Appellation Australia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There was no theme chosen for this small, informal get together by four of us last Saturday. I had a very good time thanks to some great company, food and wine.

Bruno Michel “Cuvee Rebelle” Extra Brut NV (Champagne, France):

On the nose were breadcrumbs, apple, floral scents and a pinch of earth. Very easy to drink on the palate, with good balance between fruit sweetness and acidity and decent length. A pleasing enough way to start the night.

86/100

Weinkellerei Der Pfarrkirche Alsheimer Rheinblick Riesling Auslese 1976 (Rheinhessen, Germany - AP 4 372 082 75 79):

A deep amber-copper colour. The nose took a while to come together but when it did there were some nice aromas of marzipan, apricot and roasted almonds as well as some wax and petrol. The palate is balanced and had a medium sweetness to it, across its touch-short length. I really enjoy getting to try obscure wines that I will probably never see again, how many bottles of this could possibly be left? Thanks Christo!

87/100

Wolfberger “Grand Cru” Pfersigberg Gewurztraminer 1997 (Alsace, France):

There were a few concerns over the nose of this on opening but we thought it was alright and by the time it was served it was confirmed to be fine. Subtle spices, musk, lychee and floral aromas on the nose. There is a touch of alcohol induced heat on the palate as well as some sightly unbalanced sweetness. There is good weight and length to the palate, but perhaps just lacking some balance and points of interest.

87/100

Bass Phillip “Reserve” Rose 2004 (Gippsland, Victoria):

A cloudy, dark pink in colour. The nose is fairly confronting and is sure to be a bit of a love/hate proposition - stalks, rhubarb, earth, strawberry, violets and some sawdusty, toasty oak. I really enjoy the savory flavours and texture on the palate which is also to me, quite clean in comparison to the nose. Well balanced and I think there are plenty of things to enjoy about it, but only if it sounds like your kind of style.

89/100

Mitchelton “Print” Shiraz 1996 (Goulburn Valley, Victoria):

A youthful, sweet fruited nose of blueberry, raspberry, mushroom, pepper and some background oak. I quite like the restrained palate weight and dusty tannins. Still looking pretty primary, it seems to have the balance and structure to continue developing over the next few years.

89/100

M. Chapoutier “La Mordoree” 1994 (Cote-Rotie, France):

Captivating. Complex aromas of game, earthy undergrowth, pepper and spice, tobacco, grilled meats and smoke. Medium weighted with aged complexity and depth of savoury flavors. Outstanding balance across the length of the palate into a lingering finish. This bottle I feel was drinking at its peak.

94/100

Capercaillie “The Clan” 2001 (Barossa/Coonawarra/Orange):

80% Cabernet, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot. Tobacco, pencil shavings, bramble as well as some low level Brett style complexity. Medium bodied and easy to drink, having good balance. A nice wine without doing anything to stand out as being great in any aspect.

88/100

Glaetzer “Amon Ra” Shiraz 2005 (Barossa Valley, South Australia):

I could happily smell this wine all night long. Entirely captivating just like the Chapoutier, but in a totally opposite manner - totally saturates your nose with aromas of licorice, chocolate, raspberry, cherry, tobacco, blueberries and floral notes. So luscious and ripe, and with velvet like texture on the palate. Firm tannins and background classy use of oak provide much needed structure for this immense wine. I doubt my one bottle will last anywhere near long enough for me to find out how this will age as it is just so approachable and pleasurable right now.

94/100

Rudolf Muller Muller-Burggraef Reiler Sorentberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 1994 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany - 375ml - AP 2 598 172 08 96):

A deep golden amber colour similar to the 1976 opened earlier. Intense nose of caramel popcorn, ripe peaches, apricot, cinnamon, raisins and noticeable botrytis influence. The palate is lacking ever so slightly in acid profile to rein the incredible intense sweetness in and take the step from brilliance to genius. Inspirational length and really very delicious. This half bottle was as ready as it was ever going to be to drink.

94/100

The third and final workshop on the second day of the Frankland Estate International Riesling Tasting in Sydney.

