I recently led a tasting and we were able to put this question to the test. I poured the Domaine Grand Veneur, Cotes du Rhone, reserve, 2007 from a bottle (retail: $14) and a three-liter box ($45) and served them blind in two glasses. (search for this wine)

The assembled group couldn’t really discern one from the other. While everyone agreed that the wine was a good value, some people preferred one over the other but the reasoning was all over the map. Although this sounds like a non-finding, it is interesting that neither format outpaced the other even though one format is decidedly less expensive per ounce/glass.

I look forward to trying this experiment again but it is difficult to find the exact same wine packaged in two different formats. Domaine des Estezargues, Cotes du Rhone 2007 and apparently there’s one from Washington State; hit the comments if you’ve done a tasting like this or know of other wines in both formats for our further experimentation.

I contributed a short piece to Forbes.com about wines that could serve as “ringers” in a blind tasting. Have you ever organized a blind tasting at home (or professionally) and thrown in a “ringer”? Or if you haven’t, which wine would you put in which lineup as a ringer in a future tasting?

He’s not a fan of the grape. Talking about the two top growing areas in the Loire, Chinon and Bourgueil, he writes, ironically: “Virtually all the people I know who rave about Chinon and Bourgueil are wine geeks, the kind of people who champion varieties nobody else does precisely because nobody else does. You can find many of these same people downloading unsigned artists to their iPods.”

Funny, I like great Chinon and Bourgueil but I’ve never downloaded an unsigned artist to my iPhone! I just like them for the low alcohol, high acidity for food friendliness, and the low prices–the “undiscovered” discount. Take the delicious but, yes, slightly herbaceous, Domaine Guion, Cuvee Prestige 2006, which I just bought for about $12.50 (with case discount)–a tasty bargain if there ever were one, but certainly not one for fruit bomb lovers.

I tweeted about the article at 8:56 AM today and the responses came flooding in; here is a selection. (Follow along on Twitter) If you haven’t weighed in, do you love or hate Cabernet Franc? Which actor is the most apt comparison?

gonzogastronomy @drvino ouch! I happen to love cab franc!
candidwines @drvino Your Cab Franc critic cites “cedar, tobacco + vanilla” in the CF he loves. My description of him: “Starts w/ J, rhymes w/ mackass”.
Randall Grahm @drvino There are truly 2 populations of wine drinkers, those who love and those who detest cab franc. One generally wishes to avoid latter
voxinferior RT @gonzogastronomy: @drvino ouch! I happen to love cab franc! (I like it too, but there’s some pretty legit. criticism in that piece)
James Molesworth @RandallGrahm @drvino Cab Franc is an acquired taste. Acquired at birth or never…
Howard Goldberg @RandallGrahm @drvino When I think of cabernet sauvignon, I think of Catherine Deneuve. And when I think of cabernet franc, Lauren Bacall.
candidwines @drvino @RandallGrahm Overcropped, machine harvested Cab Franc is to real CF as January tomatoes are to garden heirlooms: worlds apart.
theconcierge @drvino I think the ‘Globe and Mail’ statement on Cabernet Franc is harsh, there are bad wines made with any varietals
Randall Grahm @howardggoldberg @drvino Deneuve is Burgundy; Bruce Willis is Bordeaux. But I like the smoky, peppery Bacall association w/ cab franc
Randall Grahm @jmolesworth1 @drvino @howardggodberg What gets me is the absolute vehemence of cab franc’s detractors. But francly, I don’t give a damn
megmaker @RandallGrahm @howardggoldberg @drvino Agree Cab Franc is Bacall, or maybe K Hepburn: throaty, acerbic – but what a woman.
tallywineguy @drvino I think pinotage is more divisive than CF. RT There r 2 populations of wine drinkers, those who love & those who detest Cab F

Luneau Papin, L D’or, Muscadet, 1999 About $20
Muscadet is not the first thing you might think of when it comes to mature wine. But from the top producers, it can be worthwhile. I bought this wine from Crush Wine Co in NYC a couple of years ago as a late release from the winery. In the glass, it has a more golden color than most young Muscadet and aromas of delicate honey drops on wet rocks. Totally dry on the palate, the wine still has great acidity and minerality as well as a suppleness of age. We had it as an aperitif with cheeses but would also go well with seafood.

Lopez de Heredia, Rioja, rosado, 1997 About $25
Again, a rose is another category that might not leap to mind when thinking of mature wines. But with this twelve-year-old Lopez de Heredia, it’s practically the current release! If you’re looking for the freshness of a 2008 rose from Provence, well, stick to Provence. This rosado has a pink and amber hue, gorgeous mature, nutty aromas with dried rose petals and a luxurious texture on the palate. The bottle was empty too quickly!

