Posted by:sharad	Ducru Beacaillou Grand Vin 1995	Mon Jul 12 22:22:54 EST 2010
WOW !!!! Very subtle - complex floral and tobacco nose. Then, on the palette, just much more complexity, violets, roses, sweet tobacco, old tobacco. Incredible richness - but also super elegant at the same time. Almost an oxymoron. Very balanced. Not only super long but just grows in its floral nature in the mouth and lingers for ages without being dense and syrupy but etherial. This is a SUPER SUPER wine. Would not, however, want to put it up against other big wines as it might get lost due to its super elegance.
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Posted by:sharad	Leoville Las Cases 2me cru classe 2000	Sat Jul 10 23:50:29 EST 2010
I found this wine quite difficult to assess. Well, it is certainly beautifully balanced and refined. It does not seem to have the ultra sweetness that I was imagining that it might. It seems to have evolved to a point where it is drinking well now but will clearly hold for 10+ more years. ..... Deep garnet colour (tiny bit of of a youthful red - not purple - still evident). Not getting a huge amount from the nose and I do not think this wine is corked. Light perfume - less floral and more like actual perfume. On the palette it is ultra silky expands slowly and steadily into a full blown bunch of roses - very sneaky in the way that it grows. Super Super long..... Will have to revisit in another couple years.
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Posted by:sharad	Craggy Range Te Muna Rd 2008	Sat Jul 10 19:28:27 EST 2010
Tasted in Noosa at Sails Restaurant over lunch with Swimmer Crab Lasagne and Morton Bay Bugs. Deep pigeon blood colour. Liquorice on the nose and palate. French oak. Bubble gym. Forest floor. Very intense and balanced. Medium long. Drinking well now but will easily keep for 5+ years. Reminiscent of a top Mornington Peninsula Pinot and could easily be confused for a Burgundy if tasted blind.
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Posted by:sharad	Branaire-Ducru Grand Vin 2002	Fri Jun 18 18:08:05 EST 2010
At eight years this wine is drinking very well - it has become soft and is now showing many tertiary characteristics. On the nose and in the mouth this wine is has lots of autumn leaves - even slightly mouldy autumnal characteristics. The fruit is fairly subdued and perhaps more integrated than hidden. The alcohol seems to poke out a bit especially given that it is only actually 13%. Overall, a very enjoyable wine from St Julien showing more as a soft Bordeaux rather than specially a St Julien.
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Posted by:Anonymous	Karra Yerta Wines Riesling 2007	Wed Nov 21 23:01:10 EST 2007
An excellent wine! The Eden Valley region is known for its fabulous riesling and this one is a classic example. Refreshing, lemon, limes, minerals, a great wine at a very reasonable price considering there are only 100+ cases made.
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Posted by:Samu	Légli Ottó Chardonnay 2006	Tue Oct 23 22:38:21 EST 2007
I guess someone has to start - how about a bottle from Hungary? This is a selection Chardonnay from a small estate in a style that would not be unfamiliar to Californians: creamy, full bodied, lots of pears, honey, long taste. Great with freshwater fish like pike or trout. Very reasonable deal at 15 bucks
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Posted by:Dave Scott	McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 1984	Fri Oct 12 16:36:13 EST 2007
I am a lover of wines, but not so much the terminology. I have managed to empty a few of these bottles over recent times, and on my scale of wine description ('garbage', through to 'near religious experience'), this rates in the range of wonderful/awsome!! An excellent solid feel to the mouth, wonderfull aroma - or what ever you wish to call it - and what i think of as a nice full bodied start with exsqusite sharp edges, that rolls into a well rounded warm honeyed finish. what ever words you use, it is awsome!!!!!
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Posted by:Tony Debono	Pieropan 1875	Sat Sep 22 20:43:31 EST 2007
As expected this wine didn't dissapoint. Perfect match for a light and refreshing dinner at the end of summer in the Mediterranean. The wine is full of minerality and stone fruits with a long almondy finish.
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Posted by:Anonymous	A. Clape 1875	Tue Jul 24 03:33:45 EST 2007
Summer Wine & Cheese Tasting Wednesday, August 8th 7:00pm $25.00 Celebrate the summer at The Village Pourhouse’s Summer Wine & Cheese Tasting Event! Led by Southern Wine and Spirits, you will taste a selection of Red and White Wine followed by a Cheese Tasting by Cabot Cheese. 212.979.2337x 8003 Cari@yourpartyplanning.com address: 64 third ave and 11th street, new york, ny 10003
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Posted by:Anonymous	village pourhouse event 2007	Fri Jul 13 01:36:50 EST 2007
There is a really cool wine tasting event I came across at the village pourhouse. It is going on on Thursday, July 19, at 7pm. It will be led by John Martini, owner of the award winning Anthony Road Wine Company. The tasting will feature Anthony Road's Cabernet Franc/Lemberger, Pinto Gris, Semi Dry Riesling and Tony's Red. There will also be cheese samplings provided my Heluva Good Cheese and live music provided by Akiva. Tickets cost $25. I called 212-228-4200 x8003 for more info. It seems like a great event.
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Posted by:Sot	Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 1996	Thu May 10 20:28:13 EST 2007
Unripe fruit. Green. Astringent. Probably a victim of the conditions. It's never going to get better, and its not very good.
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Posted by:Anonymous	Blackjack Shiraz 1998	Wed May 09 14:22:59 EST 2007
are you sure. I didnt find that at all, infact light and with fruity notes
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Posted by:Sharad	Gruaud Larose Grand Vin 1996	Sat Apr 28 20:02:45 EST 2007
Just starting to loose that purple freshness. Initially, I got a lot of bret but after two hours in the glass it seems to be less prominent and the perfume is starting to come through. The tannins are melting and this is becoming a very drinkable wine. It has a lovely inky palette - not too sharp or fruity - but just mellow and intense at the same time. Not overly long. Will easily keep ... will try another one in a year - I do not think that this is a drink up soon situation. Last night I had a 96 Wynns Black Label and it is very easy to see that this is a much lusher, smoother, deeper, wine which has plenty more to reveal - what I like most about this wine is the perfume that is trying to break through what I can only imagine is bret.
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Posted by:Tigga	A. Clape Friday Monkey Shiraz 2005	Tue Mar 27 08:50:12 EST 2007
This wine is high in residual sugar therefor extremelly sweet with no length or body, extremelly thin with an truckload of fruit, if you like ribena you will love this.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Shiraz 2003	Tue Mar 06 16:10:05 EST 2007
Our Shiraz shows red berry and stone fruit aromas with a textured mouth feel. The palate has liquorice and black pepper flavours carried by well integrated oak.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Shiraz 2001	Tue Mar 06 16:09:18 EST 2007
This medium bodied red shows ripe mulberry and cinnamon aromas with pepper and cherry on the palate.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Shiraz 2002	Tue Mar 06 16:08:30 EST 2007
Displays characters of ripe plum, cherry and vanilla. A rich and fruity palate with soft tannins and persistent flavours.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Semillion Sauvignon Blanc 2005	Tue Mar 06 16:07:58 EST 2007
Tropical fruits on the nose, with delicate herbaceous notes. These flavours persist on the palate, with mouthfilling fruit sweetness, blanced by refreshing acidity and a dry finish.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Semillion Sauvignon Blanc 2004	Tue Mar 06 16:07:26 EST 2007
Aromas of tropical fruit abound, with a full palate of mango, peach and pineapple.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Semillion Sauvignon Blanc 2003	Tue Mar 06 16:06:50 EST 2007
A full, richly textured wine, a deep golden straw appearance with hints of green. Tropical fruit on the nose and palate.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2003	Tue Mar 06 16:05:33 EST 2007
A distinctly fresh varietal bouquet lifted by contrasting tropical fruit notes. This wine has a mid-green golden straw appearance and a palate beginning with herbaceous flavours, carried by a fresh lively acid, followed by tropical fruit flavours.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2002	Tue Mar 06 16:04:53 EST 2007
Crispy passionfruit and lingering tropical fruit flavours, with a hint of citrus tang on the finish.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003	Tue Mar 06 16:03:42 EST 2007
An elegant cabernet displaying attractive red berry fruit aromas, dressed with subtle vanillan oak and a fine tannin finish.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2002	Tue Mar 06 16:02:48 EST 2007
Displays lifted sweet berry fruit with hints of cedar and eucalyptus. The palate is medium bodied with blackberry and strawberry flavours and silky tannins.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001	Tue Mar 06 16:01:06 EST 2007
This medium bodied red has lantana and cassis aromas with blackcurrant and vanilla oak characters abounding on the palate.
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Posted by:Dave Porter	Allison Valley Cabernet Merlot 2003	Tue Mar 06 15:59:05 EST 2007
Medium bodied, showing berry aromas with mint and vanilla. The palate has spicy fruit and toasty oak flavours with a fine tannin finish.
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Posted by:Sharad	Zeema Cabernet Sauvignon 2004	Thu Mar 01 22:57:28 EST 2007
I have had this on about 5 different occasions and each time I have really enjoyed it - today I tasted it lined up against 5 other oz cab savs (including BL) ... and it stood head an shoulders above the rest -- the other wines (all in the same price bracket) seem very prickly and certainly very fruity- but in a too sweet kind of way ----- this wine was much more mellow - almost savoury - I love it and am going to stock up big time .. 1996 was the list time I did that with aus cab sav ... I am very dissapointed by the 04 BL.
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Posted by:Anonymous	Elderton Command Shiraz 1992	Sun Feb 25 08:52:21 EST 2007
I have a single bottle of the 1992 comands Shiraz , If any one would like to purcase it please contact email at kereruviews@slingshot.co.nz
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Posted by:David Chan	Howard Park Riesling 1998	Fri Feb 02 00:30:44 EST 2007
Dinner at the Hanlys (1/2/07) - Colour: gold. Nose: honeyed, citrus, cane sugar. Palate: dry, honeyed, citrus, very slightly tropical fruit, hints of toast, dried cane sugar. Still with a noticeable minerality despite the 9 years of age. Nice lengthy finish. Comments - what was a citrus/limey zingy young thing 7 years ago have matured and mellowed into a delicious aged riesling with all the honey and citrus fruit but none of the sometimes in-your-face kerosene smack of a neighbouring state's rieslings. A nice pre-dinner drop.
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Posted by:David Chan	Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet 1995	Fri Feb 02 00:12:58 EST 2007
Dinner at the Hanlys (1/2/07) - Colour: deep, almost opaque crimson, no visible signs of ageing (brownish rim). Nose: cassis with a leafy/cedary herbaceous note. Palate: dry, concentrated but elegant velverty tannins, well balanced high acidity and blackcurrant, plums, that leafy/cedary herbaceous note and subtle hints of something that reminds me of my mother's hairbrush. Great length, very smooth with a slightly bitter dark chocolate finishing note. Comments: One of my favourite Margaret River cabernets, one that is quite underrated compared to its famous chardonnay companion and to other famous cabernets of the region. But hey, I'm happy for it to be underrated as I can enjoy it at a considerable bargain as a result. The 1995 vintage is drinking beautifully right now (and has been for the last 5 years and will continue to give pleasure for another 5-10 years).
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Posted by:David Chan	Wynns Ovens Valley Shiraz 1991	Fri Feb 02 00:00:54 EST 2007
Dinner at the Hanlys (1/2/07) - Colour: crimson-maroon. Nose: plums, dark berry fruits, hint of smoke. Palate: dry, silky soft tannins, high acidity well balanced by loads of black & red berry fruits, plums, and a very slight spicy/pepper note and a distinctive smoky caramelised mushrooms and a dark chocolaty finish. Good length. Comments: A superb, fully mature old shiraz from the lovely region adjacent to the Victorian Alps. This is a seriously underrated wine that has not, sadly, been made by since 1992. This is my first taste of the 1991 vintage, and it is every bit as good as the brilliant 1990 vintage. Originally made for Wynns by Cliff Booth of Taminick (near the Ovens Valley). Very hard to get these days, and I'm not telling you where I get them from - they are as good as any $50+ dollar wine, and needless to say, that's not what I'm paying for them ;-).
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Posted by:David Chan	Wynns Shiraz 1991	Thu Feb 01 23:59:00 EST 2007
Dinner at the Hanlys (1/2/07) - Colour: crimson-maroon. Nose: plums, dark berry fruits, hint of smoke. Palate: dry, silky soft tannins, high acidity well balanced by loads of black & red berry fruits, plums, and a very slight spicy/pepper note and a distinctive smoky caramelised mushrooms and a dark chocolaty finish. Good length. Comments: A superb, fully mature old shiraz from the lovely region adjacent to the Victorian Alps. This is a seriously underrated wine that has not, sadly, been made by since 1992. This is my first taste of the 1991 vintage, and it is every bit as good as the brilliant 1990 vintage. Originally made for Wynns by Cliff Booth of Taminick (near the Ovens Valley). Very hard to get these days, and I'm not telling you where I get them from - they are as good as any $50+ dollar wine, and needless to say, that's not what I'm paying for them ;-).
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Posted by:Anonymous	Chateau Fayau Cadillac 2001	Fri Dec 22 17:26:39 EST 2006
A recently found a 1996 vintage of this wine. Would this be any good still? Cheers.
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Posted by:David Chan	Louis Roederer Cristal 1990	Thu Nov 30 04:34:43 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #1 - Colour: pale yellow gold, very fine bubbles, persistent stream. Nose: baked bread, yeast, a touch of honey. Palate: Fantastic, crisp lemon acidity, intense citrus fruit, mellowed by developing honeyed characteristics, a touch of toffee. High acidity but equally well balanced by the fruit-sweetness, there are layers and layers of flavours waiting for time to peel them back. Very long finish. Comments: I attended this fantastic dinner with fellow wine enthusiasts/fanatics Sharad and his father-in-law, AG. Dinner started with a fantastic Champagne - I must confess my previous (and only) experience with the Cristal was the disappointing '94 vintage. This '90 vintage is a totally different creature and a vastly more delightful one at that. It has changed my opinion about Cristal (from good vintages). Well complimented by a starter of snapper remoulade.
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Posted by:David Chan	Blain-Gagnard Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2000	Thu Nov 30 04:32:02 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #2 - Colour: yellow. Nose: restrained, delicate stonefruit, grapefruit. Palate: elegant, rounded acid profile, stone fruits, a touch of butterscotch, wet rice grains/pebbles minerality, well integrated oak, long length and finishing bone dry. Comments: Classy and elegant, still quite tight and restrained and not showing its full potential. Although great to drink now, will need a few more years to reach the maturity and potential of the 1998 that I had last year. This and all subsequent wines were tasted blind in brackets. Although we knew the names of the wines in each bracket, we did not know the order they were served in. This is a common exercise in PWS wine dinners, and forced us to concentrate on the taste with little or no preconception.
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Posted by:David Chan	Blain-Gagnard Criots-Batard-Montrachet 2000	Thu Nov 30 04:29:32 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #3 - Colour: yellow. Nose: delicate white flowers, noticeable dairy/cheese highlights, stonefruits. Palate: open, fairly powerful, high acid but quite well balanced by abundant and classic chardonnay characteristics of stone fruits. A bit of toast from the oak but less noticeable minerality rounds off the wine. Comments: More approachable than the Batard, slightly looser-knit structure, it is more immediately enjoyable. Capable of ageing (my first Criot was a 1990, drunk in 1999 and it was amazing). This was better matched to the dish of roasted marron, veal sweetbreads with a carrot and jamon salad, than the previous wine.
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Posted by:David Chan	Leoville Barton 2me cru classe 1998	Thu Nov 30 04:26:23 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #4 - Colour: deep purplish-crimson, tight rim. Nose: clean, cassis with a hint of herbs and spices. Palate: dry, smooth soft fine tannins, high acidity counterbalanced well by concentrated blackcurrants, dark berry fruits with a hint of tobacco leaves and earth. Focused and structured, with long length and finish. Comments: Against the other two wines (#5 and #6) in this first bracket of reds, this wine tasted, comparatively, rustic and simplistic. Nonetheless, one would happily drink this wine anytime.
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Posted by:David Chan	Haut-Brion Grand Vin 1998	Thu Nov 30 04:23:19 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #5 - Colour: opaque, deep purplish crimson, slight less tight rim. Nose: clean, pronounced blackcurrants, dark berries, clay/earthy notes. Palate: clean, inky, concentrated sweet fruit core of blackcurrants, rich dark chocolate and hints of pencil shavings. Tightly structured, elegant yet powerful silky, fine, ripe tannins, well balanced and unobtrusive acidity followed by a very long finish. Comments: Compared to the other two wines in this bracket, especially the next, I thought this wine was a little reserved/restrained. I certainly did not pick it as the Haut Brion.
