Appellation Australia

A fun night recently with some of my wine drinking associates where we celebrated the birthyear (and in one case the conception year) of the people attending with wines from that vintage. The years we were celebrating were 1963, 1968, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1984. None of the years are especially legendary or classic, but we still managed to put on a very good selection.

Krug 1979 - (Champagne, France):

There is a very fine bead on this but not much mousse. Orange peel, honey, almond, some oxidative characters and some toast. Compared to the bottle I had at Marque earlier in the year I thought it was lacking the flavour concentration on the palate that endeared me to the previous bottle. For me, the palate had a slightly odd sweet and sour element battle being waged.

90/100

Seppelt “Maturation Release” Riesling 1984 - (Eden Valley, South Australia):

Opens with passion fruit, lime, floral touches and some toast on the nose. Palate is simple and lacks definition. A nice enough wine, but certainly not living up to reputation as being one of the classic Australian aged Rieslings. Consistent with the last bottle I tried which was disappointing.

86/100

Trimbach Clos-Ste.-Hune Riesling 1981 - (Alsace, France):

A shimmering light gold colour. My first sniff straight out of the bottle was not promising – very sulphurous, but given some air time, I felt that it really started to open up with wax, straw, petrol and citrus emerging. The palate was where the class and finesse of this wine really shone through though – super balance, style, structure and length! Might be one of the few ’81s that will stick around for my 30th birthday!

92/100

Mildara “Peppermint Patty” Vintage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1963 - (Coonawarra, South Australia):

The was low to mid shoulder in level. There were a series of approving noises being made about the medium garnet colour of this while it was being poured into the decanter. There was just a slight tinge of brick-red around the edges in the glass. What an amazing set of aromas it produced – smoke, leather, blackcurrant, dried flowers, a slight mulchy element, caramel, vanilla and even a touch of peppermint leading into eucalyptus. A superbly balanced, multi-layered palate with breathtaking length.

This was a very special experience. A legendary wine that is apparantly showing lots of variation between bottles, I think we were lucky to get one that was in the best condition that could have been hoped for.

98/100

Chateau Latour 1970 – (Bordeaux, France):

The nose is deep and rich with graphite, menthol, roasted meats, blackcurrant and some mulchy and cheesy characters. The palate is youthful and shows aggressive tannins along with reasonably good length. Didn’t live up to reputation and probably suffered from coming after the Peppermint Patty.

92/100

Chateau Cheval Blanc 1979 - (Bordeaux, France):

This wine was poured along with the story of one of the attendees proclaiming to her boyfriend earlier in the day that she was unready to die as she had not yet tasted Cheval Blanc! Initially the nose is pretty decent, some violets, cherry, spice and florals but these seemed to disappear quickly to be dominated by band-aid aromas. Palate wasn’t great from the start with a lack of fruit resulting in a thin, sharp and short palate. She might have to continue living for just a bit longer yet to try a good Cheval Blanc!

80/100

Chateau Margaux 1979 – (Bordeaux, France):

This was the best of the three 79s that we tried. Nose shows great character with liquorice, cassis, cedar, pencil shavings, raspberry and violets. A good length palate that has aggressive tannins coming in over the top and disrupting the flow somewhat.

90/100

Chateau Trotanoy 1979- (Bordeaux, France):

My first Trotanoy. Aromas of sea salt and brine, iodine and briary characters. The palate showed little to generate any excitement and started heading out of balance and downhill shortly after being poured.

86/100

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 1981- (Bordeaux, France):

A nose of cedar, graphite, pencil shavings, violets, earth and some meats. The palate is a disappointment that lets the wine down – entirely austere and overly tannic.

85/100

Chateau Haut-Brion 1981- (Bordeaux, France):

Cooked, spoiled, yeasty, oxidised … totally stuffed basically.

NR

Tyrrell’s Vat 5 Shiraz 1981 – (Hunter Valley, New South Wales)

A lifted floral nose with cinnamon, raspberry, chocolate, plums and tobacco. The palate shows good balance and plenty of sweet fruit but perhaps pulls up a little bit short and lacks complexity. Regardless, it is a good wine from a less than stellar vintage in many areas of the red wine world and was the best of the flight of 81s.

