Ata Rangi Pinot noir 2003

Martinborough, New Zealand. Pinot noir. 13.5%. Screwcap. Source: Cellar

A gorgeous wine. Fragrant, lush and full of vitality. By the smallest of margins, I think prefer this to the very well regarded 2006. Smelling delicious with strawberries, rose petal and the slightest suggestion of stalk. To feel, this is sculptured and tight whilst remaining silken and caressing. At other times it is like a mouthful of raspberries, such is the intensity, focus and endurance.

Excellent.
95.
Now - 2014+

Arrivo Nebbiolo 2006

Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Nebbiolo. 14.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A60.

Medium red with a trace of brick, this is spiced and convincingly scented. Ginger and pepper with a subliminal hint of tar, along with cherry, plum and dried citrus peel. Very full but equally brisk, tart and laden with juicy acidity. It reminds me a little of tonic water with its crisp and quinine like profile. Dry and edgy to the very end, with ultra fine and expansive tannins. Even with food, the impact is hard, fast and enduring.

Very good.
90.
Now - 2014+

Earlier today. . .

Looking a little like the mythical Wandjina, this is an image of my pinhole, held up to the sun, in partial eclipse. Taken at around 6pm, it shows 17 silhouettes of the sun, with the moon occluding 22% of the surface.

It's been a particularly auspicious Australia day, as well as a partial solar eclipse (at least in Perth), it was also Republic day in India and the first day of the Chinese new year. . . Even better some of my Sydney in-laws were still in town for a celebratory meal.

Australia Day 2009

I was wondering what to publish for Australia day 2009, when I spied this little spider outside the laundry door. One of Australia's most famous spiders, Latrodectus hasselti is also toxic, though thankfully it has been a long time since anyone died from a red back bite. . .

Chateau Plince 2005

Pomerol, Bordeaux, France. Merlot, Cabernet franc and Cabernet sauvignon. 13%. Cork (blemish free, so I assume my bottle is representative). Approx $A36 for half bottle.

After several decades of not thinking about the game of Chess, I've become mildly obsessed. It's reassuring to read a book of Chess strategy, full of abbreviations, jargon and acts of violence (pins, skewers and fork), it makes me realise how normal a wine tasting note can seem in comparison, and how important precise language can be.

Dark, structured and slightly acetic. The nose is pointy and volatile, reminding me a little of pine needles, earth and cedar. At other times I could discern plum, small goods and tea. Pleasingly formed and assertive, this is grainy and firm, with a hint of mid palate softness and cream.

Very good.
89.
Now - 2014.

Artesa Reserve Cabernet sauvignon 2004

Napa Valley, California, USA. Cabernet sauvignon. 14.4%. Gift.

I pulled out my aging box of scents to recalibrate my nose and brain. Despite all its flaws, I'm fond of the little pots, which rattle and smell mostly of honeycomb. . . I picked a few that I thought might be present in this bottle of Napa Cabernet.

To begin this is ripe and gorgeous, cuddly cassis floods my nostrils, my young son concurs and detects Ribena. Over hours this becomes more edgy and the smell of tomato leaf and dried herbs takes over. Plump, soft and slightly sweet, this is a billowing wine with very fine (minimal) tannins and no sharp edges. In time it becomes more defined and serious, which suggests some patience is required.

Very good.
90.
Now - 2014.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2008

Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria, Australia. 12.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A12.

I've been playing chess, reading and sipping wine, anything to try to stay awake long enough to watch the Obama inauguration. The fatigue is finally too much, I'll have to watch the tape tomorrow. . .

Drunk with figs and prosciutto (a somewhat ill advised food/wine combination) , I thought this smelt of honey and blossom, several hours on, I think it's most like lemon and bees wax. Not quite as pleasing as the 2007 edition, this seems rounder, more textured and fleshy. It ends with pleasing bitterness and grip and leaves the mouth watering for more.

Very good.
89.
Now - 2013+

technorati tags: wine, australian wine

Beetroot and caramelised onion salad

I've developed a slight obsession with beetroot, this is the 6th such recipe on Wino sapien. . .

