[I scribbled some impressions/notes immediately after this important event concluded a week ago, and have just now finished expanding on the totality of what was quite a magnificent evening, excepting some atrocious corks and a sulphur bomb.]
The Fourth of December, 2005 was a very sad and tragic time for many people in my immediate peer group, when good friend and mentor for most things vinous passed away, way, way too young, after a long and brave fight against the terrible asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma.
After his funeral, I invited all the pallbearer's - past and present members of our twenty-two-year-old wine tasting group - to my place for a hurriedly convened extended wake after the family-arranged formalities concluded mid-afternoon. It was a most moving and emotional night for all of us; the highlight being the bottle of 1978 Leoville Las Cases, Tom had given to very close friend and fellow wine lover, Bruce, only a matter of a few weeks before his death, as his final parting gift for his wine buddies to enjoy at his wake. It was decided by all present that evening that each year, on the date of his passing, we would assemble and share fine food and wine in memory of Tom, a tradition which has continued with great commitment from everyone who was there in 2005. One of the group, Michael Chin, flies in from Darwin every year for the event and other old friends from Queensland have attended on occasion - namely, Eric Wallace and Paul Heimburger.
This year I've been off work for two extended periods with a debilitating rib injury and a serious balance disorder, no doubt, experiencing only a fraction of what it would have been like for Tom with his far more serious condition. This has prompted me, now that I can finally work again and function normally, to put extra effort into the planning and organisational aspects of the 2008 dinner with Peter, the owner and talented chef of the consistently excellent Ridge Organic Restaurant in Farrer, a nearby suburb of Canberra.
Unfortunately, this year, Tom's wife, Toi, was caught up in the political turmoil in Bangkok and was not able to attend. Daughters, Clare and Adelle were there to represent the family on this very special occasion. So with six dozen of my best glasses, cleaned and polished, nine of us assembled at the Ridge Restaurant for a bevy of mostly fine wine and a marvellous array of expertly prepared and presented degustation dishes (see below for the details). Peter, his lovely wife, Gloria and their friendly serving staff should be complimented for their terrific efforts in bringing this event off with such aplomb and slick professionalism. The timing and delivery from the kitchen was spot on. Many thanks, folks.
The Wines -
Fritz Haag 1983 Juffer-Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling Gold Capsule* - displaying a most incredibly youthful bright lemon-tinged yellow colour, this wine leaped from the glass with beautifully-honed aromas of freshly-squeezed limes, perfectly-ripened nectarines, redcurrants and a beguiling minerality as a top note. A most hauntingly fresh, complete and polished performance. The palate sings on a similarly impressive level - precise, vivacious, wondrous, complete and impeccable are all descriptors that came to mind as this nectar glided down the throat. Revealing an incredible array of penetrating flavours aka the nose but with added contributions from ripe green pears, crisp apples and lemon curd which culminated in an extravagant array of crisp punchy mineral acidity awash with the gorgeous cornucopia of fruit and a terrifically long, mouth-watering finish. This wine had it all, including the ability to continue for many years, even decades down the track. Superb, sublime, a most memorable beginning to the evening! 96 points.
Pol Roger 1996 Vintage Brut- Apart from the expensive flutes (I washed and dried in boiling hot water several times the night before) not providing much bead, this wine displayed a mid-straw youthful colour, an explosive nose housing complex yeast autolysis, pastry shop smells and toasted hazelnuts over a strong core of citrus fruit. The palate produced a power-packed delivery of swirling mousse that reverberated all through the mouth. Flavours of toasted bread, nutty digestive biscuits and lemon sorbet underscored by riveting, vibrant acidity on a long and authoritative finish. Will age effortlessly for another decade, possibly more. 92 points
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2005 - Screw cap. Infantile colour, almost the colour of water. Tight, steely nose of slate, grapefruit, lime and kaffir leaf. Similarly etched on the palate; incredibly nervy and compact, tightly coiled with high levels of mouth-puckering minerally acidity smothering the citrus fruit. Just too lean and mean but, no doubt, will come around in the longer term. Has untold potential. 90 points today with a much higher rating to come with many years rest under its belt. Drink 2013 - 2023.
Hardy's Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2004 - Screw cap. Infantile colour. Somehow the winemaker(s) here got their sulphur levels out of whack with what's required with screw cap closures. Over quite a period this wine refused to unshackle itself from the struck match/rubbery aromas and flavours. Not pleasant. Not rated.
Mount Mary Chardonnay 2004 - Cork. I've opened quite a few of these at home over the last several months with terrific results - scores all around the 93 point mark. This bottle was marginally affected by trichloranisole. A pity for there were positive aspects apparent on both nose and palate. Corks suck. Not Rated.
Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne-Romanee Grand Cru Grands Echezeaux 1986* - As one would expect this wine displayed old rusty red and brown hues, the nose held some interest with sous bois, damp earth, mushroom and bing cherry. The palate was most disappointing - lean, green, little fruit to speak of, smothered by an excess of acidity. Drinkable but not offering much pleasure. 82 points
Penfolds St Henri 1986 - Decanted for several hours prior to consumption. Sound colour for age - mainly deep red core with plenty amber and brown in the meniscus. Worrying lifted bouquet of volatile acidity over soft cherry fruit, a little old leather and a hint of oxidation. Much better on the palate, although somewhat simple and one-dimensional. Sweet cherry and cranberry fruit, virtually no acidity or much tannin to speak of. Reasonable length, soft finish. Nothing like the last bottle I tried some years back that would have scored around 93 points. 86 points for tonight's example.
