Right, what are we/you drinking now .. tonight

[rooman]

2015 Journey Wines Chardonnay Yarra Valley
Fine linear natural acidity with a stonefruit driven nose and subtle stoney pear palate
Get on board the Journey Train
He is making such brilliant wine (Damian North) like Mr Luke Lambert.

Michel

that's quite an impressive endorsement. I have been looking for chardonnay recently to get be away from my riesling obsession. Looking at the website, he has his wines in top restaurants in Sydney. Worth a try?

Mark

[rooman]

Speaking of riesling, I shared a bottle of 2007 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese with friends over dinner last night as part of the birthday festival of Ms Roo. As most of us will have experienced at some time or other, one of the joys of sharing wines with friends who have a more limited interest in the topic is seeing the reaction of someone who has a 'moment' with a new wine or new wine style. One friend in particular last night had never tried older German rieslings and was blown away by the difference between complex cellared riesling and newly purchased riesling, albeit a lovely Pikes 2017. The Von Schubert is in a lovely place at present. Deep golden sunflower yellow, fresh multi layered riesling complexity with a crisp long finish, perfect with the selection of Asian dishes on the table last night.

[felixp21]

Had a first look at bottled 2015 Bordeaux this afternoon, the wines showed as glorious as our current weather. (for any tourists who want to visit PRD or HK, this is the best time to come on over)
Beautiful long lunch, equally long discussions on the 2015 vintage and vintages of this millennium.
The wines were universally fabulous, scribes have compared them favourably to 2009, or a cross between 2005 and 2009, but for me, the resemblance to young 82's was quite uncanny. I suspect (hope?) these will behave in a similar fashion and be drinkable throughout their long lives.
After a couple of Pearl River beers and two reasonable bottles of Mikulski Charmes 2010 (89pts), it was on to the main event:

2015 Malescot St Exupery
I've always had a soft spot for this Chateau and Brane Cantenac as great daily drinkers, and this wine will certainly keep that interest alive and well. Very typical of a Margaux in a top vintage, beautiful pronounced perfumed bouquet, flowers, red fruits, anise, musk. Wonderful mouth-feel so typical of the appellation, glorious length. Super start!!! 96pts 2025-2050

2015 Giscours
Another Margaux, this was all the darling in the EP campaign on the back of fantastic value and high critic scores. Again, very typical of the appellation, quite similar to the MSE, but not quite the drive and focus. Still, wonderful QPR. 92pts 2022-2040

2015 Chateau Palmer
wow!!! This is an amazing, huge rich and voluptuous wine. Unlike the above two Margaux, this is clearly a wine in the black fruit spectrum, with dark cherry, plums and violets to the fore. Dark chocolate too. Lots of merlot in this, not dissimilar to a top right bank wine. Tight on the nose, although it opened up nicely over the course of an hour in the glass. Bury these deep if you have them, almost impossible to resist. Better still, get hold of some Alter Ego to satisfy the cravings until at least 2028. 98pts 2028-2050

2015 Chateau Pichon Lalande
for me, this Chateau is always about length, texture and tannins. Absolutely glorious wine, my barrel tastings were highly positive, but this is now at another level. This is everything anyone would want in a good Bordeaux, and this wine has 1982 PLL Mark 2 written all over it. Buy it, the critics might be divided a little on this wine, but this is the real deal. Extraordinary. 99pts 2025-2050

2015 Chateau Canon
with Conseillante, one of my two favourite Bordeaux Chateau. This is the wine all the hype has been about, nominated by Vinous as the wine of the vintage, and a speculator's delight. This also showed better in bottle than in barrel, it is a wine of extreme length and wonderful texture. Loads of black fruits, graphite, violets, sweet earth and a hint of smoke. Totally seamless wine, incredibly, this wine can be easily consumed right now with delight, but will last 40 years easily. For me, not at the level of the Palmer or Pichon, but never-the-less a superb wine. 96pts 2020-2050

