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Azienda Agricola Quintodecimo
Via del Campo Falanghina 2020
Château Mouton Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1989
71st birthday wine from daughter Georgie’s birth year. Cedar aromas like an antique shop. Maraschino cherries Georgie said with touches of marzipan, and anise Dusty plum and cassis. Soft resolved tannins. A gorgeous First growth claret from a great vintage in 1989. Enjoyed this more than the previous tasting early last year. Really enjoyable. — 3 years ago
Bass Phillip
Premium Gippsland Pinot Noir 2013
Light to mid Ruby in appearance - partly transparent. Raspberries, Strawberries and Cherries with spicy notes. A sweeter palate than normal with M+ intensity. Good power and drive. After a few hours still quite sweet. As I said in a previous note grapes obviously picked late to achieve ultra ripeness. Returning later - a dried red. Cherry aroma. — 3 years ago
Bass Phillip
The Estate Pinot Noir 2015
Consistent notes from the previous bottle tasted a year ago on 21st November 2021. Cherry aromatics with some decayed plant matter. Typically Bass Phillip. Towards the end of the bottle stewed fruits (rhubarb). Had the final bottle 28 weeks later on 14th June 2023. Sweet - great palate intensity - the mark of many great wines. Just bought the 2021 vintage today. This is the first vintage made solely by Jacques Fourrier and his team. — 3 years ago
Produttori del Barbaresco
Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2017
A little lighter and less tannic then previous vintages. Drinking well but wanted a little more intensity. — 4 years ago
Moss Wood
Moss Wood Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
This was my last 2008. See several previous Delectable notes. Typically reliable Moss Wood Cabernet. — a year ago
Bell Hill Vineyards
Old Weka Pass Road Pinot Noir 2016
See several previous Delectable notes on this wine and vintage. A pale crimson colour with tawny garnet shades. Aromatics of red fruits (strawberry) and Sous Bois on the nose. It may be pale in colour but carries a Medium plus palate intensity of good length. A very good 2nd wine from Bell Hill from the Canterbury district (just to the north of Christchurch) which deserves more recognition as a source of high quality Pinot Noir. Also referred to as the Waipara District. — 2 years ago
Château Pontet-Canet
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1996
Quite deep ruby slightly narrower rim . This is more closed than any of the previous wines . Quite austere and more mineral , grafite notes . Quite serious on the palate with mineral and dusty cassis , cedar . Good refreshing acidity , slightly dry gritty tannins noticeable . This probably shows the best balance of the 4 so far , all the parts seem better integrated. Dark cassis , cedar and grafite , though not the marine/seashell influence of the 1995. Better length than all the previous wines . This will go further and is probably in the middle of its drinking window, from now and onwards for another 10 years perhaps ? — 3 years ago
Leeuwin Estate
Art Series Margaret River Chardonnay 2011
Another great vintage in Margaret River - see previous notes. Ripe grapefruit notes on nose and palate. After some hours peaches and cream on nose and palate. A characteristic of the gin gin clone. Oak is totally integrated. Enough citric acid to last a year or so more but this is essentially at its wonderful peak. Art series Chardonnay is always impressive. Have the last one towards the end of next year. 97 points from HH. — 3 years ago
Freycinet Vineyard
Tasmania Pinot Noir 2015
See many previous Delectable notes but not for this vintage. As stated previously one of Australia’s best Pinots A very aromatic nose of red and black cherry together with root vegetables particularly beetroot. Raspberry flavours - a sweetish palate with a savoury twist. An excellent Tasmanian Pinot Noir and a regular purchase. Also capable of extended cellaring - I recall having a 15 year old one once but it’s hard to resist right now. — 4 years ago
Château Durfort-Vivens
Margaux Cru Classé en 1855 Red Bordeaux Blend 2017
2017 vintage. A little leaner than previous visit in September 2021. No less delicious tho. — 4 years ago
Domaine A
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
See 2 previous notes - the most recent in February last year which is consistent with this tasting. Easily the most concentrated and rich Cabernet I’ve ever had from Tasmania. Mint, coffee beans, cassis and Cocoa on the nose. Medium plus bodied. Seamless. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance being Merlot Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot 4/4/2. Growing ripe Cabernet in Tasmania is achievable if you get the right site. — 4 years ago
Bass Phillip
Reserve Pinot Noir 2012
Always a tasting highlight having a Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir the leading Pinot Noir in Australia although the competition is coming. See previous Delectable note. It pours a medium red with a distinct tawny edge. Barb said red fruits (cherry) and bunchy. I certainly agree on both counts. All BP Reserves are special but the 2012 is not one of the greats. - perhaps a little bunchy, to be ultra picky. — a year ago
Enderle & Moll
Muschelkalk Pinot Noir 2022
where to even begin. feels silly to claim any producer as a "favorite" but how could i not? these wines speak to me on a deep deep level. i prefer the previous vintage, much more precise, touch more elegance, but the '22, a bit more broad but wildly expressive, took me to the same heights that every other enderle pinot has taken me. — 2 years ago
Mount Langi Ghiran
Langi Shiraz 2008
See previous note from January 2023. Pepper Liquorice and Raspberry. Savoury and full bodied on the palate. Such density despite the drinking window describing this as “Old”. 2011 to 2028. I see this as having many years to go. Riper having blackberry and not as much pepper as you would expect because of this warmer vintage. The vineyards were originally planted in 1964, establishing this as one of Australia’s leaders in cool climate Shiraz. It has always been one of my favourite Australian Reds. Best Shiraz and Wine of the Year for 2011 as voted by the Good Wine Guide. 98 points from Nick Stock. — 3 years ago
Château Lynch-Bages
Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1959
Dark tawny center with amber color and clear rims. Barely translucent. Massive nose of tobacco and Cuban cigar with notes of sweet black fruit, moist dark soil, unsweetened chocolate, pencil lead, old cedar desk wood and a little barnyard. Great mouth feel and texture. Very much alive. Opened and slow-ox’d for a few hours, then put in a decanter an hour before. This powered up all night. Last sip was the best. I’ve probably had more LB than any other Bordeaux (young and old, mostly old), and this was head and shoulders better than any previous bottle. Great juice! — 4 years ago
Quilceda Creek
Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
I revisited this wine in July of 2022, and I am upping my rating to 9.1. I don’t know if it’s just a biochemical difference in my taste buds from day to day, or whether the wine is miraculously transforming itself within the bottle while I’m not paying attention to it. All of my previous descriptions still hold, except at the tannic structure has become fuller. And that holds everything together. My new opinion of this wine is that it’s very elegant, indeed.
My old review: 2019 opened February 2022. Disappointing but drinkable. Mint and nettles on the nose. Unripe strawberries on the front of the palate. It has a weak — almost watery — tannic structure that fails to balance the sour high notes that crowd in on mid pallet. And the pucker factor intensifies as it transitions to the finish, but it dissipates quickly leaving just a hint of lingering flint and menthol. Better than a fourth growth Bordeaux in an off year, but that’s not saying much. — 4 years ago
Bob McDonald
One of my favourite Italian whites - this is made from the Falanghina grape which is the main grape of Campania. Harvested at full ripeness. Fermentation takes place as 70% in stainless steel and 30% in Barrique. See previous note here in April 2025. Not designed for long cellaring. Previous notes still apply. An ideal winter white wine. White flowers, herbal notes with unctuous ripe fruits on the palate. Impossible not to enjoy this. Sadly my last bottle. — 10 months ago