Sydney Fish Market & Restaurant Sojourn

28 June 2008

Lunch at the fish markets with a Heymann-Löwenstein Schieferterrassen 2001. Just superb. Very fine nose of linden, preserved lemons and baked apples. The palate had great structure. Very long with a hint of vanilla. Great riesling.

Then a meal at Sojourn in Balmain. Wow. These guys are still on form, even better than I remembered. Superb.

We began with an excellent bottle of Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 1994. Classic Mosel style, very fine aromatics. Hitting maturity now. The palate long and precise. Great quality.

Then, we moved up a notch with a Remoissenet Montrachet 1997. This immediately showed the typical power and richness of Montrachet, but lacked harmony. It almost seemed to be coming apart. Fifteen minutes in the glass and the wine came together, more poised and with a finesse rarely seen in whites of this vintage. Over the 4 hours we drank the wine, it showed the range of Montrachet aromatics: lemon, burnt lemon, hazelnut, almond, roasting almonds, vanilla, white pepper. The palate showed the year more, the acid being softer than usual. The flavours in mouth persisted an intoxicating period after swallowing. An excellent effort, drinking well now.

We then took a look at a Remoissenet Beaune 1er Cru “Grèves” 2005. This had been opened 24 hours and I saw some signs of deterioration. Ripe relaxed fruit, almost New World. Quite tannic in mouth without the kind of acidity I associate with the vintage. A good wine, approachable and value for money at around $50 landed in Australia.

We then took a brace of red wines, a Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello Riserva 1996; a Château Branaire Ducru 1982 and (gulp) a Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1982.

The Italian wine started out looking a little tired. After some hours, it was very aromatic and youthful, excellently structured, integrated. It should probably have been decanted.

The Branaire was quite woody, with underlying graphite and leather aromas. Mature now. The palate is typical of the ’82s, light on acidity but a pleasure to drink.

The Pichon was superb. Extremely youthful in all respects, even the robe was purple tinged! The nose was fascinating. If you’ve had the wine, you know: an indescribable and complex aroma that makes you chase it around the glass in an attempt to unravel its mystery. Structurally, the acidity was soft but fresh, the tannins still present but extremely fine. A great wine.

We took these wines with a range of great plates:

King salmon with ravioli and consomme

Pork poached in milk with check and belly meat. An inspired plate.

Aiguilles de canard

Rack of lamb

Each dish was executed with great attention and skill. Extremely impressive.

For dessert, we had a Château Climens 1980. This was very good for the vintage, pronounced aromas of crème brûlée, preserved lemon, botrytis, caramel and vanilla. The palate had an excellent structure and length. The difference between this wine and a Climens of a great vintage is really the complexity. Although good, this wine lacked the greatness that aged Sauternes and Barsac wines can achieve. Nonetheless, very enjoyable and still going strong.

Finally, we took a Chambers Rare Tokay Rosewood Vineyard. Extremely thick and viscous out of the bottle. We can be said of this wine? A unique wine of unimaginable concentration and complexity. This has been in my cellar a few years and lacked the freshness of other bottles. Still, amazing.

We finished these wines with dessert and coffee:

Modestly named macadamia ice cream