Bob McDonald

9.0

Brief notes. Mellow and very balanced in this medium bodied palate - no point in further cellaring. In fact, so balanced that nothing stands out but it is highly savoury and richly textured. I think I preferred this wine when it was younger and vibrant. I see Jancis’s drinking window was 2019 to 2026. — 4 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Best Wine at the Brisbane Exhibition in 2017. Glenn Goodall, the winemaker said “My all time fave Xanadu Chardonnay “. Nutty aromas of cashew and almond. Also nougat and grapefruit aromas. Grapefruit and other citrus on the palate. Very much more citrus than stone fruit. A better showing than my last Delectable note. Very good. — 11 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

The oak has integrated from my previous note in February 2017 where the influence of oak Barriques was overly present. Sangiovese is not enhanced by too much oak in my opinion and is best matured in large Botti like I said in my previous note like Biondi Santi. Red cherry and earth notes finishing with powdery tannins. Coming together. — 18 days ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

An excellent clean unpeated Japanese Whisky using a combination of American white oak, wine casks and Spanish oak casks. Smooth and easy to drink with no burn at 43%ABV. Would purchase again. — 21 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Pale to mid Ruby. A sooty earthy savoury red fruited note with raspberry and new leather. The palate is reserved yet with M+ intensity. Delicate yet assertive. Still very fresh for its age. Elegant with enough palate weight to make it totally enjoyable. Benjamin Leroux was the winemaker who has gone on to more accolades with his own label. Jasper Morris thought that this was the best wine made by Benjamin Leroux during his 14 year tenure at Domaine du Comte Armand. Would go on for several more years if you were lucky enough to be holding some. Pommard is another commune which has no Grand Crus but this must be one of the best Premier Crus. I concur with Jasper Morris MW when he had a bottle of this very wine with friends when he said “we were very sad to finish the bottle “. My son Hugh bought this wine for me from Sotheby’s NY in December 2013 and brought it home in his luggage for Christmas that year and I am so glad he did. This is one of the 1001 Wines. — 6 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

One of the oldest sources of Shiraz in the Barossa with vines first planted in 1847 by Johann Fiedler, a Prussian Lutheran. Their premium wine, The Ancestor Shiraz is produced in minimal quantities from this original vineyard ($300). Since 1860 the Schulz family have been custodians of Turkey Flat. Getting back to this wine, just medium weight, not a Barossa blockbuster. Red spicy fruits, with a little pepper - a seamless palate. Recommended. The house style…, they aim for an elegant yet powerful wine. — 13 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Quite light - pale to mid crimson in colour - transparent in the glass. My first time with this producer, Hurley, from the high quality Mornington Peninsula for Pinot Noir. Like many Pinots from Mornington - light in body but Medium plus intensity. Hurley says of their 3 Pinot cuvées this is the most “Burgundian “. — 21 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

I last did a Delectable note 210 weeks ago on 30 January 2022. Nothing much has changed in 4 years. Initially a red fruited varnishy note on the nose. Pale Ruby in colour - transparent in the glass. The palate has not gained in complexity after 11 years since production. Light to medium weight - muted nose and palate. My wine shop are the official importers of Dom Bellene through their import arm “Beaune and Beyond “. As one taster noted its structure emphasises the straightforward character of Nuits-St.- Georges (which possesses no Grand Crus. ) — 8 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

From the stable of the famous Alvaro Palacios. Black cherry, raspberry, thyme and gravel - many nuances. Barb thought a raisiny note. On the medium bodied palate, very savoury. One of my favourite grapes (Mencia) and terroirs (Bierzo), and has been every time I taste it. Very fine tannins - almost silky. A stunning, flamboyant Spanish Label. Amazing value at only $46AUD which I paid in 2020. — 11 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Initially strong sulphidic aromas of the struck match variety. A mineral chalky streak on the palate with grilled nuts, citrus and a little white peach. Medium plus palate length and another great effort, particularly for a Village wine, from the “enfant terrible” of Burgundy, Henri Boillot. As an aside, from a retired printer, I love the graphics and typefaces used in this label. — 19 days ago