Marques de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay, Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja, 1985
I bought this wine several years ago at Sam’s Wine in Chicago. Sadly, 24 years after the harvest didn’t work for this one and it was over the hill. As the saying goes, there aren’t great wines, just great bottles.

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, St. Julien, 1996
Now you might think 13 years on a top is just warming up. And for this wine you’d be right. A friend pulled this out of his cellar recently; he’d received it as part of a farewell, current release case when he left a company in Paris a few years ago. Provenance is particularly important for this wine, apparently, as some consumers have expressed frustration with bottle variation. However, our bottle was on. Still tightly wound in tannins, this big dog is a dark berry, spice, coffee flavoplosion! (Well, at least compared to these others.) Structured and drinking great now, but the tannic vigor on the finish will likely bode well for many years of future enjoyment.

Find these wines with wine-searcher

Despite some perceptions to the contrary, cru Beaujolais wines can be extremely rewarding wines. The region is in flux and home to some leading makers of “natural” wines. Check out my current piece over on Forbes.com! And when you hear “cru Beaujolais,” don’t say “no way!” as a friend recently did.

I mention Lapierre, Foillard, Thivin, Descombes as some of the excellent 2007s that I had recently. What are some of your favorites? Or do you fall in the “no way” camp?

But the bottle didn’t exactly win our friends over to the joys of wine. As much as I liked the wine, its pleasures were still tightly wound in youthful tannins, which are bitter. A wine that has angular tannins is probably not a great wine for the majority of newbies. In fact, I’ve poured young Nebbiolos in some classes and events to illustrate the grip of tannins; most people dislike them but there are always a few people who love them. I think I’ll start polling people to see if it correlates with whether they like black coffee or not.

I was talking with a beer geek (is that what they are called?) the other day and he told me about the IBU, a measure also known as the International Bittering Unit that rates the hoppy bitterness of a brew. Apparently beers can be ranked by IBUs where Bud has about five, an India Pale Ale might have 40 and a Stout might have 60+.

Given that the geekier beers tend to be the more bitter beers, could we say then that Nebbiolo is also a geeky grape because of its bitter tannins? I think so. The same as a sugary latte holds more appeal than a straight espresso, the more bitter the drink, the more of a geek you have to be, it seems. Are we moving toward a general theory of bitter? And what to serve guests who aren’t so into wine…

Produttori del Barbaresco, Langhe, Nebbiolo, 2006 about $19
This wine is such a trip! Light in color, the unsuspecting taster might presume it to be “thin” (the ultimate put-down for light bodied reds). Instead, delicious aromas of rose petal and damp earth great the nose. On the palate, great acidity precedes vigorous but interesting and manageable tannins. A great entry-level nebbiolo, a grape that can often escalate in price quickly. I haven’t tried the ‘07 of this wine yet, have you?
Lot: 8.143. Imported by VIAS

Domaine Sylvain Pataille, Bourgogne-Passetoutgrains, 2006. about $18
Blending Pinot Noir? Say it ain’t so. But the practice gets a big “oui” in the appellation of Bourgogne-Passetoutgrains where the wines must be minimum one-third Pinot Noir with the balance the Gamay grape. The result in this 2006 offering from Sylvain Pataille’s 70 year old vines has lipsmacking fruit and acidity and, at 12 percent alcohol, gulpable. On a warm summer evening (when it’s not raining–grr), try serving chilled to 60 degrees for maximum enjoyment.
Lot tasted: LR 01. Becky Wasserman Selection

Alain Michaud, Brouilly, 2006. about $18
I hadn’t tried this Beaujolais producer before but I threw it in my cart. This straight up gamay (as opposed to the Passetougrains) from the strong vintage 2006 has a slight savory note to it as well as wild strawberries. It’s a bigger, broader style within the realm of cru Beaujolais that has a structured but chewy finish. Lot tasted: L. 02 Becky Wasserman Selection

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And, coincidentally, the August issue of O, the Oprah magazine also has a short piece on box wines. They generously called me in to serve as their expert. You can find it on p. 34 in the gutter, wedged between a giant red stiletto and a full page ad for K-Y liquibeads.

The category is still uneven but the quality also appears to be improving. What’s happening in your neighborhood: Are box wines improving?

Related: “In the NYT suggesting to drink inside the box“

And if you’re feeling summery, surf on over to the James Beard blog for five of my summer wine picks.

But to reward all of you site readers here with some wine picks, I organized and led a fun tasting of seven summery wines last week at a residence on the Upper East Side. I’ll paste the list of wines below for your perusing, from lightest to fullest, with some reactions from the folks in attendance. Incidentally, as I was talking about rosé being the ultimate lunch wine, especially if it was lunch outside under an umbrella, one woman had a funny quip: Who actually has lunches like that? Ah, perhaps we need an impossible wine-place pairing: the office!

