluffy and while it isn’t overly broad, it does seem to be lacking a bit of definition and focus. I don’t think that this is going to age very well, it just doesn’t seem to have the expected acid structure (especially for a 96!), but I enjoyed it for drinking now.
89/100

Pol Roger Cuvee de Reserve 1979
Gentle, meandering bead. Caramel, lime, bread, hazelnuts and olive oil on the nose. The palate is distinctly earthy. Shows great restraint, as though the flavour is desperate to burst out but is held in check by the core of acid. Excellent length and a most enjoyable wine if you are a fan of aged Champagne.
91/100

Gerard Chavy “Les Folatieres” 1er cru Puligny-Montrachet 2002
Sulphur dominated initially, and while it remained prominent in the time it was in the glass there were also some aromas of stonefruits, citrus, restrained oak and minerals coming up as time went on. The palate is quite lovely with delicious focused fruit richness across the excellent length. Delicious to drink.
90/100

J.L. Chave Hermitage Blanc 1995
Copper gold in colour, much darker and a bit more advanced than the previous bottle opened a month or two ago. I still quite enjoyed it, with those perfumed aromas of citrus peel, pineapple, peaches and ginger still present but probably not quite as explosive. Palate tells a similar story, there is still good length and the balance is fine, it is just not as complex OR youthful as the last bottle. Very good, but knowing what it could have been is a bit of a disappointment.
90/100

Faiveley Clos de Beze 1999
Very expressive and exaggerated on the nose, and I could see how some might not enjoy it, it is in some ways a caricature of Pinot. You are hit with aromas of spearmint, toasty oak, rhubarb, cherry and raspberry. The palate is very approachable with bold flavour, good length and pleasing mouthfeel. The tannins were certainly there, but they are very fine and not obtrusive.
91/100

Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache 1983
The nose on this is multi-layered, intoxicating and memorable with fennel, earth, leather, five spice, tea leaves and smoke aromas. The palate is a different story and is sadly looking a little bit tired and lacking in fruit. As a consequence the acid and tannins stand out a bit (although the tannins are clearly very fine), with a bit more fruit I’m sure that they wouldn’t have been a problem. Still, it’s not every day one gets a chance to drink La Tache, and I am thankful for the opportunity.
89/100

Chateau Leoville Las Cases 1998
This wine is incredibly classy. The aromas of pencil shavings, iodine, graphite, gravel and juicy blackberry really burst out of the glass. The palate is serious and youthful, but has superior balance and is a delicious joy to drink. Great length and so open and enjoyable compared to what I had imagined that it may be and it still has the potential to get better.
94/100

Chateau Leoville Poyferre 1996
Probably a faulty bottle, there was a line of wine running up the entire side of the cork from memory. Very much dominated by earth, vegetables and vegemite on the nose and tannin on the palate. Flavour fell away on the mid-palate and never returned. Cleaned up a very slight amount in the glass, but it was still pretty un-enjoyable.
NR/100

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1982
Mid purple in colour. Brooding nose of crushed rock/gravel, tobacco, blackcurrant, spice, floral hints and cedar. Superb concentration and rather amazing length. So young and with so much densely coiled fruit and potential. Needs another 10+ years to fully show what it is capable of. A superb, beautiful wine that was somehow humbled by the next bottle in line.
96/100

Cheval Blanc 1964
This wine almost brought silence to the table, with people on the verge of speechlessness but for an occasional uttered superlative. It was as though people just wanted to savour being in the presence of this wine. My notes for this night have been held up by this wine, what can one say to do it justice? On one occasion sitting down to write about it I was almost overcome with emotion just thinking back about the experience of drinking it.

Incredible colour, no bricking around the rim - in fact it is even more youthful in colour than the ‘82 LMHB side by side. Utterly seductive, layered aromas of cherry, spice, raspberry, rosemary, cedar and truffles. The palate continues the stunning trend with peerless structure from the finest tannins I can imagine and breathtaking balance from the ripe, layered fruit. There are the youthful, luscious flavours that come together in harmony with the more complex and layered aged textures and flavour. Endlessly long on the palate, and will spend the length of my life in my memory.

The third wine that I’ve given 100 points, and like the other two, it took a couple of weeks of thought to be certain that they were deserving of the score and that it wasn’t just the emotion of the moment, but I am now certain that it is worthy.
100/100

Guigal Brune et Blonde 1985
This wine stood up well, despite having an impossible act to follow. Spice, earth, smoke and meaty, animal like aromas that could be off-putting to some, but I personally thought were enjoyable. A good, balanced palate without a great deal of complexity but drinking right at its peak and providing a lot of pleasure.
91/100

Dom Perignon 1996
The third time I’ve had the chance to try this, the first was stunning and the second couldn’t have been more disappointing as it was corked! This bottle was very much the equal of the first and served at a perfect time in the meal as an incredibly indulgent “palate cleanser” before dessert. Citrus peel, lemon meringue, toast and cherries on the nose. Beautifully elegant on the palate with brilliant acid structure and depth. Outstanding length and even though it is young, it is already an incredible wine.
96/100