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Posted by:David Chan	Lafite - Rothschild Grand Vin 1998	Thu Nov 30 04:21:29 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #6 - Colour: dark opaque crimson, tight rim. Nose #1: blackberries, cassis, a hint of wet paper. Palate #1: dullish, subdued fruit, dusty. It was later decided that this bottle had a low level of cork taint and a second bottle was opened. What a difference! Nose #2: open and pronounced fruit, of ripe cassis and dark berries. Palate: intense and concentrated blackcurrant, black berries, fleshy texture but with a streak of minerality and fine smooth ripe tannins. Complex aged characteristics beginning to emerge - hints of roasted coffee/mocha. A super long lingering finish. Comments: this wine is so unlike previous Lafites that I've tasted - it is unusually extroverted, open and very accessible, so much so that I mistook it for something else. This and the previous two wines were tasted alongside a yummy dish of warm pressed quail with quatre epices, prune puree and brik pastry. This is my favourite wine in this flight of wines.
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Posted by:David Chan	Haut-Brion Grand Vin 1995	Thu Nov 30 04:18:52 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #7 - Colour: deep ruby, almost opaque. Nose: pronounced blackcurrants. Palate: ripe concentrated sweet fruit of cassis, cherries, vanilla, savoury oak. Very smooth, rich texture, full bodied and hints of smoke/toasted oak. Still tightly structured, sleek, refined yet powerful, with very fine silky tannins and a very long finish. Comments: The refined, sleek, elegant impressions that I got from tasting this wine confused me and I certainly didn't think it was the Haut Brion (which I expected to be bigger and more extroverted). Delicious! The first wine of the 2nd Bracket of 1995 Red Bordeaux.
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Posted by:David Chan	Leoville Barton 2me cru classe 1995	Thu Nov 30 04:07:52 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #8 - Colour: dark crimson, not as deep as the previous wine. Nose: fantastic, pronounced blackcurrants, hints of cigar/tobacco leaves. Palate: Mouthfilling and concentrated blackcurrants, dark berries, lovely full bodied texture, smooth, soft and supple ripe tannins. Emerging complex aged characteristics of tobacco leaves, coffee beans, a touch of herbaceousness, earth and cedar. Focused and structured, with a long lingering finish. Comments: My pick in this bracket of wines, great to drink now but with potential for many more years of ageing. I thought it was a first growth, but then, perhaps that's why this and a few other wines are called "super seconds". Many other people were also surprised by the performance of this wine. A bargain compared to the other two.
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Posted by:David Chan	Lafite - Rothschild Grand Vin 1995	Thu Nov 30 04:04:14 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #9 - Colour: dark opaque crimson, tight rim. Nose: cassis, blackberries, wood smoke. Palate: concentrated sweet fruit core, cassis, blackberries, minerals, smoky/toasty/spicy oak. Very focused, tightly coiled tannic structure, very fine ultra smooth tannins. Complex and textured/layer, but hard to discern the flavours as the wine is not very open or forward. As with the other wines, a very long finish. Comments: I misread the reticence of this wine and didn't pick it for what it was, showing I still have a lot to learn and experience at the level of first growth Bordeaux. Pleasant to drink now, but I would prefer much more ageing and maturity. It will be great and hopefully I'll be around to taste that in about 20 years' time. This 2nd bracket of reds was matched to a serve of roasted suckling lamb and confit leg with braised white beans and tomato.
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Posted by:David Chan	Lafite - Rothschild Grand Vin 1982	Thu Nov 30 04:02:35 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #10 - Colour: deep maroon, still a tight-ish rim. Nose: lovely, matured Bordeaux - pronounced ripe fruit, dripping with cassis dark berries, cherries, with leafy undertones. Palate: super smooth, balanced, intense flavour and concentration - blackcurrant and black cherry conserve, spices, subtle toasty, smoky cigar/tobacco notes and an apparent minerality that I now associate with very fine Bordeaux reds. Very complex - layers and layers of it, fantastic texture, mouth-feel and phenomenal length. Comments: Having tasted the Mouton 82 barely two months ago helped me appreciate this great Bordeaux vintage. This Lafite is a different wine of course, but the intensity and concentration of fruit, the texture and balance are all similar. Almost a quarter century old, but with still so much fruit that the wine felt youthful.
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Posted by:David Chan	Haut-Brion Grand Vin 1982	Thu Nov 30 03:59:19 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #11 - Colour: a noticeably lighter shade of deep maroon than the previous wine. Nose: all the hallmarks of a top matured Bordeaux - ripe blackcurrants, dried tobacco leaves, cigar smoke. Palate: Like the previous wine, exploding with rich ripe fruit, it has a noticeable apparent fruit sweetness - black cherries, black berries, cassis, black coffee, vanillin oak, dark chocolate. Super smooth but still has a focused, sleek and tight silky-fine tannic structure - so powerful yet so refined with, of course, an extremely long finish. Comments: It is really hard to choose to between the two first growths in this magnificent third bracket of red Bordeaux. There is no logical way of doing it, so I went with my emotions and picked this as my top wine for the night. As great as the Lafite is (a majority of the others' top pick), personally, I favour the Haut Brion every so slightly more. Both wines were enjoyed immensely with a Basque cheese, the Ossau Iraty.
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Posted by:David Chan	Rieussec Grand Vin 2001	Thu Nov 30 03:55:54 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #12 - Colour: medium deep straw gold, a couple of shades darker than the next wine. Nose: a gorgeous botrytis-infused bouquet of tropical fruits (mangos, pineapples) and apricot. Palate: deliciously rich, creamy apricot, tropical fruit salad, a touch of honey, toffee and toasty oak. Comments: On its own, a superb Sauternes, almost d'Yquem-like except the texture/mouth-feel. 2001 Sauternes - get it anyway you can (and it doesn't have to be d'Yquem to give you great pleasure).
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Posted by:David Chan	d'Yquem Grand Vin 2001	Thu Nov 30 03:51:13 EST 2006
Prince Wine Store Bordeaux Dinner at Circa (28/11/06) - Wine #13 - Colour: Light straw. Gold. Nose: Wow! Glorious, pure botrytis smell, along with apricot, pineapples, mangos and a whole range of other exotic tropical fruits. Palate: Great texture and mouthfeel, like glycerine yet creamy and almost veloute-like. Exceptionally rich, at a perfect level of sweetness. Concentrated exotic tropical fruits - custard apple, jackfruit, cempedak, peaches and cream, caramel, vanilla, citrus zest… one can spend the whole night conjuring up flavour descriptors. Comments: This d'Yquem has developed/revealed such a complexity that it is hard to accept that it is only 5 years old. It was easy to pick in a blind tasting - for me, the textural qualities, along with the complexity, dimensions and depth of flavours totally gave it away. My 2nd top wine of the night, but easily the best sweet wine I've ever had tasted. I consider myself very fortunate to have tasted this wine twice.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grange 1990	Thu Nov 30 03:47:21 EST 2006
Vaughan Hanly's 90th Birthday dinner at the Paris-Brest, Perth Hills (17/11/06) - Colour: dark plum/maroon. Nose: pronounced plums, cherries and blackberries. On the palate: ultra-smooth, rich and concentrated with a ton of fruit - plums, cherries, chocolate, red currants leather/briar, chocolate, prunes, hints of licorice, completed by toasty coconut oak. A powerful Grange that is starting to develop interesting complex aged characteristics but is still quite youthful. A very pleasurable drink, with a very long, lingering finish. Comments: It was double decanted some 4 hours before serving, but even so, it still refused to reveal all of its closed-off potential. You can't help but feel that it will keep improving for two to three decades more, if past great vintages of Grange are the benchmarks. This is my second taste of this great vintage of Grange, and in the intervening 7 years between tastes, the wine has hardly evolved (except to gain complexity and smoothness). I am extremely grateful to Vaughan and his family - Ros, Margie, Stephen, Guido, Yulan, Jackie (and the kids) for accepting me as part of the family and allowing me to share in the fantastic event that is Vaughan's 90th birthday celebrations.
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Posted by:David Chan	Henschke Hill of Grace 1990	Thu Nov 30 03:44:45 EST 2006
Vaughan Hanly's 90th Birthday dinner at the Paris-Brest, Perth Hills (17/11/06) - Colour: maroon-garnet. Nose: Wonderfully open, lifted blackberries and ripe plums. Palate: Ultra-smooth, elegant and rich, sweet plum fruit core, subtle savoury oak with blackberries and complex aged flavours of chocolate, leather, hints of spice and mushrooms. Silky smooth tannins add to the elegance of the wine, which keeps going long after you've swallowed the wine. Comments: A fantastically pleasurable drink, truly an iconic Australian Shiraz. This wine was double decanted about 4 hours before we drank it with our dinner at this lovely restaurant in Kalamunda, nestled in the Perth Hills. A truly wonderful drink from a wonderful vintage to celebrate the 90th birthday of a wonderful person, who is, in my humble opinion, as iconic in Australian classical music, violin performance and pedagogy as this (and the next) wine in the Australian wine circle.
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Posted by:David Chan	Salon S (Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger) 1990	Thu Nov 30 03:39:34 EST 2006
Friend's birthday dinner at the Chef's Table, Vue de Monde (VdM, 30/9/06) - Colour: straw, fine stream of bubbles, persistent and vigorous. Nose: honey, spice/perfume and yeast. Palate: clean, high acidity and full bodied, with a bouquet of white peaches, grapefruit, an obdurate streak of yeastiness, almost soy-sauce-like, subtle spice and honey. This is braced by a strong backbone of rounded acidity, reminiscent of kumquats. Phenomenal length and lingering finish, it lasts and lasts and lasts! Comments: My first taste of a Salon, from the phenomenal 1990 vintage. It tasted positively youthful, and alongside other 1990 champagnes, seem destined for a long life. I have since tasted older Salons dating back to early 80's (notes to be published later) which reaffirm my belief that they are built for endurance races as opposed to sprints. I'm not going to open my last bottle until I hit the half century mark! Well matched to a dish of asparagus and scallops submerged in a deep green split-pea soup.
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Posted by:David Chan	Josmeyer Pinot Gris 2005	Thu Nov 30 03:32:53 EST 2006
Friend's birthday dinner at the Chef's Table, VdM (30/9/06) - Colour: very pale straw. Nose: clean, pears. Palate: almost dry, floral notes, along with pears and melon. Medium acidity, quite soft/gentle, full bodied, slightly viscous, rounded mouth feel and reasonable length/finish. Comments: Refreshingly different from your standard table whites. Went very well with my favourite dish at VdM, which is the wild mushroom risotto with heaps of black truffles on top. The texture and flavour of the wine, to me, went well with the texture and flavour of the risotto and truffles.
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Posted by:David Chan	By Farr Viognier 2004	Thu Nov 30 03:29:42 EST 2006
Friend's birthday dinner at the Chef's Table, VdM (30/9/06) - Colour: pale straw. Nose: Amazing! Pronounced longans and lychees, peach, nashii pears. Palate: another almost dry (very subtle hint of sweetness) wine, quite alcoholic and hot, astringent, with a minerality reminiscent of wet quartz. Comments: A most unusual flavour profile for a Viognier but I liked it. Certainly a wine that I would happily match to Asian food – after all, longans, lychees and nashii pears are flavours experienced in my childhood growing up in an Asian country.
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Posted by:David Chan	A.F. Gros AOC Village 2003	Thu Nov 30 03:27:28 EST 2006
Friend's birthday dinner at the Chef's Table, VdM (30/9/06) - Colour: deep but clear crimson. Nose: clean, delicately perfumed, hints of maraschino cherries, and subtle spices. Palate: clean, medium-low silky tannins, high acidity, finely structured. Reflects the flavours detected on the nose, also hints of damp moss (sous bois?). Alas, it finishes a bit short. Comments: Wish I've noted what dish was served with this wine, but I was too busy scribbling my tasting notes. I must ask VdM to send me a list of what dishes were served that night. I have also neglected to publish some other wines, mainly because I don't have complete information about the maker etc. Again, I'm told VdM keeps a list of wines that have been served to us that night, so I'll include them when I have the info.
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Posted by:David Chan	Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache 1990	Thu Nov 30 03:22:13 EST 2006
Friend's birthday dinner at the Chef's Table, VdM (30/9/06) - Colour: crystal clear crimson. Nose: Fantastic!! Intense raspberry/strawberry/cherries, with complex aged/secondary characteristics - roast meat, hints of prune, earth. Palate: intense, concentrated but very silky and smooth. Sweet red berry fruit and even some black fruit flavours, with delicate hints of fresh herbs, some evolved dried red fruit/cranberry notes. Massive, powerful but balanced, harmonious and still quite youthful, this wine will keep powering on. Comments: We got to taste this wine by sheer chance! The owner of this very fine bottle was a guest at another table, and he saw our bottle of wine (see the next tasting note) and asked for half a glass of ours in exchange for half a glass of his. Needless to say, we jumped at the offer, with great thanks.
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Posted by:David Chan	Mouton - Rothschild Grand Vin 1982	Thu Nov 30 03:18:00 EST 2006
Friend's birthday dinner at the Chef's Table, VdM (30/9/06) – Colour: deep, dark, opaque garnet. Nose: powerful, intense and complex – cassis, tobacco leaves, earth, Palate: Sweet fruit core, exploding with flavour that lasts and lasts and lasts! Powerful, extremely concentrated cassis, black fruits and mulberries, making it taste quite youthful! But there is also the complex aged flavours that included rich black chocolate, freshly broken cigars and earthy notes. The tannic structure is immense, yet super-smooth and supple, well balanced the acid-fruit sweetness. And I can't taste the oak, which has been completely usurped by the fruit and complex flavours. Comments: Well, I can see why this wine and the 1982 Bordeaux vintage are so talked about in the wine circles. This wine, my first 82 first growth, is already 24 years old but yet tastes at least a decade and half younger than it is, but with a complexity and smoothness that can only be gained with over two decades of ageing. Many, many thanks to my incredibly generous friend for sharing this precious bottle.
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Posted by:Anonymous	A. Clape Friday Monkey Shiraz 2005	Sun Oct 01 15:28:43 EST 2006
All our grapes are grown in riverina region where rich soils and dry summer climate ensure the growth of premium wine grapes. This is a well balanced dry red shiraz with berry fruit and pepper spice aromas. A full fruit driven palate with American oak flavours on the finish. Cellaring Potential An easy drinking wine designed for immediate enjoyment and will also age for several years. Suggested Food Would complement most red meat dishes. Try with roast beef, barbecue meats, continental sausages or just plain cheese.
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Posted by:David Chan	Barbeito Malvazia 1875	Thu Sep 07 01:41:00 EST 2006
After dinner drinks at the Melbourne Supper Club (6/9/06) colour - deep russet/plum (hard to tell in the dim light). Nose: Wow! A pronounced amalgam of rancio, nuts, semi-sundried fruits, prunes, spice, dried herbs and savoury wood. The nose is so strong that you can smell it from a few feet away! One could simply spend the whole night just 'drinking' in the rich bouquet. On the palate: Rich, ultrasmooth; an wonderful amplified reprise of the nose. Complex, layered and textured, with a strong acid backbone. Not overly sweet and not overly viscous either. The melange of dried fruit, nut puree, spice, herb and wood flavours are intoxicating. Insanely long finish, lasting minutes. Comments: My first 100+ year old Madeira - what an introduction! My friend was astounded by the intensity of the bouquet, the richness and complexity of the wine. It is not often you get to try a 131 year old wine, I suggest you go to the Melbourne Supper Club and try a glass of this before it runs out!
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Posted by:David Chan	Leoville Barton 2me cru classe 1962	Sun Sep 03 22:42:11 EST 2006
DC's belated birthday dinner at Vue de Monde (29/8/06) - Colour: almost opaque garnet/maroon/plum, with a clear but still deep brick red rim. Nose: a touch of volatile acidity but otherwise clean, complex bouquet of cassis, dried tobacco leaves and herbs. Palate: dry, high acidity, smooth fine tannins. Despite the 44 years of age, still a substantial amount of fruit - cassis, dark berries, savoury oak and secondary aromas of tobacco, herbs, cloves, licorice and dark chocolate. Long length and finish. Comments: Rich and generous with plenty of fruit left, but the acid is bit too high for my comfort. On the downhill slide or my turn to have a below average bottle on the bottle variation roulette wheel. Well, Shannon and his staff whipped up some really delicious dishes to go with this nice old St. Julien. Very many thanks to my best friend who shouted me this dinnner as a birthday present.
