Appellation Australia

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

Paul Bara Brut Reserve Grand Cru NV - (Champagne, France):

Medium bead with a very light mousse. Smoke, rose petal, lime and a light overlay of roasted nuts form the nose. The palate has a nice intensity of flavour as well as racy, well focussed acid and a slight citrus tang. Champagne of this quality is a steal for the price (around $55AUD).

90/100

Crabtree Watervale Riesling 1997 - (Clare Valley, South Australia):

A light golden yellow in colour. The nose is shy and reclusive, after a good deal of coaxing it revealed a little bit of honeysuckle and apricot. The palate lacks depth and anything much of interest, falling away very quickly after the mid-palate. Uninspiring and going nowhere rather quickly.

82/100

Tahbilk Marsanne 2004 - (Nagambie Lakes, Victoria):

This has a floral nose with notes of honey, nuts, pears and peaches. The palate has a slight viscosity about it that provides an interesting counterbalance to the acid. Medium length and while it was reasonably good, it is clearly in a bit of an “in between” phase - no longer youthful but not yet complex. Leave remaining bottles alone for a few years.

88/100

Yalumba “The Signature - Harold Obst” Galway Vintage Reserve Claret 1966 - (Barossa Valley, South Australia):

80% Shiraz and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

A deep red in colour with just slight browning out around the edges. The nose has strong overtones of fennel (aniseed/liquorice) with peppermint, earth, leather and violets following through. The palate was balanced, with just enough sweet fruit and tannin remaining to carry the medium length of the wine. Enjoyable for about 25 minutes and then faded away quickly.

90/100

Cooper Shiraz 2002 - (Hunter Valley, New South Wales):

An old style Hunter Shiraz nose of earth, tobacco, spice and some barnyard - with around half an hour in the glass, the tobacco seemed to turn into a dominant smoky aroma that smothered the rest of the nose. The palate showed good flavour and character, although I would suggest that it is drinking at its peak now.

87/100

Tasting Note: Straw yellow in colour with specks of green throughout. Honey, toast and fresh lemon zest on the nose. An explosion of lime and honeyed mouth-filling intensity with a focused line of acidity holding everything together through the outstanding length of the palate. An excellent wine close to its peak.

When to Drink: 2006 - 2009

Score: A superb aged Clare Valley Riesling that is one of the very best I have tried this year. 93/100

Some quick notes from an excellent evening hosted by David Lole in Canberra. All wines were tasted and scored blind except for the Curlewis, the St. Henri and the Petaluma Essence.

Rockford Sparkling Black (Sept. 2005 disgorgement) - (Barossa Valley, South Australia):

Bright, clean raspberry, cherry, pepper, vanilla and blackberry aromas as well as a smidge of oak. Flavours refreshingly dance across the tongue into a good length finish. Rather lovely to drink - sure it is youthful, but at least you don’t have to deal with the infamous leaking/snapping Rockford corks when you open them early.

90/100

Grosset Watervale Riesling 2002 (screwcap) - (Clare Valley, South Australia):

Lemon and lemon zest, floral aromas, gunflint (although I wasn’t as troubled by the sulphur as some others) and a touch of toast and honey. The palate is austere and shows an excellent minerally acid structure. Certainly youthful and not providing all that much pleasure to drink at the moment, but the promise lies in its future in around 5-8 years time.

91/100

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 1999 - (Margaret River, Western Australia):

Toast, strong pear, peach, grapefruit and nutty, creamy oak that is well blended into the rest of the nose. A very classy palate that is just slightly let down with just a touch too much oak at this stage and just a bit of alcoholic heat on the back palate that I fear may not subside with time.

91/100

Curlewis Reserve Pinot Noir 2002 - (Geelong, Victoria):

Lots going on with the lovely nose - black cherry, earth, forest floor (I learnt a new descriptive French wine term on the night - “valley of the hare”) stalks, some beetroot, spice and honey. Superb length, great depth of fruit and fine walnut flavoured tannins. A genuine top-shelf Australian Pinot Noir that I think is drinking very well at the moment.

93/100

Seppelt Great Western Shiraz 1996 - (Grampians, Victoria):

Deep youthful colour, but there was some complexity on the nose suggesting that it had a bit more age to it. Earth, mushroom, violets, rosewood, a hint of black pepper and cassis. Tannin structure is present on the palate but showing good integration with the other components. An excellent wine that should be drinking at its peak in around 3-5 years and should live on for some time after that.

