The remnants of my original tasting group assembled recently and sampled the following wines over lunch. The Champagne, in particular, and all the reds looked very good indeed, the two whites a bit ho hum. Everything served double blind.

Louis Roederer Vintage Brut 1996 - glorious wine - incredibly fine streams of slow rising, smallest of beading glisten in a sea of light burnished gold. An extraordinary bouquet and palate displaying such a complexity of nuance, depth of flavour, unforgettable structure and awesome length. Traces of honeyed citrus and glazed white peaches support the most congruous assembly of yeast autolysis characters one seeks in a top Champagne - brioche, fresh crusty bread and nutty digestive biscuits. Magnificently rounded and polished in the mouth with a wealth of swirling mousse, creamy texture although still lively enough with perfectly meshed, but softening, acidty supporting the rich and poised yeasty flavours. Slips down the throat with consummate ease. My gut tells me this wine is close to as great as it will get. Drink now - 2011. 95 points.

Tyrrell’s Stevens Semillon 2003 - tight but a little dilute and somewhat non-descript - no obvious faults except for being a little bland - 84 points - good

O’Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2006 - some reduction on the nose, that gradually dissipated, quite a powerful wine with plenty of acid although a little phenolic and some bitterness in the finish - didn’t improve with air - 85(-) points - good/very good.

Ch. L’Arrossee 1982 - This St. Emillon really kicked some butt on the day - fully mature with a lovely cedary/sweet earthy bouquet with supporting leather/dried herbs and blackcurrant fruit. Palate equally engaging with a near perfect equilibrium and decent length. Top class right-banker. Drink now - 2012+ 92 points

Yarra Yering Pinot Noir 1995 - a bit exciting for me to see an Australian Pinot hold on for so long with no sign of senility. Bucket loads of sweet plum and cherry fruit with some sappy/gamey notes in the nose, just lacks a touch of complexity on the palate. Otherwise, excellent! 90 points Drink now - 2010

Peter Lehmann The Mentor 1992 - an unusual blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz and Malbec. This wine had me stumped for vintage and maker. Very youthful for age. A powerfully built, classy number with an incredibly good bouquet (cedary, herbs and bucketloads of briary sweet blackcurrant fruit) followed by an equally impressive tight but fleshy palate with surprisingly good structure, plenty of petrol in the tank and a whopping but controlled and well-balanced finish. Top marks from me for what it is! 93 points Drink now - 2017+

Cambrai Vintage Port 1985 - This small idiosyncratic McLaren Vale winery pulled off a great result with this vintage of 100% fortified Shiraz. At least one Championship, several trophies and gold medals on the Australian Wineshow circuit right through to the early 1990’s. Outstanding effort with one of my experienced wine buddies firmly convinced this was Portuguese. Still holds very good depth of colur for its age, an impressively ripe but not overly sweet and spiritous nose. Unlike so many other Aussie vintage ports, the Cambrai displays none of the overextracted, sweet pruny characters. This wine’s fruit’s firmly in the cherry/blackberry spectrum with a nice touch of couterbalancing spirit. Still carries some firmish astringency through the long finish and will go another 10-15 years if well kept. 92 points

Great to revisit wonderful friends, Lyndsay and Diane at their magnificent home and Alpaca stud farm on the border of Queensland and New South Wales.

Monday

Perrier-Jouet La Belle Epoque 1996 - brilliant straw colour, persistent streams of fine bead. Sensational bouquet of brioche, biscuits, toasted sesame over gorgeous citrussy fruit. Immaculate palate, mouthfilling, fresh with such poise, balance and exquisite length. A delightful start. 94

Served with Maggie Beer’s famous duck pate topped with slivers of kalamata olives and coriander.

Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 1999 - Starbright green/straw. Incredble nose of toast, lime, a hint of oily petrol unfolding scents of peach, mineral and crisp green apples later. Fresh as a daisy on the palate with a distinctive floral character to the crunchy lime and redcurrant fruit. The best possible integrated acid cut delivers the perfect penultimatum to a long and glorious finish. 93

Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux-St-Jacques 1993 - This wine has finally entered its’ peak drinking window. Solid dark core with maturie hues in the outer edges. Opened particularly feral with a fair dollop of duck pond but this dissipated slowly but surely to reveal a truly wonderful Burgundy that revealed spicy plums, game, sappy notes with a strong input from fine savoury oak. Silky palate with almost perfect ripe acids and fine tannins to round off a long peacock’s tail finish. 94

With oven roasted Chicken breasts atop eggplant and finished with baby capers, tomato, balsamic and fresh basil.

Tuesday

Hermann Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese 1998 - One of my favourite German producers and what looks to be a very successful vintage for this estate. Bright light gold appearance. Imposing nose of tropical fruit (mango), white peach, yellow nectarine and underlying citrus with some slatey/minerally undertones. Ripe, intense and ready to go on the palate but relatively light on its’ feet exhibiting a wonderful rounded mouthfeel, plenty of extract and controlled, complimentary acidity. Finishes ohso smooth and long - a beautifully constructed wine - but as I’ve noticed with the last few bottles opened, probably not destined for extremely old bones. I’d guess another 5-8 years will see this at its best. 92

Accompanied Tiger prawn salad - home grown rocket, baby lettuce, avacado, over-roasted cherry tomatoes and drizzled with olive oil infused with tomato and garlic.

Louis Carillon Puligny-Montrachet 2000 - for a village wine this punches well above its weight. Infantile bright straw colour. Classy mealy nose of grapefruit, almonds, an intriguing minerality and a lovely touch of (newish) oak. Very fresh and zesty. Exhibits an incredibly tightly structured palate, excellent line, a modicum of cirtus/grapefruit/underripe peach fruit with subtle smoky oak flavours, fantastic acid cut and a blinder of a finish. The austerity of this wine in no way dampened my enthusiasm for the enjoyment it gave last night. I’m sure better things are in store for those with the patience to keep their hands off this for many years to come. 92

Chargrilled Atlantic Salmon (marinated in a touch of soy, sesame oil, galic and ginger) served with a celeriac and potato mash and pan-fried young asparagus spears rolled in butter. Yummo!

Seppelt GR113 Rutherglen Rare Muscat - Drunk over two nights and benefitted from the aeration on the second night. Seppelt’s flagship commercial mucat and what a great example it is! Dark mahogany red fading to rich brown/rusty hues with a faint khaki rim. Potent nose of jumbo raisans, brandied Christmas cake, touch of molasses with strong rancio and v.a. notes playing an integral part in the wine’s counterbalance, complexity and stature. Unctiously and decadently rich palate with luscious flavours aka the nose. The sweetness level balanced perfectly by a grippy astringency that cleans up an almost interminable finish. Just brilliant. 95

Served with home-made passionfruit ice cream.