90/100

Penfolds Grange 1977- (South Australia):

Aromas of rhubarb, violets, some smoked meats and a touch of VA. Lovely aged complexity as well as rich fruits on the palate along with great length and good balance. Pretty close to its peak I would think.

92/100

Penfolds Grange 1979 – (South Australia):
A fairly imposing nose with vanilla oak, caramel, chocolate, liquorice, raspberry, VA and tar. Palate showed very good length but was lacking in anything much else to get excited about.

90/100

Penfolds Grange 1980 – (South Australia):
Lots of dried herbs and tea leaves on the nose as well as raspberry and redcurrant. The palate was simple, short, one dimensional and lacked structure.

85/100

Penfolds Grange 1981 – (South Australia):
Oak, ground coffee beans, some nuttiness, sweet fruits and a smidge of VA. Palate is youthful, with reasonably good length but again some clumsy tannins on the finish throw off the balance of the wine.

89/100

Penfolds Grange 1984 - (South Australia):

Nose is fairly simple at this stage with a fair bit of vanilla oak, blueberry and blackberry. Palate shows some youthful richness but it is ultimately too oaky and there is some bitterness on the finish. Based on this bottle I would be giving it more time, but I’m not entirely convinced that it will come into balance.

87/100

Chateau Musar 1979 - (Bekaa Valley, Lebanon):

A cloudy ruby colour. Earth, ash, VA, spice and smoked delicatessen meats on the nose. The palate has abundant style! Medium bodied, good balance, great length. This was my first Musar, and hopefully not the last.

91/100

Moulin Touchais 1977 - (Loire Valley, France):

Slightly oxidative nose with sour apples, ripe pear, lemon and butterscotch. Too much acid causing the palate to look disjointed and a bit short.

86/100

Hardy’s Vintage Port 1968 - (South Australia):

Has a caramel, toffee and nutty nose. Palate is fine – pretty good balance and seems reasonably fresh but there isn’t any real depth or complexity.

87/100

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

A recent dinner with some friends in Canberra, including the very best red wine I have been lucky enough to taste.

I know I have been talking about a fair few international wines recently which is a deviation from the theme of the site, but I hope to get back to more Australian content shortly with some international wines just every now and again.

All wines were tasted blind by me as I was the recipient of kindness from some of the most generous people you could hope to meet, and was asked not to bring a bottle.

Seppelt Keppoch “Rhine” Riesling 1977
Light golden in colour. The nose is nice, still exhibits vibrancy but also the secondary aged characters – very waxy as well as butter, toast, lemon rind and some nuttiness. Acid is still there, propping up the palate, exhibits good length but perhaps lacks a bit of depth to take this to brilliance.
91/100

Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldcapsule 1988
Orange marmalade coloured. Nose shows peaches, apricot, honey, marmalade and some slate. The palate has plenty of sweetness and while it is not over the top, it feels like the acid isn’t quite there to balance things out. Good, but looked a bit tired based on this bottle.
87/100

Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2000
A little bit of sulphur initially that mostly blew off quickly in the glass. Has a tight nose – some pear, lime, minerals and a dab of aged cheese. The palate is super lovely, with precision and focus driving towards the finish that is of exceptional length. Superb structure and greater rewards will come with patience.
93/100

Egly-Ouriet Brut Grand Cru Millésime Champagne 1996
This wine was showing a fine bead with good mousse. Has a rich and powerful nose of brioche, toast, yeast and some oxidative characters. To me, the palate is almost the opposite, exhibiting great freshness and zing, with awesome length and depth of flavour. I suspect it is drinking close to its peak already, no need to hold onto this before enjoying it.
93/100

Domaine François Raveneau Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1997
A tight, somewhat mute nose which started to open up a bit to show quite a bit of sulphur as well as soap, lemons and bananas. Palate is rather restrained as well. This bottle probably didn’t have the structure to come out of the other side of whatever rut it was in.
87/100

Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes 1995
There was just a hint of browning around the edges of this wine. The nose seems quite nice, stalks, pepper, blood and cherry. The palate is rather a let down though after the complex nose, out of balance acid and tannins smothering other elements. Shows some flavour intensity on the mid-palate but then finishes short.
86/100

Château Le Gay 1982
A great vibrant youthful red hue. Nose shows aromas of tobacco, cedar, well integrated oak, plums, chocolate and blackcurrant. A very elegant palate with lovely balance and length. Drinking superbly now, but in no danger of falling over soon.
92/100

Château Cheval Blanc 1985
The first thing I wrote was “A complete step up in class from the previous wine”. The Le Gay was lovely, but this was totally magnificent!

