It’s not out until January 2010, but when my sample bottle of the new Howard Park riesling arrived, curiosity got the better of me. To smell, fragrant with lemon and sherbet aromas. Initially, the palate looked quite tight save for the occasional whisper of delicate lime blossom and rose water but with time in the glass and a rise in temperature, came out of its shell to reveal juicy citrus flavours. But while the palate might shift in its seat a little, the wine’s core of tightly wound acid was staying put. A major part of the wine’s appeal, bursts of memorable and long lasting acidity left the mouth refreshed and primed for more Great Southern greatness. Even for the typically tight-on-release Howard Park riesling, this looks quite austere at present but when I think about that finely tuned engine of fine acidity purring away beneath the hood… Could well go down as one of Howard Park’s best ever rieslings. Don’t be deceived by the score, it’s still young now and I’m setting the baseline a touch low to give the wine ‘nuff space in years to come to stretch its legs and flaunt what Mama Nature gave it. 17.5+++ www.howardparkwines.com.au

While winemaker Ed Tomlinson uses a half-and-half rule of thumb when it comes to this blend, the new release is again semillon-dominant, boding well for the wine’s appeal both in the short and long terms. Typically clearly-defined, dense, green-tinged tropical fruits framed by vibrant acidity that gives the palate tremendous length. More than enough punch and crunch to enjoy now but as proven by previous releases, this will also reward cellaring. 18 www.lentonbrae.com

In a masked lineup of generally good West Australian SSB and SBS blends (although some of the 2008 wines were looking tired compared to the new season offerings), this stood out for its class, character and to me, crunch. It had everything I look for in a current drinking SSB – punchy fruit flavours, vibrant acid and outstanding length of flavour. It’s all you could ask for in terms of a refreshing summer quaffer though with its tingly spine of acidity, I suspect this could also be a good long-term prospect, a la other semillon-dominant white blends like the Lenton Brae. Oh, and did I mention the price? Offering change from a twenty, this represents obscene value too (whether you buy it as a “Classic Dry White” or “Semillon Sauvignon Blanc”). 18.5 www.sandalford.com

The first time I tasted the 2008 Brookland Valley Chardonnay, I knew it was a belter.

Even in the noisy and chaotic environment that was the Perth leg of the Good Food and Wine Show, the class of this wine was as obvious as a designated driver at the event.

The bottle consumed with that evening’s Japanese dinner confirmed the pedigree of the wine, but perhaps most telling of the wine’s awesomeness was the swag of silverware it picked up at the 2009 QANTAS Mt Barker wine show: the trophies for best chardonnay, best white wine and overall best wine of the show all went home with this Margaret River beauty.

What gets me most about the wine is its skeleton of fine, tight, almost riesling-esque acidity. It’s the perfect stage for the wine’s super focused grapefruit, lime, lemon, crisp apple and oak-derived vanilla to shine on. In the short time they’ve all been together, all the components are already singing from the same hymn book and their majestic, juicy song carries in the mouth for an eternity. Right in my chardonnay groove, this finds delicious middle ground between the sharp, low-alcohol chardy style and the blousy, butterscotch and melon oak monsters synonymous with yesteryear (though modern examples can still be found). 18.5. www.brooklandvalley.com.au

Word is stocks of this wine are limited which is a real shame as it’s one of the best young examples of Margaret River – and therefore, West Australian – chardonnay I can recall ever imbibing. For a while, I subscribed to the commonly held belief that the leaner, minerally Margaret River chardonnays of 2006 represented the pinnacle of the style in the region.

But the more 2008 chardies I try, the more certain I become that this will the vintage chardonnay will be remembered for.

Further to that: word on the grapevine – or more correctly, from the wineries – is that this year’s vintage was even better with incredible natural acidity in the whites, so fellow modern chardonnay tragics are really in for a treat once the ’09s reach market.

Every time I look at the site’s tagline I feel like a bit of fraud because I’m painfully aware that the poker content is way, way down.

