The Home of Renowned Tasting

Day One
The notes are a little sketchy, although I took some, but for once I’d expect that you might let me off the hook a little as it’s a social occasion for me, rather than a professional one (such as I might consider myself every now and then). I’m writing these notes straight from the heart - the best wines evoke this (feel free to call me a wanker now). The first night (Friday) was held at the magnificent Yarra Valley restaurant of Gary Cooper and Tim Sawyer, Bella Vedere, who shut up shop and created a feast of Babettesque proportions for our vinous revelry. And now if I don’t concentrate too much on the food, then that’s not because I don’t appreciate it, but more because this is a wine review site. I will say that it was breathtakingly good grub at times, and the food and wine matching was, well…a match made in some sort of heaven. You can click on the menu to have a look at the dishes.

Quail egg with green salt and sugar
96 Krug
This was our standing up and chatting wine - and coupled with the sweet/salt/creamy taste of the innovative egg dish..well masterful. It’s almost a dry white, like a big strong white Burgundy in its intensity and power. Hazelnuts, licorice, white fruits, biscuits and spice but rolled layer upon layer so that the concentration is almost mind blowing. Painfully intense and destined for greatness…but not a wine for pleasure now. Outstanding Champagne.

Caviar Malossol superior Oscietra on crushed kipflers, with flat leaf parsley
90 Krug,
Sitting down now. The 90 is dry and very fine, subtlety harnessed to power. Showing some bottle age, but essentially youthful and vigorous with classic Krug complexity and an explosion of citrus and yeasty fruits. More superlatives required. A much better wine than the 96 at this stage..but not later. The Caviar on kipflers quite simply amongst the best things I have ever eaten.

Crayfish and scampi in brandy butter on angel hair pasta with tomato and crayfish porcini froth
01 Ramonet Montrachet
White flowers, fragrance, almond paste, mineral and yellow fruits. Light but enormous power (often the hallmark of truly great wine). Rich but bone dry with a tapestry of vanilla, almond and stone fruits. The length carrying on for an eternity. Magnificent wine. Amongst the best White Burgundies I have tasted.

03 Leroy Corton-Charlemagne
Slightly funky and fishy, smoke, peach, vanilla and grilled nuts. A big wet sloppy kiss of a wine but full of flavour and drive. It’s fat but beautiful. A lascivious creature that overwhelms the senses. Not the class of the Ramonet, but certainly a compelling wine. Superb long dry finish leaving the mouth aglow with warmth and longing.

96 Drouhin Montrachet ‘Marquis de Laguiche’
Flowers, almond, a smokiness, yellow fruit and vanilla oak. It combines the best attributes of rich creaminess with a bone dry, almost tannic, flinty character - although subtle and winning. By any mortal standards a wine of considerable greatness.

Licorice tea smoked duck breast with fennel and black truffle
88 Leroy Musigny
An engaging potato sack earthiness coupled with sweet black raspberry, vanilla, licorice and an almost alarming fragrance. In the mouth a huge spread of dry extract offering beautiful tannic density combining with earthy but sweet dark fruit. It’s magnificent and builds and builds and builds with time in the glass. Apparently one of about 300 bottles. A rare wine and a rare privilege to taste.

01 Leroy Musigny
Bloody hell..you could get lost in the aromatics pumping out of this. Raspberry, spices, earth, violets, soil, caramel - multi-layered and complete. The palate is an effortless journey from finish to end. Velvety but concentrated - rich but floating through the mouth. The finish endless. The essence of red Burgundy. One of the greatest wines I have tasted. I’m dribbling as I type!

Foie gras and Sauternes jelly with toasted brioche
59 Suduiraut
Now I must say that I’m a moderate consumer of animals, perhaps a couple of times a week, and a lot of vegetarian dishes I cook…so the old FG I approach with respect and caution…but I love the stuff. I’m a bugger for it and we were delivered a rare old slab here. The 59 is an amazing wine - it smells like the freshly torched sugar on a Creme Bruleé and then some apricots, old leather bottle age and a host of other subtle smells. The palate is rich and full with apple and quince past - great intensity and closes with a bone dry finish of enormous length. I’m not a big one for sweet wines but this had me raving.

