JANUARY 2016 UPDATE

Also called "the silly season", Christmas and New Year are a good time for celebrations and exploring new wines. And we have just done that over the last few weeks. Reason for an update on our most recent wine adventures....

OUR DIRTY DOZEN of FRENCH WINES

BORDEAUX
​Chateau Durand-Laplagne 2007

Chateau Durand-La[lagne - 2007 -PUISSEGUIN SAINT-EMILION

This vineyard of 14.5 ha is in the family since 1850: 75% Merlot,15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. 
Complex, rich in colour, full bodied, robust, smelling the  fruit ripe (strawberry, plum) and the undergrowth, perfect with cheese and meat dishes. The cheeses in the photo are from La Planchette Berbigier.

Chateau Poitevin 2012

Chateau Poitevin 2012

41 hectares of AOC Médoc, Chateau Poitevin is made of 55 % Merlot, 40 % Cabernet and 5 % Petit Verdot. It won the 2012 best Cru Bourgeois and the Gold Medal at an Independent Vignerons competition. Very oaky. Nice tension on the nose with black fruits, violet, and lemon. A charming and round palate is well-balanced and nice. Chewy tannins. Fruity and lingering finish. Less than A$25

Chateau Gantonnet 2012

Chateau Gantonnet 2012

70 hectares in Entre-Deux-Mers, this AOC Bordeaux is made of Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Aromas of black and red fruit. Well-structured in the mouth with good volume. Very appealing overall. Again around A$25. Great value and perfect with steak frites!

A gift box for a bargain of three great bordeaux

3 great Bordeaux for a bargain: Chateau Lamothe-Bergeron 2009, Chateau Bourdieu 2011, Chateau La Coudraie 2012

Let's start with ​Chateau Bourdieu 2011, the wine that would required more cellaring as it has not yet developed properly and maybe won't, but it won medals and a selection from the very reputable Guide Hachette. It is the cheapest of the three at less than A$10 if bought individually. Made of Merlot, then Cabernet and Cabernet Franc in smaller percentage.
Let's move up to the Chateau La Coudraie 2012, another AOC Bordeaux, but this one i very drinkable now. It doesn't pretend to be anything special, but it does the job for less than A$20. Finally Chateau Lamothe-Bergeron,2009, a Haut-Médoc, one of my favourite region in Bordeaux, besides the almost unreachable Saint-Julien. Dark in color, this is a concentrated wine that’s very rm in structure, with dense tannins. It’s powered by ripe, mature black fruits as well as acids that cut through the dry texture. It will age beautifully for a few more years. It was definitely the best of the box and would fetch around A$25 on its own. 

âCOTES DU RHONE
Alain Jaume - Vieux Terron - 2009 - Châteaneuf-du-Pape

Alain Jaume - Vieux Terron - 2009 - Châteaneuf-du-Pape

Full bodied, softly tannic and immediately appealing, this offering from Alain Jaume’s négociant business is attractively priced. It’s not the biggest or most complex Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but the ripe black-cherry and chocolate flavors and finely dusty texture are undeniably satisfying. Drink now until 2018. This wine is part of the collection Vintage Cellars Double Bay has inherited from the stock built by Jon Osbeiston at Ultimo Wine Centre before being sold to Vintage Cellars. By far our best wine discovery of the season, not cheap at A$70, but well worth driving across town for it. I bought a second bottle when my sister-in-law came over...

Victor Bérard - Crozes-Hermitage 2013

Victor Bérard - Crozes-Hermitage 2013

One of our regular drop, this very reasonably priced at A$21 and perfectly satisfying Northern Côtes-du-Rhône, i-e primarily Syrah.
Although I tend to prefer the wines from Southern CDR, i-e GSMs ( our current sélection includes the Saint-Cosmes, this is an affordable version of the varietal. I defy you to find an Aussie Shiraz at that price(if it exists...)  which would taste as good!