Chateau d’Yquem 1983
Looking slightly advanced in colour compared to some bottles that other people have had of this wine. On the nose there was butterscotch, apricots, honey, marmalade and a nutty element. Fine balance between acid and sweetness on the palate, with richness across the excellent length and then finishing dry. Very good, but I think the palate is a bit simple in order for this bottle that seemed to be at its peak to be amazing.
92/100

Chambers Rare Muscat NV
I had the Rare Tokay around a month ago, so it was going to be interesting to compare. The nose starts off with some expected aromas of toffee, caramel, brown sugar and raisins and then all of a sudden there was a surge of coconut and chocolate. Quite different on the palate to the Tokay, there is an astounding richness to the Muscat, much more so than the Tokay that is still powerful but a little bit more controlled and complex. This on the other hand is so unrelenting in its rich flavour that it is hard to find anything else on the extremely long palate. So the Muscat is a little bit one dimensional on the palate, but oh man what a dimension! I love it and find it incredible regardless.
97/100

This is one of three 2006 Rieslings from this producer based in Pemberton, Western Australia, the others being a Dry and an Auslese version. This sits in between the other two versions, very much in the off-dry style.

A clean, perfumed nose of musk, floral notes, stonefruit and citrus. Very good balance between some slightly tangy acid and the sweetness from some residual sugar on the palate. Good length, and very easy and enjoyable to drink. I think this is going to be best drunk now and over the next couple of years. A bargain at $15 AUD, I’m very keen to try the other two now.

Score: 90/100 Drink: 2007-2009
Price: $15 AUD
Source: Annandale Cellars
Producer Website: http://www.bellarmine.com.au

A friend asked me along to a wine dinner in Sydney that he was organising for some visiting Norwegian wine enthusiasts that had spoken to friends of his living in England through the Jancis Robinson message boards …

The aim of the dinner was to bring some Australian wines of interest. Some wines didn’t show as well as we had hoped, but I think our visitors had a good time regardless.

The Rothbury Estate “Individual Paddock” Semillon 1979
A promising yellow-gold colour. The nose is surprisingly fresh with apple, lemon, floral notes, grapefruit and a tinge of honey. There is some lovely fruit sweetness still with good acid balancing things out. The flavour lingers only very briefly before leaving the palate but this is really delicious and I could drink a wine like this all night long.
91/100

Lindemans Hunter White Burgundy Semillon 1974
The aromas on the nose are rather reclusive, with some butter, hazelnut and toffee in the background. The palate is short on fruit and length, becoming watery on the back palate. Drinkable, but well past its best.
80/100

Tahbilk Marsanne 1976
Orange coloured. Interesting nose with ginger, butterscotch, honey, apricot, peach and some oxidative notes that some with more experience with this wine said are typical of the style with age. The palate was a little light on flavour to begin with, but built up with some time in the glass. The alcohol content sticks out a little bit above the fruit, but this was still quite nice.
86/100

Leeuwin Estate “Art Series” Chardonnay 2001
Aromas of mandarin, freshly popped popcorn, grapefruit and nectarine, with oak use that I thought was noticeable but nicely integrated, even at this early stage. Palate shows lovely length and texture with a powerful drive and focus. I thought it was drinking alright now actually, but will undoubtedly get better over the next 5 years.
91/100

Kooyong “Meres Vineyard” Pinot Noir 2003
Cherry, rhubarb and clean fruit aromas but for a touch of earth and stalk. Medium bodied with good length and balance. Lacking in complexity but very good for drinking over the next 3-4 years.
88/100

McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant “Maurice O’Shea” 1991
“Deep Heat” aromas on the nose with some leather and lots of VA. I thought it better on the palate initially, light-medium bodied with an interesting texture but missing fruit and lacking in points of interest. Was given some time to open up, but went downhill rather than being healed.
81/100

Rockford “Basket Press” Shiraz 1987
Leather, spice, violets and a touch of VA to the nose - was almost a bit Hunter-esque to me. Palate lacks depth and complexity and is looking pretty tired. It is time to drink, based on this bottle, if you have any left.
85/100

Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 2002
The nose was showing gravel/crushed rock with capsicum, vegetables and fresh parsley coming in strongly. Medium bodied palate that didn’t show as green as the nose did for me. Good, but I don’t know that this is going to improve greatly unless you already love it.
87/100

Orlando St. Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon 1996
Wet moss and mint, tobacco and rich blackcurrant aromas. Tannins still play a prominent part on the palate but do not totally dominate proceedings. I would be interested to see this in 5 years time as I think it was good on the night, but may look better with time.
88/100

d’Arenberg “Dead Arm” Shiraz 2001
Dead fruit, powerful blackberry and raspberry aromas. Strong tannins are offset by deep, powerful, sweet fruit intensity on the palate. Good length and has the structure and potential to improve.
88/100