Rare breed pork shoulder braised in chocolate and sour cherries
62 Vega Sicilia ‘Unico’ All fresh and lively - looked like a 10 year old wine - strawberries and lashings of vanilla, medium bodied, sweetly fruited with slight leathery bottle age character coming through on a silky tannin structure. It built in the glass rather than tired but still looked slightly one dimensional compared to the mighty 65 3110…

65 Lindemans Bin 3110
The legend continues. Licorice, earth, dusty bottle age, blackberry. It’s dry and tannic but still young and vigorous. Layers of flavours and always something new to reveal. It’s a magic wine and one worthy of a place alongside all the greatest wines of the world. This is my fourth encounter in the last couple of years, and every bottle has something unique to say.

Glenloth pheasant boned and filled with foie gras and truffle, glazed en cocot with pomme anna potato
74 Heitz ‘Martha’s Vineyard’,
A second encounter with this wine and by far the strongest showing. A myriad scents - sweet fruit, mint, cigar box, spice and earth. The palate is wonderfully complex but still muscular and vigorous showing all the classic Cabernet traits of lead pencil, sweet fruit, herb and mint. An outstanding wine and most likely a fond farewell - I doubt that I’ll ever have (such) the pleasure again. As good as any Cabernet you could wish for.

92 Dalle Valle ‘Maya’
I’ve since decided that Californian Cabernet hits a particular sweet spot for me and this was no exception. Rich Cassis, cherry, chocolate, mineral and lavish oak. Full bodied, dense and concentrated with ripe fruity blueberry, Cassis and good minerality - perhaps lowish acid but no concern for me as the ripe furry tannins are minding this part of the shop. Great wine - although an alarmingly young one.

Wagyu beef oven roasted with orange salt with black bean sauce and buttered broad beans
82 Chateaux Mouton Rothschild
By this stage I was feeling a bit stuffed but there’s nothing like the fragrance of Mouton to revive the spirits (and someone has written in my notebook ‘Gary is a wonderful human being - so glad you are here!’ - so that’s nice too). An exotic and flamboyant nose of lead, cassis, flowers and mineral leads on to a hugely concentrated, yet balanced and poised, textbook Cabernet palate. It’s a wine of irrepressible charm and charisma, and while the palate is not quite at the outrageously great level of the nose, it’s so good that you’d never want to quibble.

82 Chateaux Latour
A second outing with the 82 and an equally compelling bottle. The nose is more sauvage and strict than the Mouton but still a thing of beauty, although reticent - earth, cherry, mineral, coffee and cedar - brooding and magnificent - the young Marlon Brando of Pauillac. The palate ratchets the intensity up a notch with amazing power and thick mouthfilling earthy Cabernet fruit. The line and length astounding. The essence of Cabernet.

82 Chateaux Margaux
Corked.

Cheese plate – Comte and Meredith blue, Yarra Valley walnuts and pear
90 Chateaux Margaux
Two years ago I remember this being a lush and very full wine but here it seems fine and poised. A more delicate wine of grace and great symmetry with the classic Margaux fragrance and a certain fine boned beauty. Perhaps I’m fading. Nonetheless an exceptional wine, but not inspiring for me on this night.

90 Cheval Blanc
It’s about my favourite wine of all time. Raspberries, a gentle grassiness and fragrance cut with smoke and mineral. Sweet fruit on an endlessly fine, medium bodied palate of grace and precision. One of the true greats.

Apricot and white chocolate pudding with cumquat and sauternes ice cream
67 Chateaux Suduiraut
Again the Creme Brulee, cumquat and spice but without the additional layers of complexity of the ‘59 Suidairaut, which made it look a little simple and old. A thick syrupy palate but still fresh and clean. On any other night it would have been a star.