93/100

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 1998 - (Regional Blend, South Australia):

Chocolate, blueberry, vanilla oak and lots of clean, vibrant red berry fruit. Lovely balance on the clean palate, with good length and importantly it is very enjoyable to drink! Sure, it doesn’t give you a sense of place - but that obviously isn’t what it is aiming for. Drinking really nicely now, but has the structure and balance to develop complexity should you want to give it time over the next 6-8 years.

92/100

Penfolds St Henri Claret “Special Release” 1979 - (Regional Blend, South Australia):

Great colour, no browning even around the edges. Leathery, sweet earthy fruit. Everything is fully resolved and balanced on the palate. A nice old wine that was drinking without faults, and not falling over in the glass, but almost certainly would have had a lot more to offer in the early to mid 90’s.

87/100

Best’s Bin 0 Great Western Shiraz 1998 - (Grampians, Victoria):

A nice coincidence to have this wine on the same night as the Seppelt Great Western. Raspberry, bramble, blackberry and a lovely touch of floral lift (which had some thinking Shiraz/Viognier). A palate that has great weight and depth of fruit flavour. Very youthful and primary but has the class to go the distance and I think it’ll hit its peak in 8-10 years. Should have been poured after the Giaconda, but that is one problem with tasting wines blind.

92/100

Giaconda Cabernet 1992 - (Beechworth, Victoria):

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Excellent colour with just a hint of thinning around the edges. Classic cabernet nose of graphite, capsicum, cedar and some some smoky ash. Excellently balanced palate flows through to a long finish. A much better bottle than the one I had late last year with some friends in Sydney at a dinner. Not showing any signs of tiring, but it is well and truly ready to drink.

92/100

Petaluma Botrytis Semillon “Essence” 1999 - (Coonawarra, South Australia):

Great depth of aromas to the nose with honey, botrytis, peaches and pears, crème Brule, burnt toffee and caramel. The palate is just a bit over the top, especially in comparison to the balanced 2000 vintage of this wine that I served late last year. The acid structure is there in the background, but it is just overawed by the level of sweetness. It did seem to come together slightly with some air. Very good but not great.

89/100

I went to a hastily arranged dinner at Sakana-Ya in Crows Nest following the Torbreck tasting at North Sydney Cellars that I wrote about here. The quality of the dishes was good and there was some interesting food that I haven’t tried previously (Fried Eel being an example). The service was attentive and polite. Take your own glassware if you are serious about wine as the provided stemware is sub-par. It was slightly on the expensive side, but I guess when you are paying for high quality, fresh sushi-grade seafood it is to be expected.

All wines were tasted blind except for the Plantagenet and the Leo Buring.

Clos Cazals Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 1997 (Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Champagne):
Slightly toasty, apples, pears, lots of flint and minerals on the nose. Very elegant and what I would call a “pure” tasting palate with good length and balance. It started to take on a bit of extra palate weight with air time but still had fine and focused flavour.
90/100

Gaston Chiquet Tradition Brut Premier Cru NV - Disgorged November 2004 (Dizy, Champagne):
80% 2000 and 20% 1999 fruit. 45% Pinot Meunier, 35% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Nose is fairly intense with slightly funky/sulphurous notes and earth, with yeast and brioche. I found the palate a little bit broad and just a bit short.

An interesting contrast in style to the Clos Cazals.
87/100

Plantagenet Riesling 1992 (Mount Barker, Western Australia):
The nose is obviously quite developed - honeyed with some marmalade and orange and just a small whiff of petrol. Palate has some decent intensity to it, but is lacking the acid structure to retain balance.

It was doing alright for a 14 year old Western Australian Riesling, but the Plantagenet 1991 we tried 6 months ago faired a considerable amount better.
84/100

Leo Buring Leonay DW16 Watervale 1994 (Clare Valley, South Australia):
1994 was one of the few vintages when a Leonay was produced from both Eden Valley and Clare Valley fruit.

There was some gasoline and citrus (lemon and lime) on the nose. The palate is loaded with acid and a slight spritz as well as a bitter character on the finish. Not really falling over, but I doubt that this bottle would have come into any kind of balance in its remaining life.

I had enjoyed a stunning bottle of the Eden Valley Leonay last year, but this was just not as good.
86/100

Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz 1999 (McLaren Vale, South Australia):
This is clearly a serious wine. I found it to be brambly, a bit leafy and spicy which led me on the wrong path with options, as well as some bitter chocolate. Good tannins and what I thought was well integrated oak provided good structure. Clearly needs some time to develop fully, but I didn’t mind drinking it as is.
89/100

Wild Duck Creek “Yellow Hammer Hill” Shiraz Malbec 2000 (Heathcote, Victoria):
65% Shiraz, 35% Malbec. This is apparently inspired and moulded on the Wendouree Shiraz Malbec blend and only available through some restaurants and to some customers at cellar door.