Penfolds Bin 707 1983 (magnum) - decanted just prior to consumption, this outstanding example of Australian Cabernet performed admirably on the evening. Holding a mature but deep, dark red colour with an abundance of dark brown throughout, followed by, what I can only describe as an endlessly fascinating, multifaceted nose and palate housing a solid core of aged dusty dark berry fruit, plenty of licorice, old lounge leather, bitter and dark chocolate, including a fair dollop of well-integrated, obviously newish, sweet coconut oak and some varietal earth and weedy herbs hovering in and around the extremities. All the components here have run their race here and are now lounging comfortably together in an ordered and neat formation. This superior aged Cabernet possesses a mature wealth of riches that are beautifully moulded and provides wonderful mouth feel on quite a substantial platform for its age. Texturally, this wine revealed wonderful depth and breadth of flavour before a distinguished departure finishing savoury and elegant. 11.2% A/V! Top wine for its age and won't be lying down in a hurry, either. 92 points
Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1962* - like the Bin 7, opened with a perplexing deep colour for its age, albeit, somewhat more brick red. The bouquet opened with a worrying degree of volatile acidity, a trait all to common to Penfolds red wines but this dissipated somewhat over time to reveal a wondrous old grand dame clothed in her best regalia. Without trying to unravel this wine's dna with a plethora of descriptor and hyperbole, this was one of the most beautiful and moving moments in my life, especially with Tom's daughters in attendance, capping a magnificent flight of classic Australian red wine. One could be forgiven that this forty-six-year old bottle was marginally past its very best, but, amazingly held such remarkable composure and delivered a marvellous, complete and, dare might I say it, on such an occasion, even thrilling drinking experience. One of Tom's oldest wine's dug out from his under house cellar and, without a doubt, one of his best. Bravo! 95 points.
Penfolds Special Bin 7 Cabernet Shiraz Coonawarra/Kalimna 1967 - This was stupendous from the wonderfully vibrant and still youthful deep blood red colour with considerable bricking apparent in the edges, to a monumental bouquet and palate brimming with the most beautiful array of pristine small berried fruits, surrounded with a melange of other complex smells and flavours such as sweaty road tar, mocha, cedar, well-hung meat and polished leather. An amazingly well-structured wine bursting with vivaciousness and, most-probably, continued extended longevity. Profoundly good fine-grained tannins perfectly aligned to the wealth of fruit linger on a firm and powerful finale. This bottle rates as one of the finest Australian reds I've ever had the pleasure of trying. 97 points!
Chateau Figeac 1982* - This wine surprised everyone with its youthfulness, and to that extent, seemingly needs many more years to reach its apoge'. The wine's mature colour belies what follows. Classical right-bank scents of spicy plums, freshly turned wet earth, currants, herbs and savoury oak are repeated in spades on a palate I thought needs to shed an excess of firm, grainy tannin. Bright acidity and a firmish structure reinforced my belief this pristinely-stored bottle may require at least a decade to show its finest qualities albeit a lovely drink no-one in their right mind would knock back today. 93 points
Chateau La Conseillante 1982* - Horribly corked and undrinkable. Not rated
Bourillon D'Orleans Vouvray Moelleux 1990 - I was stunned by the darkness of colour of this wine displayed when poured, but my fears were allayed after lifting the glass towards the proboscis. Heavenly, luscious scents emanated around the table but far more developed than I would expect for this wine's age and more akin to a very old Sauternes than a Loire Chenin Blanc. The palate drove a similar theme - sizeable, with masses of concentrated, fully blown fruit and umpteem impressive secondary, even tertiary, nuances, enormous development and an explosive, sizable and satisfying finish. Top marks from me but not a representative bottle of classical age worthy Loire Moelleux. 92 points.
Chambers Special Liqueur Muscat N/V (Old Bottling) Almost outstanding but just lacking a little in the wow/freshness/complexity department compared to the "Rare" Muscats of the top Rutherglen producers. Typically rich and decadent with masses of raisined sweetness, lifted rancio and Christmas cake character with bountiful astringency through the lengthy finish. Downgraded slightly from my original rating on the night. Nice note to end on with a short black and a couple of the nicest truffles you could ask for. 90 points.
The wines with an asterisk are/were originally from Tom's cellar.
Canapés On Arrival
Tasmanian smoked salmon, egg, sour cream, chives, capers and freshly ground black pepper
Fritz Haag Juffer-Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling Gold Capsule 1983
Bruno's Farmer’s bread served with extra virgin olive oil and rock salt
Pol Roger Vintage Brut 1996
Entrées
Vietnamese rice paper spring rolls
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2005
Seafood terrine
Hardy's Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2004
Mount Mary Chardonnay 2004
Mains
Crispy spiced duck breast
Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne-Romanee Grand Cru
Grands Echezeaux 1986
Loin of lamb and macadamia crumbed lamb cutlet
Chateau Figeac 1982
Chateau La Conseillante 1982
Beef eye fillet medallion – with a teriyaki reduction sauce
Penfolds St Henri 1986
Penfolds Bin 707 1983 (magnum)
Cheese Plate
Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1962
Penfolds Special Bin 7 Cabernet Shiraz Coonawarra/Kalimna 1967
Desserts
Individual apple tart served with an option of home-made vanilla ice cream
Bourillon D'Orleans Vouvray Moelleux 1990
Coffee & Bruno's Truffles
Chambers Special Liqueur Muscat N/V (Old Bottling)