Saturday Lunch and a Mini Dessert Wine Tasting

Its a cool but sunny Saturday afternoon and seven of my good friends are arriving for what is suppose to be lunch and a Dessert Wine tasting. In the Kitchen the slow cooked Moroccan Lamb Shanks are stewing away, the potatoes for the mash are on the boil and palate cleansing beers are being drank by those already in attendance. A new one to me called Aussie Cool Lager?
What better lunch than Lamb Shanks on a cool May afternoon but of course they wouldnt be complete without some good old hearty reds to wash it all down so it goes without saying that some double decanting was also going on in the dining room.
First up is the 2006 Schild Estate Shiraz which was lovely and full bodied, showing plums, dark berries and a full lush mouthfeel. I could not help but feel as though this may be a little on the stewed fruit side or slightly over extracted? Never the less it was certainly gluggable and went terrifically well with the Lamb Shanks.
At the same time the Schild Estate was on the table another budget beater was also fighting for prominance 2005 Sea Change Padthaway Shiraz purchased by a friend as a bin end run out with a free case of beer when you buy a case. Rather floral on the nose and certainly drinkable but not all that interesting. Dark purple with a little spice and a little short on the finish. It is worth mentioning i did not take notes on any of these wines as it was more about eating, laughing with friends and something to wash it all down at this stage.
Next was a 2002 Saltram Metala Cab/Shiraz showing typical Langhorne Creek traits of mint and a touch of Eucalypt. Nice mouth feel with some grippy tannins and dark plums but certainly a little simple and not all that interesting either.

Then a 2005 Mt Langhi Cliff Edge Shiraz, now this was actually i very nice wine indeed for its price, mulberry and boysenberry, plums, soft tannins with a some spice and pepper, great balance and mouthfeel, medium length and drinking nicely right now. Will have to grab some of these and put in the cellar for regular consumption i think.

This was followed by a 2007 Leeuwin Estate Shiraz which although i had a glass i did not pay a great deal of attention to it. I do remember liking it and thinking it was a good shiraz that needed time in the cellar and also finding it a little more on the savoury side with nice fruit but a little closed right now. Now all these were consumed before, during and after the Lamb Shanks were served. I think the Mt Langhi and the Schild Estate drank the best with the meal.

Moroccan Lamb Shanks with Brown Lentils, Figs, Dates, Dried Apricots and Creamy Mashed Potato.

Now i did mention this was a dessert wine tasting didnt I, well im not so sure 5 wines qualify for a tasting but a few last minute pull outs saw the list go from a proposed 8 down to 5. Anyway time for the first flight which was 3 Australian Botrytis wines. Now due to the number of wines and my already very relaxed jovial mood i also failed to write proper notes on these wines however;
2008 Vasse Felix Cane Cut Semillon, semi sweet, slightly tropical fruit including banana skin and some echoes of pineapple, interesting and enjoyable to say the least.

2007 Vinelain Botrytis Semillon with pure 23k Gold Flakes (bizarre), i could not help but feel this had a very mineral and slatey taste bordering on dry and slightly bitter. An interesting and unusual wine.

2005 Tempus Two Botrytis Semillon, Honey, citrus marmalade and nice botrytis spice showing ginger and a little clove. WOTF and certainly my preferred choice of the 3.

To help us consume these sweeter wines there were Mini Walnut and Butter Tarts, Mini Sultana and Butter Tarts and Chocolate Cake topped with Balsamic Macerated Strawberries and Strawberry Mouse.

Second Flight was:

2003 St Stephan's Crown, Tokaji Aszu, Corked smelling of wet dog and cardboard.

2005 Chateau Lamothe, Guignard, Sauternes, Pale in colour and evidently young showing honeysuckle and citrus with mineral and herbal spice. Great balance and good acidity although perhaps a little short on the finish.


The 2005 Tempus Two took out the overall wine of the day WOTD on this occassion, although i dont really think it had a great deal of competition it was a lovely wine on the day.

