Yellowglen Bella Bianco 2009 – up to $20 – ** – Low (8%) alcohol bubbly. A blend of white frontignac and riesling. Bouquet of ripe pears and apricots. Notably sweet palate continues the fruity pear theme with maybe a hint of oranges and lemons at the finish. Pleasant luncheon or picnic style.

Patina Sticky Tea Riesling 2009 – 375ml – up to $22 – ** – Orange New South Wales. Low (7.6%) alcohol. Yes, it does have a pleasant fragrance not unlike a cup of iced lemon tea. Medium sweet at the front of the palate but dries off nicely at the finish with some citrus undertones.

Kreglinger Estate Brut de Blancs 2003 – up to $65 – **** – Tasmania. Chardonnay, disgorged mid-2009. Vigorous bead, pale straw hues. Lime blossoms and toasted cashews on the nose. Seven years since vintage yet still fresh and youthful on the palate. Dry and steely style with flavours of Granny Smith tarte tatin and zested lime peel acidity to finish.

Baritone Maxim Cabernet Shiraz 2008 – 1 litre – up to $13 – ** – Limestone Coast, South Australia. Solid, juicy red, packed with ripe fruit. Palate is warm (14.5% alcohol) and generous with medium tannins and a firm food-suiting finish. Excellent value for money.

James Oatley Tic Tok Shiraz 2008 – up to $18 – *** – Shiraz from Frankland River, Western Australia; Mudgee, New South Wales; McLaren Vale, South Australia. Vibrant purple edge in the glass. Upfront nose of blackberries and lightly toasted oak. Soft and rich in the mouth showing blackberry tart and a sub-structure of mocha.

Barwang Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – up to $20 – *** – Hilltops region, New South Wales. Dense purple hues. Inviting, lifted bouquet, reminiscent of cassis and blackcurrant conserve. Dry, tightly structured, cool climate, berry-packed palate supported by assertive tannins. Intense and lasting finish. Cellar to 2015.

Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2006 – up to $90 – ***** – Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Limestone Coast, South Australia. Shiraz 89%, cabernet sauvignon 11%. The product notes remind us that unlike other premium reds, St Henri does not use any new oak and maturation is in old 1460 litre vats. Near opaque, deep crimson. The complex nose is savoury rather than sweet and shows notes of summer berries, mint, just raked autumn leaves and leather. The palate displays hints of blood plums, mulberries and espresso coffee. Well-integrated tannins are chewy and sinewy while the finish is long, dry and firm, with lingering notes of almost bitter dark chocolate. Cellar to 2025.

Ratings

***** - outstanding 

**** – classy

*** - first-rate

** - good stuff

* - commercial

Prices in Australian dollars.

Two kinds of Tofu

Gary Hounsell, owner of Toolangi Vineyards in the Yarra Valley recently hosted a lunch at Urbane in Brisbane to celebrate Toolangi’s 10th anniversary; your itinerant reporter was there.

Gary showed guests a selection of his estate and reserve chardonnays and pinots dating back to the 2001 vintage. In an unusual approach to winemaking he explained that in its short existence, Toolangi wines were made by different winemakers at a number of wineries, among them Giaconda, Shadowfax and Yering Station.

Standout wines included the ‘o6 Estate Chardonnay – clean and edgy with understated oak - at a blind tasting I would have picked this one as French. The ‘06 Reserve Chardonnay was rich and full-flavoured with superbly integrated oak and lengthy acidity. And the three pinots – the ‘01, the ‘02 and the ‘06, were surprisingly youthful, showing generous fruit and none of the tawny colour or age development often associated with older Australian pinot noir.

The 2006 Reserve Shiraz showed highly-perfumed raspberry-like fragrance. Medium-bodied, it displayed vibrant summer berries on the palate, combined with light, elegant tannins.

Confit duck egg

The food

As usual, I had requested an alternative, meat-free menu and Urbane chef Kym Machin came up with the goods. The Japanese inspired ‘Two kinds of tofu’ (pictured at top) came served, picturesquely, on a black slate. Both tofus, one almond and one soy, slid silkily along the tongue and were presented on a smear of shallot puree, along with edamame beans, crunchy sesame ‘pebbles’, and froths of jalapeno and apple ‘air’.

