AceHighWine

Ask most West Australians to name a good West Australian chardonnay and Leeuwin Art Series (LEAS - such is the wine’s reputation that the ‘Estate’ in its name has become superfluous) is likely to be at the front of most people’s tongues. Perhaps a better sign of its reputation, it’s one of the few local chardies that West Australians will drink and lend their support to: that’s high praise coming from a collective renowned for constantly looking overseas or over east for drinking inspiration. But you can understand why the unpatriotic would make prodigal sons: if there are any (not many, if any…) producers overseas or east who can consistently produce a wine of LEAS chardonnay’s intensity, power, length and focus, vintage in vintage out - I haven’t heard of them. Maybe I need to taste (or read) more.

Before my visit to Leeuwin, I was under the impression that LEAS was the sum of just one part: the verging-on-mythical Block 20. Last week I learned of the existence of a lower-profiled family that played just as important a role in the construction of LEAS: the good grapes of Block 22 - more-or-less across the oft-traversed driveway and up and under a few fences. The chardonnay that comes off the vines residing on blocks 20 and 22 all fit the description of “full of flavour”, it’s just the way they deliver this flavour that differs. On one hand you have the elegance of Block 20 - blessed with fine acidity and tremendous length. Meanwhile, the grapes off Block 22 (harder, hungrier soil that really make the vines work) reflect their tough neighbourhood and upbringing: focussed, serious, intense and ready to let fly with powerful yet controlled uppercuts of musky banana and tropical fruit. The 2007 (an exo vintage in Margaret River) barrel samples we tasted of each of these two blocks reflected the two differing terroirs while my hasty blending job (ie tip out all but a splash of each wine and then pour one glass into another) made for a crude but effective demonstration of the duo’s synergistic relationship. Guess I can add mixing LEAS chardonnay to my CV as well as dirty, dry martinis.

Although not on the market yet, bottles of the 2005 and 2006 LEAS chardies were on hand to taste. Although a little whiles from release, both wines exhibited that Art Series texture and length - but only time will reveal their true potential and position in the Leeuwin Estate scheme of things. Unlike plenty of other Margaret River chardonnays from the vintage, the LEAS ‘06 still looks a little closed with the acidity sticking out a tad from the nashi pear palate. Swirls of cashew start to reveal themselves on the finish and the oak will likely find its rhythm as the rest of the middle palate comes out of hiding. Not even the greatest wineries are able to escape the vagaries of vintage (16.5+ and expected to improve with time). On the other hand, the ‘05 - a child of an excellent growing season - is looking far more varietal and chardonnay-like. Intense and powerful with excellent balance between creamy nutty oak characters and tightly focussed tropical fruit flavours. A very controlled wine, in the driver’s seat, no need for a map, completely certain of where it’s going. (17.5+ with room to improve and dazzle. A wine which will wow when it’s released.)

Comparing these two in-the-wings releases to the bottles of ‘01, ‘95 and ‘87 dug out of the Leeuwin cellars, the shift from the toasty and charry shorter Burgundian barrels to longer Bordeaux barrels is telling. And that’s not an underhanded swipe at the earlier works (far from it, I loved the complexity of the oak on the ever-changing and long finish of the ‘95), just an observation on the wine’s change in tack. Another tidbit winos may not be aware of: sick of opening bottles to find a seductive aroma of wet cardboard, the team at Leeuwin have toiled through the museum stock of LEAS chardonnay and converted every good bottle over from cork to screwcap. All at the tedious rate of 72 bottles per day. Sadly, much of the wine didn’t make the grade (which begs the question - what happens to this not-up-to-scratch Art Series chardonnay?) but barring a massive screwcap failure or some heavy-handed sulphur treatment, all can look forward to all future museum stock of LEAS at Leeuwin pouring well. www.leeuwinestate.com.au

Finally, my impressions on how previous vintages of LEAS chardonnay are drinking right now.

