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Hello All,

The theme for the 3rd 2005 Wine Club dinner was "Vintage Champagne". Each guest was asked to present at least two wines, with one being Vintage Champagne. The other wine may be of any style. All wines were tasted double blind or "Spot On". The goal of each attendee was to identify each wine's grape variety/ies, vintage and producer. Should all attendees fail, after open discussion, the presenter of each particular wine provided options and/or trivia about the wine.

Date: Saturday 9th July 2005.

Attendees: David, Steve, Neville, Attila, Danny, Adair.

Location: Attila's Place, Maroubra.

The wines presented were:

1979 G.H. Mumm "Cuvée René Lalou" (Danny)

50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noirs.
Deep and smooth with great creamy mousse on the palate. Very buttery, touches of almond and brown sugar. Very aged White Burgundy, I thought that it would have had a larger proportion of Chardonnay. Very harmonious, balanced and elegant. Superb winemaking. Amazing fresh yet not crisp. However, it lacked complexity and flavour definition. Despite being a few years past its peak, I thoroughly enjoyed this wine and it was a great start to the evening. 17.1/20, 90/100.



1979 Bollinger RD: Dégorgement 1988 – 12% (Danny)

Dried apricots, light honey and pear yet with smooth aged sweetness. Great depth. Hints of aldehyde of the back. Fine yet powerful structure in total harmony. This structure continued to impress for many days. Gorgeous wine that makes we want to rate it higher the more I think about it. 18.1/20, 93/100 on the night, but 18.5/20, 94/100 after 5 days!

In the options I verbalised my thought "It's definitely not Bollinger"! Luckily I was able to make up for this. To their credit, both Attila and David picked the House spot-on.


1996 Perrier-Jouët “Belle Epoque” – 12% (Steve)

Full of fresh dough with florals and lime. Very, very tight with excellent power and abundant, powerful yet classy acidity. The palate is young but creamy. Needs 5 years. Looked great the following days. 18.6/20, 95/100.


1996 Louis Roederer “Cristal” (Neville)

Toast, a little char, lime and a multitude of florals jumping out of the glass and all over the palate. It reminded me of the 2002 Kilikanoon Mort's Block Riesling in its infancy, but more complex and more spectacular. Power with lightness, elegance, harmony and finesse. Heaps of mousse. Its amazingly fine but greatly abundant structure fills the whole palate. Great length. Great wine. I don't think this wine could provide me with any additional pleasure with age but will undoubtedly last decades. 19.3/20, 97/100. Wine of the night and equal wine of the year so far.

Danny identified the wine as 1995 or 1996 Cristal spot-on. Well done!


MV (1993/5/6) Egly-Ouriet Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru “Vielles Vignes” – Les Crayeres, Ambonnay – 12.5% (David)

Slightly copper in colour. Strawberries and raspberries rise from the glass. Obviously Pinot Noir dominant without tasting the wine. The palate is tremendously powerful and pure with the raspberries more dominant. Superb strong structure and a full, clean palate. More potential and age-worthiness than the 1996 Belle Epoque. So tight with great line. Needs 10 years in the cellar and looked great on the following days. David Lole mentioned that it was a blend of 1993, 1995 and 1996 vintages off this single vineyard. 18.7/20, 95/100.


The Evening's Three Greatest


1996 Joseph Perrier “Cuvée Royale” – 12% (Adair)

Ripe and broad, especially on the back palate showing its Pinot Noir. Ripe berry and peachy fruit nuances with barrel influence complexities. Harmonious and very enjoyable, its structure is classy enough to show its Champagne origin but still not classy enough in terms of elegance and length to compete with the previous wines. Nonetheless, very good value at $70 per bottle. One or two more years of peak drinking. 17.6/20, 91/100.


1998 Veuve Cliquot-Ponsardin (Attila)

Full of nicely judged barrel complexities as well as developed flavours, actually over-developed for its age, on a creamy palate but not offering much in terms of core flavour. The back finishes slightly astringent. Drink now. 16.7/20, 89/100.


2003 Kreinbacher “Szt. Margit” Olaszrizling – Somlo, Hungary (Attila)

Dry still white wine. Heaps of smooth banana from extremely high quality oak but unfortunately there was nothing underneath. Money does not make great wine, especially from varieties that are better without oak. 15/20, 82/100.