Sunny Friday in May and a 64 Rheingau

Its a sunny afternoon on a cool Friday in May and we decide to open 1964 Ernest Mee's Winteler Steinader Natur Rheingau Riesling, golden yellow in colour, smelling of sweet honeysuckle, candied citrus, hay and some kero with breathing. The texture of the palate mouth coating and slightly oily, smooth and silky, honey, a touch of candied orange, lanolin and some gentle lemon butter. This wine took a good hour to open and reveal all of its nose and flavour profile. After about 2-3 hours the Kero characteristic starts to emerge but never seems to dominate the nose or the palate. The honey/honeysuckle characteristic remains dominate the whole time with the citrus and other flavours adding complexity and personality to a soft old wine. This would be just delicious with light or suttle flavoured seafood such as white Fish, salt and pepper Calamari or fresh Sashimi.


A late lunch of home made eastern inspired lamb meatballs witha tomato based sauce and hand made spaghetti was just too rich and spicy for a grand old German Riesling so a quick trip to the cellar found an Orlando, Jacobs Creek, 30th Anniversary wine made from the 2000 vintage and released in 2006 to celebrate 30 years of the Jacobs Creek brand and label. The bottle reads a blend of premium Shiraz 62% and Cabernet 38% from various wine regions around Australia. Although known as a lesser vintage this wine was impressive with a lovely nose of black fruits including cherry, blackberry, plums, cassis, mint and dark chocolate leaping out of the decanter. These flavours followed on the palate in a seamless medium weight wine, well balanced and smooth with drying tannins. While very good this wine did not show the dense melange of flavours or heavy weight concentration packed into every mouthfull that you would expect of a similar wine from a stellar vintage. Never the less it went very well with the spicy lamb meat balls. According to the label it should be just entering its drinking window and should continue to improve for another 5 years, i tend to agree.

Easter Degustation and Premium Wines

With Easter fast approaching it had been quite a while since i spent some time putting together, cooking and serving up a Degustation menu with some stunning premium wines. What I'm trying to say is, i was itching to get back in kitchen and pull together another amazing evening of food and wine for my close friends who love and enjoy their wine and food just as much as i do. With the Easter long weekend approaching it seemed the perfect time to do just that.
I first started out like any normal wine person would by choosing the wines i wanted to serve from my cellar and suggested to some friends who were also going to bring a bottle what varietal and type of wine they should bring, if possible to match the the type of food i was thinking about serving. Now i knew the majority of wines and their styles i set about preparing my menu by choosing the main ingredient in each course and then built the other produce and flavours around it. My intention was to hopefully match the wine i intended to serve with each course and allow the wines to highlight and contrast with some of the flavours in each dish. Putting a great deal of thought into each and every dish here is the menu i came up with including wines:

Easter 2010

Amuse Bouché

Aged Gruyere, Fino Sherry and Crouton

Seppeltsfield Flora Fino Sherry

Gravlax and Avocado Consommé

2009 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling

Scallop, Prosciutto, Cauliflower Puree, Cashew and Fish Emulsion

2000 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay

Terrine of Duck a’la Orange, Fig, Pistachio Powder and Ginger Plum Salsa

2004 Mount Mary Pinot Noir

Salt Bush Lamb, Liquid Bread, Miso, Almond, Mint, Rosemary, Duchesse Parsnip and Blackcurrant Jus

1986 Wynn’s John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon

Hunter Valley Blue Ribbon Dry Aged Scotch Fillet, Snow Pea, Truffle Butter and Black Cherry Jus

1996 Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz

Cardamom and Orange Blossom Panna Cotta, Macerated Raspberry and Wild Hibiscus

1980 Cullen Auslese Rhine Riesling

White Peach Tart, Yellow Peach Ice Cream, Cinnamon Syrup

Seppeltsfield Grand Tokay

Fluffanutter Medjool

2006 Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine

The first course was an adaption and my own interpretation of a recipe devised by the great Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck in England. A combination of Swiss Aged Gruyere and Fino Sherry infused with select spices and herbs to form something of a creamy soup consistency. I served it in a red and black Chinese spoon complete with a floating, salty, crunchy Crouton and a very light sprinkle of Nutmeg. Unfortunately we were so eager to get dinner underway i completely forgot to take a photo of this dish so you are stuck with my description and your imagination to form your own picture of how this looked. To say this set the standard for the rest of the dinner would be spot on. So devine and perfectly matched to the Seppelt Fino Sherry this dish sat everyone back in their seats with that wow factor and left us all in awe of how good Fino Sherry can be with the right food.

