1992 Penfolds Grange, 2011 Marcassin Pinot, 1992 Henschke Hill of Grace, 2013 Kusuda, 2015 Peter Michael Indigène, 2004 Ornellaia

A gathering of the usual suspects on a theme of Non-French at Jade Palace, 27 June 2023. All wines were blinded.

2015 Peter Michael Winery Cuvée Indigène, courtesy of Kieron. Lovely luminosity. Gleaming tones with some delicate buttery notes. Quite plump and rounded, yielding very fine inner definition with transparent white tones though traces of sweet vanillin still linger. Grew in stature and intensity over time, becoming very Puligny-like as it completed its transfiguration with a gentle glowing finish. Very lovely.

2013 Kusuda Pinot Noir, courtesy of LF. Classic pinot tint, exuding an intense floral bouquet. Medium-full. Excellent integration between the gloriously ripe fruit and sublime acidity, displaying structured definition and great purity.

2001 Beringer Quarry Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep purple. Ripe aromatic lift of plummy red fruits, richly chromatic, still splashed with vanillin. Medium-full. Generously proportioned and fleshy, boasting layers of dense fruit laced with spicy capsicum that yield excellent definition, structured with sweet subtle tannins. Exudes relaxed charm and elegance. A gift many years ago from Sir K, bought directly from the winery’s cellar door. Made from a single vineyard, only 200 cases annually.

2011 Marcassin Pinot Noir, courtesy of Kieron. Pinot tint with some evolution. Immediately recognisable as Marcassin in its aromatic lift of haw, delicate red fruits and cherries that led to a superbly perfumed palate of great detail and definition, open with glazed intensity and sublime acidity. Highly agile, developing further notes of gun metal minerality as the wine tapered to a finish of sweet melted tannins. Outstanding. I nailed it.

2004 Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia, courtesy of Vic. Darkish core with a bit of bricking. Deeply luxuriant nose, exuding a dark rosy fragrance answered by deep dark velvety fruit on the richly layered medium-full palate, lit with eucalyptus amid some fruity detail, developing further notes of capsicum and exotic spice. Still youthful.

2010 Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard, courtesy of LF. Deeply coloured with a lovely fragrance. Full and fleshy, generously proportioned with dollops of warm ripe fruit framed by sweet velvety tannins that impart a cossetting feel. A syrah from Walla Walla Valley.

1992 Penfolds Grange, courtesy of Sir Bob. Deep purplish core with just a bare hint of bricking. Distinctly masculine and fleshy, painting the full palate in bold strokes of burly black fruit, sweet dark plums, enamel and varnish. Very well structured, open and highly aromatic, imbued with superb acidity and saline elements that impart taut tension and freshness. Hard to believe that this wine is already into its fourth decade.

1992 Henschke Hill of Grace, courtesy of Sir Bob. Pinot tint. This wine opens with a distilled funkiness, very sleek with a reductive pungency. Medium-full. A little narrow in body but seamlessly integrated with great acidity. More open after some time with a lovely svelte intensity, developing a delicate fragrance tinged with smoky tones.