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2001:
Intriguing bouquet of pear and spiced custard. Initially, the taste is predominantly lemon, but spread richly across the palate and helped along by the gentle fizz of acidity. Further citrus complexity in the way of oranges and spice flesh out the succulent palate before nutty oak flavours take over on the finish. For many, this wine’s appeal will be a question of style. 17.

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 1995:
Still surprisingly fresh on the nose with aromas of orange and other citrus fruit abounding. Similarly, also remarkably fresh in the mouth: rounded, seamless, great almondy oak characters and stylish and integrated fruit. It’s on the finish where this wine really shines where a magnificently complex and dazzling array of nut, toast and cashew weave in and out of one another. A finish best measured in half-lifes. 18.5

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 1987:
Kind of like a I-haven’t-been-to-the-toilet-since-yesterday shade of urine. The faint fizz of acidity hints at a tiny stretch of life left in the wine, but not much, you’d want to drink this now. Developed citrus chardonnay flavours reminiscent of cooked lemon. Similar to the ‘95 in terms of nutty oak and texture. Complex finish and good length round off the wine. 17.5

There are three things I really love about the Amon-Ra: first, the name is cool, but that’s to be expected if you name a wine after Egyptian mythology’s King of Gods, and second, the artwork on the label - the all-seeing eye of Horus - is just so bold and iconic (if only the wine dripped a little more to the left, we’d have a pretty clever Polaroid on our hands).

Oh, and last but certainly not least, it’s a wee bit of a cracking drink! While it’s not the latest release of Amon-Ra, an extra year seems to have really put some razzle-dazzle into the ‘05. Intense, dense shade of purple to the eye, cedar and chocolate to smell. It drinks like a shampoo commercial: luscious, thick and silky, with outrageously clear cut flavours of plum and blackberry driven by fine, drying tannins. The mouthfeel is pure taxed-at-51-per-cent luxury and amazingly rich, dense and juicy. The flavours finish long with nut and coffee flavours weaving in and out. Quite frankly, a show-off wine that epitomises rockstar unfiltered, Barossa old-vine shiraz. 18.5

Also, the current release 2006 which was released in September: Lifted bouquet of plum with swirls of florals on the nose move smoothly into a tightly wrapped palate showing great balance between gorgeously ripe plum and toasty, chocolaty notes driven by an underlying sense of succulence. The aftertaste is deliciously juicy and long. Good wine from a cracker vintage. Will age beautifully. 17.5+ (with plenty of room to blossom).

It seems that every other month, I read online or in print, criticism about these big, bold, Barossan shirazes that smash it at shows and blind tastings because they’re just so obvious, cuddly and ripe. Sure, I enjoy the subtlety and elegance that the cooler climates offer, but surely there’s scope for appreciating both styles? Also, if Barossan winemakers suddenly started trying to craft something other than the warm-climate fruit bombs that they’re so good at, I suspect that many would be quick to criticise their efforts before suggesting that they stick to what they know. As far as I’m concerned, they know how to make good, warm-climate Aussie shiraz and I’m bloody glad they do. www.glaetzer.com

A bit of frantic diary-reshuffling resulted in a Thursday lunch together last week with Wynns winemaker Sarah Pidgeon who was in town as part of the Coonawarra roadshow. Six glasses were procured from the friendly (though at the time, perhaps a little confused) staff from local lunchtime haunt Saigon to zip through the range over a lunch of seven meat rice and grilled pork and spring roll vermicelli.

Wynns Riesling 2006: Citrus, floral and sherbert nose and palate diven by jets of soft acidity with a decent finish. In the past I’ve looked at Wynns rieslings on release and been put off by their minerality and approached this tasting with this prejudice. I was pleasantly surprised at the softness and approachbility a year in bottle makes and have made a mental note to give the Wynns a little more time before getting stuck in (My preference for riesling is for rich and powerful with lots of zing and zip, as long as the fruit flavour is there to support it). The 2007 should be out soon. 16

