Theme: Old World Whites and New World Cabernets
Date: 31st of July 2008
Notes:Trent Dolphin
Attendees: Duane Roy, Phillip Blanco, David Fatches, Peter Matthews, Philippe Mady, Scott Perry, Phil Jacobs, Simon Bartter, Mike Young, James Ross.
Apologies: Craig Farmer, Steve Handley, David Madson, Scott Emerson, Peter McKelvey.
Notes on the food: I thought the food at Assiette was possibly the best I have experienced at a Wine Club meeting. A 5 course menu is definitely recommended as is the private dining room.
Champagne:
1999 Gossett Grand Millesime.
56% Chardonnay (Grand crus), 44% Pinot (Grand/ Premier Crus). Light yellow in colour with a full mousse initially but quickly disappeared. Sweet summer fruits on the nose with intense apricot honey/ nut aromas. Perhaps a little short on the front palate. Definitely benefit from extended ageing.
Wine 1: Simon Bartter
St Aubin Premier Cru La Chatiniere 2006
Golden in colour with pronounced lychee and stone fruit aromas. Soft, rounded and quite buttery on the palate, perhaps a result of MLF or extended lees. Quite a lovely wine overall however.
Wine 2: Scott Perry
Louis Jadot Mersault Charmes 2005
A really beautiful wine with a lingering finish. Slightly honeyed with a subtle floral perfume. Soft flinty/ minerally palate but not overly complicated. Good example of ‘terroir’ and regional typificity. A real wine with finesse and balanced acid recommended for cellaring.
Wine 3: Phil Jacobs
Domaine Gauffrey Puligny Montrachet Corvee Des Vignes 2004
Rather unusual/ distinctive aromas normally associated with a cellar release Semillon or Marsanne. Also displayed the floral aromas of a Pinot Gris. Aroma was a little distracting within the bracket line up. Initial observation was that this was a vastly different wine to those in the bracket and that the palate structure was lacking.
Host’s wine of the bracket: Wine 2 Scott Perry
Wine 4: Philippe Mady
En Baberon 2001
Over bearing mustiness on the nose which detracts from the palate. First impression was age followed by storage/ temperature issues. I couldn’t decipher anything other than over ripe rockmelons!
Wine 5: Trent Dolphin
Albert Mann Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg 2006
Extremely floral and perfumed nose with lifted peach and nutty nuances. Definitely lost within the two white brackets against overly large and complex chardonnays. Would stand up against any other Riesling as a clear contender however.
Host’s Wine of the bracket: Wine 5 Trent Dolphin – of course…
Wine 6: Phillip Blanco
Woodlands ‘Kevin’ Cabernet 2001
Deep purple in colour with long sexy legs. Dominant Cabernet characteristics of capsicum and spice with (great) charred oak. Very tannic wine that will benefit from another decade or so.
Wine 7: Duane Roy
Mount Mary Cabernets 1978
Remarkable nose considering age of the wine. Stewed fruits and good oak well integrated with acid and alcohol levels have kept the wine alive. Faded quickly in the glass after the initial pour.
Host’s Wine of the bracket: Wine 6 Phillip Blanco for cellarability.
Wine 8: Peter Matthews
Grosset Gaia 1994
A really lovely wine that displayed grace beyond its years. Initial thoughts were 5-6 years bottle age based around the tightly integrated palate and tannin structure. Excellent plum and cedar characters on the palate.
Wine 9: David Fatches
Rust En Vrede Stellenbosch Estate 2004
Definitely a beautiful wine with rich sweet fruit, perhaps a result o the merlot to soften the tannins and the 29% shiraz which gave it a pleasant spiciness and peppery but well balanced overtone. Only 58% Cabernet though… Will visit in a few weeks on honeymoon (orders welcome).
Wine 10: James Ross
Hollick Ravenswood 2001
A wine that never disappoints. An exceptional for Coonawarra cabernet. Very typical mint characteristics present in the wine. Lovely fruit sweetness with lovely rounded tannins that coated the palate. A much bigger wine than the Stellenbosch, however perhaps not quite as elegant in composition.
Host’s Wine of the bracket: Wine 9 David Fatches
Wine 11: Mike Young
Grateful Wines R Cabernet 2005
Quite an easy wine to drink with somewhat stewed fruitiness, big alcohol and phenolic structure. Alcoholic content evident from nose to back palate. Overall balance was missing some fruit characteristics typical of big SA wines.
Wine 12: Duane Roy
Penfolds Bin 707 1996
Has aged well and exhibits very big oak not to dissimilar from most Penfolds wines. Very soft but pronounced fruit with predominant vegetal character typified by aged cabernet. Lovely wine to go with the cheese – or so I was told by Philippe.
Host’s Wine of the bracket: Wine 12 Duane Roy
Well done to all attendees, some excellent wines again!!
The Dirty Dozen
Thursday, 31st July 2008
6pm Charter Meeting
7pm Dinner
Menu
Ceviche of kingfish with a crab spring roll and spicy avocado vinaigrette
White Bracket: Simon Bartter, Scott Perry, Phil Jacobs
Crispy skin barramundi with parsnip, smoked eel, caponata and sauce matelote
White Bracket: David Madson, Philippe Mady, Lars Erik Kristiansen
Warm roasted confit duck salad
Red Bracket: Phil Blanco, Duane Roy, Sture (friend of Duane’s)
Veal fillet, shank and sweetbread with spiced pumpkin, almonds and gnocchi
Red Bracket: Peter Matthews, David Fatches, James Ross (friend of
A selection of cheeses with rosemary lavosh
Red Bracket: Mike Young (friend of Trent’s),
Chef: Warren Turnbull
Restaurant Assiette
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Note: Options provided for shellfish allergies.
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