This workshop focused on Riesling from the new and old world, in an off-dry style.

Dry River “Craighall” 2004

Slightly less pungent nose than the 2005 I tried the previous day, but still had some sweaty, funky elements as well as crisp green apples, lemons and lime. There is a good balance between sweetness and structural acidity. Nice drinking and will probably provide enjoyment over the next 2-3 years, but was just seeming to lack something special to take it up to the next level of quality.

88/100 

Cave Spring “CSV” 2004

The nose is fresh and shows notes of florality and grape juice. Palate shows very aggressive acidity that disrupts the line and length of the wine. I don’t know if it’ll settle down with time, but on this showing it was very difficult to drink.

84/100

J. L. Wolf Forster Pechstein Spatlese 2004

In contrast to the 2004 Spatlese Trocken that I tried from this maker in workshop two, I thought this was quite good. It has a very floral, perfumed nose with apples, pear, steel, slate and minerals. Shows excellent palate structure and has a lingering finish. The sweetness is restrained and plays only a background role.

88/100

Wittmann Westhofener Morstein Spatlese 2004

Pure citrus peel and lime scents on the nose. Acid is aggressive on the front of the palate, but then drops away in the middle and leaves cloying sweetness on the finish. This wine seemed to be struggling to find balance on this occasion.

85/100

Bonny Doon “the Heart has its Rieslings” 2005

Has to be a contender for one of the most cringe inducing names I’ve encountered. Had a nose of lime, lychee, slate, grapefruit and pear. Palate shows good length but needs some additional acid in order to avoid the sweetness dominating and to find balance.

87/100

Clusserath-Weiler Trittenheimer Apotheke Spatlese 2004

Pungent, powerful, slightly over the top nose of washed rind cheese, yeast and sulphur. The palate is good, balanced and long - but it’s hard to drink when your nose is sending you a signal that you don’t really appreciate in your Riesling.

85/100

Reinhold Haart Piesporter Goldtropfchen Spatlese 2004

Has a reductive nose, minerals, sulphur and phenolic characters. Biting acidity on the palate comes in over the top of the sweetness. Hard to judge at the moment, it may calm down with additional time in bottle.

86/100

Weingut Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienburg Spatlese 2004

A nose of good purity - steely, slate and minerals. Balance and length suffer from cloying sweetness on the back palate.

87/100

Emrich-Schonleber Monzinger Halenberg Spatlese 2004

Old wet sweaty boots along with struck match sulphur. Acid dominates the palate. I was not too fond of this wine.

80/100

Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Spatlese 2004

Like freshly squeezed lime juice on the nose. The palate is tight and elegant, with sweetness present but cooperating with the other elements of the well-structured palate. I could see this getting better with additional time in bottle.

89/100

Weingut Josef Leitz Rudesheimer Berg Schlossberg Spatlese 2004

Aromas of slate, petrol and apricot on the nose. A really good acid structure and balance to the rich palate, seamless integration of components and a lingering finish. It should be very good with time to develop.

89/100

Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Spatlese 2004

Icing sugar, slate, earth, lime and violets form the nose. Displays an elegant palate with tight focus and superb depth of flavour. It is delicious to drink now, but give it 10-15 years and it should be brilliant.

91/100

Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Spatlese 2003

This looked a bit out of place as a product of the 2003 vintage alongside the previous 2004 wines. On the nose it had ripe peaches, mango, pineapple, a floral candy like element and concentrated raisins. A rich and slightly broad palate, with the acid struggling to keep to the tempo of the rest of the elements.

86/100

Pegasus Bay “Encore” 2004

Grapefruit, passionfruit, honey, apricot and a fair hit of botrytis. Palate exhibits very high richness, excellent flavour depth and fruit concentration, but the core acid structure reins things back from being cloying. Lacks complexity at the moment, but could improve if given another 3-4 years.

