JULIAN HITNER - TORONTO WINE CONSULTANT

"For love of everything that is wine"

JULIAN'S FINE WINE BLOG

Tasting a few of the best wines in AustraliaMy compliments to the following wineries:

(1) Torbreck (Barossa Valley, South Australia)
(2) d'Arenberg (McLaren Vale, South Australia)
(3) Jim Barry (Clare Valley, South Australia)
(4) Vasse Felix (Margaret River, Western Australia)
(5) Leeuwin Esate (Margaret River, Western Australia)
(6) Kay Brothers Amery Wines (McLaren Vale, South Australia)
(7) Two Hands (Barossa Valley, South Australia)

If I were to select the winery that was the most generous and welcoming during my time in Australia, it would have to be Torbreck. From the lovely person behind the counter, I got to try the 2004 and 2005 'RunRig' Shiraz. On the market, each of these bottles sells for more than $200.00, and both were indisputably brilliant wines, made from vines a great deal older than one hundred years of age.

For my part, I thought the '05 to be somewhat more elegant than the '04. Both were extremely young, generous wines. The '04 had thick fruit, spice, mint, tar, and light jam (in a good way) on the nose, along with a toasty-granola scent. On the palate, the '04 was just starting to develop, with great laying of fruit, tannin, and all sorts of complexities, all ending in an extra-long finish.

The '05, on the other hand, was a tad closed, but still revealed a little mint, mocha, and a fair bit of refined fruit scents. Though it boasted a huge mouthfeel, I could not easily dismiss the wine's not-unfounded elegance. As for the finish, I thought it to be merely an extension of all that I felt on the palate. Thank you, Torbreck, for pouring me such fine items. The '05 'Factor' was also rather splendid, to say the least ...

Concerning the other six wineries I mention above, there were more wines that stood out than I could possibly mention in a single blog entry.

At d'Arenberg, 'The Ironstone Pressings' (vintage 2005) was truly excellent, boasting a little game and fragrant perfume scents, continuing on the palate with light berries, along with other concentrated fruit flavours; delicious!

At Jim Barry, 'The Armagh' (vintage 2004) was glorious. Powerful and sensual, it offered notes of chocolate, spice, game, and a whole load of toast and currants. Inviting, though tight, the palate was profound and layered. At $195.00 (AU), this wine is at the top of the Aussie market, and it's quality, in my view, most certainly reflects this.

As for the rest of the wineries I mention above, quality across the board was tremendous. Each of these wineries, without exception, have a great deal to be proud of. My thanks to Vasse Felix for granting me a tour, even though I had not arranged it prior to my trip.
A tasting I don't think I'll ever forgetTasting (most of) the 'classified growths' of Bordeaux from the superlative 2005 vintage

Before I begin, it has probably come to the attention of some of my readers (all ten of you) that I seldom add to my Fine Wine Blog.

Make no mistake, it is not because I do not sample fine wines on a regular basis that I do not make frequent postings on my blog (rather the reverse), but because most of the fine wines I get to taste are from a purely analytical standpoint, which, in my view, is only a small part of the pleasure of tasting wine.

Allow me to elaborate.

Personally, I prefer to taste wine in a more social setting, such as with family members and close friends (and even a few colleagues, such as those at George Brown College --- there are some wonderful, gifted and friendly folks in my class). Hence, though many people might have great fun at tasting countless wines at, say, portfolio tastings, I consider such exercises to be purely analytical in nature, and, thus, not wholly conducive to good cheer.

The best way to taste wine? For me, it is always with good food and fine companions, without tasting sheets and long periods of quiet examination. In addition, I believe the best way to taste wine also involves not being surrounded by hundreds of people in a large (or even a small) room, not always having to jostle one's way to the food table for a few morsels of edible goods, and not having to speak with overly-enthusiastic wine agents.

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My personal tirade concluded, I would now like to discuss the marvelous tasting I attended at the Four Seasons Hotel on the evening of January 22, 2008. The tasting featured some of the greatest estates of Bordeaux (excluding the 'First Growths'), whose representatives (there were also many owners present) were pouring from the glorious 2005 vintage.

Never before have I tasted so many seemingly-perfect wines at once! The wines of Margaux were gorgeously perfumed; the wines of Pauillac were polished and powerful; the wines of St. Julien were unbelievably sensual; the wines of St. Estèphe were reserved, yet complex and dignified ... you get the idea.

What the hell! To continue: the wines of St. Emilion were plump and forward; the wines of Pomerol were sexy and luscious; the wines of the Graves were boastful and ageworthy; and the Sauternes were balanced and beautiful.

Put simply, practically every important estate in Bordeaux seems to have made a great wine in '05. I certainly had a few favourites (that is, from what was available to taste, as there were many important estates missing at this event). In no particular order (excluding the first), here is a list of some of my favourites: (1) Léoville-Baron; (2) Pichon-Baron; (3) Angelus; (4) Coutet; (5) La Conseillante; (6) Giscours; (7) Smith-Haut-Lafitte; and (8) Lafont-Rochet.

Next time, however, I only hope to be able to enjoy these wines without having to be so analytical about them, as well as without all those things I've already mentioned.

Enjoying a 'Second Wine' of a 'First Growth'Drinking a glass of 'Carruades de Lafite' (vintage 2004) with my classmates

Yesterday, at a 'wine practice' at Crush Wine Bar in downtown Toronto, I was tasting wines with my classmates from George Brown College (I am currently enrolled in the sommelier course there). Seeing as how it is the Christmas season, I wanted to end off our tasting session in style; and I figured the 'Second Wine' of Lafite would satisfy such a desire.

Before continuing, however, I do feel it necessary to mention just one thing about my classmates. Without exception, they are all gifted tasters (I can tell this simply by observing the depth with which they examine their wines). And yet, most of them would be ready to admit that they are lacking in overall confidence whenever engaged in the actual exercise of analysing a wine. The reason for this, at least from what I can see, has to do with the fact that they are usually unfamiliar with the winery from which a specific wine is produced.

For my part, I believe the best way to increase one's level of comfort in examining wines is to learn more about the specific winery whose wine(s) one is tasting. And what better way to employ this manner of confidence-building than by tasting the 'Second Wine' of one of the most prestigious estates in the world?!

Needless to say, the 2004 Carraudes de Lafite was excellent. As expected, it was extremely toasty, with notes of roasted coffee beans, earth, 'small' black currants, and light smoke. A powerful-yet-elegant wine, I was happy to be told by my classmates that they enjoyed it, as well as learning a little bit of details on the estate of Lafite, itself.

I hope to sample many other such wines with these fine individuals.