Phil

Monday July 26th 2010

Lanson Noble Cuvée 1999

For reasons that only British Airways and Qantas can, but haven’t, explained Australian flights to and from London’s Heathrow are via the dismal T3 rather than the brand-spanking new T5. Hey ho, BA has a rather pleasant lounge at T3 and, maybe as a consolation for having foisted T3 upon us, is good enough to serve Lanson’s Noble Cuvée 1999. Let’s say it eases the pain. There’s a bready/brioche character to the aroma and a still very fresh apple and citrus palate cut with layers of bottle developed flavour. Crisp and refreshing with a savoury, very satisfying finish Noble Cuvée is a class act. If you’re not transiting through Heathrow T3 it’s worth a detour to a bottle shop.

Tuesday 27th April 2010

Noteworthy Marlborough Sauvignon

You can’t argue with drinkers who are buying Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc for $6 a bottle; after all it fulfils their perfectly reasonable need for a glass of dryish, crisp white wine at a decent price and it does carry the high kudos appellation of Marlborough on the label. You might even contend that some of the Marlborough brands have rather taken their customers for granted over the last few years when wine was under-supplied and this is the free market squaring the circle.

But here’s a powerful argument for trading up: Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2009. This is not a dryish, crisp white, it is a nuanced, layered wine with intensity and interest. Not a mid-week quaffer this is more a Saturday night special but for around $30 a bottle it is good value.

Wednesday 14th April 2010

Cullen’s Kevin John Chardonnay 2007

I can see a sub-blog emerging along the lines of Characterful Chardonnays or Chardonnays Which do the Variety Proud or some such snappy title. Meanwhile I can strongly suggest that you hunt down a few bottles of the Cullen’s Kevin John Chardonnay 2007.

A little leaner and a shade more polished than the Salo Yarra Valley Chardonnay I’ve been drinking of late, the Kevin John is from Margaret River and surely puts itself into the same bracket as Leeuwin Estate Art Series. Piercing acidity of the most refreshing and structure-giving kind runs like an arrow through this wine allowing the lime and mineral flavours to hang off it giving a wine of distinction and length. It drank beautifully with some Coffin Bay oysters.

Thursday 11th March 2010 - One Planet Wines

I’m delighted to announce that One planet Wines has launched two tetra packed premium wines on the Australian market. An Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc and a McLaren Vale Shiraz are the launch varieties, packed in the environmentally friendly 75cl tetra pack. I’ve been working with One Planet on this project for some time and have endorsed the wines and the packaging. Weighing in at only 780g which compares with 1260g for a lightweight glass bottle they’re friendlier on the arm muscles as well as your carbon footprint.

And let’s face it, if someone invented the glass bottle today it would be a non starter........”sure it’s heavy. Yes it takes masses of energy to make them and recycle them and well, look, over time everyone will get used to handling them with care so as not to smash them”. Apart from being inert and a reasonable sort of pressure vessel if you make them heavy enough, the glass bottle really has few advantages for most wines these days. With bottle aging for most wines being defined as the length of time it takes to get home from the store why put wine into something that theoretically allows the stuff to develop for years when it’s going to be drunk within weeks? www.oneplanetwine.com Check out Phil talking about this exciting new project on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swHH33uXkcA