Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Wine Tasting with Jeremy Oliver #1
Singapore May 29th, 2006
Wine tasting hosted by the incredible Australian wine critic Jeremy Oliver (standing on the right)
Devaux "Cuvee D de Devaux" NV
Rich, smooth and spicy, with one-third chardonnay fruit and two-thirds pinot noir, this premier non-vintage cuvée is creamy and elegant. Quite evolved, showing some depth of colour and now revealing toasty complexity, it is typically a finely crafted aperitif style of considerable finesse.
Taltarni Cloverhill 2001
A fine elegant and intensely flavoured Tasmanian sparkling wine whose vibrant fruit qualities are backed by crackly, creamy yeast-derivaed characters. Slightly tropical, with some herbal undertones, it’s smooth and richly flavoured, but finshes with typically crisp and refreshing acids.
Zind Humbrecht Gueberschwihr Riesling 2001
Chalky aromas of ripe apples and white peaches precede a lush, medium-bodied palate of intense pear and honeydew melon flavours. It’s rich, ripe and generous, but culminates in a classically minerally, dry and austere finish. Exceptionally well balanced, and at the dries end of the Alsatian riesling spectrum.
Grosset Watervale Riesling 2004
Punchy floral aromas of lime juice and minerals, with perfumed, musky and lightly tropical undertones. Racy and assertive, up-front and concentrated, it’s unusually luscious and thickly coated, becoming almost syrupy before its profound cut of mineral acidity.
Bouchard Le Corton 2004 Grand Cru
A powerful, firm and long-living Burgundy whose intense black and red cherry and berry flavours are supported by assertive but tightly integrated tannins. Already revealing some floral perfume, it will develop typically meaty and leathery complexity with age.
Wantirna Lily Pinot Noir 2003
Supple, willowy pinot with a spicy fragrance of rose petals, confection-like red cherries, plums and sweet vanilla oak. Its fine, juicy palate has a fleshiness and depth of pristine, penetrative varietal fruit tightly framed by fine-grained tannins and slightly chocolate-like vanilla oak. It finishes long and spicy, with a suggestion of fresh mint. Certain to build in the bottle.
Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2001
Scented with briary aromas of blackberries, black cherries and minerals, this deeply flavoured wine of great strength and purity is supported by sturdy, firm tannins and fresh acids. It’s still rather closed but very concentrated, with intense flavours of ripe red fruits finishing with exceptional length and meaty, licorice-like influences.
Lake's Folly Cabernet 2001
Deeply scented with a fragrance of violets, dark berries, plums and raspberries, with a background of sweet vanilla, cedary and chocolate oak. Aromas of dusty dried herbs and licorice lend appealing complexity. Smooth and satiny, the palate presents clear, bright flavours of black and red berries harmoniously integrated with cedary oak and framed by silky tannins. It’s long and lingering, with a persistent savoury finish of undergrowth and barnyard influences.
Chateau d'Yquem 1998
A generous and rather unctuos Yquem with a minerally fragrance of almonds and custard crème. Soft and smooth, with chalky undertones, it’s a rather heavily botrytised expression of this wine, with flavours of peach and crème fraiche backed by nuances of custard crème that culminate in a persistent and seamless finish of exceptional length.
De Bortoli Noble One 2001
Developed, oaky and citrusy marmalade-like aromas with powerful melon and apricot undertones. Very juicy and oily, the syrupy palate is deeply flavoured and sumptuously textured, supported by sweet vanilla oak and finished by soft acids.
Armagnac Castarede 1979
Wonderfully evolved, wild and heady, with sweet vanilla and caramel undertones, this meaty, rich and sumptuous brandy reflects its age with considerable smoothness and complexity.
Seppelt DP63 Muscat
A stellar expression of north-eastern Victorian muscat whose deep, alluring scents of raisins, dark chocolates and fruitcake reveal extraordinary floral and spicy undertones. Sumptuous, ripe and richly endowed with luscious fruit and a lingering sweetness, it’s still clean, and elegant, with remarkable freshness and brightness.