It’s not that poker doesn’t have a role in my life anymore – I’m actually playing a bit more than usual and also wrote a dining and drinking piece on Sydney for PokerNews magazine – it’s just that I don’t think I have that much to contribute to the poker community as of late.

Yesterday I was reminded about one of the most extraordinary hands of poker ever. It was played out during the Million Dollar Cash game staged at this year’s Aussie Millions at Crown in Melbourne and will be forever remembered not for the size of the pot that brewed, but for the fact that the guy who ended up second-best (Patrick Antonius, pictured here) was incredibly unlucky to lose the hand not once, but four times.

I suspect there might be a few people scratching their heads as to what this four-card strain of poker is. While the world has been conditioned to think Texas Hold’em when it comes to poker nowadays, countless variants of the game exist with Omaha one of the most popular. Although I doubt it’ll ever reach the same lofty, ubiquitous heights Hold’em has, it’s a safe bet that Omaha will be the poker game of the future.

Its mechanics are similar to Hold’em in that there’s a flop, turn and river, but the major difference is that players must use exactly two out of their four hole cards in making their strongest five-card hand (another version of the game exists called hi-lo, where players can also win by making a “low” hand). This can lead to some embarrassing – and costly – confusion when a player might think they have the nut flush with the naked ace of spades in their hand, but really, aren’t playing much at all. Omaha is also a game where fortunes really can change on the turn of a card with lead changes right the way through a single hand almost de rigeur.

When all the money went in the middle in the above hand, Andrew Robl might have been ahead with his pair of aces, but the number of cards left in the deck that would improve Antonius’ hand was ridiculous. The fact that he couldn’t hit any of his flush or straight outs (or without Robl’s hand further improving) was even more ridiculous, laughable even.

But don’t feel too bad for Mr Antonius’ loss. In addition to his ridiculous male model exterior, the Fin is one of the world’s greatest poker players and plays at the highest stakes possible. He’s not short of cashola. Fearless, creative and an excellent hand reader, more often than not he leaves the poker table a winner, as illustrated by this insane televised hand.

Most poker players will be aware of Omaha’s existence but if you’re ever looking to change things up at your regular home game with friends, dealing a few rounds of Omaha is the ticket. There’s a good chance you’ll learn what “swings” are all about.

Last week the Geographe Vignerons Association held its annual regional show. While it wouldn’t be unfair to say that the region sits in the shadow of fellow South West appellation Margaret River, quality is continually on the up.

In terms of regional strengths, the constant trickle of punchy and flavoursome SSB and SBS blends from the area could one day rival those of Margaret River while many believe Geographe (and neighbouring Blackwood Valley) could well be the state’s hot spot for shiraz and alternative red varietals such as tempranillo, zinfandel, sangiovese et al.

Personally, much of my attention was captured by the bottle of vintage 2008 tokay from Yarloop’s Skipworth Wine Company on our table. While most West Australian tokay is of the liqueur variety, this curious table wine took its cues from the sherries of Spain, it’s deliciously long palate full of nut and honey characters reminiscent of a rich amontillado.

While discussions with some of the judges revealed many newer vignerons were still finding their feet in both the vineyard and winery, by and large the area is advancing in leaps and bounds and there’ll be much on offer at local cellar doors for the swarms of holidaymakers flocking to the South West over summer.

Wine of the Show
Barrecas Shiraz 2008

Best Red Wine
Barrecas Shiraz 2008

Best White Wine
Willow Bridge Estate Dragonfly Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008

Best Shiraz
Barrecas Shiraz 2008

Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Willy Bay Reverse Swing 2007

Best Red Varietal
Willow Bridge Estate Solana Tempranillo 2008

Best Red Blend
St Aidan Cabernet Merlot 2007

Best Chardonnay
St Aidan Chardonnay 2008

Best White Varietal
Harvey River Bridge Estate Joseph River Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Best White Blend
Willow Bridge Estate Dragonfly Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008

Best Rose
Smallwater Estate Rose 2009

Best Specialty Wine
St Aidan Cassie Muscato 2009

Most Successful Small Producer
St Aidan

Most Successful Exhibitor
Willow Bridge Estate

Nicolas Baudin Perpetual Trophy for Excellence in Winemaking
Mark Messenger

It’s only now when I look back at my notes from this tasting that I notice a distinct preference for Louis Latour’s 2007 wines over the 2005 offerings.