Elderton “Command” Shiraz 1998
Dark, rich fruits form the core of the aromas with some tobacco, blackberry and chocolate oak playing a background role. Palate continues the ripe theme with cherry, blueberry and chocolate flavours. Coating mouthfeel and good length, it was just a bit over the top to reach balance for my personal tastes.
87/100

Glaetzer “Amon Ra” Shiraz 2005
Full on aromas of spice, blackberry, florals, tar, licorice and tobacco on the nose. Sweetly fruited, ripe and intense on the palate with good length, but a bit of alcohol evident when swallowing throws things off a bit. I really loved this, every sniff revealed something different, but one glass is entirely enough for me.
92/100

Glaetzer “Goldolphin” Shiraz Cabernet 2005
Fresher than the Amon Ra on the nose, with lifted florals prominent (one taster while the bottle was masked was certain that it had viognier in it), raspberry, blackberry and cherry. A juicy, silky palate with no bumps along the way. Excellent drinking now.
92/100

Wild Duck Creek Fortified 2005
Blueberry, cherry, earth and fennel on the nose that shows no real sign of the 18% alcohol. The alcohol is a bit more evident on the palate, but more so through the mouthfeel rather than being out of balance. Excellent length and rich flavour profile with a bit of overlaid spice characters. Great stuff.
92/100

Buller “Calliope” Rare Muscat NV
Intoxicating notes of cloves, crème brulee, caramel, burnt sugar and maple syrup. The palate is luscious, with intensely sweet, but never cloying, complex flavour. Layered and balanced, with incredible length. This is truly a truly exceptional wine.
97/100

A great eight hour long dinner at a friends place to enjoy and compare various bottles of Krug and then to try some various wines afterward.
The food was as follows;

-Amuse bouche: fresh oysters, salmon and avocado tartare, confit of ocean trout, duck and beetroot tartlet.
-Terrine au Saumon
-Roast Rainbow Trout
-Kangaroo Fillet
-Various salads
-Raspberry tarte with fresh cream
-Selection of various cheeses

The first flight compared the three labels that have been on the Krug Grande Cuvee bottle.  There has been some discussion on various message boards that the new label bottles have been not up to the Krug standard. One bottle I have had previously of the new label was brilliant and one was disappointing, in this case the new label performed well - but was blown away by the old old label.  I can see the new label going in the same direction though and it too should be unbelievable with time.
MV Krug Grande Cuvée (disgorged 1987)
Golden yellow colour. Incredibly fine bead. From the very first intake of aroma this left me stunned. Incredibly complex aromas of hazelnut, lightly burnt butter, earthy, ginger, caramel and chocolate. The palate is superb, exhibiting great power, texture and depth at the same time as the fresh acidity cleanses and refreshes across the incredible length of the wine, leaving you wanting more after every sip. Structurally flawless. This is the kind of experience that changes how you think about wine.
99/100

MV Krug Grande Cuvée (disgorged 2003)
Straw yellow colour. Very fine bead with good mousse. Nose is shy to begin with but opens up with time in the glass to reveal nutty oak, lemon, floral notes and some nutmeg. Great intensity and carry of flavour across the palate with a creamy texture along and a strongly structured acid backbone. Delightful to drink.
93/100

MV Krug Grande Cuvée (disgorged 2005)
Slightly lighter colour than the 03 disgorgement. Slightly larger bead than the previous two but still fine. The nose is powerful with lemon, graphite, smoke, peach and lime. The freshness of the palate is incredible. Intense fresh flavour and pinpoint focused acidity leading into a long, long finish. Obviously the one needing the most time of the three to develop, but still enjoyable now for my tastes.
94/100

The next flight showcased three vintages that are considered excellent years in Champagne. All three were excellent, with the 1988 standing out as a wine of distinction.

1976 Krug Vintage
Deep golden colour. Rich nose of butterscotch and caramel, honey, grilled nuts, toast and apricot. A lovely honeyed, sweet rich flavour to the long palate that is balanced out by the excellent acid structure. This bottle was in great condition, but it requires no further age, drink now and enjoy!
95/100

1982 Krug Vintage
A lighter yellow gold colour. The nose is reclusive, but it opened to show toast, nuts, dough and vanilla oak characters. The palate is more open, with intense, youthful characters and a long, lingering flavour. Excellent now, but seems to be in a bit of an awkward stage between youth and maturity. I think it may be a bit more coherent in 5 years time.
92/100

1988 Krug Vintage
Lighter again, straw gold colour. The nose is brilliantly layered with notes of pear, gunpowder, vanilla, smoke, lime, grilled cashew and floral undertones. The carry, persistence and depth of flavour along the palate is awe inspiring. This wine is the definition of class and it has the supreme structure and balance to get even better over the next 10+ years.
97/100

The final flight of Krug was a comparison of the old label Rose and the new label Rose. Of all the flights, this was the only one that disappointed. The wines were both very good, but at $450 a bottle very good does not cut it.

