Appellation Australia

A few wines earlier this week at Atelier in Newtown.

Vilmart Cœur de Cuvée 1997.
Light straw colour with a fine bead. Lemon, pear, brine and earth on the nose. There is subtle fruit sweetness balanced with excellent acidity on the palate. Long and intense, this is an excellent wine and one of the better 97s I’ve tasted.
92/100

Domaine Servin Les Blanchots 2000
Corked.
NR/100

Louis Michel et Fils Grenouilles 2000.
Behind the huge amount of sulfur was pear, marmalade and peaches. The palate is medium weight but very simple.
84/100

Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 1999.
Nutty, pineapple, tropical fruit, lemon rind and subtle oak aromas. A ripe, expansive palate without being too overbearing. Acid is good enough to focus the palate. Long length.
91/100

Marquis d’Angerville Clos des Ducs 1999.
Earth, cherry, blood and chocolate aromas on the nose. Firm palate, with some sweet fruit in the background, the acid structure is a highlight. Powerful and very impressive. Starting to come around to drinking well.
92/100

Sylvie Esmonin Clos St. Jacques 2001
Rich, lifted nose of raspberry, cherry and a touch of earth and chocolate. The palate is more restrained than the nose but is still tightly wound and full of power. Good potential to improve from here.
91/100

Château de Beaucastel rouge 1990
A lot of complexity on the nose with smoke and smoked meats, cherry, spice, cedar and a fair bit of funky brett. Good intensity to the palate, but the brett affects the length of the finish. I would have rated this 2-3 points higher if the brett hadn’t affected the palate so much.
92/100

Dalla Valle Maya (Napa) 2000
Bold nose, with blueberry, chocolate, vanilla, autumn leaves and grassy characters from the Cabernet Franc. Very intense and youthful on the palate with good length and the ripeness is never out of balance. Primary, but surprisingly approachable and I think it will be at its best over the next 5 years.
93/100

Dr. Loosen Ürziger Wurzgarten Auslese 1995
Lemon, spice, floral notes and light honey aromas comprise the nose. The palate is excellent with light sweetness and refreshing acidity. Great balance and lingering length.
89/100

Claude Cazals Clos Cazals 1997.
Green apple, honey and pear on the nose. The palate is awkward, it is almost both bitterly acidic and broad at the same time. Good, but I had this two and a half years ago and much preferred it then.
87/100

An amazing dinner at Tetsuya’s last weekend to celebrate a friend’s birthday, I’ll let the tasting notes and the pictures of the wine then food tell the story.

1981 Krug
This is a wine that I have always wanted to try (being my birth year) and I was very lucky to get the chance on this night. Golden coloured, with a lazy, meandering bead. Powerful ginger, spice, earth, toffee, creme brulee and cedar aromas on the nose. Incredibly deep flavour and complexity, with fresh acidity sweeping over the palate into a long and memorable finish. Kept improving the longer I left it.
97/100

1982 Krug
A year and a half ago I had this wine from the same source and it looked a touch awkward (while still being excellent), but tonight it was much improved. Light gold colour with straw highlights, an insanely fine bead - probably the finest I’ve ever seen. Aromas of almond, coffee, black truffles, vanilla and ginger came to the fore as the wine warmed up in the glass. The palate is vibrant, with great acidity laid over complex flavours. Still developing, another 5 years and I think it will be close to maturity.
95/100

1990 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Hengst Gewürztraminer Vendange Tardive
Golden coloured, this wine possessed an ever shifting, evolving nose of spices, honey, lychee, pineapple and rose petals. The palate possesses an astonishing balance between weight and refreshment. Rich, complex, deep and softly sweet, but with superb acidity, focus and purity of fruit. None of the oily or warm alcohol characters I often get from this grape and region. Close to the best Alsatian wine I’ve ever had.
96/100

1965 Lindemans Bin 3110 Hunter River “Burgundy” (classic release)
This is one of the legends of Hunter Valley and Australian wine. Still deeply purple coloured, fading slightly to red at the rim. The nose is intoxicating and layered with notes of earth, tobacco, liquorice, leather, blackberries and five spice. The palate is so composed and well balanced. Harmony reigns among the various elements right up to the long finish. Very different in style to some other great old Australian wines I’ve tried, but superb in its own right and very representative of the Hunter Valley.
97/100