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Posted by:Sharad	Wynns John Riddoch 1993	Fri Jul 21 17:57:35 EST 2006
I thought I'd try this on the strength of the 93 Black Label - which I have allways enjoyed. Well, it is true - this wine is indeed just wood and fruit - and they have not at all integrated yet - and i don't know if they every will. I don't get a lot of cabernet complexity - just wood that is starting to soften. It still has lots of tannins - maybe this wine just needs a LOT longer.
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Posted by:David Chan	Bollinger RD 1995	Sun Jul 09 16:50:44 EST 2006
DC's birthday dinner at Matteo's (8/7/06) - Wine #1 - Colour: clear, medium golden straw, lazy stream of bubbles. Nose: clean, light honey, slight hints of flowers and bread. Palate: full bodied, with high acidity of juicy citrus-fruits/tangerines well complimented by rich honeyed bread, chestnuts and subtle floral notes. Generous flavours, silky mousse and a long, lingering finish. Comments: My second taste of a Bollinger RD (the last being a 1982 that was not well cellared). It was certainly a delicious, elegant wine, but different from the Grande Annee which possess fresher fruit and zing-ier acidity IMHO. The only difference between the RD and Grande Annee is the additional years of ageing on yeast lees that the RD receives. It will be an interesting exercise to compare them side-by-side from the same vintage. A fine match to the Garfish-nori rolls that I had for starters.
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Posted by:David Chan	E. Guigal Hermitage 1983	Sun Jul 09 16:43:27 EST 2006
DC's birthday dinner at Matteo's (8/7/06) - Wine #3 - Colour: clear, garnet-maroon with a brick red rim. Nose: pronounced wood, dried herbs, blackcurrants, dark berries. Palate: dry, high acid and high velvety tannins. Medium blackcurrant and black berries flavours, with complex and pronounced secondary woody, medicinal dried herbs and dried spice characteristics. Smooth, velvety fine tannins with a longish finish. Comments: Frank Hayward brought this half-bottle along as a birthday present (and a mystery wine for a wine options game). It totally confused me, as the blackcurrant aroma and the oaky, almost cedary nature of the pronounced wood on the nose made me think it was a semi-mature Bordeaux! Perhaps I just haven't drunk enough Hermitage to be able to distinguish a fully aged version of it. A lovely drop, complex, smooth - thanks, Frank for this lovely birthday present.
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Posted by:David Chan	Pichon Longueville Comtess De Lalande 1975	Sun Jul 09 16:37:19 EST 2006
DC's birthday dinner at Matteo's (8/7/06) - Wine #4 - Colour: amazingly, a deep plum/garnet, still fairly opaque. Clear-ish (due to some sediment from the pouring). Nose: blackcurrants with smoky/dusty, fairly pronounced dried herb/tobacco aromas. Palate: dry, high acidity and tannins but still substantial fruit - cassis, dark currants and secondary aromas of smoky tobacco, dried spices (cloves and aniseed). Long length and a lingering finish. Comments: Slightly on the lean side, still quite tannic despite shedding an appreciable amount of sediment in the bottle, but decent fruit concentration. Possibly more time would soften the tannic structure more, but will the fruit last long enough? Anyway, delicious with a rare eye fillet of Angus beef.
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Posted by:David Chan	Macarini La Serra 1998	Sun Jul 09 16:33:05 EST 2006
DC's birthday dinner at Matteo's (8/7/06) - Wine #5 - Colour: deep darkish crimson-maroon. Nose: clean, open, of black cherries, tar and tiny hint of violets . Palate: dry, high acidity and high tannins, with medium black cherries and dark berries, spicy oak, chewy/tarry tannins, subtle floral notes of violets and roses. Astringent/slightly bitter/dark chocolate back palate and a longish finish. Comments: a forward and flavoursome wine, but a tad tannic for a drink-only wine. As per most Italian wines, designed to go with food, and paired beautifully with the eye fillet drizzled with red wine sauce.
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Posted by:David Chan	De Bertoli Noble One 1983	Sun Jul 09 16:22:13 EST 2006
DC's birthday dinner at Matteo's (8/7/06) - Wine #6 - Colour: clear, deep orange/hazel/strong tea. Nose: clean, pronounced apricot, orange peel and wet tea leaves. Palate: medium sweetness and acidity, medium bodied with apricot, marmalade, caramel and cold strong tea flavours, and a reasonably lengthy finish. Comments: I found this wine not too sweet and rich compared to some of the later vintages. It seems to lack the usual full-bodied mouth feel that one has come to expect from a Noble One, but it is probably a slightly below-par bottle.
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Posted by:Sharad	Leoville Las Cases 2me cru classe 1982	Sat Jun 17 21:22:24 EST 2006
Had this on the night of the last Australian Federal election - opened before I knew the result. The fruit was so sweet and fresh - as if it was bottled just yesterday. This is a really intense fresh wine - I can't get over how old it is. ... it definitly has a good 20+ years to go .... I can't imagine what it will be like then - I can't imagine the comlex flavours that it will gain - presently it is intense, fresh but everything is their in an obvious way.
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Posted by:sxt	Majella Cabernet Sauvignon 2003	Sat Jun 17 21:11:10 EST 2006
Nothing wrong with Shiraz - it is just that I like Cab Sav because I feel it ultimately can give a more complex wine ....
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Posted by:Anonymous	Majella Cabernet Sauvignon 2003	Sat Jun 17 16:49:20 EST 2006
And what is wrong with Shiraz? That's like saying I didn't like it because it tasted like red wine.
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Posted by:David Chan	Bollinger Grande Annee 1996	Sat Jun 17 02:47:00 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #1 - Colour: clear, pale yellow/straw/gold. Nose: clean, light-to-medium fruit, slight hints of toast, yeast/biscuits. Palate: delicate creamy mousse; zingy (high) citrus/lemon acidity, bursting with concentrated pinot fruit flavours that gave an otherwise dry wine a rich apparent fruit sweetness. Subtle toasty, yeasty highlights with a long, smooth finish. Totally delicious way to start a meal and get the gastric juices flowing.
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Posted by:David Chan	Krug Vintage 1990	Sat Jun 17 02:43:58 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #2 - Colour: clear, pale-to-medium gold. Nose: clean, medium toasted oak, yeast, hints of nuts and biscuits. Palate: full bodied; creamy, silky mousse; rich, concentrated flavours of citrus, lemon with yeast/biscuit/walnut highlights and honeyed toast. High acidity but extraordinarily well balanced by the intense flavour structure, with a length of finish to match. If anything, more evolved and complex compared to my previous tasting note (not surprising, given this was tasted out of a standard bottle, vs a magnum).
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Posted by:David Chan	Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francais (VVF) 1989	Sat Jun 17 02:41:23 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #3 - Colour: clear, straw with a tinge of salmon. Nose: clean, pronounced honeyed, fruit, a hint of frambois. Palate: incredible - concentrated honey, citrus juice, with an intense heavy pinot fruit that imparts an apparent sweetness. Definitely frambois notes with a huge streak of yeastiness that is well complimented by vanillin oak. Full bodied, balanced and structured, this is more like a powerful, intensely flavoured white wine (almost dessert-wine-like in structure) with bubbles, as opposed to a more traditional champagne. I'm not sure what to make of it. It tasted like no other blanc de noir champagne that I've had, so this is a unique 1st experience of the famous VVF for me. Hope it won't be the last either.
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Posted by:David Chan	Drouhin - Marquis Laguiche Le Montrachet 1996	Sat Jun 17 02:36:52 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #4 - Colour: clear pale gold/straw, with legs. Nose: clean, medium fruit of white peach, citrus and hints of toast. Palate: Wow! Perfect chardonnay fruit, pronounced white peaches, stone fruit but bone dry, mineral and a zingy lemon/citrus acidity. Concentrated, structured and very elegant. Crowned with rich aged honey, subtle toast/toffee and vanilla highlights. Superbly balanced, with a great long finish that seems to keep going. My second taste of a Le Montrachet, from a different producer, but there is no mistaking the outstanding richness, depth of flavour and elegance that sets it apart from other grand cru white burgundies.
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Posted by:David Chan	P. Jaboulet-Aine Hermitage Chevalier de Sterimberg 1999	Sat Jun 17 02:33:01 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #5 - Colour: clear medium-deep gold/old gold. Nose: clean, honeysuckle, vanilla. Palate: medium acidity, full bodied, broad flavour strokes of honeysuckle, glycerine, with pomegranate and vanilla tones. Big, structured, well integrated, full flavoured wine, apparent alcohol and a big long finish. My first white Hermitage, a blend of marsanne and roussanne that is quite unlike any Australian version of the classic Rhone white blend that I've tasted. Bursting with fruit and flavour, and rather big for a French white wine, but with the structure to age. Certainly a wine that can stand up to stronger flavoured food.
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Posted by:David Chan	Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 1995	Sat Jun 17 02:29:21 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #6 - Colour: clear deep yellow/gold. Nose: complex, toast, honey, butterscotch, roasted cashews. Palate: pronounced honeyed citrus fruit with tropical notes, lively, high acidity, full body, smooth, creamy/buttery mouthfeel and concentrated flavours. Like previous tastings of this wine, this is a massive Australian chardonnay, exploding with honey, roasted cashews, and rich creamy butterscotch. Well balanced by zingy citrus fruit acidity and complex tropical top notes. Amazing length on the finish, yet another outstanding bottle of liquid pleasure. No wonder it is widely considered the pinnacle of Australian chardonnay. So far, every bottle that I've ever had the fortune to taste has never disappointed.
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Posted by:David Chan	Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg 1986	Sat Jun 17 02:27:02 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #7 - Colour: clear, crimson-maroon with a deep brickish red rim. Nose: frambois, strawberry, earth, smoky bacon fat, a touch of volatile acidity. Palate: pronounced, concentrated raspberry/strawberry, cherry, classic pinot fruit flavours, along with complex secondary aroma comprising damp earth, roast meat and bacon fat. Integrated with this is a silky fine but strong tannic structure with a finish of great length. A maturing, rich and complex red burgundy from a famous grand cru vineyard from the world's most highly sought after Domaine. For me, this is pretty much pinot noir perfection. Thank you for your great generosity in sharing this precious wine with us on your birthday!
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Posted by:David Chan	Talbot 4me cru classe 1953	Sat Jun 17 02:24:29 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #8 - Colour: still almost opaque, deep garnet and a deep plum rim with orange/brown edges. Nose: clean, displaying pronounced cassis, hints of leather and licorice. Palate: amazingly youthful, still full of fruit, focused, concentrated cassis, plums and dark berries, along with complex secondary aromas of licorice, leather, cold roasts and a hint of egg white (perhaps a remnant of the fining process). Ultra smooth tannic structure and a full body, this wine is still holding at its peak. We were extremely lucky to chance upon a bottle that seems to have been perfectly cellared. Despite the 52 years of age, the level of the wine is still well into the neck. The sommelier at Matteo's thought that this was the best 50+ year old bottle that he could ever recall seeing. Certainly no signs of tiredness or ageing in the wine. This is the oldest red Bordeaux that I've ever tasted to date, and if this is what red Bordeaux transforms into after half a century, it is well worth the wait!
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grange 1976	Sat Jun 17 02:19:13 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #9 - Colour: deep darkish crimson-maroon. Nose: classic shiraz fruit, plums, black berries, hint of leather. Palate: dry but the powerful, concentrated blackberry, mulberry and plum flavours impart an apparent fruity sweetness to counterbalance the highish acidity structure. Supported by smooth, fine tannins and well integrated vanilla oak. Supplemented by developing secondary aromas of dark chocolate, spicy/savoury licorice, hints of old leather. A superb Grange, a worthy successor to the previous great Grange 1971 vintage.
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Posted by:David Chan	Leoville Las Cases 2me cru classe 1982	Sat Jun 17 02:15:19 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #10 - Colour: opaque, deep dark crimson. Nose: clean, powerful, pronounced ripe blackcurrants, dark berries with some cedary highlights. Palate: Another amazingly youthful tasting wine, quite backward in development. Power, concentration, structure, texture and finesse, this wine has it all. Intense concentration of fruit flavours, bursting at the seams with cassis and ripe dark berries, which in turn are superbly well balanced by massive but super fine and smooth tannin structure that also sports a flinty, mineral streak throughout. Well rounded, with emerging aromas of dark chocolate, coffee beans, pencil shavings and cedary oak. Tremendously long length, the flavours keep lingering and lingering. So young does this wine taste that one is led to believe that it can easily be cellared for another 20 to 30 year, all the while gaining in complexity. A Robert Parker 100 pointer… it is obvious why!
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Posted by:David Chan	Haut-Brion Grand Vin 1986	Sat Jun 17 02:10:58 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #11 - Colour: opaque, deep crimson/maroon. Nose: clean, pronounced ripe blackcurrants, tobacco leaves. Palate: clean, intense, concentrated sweet fruit core of blackcurrants with savoury oak and complex secondary characteristics of tobacco, smoke and black coffee. All this was well integrated with an elegant yet powerful and concentrated tannic structure, silkily textured yet well balanced by unobtrusive acidity followed by a long, long finish. An iron fist in a satin glove is quite an apt description. Almost 20 years old, yet so youthful and a real pleasure to drink. My second Haut Brion, and I sincerely hope that this is not my last.
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Posted by:David Chan	Coutet Cuvee Madame 1986	Sat Jun 17 02:05:39 EST 2006
Friend's Birthday Dinner at Matteo's (Oct 05) - Wine #12 - Colour: clear, deep old gold. Nose: clean, pronounced apricot, marmalade, honey. Palate: sweet, exceptionally rich and concentrated, bursting at the seams with layers and layers of flavours that one could spend a whole night unraveling: liquefied apricots, ripe peaches, nougat, vanilla custard, cream, jackfruit, pineapple, custard apple, orange zest, toasted nuts, lightly roasted rice. Despite the multitude of flavours, this Barsac has a focused structure and superb acid-sweetness balance, culminating in a finish that lasted for over a minute! According to Robert Parker, only 4 barrels of this wine is made, and only in exceptional vintages. It is considered to be equivalent in quality to a d'Yquem, but scarcer. If I hadn't seen the label on the bottle, I would have assumed that it was a Yquem. I've only ever seen one, maybe two, bottles of this wine on sale in the last 7 years, and I seriously doubt I'll find another bottle in the next 7 years, so a tremendous thanks to our host for sharing it!
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Posted by:Eric Khong	Cullen Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 1998	Tue May 30 00:49:20 EST 2006
A horrid wine. Too much of the tea leaf taste for my liking.
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Posted by:Anonymous	Harvest Moon Zinfandel 2002	Wed May 24 14:44:43 EST 2006
Representing the "Elegant" side of Zinfandel, this 100% Estate Zin has ueber amounts of fresh, juicy raspberry with out the confrontational alcohol or aggressive American oak. One of the absolute beautiful renditions of Zin- balance between supurbly tart acidity and lushous moutfeel. The complexity lies witin the neverending layers of famous red fruit hailing from the Russian River Valley.
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Posted by:pedro seafood experience	Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon Rose 1988	Wed May 17 08:08:35 EST 2006
best fizzie ive tasted hats off dp 88 rose outstanding
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Posted by:pedro seafood experience	Krug Vintage 1982	Wed May 17 01:54:35 EST 2006
total heavenly biscuity tight sequenced tiny bubbles with a hint of vanilla
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Posted by:ERIC JAGODA	J. L. Chave Hermitage 1990	Sun May 14 02:47:16 EST 2006
I TASTED THIS RICH CLASSIC AT TABLE D'ANVERS RESTAURANT IN PARIS LAST FALL. THOUGHT IT FULLY MATURE AND NICE COMPLIMENT TO SWEETBREADS IN A RED WINE SAUCE. AT 250 EUROS, I GUESS A PRETTY GOOD VALUE?! BUT SHOCKED THAT THE WAITER CITED ROBERT PARKER'S RATING WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE WINE.