NV Krug Rosé (disgorged 1988)
Only very slightly darker in colour than the recent disgorgement. Ginger, caramel, toast and earth aromas to the appealing nose. The palate had a nice initial burst of simple flavour that faded away slightly toward the end. Good balance and enjoyable, but rather obviously not brilliant for my taste.
90/100

NV Krug Rosé (disgorged 2004)
Golden hued with just a tinge of pink. Fine bead comparable in size to the old disgorgement, but just slightly more aggressive in speed. Strawberry, brioche and toast on the lightly scented bouquet. Very light and fluffy palate weight with fresh flavour and good length. Nice to drink, but especially based on the older disgorgement, I can’t see this getting any better with age. Maybe I just don’t get these wines, but they seem to be missing the character to be considered exceptional.
90/100

Then to finish the night, a selection of random wines.

2006 Knappstein Clare Valley Ackland Vineyard Watervale Riesling
Opened at the start of the evening while waiting for people to arrive. Floral, lime, some botrytis style character. Some cloying sweetness and sherbet like flavour on the palate that ended oily and flabby. Got no better, and may in fact have been worse by the end of the night when we returned to it. The 2005 was very highly regarded, so this may be a product of the vintage.
79/100

1993 Domain Alain Burguet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Nose has good intensity of aroma with strong earth, pepper, raspberry and a slightly feral streak through it. The palate was not giving a whole lot with some stalk and otherwise looking pretty lean. An interesting wine, if only the palate lived up to the nose it may have been more.
87/100

2000 Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin “Les Cazetiers” 1er Cru
Corked.
:(/100

1982 Penfolds Bin 820 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz
Tobacco, rich blackcurrant, smoky oak, redcurrant and just a hint of background DMS. The palate is nicely integrated with the core of fruit richness just still holding things together. Drink up if you have bottles remaining.
89/100

1996 Rene Renou Bonnezeaux Cuvée Zenith
Poached pears, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, honey and vanilla. Found the medium sweetness and intensity on the palate to want for a touch more acid. Simple at the moment, but could take on some complexity as long as the balance doesn’t slide too far out of place over the next 6-7 years.
89/100

2005 Mollydooker Carnival of Love McLaren Vale Shiraz
Ultra concentrated ripe and interesting nose of caramel, blackberry, blueberry, tar, blackcurrant, tobacco and a bit of spirit at the end of each sniff. The richness follows through onto the palate and it is quite approachable except for the slight spirity burning sensation down the back of my throat. I enjoyed trying it, but I don’t know that I could have faced a second glass and I think it would have overpowered any food it was served with. Don’t know that this has the structure to age, but time could prove me wrong. Glad I tried it, but I think I’ll leave it to the people that enjoy this style.
86/100

1996 Noon Grenache Shiraz
The nose consisted of pepper, smoky black cherry and some more alcohol. Palate lacks fruit and there is a burning sensation to the mouth-feel. Really struggled to drink this, I imagine that when it was young the fruit would have covered the problems somewhat, but now that it is fading they are all too apparent.
80/100

2005 Wild Duck Creek Fortified
A nice way to finish things off. On the nose there was liquorice, fennel, blueberry, earth and cherry. A smooth, sweet palate with just a touch of spice and florality to freshen it up and provide a needed lift. Very good length and actually very enjoyable to drink!
92/100

In November of last year a tasting was held to compare two of Australia’s most prominent Cabernet Sauvignons. It was expected that we would see two very different styles of Cabernet with the family owned Mount Mary from the cool Yarra Valley in Victoria and the corporate giant Southcorp owned,
Penfolds 707 Cabernet from the warmer Coonawarra and the Barossa Valley in South Australia.
The first dinner was Cullen and Moss Wood and I wrote about it here.

The tasting was as follows, in order served;

Pol Roger NV:
This bottle was cellared for 3 years after release. Citrus, touch of yeast, apple, pear and toasty development. A balanced and delicate palate with lovely restrained, focussed fruit intensity. This was ready to drink now.
88/100

St John’s Road Eden Valley Riesling 2005:
Opened with a fair bit of sulphur which was difficult to get past, but there was some light honey, lime and toast lurking in the background. The palate was soft and dilute across the mid-palate, lacking much to get excited over.
83/100

Penfolds Yattarna 1996:
Corked, just slightly - but enough to ruin the experience for me.
NR/100

Mount Mary Chardonnay 2005:
Pears, grapefruit, passionfruit, florals and minerally slate on the wonderfully pure nose. The palate is structured, balanced and elegant - it is already lovely to drink, but this is going to be sensational with time. Drink now if you like them young, but otherwise check back in 5+ years.
93/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1986:
Aromas of briar, tobacco, leather, violets and crushed rocks. Good depth of flavour, with elegance and balance but not a whole lot of complexity or texture/mouth-feel to it. This bottle was drinking at, or just past its peak.
90/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1990:
A nose of tobacco, blackcurrant, blackberry and cedar. Excellent structure to the mouth-coating palate, with tannins still prominent at this stage. There is the potential to improve over the next 6-7 years from here. I took a quarter of the bottle home and it was holding up very well the next evening.
91/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1991:
Cinnamon, liquorice, aniseed, rhubarb and cherry aromas on the nose. A mature, structured palate with components well integrated at this stage and the fruit holding up well. This bottle has reached its peak but I think it would have held its plateau for a number more years.
89/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1993:
Some smoked meats, chocolate and brief whiffs of capsicum comprise the nose. Good texture to the palate, but there are some bold tannins poking out and a flash of bitterness on the back palate. I still found enjoyment in drinking it but it was one of the weaker vintages on the night.
86/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1994:
The nose opens with pepper, roasted vegetables, violet and some artificial citrus type notes. Palate shows green, bitter tannin and oak flavours smothering the thin fruit. Couldn’t see this coming together with more bottle age, but others had more hope for it.
82/100