Wednesday

Piper-Heidsieck Vintage Brut 1990 - An exceptional Champagne drinking at its apoge’. From the glorious colour and heavenly nose harbouring insanely complex yeast, toasty and smoky notes to a palate riddled with abundant fruit, superb mouthfilling flavours, abundant refreshing acidity, swirling mousse and great finish, this blew us all away for its freshness, elegance, balance and sheer class. 95

Opened with smoked salmon, egg, yoghurt, mayonaise, capers and chives on a variety of flavoured crackers/biscuits.

Willian Fevre Chablis 1er Cru “Montee de Tonnerre” 2000 - Infantile pale straw/white colour. Reticient nose at first that eventually offered up some chalky minerality, a touch of lemon zest and some green melon later. Exceptionally tight and unyielding palate, way off being ready. It was decided then and there to pop this away in the fridge under cork and have a look at it the next night. The following day we were impressed by the way this had opened out with much more fruit evident on both nose and palate but with the steely resolve of a top-flight Chablis. If you have any, earmark your next bottle for opening early in the new decade. 90

Ch. Leoville-Las-Cases 1985 - Lovely wine but not up with the very best I’ve opened over the last several years. Still holding a healthy dark ruby core grading to a little amber/pink in the edge. Opened with a fair amount of barnyard and wet earth with underlying hints of cedar, pencil lead, herbs, dark plums and blackcurrant. This slight dirtiness dissipated slowly over the course of an hour. The palate was silky, rounded and relatively sweet showing mostly red fruits, subservient oak, low acidity but a little short on the finish. An excellent wine but as mentioned earlier just a little out of sorts with the truly great ‘85 LLC’s I’ve tried before. 90

Served with a platter of soft blue cheeses, black olives and pickled vegetables.

Thursday

For dinner I prepared fresh medium-sized banana prawns with liberal quantities of crushed garlic, chopped ginger, lemongrass, spring onion and chilli, a little sesame oil and some sweet Indonesian soy sauce, quickly panfried and finished with a few dollops of sour cream and topped with finely chopped shallot.

The heat of the dish did little to dampen our enthusiasm for Trimbach’s 1997 Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile, an enthralling wine revealing outstanding integrated aromas and flavours of apricot, peach, citrus and honey, infused with the beguiling minerality Trimbach always delivers with their best wines and the merest hint of petrol. It’s been quite a while since I’ve looked at a bottle of this and I’m glad I’ve kept my hands off the remaining bottles. In keeping with this Domaine’s proven track record, this wine possesses equally impressive qualities in the mouth with perfectly-wrought acidity levels and a terrific depature of considerable duration. The wine had no trouble coping with the heat of the dish; the potency of the fruit and acids easily coping with the moderate heat of the dish. Drink anytime over the next 7-10 years. 93

Lyndsay procured a lovely piece of locally-raised beef eye fillet that was coated in ground black pepper, left in the fridge for 24 hours, then oven roasted in the juices of baked garlic knobs and finished in a horse radish sauce. Served with clay pot steamed potatoes, julienne carrots, brocolini and green beans.

As a precursor to the meal, we opened a magnificently (although somewhat atypical) elegant 1978 Ch. Leoville-Las-Cases that disappeared, seemingly, in next to no time. Such a surreal nose compared to the ‘85 the night before. Gorgeous sweet bouquet of red fruits and cedar with perplexing undertones of cigar box, mint and subtle savoury oak. In the mouth, this wine excelled with an almost unfathomable silky personalility coupled with a profound dilineation. Fully mature and totally seductive, the balance, mouthfeel and ultimate finale were all of the highest order. Without a doubt, the best bottle of this wonderful wine I’ve had the pleasure of trying. 95

What followed had the four of us, literally shaking our heads interspersed with “oooh’s” and “aahh’s” amongst other profanitities. With their 1982, Ch. Calon-Segur have produced a monumental effort. Strikingly more youthful than the just-opened Las Cases and with several decades of superior drinking in front of it, this wine threw up a bevy of classical left bank nuance - cassis, anise, cedar, spice box (cardamon), tobacco dwell with lavish savoury complimentary oak to produce a medium- to full-bodied claret with a bouquet to die for and palate that would hold its own with more expensive counterparts from this revered vintage. This wine has it all! I could wax lyrical for some time on this, but trust me, if you can get your hands on well-cellared examples at a reasonable price, buy as much you can afford. 96

We finished this session with a little offering from Australia - Henschke’s old vine Shiraz - Mt Edelstone. From the very good 1994 vintage, this youthful, bright red displays bucketloads of sweet plum, licorice and christmas cake fruit, plenty of glycerin with ample fine, ripe tannin to shed as it matures over the next 10 years or more. I was particularly impressed with this wine as a youngster and bought plenty. My decision to do so now seems to be paying dividends. A solid 92 points with a slightly higher rating expected in time.

Friday through to Monday

Zilliken Saarburger-Rausch Riesling Auslese 1993 - another gorgeous German Riesling looking particularly fresh and with many years of development in front of it. The aromatics and palate just terrific for the intensity of heady perfume and succulent, vibrant fruit. Beautifully balanced acidity rounds out a superbly crafted, lengthy wine. Top marks. 93

Hudelot-Noellat Vosne-Romanee Romanee-St.-Vivant Grand Cru 1993 - Absolutely stunning. One of the best Burgs I’ve opened. Just entering its peak drinking window. Mind-blowing bouquet - typical R-S-V florals (violets) and sublime elegance but underpinned with alluring notes of satsuma plum, blackberry, game, spice, truffle and sap. Just as brilliant in the mouth - supremely elegant with subtle power and a nobility rarely found. Perfectly structured with sympathetic acidity and profoundly good silky tannin structure followed by a superb, mesmerising finish. 97

Niepoorts Vintage Port 1970 - my first hit-out with this producer and what a blast! Sensational colour - bright ruby with some rust in the edge. Sensational nose of brandied cherries, almonds and a small amount of lift. Simalrly endowed palate - amazingly elegant yet with underlying power and strength to carry this through another two decades, possibly more. Alarmingly easy to swallow with a subtle astringency from the spirit and tannins providing the perfect foil to the amaretto/cherry flavours. Super length. 95

Louis Roederer Cristal 1996 - another brilliant wine in the prime of its life. Almost impossibly bright yellow/green colour, fantastic beading. Sumptuously decadent, intense floral nose of green stonefruits and citrus, brioche, baker’s yeast, toasted wheat and minerals - everything here beautifully honed. The palate delivers complex, super-concentrated flavours, immaculate line, superb swirling mousse yet walks a tightrope with a delicacy that beggars disbelief. Ethereal finish! 97