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Posted by:sxt	Majella Cabernet Sauvignon 2003	Fri Mar 03 20:43:27 EST 2006
ok, so 2003 is supposed to be better than 2002 for Coonawarra ... well it is probably just me, but i really am having difficulty in finishing my glass. ... i LOVE cab sav ... but this wine seems more like Shiraz to me. I don't get that much cegar box or roses ... but more simply a combo of wood and intense fruit (prunes) .. and not much of complex aftertaste. Technically, it is a good wine, but i just do not like it :( ... it just reminds me of Shiraz.
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Posted by:Anonymous	Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 1996	Thu Feb 23 20:37:48 EST 2006
Had with a beef pie. Went really well with the pie - could easily be confused for a Bordeaux ... but when sipped on its own, the wine was much 2 dimensional - oak and fruit ... it seems to be still integrating - it seems it is easily going to be worth trying again at 5yrs from now. It is lost its purple edge, the nose displays great tobacco but with quite a bit of VA, and on tasting it is clear that the wine had a good slab of oak. The aftertaste is what i like most .... roses. :)
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Posted by:Anonymous	Mouton - Rothschild 1990	Thu Feb 23 08:24:31 EST 2006
Really odd that it should be cloudy. As far as i know it is filtered. Maybe just a single odd botlle - have you got another one to try?
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Posted by:Anonymous	A. Clape Shelton Vineyard NV	Wed Feb 01 03:21:52 EST 2006
I have had quite a few from Shelton Vineyards. The last one was their 2005 Riesling. It was crisp and refreshing, not too sweet with a green apple/pear flavors. I had heard their 2003 was top 50 in the Wine Report so I had to give it a try. It was great. I have had thier 2004 Syrah as well and it was also crisp and dry but it didn't leave that heavy after taste.
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Posted by:Anonymous	Mouton - Rothschild 1990	Thu Jan 05 23:01:24 EST 2006
Wonderful wine, smooth and flavourful. However even after decanting the wine remained cloudy and hazy. Any thoughts on this?
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Posted by:Anonymous	Penfolds Bin 389 1996	Thu Dec 29 20:43:27 EST 2005
Not decanted. Some sediment. Dark garnet color with no browning. Big, dark nose. Good flavor with some dry tannins but a lot of fruit. Fairly short finish. This is good now but there is still time for improvement. It went beautifully with a simple lamb stew
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Posted by:Anonymous	A. Clape opus 1987	Tue Dec 27 15:07:14 EST 2005
Opus 1987: A great bottle - all there! This wine has been well stored since recieved in '90. As note its great now but probably need s to be drunk in the next couple of years.
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Posted by:Anonymous	leyth leyth 1987	Tue Dec 27 14:57:52 EST 2005
1987 Meritage; A great bottle. Bright color. Great fruit. Mellow tanins. Has been well stored and would be good for at least another 5+years. Unfortunately was my last bottle.
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Posted by:dklatsky@mwe.com	Penfolds Special Bin 61 1963	Sat Dec 10 11:05:00 EST 2005
I'm so pleased to find someone else who has tasted this terrific wine! I drank my one bottle about five years ago. I couldn't agree more with these notes. I did not allow the wine to air prior to consumption on the theory that the nose would be delicate and would blow off quickly at 40 years. To my surprise, it only really opened up after an hour. As the previous writer stated, anyone would peg the age of this wine at around 20 years. I found it stashed in an odds-and-ends bin in a Melbourne wine shop for A$40 and practically sprinted to pay, get out of the shop and back to Los Angeles before anyone realized what was going on. I had a similar happy story with 1966 Kalimna Bin 28. I'm afraid that Melbourne wine retailers do not have much faith in the ageability of Aussie reds other than Grange and Hill of Grace.
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Posted by:Anonymous	Charles Heidsieck Blanc Des Millenaires 1990	Sat Oct 01 20:52:19 EST 2005
recently drank with family and closest friends at my wedding.All six bottles were drank with rave reviews from all concerned. wine showed honey,toast with great fruit intergration...absolutely superb....highly recommended if you can find some..
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Posted by:Ralph Sutcliffe	Leoville Poyferre 2me cru classe 1979	Sat Oct 01 18:27:22 EST 2005
Considerable power and finesse for a 26 year old wine. A classic Bordeaux wine.
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Posted by:RW	Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock 1998	Wed Sep 28 18:08:25 EST 2005
Colour was a deep red with aromas from cherry, herbal, earthy and spicy and slight hotness due to high level of alcohol. White pepper, dryness and slighty unbalanced but was generally very good, with good gripping tannins and a lovely lengthy finish
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Posted by:Ferruzzi	Rohmbauer Chardonnay 2003	Sat Sep 24 07:19:07 EST 2005
Look - Clarity: Clear - Brightness: Bright - Color: Straw - Concentration: Low - Rim Variation: 1-3 years - Gas: None - Viscosity: Low Smell - Power: Strong - Fruit: Pineapple - Earth: Clean - Acidity: Medium - Complexity: Medium Taste - Sweetness: Dry - Body: Medium [[2% milk]] - Acidity: Medium-High - Fruit: Pineapple, Light Butter, Ripe Pear - Wood: Light Vanilla and hints of Cinnamin [[Aged in both American and French Oaks?]] - Complexity: medium-Hight - Finish: Medium-Long Pairing: Would go great with Mahi or a tropical salsa
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Posted by:David Chan	Wolf Blass Grey Label 1992	Mon Sep 19 13:16:41 EST 2005
Tasted at Uncle Andy's (28/9/05) - Colour:medium red with a watery brick red rim. Nose: earthy, dusty, with hints of plum and blackcurrants. Palate: smooth, mature but a bit thin, with a little fruit left mingled with earth, leather and briar. Drying out, tannins a touch dominant - a bit past it, so drink up!
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Posted by:David Chan	Krug Vintage 1990	Tue Sep 13 16:53:20 EST 2005
MW Museum Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #1 - Colour: glowing straw. Nose: slighty toasty, yeasty and hints of nuts and biscuits. Palate: creamy, silky mousse, rich, concentrated flavours of white peaches, lime/citrus with yeast/biscuit/walnut highlights and just a hint of honey toast. The balance and length of this wine is extraordinary, and underpinning all this is a refreshing ripe citrusy acid structure that should give this wine a long life (with ideal cellaring, of course). Served with gougeres, it is a fantastic wine to mark the start of a truly memorable dinner. This dinner was organized by Joseph Micelli and Robert Worthington of MW Wines and held at Jacques Reymond. Guests of honour includes James Halliday and Randall Pollard, both regaling us with wine tales and anecdotes, along with their insightful comments on the wines served. Thanks again to MW Wines for putting on yet another great event!
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Posted by:David Chan	Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 1985	Tue Sep 13 16:51:12 EST 2005
MW Museum Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #2 - Colour: golden yellow. Nose: toast, honey, a hint of floral tones. Palate: full bodied, balanced, structured and with power. Creamy, with buttered toast, vanilla, malt, honey. Simply takes over the palate and coats it with indescribable loveliness! It continued to evolve in the glass, getting toastier and nuttier. A fine example of aged grand cru white burgundy holding at its peak. Served with abalone cooked in a salt crust atop pesto risotto with basil & tomato vinaigrette. Mmmm! My second choice for the wine of the night, it was collectively designated the overall wine of the night.
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Posted by:David Chan	Haut-Brion Grand Vin 1989	Tue Sep 13 16:47:39 EST 2005
MW Museum Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #4 - Colour: deep plum/maroon. Nose: open and fragrant, of ripe blackcurrants, tobacco, smoke. Palate: concentrated flavours; cedary, spicy, cigar box, dried tobacco leaves, blackcurrant jam, roasted coffee! The wine is so massively rich, textured and structured that you can imagine eating it with a spoon. Yet, it is balanced and smooth, with satiny tannins that slides down ones throat with apparent ease. A very, very long finish. No wonder experts rave about it, an exceptional wine from an outstanding vintage that tasted youthful yet complex, with decades of development to go. (Note: this wine was decanted approximately 7 hours prior to serving.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Le Montrachet 2000	Tue Sep 13 16:43:56 EST 2005
MW Museum Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #3 - Colour: pale gold/straw, with legs. Nose: light citrus fragrance. Palate: Wow! Steely and mineral, but at the same time, complex, textured, concentrated, toasty with citrus, and vanilla highlights. Superbly balanced, with a finish that just keeps going. Served with a tourte of pheasant and mushrooms with bacon, truffles and truffle sauce. According to the experts at the table, this wine, when it reaches the peak of its maturity (perhaps in 10 years) will surpass the previous wine (#2). My first taste of a Le Montrachet, and a Romanee-Conti at that! I sincerely hope that I can afford to taste it again when it is at optimum maturity.
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Posted by:David Chan	Latour 1962	Tue Sep 13 16:35:19 EST 2005
MW Museum Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #5 - Colour: deep garnet, with a plum, slightly brown rim. Nose: wonderful! Complex, cassis, perfumed, hints of leather. Palate: mirrors the nose but in greater concentration, complex, but still with loads of fruit to go with the brawny tannic structure. Rather than exploding all over ones palate, the wine is focused, with a smoothness, texture, balance and power that can only come about in a great wine that had decades of ageing. Despite the 42+ years of age, this wine tastes as though it will hold for many more years. This and the previous wine were served with honey & szechuan pepper glazed duck with savoy cabbage and sauce salmis, duck neck & foie gras salad with apple, quince and ginger. (Note: decanted 4.5 hours prior to serving)
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Posted by:David Chan	Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg 1990	Tue Sep 13 16:31:04 EST 2005
MW Museum Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #6 - Colour: ruby red with dark brickish red rim. Nose: cherries, red berry fruits, earthy. Palate: focused and powerful, concentrated cherry, raspberry/strawberry, earthy, sweet fruit, with a touch of dustiness, dried herbs, cold roast meat. Massive structure, supremely well balanced fruit and acidity, silky smooth tannins with a drying finish of extraordinary length. Still youthful, yet with a complexity that is beginning to unfold. What a wine - pinot noir perfection! It is an absolute privilege to taste it. God only knows how long this wine will live, particularly in light of the next wine. (Note: this wine was double-decanted 4.5 hours prior to serving).
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Posted by:David Chan	Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg 1990	Tue Sep 13 16:29:45 EST 2005
MW Museum Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #6 - Colour: ruby red with dark brickish red rim. Nose: cherries, red berry fruits, earthy. Palate: focused and powerful, concentrated cherry, raspberry/strawberry, earthy, sweet fruit, with a touch of dustiness, dried herbs, cold roast meat. Massive structure, supremely well balanced fruit and acidity, silky smooth tannins with a drying finish of extraordinary length. Still youthful, yet with a complexity that is beginning to unfold. What a wine - pinot noir perfection! It is an absolute privilege to taste it. God only knows how long this wine will live, particularly in light of the next wine. (Note: this wine was double-decanted 4.5 hours prior to serving).
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Posted by:David Chan	Henri de Villamont Succession du Dr. Barolet Charmes-Chambertin	Tue Sep 13 16:26:31 EST 2005
MW Museum Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #7 - Colour: orange-red/mahogany. Nose: complex - initially, old sweaty singlets, quite off-putting and I was not at all impressed. But later, the nose opened up with dried apricots, citrus peel, raisins, and smoky dried fruits! The nose kept evolving over the course of the hour that I sipped this wine. Amazing! Palate: Wow! A melange of flavours, ethereal, sweet and rounded, concentrated even. The wine kept changing and revealing layers and layers of flavours. From old sweaty garments (interesting but ugh!) to sweet cherries, plums, chocolate, creamy tropical fruits, dried berries and citrus fruits, the experience was unique (to me) and an awesome one. The experts, with past experience of tasting similar wines, likened it to a favourite old granny whose company is immensely enjoyable. The experience cannot be adequately described. I would never have imagined that a 68 year old bottle of pinot noir can be so amazing, and we are indeed lucky to chance upon a bottle in good nick. This is my first choice for the wine of the night. (Note: this wine was opened just prior to serving). This and the previous wine were served with a crispy suckling pig on pan roasted parmesan gnocchi with fresh grapes in cooking juices and a light mustard sauce. What a match!
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Posted by:David Chan	J. L. Chave Hermitage 1990	Tue Sep 13 16:22:45 EST 2005
MW French Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #8 - Colour: deep crimson/maroon. Nose restrained, black cherries, plums, dark berries. Palate - faulty, with a faint wet cardboard taste that detracted from the tarry, spicy, cherry, plum flavours with hints of pepper, also with a curious medicinal/licorice note. Massive concentration and structure are evident, along with smooth, ultrafine tannins and a very long finish. Youthful, and would have been a classy drink, but unfortunately marred by a low level of cork taint.
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Posted by:David Chan	P. Jaboulet-Aine Hermitage La Chappelle 1978	Tue Sep 13 16:19:47 EST 2005
MW French Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #9 - Colour: dark red/garnet. Nose - beautiful! Floral notes amongst plum, dark berries and perfume. Palate - Fantastic! Complex, concentrated black and red berries, plums, dark chocolate, spices, tar and roses, licorice, violets with hints of cold roast, white pepper, wrapped around a sweet core of fruit. Superbly balanced with still plenty of fruit, draped with soft silky fine tannins. Phenomenally lengthy finish. Reminded me of another great Hermitage that I tasted 3 years ago (the Chave 1989), but with over a decade of extra ageing that adds another level of complexity (and enjoyment). Outstanding! I am compelled to collect this wine, especially in great vintages! This and the previous wine were served with seared Highland venison and fresh borlotti beans, galette of potato and corn, and a sauce poivrade.
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Posted by:David Chan	d'Yquem Grand Vin 1971	Tue Sep 13 16:15:47 EST 2005
MW French Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #10 - Colour: coppery gold/orange. Nose: a complex bouquet of caramel, toffee, tropical fruits and other aromas that are hard to put into words. On the palate: a rich, concentrated and complex array of flavours, with citrus, orange peel, burnt toffee, caramel, tropical fruits (jack fruit, cempedak), sherry, coffee/mocha, cold tea. Delicious, smooth, with a long lengthy finish. The oldest Yquem that I've tasted to date, and I am certainly impressed with range of flavours that it develops with decades of ageing.
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Posted by:David Chan	d'Yquem Grand Vin 1986	Tue Sep 13 16:12:45 EST 2005
MW French Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #11 - Colour: Old gold. Nose: an fantastic bouquet of pineapples, apricots, vanilla plus more. Palate: exceptionally rich and concentrated tropical fruits, custard apple, citrus zest, caramel, custard, peaches, vanilla, cream, grilled nuts, and a touch of roasted rice. As stated in my previous note on this wine, a drop of Heaven! Superbly balanced, viscous yet smooth, seductive, ultra-delicious with a phenomenally long finish. This and the previous wine were matched to creme brulee with candied cumquats, nougatine, and chocolate & chilli ice cream.
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Posted by:David Chan	Graham's Vintage Port 1966	Tue Sep 13 16:08:28 EST 2005
MW French Wine Dinner at Jacques Reymond (9/8/05) - Wine #12 - Colour: reddish/hazel/deep mahogany. Nose: restrained, spirity. Palate: sherry-like, woody, soft, spirity/hot, rich but not too sweet. I haven't tasted many authentic vintage ports (i.e. those from Portugal, not the Australian version). Consequently, I do not know what to make of this wine. It is the one I liked least amongst the twelve wines tasted at this dinner, even though it went well enough with coffee and petites fours. Although described as a 5-star vintage and 5-star wine by Michael Broadbent in his Vintage Wine book, people around the table did not seem to think too highly of this wine. I'll reserve judgement until I gain more experience with such wines.
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Posted by:steven byrne	laffite 1me cruclasse 1997	Wed Sep 07 07:09:17 EST 2005
Really great and ready to drink now, but will last 10 or more years.
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Posted by:steven byrne	carmes haut brion red 1998	Wed Sep 07 07:03:52 EST 2005
Bought whole case of this. Had three bottles over the last two years and really enjoyed it . Still quite tannic. Will last for 15 or more years.
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Posted by:steven byrne	Leoville Las Cases 2me cru classe 1988	Wed Sep 07 06:59:27 EST 2005
Total balance and stucture. Never wanted it to end.
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Posted by:DanAgain	Robert Weil Kabinett Halbtrocken 2003	Thu Sep 01 21:56:59 EST 2005
Brilliant, but almost clear, golden/straw color. Nose was relatively closed offering faint aromas of white flavors. Attack and mid-palate seemed hollow, and although the wine picked up on the finish, I found it disinteresting. The wine was relatively well balanced in terms of acidity, but I think there was a touch too much alcohol. It improved in the glass.