Ingredients:

• 4 medium beets - not peeled, but scrubbed and quartered
• 1 large red onion - cut into very fine, round slices
• Mixed salad leaves
• Goats cheese (or some home made yoghurt cheese)
  
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil

How?

Place the sliced onions at the base of a tray, and put the beets on top, drizzle with olive oil and then cover the tray with foil (leave the foil off if you want your onions slightly burnt) and place in a preheated oven (200 degrees C) and leave for 40 minutes. At this point, remove from the oven, and remove the onions and set aside. Return the tray and the beetroot to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes, this time uncovered. Remove the beetroot from the oven and tray and set aside in the same place as the now caramelised and stained onions. To this cooling mix of onion and beetroot add a tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar. Leave for a few hours, so it can cool and so the onion can take on even more of the colour from the beetroot. When ready to eat, mix the now cool vegetables with your fresh and crisp salad leaves, garnish with goats cheese and season with salt and pepper before dressing with olive oil.

All Saints Grand Tokay

Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia. Muscadelle. 18%. Vinolok.

Layered and comfortable. My empty glass smells of toffee and cold tea, whereas before there was a note of citrus oil sharpness. Lush and glowing in the mouth, the round softness is offset by a delicious sting of acidity.

Excellent.
93.
Now.

technorati tags: wine, australian wine

Brief notes

I spent the morning as a modern day hunter and gatherer, looking for produce, before it became too hot (it reached 39 degrees C). I managed to find all the ingredients for a terrific Skye Gyngell salad, and two interesting (and lighter style) wines.

Meerea Park Alexander Munro Semillon 2002. (Hunter Valley. 10.5%. Cork. Approx $35) Golden and toasty, it is remarkable what a unique and fine thing aged Hunter Semillon can be. Lightly framed, but loaded with flavour and interest. 91.

Nigl Gärtling Grüner veltliner 2007. (Austria. 11.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A30) Smells of slate and dried apricot. In the mouth there is crunch and the suggestion of flesh and pebbles. 89.

Tyrrell's Brokenback Shiraz 2005

Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. Shiraz. 13.7%. Screwcap. Approx $A18.

A few months ago, Joe and I arranged a synchronised tasting. Though separated by thousands of miles, the aim was to taste the same wine, on more or less the same day, and to write a tasting note.

Would we use similar descriptors and would we feel the same way in the morning?

It's also interesting to reflect on how we came to acquire our bottles. From what I gather, Joe found his at the local wine store (SAQ - a state run liquor monopoly), while I was unable to find this Australian wine anywhere in Perth (an Australian city). In the end I had to order my wine online and have it freighted from Melbourne. . .

Before getting on to the tasting note, I must thank Barry, who has agreed to act of the match referee. His implicit requirements (1) there is to be no spitting, (2) wiggle bottoms while drinking and (3) use the 20 point scale.

My note.

Day 1: A changeable nose. Cream and sour cherries to begin, before a suggestion of sharpness and juniper berries. With agitation I found lavender. An hour later, while getting thoroughly beaten in a game of chess, there was a beautiful suggestion of Turkish delight. At night's end I was smelling ground ginger. . . In the mouth this is bright and vibrant, with notable and lovely juicy acids and the faintest suggestion of sweetness and cream. The tannins are silken and in decrescendo.

Day 2: Still vibrant and fleshy, the tannins seem more pronounced and adhesive.

Joe's note.

Very good.
17.5
Now - 2014.

technorati tags: wine, australian wine

Vinea Marson Sangiovese 2006

Heathcote, Victoria, Australia. Sangiovese. 14%. Diam. Approx $A45.

Deeply coloured and firmly structured, this is leafy in scent and tannic and upright in outlook. A trace of rose petal, but overwhelmingly it is the firmness and spine that defines this.

Very good.
91.
Now - 2012.

technorati tags: wine, australian wine

Saint Cosme Côte du Rhône 2007

Côte du Rhône, France. Shiraz. 14%. Cork. Approx $A18.