Wynns Chardonnay 2006: Nice tight palate with chewy cashew and nectarine and white peach flavours. Very subtle, understated wine that finished with a good subsiding burst of flavour. A drink that’s driven by fruit rather than oak and indicative of the change in Australian chardonnay style. 16.5

Wynns Shiraz 2006: Very peppery wine with a spiciness that is accentuated by a mouthful of chewy tannins - but it works with the style. Tastes of licorice, plum, with lots of berry characters and a nice burst of pepper. Great finish that’s underpinned by good acidity, spice and florals. I’ve got some older vintages of this that I’m still cellaring away that I’ll be interesting to look at in a few years time. Often butchered at retail, this can be picked up for a song if you keep an eye out on V*ntage C*llars’ catalogues. 17

Wynns Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2005: Wynn’s biggest volume wine. But on the day, this just tasted lackluster to me. Not that that’s a black mark against it, but when tasting a swath of Coonawarra produce, the “safeness” of this wine didn’t grab my attention the way some of the others did. But as a predominantly cabernet-blend, it’s all there. Good cabernet structure and the merlot and shiraz do a good job of filling out that middle palate. A bit of length too. 15.5

Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon 2005: Oh wow. This stunning red from a good vintage reduced me to a sycophantic mess of superlatives and expletives in front of Wynns winemaker Sarah Pidgeon. Whether you call it eucalyptus, menthol or squashed ants, this is distinctly Coonawarra cabernet on the nose and in the mouth. Strokes of earthy and at-times meaty shades of blackcurrant add to this juicy, medium-bodied beauty’s appeal, but top billing undoubtedly belongs to those gorgeous, firm, ripe tannins that populate “Black Label” Avenue in 2005 anno domini. These beautifully-judged tannins are responsible for this wine’s velveteen mouthfeel and longevity, both on the palette and in the cellar. This should go at least 12-15 years but is already drinking beautifully. While the number of candles on my last birthday cake prevent me from making comments about this wine in relation to its 50+ generation lineage (for what it’s worth, Sarah claimed it was “The best [Black Label] in a while,”), I’ll offer this: For new generation wine drinkers who are yet to sink (and stain) their teeth into the wondrous world of Coonawarra cabernet, few tickets are more accessible and affordable (RRP $29′ish but inexplicably often massacred to a shade above $20 at all the big chains) than the 2005 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon. 18

Wynns Johnson’s Block Shiraz Cabernet 2004: Every year, the Wynns winemakers like to have a bit of a play and add something new to their range without the introduction of a’whole’nother drop to the Wynns portfolio - hence the production of these limited drops with the current offering having been sourced from the 1920s planted Johnson’s Block (surprise, surprise). Medium bodied, mouth filling cocktail of dark red berry fruit, laced with defined tannins and punctuated with a pleasing floral exclamation mark. Not a bad drop that certainly ticks all the boxes, but perhaps looking a bit one-dimensional for now: it’d be interesting to chart this wine’s development over the next eight years. Available in tiny quantities (RRP $35) with very limited distribution. 16.5+

Wynns Michael Shiraz 2004: Courtesy of the forces of nature, the ‘03 was the first Michael Shiraz released in four years. During the wine’s marketplace hiatus, winemakers took the opportunity to change the style a little and made the change from new American oak to the French stuff while simultaneously putting less and less of the wine into new barrels. This change in winemaking direction combined with Mother Nature’s favour has created a deliciously approachable and softer style of shiraz that is closer to, say, Adelaide Hills than Barossa or McLaren Vale. It smells of raspberries sprinkled with finely-grounded white pepper and tastes the same with touches of leather and spice rounding it out in the mouth. Stylish tannins and juicy acidity help carry the flavours from A to B and should also C the wine travel to alphabetical destinations far beyond with time in the cellar. Delightfully approachable, yet complex and medium bodied and a good each-way bet. 17.5

Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon: Bullshit names and a deluge of new “premium” brands with similarly questionable “flagship” wines has definitely taking some of the sheen off of the idea of flagship wines. However, it’s safe to say that this year’s John Riddoch would make a worthy craft to lead any winery’s vinous armarda. While Sarah says plenty of work has been put into the quality of French Oak being used, this was perhaps the woodiest of the line-up on the nose with a distinct chocolate (milk, dark, Lindt, Nestle… take your pick) character to smell. Lovely tannins and a real richness of flavour make for a wine that sits beautifully in the mouth, powered by chocolate, florals, spice, bright blackcurrant (verging on plum) and a hint of nougat - I wish my bank balance was as attractive as the balance on the ‘04 John Riddoch’s, however, my debtors list isn’t too far off the length of this wine..! Exceptional cabernet. 18.5

Obviously I liked almost all the reds - but while based solely on points, the John Riddoch just pips the 05 Black Label - the latter’s amazing value makes it my pick of the lot. Most with established cellars should already have a corner dedicated to the wine that after a bit of grumbling, has hit some great form courtesy of excellent ‘04 and ‘05 releases. But on the other hand, those in the process of establishing their own wine collection would do well to grab a case or two of this. www.wynns.com.au

Tasting notes on the tasting notes: All wines rated out of 20 and were tasted with the winemaker. I was also aware of each wine’s identity. While all had been open prior to the restaurant, I am unsure of how long some of the wines had been airing for - I suspect that based on logistics, quantities available and their approachability, the ultra-premiums (ie John Riddoch, Michael etc) may have been open for a while.

A smaller aside, I brought along a bottle of ‘03 Margaret River cabernet (review to follow soon) from one of the region’s best “new” producers to lunch for us to look at and it was interesting to compare the stylistic differences (though admittedly the Margaret River cabernet had only a limited amount of air time and we were not tasting out of great stemware) between the two, particularly those minty Coonawarran characters versus Margaret River’s telltale bay leaf and earthiness. While the tasting wasn’t controlled enough to come to any worthwhile conclusions, I will say that at the time of tasting, I enjoyed the approachability of the South Australian contingent but suspected the Margaret River drop would look better in five to eight years time.

Press release received from Penfolds today. In an age where owning their own home is out of reach for so many of my generation, it’s a little sickening to hear that wine is able to command this much money and that people can and do pay these sorts of figures. None the less, these results do little to harm Grange’s images as Australia’s most desirable wine.

/Press release begins

Two complete collections (1951-2002) sold for $308,000

Two complete collections of Penfolds Grange (1951-2002) – Australia’s most famous wine - achieved a combined total of $308,000 at Langton’s on-line Penfolds Auction in Melbourne this week (Monday 21st August). A single bottle of 1951 Penfolds Grange sold for $51,000 – a near record price and the best result in years. The strong volume of bidding and intense competition from wine collectors, restaurateurs and the wine trade illustrates the strength and enduring profile of the Penfolds brand on the Australian wine auction market.

Against the backdrop of volatile financial markets and uncertainty, this 1386 lot sale – comprising some of the greatest Penfolds vintages of all time - provides another barometer of consumer sentiment – where quality and track record underpin buyer confidence. The overall volume of bidding and clearance rates were higher than expected, many wines exceeding high estimates – a rarity in this very well ordered market. Two rare imperials of 2004 Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet Barossa Valley Shiraz and 2004 Block 42 Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon fetched $15,972 and $15,526 respectively. These utterly ethereal wines - saturated in flavour and concentration - articulate the idea of bringing something extra, different and unique to the fine wine consumer.

Stewart Langton – Managing Director and specialist wine auctioneer – said “Penfolds - especially Grange - has always performed reliably well through the thick and thin of the secondary market. Collectors and wine enthusiasts have a strong affection for the wines. Through a long track record of performance, recorded histories of tastings, and plenty of anecdotal stories and experiences, they know exactly what to expect. Even with changes in ownership, Penfolds has maintained a strong production focused image where quality, consistency and heritage are seen as vitally important. It’s a great reputation to have – especially in times of uncertainty.”