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Posted by:Sharad Thacore	Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 1994	Sat Aug 13 20:51:31 EST 2005
Deep dark colour - only just slightly browning - but more a deep garnet red - dark ruby in colour. Nose was obviously cabernet - perfumed like sweet leather and only hints of cigar box (wood). - not too woody but more rsally complex. On the palette quite concentrated and long - roses and perfume on the finish. Overall this is a cabernet that I would not describe as blackcurrant fruit with cigar box - instead it is much more complex - and ctually, I am having difficulty describing it. Overall, probably the best Ausie cab I have ever had - I would not have immediately picked it as Bordeaux but definitely not Australian too. Whilst this wine has much more life n it I enjoyed it as it is now - intense, complex and with plenty of life.
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Posted by:David Chan	d'Yquem Grand Vin 1986	Thu Aug 11 19:12:23 EST 2005
PR Dinner (29/4/05) - A much anticipated 1/2 bottle, my third taste of the legendary wine, and a different vintage at that (previous two tastings were of the exceptional 1989 vintage). Colour: Glowing deep gold. Nose: an extraordinary bouquet of ripe pineapples, apricots, kumquats, vanilla beans and a whole lot more that's hard to put into words. On the palate: exceptionally rich and concentrated exotic tropical fruits/citrus; of custard apple, tangerine and kumquats, melded with mouth-filling creme caramel, custard, peaches and cream plus roasted nuts, vanilla beans and a hint of roasted rice. Superbly balanced, smooth, seductive and sexy liquid gold with a phenomenally long finish. A vintage to match that of the 1989, a drop of Heaven!
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Bin 144 Yattarna 1998	Thu Jul 28 16:24:06 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - Colour: gold/straw. Nose: toasty, whiffs of grilled cashews, peaches, tropical fruits. Palate: white peaches, stonefruits, melons, lime/grapefruit acidity, integrated oak, fairly tight and does not go overboard with the creamy/buttery malolactic characteristics. Long length, but finishes a touch hot. Considered by many to be the first truly successful Yattarna vintage. Drinking beautifully now and should do so for another couple of years, but why wait? This Master Class is organized by Joseph Micelli and Robert Worthington of MW Wines and held at their superb tasting room at the auction center in Abbotsford. Peter is a wonderful speaker and give us all plenty of his knowledge and insights into wine making, especially of the Yattarna and RWT Shiraz. It was truly a fantastic, educational and hedonistic experience. Thanks again to MW Wines for putting on another great event!
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Bin 144 Yattarna 2002	Thu Jul 28 16:22:23 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - Colour: pale straw. Nose: stone fruits, a bit closed compared to the 1998. Palate: stone fruits, grapefruit, a tiny but refreshing hint of grassiness/straw, reflecting a cooler vintage. A much tighter style with a touch of minerality not unlike a Chablis. As explained by Peter, the Yattarna is still pretty much a work-in-progress, but this and later vintages are heading towards the classic white burgundy style. Although pleasant to drink now, this wine has the structure and fruit to develop for quite a few more years. Will live longer than the 1998, so I'd wait a while before popping the cork on another one.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Cellar Reserve Sangiovese 2003	Thu Jul 28 16:20:09 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - The first Mystery Wine of the night. Colour: deep maroon-red. Nose: prunes, cherries, dark berries. Palate: plummy, sour cherries, prunes, savoury, fine and ripe tannins with a slightly sweet fruit core and a just a tiny hint of vanilla. Nice to drink now and will develop with cellaring. A tricky wine for an amateur like me to guess, as it smelt and tasted like a red with 4 to 5 years of ageing (based on the colour and smooth mouthfeel), despite helpful hints from Peter. A great alternative to the standard reds and should go beautifully with classic Italian dishes (like osso bucco, yum!).
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Bin707 Cabernet Sav 1990	Thu Jul 28 16:17:16 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - Colour: opaque with a deep red-maroon rim. Nose: blackcurrants, cedary cigar box, dried tobacco leaves. Palate: mirrors the nose with additional flavour of mulberries, dark chocolate and a touch of leafiness/capsicum that shows the Coonawarra characteristics of its dominant component (83%, according to Peter). Concentrated, powerful yet balanced, smooth with ultrafine tannins wrapped around a solid sweet fruit core and a very long finish. A remarkable wine from an outstanding vintage that tasted youthful yet complex, with still years of life ahead of it.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Bin707 Cabernet Sav 2002	Thu Jul 28 16:15:23 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - Colour: opaque with a tight purplish-crimson rim. Nose: blackcurrants, a very slight hint of mint and flowers. Palate: concentrated blackcurrant/cassis, intense yet silky fine tannins, a massive sweet fruit core supporting a powerful structure that swallowed all that new American oak thrown at it. Balanced and very long length. Too young to drink now, but with age, should reveal layers and layers of complexity. Note that this wine has no Coonawarra component in it. Should make an interesting comparison with the 1990 when it reaches an equivalent age.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Block 42 1996	Thu Jul 28 16:12:34 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - Colour: dense, opaque, dark cherry red. Nose: concentrated cassis with a bit of coffee and licorice. On the palate: Massive, focused, powerful, with layers and layers of concentrated cassis, dark berries, plums, rich dark mocha coffee, licorice, hints of cold roasted meat and well integrated with savoury, oak. Like my previous note on this wine, it is silky smooth, well rounded and drinking beautifully with a long and lingering finish, and reinforced my view that it is undoubtedly the best Australian Cab Sauv that I have tasted. To add to the info in the previous note, Peter also mentioned the existence of a (very rare) 1948 vintage made purely from the Block 42 grapes (which he had not tasted). He added that the 1953 Grange Cabernet (also purely from Block 42), one of which he tasted recently, is still fantastic and drinking well (with the usual proviso of good cellaring and cork integrity).
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Block 42 2004	Thu Jul 28 16:07:58 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - The second Mystery Wine of the night (not yet released). Colour: opaque, purple-black, virtually no rim! Nose: cassis with a floral lift. On the palate: Wow! Fantastic!!! Immensely concentrated and powerful with massive yet superfine, ultra-smooth tannins, and completely integrated vanillin/coconut oak with a rich finish that just goes on and on. The colour gave away its age, but the exceptional balance and quality of the wine (despite its extreme youth) made it an immense pleasure to drink. Except for some wine writers and journalists at a recent Penfolds launch, we were amongst the very first people outside of Penfolds to sample this incredible wine, one that will only be released in 2007. This is finest Australian Cabernet Sauvignon that I've ever tasted and it will surpass the 1996 in years to come. It is further worth noting that the Block 42 is a "single block" wine, and is only released as such in exceptional vintages of which there have only been five (48, 53, 64, 96 and now the 2004). Being from an individual block within a single vineyard, this perhaps exceeds the French "terroir" philosophy of producing its best and most unique wines from single vineyards! A wine to watch out for and not to be missed!
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds RWT Shiraz 1998	Thu Jul 28 16:05:48 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - Colour: dark crimson. Nose - plums, dark berries. Palate - concentrated, with the signature Barossa sweet fruit core, black and blue berries, dark chocolate, savoury spices reminiscent of cloves and aniseed, well integrated subtle oak. Good structure and balance, with a lengthy finish. Should still improve for some years. According to Peter, the Penfolds RWT Shiraz is designed to sit alongside the Grange, the main difference being the use of French Oak instead of American Oak.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds RWT Shiraz 2002	Thu Jul 28 16:03:30 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - Colour: dark opaque purplish-crimson. Nose - floral, plum, dark berries and hint s of licorice. Palate - concentrated, again with the sweet Barossa fruit characteristic, with the savoury, spicy French oak quite evident, smooth ripe tannins. A more massive structure but well balanced against all other aspects of the wine. Again, much too young for my taste, I'd leave it in the cellar for another 4 to 5 more years.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grange 1986	Thu Jul 28 16:00:06 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - Colour: dark plum/maroon. Nose: restrained, slightly floral, plums and blackberries. On the palate: rich, concentrated and complex, a hint of leather/briar, chocolate, tons of fruit with hints of prunes and licorice. A powerful Grange that is just starting to reveal interesting complex aged characteristics, ultra-smooth and completely absorbed toasty coconut oak. Very pleasurable to drink now with a long, lingering finish, but you just know that it will go on improving for a while more. Definite one of the "A-team" of Granges, to use a phrase of Peter's (he sorts the Grange into three levels, the A, B and C team). I am definitely thrilled to taste this vintage of Grange finally, having read so much about it, and my expectations have been fulfilled.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grange 1991	Thu Jul 28 15:55:56 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - Colour: dense, almost opaque, dark plum-crimson. Nose: open, plums, dark berries, whiffs of coconuts/licorice. On the palate: powerful and concentrated sweet fruit core, rich dark chocolate and a bit of black coffee. Not yet showing much secondary aged characteristics, though perhaps a tiny hint of game/roasted meat. Another powerful Grange from a top vintage, one said to rival or even surpass the legendary 1990. As usual with such a wine from such a vintage, it is yet to open up in full glory, and it will have a long life ahead of it. A bargain compared to the 1990, and a solid A-team Grange.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grange 2000	Thu Jul 28 15:46:38 EST 2005
MW-Wines Penfolds Master Class with Peter Gago (5/7/05) - Colour: deep red-plum-purple. Nose: open, plums, dark berries, black pepper and whiffs of licorice. On the palate: Despite its youth in the Grange scale of things, an immediately accessible and enjoyable drink (unlike those from the top classic vintages). Sweet dark berry and plummy fruit, medium concentration with spicy, black peppery characteristics reminiscent of the cooler Northern Rhone reds, and well complimented by toasty oak. Very smooth on the palate due to barrel fermentation. A lighter style of Grange from a difficult year that gave only a quarter of the average Grange yield (hence the price tag despite the lesser vintage reputation). Interestingly, Peter reckons this vintage may sit alongside the other lesser (C-team) vintages of 92, 84 and 74 (to pick the worst of each decade). However, I've tasted all those three vintages, and I reckon they are fantastic to drink (especially the 84), being more approachable at a younger age. "A solid C-team performer", said Peter of the 2000. Nonetheless, it is a red that you would be more than happy to drink on any/every day (if you don't think of the cost)!
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Posted by:David Chan	Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon 1990	Thu Jul 28 15:39:17 EST 2005
PR Dinner (29/4/05) - Colour: light gold/straw, abundance of fine bubbles rising lazily from the bottom of the flute. Nose: dry biscuits, delicate fruit and hints of toast and yeast. On the palate - a fine creamy mousse, with a impressive concentration of citrus/lemon/white peach fruit and finely balanced by zingy, zesty refreshing acidity. Now 15 years old, it still feels youthful, with the slightest hint of toast and honey. Super smooth and creamy, with amazing length. Fantastic champagne, still evolving and improving! I wish I had bought more!!
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Posted by:David Chan	Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 1995	Thu Jul 28 15:36:14 EST 2005
PR Dinner (29/4/05) - Colour: deep gold. Nose: Toast, honey, butterscotch, nuts On the palate: Bang! A big hunk of a wine, exploding with honeyed fruit, balanced by zingy acidity. Lemon, tangerine, grapefruit with tropical highlights, then creamy, displaying roasted macadamias and cashews. What a wine, BIG, superbly balanced, amazing length - a pure pleasure to drink. Certainly living up to its vintage reputation and like previous bottles, has never disappointed so far.
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Posted by:David Chan	Blain-Gagnard Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 1998	Thu Jul 28 15:34:19 EST 2005
PR Dinner (29/4/05) - Colour: straw/gold. Nose: delicate stonefruit, grapefruit and touches of butterscotch. Palate: aromatic, lifted stone fruits, hints of jasmine, lemongrass, wet rice grains/pebbles, amazingly long length and finishing bone dry. Classy and elegant, even more so than the 1997. Complex, delicate, interesting, structured and still developing, but what a magnificent drink right now.
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Posted by:David Chan	Bass-Phillip Premium Pinot Noir 1997	Thu Jul 28 15:32:09 EST 2005
PR Dinner (29/4/05) - Colour: dense, deep scarlet. Nose: raspberries and cherries, hint of earthiness/smokiness. Palate: raspberry/cherry/red-berry fruits with some earthy, damp forest undergrowth/dried moss, wet granite notes, and just a tiny touch of medicinal/herbal/tarry nuance. Silky smooth tannins, fairly concentrated flavours and a long lingering finish. Initially, there were some worries about the bottle due to appearance of some bubbles, but turned out okay in the end. Possibly a bottle that is not in the best of conditions.
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Posted by:David Chan	Bass-Phillip 3me Cru Classe 1997	Thu Jul 28 15:31:29 EST 2005
PR Dinner (29/4/05) - Colour: dense, deep scarlet. Nose: raspberries and cherries, hint of earthiness/smokiness. Palate: raspberry/cherry/red-berry fruits with some earthy, damp forest undergrowth/dried moss, wet granite notes, and just a tiny touch of medicinal/herbal/tarry nuance. Silky smooth tannins, fairly concentrated flavours and a long lingering finish. Initially, there were some worries about the bottle due to appearance of some bubbles, but turned out okay in the end. Possibly a bottle that is not in the best of conditions.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grange 1971	Thu Jul 28 15:27:21 EST 2005
PR Dinner (29/4/05) - Colour: deep brick red, with a medium rim. Nose: open and quite fruity, of dark berries, plums, mushrooms, leather and earth. On the palate: still tight and structure and plenty of plummy, pruny sweet fruit, along with well developed secondary characteristics of leather, mushrooms, dark chocolate, cold roasted meats sweet and a hint of coffee. Ultra smooth and silky with a lengthy finish. Over the course of dinner it continued to open up, improve and seem to get younger, with more fruit coming through! Out of all the vintages that I've tasted so far, this vintage is simply the best and lived up to its reputation as one of the top Granges. We probably were fortunate enough to have had a bottle that was good enough to showcase the wine
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Special Bin 80A 1980	Thu Jul 28 15:25:10 EST 2005
PR Dinner (29/4/05) - deep red still fairly dense, with a medium red rim. Nose: cassis, berries, hints of capsicum. On the palate: Soft, rounded, concentrated sweet fruit of cassis, plums, prunes, with only hints of mocha, licorice, dried tobacco leaves. Smooth fine tannins with well integrated savoury vanillin oak and a long fruity finish. More youthful (and fruitful) and in much better condition compared to the previous tasting. This is surprising, as the bottle looked like it has been through a lot (the label was stained and scuffed, wine level was at the low base of neck/very top of shoulder). A steal, considering it was picked up at an auction for around $A80.
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1884	Thu Jul 28 15:20:16 EST 2005
PR Dinner (29/4/05) - Finally, a very special 100 Year Old Australian treasure to finish off a memorable dinner! Colour: black, viscous, treacle-/thick soy sauce-like, coating the inside of the glass with hazel-brown film. Nose: complex, smoky, alcoholic lift of dried fruits, plum pudding and caramel. On the palate: massively concentrated, intense and powerful, complex, piquant smoky, christmas pudding, liquefied prunes, nutty plus a whole lot of other flavours that's hard to write down. A uniquely Australian icon that's guaranteed to re-enervate the senses of taste and smell that have been tired out by a night of excesses!
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Posted by:	Petersons Glenesk Shiraz 2001	Sat Jul 23 15:23:21 EST 2005
Good structure, complext herb, licorice/spice.
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Posted by:Anonymous	Ducru Beacaillou Grand Vin 1995	Fri Jul 22 00:32:13 EST 2005
First bottle opened .... pinkish colour - not too dark, nice nose of typical cabernet and nice tobacco .... seemed quite light on the fruit and had a really tight grip with the finish.... the fruit is hopefully just subdued temporarily. Overall a very pleasant wine but lacking serious punch - maybe i was expecting too much or maybe it is steel sleeping.
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Posted by:RGW	Seppelt Victoria Shiraz	Thu May 05 17:22:18 EST 2005
A medium red colour with just a tint of purple around the edge of the glass. A soft rich bouquet of blackberry and plum with an indication of mushrooms behind that. The palate has soft flavours of fruit perfectly balanced with oak and fine tannins. Length of flavour is extraordinary. Makes "hot" climate wines in this price bracket seem clumsy $11.90 per bottle discounted.