Chateau Suidaraut 1983 - Much more of an orange/gold colour compared to the previous (light straw/gold) bottle I opened in April. A very impressive wine but several notches below the previous bottle. Looked fully ready with developed, broad and much richer, honeyed character than the racy thoroughbred opened a few months back. Still harbours a solid core of apricot/marzipan/peachy fruit underpinned by spicy French oak. Mouthfilling and quite unctious but looks decidedly ready and albeit an excellent quality was one of the few disappointments of the week (based solely on the previous bottle’s stellar performance). 90

Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Charmes” 1996 - Brooding and quite powerful, this surprisingly masculine, full-throttle Burg delivers a level of drinkabilty that two previous bottles have failed to achieve. Barthod has, somewhat atypically, fashioned a bold Pinot Noir with lavish amounts of newish oak to garnish a wealth of sappy, plummy and chocolatey fruit. Ripe acidity and polished tannins provide the platform for at least another tens years of superior drinking. 93

Denis Mortet Vosne-Romanee Grand Cru Romanee-St.-Vivant 1996 - Another exceptional wine from the selections I shipped for my week long holiday. Possibly needing a year or two to achieve “nirvana”, this exceptional wine brims with (particularly for Mortet) the perfect balance of fruit and new oak, pinotphiles seem to be always seeking; the “Holy Grail”, so to speak. I’ve been critical of the levels of oak Mortet gives his wines at times, but with this superb effort I have no grounds for complaint whatsoever. Possessing a dazzling array of nuance similar to the sensational ‘93 R-S-V from Hudelot-Noellat (see above), all this great Burgundy needs is a few years to further integrate and soften and a similar rating will be in order. 95

Francois Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru “Montee de Tonnerre” 2000 - another Chablis “youngster” from quite possibly the best producer from this appellation. Insignificant colour development, a slightly reticent nose that blossomed in time with tell-tale notes of calciferous soil, seaspray, lemongrass and hints of meal. The palate’s tight yet offers a glimpse of things to come, holding abundant reserves of citrussy/steely extract and natural minerally acidity. Finishes long, clean and particurly dry. Verging on outstanding now, with more more in store for those with patience. 91

McWilliams Mt. Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 1996 - Still barely out of nappies, this Hunter Valley unoaked, low alcohol Semillon holds a glowing yellow/green colour, infantile grassy/soapy aromas with the first vestige of nuts and honey that no doubt will come more into play with further bottle age. The palate’s crisp and a touch spritzy with good extract levels, an anbundance of natural acidity and a dry cry crisp finish. Expect a higher rating when this excellent wine matures in 5-10 years. 90

Chateau Pape-Clement 1988 - An excellent wine exhibiting a relatively opaque dark ruby colour holding right to the meniscus, a brooding nose of black olives, cedar, weedy blackcurrants and savoury oak and a medium- to full-bodied palate with plenty of extract replicating the nuance found in the bouquet. Melting fine-grained tannins and ripe acids suggest further cellaring could benefit this wine’s evolution. Just not as inspiring as the bottle I opened a few months ago. 90

Dinner with some nice people down from Sydney for the weekend -

Taittinger Comte de Champagne 1995 - youthful colour, terrific small beading, gorgeous effusive, yet delicate, yeasty nose, very fine and fluffy in the mouth holding a great line, lovely acid balance, long - brilliant aperitif style, beguilling & feminine - drink now and for the next several years - 93

Les Chablisienne Chablis Grand Cru “Preuses” 1995 - classy Chablis, multidimensional in nuance with a typically tight structure housing a vein of calciferous minerality, excellent length - lost a just little definition and focus with extended breathing, hence a drink soonish proposition. 92

Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru “Clos des Epeneaux” 1996 - Excellent deep colour, reticent nose that came up well in the glass with time - plums, cherries, a little savoury oak with just a hint of sweet earth - followed by a slightly four-square palate with complimentary acidity and firmish tannins, reasonably long finish - just lacked some “wow” factor. Should improve marginally over the next several years but will never be great. Very good/Excellent 88

Mount Mary Cabernets 1991 - mature hue, classic “Bordeaux” blend nose of cedar, herbs, damp earth, blackcurrant and autumn leaves. Whether this saw a little too much air in the decanter, I did notice a slight composty/almost cabbagy/leafy character coming through towards the end of my glass. Very elegant and rounded in the mouth with a similar deterioration of the initial cassis and cedary flavours with time. Soft tannins. Otherwise, Excellent. Drink now or over the next few years 90

Antinori Tignanello 1995 - This sensational Sangiovese/Cabernet blend shone through like a beacon in a fog compared to the two previous reds. Youthful dark colour, strong primary aromas of blackberry, currants, cedar and violets. Quite full and concentrated palate with a distinct savoury character in the lengthy aftertaste. My first hit out with this wine and very pleased to have done so. Solid but forgiving tannin structure. Needs another 3-5 years and should drink for several thereafter. 93

The good wife turned fifty yesterday and the immediate family and a few friends gathered at the local Turkish Pide restaurant for a lovely (and just so inexpensive) degustation dinner last night. Incredible value for money and a top night was had by all.

Wines -

Pol Roger Vintage Brut 1996 - continues to shine, developing more complexity/weight as it ages on cork. Still fresh and delightfully complex with that vintage thumbprint of invigorating acidty. Finest of line in the mouth coupled with wonderful length. Long term cellaring prospect. 94

Joseph Sparkling Shiraz (2006 Disg.) - read some negative reports from a couple of members of the SLDS recently - this most recent disgorgement displays a remarkably deep magenta colour, incredibly fine, active streams of bubbles and is bursting with bucketloads of “sweet” creamy plum and spicy blackberry fruit. The addition of some very old base material delivers deft counterbalancing touches of leather and sweet earth on a profoundly good long, mouthfilling departure. Top Class! 93

Freycinet Chardonnay 2005 (screwcap) - A wonderful example of vibrant, cool climate, restrained Chardonnay with the most delectable pear drop, melon and gentle stone fruits with, seemingly, very understated creamy oak. A whisk of meal and crispy bacon add credence to a drop-dead gorgeous palate. One of the most attractive young Chardonnay’s I’ve had the pleasure of drinking over the last several years. Very good cellaring potential but will be difficult for me to keep my hands off this corker in the meantime. 93

Lillydale Estate (Yarra Valley Vineyards) Chardonnay 2005 - Remarkable quality for the price! Winner of the Best Wine (repeat WINE!) at the recent National Wine Show in Canberra, this is a seriously well crafted Chardonnay with more than a hint of “Chablis” in its formulation. Steely with a distinct minerality vein running throughout a long and tight palate, this belter harbours some impressive “Burgundian” complexity over delicate fig and white peach/nectarine fruit. Snapped up a case of this without thinking twice. Excellent mid-term cellaring potential. 92

