Appellation Australia

I love Moscato over summer, the best are slightly sweet but the acid and spritz can be so refreshing. The generally low alcohol is also a bonus. With this in mind, I sought out 17 Moscato based current release wins from both Australia and Italy to taste and decide what I would be buying to drink over the next couple of months.

All wines were tasted blind over a couple of nights. Prices are approximate.

Wirra Wirra Mrs Wigley Moscato 2007:
Peach tinted straw colour. Really good visual fizz/bead. Lovely ripe peach and grape nose. Softly sweet on the palate, but the acid and bubbles come through and cleans the sweetness up in a wave, leaving the desire for another sip inevitable. Excellent.
Crown Seal. 5.5% alcohol. 500ml. $20 - 91/100

Cascinetta Vietti Moscato D’Asti 2006:
Very fine, persistent bead. Very pale straw coloured. Floral, spice, apricot and musk on the nose. Sparkles on the palate. Absolutely delicious.
Cork. 5.5% alcohol. 375ml. $22 - 90/100

Two Hands Brilliant Disguise Moscato 2007:
Pale straw colour. Fine, constant bead. Floral, citrus and musky characters shown on the vibrant nose. Very clean, crisp flavours. Good acid, only tastes lightly sweet thanks to the acid and spritz.
Cork. 7% alcohol. 500ml. $18 - 89/100

Marenco Scrapona Moscato D’Asti 2005:
Very pale colour. Good fizz with quite a bit of mousse at first. Musky, floral, lemon and lots of peach aromas. Light, fresh and clean palate with subtle sweetness. Very enjoyable, but a bit too short to be great.
Cork. 5.5% alcohol. 750ml. $33 - 88/100

Castello del Poggio Moscato D’Asti 2005:
Mid-straw colour. Great bead, very persistent. Intense nose of musk, pear, peach and honey. Sweetness is present but it is one of many dimensions rather than the only one. Acid cleanses the palate. Needs to be drunk now.
Cork. 5.5% alcohol. 750ml. $10 - 88/100

Tempus Two Copper Moscato 2007:
Straw coloured. Slow rising, fine bead. Blueberry, tropical fruit and passionfruit. The palate is dry, with only a very slight sweetness coming through. Medium length.
Crown Seal. 7% alcohol. 750ml. $20 - 87/100

Innocent Bystander Moscato 2007:
Pale pink colour. A bit yeasty at first, but that blew off quickly and showed strawberry, musk and citrus. Fine and persistent bead in the glass. Full flavoured palate, fresh flavour but maybe a little too heavy though. Fun to drink, but a glass was enough.
Crown Seal. 5.5% alcohol. 375ml. $11 - 85/100

Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards Moscato 2007:
Very pale, a tinge of yellow. Visibly fizzy only briefly on pouring. Nose is pretty closed, some grape and soft citrus notes only. Palate is dry and a little bit tart in comparison to some of the previous wines. I don’t mind the dry aspect and the acid is good, but there isn’t much depth to it.
Crown Seal, but with a cork inlay. 7.5% alcohol. 750ml. $17 - 85/100

Tosti Moscato d’Asti NV:
Pale colour. Bubbles only stay in the glass briefly. Apples and some floral aromas. Palate is a bit cloying on the front palate, the acid picks up a bit on the middle and the freshness improves as a result. Finishes a bit short.
Cork. 4.5% alcohol. 750ml. $20 - 84/100

De Bortoli Emeri Bianco NV:
Straw colour. Good stream of bubbles on pouring with some mousse. Lemon and floral aromas. Soft sweetness to the palate, with a touch of bitterness at the back.
Diamante Cork. 8% alcohol. 750ml. $12 - 84/100

Stella Bella Pink Muscat 2007:
Pink tinged peach colour. Strawberry, cranberry, cherry. Not very much fizz/frizzante. Very sweet on the palate, probably a bit too sweet, without the acid to back it up it ends up a bit cloying and doesn’t taste refreshing. Alright only.
Screwcap. 7% alcohol. 375ml. $18 - 84/100

