Two more sleeps
and the shops are packed. That last minute scramble for gifts and provisions, which in our mostly secular and material society signals more than Church or solstice, the imminent arrival of Christmas.Time then to thank to all the kind souls who have sho...
Joseph Sparkling Red
For a few weeks either side of Christmas I buy and drink as much Australian Sparkling shiraz as I can stand. It's rarely more than half a dozen bottles and as such I think I miss some of the nuance that other more frequent drinkers might find. This one...
Pegasus Bay Pinot noir 2007
Waipara, New Zealand. Pinot noir. 13.5%. Screwcap.Cherry and char, some mid palate sweetness, plenty of extract, and for me, hard work. Big boned and assertive, earth and stems, spice, wilted petals and cherry pips. Bold, slightly diffuse and cola like...
Domaine Pellé Menetou-Salon Morogues 2008
Menetou-Salon (West of better known Sancerre), Loire, France. Sauvignon blanc. 12.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A25.Evocative and convincing, I suspect even wavering supporters Sauvignon will like this. All the adjectives and fruit you would expect are present...
A cork with form and function
I'm always pleased when I remove the foil from a bottle and find the closure is Diam. It's a relief not having to wonder if the liquid within is stuffed. . . Usually though, they resemble the example on the left. Grainy, slightly dull and obviously syn...
Domaine Christian Moreau Chablis 2008
Chablis, France. Chardonnay. Diam. Approx $A40A bracing combination of intensity, line and amplitude. Sealed with the most attractive Diam cork I have come across, this is typical of its place with a combination of flint, gun smoke and citrus. My nose ...
Abacus beads
My attempt at Poh's Abacus beads. Not being as dextrous, or familiar with the use of taro or tapioca or glutinous rice, I had some trouble in making my beads, which ended up looking like playground knucklebones. I followed the recipe fairly closely, b...
Adelina Shiraz 2009
Wendouree, Clare, South Australia. Shiraz. 13%. Diam. $A39Tasting note 991.Despite the seam of acidity and brightness, there is something uncoiled and languid about this. Like its identically clad sibling, it smells like an Australian summer, I can ima...
Horseradish
Perhaps once a year I get an insatiable craving for horseradish. Curiously it often coincides with roast beef. . . Not having a ready supply of fresh roots, I end up buying a jar of the condiment and inevitably it ends in disappointment. Where is the b...
Summer rain
The East Coast of Australia is covered in rain. An abnormally strong La Nina effect has meant a damp start to summer. Retailers are concerned that no one seems to be spending money, crops are sodden and close to ruin and the coal trains are having to g...
Pizza
I've spent a life time thinking about pizza as a fast food which is home delivered or scoffed down before mains at some cheap and cheerful ristorante. No more. Convenience and speed dial have been replaced by respect and D.I.Y.After 18 months of trial ...
Moric Blaufrankisch 2008
Burgenland, Austria. Blaufränkisch. 12.5%. Cork. Approx $A50.A delicious wine, though perhaps the enjoyment and impact is greatest at the opening. Bright and sappy, I find raspberries and cranberries and something that seems pert and alert. Presumably...