Lindemans Coonawarra Sesquicentenary Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 (Magnum) - down to my last half dozen or so of these - stunning mature Australian Classic drinking at its absolute peak but should hold for several more years - vibrant ruby colour with some bricking in the edges, exquisite bouquet of dusty blackcurrants, regional mint, saddle leather, French herbs, sandalwood, leafy greens, earthy morello’s, cigar box and beautifully integrated, spicy French oak. A veritable smorgasboard of definitive varietal characteristics can be found on a silky, gorgeously balanced palate. Without a doubt one of Greg Clayfield’s best ever results. Such harmony, elegance combined with poise, personality and pizzaz! Add impeccable softening, refreshing acidity and fluffy, mature tannins, this wine stands head and shoulders above just about any 1990 Coonawarra red I can recall (including the supposedly brilliant 90A and 920)! 95

Morris Old Premium Liquer Tokay 500 ml - another recent trophy winner at Canberra, this increible old wine displays a deep mahogany/brown/khaki colour, sublime aromatics of treacle, toffee, honey, dusty old oak, cold black tea intertwined with perplexing volatile, rancio and nutty esters only found in the oldest and best blends of this wine style. Thick and unctious on the palate with amazing concentration and abundance of nuance (aka the nose) with a breathtaking texture Wonderful cutting acidity and astringency holding everything together on a finish to die for. 96 and WOTN (just pipping the exceptional Lindies)

Terrific afternoon/evening with a few friends and our Queensland visitors in fine form at my place yesterday - late morning to mid-evening - everything taken at a very sedate pace (especially with this bloomin’ “never-ending” heat wave we’re suffering here at the moment).

Pol Roger 1995 Vintage - spectacularly good - still fresh and invigorating but with incredible depth and complexity - 93 - served with softened Jindi brie and juicy strawberries on wafer biscuits.

Donnhoff 1998 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese - a bowl of summer fruits in a glass - gorgeous aromatics, plenty of fruit weight mimicking the nose on the palate with terrific acid cut, excellent length, just starting to attain a little of the secondary petro-character - still just a pup - 92 - served with fresh smoked Tasmanian, baby Asian greens, avacado, capers, red onions, sour cream and chives - the food/wine match worked very well.

Tyrrell’s Vat 47 2002 Chardonnay - pristine Oz Chardonnay (and will last for several years, too!) - nicely worked mealy barrel characters, melon/fig fruit, great line, wonderful balance and mouthfeel, just about spot on to my liking - 93 - served with extra large king prawns bbq’d whole after marinating in garlic, lemongrass, ginger, chillie and sesame oil - yummo!

McWilliams Mount Pleasant O.H. Hermitage (Shiraz) 1965 - level just below the neck - still a solid mature hue - apart from slightest hint of oxidation/v.a. on the nose and palate, this incredibly good wine (for it’s age, that is) displayed the typical Hunter thumbprint of old leather, earth, soft sweet fruit and cigar box. Probably a year or three too late to catch its drinking window but a wonderful experience all the same - 89 (at a push) - served with chargrilled capsicum and eggplant wrapped in Parma prosciutto.

Ch. Palmer (Margaux) 1979 - level just into neck - opened with a fair amount of barnyard in the bouquet but with a good decant and plenty of time in the glass, this wine just got better and better, revealing more purity and “sweetness” as it opened out. Balanced, mature, complex and long - another 93 pointer! - served with marinated (Moroccan spices, garlic, pepper and oil) beef eye fillet shaslicks alternatively skewered with onion, bacon, zucchini and button mushrooms and served with Turkish-styled bean dish (cooked for hours with tomatoes, garlic, onion and spices).

Taylor’s Vintage Port 1983 - opened early in the afternoon to see how this was travelling - way too volatile from the spirit/high alcohol - and with Roy Hersch’s reco’s still echoing in my head - decanted this about 3 p.m. and drank it five hours later - much better for it - superb cherry/almond fruit, elegant but still with underlying controlled power and authority - couldn’t get over the brilliant balance and smoothness but with just the right amount of astringency on an incredibly long palate - 94. My WOTD/N just pipping several other similarlarly-pointed very high quality wines. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon (thankfully in air conditioned comfort)!

Fantastic night, albeit tinged with some expected sadness, over the early passing of loving husband and father, truly great friend and mentor on all things wine and food, Tom Low.

Tom’s wife, Toi and daughter’s, Adelle and Clare joined my family and the remnants of my original tasting group, with notable absent original member, Bruce, whose mother suffered a stroke earlier in the day. All our thoughts are with Jean and family for a speedy and full recovery. Michael Chin (now living in Darwin) made the long trip down to join us.

Orlando Steingarten Riesling 2002 - Outstanding varietal aromatic definition, although a little toasty on the palate for the age. Otherwise about as good as it gets. 92

Marc Bredif Vouvray 1985 - Amazingly fresh and lively, very apply and acid to burn. Will live for decades. Initial sulphur and cheesiness blew off pretty quickly - what evolved thereafter looked extremely good indeed. 90

Domaine Colin-Lequin Chassagne-Monrachet “Les Vergers” 1998 - One of the surprise packets of the evening - brimming with complexity, just fantastic nuance and structure, very youthful with the uncanny ability of combining rich, succulent fruit and gorgeous oak treatment with a steely minerality that permeated through the wine - quite brilliant. 93

Francois Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru “Montee de Tonnerre” 2000 - unfortunately served after the Chassagne. Typically flinty, steely with terrific acid cut. A keeper. 91  

Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling VT 1990 - less developed than the last bottle opened recently (and perhaps just a little less exciting) with decidedly more freshness and sweetness paticularly on the mid-palate. Remarkably youthful in colour and nuance, finishing almost bone dry. 93

Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanee Grand Cru Richebourg 1987 - level 3cm from cork - Not a great year in Burgundy, but compared to the disjointed, albeit seemingly more youthful, 1988 I tried in Sydney a few weeks back, this wine delivered the goods, although, after a good half hour in the glass, started to dry out a tad on the finish. Otherwise, sublime gamey/earthy/mushroomy aromatics with a strong spine of sappy cherry and plum. Powerful, integrated palated, fully mature and quite thrilling apart from the touch of senility mentioned above. 90

Frederic Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Cru Clos-de-Beze 1996 - very impressive colour; wonderfully pure, hedonistic nose of black fruits, earthy pinot sap and spicy, savoury oak with hints of mushroom and game pie followed by an authoritative palate crammed with mouth-filling extract, a fair dollop of integrated new wood and some seriously good grape tannins on a long, firm finish. Just needs another 3-5 years for the grip to settle a tad and the equation should be perfectly balanced. Looked quite a few notches above the Grivot. 93

