Lunch at the Healesville Hotel

Saturday, well at least the morning, was a perfect day in Melbourne.  Sunny, around 26c and quite still.  A perfect day for a visit to the Yarra Valley really.  That is, of course, unless we were going to the Yarra Valley on Sunday, where we awoke to 90% humidity, rain, and a somehow stifling 18c.  Melbourne.  Or at least the rainy (300mm I heard) summer of 2011 in Melbourne.

Anyway, the natural beauty and clean air of the Yarra Valley never ceases to make me happy on arrival, regardless of the clouds covering the hills that define the valley.  Today's visit was to the less fancy front bar at the Healesville Hotel, the posher restaurant being adjacent to this room.  The kitchen though, as far as I can tell, is the same.

We started with their homemade dips, which remain on song: a lovely combination of taramasalata, smoky eggplant and tzatziki, though perenially served with too little bread.  Good dip needs a lot of bread.  Or at least that's what anyone other than a medical practitioner might think.  I spied a Hoddles Creek cabernet on the reasonably interesting wine list, which I had been wanting to give a go for some time.  I was not disappointed: Hoddle Creek's 2006 cabernet sauvignon is excellent (86 points).

The main and dessert truly shone.  For the main, a twice cooked Yeringberg lamb forequarter roast was simply sensational, with that flaky, melt in the mouth texture suggesting that an excellent chef is onboard.   Potatoes, mint and fresh peas surrounded it, together with a yoghurt sauce.  Sunday roast.  The accompanying wine was Oak Ridge's Over the Shoulder 2006 cabernet merlot, which proved to be very pleasant, but was comfortably shaded by Hoodle Creek's wine of the same year (83 points).  For dessert, a K&W chocolate hazelnut brownie was simply delicious, with a brilliant melty, flaky and moist texture.  Almost unshareable.

Oak Ridge Over the Shoulder Cabernet Merlot 2006

This wine is perfectly pleasant.  An aroma of black fruits and a touch of oak.  A similar palate, but lacking in a little bit of fruit density.  83 points.

Abv: 13.5%

Price: $20

Would I buy it having tasted it?  No, but only because I tasted this at the same time as Hoddle Creek's 2006, which I preferred at the same price.
Website: http://www.oakridgewines.com.au

Hoddles Creek Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Hoddles Creek is an estate in the Yarra Valley that I am not particularly familiar with.  As an unabashed fan of cabernet (done well, that is), however, I was very pleased to try this wine.  Yarra Valley cabernet, when it works, can be outstanding.  The 2006 was a good year in the Yarra Valley too for cabernet.

What then of Hoddles Creek's 2006 cab?  It has a tightly wound aroma of blackcurrants.  On the palate, there are tannins and some length, and a certain coiled tension that reminded me a little of a younger Yarra Yering.  I think this wine is really quite good, and most certainly a bargain.  86 points.

Abv: 13%
Price: around $20
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: http://www.hoddlescreekestate.com.au/

Pierre Andre au Chateau de Corton Meursault 2007

This is another pleasant wine from this producer.  An aroma of subtle oak, smoke and minerals.  On the palate, a minerally flavour.  85 points.

Abv: 13%
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Probably
Website: http://www.pierre-andre.com

Allinda Cabernets 1997

Allinda produced a great wine in 2001.  Their 1997 vintage though is well past its best in 2011.  An aroma of menthol, black tea, herbs and a crumbling cork (on all 3 bottles).  It required a tea strainer such was the poor state of the cork.  The palate was a bit thin.  It's drinkable, not faulty, but not enjoyable.  75 points.

Abv: 13.3%
Price: sub $10
Website: http://www.allindawinery.com.au/

Domaine Michel Lafarge Meursault 2006

This seems a fairly classic Meursault.  A rather austere herbal aroma.  On the palate, spices, pepper and minerals.  83 points.