Mt Mary Quintets 1996:
A nose dominated by intense red cherry, raspberry, rhubarb and cedar. Very youthful and richly fruited on the palate, but with the tannin structure and depth of fruit behind it to indicate that this could be superb with some more time. While it provided some pleasure to drink now, it will improve over the next 10 years and maybe more.
92/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1986:
A weedy, pumpkin and dill dominant nose. The palate lacks cohesion, with tannins standing out and some acidity on the mid-palate throwing the line right off. The more that I tasted this as it sat in the glass, the less that I liked it. This bottle was quite youthful but I doubt it would have ever found balance.
81/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1990:
Restrained nose of tobacco, black fruits and a touch of American oak backing. The palate was quite fleshy and showed some richness to the fruit flavour. Dipped away at the end of the palate, finishing a bit short, but otherwise the balance was good and this had the stuffing to improve for another 5 years.
88/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1991:
Black cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and some nicely integrated oak aromas. There is good balance and length to the palate with the structure and depth of fruit to continue developing well over the next 6 to 7 years. This was probably my favourite wine from the 707 line up on the night, with the depth of fruit and the integration of the oak the deciding factors.
91/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1993:
Briar, tobacco and red currants as well as noticeable oak and volatile acidity that ruin the experience on the nose slightly. The palate is well fleshed out and has decent length but not a great amount of depth or complexity. Enjoyable drinking, but not for the long haul. Drink now.
87/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1994:
Cassis/blackcurrant and oak aromas form the restrained nose. Good texture and mouth-feel to the palate, but lacks depth and anything else much to provide a wow factor or to make me want to drink it again. Could well get better given some extra time as it may just be in a slightly quiet phase, but on the night it was no better than very good.
88/100

Penfolds Bin 707 1996:
A dark, brooding nose of cassis, cedar, vanilla and cola syrup. There is a great deal of richness and sweet fruit on the palate but there is also firm structure through some monumental tannins. Allow it time to rest, as of now it is too youthful and forceful at 10 years of age, come back in another 10 and it may still need more time. Could be headed for greatness.
92/100

Rausan Segla Margaux 1996:
A welcome change of pace after some of the full on 707s. Savoury, earthy and meaty with a bit of brett styled complexity and blackcurrant undertones. Elegant and showed very good balance. Tannins are still evident but they are nicely woven into the rest of the elements. Very good now and I think this bottle was only 2 or 3 years away from hitting its peak.
89/100

Orlando St Hugo 1998:
Smoked meat, blackberry, tobacco and cedar from the French oak. Tightly knit palate structure with tannins providing good structure that should bode well for aging this wine. Fairly bold primary fruit flavour and a medium length finish. Give it at least another  5 years as it is too young now.
89/100

De Bortoli Noble One 1998: Two 375ml bottles from the same source which made for an interesting comparison.
Bottle 1: Weak apricot and marmalade with a touch of botrytis. Palate is flabby and lacks acid. Finishes short, dilute and disappointing. No identifiable fault. 80/100
Bottle 2: Wow, what a difference. There is much more intensity and swirling aromas to the nose, still with plenty of apricot and botrytis but with another layer of tropical fruit and honey. The palate shows a similar difference with greater richness and intensity of flavour and a much better acid structure, although perhaps needing a touch more acid to be fully balanced. Good length and delicious to drink. 89/100

N.V. Bruno Michel Champagne “Cuvée Rebelle” Extra Brut
A little bit of toast, cashew and chocolate on the nose. Refreshing mouth-feel with decent length, but not very complex or deep.
86/100

2000 Leonildo Pieropan Soave Classico Superiore La Rocca
Light golden in colour. Lemon zest, almonds, butter, a touch of cheese and sulfur. Interesting texture, with a warming, slightly spirity finish.
86/100

2003 Weingut Knoll Riesling Ried Loibenberg Smaragd
Light floral nose with mandarin and not too much else. The palate is pretty boring and flabby, seriously lacking acid.
80/100

1999 Tyrrell’s Sémillon Reserve HVD
Apples, lemon, lime and starting to develop some toast and nutty characters. Lovely balance on the palate with good acid and depth of fruit. Very good length and will probably be very enjoyable in 5+ years time.
90/100

1996 Michel Colin-Deléger et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet En Remilly 1er Cru
Golden coloured. Smoky oak, ketchup (?!), hay, apples and matchstick to the nose. Palate lacks interest, tasting smoky and with just enough acid to be cleansing.
84/100

Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1994 and the R. Rostaing Cote Rotie La Landonne 1993
Both so spoiled by brett as to be undrinkable.