Ch. Malescot (Margaux) 1961 - WOTN - from Tom’s cellar and generously brought by his family. Mid-shoulder, black/white mouldy cork (top half), totally soaked. From the moment I removed the black sludge from the neck and gently opened this wine, captivating, enthralling aromas of violets, cassis, cedar, sweet earth and saddle leather filled the olfactories. The incredible feat of sheer perfection found on the nose is duplicated on the palate - Bordeaux at its’ finest. Words cannot do this little masterpiece justice. A most moving tribute to the man we honour on this special night. Rates with the 1982 Leoville Las Cases as my equal highest pointed wine of the year. Bravo! 97

Ch. Canon (St.Emillon) 1985 - mistakenly poured instead of Toi’s great looking bottle of ‘79 Palmer - opened with some bottle stink and barnyard but over the next hour transformed into a terrific example from this top right-bank producer. Developed beautiful sweet, earthy ripe fruit matched to melting tannins on a soft, lingering elegant finish. Ready to go. 92

Ch. Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac) 1994 - deep, powerful, brooding wine more akin to the new world with exuburent savoury oak predominating the longer the wine was open. Luxurious and opulent with abundant cedar, tar and curranty fruit, this wine is way too young with grippy tannins dominating on a power-packed finish. Needs another 10 years. 91

Very late in the night a Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 1996 Shiraz (very good/excellent, 89 points) made an unlikely appearance and the hard core stayers got a small taste of the luscious, raisaned Seppelt Show Muscat DP 63 (outstanding, 92 points) to polish off what was an extraordinary good night of food, wine and fellowship. I’m sure Tom would have enjoyed himself if he was there in person.

A night to remember, particularly that stunning 1961 Margaux!

The inimitable Daniel J. Clarke Esq. paid a visit to Canberra this weekend to sought out some pressing motoring needs and, apart from galavanting ’round the countryside with Tony Wynd visiting some of the better local vignerons Saturday afternoon, graced us with his presence at my place for dinner last night. The Canberra Wine Mafia Steering Commitee assembled an eclectic range of wines in an attempt to confuse the living daylights out of him. As usual, the renowned palate of Mr. Clarke put paid to our feeble attempts.We opened proceedings with some “mouthwash” - the Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque 1996. A wine of, seemingly, excellent quality, except my flutes were abysmally unproductive for beading, making the wine seem flat and missing the mandatory zip one requires to make these great wines sing. 87 points. Freshly roasted almonds and cashews accompanied the aperitif. Next up, Tony produced a truly excellent bottle of white Burgogne from a producer I must seek out. The 1998 Domaine Caillot “Les Herbeux” reveals a very youthful colour, terrific, complex varietal nose backed with almost perfect oak handling and a palate, apart from appearing just a tad dilute at first, improved radically with air time, providing most rewarding drinking. For what I understand to be a relatively inexpensive wine, this beauty seemed to hit the mark for all present. 91 points! Went well with stir-fried butterfly banana prawns marinated in lemon grass, ginger, garlic, shallot and red chilli accompanied with a simple coban salad. Mr. Clarke’s offering of a 1997 Diamond Valley Estate White Label Pinot Noir was opened next and what a great example it is. Quite mature hue but still holding a solid, deep red core. The bouquet is exceptional for an Aussie PN - profoundly complex, yet fresh and invigorating. Incredibly sappy with moorish morellos, black truffles, black plums, a little sweet freshly turned earth ….. yummo!. In the mouth the wine is no less rivetting with a wealth of wonderful silky fruit, terrific mouthfeel and fantastic structure to boot. Finishes ohso long and with great aplomb. 93 points on its ear! WOTN for me. As I was serving up the mains of char-grilled Moroccan Beef with roast vegetables, we were greeted by the late arrival of Radioactiveman. We needed something with a bit more oomph and the 1999 Seppelt Dorrien Cabernet was opened. A deep brooding Cabernet with powerful “cool climate” traits far more suggestive of Coonawarra than the more temperate Barossa Valley. Lotsa savoury cedar, a good dollop of mint, weedy blackcurrants, sandalwood and of full body, this youthful, classy wine delivered the goods for me - 92 points. Next cab off the rank was Jamie’s 1999 Greenock Creek Apricot Block Shiraz - initially, a bruiser of a red that was thick, rich and chewy and of sizeable structure - a potent mix of road tar, bramble bush, blackberry jam and black raspberries, heaps of savoury/cedary oak with hints of bitter chocolate. A little of this type of wine generally goes a long way for me but over the course of the evening continued to improve as it toned down to become more approachable and eminently more enjoyable. And only 14.8% A/V! Excellent stuff! 91 points We changed direction with the next red - Vacheron-Pouizin’s CDP “Clos du Caillou” Reserve 1998. Previous bottles opened have consistently scored between 93-95 points. This bottle was barely “good” displaying unattractive, almost underripe vegetal characters and an awkwardness of structure I’ve never experienced before. 83 points and going nowhere. Dan and Tony’s yet-to-be-released Baxian Yarra Valley Cabernet 2005 followed - a good clean wine endowed with a gorgeous deep ruby/purple colour and lashings of beautifully-handled, newish French wood. Unfortunately, for me at least, this aspect dominated some reticent minty fruit. If the oak levels subside and the fruit comes into balance, this may be worthy of a very good rating. 80 points for now. A good first effort from the lads.Things were rocking with the Ch. Reynella Vintage Port 1972 - reeking of licorice, lantana, blackberry liquer, heaps of very fine spirit and no signs of VA or senility. Drinking very well with immense length and in no sign of falling over in the next several years, I rated this at 92 points.

A raid of my wine stash by Dan and Jamie saw a terrible bottle of bretty 1999 Mt. Horrocks Watervale Shiraz - 72 points - and likewise a disappointing, lean and mean Faiveley Nuits-St.-Georges “Les St. Georges” 1996 - 80 points come and go in no time.

To restore some faith in the 1996 vintage from my beloved Cote-d’Or, we brought the night’s proceedings to a conclusion with the excellent “Clos des Epeneaux” from one of Pommard’s very best producer’s, Comte Armand. At this very late hour, I was a little too tired and emotional to jot down a note on this one.

Many thanks for everyone’s contributions and good humour to a very good evening.

Atilla, David, Danny, Cam, Adair and yours truly assembled at Atilla’s residence in Maroubra, a southern coastal suberb of Sydney for what turned out to be a monster night that lasted for almost 8 hours. All wines served blind. Thanks be to Atilla and his mum for their hospitality and excellent food.

NB: The notes below are from another attendee and good friend, Danny “Baby Chickpea” followed by my comments starting with a “-” and in bold type.

Again, a fabulous night of great food, great wine, great company (some heated debated ensued), surreal DVD interludes by the Hungarian hard rockers Tankcsapda (not bad!), and general all round reverie. Massive thanks to Attila, his mum, and all attendees (very generous as usual). This was one of the better club nights IMO!

