Abbot Street Delights

Rye crisps with Sardines and Preserved Lemons, Quail Eggs with Pesto
Fish and Fennel Soup (Gordon Ramsey)
Arabian Stew of Garbanzo and Eggplant (Greg Malouf)
Roast Loin of Pork, Pureed Cauliflower, Quince and Rhubarb
Poached Quince with brioche-walnut crumble with Coconut Ice

• NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Cellared for approximately 10 years this wine is totally refined, shows exemplary freshness and displays a very dry, yet intense palate structure. Multi-dimensional wine with toast, meal and yeast notes. It has the complexity of brilliant elevage and bottle age, alongside an almost youthful personality. Top-flight Champagne.

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• 2000 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc De L'Orée 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Very developed and tropical nose, with pronounced butterscotch notes, and classic white floral aromas. The palate is very rich, shows a hint of oxidation, and has fabulous concentration - a palate that shows its structure through the opulent personality especially near the end of the finish, which tightens as it lingers. Classic Hermitage in a quite ripe style. Absolutely mature, but likely hit its peak 3-5 years ago.

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• 1997 Gaja Barbaresco 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  A bouquet of perfection, that shows total refinement, classic rose petal, and Nebbiolo varietal fruit quality. The palate is gorgeous, the quality of the fruit being quite stunning - focused, ripe, but totally refined, and quite tannic. Essence of Nebbiolo and drinking at a peak of maturity.

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• 1990 Château L'Evangile Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  I do not want to rate this wine, as it performed well below expectation, and certainly less-well than a bottle drunk 18 months ago. Very mature hue, frail, starting to become disjointed, and lacking in focus. It is a good wine, that is showing very mature character, but may have seen some heat damage in the past, or perhaps the cork did not have a perfect seal. If I was to give it a score, it would be in the low to mid 80s, but the extraordinary experience of this wine the year before last suggests that this wine is not typical (I certainly hope so!). Just prove the adage there are no great wines, only great bottles...

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• 2005 Craggy Range Sophia 90 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

  Drunk next to the Phelps Insignia 1995, this provided a similar level of high-end Cabernet opulence, with plush texture and plummy ripe fruit, but a much more linear palate profile as befitting its terroir. As always, this is a bottle that delivers an impressively international new world style, with perhaps a bit too much oak handling, There was a question of whether all of the fruit was of similar ripeness levels, but I was impressed with this - a wine of this style and quality would have been unheard of in the country just 20 years before....

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• 1995 Joseph Phelps Insignia 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Presented blind in a flight of three ("L'Evangile 1990, Craggy Range Sophia 2005), this was easily the most impressive wine. Very Napa in style, veering towards a more "culty" level of opulence in the mouth. Stunning fruit quality, a touch of Eucalyptus, and a massive palate profile. Absolutely mature, but will hold easily, and will continue to develop. Lowish acids and bottle age combine to good effect, resulting in a wine of plush, multi-layered complexity, with a very new wold personality, true to its terroir

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• 1997 Château Gaudrelle Vouvray Réserve Personnelle 91 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Deep and mature yellow/brown hue. The nose is gorgeously developed - intense Chenin notes of citrus, wet stone, and barley sugars. The palate is extremely sweet, but the zingy mature of the acids elevate the very mature flavours this wine is currently presenting. Based on the colour and the advanced palate profile, i would suggest caution ageing this too much further, but it was in no way drying out.

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