Abv: 13%
Price: $50
Would I buy it having tasted it?  No
Website: http://www.domainelafarge.fr/

Leo Buring Riesling 2010

This riesling is frankly pretty good.  An aroma of lemon, lime, slate and stones.  On the palate, nice length and citrus flavours.  Great value for the price.  86 points.

Abv: 11.5%
Price: under $20
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: http://www.fostersgroup.com/brands/leo-buring.aspx

Pierre Andre au Chateau de Corton Puligny Montrachet 2007

Pierre Andre's 2007 Puligny Montrachet is a good wine.  An aroma of minerals, with a touch of spice.  On the palate, some length and minerally overtones.  86 points.

Abv: 13%
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: http://www.pierre-andre.com

Pierre Andre au Chateau de Corton Blanc 2007

I tried this wine at an excellent and very generous terroir focussed wine tasting.  This wine has an aroma of oak and nuts.  On the palate, it is minerally, with a bit of length and a touch of spice.  Overall, perhaps a bit neutral.  83 points.

Abv: 13%
Would I buy it having tasted it?  No
Website: http://www.pierre-andre.com/en/index.php

Norton Malbec 2009

So, do you get a good malbec for $10 a bottle?  Given that the price of wine is made up of around 50% tax in Australia, in substance we are talking here about a $5 wine in Argentina.  The aroma is quite attractive: jammy fruit, spice and maybe a touch of earth.  The palate though is a bit hollow around the edges, with a touch of spice.  79 points.


Abv: 13.5%
Price: $10
Would I buy it having tasted it?  No
Website: http://www.norton.com.ar

Jamsheed Pepé le Pinot Pinot Noir 2010

Jamsheed is a rather cool producer right now and this is the first of their wines that I've tried.  The colour is promising out of the bottle: not too dark, not too light, and with that slightly pleasing opaqueness that suggests the wine has not been filtered.  (I don't know whether the wine in fact has been filtered).  The aroma is good: sappy, herby and with a touch of spices.  The palate is very delicate, light and soft with not, it must be said, a lot of persistence on the palate.  It is not a fine wine, but at circa $20 you would not expect it to be.  Its fragrance, and elegance and delicacy on the palate was something I quite enjoyed.  84 points.

Price: about $22
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: http://www.jamsheed.com.au/

Wine Lunch at Donovans

The weather Gods were kind: 25c, sunny, a touch of warmth but not too much and a lunch booking at Melbourne landmark Donovans in their private room overlooking St Kilda beach.  And nine wines to taste blind.  The only possible hitch: me as the host.

I have already posted reviews of most of these wines separately: however, sometimes, perhaps almost certainly more often than I do, it is nice to describe the setting in which the wines were consumed.  The pre-lunch kicked off with Egly Ouriet's Grand Cru Brut Tradition NV.  Served blind, it was clearly from Champagne, and from a good producer: an aroma of yeast and toast, with citrus in the mouth and an appetizing mousse (88 points).

The entrée was a delicious ravioli of prawn and scallop with a sauce Jacqueline.  Matched to this was a short exercise in Australian chardonnay.  First was Pierro's Chardonnay 2008 from the Margaret River, with its extravagant aroma, high quality fruit and length (95 points).  Second, was Leeuwin Estate's "Art Series" Chardonnay 2007 also from the Margaret River: another outstanding wine (95+ points).  For the majority of the table, the Leeuwin was shaded by Pierro's chardonnay, but I slightly preferred the 2007 Leeuwin, with its evident minerality in the 2007 vintage.  The third bottle, sealed with a cork, was Mt Mary's 2002 Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley, presenting a completely different expression of chardonnay, perhaps more Burgundian in style, with comparatively restrained fruit (87 points).  The Pierro and Leeuwin Estate were unmistakably from the Margaret River.

