Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett 2007

Mosel, Germany. Riesling. 7.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A35.

The wines of Ernst Loosen have become so widely available, you forget sometimes how lovely and delicious they are. . . Seamless, carefree and unforced, the balance is exemplary, it's trim and tight, green apple cut with lemon. . . delicate and sweet but coupled with a welcome sting. 92. Now - 2020.

Unrelated link: The cool list, 30 creative labels.

Supplies. . .

Winter's chill is mostly here, which helps explain why in the middle of the day, I've taken to wearing my pyjama bottoms. Olive green cotton with white stripes, it's the perfect clash for my 100% synthetic dark purple skivvy I bought from Uniqlo. . .

Perhaps it's my faulty memory, but I seem to recall last winter being particularly trying. In retrospect, the fears surrounding Swine flu were overdone, but at the time they did blacken my mood.

With the day outside punctuated by rain and bursts of brightness, I've taken to stocking up for the long nights ahead. Books, wine and ice cream should hopefully make the months ahead more bearable. . .

Marc Bredif Vouvray 1993

Loire, France. Chenin blanc. 12%. Cork (covered in mould with the end blackened). Approx $A44 (I found this in Wine Liaisons, East Fremantle a few weeks ago)

From the book: The Paris slums are a gathering-place for eccentric people - people who have fallen into solitary, half-mad grooves of life and given up trying to be normal or decent. Poverty frees them from ordinary standards of behaviour, just as money frees people from work.

From the bottle: Bright and full of life, and yet there is something subterranean, stony and gem crusted about this. Sulphur. But also musk, truffle and preserved citrus with a good dose of botrytis in the mouth. It's a rolling and dynamic wine which is destined to make old bones. 94. Now - 2020+

Running With Bulls Tempranillo 2008

Barossa, South Australia. Tempranillo. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A18

Vibrant and attractive, this is a very clever and compellingly priced wine. Dried herbs and wilted leaf, this gives the impression of warmth, scorched earth and skid marks. Lovely and mouth filling, this is bold and inky, there is a broad brush of tannins and a suggestion of raisins. 90. Now - 2013.

Chateau Caillou 2006

Sauternes, Bordeaux, France. 13.5%. Cork. Approx $A36

I think I've had a weeks worth of sugar in one day. . . As wonderful as these macaroons are, the one that gave the most pleasure was the first. It was not the colour or the flavour, but the texture which made me weak at the knees. A thin membrane to crunch through and then a lovely giving and yet chewy inside followed by a seductive core of crème pâtissière. I suspect the best beverage for these sweet treats would be an espresso, but the marzipan flour made me determined to open a bottle of Sauternes. . . As with all imperfect food and wine pairings, the best solution is to drink first, eat and then many minutes later return to your wine.

Tasting note: I can give a list of odd ingredients, marzipan, wool, glue, dried figs, panforte. . . but all you need to know is that this is a beautiful, simple, and reasonably priced example of Sauternes. It's concentrated and sunny, crisp, sweet and even a little brittle. Try stopping at a single glass, as you watch its profile and flavours change with warmth and time. 91. Now - 2015.

Postcard: It must be love

Is it coincidence or clever clustering of like minded businesses. . . In the leafy Western suburbs, down the road from Scotch College, nestled next to a dentist, is the amazing and yet homely Choux café.

Dr Mayer Yarra Valley Pinot noir 2008

Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. Pinot noir. 13%. Diam. Approx $A60

Beautifully but mischievously packaged, is this superb wine. It's a little unresolved at the moment and wiser souls would wait a few more year, but the appeal and seductive softness is so great at the moment it's hard to resist. I'm sniffing a long empty glass, it's perfumed with wilted rose petals and cherries, but to start it was earthy and spiced and it would be easy to imagine yourself wearing Wellies and digging up root vegetables. Trainspotter will sniff the signature of whole bunches. . . Flesh, creamy softness and Turkish delight in the mouth, it's caressing and the mouth feel is lovely. I've scribbled springy, but that's not a true reflection of the soft resistance that momentarily holds and then easily yields. The intensity and brightness are charming, the only minor negative is a slightly awkward hint of char (oak) and sap in conclusion, which hopefully will settle and soften. 95. 2011 - 2018.

Dinner

The chill of winter is finally here and my whole house is the temperature of the perfect cellar. 14 degrees C. . . It seems appropriate then for start eating hearty food. This simple recipe (click on the image) from David Herbert is brilliant. I've been drinking a little too much cider of late and decided to pair it with a Yarra Valley Pinot noir.