NV Rockford Black Shiraz (Disgorged 2000) – 13.5% (Adair)

Full of savoury and earthy complexities on top of sweet, dark fruit and youthful sweet oak. Seemed overdeveloped and unbalanced. Nonetheless I enjoy it, obviously more than others. 17.6/20, 91/100.



1996 Domaine George Roumier Chambolle-Musigny (David)

A beautiful nose of undergrowth, red fruit and earthy nuances but the palate is astringent, high in acid and low in fruit. 15.5/20, 85/100.


1994 Château Kirwan (Margaux) (Steve)

Absolutely awesome nose on dark depth, cedar and herbs. Despite some lovely gravel and leafy complexity, the palate is disappointingly thin and slightly green. 15.4/20, 84/100.


1989 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River) (Neville)

This wine quickly reminded me of the wonderful 1995 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon tasted 7 months ago, however this wine had even more dark depth but still with lovely Cabernet complexities although its darkness hid any cigar. Harmonious with excellent power and length. Definitely in its peak drinking window but with time on its side. 18.5/20, 94/100.



1997 Cape Mentelle Shiraz – 14.5% (Steve)

Complex and powerful. A lot of savouriness on a large base of chocolate and admirably restrained dark fruit. A fair whack of high quality oak and massive, ripe, chalky tannins contribute greatly to the wine, especially its length of great presence. I really like the structure! Tasting over a number of days confirms that this is an excellent wine. Needs another 5 years. 18.3/20, 94/100.


1996 Rockford “Moorooroo” Shiraz – 13.5% (Adair)

I previously opened a 1996 Rockford Hoffmann and promised myself not to open another for 5 years, and now the same goes for this wine. It was absolutely all over the place. Very dark with heaps of fruitcake spices. Tannins are very ripe and soft. The main reason why I opened this wine was to see whether other peopleÂ’s reports of this wine going savoury (like Hunter Shiraz) were correct. They are not but there might be larger problems. Given the quality of the producer, I will give this wine the benefit of the doubt; however it rates 16/20, 87/100.


1988 Parker Estate “First Growth” Cabernet Sauvignon (Neville)

Ripe base with aged complexities now slightly past its peak with the palate thinning out. Elegant and enjoyable. 17/20, 90/100.



2004 Stephen Tindall Shiraz – Mudgee (Steve)

Potentially not a bad wine with good power and depth on an adequate frame but needs some expert winemaking input to rectify a few faults. 14.5/20, 80/100.


1988 Château Rieussec (Danny)

Enjoyable in a surprising large and fat style, especially for the producer, but lacking any structural complexity and excitement, especially on the back palate as one would expect. 16.8/20, 89/100.


1972 Seppelt Vintage Port – Rutherglen (David)

An unusual blend of varieties: Touriga, Bastardo and Alvarelhao; leading presumably to some unusual but interesting nuances in the wine. A deep large base of sweet raisins, chocolate and spices, there were some bitter nuts and fine, quite nicely astringent tannins, especially on the back palate. I am not sure whether the wine should be considered short as the fruit sweetness lingered only for a short-medium period of time or whether it should be considered medium-long given the bitter nuttiness than covered the palate upon swallowing. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable wine that provided much pleasure over a number of evenings. 17.3/20, 90/100.


Yes, it was a great night!

Kind regards,
Adair

Nice one Adair - here are my impressions:

1979 Mumm Cuvée René Lalou
50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noirs from Avize, Cramant and Verzenay. Beautiful bottle. Still mid yellow with lovely fine mousse and small (and persistent) bubbles. Bouquet of light toast and slight buttery cream. Palate a wonderful mix of primary fruit flavours and touches of honey and coffee. Finishes slightly hard and after 25 minutes, a whiff of sherry oxidative character appeared. A very delicate and elegant style, nicely balanced with good length. Very easy to drink and in remarkable condition for a 26-year-old wine. An excellent wine on its own, just in exceptional company tonight and not a “blockbuster” style either. Probably the only really good Mumm I have ever had (most of the vintage Mumm’s in the 1980s were not up to par from this now under performing house). A rarity and piece of history that is no longer made (last vintage was 1985).
91/100

