Ben's duck supper

Supper at ben and estella's with Lobster Bisque to kick off then a couple of roasted ducks followed by a glorious lemon tart with mandarin sorbet. Nearly all the usual ex-Wine-Ark reprobates in attendance with a selection of Pinots and a single chardonnay…surprisingly controlled compared to previous events.

• 2009 Pierro Chardonnay Margaret River

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  Stone fruit, peach, slight butter and spice on the nose. In the mouth there are slightly talc textured tannins, hints of butter and the fruit as per the nose. It does, perhaps, lack a little acidity. A hint of non-intrusive alcohol on the long finish.

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• 2011 Garagiste Pinot Noir Merricks

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula

  Aromas of spice over biscuit, berry and cherry. In the mouth the wine is juicy, quite alcoholically warm with slight front of mouth tannic grip. I'm not discerning much fruit on the palate.

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• 2012 Mac Forbes Pinot Noir

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley

  Medium minus intensity aromas of red cherry and berries, biscuit, with slight sweet spice. In the mouth the wine has juicy tending to searing acidity and flavours of red currant. Tannin is quite furry on the mid palate and a slight spice note carries on the medium plus length finish. Hmm.

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• 2008 Apsley Gorge Vineyard Pinot Noir

  Australia, Tasmania, East Coast

  Medium plus intensity aromas of spice, especially white pepper, herbaceousness, biscuit and red currant…with time some coffee notes come through as well. In the mouth there are flavours of slight sour red currant then immediate spice and tiny touches of almost confected orange. After this a fine front of mouth tannic burr followed by more of the plentiful spice. Over time I begin to pick up mocha notes on the palate as well.

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• 2010 By Farr Pinot Noir Sangreal

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Geelong

  The nose is quite herbaceous with stalky notes; herbs over red cherries…in the mouth there are flavours of savoury cherries, slight stalks, mid palate and font of mouth grip…all carries long. Well balanced. Nice but I'd give it a couple more years.

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• 2006 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay Vendanges Sélectionnées

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay

  Savoury, meaty notes with biscuit, earth and aniseed with time it gets quite spicy. In the mouth the wines initial impressions are of acid and tannin, earth and biscuit notes, slightly sour on the finish, very savoury. An almost complete absence of fruit compared to the Australians it was served with but very long and very structured. Hmm.

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• 2010 Château Rieussec

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  No formal note but everything you'd expect - apricot compote, toasted brioche, vanilla touches. Lovely.

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• 2011 Château Rieussec

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  No formal note. It reminded me of the first time Had the 2010, quite blowsy and overblown without losing balance. I am enamoured again. Very nice.

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Rather frustratingly none of the Pinot's really set me alight. The Apsley and the By Farr were the wines of the night for everyone else.