A superbly layered, lifted, complex nose of tobacco, coffee, earth, liquorice, cherry, raspberry and fresh thyme and rosemary. Has an entrancing, completely seductive palate with flawless structure and balance. Brilliant, endless length. Somebody help me, I’m running out of superlatives. Well stored bottles that survive the cork lottery will surely live for decades.

I’m glad I tasted this blind, because I wonder if I would have let myself love it so much if I had known in advance what it was.
98/100

Château Rayas Reserve Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1988
A nose of olives, leather, nail polish, roast vegetables, sizzling bacon fat and burnt toast. To be honest, my description of the nose doesn’t accurately describe just how terrible it was. The palate was drinkable but stripped of any likeable characters – thin and acidic. I left a half glass for a number of hours, trying to coax something to like out of this, but in the end had to give up the cause as hopeless.
75/100

Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 1982
Very youthful colour with no signs of browning. Nose has aromas of smoke, raw meat and some bretty notes. Lots of sweet red fruit on the well balanced palate.
89/100

Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon 1982
Deep youthful violet colour. Nose that conveys essence of capsicum as well as some roast vegetables, cedar, stalky green notes and tobacco. Palate seems harsh and a bit short. Not at all like the superb bottle that we had at the Australian wine night that showed brilliantly, another victim of random variation.
87/100

Château d’Yquem 1981
Mid-golden colour. A fairly typical (in my experience) medium intensity Sauternes nose of botrytis, apricot, honey and marmalade. A rich palate, with good acid structure but bitterness on the back-palate ruins the finish. Very nice, but I probably didn’t like it quite enough to buy for my (poor vintage) birth-year drinking.
91/100

Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben Müller-Burggraef) Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling-Trockenbeerenauslese 1994
I thought it was German TBA straight away, but imagine my surprise when options veered to 1980s Australia. Wild stabbing in the dark identity guessing ensued until the deceit was unveiled

A deep golden-orange colour. Has an intense nose of honey, spice, slate and caramel. Very intense sweetness on the palate which dominates the acid just slightly. For me, more interest and complexity than the D’Yquem. This was ready, willing and able to be consumed now and in the near future.
95/100

Penfolds Great Grandfather Grand Old Liqueur Limited Release 2 “Tawny Port” NV
A generous gesture by our host at the end of the evening to open this rare fortified wine for us. A complex, intense nose of roasted walnuts, oak, caramel, toffee, rancio and raisins as well as some initial alcoholic heat. The front of the palate lacks balance with alcohol and oak dominating – still has a very nice rich texture to it as well as shrugging off the imbalance at the mid-palate stage and showing a 30+ second finish.
92/100

A quick get together at Borelli’s Italian Restaurant in Epping. The restaurant was good for what it is, a small local place that has food with good flavour and large servings, with fairly priced meals (for us it was around $50 AUD per person for three courses and tip) and corkage at $4 a bottle. Most importantly, it was centrally located for the people attending this get together. We had an interesting little mix of wines on the night with a couple of them standing out at the end.