1996 Comte A. de Dampierre Grand cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne

Stunning bead and mousse. Mid yellow. Evocative citrus rind, lemon tarts, sweet florals. Lovely palate also – so soft, creamy. Elegant, focussed and with exceptional balance. A superb wine now. Not showing a lot of complexity now, and not an ageing style, but this is delectable drinking and exceptionally enjoyable.
94/100

- 94 points from me too - my note mentions brioche, freshly baked crusty bead, touch of vegemite, minerally. Vibrant palate, layered, focussed, great balance, terrific finish. Will age in my opinion but drinking brilliantly. Fantastic start - thanks to Cam - a house I have not tried before. Worth every cent of $120+ IMHO.

NV Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus Non-Dose premier Cru Champagne

Bigger bubbles, less consistent mousse. Very moscato-like nose with too much bubblegum characters and despite lack of liqueuring, smelt very sweet. Palate was initially awful and tasted like an al cheapo sparkler from Oz. I wasn’t kidding when I thought this smelt and tasted like Minchinbury! After time, got better but still hard and bitter on palate. Very minerally and calciferous and chalky. Bit short too. Not really to my liking I’ve gotta be honest, despite the rave reviews. Neville, wanna buy your bottle back?
81/100

- Very ordinary wine, particularly at the start - smelt like a mix of cheap perfume, cheap sweet grapes, musk sticks and sickly florals - palate rough, coarse and bitter - short finish - 75 points at first. 80 after it lost some of the overt lolly/perfume/grapey characters revealing a modicum of classy yeasty character. Palate didn’t improve much, though. Pass

1996 Moet et Chandon Cuvee Dom Perignon Champagne

Light straw. Good bead with fine small bubbles. Absorbing complex bouquet of butter scotch, herbs (basil), fresh limes, hazelnuts, hint of pepper. Very complex and superb. Palate is incredibly youthful and tart. Super structure. Amazing potential. Classically structured and proportioned. Razor-sharp acidity means this needs at least 5 years, perhaps 10. A great champagne that lives up to its grand reputation. 96/100

- Charry/toasty nose, very similar to how the great 1990 was at 10 years of age. Also noted complex notes of truffles, mocha, roasted hazelnuts, strawberries and a lick of cream. A touch of reductive character didn’t hurt either. Brilliant palate although more evidence of charry/toasted flavours - perfectly moulded, fresh, refined but powerful, superbly delineated, incredibly long, needs time. 95 points from me with a bullet for future improvement once the charry/toasty notes subside. Drink 2011-2020.

1999 Lindemans Reserve Pinot Noir Chardonnay Pinot Meunier Sparkling

More mute on nose than 96 Dom and less bead. Mousse OK. Light straw. Palate a little short with too much acid. A bit unbalanced. Pretty good wine I’ve gotta say for a cheapie and stood up well to these grand marques. Hard to believe that for an Aussie sparkler seven years old this was not only holding up well, but flummoxed us all! For A$15, this is a relative bargain and all of us picked French!!!!!! Some embarrassed faces around the table who thought this the Sir Winston (no names but not me!)!
90/100

- Exceptionally intact and of excellent quality for a seven year old cheapy. Another sparkling from the Southcorp stable that fights well above its’ weight. Lacked the complexity of the Krug, but I scored it the same as the Krug. Easy to give it less as it warmed, especially after it was unveiled! Now I know why GW dislikes tasting blind!

1988 Krug Vintage Champagne

Medium gold (bit more developed than my last bottle one year ago). A lot of honey and toast. Palate lacks structure. Pretty one-dimensional. Very disappointing – until owner Adair revealed this was another Singapore purchase (note to self: NEVER buy champers from Asia no matter how cheap). Fell apart after 30 minutes. Obviously damaged. My last bottle was a 93/100 with searing acidity and requiring 10 years and built like a brick sh1thouse. But, as with Adair’s faulty 1990 Krug last time, even faulty Krug is drinkable!
85/100

- Wasn’t as “unimpressed” as Danny, Cam and Attila on this one, although the wine did start to fall apart in the glass. Deeper colour than all the preceeding wines. Burnt toast, buttered corn, butterscotch, vegemite, some oxidative oak characters on the nose. Impressive! Pretty smart palate at first but seemed a little tired without the promise of the nose within minutes. Nice swirling mousse, good but not great length, a little burnt toast character but definitely lacked the class and persistence of the vintage and marque found in previous bottles. Progressively got worse over the next half hour. An Excellent - 90 points rating at first but falling apart the more air it saw. Probably closer to 80 at the end.

1995 Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill Champagne

Good bead. Slight mousse. Light gold. Sweet nose albeit a little simple. Palate much finer than 88 Krug but nowhere in class of 96 Dom. Excellent length and structure, and got much better with time. Perhaps we should have Audozed this wine. On its own, excellent wine. Unfortunately it followed the 96 Dom tonight.
92/100

- A house I’ve vehemently followed with mostly excellent results over two decades. Without a doubt an Outstanding wine - Danny’s notes and points are spot on the diddle-o. My criticism here is the dosage. Overly liquered methinks. Otherwise, hard to fault. Almost prefer the standard ‘95 vintage to this. May get better with time.

1978 Moet et Chandon Cuvee Dom Perignon Rose Champagne

Deep orange. Very, very small bubbles persist. Excellent cork and seal and still ‘popped’. Nose is all sweet perfume of acacia flowers, honey, and nuances of orange marmalade. Palate is on downward slope but still very good wine with life in the old lady yet! Very good length, full flavoured and with many nutty/almondy overtones. Very nice. Not bad.
86/100

- Opened quite volatile and sherry-like but improved over the course of a glass or two offering up honeyed apricots and smoked blanched almonds. Similar points from me. A mildy oxidised curio but still quite drinkable with the finest of gentle acid cut and surprisingly good length.

2000 J-L. Chave Hermitage Blanc 80% Marsanne, 20% Roussanne.

Yuk. Like a dry martini with far too much alcohol and heat. Distilled spirit. This was a nothing wine (sorry!) and bitterly disappointing. No semblance of fruit whatsoever, and if underlying, it was certainly swamped by the AV! Parker loves these wines. I don’t.
74/100

- Debatable whether this wine will ever come around. Over-oaked, quite hot with high alcohol and under-fruited. Improved marginally with air but difficult to find any endearing features here. 78 points from me.

1999 Domaine Francois Raveneau Chablis 1er cru Montee de Tennerre

Light gold. Slatey and minerally (oyster shells). Hint of lemon peel. Slightly hard and coarse on palate still with pretty good acid backbone. Still youthful. Good but not exciting. May get better. Bit disjointed at present.
87/100

- Appealingly minerally and meally over some nice melon/citrus/calciferous fruit but even the nose is slightly phenolic and broad. Enigmatic and compartmental for a Raveneau - a bit oily although there’s enough acid, albeit disjointed, providing freshness. Lacks focus and balance. Nice carry of fruit, though. Remaining bottles to the chopper methinks. 86 points at best. Disappointing FWII.