I came home from work and in 15 minutes the preparation was complete and the meal was in the oven cooking. . . A few specifics - I used slightly more cider - one and a half small bottles (of Pip Squeak) and I used 4 medium carrots (quartered lengthwise) and to crisp the skin, I used the grill for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Frankland Estate Poison Hill Riesling 2009

Great Southern, Western Australia. Riesling. 11%. Screwcap. Approx $A29.

The book: The second edition of The Food Lovers' Guide To Perth is a must for the greedy and curious. One caveat, the authors are generous and enthusiastic to a fault, so it pays to calibrate their comments with your own experience. . . Based on the book, I'm planning visit to Mother India (Indian take away in Fremantle) and Partridges (Fishmonger in Nedlands). . .

The wine: Lean, searing and beautifully intense. It's off dry and all the better for it. Powdery and light this punchy, lime scented wine seems more closely related to Europe than it's antipodean peers. 93. Now - 2020

Another wine: Thompson Estate Chardonnay 2005. Margaret River, 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A35. Slightly stereotypical (Doctor, Margaret River, Chardonnay. . .) with its butterscotch and cream, but I loved it none the less. Lush and indulgent with a pleasing blend of acidity and fleshy texture. 92. Now - 2015.

Harvest day

Being driven by more mundane considerations, like whether the sun is shining and do I have a spare few hours to pick and prick my olives, I chose today to harvest my crop, which this year seems smaller and more affected my millerandage. . . It's a root day today, so presumably I would have been better served doing something with carrots and potatoes. . .

Dcember 2010 - Post script - I usually use a 10% salt solution to pickle the olives (1 cup rock salt to 9 cups of water) - changing the water and salt mixture every few days until the olives have lost most of their bitterness. This takes a few weeks. The olives can then be left in the brine for several months - though there is a risk of various bacterial blooms while you are waiting. This year, I avoided this problem (of bacterial contamination) by adding 1 cup of home made red wine vinegar.

Stefano Lubiano Sasso Pinot noir 2005

Tasmania, Australia. Pinot noir. 13.5%. Cork. Approx $A90

Stripped and diminished by cork taint. Not totally undrinkable, the taint is only very low level, but there is little pleasure to be had. The nose is flat and without perfume, in the mouth the tightness and pleasing acid structure is clear, and there is a suggestion of sensuous flesh, but it is well hidden and any positives are truncated and wrapped with disappointment and cardboard.

Postcard: George St, East Fremantle

I spent a lazy hour meandering around East Fremantle's George St. It's highly therapeutic, I even managed to find a bottle of the elusive Frankland Estate Poison Hill Vineyard Riesling. . . but I've been left wondering who this pictured woman (or more likely, deity) is. After several phone calls I know the houses in question were all designed by Victorian architect, Norman Hitchcock. There's a cluster of them, all notable for their stucco mouldings and masked keystones, but who. . . she seems too benign to be Queen Victoria. . .

Review: Breakfast @ Hubbles yard

At the corner of Hubble and George in historic East Fremantle, is a wonderful and bustling local secret.

Befitting its near coastal location, this lovely cafe manages to feel like the beach. It glows with warmth, youth and goodness. The tables are nicely spaced, the windows overlook Perth's prettiest bottleshop (Wine Liaisons) and suddenly I feel a strong urge to nest and stay. . .

My Big brekkie ($A18.50) and flat white (Fiori), outwardly appear like any other in Perth, but this is different. It's better, more homely and dare I say, made with more care and love.

Alterum Adelaide Hills Pinot noir 2009

Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Pinot noir. 13%. Screwcap. Approx $A22.

Varietal but awkward, plump and extracted. Frontal and seemingly bigger and warmer than the stated 13%, this is quite direct, savoury and slightly charred. A fair effort and quite smart value, but still this is only a one to two glass proposition. 87. Now - 2012.

Wine crystals

The waiter let out an oops as she poured the dregs into my glass of wine and then quickly scurried away. No explanation was offered. . . It was only later that I could determine what the (unwarranted) fuss was about. . .

Related post

Philippe Chavy Puligny Montrachet 2007

Puligny Montrachet, Burgundy, France. Chardonnay. Cork - Chateau length (54mm) Source: Wine list, approx $A100.

Sunday lunch @ Lamont's East Perth. The space is a decade old, but still it seems fresh and inviting. The natural light gives the room such a lovely glow and warmth. The food is made with care, but it's safe and comforting rather than surprising and imaginative. The service was acceptable, but some would not have been pleased if no bread was offered and their wine glass was allowed to stay empty for a few long minutes. . .