Réserve Mont-Redon - 2012 - Côtes-du-Rhône

Réserve Mont-Redon - 2012 - Côtes-du-Rhône

The recent opening of a Harris Farm Market in our neighbouring suburb of Drummoyne with its integrated bottle shop (and the amazing pizza from Salt Meat Cheese...) has brought us an great selection of wines we know and enjoy and some new ones that are very interesting. I first discovered the Mont-Redon chez Maitre Karl, my canteen when I was working full time in Willoughby on the North Shore of Sydney. Ay A$18, this is a typical GSM and an everyday kind of wine. It is basically a Chateauneuf du Pape on the wrong side of the appellation. Give it a try, you won't regret it!

CHABLIS
​Chablis Grand Cru Grenouille - The frogs know their Chardonnay...

Chablis Grand Cru Grenouille

The original cool climate Chardonnay,the name Chablis originates from two Celtic words: “cab” (house) and “leya” (near to the woods). Remnants from a Neolithic village, and later structures dating back to the Gauls show that humans lived in the area for centuries. Romans brought vines to Chablis between the 1st – 3rd Century, establishing vine growing and wine production before Cistercian Monks arrived in the 12th Century.
We have been drinking Chardonnay from Domaine Laroche forever, so it was a big departure from tradition to try, not one, but two new Chablis! This one by Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin is floral, fruity, soft and rich in body. Grenouille means frog in French, referring to the closeness of this Grand Cru to the River Serein. This will set you back a cool A$70, so keep it for a special occasion!

Chablis - Domaine de Vauroux- 2011

This is a very satisfying Chablis for A$25. It doesn't have the creaminess of a Laroche or other Grand Crus, but it is certainly a very good Chardonnay, and at that price....

And a bonus 13th: MUMM Champagne

We are very fond of Veuve Clicquot and Moët & Chandon, but this year we bought some Mumm for a change. I like its dryness!

Our choice of Aussies and US wines

Since we are talking Chardonnay, I though I would mention this Wente from California, the winery which first planted this varietal in the region so they have become very good at it. It is quite oaky but very complex and retails for about A$15 here. Another special mention goes to Céline Rousseau, the French winemaker in charge at Chalkers Crossing, and her Sauvignon Blanc, now at Harris Farm Drummoyne, another discovery from Maitre Karl. You can find an article on my meeting Céline at Annandale Cellars a while back on the blog. We also tried Wild Oats from Western Australia, another great Sauvignon Blanc. Fumé Blanc  from  Lambloch Estate  was also an interesting find and a very rare varietal in our part of the World and usually used in combination with another grape in France as in the Pouilly Fumé, one of my late Dad favourite white wine.Finally a great mention for ​Sobels  in the Hunter Valley, a 165 year old winery of which one of my client his a partner, hence my Christmas gift for a well done job. Their Cabernet Sauvignon and their Semillon were great drops that we will probably drink again

JUNE 2015 UPDATE

In order to track our wine adventures better, you will find below links to articles on our main page which are related to wine and wine tasting. We will put new links here each time an article is published. Here are some of the existing articles as of June 2015.

Two Pinot NOIR TASTINGS in ONE DAY in SYDNEY - 21/06/15

AUTUMN WINE TASTING - LONGRAIN - 23/03/2015

A Wine filled or winophile week-end in Sydney - March 2015

NOT QUITE FIFTY SHADES OF RIESLING - PRINCE WINE STORE SYDNEY - February 2015

Jon Osbeiston opens Prince Wine Store in Sydney

An Australian Wine (and cheese...) Experience

VINISUD 2014 - A guest post by Antonio  Campos

VINISUD 2014 MONTPELLIER (FRANCE) 24TH-26TH FEBRUARY 2014

SPANISH IMPRESSIONS IN FRANCE FOR OUR FRENCH IMPRESSIONS WEBSITE

Written by Antonio Campos, Management Director at Vintor, Vinos y Distribución S.L.U. Agronomist engineer, Master in Enology & Viticulture, M.B.A. in Wine Companies Direction, partner of Spanish Tasting Group (U.E.C. Unión Española de Catadores),  Baco´s  Prize Judge. Candidate MW student.

First of all, it´s my first time at this Fair. I Love France!

Thank you very much to Our French Impressions - an e-zine featuring all things French around the World and written by Jean-Marie Liere - for the opportunity to write this article.