It wasn’t intentional at the time. Having unwittingly arrived one and a half hours late to the venue, I spent the following 30 minutes furiously tasting to try to catch up with the rest of the group as Latour’s sales director Bruno Prepin spoke about the vagaries of vintage.

For most of the wines (both white and red) tasted from the much-lauded ’05 vintage, I had written “tight”, “closed”, “shy” and other similes with my scores reflecting their austerity.

On the other hand, I praised all the ‘07s Loius Latour whites – specifically the briny Chassange Montrachet village white and the rich, powerful Puligny Montrachet “Hameau de Blagny” premier cru – for their fruit-forward charm and attractive acid

Of course, there’s only so much one should infer from a tasting featuring just one producer; but in an industry where knowledge of growing seasons and vintage ratings hold so much sway, the exercise was a timely reminder that for at-once drinking rather than long-term cellaring – it’s perfectly acceptable to reach for a lesser (and sometimes cheaper) vintage.

But having said that, while the 2007 vintage in Burgundy might not be attracting the same plaudits heaped on 2005, it (sadly) doesn’t mean we’ll be finding too many ’07 grand crus in the bin end clearance bins – at least not any time soon.

RRP prices aren’t available for this wine yet in Australia, but expect to pay somewhere near the $500 mark. If you buy a bottle and are opening it soon, be sure to drop me an email.

Louis Latour Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2007

Hints of this wine’s power were evident from the get-go with heady aromas moving side-to-side between tropical fruit and wet river stones. Plenty of flavour in the mouth – think tightly packed banana, lemon and apple flavours rounded off with hints of cashew. Yet despite the latent power within, streams of well-coiled acid give the wine tremendous elegance while sustaining the palate’s flavour right through to the long, long, l-o-n-g finish where almond nuances lead the charge with citrus-hued flavours lending support. Although the palate will evolve and reveal more and more of itself in time, I find this wine deliciously approachable now. 18. www.louislatour.com @LouisLatourInc

Deep, dark garnet in hue, just looking at this wine in the glass lets you know it’s going to be a big ‘un, as do the punchy black cherry and plum aromas. These fruit flavours form the bulk of the densely-packed and ramped up pinot palate with added touches of savouriness and funk adding complexity and interest. Stylistically, there’s a shade of “dry red wine” to this pinot, but its power and generosity is more a case of Mother Nature’s influence – small berries and bunch sizes due to cool spring and summer temperatures – rather than any winery inputs from experienced winemaker Carol Bunn who has worked at Kiwi pinot institutes such as Martinborough Vineyard and Dry River. The stream of zippy acidity that offsets the richness of the middle palate carries right through to the finish; in its jet stream, a lick of succulent summer berries. Big, powerful and charming, this is a remarkable second release from this new pinot-only producer in Central Otago’s Alexandra sub-region. Stocks of this predominantly cellar-door only wine are close to exhausted and looking at its asking price (somewhat of a bargain), it isn’t difficult to see why. Another New World producer that pinotphiles would do well to put on their watch-lists at once. 17.5. www.grasshopperrock.co.nz @grasshopperrock

The Swan show always has a homely feel about it – and not just because it’s the wine region closest to the Perth metro area.

Like the wine they produce, the vignerons of the Swan (Valley) are warm, generous and (in the main) very approachable.

While the region was once upon a time the axis of the state’s industry, the onset of wine production in the South West has stolen some of the limelight from the Swan while drinkers’ current cool-climate flavour of the month isn’t helping the warm-climate Valley’s case either.

Full-bodied and full-flavoured verdelho and chenin blanc; ripe, plummy shiraz and luscious liqueur muscats and tokay – these are the calling cards of the Swan Valley.

