Oddbins' Katnook Estate Tasting with chief winemaker Wayne Stehbens 25/09/2000 (RJB)

• Chardonnay 2000 (Deakin Estate) Estery bananas - soft, toffeed length. Drink quickly (that is, don't keep).
• Merlot 1999 (Deakin Estate) Jammy plumminess on the nose. Easy, ready to drink stuff. Mushy.
• Merlot 2000 (Deakin Estate) Quite a lot of vanillin on the nose. Touch more to it than the 1999 - acidity, but an estery edge to it. (Cellar for 24 to 48 hours according to the winemaker!)
• Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 (Deakin Estate) Rather prefer this to the Merlots - more balance to it. Berries and plums. But still
• Shiraz Cabernet 1999 (Deakin Estate) 60%Shiraz, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon - the same with the 2000 below. Gummy, but coarse. Touch of liquorice. Needs a few months.
• Shiraz Cabernet 2000 (Deakin Estate) Liquorice and simple berry fruit. Suprisingly not as good as the 1999.
• Shiraz 1999 (Deakin Estate) Quite peppery, but alcohol masking fruit (if there is much). Greenish tannins at the end.
• Shiraz 2000 (Deakin Estate) Much fuller than the 1999, but a bit green.
• Sauvignon Blanc 2000 (Katnook Estate) OK! A three vintage vertical (all from the same vineyard AND winemaker). Slight metallic edge, not the fresh style of Sauvignon (gooseberries and grass), but the impression is that it will age well. Just
• Sauvignon Blanc 1999 (Katnook Estate) Slight toastiness (but no oak). Both 2000 and 1999 quite warm so not as ageworthy as 1991, but maturing a bit quicker than one might expect given the age range of this mini vertical.
• Sauvignon Blanc 1991 (Katnook Estate) Lovely! Like fine old Sancere. A touch vegetal, but balanced. Good mature mineral, stony and hazelnut flavours.
• Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 (Katnook Estate) Minty, some length but not convinced overall. maybe, just maybe
• Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 (Katnook Estate) Very vegetal nose. Not convinced that anything is going to happen with this wine (I had too many over-vegetal New World Cabernet Sauvignons in my early days of winetasting which I thought might improve, but never did)
• Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 (Katnook Estate) Quite together - but some greeness and with bitter tannins. Gummy and some mint.
• Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 (Katnook Estate) A step up. Probably needs a couple of years. But 30 pounds is a lot of money for a wine such as this.
• Prodigy Shiraz 1997 (Katnook Estate) That vegetal - rubber tyre edge again - over poweringly so. Not the sort of Shiraz I go for. Not for keeping. And, again, the best part of 30 pounds.

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The Loire, presented by Justerini And Brooks at the Scottish Wine Society 24/09/2000 (TNB)

• Vouvray Petillant Brut NV (Huet) Grassy, honeyed understated nose. Good balance. Easily confusable with (and better than most) basic Champagne. (10.50)
• Sancerre Cuvee Flores 1998 (V. Pinard) Slightly plain nose. In the mouth it has me thinking "fine with seafood". Unless this just needs a few months to open out it is worth only (8.95)
• Pouilly Fume 1998 (S. Dagueneau) Lemony sauvignon-blanc nose. Ripe, but nice acidity. Quite rich (in a pleasant way), hints of marzipan, suggests a touch of oak. Good. (9.50)
• Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 1996 (Cotat) Slight sulphur evident, obscuring a complex nose. Grass and honey, stunning length. Lovely. Had a bottle a few days later at home - it opens up nicely in the glass too. Tempted to make it three stars plus one for the future, but lets settle for (12.50)
• Pouilly Fume Silex 1998 (D. Dagueneau) Flinty sauvignon-blanc nose. An enormous spectrum of flavours almost like a Burgundy yet I worry a bit that it's lacking substance. Very impressive, and I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for now. (28.00)
• Chinon Cuvee des Varennes du Grand 1995 (C. Joguet) Decent colour, a bit boiled-sweet, blackcurrant nose. In the mouth cherry too. Nice acid - quite fine. Easy (13.00)
• Bonnezeaux La Montagne 1989 (Petit Val) Honey and grass, some botrytis, good balance, nice length. (12.50)
• Quarts de Chaume 1989 (Chateau de Bellrive) Honeyed, long, but very variable colour in the several bottles that were opened because one was rather maderised. One was slightly corked. The best are 3-star wines. (19.90)