I thought it would be useful to go to Vinisud as good training for my next  exams to access  the Institute of Masters of Wine (www.mastersofwine.org ). Also, before , I saw in Vinisud  2014 web site that many Master Classes were very interesting too, specially one run by Paolo Basso, Master Sommelier (MS) World  Star. 2013 Winner Sommelier´s World Championship.

First Day Monday 02/24

Pagos de Ayles (P.A.), a Spanish Cellar of the North East of Spain (Vino de Pago, the top level in Spain for Quality Wines) kindly gaves  me an invitation for the whole Fair.
Thank you very much to Jorge Navascues, Pagos de Ayles´s Technical Director, and partner in only one of my monthly Saturday Blind Tastings because of Jorge lives so far from Madrid.
As well thanks to Fernando Reyes, Pagos de Ayles´s Account Manager who forgave me for my late arrival. And thanks to their Staff, very nice and professional people all of them. And we started by tasting some of their wines:

We began with some White average Wines ready to drink  and for daily consumption.

The Star of the tasting was “a” of Ayles 2013, a very good Quality/Price wine.  

the last time i have tasted this Wine was in 2010 when they won “Gran Bacchus de Oro” (O.I.V. , U.E.C. Prize) and the quality of the 2013 vintage is similar.
What I really wanted to taste was their “y” of Ayles but they told me that I will taste it at Paolo Basso´s Master Class. So I went on  to meet Paolo Basso MS.

“Discovering Mediterranean Wines” Master Class directed by Paolo Basso MS.

Paolo was very dynamic and his tasting notes were very illustrative and focused. Sommeliers, I think,  taste thinking about the quality/price ratio, rather than an absolute value.

My  Spanish Impressions:

We tasted 11 different wines:

The best without doubt was PIEMONT Borgo Isolabella, Solio di Valdiserre, Loazzolo DOC.  A wonderful complex wine with good price for its tremendous quality. It was like the dessert of the Tasting. (The cherry on the cake? Editor's note)
In appearance a bright and depth colour, wonderful and complex nose and in the palate, a fresh attach, perfect body, high and elegant acidity, excellent quality and perfect quantity of residual sugar. Its final retro very beautiful with a high length persistance.
A Great Wine. (93+ points)

Second  was from Croatia, Stina Vino, Plavac Mali Majstor 2009, a surprise for me with Central European wines, unknown variety but a very good bodied wine. In appearance a special dark colour, the nose very similar to Nebbiolo Wines.
Paolo said, “It seems like Nebbiolo, lovely aromas. The palate presents a high quantity of quality tannins and long length as well”. (92+ points)

Third  would be the Languedoc Mas de Daumas, Gassac Rouge 2007, beating all expectatives for a Languedoc-Roussillon average Wine. Pretty colour, high expression, black olives in nose, tobacco, some animal that disappearing minute by minute, the palate shows a green in the attach, but sweet tannin in retro. Potential long life for this Wine, due to its acidity and the tannins mentioned before. (92 points)

Fourth in my opinion would be the Rhone Valley Domaine de la Mordorée, Lirac Cuvée “La Reine des Bois”millésime 2012, a wine ready to drink with all the attributes now.
High colour. Needs more bottle (2012) very good development will have in my opinion. Not Filoxera grapes. Nose with a high quantity of chocolate, long length, the best quality/price ratio wine of this Tasting in my opinion.(92- points)

Fifth would be Pago de Ayles “Y” of Ayles, Garnacha, Tempranillo, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 from Spain, a wine with all the quality for a very interesting price. Paolo said that this is a “Wine of  Pago” similar in terms of quality to a French “Grand Cru” because of a similar terroir plus a very experienced team at the Cellar.
Dark and pretty colour, complex nose with a high level of fruit, palate with very good well balanced acidity/body/less sweetness. Also a surprising value like “a” of Ayles but at a  superior level. (91+ points)

in Sixth position, I would put Bodega Luzdivina Amigo, Leira 2007 Mencia R from Spain, good price and high quality for a difficult Mencia Reserve. Difficult  because the Spanish variety Mencía is very difficult to manage for ageing.
Only a few examples of success in this field. But this unknowned wine for me until this moment, was a great surprise of well done work. A wine in perfect moment to drink with all the fruit and perfect assimilated wood. (91 points)

Under 90 points on my  opinion;

7th position, from Sicily, Emeanuele Scamacca del Murgo , Murgo Etna Bianco 2012
8th D´Oc Country Domaine de L´Engarran Cuvée La Lionne 2011 R
9th Provence, Chateau  d´Ollieres Prestige 2013 AOC Coteaux Varois en Provence
10th Veneto, Lugana Citari Lugana DOC Torre 2011
11th Lebanon, El Ixsir Rouge 2010, average wines, no more.


