Hirtzberger Grüner veltliner Rotes Tor Federspiel 2008

Spitz, Wachau, Austria. Grüner veltliner. 12%. Cork. Approx $A40.

Green edged but also quite full and fleshy. Wet stones, blossom and spice. Freshly cut fennel and white pepper. The initial spritzig adds to the zip, while the lemon zest and acidity gives the impression of sherbet. In time the slightly tropical texture and shape becomes more peppery and focused.

Very good.
90.
Now - 2014+

Image: In the background is a sheet of beautiful wrapping paper from the book seller Kinokuniya. The store in Singapore, which I hope to shortly visit, is supposedly the largest bookstore in South East Asia.

Post script (December 26 2009). I am now back from Singapore and an all too short visit to Kinokuniya. From the outside, the store looks small and modest, but once inside it's overwhelming in its scale and scope. I prefer my local bookstore in Perth, the much smaller scale seems to promote a more leisurely and relaxed frame of mind, plus it is much harder to lose your family. . .

Coq au riesling

Despite the heart clogging layer of butter that shines in the late afternoon sun, I found this version of coq au vin quite delicious.

Perhaps it was the wine I used. . . I have been underwhelmed by the Jacobs Creek (nee Orlando) Steingarten Riesling. So much so that I decided to open an unloved bottle for pot. It was extraordinarily foolish, as it was easily the best Steingarten I can recall having. . .

2003 Jacobs Creek Steingarten Riesling. (Barossa, 11.5%, screwcap, Approx $A22 on release). The words and tune are all familiar; toast, kerosene, lime zest and slate. What is different is the clarity, conviction and intensity, it's almost as if the other Steingartens I've tried have been holograms. Excellent. 95. Now - 2019.

Ingredients:
250g of bacon - cut into batons
30g of butter
12 shallots - peeled and left whole
1 whole chicken - cut into 6 pieces
Plain flour - enough to dust the chicken
80mls of brandy
500mls of riesling
500mls of chicken stock
2 tablespoons of tomato paste (homemade version)
3 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs of thyme
2 tablespoons of parsley
200g button mushrooms

How?
In a large pot, melt the butter and brown the bacon. Remove the bacon before adding the shallots, and allow them colour slightly (about 5 minutes) and then remove and set aside. Add a splash of olive oil to the pan and now fry and brown the flour coated chicken pieces in batches. Season with cracked black pepper and when all the pieces have been done, return them all to the pot with the bacon and turn up the heat. Meanwhile, heat the brandy in a separate small pan (or a steel measuring cup) and ignite before adding to the larger pot containing the meat. When no longer flaming, add the wine, stock, tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and leave for 20 minutes. Now remove the chicken pieces, turn up the heat and reduce the liquid (by about 30 percent) before returning the chicken and adding the slightly browned shallots and the button mushrooms. Return to the boil and cover. When the mushrooms are cooked through (about 10 minutes) it is ready to serve.

Hat tip to Murray, who suggested this in a comment, almost 3 years ago.

Prawn cocktail recipe

With the approach of Summer and another Christmas, I start to think about prawn cocktails. Growing up in Australia in the 1970's, I recall my parents making this. It seemed to be the culinary height of fashion and sophistication.

This is the third version on wino sapien, and the most enjoyable. The earlier recipes can be found here and here. The sauce makes use of supermarket brand mayonnaise (I used the fattiest one I could find - Praise Whole Egg) and to the cocktail is an additional summer time ingredient, mango.

Sauce - mix together the following and set aside.

• 200mls of mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon of ketchup
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 3 drops of Tabasco

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kilograms of prawns - cooked, peeled and deveined.
• 1 large mango - diced
• 1 avocado - diced and kept green with the juice of half a lemon
• 1 small cucumber - diced
• 3 witlof - leaves separated

Construction:
Just prior to serving, gently mix together the roughly equal proportions of diced mango, avocado and cucumber. Now place a few witlof leaves into the base of your serving glasses or bowls. Spoon the mango mixture onto the witlof and top with the prawns and the a few spoonfuls of sauce.