1953 Domaine J. Faiveley Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges
Very lightly coloured. The nose on this wine was one of the most unique I have ever seen, along with cherry, earth and spices there was a beguiling character that I followed for some time, in the end only being able to describe it as akin to tropical fruit! The palate has superb definition and the structure that has allowed it to live to this age is still clearly evident. If there is one shortcoming, it is that the fruit is a touch thin, but otherwise the balance is very good - it seems that those famous Faiveley tannins do eventually integrate (it just takes 55 years! ).
94/100

1990 Domaine Leroy Clos de Vougeot
This wine is a strong argument in favour of the excellent reputation of this fine estate. A bold, brooding nose of cherry, strawberry, liquorice, black tea, game and forest floor. There is a richness to the palate, but it is finely textured and exists alongside the structural elegance of the wine rather than pushing the palate around and dominating. Drank well tonight, but will continue to improve over the next 10 years.
95/100

1966 Château Palmer (Margaux)
Youthful in colour. A nose that has both primary and secondary characters wound together with raspberry, cedar, tobacco, cinnamon, violets and graphite. The palate is velvet smooth, this is an absolute pleasure to drink. The elements of the palate are resolved in full and work together in harmony. Classic top-shelf Bordeaux.
96/100

1975 Château Lafleur (Pomerol)
Corked A few were brave enough to taste this and proclaimed that underneath the taint it was exceptional, but I was not willing to try.
NR/100

1990 Gaja Barbaresco Sori Tilden (Piedmont)
Deeply coloured. One of the most complex, haunting and evocative noses I have ever had the privilege to experience - there were aromas of blackberry, rose petals, anise, pine, smoke, plum and layers more - with every sniff there was something new uncovered. There is a wonderful intensity to the palate, it is as though all the elements have been magnified but somehow remain in balance with a wave of pure fruit, striking acidity and the finest of tannin. On a night of legendary wines, this wine somehow rose above and was my favourite wine of the evening. I don’t give out 100 point scores often (4 wines so far) … and I’m not going to for this, but I really feel like I could, it is so very tempting.
99/100

1982 Penfolds Grange
A nose of blackberry, cedar, liquorice, vanilla, red and black currant. Youthful and very fresh with bold and bursting with flavour, but maintains its balance across the long length of the palate. Drinking beautifully well now. Consistent with the previous bottle I tasted a year prior, one of my favourite Granges.
95/100

1990 Lindemans Sesquicentenary Release Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum)
91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Shiraz. An aroma of tomato leaf dominates the nose, behind it are some notes of raspberry, blackberry and a touch of briar. The texture of the palate is good with elegant primary fruit characters and good balance. Drinking well now but will develop and improve over the next 10 years. Was not shamed among some of the great wines from around the world.
91/100

1928 Marc Brédif Vouvray
A dazzling light straw-golden in colour. The aromas were surprisingly fresh - lots of pear, apple, honey, blueberry, ginger, oats and cloves. Amazing acidity and depth still present on the palate. It actually got better after an hour in the glass, taking on extra weight of flavour. This wasn’t showing any signs of falling apart, maybe good bottles will live forever!
94/100

1981 Jakob Gerhardt Niersteiner Frauenkirchner Bouvier and Traminer TBA (Austria)
Deeply coloured, almost like a tokay, but with strands of gold. Deep scents of apricot, marmalade, honey and apples. Great depth on the palate, with strong sweetness and a viscous mouth-feel balanced by very good acidity. Great persistence. Drink now.
93/100

1968 d’Oliveira Reserva Boal Madeira (Portugal)
Nutty, burnt toast, caramel, banana and a very familiar medicinal aroma from my childhood (possibly amoxicillin). There is a bitterness to the palate and the alcohol stands out. It is very long and intense, but I couldn’t really get into this.
86/100

Chestnut Mushroom Soup with Truffle Salt

Italian White Roll and Truffle Butter

Smoked Ocean Trout and Avruga Caviar with Scallop Mousse and Quail Egg

Leek and Crab Custard

Grilled Scampi Wrapped in Pancetta

Scampi in Sea Water and Lemon Scented Olive Oil

Marinated Scampi with White Miso and Passionfruit

Confit of Petuna Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Konbu, Apple, Fennel and Witlof

