Bob McDonald

WSET Level 3 Pass with Distinction.

4515 wines • 315 followers • 219 following

Moccagatta

Basarin Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2011

8.9

Mid crimson with a tawny rim. A porty nose - overdeveloped but not over the top. Coffee grounds, earthy, chocolatey. Aged in Barriques rather than traditional large oak casks. A full bodied Barbaresco. One of the 1001 Wines - I bought this at a wine shop in Alba in October 2015. Sanderson suggested a window to 2029 (he tasted 3/15). On this tasting it needs to be drunk. — 2 days ago

David, Scott@Mister and 16 others liked this

Andrew Cullimore

Perhaps not the best bottle @Bob McDonald ?

@Andrew Cullimore Some of these Italian wine shops are not temperature controlled, even the ones with better quality stock. It’s been in temperature controlled conditions in my cellar for the past nearly 10 years.

Moss Wood

Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

9.3

My 11th bottle of an original dozen bought on release. Still going strong after 26 years. Colour of mid crimson with a tawny rim. When decanted the wine threw a lot of sediment. Herbaceous with red fruits - hint of red currants. Palate is mid weight - sweet and savoury at once, finishing with smooth resolved tannins. I will leave the last one for another 1 or 2 years / say early 2027. — 9 days ago

David, Jeroen and 23 others liked this

Excellent!!

Tenuta Sant'Antonio

Nanfré Valpolicella Corvina Blend 2021

8.9

No formal notes. Medium bodied, black and red fruits / very savoury. 70% Lupina, 30% Rondinella. Went well with Pizza - in Kyoto of all places. — 15 days ago

Tom, Daniel and 16 others liked this

Ceccherini Cristiano

Lupina?? Corvina, perhaps 🤔?

@Ceccherini Cristiano Most probably Cec. I copied it off the Japanese label.

Domaine Faiveley (Joseph Faiveley)

Joseph Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin Pinot Noir 2018

9.2

Last of 3 bottles. Ripe black cherries. Medium plus bodied. Great volume in the mouth. The second night, notes of raspberry. As stated in previous notes the ripeness of the fruit would lead one to think this could be new World. — 2 days ago

Peter, Ira and 13 others liked this

Peter van den Besselaar

Last bottle best performance?

@Peter van den Besselaar A fair description Peter.

Fratelli Alessandria

Speziale Verduno Pelaverga 2019

8.9

Mid cherry red in colour - translucent in parts. Red fruits of raspberry and strawberry with peppery notes. Good value at $47AUD. Slightly bitter at the end - a great food wine as expected. — 7 days ago

Ron, Ira and 17 others liked this

Bob….Congrats.
You have found a great wine from an incredible producer.
They also makes a white wine from Favorita grapes which have been genetically linked to Vermentino.
I love drinking it.

👍

Fischbach

Brut Crémant d'Alsace Pinot Blanc Auxerrois

8.8

Brief notes. According to the sommelier this was a blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois but the language barrier was an issue. The list at this restaurant was heavy with Loire Valley wines. This is a Cremant d’Alsace. — 15 days ago

Tom, Ceccherini and 12 others liked this

@Bob McDonald for all things Japanese vino follow @vin_fumiko on twitter

Thanks for the tip.

Xanadu Wines

Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay 2015

8.8

Xanadu have 2 top Chardonnays - this Reserve and the Stevens Road, both priced the same. Both are excellent but if I have a slight preference it would be the Stevens Road. This Reserve had aromatics of cashew nuts, almonds, nougat and grapefruit. Strong grapefruit flavours and citric acid. Very much more citric notes rather than fleshy stone fruit. This wine could do with more of the latter. The first of 3. Perhaps a year or two more might see it flesh out more but unlikely I think. Enough acid to see it last till the end of the 2020s. Next in a year or two. — 4 days ago

Andrew, Tom and 14 others liked this

@Bob McDonald, interesting. We first visited Xanadu in 1994, absolutely loved the wines, but then sourcing the wines in California quickly became nigh impossible. Our recent visit in late 2023 was a little disappointing, the wines no longer stood out. Still good, but no longer truly outstanding!!

Toriivilla Imamura

Cuvee Tradition 2023

9.1

A glass of Japanese white at the fabulous Hotel Mitsui in Kyoto. Very similar to a Sauvignon Blanc, more specifically a Sancerre from the Loire. Most impressive. I didn’t get to try a Japanese Red yet on this visit but might seek one out in Tokyo tonight. — 14 days ago

Ray, Ming and 19 others liked this

Fushimi Sake Brewery

Fushimizu

8.8

The first time I’ve ever listed a water on Delectable but because of the outstanding label and this expression of mountain spring water is local from Kyoto I had to list this. Our final night in Kyoto coupled a Japanese white and a Sagratino from Umbria. — 14 days ago

Tom, Douglas and 14 others liked this

Water is splendid

Domaine Arlaud

Chambolle-Musigny Pinot Noir 2020

9.0

At the highly regarded “Somoza” restaurant in Niseko. The food was amazing - this wine overpriced at 47,000 Yen - $470 AUD for a Village wine. Quite a simple wine and a little closed. Was looking for the Chambolle perfume which was not there yet. The palate was uncomplicated and straightforward. Strawberry and raspberry, red currant. Medium minus palate length. Moderate tannins. French wine tends to be overpriced in Japan. — 24 days ago

Tom, David and 21 others liked this

How are the snow conditions?
Black diamonds all day long?

@Jamie Lauder I have skiied extensively in the US and Canada and in Zermatt and this snow is the best on the planet. At 72 years black diamond runs are a thing of the past.