A more recent prawn cocktail recipe, from November 2010, can be found here.

Moric Blaufränkisch Burgenland 2007

Burgenland, Austria. Blaufränkisch. 12.5%. Cork. Approx $A45.

Bright and fresh, I thought this smelt like Ocean Spray, cut with raspberries, spice and earth. It is instantly appealing and I'm overcome by a sense of déjà vu. Beautiful in the mouth, though this has less stuffing than its more expensive siblings. Still, it is a delicious and chewy wine. Silk, cherry pip, musk, malt and cream. A building cascade of flavours and textures.

Very good.

91.

Now - 2014.

Additional information.

93, 94

Similar in age, weight and colour, it was interesting to taste both wines together.

The Penfolds Grange 1993 (Shiraz. 13.5%, South Australian) was brighter and cleaner, longer and certainly more youthful. To begin a waft of blackcurrant (? DMS), menthol and mulberries. This conforms to the house mould, with very good length and structure that seems to grow along the tongue. 91. Now - 2014

In comparison the Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz 1994 (13.5%, Hunter Valley, NSW) seemed more fatigued, and to begin more smelly, like a pair of sweaty socks and old boots. By nights end though, the differences were harder to pick. . . Quite savoury (a thyme flavoured sausage perhaps) and slightly medicinal and less prolonged than the Grange. 88. Now.

Frederic Magnien Chambolle-Musigny 2005

Chambolle-Musigny, Burgundy, France. Pinot noir. 13.5%. Cork. Approx $A150.

Like a wiry adolescent who has just broken wind, this will hopefully blossom in time, developing more generosity and grace. At the moment it has a hard shell which cracks only somewhat with food. A good friend thought it smelt like bratwurst (smoke and small goods), I was more inclined to call it a fart. . . There was also rosewood, earth, stems and something that reminded my of sarsaparilla. Lean and tight, protected and encased, this is very correct and likely to improve.

Very very good.
91+
2011 - 2020

Bindi Quartz 2008

Macedon, Victoria, Australia. Chardonnay. 14%. Diam. Approx $A70

An excellent wine. The nose is vibrant and in tune from the beginning, an expressive combination of peaches and nuts. For the briefest of moments, I thought this slightly hot, but by the second sip, I'm lost in its beauty. A haunting and intense combination of stones, fruit and texture.

Excellent.
96.
Now - 2014+

Retasted 16th October 2010 - I've kept a bottle sitting in my fridge for the last 10 months, at 4 degrees C, waiting for the appropriate moment. The nose is quiet, but it is unusual and full of interest in the mouth. Somewhere between butterscotch, corn, wheat and dried banana flakes. Momentarily atypical and otherworldly before settling. Still top heavy, but quite delicious.

Retasted 18th September 2011 - Another bottle direct from the fridge, so 21 or more months at 4 degrees C. Still a note of butterscotch, but also more bitterness than I had noticed before; the heft and weight are also more apparent. I'm far less enamored (? 90-92/100) though it does improve with time in the glass. . .

Related tasting notes 05, 06

Two stickies

Maison de Grand Esprit Les Petites Vignettes Alsace Pinot gris 2007. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A35. An interesting idea and quite a good late harvest wine. A collaboration between Fosters (T'Gallant's Kevin McCarthy) and Frederic Blanck of Domaine Paul Blanck. Ginger spice, dried apricots and baked pear. Textured and rich. 89.

Nigl Grüner Veltliner Eiswein 2006. 11.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A60. Even more interesting. . . Quite sulpherous and stony at first, later it becomes more tropical and exotic with lychee and marzipan. Concentrated and nectar like in the mouth, I can see the attraction, but I've always been somewhat ambivalent about longan and lychee. 91.

Bollinger Grande Annee 1990

Champagne, France. Pinot noir (69%), Chardonnay (31%). 12%. Cork. Source: Cellar.

