I was fortunate a few weekends ago to finally try a wine from the revered Australian winemaker, Maurice O’Shea. O’Shea is regarded as a master and pioneer of the winemaking craft in Australia and his best wines still have the potential to be great, despite the basic conditions under which they were made. The wines […]
Category: Hunter Valley
These were tasted at The Book Kitchen Restaurant in Surry Hills. Most dishes are available in entree and main course size, so most of us opted for 4-5 entree sized courses so that we could try a wide variety. Some dishes were excellent, while others lacked flavour. The service quality was also rather inconsistent. I […]
I’m jumping back on board the Hunter Valley Semillon train after the stunning 1986 Lovedale the other night, and while this isn’t quite in the same league – it is interesting, pretty darn enjoyable and a steal at $11AUD. Straw, lemon, wax, acacia florals and some toast just starting to develop on the nose. Medium […]
A fun night recently with some of my wine drinking associates where we celebrated the birthyear (and in one case the conception year) of the people attending with wines from that vintage. The years we were celebrating were 1963, 1968, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1984. None of the years are especially legendary or classic, […]
Sydney experienced a 45° celsius (113° fahrenheit) New Years day this year, so we did what any sensible group of wine lovers would do – go ahead with the dinner anyway and celebrate the New Year with some great wine. This was my first visit to Elio, an Italian restaurant which is based in Leichhardt […]
From the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia – Almost no sediment. Browning only a slight amount around the edges of the otherwise deep red colour. Intoxicating nose – Savoury, earthy, briary with a touch of leather and a small hint of menthol. A fully mature, complex palate. Excellent length and balance. At its […]