Chardonnay shines brightest in Chablis. Chablis is our favourite expression of Chardonnay. Montrachet can be stunning, Australia produces the occasional standout, but I am yet to encounter Chardonnay that matches Chablis. The purity of fruit, genuine vineyard terroir and a stunning minerality combine to make this region of France the Chardonnay mecca of the wine…
2001 Dopff & Irion Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg
How to age gracefully – the sequel Part 3 of our final day in Australia and the visit to Keith Tulloch Wines. Part 1 can be found here- 2014 Keith Tulloch The Kester Shiraz Part 2 can be found here- 1998 Dopff & Irion Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg I have a habit of searching for the…
1998 Dopff & Irion Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg
How to age gracefully. Part 2 of our final day in Australia and the visit to Keith Tulloch Wines. Part 1 can be found here- 2014 Keith Tulloch The Kester Shiraz The1998 was the first of two Rieslings from the same producer. The 2001 notes will be posted tomorrow. Assistant Winemaker at Keith Tulloch who…
December 2016: 2014 Keith Tulloch The Kester Shiraz (and our last visit to Keith Tulloch Wines)
Tasted at Cellar Door, decanted for 20 minutes. The fruit is from a heritage-listed single vineyard with 86 year old vines. Shiraz 99%Voignier 1% There was incredible hype surrounding the 2011 vintage. When the 2014 was completed comparisons were already being made. Time will tell which is better, suffice to say 2014 was outstanding, with…
2015 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico
Consistently classic Chianti. Part 2 of Sunday evening. Part 1, here 2012 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva Burgundy might be our wine sweet spot, but that matters little when you are on a Chianti budget. The difference is vast, yet Chianti offers an honesty that other affordable wines cannot. Most Chianti rarely sees new oak, relying…
2012 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva
Wine cannot overcome all troubles. More often than not wine modifies our mood for the positive. Sometimes it doesn’t. It is not the wine to blame, there are bad headspaces that cannot be resolved with even the best wines. I have not been myself over the last few days. Maybe it is work, maybe it…
La Cave at Bangsar
Everything tastes better with good company. People can create wine moments. I firmly believe that when surrounded by good people, in a good place, average wine can taste great. I have little doubt if these wines were the focus of the evening, I would probably consider them average and uninspiring. Surrounded by laughter and people…
2010 Domaine Bernard Defaix Côte de Léchet Chablis 1er Cru
Chablis is Queen. If you ask her, Shell will tell you she does not drink white wine. There are exceptions, aged Alsace Riesling, aged Hunter Valley Semillon, and her favourite, Chablis. And then there are exceptions to the exception. The occasional aged Clare Riesling one or two Margaret River Chardonnay’s and a one-off Grüner Veltliner…
2007 Poggio San Polo Brunello di Montalcino
Vientiane treasures. Part three of the Kuala Lumpur to Laos journey. Finding wine bars in faraway places is one of my favourite pastimes. Every city has something to offer if you look hard enough. This tiny place seemed impossible. Tucked away off a busy Vientiane street, owned by an old Italian gentleman. The shelves stocked…