Cookout at East Coast Park

When Alex and Fiona enthusiastically invited Brian, Serene, Elsa and I for a cook-out at the park, we really did not know what to expect. Imagine the surprise when I got there to find a pavilion-like tent set up, a dining table with proper settings, stems and all, another table with a stove and condiments for cooking, and even Christmas decorations - all by the beach, Bali style. They really pulled out all the stops. What a night too - great conversation, good food, and interesting wines.

• 2008 Michele Chiarlo Moscato d'Asti Nivole 90 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti

  Consistently one of the best Moscatos on offer year in and year out. Lovely nose - flowers, peach fizz and orange peel. Uber-friendly palate - peachy and apricoty with a fresh fizziness on the finish whcih showed more flowers and a touch of tangerine.

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• 2004 Bannockburn Pinot Noir The Estate 88 Points

  Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Geelong

  Some ridiculously high score from Jeremy Oliver. I can see why - this wine flatters to deceives on first taste, with a nice nose, good fruit and great balance. Unfortunately, closer inspection sees it drop to a decent, but unspectacular plateau very quickly, and just about nosedive into vinegarish oblivion withing the hour. At its peak, it certainly had a pleasant, if extremely new world pinot nose - vanilla and cocoa scented oak influences, wet earth, bramble and rich kirsch-like cherry. The palate was big and full, with ripe red cherries, cassis and plums, a bit cola-ish at points, seasoned with eucalyptus and hints of non-too pleasant rubbery tones at point. Not altogether composed, but there was some amount of substance. There was clear alcohol swilling around in there, but still the strongest feature of this wine for me was its great balance, fresh without being sharply acidified like some poorer efforts, this was actually quite a pleasure to drink. Finish was all oak, with little touches of cherries at the side. Not one I would buy, and Alex actually poured some into the beef for seasoning, but I must say that it was a very decent wine. It should get better with a couple more years in the bottle too.

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• 1996 Philipponnat Champagne Sec Sublime Reserve 89 Points

  France, Champagne

  This was a Sec Champagne. Started out a little rough to my taste, but got better through the night. Nice enough nose. Yeast, yellow fruit, kumquats, apricots and mineral. I was a bit taken aback by the palate - on first taste, it was big, a little ripe, with sweet lemons, some cherries, strawberries and some flowers on the finish. Pretty decent length too. A pleasant enough flavour profile, but it seemed a little disjointed, with acid, fruit and rather fat bead somehow sticking out at awkward angles. With time, the wine seemed to pull itself together somewhat, and open up slightly, so that it showed yeasty notes, sweet bread, and mineral melding in a forthy mousse. All in all, not the most complex or structured of champagnes, but rather decent and fun to drink.

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• 2001 Reignac 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur

  The European Grand Jury including some big names like Michel Bettane scored this wine second after Aneglus in a peer-group that included the five Firsts, Cheval Blanc, Petrus and Ausone. I'm not sure it was that good, but it certainly is an excellent Bordeaux, maybe even spectacular for its price point, and far and away the best wine of the night. First pour had lots of manure and wet animal, but it really opened up with time in the glass to show classic Bordeaux notes of sweet cassis, plums, ripe capsicums, earth, leather, flowers, tobacco, bramble and a touch of menthol all wrapped in nicely integrated oak. The palate was mid-weight, having plenty of concentration without being especially rich or dense. In fact, the wine had a lovely, lovely freshness and elegance to it - made me think Graves. Again, nice flavours of plums and cassis, along with a whole mouthfull of truffly mushroom and black pepper carried by fine, mouthcoating tannins that still lots of grip without being obtrusive. Like the rest of the wine, the finish was clean, freshed and balanced, with more truffles, tobacco and a touch of smoke, with the tiniset little hint of bittersweet brambly notes at the very end. Finish was a little short, which hampered the wine, but otherwise, fantastic for what it is. It will even benefit from some more time in the bottle - it was still a bit primary, still a bit austere at points, three more years would make this into quite a beauty.

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• 2004 Sawmill Creek Vidal Icewine 91 Points

  Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA

  Elsa really loved this. I was not that sanguine, but enjoyed it very much nonetheless. Nose had lychees galore, along with apricots, flowers and tangerines - a veritable fruit basket. Palate was rich, unctuous and sweet, again apricots and peaches, all doused in nectar. THe sweet honey tones went all the way into the finish, where they faded slowly into nectarines, apricots and notes of toasted coffee and rubber lingering in the mouth. Not the freshest wine, so it got a bit cloying when warmber, but there was a good enough balance to make it very drinkable at the right temperature. A yummy wine.

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