The Penfolds auction also demonstrated the assurance value of the Penfolds Wine Clinics – an ongoing re-corking program - offered as a free service to collectors since 1991. Buyers – seeking the best provenance possible – paid premium prices for “cliniced” bottles in mint condition – especially for experimental wines and older vintages. These included the exceedingly rare 1962 Bin 60A ($3106) and 1961 Bin 58 Cabernet ($1210) – both classics of their time. A bottle of “cliniced” 1961 Grange achieved a record price of $1900 – exceeding its last high by 100 per cent.

Penfolds Grange continues to perform well on the auction market with decent overall prices and excellent volume of bidding. From around the 1960s Grange could be found in almost every serious wine collector’s cellar. Today it is regarded as one of the world’s most important wines rivalling the great classed growths of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The 1955 Vintage (which fetched $2795) was listed by the American wine consumer advocate Wine Spectator as one of the greatest wines of the 20th century. Grange has won such accolades numerous times and is the only wine to be heritage listed by the South Australian National Trust. It also heads up the highly influential and internationally recognised Langton’s Classification of Australian wine – because Penfolds Grange is a cornerstone of the secondary wine market. It continues to generate considerable collector interest and millions of dollars of auction revenue per year.

After a relatively quiet 2006 season, Penfolds Grange prices have been steadily moving up in 2007. Top vintages including 1986, 1990 and 1999 have risen about 15 per cent across the board. Vintages from the 1960s and 1970s are increasingly rare and now command significantly higher prices. The moderately regarded 1970 vintage is now achieving over $450. The 1971 and 1976 continue to hold value at around $700 to $750.

Penfolds St Henri – the traditional maturation style wine – attracted significant buyer interest escalating prices up to the higher end of estimates. 1976 ($210) and 1986 ($175) sold at record prices. Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon also performed beyond expectations. The 2002 ($168), 1998 ($288) and 1990 ($271) all cruised at higher altitudes.

Peter Gago - Penfolds Chief Winemaker said, “We are delighted with the results. They confirm that Penfolds maintains a strong presence on the secondary market among Penfolds collectors and wine enthusiasts. The sale is symbolically important with profound interest from the 1950s - right through to the present (rare imperials of 2004 Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet Barossa Valley Shiraz and 2004 Block 42 Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon). Wine collectors globally have had a real opportunity to engage in the acquisition of Penfolds wines.”

Top 20 – (Prices include 15% Buyer’s Premium)
$157,551 - Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz Set 1951-2002, South Australia
$149,501 - Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz Set 1951-2002, South Australia
$ 50,854 - Penfolds Bin 1 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1951
$ 23,001 - Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz Magnum Set 1979-2000, South Australia
$ 15,972 - Penfolds Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet-Barossa Valley Shiraz 2004 (Imperial)
$ 15,526 - Penfolds Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley 2004 (Imperial)
$ 12,651 - Penfolds Bin 50 Grange Shiraz, South Australia 1957
$ 12,651 - Penfolds Bin 2 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1953
$ 10,926 - Penfolds Bin 4 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1952
$ 10,926 - Penfolds Bin 11 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1954
$ 9,546 - Penfolds Bin 46 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1958
$ 9,205 - Penfolds Bin 14 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1956
$ 3,106 - Penfolds Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet-Barossa Valley Shiraz 1962
$ 3,052 - Penfolds Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet-Barossa Valley Shiraz 1962
$ 2,888 - Penfolds Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet-Barossa Valley Shiraz 1962
$ 2,876 - Penfolds Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet-Barossa Valley Shiraz 1962
$ 2,846 - Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz, South Australia 1955
$ 2,795 - Penfolds Bin 13 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1955
$ 2,795 - Penfolds Bin 14 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1955
$ 2,795 - Penfolds Bin 13 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1955

More prices can be found at http://www.langtons.com.au/Magazine/TopResults.aspx

/Press release ends

After having several opportunities to taste this when it was released approximately 15 months back, I realised I still had in my possession the sample half-bottle d’Arenberg had sent. Monday night’s rare pepper beef roast between the four of us presented a pretty good excuse to have a look at the ‘03 dead arm and see how it was travelling…