2004 Savaterre Chardonnay (Beechworth)

Light gold. Far too much banana lollies and lashings of oak galore. Too many estery characters that I find uninteresting and ‘worked’. Palate is very full and acidic. Should get better and already showing complex fermented characters. But fruit quality is lacking. Strange style that has its devotees in Australia, but sorry I have never been a Savaterre fan. This is not my style, and never will be. My wallet is thankful.
83/100

- Lots of debate over this contoversial wine. Cam seemed to like it the most. Although made with strong winemaker influence, this is not a fat, blowsy style. Although I recognised the classy worked barrel characters and expensive oak in use here, I just couldn’t get over the lack of fruit and distinct tartness/shortness of palate. 84 points from me, tonight with a chance it may improve in a year or two.

1996 Domaine Harmand-Geoffroy Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux-St.-Jacques

Mid red with hints of browning. Earthy, gamey, herbs, strawberry, and so much sappiness – gosh I love Burgundy noses!
Palate still unevolved and requiring time. Dark red and black fruits. Finishes with very dry astringency. Is there enough latent fruit? Very good.
88/100

- Most feral and offputting in the decanter at first. Breathing helped a lot here. Fascinating nose of sous bois, forest floor, sappy cherries, musk and an underlying plumminess that all meshed well. Palate youthful, tight, a slight greenness of fruit, plenty of acid yet to fully integrate. Clean, resolute and forceful finish with the tannins a little hard. Got better with time with more sweetness apparent on the palate. Very Good/Excellent. 88 points. May improve with 5 years in the cellar. Not the best bottle I’ve opened.

1998 Isole e Olena Cepparello (Chianti)

All resiny oak and AV heat. Very new world in style. Yes, it’s still very young, but my problem with this wine was that it shows no varietal or regional typicity. It could be from anywhere in the world and any grape. Plummy nose. Palate is short and acidic and savoury. Went well with food.
86/100

- A wine I had severe trouble with. Aged hue. Something dirty in the nose - rubber\mercaptan - resinous oak to the fore over decent, savoury fruit. Big, tough relatively tight palate with slightly deficient fruit to cerry it off. Firm, classy tannins but finishes all too short and tart. 82 points. Good, just.

1982 Chateau Haut-Batailley (Pauillac)

I have always loved this wine, one that has punched above its weight for sometime in 1982. My last bottle. Mid red with clear bricking. Classic Bordeaux nose of cedar, blackberries, ash, and forest. Palate is superb drinking and fully mature, with excellent balance. Some fine tannins on finish poke out a bit but this is excellent wine.
91/100

- Picked this as an ‘82 Bordeaux immediately. Very mature hue, classy aged nose of saddle leather, roasted black fruits, umpteen classic sweet and sour “claret” nuances including sweet earth, fresh corn, cigar box, tobacco leaf, blackcurrants and savoury oak. Seamless palate - smooth, harmonious, complete, ripe, soft acid and gorgeous melting tannins. Wonderful length. Outstanding wine - fully mature - great result from this Chateaux. Drink now or very soon. 93 points.

1982 Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases (St.-Julien)

Audozed for 2 hours then decanted for 90 minutes. Still dark purple. Bouquet is a step up: incredibly dense with violets and black fruits galore. Absolutely seamless. Marvellously rich, penetrating nose that is still primary. Such finely honed focus that is extraordinary. Palate is remarkably youthful, but taking on initial stages of secondary complexity. Everything is near perfect about this wine, only the length is less than stellar (at this stage). Truly fine tannins. A near perfect wine that stops you in its tracks. Better drinking than last monolithic bottle we had at Tetsuya’s about 4 months ago (which was also great 95/100). I would still hold for another 5-10 years. On its path to perfection. A true ‘wow’ wine.
97/100

- WOTN for me. Stunning! Incredible deep, impenetrable colour for its age. Surreal nose, bordering on perfection - dense, power-packed, uber-complex yet fresh and uplifting - violets, cassis, licorice, sweet earth, sweet corn, gorgeously integrated oak, a touch of lead pencil - the list could go on and on. The palate is much more user-friendly than the bottle opened at Marque last December, although this great wine still has time on its side. Exceptional palate with juicy blackcurrant fruits still soaking up the savoury oak, very ripe acidity and firmish tannins hust needing another few years to soften. The stuff of legends, here. Words cannot do this justice. One of my wines of the year! Thanks be to the Chickpea! 97 points. Bravo!

1993 Gere & Weninger Villany Cabernet Sauvignon (Hungary/Austria)

Coriander, basil and more vegetables! Bit jammy too. Palate is slightly short and seems more shiraz-like than cabernet. Not bad. According to Attila, the best ever red wine from Hungary,.
87/100

- the alcohol was getting the better of me now and this was the last note I made - “very new worldish, clumsy, jammy ripe fruit, quite moorish. Thick, chewy palate, choco-berries. Substantial, big, extracted, rich and flavoursome but lacks definition and focus. Medium finish. Very good. 88 points from me.

2003 Gere Villany Cabernet Sauvignon (Hungary)
Alcoholic and jammy. Like Benadryl. Far too much charcoal oak and too much AV heat. This wine is all over the shop and has no sense of cabernet typicity. Really unbalanced too.
80/100

- DNPIM

1986 Farnito Vinsanto del Chianti (Italy)

Mid gold. Reeks of rich full on crème brulee! Palate drops away pretty quickly. Not too bad, but not too good either. Simple and a little harsh. Oxidative style. Had its fans though.
86/100

- Oxidative and quite different to any sticky I’ve tried before with a lot of volatility. Overoaked to buggery. Not that sweet either. Would like to see this when less inebriated. N/R

NV Seppelt DP63 Rutherglen Show Muscat

Massive controversy on this wine as to whether or not it was corked. I didn’t think so. High in AV heat. Seemed to retain fruit raisin and coffee sweetness, and pretty good length and complexity. Who knows. Those who felt it TCA-affected very quite vehement.
NR

- Corked and badly out of condition compared to umpteen other bottles opened over the last few years. Underlying ancient rancio, rich toffee, raisaned characters there in spades but not a patch on what it can be.

Gazzab, a good friend from one of the local wine sites, visited Canberra earlier this month for some work-related matters. Over the course of 4 days we enjoyed two dinners and a parting Sunday brunch, having a pretty good darn time with the food and mostly excellent wine, a few bottles quite outstanding. Only a few duds, as per normal. 

