Huet Le Mont sec 2006

This lonely statue of French explorer Nicolas Baudin (1754 - 1803) seems slightly out of place, even the seagulls have not taken to (marked) it. . . This Vouvray is a more recent arrival to West Australian shores, also ectopic and yet appropriate in its location (a wine list at the excellent local tapas bar, Duende).

Pear and flint, honey and white flowers, there is something essence like and unresolved about this slightly raw and yet beautiful wine. Textural, youthful and bustling, this is sure to blossom and grow. 93+

Cider notes

I plan to periodically add cider tasting notes to this post. At present, I've a dozen or so different bottles to try. . .

Tooheys 5 Seeds (Australia. 5%. Tasted 25th Feb). Clear, fresh and crisp, but also short and undistinguished.

Samuel Smith's Organic Cider (Yorkshire, England. 5%. Tasted 25th Feb. Pictured above). Notably more golden, the bottle had no dates on it, so I am not sure if this is representative or just approaching it's end. More complex and bruised than the 5 Seeds, it is rounded, and there is a hint of oxidation, malt and nuttiness.

Mercury Dry Cider (Once Tasmanian, now part of the Fosters empire. 5.2%. Tasted 26th Feb). Like the 5 Seeds, this is fresh, zippy and clean, though the nose is more sulphurous. Much of its appeal is in the initial, citrus, green apple kiss. I've temporarily put my scoring hat away, but (for the simple and pert) I think this is better than the Tooheys, and a little behind the Pipsqueak, which it self is a long way behind Montieth's crushed apple cider.

The Cidery Sweet Rosie (Bridgetown, Western Australia. 3.5%. Tasted 26th Feb). The winner so far. . . This is lovely and complex. Mushroom and sourdough, this is a wino's cider, it smells of autolysed yeast, while in the mouth the bead has enough delicacy to give a satisfying creaminess. I wonder if this how my bottle of Eric Bordelet sidre should have tasted. . .

Bulmers Original (Australian and imported ingredients. 4.7%. Tasted 1st March). Bronze in colour, with few other distinguishing features.

Wychwood Green Goblin Oak aged cider (Apples from Somerset, UK. 6%. Tasted 6th March). Golden brown with grated apple, ginger and sticking plaster. Another cider (along with the Eric Bordelet) which seems to rely of brett for some added character.

Magners Original Irish Cider (Ireland. 4.5%. Tasted March 7). Clear and orange, this is lovely and quite delicate. It has a nice creaminess in the mouth and it reminds me a little of the Sweet Rosie, which has been my favourite so far. The slightest hint of brett on the nose and in the mouth, but seemingly far less than the Wychwood.

Aspall Crisp Draught (Suffolk, England. 5.5%. Tasted March 26). Comes in an attractive, long necked bottle. Clear and bright, this is still slightly mushroom and mouse in scent. Lovely in the mouth, this might just displace the Sweet Rosie as my favourite cider so far. . .

Westons Old Rosie Cloudy Scrumpy (England. 7.3%. Tasted April 1 2010). More weighty and more defined than the above examples, this smells of ginger and dried apples, while in the mouth there is a zippy lemon zest and something approaching complexity. The finish is quite dry and slightly adhesive. In terms of preference, maybe a nose ahead of the Aspall.

Westons Premium Organic cider (England. 6.5%. Tasted April 2). Clear and bronzed, but also overtly mousy and brett affected. Lacks the charm and depth of the Old Rosie

St Hellier Pear Cider (Jersey Cider Company UK, 5%. Tasted April 27 2010). Clear and pale, this smells like a chemical factory of esters and freshly chewed bubblegum. An extra-ripe, slightly bruised pear. Despite tasting of pear skins, this is rounded, sweet and perhaps a little short.

Westons Premium Organic Pear Cider (UK, 6%. Tasted May 7 2010). Much less pear scented and flavoured than the St Hellier. Somewhat short, bland and ordinary.

Thathers Katy Medum Dry (Somerset UK. 7.4%. approx $A9/500ml bottle. Tasted 11th August 2010). Pleasing, though a little short, which of course means I'm still wearing my wino blinkers. There's a hint of peanut skin and grip to the finish of this fresh, mostly clean cider.