Intense aromas of ripe plum, black berry jam, aniseed, ribena syrup and dark chocolate still sing loudly, though the leady and tarry voices in the choir aren’t as noticeable as they once were. Thick, viscous, very generous flavours with ripe plumy fruit still weighing in heavily on the palate with some integrated biscuitty oak lending its weight too. While the medium-bodied tannins play guide for the wine in the mouth, the finish is a touch firm and drying, but not enough to detract from its lengthy black berry fruit flavours. In summary: youthful, voluptuous and very forward - exactly what we men wished every hottie we spied at the pub was like. I reckon the full bottles of the ‘03 Dead Arm will be looking pretty handy come 2009-2012. 17.5/20 www.darenberg.com.au

During a birthday dinner with wine mates last night, a revelation of M Night Shyamalan clarity and power came to me, ably assisted by mouthfuls of deliciously aged Margaret River cabernet. While I may not have unearthed the meaning of life, I think I might have unlocked the secrets – the real “essence” – of all things gastronomic, courtesy of one of the most memorable audio-visual (and sensual) demonstrations I’ve experienced in a restaurant.

Looking past all the dead weight and carefully choreographed grandeur of difficult-to-pronounce yet impressive sounding French, Spanish and Italian words; the prohibitively expensive prices of top shelf wine and gourmet delights; the prestige and bravado of owning how every many bottles of whatever wine from some knockout vintage or rather; the glossy magazines and the eye-rolling banter of wine wankers and food snobs, the joy of dining consists of three simple elements: good food, good wine and good mates – what amounts to “good” is based solely on one’s station in life. “Good” for a student couple going out for a one-year anniversary will be markedly different (and cheaper) than, say, “good” for an epicurean surgeon-general planning his or her 50th birthday dinner. Enjoying a nice meal isn’t some kind of pissing contest: if you’re into what’s on your plate and in your stemware (or mug, paper cup, beaker, whatever), then you win.

I couldn’t have asked for a better dining experience last night. While organising the night, the brief I had supplied to Senoji (Shop 1, 885 Albany Highway, East Victoria Park. Tel: (08) 9362 2979) was this: “I’ll leave the menu up to you, just keep cooking.” And with the exception of a late-week request for chef’s delicious-to-eat yet laborious-to-make pork cheek skewers, our gastronomic fate was left in the hands of the great Yuki-san, a man holding onto a perfect hit rate for sending us home satisfied and in awe of his authentic cooking after countless visits to his lot on the multi-cultural dining strip of Albany Highway.

The procession of dishes that traveled steadily from stovetop to tabletop sounded and tasted like a “greatest hits” of Senoji cooking. While some of us were reacquainting ourselves with old friends, it was also great to be able to introduce my friends Peter and Elaine – both very experienced food and wine aficionados and fellow protectors of the English language – to one of my favourite eateries. Judging by chopsticks returning to platters on more than one occasion for pieces of gyu tataki, curry croquette and disarmingly fresh sashimi, Senoji got the thumbs up from the literary couple. By the time the final course had arrived, white flags had been hoisted and proverbial top buttons had been done – but the thought of crisp-on-the-outside and soft-in-the-middle pork and chicken katsu was enough to muster one or two final hurrahs from chop sticks that had been well and truly put through their paces throughout the night.

As is customary whenever a good excuse to drink fine wine presents itself, I had a quick rifle through my slowly-growing “cellar” for appropriate liquid accompaniments to the evening. While I had lugged along two Champagnes (the excellent Billiecart Rosè and great value ‘96 Lanson Gold Label) and a bottle of ’05 Yalumba late-picked viognier, only the Rosè had its chance to shine as the vinous limelight was trained on the extra dinner guests the gracious and far-too-generous Peter brought with him.

