Bruno Paillard Premiere Cuvee NV Some kiwi fruit on the otherwise closed nose. Sweet and simple on the palate. 84/100 Bruno Paillard Brut Assemblage 1996 Funky, boot polish and violets. No structure to the palate. Very poor, hopefully an off bottle. 76/100 Bruno Paillard Rose Premiere Cuvee NV Yeasty nose with some lemon and earth. […]
Category: Wine Reviews
Boizel Joyau de France 1991 Lots happening on the nose – toast, citrus, honey and more. Palate has good length and richness. Good complexity as well. At its peak and very interesting. 90/100 Boizel Brut Blanc de Blancs NV Strong bready aromas with a touch of yeast/cheese. Palate is much more restrained and elegant. A […]
Billecart-Salmon Brut NV Apple, brioche and toast/oak aromas. Rich mouthfeel. Pretty good. 87/100 Billecart-Salmon Nicholas Francois-Billecart 1998 An appealing layered nose of citrus, floral notes and toast. Good structure and balance between acid and fruit on the palate. Lots to like about this. 90/100 Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose NV Lemon and florals. Clean palate with some […]
Bollinger Special Cuvee NV Lemon pastry aromas. The palate is clean with medium body and richness. 87/100 Bollinger La Grande Annee 1999 Floral notes and apple on the nose. Palate shows excellent depth and length. Open and ready for drinking now. Very impressive. 91/100 Bollinger La Grande Annee Rose 1999 A lovely, delicate nose – […]
Ayala Brut Majeur NV Tight nose, some peaches. Palate has some richness to it. Simple but provides some pleasure. 86/100 Ayala Brut Nature Rose NV Rose petals and strawberries on the nose. Palate lacks flow and balance. 82/100 Ayala Zero Dosage NV Nose of lemon and peaches. Palate is fresh, crisp and clean but without […]
Over the next couple of weeks I’ll post quick impressions of the 90+ Champagnes I tasted at this event. The stand outs were; Bollinger La Grande Annee 1999 Billecart-Salmon Nicholas Francois-Billecart 1998 Boizel Joyau de France 1991 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 1995 Henriot Cuvee Enchanteleurs 1995 Mumm de Cramant NV Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru […]
A great dinner at Bilson’s, a top French restaurant in Sydney, almost spoiled by a waiter with a severe attitude problem, but rescued by superb company, food, wine and significantly better service when we asked for another waiter to look after us. – Tarte Fine of Local Lobster with Mousseline of Spinach – Grilled Fillet […]
What a debacle the wine master classes were at Restaurant ’07 (a trade event). Missing wines, corked wines, endless delays and so on … Update: I was contacted today (30/10) by a representative from the organisers of the event, they had me expand on the feedback and said they would pass it on to the […]
A couple of bottles opened recently to celebrate a birthday. 1992 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil – France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne Straw yellow colour. Very fine bead. Appealing aromas of honey, slate, orange zest, a touch of smoky oak and a light nutty character. The palate is focused, elegant and delicate, yet […]
1996 Comte Audoin de Dampierre Family Reserve Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Champagne Toast, apple and light floral aromas. Lovely weight to the palate. Still balanced, but the acid has softened considerably. This bottle, a year on from the last one confirms my suspicions that it will likely be at its best in its youth. […]