Banrock Station Moscato 2007:
Light straw colour. Light fizz dissipates quickly. Nose shows apples and grapes. Simple palate, slightly sweet and with some crisp acid as well. Without fault, but also without any depth.
Screwcap. 5.5% alcohol. 750ml. $5.60 - 83/100

Brown Brothers Moscato 2007:
Straw coloured. Simple grape and lemon nose. Not much spritz. A tangy element to the clean tasting palate, just a touch of sweetness.
Cork. 5.5% alcohol. 750ml. $12 - 83/100

Long Flat Moscato 2007:
Bubbles only stay in the glass briefly and are gone. Straw colour. Blueberries, pineapple and lemon on the nose. Quite simple and sweet on the palate and it doesn’t really have the acid to counter.
Screwcap. 5.5% alcohol. 750ml. $7 - 82/100

Dan Murphy’s Cleanskin Private Bin Moscato 2007:
Coarse, lazy bubbles. Nose is mute and boring. Fair bit of sweetness initially but there is some acid that comes through afterward on the mid palate. Finishes very short.
Cork. 6.5% alcohol. 750ml. $7 - 80/100

Grant Burge Moscato 2007:
Muted, grapey nose. Palate is thin and dilute, no carry or even much flavour. Insipid.
Screwcap. 9% alcohol. 750ml. $12 - 79/100

Warburn Estate Stephendale Winemakers Reserve Moscato 2007:
Pale straw colour. Spritz dissipates straight after pouring. Nose is bland, some grape aromas, maybe a bit of peach and not much else. Palate is cloyingly sweet, lacks any vibrancy - misses the point of these wines.
Cork. 5% alcohol. 750ml. $10 - 78/100

Recent birthday celebrations with a friend saw a wide ranging selection of bottles opened -

1990 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut (Magnum - Disgorged 5th March 2002):
Pastry, apples, toast and lemony nose. Good intensity and full mouthfeel to the palate, but fades away a little bit sooner than expected. Balanced but quite simple, lacking complexity. Very, very good rather than great.
90/100

1990 Krug Champagne Brut:
Cheesy, ginger, brioche and nutty nose. Palate is very powerful, but it is classy, balanced power so that it is part of the whole structure rather than dominating. Excellent length. The funky characters on the nose were a little bit odd, but I still thought this excellent.
93/100

2005 Domaine des Souterrains Sauvignon Blanc Jacky Goumin:
Pineapple lollies, passionfruit, apricot and some floral aromas. Palate is fresh but unremarkable and uninteresting to me.
83/100

1998 Gyorgykovacs Imre Somlo Olaszrizling:
Aromas of smoke, citrus, slate, honey and petrol. There is almost a somehow floral lift to the palate. Very good length and lots of interesting things going on here. Towards its peak I though. Was great to try this and the next wine as I have read about this producer a number of times but have not been able to experience for myself.
89/100

2003 Gyorgykovacs Imre Somlo Furmint:
Honey, spice and lemon rind aromas. The palate shows off spicy characteristics as well with richness and power but also some restraint. Very good now and has the potential to get better in the next 5-7 years.
90/100

2002 Max Ferd Richter Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese:
Slate, floral and some honey character starting to develop. Superb balance to the palate, not very complex yet but I could drink this all day, every day. So easy to like.
91/100

2001 Savaterre Chardonnay:
Butterscotch (butter menthols), nutty and honeyed. Smelling and tasting unexpectedly developed. Palate is on the edge of falling over, just holding on. I had a lovely bottle of this a year and a half prior, hopefully this was just a bad bottle and it hasn’t taken such a dramatic downward turn.
80/100

2002 Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grande Montagne:
Banana, matchstick, lemon and some cheesy characters. Clean palate with a good core of acid. Medium body and length. Very nice.
88/100