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19/09/2000 (RJB)

• Champagne Signature, blanc de blancs (Drappier) OK Fizz, light weight and reasonably elegant, but lacking the extra oomph to be anything other than
• Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile 1990 (Trimbach) A wine that needs to be thought about - not immediately obvious how good it is. Elegant and restrained, with gentle floral flavours. Acidity seems strangely reticent.
• Pinot Gris Clos Saint Urbain 1996 (Zind Humbrecht) Big wine with a sweet smoky palate (someone suggested new rubber door seals on the London underground, but didn't suggest which line) and lots of concentration. Long. We don't usually do too much food matching on these pages, but for the record this went brilliantly with a rich terrine of foie gras - one of those matches that is made in heaven. Superb wine.
• Bonnes-Mares 1988 (Robert Groffier) Gorgeous lifted nose - violets and berrie, and a mineral edge. Palate disappointing - lacking the charm that the nose suggests. A dry acidic finish. Slightly beyond peak? Just
• Grand Puy Lacoste 1989 Top notch claret - dry cassis and cigar box, in fact everything one might expect from such (except perhaps for a lovely touch of fennel on the nose). Almost at peak maturity
• Ornellaia 1990 (Marchese Lodovicoa) Near perfection (but not to my mind worth the 100 points it gets from certain quarters). Tight, but generous and sensuous nose - sweet violets and berries. Compared with the nose, the palate is closed and tight - needs time to open up. Should be absolutely sublime. Easily
• Reka Dessert Wine 1999 (Kim Crawford Wines) Mainly Riesling I was told - which I can believe. Sweet wine with acidity, but really rather simple.

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Tasting at Justerini and Brooks' Wine Warehouse 16/09/2000 (TNB)

A good showing of moderately priced wines.

• Frascati 1999 (Fontana Candida) Slightly toffeed young fruit, nice acidity, simple but appetizing (6.90)
• Macon Uchizy 1998 (Talmard) Nice melon fruit, reasonably taught, good balance. Scrapes (6.20)
• Chardonnay 1999 (Aroona Valley) Rich Ozzy stuff - soft and oaky - an interesting comparison with the tighter fruit of the Macon. I prefer the former, but this is not bad if you like the style. (5.45)
• Sancerre 1998 (L. Crochet) Ripe and not too strident on the nose, gooseberry tang in the mouth. Decent Sancerre. A good (8.50)
• Sauvignon Blanc 1999 (Babich, Hawkes Bay) Leafy, almost vegetal nose, the fruit a shade soft in the mouth. Worth a star I suppose, but I much prefer the tighter and less vegetal Sancerre. (6.95)
• Sauvignon Blanc 1999 (Dry River, New Zealand) Ripe fruit and herb nose. Complex (more than one normally expects in this style of Sauvignon blanc) and restrained gooseberry in the mouth. Very good indeed. (10.50)
• Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 1998 (Ch. Lacroix, Bordeaux) Ripe floral nose but odd clothy finish. I'm not convinced about this. (5.95)
• Pata-Negra Gran Reserva 1991 Light colour, fresh cherry fruit despite some obvious old wood ageing. Won't suit a New World palate, but I think it's a pleasant mature wine. Perhaps scarapes (6.95)
• Hochar 1995 (Chateau Musar) Very pale colour (more or less rose). Rustic nose so very like Musar itself. (This is a "second wine".) Fans of Musar's inimitable version of farmyardyness might give this a second star even. (7.50)
• Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 (Palomar Estate, Chile) Warm climate cabernet, very herbaceous. Much denser than the previous two wines. What do you want at this price range: clean modern winemaking with lots of fruit, or something a bit more individual like the last two wines? I'll go for the last two, but this is the one that will appear in the newspaper columns! (5.45)
• Crozes Hermitage 1997 (Pochon) Good luscious texture (partly the excellent vintage), blackberry fruit, well made. (6.80)
• Chateau Saint Bernard 1995, Fronsac Decent fruit but quite a tannic hit. I feel this is a bit overmade. (6.95)
• Malbec 1999 (Altos Las Hormigas) Gamey, eccentric, full-blooded. A wysiwyg sort of wine - I doubt anything more will emerge with time. Very gluggable. (5.90)
• Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1996 (Grand Tinel) Nice fruit, provencal herbs, good length. Perhaps even (11.00)
• Riverina botrytis semillon 1996 (Aroona Valley) Very Ozzy, brown sugar, lots of botrytis, just enough acid. Good of its sort. (3.60/half)