2003 Farr Rising Mornington Pinot Noir
Cherry, earth, blood, a little pepper and rosewood. Nice mouthfeel and length, but a little bit straightforward to be better than very good.
88/100

1999 Maurice Écard Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Pimentiers 1er Cru
Charred meat and violets at the forefront of the nose with some volatile rubbery characters as well. Palate has nice texture to it, but tannins stand out too much at the moment.
83/100

1999 Bosquet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Grenache
White pepper with meat and game and a touch of florailty. Well balanced palate without a whole lot to offer depth wise. Enjoyable, but not outstanding.
87/100

2002 Craiglee Shiraz
Black pepper, mulberry, raspberry, violet and grassy/herby aromas. Tannins are prominent and the palate lacks structure and intensity of fruit.
84/100

1994 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve
A great, youthful colour. Dusty, cassis, cedar notes, with violets and crushed rocks. The palate is very youthful and primary, with the intense fruit still holding centre stage. Lovely and good bottles should be even better in 10 years time.
91/100

1997 Müller-Catoir Mußbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Auslese
Yellow-gold coloured. Honeyed, minerals, honeydew melon, rock melon and apricot. The balance of the palate is special with honeyed sweetness and a core of acid cleaning it up. Not especially complex, but it was delicious to drink and a real pleasure.
91/100

1964 Saltram VP
An alluring nose of leather, raisin, chocolate, dense caramel and just a touch of volatility. Palate doesn’t live up to the rather nice nose with a soft mouthfeel without complexity and seeming a bit weak.
86/100

Some long-lost notes from a dinner early last year.

1979 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Champagne
A tarnished gold colour with very fine bead evident. Initially the nose gave off some oxidative, varnishy burnt almond characters, but these came around to mostly caramel, mushroom, apricot and nuttiness. A wave of flavour envelops your mouth on the first taste. The palate is fresher than the nose would indicate, it is pure elegance, superbly balanced and had awesome texture and length. Ready to drink now.
94/100

1995 Erich Salomon Kremser Kogl Auslese Riesling (Austria)
Nose has strong floral scents as well as slate, lime and maybe a touch of botrytis. The palate has intense sweetness but also a good level of balancing acid. Lovely to drink and I think that it is right at its peak.
92/100

2002 Domaine Raveneau Premier Cru Butteaux Chablis
There was something a bit off about this bottle. A slight funky element on the nose as well as some sulfur and some grapefruit and under-ripe pineapple. The mouthfeel is creamy and shows some class but there is some unsettling bitterness on the finish. Should have been better.
85/100

2000 Bannockburn Chardonnay (Geelong)
Nose is rather shy with some mineral characters as well as some nutty, caramel hints. The palate exhibits very good structure and style with a solid, focused core of acidity. I tried the remains two nights later and I thought it was much better, the nose had taken on some appealing butterscotch and honey characters while retaining the structure and focus of the palate. The score is a balance of the two evenings (89/91).
90/100

2000 Domaine Cordier Pouilly Fuisse ‘Vers Cras’ (Maconnais)
Waxy and pink fairy floss to the nose with some slightly oxidative notes. An interesting creamy texture to the palate. Lacks intensity and depth.
86/100

2000 Domaine Servin Grand Crus Blanchot Chablis
The backup bottle to the Raveneau. An austere, ungiving nose with hints of pear and stonefruit after some time in the glass. The palate has good balance and good structural acidity but probably needs more time resting in bottle before it is enjoyable.
88/100

2004 Castagna Ingénue Viognier (Beechworth)
I think I was the one at the table who liked this the best. Light apricot overtones with pineapple, citrus and rose petals. A fresh palate with good intensity. Lovely length and the alcohol didn’t stand out to me like other straight Viognier based wines often do. A well made wine that it seems won’t appeal to everyone.
88/100

2002 Domaine Hervé Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny
Nose is light and straightforward with aromas of wet earth and cherry. Apart from a bit of acid that stands out on the palate, it is pretty drinkable but without real points of interest.
85/100

2000 Château Roc de Cambes Côtes de Bourg
A bit of varnish initially that blew off to show aromas of florals, cherry, stalks, earth and lots of black olives. A bit of a let-down with the medium bodied palate that finished short and I don’t think has the tannin structure or fruit quality to improve much with further age.
86/100

1992 Petaluma Coonawarra Red
The nose really lept out at me with strawberry, tobacco, mushroom and leather. I had high hopes for the palate but they were not met - the fruit has almost entirely dried up and all that was left was acid. A shame.
82/100

1990 Jasper Hills Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz (Heathcote)
Initially quite a nice nose with some blackberry, sweet red fruits and floral notes but these are soon swamped by bretty horse hair and mouse fur. Palate quickly declined as well.
81/100