I've never read any Bryson, so I thought I'd start with his most ambitious book. . .

Compared to the curved Sabon Côte du Rhône, this is more angular, earthy and dour. Deeply coloured, this is brooding and slightly reductive to begin, eventually yielding - spice (juniper), dried herbs and prune. Quite assertive and and edgy (tart and structured), the tannins give the impression of chalk. To use a cliché, this is a food* wine. . .

Good.
86.
Now - 2011.


* I'd have pizza or a bowl of pasta.

Two wine bloggers hit the road. . .

View Larger Map
Though separated by at least 150 degrees of longitude, 90 degrees of latitude and 40 degrees of heat, Joe and I will visit the Hunter Valley, through the medium of the 2005 Tyrrell's Brokenback Shiraz. (If you can locate a bottle, and feel inclined to share your thoughts, please feel free to do so). Our 'synchronised' tasting notes should appear in the week ahead.

The Brokenback range is pictured in the Google map above, and the vines that can be seen belong to Tyrrells.

Rhône by Roger Sabon 2006

Côte du Rhône, France. 14% alcohol. I assume Grenache and Shiraz etc. Cork. Approx $A22.

Most sensible people would stick to cold beer or white wine on a hot mid summer's night. . . being very determined and having access to a fridge, I tasted this delicious red wine. It was chilled for an hour, dropping its temperature to around 10 degrees C.

Tasted in this manner, it smells and feels like a Beaujolais. Vibrant and almost confection like in its brightness and approachability, it has the scent of macerated fresh cherries, though with time there is a discernible note of dried herbs. Charmingly direct, generous and lush, this is rounded and warming in the mouth before a soft emulsion of tannins completes the curve.

Very good.
89.
Now - 2010.

technorati tags: wine

Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Valley Pinot blanc 2008

Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. Pinot blanc. 12.8%. Screwcap. Approx $A30.

Pale and with a notable European accent, this is fragrant, pert and quite delicious. Clad in a tall Alsacian bottle, the only thing missing a musty old cork. . .

Smelling of musk, pear skin and flint, this is a juxtaposition of crisp acids and voluptuous texture. Gripping (grapefruit bitterness and citrus zest power), spiced (nutmeg) and savoury, this is easy to recommend.

Very good - excellent.
92.
Now - 2012

technorati tags: wine, australian wine

Roast chicken

After posting about eggs, I thought it only appropriate to mention the chicken. . .

This is perfect for a causal meal and a bottle of dry white wine. I opened a bottle of Pinot blanc for the occasion.

How?

Take 1 large chicken and butterfly (cut out the spine with kitchen scissors and then open and flatten), lift the skin on the breast (without tearing or removing) and smear with a mixture of butter (50g), thyme (2 sprigs), crushed garlic (2 cloves), lemon zest (of 1 lemon) and salt (and pepper). Now find a large roasting tray, and scatter in a handful of table grapes and three or four whole medium tomatoes. Place your chicken on top of this, initially breast side down, and then add a glass of dry white wine, the juice of 1 lemon and a scattering of rosemary. Place this in an oven (180 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Remove to baste and turn the chicken over before returning to the oven for a further 30 minutes (at which time the skin should be crisp and brown). Just prior to serving, pour off the cooking juices into a small pan and reduce, to create a sauce.

A slow cooked egg

1000!

Try this. . . Take an egg and place it in a pot of cold water. Gradually and gently heat the water, but don't let it boil, instead keep it at 65 degrees Celsius (use a cooking thermometer and remove pot from heat whenever needed). After 20-25 minutes remove the egg and eat. . .

Egg white is 64% ovalbumin and this denatures and sets at 80 degrees C. Ovotransferrin which makes up 12% of the egg white sets first, at around 62 degrees C. The yolk is next, setting at 65 degrees C. For additional details read this.

Which explains why an egg cooked at 65 degrees, for 25 minutes has the most unusal and pleasing texture. The white is silky and in the mouth has a soft jelly like texture. The yolk should be just cooked and still moist.