2015 Chateau Vieux Chateau Certan
this is, IMO, the super-star of the vintage. Massive, massive black wine with extraordinary length and complexity. Almost 15% alcohol, but a high percentage of Cabernet Franc gives this wine drive, incredible energy and amazing freshness. This might be the one wine I suspect will close down, and I would /will leave them a long while, but it is certainly a legend in the making. Last year, I tasted these side by side with Lafleur, Ausone and Cheval Blanc as part of a huge 15 tasting, and this was, IMO, clearly the best wine. 100pts 2030-2060

as we chatted away with a lovely selection of cheese, one of the guys produced a beautiful wine to match, shared amongst the seven of us and gone far too quickly!!!! It was a 1999 Dujac Clos St Denis which was nimble, perfumed and intense, and ready to go!!! Nice counter-point to the bruising Bordeaux, I rated it about 94pts.

So, the take away for me was that 2015 in bottle might be even better than barrel, which is quite something given how positive my barrel impressions were. Looking forward to 10 years time when I'll really start to get stuck into them
We spent a good part of the lunch and afternoon discussing vintage 2015 and the vintages of this millennium. Consensus was that 2010 remains in the pole position, then followed by 2009, but 2015 is very much hot on the heels of 09. Some of the guys are very bullish about 2016, so we will see next year when we repeat the exercise.

[Rossco]

2006 Langmeil 1843 Freedom Shiraz

This is still so young. Thought I would crack it and see how its traveling. Still so primary with the oak dominating
for now. Very powerful wine, but has this beautiful silky elegance to it, although the finish is a little harsh at the moment.
Not hedonistic like some top tier shiraz, as its medium-full body. Pencil Shavings, graphite, roast meat, cured meat,
smoked meat.... all the meats are in here.
Black as night. Blackberries and some blackcurrants in there. Perfect cork with a tiny round disc at the bottom, this bottle
would have lasted another 20 years. Oak & Acid have to finish their epic battle and settle down before I would crack another one.
Yes I opened it too early..........

[Hunter]

Had a first look at bottled 2015 Bordeaux this afternoon, the wines showed as glorious as our current weather. (for any tourists who want to visit PRD or HK, this is the best time to come on over)
Beautiful long lunch, equally long discussions on the 2015 vintage and vintages of this millennium.
The wines were universally fabulous, scribes have compared them favourably to 2009, or a cross between 2005 and 2009, but for me, the resemblance to young 82's was quite uncanny. I suspect (hope?) these will behave in a similar fashion and be drinkable throughout their long lives.
After a couple of Pearl River beers and two reasonable bottles of Mikulski Charmes 2010 (89pts), it was on to the main event:

2015 Malescot St Exupery
I've always had a soft spot for this Chateau and Brane Cantenac as great daily drinkers, and this wine will certainly keep that interest alive and well. Very typical of a Margaux in a top vintage, beautiful pronounced perfumed bouquet, flowers, red fruits, anise, musk. Wonderful mouth-feel so typical of the appellation, glorious length. Super start!!! 96pts 2025-2050

2015 Ciscours
Another Margaux, this was all the darling in the EP campaign on the back of fantastic value and high critic scores. Again, very typical of the appellation, quite similar to the MSE, but not quite the drive and focus. Still, wonderful QPR. 92pts 2022-2040

2015 Chateau Palmer
wow!!! This is an amazing, huge rich and voluptuous wine. Unlike the above two Margaux, this is clearly a wine in the black fruit spectrum, with dark cherry, plums and violets to the fore. Dark chocolate too. Lots of merlot in this, not dissimilar to a top right bank wine. Tight on the nose, although it opened up nicely over the course of an hour in the glass. Bury these deep if you have them, almost impossible to resist. Better still, get hold of some Alter Ego to satisfy the cravings until at least 2028. 98pts 2028-2050