2003 Château Montus (Madiran)
Made from the Tannat variety. Aromas of ink, herbs and tobacco are difficult to discern under over the top oak. The story is the same on the soft palate with the oak flavour showing up a serious lack of fruit.
84/100

2004 Ravensworth Shiraz (Canberra)
Pepper, spice, ripe fruit and some floral hints on the nose. Palate is simple and lacking in depth and length. Drinks alright, but not in the same class as the rather enjoyable 2005 from the same producer.
85/100

1998 Henschke Noble Rot Semillon (Eden Valley)
A nose of apricot, nuts, honey and botrytis. Palate shows a medium level of sweetness. Enjoyable, but without a great deal of complexity. The declining acid leads me to believe that it is at it’s peak now.
87/100

I’m jumping back on board the Hunter Valley Semillon train after the stunning 1986 Lovedale the other night, and while this isn’t quite in the same league - it is interesting, pretty darn enjoyable and a steal at $11AUD.

Straw, lemon, wax, acacia florals and some toast just starting to develop on the nose. Medium intensity on the palate with very good length and well balanced between touches of fruit sweetness and some refreshing, mouth tingling acidity across the whole palate. Enjoyable now, but should also mature nicely over the next 5 or so years.

Score: 91/100 Drink: Now - 2012

A great night last weekend with a friend flying in some fresh Perigord Black Truffles from France and people bringing along some great wines to match. The food was fairly simple, letting the truffles take centre stage. The flavours and aromas of the food were incredible and a number of the wines really complimented the truffle flavours, especially the Leroy, Pichon Lalandes and the Italian wines.

The Menu:

Fresh bread and truffle butter
Foie gras, slice of truffle
Mushrooms with truffle
Omelette with truffled eggs
Risotto of truffles
Home made fettucini with truffled eggs, mushroom and truffles
Wagyu beef with perigueux sauce
Duck and Chicken with truffle under the skin
Salads
Cheese plate: two truffle-infused bries and a hard pecorino.
Chocolate mousse… with truffled eggs and a little bit of truffle as well.

The Wines:

1994 Seppelt Salinger Methode Champenoise
Straw-yellow colour. Nose is bright and fresh with pineapple and nutty overtones. Really nice acid on the palate with just a smidge of sweetness. The flavours linger on the palate for a good while. Probably the best bottle out of three that I have tried.
89/100

1982 Bollinger Grande Année Rosé Champagne
Salmon-orange in colour. A very fine, delicate bead. On the nose there are aromas of mushroom, earth and light caramel. The palate is a little rough around the edges with a fair bit of acid and not enough fruit remaining to match, although this seemed less of a problem with food and this complimented the truffles well.
87/100

1986 McWilliams Mount Pleasant Single Vineyard Lovedale Semillon (Hunter Valley)
A lovely, expressive nose of floral elements, grapefruit, lime and orange, wax, honey set against a background of nutty complexity. The palate is still amazingly youthful and delicate while maintaining great depth and intensity of flavour. Superb balance and structure, the length went on and on. This wine left me quite lost for words.

Absolutely stunning. This would have been my wine of the night if it had not been for one other wine to come.
95/100

1990 Château Doisy-Védrines (Barsac)
Opened a little bit stinky and funky but this really cleaned up and opened with time in the glass. Golden coloured. Honey, pineapple, roast nuts and caramel on the nose. A medium level of sweetness and intensity on the palate with good balance and length.
91/100

1995 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay (Margaret River)
A nose of restrained oak, grapefruit, pineapple, peaches, apple and light butter. Palate is quite tight with good acid structure but lacking fruit intensity. Very good but not great at the moment, although it could become great with more time.
88/100

1996 Domaine Marc Morey & Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Virondot
Very youthful in appearance and character. A nose of sea spray, lemon and slate. An interesting mouthfeel with just a touch of richness rounding the palate out. Has the potential to get better over the next 5+ years.
90/100

1999 Domaine Jean Pillot et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caille (375ml)
Cheesy, oxidative and caramel nose. Palate is all sour acid. Faulty bottle.
NR/100

1981 Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton
Some interesting discussion about this wine at the table but I think it was mildly corked (and even if not corked, looking pretty tired).
NR/100

1998 Domaine Leroy Clos Vougeot
A lovely layered nose of squid ink, black cherry, rhubarb, earth, spice and heady perfume. A tightly wound palate with concentrated flavour, fine tannins and awesome mouth-feel and texture. Exceptional length and an excellent wine that will continue to develop for a number of years to come.
93/100

1982 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac)
Such a seductive, voluptuous wine. A superb nose of smoky cedar, gravel, pencil shavings, cassis, tobacco and black olive. Every element of the palate is working together in seamless harmony. Elegant yet rich, with a velvet like texture as it slides along the palate into an breathtaking length finish. An absolute privilege to get to drink.
98/100