95 Krug
In the car on the way home. It’s a top wine, and refreshing, but fair to say I was not concentrating enough to tell you more…

99 Chateau Petrus
Black raspberry, tea, plum, truffle. It’s a rich wine but very tight with silky tannins and a winning personality - certainly at this time of night anyway. Here I resort to a Clive Coates style note in my pad and have merely scrawled “very fine indeed!”

Day Two
I have to retire for the evening - I’ll fill this in later.
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Had a bit of a small party round at our house last night and today, I must admit, I feel a little shabby. I opened this along with a sample of Champagne G.H.Mumm 1999 which was (sadly) corked and then a few Australian Sparklers. Champagne is always a hard act to follow, the local offerings always look fruity and have distinctly sharp acidity. I have pretty much copied my note from last years tasting, except this bottle looked finer and better than last years model. I wish they would put disgorgement dates on NV because quite apart from the lotteries of cork and storage…I don’t even know if you will be tasting the same cuvée!

Aromas of apple, lemon biscuit, flowers, vanilla, fresh bread and touch of mineral. On the palate flavours of lemon pudding, apple, citrus and white peach with some spice and mineral. It has a gentle foaminess and feels light and lively. Good sweet fruit but also tastes dry and spicy with clean mouth freshening acidity. Finishes with apple, lemon and spice flavours. A vivacious and entertaining wine.

Other non vintages : NV

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I ran “blason” through the old Babelfish translator and it suggested “Blazon” in English, which is a formal description for a coat of arms or flag. Hmm..I thought it might be something to do with Champagne being on fire..or ablaze and therefore “blason” (gesticulate wildly) in French. I prefer my translation anyway..much nicer.

It smells of redcurrant, strawberry jam, mineral and a little spice. In the mouth a weightier style that’s fruity (think wild strawberry and apple) but still pretty dry overall. It has clean acidity that’s just a little coarse and a vigorous foaming mouse. Closes dry with good length and a spicy poached strawberry aftertaste. I like it. Very nice, certainly tasty and good to drink, although not especially fine.

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This is available exclusively through Vintage Cellars, which seems a bit of shame, but there you go. At least it’s widely available..

It’s a subtle style that’s gentle and very minerally with a distinct saline soda-like character, fresh green apple, some spice, a floral touch and a light honeycomb character. Very fine acid, a soft foaming creamy mouse and fractionally off dry - it’s gentle and dreamy and drinks beautifully. There’s some flintiness too and a slight chalkiness on the finish - which is nice and long. Lovely wine. I wandered lonely as a cloud…I’d really fancy a bottle of this at a posh picnic or similar.

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In 1991 I tried a bottle of Lassalle and loved it so much I tried to buy some more. I was told it was no longer being brought into the country. I had it again in November 2006 (its on the site, look it up). That wine was out of someone’s cellar and although about 10 years old it was lovely.

Now I discover Champagne J. Lassalle is back! I had this with a group of friends and although everyone loved the wine nobody was aware of the fine reputation this small house has. The mousse was fine and gentle with aromas of fresh bread, a bit of meringue, some red berry and a bit of lemon. The palate has superb balance with great fruit power. The flavours begin with the red berry jam flavours typical of a blanc de noir yet are balanced with the melon of chardonnay along with the fresh bread flavours that one gets with a bottle fermented fizz with several years of lees contact. A wine with quite a degree of richness,complexity and length.

Other non vintages : NV

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A surprise packet. I have not tried this house before and had no idea other than an enthusiastic description by Jeremy of D’Or to Door. Firstly, the wine. Soft and gentle mousse that is very fine. The nose is very, very fine with citrus, bread and a little peach, most enticing. The palate was of the aperitif style, light, elegant with beautiful flavours that are exactly as suggested by the nose. The only problem was that I found it a little addictive. Lastly, I did a quick virtual visit to discover it was a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, beautifully assembled, it works for me.

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We always like to start the weekend with a bottle of cooling Champagne although I often don’t write them up. Too busy. Last week’s effort was a Pol Roger white foil as it happens (and very nice too) but today a bottle from this slightly more obscure producer.