Next up was my first attempt at Gravlax. Now at this point i would like to mention that the most important thing about any and every dish i make is the quality of the ingredients and i always seek out and find the best and freshest examples i can. Gravlax is the Scandanavian term for cured fish and in this case it was fresh Salmon infused with Lemon Thyme and Chartreus Liqueur served with cold Avocado Consumme. This dish was matched to the superb 2009 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling which with its floral, tropical nose, lemon, lime, herbacious palate. The beautiful balance of acidity in the Grosset cut through the creamy Avocado Consumme and complimented the sweet, herbacious Gravlax wonderfully.
The third dish for the evening was the Scallops and probably prepared very much in the same manner as many restaurants have prepared them in the past but just so good if you can get that balance of sweet and salty just right. The Scallops are marinated in Yellow Box Honey and Curry powder before being pan fried, served atop a creamy Cauliflower puree topped with a piece of slightly crisp Proscuitto then surrounded by Fish emulsion and couple of marinated Cashews to finish. As one of my guests put it "when you get a small piece of each ingredient in your mouth all at once the combination is so complex and so well balanced its mind blowing". I dont think you could ask for more with a glass of perfectly aged 2000 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay, complex, tight, buttery, smoky, nutty, peaches and cream in glass. So good was the Yattarna it left everyone wishing we had another bottle on hand.

Moving away from the Seafood and whites and into the Game and light red territory each and every dish built in flavour and complexity just perfectly. My own creation this dish was in the age old format of a French Terrine (i love making terrines). This Duck Terrine was formed of 4 specific layers, firstly a shredded Duck meat, Pork and Shitaki force meat; then a layer of home made Fig chutney/jelly followed by layers of fresh Orange marinated Duck Breast and finally a Liver and Leek creamy Pate. Served at room temperature with a Plum and Crystalized Ginger Salsa, Pistachio powder and the 2004 Mount Mary Pinot Noir from Victoria. I dont think i need to tell you how good this dish was but what did really leave a number of people stunned was how well the Pinot (which was just brilliant) complimented and even accentuated the Orange component of the dish, its earthiness and pure fruit just sat perfectly in combination with the Plum, Pistachio and Duck.

Moving right along my version of Salt Bush Lamb served 3 ways with the perfectly aged 1986 Wynn's John Riddoch Cabernet. Good quality Lamb Loin crusted with dried Salt Bush and a little salt and pepper pan friend and served perfect medium rare. In this dish i presented the Lamb in 3 different flavour combinations: Almond and Mint, Miso and Rosemary, Blackcurrant. The Almond and Miso formed as a liquid bread and the Rosemary and Mint infused Simon Johnson Virgin Olive Oil (each infused as a seperate oil of course) and lastly the Blackcurrant Jus with just a touch of Star Anise to give it lift. Finished off with Duchesse Parsnip which was so creamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The 1986 John Riddoch displays the perfectly aged characters that i love in old Cabernet. Soft and round with smoke, cigar box, cedar and pure sweet Cassis, the tannins have softened and wine is just so moreish. A perfect accompaniment to the Lamb!