A smoked La Luna goat cheese on a little round of brioche was served in its own cloud of hickory/rosemary/juniper berry/thyme smoke captured under a glass dome.

Then there was the confit organic duck egg (pictured). The soft, unctuously textured egg sat in a smooth potato and leek veloute, the whole decorated with shavings of fresh black truffle.

I knew the wine would be classy but didn’t know what to expect from the much talked about Urbane. This grumpy old critic was impressed.

Urbane Restaurant, 181 Mary St. Brisbane, Queensland. Phone: (07) 3229 2271.

100% Chardonnay. Very pale yellow with an edge of green, fine bead. White flower petals, light biscuity yeast and a hint of green apple on the nose. Youthful, dry and elegant in the mouth with delicate Apple Danish flavours against a background of beautifully integrated lime acidity at the finish.

De Bortoli Rococo Yarra Valley Rosé NV – $22 – ***

A sparkling blend of chardonnay, pinot meunier and pinot noir. The colour is a pale, just off-white, candy pink. Lively fragrant nose of rose water and strawberries. Shows a dry, clean palate of new season summer berries with a tang of lemon zest at the finish. Ideal summer luncheon fizz.

Hennessy VS Cognac Collectors’ Edition No. 1 – around $60

Look no further than this for the ideal Christmas present. The stylish bottle is designed by two artists, David Burrows and Kesh, and the decorative facade will save the thrifty giver the expense of gift wrapping. Lovely nose of mature spirit, cashew nuts and oaky vanilla. The palate is velvety smooth, with raisin-fruity top notes, mature oak, and undertones of warm spiciness.

Macadamia Nut Liqueur- 500ml bottle – $46.50

From the Mount Tamborine distillery near Queensland’s Gold Coast comes this nutty liqueur. Light sherry in colour, it offers upfront aromatics of the Queensland nut, AKA the macadamia. The palate is unashamedly sweet and slightly spirity (20% alcohol) and is quintessentially macadamia in flavour. Those who enjoy Frangelico will find this one appealing. I like liqueurs a tad drier and I found that a mix of this with the same amount of dark rum over ice is quite delicious.

Strongbow Clear Slow-Filtered Cider –a six-pack of 355ml bottles up to $15

A full strength (5% alcohol) cider advertised as low carb*. Golden colour. Fresh green apple nose. Refreshing, crisp, dry appley palate. Delicious.

*I’ve yet to meet a serious drinker who worries about this sort of thing.

Aja Blush Moscato Rosé 2009 – $20 – **

Displays bright raspberry hues. Juicy nose reminded me of strawberry conserve. A light (8.5% alcohol) sweet style with a soft and pleasant spritzig mouth-feel. Flavours of summer pudding: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, are plentiful.

Gallagher Brut Rosé 2008 – $25 – **

Canberra District. Sparkling blend of pinot noir 65% and chardonnay 35%. Pale rose pink. Nose of cherries and fresh baguette. Medium-weighted palate has more of the dark cherry influence, along with notes of juicy Red Delicious apples.

Moss Brothers Margaret River Semillon 2009 – $27ish – ***

Pale straw hues. Generous nose of lemons, grassiness and young pineapple. Fuller bodied style of this varietal with a long palate of lychees and lemons and herbaceousness. Medium citric acidity adds weight to the finish.

Barambah First Grid Unwooded Chardonnay 2009 – $19 – **

South Burnett, Queensland. Shades of light gold. Ripe apricots and a tropical fruits on the nose. Flavoursome style that oozes ripeness on the palate. The warm climate fruit is quite distinct but there is sufficient lemon-like acidity to give a pleasant balance to the sweet juiciness.

Angove McLaren Vale Shiraz 2008 – $18 – ***

Attractive lifted nose shows a tad of black pepper and an acrid yet appealing edge not unlike peppermint eucalyptus. That mintiness follows through on the palate and with the blackcurrant and blackberry fruit creates a degree of pleasing, moreish complexity. Firm, slightly chewy tannins complete the overall package.

