Jean Claude Boisset only turns 67 this year. He set up his winery when he was just 18 years old (in 1961) in a convent in Nuits-st-Georges. Not a bad effort considering he did so in one of the most conservative wine making areas in the world, the Cote d’Or, Bourgogne. They are known for…
Chateau Leoville las Cases 2005 (Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de Las Cases)
I have had the pleasure of tasting obscenely expensive wines at the compliments of Le Clos a couple of times recently. This occasion was tasty line-up that also included some quite obscure and rare wines, neatly wrapped like a little Christmas present at a festive degustation at Cave at the Conrad. And like a femme…
Masi Campofiorin 2009
Masi were the founders of a technique in the Valpolicella area called Ripasso, and this wine, the Campofiorin is the one they first did it with. It’s been very successful, and you’ll see plenty of other examples around. Masi discovered that if they put the fermented juice of a fresh young Valpolicella red (Corvina, Rondinella…
Le Clos and “En Primeur”
“Bordeaux.” It’s one of those words, isn’t it. I say it, and am immediately taken from the place I’m standing to somewhere ethereal and swathed in red velvet. Even my mouth puckers beautifully when I pronounce it, turning me into the Australian equivilent of Béatrice Dalle (remember, we’re still in my mind here, so give…
Beaune 1er Cru les Marconnets – Maison Remoissenet 2009
Expect to see more good reports on this Beaune house over coming years. It changed hands in 2005, and since, a key character from Louis Jadot (Bernard Repolt) has joined the team. 2009 was a pretty good year in the region. Fruit all round is fairly concentrated and deeply coloured, and it’s expected to cellar…
Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
Australia is famous for its Barossa Shiraz, and it’s famous for Penfolds. After all, our most well respected wine, Grange, is a Barossa Shiraz made by Penfolds. When most people go to the shelf and pick up a Shiraz (Syrah to the rest of the world) from this region, they are expecting something intense, full…
Cossetti Barbera d’Asti La Vigna Vecchia
I played wine options with my husband on this wine. He first picked it as New World (as against old), and then as Spanish (rather than French or Italian). He finally got the grape variety (I offered him a choice of Barbera, Sangiovese and Merlot). He was way off on vintage. But he’s a fairly…
Riorret Pinot Noir (Merricks Grove) 2009
Sorry Dubai drinkers – I’m swilling this in Oz, and you’ll probably never see it. But it’s just so good, I have to tell you anyway. And, I’m going to go on a bit. Maybe it will seal your faith in De Bortoli – the tall poppy label hiding behind this boutique little number. They’ve…
Jacobs Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
My favourite tasting from the range (I assessed three recently in a wine blogger competition entitled “The Label Project“. Shows intense regional and varietal character – it’s just a bundle of blackcurrant, eucalypt and mineral salts from that super Coonawarra soil. Quite ripe and forward with excellent body, slightly grippy tannins and some lovely complexity…