90/100

Mount Horrocks “Cordon Cut” 2004

Lemon meringue, pineapple and some sulphurous notes. Palate lacks acid and the sweetness seems cloying as well as exhibiting harshness on the finish. This was not nearly as good as the excellent 2005 that I had on general tasting. Sealed under screwcap, but I wonder if there was something slightly off about this bottle.

82/100

This was an very good master class with the interesting and charismatic Ernst Loosen. This was the second of three master classes on day two of the Frankland Estate International Riesling Tasting.

First up was a wine that is part of a joint venture between Chateau Ste. Michelle in the USA and Ernst Loosen that was started in 1999. Ernst spoke about the goal of this venture as being the best mix of old world knowledge and technique along with the best unique expression of Washington Riesling.

Chateau Ste. Michelle “Eroica” 2005 - (Columbia Valley, Washington, USA):

Essence of banana on the nose, along with apple, mango and other tropical fruits (mostly pineapple and passionfruit). Medium weighted palate shows crisp acidity and just a very slight hint of sweetness.
87/100

After this new world wine, Ernst took us through a set of three wines from J.L Wolf (an estate that he took over in 1996) that he says were from the same region, picked at similar times, had similar vinification process (including the same strain of yeast) and should display the differences in these three “Grand Cru” vineyards for the 2004 vintage.

J. L. Wolf Forster Pechstein (Blackstone) Spatlese Trocken 2004 - (Pfalz):

Rather weird nose - some vegemite like yeast as well as minerals, candy and some soap characters. Palate seems to lack balance at the moment, with acid prominent especially on the front and back palate.
83/100

J. L. Wolf Forster Ungeheuer (Monster) Spatlese Trocken 2004 - (Pfalz):

Flinty, mineraly and some struck match sulphur characters on the nose. The palate is focused, rich and powerful. Shows excellent balance and structure as well as a good length to the finish.
89/100

J. L. Wolf Forster Jesuitengarten Spatlese Trocken 2004 - (Pfalz):

An elegant nose of peach, orange peel, honeydew melon, wet pebblecrete, minerals and a soft floral note. Palate exhibits freshness and vibrancy, with a core of minerally acid providing structure. Should age wonderfully well.
90/100

Then onto a flight of Dr Loosen estate wines which were all from the Mosel region and were again an example in the difference that can be granted from these three different (and again rated as “Grand Cru”) vineyard sites and soil types from 2004.

Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr (Sundial of Wehlen) Auslese 2004 - (Mosel):

From blue slate and very thin topsoil. Stone fruit, very peachy and apples. Some nice intense fruit flavour and beautifully balanced sweetness on the palate. A long, lingering finish and very enjoyable to drink.
90/100

Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten (Spicegarden of Urzig) Auslese 2004 - (Mosel):

From red volcanic sandstone soil. Violets, white peaches, apple, minerals and spice. Lovely fresh palate with excellent intensity and concentration, again superb balance. Very good length and structure. Delicious drinking now and will surely be better with time and added complexity. If it is any indication of how much I liked this, we were given the chance to take any of the wines from the first two master classes with us to lunch and this was the one that I picked.
92/100

Dr. Loosen Erdener Pralat (Bishop of Erden) Auslese 2004 - (Mosel):

From a red slate based site that is only 4 acres in size (1 acre of which is owned by Loosen). A complex nose bursting with aromas of peach, pineapple, guava, spice, flint and floral notes. The palate is rich, ripe and concentrated, but still pulls off excellent balance and shows all around class. The best depth of flavour and length of the wines in this flight.
93/100

Then back to the new world for a wine that is made in a Trockenbeerenauslese hand selected and hand sorted style. Ernst recounted the initial difficulty that he had getting the managers and accountants of Ste. Michelle to produce this wine, they cited the extremely high labour costs involved in manual berry selection, apparently after Ernst told them that they would be able to sell it for $200 - $250 USD the first question that the accountants asked excitedly was how many bottles they could make of it starting the next year. 145 cases of half bottles made in the third vintage that this wine has been produced.