2015 Chateau Pichon Lalande
for me, this Chateau is always about length, texture and tannins. Absolutely glorious wine, my barrel tastings were highly positive, but this is now at another level. This is everything anyone would want in a good Bordeaux, and this wine has 1982 PLL Mark 2 written all over it. Buy it, the critics might be divided a little on this wine, but this is the real deal. Extraordinary. 99pts 2025-2050

2015 Chateau Canon
with Conseillante, one of my two favourite Bordeaux Chateau. This is the wine all the hype has been about, nominated by Vinous as the wine of the vintage, and a speculator's delight. This also showed better in bottle than in barrel, it is a wine of extreme length and wonderful texture. Loads of black fruits, graphite, violets, sweet earth and a hint of smoke. Totally seamless wine, incredibly, this wine can be easily consumed right now with delight, but will last 40 years easily. For me, not at the level of the Palmer or Pichon, but never-the-less a superb wine. 96pts 2020-2050

2015 Chateau Vieux Chateau Certan
this is, IMO, the super-star of the vintage. Massive, massive black wine with extraordinary length and complexity. Almost 15% alcohol, but a high percentage of Cabernet Franc gives this wine drive, incredible energy and amazing freshness. This might be the one wine I suspect will close down, and I would /will leave them a long while, but it is certainly a legend in the making. Last year, I tasted these side by side with Lafleur, Ausone and Cheval Blanc as part of a huge 15 tasting, and this was, IMO, clearly the best wine. 100pts 2030-2060

as we chatted away with a lovely selection of cheese, one of the guys produced a beautiful wine to match, shared amongst the seven of us and gone far too quickly!!!! It was a 1999 Dujac Clos St Denis which was nimble, perfumed and intense, and ready to go!!! Nice counter-point to the bruising Bordeaux, I rated it about 94pts.

So, the take away for me was that 2015 in bottle might be even better than barrel, which is quite something given how positive my barrel impressions were. Looking forward to 10 years time when I'll really start to get stuck into them
We spent a good part of the lunch and afternoon discussing vintage 2015 and the vintages of this millennium. Consensus was that 2010 remains in the pole position, then followed by 2009, but 2015 is very much hot on the heels of 09. Some of the guys are very bullish about 2016, so we will see next year when we repeat the exercise.

Thanks Felix

[George Krashos]

Just checking: is it Chateau Giscours or Ciscours? I'm aware of the former but never heard of the latter.

-- George Krashos

[Bobthebuilder]

2016 Oakridge hazeldene vineyard chardonnay - really nice new world chardonnay, sweet ripe stone fruit on the nose and palate with a lovely creamy butteryness in the mouth. Lychees and white peach are the fruits and that stand out to me, the lychee coming in at the middle and finish.

[michel]

2015 Journey Wines Chardonnay Yarra Valley
Fine linear natural acidity with a stonefruit driven nose and subtle stoney pear palate
Get on board the Journey Train
He is making such brilliant wine (Damian North) like Mr Luke Lambert.

Michel

that's quite an impressive endorsement. I have been looking for chardonnay recently to get be away from my riesling obsession. Looking at the website, he has his wines in top restaurants in Sydney. Worth a try?

Mark

Its delightful
I had a Luke Lambert crudo 2017 that was also v good
Next is Luke Lambert chardonnay 2017

[michel]

2016 Oakridge hazeldene vineyard chardonnay - really nice new world chardonnay, sweet ripe stone fruit on the nose and palate with a lovely creamy butteryness in the mouth. Lychees and white peach are the fruits and that stand out to me, the lychee coming in at the middle and finish.

Pinot is worth a try
Needs a bit of air

[felixp21]

Just checking: is it Chateau Giscours or Ciscours? I'm aware of the former but never heard of the latter.

-- George Krashos

actually, they are the same. Chateau Giscours is what it is generally known as, and Chateau Ciscours is what it is known as after you have been drinking all afternoon and decide to write up the report!!!!
thanks George, mistake edited!!!