Although slightly shaded by the entrée, the impressive main course arrived consisting of grilled 300 day grain fed sirloin with gnocchi, summer vegetables and red wine sauce.  Matched with these wines was an exercise that I initially intended to be an exercise in Northern Rhone terroir, but unhappy with my apparent inability to find a third very strong northern Rhone wine without entering into creditors' arrangements, I threw in a wine from the Barossa Valley at the last moment.  First, was Alain Voge's "Les Vieilles Vignes" 2006 from Cornas, which presented with outstanding length and flavour, albeit with some probably fair comments around rusticity (90 points).  Second up was Guigal's 1999 Hermitage, a more savoury wine that also presented brilliantly (92 points).  The third wine was Glaetzer's Amon Ra 2005: a wine that exhibits a surprising combination of elegance and power (100 points), and was simply outstanding.  It rose above to be the wine of the set; indeed, it is one of the best wines I've tried, period.

Dessert then arrived consisting of a terrine of blood orange and strawberry with blood orange sorbert, proving an excellent match for Chateau Rieussec's 2003 from Sauternes (90 points).  2003, despite being a heat wave year in Bordeaux, seems to have been a reasonable vintage in Sauternes and certainly, based on this wine anyway, has produced a very good Rieussec.  The lunch concluded with Quinta do Noval's 2003 Vintage Port, of which, perhaps not unexpectedly, I have no legible notes.

Chateau Rieussec 2003

2003 was a very hot year in Bordeaux, though seemingly without ill effect in Sauternes, at least based on this wine.  Chateau Rieussec's 2003 Sauternes is golden in colour, and a balanced wine with principal aromas of honey and creme brulee, and a very easy drinking palate.  A very good wine.  90 points.

Price: around $90

Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes

Website: http://www.lafite.com/eng

Guigal Hermitage 1999

Guigal's Hermitage from the 1999 vintage started slowly in the glass.  However, it quickly obtained length and body, with an aroma of game and pepper, and a peppery, savoury palate.  A very enjoyable wine that grows in the glass and is certainly not over the top.  One bottle (of four) was a bit corked.  92 points.

Abv: 13%
Price: $130
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: http://www.guigal.com/

Pierro Chardonnay 2008

Pierro's Chardonnay 2008 from the Margaret River is an outstanding wine.  It has an extravagant aroma of peaches and oak and has serious length and citrus notes on the palate.  Definitely a wine to seek out and drink.  95 points.

Abv: 14%
Price: $65
Would I buy it having tasted it? Yes
Website: http://www.pierro.com.au/

Witchmount Shiraz 2007

Witchmount created quite a stir by winning the "best shiraz in the world" category in a French wine show for its 2004 shiraz.  Interest piqued, I had been wanting to try the wines of this estate for some time.  I recently saw the 2007 vintage in a local independent wine shop, and thought, why not.  The 2007 has an aroma of pepper, spices, oak and plums.  You can smell the oak a bit, but it's not over-oaked, I don't think.  The palate is quite elegant with a touch of buttery length, and is pleasant.  Sunbury does seem to be a good home for elegant mid-weight shiraz.  84 to 85 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $30
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: http://www.witchmount.com.au

Domaine A Stoney Vineyard Cabernet 2004

If I had have tasted this wine blind, I would have almost certainly thought it an Haut Medoc.  The wine has an aroma of mint, leather, oak and blackfruits. On the palate, leathery and a touch of animal with a bit of length. It got better in the glass, and I kept thinking Bordeaux. Good drinking. 84 to 85 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $25
Would I buy it having tasted it? Yes
Website: http://www.domaine-a.com.au/

Knappstein Cabernet Petit Verdot Malbec 2009

I tried this wine on a plane in one of those "mini" bottles. I thought about not reviewing it, but then the airline probably spent some time in choosing the wines, so why not.  The wine hit the spot - ripe, simple, curranty and some oak. Gluggable.  82 points.