With the conversation rolling we took a short 10 minute break before heading back to the kitchen to get the last of the savoury dishes out. My belief with great quality beef is to keep it fairly simple and let the produce shine. The Scotch Fillet was sourced from a 1st prize winning cow from the Hunter Valley show that had been perfectly dry aged by my favourite butcher. Due to the number of dishes and size of the Scotch fillets they were halved as it would have been impossible at this stage for anyone to finish the meal let alone the steak itself. Served medium rare with blanched Snow Pea's, Truffle Butter and a black Cherry and red wine Jus (made with a whole bottle of good quality Barossa Shiraz). Incredibly tender with the sweet earthyness of the black Cherry and melting Truffle Butter sending a lovely aroma into the air. Washing this down with the incredibly good 1996 Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz with its black berry liqueur, dark chocolate, Kirsch and soft tannins finishing extremely long and big. This is what good Barossa Shiraz is all about and easily one of my all time favourite wines from a ripper vintage. Just stunning!

On to the sweet part of the night with Cardamom and Orange Blossom Panna Cotta, the suttle flavour of Cardamom paired with the incredible lift of the Orange Blossom and your senses are in heaven. Add to that Raspberries macerated in Orange Blossom Water and the Rhubarb/Raspberry flavour of the Wild Hibiscus flower in its own syrup and this dish was susinct in every way. The 1980 Cullen Rhine Riesling showing plenty of Honey and soft citrus and caramel characters was unfortunately a little overshadowed by the power of the desert on both the nose and palate. Never the less the Cullen was very good. The Panna Cotta i should mention was just perfect, very light and creamy with that perfect plate wobble when it was served.

Time for the second dessert and it was my own study into the flavours Peach. White Peach tarts cooked upside down with a cheesy crumble topping which forms the base when inverted onto the plate. Yellow Peach Ice Cream to the side and the tart topped with sticky Cinnamon and Peach syrup accompanied by Seppelt's Grand Tokay. The nutty rancio, green tea, golden syrup, citrus and caramel complexity found in the Tokay was a perfect match for this dish and just lovely. Unfortunately when i put this dish on the table it smelt so good that there was not waiting and everyone just tucked in and i again forgot about the photo.......... I will leave it again to your imagination.

To top things off and for those that were still game i finished with stuffed Medjool dates using a combination of marshmallow and peanut butter lightly grilled under the griller to heat them up and soften the stuffing. Sticky, yummy and ohhh so sweet. With my first ever glass of Ice Wine the 2006 Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine from Canada. I have been wanting to taste this wine for a long time now and on a recent trip overseas decided to pick some up duty free upon my return to Australia. If you have not tried this wine and you like your sweet dessert wines it is a must to try. Incredible bright yellow with a huge nose that reminded me of drinking cans of Passiona as a child, strong Passionfruit, Pineapple, Citrus and tropical fruit that meld into a perfectly complex and yet not too cloying wine. So so incredibly good, not to mention bringing back those wonderful childhood memories!

A fitting and special end to a wonderful night of great food, great wine and even greater company.

Chardonnay Tasting Monday 26th April 2010

Monday afternoon 2.30pm the sun was shining, it was a typical warm autumn afternoon and the monthly informal wine tasting was about to get underway. This Month the theme is Australian Chardonnay, any region, any vintage. There were 9 Chardonnays in the line up and William was our sommelier this time round after having his wine voted number 1 in the last tasting. William did a fantastic job of organising the wines into their flights of 3. Even if we were all wondering what he was doing on his knees in the kitchen hiding behind the pantry door.

The wines were all tasted blind and we voted on each flight before the wines were revealed. At the end of the 3 flights we arranged the wines voted first in each flight, tasted them blind again side by side to get an overall winner, 2nd and 3rd place.

The first flight:

2008 Hay Shed Hill Margaret River WA:
Tropical fruit including Guava, Nectarine and Peach with a dash of oak spice soared from the glass. This followed through on the palate with perfectly balanced acidity and a perfect soft dash of Oak supporting that wonderful pure fruit. Impeccable balance and just so juicy. WOTF. 2nd overall.