Antarctic Black Cod with Globe Artichoke and Yuzu Vinaigrette

Roasted Breast of Quail with Soft Polenta and Shiitake Mushrooms

Slow Roasted De-Boned Rack of Lamb with Blue Cheese and White Miso

Grass Fed Angus Beef Fillet with Blewitt and Chestnut Mushrooms

Cheese

Apple Sorbet with Apple Jelly

Mont Blanc

Apple Tarte Tartin with Calvados Cream Ice Cream

Chocolate Terrine with Mascarpone and Cognac Anglaise

Petit Four

Macchiato

Au Jardin Les Amis (”The Friends, In the Garden”) is situated in the tranquil Singapore Botanic Gardens, on the second level of an 1920s home. We were seated on a glass enclosed balcony with a relaxing view of the gardens. It is a wonderful setting and was a great place to spend some time on my last day in Singapore.

The service was attentive, professional and was invisible except when needed. The food was very good, it wasn’t innovative - but with clean, elegant and pleasing flavour profiles it was memorable for the taste and technique. I have read that this venue can have good and bad days, and I think this must have been a good day as everything seemed to go well.

Like Iggy’s, the price was more than fair - the meal consisted of an amuse bouche, an entree, consommé, main course, dessert, les mignardises and coffee and cost $52 AUD (including 7% GST and a mandatory 10% service charge) per person plus wine. I guess when every corner of the city has wonderful (and cheap) food, you have to be fair to stay alive.

The wine;

The wine list is extensive and full of very special bottles, as well as being generally well above my budget!

Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 2006 (Nahe, Germany) - 8.5% alcohol -
Donnhoff is very quickly heading toward the top of my favourite Riesling producer list. This had aromas of sea salt, pears, tea leaves and mandarin. Delicate and long on the palate, there is some lovely fruit sweetness balanced by superb acidity. Lovely drinking now, but will age well over the next 10 years.
91/100

Bonneau Du Martray Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 1992 (Burgundy, France) 375ml - 13% alcohol -
Golden straw coloured. Butter, sesame, toast and honey aromas on the nose. Rich and creamy mouthfeel, with enough acid to keep the palate from being flabby. Very good length and texture. Drink now and over the next couple of years.
91/100

The food;

Prawn with Basil and Berry Foam with Apple juice

Cougette blossom stuffed with crab meat

Hon maguro with horseradish and roasted sesame dressing

Vine ripened tomato consomme with basil

Lightly smoked ocean trout with apple and fennel salad

Roasted flank steak and braised oxtail in red wine with seasonal vegetables

Kirsch parfait with cherry

Lychee jelly with lychee sorbet

Les mignardises with Coffee

Iggy’s at the Regent Hotel in Singapore is the recipient of quite a bit of hype, with various awards and reviews proclaiming it to be among the best restaurants in Singapore and the world. It seems very few people have anything but good words to say about it. Wednesday the 25th of June saw me visiting this restaurant for the first time.

My expectations were high, but I will be one joining in with the praise for this establishment after my experience. The food we tried was sensational with both classic and surprising combinations of flavours that worked brilliantly together. The service was overall very good and with one or two minor tweaks could have been excellent.

Four courses at lunch (an amuse bouche, two entrees, a main and dessert) was an entirely reasonable $70AUD (including GST and a mandatory 10% service charge) per person plus wine.

The wine;

The list is heavily tilted toward white and red Burgundy, the prices are quite decent for a high quality restaurant. I was impressed when I asked to keep the bottles, they offered to remove the labels if I wished instead, and I was presented with them laminated and in perfect condition at the end of the meal.

Serriger Schloss Saarsteiner Spatlese Riesling 1986 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany) - 8% alcohol -
Golden coloured. Initially a bit closed, but as it warmed and shook off the confines of being in bottle for almost 22 years it blossomed beautifully with notes of honey, orange peel, lily petals and minerals. The palate showed fine, detailed acidity to balance the ripe fruit characters. Very good length and balance initially, with the mouth-feel and components coming together even further with time in the glass. Drinking very well now, but will hold for another 5 years.
91/100

Rossignol-Trapet Chambertin Grand Cru 2002 (Burgundy, France) - 13.5% alcohol -
This was decanted for around an hour and a half. Deep ruby red in colour, the nose is expressive and sensual with aromas of red cherry, rose petals, strawberry, light earth and black truffles. The palate shows great finesse and depth. The structure is excellent, with tannins playing their role in the background and acidity giving great freshness to the mouth-feel. There are layers of subtle flavour and complexity to this wine that kept me enthralled with every taste. Delicious and approachable now, but it will get even better over the next 12-15 years.
93/100

