Domaine Fourrier Les Goulots 1er Gevery-Chambertin 2003
A nose of red berries, candy, violets, chocolate and cinnamon. Touch of stalk to the medium bodied palate. Decent length and structure. Nice.
88/100

P&C Bonnefond Cote Rotie 2001
Licorice, dark chocolate, raspberry and coffee aromas. A juicy, ripe palate with the elements of the wine well integrated. Very good.
90/100

Taylors Vintage Port 1977 (375mL)
Vanilla, jasmine tea, licorice and cedar. Palate is smooth and of medium length, but doesn’t have the complexity or depth I expected. A bit of a let down as it is meant to be amazing.
88/100

NV Vincent d’Astree Gouttes d’Or Premier Cru Champagne
Biscuity nose, with some apple and light candy aromas. Fresh mouthfeel, quite drinkable but lacks depth and length.
87/100

1998 Dom Perignon Champagne
Very intense nose of smoke, nuts and peaches. Very good balance and composure on the palate. This bottle was looking a bit more advanced than some bottles last year but was still very tasty.
91/100

2006 Grans-Fassian Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spatlese Trocken
Lime and spice on hte nse. Medium bodied palate with some noticable residual sugar despite the Trocken labelling. Lacked points of interest.
84/100

2005 Wantirna Isabella Chardonnay
Served blind and some tasters picked it as Chablis. A nose of grapefruit, earth, a touch of funky yeast and oats. Forward flavour on the palate without being over the top. Nice length and texture. I thought it was drinking well now and over the next couple of years.
89/100

2001 Rayas Blanc Reserve
50% Grenache Blanc, 50% Clairette. Grilled meats, fairy floss, wax and lemon on the nose. A bold palate, savoury and with good texture. Interesting even though I think it is yet to develop great palate complexity. Almost certain to divide opinions.
89/100

2005 Vincent Girardin Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes
Blackberry, graphite and earthy aromas. Ripe fruit on the palate, but with some good tannins for the level. Overall though, quite uninspiring.
86/100

1998 Bodegas Muga Rioja Gran Reserva Prado Enea
Ash, licorice, earth and tobacco aromas. Good flavour intensity and also nice balance between the acid, fruit and tannins. Quite approachable now, it is going to be drinking well over the next 5 years.
90/100

2007 Head Shiraz Grenache Viognier
A new label from the Barossa. 93% Shiraz, 5% Grenache, 2% Viognier. On the nose, aromas of chocolate oranges, band-aids, vanilla and spice. The palate has lots of black and blue berry fruit, but also a metallic edge. Avoid.
75/100

2006 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese
Honey, spice, botrytis and peach aromas. Medium bodied with balanced medium sweetness. A good wine, but more time in bottle to develop complexity would be recommended.
88/100

1979 Leo Buring Eden Valley Eden Valley Show Reserve Riesling DWI16
Golden coloured. Shy nose with some honey, hay and citrus. The palate is showing signs of tiredness with the acid and fruit barely holding on. Drinkable, but not nearly as good as I have heard great bottles of this can be.
85/100

2007 Kay Brothers Amery McLaren Vale Moscato
Shy nose, just some grape aromas. A touch of spritz and some soft sweetness to the palate, there is no depth to it though.
85/100

1992 Cantina Terlano Alto Adige Sauvignon
Minerals, grapefruit and floral notes. The palate is fresh and lifting, but there is a richness and complexity to it that is amazing. Aside from the complexity, there was little to indicate the amount of age that this had. Interesting and quite unique.
90/100

1995 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues
Meaty, graphite, blackberry and brambly aromas. The palate shows strong tannins but is otherwise quite restrained. If the intense tannins subside with time then this will take a step up to be great.
87/100

1993 Dunn Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Barnyard aromas at the fore, with some raspberry, tobacco and eucalypt coming through as well. The palate didn’t show any sign of the brett to me, it was medium bodied with excellent balance and length.
89/100

1999 Wild Duck Creek Estate Alan’s Cabernets Vat 1
Dense, deeply coloured. Tobacco, bramble, cinnamon and sappy aromas. Sweet fruit flavour to the medium bodied palate. Lacking a bit in structure to me.
87/100

1999 Jasper Hill Georgia’s Paddock Heathcote Shiraz
A big, ripe nose of charcoal, chocolate, eucalypt and cherry. Tannins stick and there is a touch of bitterness on the finish. The alcohol stands out as well with a glycerol like element to the palate.
85/100