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Posted by:Sharad	Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1997	Sun May 01 19:23:04 EST 2005
On pouring, presented immediately as an aged bottle. No hint of purple - just a lovely red with just a hint of brown - not really ruby at all. On the nose, lots of sharpened pencils, leaf compost and sweet berries. The pallet reflects the nose. Not very long but definitely some roses on the finish. The tannins have definitely mellowed and the wine is drinking well now. Further cellaring wont hurt and the wine will just become smoother. Presently the wine still has some youth which is not such a bad thing. If you have some, now would be a good time to have a bottle. It smells and tastes of autumn. Another confirmation that 1997, for Coonawarra, was perhaps a good all be it an earlier drinking vintage.
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Posted by:Sharad	Gruaud Larose Grand Vin 1996	Wed Apr 27 11:20:39 EST 2005
Thought it was worth pulling another bottle just to see how it was travelling. Wow !!! This wine really does embody the word charm. Classic cabernet nose - roses, cigar box, black currents. Even got some sweet smelling leather out of it. On the pallet the wine seems to be quite mature - surprisingly integrated and smooth. Whilst the tannins are present the wine definitely seems well aged - seems like an older wine ... one person at the table thought it was an 82. Well, not quite but surprisingly enjoyable. Will open another one in a year from now.
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Posted by:Sharad	Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir Reserve 1998	Wed Apr 27 11:15:08 EST 2005
I have to admit, I was quite disappointed by this wine. The nose was more interesting than enjoyable. ... smelt like a lot of spirits ... not much fruit ... I let is sit in the glass for a couple of hours ... it did not really improve - by the end of the night it was almost undrinkable - maybe a bad bottle, maybe past it's prime, maybe it was me ... will try another bottle soon ...
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Posted by:Geoff Wong	Schubert Estate Shiraz 2002	Wed Apr 27 10:50:06 EST 2005
Very dark rich shiraz with chocolate and pepper overtones. Smooth fine drinking wine. Will cellar well. Limited run of 200 cases. Can only purchase 6 per person.
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Posted by:David Chan	Cofield Wines Sparkling Shiraz 2000	Sat Apr 23 11:46:54 EST 2005
Dinner Party at John & Chris Hanly's (22/4/05) - Colour: deep purplish red. Nose: plums and cherries, with hints of briar and leather. Palate: a creamy fine mousse, delicate and not overly fizzy, bringing out delicious plum, red berry and cherry fruit flavours with a touch of pepper, along with developing secondary flavours of briar, leather and chocolate. Fine tannins with a slightly astringent finish in the back palate. A pleasant drink, a fine example of an Aussie sparkling shiraz that has further potential to age. A greater starter to a fantastic dinner!
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Posted by:David Chan	Hardys Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 1996	Sat Apr 23 03:25:13 EST 2005
Dinner Party at John & Chris Hanly's (22/4/05) - Colour: glowing, golden straw. Nose: magnificent! peaches, buttered toast, tropical fruits. Palate: wow! creamy, buttery, toasty, shot through with classic peaches and cream with a touch of caramel, lovely malolactic characteristics, sunny tropical fruits peeking through here and there, with a zesty grapefruit acidity. All nicely framed by well integrated vanillin oak, long length, lingering finish. Still maturing, again, surprisingly youthful (thanks to the acidity) for a chardonnay, with great mouthfeel and texture. A superb but strangely much underrated chardonnay, really up there with the best Australian examples. At around half the price, it's double the value and pleasure! Begs the question why people (including me) still splash out hard earned dollars for this wine's pricier competition... Thanks SH, for sharing it with us!
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Posted by:David Chan	Yarra Yering Dry Red No.1 1978	Sat Apr 23 03:01:02 EST 2005
Dinner Party at John & Chris Hanly's (22/4/05) - Colour: deep red/maroon with a tight rim and nearly opaque body. Surprisingly youthful looking for a 27 year old wine, with faint tinges of purple in the rim! Nose: initially restrained, opening after decanting with an elegant bouquet cassis, tobacco leaves and a touch of briar/leather/earthiness. Palate: Complex, great structure and mouthfeel, silky fine tannins, completely well integrated oak with a strong (perhaps a touch too much) backbone of acid. Plenty of delicious primary fruit left and well augmented by developing secondary characteristics of dried tobacco leaves, a touch of cigar smoke, dark chocolate, hints of licorice/aniseed/black coffee. A very individualistic, structure driven wine backed up by matching fruit. Quite like a top class Bordeaux red; complex, reserved, sometimes enigmatic and always with more to reveal, just when you thought you had it pegged. An amazing wine that appears still to still cling on to youthfulness, much like a fine Bordeaux. Superbly long length and a pleasure to drink. We were very fortunate to find a bottle of this highly sought after wine in nearly immaculate condition. Though the cork was slightly soft and delicate, there was no leakage and the ullage level excellent (a little above the base of the neck). Note: toward the end of the evening, the acidity of the wine left in a glass had started to come to the fore and was hence a little distracting. But I have no doubt that with careful cellaring, this wine will continue to evolve and improve.
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Posted by:David Chan	Wolf Blass Grey Label 1990	Sat Apr 23 02:29:07 EST 2005
Dinner Party at John & Chris Hanly's (22/4/05) - Colour: deep, dark red with a medium rim with hints of purple still. Nose: all fruit, featuring juicy ripe plums, blackcurrants and an interesting, nose tickling dusty streak. Palate: reflects the nose with massive fruit concentration. The warm climate sweet fruit core of Barossa shiraz shines through, ably bolstered by a sturdy cabernet structure and medium fine ripe tannins. Still a youthful, fairly powerful and fruit driven wine, but isn't the Black Label! It just goes to show what a fine winemaker can do for their second and lower tier of wines in a superb vintage (1990). Finishes dry with long length (and a long life ahead of it still). The BIG friendly Aussie wine that contrasted well with the other individualistic, French-influenced red tasted at this dinnner.
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Posted by:David Chan	Chateau Fayau Cadillac 2001	Sat Apr 23 02:10:00 EST 2005
Dinner Party at John & Chris Hanly's (22/4/05) - colour: glowing golden straw. Nose: peaches, marzipan and hints of wet rice grains, and kumquats. Palate: honeyed, delicate marmalade mixed in with classic peaches, apricot, marzipan with a refreshing but subtle kumquat/tangering/mandarin acidity, balanced by just the right level of sweetness, never cloying. Well matched by Christine's delicious strawberry crepes. Finishes quite dry with a long, lingering length. Can so easily be mistaken for a top class Sauternes, yet costs only a fraction! Must get my hands on more of this! Thanks for sharing this fantastic gem with us, John!
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Posted by:Anonymous	De Bertoli Noble One 1982	Tue Apr 19 23:26:37 EST 2005
Awesome. Beautifully deep orange colour, typical apricot flavours with the complexity that age brings in these wines. And the length. Seek out and consume!
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Posted by:Nick	Prospect 1870 3me Cru Classe 1998	Sun Mar 13 07:52:38 EST 2005
Delicious ripe mulberry & cigar box aromas introduce a lively palate that offers enticing sweet chocolate with a hint of liquorice. Prospect 1870 Cabernet Sauvignon has excellent structure and firm ripe tannins. You can find this great wine at www.african-tradition.com
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Posted by:Anonymous	Allesverloren Cabernet Sauvignon 1879	Sun Mar 13 07:46:39 EST 2005
A robust, deeply flavoured dry red of remarkable dark ruby colour and brimming with Cabernet character. Allesverloren Cabernet Sauvignon is an intense and opulent wine. www.african-tradition.com
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Posted by:The Grape and The Barrel-Milford, Ct.	Krug 1985	Tue Jan 18 10:01:51 EST 2005
Krug 1985-Opened this little gem on New Years Eve 2004, after many years in a temperature controlled cellar. * Colour - was of an Antique Gold with a greenish/silver tinged rim. Soft, elegant, tiny-yet persistant streamers. * On the Nose - distinct pineapple creame with distant aromas of baked peach cobbler, which became more intense with time. Also, a fleeting hint of green banana and coconut. After a while this champagne opened right up and showed all the above with white fruit, white flower blossoms, and wet stones. * On the Palate - pineapple juice with elusive hints of coconut, white ripe summer fruits with a light mineral weave. * The Finish - long, soft, elegant , with a pineapple coda. Totally Addicting! Totally Amazing! A True Masterpiece!
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Posted by:Matey	Penfolds Bin 389 1996	Wed Dec 22 21:49:21 EST 2004
Not a bad drop indeed!
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1905	Wed Nov 17 03:47:07 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port, guided by winemaker James Godfrey (17/11/04). Colour - like black coffee, with a tight olive green tinged rim. It is viscous, coating the inside of the glass with a olive brown film. Nose: complex, sweet, toffee, chrismas pudding, vanillin oak with a high degree of alcoholic lift. On the palate: sweeter than the others, rich dark chocolate, lifted dried fruits, prunes, vanilla, and cedary oak. Noticeably high level of alcohol, which intensifies and lifts the wine flavours. Superbly smooth and textured, it literally purrs down one's throat. Can't wait to purchase a bottle of this when it is released next year (2005). Note: Unlike most tawny ports which consists of many components from different vintages, the 100 Y.O. Para Liqueur Port is a single vintage tawny port. This is actually the last wine tasted at that session. The 1905 has not been commercially released yet, as it has to be 100 years old before it can be released under the "100 Year Old" label. We were privileged to taste it, and the winemaker even invited us to give him some feedback and our impressions of the wine! Note also that there have been previous releases of Seppelt Para Liqueur Port of vintages less old than 100 years. James Godfrey mentioned that some 2000 litres of wine each vintage is set aside to make the 100 Year Old Para Liqueur port. Of these, only about 500 litres will finally make it to the 100 years. This is equivalent to about 400 standard (750 ml) bottles per vintage. Most of the 2000 litres are lost through evaporation (some are released early, I think, as their normal vintaged para liqueur port), and about 30 litres are left behind in the barrel as lees (sediment). So, once stocks of a given vintage are gone, they're gone for good (the 1878 and 1900 have sold out). Interestingly, the wines are stored in oak right up until the moment they are bought! Then, and only then, is the wine bottled and sent to the buyer. So an 1879 bought on release would have 25 years less oak ageing than an 1879 bought today, and they would, according to the winemaker, taste quite different!
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1879	Wed Nov 17 03:05:49 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port (17/11/04) - deep, dark brown, like black coffee, a slightly less tight rim (compared to the 1884), viscous, and coats the inside of the glass with a olive brown film. Nose: complex, smoky, caramel, toffee, rich nutty fruit cake with a hint of dried medicinal herbs. On the palate: sweet, rich, chocolatey, caramel, with the chinese medicinal herb like finish. Like all the other 100+ year olds tasted tonight, it is complex, powerful, concentrated, intensely flavoursome and superbly well balanced. Not as thick or viscous as the 1884, but no less textured. A more elegantly styled wine, the 1879 is built like a gymnast compared to the body-builder of 1884. Both are superb, but displaying a different facet of perfection. This is one of two of the winemaker's pick of the night (can't remember the other one), though he nominated the 1900 (not tasted tonight) as the best of the lot. This is the oldest wine that I've ever tasted to date, a wine that was made before any of my great grandparents were born. It is a humbling experience, and I will never drink another port without comparing it to these fantastic, uniques wines that are rightfully one of Australia's national treasures.
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1884	Wed Nov 17 02:39:48 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port (17/11/04) - colour like thick black soy sauce, a very tight rim with thick and viscous, coating the inside of the glass with a yellowish-brownish film. Nose: complex, smoky, lifted caramellised dried fruits and plum pudding. On the palate: To me, this wine was so concentrated, syrup-like and powerful that when it touches your tongue, the flavours literally explode from the wine, no doubt aided by the noticeably higher alcohol level. Like the thick dark soy that it looked like, this big, powerful, complex, blockbuster of a wine has a similar piquancy and smokiness, along with a whole lot of other flavours (that one could spend the whole night thinking up). Nearly, but not quite as brawny as the 1904, but with a higher degree of elan and complexity, especially in the texture. This is undoubtedly my pick for the wine of the night (a sentiment shared by the majority of the attendees of this superb wine tasting session. Thanks to Joe and Robert of MW wines for organising such a great event!).
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1889	Wed Nov 17 02:23:18 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port (17/11/04) - black coffee, and a noticeably looser rim with greenish-tinge, viscous, coating the inside of the glass with a brownish film. Nose: complex, more oaky/woody and with a hint of oxidation (ala madeira). On the palate: noticeably lighter than the 1894, 1899 and 1904. Concentrated prunes, raisins and dark chocolates, finishing woody and cedary. Again, it is hard to describe the sensations, there are no "good" or "less good" wine. Each vintage is a unique sculpture of the flavour profile, texture, acid-sweetness balance and other indicators that I am ill-equipped to fully discern. Even when I write that it is a lighter style (compared to the others), it is still a massively concentrated, intensely flavour, and hugely textured wine on its own.
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1894	Wed Nov 17 02:09:32 EST 2004
W Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port (17/11/04) - black coffee, and a noticeably tighter rim with brownish-green edge, viscous, coating the inside of the class with a olive brown film. Nose: complex, a melange of plum pudding, chocolate, nuts and oldleather. On the palate: Intense, complex and smooth, and noticeably weightier than the 1899, though not as big as the 1904. Concentrated dried fruits, prunes, raisins, plum pudding with a high alcohol lift complimented with high acidity and equally well balanced by the sweetness. Smooth, luscious texture, long, long finish. It is amazing to me that this is a wine that was laid down to age a year before my great-grandmother was born!
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1899	Wed Nov 17 01:57:14 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port (17/11/04) - black coffee, but a looser olive brown rim, viscous, coating the inside of the glass with a brown film. Nose: complex - plum pudding, raisins, hints of roasted coffee beans. On the palate: Intense, complex and smooth, but lighter in comparison with the 1904. According to winemaker James Godfrey, this again is due to vintage variations, which induces subtle differences in texture, flavour profile, acid vs sweetness level to all the venerable 100+ year old tawny ports. I do not have the vocabulary to describe the complex mix of flavours. All the usual components (rancio, plum pudding, dried fruits, toffee, caramel, chocolate, oak, etc. ) are there but in different combination of strengths from the other vintages. Oh, a hint of dried straw drew my attention, plus that it's a noticeably lighter, more elegant style.
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1904	Wed Nov 17 01:39:52 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port (17/11/04) - dark brown, black coffee-like with a tight rim, and thivk and viscous, coating the inside of the class with a thickish coffee-brown film. Nose: complex - plum pudding, dried fruits, chocolate and so much more. On the palate: Just when you thought things couldn't get more powerful, intense, complex and smooth (after tasting the superb 1924), along comes this huge block buster of wine that fills up your mouth, coats everything with la uscious, juicy, silky smooth layer that leaves a trail of destruction as it slides down your throat effortlessly. All I can say is WOW! Even now, as I sit down to type these notes in, my mouth waters at the recalled experience of the super-concentrated flavours, the long, lingering, acidy finish and the lovely texture of the wine. Oh, not to mention that the 1904 vintage is the current release - yup, it has graduated as a 100 year old tawny port (unlike its other younger brethren, who are all still developing under the tutelage of Father Time).
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1924	Wed Nov 17 01:23:03 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port (17/11/04) - dark deep brown, black coffee-like with a looser rim, and quite viscous, coating the inside of the class with a olive brown film. Nose: rancio, raisins, plenty of lifted prunes and dried fruits, volatility quite apparent. On the palate: All the flavours nosed were reproduced with added extras (dark chocolate, toffee, caramel) and amplified. Seriously concentrated, powerful, complex and very smooth, the wine coats the mouth and throat with a rich, silky smoothness. Great length, lingering finish. Higher acidity noted, but this is not a problem as it is finely balanced by the other components of the wine. Gloriously mature and better than any old tawny port that I've ever tasted, and this is a single vintage tawny!
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1944	Wed Nov 17 01:04:48 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port (17/11/04) - dark deep brown, like a black coffee except more viscous. Nose: lighter rancio, slightly ketonal (like a flor sherry). On the palate: complex, rancio, pruny, dried fruits, dark chocolate and toffee, with whiffs of almonds/flor sherry. Smooth. The rancio is lighter than its 20 year younger brother, the chocolatey bitterness is also a bit more subdued, but it is also smoother and rounder. This apparent lightness (compared to the 1964) has been attributed by James Godfrey to vintage variations.
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1964	Wed Nov 17 00:54:23 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port (17/11/04) - deep brown, with a olive rim. Nose: stronger rancio characteristics, lifted dried fruits and a touch of briar/leather. On the palate: Complex, with matured rancio, raisins, dried preserved citrus peels, dark chocolate, briar and leather. Also apparent is a bitter note, akin to that from high cocoa content dark chocolates. A big wine, intense flavours and with higher apparent acidity than the previous two wines. A delicious drop and yet, this wine is still to approach middle-age in the scheme of things!
