The second Club dinner of 2004 was held on Saturday, 24th April. Regular club members Attila, David, Peter and I were joined by Danny (Baby Chickpea), Stephan, and Ric. The theme of the dinner was “Grand & RareÂâ€Â. This time, the evening was hosted by Peter. PeterÂ’s understanding and skill in gastronomy, of which I was greatly appreciative, will be detailed below. Like all Club dinners, wines were served blind with spot-on and discussion ensuing before trivia and options are given until the wineÂ’s identity is known.
The evening began with an unusual anti-climax with no one bringing a Champagne. Fortunately, Peter had one of his regular “quaffers†in the refrigerator in case of emergency. This was one such occasion:
1) 1995 POL ROGER Champagne
This wine was obviously Champagne on nose and palate. Sweet green apple fruit dominant with sweet spice and apple blossoms in the back ground. Mild but obvious yeast and barrel complexity, fully integrated into the wine makes itself apparent not long after the fruit and bubbles hit the palate. The front and middle palate show excellent depth of these flavours but the back palate starts to thin. The wine was very powerful with an exceptionally integrated acid backbone ensuring that the wine, especially its back palate, will significantly improve with time. Despite the drop off in flavour, the wineÂ’s structure ensured excellent length. An excellent combination of power and elegance. Rated Excellent now, this wine will improve to Outstanding in a few years.
Whilst enjoying the above wine, PeterÂ’s kitchen skill began to be displayed. The 1995 Pol was served with seared scallops in truffle oil with salt and pepper. The scallops were seared to perfection, their texture silky, their flavour in total harmony with the accompaniments, especially the truffle oil, not overdone at all, whilst the salt added a gorgeous sweetness to the dish. This dish was outstanding and I was luckily enough to have a second serving. Unexpectedly, this second helping combined extremely well with the following wine.
2) 1992 LEASINGHAM Classic Clare Sparkling Shiraz
This wine was not served blind and, rather presumptuously, I did not expect much before assessing it. Why? I hear much about the Seppelt Show Reserve, Rockford Black and Primo Estate offerings, but not much about LeasinghamÂ’s contribution to this style. I even read more about the Majella offering, of which I am not greatly fond. However, this wine changed my presumption and indeed my opinion of this wine. The wine displayed freshness, power and bead intensity of a bottle many years younger yet the flavours were as harmonious and complex as expected of a wine afforded high quality South Australian Shiraz fruit at 12 years of age. The wine was concentrated and full of flavour. Black cherry and blackberry was in total balance with developed savoury and sweetness, neither dominating. Then there was a gamut of other flavour sensations: liquorice, chocolate, sweet spices, cinnamon, even a hint of pepper. Sugar apparent, not obvious, and in line with the style although on the sweeter end of the spectrum. All this was on a very creamy mouthfeel, contributed by great mousse and a superbly integrated structure. Great length. Great wine at its peak that will hold for many years. Rated Outstanding, Sparkling Shiraz can get much better than this.
3) 1989 TYRRELLÂ’S Vat 1 Semillon
This wine was bought in January this year from a prominent Sydney retailer. The bottle was a re-release with TyrrellÂ’s new labelling, the one with copious medals on the front label. Apparently it had been cellared in perfect conditions for the last 14 or so years. It was an overdeveloped disappointment! Cream and vanilla on the front palate that fell away very quickly to a thin and short conclusion. Wine not rated. I have heard murmuring from a few sources that these re-released examples are not showing as well as hoped. If you are purchasing a 1989 Vat 1 at auction, you might consider targeting the original release rather than the re-release.
Of important note, to the prominent Sydney retailerÂ’s credit, the wine was replaced cheerfully and without fuss. It will be opened in the near future.
4) 2001 A.ROSTAING La Bonette Viognier: Condrieu
This wine was light gold, indicating good depth or age, in this case depth. This promise of flavour depth was delivered but the wine as a whole was terribly unbalanced. The nose and front palate was intense and complex with apricot, pear and floral notes of excellent depth. However, bitterness on the middle palate in the form of bitter almond and apricot kernels, as well as acid falling out of the wine, some heat from alcohol and also disjoined glycerine, created a wine of little enjoyment. I suspect that this wine should have been drunk upon release. Rated as Recommended, just, due to its varietal characters, maybe even some credit for its varietal faults.
At $120, this wine once again shows the purchasing minefield that is Condrieu, especially such wines usually donÂ’t reach our shores until they are pasted their used-by date!
[b]5) 2001 IMRE GYÖRGYKOVÃ
To me there's a little ambiguity as to what club it is that you owe your indulgences, but it sure sounds great. Good to see (read)!