2000 Tenimenti Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna La Rosa
Apricot, violets, coffee, tar and kirsch aromas. The palate is powerful, but also balanced and structured. Long and utterly delicious. Superb wine, easily the best of the night.
93/100

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

Seppelt Salinger 1994
A slightly better bottle than the last one, this was fresher on the
palate. On the nose there were aromas of creme brulee, toast, lime and
a dab of oak. Still not amazingly complex on the palate, but the length
is good and it is well balanced.
88/100

Moet et Chandon 1999
Green apples and grass on the nose. Very lean palate, acid stands out and this is very simple and short.
82/100

T’Gallant Moscato 2006
A pale salmon colour. Very light spritz. Strawberry, turkish delight
and cherry on the nose. Palate has a medium level of sweetness, needs a
touch more acid to be refreshing but it is still quite nice.
86/100

Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 1994
Honeyed nose with toast and lemon as well. There is an oily texture to
the medium intensity palate. No rough edges, this was very nice
drinking now.
91/100

Raymond Boulard Cuvee Reserve NV
Apples, some florals and some candy style raspberry notes. Crisp
palate, medium length. No elements of great excitement but it is well
made and enjoyable.
87/100

Best’s Great Western Chardonnay 1986
Grapefruit, honey and wet wool aromas. Incredibly youthful palate, it
was fresh, balanced and long. Seemed as though it could live another 10
years as well.
90/100

Robert Groffier Les Amoureuses 1996
Brilliant, shifting, challenging nose of cherry, earth, violets, spice
and fleeting notes of coffee beans. The palate is so delicate and
wonderfully poised. the mouthfeel is beautiful with well integrated
tannin and acid. Superb.
94/100

Charles Melton Sparkling Shiraz (disg. February 99)
Cola, chocolate and a strong horse stable component. The palate is almost sickly sweet. Worst bottle of this that I’ve had.
79/100

Orlando Lawson Shiraz 1991
Dark crimson colour. Sweetly fruited with a touch of mint. Nice
intensity to the palate, it is bold without being over the top or
losing focus. Very youthful, it will go another 5 years without any
trouble and it wouldn’t surprise me if people were saying the same
thing in 5 years.
89/100

J. Vidal-Fleury Cote-Rotie Brune et Blonde 1998
From magnum. Lifted florals, pepper, five spice and red cherries.
Savoury palate with good acidity and a medium length finish. Very good.
90/100

Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanee Clos des Reas 1998
Deeply coloured. Very perfumed nose, with florals and light raspberry.
Tannins are quite grippy at present, but contribute to the good
structure. Well balanced acidity.
90/100

Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova Brunello 2001
Briary and tobacco aromas followed by vanilla, coconut and some floral
characters. Quite aggressive tannins on the palate, but the length and
structure are both excellent. Give this time and you will be rewarded.
91/100

Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Brut 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs 1998
Opened to drink at midnight. Corked. Happy new year.
NR/100

Pol Roger Brut 1998
Apples, yeast, toast and some smoke. Good length and balance, with
medium flavour intensity. Will be nice to drink over the next 5 years.
89/100

Henschke Cyril Henschke 1994
DMS city with blackcurrant, tinned corn, blackberry and chocolate oaky
aromas. Palate is alright, but the wine as a whole isn’t up to the
standard of one had a year prior.
84/100

Chateau d’Yquem 1958
An incredibly generous gesture from a friend of Phil’s to bring this
along to share. This has been open for a while, the nose was deeply
scented and consisted of caramel, burnt sugar, orange peel and almond.
Luscious mouthfeel, the acid struggling a little bit to keep pace. I
was immensely glad to have gotten the chance to try this.
92/100

Veuve Fourny Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Brut NV
Apples, cinnamon, honey and smoke. Dry on the good length palate, with racy acidity and great refreshment value.
88/100

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

2000 Besserat de Bellefon Grande Tradition Champagne
Cheesy and toasty nose. Rounded mouthfeel. Lacks depth and finishes short.
83/100

2002 Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling
Lemon, orange peel and some toast aromas starting to develop. The palate is long and full, with incredible intensity. This wine holds so much future potential.
93/100

1978 Chateau La Tour Haut-Brion
Tobacco, bramble, ash and smoke on the nose. The tannins are fully resolved, leading to a medium bodied palate with soft fruits and good aged character. Very pleasant to drink wine at its peak.
89/100

