An elegant, satisfying Bordeaux just failing to deliver the “killer punch” or enough “wow factor” on the palate to deserve an Excellent rating. Bright deep red with a medium ruby core and a little rust in the outer edge. Lovely seamless, integrated “savoury” nose of sandalwood, tobacco leaf, dried herbs, roasted green vegetables and blackcurrants with a spicy, cedary top note. The palate displays a softness of texture suggesting readiness, glossy red fruits, some silky ripe tannins, reasonable length and a savoury finish. Unfortunately, there’s also a degree of diffusion and, seemingly, a lack of complexity that fails to deliver on what the nose promises. Very Good at best. 87 points. Best to drink now or over the next few years. 12.5% A/V  

My first hit-out with this vineyard and vintage, although I have tried several bottles of the 1993 Clos des Chenes from this producer over the last several years.

Firstly, may I admit to having a soft spot for Volnay’s, especially of this class. My old friend, the late Tom Low, reminded me, on more than one occasion, that Volnay was revered by the ”aristocracy” for centuries, fetching far more than the current crop of favourites from Vosne-Romanee, Gevrey-Chambertin and Musigny. Funnily enough, there’s not a Grand Cru to be found in this appellation, a fact that makes the values of this underrated region all the better for the astute lover of fine Burgundy. Lafarge, in my mind, is at the top of the heap here, consistently producing succulent, feminine wines of great breed and class, although sometimes missing the sweet spot, as is the case with most producer’s from this variable climate.

This wine displays quite a mature hue with, initially, a reticent nose that opens, slowly but surely, with layer upon layer of finely meshed nuance building to a crescendo with several hours in the Riedel. Probably close to perfect to my liking, the nose eventually offers up mesmerising sappy morello’s and ripe green plums with hints of black truffles, sweet earth and deepset, background malty/caramel/savoury oak adding great depth and terrific authority. Overall, a presence of perfumed, perplexing pinosity rules the day here. Wonderful. The palate is absolutely delightful - silky, smooth and terribly long with gorgeous fruit, ripe acidity and far better, rounded tannin structure than any bottle of the, supposedly superior, Clos des Chenes, from the same vintage, demonstrates to date. Finishing with a slightly tart sappiness and lovely cherry/plum overtones, I would rate this wine at 93 points. Outstanding and worth every penny of the hundred dollars I forked out to secure the bottle. Bravo! Drink now to 2013+. 13% A/V    

Christie and Peter Shultz have produced a very good rich, chocolatey wine off ancient vines located at Tanunda in the Barossa Valley in nineteen-ninety-nine. Still holding a solid deep red colour, the bouquet houses a fair whack of seasoned French oak imparting savoury notes of chocolate and mocha. A little touch of cigar box adds complexity. Autumn leaves and a hint of dried herbs add a nice varietal touch to the equation. Mostly blackberry and plum fruit underneath. The medium-bodied palate delivers a smooth, mouthcoating texture, low acidity and soft, ripe tannins on a relatively long, satisfying finish. The fruit and oak have meshed superbly offering up flavours of dark chocolate, plum with a distinct “sweetness”. The savoury/coffee oak seems more subdued here, although the flavour profile probably says more about the climate/region than the variety. Drinking extremely well now and for a few years to come - 88 points - Very Good, verging on Excellent. 14% A/V, and sealed with a pathetically small cork.

A superb example of Polish Hill Riesling revealing classic aged bottled characters and, seemingly, an almost indelible freshness. Displaying a youthful bright light yellow colour, the bouquet offers up an intriguing integrated amalgam of honey, freshly squeezed limes, toast and just a whiff of petrol. In the mouth, the wine excels with a superb richness of nuance as detailed above, gorgeous mouthfilling texture, seamlessly meshed to very fine minerally acidity, followed by a gloriously mature honeyed, but still refreshing, departure suggesting this wine is close to reaching its zenith. Drink now-2012. 93 points. Brilliant, for what it is! 12.5% A/V and sealed with a conventional cork. 