I appreciate the effort from the Lebanon Wineries, but at this stage they are out of the quality market, I think. In 2010 I thought the same at Bordeaux Primeurs, Lebanon Wines were there also.
Note that the Selectioned Wines were very well chosen and presented. 
The interest for the Tasting was high from the beginning to the end. Impressive direction by Paolo Basso MS. Easy & Deep.


Moscato D´Asti Master Class

Asti D.O.C.G. Zona D´Origine offered to their  attendees (full room as well Paolo´s) a very interesting and instructive Lecture & Clear Tasting.
By the way, one of the producers  (Representant of The Associated Producers of Moscato D´Asti) began the Master Class with a whole vision of the “Asti Terroirs”. Then, The Tasting:

Azienda Agrícola Il Gottino di Dabbene Felice, Moscato Spumante Metodo Classico 2009.
Simply the best! Great Asti Q/P wine. Very well dressed bottle. Quality perfectly appreciable as well in nose & palate. 2009! Asti Spumante fresh, perfect bubbles. (93 points)


Azienda Agrícola Terrabianca Moscato of Asti Vignot 2013 D.O.C.G.
Very floral or near flowery. Rose petals in nose.
Long length in palate, very good retropalate. (92 points)


Poderi  Roccanera  Moscato of Asti D.O.C.G.
Rich acidity, totally balanced in palate and quality bubbles . (91 points)


Moscato Piemonte Passito 2010 D.O.C.
Yellow, low nose, long lenth, much flavour for a Rosé. (90 points)


Azienda Vitivinicola  Tenuta Langasco  Moscato of Asti D.O.C.G.
Good bubbles in appearance. High expression nose. Elegant.
In palate bakery, the palate is nothing related with nose. (89 points)

Azienda Agrícola Bellati María Carla, Moscato d´Asti Biologico D.O.C.G.
Pale yellow but with much colour than the previous. Pretty flowery nose, grape.
Paolo adds Pinus aroma. Palate with long length. Low acidity and very hot in the moment of retro taste. (89 points)


Azienda Agrícola Ferrero Federico Moscato of Asti D.O.C.G.
Light colour but good average bubbles, very light nose and too much residual sugar. (89 points.)

Cantina Alice Bell Colle S.C.A. Moscato of Asti D.O.C.G., (Moscato Dry) 
Pale yellow colour in appearance. More Quality than a normal Moscato because of a good nose.
Palate balanced, good sweetness, but bubbles disappear quickly, before it, soft and cremous bubbles. 
(88 points)


Vallebelbo S.C.A. Moscato Piemonte Passito D.O.C.
Normal Appeareance. Good nose, not high level. Average palate. (88 points)


Bocchino´s  Giuseppe Di Bocchino Annalisa
A few words only, because of it is a wine without the previous quality. Only for  easy drinking. 
(84 points)

Azienda vitivinícola Franco Ivaldi Moscato d´Asti D.O.C.G
Appearance, clear yellow. Zero Nose. bOnly good acidity in the palate.

By the end of the day, I would have tasted over 50 Wines!

At Vinisud 2014 like at the Spanish Fair “ Gourmet”  (Madrid), the organization presented all the tablev wines  for  a quick Taste. A good idea I think for students and journalists, common public and so on.

I tasted Marsannes, Roussannes, Champagnes  of varied assemblages  but vinified in White Wine. Nothing premium. Average Wines.

Rueda´s Verdejo from Spain, Cotes de Provence from France, AOC Provence with Grenache, Cinsault & Carignan.

