During the week our wine tasting group had its annual wine dinner, at the Sydney institution of Tetsuya’s in the private dining room - we had 9 in attendance. A wonderful evening for all, with some really special wines. Food, wine and company all contributed to an unforgettable experience.
Many thanks to all for their generosity and to the humble man at the head of the table for his exceptional offerings.
Tets was on the ball again, most dishes were very good, some were merely good and a couple were truly excellent. (Tuna and Ocean Trout). The space is as good as it gets, you truly feel a world away from the hustle and bustle of the CBD. The service was very good but not great.
Wines
2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut
2002 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
1975 Pewsey Vale Rhine Riesling (Screwcap)
2009 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2009 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
2011 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
2010 Domaine Ramonet Montrachet Grand Cru
2003 Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru
2003 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru
2005 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard
2006 Alvaro Palacios Priorat L’Ermita
1982 Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta ‘Sugarille’ Brunello di Montalcino
2008 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato
1983 Château Gilette Crème de Tête Sauternes
Food
Pacific Oysters with Ginger and Rice Vinegar
Roasted Scampi Tail with Vanilla
Marinated Tuna with Mustard Cress and Nori
Confit of Ocean Trout, Salad of Celery and Apple
Blue Cod with Cherry Tomato and Apple
Miso Cured Duck Breast with Sunflower and Leeks
Wagyu Tenderloin with Green Asparagus and Onion Jus
Rockmelon Granita with Almond Curd and Roasted Soba Ice-Cream
Tetsuya’s Chocolate Cake
Petit Fours
2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut
Lemon, almost caramelised nose, lemon cheesecake, almond, big and fat. (maybe a touch warm). On the palate it is full and silky as it slides around your mouth, good acid line which really attacks towards the back of the palate. Lingers, leaving an almost chalky sensation. Effortless power on show.
2002 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
Grapefruit, lemon sherbet, painfully young. Almost powder-like in the mouth, with hints of apple and bread, taut and unyielding with a biting acidity. Very interesting as a contrast to the Krug.
1975 Pewsey Vale Rhine Riesling (Screwcap)
This is a bit of a novelty being a Screwcapped wine from 1975, although calling it a novelty is doing the wine inside the bottle a disservice. Interestingly though, it is also cork sealed and then the screwcap is placed over it as per normal. So the vagaries of TCA are still possible without the oxygen ingress of cork. The wine has become a bit of a cult wine and when seen at auction are usually subject to vigorous bidding, so to get the opportunity to try one is a treat. More importantly the wine… Dark golden in colour, with a hint of kero, touch of nuttiness, caramel, with some light florals almost ethereal, a lovely old girl. Very much made in the style of German Rieslings I’ve had through the 70’s without quite as much residual sugar (between Kabinett → Spatlese) Soft and oily in the mouth almost creamy. As it sits in the glass, it takes on sweeter notes and amazingly continues to evolve. Wonderful drink.
2009 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Premox’ed
2009 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Big sweet nose of oak and fruit, although I had written ‘has a lovely balance on the nose’ and it was true - hard to explain. Voluptuous and full on through the palate, being a fan of the old school buttery styles I was in heaven. Impeccable balance, coconut, sweet oak, butterscotch, and caramel. One glass was enough of this, so moreish, almost a meal in a glass. It teeters on being overblown yet never crosses the threshold.
2011 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
‘Lighter’ than the 2009, still a hugely powerful wine in the general context. Less oak and sweeter, piercing fruit lines. The acid line is much more pronounced giving it better length and carry, lemon curd and touches of grapefruit. Although only 2 years younger it seems about 5 years younger. I was seriously contemplating doing a blend of the 2009 and 2011. Wonderful contrast.
2010 Domaine Ramonet Montrachet Grand Cru
This was served blind, meaty and almost animalistic, great nose which punches out of the glass, very restrained and classy and sophisticated. A certain saline/salty element. Creamy nougat, smoky, struck match, really alive on the palate. Exquisite balance. It continued to get better and better in the mouth, no let up, dying down or anything, perfectly poised from start to finish. It didn’t rely on big oak or massive fruit profiles – it was just right. If the Leflaive C-M was the cashed-up extravagant uncle this was the old school, old money rich uncle - refined, elegant blood stock without being ostentatious more Aston Martin than Ferrari.
2003 Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru
First nose I was worried it was going to be a more modern style Dujac with a dark fruit, marzipan, dark cherry, confected notes coming out, yet on further nosing it started revealing a really interesting stalky and earthy, funky element. The acid on it was glorious, almost crunchy – which broke up any notion of overdone fruit in the wine due to the hotter vintage. I enjoyed this a lot more due to it quashing any preconceived notions.
2003 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru
This was served blind. Tomato leaf/sauce, stalk, white pepper, very deep and powerful nose. Soft and silky on the palate with great grip below the jawline. This was a red version of the Montrachet, elegant power, velvet glove iron fist. Perfect balance at the moment, the back palate is a master class in the way in trails off in your mouth, has you almost going ‘ahhh’ at each swallow. How do they do this? As a taster when you write it down, it sounds so simple, yet seems so hard to do. Like watching a virtuoso pianist playing Moonlight Sonata, ‘yeah that seems straightforward, let me have a go….and it sounds like it but…not’. Brilliant wine.
2005 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard
Very modern US Bordeaux style (oxymoron?). Blackberry, spices, black pepper, smoky. Grippy tannins that coat the mouth yet don’t overwhelm, great acid and structure even at this young stage of its evolution. Cedary notes, liquorice, has that wonderful mouthfeel the US Cabs do so well. Huge length that goes on and on would love to sit on a bottle of this over the night and watch it evolve.
2006 Alvaro Palacios Priorat L’Ermita
Great nose, I used purity about 3 times in my notes for this wine. Raspberry, blackcurrant, redcurrant. Very tannic and showing quite young, but the pedigree is there for all to see. Deeply fruited yet the acid presents/reduces this almost to a cleanliness and pureness on the palate as it hovers in your mouth refusing to go away. Like watching Don Bradman as a youngster, you know it’s destined for great things.
1982 Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon
This was a shame, couldn’t work out whether it had taint and/or heat damage. Stewed, porty, green pepper. Nothing like the previous ones I’ve had which were glorious.
2001 Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta ‘Sugarille’ Brunello di Montalcino
Very rich, modern style, chocolate, blackberry, blackcurrant, dark cherry, dusty fine tannins. Although very young it still shows great balance. Nice acid and structure and soft on the palate. I can sort of see the modern influence the Gaja family might bring to it. That being said it will live for a long time and I think will surprise a lot of people in say 10 years.
2008 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato
Sour cherry, tight and acidic, strawberries and cream started to evolve as it spent time in the glass. The tannins are quite restrained, which kind of surprised me. It was all about that Bas…Acid, ‘bout that Acid. In hindsight it was probably the perfect wine to finish off as it really cleaned up my palate. (well apart from the Krug MV which we decided not to have).
1983 Château Gilette Crème de Tête Sauternes
Honeysuckle, orange marmalade, orange pith, nice acid yet creamy on the palate, good length with some mandarin and nutty notes coming through. Great finish to the night and it went perfectly with the dessert.