The considerable winemaking talents of Andrew Spinaze fashioned this outstanding example of racy Chardonnay - brilliant bright straw green colour, fascinating nose of gunflint, struck match, apple cider, slightly oily, lightly charred French oak, complimentary green fruits of guava and honey-dew melon, grilled cashew and a flinty minerality suspiciously reminiscent of a very fine Mersault and the steeliness of a Grand Cru Chablis. The palate paints an almost identical canvas - tightly coiled, well focussed and mealy with attractive green melon and guava underpinned with attractive oily/lightly toasted/nutty oak and very fine integrated indelible acidity. Finishes long and crisp with mouth-quenching, crunchy apple- and citrus-laden acidity. Good cellaring prospect. Drink 2007-2012+. 13.1% A/V. Sealed with a cork closure. 92 points         

Leroy’s proprietor, Madame Lalou Bize enjoys an exalted reputation around the world for producing spectacular pinot noir - I’ve only ever tried a few as they are hellishly expensive and, generally, very difficult to source. This wine certainly hits the sweet spot, but for over two hundred dollars a bottle, I’ll be looking elsewhere in future.

Medium ruby with a rusty outer edge. Ethereal, sappy nose housing deepset spicy plum fruit supported by superb savoury, malty French oak. Top shelf. Gorgeously seductive, silky entry into the mouth with similarly-etched ripe plummy fruit, bright acidity and a fine, integrated tannin regime few could emulate. The finish is awfully long, smooth as, with an awesome sappy aftertaste. Again, if I have to be brutally honest, I found the wine to lack a little bang for the big bucks. 92 points. Drink now-2012. Bottle number 122 of only 290 produced! 13% A/V.

Made by the legendary ex-Leo Buring Riesling guru, John Vickery, sealed with a stelvin screwcap and 12% alcohol by volume.

The most brilliant starbright pale lemon/green. If not for the severe reduction on both nose and palate, I believe there’d be a lot to like about this wine. Continual small pours over six hours all suffered the same fate - cordite, struck match and rubber overpowering some delectable tight citrus fruit with a toasty undertone. The acid structure on the palate provides suggests many years of development if not for the dominating sulphide problems, of course. Bummer. 75 points. Postscript - the last glass sat for one hour without swirling and definitely lost some of the sulphur on both nose and palate - a much better wine in every department. Closer to 85 points now.

Once again, raises the issue of proper/careful sulphur management by winemakers when using screwcaps.

Readers familiar with my musings over the years will attest to my predilection for this winery. The decision to axe Dorrien as a “stand alone” label after this particular vintage has prompted a similar level of vehemence, but in this case, only dismay, for what I and many others consider to be an icon of the Australian wine industry. Since its inaugural vintage of 1971, Dorrien Cabernet represents the very best of what can be done with this grape variety in the warmer viticultural climes of the Barossa Valley. The decision from the corporate masters for Seppelt to cease production of this “jewel in the crown” and to concentrate solely on a “Victorian” portfolio has baffled me to a state of virtual senselessness. Recent alarming reports of Southcorp selling off the fortified division based at the magnificent historic Seppetsfield winery and, hence, well over a hundred years of world class winemaking heritage should only appease our concern once the operation is in safe hands, hopefully with the masterful James Godfrey still at the helm.

The 1999 Dorrien displays a vibrant deep ruby/purple with a polished hue, a bouquet featuring a gorgeous array of chocolate-coated black plums and currants, Provencale herbs, a little cedary/sandalwood character with a fair dollop of beautifully-judged toasty malty/savoury/vanillin oak providing weight and backbone. The palate has finally dropped some of its earlier oaky rawness, exhibiting a wealth of chocolatey black fruits, smooth texture, relatively understated acidity and some top-class fine-grained tannin on a protracted and most satisfying finish. A lovely wine and a fitting tribute to almost three decades of great wine folklore. 92 points. Drink now-2014.  

An excellent pinot noir from this impressive producer expressing the terroir and vintage with aplomb. Healthy medium ruby with only minimal lightening in the edges followed by a sexy bouquet harbouring spicy, sappy notes of cherries, plums and a nice touch of savoury oak. Of medium body, the sleek palate provides ample flavours mimicking the nose to a tee, crisp acidity, the finest of fluffy tannins and a superbly delineated, mouthfilling departure. Although ready to drink this wine displays sufficient freshness and vitality to reward another 5-8 years superior drinking. 91 points.

Glowing yellow gold. Enticing bouquet of citrus, toast, ripe pineapple, peach, green apples and passionfruit with a distinct suggestion of minerals. Similarly fruited on the palate, not classical by any stretch of the imagination, nonetheless, nicely poised and quite polished. Of medium-weight, beautifully etched and integrated acid regime with plenty of that same ripe fruit running throughout a lengthy sweet’n’sour finish. Excellent, albeit slightly atypical for this label (in this case, a declassified Leonay), maker and many bottles of same opened over the the last several years. 90 points. Drink now-2010.