2002 Domaine Rémi Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Le Poruzot-Dessus:
Very tight nose, slate, citrus and minerally characters. Very classy palate with a well maintained balance between richness and raciness. Good length. A good wine.
89/100

1999 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jesus:
Musk, raspberry, a bit of smoke and stalk. Medium bodied, youthful and tight -with the tannins standing out and lacking some texture and depth right now.
87/100

2000 Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées:
An appealing deeply seated nose on this wine of chocolate, red berries, smoked meats and some florals undertones. The palate is bold, with tannins standing out initially but they are tamed by food. Good texture and lovely depth to this wine.
90/100

1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques:
Such amazing lifted perfume on the nose along with earth, cherry and some blood. So pure, classy, balanced and long on the palate. Has taken on some palate complexity and will be closing in on its peak over the next 5 years.
94/100

1960 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet:
Leather, spice, violets and tobacco form the nose. Structurally this is sound on the palate, with components having resolved and integrated well and there still being enough fruit to hold it up. In great condition and very good to drink.
90/100

1964 Mildara Cabernet Shiraz Bin 33:
An amazing nose, with honeycomb dominating as well as violets, chocolate and some earth in the background. Sweet fruit across the good length of the palate. Deep and interesting, another delicious wine from this source.
91/100

1982 Chateau Pavie (St Emillion):
Wispy smoke, tobacco, blackcurrant, cedar and some briary characters. This bottle was right at its peak for my taste, it is balanced with soft but long intensity of flavour. This was great, although I would be drinking any remaining bottles over the next couple of years.
92/100

1988 Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle:
Blackberry, cherry and earthy aromas. Acid presents itself on the palate and leaves a slightly tart sensation. Medium length. Not bad, better than our last bottle of this (which was corked!) but looking a bit tired.
86/100

1998 Prunotto Barbaresco Bric Turot:
Young but very forward nose of cedar, licorice, blackberry, black cherry and tar. Weighty palate, tannins are there but balanced by the weight of deep fruit. Long and intense, this is looking good now, but should be better in another 5 years or so.
91/100

1999 Beni di Batasiolo Barolo Vigneto Bofani:
Chocolate, tobacco, spice and cherry on the nose. Bit more approachable than the Prunotto with the intense fruit taking centre stage. Medium length and the potential to develop further in the bottle.
90/100

1997 Dalwhinnie Shiraz Eagle:
Ripe nose (especially after the Italians) of blueberry, chocolate, pepper and spice. Lots of ripe medium weighted fruit on the palate as well but it is well balanced with the good tannin structure. Needs some time to develop complexity.
89/100

1983 Chateau Palmer (Margaux):
Beautifully complex nose of tobacco, red berries, chocolate, briar, gunflint and truffles. Some at the table suspected some brett influence, but I didn’t see it. The palate is structurally excellent with long, complex and superbly balanced flavour. It lived up to both reputation and expectations for me, this was my wine of the night among some excellent company.
95/100

1996 Houghton Jack Mann Cabernet Shiraz:
Lots of cedar aromas prominent, there is also blackberry and mint. Medium bodied, needs time for the oak to recede, I think it has enough fruit for this to happen in the next 5 years. Very good apart from the oak, but was always going to struggle coming after the Palmer.
87/100

1988 Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Sauterne):
Sun gold colour. Raisins, toffee, marmalade and nuttiness. The sweetness is refined with medium acidity and medium length. Very nice and ready to drink.
91/100

1989 Hugel et Fils Riesling Vendange Tardive (Alsace):
Honey, botrytis, spice, mango and pineapple and on the nose. There is an initial rush of sweetness, but it finishes nicely crisp and dry. Not overly complex, but it was still a good way to end an excellent day.
88/100

A superb night at Tetsuya’s in Sydney for an end of year get together with friends.

I feel Tetsuya’s is on a tier of its own in Sydney, I’ve been to three times now and each time I’ve been blown away.

