Un nuit sans Richard

There is an ever-growing element of one-upmanship that is burgeoning amongst the circle of friends that often get together to have some wine...it is somewhat dangerous and ends with one very unhappy member of our group. Upon this evening it was to be Richard that missed out.

This is Richard. He is the Mayor of Windsor. You are able to discern his mayor-ship by his medal/wreath that he is wearing.



Richard had other important duties to attend to on the evening we decided to hold a small tasting of some champagne and wine.



We ate dinner at Le Pelican on Bourke St, a favourite for our wine dinners. The food is consistently good, with an oft-changing menu and stellar produce.

Wines -

2004 Weingut Wegeler Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Riesling (a cheeky pre-dinner)
green apple, nectarine, pine. Uncomplicated but a touch staid. Fresh and easy.

2004 David Leclepart "cuvee l'apotre" Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Trepail
A wine approached with more anticipation than perhaps any other. We had spoken of this for months. Perhaps with such high expectations it could do nothing than disappoint. Perhaps it was the glassware. Perhaps we needed to decant it. Perhaps, as one writer put it, it is a wine that has simply 'shut down' for the time being. Anyway...we plan to drink the 05 next month, so we shall see. It was closed for a good half an hour, although with such drive, acidity and tannin that it hinted at something explosive to come. A hint of daisys and peonies on the nose, with an overload of stony minerality. It just never came around, just more butter and cream coming through on the mid palate an hour in. A perplexing wine.

1996 Billecart-Salmon "cuvee elisabeth salmon" Rose
Massive. A joy. Yellow peach, rose oil, redcurrant, raspberry pips, strawberries and cream, with a giant yet focused structure. Held its poise and bead for hours. So creamy and yet with trademark 96 acidity keeping it fresh. This bottle was a farewell gift from Auge Restaurant in Adelaide in 2007, and as desperately as I wanted to hold onto it, the temptation was too great. It drank beautifully but is still keenly young.

2000 Albert Mann Grand Cru Schlossberg Riesling
Wine of the Night. A perfectly balanced expression of semi-mature riesling. Walking a tightrope between honeyed, crystallised lime cordial on one side and fresh kiwifruit, white flowers and fresh summer herbs on the other. Again, long an strong and beautifully mouthfilling.

2007 Francois Raveneau Chablis Village
Decanted but still too young. Cream, yellow apples and a fresh wet stone/lime finish, it is easily the biggest village chablis I've ever tasted. It was elegant and balanced but still needs to fill out.

1999 Louis Latour Aloxe Corton 1er Cru Les Chaillots
I'm not a fan of Latour but this was solid enough. Dirty earth, some brambly red fruit, a hint of poo, wet leaves and gravel. Palate intact but a touch short. Good for one glass then turned boring.

2003 Chateau Beausejours St Emilion
Not me at all. Bloody 03 just annoys me - cooked fruit all over. Too much extract and oak, fruit far too ripe, this could've fooled me as Australian. Mono-dimensional and outright boring, it was a good foil for the angus beef but frankly my dear I couldn't give a damn.

End Game - A lovely party night, immaculately finished off by Richard meeting us on the street, cradling the empty bottle of l'apotre.