Pol Roger Brut 1996 – (Champagne, France):
A nose of green apples, citrus, some minerals and a touch of yeast but seemed to have softened in intensity since I last tried it in December 2004. There was a slight musty character that reminded me of a similar character on the 1988 Dom Perignon that I had at the French wine dinner at Marque I but I don’t think it was corked (nor did anyone think the Dom corked), it can be hard to tell sometimes though. A glass left to the side for a few hours didn’t seem to have any obvious level of taint to it. The palate had some nice texture to it and a cleansing wave of acidity across the length. A bad bottle or not, I still thought it was a nice wine.
88/100

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 1996 – (Margaret River, Western Australia):
Citrus peel and roasted nuts on the nose. Generous flavour on the palate and the length was good except for a weird bitter echinacea like character on the mid to back palate. Seemed quite developed – not as good as a previous bottle that I had late last year. Based on this bottle and even the one previous, I’d been drinking it over the next couple of years.
86/100

Paul Jaboulet Domaine de Thalabert Crozes-Hermitage 1997 – (France):
Cherry, liquorice, stalks, iodine and tar. Tannins and oak well integrated on the fairly sappy palate. Drinking pretty nicely at the moment, I don’t think it would benefit from much more age.
87/100

E. Guigal Hermitage 1997 – (France):
Blackberry, liquorice, dark berry fruits, dark chocolate. Again the slight sappy green element to the palate, but not as pronounced as with the Jaboulet. Structure, tannins and length seemed to be slightly better than the Jaboulet. A nice wine that will probably be a bit nicer with a few more years in bottle.
88/100

Castagna Genesis Syrah 2002 – (Beechworth, Victoria):
Pepper and spice with background apricot as well as bright raspberry and cherry aromas, there were some floral notes coming through as it just started to open up. I didn’t think the viognier too overt (although if you hate it, it is certainly there in the background). Palate exhibits some excellent texture and structure. Needs another 5+ years to really shine.
91/100

Parker Estate Terra Rossa First Growth 1994 – (Coonawarra, South Australia):
Lots of blackcurrant and cassis, smoke, hints of slightly roasted vegetables and capsicum. Palate is smooth and the components seem well integrated, but it surprisingly has very little secondary development as yet. Very good now and should probably get better if everything stays balanced while it develops complexity.
92/100

Fast Facts: Variety: White Frontignac Region: Barossa Valley Country: Australia Winemaker: Matt Wenk Closure: Cork Alcohol: 6.5% Cost: $18AUD (500ml) Source: Purchased from friend Winery Website: Two Hands

This is one of the first wines to appear from the 2006 vintage, having just been bottled mid last month.

I had a look at the 2004 version of this wine here and was too slow to get some of the 2005 since it quickly sold out. A friend recently ordered a case from the winery and he was kind enough to let me purchase a couple of bottles of this vintage from him.

Tasting Note: Close to crystal clear in colour with the very faintest hint of a yellow hue. The fresh nose bursts forth with grapes, florality, tropical fruit, peach and mango. The palate is fresh and the light spritz cuts helps to keep the sweetness from being cloying. It actually has surprisingly good palate length and before you know it, the bottle has been finished.

When to Drink: Now through to the release of the 2007 early next year.

Verdict: It won’t get any better, but it sure is delicious to drink now as an aperitif or a wine for the middle of the week when you don’t want anything too alcoholic. The score is high, but it is worthy if you at all enjoy the style. 90 points.

An excellent dinner hosted by friends Gavin and Gen. I’ve included the menu items interspersed throughout the notes. I won’t post too detailed impressions on the food, but in general they were good matches, especially the Salmon with the Champagne and the smoked Duck with the Pinot/Burgundy.

Smoked Salmon, mayonnaise and avocado

Franck Bonville Grand Cru BdB “Brut Selection” N.V – (Avize, Champagne):
Fine bead, nose of citrus, spice, chalk, sea spray, vanilla bean. Medium bodied palate shows a noticeable level of acid but it is restrained enough to refresh and provide a crisp mouth-feel rather than upset the balance. Length is good. A nice wine. 88/100

Zind-Humbrecht Riesling 2003 – (Turckheim, Alsace):
On the nose, apricot, smoke, peaches, some alcohol and phenolic characters sticking out. While the palate had an interesting texture to it, it also felt really flat and lacking in acid and the richness that I’ve heard ZH is known for. Probably a product of the vintage as well as this being one of the low level ZH Rieslings (still not cheap in Australia of course). A wine that provided a decent level of hard to pick options (with Gavin saying “Well it’s definately not Zind Humbrecht), but not a whole lot else. 81/100