2012´s Corse IGP-AOP, Provence AOP Specially  Domaine Giacometti 2012 Cru Des Agriate with an unknown but rich & original white grape variety named “Vermentino”. (also called Bellet in France and grown around Nice. We featured it recently in our Chateau Miraval article)

Finishing up with some Chateaunauf du Pape, The King of French Grenache.
I´m In love with this wine. I never tasted a Wine from this Appellation that I didn't like!
I´m in love with Grenache all over the World, specially and foremost the French ones.
Second, my country´s Grenache Wines, Spain. Specially Northern East of Spain ones. Like Pago de Ayles, mentioned before.

Second Day 02/25

Master Class  Vins de Provence Rosés

The Master Class began with an explanation  telling us about the Terroir and Vineyards.
Research in colour material, comparing Countries and other Rosé regions with Vins de Provence.
Organization of appellation, etc
Research in neutralized alcohol excess, acidity control, colour  intensity and diversity, social analisys of their consumers and potentials….Marvelous!!

Tasting

Chateau Vignelaure, Chateau Vignelaure Rosé, Coteaux d´Aix-en-Provence, 2013
Rosé clear. Some complex aromas, but banana in depth. Some fruits in palate, better than 4 wines tasted before. (89 points)


Chateau La Calisse, Patricia Ortelli, Coteaux Varois en Provence 2013
Near no colour. Aromas of White flowers  and red fruits. Well balanced body/alcohol, some hot in retro. (88 points)


Premiere de Figuiere, Saint André Figuiere, Cotes de Provence 2013
High colour. Red fruit in nose. Full Bodied wine,  high alcohol level, but well balanced. (85 points)


Mas de Cadenet, Mas de Cadenet, Cotes de Provence, Sainte Victoire 2013
Same color tan the previous. A nose only with banana and some citrics. Less alcohol than fisrt one. Correct produced. (82 points)

Bastide du Curé, La Vidaubanaise, Cotes de Provence 2013
Bright and pretty wine in appearance. Bubbles disappear in a few seconds, nose with citrics & strawberry, High alcohol level, hot, is only alcohol  in palate. (80 points)


Tasting Vinnico Spanish Wines:

Special Thanks to Jonas Tofterup (Vinnico Technical Manager in the Northern of Spain, based in Valladolid) and a team member of my Blind Tasting Groupe in Madrid)
And to David Giménez  Vinnico Zone Manager, who was my partner in this tasting and commented with me on each Wine, each price and some interesting things and curiosities as well as technical data.

Trenza, D.O. Yecla 2008 I´ve tasted this wine before with Jonas Tofterup. It is a wine with a pretty colour, it belongs to D.O. Yecla an up and coming D.O. in Spain. The nose is very complex, in the palate full bodied wine, long length, very rich on the attach and retro. The best value wine of the Group. (91points)

Oráculo, Ribera del Duero 2009 Top wine of this tasting with beautiful aromas, well done, well balanced acidity/body. (91+ points)

Radio Boca, Verdejo , Vinnico, Rueda 2013
Export to several countries in Europe, very fresh and average White wine, very cheap, spectacular and pretty to Give Bag in Box, must see!

Viña Altamar Rueda 2013
Fresh easy to drink white wine.

Aventino de la Tierra de Castilla y León,2013

Montgó, Yecla 2013.

Pasas , D.O Jumilla 2013, average wine.

Gran Pasas D.O Jumilla 2011, 1st Quality Wine with a very good Price.

Aventino Roble, Ribera del Duero 2013, very interesting value wine.


And with this tasting finished, I left the Fair to go to Sant Joan Despí (Barcelone, Spain) for a Mock Blind and WorkShop  Tasting at the Stunning  Shop with its Wine Lover Director David González) Shop named “Vinoscopio” www.vinoscopio.com. An  ex-U.E.C. mate from Madrid, Spain, that currently lives now in Barcelone (Santiago Fernández), (www.vinoexpresion.com) kindly invites me to participate). It is a must see shop near Barcelone! The tasting included 16 white and red Spanish Wines, from Galicia, Albariños of D.O.Rias Baixas, the new Ribeiros, from Aragon Enate….and more! Certainly an  interesting trip from Madrid to Montpellier and Barcelona.