Nino Franco, Rustico, Prosecco. $16. very popular
Broadbent selections, Vinho Verde, 2008, $10. sort of popular
Binner, Gewurztraminer, 2005. $25. I liked it a lot, they didn’t (probably too rich for a warm evening)
Bernard Baudry, rosé, Chinon, 2008. $17 popular
Marcel Lapierre, Morgon, 2007. $24. A delicious wine, unanimously loved
Rossignol-Trapet, Bourgogne rouge, 2006. $23 very popular
Les Hérétiques, vin de pays de l’Hérault, 2007. $8 very popular

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Okay, Halliday, the 71 year old former vintner and author of some fifty wine books, wasn’t really in the NBA finals. But a tasting last week in the Barossa Valley did showcase some of Australia’s most amazing wines of all time. By showcasing talent old and new, it was kind of like one of those sports questions about who would be better head-to-head, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs LeBron James or Hank Aaron vs A-Rod kind of thing. While the younger wines showed some flash, for me it was the seniors that stole the show.

Andrew Caillard of Langton’s, an auctioneer, told us that it took him nine months to arrange the tasting, adding that many of the bottles were among the last available. He presented a history of Australian wine making and how the wines we were tasting were landmark wines in one way or another.

While I knew that mature cabernet could be incredible, I wasn’t so sure about mature shiraz.

First up was the 1954 Seppelt Great Western Hermitage K72 Shiraz Great Western Grampians. Looking very mature in the glass, almost tawny in color, I thought it was going to be shot. Despite only muted aromas, the wine was actually holding together well and had a good balance and finish.

Next was the 1955 Penfolds Bin 95 Grange. Inspired by a trip to Bordeaux, Max Schubert of Penfold’s decided he wanted to make a grand vin a l’australien–or something like that. So he took the best shiraz and cabernet grapes he could, blending regions as well as grapes, and put them in open top fermenters and then finished the fermentation in small American oak barrels. The first vintage of the wine was 1951 but it wasn’t sold; 1952 was the first commercial vintage and is no longer good. The 1955 we had was a wine originally developed for the show circuit and was showing very well. Much more red than the Seppelt K72, it was also more youthful, richer, rounder with a hint of shiraz sweetness on the finish. A mature wine to be sure, but very rewarding. Incidentally, this bottle was recorked under the Penfold’s recorking program, which can provide a greater degree of certainty that a bottle will still be in good condition since it has been tasted by a member of the Penfold’s staff (with a wee dram of the current Grange added for topping up any ullage–love that word).

The 1955 Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Michael, shiraz followed. An excellent and interesting wine, with more meaty and savory aromas than the first two. Caillard described the wine as a “freak,” since there was no power shiraz produced in the Coonawarra and the wine was low alcohol.

But the wine of the day, and one of the best wines I have ever tasted, was the 1962 Penfolds Bin 60A, a blend of Coonawarra Cabernet and Barossa Shiraz. I had the good fortune of tasting this wine last fall in New York, and, sadly, the bottle I tried was off. This bottle, however, was on. Big time. It’s the wine tasting equivalent of a buzzer beater and a walk off grand slam all in one. Although it has that kind of excitement, an important difference is not the power of those moments but rather the delicacy and elegance of the wine, with aromas of cigar box and dried fruits, a fine tannic structure with a finish that lingers for the whole afternoon.

As if that wine alone wouldn’t have made the tasting, there were fifteen more. Next was another Penfold’s Grange, this time a 1971 vintage. As you may recall from a magazine article I once wrote about finding birth year wines, 1971 is always a vintage that I keep an eye out for. (The wine’s success in the auction market for a time made it a barometer of economic activity according to a leading think tank.) Max Schubert, the winemaker, apparently did not like to add acid and in this case picked the grapes early and the resulting wine was a deliciously refreshing 11.5% alcohol. Andrew Caillard said that they did add “heaps and heaps” of tannins, which are still present today although finely integrated. The wine is really in a good place today.

Next we had four wines from the eighties, an 82 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet, John Riddoch, a mature cabernet that was tasting great, the idiosyncratic 1985 Wendouree Shiraz Clare Valley with its odd hint of iodine, the 1986 Henschke Hill of Grace, probably Australia’s most famous single vineyard wine still with a toasty oak influence, and 1986 Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard shiraz Hunter Valley that still had quite lively acidity.

Up next was the 1990 Mount Mary Vineyard Lilydale Cabernets Quintets, a lighter but rewarding style of cabernet that showing very well with a secondary blackcurrant note, lovely delicacy and great precision with no greenness or herbaciousness. Apparently Robert Parker described this wine as a “cru bourgeois.” The 1995 Cullen Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Margaret River still had a lot of tannic vigor that Andrew Caillard amusingly described as “a hairy armpit, long hair style wine that is no shrinking violet.”