Thatchers Old Rascal (Somerset UK. 4.5%. Tasted 9th October 2010). Fair and free of fault, but it still seems limp and bland.

Rekorderlig Premium Apple Cider (Sweden. 4.5%. $6.50 for 500mls. Tasted October 2010). Extraordinary scent and profile, this stands apart from all other ciders I've tried to date. Clear and golden to the eye, the nose reminds me most of aeroplane jelly (in particular raspberry) and bubble gum. Later still banana candy and surprisingly - ripe pear. Only much later can I clearly discern a slice of slightly brown cut apple. It's a riot of scent. Seemingly still to the eye, all the CO2 is dissolved, ready to please the tongue. It's zippy, pure and quite intense, though again I got the impression I was tasting jelly. . .

Rekorderlig Pear Cider (Sweden. 4.5%. $6.50 for 500mls). Like the apple version above, this is bursting with scent and confection like charm. This time though it's more a lime cordial and later a perfectly ripe Beurré Bosc pear.

Henney's Dry Cider (Herefordshire, UK, 6%, 500ml bottle. Tasted 1st November 2010). Clear and golden to the eye, this smells of mouse and mushroom, its slightly green edged and tart in the mouth, crunchy, short and then nothing.

Old Mout Scrumpy (Nelson, New Zealand, 8%, approx $5 for 330mls. Tasted Nov 3 2010). A large part of the appeal of wine is that the fermented product can take on so many unusual dimensions. Cider in comparison seems far less expressive, though this particular example is at least one exception. It's floral with rose petal and peppermint. Turkish delight. Clean and crisp in the mouth, the texture is pleasing, with a suggestion of grip and more phenolics that most ciders I've recently tried.

John Kepplers Cider (Ireland, 6%, 500ml can - perfect for cider butt chicken. Tasted August 25 2011). Clean with no mouse. Bruised apple, spiced, bright and short.

February fiction

Every time I pick up a book written by a surgeon (1, 2) , it is with the knowledge that I will suffer flashbacks. . . To practice medicine, means being touched by stories and people. Some individuals and event leave their mark, and thoughtful and well written books like Direct Red remind and help reframe those experiences.

Better for my soul is the beautiful book The Wilding. Set in 1672 and following the adventures of cider maker Jonathan Dymond, the cadence is superb and already (I'm only a few chapters in) I find myself dreaming of apples and cider. . .

Tonight I tried two. . . Monteith's Crushed apple cider (New Zealand, 4.5%). I thought it was quite floral and ginger scented, while in the mouth there was a hint of sweetness, confection and bubblegum. The Little Creatures Pipsqueak (Western Australia, 5.2%) was drier, tighter and shorter. The aromatics are lovely and clean but I was left unsatisfied.

Kracher Beerenauslese Cuvée 2006

Austria. Welschriesling, Chardonnay. 13%. Cork. Approx $A45 (for 375mls).

I wish I had some stinky cheese for confirmation and calibration, for in amongst the honey, toffee apple and marzipan I can smell some blue veins. . . there's flint, dried citrus rind and varnish too, which of course makes this sound awful, which it most certainly is not. It's golden and absolutely delicious. I started of drinking it with a fig and prosciutto salad, the contrasting saltiness of the ham was very effective. . . and now, hours later I am still captivated. Wonderful depth, sweetness and concentration, the most pleasing element of course is the tension provided by the acidity, which is superb. 95. Now - 2020+

For some more background information, read Just Grapes

Hudelot Noellat Bourgogne 2006

Burgundy, France. Pinot noir. 12% (seems slightly more). Cork (long and fully stained). Approx $A50 (after 30% discount).

I spent the morning cycling and compressing my pudendal nerve. During my travels, I came across a lonely statue of Nicolas Baudin. He is a central character in a recurring dream I have. . . What would Australia be like as a French colony? Being a glutton, most of my daydreams revolve around food and wine and the thought that surely there would be a better selection of restaurants. . .