Antonio Campos  
Antonio.campos@vintor.es,
www.Facebook.com/AntonioCamposVintorVinos
Twitter: @Vintorvinos
www.vintor.es

The difficult life of a wine reviewer here at Vinisud 2014 in Montpellier

French Wines in Sydney at The Oak Barrel

VENDANGES IN FRANCE November 2013 - episode 2

VENDANGES FRANCE 2013 - EPISODE 1

My Last purchase at Ultimo Wine Centre - April 2013

It is a very sad time, as Ultimo Wine Centre was sold to the "Corporation", i-e Vintage Cellars in April 2013 and have just ceased trading at this location on June 14th, 2015, just a week ago. The remaining stoock has been moved to Vintage Cellars Double Bay - nicknamed Double Pay... - and hopefully this will become a new destination for the Australian lovers of French, Italian and USA wine lovers. Stay tuned for more info on where to buy great imported wines in Sydney.

---

Our dinner at Sepia - the wines we sampled: 
Goisot Bourgogne Aligote & Chateau Villa Bel Air rouge

An elegant place, probably most suited to a business lunch than a birthday dinner party, it is nevertheless a confortable venue, with a very good service and food of the highest standard (which I will review in due time)

I thought I would just mentioned the two beautiful wines we sampled on the night:

---

BouRgogne Aligote - Maison Goisot

One of our favourite Chardonay when living in France, it is almost unknown, and very difficult to find here in Australia.
So given the chance, we jumped at it, and were not disapointed!
It is quite a good example of an every day Chardonnay, and a very good match with the several avatars of seafood served at the start of the Sepia degustation menu. This particular wine is coming from a vineyard biodynamically managed and has a very clean taste.
It is no Meursault or Montrachet, but well worth the money!

---

Chateau Villa Bel Air - Graves

I had a couple of glasses of this beautiful wine to accompany the meaty part of the degustation menu, and what a great counterpoint to the fabulous "Roasted pasture fed Angus beef tenderloin, marinated in Hatcho miso, braised short rib, smoked daikon radish, yuzu jellies, oxtail consomme", my favourite and even with the less successful "Cocoa and sansho seared Mandagery Creek venison, baby beetroots, rhubarb, chocolate, beetroot and boudin noir crumb".
Let me quote Berry Bros & Rudd here: There really can't be a better value wine than this in the whole of Bordeaux. It shows the sleek, generous, polished character that all the wines from the Cazes stable seem to share in 2006. A pure, intense nose is followed by fresh, concentrated, black cedary fruit and toasty coffee hints, all in a lovelymodern package. Made from 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, and agedin 20% new oak barrels, this really is a belter at the price. 

---

Three Cotes-du-Rhone competing for "our favourite"?

Are we going to move away from our Vidal-Fleury to either the Saint-Cosmes 2009 or the Clos Petite Bellane 2007?
Let's start with the fundamental differences:
Vidal-Fleury is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
Saint Cosmes is 100% Syrah
Clos Petite Bellane is half Syrah, half Grenache
So, in theory, the Vidal-Fleury is more complex and has the most Grenache, which gives the wine its smoothness.
The Saint Comes is on the Gigondas appelation and the vineyard actually makes primarily excellent Gigondas  and have done so since 1570!
The Clos Petite Bellane is on the Valreas appellation, not bad either, but usually a notch under Gigondas in fame.
We have talked about Mont-Redon and the biodynamic Les Genestas elsewhere.
All are in the same price bracket (between 17$ to 25$).
So far, I prefer the Clos Petite Bellane and I have ran out of stock already...a sure sign.
But this is only my humble opinion and these wines are made with love, passion and expertise, and it shows, or should I say, it tastes!
And as some advertising agency said for beer, if you can't find these wines at your local bottle shop, then move!!!

A few wines from "Down Under" and New Zealand

As a preamble, I have to say that I rarely find a red wine from Australia that I like, so to prove the rule by the exception, here are some of my favourite wines from Australia and New Zealand...(not all red, though...)