1996 Chateau Léoville-Poyferré
Youthful nose of blackberry, spice, cassis and cedar. Intensely tannic on the palate, but the structure is good and this is going to improve greatly once the tannins soften and it takes on additional complexity. Needs time.
90/100

1981 Chateau Musar
Cherry/kirsch, smoked meats, earth and honey. The palate shows amazing fruit sweetness that is balanced superbly by aged earthy, spicy characters. Complex and long. If this was deconstructed too much you may be able to pick out many faults, but amazingly all mixed together they have achieved harmony.
94/100

2000 Hochar Père et Fils
Horsey, with earth, raspberry and a touch of VA. The palate is sweet and soft, it is quite drinkable but looked very simple in comparison to the older Musar had before. Will probably show better given time.
87/100

1995 Antinori Tignanello
Cocoa, blackcurrants, graphite and cedary nose. Lovely medium bodied, savoury palate with excellent balance.
91/100

1991 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
A bold nose, with tobacco, cassis and blackberry. The youthfulness of the wine is evident on the palate as well, with primary fruit still dominant. The tannin structure and overall build of the wine is such that I think this has the potential for greatness.
92/100

2004 Gangloff Côte-Rôtie La Barbarine
Must be close to 10% viognier in this, but it did not bother me as it did some others at the table. Very pretty nose, with lifted fragrant floral notes, apricot and pepper. Long and rich in the mouth with some spice evident. A little bit young still tonight, but very nice anyway.
90/100

2004 Tyrrell’s Shiraz Cabernet Vat 8
Earthy, with some raspberry notes as well. Bright, red fruited palate with some earthiness coming through in the background. Tannins are bold, but should settle with time.
88/100

1998 Pfeiffer Tokay Auslese
Caramel, toffee and apple aromas. Medium body and sweetness. Ready to drink now, it could do with some more complexity but I don’t think it has the structure to age much more.
85/100

1998 Müller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Auslese
Passionfruit, spice, peach and pineapple aromas. Lovely, lingering sweetness to the palate and it just has the acid to keep it fresh and balanced. This style of wine is right up my alley.
93/100

1995 Hétszolo Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos
Honey, coconut, pineapple and maple syrup. Rich, honey like palate, but with excellent complexity and acidity. Fantastic length, this was a great wine to finish the evening with.
93/100

1989 Jeffrey Grosset Polish Hill Riesling –
Honey, toast and ginger on the nose. Palate is tired, with some prickly acid and rapidly fading intensity.
81/100

1995 Penfolds Yattarna Chradonnay –
Honey, butter, some caramel and pine aromas. Nice richness to the palate with good carry across the palate.
88/100

2003 Te Kairanga Reserve Pinot Noir –
Stalk, liquorice, raspberry and sour cherry. Interesting texture, with lots of rich fruit leading into a dry finish. Not really my preferred style.
86/100

1968 Lindemans Reserve Bin 3820 Auburn Burgundy Hunter Coonawarra Clare –
Sweet perfume, leather, earth and raspberry. Soft, delicate palate. A lovely, fully mature wine.
89/100

1996 Henschke Lenswood Abbotts Prayer Merlot –
Briary, ash, graphite and chocolate. Medium bodied, with medium length but some alcohol sticks out and disrupts the line of the wine.
85/100

2001 Domaine Bruno Clavelier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru La Combe d’Orveaux Vieilles Vignes –
Lovely perfumed nose, black fruits, some earth, cherry and floral notes. The acid on the palate stands out a bit, although the structure seems good otherwise. Short to medium length, probably just struggled among the bigger wines surrounding it tonight.
87/100

2001 Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz –
Sultana, smoke and earth. Palate is dry and spicy, with the acid sticking out over the fruit somewhat. Disappointing.
85/100

1996 Leasingham Cabernet Sauvignon Classic Clare -
Mint, blackberry, vanilla and blackcurrant. Rich fruit to the palate, long and bright. Very young still.
88/100

2004 Henry of Pelham Riesling Icewine –
Nice nose of peach, apricot, citrus peel and mandarin. Palate is rich and very sweet. Quite simple, but enjoyable as long as the massive sweetness isn’t an issue for you.
89/100

NV Buller’s Rare Muscat –
Raisin, spice, tea leaves and some alcohol showing. Softly sweet on the palate, not as complex as previous bottles but still very nice.
90/100

Scallop and prawn filled zucchini flowers in prawn bisque with green asparagus, grape tomatoes and seeded mustard crustacean oil