Abv: 14.5%
Website: http://www.knappsteinwines.com.au/

Mount Mary Chardonnay 2002

This wine is from the excellent 2002 Yarra Valley chardonnay vintage.  The 2002 Mount Mary had an aroma of citrus and stone fruits, and a palate with notes of stone fruit, citrus and apple.  A good wine.  87 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: around $60
Closure: cork (one bottle (in a half dozen) had ullaged materially, and the cork was sticky)
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Maybe.  While this is unquestionably a good wine, for the price, I'm not so sure I'd buy a lot of it.  There are also a lot of other good chardonnays from the Yarra Valley that, frankly, are cheaper.
Website: http://www.mountmary.com.au

Allinda Cabernets 2001

This is a very good cabernet.  It has aromas of black cherries and blackcurrant. The palate is well balanced, with good length and generous fruit. A real success for this estate, and I wish I had more.  87 points.


Website: http://www.allindawinery.com.au/

Alain Voge Les Vieilles Vignes 2006

I recently tasted through quite a few Cornas wines as preparation for a tasting that I put on recently: in perhaps the majority of cases, I was disappointed with what I was tasting (many thin or overpriced wines) - and across a variety of price points too.  This wine stood out though as an exceptional example of Cornas.  An aroma of pepper, lavender, dried herbs and plums.  The palate is similar with quite some length, and a touch of that slightly coarse Cornas shiraz character.  An excellent wine that I highly recommend.  90 points.

Abv: 13%
Price: $130
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: http://www.alain-voge.com/gb/domaine/histoire.html

Gilles Robin Alberic Bouvet Crozes Hermitage 2006

This wine was tasted in my search for good value Northern Rhone reds.  It smells pleasant enough: earth and plums.  It has some length on the palate and is generally pleasant, but lacks a bit of stuffing.  84 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $56.99
Would I buy this wine having tasted it?  No
Website: http://gillesrobin.com/

Matthieu Barret Brise Cailloux 2007

The capsule of this bottle was very sticky upon removal, and smelt sweet: signs of possible heat damage.  Foolhardy, I pushed on.  The wine had an aroma of pepper, herbs and, less attractively, confected bubblegum.  The palate was soupy, non-distinct, with some tannins and length at times, but overall lacking in intensity, resolving to simple jammy fruit with bubblegum overtones.  I think this bottle was almost certainly cooked, and bien cuit at that.  A pity as there could have been something good here.  Disappointing to have found this bottle on a retail shelf.  $95 of wine down the sink, literally.

Abv: 13%
Price: $95
Would I buy it having tasted it?  No
Closure: Cork

Glaetzer Amon Ra 2005

Glaetzer's Amon Ra from 2005 is a singularly impressive wine.  I read some local commentary that suggested that the wine wasn't that good, or is a "Parker wine" that will fall over.  My view is the polar opposite.  A stunning aroma of pepper, spices, plums, all with an almost surprising elegant restraint.  The palate had excellent length, richness, evident spices and was genuinely the "real deal".  I strongly recommend decanting this wine: it improved considerably with air.  100 points.

Abv: 14.5%
Price: around $100
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: http://www.glaetzer.com/

Zuber Estate Pink Cliffs Shiraz 1992

I've tasted this wine before and thought it was pretty darn good.  This bottle was even better.  An aroma of mint, plums and eucalyptus.  The palate had that length and depth of flavour that is simply amazing  A great wine, proving that Heathcote wines are indeed very capable of ageing.  Unfortunately, though the winery appears to be no more.  I read here that the vineyard is now owned by Shadowfax.  97+ points.

Price: about $35 (auction price)
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: none

Julicher Estate 99 Rows Pinot Noir 2008

This is the best pinot noir I've tried in a long while.  It has an aroma of stewed plums and cherries, with a similar character on the palate, marked by excellent (I mean really excellent) length.  An outstanding wine, though it may not keep for more than a few years, as it appears to be in its prime right now.  95 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $32.95 (from http://www.nzwineonline.com.au)
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: http://www.julicher.co.nz/

Les Tourelles de Longueville 1990

Les Tourelles de Longueville is the second wine of Chateau Pichon Longueville (Baron).  I picked up the 1990 for a bargain price of about $60: quite a find I thought.  The wine?  I smelt the cork - something wasn't quite right - it wasn't obviously cork tainted, but then it did smell an awful lot like the cork itself - unusual.  But I pushed on - it might be okay.  An aroma of wood, blackcurrants and dried herbs.  Hmm wood, not so good - nor a typical descriptor.  The palate showed some real length, some sweet spiced berries, but again that taste wouldn't go away.  The wood then started to smell a little mouldy at the end.  As you can see, I really wished this were otherwise, but this wine was corked, not badly, but enough to mean I couldn't go on with it.