Chateau Ste. Michelle “Single Berry Select” 2001 - (Columbia Valley, Washington, USA):

Dark golden colour. Exceptionally intense, explosive nose with strong botrytis influence, apricot, pear, honey and a bit of a spirity like note just throwing things off a touch. Incredibly viscous, concentrated palate coats the mouth with flavour. Sweetness is probably a bit over the top, with an acid structure that seems smothered a bit by the richness - very good length. An interesting experience and a pretty good attempt at a USA TBA wine, just lacking a bit of balance to get a full recommendation.
90/100

This was the first of three workshops that were held earlier this year at the 2006 Frankland Estate International Riesling Tasting in Sydney. These notes were going to be posted on another website that I’ve been working on, but due to the dearth of posts here, they have found a new home!

These wines were selected by winemaker Philip Wittmann and Riesling fanatic and wine writer Stuart Pigott as examples of wines from Germany’s young and/or daring winemakers that are leading the way in the adoption of new vinification methods and technology and willing to experiment with defying tradition. In many cases these are third or fourth generation family winemakers who are looking to make their own mark on a one hundred or two hundred year old family label.

Some of these wines were pretty “out there” and it was certainly a confronting start to my morning (a 9.30am start after having tasted 57 Rieslings the afternoon before). To be fair, I think with food some of these would show better. If you like some funk and strange things happening in your Riesling, some of these could be for you. If nothing else it makes the notes a bit more interesting to write!

In the structured order of pouring;

St. Urbans-Hof Leiwener Laurentiuslay Spätlese trocken 2004 - (Mosel):

This was the first of the interesting noses - apricot, apples, pear, steel shavings and earth. On the palate it was like dry apple cider with just a touch of sweetness in the mid-palate. Good balance, with a medium length finish.

88/100

Clusserath-Weiler Trittenheimer Apotheke Auslese *** 2004 - (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer):

Nose is fairly intense and wild - funky, sweaty and cheesy as well as some minerals and ripe peaches. A full, rich, slightly broad mouth feel. Good length finish.

87/100

Josef Leitz “Magic Mountain” Rudesheimer Berg Schlossberg Spatlese trocken 2003 - (Rheingau):

Nose has some florality to it, but is also quite reductive with minerals and has strong glue aromas. Palate is light in body and goes up and down, dry at first then some mid-palate over sweetness and then back to dry for the finish.

83/100

Joachim Flick Wickerer Nonnberg QbA trocken 2004 - (Rheingau):

It had a strange pungent, earthy, herby nose. Palate is also confronting, intense and also herbaceous, yet with a core of acid based purity running through it to the finish.

87/100

Tesch Laubenheimer St Remigiusberg Spatlese trocken 2004 - (Nahe):

Dips back into the realm of Riesling normality. The nose is quite tight, some lemons and some floral perfume. The palate is dry with lots of acidity. Hard to rate this one at the moment but it seems like if the acidity comes back into balance and the nose opens up, it could be better than average.

87/100

Schafer-Frohlich Monzinger Halenberg Grosses Gewachs 2004 - (Nahe):

This was the palest of yellow in colour. The nose was comprised of smoky minerals, chalk and wet slate. This wine had amazing, striking, stunning purity on the palate - clean, balanced, excellent length and most importantly it wonderful to drink. I would love to try it with some added complexity from age.

92/100

Wagner-Stempel Siefersheim Heerkretz Spatlese 2004 - (Rheinhessen):

Pears, nectarine, peaches, floral notes and a touch of phenolic herb type characters on the nose. Palate is medium bodied and has good length. Acid is slightly out of kilter with the sweetness at the moment.

87/100

Frieder Dreissigacker Geyersberg Spatlese 2004 - (Rheinhessen):

We are back to the “far out” noses. Showing crushed violets, some beer like yeastiness, ripe tropical fruits and herbs with melted butter. An imposing, concentrated, rich palate that takes hold of your mouth and won’t let go.

88/100

Wittmann Westhofener Morstein Grosses Gewachs 2004 - (Rheinhessen):

Minerally, pure peach and apple fruit on the tight nose. The fresh, zingy palate exhibits very good focus and balance - a wine of restrained power that has precision but also intensity. Exhibits excellent length and is really a seductive wine.