Cherry wood smoked, 200 day grain fed beef tenderloin with fondant potato, baby green beans, aioli and red wine sauce with truffle oil

MV Krug (August 1989 Disgorgement):
Light gold colour with very fine bead. Citrus, ginger and cocoa on the nose. Rich flavour to the palate, but also some very youthful, fresh characters. Not as advanced or complex as a couple of the other late 80s MVs I’ve recently had, but lovely all the same.
94/100

1995 Jacquesson Signature Brut (May 2003 Disgorgement):
Very active bead. Lemon, toast, floral and some cookie dough aromas. Fluffy, creamy palate.Quite approachable, good length and very nice drinking but lacking in depth.
91/100

1981 Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling:
Smoke, rose petals and peaches on the nose. Medium sweetness present on the palate, slightly rounded mouthfeel and the acid isn’t quite there to lift it up entirely. Still, fairly nice to drink but not very complex.
87/100

1998 William Fevre Le Clos Chablis:
Straw coloured. Sesame seed oil, lemon, toast and grapefruit. The palate has some piercing acidity but also shows some malty oak influence and heat. Very good, but I don’t know what is going to happen with further aging.
89/100

1998 Olivier Leflaive Montrachet:
Muesli, vanilla, minerals and chalk to the nose. The palate doesn’t show the same restraint as the nose, it is intensely rich with a creamy mouthfeel. Great length of flavour. My first taste of the famed Montrachet vineyard, thank you Alex.
90/100

1999 Robert Chevillon Nuits St Georges Les Vaucrains:
Smoked meat, oak and charcoal aromas. Linear, dry and alarmingly short on the palate. I thought something was wrong here but I don’t know what - no sign of TCA, someone thought it may be brett, but half the table quite liked it!
81/100

1981 Chateau Trotanoy Pomerol:
Briar/bramble, blackberry and cherry aromas to the nose. Nicely weighted, medium bodied palate with tannins pretty much resolved and drinking close to its peak. Very nice, it needs to be consumed in the near future.
88/100

1982 Chateau Beychevelle St Julien:
Cassis, blackberries, cedar and spice form the nose. The palate is rich and expressive, though it retains good balance across the length. Still very youthful, it is a lovely wine now with the potential to be even better.
93/100

1995 Ornellaia:
On the nose there are aromas of raspberry, earth, tobacco and dark chocolate. Shows a very classy palate, it is long and has detailed texture. Still feels as though some promise is being held back, I think the next 10 years will prove very interesting for this wine.
92/100

1995 Chateau Pichon Lalande Pauillac:
Chlorine on the nose. Metallic palate. Undrinkable. A shame.
NR/100

1981 Ernst Bretz Bechtolsheimer Klosterberg Scheurebe Eiswein Auslese:
Toffee, honey and brown sugar nose. Hasn’t got the acid structure needed. Finishes short and simple. May have seen better days.
84/100

1980 J. Baumer Hochheimer Rotenpfel Silvaner Eiswein Auslese:
Toffee, spice, honey and peaches. Spicy on the palate, quite dense flavours but some acid remaining to lift the palate slightly. Decent length.
87/100

2004 Riesling
Little bit of briar, mango and some florals. Good punch to the palate and good length with just a bit of sweetness.
89/100

2004 Charcoal Joe Chardonnay
Soft nose, some butter and spice. Very creamy mouthfeel with good flavour persistence and good structure.
89/100

2003 Jackson Barry Pinot Noir
Powerful nose of spice, cherry and pepper. Bit soft and lacking character on the palate though. Lingers slightly but only lightly.
85/100

2004 Jackson Barry Pinot Noir
Cherry and violet nose with a bit of earth. Palate shows better depth and intensity than the 2003 version. Very good.
88/100

Carrick

2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Crisp nose with some mango and herbs. Palate has some texture to it and there is length and persistence.
88/100

2006 Riesling
Musky, floral and perfume to the nice nose. Palate bursts with flavour. Nice length and structure.
90/100

2004 Chardonnay
Big nose, meal, butter and some funky characters. Palate shows lots of intensity but not a lot of complexity.
87/100

2006 Pinot Gris
Lychee, apple, limes on the nose. Crisp palate with a hint of fruit sweetness. Enjoyable.
89/100

2005 Unravelled Pinot Noir
Red berries, rhubarb and spice. Light fruit driven palate.
86/100

2004 Pinot Noir
Funky, spice and earthy nose. Palate suffers a bit from what seems like too much oak and also tastes a bit confected.
84/100

