Show Me the Chardonnay Tasting
Sunday, 30th April, 2006
- Jennifer Graham
 | The Panel of Judges: James Halliday, Iain Riggs, Tim Stock and Rodney Kempe. |
The last meeting of the Wine Press Club - NSW attempted to address the issue of 'Why Australia's most popular wine style (i.e. chardonnay) rarely seems to win a trophy?'
The underpinning factor appears to be an understanding in wine judging circles that older Australian chardonnays do not keep as well as varietals such as riesling and semillon. It was Ian Riggs (Show Judge and Winemaker) who summed it up with his comment that "James Halliday and his crusty lieutenants are to blame, pushing and cajoling us into believing what we should believe". Consequently, gold medal chardonnays are not chosen for a trophy as "wine judges got a mental block about choosing the wine because they fall over".
James Halliday wrestled with explanatory aspects such as vine age, clones, alcohol content and hinted at regionality. This may all be true but there is an increasingly viewpoint that by rewarding potential, Australian wine show judges have been unfair by penalising chardonnay.
Indeed a tasting of nine Chardonnay wines on the night failed to see the Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Burgundy 2002 (Bouchard Pere) shine through the ranks of top class Australian Chardonnay. It was the 2003 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay that members and guests unequivocally awarded their top choice.
|
|
|
Which is Better - Young Wine or Aged?Wednesday, 27th August, 2014
John Moody and Brave or Foolish Judging by Winestate September/October 2013 : Part 2.Monday, 21st July, 2014
My Replies to Frequently Asked QuestionsSunday, 22nd June, 2014
John Moody and Brave or Foolish Judging by Winestate September/October 2013 : Part 1Thursday, 1st May, 2014
Tastings Wine Scores and Shapley ValuesThursday, 27th March, 2014
Views on Tasting with Penfolds Notes for the RecordThursday, 27th February, 2014
Broken Glasses, Tasting Cups, Chinese Misadventures and TailgatingThursday, 8th August, 2013
A Wine for RichardMonday, 5th August, 2013
Morrisons - Never Fail Method for Buying WineTuesday, 9th July, 2013
Writing Tasting Notes about Great WineWednesday, 2nd May, 2013
Is a Tasting Note Helpful when Shopping?Wednesday, 24th April, 2013
Do Tasting Notes Have any Value?Friday, 22nd March, 2013
The Five Secrets of Stylish Women Applied to Drinking WineTuesday, 12th February, 2013
Playing the 'Hit Me' Wine GameMonday, 10th December, 2012
A Response to an eBay Customer About Barossa CabernetMonday, 27th August, 2012
Starting a Cellar and General Thoughts on Ageing Wines - The Experience of a Hardcore Wine CollectorMonday, 20th August, 2012
Starting a Cellar and General Thoughts on Ageing WinesWednesday, 18th July, 2012
Do Tastings Protect the Brand Image of Wine Australia? Tuesday, 17th April, 2012
Do the Waitrose Taste TestSunday, 26th February, 2012
Wine Writers Misleading CustomersTuesday, 10th January, 2012
Steps in Becoming a Wine SnobSaturday, 10th December, 2011
A Morning at the Mount Barker WA Wine ShowSunday, 20th November, 2011
Natural Flavours from Wine and Beer YeastsFriday, 26th August, 2011
Status in St Emilion Raises IssuesSunday, 24th July, 2011
What Should You Pay for Great Wine?Sunday, 15th May, 2011
Gordon Ramsay Says "Consult the Sommelier" - Is He Right? Tuesday, 13th July, 2010
Driven to Drink - A Reflection by Frank DevineFriday, 25th June, 2010
The John Vickery Leo Buring Tasting 1997Monday, 24th May 2010
Tasting Budget Reds in LondonTuesday, 27th April 2010
A Rosemount Story from Tesco UKTuesday, 23rd March, 2010
Descriptions of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from Unexpected SourcesTuesday, 23rd March, 2010
Sadat X Amusing? Yes. But Not Yet a Challenger to Robert ParkerThursday, 18th February, 2010
Tasting the Latest Noon WinesFriday, 5th February, 2010
The Barossa Wine Show Public Tasting 19th September
Part 3 of the Barossa Tastings
Monday, 4th January, 2010
The Power of GoldWednesday, 25th November, 2009
First Write the Review then Taste the WineWednesday, 25th November, 2009
The Artisans of the Barossa 12th September
Part 2 of the Barossa TastingsFriday, 30th October, 2009
The Whites do go Better With FishFriday, 30th October, 2009
