Henry Fuseler

9.0

10/2023. Dark color. Nice on the palate. Smooth finish. From Australia and made with Aussie Shiraz grape Saperavi grape from Georgia. Paired well with the petite filet at Hall’s Chophouse. — 6 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

See previous note from 96 weeks ago where I said that I would drink the last one when my son Hugh was home from NY (born 1987) which came to pass last night. Overall not as impressive as the previous tasting but retains its silky tannin structure. Very dark in colour - opaque. Notes of cassis and pipe tobacco - overall dusty without the depth of fruit of the previous tasting. Just medium bodied. Tasting Book recommend a drinking window till 2035 which I would not agree with. Leads me to think I will be drinking my bottles of 86 Mouton sooner rather than later. — 2 years ago

Marta

9.1

Great Merlot. — 3 years ago

Hugh O'Riordan

9.7

This was fantastic. Silky smooth but still chewy and meaty. Layers of flavor. Long finish. I’ll try to bring one back east when I’m better. Hugh — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Lunch at the Club last Friday with the family. Interesting back story. Jason Kesner is the Head Winemaker at Kistler since 2014 and this is his private venture. Hugh who doesn’t drink a lot of high end wine interestingly thought the wine had a note of Church Pew. I also detected an earthy sooty note. A rich palate of plum, raspberry and strawberry. Guessing a little whole bunch included - a stalky note. More full bodied than most Australian Pinots. Good that the club sourced this at 10 years of age. — 2 years ago

with Hugh and Georgina

Gladys Xiques

9.0

Easy breezy. A great sparkling. Hugh acidity. Pairs beautifully with any appetizer. Gets those salivary glands firing. — 3 years ago

with Jack

Martinez

9.3

Before phylloxera wiped out its vineyards, Málaga was considered one of Europe’s greatest wine regions and its legendary “mountain wines” were coveted throughout the world. In his memoirs, Hugh Johnson singled out an 1830s “mountain wine” bought at a Christie’s auction under the label Molino del Rey as the best wine he’d ever drank - and he’s had plenty. Taking its inspiration from Johnson’s account, Telmo Rodríguez’s Molino Real represents a groundbreaking effort to revive Málaga’s winemaking traditions and to explore the region’s potential for top quality sweet wines.

A “vino naturalmente dulce” or naturally sweet wine (not to be confused with Málaga’s also famous “vino dulce natural” a fortified style developed later in the 18th Century), Molino Real is made with Muscat of Alexandria grapes from 9 hectares of vines on steep slate slopes in Cómpeta in the Axarquía region. The grapes were sun dried - a process known as asoleo - to increase sugar concentration, fermented in 225-liter oak barrels and then aged for 20 months.

Sumptuous, exuberant nose. Flowers, orange blossom, and peach (actually peach yogurt). Balanced, not overwhelmingly sweet. Delicious! — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Limited notes from my 70th birthday. From magnum. A classic Yarra Valley Cabernet Blend which is early in its drinking window. Medium bodied with red stalky tomato leaf savoury fruits. — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

See previous 2 notes. Showing ripe grapefruit on nose and palate with high quality French Oak as a component and not dominating. Good palate concentration and just an outstanding Chardonnay in any company. Welcoming our son Hugh home temporarily from NYC and Georgie from Copenhagen. Hadn’t seen either of them for 3 years. Went well with a kilo of Mooloolaba Prawns. As in a previous note I will have the 2 remaining bottles in 2023 and 2024. — 2 years ago

with Georgina

farzad farzin

8.9

Hugh tanning and dry. Full of berry and plum flavor with small amount of smoke and oak — 3 years ago