Wooing Tree

2006 Rose
Pale pink. Some cherry to the nose. Palate is really lacking in any flavour except for some sweetness.
82/100

2005 Pinot Noir
Full on nose, a bold style with blackberry and spice. Very intense fruit on the palate as well. Starts to look a bit like cool climate Shiraz rather than Pinot Noir. Good if that is the style you are looking for.
87/100

Desert Heart

2005 Pinot Noir
Strawberry nose. Palate is soft and there isn’t much of interest.
86/100

2005 Spencer Block Pinot Noir
Intense Cherry Ripe nose. Boisterous palate, too overblown for my taste with the oak and massive fruit concentration.
86/100

Nevis Bluff

2005 Pinot Gris
Minerally nose. Palate lacks length and depth.
85/100

2002 Pinot Noir
Tight nose, some sulphur characters and maybe some earth. Fine tannins on the palate. Too closed in to find much to enjoy right now.
86/100

Lamont

2005 Dry Riesling
Minerals and gunflint. Palate is dry as promised, but boring.
85/100

2006 Classic Off-Dry Riesling
Lychee and tropical fruit on the nose. Acid doesn’t carry the sweetness on the palate well enough and it finishes short.
83/100

2006 Pinot Gris
The ultimate in bland. No carry to the palate.
81/100

2005 Pinot Gris
Steely nose, some green characters. Palate is viscous, there is a bit of alcohol on the finish.
85/100

2005 Pinot Noir
Elegant and restrained style but it doesn’t have the depth or interest on the palate for me.
86/100

Peregrine

2005 Riesling
Steely/minerally nose. Rounded palate, lacks drive.
85/100

2006 Pinot Gris
Apples and kiwi fruit on the nose. Palate drops away quickly. Not really impressed.
84/100

2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Herby nose. Palate lacks focus.
83/100

2005 Pinot Noir
Violets, spice and cherry to the nose. Palate is decent, clean and bright with some structure for aging over the next 5 years.
87/100

Kawarau

2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Passionfruit and tropical fruit nose. The palate shines with intensity of flavour. Pretty good.
88/100

2006 Pinot Gris
Lightly scented nose. Palate is soft and lacks anything to get excited over.
85/100

2004 Reserve Chardonnay
Butter and spicy, nutty oak with some wild character. Good mouthfeel, round without being broad. Good for the style.
88/100

2004 Reserve Pinot Noir
Earth and lots of dark cherry character. Savoury palate, with good tannins and structure. Needs some time to shine.
88/100

Quartz Reef

NV Chauvet Sparkling
Oyster shells, apples and grape aromas. Palate is fresh but with 0 depth, really driven by acid alone. This doesn’t speak to me at all.
83/100

2002 Chauvet Sparkling
Apple pie aromas on the nose. Palate is like apple juice. Length is disappointing.
83/100

2006 Pinot Gris
Melon and musk. The palate is quite good, bright fruit but with some depth to it.
88/100

2005 Pinot Noir
Perfumed violet nose with some bright fruit supporting. Palate is good as well, with some structure and interesting texture.
88/100

Chard Farm

2006 Rabbit Range Pinot Gris
Bit of alcohol showing on the nose. Palate has fruit sweetness but isn’t very interesting.
86/100

2004 Closeburn Chardonnay
Elegant nose with some straw and citrus. The palate is taut and very well structured. Balanced and clearly very good.
90/100

2005 Pinot Noir
Pepper and spices with some black cherry character. Good balance on the palate. Quite nice.
88/100

2005 The Viper Pinot Noir
Elegant, perfumed nose with rose petals, cherry, smoke and well integrated oak. Palate is delicious, savoury fruit with great length. A real stand out of the day.
92/100

Torr Estate

2006 Riesling
Floral and kiwi fruited nose. Nice restraint to the palate, some residual sugar that is balanced nicely by the acid. Good length and intensity of flavour.
89/100

2005 Pinot Noir
Dominated by stewy and medicinal aromas. A shame as the palate is quite nicely balanced.
85/100

Mount Edward

2006 Riesling
Floral nose. Touch of sweetness to the palate. Not a lot of character.
86/100

2006 Drumlin Riesling
Delicate nose, with minerals and steel, could be mistaken for German Riesling on the nose. Good flavour to the palate, the balance is spot on. The only downside is a slightly spritzy character, without that the rating would have been higher.
88/100