1979 Bollinger RD (Dégorgement 1988)
Lighter mousse, but lighter yellow colour than the Mumm. Finer bubbles too. Fuller nose of pear, aldehydes, apricot, wood. Palate is impressive – good weight, balance, freshness and bready autolysis. Like an aged sparkling Corton-Charlemagne. Whoever said bottle ageing RD after 2-3 years after release ruins the wine must try this. This is a fine example from a great vintage, combining vinous complexity with freshness and tart acidity. Not at all too toasty and aledhydic which was what I expected. Excellent wine. The majority preferred this to the Mumm but there wasn’t alot in it for my palate – the Bollinger had more of everything but not necessarily that much better.
92/100

1996 Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque
Big bubbles and thick bead. Gorgeous flowery and estery nose. Lost its mousse rather quickly. Palate is still very primary and one dimensional but this has potential plus. Needs 10 years. Length was inferior to the Bollinger which preceded it. I was slightly disappointed that this wine did not show better in its infancy, as the 1982 and 1985 Belle Epoque were stunning wines in their youth, and majestic now and last 10 years.
92+/100

1996 Louis Roederer Cristal
This is the real deal. First whiff and I knew (as did the others) that this would be the WOTN. Very fine bead. Hay-straw colour. Peculiar “cheesiness” on the nose. Palate has exceptional complexity, excellent length and beautiful texture. A wine with all its components in focus, pure and loaded with potential. Stunning clean acidity, intense palate, exceptional length and medium bodied. Will improve over 5 years but perhaps better in 10 as the various layers unravel. This could only be Cristal and I correctly guessed it (though more like the 1995 given its approachability). :applause:
94+/100

NV Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Les Deits (sp?) “Les Crayères”
100% Pinot Noir from an ancient vineyard planted in 1947 which is called 'les crayères' ('the chalk mine') after its deep subsoil layer of chalk which begins only about a foot below the surface. The vines have deep roots and their age and the free-draining quality of the chalk give concentrated aromas of red fruits to the old Pinots, while at the same time the minerality of the chalk itself gives the wine an elegance and a huge ageing potential. A blend of 1993, 1995 and 1996 vintages. One of the very best récoltant-manipulants (grower-bottler) in all of Champagne. When I saw the slight pinkish colour in Adair’s glass across the table, I noted “Blanc de Noir”. Guessed Egly-Ouriet when the bottle’s owner confirmed the pinot-based composition. Nose and bead slightly muted (perhaps served too cold) but very fine revealing palate – sharp, primary, baked apples, blood oranges, red jellies, minerally, very rich and powerful but well tuned. Lovely stuff – needs 5-10 years for my palate and will live a long time. :thumbsup:
93/100

1996 Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut
Off the beaten track in Châlons-sur-Marne, this is a fruit-driven house that delivers good value. Much darker than the Egly in colour (mid-gold) with good bubbles. Palate is full and round, reminiscent of raspberries/red fruits. Not much by way of complexity and slightly one dimensional in this company, this is nonetheless a good wine drinking well now, and unlikely to improve further.
87/100

1998 Veuve Cliquot-Ponsardin
Developed nose and sharper palate. Quite creamy with overtones of roasted almonds and vegemite toast. Seems quite evolved in this company. Gotta say I was disappointed with this one – lacked concentration, length and structure, and tastes prematurely aged in this company.
86/100

2003 Kreinbacher Szt. Marzit Olceszrizling (Hungary)
Um, OK. Pointless wine. A mix of those banana lollies we all had as kids and coconut sunscreen cream. Next. New rule to thyself: though shalt no longer drink any Hungarian wine unless minimum 5 puttonyos in future. :bleh:
76/100

NV Rockford Black Shiraz (Disgorged 2000)
One of my 3 favourite sparkling reds, this one from the Barossa is usually excellent. This particular bottle wasnÂ’t. Rampantly sweet, simple and obvious, with some undergrowth of feral characters and malt whisky nuances. Worst Black Shiraz I have ever had, and more like a Pepsi-with-oak. Maybe following all those high acid and dry champagnes wasnÂ’t a good idea.
84/100

1996 Domaine George Roumier Chambolle-Musigny
Mid red with slight hint of red. Lovely fragrant nose of florals, berries, spice, and cinnamon. Palate is strange – fruit is buried somewhere, alcohol is noticeable, and acid is marked. I thought slight TCA (no one agreed) but the journey up to the dinner possibly impacted, especially given owner’s previous bottle was “much better”.
83/100