2008 Shaw and Smith M3 Adelaide Hills SA:
Much bigger than the previous wine in the sense that this was what i would call that big bold style of Chardonnay with big fruit and a massive buttery dollop of Oak. Vanilla and Peach on the nose, in the mouth buttery and rich with a mouth coating texture. Spicy and almost oily with nectarine vanilla and spice. Big wine and i really like it. I would like to try this after 5 years in the cellar as i feel it would soften and integrate even further.

2008 Over The Shoulder Yarra Valley Vic:
Floral and Elegant both on the nose and in the mouth. I thought it rather slatey and mineraly with Melon and some citrus. A little short on the palate after the last two wines never the less crisp, elegant and easy to drink.














The second flight:

2008 Leeuwin Prelude Margaret River WA:
The nose on this wine threw me right from the word go. Herbaceous, Banana skin, faint Nectarine and a little funkiness. It followed pretty much the same in the mouth with perhaps some melon and what i thought seemed like Nettle without any funkiness. Well balanced and middle of the road between big and bold and the elegant wines. This seemed to speak more of where it was from than the fruit it was made from. I spent a good 5 minutes or more just smelling this wine. I loved it!

2007 Ashbrook Estate Margaret River WA:
The nose showed burnt Match, Flint, Vanilla and Peaches. The palate was intense with Peaches, Hazelnut, Nutmeg, spicy smokey Oak, intense, long and fairly well balanced. Lovely and Powerful. WOTF. 3rd Overall.

2007 Howard Park Margaret River WA:
Crushed flowers and i think Violet on the nose. The palate was elegant with Honey Dew Melon and Citrus with nice acid and the oak far away in the background. Soft and Crisp this would have been just fantastic with grilled Fish and a green salad.

The Third Flight:

2002 Brands Coonawarra SA (Magnum):
Buttery and soft with toast and the yellow peach fruit fading into the background this caressed the mouth but just seemed a little short and simple. It went rather well with the Paella served at the end of this flight however it was possibly past its prime and just a little simple. Medium in length, this did have great mouth feel and was happily consumed by most washing down the some great Paella.

2004 Bannockburn Geelong Vic:
Peach, Spice, Citrus and Hazelnut on the nose which followed to the palate with the complexity of some caramel and almond which added to the savoury side of the wine and its buttery mouth feel. This wine was well integrated, complex with a soft acid back bone and just divine to drink. Yum Yum Yum! WOTF. WOTN!

2008 Peregrine Central Otago NZ (Ringer):
Very tropical and floral on the nose even a little passion fruit? The palate showed Melon, Nectarine and a little citrus, elegant with lovely acidity. Even a touch floral. Lovely wine to drink.

During and before the wines were served we were treated to some great Mezz plates, Cheeses and warm country bread complete with whole seed and soya bean. After the 3 flights of wine had been tasted it was time to do a little work on filling our stomachs. This months host dished up a fantastic smoked Salmon Fettuccine and green side salad followed by a mouth watering Seafood Paella. These dishes were perfect in keeping with our theme of Chardonnay and did a great job in helping us to consume some of those left over Chardies. To finish things off we had two small deserts, the first Violet Panna Cotta with Black Currant Soup and secondly mini Pear Tart with Vanilla ice cream and Cinnamon, Citrus syrup. A very sweet and mouth watering end to some great wines, food and the usual awesome company!

Note:

WOTF = Wine Of The Flight
WOTN = Wine Of The Night

Super Rare and Premium Wine Dinner 2009

Friday 7th August 2009

For my second blog I have decided to copy across my notes from the Auswine Forum on a very special dinner and wine tasting i conducted about 9 months ago.


Back in June of 2009 I put together a very special selection of wines and closely co-ordinated a degustation dinner with Chef Darren Templeman of Restaurant Atelier in Sydney. The idea went a little something like this:

For some time now I and a fellow dedicated wine drinking and cellaring friend have wanted to open a number of rare and serious wines from our cellars. We wanted to share them with some other wine loving people who are prepared to come on an evening journey into wine.