91/100

Klaus Schneider Terrassen trocken 2004 - (Pfalz):

Has a tight nose, showing hints of peaches and smoke. The mouth feel is rounded with good length and balance, but it just seems a bit simple.

86/100

A. Christmann Konigsbacher “Idig” Grosses Gewachs 2004 - (Pfalz):

This wine had an intriguing, complex nose of peach, pear, lime, kiwifruit, passionfruit, spice, minerals, slate and hints of yeast. The palate has intense flavour and a beautiful line of acidity cuts through any hints of over-richness. Finish lingers for a long time.

91/100

Johann Ruck Iphofer Julius-Echter-Berg Spatlese trocken 2003 - (Franken):

Floral perfume notes along with spice and yeast. The palate is like lime cordial without the sweetness (ie that fake lime taste that is close but not quite right). A touch of spicy heat on the finish disrupts the line.

87/100

If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to have nightmares about having a job proof reading German wine labels (and spend more time on transcribing the names of the next lot of wines than I will on the actual tasting notes).

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

Following in the footsteps of the successful first French Wine Dinner at Marque and the moderately successful Australian dinner at Atelier came a dinner earlier this month with mostly the same group of people, at the famed Tetsuya’s restaurant in Sydney. The number of awards this restaurant has received is too long to be listed here, but it has been in the news recently as being awarded the fifth best restaurant in the world for 2006 by the UK based “Restaurant Magazine” (it was fourth in 2005).

I hadn’t been to Tetsuya’s previously, but my expectations were set very high (often a recipe for disaster).

Our group were the first to arrive at the restaurant at 6:30pm (as well as being the last to leave 7 hours later at 1:30am!) and we were given a quick tour including viewing the kitchen and one of the two wine cellars. We were informed that on Friday nights, there are 55 members of staff working for a restaurant that seats just 90 people. We had managed to secure one of the private rooms, the only downside to this being that our view of a small rock garden was not quite as nice as the two main rooms that look out onto a lovely traditional Japanese garden.

Allow me to say that this was by a large margin, the best dining experience of my life so far.

The service was flawless, with the pouring of each set of wines and the arrival of the next course timed to perfection. Our assigned waiter was professional yet also friendly; I imagine he is probably adept at changing his style depending on the people he is serving. There were the small touches like the staff taking our list of wines and printing a personalised menu with the wines and the courses for each person.

The food is faultless; the blend of natural flavours and textures is simply breathtaking. There was not a single course during the entire menu that I thought was anything less than amazing. There was no attempt at pretension or trying to set new extremes about the dishes, just a lesson in letting the flavour of the food take centre stage.

The cost is something that I imagine people baulk at, all together it was $250 AUD per person, this included the degustation menu ($180), the optional cheese plate, corkage ($20 per bottle) and an automatically added 12% service fee. I think it is something that you need to experience to understand that it is worth every single cent. For me, this was a dining experience that was a level above everything else in Sydney, we are lucky to have some excellent restaurants here, but we are genuinely blessed to have Tetsuya’s.

Giving this place a score seems almost like sacrilege, like trying to give a score to a beautiful work of art or trying to rate the memorable moments of your life. 100 points? 110? It doesn’t matter. Simply perfect.

–

Bread with Truffle Butter

Gazpacho with Yoghurt and Basil Sorbet

Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1988 - (Champagne, France):
Fine bead. Intense nose of apple, cinnamon, quince and toast. Superb texture and balance on the palate. This bottle was probably drinking close to its peak. 95/100

Krug Vintage 1989 - (Champagne, France):
Again showing a very fine bead. Nose seems slightly more restrained and youthful than the Pol but exhibited some earthy, mushroom and truffle, mixed nuts and spice aromas. Powerful intensity on the palate but retains exceptional balance and stunning length. Drinking nicely now, but I would love to see it with some additional age and complexity. 95/100