Wine tasting hosted by the incredible Australian wine critic Jeremy Oliver (standing on the right)
Devaux "Cuvee D de Devaux" NVRich, smooth and spicy, with one-third chardonnay fruit and two-thirds pinot noir, this premier non-vintage cuvée is creamy and elegant. Quite evolved, showing some depth of colour and now revealing toasty complexity, it is typically a finely crafted aperitif style of considerable finesse.
Taltarni Cloverhill 2001A fine elegant and intensely flavoured Tasmanian sparkling wine whose vibrant fruit qualities are backed by crackly, creamy yeast-derivaed characters. Slightly tropical, with some herbal undertones, it’s smooth and richly flavoured, but finshes with typically crisp and refreshing acids.
Zind Humbrecht Gueberschwihr Riesling 2001
Chalky aromas of ripe apples and white peaches precede a lush, medium-bodied palate of intense pear and honeydew melon flavours. It’s rich, ripe and generous, but culminates in a classically minerally, dry and austere finish. Exceptionally well balanced, and at the dries end of the Alsatian riesling spectrum.
Grosset Watervale Riesling 2004
Punchy floral aromas of lime juice and minerals, with perfumed, musky and lightly tropical undertones. Racy and assertive, up-front and concentrated, it’s unusually luscious and thickly coated, becoming almost syrupy before its profound cut of mineral acidity.
Bouchard Le Corton 2004 Grand CruA powerful, firm and long-living Burgundy whose intense black and red cherry and berry flavours are supported by assertive but tightly integrated tannins. Already revealing some floral perfume, it will develop typically meaty and leathery complexity with age.
Wantirna Lily Pinot Noir 2003Supple, willowy pinot with a spicy fragrance of rose petals, confection-like red cherries, plums and sweet vanilla oak. Its fine, juicy palate has a fleshiness and depth of pristine, penetrative varietal fruit tightly framed by fine-grained tannins and slightly chocolate-like vanilla oak. It finishes long and spicy, with a suggestion of fresh mint. Certain to build in the bottle.
Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2001Scented with briary aromas of blackberries, black cherries and minerals, this deeply flavoured wine of great strength and purity is supported by sturdy, firm tannins and fresh acids. It’s still rather closed but very concentrated, with intense flavours of ripe red fruits finishing with exceptional length and meaty, licorice-like influences.
Lake's Folly Cabernet 2001Deeply scented with a fragrance of violets, dark berries, plums and raspberries, with a background of sweet vanilla, cedary and chocolate oak. Aromas of dusty dried herbs and licorice lend appealing complexity. Smooth and satiny, the palate presents clear, bright flavours of black and red berries harmoniously integrated with cedary oak and framed by silky tannins. It’s long and lingering, with a persistent savoury finish of undergrowth and barnyard influences.
Chateau d'Yquem 1998A generous and rather unctuos Yquem with a minerally fragrance of almonds and custard crème. Soft and smooth, with chalky undertones, it’s a rather heavily botrytised expression of this wine, with flavours of peach and crème fraiche backed by nuances of custard crème that culminate in a persistent and seamless finish of exceptional length.
De Bortoli Noble One 2001Developed, oaky and citrusy marmalade-like aromas with powerful melon and apricot undertones. Very juicy and oily, the syrupy palate is deeply flavoured and sumptuously textured, supported by sweet vanilla oak and finished by soft acids.
Armagnac Castarede 1979Wonderfully evolved, wild and heady, with sweet vanilla and caramel undertones, this meaty, rich and sumptuous brandy reflects its age with considerable smoothness and complexity.
Seppelt DP63 MuscatA stellar expression of north-eastern Victorian muscat whose deep, alluring scents of raisins, dark chocolates and fruitcake reveal extraordinary floral and spicy undertones. Sumptuous, ripe and richly endowed with luscious fruit and a lingering sweetness, it’s still clean, and elegant, with remarkable freshness and brightness.