Lark Hill Winery

This winery is located near Lake George in Bungendore, a small village less than 40 kms away from Canberra.
It used to be the terminal station of the railway coming from Sydney via Gouldburn. 
Lark Hill is the highest vineyard in Australia at an altitude of 860m. It is also one of the oldest biodynamic vineyard in Australia
I am a big fan of their Pinot Noir 2005 and the most recent Chardonnay 2008 that one could easily mistake for a Meursault.
They also make  a highly regarded Riesling that I have yet to taste.
 

Peter Lehmann "Mentor" collection

Peter is certainly the godfather of the wine industry in Australia, and more specifically from the Barossa Valley in South Australia.
A friend recently brought us a bottle of their "Mentor" range, a Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.
Very "Bordeauxesque" and quite layered.
In the words of the winemaker: "Colour is deep with a dense centre. The nose has inviting aromas of classical Barossa Cabernet
blackcurrant, hints of mint & cedar box. The palate has a defined Cabernet cassis flavour, a touch of
chocolate & vanilla, and shows a superb integration of oak and fruit."
At around 40$ a bottle, it is quite good value as well.

---

Yass Valley Wines

Yass Valley Wines is situated at Murrumbateman, 20 km  from Yass and 40 km from Canberra, just 3 km off the Barton Highway which is the main western road from Canberra.
The varieties in the vineyard are Traminer, Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon, Barbera, Shiraz, Merlot  and Verdelho, and all on 3ha of land!
The Crisp Lane Cafe is beautifully situated overlooking both the Yass Valley Wines vineyard and the pastures and vines of their neighbours in the valley.  From the northfacing verandah or the full length windows in the Cafe, guests enjoy both country hospitality and the delightful country views. We had the Verdelho to accompany a tasty tuna steak sandwich and a gorgeous quiche. It was almost as being back in Portugal!
Interestingly enough, the owner is named Withers (more on that later...) and the cellar door is an impressive showroom of vintage hifi and very old Apple (Mac 2s) computers...

---

Clonakilla

This winery is one of the oldest in Murrumbateman, and has attracted a LOT of great reviews:
“ The rise in status of this wine over the past ten years has been phenomenal. It is now a contender for the mantle of ‘Australia’s best red wine’ ”
- Campbell Mattinson

The aim of the owner, John Kirk, is to emulate the wines from Northern Cotes du Rhone,
but it fails in my view to compete primarily because of the very high price (75 to 90$ a bottle of Shiraz...) and also by trying to do wines like a Voignier Nouveau!
Well, we already know that Beaujolais Nouveau is NOT really good, so why try with a grape that is usually a supporting grape to another more robust grape like Sirah or Grenache?
The Voignier "tout court" at 45$ a bottle is just not worth it.
For comparison purposes, you can buy a coffret of 2 of the best wines from Chapoutier, a Chateauneuf du Pape 2008 AND a Hermitage 2006 for 64 euros...or a St Joseph 2005 from Eric et Joel Durand available in Australia for around 30$

---

St Julien - Chateau Lagrange 2006 & Chateau Marquis de Lalande 2006

St Julien is a tiny appelation from the Bordeaux region of Medoc, home of the 1855 classification.
While St. Julien has no first growths, it is home to five second growths: the three Léovilles (Las Cases, Poyferré, and Barton) as well as Gruaud-Larose and Ducru-Beaucaillou - my personal favourite.
St Julien is home to (only...) 48 Chateaux! and I recently found at the NGA bookshop in Canberra a book on these wineries called" Bordeaux Chateaux, a history of the Grands Crus Classes since 1855" published by Flammarion and written by Frank Ferraud, with photographs by Christian Sarramon, a must read for all Bordeaux wines enthusiasts.
Although 2006 is not an exceptional vintage (2005 was named the "vintage of the century"...), both wines are exceptionally good and show the typical qualities of a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, rich, fruity, complex with rich blackberry core and supple feel. The Marquis de Lalande was a notch better than the Lagrange, but either can be recommended to accompany meat dishes like coq au vin and daube or roast pork.