[Scotty vino]

2015 MM Quintet.
A buddy and I on the back deck at his place cracked this...
Straight up getting Graphite, lead pencil, a touch of green/stem like characters. Reminded me of an old school pencil case.
Subsequently getting some cherry/candy like aromas that had me thinking of red skins lollies.
So much happening here as it slowly unfurled. Some floral notes of rose petal with a lovely touch of
ladies perfume (we couldn't discern which one but crikey it was alluring)and on on it goes.
Putting my nose over the decanter I felt like I wanted to laugh maniacally like Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber. So good.
Had some great fresh berry like acidity. Tannins very fine and precise on the tip of the tongue.
The finish on this just kept creeping further and further as we progressed.
So well balanced at this early stage of its life. Revisit in a year or 2 it's only going skyward.

[rooman]

Michel

that's quite an impressive endorsement. I have been looking for chardonnay recently to get be away from my riesling obsession. Looking at the website, he has his wines in top restaurants in Sydney. Worth a try?

Mark

Its delightful
I had a Luke Lambert crudo 2017 that was also v good
Next is Luke Lambert chardonnay 2017

Thanks. I found somewhere local with Luke Lambert Chardonnay so picked up a couple. I want to try one and then put away the rest for a couple of years. I am curious, I have also seen the crudo advertised. I had thought it was his entry level but not so sure now. Do you know the difference?

Mark

[phillisc]

2015 MM Quintet.
A buddy and I on the back deck at his place cracked this...
Straight up getting Graphite, lead pencil, a touch of green/stem like characters. Reminded me of an old school pencil case.
Subsequently getting some cherry/candy like aromas that had me thinking of red skins lollies.
So much happening here as it slowly unfurled. Some floral notes of rose petal with a lovely touch of
ladies perfume (we couldn't discern which one but crikey it was alluring)and on on it goes.
Putting my nose over the decanter I felt like I wanted to laugh maniacally like Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber. So good.
Had some great fresh berry like acidity. Tannins very fine and precise on the tip of the tongue.
The finish on this just kept creeping further and further as we progressed.
So well balanced at this early stage of its life. Revisit in a year or 2 it's only going skyward.

Very nice indeed...got a couple of these...might need to get a couple more.
Cheers
Craig

[Hunter]

2015 MM Quintet.
A buddy and I on the back deck at his place cracked this...
Straight up getting Graphite, lead pencil, a touch of green/stem like characters. Reminded me of an old school pencil case.
Subsequently getting some cherry/candy like aromas that had me thinking of red skins lollies.
So much happening here as it slowly unfurled. Some floral notes of rose petal with a lovely touch of
ladies perfume (we couldn't discern which one but crikey it was alluring)and on on it goes.
Putting my nose over the decanter I felt like I wanted to laugh maniacally like Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber. So good.
Had some great fresh berry like acidity. Tannins very fine and precise on the tip of the tongue.
The finish on this just kept creeping further and further as we progressed.
So well balanced at this early stage of its life. Revisit in a year or 2 it's only going skyward.

Very nice indeed...got a couple of these...might need to get a couple more.
Cheers
Craig

Yes, similar thoughts after that review. Glad i purchased a handfull on release.

[Ian S]

actually, they are the same. Chateau Giscours is what it is generally known as, and Chateau Ciscours is what it is known as after you have been drinking all afternoon and decide to write up the report!!!!
thanks George, mistake edited!!!

Not at all helped by them having a 2nd wine called Goucsirs. One wonders if they themselves had been on the sherbets when they came up with that name!