The 1996 Clarendon Hills Australis was included as emblematic of the cult wine scene, which Caillard admitted that even he hadn’t really seen coming. The 1994 Clarendon Hills sparked controversy since it didn’t do well on the Australian show circuit but Robert Parker bestowed it with a 96 point rating, sparking demand around the world. The wine was made from 75 year old vines and 100% new French oak barrique aging. In the glass today, the aromas had an odd blend of plummy red fruits and menthol while it tasted disjointed and tannic.

Of the remaining wines (see the full list here), I wanted to particularly highlight the 2001 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier. Hailing from vineyards around the national capital of Canberra (and some joked that it’s the best thing to ever come out of Canberra), the wine is a beautiful blend of Shiraz with a touch of viognier. In this case it was about seven percent Viognier cofermented with Shiraz but that has been declining in recent vintages. The hardest thing about adding Viognier, in my view, is to get Viognier that is as good as the shiraz since Viognier can be a pretty rough and tumble category. But in this case, the Viognier gives the wine tremendous aromatic lift and this particular wine was singing.

Image 1: Landmark Australia

I recently had the $19 Nicolas Potel 2006 Bourgogne rouge and found it a great value, lean, old world pinot. In previous vintages, I’ve enjoyed value Pinots from Austria (e.g. Stadlmann) and Italy’s alto Alto Adige region (e.g. Hofstatter) as well. And I’ve had some good new world Pinot under $20, such as the “H” Pinot Noir from Hamacher in Oregon. (search for these wines)

What about you? Have your say in our latest poll!

Over the next few days and weeks, I’ll be posting on and off some of highlights of the conference/event, sharing my new found knowledge. Really, I could post about each and every session since they were all so interesting and informative. But I’m not turning this into an Australian wine blog (though I do wonder why there isn’t one of those focusing on the lesser-known wines; it could even be called “beyond the fruit bomb”). If you’d like to have a similar experience applications are apparently now open for the Tutorial in 2010.

After the jump, check out the above lineup in motion as I walked down the line with the video rolling. Also, check out a complete list of wines, broken down by session.

Day One
Australia’s Regional Classics (1C)
2008 Grosset Wines Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley
2002 Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling, Eden Valley
1998 Tyrrell’s Wines Vat 1 Semillon, Hunter
2005 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River
2006 Petaluma Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
2006 By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir, Geelong
2001 Cullen Wines Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, Margaret River
2004 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra
1998 Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, Hunter
2004 Mt Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz, Grampians
2006 Henschke Mt Edelstone Shiraz, Eden Valley
2004 Penfolds RWT Shiraz, Barossa Valley
2006 Glaetzer Anaperenna Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley
2006 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon, Riverina

Australia’s Fine Wine
NV Pirie Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, Tasmania
1998 Jacob’s Creek Steingarten Riesling, Barossa
2005 Jacob’s Creek Steingarten Riesling, Barossa
2009 Jacob’s Creek Steingarten Riesling, Barossa
1998 McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon, Hunter
2003 McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon, Hunter
2007 McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon, Hunter
1989 Yarra Yering Dry Red Number 1 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yarra Valley
1997 Yarra Yering Dry Red Number 1 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yarra Valley
1980 Yarra Yering Dry Red Number 2 Shiraz, Yarra Valley
1994 Yarra Yering Dry Red Number 2 Shiraz, Yarra Valley
2000 Domaine A Cabernet Sauvignon, Tasmania
2001 Dalwhinnie Eagle Series Shiraz, Pyrenees
2004 Dalwhinnie Eagle Series Shiraz, Pyrenees
All Saints Estate Museum Release Muscat, Rutherglen

Day Two
Riesling (2A)
2007 Kilikanoon Mort’s Reserve Riesling, Clare Valley
2005 Mount Horrocks Riesling, Clare Valley
1992 Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling, Clare Valley
2002 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley
1973 Leo Buring DWC15 Riesling, Clare Valley
2002 Peter Lehmann Reserve Riesling, Eden Valley
1999 Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling, Eden Valley
1980 Pewsey Vale Rhine Riesling Riesling, Eden Valley
2007 Seppelt Drumborg Riesling, Henty
1996 Crawford River Riesling, Henty
2007 Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Vineyard Riesling, Frankland River, Great Southern
2003 Craigow Riesling, Tasmania