A nose comprised of earthy, gamey, weedy and a hint of cheesy characters. It is certainly a wine with a point of difference. Nicely integrated palate components - everything working together well. I enjoyed it for being out of the ordinary.
88/100

Leo Buring Leonay DWU13 Watervale Riesling 1991 (Clare Valley, South Australia):
Light golden in colour which seems to hint away from the age. On the slightly shy nose it had freshly squeezed lime juice, some toast, butter and honey. Palate exhibits good length and intensity but perhaps just lacks focus. 89/100

Curlewis Chardonnay 2002 (Geelong, Victoria):
Passionfruit, peaches, sweet French oak, some smoky bacon and a nougat, nutty edge to the slightly reductive nose. The palate shows lovely flavour concentration and texture but seems to be a bit all over the place. A fellow taster picked it as “new world trying to be old world”. Not as classy as the 2003 or 2004, but I still liked it. 87/100

Bannockburn Shiraz 1998 (magnum) (Multi-Region, Australia):
This was composed of parcels of fruit from over thirty producers that were given to Bannockburn after their 1998 Shiraz crop was ruined by hail. It displayed a youthful colour with ruby red edges deepening in colour into the core. The wine had a dense, complex nose with blood, a touch of stalks, black pepper, spice, raspberry, menthol, tobacco and tomato. Good textured mouth-feel with nice length and everything well balanced. Plenty of life left to drink over the next 5 years based on this magnum. 90/100

Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz 1998 (McLaren Vale, South Australia):
Deep black olive in colour. A room filling nose of plum, vanilla oak, liquorice, blackberry, olive and chocolate with a touch of florality and smoked meat in the background. The palate is unmistakably primary and filled with concentrated, rich fruit flavour. Has great balance and structure which should allow this wine to develop complexity and interest over the next 7-9 years. 90/100

Gunderloch Nackenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Auslese 2002 (375ml) (Rheinhessen, Germany):
Had a more restrained, sulphurous nose than the 2004 - some lime, green apples, slate and lemon. The palate has good acid structure balancing the medium level of sweetness and is rather easy to drink. Better than the ‘03, but not as good as the ‘04. 88/100

Gunderloch Nackenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Auslese 2004 (375ml screwcap) (Rheinhessen, Germany):
A pure, expressive, vibrantly enticing nose of slate, peach, pear honey and some botrytis influence. Focused, pure minerally acidity drives the palate and balances with the medium level of sweetness that gave the palate a restrained richness and depth of flavour. Very good. 92/100

Weingut Ed Weegmuller Haardter Herrenletten Riesling Kabinett Troken (Pfalz, Germany):
Sealed with a synthetic cork. Pear, herbs and floral notes on the nose. The palate is dry as promised, but maybe the acid needs to be reined in a bit. Rather simplistic, without depth or too much character of interest but drinkable. 85/100

To balance the night of French legends that I spoke of in the last post - it was decided that we should come together again in early April to have a dinner that would be a tribute to some great Australian wines.

We gathered at Restaurant Atelier at Glebe - another restaurant with an excellent reputation.

We again selected the degustation menu as we find that it is best to space out the amount of time that you spend with each wine, and this is easier to do with multiple small courses of food.

The degustation menu is decided two days prior to the booking, to take into account what fresh produce can be obtained and it consisted of the following courses;

Sourdough Bread, EVOO, Balsamic & Tapenade, Échiré Butter
Chilled Spiced Lentil Soup & Roquette Oil
Duck Egg ‘ATELIER’ w Goat Curd Soubise, Unpasteurised Ocean Trout Roe
House-Made Black Pudding with Foie Gras, Seared Scallops and Parsnip Puree
Zucchini Flower filled with Prawn, Crab and Bill, Fillet of King George Whiting, Sauce Vierge
Rare-Roasted Gauler River Pigeon, Confit Cabbage, King Mushrooms
Seasonal Selection of Cheeses, House-Made Lavosh, Sourdough.
Sauterne Custard with Lychee Gastrique
Caramelised Almond & Praline Soufflé

It was interesting to note the similarity in some dishes to the menu at Marque (the Egg, Black Pudding, Rare Pigeon and Sauterne Custard) - but while they sound similar, the difference in flavour profile was quite pronounced for some of them.