[pc79]

2015 MM Quintet.
A buddy and I on the back deck at his place cracked this...
Straight up getting Graphite, lead pencil, a touch of green/stem like characters. Reminded me of an old school pencil case.
Subsequently getting some cherry/candy like aromas that had me thinking of red skins lollies.
So much happening here as it slowly unfurled. Some floral notes of rose petal with a lovely touch of
ladies perfume (we couldn't discern which one but crikey it was alluring)and on on it goes.
Putting my nose over the decanter I felt like I wanted to laugh maniacally like Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber. So good.
Had some great fresh berry like acidity. Tannins very fine and precise on the tip of the tongue.
The finish on this just kept creeping further and further as we progressed.
So well balanced at this early stage of its life. Revisit in a year or 2 it's only going skyward.

My wine of the year last year. Just a pup, but gee what a wine!

[Matt@5453]

2015 Bondar 'Violet Hour' Shiraz, McLaren Vale

A really nice core of sweet fruit that hits the middle palate; showing plums, blueberries, a hint of blackberry, milk chocolate, vanilla, and a slight musk component. Low to medium acid and tannin. The finish was good with reasonable length. A good and nice example of McLaren Vale shiraz but not overly thrilling, it felt like something was missing. I prefer the 2014 vintage of the same wine.

[Sean]

deleted

[phillisc]

Metala Shiraz Cabernet 2012 - A lovely purple colour with a hint of bricking at the rim. Softer and smoother with a few years age on it. Loads of primary fruit still very evident. Red licorice, blackberry and spice. Rock solid framework of dusty tannins running through the palate. A big vintage, but a moderate 14% alcohol. Nice now and I am drinking this over a couple of nights. Needs more time to show its very best, so keep this to drink as a ten year old wine if you have a few bottles.

Thanks Sean... good to see the love for the mighty Metala....have a couple dozen of this vintage to look forward to.
Can't believe the position TWE take on this wine. I have had a 6 pack of the 16... currently on sale for less than a tenner. The 86 was $8 on release... go figure.
Cheers
Craig

[phillisc]

Another 2 bottles of 08 Wynns Shiraz...at 10 years this is right in the sweet spot...great with linguine Puttanesca
Cheers
Craig

[rooman]

Clos du Marquis 2005, St Julian with crab and roast tomato angel hair pasta for lunch at Brown Sugar, Bondi. Superb backbone and depth of dark red fruit but still far too young. I decanted it around 10am and by 2 as we drank the last drop it still really hadn’t opened up for business. Give it another 7-10 years.

[sjw_11]

Clos du Marquis 2005, St Julian with crab and roast tomato angel hair pasta for lunch at Brown Sugar, Bondi. Superb backbone and depth of dark red fruit but still far too young. I decanted it around 10am and by 2 as we drank the last drop it still really hadn’t opened up for business. Give it another 7-10 years.

An unusual match for a seaside lunch of crab!

[rens]

2014 Louis Jadot Bourgogne Rouge: A little tightly wound at first then opens up nicely with a small hint of funk and a reasonable finish. Nice enough for a Friday night, but nothing spectacular.

[TiggerK]

Nice night out at Golden Century on Wednesday.

All wines showed well I thought, WOTN for me was the PYCM M-Charmes 14, very impressive. Polymer's Vincent Dancer M-P 15 was another really nice wine, yet I can't help feel that some white 15's are going to be too tropical fruity for me? 1stworldproblem, as still lovely to drink with good acidity. Liked the Leflaive too, that trademark 11 acid zing. IIRC, I preferred the Clos St Denis to the CdlRoche but both delicious, thanks monghead! Prum 10 Spat was travelling very well, the MMary 03 and M-Charmes 02 chard combo a nice contrast, touch of heat in the MM 03 and the 02 could use more depth, but both improved with air and were in good condition. Quite liked my Ramonet rouge, still very young but was interested to try it. Yeah and was talking while reaching for the bottle to open blind and opened the Luke Lambert accidentally! It was fine but no one was paying it much attention with all the great white and red burgs to sample! (It's drinking pretty well tonight, smells wonderful although there is a slight burn/heat element that I'm finding distracting on the finish, maybe a day 2 thing. bobthebuilders Brunello was solid and had some grip which finished the night off nicely.