Silvaner 2009 - Hans Wirsching from Germany

Some might be surprised to find a note on a German wine by a Frenchman...
But, don't be! This was a gift of Maitre Karl who I had the pleasure to host at my table recently with his lovely wife Paivi, after he sold his restaurant (now High Street Bistro, more on this later...) and regained possession of his Saturday nights after five and a half years of very hard work.
This is a very good example of a modern German Silvaner, quite dry, crisp, layered, herbaceous but still fruity with hints of pear, citrus. It was a perfect companion for the scallops we had as an entree.
A nice discovery. Thanks, Karl!

---

Riesling from Alsace

About to prepare a rather unusual recipe of scallops by Jean-Pierre Crouzil, the Chef of L'Ecrin a Michelin rated restaurant in Plancouet in Northern Brittany, who is heralded as being the King of the Scallop and seafood more generally.
This wine comes from the oldest winery in the World (1352), where there is still a bottle of wine from 1452!!!. The winery belongs to the Hospices de Strasbourg, another proof that wine has long been consumed for its therapeutic qualities (in moderation, obviously...)
A typical example of a Wiebelsberg AOC Grand Cru, this wine is almost amber in colour and full of different fruit flavours -  the experts would probably identify litchees, apple and pear - quite complex, layered and intense - a perfect match for this rather bitter sweet preparation of scallops...

---

More wine facts »

Pinot Noir

On two recent occasions, I had the pleasure and privilege to taste two different Pinots, one from Burgundy and one from...New Zealand.

Ultimo Wine Centre Hospice de Beaune Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru ‘Cuvee Forneret’, 2007

Ultimo Wine Centre bought a barrel at auction in November, and this is the result. At last count 186 bottles left. Just run and buy some. At A$79.95, it is a bargain. We drank it for Mother's Day Dinner. see menu and recipe here.

“Purple-red of medium depth, with open, fresh aromatic nose. On the palate this has pure fruitiness, flesh and fine tannins. It is a lovely Savigny for early to mid-term drinking.” (Anthony Hanson, Auctioneer Christies)

Tarras Vineyards Pinot Noir 2008, Central Otago

We had this wine for my birthday recently at Capital Grill. I wish the food had been up to it. See review here

A blend of Pinot Noir from The Steppes and The Canyon Vineyards. Deep, concentrated dark cherry fruits integrated with fine ripe tannins.

5 Stars Cuisine Magazine (November 2009)
Top 10 New Zealand Pinot Noir - Wine New Zealand Magazine (October 2009)

BEST IMPORT 94/100 Sydney Morning Herald, March 2010
An exciting new producer with two $50 reserve wines as well as this excellent estate blend. Foresty, earthy, black-fruit complexities and a savoury, burgundy-like palate with power and structure. Classy flavour and good concentration, with less oak than the reserve wines. Now to five years.
Huon Hooke, SMH Good Living

Huon Hooke has also put this wine in his newly published list of the 50 best wines for 2010.
Definitely up there with the French!

Pessac Leognan - The Heart of Bordeaux

Over the years, I have had the chance to drink wines from three Chateaux from that region:
Chateau Haut Brion red - can't remember the vintage, sorry,

Domaine de Chevalier 1975 white

and for Valentine Day in 2010, Chateau Carbonnieux 2005 White.

This is a very good example of a Sauvignon Semillon blend (60%-40%), the aromas of white fruits and almonds being a perfect companion for the spicy scallops, as it has strength and depth.
It was maybe even more in tune with the burnt fig, caramel,  and honeycomb ice cream from Maggie Beer

---

My favourite Cotes-du-Rhone

Well, this is my favourite wine for everyday (almost...). It is perfect with meat, Thai food, Indian food, cheese, bien sur... It cost a mere 20A$ in Sydney by the bottle and you can easily save up to 30% in a dozen. To upgrade and stay in the Rhone Valley, you would have to spend twice as much for a St Joseph, a Chateunuef-du-Pape or a Gigondas or even more for a Cote Rotie...
I have entertained many of my guests over the years with several vintages of this wine. We currently drink the 2007, as the 2005 seems to have been all drunk, at least in Sydney! The 2005 is actually rounder, less tannic than the 2007.
On the photo, ready to drink with a selection of goat cheese from Willowbrae Cheese, recently featured on MasterChef and loaf from the Moana Bakery in Rozelle: a treat!

---