Tartare of Tuna on Sushi Rice with Avocado

Tuna Marinated in Soy and Mirin
Soft Smoked Ocean Trout with Asparagus
Marinated NZ Scampi with Chicken Parfait and Walnut

Maximin Grunhauser / C. von Schubert Abstberg Auslese #56 Riesling 1995 - (Ruwer, Germany):
Youthful in colour. Initially very sulphurous but this started to blow off after some time in the glass to reveal pear, light minerality, rose petals and other floral scents. A slight sweetness tempered by a splendid core of acidity. The finish lingers and leaves you satisfied. 93/100

Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Grand Cru Goldert 1997 - (Alsace, France):
A burst of power on the nose that really made people sit up and take notice, furious swirling of glasses ensued. A few “wows” were uttered and the opinions seemed generally positive, that was, until people actually started to taste it.

The nose was rich, ripe and interesting with clove, honey, apricot, preserved peaches, lychee, turkish delight and a dash of botrytis. I didn’t find the alcohol too prominent on the nose, but if you were in any doubt as to the high %, a sip was all it took. Palate is alcoholic and has the same rich, ripe characters as the nose, with a harsh bitterness on the back-palate. It felt like the elements of the palate were fighting for attention rather than existing in harmony.
86/100

Confit of Petuna Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Konbu, Daikon and Fennel

Ravioli of Queensland Spanner Crab with Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette

Domaine Francois Raveneau Grand Cru Valmur 2000 - (Chablis, Burgundy, France):
Oyster shells, a touch of funky cheese, sea salt, and some soap initially, but with time in the glass the cheese and soap started blowing off to show more minerals, chalk, grapefruit and floral notes. The palate acid structure is close to flawless. A wine of superb focus, elegance, depth and class that is only going to get better with additional age.
93/100

Domaine Bonneau du Martray 1985 - (Corton-Charlemagne, Burgundy, France):
Aromas of baked cheese soufflé and blue cheese as well as honey and butterscotch. The nose is better than the palate which is short, flat and exhibits unbalanced acid. A shame since other reports have good bottles of this drinking at their peak now.
86/100

Twice Cooked De-Boned Spatchcock with Braised Daikon and Bread Sauce

Domaine Rousseau Clos St. Jacques 1990 - (Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy, France):
On the nose - beetroot, plum, cherry, sap, some stalks and some subtle oak. The palate proves joyous to drink - balanced, concentrated, with wonderful length and plenty of interest to keep you coming back for another taste. Must be one of the best red wines from Burgundy I have experienced thus far.
94/100

Domaine Rene Engel 1989 - (Grands-Echezeaux, Burgundy, France):
A nose of earth, undergrowth, mixed spices, sour cherry, with floral and perfumed notes. An elegant, silky-smooth palate with good length. I thought that this perhaps just lacked a spark of magic, and suffered a bit by being next to the Rousseau, on any other night it could have been a star. 91/100

Grilled Wagyu Beef with Asian Mushrooms and Lime Jus

Chateau Latour 1971 - (Pauillac, Bordeaux, France):
An impressive intense nose of cedar, smoke, ash, herbs and roast vegetables. The palate shows all components well integrated and maintaining excellent balance and flavour profile. Classic mature Bordeaux. This bottle was at its peak and was drinking very well. 94/100

Chateau Cheval Blanc 1982 - (St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France):
Seductive, intriguing, complex nose - truffles, earth, liquorice, mocha, smoked smallgoods. A palate of supreme silkiness and rich, dense, youthful restrained power. Legendary length. I was lucky to take the quarter glass remaining in the bottle home with me, and the next night it was drinking just as superbly. Perhaps just a shade behind a magnificent 1985 Cheval Blanc that I was fortunate to have a few months ago but still fantastic. 96/100

Selection of Cheese for two

Chateau La Mission-Haut-Brion 1985 - (Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France):
Blackberry, blackcurrant and cassis on the nose. Some unresolved fine tannins on the palate. Seems youthful, but I wonder if it has the structure to improve further with age. A tough bracket of wines to be a part of and may have shown better if not in that level of company. Very good but not great. 90/100