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/TimMiscStuf ... .04.20.jpg[/img]

[michel]

Nice night out at Golden Century on Wednesday.

All wines showed well I thought, WOTN for me was the PYCM M-Charmes 14, very impressive. Polymer's Vincent Dancer M-P 15 was another really nice wine, yet I can't help feel that some white 15's are going to be too tropical fruity for me? 1stworldproblem, as still lovely to drink with good acidity. Liked the Leflaive too, that trademark 11 acid zing. IIRC, I preferred the Clos St Denis to the CdlRoche but both delicious, thanks monghead! Prum 10 Spat was travelling very well, the MMary 03 and M-Charmes 02 chard combo a nice contrast, touch of heat in the MM 03 and the 02 could use more depth, but both improved with air and were in good condition. Quite liked my Ramonet rouge, still very young but was interested to try it. Yeah and was talking while reaching for the bottle to open blind and opened the Luke Lambert accidentally! It was fine but no one was paying it much attention with all the great white and red burgs to sample! (It's drinking pretty well tonight, smells wonderful although there is a slight burn/heat element that I'm finding distracting on the finish, maybe a day 2 thing. bobthebuilders Brunello was solid and had some grip which finished the night off nicely.

[img]http://www.grapemates.org/files/TimMiscStuf ... .04.20.jpg[/img]

Did Dujac 2009 look ripey scary at all?

[Mahmoud Ali]

Casual evening at home with harissa spiced baked chicken legs, baked potaoes and peas. Before dinner we shared a large bottle of Moa 'Methode' (a bottle fermented pilsner) Marlborough, New Zealand (5%). With dinner we had a 2013 Rabl 'Steinhaus' Riesling, Kamtal, Austria (12.5%). After dinner, and in the mood, we shared half-bottles of the 2006 La Spinetta 'Bricco Quaglia' Moscato d'Asti, Italy (5.5%) and the 2009 Masi 'Angelorum' Recioto, Valpollicella, Veneto, Italy (14.5%).

Moa, Rabl, Spinetta, Masi2.jpg

This Moa, which is bottle fermented and conditioned, is cloudy from the yeast, and is getting better with age. Not sure how old this was when I bought it but last summer (northern) it was being cleared out at a $1 per bottle. It comes in a 750ml bottle with a champagne cork and wires. Burnished old-gold in colour, the palate is now decidedly yeastier, and the flavours deeper, with greated intensity. The only problem has been difficulty getting the "champagne stopper" out (we now use a corkscrew) and the amount of mousse - we have to pour slowly and carefully. The three remaining bottles will be elevated to the more measured aperitif status.

The Rabl is a ripe, rounded riesling and stood up to the harissa chicken which, though hot at times also displayed plenty of herb elements that really played off the riesling. The Moscato is a light wine, only 5.5% alcohol, and is supposed to be drunk young when the fruity elements are on full display. This bottle was also a clearance special and was already 10 years old when I bought it but since I do like the mature flavours I thought nothing of buying 10 year-old Moscato, especially at $5 a bottle. The moscato is showing signs of age, the colour has a hint of gold instead of the straw yellow it would have had when young. Rather than the bright, clear-fruited wine it probably was, suitably as a stater or palate cleanser, it now has some biscuity elements and would likely go well with dry, not so sweet almond biscotti.

The Masi Recioto was a crimsom red, colour right to the rim. Although this is the sweet Amarone, also made with dried fruit, this Masi is already showing a savoury, though still well-fruited, dryish character. It has very much black cherry fruit but it is getting to the stage where it might be better with cheese, not sweet desserts. It is very moreish. I just checked the Masi website and they say this:

"STORAGE LIFE: 20 years, the first 5 for the sweet fruity style, the following 15-18 years for a long ageing process acquiring spicy evolved aromas until the wine finally becomes similar to Port."

