From Ken Gargett’s first puff of the Punch Regional Release 8-9-8, it was clear that this was something seriously special: immediate and rich notes of roasted nuts, toasted biscuits. No issues with youth, no “elbows and knees.” Immaculately balanced from the word go!
The top six Aussie reds? Ken Gargett thinks that most lists would include Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, and Bass Philip Reserve Pinot Noir, though such is its rarity (and price) that it tends to be more talked about than tasted. But there’s one under-the-radar wine from the Canberra area that should also be on that list: Clonakilla’s sensational Shiraz Viognier.
The Peter Lehmann Masterson Shiraz 2015 is called “the Masterson” in honor of the origins of the company and Peter Lehmann himself. The first release is in magnums only: a total of 1,400 magnums made, 1,000 of them to released at AUD$2,000 each. Ken Gargett rates it 98/100. Find out why right here.
Yamazaki 12-Year-Old from Japan is a whisky that Ken Gargett has loved every time he has had the chance to try it. The bottle he sampled for this piece was actually one from the back of his cupboard, which he has been sitting on for far too long. When a mate saw it, he implored him not to open it. But Ken of course did and shares the experience with us here.
2008 is a truly brilliant champagne vintage that will age for many years, and the Dom Pérignon is one of the very best of them all, if not the star. And it is also perhaps the greatest young Dom Pérignon we have seen. Ken Gargett rates it 98/100 with potential to go even higher.
Barolo Chinato is basically a spiced wine made from a base of Barolo. But it is so much more than a usual spiced wine (and in no way to be compared with the sangria or mulled wine that Ken Gargett calls “abominations”). Find out exactly what Ken thinks is so special about Barale Fratelli’s Barolo Chinato right here.
Burgundy’s Dujac boasts holdings in seven Grand Crus plus Premier Cru holdings in Vosne-Romanée, making it, by any standards, one of the more impressive winemakers in the region. Ken Gargett shares details on the unusual domaine as well as tasting notes right here.
The 2007 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne is a scintillating champagne, fresh, balanced, crisp, and with great length. It really should be put away for the best part of a decade and then drunk over the next 15 to 20 years when it will start to reveal a much richer, more complex profile. Ken Gargett rates it a 96 now, with the promise of better to come. Find out why right here.
Winemakers across the Champagne region are still in raptures over the 2008s; the 2008 Dom Pérignon, for example, has been declared the greatest Dom ever made. And how does the Bollinger 2008 La Grande Année stack up for Ken Gargett? Find out here.
Ken Gargett has been reliably informed that there are tequilas now considered quality spirits, designated for sipping – he admits that he swallowed this obvious falsehood on an occasion many years ago, but in the interests of research once again he sallied forth. Sharing the results of his investigations here, he dips into two high-end tequilas: Fortaleza and Calle 23. Olé!