Fittingly – if not a little predictably – the wine of the show was awarded to a fortified with this year’s trophy going to third-generation winemakers Talijancich for an otherworldly, impeccably balanced  chocolate and raisin-powered 1969 Liqueur Tokay.

It’s not the first year the accolade has gone home with a member of the Talijancich family and certainly won’t be the last either.

Under the guidance of young winemaker Matt Bowness, both the quality and range at Sittella have been on a steady up over the years with the four trophies picked up by the Herne Hill winery (including most successful exhibitor) just desserts for the hard yards put in by the winemaking team and owners Simon and Maaike Berns.

Best Verdelho
Talijancich Verdelho 2001

Best Dry White Table Wine (Grown Outside Greater Perth Zone)
Sittella Semillon 2007

Henri Charles Veenhuyzen Memorial Trophy for Best Shiraz
Faber Vineyard Reserve Shiraz 2007

Best Dry Red Table Wine (Grown Outside Greater Perth Zone)
Sittella Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Best Swan Valley GI Table Wine
John Kosovich Bottle Aged Chenin Blanc 2006

Best value for money wine
Jarrah Ridge Rose 2009

Best Museum Wine
Western Range Gooyamin Pool Verdelho 2003

Best Dry White Table Wine
John Kosovich Bottle Aged Chenin Blanc 2006

Best Dry Red Table Wine
Faber Vineyard Reserve Shiraz 2007

Best Fortified Wine
Talijancich Liqueur Tokay 1969

Best Wine of Show
Talijancich Liqueur Tokay 1969

Most Successful Exhibitor of Table Wines
Sittella Wines

Most Successful Exhibitor
Sittella Wines

“The etiquette is not to wait for everyone’s meals to arrive.”

The whispered advice of my next-door diner may be cause for angst at the Post Institute, but at La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, dining graces are occasionally forced to play second fiddle to the joy of eating.

“We respect the food and the chef so we’re expected to start straight away before it gets cold.”

In this case, it’s a bit of a moot argument as the chicken galantine on my plate is already cool to the touch, but the point is clear: these folks are serious about their nosh (yet are pleasantly free of any pretension or uppity-ness).

Originally established in Burgundy during the 13^th century and resurrected in 1950, La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is a society dedicated to the preservation of fine dining traditions.

For this event, the West Australian chapter – referred to as a bailliage – of La Chaine has organised for five of its best chefs to join forces with Challenger TAFE hospitality students to cook and serve a five-course meal at the school’s Quinlan’s Restaurant-cum-training-facility with each chef in charge of a particular course.

From the students’ perspective – this exercise provided invaluable hands-on experience and the chance to learn from some of the local scene’s shiniest stars. For the diner: a progressive dinner that called in at some of Perth’s best neighbourhood bistros (and derivatives thereof) on the one tank of gas.

The evening-proper was kick-started by Soren Korberstein of George Street Bistro who prepared the aforementioned cold starter.

Ex-1907 and soon-to-be Wild Poppy maestro Graeme Shapiro and his silky just-set sugar-cured salmon followed before Bouchard head chef Todd Stuart combined slices of juicy smoked duck breast with deeply-flavoured, bone-out links of twice-cooked ox tail to salivating effect.

Scott O’Sullivan’s dessert assiette finished the night on a high and prompted much debate over which morsel was the standout sweet. For my money, it was a toss-up between the Red Cabbage signature Black “Cherry Ripe” Cheesecake and a luxuriously silken coffee parfait, but with the exception of the rhubarb tart (hey, I grew up in an Asian household – rhubarb was nowhere to be seen come dessert time, let alone anywhere on our food pyramid), all were unequivocally  FTW.

Bookending the evening were the canapés and petit fours of Challenger TAFE chef Phil Westwood – each mouthful a vote of confidence for the future of the state’s hospitality industry, as were the friendly, maroon-jacketed wait staff who completed service efficiently and unobtrusively.

With La Chaîne operating on a two strikes and you’re in policy (pending getting sponsorship from two existing members), only one question remains – when’s the next do?