Abv: 13%
Price: $60
Website: http://www.pichonlongueville.com

Chateau Marquise d'Alesme 2001

I wondered at first why the name "grand cru classé" was omitted from this label.  Why would they do that?!  The label looked a little unfamiliar too, sans horse shoe.  It slowly dawned upon me though that this in fact was not the Chateau Marquis d'Alesme Becker of cru classé, but in fact their similarly named second label.  Lesson learnt.  What then of the wine?  It has a pencil box aroma, and some pleasant length and blackcurrants on the palate, if a bit austere.  Drink now.  84 to 85 points.

Abv: 12.5%
Price: $60
Website: http://www.chateau-marquis-dalesme.fr

Westgate Endurance Shiraz 2004

This is another successful wine from the Grampians region.  An aroma of aromatic spices, pepper, chocolate and plums.  The palate has good length, is moderately mouth filling and has some peppery flavours.  It is a very good mid-weight wine that hit the spot.  86 to 87 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $43
Website: http://www.westgatevineyard.com.au

Champagne price comparison

I had a look this morning (4 February 2011) at some entry level grand marque Champagne prices online at some of the more well known retailers around town.   For a largely mass produced, mass market product, the prices vary enormously.  Here's a snapshot:

1. Veuve Clicquot NV.  Lowest: Dan Murphy's ($64.59 in half dozen).  Highest: Vintage Cellars ($84.99 single bottle).

2. Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV.  Lowest: Winestar ($64.99 in dozen).  Highest: Vintage Cellars ($87.49 single bottle).

3. Piper Heidsieck Red Label NV.  Lowest: Dan Murphy's ($42.75 in half dozen).  Highest: Nick's ($59.99)

4. Moet Chandon Brut NV.  Lowest: Nicks ($59.50 in dozen).  Highest: Vintage Cellars ($74.99 single bottle).

5. Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve NV.   Lowest: Nicks ($64 in dozen).  Highest: Vintage Cellars ($99.99 single bottle).

6. Bollinger Special Cuvee NV.  Lowest: Dan Murphy's ($59.80 in half dozen).  Highest: Prince Wine Store ($95)

Shop around folks.

Katnook Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Katnook's 2005 flagship cabernet sauvignon has an aroma of oak and plums, with evident acidity and length on the palate.  A good wine.  90 points.

Abv: 14%
Price: $100
Would I buy it having tasted it?  Yes
Website: https://www.katnookestate.com.au/katnookestate/Index.php
Other vintages reviewed: 2004

Simonnet Febvre Petit Chablis 2008

This is a fairly straightforward Chablis that I nonetheless quite enjoyed.  A fragrance and palate that is all about tightly wound citrus flavours.  84 to 85 points.

Abv: 12.5%
Price: $25-$30
Would I buy this wine having tasted it?  Yes
Website: http://www.simonnet-febvre.com/

Savignola Paolina 2006

Chianti classico remains such a hit or miss wine for me.  I really like it, but gee there are a lot of misses.  This wine is fine - an aroma of chocolate, with a bit of length and acidity on the palate.  Pleasant rather than exciting drinking.  83 points.

Abv: 13.5%
Price: $52
Would I buy it having tasted it?  No
Website: http://www.savignolapaolina.it/

Chirping Bird Early Bird Moscato 2008

There's a place for this type of sweeter style of wine: I'm just not 100% sure where that is.  Pink in colour, this wine has a floral fragrance, and off-dry to sweet palate, which is almost fruit juice like.  Look, it's not my style, but it's not bad wine.  81 points.

Price: $15
Would I buy it having tasted it?  No
Website: http://www.chirpingbird.com.au