Beautiful, mature and golden, but still full of nourishment and pleasure. 18 hours on from the soft opening pffft I'm greedily sniffing at the last dregs, even now the bubbles remain, attached to the glass, hanging on for grim life, not daring to surface. . . Bruised apple, mushroom broth and peanut skins, the years have been very kind. . . Lovely concentration and focus in the mouth, intense and layered, the tension is still palpable. . . The tart green apple is offset with the slightest hint of honeyed softness, while the finish is suitably gripping and enduring.

Excellent.
95.
Now - 2014.

10 green bottles. . .

One day on, and with the aid of a handful of corks, a brace of mostly empty bottles, scraps of paper, and left over food for brunch, I'm starting to reconstruct the night before. . .

With my nose in the long empty, half bottle of Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnehuhr Auslese 2007 (Mosel 7% alcohol), for instance I can smell lemon juice and honeycomb, which reminds me that last night it was sulphurous and flinty. From under this chemical veil a lovely pure note of lemon curd still emerges. Tart, mineral and oh so light and caressing, there is a powdery zip and a lovely line, and like the Spatlese there is also a playful suggestion of tea leaves. Excellent. 94. Now - 2017+


Related

Some young punks - Passion has red lips 2008

South Australia. Cabernet sauvignon (54%), Shiraz (46%). Screwcap. Approx $A25.

Seductive at first, with spice, dark chocolate and blackberries. Lush, sweet and creamy, like a wet kiss, this is rounded and plump with seemingly no hardness. Later on, reality and oxygen play their part and the nose takes on a herbaceous and varnish like edge, while in the mouth it seems less integrated, with more ink and a hint of portiness and heat.

Very good.
88.
Now - 2014.

PS - I would have bought this even without the eye catching Sin on Wheels label. . .

Clonakilla Riesling 2009

I've been reading and viewing Smalltown. A beautiful book about the ugliness of small Australian towns. Curiously most of the ugliness seems isolated to South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. There are no images from Victoria or Queensland and only a few from New South Wales (the image above is the Barrier Hwy in NSW).

The introductory text is by Tim Winton. It's pointed and insightful, and the sentiment expressed in the following quote reminds me how awful it was to build a house and listen to the excuses of the builder.

"Tradespeople are not immune to the spirit of untouchable carelessness, for when it comes to a service rendered to others, rough enough is often still good enough. Robin Boyd died before 'she'll do, mate' made way for 'fuck you, mate' and worse. Militant unfussiness can seem amusing or even charming at a distance, but when you're on the receiving end, paying for rubbish, getting it late and having to say thank you for the privilege, it's ugly and deeply unfunny, a form or moronic bullying. Sometimes only the bravest among us dare to be fussy."

Contrast this to the recent obituary in the Economist for Alan Peters, the American craftsman and artisan.

What mattered most to him was that a piece was simple and honest, that it worked, and that it was good enough to put his name to. If people called it art, all well and good; but his was the ethic of the craftsman. As Barnsley, his teacher, once put it, a rural artisan simply had to do his best. “If the wheel axle pin squeaked, if the beam had sapwood in it, if the haystack leant”, everyone in the village would know who had done it.

Tasting note: This is slightly different from previous vintages I have tried, though it still gives the impression of powder that I seem to recall finding in the 05, 07 and 08. It seems more nectar like and tropical on the nose, I thought at various times I could find white nectarine and even pineapple. I liked it. The main olfactory theme is still blossom and lemon sherbet and the delicacy remains despite the more colourful notes. Pert, powdery and mineral in the mouth, the concluding grip and texture evokes grapefruit.

Very good - excellent. I think I like this almost as much as the 08.
91.
Now - 2014.

Additional opinions - Chris and Julian.

Plastic cork

It's been a while since I came across one of these, I think this might be the 5th one in over 3 years and 820 bottles. . . This one reminded me of how stiff and ungainly they are. Have you ever tried to reseal a bottle with a plastic cork?