The wine list is short - a double sided page which is dotted with house wines (Lamont's Swan Valley, Margaret River and Mt Barker). I've previously tried the 09 Lamont's SSB which I thought was very good (Grass and melon with a hint of spice and lovely citrus fruit acidity) and the 08 Lamont's Cabernet Merlot from Margaret River whose perfumed violet nose reminded me more than a little of Margaux. Though the selection is limited, there are only two Champagnes for instance (Gosset Grande Reserve $143 and Pol Roger 1999 for $178), the pleasing thing is the modest (40 -50%) mark up. Two that caught my eye - the 09 Grosset Polish Hill for $A66 and the Kevin 07 Chardonnay at $A96.

Tasting note: Indulgent and fleshy and perhaps a little more golden than I had expected. Butterscotch and cream, figs and grapefruit, quite succulent, concentrated and beautifully crisp. There's a streak of almond meal and seams of complexity. 92. Now - 2015.

Nigl Dornleiten Riesling 2007

Austria. Riesling. 12%. Screwcap. Approx $A40.

Wandering around China town this afternoon I came across these lovely pyramidal bundles (bahn chung) of glutinous rice and mung beans. They are the ultimate in lazy fast food. I store mine in the freezer and microwave then when I feel like having something quick, warm and indulgent.

I wonder if I were blinded, would I think this from the Eden Valley, or perhaps even the Great Southern. It's lovely and dry, salty almost and laden with lime zest. A compelling and somewhat confronting combination of intensity and essential oil bitterness. 90. Now - 2017.

Donnhoff Dry Riesling 2008

Nahe, Germany. Riesling. 11.5%. Cork (blemish free and hard). Approx $A40.

Tasting context: The Australian Government announces that it will introduce a new 40% tax on miners and their so called super profits. It defines a super profit as anything over the long term bond rate. It's a shocking decision, short sighted and provincial, it is hard to believe our political masters and technocrats could be so foolish.

Tasting note: Off dry and absolutely gorgeous. The balance and intensity it superb. Lime and slate, lovely rolling and mineral acidity with a suggestion of candied ginger in the mouth. 91. Now - 2018.

William Downie Petit Manseng 2009

King Valley, Victoria, Australia. Petit Manseng. 12.5%. Diam. $A38.

If I've understood things correctly, something unexpected and infrequent contains more information than something mundane and regular. . . Which makes this particular bottle heavy with data. Petit Manseng in Australia, made by a wine maker obsessed with all things Pinot noir. . .

Curious and playful. Musk, fruit salad and pink fairy floss. I can smell the sugar and stickiness. . . Tingling and citric, at first I thought there was a little bit of retained CO2 giving the zip and teasing my tongue. Clearly this is sweet, but it's cut with mandarin and grapefruit giving a lovely combination of grip, texture, confection and satisfaction.

Jan 2011 tasting note.

Chermoula prawns and eggplant puree

The recipe is incorporated into the image. Start by peeling and deveining the prawns and then make the Chermoula. I pulsed all of the following ingredients in a blender; 1 handful each of fresh parsley and coriander, 2 cloves of garlic and a teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander and paprika and half a teaspoon of Ras el hanout, along with the juice and grated rind of one lemon and two tablespoons of olive oil.

Flavour and stir your yoghurt and set aside. Now roast the eggplant and when done - prepare the puree. I'm told it is similar in concept to an Indian Bharta, though perhaps less spiced and less smoky.

Sunday wines

A lazy Sunday lunch, the chill of winter still seems distant and that heaviness in my abdomen and head is only now starting to clear. No suitable photographic evidence, instead an image of one of Stuart Elliott's playful sculptures.

FX Pichler Grüner veltliner Federspiel Loibner Frauenweingarten 2008. (12%. Screwcap). To begin something clear, precise and stony. Lovely texture and a shake of white pepper to finish.

Pegasus Bay Pinot noir 2006 (Waipara Valley, Canterbury, NZ. 14%. Screwcap). Beautiful and identifiably Kiwi. Fragrant, roots and earth, rose petal and something vaguely sleek and extracted. I've scribbled 'shiny' on a scrap of paper. Spiced and sappy this is lovely and rich. Very good.

Epis and Williams Cabernet sauvignon 2001. (Macedon, Victoria. 12.9%. Cork). I've tried the 2000 release of this, and in comparison this seems leaner, tighter and more spiced. Quite a lifted nose, eucalypt, pine and strangely for a fleeting moment cinnamon. I like the structure and lines.

Moss Wood Cabernet sauvignon 1995 (Margaret River, Western Australia. 14%. Cork). Tight to begin before unwinding in the glass and decanter. Earthy and savoury with a hint of sticking plaster. . . I can't see this getting any better.