This was one of the best Master Classes if not the best! Two of Australia's greatest winemakers came to prove their point. And prove it they did.
Len Evans, considered by many as Australia's#1 wine figure, has probably done more than anyone else to bring Australian wines into the limelight of the world. The Decanter '1997 Man of the Year' was as lively and as interesting to listen to as I expected. His deep knowledge and experience, his presence, conviviality and demeanor really make him bigger than life...
If Len Evans is referred to as the "Grandfather of Australian Wine" then Brian Croser must be considered the "Father of Australian Wine". Croser, the name behind Petaluma Winery for 20 years now, is the most conscientious winemaker imaginable. He set up to prove that 'terroir' (or "Distinguished Site" as he refers to it) is a valid term for Chardonnay, not only in Burgundy, but can and should be found wherever possible. These sites enable the making of supreme wines, far superior to the bulk of generic Chardonnay produced today around the world.
Case in point: Australia's best Chardonnay - Petaluma.
Petaluma Chardonnay is made by mixing together wine produced from five "Distinguished Site" vineyards in the cool Piccadilly Valley near Adelaide. Though each of the five vineyards has its own typical characteristics, they all share in common the basic 'prerequisites' for "Distinguished Site". i.e being hot-spots in a cool area, lying on steep slopes, facing and absorbing as much sun as possible, etc.
The vineyard management and winemaking are both on par (or better) with those exercised by the best producers of the greatest Chardonnay in the world.
The method by which these two decided to prove their point was original and very successful.
When I looked at wine names, written on the sheet under the glasses, I was truly amazed. I expected to find a list of Australian wines I've never heard of (it is my fault that I have very limited experience with the wines of OZ). Instead there was there a Chablis Grand Cru, a Meursault 1er Cru, Le Montrachet(!), Corton Charlemagne, Beringer Reserve, etc... of the 14 wines we tasted, only the last five were Petaluma Chardonnay!
They have prepared a board with the most common attributes used to describe wine written on it. For each wine they conducted a poll among the 80-something audience as to which characteristics best describe this wine. Fascinating!!
Poor Brian, because of his meticulous methodical treatment of each wine, by the time we got to the Petaluma Chardonnay, very little time was left (the Master Classes were scheduled one after the other, with barely 10 minutes break between them).

Here are my notes (influenced somewhat by consensus sentiments...):

DROUHIN, CHABLIS GRAND CRU 'LES CLOS' 1995 - Fresh nose of pears, some wood apparent. Medium-light on the palate, low viscosity and medium length.
Very-good-plus. MARK 16+/20.

LATOUR, MEURSAULT 1ER CRU 'GOUTTE D'OR' 1994 - Peachy nose, butter, roasted almonds. Low sweetish fruit on the palate, medium viscosity.
Very good. MARK 16/20.

BONNEAU DU MARTRAY, CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 1995 - Pineapple, flint, vanilla on the nose. Good grip of minerals on the palate, medium viscosity, perfect balance.
Superb!! MARK 18/20.

MARQUIS DE LAGUICHE (DROUHIN), MONTRACHET 1995 - Fantastic nose of figs, apples and vanilla. Medium-high fruit on the palate. Super elegant, great grip, mouth-filling. High viscosity, perfect balance.
Extraordinary!!! MARK 19/20.

KLEIN CONSTANTIA CHARDONNAY RESERVE 1995 (South Africa) - Some fig tones on the nose, but also those of salami! Low in fruit, lacks acidity. Interesting but not well balanced.
Good. MARK 15/20.

ARGYLE CHARDONNAY RESERVE 1994 (Oregon) - Tropical fruit, butter and plenty of wood (vanilla) on the nose. Very fruity on the palate, med viscosity and short aftertaste.
Very-good. MARK 16/20.

BERINGER CHARDONNAY RESERVE 1995 (California) - Delicate yet intense nose of peach, figs and some honey. Very sweet fruit with spicy tones on the palate. Medium viscosity and length.
Excellent! MARK 17/20.

KUMEU RIVER MATES VINEYARD (New Zealand) - Plenty of tropical fruit on the nose. Very sweet on the palate. Too acidic. Totally out of balance.
Less-than-good. MARK 14/20.

R. MONDAVI CHARDONNAY RESERVE 1995 (California) - Complex nose of char and wood, way beyond the primary fruit. Medium fruit on the palate, complex flavors, good length and balance.
Excellent! MARK 17/20.


Now for the Petaluma Chardonnays...


PETALUMA CHARDONNAY 1991 - Wood and almonds on the nose. Nice on the palate but a bit simple and too alcoholic.
Good. MARK 15/20.

PETALUMA CHARDONNAY 1992 - Fantastic nose of fresh peaches. Buttery flavors on the palate. Very viscous and chewy with great balance.
Excellent! MARK 17/20.

PETALUMA CHARDONNAY 1995 - Similar to the 1992 though a little bit too smokey for me.
Very good. MARK 16/20.

PETALUMA CHARDONNAY 1996 - Refined nose of pineapple, lemon, grapefruit and even some honey tones. Sweetish though elegant concentrated fruit on the palate. Beautifully balanced.
Superb!! MARK 18/20.

PETALUMA 'TIERES VINEYARD' CHARDONNAY 1996 - 'Tiers Vineyard' is the main contributor to the Petaluma Chardonnay. This one here is Croser's first try to produce a 'single vineyard' Petaluma Chardonnay, along with the traditional melange. Perhaps even more concentrated than the 'regular' Chardonnay, this wine boasted peaches and sweet fruit on the nose and the palate, very good acidity to support a pure and long aftertaste. Although more concentrated, it lacked a tad of the complexity of the previous wine.
Excellent-plus! MARK 17+/20.

A fantastic, educative, entertaining and tasty tour of some of the world's finest Chardonnays. Brian Croser's wines are ranked with the best!

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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.