Golden in colour with a complex nose - it’s a mix of mineral, smoke, creamed honey, bread and citrus mainly. Quite winey too if that makes sense. On the palate pretty dry but not without with richness and weight. It’s spicy, lightly honeyed but overall pretty minerally and savoury with a light smoky aspect. With its fine persistent bead, gentle foaming mousse and long dry finish it really hits the spot. A particularly good NV I think.

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A nice glass of cooling Champagne is the best way to start the weekend. Interesting rocket shaped bottle too. Anyone for T-Ball?

Rich and quite big on the autolysis with yeast and brioche over apple and red fruits. Touch of smokiness. On the palate fairly weighty with richer flavours of sweetish red fruits, dried apple and brioche. Balanced acidity and quite a vigorous fizzy mouthfeel. Dry spiced apple and yeasty aftertaste. Not exactly subtle but still pleasant and very flavoursome - although I do prefer a finer, drier style myself.

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It always strikes me as a most curious thing when I hear people say they rarely get a corked Champagne as I find more taint in it than just about any other style. The first bottle was horridly corked so I had to scuttle back to the shop to grab a replacement. Most inconvenient.

Smells dry and savoury with a mix of citrus, brine, flint and mineral with a bit of cinnamon biscuit and some chamomile prettiness. On the palate a lighter aperitif style with mineral, biscuit and citrus flavours and a bit of briny tang. It has a slightly aggressive tingling bubbliness and attractive crisp clean acidity. Finishes dry with a bit of a salty cracker taste. Attractive, easy going and just a little bit grubby. Like it.

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After running through some pretty distressing bottles of Sauvignon Blanc I thought a nice cooling glass of Champagne was required in order to lift the spirits.

Quite creamy and sweet to smell with yellow fruit, spice, smoke and some floral notes. On the palate again soft and creamy with brioche, stonefruit, mandarin, mineral and spice. It feels well rounded, more to medium body than full with a touch of sweetness, crisp acid and a fine persistent bubble. Closes with spicy and citrus flavours and decent length. A good vintage Champagne at a fair price.

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By all accounts (including the highly authoritative Tom Stevenson) the 2002 Champagne vintage is supposed to be a rip snorter (is that one word?) and I was surprised to see one available so soon. I had to buy it (at full retail mind you..shock horror) because I was curious, but more importantly, in possession of a very large bag of fresh seafood..

Open and spicy with subtle peach, starfruit, pastry dough, marzipan and floral aromas. Nice and fresh. On the palate fresh and invigorating with peach, real lemonade, mineral and spiced pastry flavours. It has a little sweetness that is cut with beautiful clean acidity and a soft persistent foamy mouthfeel. Gentle and delicate with no grating or harsh characters - a Champagne that quietly encourages the next sip. Finishes long and clean with a spice and bitter lemon aftertaste. I think we are in for a bit of a treat with this vintage.

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Happy New Year!

I have been threatening to open this on a New Year’s Eve for a while now, at least three years, but finally last night we had a night at home, albeit entertaining some friends. Some yellowing, a relaxed fine bead, not effusive or ebullient. A complex nose, beef stock and tobacco, toasty, smoked mushrooms and a bit oxidative, aldehydic, almost some chocolate if that doesn’t seem too left field. The palate is big and powerful, quite worked, old apples and lemon, honeyed and earthy, with good length. A very interesting wine, a food wine, and needs something to accompany it. I have seen it pointed higher (and lower for that matter) so I think some bottle variation is at work here.

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This bottle is a blend of equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier mainly from the 2003 vintage with some reserve wine added. It was bottled in May 2004 and disgorged in March 2006 and has zero dosage. I can tell you all this because it is on the back label. If only all other Non Vintage Champagne were so (honest and) informative.

Quite aromatic and punchy with citrus, dough, spice and white flowers. On the palate good weight and impact, although fairly dry, with citrus, brioche, yeast and minerally soda water flavours. It has fine persistent bubbles and penetrating bright crisp acidity. Finishes dry and minerally. Perhaps it lacks a little finesse but more than compensates with an abundance of character and interest. Lovely wine.