The Food:

Cold Corn Soup with Saffron & Vanilla Ice Cream

Smoked Ocean Trout & Avruga Caviar with Seared Scallop

Leek & Crab Custard

Sashimi of Big Eye Tuna with Wasabi and Eschallot

Confit of Petuna Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Konbu, Daikon & Fennel
Seasonal Green Salad

Ravioli of Queensland Spanner Crab with Tomato & Basil Vinaigrette

Baby Abalone with Braised Ox Tail and Orange

Twice Cooked De-Boned Spatchcock with Olive & Caper Jus

Grilled Wagyu Beef with Lime & Wasabi

Comte Gruyere Cheese with Lentils

Beetroot & Blood Orange Sorbet
Summer Pudding of Blueberries and Raspberries

Blue Cheese & Vanilla Bean Bavorois with Sauterne Jelly

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with White Beans & Dates

Chocolate Terrine with Mascarpone & Cognac Anglaise

Coffee or Tea & Petit Four

The Wines:

1990 Salon “S” Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil
Straw yellow coloured. Fine bead. Initially quite shy in the glass but opened over time to reveal honey, floral notes, vanilla, apples and lemon pastry on the nose. The palate is fine, long and balanced, there isn’t a great deal of depth or complexity yet but I am confident that this had the structure to develop beautifully over the coming 10 years.
94/100

1964 Veuve Clicquot
Gold colour. Seems to have lost its fizz along the way. The nose though makes up for it in complexity with toffee, caramel and apple cider. Lots of character to the palate as well. Well balanced, and it lifted several notches with the Smoked Ocean Trout & Avruga Caviar dish. Very much a Champagne for lovers of aged character, I thought it excellent for my taste.
91/100

1989 Billecart-Salmon Elisabeth Salmon Rose
Strawberry shortcake and a bit of cherry and earth showing on the nose. Medium body and length. Very elegant on the palate, maybe a bit too much elegance and not enough depth. There is a touch of sweetness there as well. Otherwise, there is not much else to talk about, it was good but lacked character.
88/100

2000 Max Ferd. Richter Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese
Intriging nose of floral notes, apricot, pineapple, orange zest and slate. The palate is lovely, I cannot fault the balance between acidity and sweetness, the sweetness gives a generous mouthfeel but then the acid comes in and refreshes the palate. I love Riesling of this style.
93/100

1998 Domaine Rapet Pere & Fils Corton-Charlemagne
Quite tight, but some swirling revealed honey, oatmeal and hay/straw aromas. Palate has very good texture and medium length. Still quite youthful, it could perhaps use a few more years in bottle.
90/100

1993 Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron Romanée-St.-Vivant
An open, generous nose of vanilla, coconut, bright red berries and cherry. Tannins stand out a little bit, but there is enough boldness to the fruit to carry them. Very good, but hopefully it will take on more complexity with time.
91/100

2001 Domaine de la Romanée Conti Richebourg
A deep, rich, brooding nose of smoke, earth, black cherry, five spice and wafting perfume. Length and depth of flavour on the palate is superb. The excellent structure indicates that this has brilliant and obvious potential. One of the best (of the few) DRCs that I have been privileged to enjoy.
94/100

1986 Château Cos d’Estournel (St.-Estèphe)
The nose on this just bursts out of the glass with blackberry, cedar, vanilla, raspberry and gravel. The palate shows that good bottles of this have decades ahead. Brilliance on the palate, long, balanced and while the tannins are still at the fore they are very fine and classy. Without doubt, a superb wine.
95/100

1962 Penfolds Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet Barossa Valley Shiraz
The colour of this wine when poured was very promising - ruby red in colour on the edge, darkening toward the centre. My very first sniff caused a rush of emotions, this was obviously something special. Soft gasps and exclamations could be heard around the table as each person lifted the glass to their nose. There was stunning complexity to the nose, with raspberry, cedar, sweet vanilla, graphite, spice, molasses and cherry. Every time my nose returned to the glass I could pick up on another fleeting aroma. The palate has youthful power but also impeccable balance as well as super length, great texture and soft tannins holding the structure in place. All the elements were working together in harmony to form something truly special. On reflection over the past few days, it seems unjust to hold any points back, so I’m not going to.
100/100

