Appellation Australia

These were tasted at The Book Kitchen Restaurant in Surry Hills. Most dishes are available in entree and main course size, so most of us opted for 4-5 entree sized courses so that we could try a wide variety. Some dishes were excellent, while others lacked flavour. The service quality was also rather inconsistent. I will return, but hopefully these problems have been ironed out by then.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some short notes from a long, vaguely Italian themed lunch.

N.V. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siecle:
Probably around 7-10 years bottle age and it shows on the nose with aromas of honey, citrus, quince paste and some sherry. Complex and with good presence on the palate, there is also acidity coming through strongly to keep things fresh.
91/100

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1998 Giacomo Borgogno Barolo Riserva:
Corked.
NR/100

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys 1998 - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru
375ml bottle, 13% alcohol. From what I understand, Les Lys is one of the sections of the Vaillons vineyard, both entitled to the Premier Cru designation.

A lovely golden colour, before opening I was a little bit worried that it would be oxidised but it turns out that the bottle glass is just tinted brown! Honey, oats, hay and citrus aromas on the nose. Very rich flavour on the palate, leaning toward the new world in style, though there is some Chablis slate lingering in the background. Medium length, lacking a bit of complexity for the stage of development to be great. That said, I really enjoyed this, it is interesting, drinking at its peak now and is pretty good value at the $27AUD for the half bottle that I paid. 89/100

A hastily arranged Friday night tasting at a friends house was taken to a higher level than expected with the opening of a newly released 1996 Krug.

2006 Bellarmine “Auslese” Riesling
Lemon, honey, spice and a whiff of kerosene on the nose. A lovely sweetness to the palate with good focussed acidity. Medium length. I would drink over the next couple of years.
88/100

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

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

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

1988 Jaboulet “La Chapelle”
Corked.
NR/100

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 2006
A touch of smoke combined with citrus and oyster shells on the nose. Nice round mouthfeel without being too broad, the fruit richness carried along the length of the palate by a backing of minerally acid. Nice, easy drinking now and over the next 2 years. Not certain on price, but very likely under $30AUD.
87/100

Chateau Mont-Redon Cotes du Rhone 2004
A Grenache dominant blend with Mourvedre and Shiraz. An appealing spice, cherry, smoked meats and plummy nose. Palate is soft and has lots of sweet Grenache fruit. Some interest and acceptable value for around $25AUD a bottle.
87/100

Domaine Christian Moreau Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillons” 2005
Sea spray, peach, floral notes and some well woven oak in the background of the nose. The palate is long and the pure flavours build in the mouth toward the finish, giving an overall impression of vibrancy, purity and refined balance. Around the $50AUD mark and well worth a look.
90/100

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

The idea of this dinner was to compare the various styles of White and Red Burgundy wines across various sub-regions. Except for a slight hiccup with the white wines, the night was very succesful and interesting.

The dinner was held at Restaurant Sojourn in Balmain. After two visits I’m certain that Sojourn is my new second-favourite restaurant in Sydney (behind only Tetsuya’s). The attention to detail and presentation of the food are brilliant. Plus it is outstanding value for money, we had 10 courses, extra bread, bottles of mineral water, corkage and tip for $135 AUD a head.

1998 Pol Roger Champagne Brut
Vigorous bead. A really nice nose showing lemon, yeast, smoke and a lifted floral character. The palate is nicely balanced - smooth and creamy with delicate flavour and a lingering sweetness. Open and really enjoyable now, I don’t think it is one to hold onto.
91/100

White Burgundy

2002 Gérard Chavy & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières
Corked
NR/100

2000 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne
Corked … two in a row :\
NR/100

2002 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d’Or
A tight nose with fleeting aromas of peach, light caramel, florals and cashew. The palate is the highlight of this wine, with the oak, acid and fruit working together seamlessly to create something special. Subtle and light on its feet, finishing long and delicious.
94/100

2002 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
A last minute callup after the initial disaster with the first two wines. Matchsticks are the dominant character on the nose as well as sesame, melon, honey and sea spray. Very approachable on the palate, despite the obvious youth and potential to improve. There is a richness of flavour that nicely balances the woven acid structure. Very classy and impeccable length.
93/100

Red Burgundy

2001 Henri Germain Beaune 1er Cru Les Bressandes
Nose of dark cherry, smoke and a touch of spicy oak. Palate is very soft and straightforward. Finishes a little bit short and bitter. Nice enough to drink, but nothing really grabbed me about this wine.
86/100