The food;

Sweet Corn “Cappuccino” with Chocolate

Sourdough roll with garlic and herb infused olive oil

Charcoal-grilled bonito with white anchovies, mizuna salad, olives and peppers, citrus dressing

Roulade of kurobuta pork belly with red cabbage salad, whole grain mustard dressing

Fresh Burrata mozzarella with vine-ripe tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil

Home-made potato gnocchi with truffle salsa and soft-boiled egg

Classic onion soup served with crusty bread loaf

Braised kurobuta pork cheek with onion confit

Home-made Wagyu beef burger with white truffle sabayon

Confit of duck leg with rosemary potatoes, mesclun

Grand Marnier soufflé with home-made Java vanilla ice cream

Baked chocolate molten cake with Java vanilla ice-cream

A superb recent dinner at Azuma. The food was some of the very best that I’ve had anywhere in Sydney and I would highly recommend trying it if possible.

-Pacific Oysters with Ponzu dressing
-Prawn Tempura served with curry salt

1982 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque
Light straw gold colour belies the age of this wine. The nose showed aromas of citrus, honey, vanilla and nuts. The palate is fresh, with remarkable vibrancy and acidity. The depth and the length were both outstanding. Superb - looked after bottles will probably get better over the next 6-7 years as well!
95/100

1996 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses
Doughy, citrus, talc, raspberry and with some time in the glass some light nutty characters. The palate is undoubtedly powerful, with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. Great length. As it had time to breath in the glass it unwound and just got better and better. Bursting with potential, I was glad to try this young and I hope I have another encounter with it when it has aged.
94/100

- Azuma Style Tuna Carpaccio
- Grilled Lobster with tartar sauce

2000 William Fevre Chablis Les Preuses
Delightful nose of flowers, minerals, honey and a touch of vanilla. The palate has great structure and balance, with fine acidity along its length leading into a long finish. One of the best Chablis I have tried this year, this will get better and I think be close to peaking over the next 5 years.
93/100

2001 Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet
Gunflint, florals, chalk and some light oak on the nose. Bold palate with massive intensity and depth of fruit that is tamed by an excellent line of acidity. Well textured and superbly long. Very primary at this stage, I would like to see another bottle in 10 years time.
93/100

- Grilled Chicken Fillet marinated in garlic miso
- Grilled Chicken Balls served on skewers
- Twice Cooked Duck Breast with teriyaki sauce and yuzu citrus pepper

1990 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze
Concentrated and deeply coloured, the nose is expressive and had aromas of redberries, earth, black cherry and dark chocolate. The palate was more refined than I thought it would be based on the nose, it showed some intense fruit but also a lot of class and structure. Beautiful length and quite delicious to drink. Set to improve over the next 5+ years.
94/100

1990 Mommessin Clos de Tart
This showed strawberry, cherry, earth and some red floral characters on the nose. The palate is pleasant except for some tannins poking through abruptly on the finish. Based on this bottle, close to its peak. Still a very good wine and I was happy to experience it.
90/100

2000 Leroy Romanee St Vivant
Densely coloured. Earthy, spice and black pepper. Brilliance is evident on the palate - textured and layered, there is plenty of complexity here even though the wine is young. Long and balanced, this was delicious now but also has a bright future.
95/100

- Kakuni – Braised Bangalow Sweet Pork Belly
- Wagyu Beef Sirloin Steak served with garlic soy sauce

1995 Ausone
Chocolate, cedar, blackberry, minerals and cassis aromas. Rich, deep fruit on the palate. Great balance and the components seem well integrated even at this early stage. Has the structure and depth to improve for the next 15+ years at least.
93/100

1995 Cheval Blanc
Seductive nose of musk, cinnamon, red berries and cherry. Silky on the palate, with good complexity and weight. Impressive balance and length. Despite its alluring nature now while young, it does have very good structure and will improve over the next 10 years.
94/100

1995 Lafite Dark purple in colour. Cassis, pencil shavings, chocolate and smoke on the nose. Powerful palate with incredible quality fruit. Balanced, with nothing out of place. Outstanding persistence. This is a brilliant wine, with the potential over the next 20 years to develop into something very special.
96/100