I’m a long-time reader of the board, but don’t normally post…
Anyway, I’m visiting Sydney from NYC and eating at The Quay with my girlfriend tonight. Would love some help navigating the wine list (especially the New World / Aussie sections). I generally prefer drinking burgundies / brunellos / cornas…but figure it would be a crime not to try some Aussie wines that are tough to find in the US.
I would go for this one:-
1998 lakes folly CS - sensational Hunter Valley CS. There are very few Hunter reds that i would recommend, but I had this wine a few years ago and it was excellent.
The 1992 Bests should also be good, although 1992 was not a great vintage.
I think you mean the 1988 Bests Pinot. I had this in February at Quay. It started off a bit funky and with a touch of VA. This eventually blew off and showed wonderful red fruit with a bit of game notes. A pleasant light to medium bodied wine.
Regarding the food, I highly recommend both the smoked mackerel with abalone and the crawfish with XO sauce.
Stay in Australia for your selection. Plenty to choose from here. If you’re in the mood for shiraz, the Sami Odi Baby Tui. If pinot noir, the William Downie Yarra Valley (the 2010 Curly Flat is also solid, and fairly well priced, but only in magnum). The Tolpuddle is also good. I believe all of these are hard to find abroad.
Hi Brian - a different view: While I have not been for a couple of years (I live in a different country after all) I’ve always had excellent wine service at Quay. Why not tell the guys you want to try some local stuff, you tend to like less “opulent” wines, happy to go $300, please bring me some suitable wines to match? You’re more likely to get things that go with what tends to be a broad range of flavors than what you would get out of a single bottle (looks like you’re ogling reds).
Alternative number two is you take a couple of small bottles - say Lake’s Folly for the whites (though that’s a terrible dearth of NW they have there) and Jasper or Castagna; or Stonier or Valli (otago) PN for the red - while these may not be exactly to your taste, they are “typical” oz (valli = nz) wines.
Lastly, as a single red that I would recommend: Bell Hill PN (seeing you like bgdy); Giaconda Cab (though not familiar with the vintage so look it up); Parker Estate 1990 (what’s an extra $50); Kusuda Syrah
Have a great night
Interesting list. I largely agree with Rauno’s comments.
I’ll stick to the NZ wines I know most about. For Chardonnays, the '12 Martinborough Vineyards is good value and worth a look. It recently won best Chardonnay outside Burgundy in Decanter. The Kumeu River Mate’s is very good but I’d go for the more expensive '09 Bell Hill, which is rare and should be a top example.
Among the NZ Pinots I’d go for the Bell Hill '11 (that I’ve recently had).
For NZ Syrahs, I’d go for the Kusuda '11, again quite rare and a good example.
Mark mentions Craggy Quarry v Sophia. I think Rauno’s and my options are better, but if it came to a choice between those two go for the Sophia.
Please report back on what you choose and have a great time!
Last time I was there we had the Grand Rue, wasn’t worth it, quite monolithic and really closed hard…The DRC wasn’t on the list, or I would have snaffled it at that price.
Lots of good, interesting Aussie wines, including Pinots (like say the '12 Bindi Block 5) on the list, so not sure why you would otherwise go NZ when you are in Aus…maybe have a chat to the Somm, they are usually good there.
Sadly though, the food isn’t anywhere near as good as it used to be, and for the $$$$, this place is a miss now for me, although the service and view is still excellent.
Not sure but they appear to have missed off the reds by the glass, but as they had a decent white/aperitif selection by the glass, I’d be tempted to go that route. Seppeltsfield offer good value and a glass of a grand muscat is a good closer to a meal. Cullen’s chardonnay by the glass would also appeal (probably my favourite for their wines).
Too big a list I suppose and Sydney showing it’s snootiness by only having a single sparkling red ;¬)
Clayton,
I thought similar, but found a note from Halliday suggesting that it was pretty ordinary and just about dead (his note was from a decade ago). Some of those early 70s Lindemans Hunter reds were sensational.
Ester’s food is excellent, the wine list is obscure, lots of Loire wines for example, and no ‘trophy’ wines to be had. The room is a little austere, crowded and noisy, as one becomes older and comfort more important, this can grate.
Rockpool (as compared to rockpool bar and grill) is on fire. At there two weeks ago, I thought the food outstanding. No menu (or price) to be seen. Sommelier suggested a 97 Vouvray and 2010 barolo, both of which were spot on. Wine list is extensive but no bargains.
Agree with Est, is always excellent, as good as any meal I’ve ever had. Their sister restaurant downstairs, however, is my favorite Chinese food now. Both restaurants are part of the merivale group, and they have some crazy bargains on the wine lists (I have drunk all the 09 and 10 Rousseau chambertin). While they will offer you the list for the particular restaurant you are in, they will also happily bring anything from any other list.
You should hook up with some of the local wine drinkers and do a casual dinner around that. They could rustle up some decent aged Aussies, or ones that are a bit more obscure and not likely found in the US.