Our idea was to open these wines among a small group of 8 people in total. There would be 4 to 5 seats available at the table. The wines would be served alongside a specially prepared degustation menu by the head chef at a select Sydney restaurant. Each course would be matched to each one of the wines being served. The dinner would take place in a private dining room at the selected restaurant.

We hoped this would be a chance to make some new friends who share the same passion we do for great and rare wines and share the cost in opening some great and rare bottles of wine. There would be a total of 10 wines and 8 courses of food with 2 particular wines being served either on their own or with an additional cheese course.



The Place was Restaurant Atelier in Glebe, Sydney. The wines came from both mine and very good friend’s cellar. The all important wine list:



1976 Pol Roger, Blanc De Blanc De Reserva, Champagne, France

1988 Krug Vintage Brut, Champagne, France

1979 Leo Buring, DW 116, Riesling, SA

1995 Leeuwin Art Series, Chardonnay, WA

1982 Wynn's, John Riddoch, Cabernet Sauvignon, SA

1990 Penfolds, 707, Cabernet Sauvignon, SA

1976 Penfolds, Grange Hermitage, Shiraz, SA

1966 Penfolds, Grange Hermitage, Shiraz, SA (Red wine clinic 1998)

1958 Seppelt, Bin CH16, Burgundy, Shiraz (Colin Preece wine)

1977 Pieroth, Beeranauslese Riesling, Germany

All Saints, Grand Liqueur Tokay, Vic

The Menu with matched wines is listed below:

Starter: Pol Roger
Canapés

Course 1: Krug

Wild Iranian Caviar Two-Ways, Potato Blinis & White Chocolate

Course 2: Leo Buring

Kangaroo Island Marron Tail, Foie Gras Mousse, Pea & Ham Ice Cream, Fresh Pea Salad

Course 3: Leeuwin Estate

Jamon Iberico, Fennel Agar, Pickled Girolles, & Cipolinne, Seared Scallop

Colin Preece Seppelt – no food

Course 4: John Riddoch

Roasted Rack of lamb, Fresh Burgundian Summer Truffle, Potato Gnocchi, Seared Foie Gras

Course 5: 707

Cocoa-Roasted Striploin of New Zealand Venison, Baby Turnips, Confit Carrot Puree, Liquorice-Infused Sauce

Course 6: Both Grange
Seasonal Selection of Cheese

Course 7: Beeranauslese

Tahitian Vanilla & Chocolate Fudge Souffle, Malt-Chocolate Ice Cream, Malt Milkshake

All Saints - no food

Below is my notes on the wines after the event which took place on Friday 7th August 2009. The only unfortunate thing i did in these original notes was to not write up the food and i should have because it was sensational (see the photos at the bottom for an indication).

Wow Wow Wow!!!!!!!

Last night the Wine gods shined down upon us with great old bottle after great old bottle. A fantastic evening with amazing wines, incredible food and great company.

Firstly a big thank you to everyone one that came last night and participated in this amazing line up of wines. You company was very much enjoyed on such a memorable evening of wine tasting. A special thank you to Dave for bringing a 94 HOG (Hill of Grace) and 39 Seppelt Para port to share with everyone. A very big thank you to Gavin for opening his cellar and providing a number of the wines to make up this awesome line up. I too had a little surprise for everyone in the form of an 83 Penfolds 707 which also went down a treat.

Secondly a massive thank you to Atelier Restaurant for some wonderful food and great service. Darren is certainly a very talented and capable chef and thank you again to Bernadette and our waiter Julian for your friendly and efficient service.

Now onto the wine... Only 1 wine out of the complete line up was past it and had certainly seen better days. I did not take notes on the night as i left my pen and paper at home and i was also rather busy preparing the wines but i will give my impressions on each wine from memory and in order.

1976 Pol Roger - Deep golden almost amber in colour, fine bead with a toffee, biscuit, yeasty toasty nose. The palate showed butter scotch, nougatine, citrus, lemon and grape fruit peel and was very enjoyable. We were off to a great start.