I would say that if I were to cast a critical eye on the food (and I guess I am), it was of excellent quality and taste - but it probably didn’t quite have the depth of flavour or excitement that the food at Marque did. Some members of the party were not impressed with the Pigeon dish saying it was too rare. It is very rare and that gives a certain texture to it that you may or may not like, but for my tastes it was fine.

The service was smooth and well executed and Julian the sommelier was right on top of things when handling our wines. The glasses were alright but not great (bring your own if you are bringing special wines) and the number of decanters provided was good. The chef (Darren Templeman) was also able to produce some good looking (and apparently tasting) dishes for a member of our party who has a very long list of foods that he is unable to eat.

And the bill? $110 total per person including the 7 courses ($75), bread, cheese ($8), corkage ($8 per bottle), coffee ($5) and gratuity. I think for a degustation of this quality, you would have a hard time doing much better than that.

I think that Atelier is among the top level of restaurants in Sydney and if I were to rate it, I would give it 94 points including a couple of extra points for the value.

So, with that out of the way - let’s talk about the wines. 19 bottles opened and each one a classic wine from mostly classic vintages. Our 19 bottles were from 11 different wine regions in Australia, showing that regions outside those two or three that are currently in fashion can still make great wines. They performed as follows -

Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 1996 - (Clare Valley, South Australia):
A mid-gold colour. Nose is comprised of butterscotch and lemon meringue, as well as some honey characters after some time in the glass. Length was good, but some overt acid on the palate disrupts the balance. Seemed a bit over developed, holding up alright but was apparently not nearly as good as another bottle consumed by two others at the table late last year and not a patch on the ‘96 Grosset Watervale I had recently. 87/100

Tyrrell’s “Vat 1″ Semillon 1994 - (Hunter Valley, New South Wales):
Rich nose of lanolin, honey and a small amount of toast. Palate is of medium intensity and has excellent mouth-feel, balance and length. A very good wine and it was consistent with a bottle that I had last year at a Tyrrell’s tasting. Drinking well now for my tastes, but should hold for some time. 92/100

Giaconda Chardonnay 2002 - (Beechworth, Victoria):
Nose has good intensity - toasty, spicy and caramel oak, citrus, nutty and minerally/flinty characters. What I really enjoyed about this wine was its texture and mouth-feel. It has very good length with excellent structure. It should develop very well over the next 5-7 years. 93/100

Leeuwin Estate “Art Series” Chardonnay 1987 - (Margaret River, Western Australia):
Good complexity on the nose - toasty oak, marmalade, oranges, honey and grapefruit. Palate has good depth, but there is a note of tartness on the finish just disrupting the line slightly. Sits in between the two bottles I have had previously, one better (see here) and one worse. It was still an excellent wine and did deserve to sit in on a dinner of Australian legends. 93/100

Bass Philip “Reserve” Pinot Noir 1997 (375ml) - (Gippsland, Victoria):
I was truly in the minority at my end of the table, but I really liked the complex nose on this - stems, sappy, earthy, mushrooms and a bit bloody and gamey. I did not like the palate so much, there was some tartness and some aggressive stalk characters disrupting the finish. 88/100

Bannockburn “Serre” Pinot Noir 1998 - (Geelong, Victoria):
Nose shows stalks, cherry and earth as well as being a bit alcoholic. Palate was simple and somewhat one-dimensional, but I thought it was smooth and had good balance and carry. It wouldn’t surprise me if this took on some complexity with additional age. I preferred the aromas of the Bass Phillip, but would take the palate of the Bannockburn. 89/100

Mount Mary “Quintet” Cabernets 1986 - (Yarra Valley, Victoria):
Corked - musty and totally stripped of fruit on the palate. How can people say that they would miss the “romance” of cork? NR

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 1995 - (Margaret River, Western Australia):
Youthful in colour. Nose has elements of violets, cedar, cassis and iodine. The palate is brooding and powerful yet beautifully balanced with all the elements present and working together. Excellent tannin structure and bound to be even better over the next 10 years. 93/100

Wynns “John Riddoch” Cabernet Sauvignon 1982 - (Coonawarra, South Australia):
This was the backup bottle for the corked Mount Mary. Mocha/chocolate, plum, earth and some capsicum (but in the background rather than the foreground “essence of capsicum” of the previous bottle I had generously been given the chance to try). The palate shows superb focus, depth and length. A remarkable wine that will live for years to come (bottle/cork variation pending). This was my Wine of the Night for drinking tonight. 95/100

Cullen “Diana Madeline” Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2001 - (Margaret River, Western Australia):
A last minute ring-in for the 1996 Cullen DM. Alcoholic heat on the tight nose as well as some violet and cherry aromas. A tannic palate that culminates in a harsh acidic finish. Just a development phase or falling to pieces, I suspect probably the former. 87/100 on this showing.