The inscription talks of 5 senses, I find this far too narrow and unimaginative. For a start, what about our sense of time, place, direction, pressure, fear, humour and style. . .

Carchelo Jumilla 2008

Jumilla, Spain. Monastrell (0.4), Tempranillo (0.4), Cabernet sauvignon (0.2). 14% alcohol. Plastic cork. Approx $A25.

The stripes reminded me of leggings, which should have been warning enough. . . I have a problem with cute bottles, finding them hard to put down, regretting the decision only later.

My old copy of the Oxford Companion to Wine has this to say about Jumilla. . . central, Southern Spain producing mainly strong, often coarse red wines. . .

The label states 14%, but it seems much bigger in its proportions. Not a wine for wimps, this is concentrated, assertive and very inky. It improves with time, losing some of its heat and spirit like edge, even so I found it hard work. A wall of scent, with the main notes being tar, lavender and a hint of sarsaparilla. Broad, dense and warming in the mouth, it has a malt / soy richness and meatiness which is quite pleasing.

Now - 2012.
85.

Five profound wines

I had a superb meal at Jackson's, matched with a collection of amazing wines. With the exception of the Vat 1, all were new to me. The striking thing, was the vitality and spark within. The three whites were electric in their own way, the Vat 1 sending shivers down my spine, while the Ostertag is the closest I've come to a vinous Chanel No. 5. The Moric Blaufrankisch is dangerously good and makes just about every other red wine I've tried in the last few months seem pedestrian.

Emmerich Knoll Schutt Smaragd Riesling 2007 (Wachau, Austria) - Citrus and slate, while in the mouth it is mineral and textured. Mostly dry with lovely concentration. Excellent.

Ostertag Pinot gris Zellberg 2006 (Alsace, France) - Perfume, orange oil and pear. Perhaps the most interesting Pinot gris I've tried. . . Oily and bursting with nervous energy. Excellent.

Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon 1999 (Hunter, New South Wales, Australia) - A superb wine, which is just starting to show some honey and toast - a thrilling combination of acidity and fluffy texture. Reminds me of powdered snow and lemon sherbet. Excellent.

Moric Alte Reben Lutzmannsburg Blaufrankisch 2006 (Austria) - Wow! Depth and tightness. Rose petal and cherry with a whiff of smoke. Lovely and pure, the striking thing is the amplitude of flavours and the bright sappiness of the wine. Excellent.

Alois Kracher Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese #5 (Austria) - Sublime. I'm at an adjectival dead end and keep returning to the bratty notion of liquid panty remover. . . Excellent.

A thursday trio

A lazy meal with family, pizza and slow roasted goat.

Perrier Jouët Grand Brut NV - Tart and more than a hint of bitterness, I thought there was a trace of marzipan to complement the bruised Granny Smith. (1998 tasting note here.)

Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay 2005 - Full and provocatively curved. Butterscotch, Bethonga pineapple and vanilla. Concentrated and perhaps a touch overblown. . .

Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet sauvignon 1997 - Not an auspicious year, but still there is much to like. Mellow and mature with rosewood, ginger and spice. Rounded but zippy with lovely fine tannins.

Mount Trio Pinot noir 2007

Porongurup, Great Southern, Western Australia. Pinot noir. 13.5%. Approx $A20. Screwcap.

The last pinot noir I tried from this part of the world was four times the price and had a lovely combination of tightness and give. I was curious to see how this more modestly priced bottled compared. . .

Cherry liqueur and sap, as well the scent of the Australian bush (dried eucalyptus leaves, earth). Quite full, this seems bigger than the stated 13.5. Forward, and rich, this reminds me of Central Otago in its emphasis, it tapers and leaves a suggestion of Balsamic and malt (which I like, but which seems out of place).

Very good.
88.
Now - 2011.

technorati tags: wine, australian wine

Yalumba Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2007

Eden Valley, South Australia. Chardonnay. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A15.