1988 Krug - Unlike the bottle opened 12 months ago which was extremely fruity and complex this wine showed a nose of green apples, mineral and even some apple pie sweetness. The same followed on the palate, complex, tight and massive this was still only a baby and hard to believe it was 21yrs old. Incredible acid and that granny smith apple presence. Still many years ahead of it. A Super wine.

1979 Leo Buring Show Reserve Riesling - Lovely nose showing typical aged riesling characteristics with a little citrus and some Hay. Unfortunately for me the palate just didnt live upto the wonderful nose on this wine never the less an enjoyable experience with some bitter apple, mild citrus and Kero on a lean and short palate. Im guessing we were perhaps 5 years plus too late for this one.

1995 LEAS Chardonnay - Wonderful chardonnay with peach, honey dew melon and sweet glace pineapple the same followed on the palate with some nice buttery well integrated oak. Although this bottle was a touch short on the finish compared to bottles opened recently it was a another great wine and enjoyed by all. The last of the whites and so far we were all very happy with the wine gods offerings.

1958 Seppelt Bin CH16 Colin Preece wine - Firstly an amazing colour for a wine that is 50 years old unfortunately the same couldnt be said for the nose and palate which while the fruit and structure was still some what evident this bottle was clearly long gone and probably a victim of improper cellaring at some stage of its life.

1982 Wynn’s John Riddoch - interesting sweaty nose with asparagus and some mintiness, the palate certainly had structure, fruit (although secondary) fine tannins, spearmint, capsicum and leather. A very enjoyable experience and this bottle i feel still had many years ahead of it.

1983 Penfolds 707 - Lovely redish purple in colour, beautiful nose of red fruits, cassis, boysenberry with a dash of vanilla. the palate was soft and supple with gentle cassis, leather, soft tannins but a little thin on the back palate and more middle weight. As someone else at the table put it "a lovely wine to sit and drink with a good book on Sunday afternoon" Drink up!

1990 Penfolds 707 - Deep purple, lovely nose of Cassis, vanilla, coffee, Anise. Big, bold and brooding this was a superb wine. The palate showed pure blackcurrant, mocha, vanilla good tannin structure and is still yet to reach its peak in my opinion. Fantastic wine.

1966 Penfolds Grange - Quite remarkable! This was something very special indeed. Well integrated, lovely soft reddish purple colour, on the nose very complex, smoke, leather, dark fruits, chocolate, liquorice and coffee which all flowed onto a glorious palate so well integrated, complex and powerful. This was quite simply a glorious old Grange that was an incredible experience to taste and probably one of the best wines i have ever drank. Thank you wine gods!

1976 Penfolds Grange - Wow! Deep purple, lovely nose of blackberry, chocolate, mint, liquorice and tar. On the palate blackberry liqueur, chocolate, coffee, tar, smoke, liquorice and a melange of other flavours in a very powerful and full package that still has so many years ahead of it. For me this wine punched above the 66 with its sheer power and was my WOTN however at the same time the 66 was also in a league of its own making WOTN a very very hard choice.

1994 Henschke Hill of Grace - dark purple in colour, lovely nose of blackberry, tar and anise. The palate showed this wine is still only a pup, powerful, muscular, tight and still quite closed the palate showed some dark berry fruits with a solid tannin structure that is still softening out. A wonderful wine that would have benefited from more time in a decanter than it was given to open and show even better. Still a great wine and a fitting end to the red wines for the evening.

1977 Pieroth Beeranauslese - Golden amber in colour, honey, citrus, apricot and toffee followed onto the palate with a dash of golden syrup richness without being cloying. This is certainly at its peak and for me almost like drinking liquid dried apricots coated in honey and golden syrup with a touch of candied citrus peel. Just Magic!

All Saints Grand Tokay - Toffee, tea, raisin, treacle, mouth coating goodness with amazing depth! I think many of you know the deal here.

1939 Seppelt Para Port - Superb Para Port in pristine condition! (thank you Dave)

Overall an incredible line up of wines with a menu to die for! A wonderful experience with some great new friends! What more could you ask for.