The Bourgogne is pleasing and has enough nuance to focus my magpie brain. . . Dusty and slightly acetic to begin, before becoming more earthy and savoury. Well weighted, bright and sappy, the texture is engaging and effective. This is unlikely to make old bones, but at present there is much to like and recommend. 91. Now - 2012.

Two Hands Brilliant Disguise Moscato 2009

Barossa, South Australia. White Frontignac (muscat). 8%. Screwcap. Approx $A19 (for 500mls).

Non serious and a little too sweet and diffuse for my liking. Floral, musk and initially tinned apricot (though by nights end, I am beginning wonder). A trace of sherbet, but mostly it's a mouthful of candy. If it were a two horse race, I'd back the Innocent bystander.

Maison de Grand Esprit Les Petites Vignettes Bourgogne 2007

Burgundy (Fixin, Marsannay, Haut Cote de Nuits), France. Pinot noir. 13%. Screwcap. Approx $A24

From the Fosters empire an exercise in wine making collaboration and marketing. I like the idea, though it's a shame the wines are not more widely available.

Pleasingly pert and simple, my drinking companions who were blinded to its identity thought this hailed from the Mornington or even New Zealand. Sappy and bright, with sour cherries and a hint of animal and smoke. Very crisp and acidic, making this slightly hard in the mouth. Still, I found this quite enjoyable and worthwhile. 89.

O'Leary Walker Drs' Cut Riesling 2008

Polish Hill, Clare Valley, South Australia. Riesling. 12%. Screwcap. Approx $A38

A combination of laziness and gardening ineptitude has meant that I have had to buy lemons for the last decade. Lemons which have often been shipped across from America. . . I spent today, Valentines Day and co-incidentally Chinese New Year, digging holes and planting two lemon trees (Eureka) and a lime (Tahitian). Curiously, between the curses and constant need to wipe my brow of sweat (36.1 degrees C today), I was thinking how nice it would be to be sipping Riesling. . .

From the back label: While there are gentlemen winemakers whose main business pursuits lie in law or medicine, the good doctors who own this famous 1970 Polish Hill River planting cleverly sliced off their responsibility at the point of ripeness, and let us manage the wine making surgery.

Tasting note: Pale and electric. Bath salts, grated lime zest and a hint of green. Bone dry in the mouth with lovely line and telescopic length. I thought there was a suggestion of fennel seeds. . . Excellent. 93. Now - 2020.

Grated beetroot

Peel and then grate four medium sized beets and place the slithers in pot, along with 2 tablespoons of vinegar, (I used home made pinot noir vinegar), one of water and 30 grams of butter. Cover, heat and cook for 8 - 10 minutes. Eat.

Elsewhere on the plate. Salsa verde (all ingredients blended, I was in a hurry, hence the colour and texture is not quite there), broccoli served with roughly chopped basil, walnuts, Parmesan and olive oil (essentially pesto without the mortar and pestle and minus the pine nuts and garlic) and roast chicken (this time minus the grapes, wine and tomatoes and surrounded by pumpkin, which roasts in the chicken fat and butter).

Fox Gordon Princess Fiano 2008

Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Fiano. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A20

Four strange fruit. Water apples (aka jambu air). Waxy to touch and quite neutral in scent. White and Nashi pear like in the centre, while the pink skin has more of a greenish, peppery prickle. My five year thinks they taste of raw celery, she's right.

I'm pretty sure this is the first Fiano to pass my lips. The back label mentions pine nuts, they're right. I also sniffed flint, baking spices and peach skin. The nose tells me this is going to be a fleshy wine, and sure enough it is. Crisp and fruit driven, but the most notable thing is the fatty, verging on oily texture. There's a hint of sweetness, lovely grip and a pleasing savoury edge. 89. Now - 2012.

Chateau Doisy-Védrines 2004

Sauternes, Bordeaux, France. Semillon, Sauvignon blanc. 14%. Cork. Approx $A39

I wonder if there will ever be a time when sticky wines come with a warning for diabetics? Presumably the sugar content of this is around the 120g/L mark.