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13/09/2000 (RJB)

• Champagne Cordon Rouge Cuvee Limitee 1990 (Mumm) Light toastiness, medium weight wine - clean but a slight coarseness. Good, but not exciting.

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11/09/2000 (RJB)

• Langi Shiraz 1995 (Mount Langi Ghiran) Lovely wine reminiscent of a good Cote Rotie. Tight berry fruit and polished leather, peppery Shiraz flavours. Ageing slowly and well, this should turn out to be superb in another five years. Easily
• Lloyd Reserve Shiraz 1997, McLaren Vale (Coriole) Young spirity nose masking what might be there (although an oaky gumminess and mocha does come through). Struggling with its alcohol content - will this integrate? Perhaps

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Noel Young Wines - 'New Australian Wines' 11/09/2000 (RJB)

• Semillon, Clare Valley 1999 (Jeanneret) Vines planted for this in 1990. Lemon, honey and lime nose - some wood, but a light use. Good acidity at the finish. A slight (youthful?) mustiness on the finish.
• Olive Hill Semillon, Barossa Valley 1999 (Burge Family Winemakers) 20% new French oak. Quite dumb on the nose (unripe melons). Quite a lot of textured oak and fruit. Acidity and oak on the finish.
• Olive Hill Semillon, Barossa Valley 1998 (Burge Family Winemakers) A touch buttery, almost vegetal, limey/nutty nose. Coarse resin and bitter finish.
• The Beak Shiraz/Grenache, South Australia 1999 (Magpie Estate) 75% Shiraz, the rest Grenache. Sweetly fragrant berry fruit and herbs. Simplish.
• Cabernet Sauvignon Block 79, Barossa Valley 1998 (J. J. Hahn) Subdued youthful nose that opens out. Biggish, sweet fragrant wine with light tannins at the finish.
• Shiraz Block 1914 Barossa Valley 1998 (J. J. Hahn) Mature, soft vegetal nose. Big flavour, soft but with a good finish.
• Draycott Shiraz, Barossa Valley 1998 (Burge Family Winemakers) 77% Shiraz, 23% old vine Grenache. Light chocolate Shiraz - not overly impressed.
• Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale 1998 (Fox Creek) Excellent colour, lovely wine. Good structure and real complexity. Real ageing potential - as good as many young clarets, and at a good price (20 pounds) for this quality. One of the best young Australian Cabernet Sauvignons I can remember having. Easily , might well rate higher with time.

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11/09/2000 (TNB)

• Vin de Paille 1997 (Chapoutier) Sexy, "bedding" nose. Zippy, ripe fruit. Rather gorgeous. This was at the end of a long dinner, and so I'd like to try it again. Gven the price these things sell for, that might not be so easy! perhaps more.
• Champagne, blanc-de-blancs 1988 (Dom Ruinart) Splendid, slightly hazelnutty chardonnay fruit. Tight, needs years. I think on the whole I prefer some Pinot in my Champagne, but this must be one of the best blanc-de-blancs.
• Oberemmeler Hutte spatlese 1997 (Von Hovel) Decent fruit, good acid. Nice liquorice/aniseed flavours. Young riesling is difficult to judge. Perhaps
• Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg auslese 1990, Fuder 92 (von Schubert) Very complex, rather dry, oozes character. Super, but so tightly wound it is not easy to drink now. (After writing the above I noticed this has a rave review from Robert Parker too - 94 points and don't drink for at least ten years. I'm not always in sympathy with his assessment of German wines, but this is right on the money, to my mind. German wine remains so unfashionable that even this sort of write-up from the man himself doesn't cause the price to go mad. Just think what you'd have to pay for a Burgundy this good.)