1967 Penfolds Bin 7 Cabernet Shiraz Coonawarra-Kalimna
Another legend of Australian wine. Great colour to this as well, medium red with no visible browning around the edges. The nose initially showed some volatility but this cleaned up in the glass with some air to show blackberry, tobacco, cherry and violets. The palate is long, balanced and deep but as with the nose, it suffers in comparison to the complexity and emotion invoking character of the 60A. Still a world class wine that stood up admirably after an impossible act to follow.
94/100

1964 Vega Sicilia Unico (Ribero del Duero)
Tempranillo 65%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Merlot, Malbec, Albillo 20%. A very bold, confronting nose of charcoal, charred cedar, varnish, earth and game. The palate is rounded and mature, with lots of savoury character. Food was essential for this to show well. We gave this plenty of time in the glass and some of the less desirable aromas lifted, leaving the savoury characters and a still very interesting wine. This bottle was ready to drink.
92/100

1976 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
Very deep colour for the age. Some VA, blackcurrant, kirsch and vanilla on the nose. The palate is youthful but the components have integrated nicely. A very good wine, but seemed quite one dimensional compared to the wines that had preceded it, this is something that could come with additional time.
90/100

1949 Ferd. Pieroth Gau-Odernheimer Petersberg Muller-Thurgau Beerenauslese (Rheinhessen)
Golden brown coloured with some red tinges on the outer rim. Honey, coffee and toffee on the nose. Very softly sweet on the palate with good acid still present. This was very interesting and there was a great deal of enjoyment to be had from drinking it. A unique experience.
92/100

1989 Château d’Yquem
I had high expectations for this. The nose was reticent and it took close examination to find mandarin, brown sugar and honey. The palate was elegant and balanced but the depth and interest were not there to see. Still very good, but just seemed a little bit off-key this evening.
91/100

1906 Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Port
Deep mahogany colour, so viscous that it stains the glass with each swirl. A nose dominated by alcohol and VA, in behind there were signs of coconut, burnt toffee and raisins but they were hard to get at. The palate is dense, intense and chewy and there is a bitter dark chocolate character to it that I think subtracted from the balance. Over the next few nights the alcoholic overtones faded but it was replaced by a burnt cedar character and the VA remained, the bitter chocolate on the palate got even more prominent. Nothing like the experience I’ve had with the 1880 and 1905, either this bottle or this vintage isn’t up to scratch.

1996 Jacquesson Grand Cru Avize
Straw coloured. Fine bead. Powerful nose of honey, toast and citrus. Long and refined palate, while there was some good acid there it also tasted like this bottle was nearing its peak. Excellent.
92/100

2006 Bellarmine Off-Dry Riesling
Musk, floral and citrus aromas. Nicely balanced palate with the touch of sweetness giving richness without broadness. So easy to drink and the people I was dining with loved the style.
89/100

N.V. Primo Estate Joseph Sparkling Red
Disgorged 2006.
This is my favourite red sparkling wine at the moment. Lovely depth to the nose with spices, cherry, earth and game style aromas. Palate shows similar characters with plenty of spice and savoury flavour. Good length, great depth. Will get better with a bit of bottle age as well I suspect.
91/100

2006 Spinifex Papillon
Grenache 46%; Cinsault 28%; Carignan 26%
Very clean, new world styled. Cherry, blackberry and spice on the nose. Palate is bright and juicy. Medium length. Easy drinking style, but lacks a bit of depth and interest factor.
87/100

1976 Bollinger RD
Disgorged 14 April 1988. Fine stream of bubbles still. Toasty, nutty and earthy aromas. Medium body and length. Lacking depth and complexity. Nice, but not great.
87/100