1986 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac)
There is some real power behind this wine. The nose shows blackcurrant, tobacco and cedar as well as swirling notes of potpourri and violets. A very youthful, vibrant palate with deeply seated fruit and excellent structure. Built in intensity of flavour with time in the glass. Very enjoyable to drink now, but will improve.
94/100

2000 Pio Cesare Fides Barbera d’Alba (375ml)
Wheat germ on the nose with a touch of florality. A sweetly fruited, medium bodied palate with soft tannins and medium length. Enjoyable to drink but not much more.
87/100

2000 Pio Cesare Nebbiolo d’Alba (375ml)
Pepper, spices, cherry and raspberry on the nose. Nice depth and intensity of fruit, although the tannins are standing out a bit at the moment.
88/100

1989 Gaja Barbaresco
Aromas of roasted meat, wet earth, spice and tar. There is a really lovely texture to the palate and a very long, lingering finish. A very good wine, but missing a bit of complexity and personality to take the step up to excellent.
90/100

1996 Rocca Albino Vigneto Brich Ronchi Barbaresco
Very meaty aromas with leather, raspberry, smoke and tobacco in the background. Palate has promise initially with some nice complexity and initial primary fruit intensity but it trails away into a metallic and short finish. I suspect some brett influence here.
85/100

1998 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia
Deep, seductive and luscious aromas of raspberry, cherry, cassis, five spice and tobacco. The palate, while quite obviously young, tight and concentrated is also approachable and enjoyable to drink. Exhibits really nice depth of fruit and has very good length. Give it another 8-10 years and it should really be singing.
93/100

1996 Château Nairac
Light apricots, citrus peel and botrytis influence on the nose. Fairly dense concentration and sweetness on the palate. The length is good and it is pleasant to drink, but overall I don’t think the wine has the acid structure to get a great deal better.
88/100

Dinner at Sugaroom in Sydney with 4 other wine lovers -

Primo Estate Joseph Sparkling Shiraz (06 disg) :
Good mousse at first that drops away pretty quickly. Nice layered complexity to the nose - plums, cherry, earth and gamey notes. The palate has an intriguing texture and mouth-feel to it. Very good length and depth/complexity of flavour with just a lick of sweetness on the mid-palate. Shows complex character, while retaining some freshness on the palate that should allow it to improve with age.
91/100

Primo Estate Joseph Sparkling Shiraz (97 disg) :
Quite obviously of the same bloodline as the 06 disgorgement, just with some added age. Leather, earth, five spice and smoke on the nose. The palate shows more savoury spice and is drier in comparison to the 06. The real standout feature of the palate is the superb depth of flavour and excellent balance leading into an excellent length finish.

Sparkling red is generally not my thing, but these two bottles certainly were.
92/100

2003 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay :
Very delicate nose of lemon, light oats and a streak of minerality. Palate is elegant with great balance and focus through a tight core of acid. Young and tightly wound at the moment, but it is obviously extremely classy and it has so much potential that I would love to see it in 5 years time when it could well be excellent.
90/100

1976 Rosemount Estate Cabernet Sauvignon :
Light aromas of smoke, dust, sweet chocolate and a hint of a floral character. Fairly lightly bodied as well with decent length and quite a smoky aftertaste. Held up well over the evening and was drinkable and better than I think may have been expected from a wine that was probably not intended to be saved for 30+ years!
85/100

1981 Leoville Las Cases :
Quite an expressive nose of tobacco, lilac, cassis, cedar and earth. The palate at first lacks intensity, although the the components are all nicely balanced and integrated. Seemed to take on some extra palate weight when given some time to breath and was better when paired with food.
88/100

1994 Ridge Monte Bello :
12.7% alcohol. Primary nose of violet, blackcurrant, cedar and chocolate oak, autumn leaves and pencil shavings. The palate is primary as well with plenty of deeply seated fruit to stand up to the oak and fine tannin structure. Really good length. I think the back label mentioned keeping it 5-15 years to improve, based on this bottle I’d be extending that an extra 8-10 years.
91/100

2003 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz :
A nose that is jam packed with sweet, ripe fruit. Blackcurrant, anise/liquorice, some background vanilla oak and blueberry muffins was an aroma descriptor that I particularly liked. More intense, sweet fruit on the palate that I think will appeal to lovers of the richly fruited Barossa style. Nice length, but just a bit too ripe for my personal liking.
88/100

1981 Chateau Coutet : (375ml)
Light botrytis, lots of apricot and some burnt sugar. The nose is better than the palate, which has an initial burst of flavour followed by watered down flavour intensity on the mid-palate and a startlingly short finish. I finished my glass quickly, but others noted that the nose fell over pretty soon after pouring.
81/100

2004 Kracher Eiswein : (375ml)
The nose is perfumed and elegant rather than dense, with some floral notes, slate and lemon and orange zest. The palate is quite pure with good balance through enough refreshing acidity as a counterweight to the medium sweetness. Fairly simple, but enjoyable to drink all the same. Probably drinking well now while it is still fresh.
88/100