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1964	Wed Nov 17 00:47:44 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port (17/11/04) - deep brown, with a olive rim. Nose: stronger rancio characteristics, lifted dried fruits and a touch of briar/leather. On the palate: Complex, with matured rancio, raisins, dried preserved citrus peels, dark chocolate, briar and leather. Also apparent is a bitter note, akin to that from high cocoa content dark chocolates. A big wine, intense flavours and with higher apparent acidity than the previous two wines. A delicious drop and yet, this wine is still to approach middle-age in the scheme of things!
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 1984	Wed Nov 17 00:30:41 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Port(17/11/04) - medium tawny/mahogany, dramatic colour shift from the vibrant deep purplish hue of the previous young (less than a year old) wine. Nose: woody, with the rancio characteristics of a tawny port now apparent. Fresh fruit and grapey aromas have disappeared into the background. On the palate: Hard to imagine this wine still has 80 years of ageing in an oak barrel to go through! Never mind that it is still a child amongst its brethren, it is a very fine tawny port, well balanced, with the oak now firmly in and secondary flavours coming to the fore.
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Posted by:David Chan	Seppelt Para Liquer Port 2004	Wed Nov 17 00:10:48 EST 2004
MW Wines Special Tasting - Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liquer Port(17/11/04) - vibrant purple/deep crimson. Nose: plummy shiraz fruit, grape spirits with floral highlights. On the palate: sweet, fresh, concentrated dark berries, plums and shiraz fruit. Apart from the sweetness (without being overly so), what is really apparent is its fine balance, as fine as any top quality table wine. But as the winemaker reminded us, the wine has to balanced right from the start, or it will never achieve it as it ages. I doubt I will live long enought to revisit this wine when it is 100 years old, but it sure drinks beautifully now (even though it is less than 1 year old).
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Posted by:Rich- The Grape and the Barrel	Roger Pouillon NV	Fri Nov 12 10:25:08 EST 2004
Only place to get this is Hi Times Wine Cellars-online- Roger Pouillon is a very small house that producers the best Rose Champagne at the lowest price @ 30.00 a bottle. If you have not tried this, and you probably have'nt, you are truely missing out. Very pretty pinkish orange colour, with very lively bubbles. On the nose is a distinct strawberries and creame, with hints of forest underbrush and light dried provencal herbs. The finish was a medium light red berry laquer finish. Do yourself a favor and order just 1 bottle. Trust me.
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Posted by:David Chan	Heymann-Lowenstein Rottgen Auslese Riesling 2000	Sat Nov 06 13:30:43 EST 2004
Q's Birthday Dinner at Chez Bob (5/11/04) - pale gold/straw. Nose: delicate, quince, hints of orange blossons, wet rice grains and wet slate. On the palate: tangerine, pomegranite, crisp, clean, lightly refreshing acidity, not too sweet, just nicely balancing the acid, with an interesting undertone of minerality throughout.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Special Bin 90A 1990	Sat Nov 06 12:59:50 EST 2004
Q's Birthday Dinner at Chez Bob (5/11/04) - deep, dark crimson, dense and opaque, tight rim. Nose: dusty, cassis, dark berries, plums, with hints of leaf. On the palate: concentrated blackcurrants, dark chocolate, sweet black berries, plums, with a spicy undertone and hints of earth/briar and coffee beans. Tightly focused and structured with very fine, dense but smooth tannins, very well balanced, integrated savoury oak and a very long finish. This wine will have more development and a long life ahead of it. Like the previous bottle recently tasted, it is drinking well now, but would reward more patient cellaring.
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Posted by:David Chan	Pierro Chardonnay 1997	Sat Nov 06 12:49:17 EST 2004
Q's Birthday Dinner at Chez Bob (5/11/04) - deepish yellow/gold. Nose: honey, citrus zest, light toast. Palate: Crisp kumquat and lemon acidity, aromatic, honey, lightly roasted nuts. Lovely mouthfeel and viscousity, high alcohol content (14.5 percent), but so well balanced that you wouldn't notice it. Long length and finishes dry. A big, intense Margaret River chardonnay that's right up there with the best! Nice match for seared tuna, yum!
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Posted by:Anonymous	Campbell's Empire Port 1968	Wed Nov 03 12:17:49 EST 2004
Outstanding Port. We visited Campbell's in Rutherglen in October of 2002. Where can I purchase their Port in the United States? Ken & Judy Martin Aero Vin - Wine Brokers, Santa Maria, CA 93455 USA, aerovin@yahoo.com
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Posted by:David Chan	Wynns John Riddoch 1982	Thu Oct 07 00:25:59 EST 2004
Tasted 26/9/2004, Friend's Birthday Dinner at France Soir. Colour: dark ruby red, medium red rim. Nose: Intense cassis, blackcurrants, cedar, leafy, minty, hints of capsicum and tobacco leaves. Palate: Smooth, sweet fruit core of cassis, dark berries, fully integrated vanillin oak and dark chocolate, with layers of complex aged secondary flavours - capcisum, tobacco leaves, cigar, leather and prunes. Like the first bottle, but a shade more intense and powerful, the happy coincidence of bottle variation. Fully developed and holding, a sheer pleasure to drink over the great food (went well with France Soir's delicious rare fillet de boeuf topped with bearnaise sauce).
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Posted by:David Chan	Krug Vintage 1982	Sun Oct 03 05:26:57 EST 2004
Friend's Birthday at Matteo's (2/10/04) - Colour: Deep straw/old gold. Very fine stream of bubbles, but not vigorous. Nose: honey, caramel and madeira, aged white wine characteristics quite apparent. Palate: very fine mousse, aged and complex, but oxidized/madeirised notes are intruding. Kept alive by a backbone of citrus acidity that has evolved towards the tangerine/apricot end of the spectrum. Still rich, honeyed, subtle hints of sandalwood, perhaps a touch spicy. The finish is a little short for a Krug, and drying out. Based on appearance, the bottle is in good condition and the ullage level is high for a 22 year old bottle of champagne. However, the taste test indicate that this bottle has seen better days and may not have been cellared in the best of conditions. Given that the 1982 was regarded by experts as a legendary Champagne vintage, this bottle did not live up to expectations.
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Posted by:David Chan	Krug Krug Collection Vintage 1979	Sun Oct 03 05:24:23 EST 2004
Friend's Birthday at Matteo's (2/10/04) - Colour: Golden straw. Fine stream of bubbles, with moderate vigour. Nose: like the previous bottle that I tasted, it was restrained, hinting of biscuits, lightly toasted bread and honey, with a delicate floral highlight. Palate: Refreshingly and amazingly youthful - and this is a 25th year old bottle! Extremely fine and creamy mousse, multi-layered flavour profile, of buttery biscuits, honeyed toast, well-integrated yeast/lees and vanillin oak, with hints of lightly roasted cashews. Well matched by crisp citrus and stone-fruit acidity. Two years after release, still an amazing wine, finely balanced with all components harmonious. Still the best champagne that I have tasted so far. A great example of how a well cellared bottle of champagne can become if allowed the time to develop and mature.
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Posted by:David Chan	Blain-Gagnard Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 1997	Sun Oct 03 05:21:32 EST 2004
Friend's Birthday at Matteo's (2/10/04) - Colour: straw. Nose: restrained, with the characteristic goats cheese signature and tropical fruits. Palate: bone dry, smooth, focused, structured, stone-fruit/white peach flavours with tropical fruit highlights mixed with the goats cheese aromatics, almost imperceptible toast and well matched with refreshing lemon citrus acidity. Hints of wet rice grains and pebbles in a long, racy finish. Classy, elegant, as expected for a Grand Cru white burgundy. Still a fair way to go in development, but what a fantastic drink right now. A nice match for Matteo's prawn raviolo entree.
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Posted by:David Chan	Giaconda Chardonnay 1997	Sun Oct 03 05:19:13 EST 2004
Friend's Birthday at Matteo's (2/10/04) - Colour: dark straw. Nose: honey, vanilla with hints of toast. Palate: honeyed, toasty, fruity, vanillin oak, with hints of caramel, malt and nuts. Long finish, finally revealing the burgundian mineral characteristics of wet stones and rice grains. Compared to several other vintages of Giaconda chardonnays tasted in the past (at the MW Giaconda tasting with the winemaker), this particular vintage (perhaps it's this particular bottle) is quite advanced in development. I would prefer not to keep any of this longer than necessary - find a great excuse to celebrate and drink up.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grange 1969	Sun Oct 03 05:15:47 EST 2004
Friend's Birthday at Matteo's (2/10/04) - Colour: still fairly dark red, with a brick red rim. Nose: initially leathery, briary with hints of mushroom and game, it opened up later with lashings of dried berries. Palate: Smooth, rounded, concentrated sweet fruit of plums, prunes and dark berries. The abundance of fruit, which is a little unexpected for a 35 year old shiraz, is superbly complimented with fully developed aged secondary flavours of licorice, chocolate, Chesterfield leather lounge suite and earthy, spicy undertones of dried herbs, cloves and aniseed. Silky fine but still firm tannins nicely balances the fruit. This is a fantastic bottle of a Grange from a lesser vintage, and in my humble opinion, puts some other more fancied vintages to shame. Certainly, the bottle was in superb condition, with the ullage level still in the bottle neck. The provenance was such that there was a robust bidding war to acquire this very well cellared bottle. It was well worth every dollar that my friend paid for this very fine wine from his year of birth. Thanks heaps for sharing it with us!
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Posted by:David Chan	Michel Gros Vosne Romanee - Clos des Reas 1998	Sun Oct 03 05:12:49 EST 2004
Friend's Birthday at Matteo's (2/10/04) - Colour: clear red-crimson with a pale crimson rim. Nose: cherries, gamey, with hints of what I can only describe as the waxy smell of lipstick. Palate: fair concentrated sweet fruit, of cherries and strawberries, with emerging aged characteristics of game and earthiness. Perfumed, smooth, silky fine tannins that finishes slightly grippy (though with food, this was not apparent at all) and that very interesting lipsticky hint. Long finish. Very easy to drink, and went very well with Matteo's grilled fillet of Barramundi. Still very much a fruit driven wine at this stage, though the game and lipstick hint at what is to come. Will be an interesting exercise to retaste this wine in a few years.
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Posted by:David Chan	Yves Cuilleron Les Serines 1999	Sun Oct 03 05:08:18 EST 2004
Friend's Birthday at Matteo's (2/10/04) - Colour: dark, almost opaque purplish crimson with a very tight purple rim. Nose: clean, plums, blackberries with floral/violet notes. Palate: powerful, intense plum, blackberry shiraz fruit, with floral and black pepper highlights, backed by a massive spine of fine tannins. Quite well balanced at this youthful stage of development and certain pleasant to drink. 1999 being an exceptional Northern Rhone red vintage, this wine definitely has the structure to go long distance, chronologically. Too young for my taste at the moment, I'd certainly keep them in the cellar till they're 10+ years old. A great match for Matteo's rare eye-fillet of Angus beef.
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Posted by:David Chan	Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 1996	Sun Oct 03 04:59:06 EST 2004
Friend's Birthday at Matteo's (2/10/04) - Colour: deep, dark red-crimson, with a medium crimson rim. Nose: restrained cassis with hints of toasted coconut. Palate: sweet concentrated cassis fruit, leafy with well integrated coconuts characteristic of American oak. Emerging secondary characteristics - capsicum, chilli and other herbaceous notes, dark chocolate. Smooth and very fine tannins, but restrained, very much unlike the fruit bombs of Coonawarra cabernet. Still has room for further development, and another great match for the eye-fillet. A delicious and approachable Californian cab sauv.
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Posted by:David Chan	Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon 1997	Sun Oct 03 04:55:19 EST 2004
Friend's Birthday at Matteo's (2/10/04) - Colour: deep, dark red/purplish-crimson, with a tight crimson rim. Nose: open, intense blackcurrants and creme de cassis that leaps out of the glass at you. Palate: Rich, intense, powerful but smooth and concentrated sweet blackcurrant and cassis that all but overshadow the subtle, well-integrated savoury oak. Superb tannic structure to go with the dense fruit core and very much under developed, pretty much expected for a great Napa Valley vintage. Very pleasant to drink now, but again, far too young for my taste buds. I won't be opening any of my bottles for at least another 8 or more years.
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Posted by:David Chan	Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Ice Wine 1998	Sun Oct 03 04:52:01 EST 2004
Friend's Birthday at Matteo's (2/10/04) - Colour: crystal clear medium crimson. Nose: honey, cane sugar, intense red currants, strawberries and cherries. Palate: sweet red currants and red berry fruits, counterbalanced by crisp acidity. Rich, mouthfilling, refreshingly sweet (without being cloying), and spotlessly clean fruit flavours, one can almost picture the nectar-like juice being squeezed out of the frozen grapes. A fantastic wine to finish the night one, and a great match for Matteo's rich creamy panna cotta.
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Posted by:Anonymous	Gruaud Larose Grand Vin 1996	Wed Sep 15 21:01:55 EST 2004
Pas mal du tout, fieu !!!