Dinner - 03/08/06 Ottoman Restaurant 

Piper-Heidsieck 1990 Vintage Champagne - quite Outstanding - still fresh, although I’d opt for drinking this sooner than later - lots of yeasty/vegemite/autolysis development with sufficient cleansing acidity to remain bright and crisp. 93 points

Cullens Chardonnay 2000 - another excellent wine, still relatively tight and focussed with plenty of potential. 92 points

Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux-Saint-Jacques 1993 - very deep colour for its age - less developed than the bottle opened last week on my QLD trip - lotsa sappy cherries and new oak - good acidity provides freshness and focus - excellent structure - this bottle suggestive of needing more time. 92 points

Seppelt Show Muscat 375 ml N/V - gorgeous jumbo raisans, counterbalancing rancio with a smooth, viscous palate and extraordinary length. Moorish with just the right amount of astringency. Incredibly long and satisfying. 94 points

Dinner - 05/08/06 Courgette Restaurant

For starters we opened my first bottle of the 1996 Jaquesson Avize Grand Cru Champagne - a quite lovely young, vibrant sparkling displaying a bright pale straw colour, incredibly fine beading, a bouquet housing fragrant apple blossoms and blanched almonds with appealling complex yeasty autolysis characters following as the wine warmed in the glass. A super-fine, elegant and somewhat racy palate revealed a most attractive creamy swirling mousse, balanced with abundant cleansing acidity and excellent length. This Outstanding wine will improve with another 5-10 years on cork. 92 points.

Another masked sparkler followed - Pierre Gimonet’s “Cuis” 1er Cru N/V - pale colour with an impressive, well-defined column of very fine bead surging up the centre of our glasses. A little soapy on the nose accompanied by broad yeasty notes followed by a relatively simple palate and devoid of much length. Good only. 84 points.

Next cab off the rank was Penfold’s 2002 Yattarna Chardonnay - youthful pale colour, very attractive bouquet of fig, peach and butterscotch over a backdrop of slightly oily new oak. The palate failed to deliver whatsoever - somewhat flat, quite one dimensional and lacking structure, acidity and any semblence of length - abysmal for what it supposedly “represents” - and only saved by the calibre of the nose - most difficult to rate this above 80 points.

Luckily the reds were all excellent to outstanding. Louis Jadot’s 1990 Beaune “Greves” shocked me with its youthful, exuberant demeanour - enticing funky, feral aromas of game, sap, a slight stalkiness, green Satsuma’s and red cherries with top notes of cardamon and cinammon sticks. The palate displayed similar slightly green, but no less attractive complex characters, although the bouyant acidity and firm structure suggest a long, successful evolution. Very long and flavoursome finish. Excellent! 91 points.

Next, Garry produced a bottle of Felton Road 2001 Block 3 Pinot Noir providing stiff competition for the Jadot. Youthful colour; nose of forest floor, tomato leaf, musk, spices and a hint of stalks. Lovely smooth, modulated palate of red and black cherries, some sappiness, bright acidity and very fine tannins combined to produce a classy, finely honed Pinot worthy of 90 points. Noice one, Gazzab.

Mark then pulled out my wine of the night - Paul Jaboulet’s 1999 “La Chapelle” - incredibly deeply coloured, perfumed nose of grilled spiced meats, some funk/animal fur (probably a little brett), iodine, minerals, rampant black fruits, forest floor, savoury background oak, gunflint and sweet earth. Wow! The nuance of the palate mirrors “all of the above” with plenty of body, mouthfilling richness, decent acidity and firm, prolonged tannins reverberating through a truly magnificent long departure. An Outstanding example of low yielding old-vine Hermitage. 93 points. Drink now-2019.

I took no notes or scored the evening’s last two wines. Firstly, Chapoutier’s 2002 Muscat de Beaune Venise was typically perfumed, demi-sec and good but not great.

And lastly, Ch. Reynella’s 1972 Vintage Port was very marginally corked, although most of us saw the underlying freshness both in the colour and sense of well-being of the inky licorice/blackberry/lantana on display.

Thanks be to Garry and associates for their generosity and a great couple of nights!

Cooked dinner for PaulT, DaveB (down for a work-related overnighter from Sydney) and JamieL at my joint last night. Great to catch up with “cuz” and finally meet the “dish-washing pinot hippy from Byron”. Most enjoyable evening that went into the early hours with some utterly beguilling wines imbibed. No notes taken on the night - point scores below based on the consensus from around the table. All wines masked - mostly double blind.

Grosset Watervale Riesling 1996 - more developed than/not as good as the last bottle opened a few months back - looked the goods early (complex toast, honey, lime and honeysuckle) but lost some of the “plot” later with a little distracting phenolic/underripe pineapple character. Drink up. 89-90

Comte Georges de Vogue Chambolle-Musigny 1983 - very mature hue - opened very stinky (cabbagey/gym shoe) - but, eh, what a transformation with a bit of time in the decanter - completely cleaned up its act - incredibly complex tertiary characters on the nose and palate with a super red fruit sweetness on the palate. Terrific structure. Brilliant for a village wine from a difficult vintage (rot). 92-93 Drink up

Hudelot-Noellat Vosne-Romanee Romanee-St.-Vivant 1992 - gorgeous solid cherry red colour - for another supposed “ordinary” vintage this fantastic pinot’s still fresh with typical V-R elegance, purity and rivetting pinosity from go to woe. Beautifully honed in all departments - most notably “breed” - with plenty of potential for further improvement - ranks as the best ‘92 Red Burg I’ve tried. 93-94 Drink now-2016 My WOTN

Yves Gangloff Cote-Rotie “La Barbradine” 1999 - my first experience with this maker - apart from a most terrible label, this perfumed, decadently rich, robust wine, from the one of the very best vintages of Cote-Rotie of all time, looked very classy with plenty of ripe black-fruited extract, good carry and a rosy mid-term drinking/cellaring window ahead. Sorry for a lack of descriptors - too busy cooking at the time this was served. 91-92

Ch. Clerc-Milon (Pauillac) 1995 - Incredibly deep colour and inky, oaky nose packed with masses of black fruit and a distinctive tarry edge (like a McLaren Vale Shiraz) - very new worldish/extractive - followed by a similarly etched palate of high quality. After making a complete ass of myself in the COTB/options, this wine dropped some of the rawness to display more typical left bank qualities. A most successful result for this fifth-growth Chateau with at least 10-15 years of development to savour. 89-90  

Zind-Humbrecht (Alsace) Pinot Gris “Clos Windsbul” Selection de Grains Nobles 2001 - 9% A/V! Quite probably 250g of residual sugar - a more developed colour than the exceptional bottle served by “the hawk” at Tetsuya’s. Full of honey, apricots, exotic fruit - rampant viscosity on the palate - adequate but excellent balancing acidity - immaculate finish, terrific length. 92-94 Drink over the next 4-5 years, but I’d drink it now.

Overall an excellent, high standard, eclectic range of French reds shared with an empathetic group of wine lovers.