2006 Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Kabinett:
A floral lift on the nose, with a touch of mineral in the background. A touch of sweetness on the palate. Someone commented that it reminded them of moscato without the spritz and I would agree with that.
86/100

2000 Domaine Chandon de Briailles 1er Cru Ile des Vergelesses:
Cheesy, smoky nose. Palate was very dull, lacking fruit. Drinkable but without depth or substance. Possibly an off bottle.
82/100

2004 Kooyong Meres Pinot Noir:
Beetroot, earth and spice on the nose. Palate is surprisingly elegant - good depth of flavour without being too obvious. Balanced and with good length. I thought it was very nice and should be good to drink over the next 4-5 years.
88/100

1997 Domaine Jean Grivot 1er Cru Les Roncieres:
Earthy, raspberry, cherry and a touch of funk. Nicely balanced palate without being very complex or long.
87/100

2000 Rousseau Clos St Jacques:
Lovely nose with bright strawberry, cherry and some savory spice and game. Lovely texture to the palate, a definite step up from the previous two Pinots. Built weight and power in the glass over time but retained its brightness and purity of flavour. Very long length. Excellent.
92/100

1982 Chateau Les Ormes de Pez
Game, graphite and some wafting perfume. Medium bodied, good balance with tannins resolved and some ripe fruit still remaining. Was drinking well straight out of the bottle, but fell away a bit with time in the glass.
87/100

1995 Wegeler Erben Bernkasteler Doctor Auslese:
Very honeyed nose with toast, cinnamon, citrus and some kerosene. Very light sweetness remains on the medium length palate. Not as much complexity as hoped for. Good only.
88/100

2004 Robert Weil Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Auslese:
Floral, lemon, honey and some strong mineral notes. Palate has very good structure with the sweetness present but blending in well with the acid. Very classy, needs time to blossom (but this bottle was starting to leak, so it wasn’t able to get it).
91/100

Taittinger Brut Reserve NV
Bready, citrusy aromas. Clean flavours but with little depth.
85/100

Taittinger Millesime 2000
Bread, toast and citrus fruit. Medium bodied with decent length.
86/100

Taittinger Prelude Grand Crus NV
Bready yeast, citrus, minerally with some floral notes. Good body, mouthfeel and length. Well balanced. Could improve with a couple of years in bottle.
88/100

Pol Roger Brut NV
Bursting nose of apples and citrus. Palate is vibrant and balanced.
87/100

Pol Roger Brut Vintage 1998
Citrus and some smoke. Good flavour persistence and medium depth. Open and enjoyable now.
89/100

Pol Roger Brut Blanc de Blancs Vintage 1998
Spice and bread on the nose. Palate is simple and shows some bitterness on the finish which lets it down.
85/100

Tsarine Premier Cru NV
Peach and some sweaty characters on the nose. Palate is cleaner but not much of interest.
82/100

Tsarine Vintage 1999
Grapefruit and guava aromas. Lick of sweetness to the palate. Seems a bit flat and lacking character.
84/100

Tsarine Rose 1999
Strawberry and a bit of earthy funk. Palate lacks length and depth. Nothing to interest me into trying it again.
82/100

Philipponnat Brut Royal Reserve NV
Sea spray and oyster shells. Palate is clean but a bit short and quite boring.
85/100

Philipponnat Reserve Millesime 1999
Apples and pears. Crisp palate, but again lacking length and depth.
85/100

Philipponnat Brut Reserve Rose NV
Strawberry and earth. Bit of sweetness to the palate. Disappointing intensity and depth. Didn’t really like this.
83/100

Pannier Brut NV
Apples and peaches. Clean palate, finishes crisp with good length.
86/100

Pannier Brut Vintage 2000
Bready and biscuity nose. Nicely weighted fruit on the palate, but needs more depth/dimension.
86/100

Pannier Blanc de Blancs 1998
Peaches and cream. Palate is fresh but there is a touch of acid out of place on the finish.
85/100