Oremus Furmint 1998 – (Mandolas, Tokaji, Hungary):
Speaking of hard to pick options … a dry wine from the Tokaji region best known for their sweet wines. The nose shows aromas of funk, spice, oxidative characters and ripe bananas. The structure of the palate is sound – although it is dry and oxidative again. The length is actually quite good. An interesting experience. 87/100

Château Laffitte-Ceston “Sec” 2002 – (Pacherenc du Vic Bilh, Southwest France):
Made from Petit-Manseng grapes. Aromas of passionfruit, pineapple, kiwi and floral overtones. The palate has prominent acid and also seems a touch alcoholic or spirity. Again, interesting and something I was glad to get the chance to try. 86/100

Black Pudding in Pastry
Smoked duck and raspberry sauce

Michel Gros “Clos des Reas” 1er Cru Monopole 1998 – (Vosne-Romanee, Burgundy):
Stalks and boot polish initially which did blow off to reveal a perfumed, slightly floral nose as well as primary notes of raspberry and strawberry. Took on some truffle and undergrowth notes as it breathed in the glass. Palate is delicate and elegant and fine tannins are present and providing structure. Length is excellent with the finish persisting for quite some time. My Wine Of The Night. 92/100

Salad with vegetables and cheese
Lamb with mushroom sauce, carrot and potato

Chateau Branaire 1989 – (St. Julien, Bordeaux):
Just the slightest fading around the rim, but a deep youthful crimson core. The nose was showing cedar, cassis, pencil shavings, a touch of florality and dusty notes. Palate has good structure and balance. A fine wine. 90/100

John Duval “Plexus” 2003 Shiraz Grenache Mataro – (Barossa Valley, South Australia):
The first vintage from this new label by ex Penfolds (and Grange) winemaker John Duval. The nose stands out against the previous wines. Juicy, upfront notes of blackberry, blueberry, pepper and spices, liquorice and well integrated French oak. Palate is quite well balanced and I didn’t think it was showing its 14.5% alcohol. Soft tannins and a nice long finish. 90/100

Seppelt “Great Western” Shiraz 1997 – (Grampians, Victoria):
Nose closed up about 5 minutes after I opened it. Was given some time to breath in the bottle and a decanter. Nose remained quite closed but showed a slight floral lift along with pepper, cherry and some very restrained oak. The medium intensity palate shows sweet fruit and good length. Still very youthful and tightly coiled. Is it going anywhere good? Too hard for me to call. 87/100

Cheese Plate
Fig with prosciutto
Bread and butter pudding

Brown Brothers “Patricia” Noble Riesling 2002 – (King Valley, Victoria):
Current release of this wine. Deep amber colour belies its youth. Pears dominate the nose that also shows apricot, citrus peel, honeycomb and marmalade. The palate is very sweet and ripe, but I thought the acid flowed through the length of the palate and was enough to avoid being cloying to my tastes. It finishes crisp and long. The back label says that it can be cellared for 4-6 years and while it may be possible, I think it is drinking so well now that it would be a waste of time to wait. Great value for money at around $20AUD for a half bottle. 92/100

A really good night – good company, food and wines. There were two votes for the Burgundy as the best wine of the night and two votes for the Brown Brother Patricia. I thought they were both excellent but would (and did) go for the Burgundy.

A few short notes from a free tasting with Torbreck winemaker David Powell at North Sydney Cellars late last month.

These wines are favourites of the powerful American wine critic Robert Parker, hence the prices of the top wines are beyond the budget of most people. This was a good chance to taste these wines and find out what the fuss was about, without having to spend a large amount of money to do it.

There tends to be an interesting story behind the names of each of the winery and wines. The name “Torbreck” matches the name of a forest that David worked at when he was a lumberjack in Scotland. This is also the origin for the names of the two Woodcutter wines. Cuvée Juveniles was named for a friend’s winebar in France, with a similar story of the Les Amis restaurant in Singapore approaching David to make a special blend for them. A number of the other names have Scottish origins.

All wines are from the Barossa Valley in South Australia and I’ve tried to include an approximate RRP in Australian dollars with each wine.