2002 La Pousse d’Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos d’Audignac
An expressive, pure nose wafts out of the glass with musk, spice, candied florals and cherry. Palate lives up to the promise of the nose, with good flavour from restrained sweet fruit and balanced with soft tannins lending structure. Medium length and very hard to not enjoy greatly.
91/100

2000 J. Confuron-Cotetidot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
A very herbal and rustic nose that I have to say didn’t really appeal to me with tomato leaf, basil, broccoli and tobacco. The palate is better than the nose and is loaded with white pepper and savory spice. The tannins are looking for attention, but are of good quality. Was looking a bit awkward overall.
87/100

1999 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts
A bit of rubber/reductive character at the forefront of the nose, but if you could look past that, it was really lovely with rhubarb, raspberry, chocolate, iodine and a slate like note to it. Palate is really superbly structured with fine tannins and very good length. Could use another 5 years to develop at least.
90/100

1999 Domaine Bart Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Deeply coloured. Powerful, brooding nose of violet, smoked meat and cherry. Palate also shows power and depth but it is well balanced with the delicate texture not overwhelmed. Tannins are very fine and don’t get in the way of the line and great length of the wine at all. Totally delicious to drink, with plenty of room to improve and gain extra complexity.
92/100

1995 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Grand Cru
Even denser in colour. Nose shows anise, fennel and plenty of spicy oak. One person compared the puckering tannins to Barolo, another to sucking on a teabag - both were apt descriptions. Massive, chewy and dense. Cries out for food, but even the food struggled to tame this wine. Has potential if the tannins soften, but I have to wonder if they will. Check back in 5 years.
87/100

1999 Domaine Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
Very closed and reticent on the nose with some cherry and spices peeking through. The tannins were also at the forefront of the huge palate on this wine, but the underlying fruit seemed deeper and the structure as a whole better as well. Very good length. More approachable than the Faiveley, but still needs another 10 years to show its potential I think.
90/100

Sauternes

1988 Château Climens
Nose is light but lovely with honey, quince, spice and ginger. An elegant sweetness, with a long core of acid cleansing and elevating the palate. Good texture and complexity, long and focused. This is excellent now and should improve for the next 10 years and continue to drink very well for many years afterward.
93/100

One of the great things about wine is the range of people that you meet who share the interest, from all age-groups and walks of life. In the last few weeks I have had the pleasure of attending the birthday parties of friends turning 30, 40 and 50!

The Egon Muller and the Giacomo were served blind to me and I knew the identities of the other wines in advance.

J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 1993
The youthful light golden colour was a promising start. Petrol, smoke and a bit of honey on the nose. The palate is rich in fruit sweetness, but the balancing acidity makes it delightfully refreshing. Good carry of flavour, but lacking in points of interest. I enjoyed this a great deal regardless.
88/100

Chave Hermitage Blanc 1995
Served a bit too cold to begin with, but as it warmed in the glass I found it beguiling and captivating. So incredibly perfumed with floral high notes and pineapple, nectarine, smoke, passionfruit and light butterscotch and honeysuckle aromas. Oily and luxurious mouth-feel without any hint at broadness. Complex texture and even a slight element of tannin to it. Powerful and complex, yet elegant and entirely balanced at the same time. Unique and compelling, I’d love to encounter it again in 10 years time.
95/100

Giacomo Borgogno Barolo Riserva 1982
Opened with dark raspberry and cherry, earth, grilled red meat, tobacco and lifted violet aromatics. After some time in the glass it took on an intriguing grassy and oolong tea aroma profile. First impression is that of the tannins still being prominent and while these remained in play throughout, they became much less obvious when consumed with food. Great texture and layered, persistent flavour to the palate. In great shape for the age, and really lovely to drink now, I think it may be at its peak, but it will still be drinking very well over the next 5 years.
93/100

Tua Rita Perlato del Bosco Rosso 2001
Deep ruby colour. A nose of ink, barbequed duck in hoisin sauce, beetroot, cherry and toasty oak. Rasping tannin across the palate, but the length is good and there is rich fruit lurking. I feel that this has the potential to improve over the next 10 years as the tannins soften and it takes on some complexity.
90/100

Chateau Rieussec 1983
Dark golden in colour. The nose is emphatic - burnt sugar and caramel, apricots, botrytis and honey. There is a strong sweetness to the palate that is tempered by a core of moderate acidity. Finishing long and clean, this was a nice note to end the evening on. This bottle was drinking at its peak.
91/100

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