Tyrrell’s Old Winery Shiraz 2008 – $14 – ** ˜˜

Heathcote, Victoria, and McLaren Vale, South Australia. A savoury warm nose of dark cherries and toasted wood. Nicely balanced sweet blackberry fruit and medium tannic astringency make this a good all-round dining companion.

Wine Ratings

***** - outstanding

****  - classy

*** – first-rate 

** – good stuff

* – commercial

This is a powerful drop at 57.2 per cent alcohol, but the power is smooth and constrained in its rich mouthfeel. Flavours are reminiscent of molasses, vanilla, walnuts, chocolate, toffee and warm spices. It goes down very well on its own, with ice, or with a splash of water. Try also as a fine mixer. For a Dark ‘n Stormy, pour one measure of rum over ice and add about four times that amount of dry ginger ale, garnish with a wedge of lime.

Chandon Vintage Brut 2006 – up to $40 ****

Yarra Valley, Victoria. Pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot meunier blend. This bubbly spent two and half years on yeast lees and the lees contact is evident in the aromatic, bakery oven nose. The palate shows brioche like flavours along with new season white peaches and a hint of lime juice. It finishes with lip-smacking zest.

Thistle Hill Riesling 2009 – $30 ***

Mudgee, New South Wales. Organic wine. Intense lime and lime blossom nose. Quite a full-bodied palate for a riesling – in contrast to the steely styles of say, the Clare Valley. Flavours are in the apple pie with lemon zest spectrum rather than the expected Granny Smith with a squeeze of lime. A riesling that could convert lovers of unwooded chardonnay.

Scarborough Chardonnay 2008 – $19 **

Pokolbin, New South Wales. Melons, fresh apricots and dried pears on the nose. Medium-bodied, with ripe stone fruit and a suggestion of oak on the palate. Finishes with medium acidity.

Summit Estate The Pinnacle White 2009 – $19 ***

Granite Belt, Queensland. A blend of marsanne, roussanne and viognier. This white has a lovely aromatic nose with just a hint of new French oak. The palate is generous and displays fresh tropical fruitiness and citrus crispness at the finish.

Peter Lehmann Layers 2009 – $16 **

Adelaide, South Australia. Semillon, muscat, gewürztraminer, pinot gris, chardonnay blend. Juicy ripe fruitiness on the nose. A softer style of white, on the palate it shows pears, apricots and dried apples. Finishes slightly off dry.

Printhie Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – $17 **

Orange, New South Wales. Lifted, herbal, passionfruit nose. Generous palate shows more passionfruit along with lychee and an edge of pineapple. Firm dryish finish.

Shelmerdine Yarra Valley Rosé 2009 – $20 ***

Pinot noir. Very pale rose pink. Bouquet shows strawberry shortcake and a little Turkish Delight. Palate shows more of the strawberry character with a slight savoury edge, while the finish is medium dry with soft acidity.

Yellow Tail Pinot Noir 2009 – under $10 **

Yenda, New South Wales. Medium ruby hues with Cherry Ripe notes on the nose. Medium dry style shows plenty of dark cherry character supported by dryish tannins. Good value, particularly for this varietal.

 Annie’s Lane Sparkling Shiraz NV $25 ****

Clare Valley, South Australia. Cellar door and on premise only. Crown seal. Average age of components is five years. Mid crimson. Attractive nose of spicy blackberries and chocolate. Sweet rich blackberries and just enough vanillin oak on the palate combine into an overall luscious whole. Seek this one out – I could drink a bucket of it.

Best’s Bin No.1 Shiraz 2008 – $25 **** 

Great Western, Victoria. Fragrant raspberries and blackberries combine with faint pepper and floral and minty notes to create a nose of some complexity. The palate is elegant and dry with medium tannins supporting lengthy, essence of “summer pudding” flavours.

Ratings

***** – outstanding

**** - classy

*** - first-rate

** - good drinking

* - commercial

Prices in Australian dollars