Flint and sulphur, butterscotch and melon along with a slight prickle and more than a hint of hay. Plenty of texture in the mouth, I'm reminded of a slice of pineapple coated in marzipan. It's very effective and for its price, very rewarding.

Very good.
90.
Now - 2011+

Satisfaction. . .

Simple, but made with care and, dare I say, love. A plate of Tortelli ($A16) from il Circolo (Angove St, North Perth).

Unrelated but recommended reading: Wine and seafood - why some red wines clash with fish. . .

Quealy Rageous 2007

Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. Sangiovese, Shiraz and Pinot noir. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A31.

The upside down text on the label has the rather cryptic message in the land of mules there are no rules.

What a curious, but thoroughly delicious wine. I started the night trying to dissect and detect the various components. It's a futile exercise, the strands are well hidden and the final sum seems greater than the parts. A hedonistic wine with no rough edges. Creamy, ripe, and seductive, a seamless amalgam which only unravels (slightly) after many hours in the glass. . . most bottles I suspect will empty much faster. . . Bucolic with the softness of vanilla, the warmth of raisins and the juiciness of cherries. Convincing and beguiling.

Now - 2011.
92.

technorati tags: wine

Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling 2009

Frankland River, Great Southern, Western Australia. Riesling. 12%. Screwcap. Approx $A30.

One of my pleasures is seeing my children read. They are voracious and inquisitive. I've been keeping my son company by reading the Harry Potter series. I thought I'd enjoy the books, but did not count on staying up to 2am each night, enthralled and amused.

And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.

A terrific wine. The obligatory lemon juice and lime zest is joined by a suggestion of tropical fruit. Mineral and textured in the mouth, I thought there was even a hint of white peppercorns. A Rolling and refreshing Riesling. 92. Now - 2019

Wynns Black Label 1996

Coonawarra, South Australia. Cabernet sauvignon. 13% alcohol. Cork. Approx $A25 on release.

I have wine all over my house. Most stored in ideal conditions (temperature controlled cabinet), but some bottles contend with more fickle circumstances. This bottle has seen several Summers of suboptimal cellaring, having been relegated to my drink soon collection (five years ago), where it was then forgotten. . .

25th November 2007. Fully mature. Rosewood, polish, ginger, and a flourish of ripe blackcurrant. 1996 was a cooler than average, though sunny vintage, but even so I was surprised by the notable acidity - which is now no longer supported by fruit and softness. The tannins are very fine and nicely attenuated, though this is clearly a wine that is fading and starting to dry out. The decay hastened no doubt by its storage and the heat of too many Australian Summers. 87. Now - 2010.

3rd November 2009 and I needed something to accompany some surprisingly good supermarket sausages (Coles - Lamb leek and mint). While rummaging, I found another bottle lurking in my son's wardrobe, pleasingly, it was much better than the one above. Aged and stooped, but still holding on and showing plenty of sinew and grip. Malt and bonox nose with rosewood and plenty of spice and interest in the mouth. 90.

technorati tags: wine, australian wine

Dandelion Vineyards Eden Valley Riesling 2009

Eden Valley, South Australia. Riesling. 12%. Screwcap. Approx $A25

A beautiful package. A wishing clock on the front and a screwcap adorned with parachuting seeds, while on the back, there is a transparent leaf, shiny and palpable, I thought it was dried patch of glue at first. . .

The liquid itself seems quite separate from any other Eden Valley riesling I have tried. Distinctive in its scent and taste, it is clear and pure. It smells of rose petal, talc and slate, there is only the slightest hint of citrus and lime. In the mouth it is like a ballerina - bright, floral and light, a lovely combination of refreshment, texture and crispness.

Excellent.
94.
Now - 2014+

A somewhat related post.

Contact details and caveats

If you feel inclined to write, I can be reached at the address above.

First though, three wino sapien caveats:

1. I've stopped reviewing samples.
2. This is an advertisement free site.
3. 99% of all press releases I receive are deleted, unread.