2004 Sauvignon Blanc
Herbs and asparagus. Palate seems a bit flabby.
83/100

2004 Earths End Pinot Noir
Sweet cherry nose. Confected character comes through on the palate. Lacks structure.
84/100

2004 Pinot Noir
Tightly wound nose, seems ready but waiting to explode. Palate is nice, but a bit too linear.
87/100

Wild Earth

2006 Pinot Gris
Good floral lift to the nose. Palate is too sweet with not enough acid.
84/100

2005 Riesling
Nose doesn’t offer up much character. Palate has some residual sugar but it is well handled by the acid. A bit too simple to be better than nice.
86/100

2003 Blind Trail Pinot Noir
Cherry and kirsch on the nose. Palate suffers from a serious lack of depth, though it is balanced otherwise.
86/100

2004 Pinot Noir
Earth and funky, gamey characters on the nose. Good amount of fruit on the palate, but it feels linear and one dimensional.
86/100

Rockburn

2005 Sauvignon Blanc
Herbal on the nose and palate. Good length, but the herbs dominate too much for my taste.
86/100

2005 Riesling
Honeysuckle and other floral characters. Balanced palate with good length. Falls into the off-dry category I think.
88/100

2003 Chardonnay
Honey and some noticeable but not over the top oak on the nose. Good length to the palate. A delicate style.
88/100

2003 Pinot Noir
Floral, musk and spice aromas. Fruit drives the palate with a bit of oak providing support. Nice early drinking Pinot.
87/100

The five wines were served blind, with the only information provided that they were Shiraz and each was from a different region. Wines were revealed at the end of the tasting.

Wirra Wirra Woodhenge Shiraz 2004
Crimson colour. Perfumed with violets, and rich chocolate and vanilla oak. The palate is bold as well, lots of big, ripe fruit depth. Thought that this may be Barossa but it turned out to be McLaren Vale.
88/100

Tin Shed Shiraz Melting Pot 2004
Inky black colour. Chocolate, cassis, raspberry jam and some prunes. Palate is jammy and very ripe with some spice in the background. Guessed at Heathcote but was way off as it is from the Eden Valley.
85/100

Rymill Shiraz 2002
Deep colour. Nose is dreadful, barnyard, medicinal and raw meats. Palate is a bit better but not by much. Guessed Coonawarra correctly.
78/100

Cheviot Bridge Pyrenees Shiraz 2003
Crimson coloured. Spice, violets, red berries and a hint of oak on the nose. Smooth, well balanced palate. A pleasant, drinkable wine. Figured on cool climate so I thought it may be Yarra Valley, but I was wrong.
87/100

Bimbadgen Shiraz 2005
Burgundy coloured. Nose is fairly subdued, some spice and earth. Palate carries across the spice and earth characters. Medium bodied, decent length, just not very exciting. Correctly picked it as Hunter Valley.
86/100

2007 Primo Estate “d’Elena” Pinot Grigio:
Very pale colour. Banana and tropical fruits (mostly pineapple) aromas. Texturally interesting, but there is also a bit of alcohol heat on the palate that I found distracting.
85/100

1997 Paringa “Estate” Pinot Noir:
Dark ruby colour, a little bit murky as well I thought. Cherry, raspberry, stalks and damp soil. The acid is sticking out, but I thought the rest of the flavour on the palate carried well. May have looked a bit better a couple of years ago.
87/100

1986 Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses:
Light red, with some orange tints around the rim. Yeasty and baked aromas on opening, we feared that it may be dead. We moved on to another wine to give this some time to see what happened and the recovery was pleasing. After around 60 minutes there were some earthy, dusty aromas coming through. Then another look after 90 minutes showed some spice, cherry and perfume like aromas. Palate never shed its dominant tannin, but it was quite drinkable anyway. It didn’t hit any great heights, but the recovery was remarkable and it ended up a nice drink.
87/100

1996 Domaine Bart Bonnes Mares Grand Cru:
Medium purple coloured. Nose was very shy throughout the time we spent with it - there were fleeting scents of dark cherry, mocha, rose petal and some other floral notes. The palate is lovely though, it is quite youthful but layered, balanced and very long. Plenty of potential in this wine over the next 10 years.
91/100

1977 Graham Vintage Port: (375ml)
Light crimson colour. Earth, spice, roast nuts and mint on the nose. There is a pleasing brown sugar style flavour to the palate, but it is noticeably lacking in depth. Not really what I expected in terms of richness and complexity, would like to know how it looked on following nights.
88/100

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

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