1994 Château Kirwan (Margaux)
From magnum. Very green and capsicum-like nose. I thought Coonawarra from a weak, under-ripe vintage. Promised a lot on nose but palate failed to deliver. Short length. Not good. Obtrusive tannins. Not balanced at all. Not going anywhere. Drink up.
82/100

1989 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River)
Now this is much better. Sweet ripe nose of blackcurrants and plums. Touch of leaf. I thought French, as did most others. Nice structure, good length, admirable balance. Not a powerhouse but very good wine. Holding well and will last. A real surprise as I have never been really taken by Leeuwin Cabernet.
88/100

1997 Cape Mentelle Shiraz (Margaret River)
Slight capsicum on nose and stalky. Quite youthful and raw. Very dry and chalky. Puckering tannins. Out of balance. I thought Italian – go figure! Lacks fruit richness and weight. Liked more by the others.
84/100

1996 Rockford SVS Moorooroo Single Vineyard Shiraz (Barossa Valley)
Big. Really big in every way. Extracted and over done. Palate and bouquet is all sweet stewed confectionary, loaded with liquorice, and like swallowing a showroom of oak furniture. What is most disconcerting is that this is rough and wildly out of balance. Very disappointing. Give me the Basket Press blend anyday. Reminded me of Marquis Phillips s9.
82/100

1988 Parker Estate Terra Rossa First Growth Cabernet sauvignon (Coonawarra)
Touch of brown. Uplift of aldehydic characters, mixed with judicious vanillin oak, gamey, with some voluptuous blackberries. Quite nice, with fine balance and good length. Fruit began to recede after 15 minutes but a nice wine that needs to be drunk up. One of my favourite Coonawarra producers and not a bad wine for their first vintage.
87/100

2004 Stephen Tindall Homemade Red (Mudgee)
A curio riddled with mercaptans that was bottled a few hours before. Not as bad as you would expect in tonightÂ’s company as the wine had lurking fruit (needed to search though) and was (almost) drinkable vs. the Kreinbacher! Sorry Stephen!
74/100

1988 Château Rieussec (Sauternes)
Light gold with nose of apricot marmalade and honey. Palate is fine but wine lacks weight, sweetness and length from a top vintage (which is strange – what went wrong?). This should be so much better. Finishes slightly hard.
87/100

1972 Seppelt Vintage Port (sic) (Rutherglen)
A blend of Touriga, Bastardo and Alvara Elhao. Mid brown hues. Quite alcoholic but nice chocolate overtones and sweet caramel on bouquet and palate. Nice wine.
86/100

Thanks to the “boys” for their generosity and social conviviality; and especially Attila, the self confessed five star Macrobiotic chef, who did a wonderful job with the food!

Love the socks Adair

No Krug guys? Great notes, sounded like a helluva night.

David's looking well in his first photo but has deteriorated by the last!

Nice line up gents.

This wine night was most enjoyable for me as I was the macrobiotic chef and the fact that there was no meat served whatsoever and people not only ate but were enthusiastic about the food, made my day which I toasted with none better but a glass of 1996 Roederer Cristal. It is an absolutely GREAT wine and I'm forever in debt to Neville who brought it along. Neville is a very special character, he has this totally english attitude and the voice of Hugh Grant so throughout the night I had the feeling that every time he spoke he was doing a voice over for a Hollywood film. David Lole wasn't in the best of health but still, guessing the 1988 Parker was an amazing effort. I am now convinced that David has what it takes to be a Master Of Wine should he decide to go for it. I certainly hope his health will improve so I can see him at the September club dinner. Adair made a brave move bringing the Rockford sparkling which looked quite miserable in the company of great Champagne. I certainly could feel it's unpolished rustic style that lacked class when compared to great Champagne but still, a very good drink. I am proud that Danny is a permanent club member with us and his 1979 Mumm was quite a miracle wine, surviving this long. I had the chance to drink it THE NEXT DAY as well still going strong. Poor Stephen received a long and detailed lecture on the faults of his homemade wine from just about everyone but it will make him a stronger and better winemaker in the future.
As Adair said, a great night for sure.
Cheers,
Attila

Nice work! Great Note.