Penfolds “Grange” Shiraz 1972 - (South Australia):
Corked - One of the worst cases of TCA that I have ever experienced initally - and almost unbelievably it got worse with more air - I was unable to reuse the glass that this was poured into. NR

Penfolds “Grange” Shiraz 1978 - (South Australia):
Furniture polish as well as the furniture itself on the nose. Palate is acidic, tannic, lacks fruit and has a bitter finish. This bottle was way past its best. 78/100

Henschke “Hill of Grace” Shiraz 1986 - (Eden Valley, South Australia):
The brett police were out early on this one but I wasn’t getting any. Dark chocolate, sour cherry, leather and sweet fruit on the nose. A still youthful palate showing some tannins sticking out a little bit. The palate was getting better and taking on weight with additional airtime. A lengthy finish. Just needs to come together a bit on the palate. 93/100

Henschke “Hill of Grace” Shiraz 1990 - (Eden Valley, South Australia):
Nice complexity on the nose. Cherry, raspberry, blackberry and very well integrated oak. Palate has good structure but is powerful and intense as well. Perhaps maybe just a touch of acid sticking out on the palate to disrupt what is otherwise a wine with a very long life ahead of it. 90/100

Penfolds “Grange” Shiraz 1990 - (South Australia):
Primary, rich nose of sweet caramel, chocolate, plum, spices and American oak. Good intensity on the palate, tannins are prominent but are of high quality. Excellent length. Very young and needs a significant amount more time to really strut its stuff. 93/100

Penfolds “Kalimna Block 42″ Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 - (Barossa Valley, South Australia):
A vibrant nose of spice, raspberry, earth, tobacco, cedar, dustiness, cassis and restrained oak. The palate is very classy, elegant yet it has superb depth and intensity of fruit, wonderful balance and a long, unbroken line and length. It may not be a pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, but it is a pure expression of Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon. Needs 10, maybe 15 years to be at its peak and could be one of the all time classics at its peak. My Wine of the Night for potential and just all around class. 96/100

Brokenwood “Graveyard” Shiraz 2000 - (Hunter Valley, New South Wales):
Very closed, very hard to judge. Some liquorice, violets, blackberry on the nose. The alcohol was showing through on the palate. I was excited to taste this, but it really felt a bit lacklustre. I would not touch another one for 5 years. 88/100

Jim Barry “The Armagh” Shiraz 1991 - (Clare Valley, South Australia):
The backup bottle to replace the ‘72 Grange. From a single vineyard in the Clare Valley. A nose comprising pepper and spice, hazelnut, mulberry and chocolate. The palate has a certain vibrancy to it. Very good, long finish. Really enjoyable. 91/100

De Bortoli “Noble One” 1984 - (Riverina, New South Wales):
Nose shows a bit of promise with apricot, botrytis characteristics and sultana. The palate is disjointed, alcoholic, spiky and finishing short. Disappointing for one of the legends of Australian dessert wine.80/100

Fast Facts: Variety: Riesling Region: Clare Valley, South Australia Country: Australia Winemaker: Brian Croser Closure: Cork Alcohol: 12.8%

At the time that this was initially released, Brian Croser said that he thought that this was the best Riesling made from the Hanlin Hill vineyard since the famous 1980 Petaluma Riesling. This was the 23rd consecutive vintage that Brian had made Riesling from this vineyard, so he should be in a position to know.

Brian has also compared the excellent 2005 release (and his last vintage with Petaluma) to this wine, so it will be interesting to see if the 2005 develops along the same lines.

I saw this wine recently for $30AUD on re-release at a local liquor store, so I thought it would be a good chance to try it, even though it was the cork version rather than the screwcap release.

Tasting Note: A very pale straw green in colour. On opening it is showing tight, delicate floral and minerally scents as well as hints of lime. The superbly balanced dry palate has an excellent acid structure as well as the intense, pure layers of fruit to stand up to it. It exhibits a long, clean finish that completes the overall stunning package. The kind of wine that makes me glad I got into wine.

After two hours it was still super tight (and still super delicious) with no real signs of opening up.

When to Drink: I would be putting this away for another 5 years before trying again, and would think that it will peak in around 10-15 years time.