Quite delicious, though after 3-4 tasting glasses, the sugar is starting to get to me. . . A transient prickle on the nose, a cross between varnish and marzipan. Quince and honey and a freshly opened bag of sun-dried, sulphur drenched apricots. Lovely depth and concentration in the mouth, quite seamless, curved and lush. Treacle and syrup, I can imagine a childhood pot of maltose laced with a squeeze of lemon. 92. Now - 2014+

Trouble

If I had the money and no one to check my credit card statements, I would be in deep trouble if confronted by a wall of Bordeaux. As it was I was able to (mostly) resist temptation, though I did let my fingers trace the Chateau names and I did fondle and few bottles, until I realised I was being watched. . .

Two from 09

and one Canadian sticky from 06.

Felton Road Riesling 2009. (Central Otago, 10%, approx $A40) A nice eye opener, I had this with an early Sunday lunch and its sweetness is caressing and just the tonic for a weary mind. A flinty nose, I thought I could detect pineapple. . . being hypercritical, this could do with a little more tension and edge. 90.

Port Phillip Estate Salasso 2009. (Mornington, Victoria, 13.5%, approx $A25) The man at the bottleshop told me that Salasso is a grape. . . in actual fact, it is a technique. This curious salmon pink wine is made from Shiraz grapes, which have been crushed and bled. Musk and to me, baked rhubarb. . . ignore this, while the nose is interesting and hard to pin down, all the action is in the mouth. . . the label mentions this is a dry rosé, but there is still a hint of sweetness and a pleasing amount of flesh, texture and zippy acidity. I was surprised to find it quite creamy and meaty. 89.

Peller Estates Vidal Icewine 2006. (Niagara Peninsula Canada, 11.5%) I only had a wee small sip, but phwoar, what an amazing wine. Toffee and honey, like so many other stickies, but with beautiful brightness, acidity and layers of pleasure. 93.

Postcard: James St Northbridge

I've been trying to lose the layer of fat that seems to have found a home under my skin. . . lots of staggering and feeling hungry. . . this morning I found my self in Northbridge, the streets were devoid of people, but there was human debris and detritus everywhere. As to the scent - stale beer and urine.

Somewhat related post.

Heggies Botrytis Riesling 2007

Eden Valley, South Australia. Riesling. 11%. Screwcap. Approx $A30

Late Friday afternoon, and I think the clouds in the background are Altocumulus Mackerel sky, if you believe in reading tea leaves and entrails, the coming weekend will be a cool one. . .

Like freshly washed woolens (or my newly cleaned Persian rug), this has a comforting, cuddly softness to the nose and palate. Essence like and candied (167g/L of residual sugar) this is laden with preserved lemon, mustard fruit and a tingling spine of acidity. 90. Now - 2015.

Another opinion.

Pierre Matrot Bourgone Aligote 2007

Burgundy, France. Aligoté. 12%. Cork. Approx $A25

I found this bottle today, during this my first round of vinous retail therapy for the year. . .

My low expectations were easily surpassed. The nose is slightly fusty, honeyed and flinty. Unassuming and modest you could say. The appeal increases with time and the lemon juice acidity (offset by a hint of sweetness and rot) is pleasing and quite endearing. 87. Now.

Pewsey Vale Riesling 2009

Eden Valley, South Australia. Riesling. 12.5%. Screwap. Approx $A17.

I've just finished Generation A and my brain feels quite unbalanced. I'm pleased, surely good science fiction must instill a sense of (hopefully temporary) unsteadiness and confusion. . .

"Corn is a fucking nightmare. A thousand years ago it was a stem of grass with one scuzzy little kernal; now its a bloated, foot long dildo. And get this: cornstarch molecules are a mile long. Back in the seventies, Big Corn patented some new enzymes that chops these miles into a trillion discrete blips of fructose. A few years later these newly liberated fructose molecules assault the national food chain. Blammo! An entire nation becomes morbidly obese. Fact is, the human body isn't built to withstand high-dose assaults of fructose. It enters your body and your body says, Hmmm. . . do I turn this into shit or do I turn it into blubber? Blubber it is! Corn turns off the shit switch."

Tasting note: Generically bright and appealing, with the obligatory Eden Valley lime zest, waxy white flowers and bath salts. Rolling and stony in the mouth, I thought there was a hint of ginger spice and sap. 90. Now - 2020.

Somewhat related post.