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Reserve Bin Riesling 2003	Wed Aug 11 18:12:08 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner at Matteo's (10/8/04) - Pale straw with hints of a pale green, almost colourless. Nose: lime/citrus with a slight floral lift. Palate: limes with a light floral highlight, reminiscent of chamomile, and a just a hint of toasty oak in the finish. Viscous/juicy mouthfeel, intense flavour offset by a steely minerality and refreshing acidity. (Wine #1, Pre-dinner drinks. A good start to an evening of extraordinary wines!)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Reserve Bin Aged Release Riesling 1998	Wed Aug 11 18:08:49 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner at Matteo's (10/8/04) - Straw. Nose: nose tickling, dusty, citrus with whiffs of petrol/kero and toast. On the Palate: Classic Clare Valley characteristics - a fruity core of white peaches, lemon, citrus, bare hints of fresh cut melons surrounding a focused mineral structure and rounded, balanced acidity. Starting to develop the contradictory mix of mature yet youthful characteristics, with the distinctive kerosene signature and honeyed toast of maturity competing with the primary fruit. (Wine #2, Pre-dinner drinks. A nice contrast to previous wine.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Bin 94A Chardonnay 1994	Wed Aug 11 18:06:00 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner at Matteo's (10/8/04) - yellow, old gold. Nose: complex and mature, hints of nuts, toast and smoked cheese. Palate: Developed secondary characteristics of grilled nuts, toasty and honey dominating over the fading fruit. Still a fairly strong backbone of acid, more towards the tangerine/orange end of the citrus spectrum. Hints of smoke/burnt toast and the old white burgundy cheesy note. A bit past its prime, though the acid will keep it hanging on for a while yet. (Wine #3, white wine bracket to go with entree.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Bin 98A Chardonnay 1998	Wed Aug 11 18:04:58 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner at Matteo's (10/8/04) - straw. Nose: clean, stone fruits with the nose tickling carbon dioxide sensation. On the palate: stone fruits, still with hints of fresh cut watermelons and a very light nutty/toasty and honeyed note. Well balanced acidity and oak integration. Overall, a simple, single dimensional, fruit driven wine with a few interesting highlights. (Wine #4, white wine bracket with entree.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Bin 00A Chardonnay 2000	Wed Aug 11 18:01:02 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner at Matteo's (10/8/04) - pale straw. Nose: interesting, with the cheesy highlight reminiscent of invidualistic premier cru white burgundies! On the palate: stone fruits, citrus and melons in abundance, with creamy /buttery malo characteristics, seamless oak integration bolstered by minerality reminiscent of wet pebbles. Concentration and intensity of primary fruit flavours with interesting highlights and a long finish. The wine of the bracket for me. (Wine #5, white wine bracket with entree.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Block 42 1996	Wed Aug 11 17:57:47 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner at Matteo's (10/8/04) - dense, opaque, dark ruby red. Nose: intense but focused cassis and plums. On the palate: Massive, focused, powerful, with layers and layers of concentrated cassis, blackberries, blood plums, rich dark chocolate, monolithically and seamlessly integrated with savoury, coconut/vanillin oak, with just a touch of cigar box. Despite the power, intensity and incredible structure, the wine is silky smooth and well rounded. Drinking beautifully with a very long finish - so good now it is hard to imagine that it can and will improve over the next decade or two! Undoubtedly the best Australian Cab Sauv that I ever had the privilege to taste. According to a very knowledgeable guest at tonight's dinner, the Block 42 cabernet bush vines are the oldest in Australia, if not amongst the oldest in the world and very low yielding. Cabernet from this block has been used in all except 3 vintages of Grange. So special were the grapes in 1953 that the unique 'Grange Cabernet' was made that year, an equal to the famous shiraz-based Grange. The Block 42 Kalimna Cab Sauv has not been released as a single block wine for 33 years (the last time as Bin 64 in 1963), although the 1964 Bin 707 was (according to the Rewards of Patience 5th Ed.) entirely sourced from this amazing block. (Wine #6, the 1st Red Wine Bracket with main course.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Special Bin 920 1990	Wed Aug 11 17:47:10 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner at Matteo's (10/8/04) dark, fairly dense and opaque red-maroon. Nose: intense and concentrate cassis with the distinctive Coonawarra signature of capsicum and tobacco leaves. On the palate: Another powerful and concentrate wine of blackcurrants, dark berries, mocha, replete with spicy, tobacco leaf, cigar smoke and capsicum/chilli highlights. Rich, mouth filling, fine tannins and a ong finish, very accessible and enjoyable. It does not taste or feel like a typical 14 year old Australian claret, as it has the abundance fruit, balancing acidity and structure that will keep it evolving and improving for many, many years to come. Would knock the socks off anyone when tasted in isolation, and held its own in this bracket of stunning/unique red wines. The Bin 920 has been inspired by two illustrious predecessors (the Bin 820, also tasted tonight, and Bin 620). To me, this wine represents the pinnacle of the classic Australian blend of Cabernet and Shiraz, from a classic red wine region of Coonawarra. Simply superb! (Wine #7, the 1st Red Wine Bracket with main course.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Special Bin 90A 1990	Wed Aug 11 17:43:21 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner at Matteo's (10/8/04) - dark ruby red, dense and opaque, tight rim. Nose: cassis, dark berries with hints of cedar and spice. On the palate: intense, concentrated blackcurrants, dark chocolate and a spicy sweet fruit core of dark berries and plums that is characteristic of Barossa shiraz, with hints of black coffee, cedar, and dried tobacco leaves coming from the Coonawarra cabernet. Superbly well balanced, with fine but dense tannins, well integrated savoury oak and stronger backbone of acid (compared to the Bin 920). Drinking beautifully with a long lingering finish, it feels more youthful than the 14 year old wine it is. Given the acidity and abundance of fruit, one feels that this wine has the structure to last longer than the Bin 920. Certainly a wine for long term cellaring. Again, a classic Australian blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, but this time, with the Cabernet sourced from Coonawarra and the Shiraz from Barossa. The result is another unique gem from Penfolds, combining the structural strength of the Cab Sauv with the sweet, savoury body of Shiraz. (Wine #8, the 1st Red Wine Bracket with main course.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grange 1992	Wed Aug 11 17:37:56 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner Matteo's (10/8/04) - dark crimson red, still fairly opaque. Nose: blackberries and plums. On the palate: sweet, juicy plums, black berries, prunes with a very smooth chocolaty feel and a subtle peppery undertone. For a Grange, a fairly simple, fruit driven wine. Fine but firm tannins, well integrated oak, but not as intense, powerful, or concentrated as Granges from great vintages. Nevertheless, a very nice drop that would please anyone if drunk on its own. Certainly one of the most accessible and more 'ready-to-drink' Granges from the 1990s, and provides an interesting comparison in this bracket of top Penfold wines from the same decade. (Wine #9, the 1st Red Wine Bracket with main course.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Special Bin 61 1963	Wed Aug 11 17:33:52 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner at Matteo's (10/8/04) - remarkably deep/dense red-maroon, with a brick red rim. Nose: Restrained but distinctly of blackcurrants, hints of licorice and mushroom. On the palate: Amazingly, still plenty of primary fruit; that of blackcurrants, plums, red berries, with an intensity of flavour that one is not accustomed to tasting in Australian reds that are 40+ years old! The fruit was well balanced by the fully developed complex secondary characteristics of tobacco, earth, licorice, cold roasted meat and sauteed mushrooms. The wine has thrown a lot of sediment in the bottle and had to be double decanted, but that extra airing did not seem to have bothered it much at all. Ultra smooth, but still with significant amounts of ultra fine silky tannins and a long, long finish. Not an 'in-your-face' type of wine like some of the great Granges or the Block 42. Nevertheless, it is a magnificent, ,superbly balanced, fine old drop of wine that seems to have plateau-ed at a high level and holding. What a wine! It tasted at least 20+ years younger than it ought to. Past editions of the Rewards of Patience hinted that this wine may be past its prime. If so, I wonder what this wine tasted like at its prime. It is definitely not past it, in my book. Perhaps Parkhill Cellars had the great fortune to acquire a bottle in immaculate condition. The wine of the night (and the year so far) for me! (Wine #10, the 2nd Red Wine Bracket with main course/cheese. This special bin wine is a blend of Coonawarra Cab Sauv and Eden Valley Shiraz.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Special Bin 820 1982	Wed Aug 11 17:27:32 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner (10/8/04) - dark red-maroon, still fairly opaque with a medium red rim. Nose: clean, ripe blackcurrants with leafy tones. On the palate: ultra-smooth, silky, concentrated and jammy cassis, spicy plums, well integrated with secondary characteristics of mocha, stewed asparagus and dried tobacco leaves. Like the previous bottle tasted 14 months ago at another Parkhill Penfold dinner, this wine is fully mature and at its peak. The question is how long with it hold? I don't think it will last as long as the Bin 61, or preserve as well. Will blow away most other wines when drunk on any occasion, but not in company of the wines at tonight's dinner. Fantastic drop nonetheless! (Wine #11, the 2nd Red Wine Bracket with main course/cheese. This special bin wine is blend of Coonawarra Cab Sauv and Shiraz)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Special Bin 80A 1980	Wed Aug 11 17:24:05 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner (10/8/04) - deep red-maroon, and fairly opaque with a medium red rim. Nose: cassis, dark berries, perfumed. On the palate: Soft, smooth but still reasonably concentrated sweet fruit of cassis, plums, prunes, with developed secondary characteristics of mocha, cigar smoke and licorice. Like the other special bins tasted so far, very well balanced, with smooth fine tannins, and seamlessly integrated savoury oak and a lengthy but drying finish. A bit more advanced along the route leading to the over-the-hill downward slide, compared to the Bin 820. (Wine #12, the 2nd Red Wine Bracket with main course/cheese. This special bin wine is a blend of Coonawarra Cab Sauv and Kalimna Shiraz. )
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grange 1984	Wed Aug 11 17:20:06 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner (10/8/04) - still dense and opaque, dark red, with a deep red rim. Nose: open, plums, berries, cherry, prunes. On the palate: rich, concentrated sweet fruit core, of red berries, plums, cherries and prunes. This is well complimented by spice, chocolate, mocha, hints of leather and seamless oak integration. Again, not a big, in-your-face Grange, but one that is drinking beautifully well. More complex (and enjoyable) than the 1992 Grange, with a great fruit concentration and developed secondary flavours. Drinking beautifully and will hold, but would it develop further? (Wine #13, the 2nd Red Wine Bracket with main course/cheese.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz 2002	Wed Aug 11 17:17:10 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner (10/8/04) - purplish red, black and opaque in the middle, and tight with almost no rim. Nose: floral, violets, plummy shiraz fruit, relatively closed (compared to the others). On the palate, intense, concentrated and well balanced fruit, tannins and vanillin oak. Loads of ripe plums, red berries, chocolate, and savoury, spicy oak. Chunky, well structured, okay to drink now, but this wine has quite a fair way to go in terms of development. (Wine #14, mystery wine: Guessed everything but the region. It is a McLaren Vale shiraz instead of a Heathcote shiraz).
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Posted by:David Chan	Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine 2001	Wed Aug 11 17:13:16 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner (10/8/04) - Colour: Pale gold, Nose: Fresh white peaches, orange, citrus. Palate: Amazingly intense and concentrated peach, nectarine, mandarin, citrus flavours with tropical highlights of soursop, star fruit and mangoes. Perfectly balanced sweetness and acidity. Spotlessly clean, viscous and silky smooth, truly the Nectar of the Gods, as claimed by the makers.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grandfather Port NV	Wed Aug 11 16:13:40 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner (10/8/04): Colour - a vibrant deep reddish hazelnut colour. Nose - lifted raisins, nutty, rancio/maderia, dried fruit peels, slightly alcoholic. Palate - rancio, hazelnuts, raisins, dried figs, caramelised citrus peels, madeira. Long length, but finishing hot (alcoholic). Like the previous tasting note, I find newly opened bottles distinctly alcoholic. My preference is to open this wine and let the brandy spirits/alcoholic vapours leak out of a loosely re-corked bottle. I find that the air usually takes the alcoholic edge off after the bottle has been opened a couple of weeks. Monitoring the condition of the wine by savouring small amounts every day is particularly enjoyable! :-) (Wine #16)
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grandfather Port 1945	Wed Aug 11 16:03:16 EST 2004
Parkhill Cellars Penfold Special Bin Dinner (10/8/04) - brown/deep mahogany. Nose: pronounced rancio, nutty with whiffs of almonds and flor sherry. On the palate: Less sweet but a touch more viscous than the current release NV version (Wine #16 above), with rounded but still focused concentration of rancio, madeira, almonds, warmed hazelnuts, raisings and dried figs, shot through with flor sherry highlights. Phenomenal length, a great way to finish off a truly taste-bud awakening tasting of session. (Wine #17).
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Posted by:David Chan	H. Blin & Co. Grand Cru 1996	Wed Aug 11 15:48:33 EST 2004
DC (3/7/04) - Pale straw. Nose: Refreshing fruity nose. Palate: medium-fine mousse, crisp appley acidity, a light touch of apparent sweetness. A very easy to drink, fruit driven champagne with a good intensity of flavours and mouth feel.
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Posted by:David Chan	Blue Pyrenees Estate Midnight Cuvee NV	Wed Aug 11 15:38:39 EST 2004
DC (3/7/04) - Yellow/Straw. Nose: Nutty and toasty. On the Palate: Mature chardonnay characteristics of toast, honey, biscuits and a very strong nutty cashew/roasted peanut flavour that bordered on overpowering! Fine mousse, still with good acidity and long lenth. The last of the original batch of this excellent 'methode traditionelle' sparkling white that I bought in 1998 direct from the cellar door. Wish I had more! (Note: Current releases of this wine is vintaged, but back in 1998, the then silver-labelled bottles did not display a vintage year, hence the NV classification.)
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Posted by:David Chan	Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 1989	Wed Aug 11 15:30:44 EST 2004
DC (3/7/04) - deep yellow. Nose: toasty, nutty, honey. Palate: A bit disappointing, did not quite live to the nose. Lightly honeyed, toasty, cashews and caramel dominating over the fading fruit. Have gone a bit flabby and trails off uncertainly. Compared to a previous tasting in 2002, the wine in this bottle has passed its peak. It's getting a bit long in the tooth, so drink up if you have any left!
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Posted by:David Chan	Moss Wood Semillon 1987	Wed Aug 11 15:27:08 EST 2004
DC (3/7/04) - deep yellow. Nose: delightfully intense and open and toasty, with hints of citrus and caramel, like the 1990 vintage that bowled me over at an earlier tasting. On the palate: honeyed toasted crumpets, caramel and butter, but still well matched by lemony, citrusy acid. Reasonably long length. Definitely a better bottle than the one previously tasted a good win on the bottle-variation roulette wheel!
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Posted by:David Chan	Faiveley La Combe Aux Moines Premier Cru 1986	Wed Aug 11 14:05:16 EST 2004
DC (3/7/04) - medium red-maroon. Nose: smoke, game. On the palate: fully developed pinot noir characteristics - gamey, earthy, briary, smoky. Drying out, the raspberry/cherry fruit is mostly gone, along with any perfume and subtleties that it might once have had. Acidity is also starting to dominate. An interesting but old bottle of red burgundy, and is quite past it -I'd would have preferred to drink it much younger than at 18 years of age.
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Posted by:David Chan	Pavie St Emillion Grand Cru 1986	Wed Aug 11 14:02:50 EST 2004
DC (3/7/04) - dark red, still fairly opaque. Nose: dusty, dark cherries, plum. On the palate: Not the fruit bombs that Australian wine drinkers are used to, but the cherries, plum and slightly herbal characteristics of the merlot is there. A smooth but focused and densely structured wine, distinctly concentrated but silky tannins. Compared to Australian wines of a similar age, this wine seems barely developed at all, with only subtle hints of emerging secondary flavours of game and dried tobacco leaves. Very long length, the flavours lingers on and on, and by the end of the night, this wine is still opening up. Luckily, I was advised to double decant it well before serving (3+ hours) it was initially closed and unyielding.
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Posted by:David Chan	Penfolds Grange 1968	Wed Aug 11 13:53:34 EST 2004
DC (3/7/04) - brick red, with brownish rim. Nose: open, earthy, red berries and leather. On the palate: soft, ultra-smooth, silky, stewed plums, chocolate, earth, leather with hints of roasted meat. A bottle in good condition (ullaged level low in the bottle-neck, very good for its age), but seem to have lost the usual power and concentration normally associated with a Grange. Though past its prime, it was nonetheless still a nice drop.
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Posted by:David Chan	Wynns John Riddoch 1990	Wed Aug 11 13:51:23 EST 2004
DC (3/7/04) - dark ruby red, still dense and opaque. Nose: waves and waves of cassis, leafy, minty notes. On the palate: intense, powerful, concentrated blackcurrant, with an undercurrent of dark chocolate with the fresh-cut capsicum/asparagus streak and the minty, leafy notes characteristic of classic Coonawarra cab sauv. Superbly well balanced, with silky fine but dense tannins, and rich savoury oak. Drinking beautifully but still seems to be developing, with only hints of emerging secondary flavours like coffee and smoked tobacco leaf. Will definitely improve, and certainly a wine for long term cellaring. (Double decanted 3+ hours prior to serving!)
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Posted by:David Chan	De Bertoli Noble One 1991	Wed Aug 11 13:49:18 EST 2004
DC (3/7/04) - deep yellow-orange. Nose: marmalade, apricot and hints of tea leaves. On the palate: apricot, orange peel, marmalade, caramel, tea leaves. The sweetness is well balanced by acidity. A nice way to end a great dinner at St. Ann's, with Ann's lovely flourless citrus cake.
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Posted by:David Chan	Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 1982	Fri Jun 04 14:41:16 EST 2004
Bacchus Food & Wine Club Tasting (3/6/04) - Medium crimson, with slight hints of brown around the edges. Nose: Open bouquet of cassis, blackberries, cedar with leafy and smoky hints. Palate: As foreshadowed by the nose, smooth, sweet fruit core of cassis, blackberries, cedar, mocha, shot through with developed secondary flavours. Like the John Riddoch of the same vintage, this wine evolved in the glass over the course of the two hour tasting session to reveal layers of interesting aged characteristics: leafy capsicum, dried tobacco, cigar box, then old leather mixed with dried prunes. Long length - a fantastic 22 year old bottle of wine!
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Posted by:David Chan	Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 1991	Fri Jun 04 14:39:38 EST 2004
Bacchus Food & Wine Club Tasting (3/6/04) - dark plum-red, tight rim, still fairly opaque body. Nose: intense whiffs of cassis, dark berries with leafy capsicum highlights. Plate: sweet cassis, black berry and plummy fruit core, subtle hints of coffee, mouth-filling with smooth, fine tannins. Concentrated flavours, youthful and balanced, with plenty of fruit and structure to improve over the next few years and to hold on for a decade after that. An under-rated vintage, over-shadowed by the 1990.
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Posted by:David Chan	Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 1996	Fri Jun 04 14:37:02 EST 2004
Bacchus Food & Wine Club Tasting (3/6/04) dark ruby red, hints of purple still on a tight rim, opaque body. Nose: cassis, plummy, dark berries. On the palate: concentrated, structured but a tad lean, a little green still, with a tiny hints of flesh and white pepper; consequences of a cool vintage? Decent length, still firm tannins and finishes slightly bitter. Like my previous notes for this wine, definitely needs more time to improve and open up.
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Posted by:David Chan

Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 1986

Fri Jun 04 14:34:01