A Parker Tasting Should Make Us PauseTuesday, 13th October, 2009
Why You Drink Champagne by the SeaThursday, 8th October, 2009
Tasting at Three Barossa Wine Shows
Part 1 - The Small Winemakers Show
Sunday, 4th October, 2009
It's In The Bubbles, StupidFriday, 2nd October, 2009
How Good is Your Palate?Monday, 21st September, 2009
Another Know All Wine WankerMonday, 21st September, 2009
Further Thoughts on the Australian Wine Show SystemThursday, 3rd September, 2009
Wine Advice from CraigslistThursday, 3rd September, 2009
Comparing Wine Types and Dog BreedsSaturday, 1st August, 2009
Electronic Experts Give Wine AdviceMonday, 15th June, 2009
In Search of a Holy GrailMonday, 5th May, 2009
The Gimblett Gravels Travelling Road Show Surprises LondonMonday, 20th April, 2009
The Beauty of the Five Point Judging SystemThursday, 26th March, 2009
Ideas for a New Wine Judging ScaleThursday, 12th March, 2009
The First Growth GimblettsMonday, 26th January, 2009
The Story of One Lonely BottleFriday, 26th December, 2008
The Future of Capital City Wine ShowsFriday, 5th December, 2008
The More You Spend the Better the TasteFriday, 2nd May, 2008
The Key to Tasting WinesFriday, 11th April, 2008
Buying Wines That Have a Sense of PlaceFriday, 11th April, 2008
What Are We to Make Of Wine Tasting NotesMonday, 4th February, 2007
Study of the Label Alters Our TastesSunday, 9th December, 2007
One in Five Cannot Smell Alpha-ylangeneMonday, 24th September, 2007
Charles Must Love ItFriday, 24th August, 2007
Liking Rough RedThursday, 28th June, 2007
The Ultimate Masked BottleFirday, 24th May, 2007
Create the Atmosphere for the Tasting Result You WantMonday, 19th March, 2007
Confessions of Wine Deceit, Other Deceptions and Fooling YourselfMonday, 29th January, 2007
Two Sides of the Wine CoinSunday, 12th November, 2006
Wine Labels, Ranking, Ratings, Experts and Wine PricesFriday, 27th October, 2006
A Story About VerdelhoWednesday, 4th October, 2006
The Magnetic Appeal of WineSunday, 24th September, 2006
Geology Cannot be Found In WineThursday, 18th September, 2006
More on the Impact of Scoring Wines Out of 100Thursday, 14th September, 2006
How a Three Star Wine Became a 90 Point WineSaturday, 9th September, 2006
High Alcohol - The Debate Rolls OnTuesday, 5th September, 2006
So You Suffer from AnosmiaMonday, 7th August, 2006
Can’t Tell Your Brett from Oak FlavoursTuesday, 18th July, 2006
Terroir - Can It Possible Shine Through the Background NoiseTuesday, 4th July, 2006
A Little Spat Over Chateau PavieThursday, 15th June, 2006
After All This Time - Now They Tell UsTuesday, 13th June, 2006
Winemaking and the French TouchFriday, 9th June, 2006
The Judgement of Paris Part IIMonday, 29th May, 2006
Why Do Chardonnays Seldom Win Trophies?Friday, 5th May, 2006
The Other French ParadoxTuesday, 2nd May, 2006
Show Me the Chardonnay TastingSunday, 30th April, 2006
Judging Wine and the View of the American 'Wine Spectator'Thursday, 6th April, 2006
The World Versus Robert M. Parker, Part ThreeSaturday, 18th March, 2006
Halliday v Parker Continues to Attract International AttentionThursday, 5th January, 2005
"Thank You Mr. Evans and Sorry Mr. Parker"Thursday, 8th December, 2005
The Differences of Opinion Continue: Mount Mary Quintets vs. Robert M. Parker Jr. Part 2Monday, 5th December, 2005
Sharp Differences of Opinion Over Mount MaryMonday, 14th November, 2005
The Views of the Economists With a Sense of HumourFriday, 14th October, 2005
Wine Quality: Does Terroir Matter?Friday, 14th October, 2005
Thoughts on Wine JudgingThursday, 13th October, 2005
What You See Affects What You Smell and TasteTuesday, 13th September, 2005
The New Taste of WineFriday, 2nd September, 2005
Consumers Disagree with Wine ExpertsSaturday, 27th August, 2005
Drinking From Special Wine GlassesThursday, 4th August, 2005
Now, This Wine Drinks Well, Night After NightMonday, 18th April, 2005
Corks, Stelvin Caps and OxygenWednesday, 6th April 2005
A Peep Behind the Wine Show DoorThursday, 17 March 2005
Going To Your Second Wine TastingSaturday, 11th December, 2004
What You Bring to Your First Wine TastingSaturday, 4th December, 2004
What Do Show Medals Mean - Part 2Tuesday, 7th December, 2004
What Do Show Medals Mean - Part 1Friday, 3rd September, 2004
|
|
RSS Feed