I smiled when I saw the port reference. Some years ago I served a very old recioto, a 1979, at the end of a dinner. It was decanted and served blind. The concensus was that it was a port!

Cheers ................. Mahmoud.

[rooman]

Clos du Marquis 2005, St Julien with crab and roast tomato angel hair pasta for lunch at Brown Sugar, Bondi. Superb backbone and depth of dark red fruit but still far too young. I decanted it around 10am and by 2 as we drank the last drop it still really hadn’t opened up for business. Give it another 7-10 years.

An unusual match for a seaside lunch of crab!

Worked really well with the roasted tomatos sauce. The tannins have a way to go however before the wine is really ready to drink. As discussed above, the 2005 wines will be amazing but unless you are tasting the first out of case, I wouldn't be opening too many bottles yet.

Mark

[rooman]

Had a first look at bottled 2015 Bordeaux this afternoon, the wines showed as glorious as our current weather. (for any tourists who want to visit PRD or HK, this is the best time to come on over)
Beautiful long lunch, equally long discussions on the 2015 vintage and vintages of this millennium.
The wines were universally fabulous, scribes have compared them favourably to 2009, or a cross between 2005 and 2009, but for me, the resemblance to young 82's was quite uncanny. I suspect (hope?) these will behave in a similar fashion and be drinkable throughout their long lives.

2015 Malescot St Exupery
I've always had a soft spot for this Chateau and Brane Cantenac as great daily drinkers, and this wine will certainly keep that interest alive and well. Very typical of a Margaux in a top vintage, beautiful pronounced perfumed bouquet, flowers, red fruits, anise, musk. Wonderful mouth-feel so typical of the appellation, glorious length. Super start!!! 96pts 2025-2050

Consensus was that 2010 remains in the pole position, then followed by 2009, but 2015 is very much hot on the heels of 09. Some of the guys are very bullish about 2016, so we will see next year when we repeat the exercise.

I have some of the 2009 tucked away. Have you tried any yet? I've been reluctant to open one yet for reasons discussed above.

Mark

[rooman]

2015 Journey Wines Chardonnay Yarra Valley
Fine linear natural acidity with a stonefruit driven nose and subtle stoney pear palate
Get on board the Journey Train
He is making such brilliant wine (Damian North) like Mr Luke Lambert.

Michel

that's quite an impressive endorsement. I have been looking for chardonnay recently to get be away from my riesling obsession. Looking at the website, he has his wines in top restaurants in Sydney. Worth a try?

Mark

Its delightful
I had a Luke Lambert crudo 2017 that was also v good
Next is Luke Lambert chardonnay 2017

In searching for a reasonably priced chardonnay, I saw a local wine shop had the Montalto 2015 from Mornington Peninsula. After seeing the Journey Chardonnay and the Montalto were two of the top five chardonnays in the recent GWT tasting, I thought it was worth taking for a spin around the dinner table last night. Its a retrained style with citrus tones. For such a young wine, excellent complexity and well worth a try. It will definitely get better with age given the underlying backbone.

[TiggerK]

Did Dujac 2009 look ripey scary at all?

Ripey yes, ripey scary I'd say no. The stemmy aspect of Dujac seemed to really balance and tame the fruit quite well. I'm not a real stem fan but it worked well in this instance. Certainly not delicate or feminine wines, but not big fruity scary things either. Given a choice I'd rather go 2010 or 2013, but no complaints with these two 2009's at all.

Finished off the remains of the Ramonet Chassagne-Mont Clos St Jean Rouge 2013 last night (two nights in the fridge, bottle about 1/4 full). Really pretty! Lovely perfume on the nose, still some brash tannins and a good kick of acid giving the palate a 'hard' aspect, but I was very happy with it, delicious alongside some seared tuna, garlic roast kipflers & asparagus.

Cheers
Tim