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One way or another I think there are going to be a fair few Champagne corks flying around this neck of the woods over the coming weeks. This is a sample that I have been VERY much looking forward to tasting in the renowned style. I think this vintage of Belle seems a bit more subdued and stylish than I remember but I could be wrong. It has been known to happen.

Aromas of lemon biscuit, yeast, hazelnut, flowers and a little cream. Complex, sophisticated and multi-layered. On the palate a very fine persistent tingle of tiny bubbles with a lovely delicate texture and gentle acidity. Nothing abrasive or coarse. It has flavours of lemon, white peach, hazelnut, yeast, vanilla and mineral. Only fractionally off dry and quite salty and tangy to taste. Finishes very long and dry with a delicious lightly creamy salty lemon tang. A great wine.

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At a recent Pinot tasting with a bunch of friends who have been tasting together for 33 years, friend Henk brought this along. It was used to start and finish the evening. It is a great example of what I regard as really good fizz.The bead was gentle and very fine, ie small bubbles. The aromas were a mix of dry biscuit, a hint of mushroom and a little choux pastry. The palate has a lovely set of flavours and exceptional acid balance. The flavours are long lasting and quite rich showing the dry biscuit/choux pastry plus a little citrus and some mushroom and at the end a little berry fruit.

Other vintages: 1998

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Friends had been away and we had them over to dinner to welcome them back and to see the great photographs that make us all envious. A good Champagne to begin with was the perfect accompaniment to the photo show. I believe that this has a high proportion of Pinot Noir and it was from a reasonable year. The nose shows yeast, puff pastry, a little mushroom and something sweeter. The palate was dry, complex and very long. The biscuit/pastry and fruit flavours were in perfect harmony with a little citrus and mushroom. We all rated it rather highly.

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I believe is mainly fruit from the 2002 vintage, with a mix of approximately 50% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier.

A fine bead. Strongly yeasty, yellow fruits, lively, autolysis and a bit of vegemite. The palate showed sour yellow fruits, biscuit, old lemons and apple cider. Strangely, it seems prematurely old to me, and certainly didn’t have the lovely aromatics that it had 10 months ago; nowhere near as good and a bit of a disappointment for me, though my concerns didn’t prevent others finishing the bottle.

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It is coming up to Champagne season again and I will attempt to review as many as is humanly possible between now and NYE. A tough job I know….

Aromas of apple, lemon, flowers, vanilla, fresh bread and some mineral/sulphide characters. On the palate flavours of lemon pudding, apple, citrus and white peach with some spice and mineral. Quite an aggressive and insistent mousse although not annoying. It has good sweet fruit but also tastes dry and spicy with clean mouth freshening acidity. Finishes with apple, lemon and spice flavours. A vivacious and entertaining wine.

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A whole bunch of Champagne arrived today which makes me very happy. I know some are dismissive of rose Champagne but I am a fan. This is exactly the sort of wine I would choose to guzzle whilst talking robbish and watching fireworks on a hot summer night (finances permitting).

Pale salmon colour. Aromas of strawberry, raspberry, brioche with a light caramel glaze and a wisp of smoke. On the palate soft and fine with flavours of fresh strawberry, redcurrant, spice and vanilla cream. It has gentle soft foamy bubbles and fresh clean acidity. Elegant and subtle. Good length of flavour too. A charming wine with excellent balance and drinkability. I’d buy this without hesitation.

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An anniversary demands a bottle of Rosé; this time I thought we’d try a bottle of Jacquesson. A salmon blush in colour. A manic bead, reminiscent of a flurry of snow in the wild storm. It was exhausting just watching all those bubbles fighting to escape the glass. A bready and yeasty nose, not as sweet as brioche, not as dry as biscuits, tight, with an intense citrus streak. The palate was firm and upright, hints of strawberry and cherry fruits intertwined with freshly cut lemons. Delicate and pure, structured, a wine with a lot of potential and not really for drinking now. Give it 5 years.

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