Woodcutter’s Semillon 2004 ($22)
Nose is reasonable but overworked – some funk, butter, citrus, and some nutty oak. The palate shows harsh phenolic characters as well as alcohol and excessive acid.
81/100

Marsanne Rousanne 2005 ($40)
65% marsanne, 35% rousanne. This wine usually has a small amount of Viognier in the blend. Nose shows candy notes, some florality, orange peel and musk. Palate is hot and disjointed with alcohol influence.
81/100

“Cuvée Juveniles” Grenache Mataro Shiraz 2004 ($28)
60% grenache, 25% mataro, 15% shiraz. Some (more) heat on the nose along with smoked meats, dirt, mulch, some green characters, cherry and some licorice. Fruit sweetness on the palate. Thought that the palate was short and uninteresting. Didn’t like this at all.
80/100

“The Steading” Grenache Mataro Shiraz 2003 ($40)
60% grenache, 20% mataro, 20% shiraz. Chocolate, licorice and some cedar oak on the nose. Shows better length, depth and power on the palate than the Cuvée Juveniles, but is still lacking some interest.
86/100

“Woodcutter’s” Shiraz 2005 ($22)
Nail polish, varnish and pepper on the nose. Palate is hot, acidic and stewed.
78/100

“The Struie” Shiraz 2004 ($55)
This is a bit more like it. Spice, licorice, smoked meat and I thought some very small cheesy notes. Lovely fruit intensity on the palate. Well balanced and and drinking very well now for my tastes.
88/100

“Descendant” Shiraz/Viognier 2004 ($145)
93% shiraz, 7% viognier. Another step up in class (and price!). Floral, sweet, slightly candied nose as well as some tobacco/ashtray, mocha and just a touch of apricot. Very mouth filling and has good intensity of flavour while retaining balance and elegance. Drinking pretty well tonight, but sure to improve.
91/100

“The Factor” Shiraz 2003 ($150)
Nose is rather tight – some spicy, peppery, smoked meat characters being all that I could get. Palate has excellent structure and balance as well as very good length. Given time, I think it’ll open up and be rather good.
92/100

“RunRig” Shiraz/Viognier 2003 ($250)
98% shiraz, 2% viognier. Restrained power on the nose with some tar, dark fruits and floral notes with balanced oak in the background. Palate is elegant, balanced and focused with good texture and flavour. Drinking alright on the night, it will still be a waste of potential if you open then before another 3 or 4 years.
92/100

“The Pict” Mataro (Mouvedre) 2004 ($250)
The first vintage of this single-vineyard old vine Mataro from Torbreck. Earth, smoke and chocolate nose. Palate structure and flavour is interesting. Tannins felt like they were chewy. Good length, but very youthful and will should benefit from time in bottle.
89/100

“Les Amis” Grenache 2004 ($250)
Nose shows blackcurrant, raspberry, chocolate, tarmac, sweet fruit, a slight oxidative character and a touch of oak. Tannins are quite prominent on the palate at this stage, but apart from that it was exhibiting balance and structure with good flavour intensity.
91/100

These are some very good wines, probably some of Australia’s best when it comes to Rhone Valley blends. It is just a shame that they are out of price reach for anything other than very special occasions for most people. “The Struie” is probably the best “value” in the lineup, but other Shiraz wines at $55 can be much better.

Still, it raises a question that often results in a heated debate – RunRig was originally released at $36 and as the reviews got better, the wine has risen in price to its current level. People say that this is “too expensive” but the economist in me says that the winery should release the wine at the price that people are willing to pay. This also stops the problem of people getting their allocation of wine and then selling it straight away at auction, making 5 or 10 times what they paid for it – when the people who should be making the profits are the people who put in the hard work (the winery).

So, are these wines “too expensive” if that is what people are willing to pay for them? Should wineries follow the lead of some of the old fashioned places (Wendouree, Wild Duck Creek etc) and sell to loyal customers at prices well below auction prices? I would be interested to hear my readers thoughts.

Either way – thank you to David Powell and North Sydney Cellars for giving people a chance to taste these wines and make up their own mind about them.

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