Shiraz and Blends (2B)
1990 Craiglee Shiraz, Sunbury
1991 Plantagenet Shiraz, Mount Barker, Great Southern
1991 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz, Eden Valley
1991 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley
2006 Shaw + Smith Shiraz, Adelaide Hills
2006 De Bortoli Reserve Release Shiraz, Yarra Valley
2006 Giaconda Warner Vineyard Shiraz, Beechworth
2006 Mt Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz, Grampians
2006 Seppelt Mt Ida Vineyard Shiraz, Heathcote
2006 Clarendon Hills Astralis Vineyard Shiraz (Syrah), McLaren Vale
2006 Charles Melton Grains of Paradise Shiraz, Barossa Valley
2006 Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier, Canberra District
2006 S.C. Pannell Shiraz/Grenache, McLaren Vale
2006 Spinifex Indigene Shiraz/Mataro, Barossa Valley
2006 Wendouree Shiraz/Malbec, Clare Valley
2004 Penfolds Grange Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Multi-region South Australia

An Historic Perspective (2C)
1954 Seppelt Great Western Hermitage K72 Shiraz, Great Western, Grampians
1955 Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Multi-region South Australia
1955 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz, Coonawarra
1962 Penfolds Bin 60A Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, Coonawarra / (Kalimna) Barossa Valley
1971 Penfolds Grange Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Multi-region South Australia
1982 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra
1985 Wendouree Shiraz, Clare Valley
1986 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden Valley
1986 Brokenwood Hermitage Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, Hunter
1990 Mount Mary Vineyard Lilydale Cabernets Quintet, Yarra Valley
1995 Cullen Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Margaret River
1996 Clarendon Hills Astralis Vineyard Shiraz (Syrah), McLaren Vale
1996 Penfolds Block 42 Kalimna Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley
1996 Best’s Wines Thomson Family Great Western Shiraz, Great Western, Grampians
1998 Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
1999 Torbreck Run Rig Shiraz Viognier, Barossa Valley
2001 Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir, South Gippsland
2001 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier, Canberra District
2002 Seppelt St Peters Great Western Shiraz, Great Western, Grampians
2004 Balnaves of Coonawarra The Tally Cabernet Sauvignon

Masters of Wine
2001 Yarrabank Late Disgorged Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley
1998 Tahbilk Marsanne, Nagambie Lakes, Goulburn Valley
2004 Tahbilk Marsanne, Nagambie Lakes, Goulburn Valley
2008 Tahbilk Marsanne, Nagambie Lakes, Goulburn Valley
1996 d’Arenberg The Ironstone Pressings Grenache/Shiraz, McLaren Vale
2002 d’Arenberg The Ironstone Pressings Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre, McLaren Vale
2006 d’Arenberg The Ironstone Pressings Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre, McLaren Vale
2006 John Duval Wines Plexus Shiraz/Grenache/Mourvèdre, Barossa Valley
2005 John Duval Wines Eligo Shiraz, Barossa Valley
2006 John Duval Wines Entity Shiraz, Barossa Valley
1992 Yalumba The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, Barossa
1996 Yalumba The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, Barossa
2002 Yalumba The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, Barossa
Disgorged 2008 Rockford Sparkling Black Shiraz, Barossa Valley

Day Three
Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc (3A)
1998 Tyrrell’s Wines Vat 1 Semillon, Hunter
1999 Brokenwood ILR Semillon, Hunter
2002 Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon, Barossa Valley
2003 Tempus Two Copper Zenith Semillon, Hunter
2005 Vasse Felix Semillon, Margaret River
2006 McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon, Hunter
2008 Thomas Wines Braemore Individual Vineyard Semillon, Hunter
2009 Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills
2008 Angullong Sauvignon Blanc, Orange
2008 Logan Sauvignon Blanc, Mudgee
2008 Goundrey ‘G’ Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Mount Barker, Great Southern
2006 Cape Mentelle Walcliffe Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Margaret River
2008 Brookland Valley Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Margaret River
2007 Rosemount Show Reserve Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Western Australia
2007 Lenton Brae Wines Wilyabrup Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Margaret River

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends (3B)
2005 Mount Mary Quintet Cabernets, Yarra Valley
2005 Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc, Great
Southern/Margaret River
2005 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River
2005 Woodlands ‘Colin’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River
2005 Sandalford Prendiville Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River
2005 Château Mouton Rothschild Cabernet/Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot, Pauillac
2005 Parker Coonawarra Estate Terra Rossa First Growth, Cabernet/Merlot, Coonawarra
2005 Majella The Malleea Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, Coonawarra
2005 Henschke Cyril Henschke Cabernet/Merlot, Eden Valley
2005 Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec, Clare Valley
2005 Hardys Chateau Reynella Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale
2005 Penfolds Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley

An Alternative View (3C)
2008 Henschke Littlehampton Innes Vineyard Pinot Gris, Adelaide Hills
2008 Delatite Pinot Gris Upper Goulburn
2008 Yalumba The Virgilius Viognier, Eden Valley
2006 Castagna Ingénue Viognier, Beechworth
2008 Giaconda Aeolia Roussanne, Beechworth
2008 Dal Zotto Arneis, King Valley
2008 Crittenden Estate Los Hermanos Albariño, Mornington Peninsula
2008 Spinifex Lola Semillon/Marsanne/Viognier/Ugni Blanc/Grenache Blanc/Vermentino, Barossa Valley
2008 Quealy Senza Nome Tocai Friulano, Mornington Peninsula
2008 Coriole Fiano, McLaren Vale
2008 R Wines Mod Gamay, Geelong
2007 Greenstone Vineyard Sangiovese, Heathcote
2007 Gemtree Vineyards Bloodstone Tempranillo, McLaren Vale
2002 Hewitson Old Garden Mourvèdre, Barossa Valley
2006 Arrivo Lunga Macerazione Nebbiolo, Adelaide Hills
2007 Luke Lambert Wines Nebbiolo, Yarra Valley
1998 Pizzini Nebbiolo, King Valley
2005 Boireann Tannat, Granite Belt
2006 Cobaw Ridge Lagrein, Macedon Ranges
2007 First Drop Minchia Montepulciano, Adelaide Hills

Slow Food, Slow Wine
2005 Jansz Rosé Pinot Noir, Tasmania
Avonmore Organic Pale Ale
Pennyweight Woody’s Amontillado Palomino, Beechworth
2008 Sutton Grange Winery Fairbank Rosé Syrah/Cabernet/Merlot, Bendigo
2008 Lucy Margaux vineyards & Àuge Ristoranté Vino d’Àuge Saignée Sangiovese, Adelaide Hills
2008 Gemtree Vineyards Moonstone, McLaren Vale
2008 Moondarra Holly’s Garden Pinot Gris, Gippsland
2007 Ngeringa Viognier, Adelaide Hills
2007 Bass Phillip Estate Pinot Noir, South Gippsland
2002 Castagna Genesis Syrah, Beechworth
2006 Ngeringa Syrah, Adelaide Hills
2002 Castagna La Chiave Sangiovese, Beechworth
2005 Castagna Un Segreto Sangiovese/Shiraz, Beechworth
2007 Cullen Wines Mangan Merlot/Malbec/Petit Verdot, Margaret River
2008 KT and The Falcon Melva Riesling, Clare Valley
2008 Lethbridge Kabinett Riesling, Geelong
2004 JE Ngeringa Altus Pink Semillon, McLaren Vale
2007 Sutton Grange Winery Ratafianovese Fiano/Sangiovese, Bendigo

Day Four
Chardonnay (4A)
2006 Tyrrell’s Wines Vat 47 Chardonnay, Hunter Valley
2006 Cullen Wines Kevin John Chardonnay, Margaret River
2006 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay, Margaret River
2006 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River
2006 Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
2006 Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
2006 Giaconda Chardonnay, Beechworth
2006 Bindi Wine Growers Quartz Chardonnay, Macedon Ranges
2006 Stonier Wines KBS Vineyard Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula
2006 Oakridge 864 Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
2006 TarraWarra Estate MDB Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
2006 Freycinet Chardonnay, Tasmania
2006 Hardys Eileen Hardy Chardonnay, Regional Blend
2006 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay, Regional Blend

Pinot (4B)
2007 Stoney Rise The Holyman Pinot Noir, Tasmania
2007 Bindi Wine Growers Block 5 Pinot Noir, Macedon Ranges
2007 Yabby Lake Vineyard Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula
2006 Stefano Lubiana Estate Pinot Noir, Southern Tasmania
2006 Kooyong Single Vineyard Selection Ferrous Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula
2006 TarraWarra Estate MDB Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley
2007 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir, Cental Otago
2003 Ashton Hills Estate Pinot Noir, Adelaide Hills
2003 Paringa Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula
2002 Domaine de la Romanée Conti Romanée St Vivant Pinot Noir, Vosne Romanée, Burgundy
1999 Mount Mary Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley
1997 Bass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir, South Gippsland
1997 Bannockburn Serré Pinot Noir, Geelong
1992 Coldstream Hills Reserve Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley

Blending the Rules (4C)
2005 Plantagenet Shiraz, Mount Barker, Great Southern
2006 Glaetzer Amon Ra Shiraz, Barossa Valley
2005 Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, Hunter Valley
2004 Torbreck Run Rig Shiraz/Viognier, Barossa Valley
2002 Penfolds Grange Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Multi-region South Australia
2005 Hardys Eileen Hardy Shiraz, McLaren Vale
2004 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden Valley
2004 Clarendon Hills Astralis Vineyard Shiraz (Syrah), McLaren Vale
2007 Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier, Canberra District
2005 Clayfield Wines Shiraz, Grampians
2006 Two Hands Wines Bella’s Garden Shiraz, Barossa Valley
2005 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, Multi-region South Australia
2005 Seppelts St Peters Shiraz, Grampians
2005 Majella Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra
2005 Cullen Wines Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, Margaret River
2006 Balnaves of Coonawarra The Tally Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra
2006 Woodlands Reserve de la Cave Cabernet Franc, Margaret River
2004 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River
2005 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra
2002 Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec, Clare Valley
Australian Fine Wine 2030
2006 Petaluma Croser Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
2005 Radford Wines Riesling, Eden Valley
2008 KT and The Falcon Peglidis Vineyard Riesling, Clare Valley
2006 Savaterre Chardonnay, Beechworth
2007 The Lane Beginning Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
2004 Main Ridge Estate Half Acre Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula
2007 Tapanappa Foggy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Fleurieu Peninsula
2008 Tapanappa Foggy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Fleurieu Peninsula
2005 Mitchelton Crescent Shiraz/Mourvédre/Grenache, Nagambie Lakes, Goulburn Valley
2006 Mitchelton Crescent Shiraz/Mourvédre/Grenache, Nagambie Lakes, Goulburn Valley
1998 Wirra Wirra The Angelus (Dead Ringer) Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale
2004 Wirra Wirra Dead Ringer Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale
2006 Wirra Wirra Dead Ringer Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale
2007 The Yard Riversdale Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Frankland River, Great Southern
2007 Cherubino Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River
2005 Stanton and Killeen Vintage, Rutherglen

Day Five
Sparkling (5A)
2005 Domaine Chandon Z*D Vintage Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
2004 Yarra Burn Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
2004 Josef Chromy Wines Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, Tasmania
2004 Brown Brothers Patricia Pinot Noir/Chardonnay/Pinot Meunier, King Valley
2003 House of Arras, Arras ‘Grand Vintage’, Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, Tasmania
2002 Domaine Chandon Vintage Brut Late Disgorged Chardonnay/ Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier, Yarra
Valley
2001 Jansz Late Disgorged Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, Tasmania
2000 Hardys Sir James Tumbarumba Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Tumbarumba
1998 Petaluma Croser Proprietor’s Reserve Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
1998 House of Arras, Arras Late Disgorged, Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, Tasmania
NV Hanging Rock Cuvee VIII Macedon Late Disgorged Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, Macedon Ranges
MV Bay of Fires Rosé Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, Tasmania
2005 Domaine Chandon Brut Rosé, Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley
1994 Seppelt Show Sparkling Shiraz, Grampians

Fortified (5B)
Morris Show Amontillado, Rutherglen
Seppeltsfield Museum Oloroso DP104, Rutherglen
Seppeltsfield 2005 Vintage, Barossa Valley
Seppeltsfield DP90 Rare Tawny, Barossa Valley
Grant Burge 30 year old Tawny, Barossa Valley
Penfolds Great Grandfather Series 1, Barossa Valley
Campbells Isabella Rare Topaque Muscadelle, Rutherglen
Seppeltsfield Paramount Rare Topaque Muscadelle, Rutherglen
Morris Old Premium Liqueur Topaque Muscadelle, Rutherglen
McWilliam’s Show Reserve Muscat, Hunter
Morris Old Premium Liqueur Muscat, Rutherglen
Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Muscat, Rutherglen
Chambers Rare Muscadelle, Rutherglen
1928 Morris Liqueuer Muscat, Rutherglen
Seppeltsfield 1909 100 year old Para, Barossa Valley

The youngest Riesling I’ve tasted was a tank sample of the 2009 Jacob’s Creek Steingarten Riesling. The Steingarten vineyard was originally about 1000 vines planted in the 1960s at the top of Trial Hill, a windy spot on the edge of the Eden Valley. At the outset, it was a single vineyard wine of tiny production. But now although most of the vines come from an altitude of 500 meters, it makes no claim to be site specific; the Steingarten name is a brand. The tank sample was brimming with citrus intensity but not yet really formed as a wine. The 2005, by contrast, was in a very nice spot, exhibiting more muted lime and floral character. The 1998 was oddly phenolic and, while quite solid, not as rewarding today as the 2005.

The Riesling of the trip for me was the 1984 Grosset Polish Hill. The fourth vintage of Polish Hill, it was bottled under cork (they switched to screwcap around 2000) and had mid-shoulder fill (if the bottle had shoulders, that is) and came directly from the cellar of Jeffrey Grosset (pictured right), one of only a few bottles remaining. The aromatics were muted but on the palate, the wine was terrific with a great weight and kind of oily character, great integration. The finish was spectacular and went on and on. (On a related note, his current release 2008 Polish Hill had excellent citrus character akin to the white of a pink grapefruit. The grapes were hand-picked, only free-run juice used, and the resulting wine has integrated acidity and minerality.)