Peter’s first liquid cab out the rank was a bottle of the 2004 gewürztraminer from Vinoptima in New Zealand’s Gisborne wine region. From my investigations, it looks like Vinoptima is committed entirely to the production of fine gewürztraminer as no other variety is planted on the estate’s eight hectare plot and the new state of the art winery was built solely with the intention of producing gewurtz for the estate. Now that’s dedication – but judging by the immaculate quality wine I was washing down my yakitori with last night, I daresay the investment has paid off handsomely. Great, great stuff that’s as viscously supple as the finest offerings from Alsace, but the palate is dry, intense and focused without a hint of that sweetness that sometimes complicates the art of food and wine matching. This goes straight to pole position for gewürztraminer in my books and I’ll be doing my best to source more of this stellar wine.

No doubt this was a tough act to follow, but Peter’s second offering of a bottle of 1979 (a great year in Margaret River and Singapore) Moss Wood cabernet – complete with bow – was more than up to the task. Wonderfully earthy and soft, yet the truffle and mushroom infused palate still showed hints of blackcurrant and that distinctive bay leaf character I associate with good Margaret River cabernet. And as good as it showed, I still think there’s a little bit of time ahead of it, but why quibble over a few cents – last night it tasted wonderful and I thank Forrie profusely for his generosity in parting with a bottle of this for the occasion – and Bill and Sandra Pannell family for their foresight in establishing Moss Wood all those years ago!

Good food, good wine and – most importantly – good mates: as much as I was loathing turning 28, if this is the price of getting older, then bring on the 30s and beyond!

Footnote: The title of this post is not some lame attempt at contributing to the deplorable “humour” of Engrish (why do we need to laugh at other countries’ – usually Asian ones – misuse of the English language when Western civilization is already so proficient at butchering it themselves?), but a nod towards the generosity of the owners of Senoji. This was the title of the fax I was given describing the evening’s menu, complete with handwritten birthday wishes from Yuki’s wife Kyoko who is in Japan. As if that wasn’t enough, she completely made my night and called at the end of the meal to wish my happy birthday. Arigatou gozaimashita Yuki, Kyoko and Aiko for your hospitality and putting on a great night and arigatou gozaimashita to Peter, Elaine, Ash, Aaron, Lys and Marie for helping take some of the sting off turning 28 in the best possible way. Like I was saying, it’s all about good food, good wine and good mates…

Turning 28 (more to follow) and some freelance writing gigs combined with some NLHE MTT and PLO online poker action accounted for much of my free time last week, so I’ll be doing my best to wring whatever free time I can out of this week to update AceHighWine. Tonight I had the privilege of being part of an exceptional chardonnay tasting with some real heavy hitters towards the bottom of the batting order. While the bulk of the reviews from today’s tasting will be posted later in the week, I’ll also be highlighting some wines that deserve individual attention, starting with the latest release of Yattarna.

Considering that Yattarna was developed as an Australian chardonnay style that could be cellared with confidence over the long term, it should come as little surprise that the wine still looks incredibly youthful, even three years after vintage. As expected, some great fruit went into this wine, as reflected in the tight lemon palate and racy acidity still coursing through the 04’s veins. Citrus fruit dominates the creamy palate and the long, juicy finish which sparkles from go to woah. Right now it’s still far too young to really show at its best, but if I had bottles of this in my cellar, I’d be waiting til close to 2009 before having another look.

Like its darker-hued sibling, the direct descendant of Penfolds’ “White Grange” project is a controversial wine - even Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago will admit to that. Much of this wine’s infamy can be traced back to its off-premise asking price of more than a hundred dollars. I can think of very few chardonnays with similar price tags on the local bottleshop shelf. No doubt Yattarna is a very good wine - particularly this release, hailed by a member of the tasting panel as “one of the great Yattarnas” - but is Yattarna twice as good as, say, the clique of top shelf Margaret River chardonnays such as Pierro, Cullen, Cape Mentelle, Devil’s Lair and Voyager Estate (all priced at around the $60 mark or less)? Answer truthfully to discover whether buying a bottle of this is the right choice for you. www.penfolds.com.au