Verdict: I haven’t had the legendary 1980, but it wouldn’t surprise me if people are talking about this in a similar reverential manner in 10-15 years because I can’t help but think that it is bound for greatness. 94 points.

All wines were tasted blind at dinner with some friends from the Winestar Forum with the exception of my bottles which were the Bindi, Sorrenberg and the Elk Cove.

Bollinger R.D 1988 - (Champagne, France): Disgorged May 2000. Tarnished gold in colour. Toast, walnut, yeasty dough, pears and slightly oxidative nose. Palate is intense but still retains balance and structure with a crisp finish. My favourite wine on the night. 93/100

Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2005 - (Clare Valley, South Australia): What a disappointment, this is meant to be one of Australia’s very best (and expensive) Rieslings - all lemon and lime and a watery palate with no backbone, no structure, no length, no intensity. A bit of sweetness on the finish.

Wine critics have been generally extremely positive about this wine, but I have seen reports from others that their bottle was similarly poor. 85/100

Bindi Composition Chardonnay 2004 - (Macedon Ranges, Victoria): The antithesis of what I don’t like about Australian chardonnay. No buttery, over-oaked characters here. Fairly tight nose, some cinnamon and grapefruit. Some flinty minerality, good underlying oak and a bit of acid at this stage. Length is good. I liked it. 89/100

Felton Road Pinot Noir 2003 - (Central Otago, New Zealand): Cherries, tomatoes, some stalks, touch of funk initially that blew off. Thought there was some acid poking out but not nearly as much as some others at the table found. Fell away at the back of the palate. 87/100

Henschke Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 - (Eden Valley, South Australia): Savoury nose with elements of earth and blackcurrant at the forefront - lovely tannin structure and great texture/mouthfeel. My second favourite wine on the night. 93/100

Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 1994 - (Eden Valley, South Australia): Powerful nose with spice, pepper, some background oak and a hint of mint and menthol. Once again good structure and length. 90/100

Sorrenberg Gamay 2001 - (Beechworth, Victoria): Spice, earth, smoked smallgoods, some floral notes and a touch of butterscotch(?). Fleshy palate with some sweetness. Something different and definitely needs to be had with food. 88/100

Elk Cove Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2000 - (Oregon, USA): I think probably the first US Pinot I’ve tried and it’s not too bad! Earthy, forest floor, dirty and funky nose with some stalks in the background. Balanced and silky on the palate. Just lacking in some wow factor. A bit of a polarising style as well, with some liking it and some hating the dirt and funk. 89/100

Lindemans St George Cabernet Sauvignon 1991 - (Coonawarra, South Australia): Original release rather than the recent museum release bottling. Pencil shavings, cedar, cassis. Lovely complexity on the palate, great length. Very Bordeaux like. Super stuff. 92/100

Katnook Estate Prodigy Shiraz 1997 - (Coonawarra, South Australia): Tomato leaf, fair amount of vanilla oak. Palate is pretty good but the oak is still too prominent. 89/100

Rockford Grenache 1996 - (Barossa Valley, South Australia): Very ashy on the nose. Components of the palate are well integrated. I don’t know if this was meant to go 10 years but it was holding up fine. Decent enough but probably not a bad move to move the fruit into their GSM blend (Moppa Springs). 87/100

Rosemount Hunter Valley Trockenbeerenauslese Riesling 1982 - (Hunter Valley, New South Wales): A rarity! The story is that during the Fosters/Southcorp merger, inventory of warehouses were being done and 16 cases were found in a corner and nobody knew what they were. It turned out to be lost museum stock of this wine.

Colour was a deep orange brown, almost looked like a fortified wine. Nose was obvious aged Riesling with a bit of botrytis for good measure. Acid was there on the palate and holding the palate together. Very sweet but very nice. Fell apart after about half an hour in the glass, but was wonderful for the time it was alive. 92/100

Jeffrey Grosset has been at the forefront of Australian Riesling production over the past two decades. He makes a range of wines, but none are more famed than his two Rieslings, one from Polish Hill and one from Watervale - both located in the Clare Valley in South Australia.

Generally it is said that the Watervale is for earlier consumption than the Polish Hill and so at nearly 9 years of age, the Watervale was due for drinking.

Tasting Note: A lovely bright light golden colour. Honey, toast and just a small touch of kerosene (which i personally don’t mind). Outstanding length. At or very close to its apex, but I feel like it has the structure to hold this peak for years to come. A beautiful example of mature Australian Riesling. 93 Points Drink: Now -2007