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1986 - (Pauillac, Bordeaux, France):
An alluring, layered nose that delivered something different with each sniff - floral notes, cherry, cedar, tobacco, flint, pencil shavings and a slight yeastiness. A palate that is intensely powerful, yet oozes finesse and class. Excellent balance and length - it could well be a wine to be blown away by in 10+ years time. 96/100

Chateau Leoville-Las Cases 1990 - (St. Julien, Bordeaux, France):
A wild nose of brambly blackberry, black olives, ash, herbs, mint, some mulch and a fair amount of oak lingering in the background. A tightly coiled palate promising so much potential. Lots of pure sweet fruit on the gorgeously long palate. Was sacrificed too young (but it went to a good cause!).
94/100

Beetroot and Blood Orange Sorbet and Strawberry Shortcake

White Truffle Ice Cream with White Beans and Dates

Chateau Suduiraut 1990 - (Sauternes, France):
Orange gold in colour. Unknown to the bringer of the two half bottles, both had been “reconditioned in 2005″ by the Chateau. Nose showed apricot, orange peel, marmalade and almonds. Harsh acidity essentially ruins the palate and the wine thins out and almost tastes weedy on the mid and back palate. Nose seemed overblown and the palate lacked any semblance of balance. 84/100

Zind-Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Selection de Grains Nobles Pinot Gris 2001 - (Alsace, France):
A sparkling, golden yellow in colour. A complex nose of honey, peaches, botrytis, apricot, pear, spices and creme brule. Palate had good clarity and depth of flavour. Supreme concentrated richness and sweetness but there is a core of acid in the background slightly struggling to keep up. No doubt a crowd pleaser, and almost certainly the best Pinot Gris I’ve ever had Will it age? I’m not sure it will, but I’m also not sure it needs to since it is a joy to drink right now. 96/100

Floating Island with Praline and Vanilla Bean Anglaise

Petit Four

Chateau d’Yquem 1971 - (Sauternes, France):
A deep gold orange in colour. Initially smelt alright but degenerated into raisins and burnt toast. Disjointed and oxidative palate. Cork was soaked through and crumbled on extraction. A poor bottle. NR/100

Chateau Coutet Cuvée Madame 1971 - (Sauternes, France):
Almost the same golden orange in colour as the d’Yquem. Intoxicating, rich aromatic nose of botrytis, caramel, honey, marmalade, apricot, lemon and lime. Intense and complex on the palate with acid still present and tempering most of the sweetness. A very good wine, and it was fitting that we should go out on a high note after all the great wines that were shared. If anyone happens to have any of this rare wine, based on this bottle it is well and truly ready as it will ever be to drink. 92/100

Fast Facts: Variety: Riesling Region: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Country: Germany Winemakers: Ernst and Thomas Loosen Closure: Screwcap Alcohol: 10%

This is the entry level Loosen Riesling which is made from non-estate fruit and made in an off-dry style. It cost me $20AUD, but I have heard reports that it can be found for under $10USD in the USA, Europe and Asia.

I am happy to see that it is sealed with screwcap (as are most of the Loosen wines that I have seen in Australia).

I have notes on the rest of the Loosen range (including two wines from his joint venture in the United States), that I will publish when I put up the notes from the recent Frankland Estate Riesling tasting. I believe that Hugo and Mick from the OzWineShow podcast also have an interview with Ernst Loosen coming up which should be good.

Tasting Note: Very pale green in appearance. Fresh nose shows peaches, apples, oranges, some banana and a hint of florality. Palate is a little bit broad and initially it seems a bit too sweet, before the crisp acid comes in on the mid-palate and follows through to the finish.

When to Drink: Now - 2008

Verdict: It isn’t destined to develop further, but it is very refreshing and the low alcohol (10%) is great - I rarely drink during the week at home - but this is a perfect wine for those occasions when I do. At $20 the value is good, but at $10 the value would be excellent. 88 points.