Also of note was the 1973 Leo Buring DWC15 Riesling Clare Valley. Golden in color, it exhibited some of those toasty notes that mature Aussie Riesling is known to have on the aroma and still had layered complexity. It’s still in a good place now but reaching the end of maturity–good thing these were among the last bottles remaining.

The 2002 Peter Lehmann reserve Riesling Eden Valley had toasty, lightly honeyed nose with a strong attack, limey midpalate and expansive, rewarding, and lingering finish. The 1999 Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling Eden Valley, so called because the rows of vines follow the contours of the hillside, was originally released with five years of age on it. Today it showed more maturity but still had a freshness from good acidity. The 1980 Pewsey Vale Rhine Riesling Eden, golden in color, was interesting but definitely in the “drink now” part of its bottle evolution.

Finally, 1996 Crawford River Riesling Henty was picked late, in May, and has “essentially no botrytis” according to the producer. But to me it had a lovely honeyed note that perhaps had a hint of the noble rot. Quite delicious. I also enjoyed one of the current releases from this producer. But I’ll save that along with some other young, fresh Rieslings for a future post.

As a summary comment here, Australian Rieslings are worthwhile with age and can show bottle evolution even under screwcap. The hardest part is probably not drinking them while they are young. But tasting that magical transformation from lime-fresh minerality of youth to the gently honeyed, toasty quality of mature bottles can be worth the wait.

Search for these wines on wine-searcher.com

Related: “Philip Laffer of Jacob’s Creek on Riesling, petrol, and screwcaps“

De Forville, Dolcetto d’Alba, 2006. (about $17; find this wine) I’m not always a huge fan of dolcetto, aka “the little sweet one” but, perhaps more aptly, “the little tannic one.” But this one really struck a chord with truffle and earthy notes and a good balance of acidity, fruit and tannin. Second day open, just as good, which is always a good sign. Importer Neal Rosenthal’s site has some more specs on this family producer; I picked up this bottle at Pasanella & Son.

Nicolas Potel, cuvee Gerard Potel, Bourgogne, 2006. (about $19; find this wine) Given that Potel is a leading negociant house in Burgundy and from several tastings of 2006 red Burgundies, I was optimistic that this wine would work out when I added it to my virtual shopping cart. It did. Dark fruit aromas, good acidity and tannins make this a standout in that rough-and-tumble category of pinot noir under $20.

Domaine Bernard Baudry, “Les Granges,” Chinon 2007. (about $17; find this wine) Bernard Baudry is one of my favorite Loire producers of red wine and offers consistently good values across the line. Even in 2007, a difficult year for some, was strong at Baudry. This “Les Granges” has good depth and succulence, which combine to make it a natural match for unadorned grilled meats–or even those cans of beans. This wine was also going strong on day two…On a related note, the Baudry 07 Clos Guillot bottling, alluring, fresh and vibrant with a great crack of pepper on the finish, bears mentioning. But since it costs $27, we’ll have to talk about that in another post.

Located about half way between Dijon and Geneva, the pocket-sized region of the Jura makes some of France’s most distinctive wines. At a recent trade tasting, I sampled a few of the wines from Domaine Berthet-Bondet, a winery founded by Jean Berthet Bondet on the relatively New World time frame of 1985. The Cotes de Jura Chardonnay 2006 is matured in neutral oak barrels and has a vein of minerality so rich it would out Chablis out of business if the world craved minerally chardonnay.

But the piece de resistance was the 2000 vin jaune (a type of “vin de voile” ) from the micro-appellation of Chateau-Chalon. Made entirely from the Savignan grape, the wine is matured for six or seven years in small neutral barrels, which are intentionally not filled all the way nor replenished (as barrels usually are to replace the “angels’ share” that evaporates). This creates further exchange with oxygen. But a film of beneficial yeast forms on the surface to moderate the oxygen exchange and prevent it from heading on a crash course to becoming vinegar. The aging happens in a well-ventilated room so there are wide temperature fluctuations through out the long aging. A complex wine emerges from the process, with aromas of walnuts, dried apricots, daisies. The nutty finish lingers for hours. Really. Truly a wine of contemplation. The oxidative process girds the wine for decades or centuries in the cellar.

Unfortunately, the wine sells for north of $100 for a 62cl bottle (find this wine). Their Cotes de Jura Tradtion 2003 provides the oxidative wine character, but at a fraction of the price (about $22; find this wine). I’d try both with Comté cheese.

Now if only we could come up with a sexier term than “oxidative”!