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07/09/2000 (TNB)

• Champagne Grand Millesime 1989 (Gosset) This had a bad review from RJB recently but I'm not so sure I agree. A full-bodied champagne in an old-fashioned style with the fermentation in wood quite apparent. The mousse has softened a bit and it is showing a bit of age. I enjoyed this and I think it will probably be better in a few years. This may be just a difference in taste, or it may be that Gosset does more than one bottling (as many old-fashioned French producers still do) and there are different versions about. It's marginal but I think this bottle scrapes
• Urziger Wurzgarten 1989 Spatlese (Moenchof) Spicey, guite long. Nice body. Starting to show some maturity.
• Sylvaner 1996 (Rolly-Gassmann) Quite rich and off-dry. Sometimes with the lesser grapes I feel this estate tries to do a bit too much. Mind you, in a couple more years the balance might look right.
• Chablis 1997 (Bouchard Pere et Fils) Dry, minerally, yet with sufficient richness not to feel mean. A decent effort. (Just a coincidence that RJB had a Bouchard wine as well this week. I thought this negociant was on the up, but RJBs note doesn't seem to confirm that!)
• Les Tourelles de Longueville 1988 Second wine of Pichon Baron. Hefty blackcurrant nose and ripe fruity palate with some oak and a touch of real Pauillac character. Lacking the depth and excitement you would hope for from the real thing, this is drinking well enough. In fact quite structured, but I suspect it's not going anywhere much. Easily
• Haardter Herrenletten Riesling spatlese 1990 (Muller-Catoir) Quite heavily extracted grapefruity fruit with kerosene undertones. Nice acidity, but the slightly fat fruit makes it a bit tiring to drink and I'm not at all sure where it is going either. , but perhaps it will surprise in time.

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Oddbins Fine Wine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay 07/09/2000 (RJB)

Too many 'Just one star' or worse

• Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Brut 1995 (Seaview) Poor fizz, with a soapy dead feel to it.
• Blanc de Blanc, New Zealand (Deutz) Bready autolytic nose, gentle wine gum/liquorice nose. Goodish acidity on the palate, but short. Not a lot going on. Just
• Chardonnay 1999, Italy 1999 (Histonium) Young estery nose - pineapple. Not together - dilute with an unclassy oak finish. All over the place. Trying to be too sophisticated.
• Unwooded Chardonnay 1997 (Mount Horrocks) Vegetal, tinned peas, aniseed nose. Flat (dying?).
• Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 1997, Chile (Concha y Toro) Vegetal soft - dying. I'd forgotten how bad ageing Chardonnay of this sort could be. Just, just, just
• Hawkes Bay Chardonnay1996 (Morton Estate) Thin but more structure than the wines so far; more skin contact. Even so, for drinking up.
• Meursault 1993 (Michelot) Proper Chardonnay at last! Just so much more integrated. Hazelnuts and gorgeous acidic length. Not great, but such a relief! Easily
• Tiers Chardonnay 1997 (Petaluma) On initial impresslons disappointing, given that I believe it has the reputation of being a great Oz Chardonnay. Very closed, but showing a touch vegetal. Out of condition? I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and not score it.
• Pinot Noir 1998 (Glen Carlou) Light stewed plums (touch sulphury nose). Thin, dilute, caramel nose and flavours. Some acidity, but unknit. Just
• Pinot Noir 1998 (Coldstream Hills) Much better than the Glen Carlou. Together with its acidity. Closed on the nose. Lovely clean Pinot Noir. Needs some time. maybe more
• Pinot Noir 1997, Santa Cruz Mountains (Clos la Chance) Good palate, more to the nose. But it's just clean Pinot that lacks complexity.
• Volnay 1996 (Bouchard) Haven't had a Bouchard wine for a while (please don't prove me wrong by using the 'search' facility!). Not Good. Astringent tannins.
• Pinot Noir 1995 (Martinborough) OKish Pinot Noir, but so lacking any sort of drama.
• Colori d' Autunno, Passito 1996 (Tenuta Sant Antonio) 100% Chardonnay. Sweet raisiny wines, but lacks fruit and acidity.

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