The Vancouver Group of Eight held their Summer Spousal Dinner as Event #144 on August 11 at Blue Water Cafe featuring nine top Australian Chardonnays plus three outstanding French treasures. The Menu prepared by Executive Chef Frank Pabst and his brigade was truly outstanding and spectacularly well paired with the wines smartly served by Wine Director Calen Macdonald and his conscientious crew. A wonderful evening indeed!

Three aged wine gems from France showed beautifully:

1990 CUVEE DOM PERIGNON CHAMPAGNE BRUT EN MAGNUM (1500ml.) A hot summer with little rain in 1990 resulted in a magnificent harvest for most producers. Our group has enjoyed this maturing 1990 beauty in 750ml several times but a big difference shows with “The Magnum Effect” for Champagne. Your scribe has been fortunate to taste this wine twice within two weeks in magnum format and both were perfection. It’s dramatic how the young pale colour delivers a bouquet with honey, dried fruits, and amazing tertiary development including toasted brioche. The rich texture is a delicious match for the lobster starter. It is impressive how fresh yet complex it remains at 36 years old. It’s a good reminder that choosing magnum size is highly recommended for aging these bubbles.

2010 CHÂTEAU HAUT-BAILLY PESSAC-LÉOGNAN EN MAGNUM (1500ml.) This red blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc is appropriately named “Excellence”. Earlier, the Chateau called it “a double triumph” and “best ever,” describing it as a “concentrated monster with smaller grapes giving higher phenolics than 2009”. The 2010 harvest (September 22 to October 14) resulted in slightly more alcohol (13.9-14ABV) with lower pH, higher acidity and yields of only 37hl/ha compared with 2009 (13.5-13.75ABV and higher 46hl/ha). Wine reviews updated in Fall 2023 by both Jane Anson & Jeb Dunnuck resulted in perfect 100 scores. We are big fans of Veronique Saunders and Chateau Haut-Bailly with many reviews on this site with the latest detailed one from the vertical of May 5, 2026 linked here, which also includes some earlier references too. This time in magnum format we followed Veronique’s recommendation to open and decant it an hour or two before to help it open up. It was a wise choice to have Calen pull the cork at 6 pm, decant it, and then serve it at cool temperature just after 8 pm. It showed very well indeed. My first thought was how perfectly it represents the unique Pessac-Leognan terroir, with stony, earthy “Graves” minerals showing so prominently with developing tobacco notes. Admire the powerful concentration with precise, smooth, creamy textures. The subtle balance achieved between fruit, acid and tannins is really wonderful. It had already thrown a lot of thick sediment into the punt of the magnum. It has exceptional classic fruit, but I was surprised by how elegant and enjoyable it already is to drink now in this big format. Outstanding paired with the quail & truffles. However, it will last a long time and develop even more complexity with patience. A rare treat. Congrats.

2001 CHÂTEAU CLIMENS 1ER CRU BARSAC (500ml.) This 100% Semillon is darkening at 25 years but shows excellent ripeness of selected grapes with loads of botrytis making a big statement at 14% ABV. My late good friend Bill Blatch was a big fan of 2001 Sauternes. He monitored the “chaotic growing season with irregular ripening, jabs of heat but finally impressive botrytis surged in October from the late rains in hot humid conditions”. Bill called “2001 legendary as the gold standard for balance, acidity and botrytis”. This is so true. Crème brûlée and peaches are evident in both the exquisite dessert and the beautiful Barsac. Throwing some tartaric crystals now. It is on a great plateau of current enjoyment, but there is no rush.

This nine wine assembly of arguably some of Australia’s very best current Chardonnays is noteworthy. All the wines showed young, fresh, and vibrant. The three Tasmanian examples were reductive and would have shown better if decanted. All the wines improved with airing and warming in the glass. The Australian winemakers are doing fine work, achieving world-class quality with this popular grape variety. You should be aware of the many good Chardonnays from Australia that are available in your marketplace. Try some.

2024 TOLPUDDLE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY TASMANIA Your scribe has followed Tolpuddle since the initial 1988 plantings in the cool dry Coal River Valley. I really appreciate how their wines (both Chardonnay & Pinot Noir) improve every vintage, showing restrained tension and mineral purity. This time young 2024 Chardonnay is quite closed up and a bit awkward – not singing. Still you have to respect the balanced structure with lovely extract of cool fruit plus intense stony spicy flavours at only 13% ABV. It slowly opened slightly in the glass. No doubt this has all the key elements to be outstanding but please give it more time to integrate. Try to acquire a few bottles. Highly recommended for cellaring; it will achieve amazing depth by the end of this decade.

2023 LOST FARM CHARDONNAY TASMANIA From the Angove family this winery is named for their actual lost farm in the seventies due to a zoning change from agricultural land to residential. This wine combines Tamar Valley Chardonnay from 73% volcanic loam in Glenbothy (south of Launceston) and 27% alluvial clay from the north. It has some acidity but offers softer, creamy, forward citrus notes with some lees interest in a more commercial style.

2022 STEFANO LUBIANA ESTATE CHARDONNAY TASMANIA This wine, produced from grapes grown on black clay over chalk soils, comes from the fifth generation at Granton in the Derwent Valley; it is an organically and biodynamically farmed modern Estate Chardonnay. Rather good, with open, full, enticing development to enjoy currently. They also make a premium single vineyard site wine from the hillside grapes named Collina.

2023 SHAW + SMITH M3 CHARDONNAY ADELAIDE HILLS Established in 1989 by cousins Martin Shaw & Michael Hill Smith MW on elevated sites in the Adelaide Hills. I drink the M3 Chardonnays quite often and they represent good value from talented winemaker Adam Wadewitz. 2023 was a cooler year with lighter (12.5% ABV) and more diffuse fruit, but it is drinking nicely. Stylish. Enjoy currently with a dish like our tasty Bay scallops.

2021 SHAW + SMITH M3 CHARDONNAY ADELAIDE HILLS I like this classic vintage better with perfect ripening conditions at 13% ABV. Fresh, balanced, with full generous grapefruit and toasty cashew complexity. Well done and maturing slowly. Now or later.

2023 GIANT STEPS SEXTON VINEYARD CHARDONNAY YARRA VALLEY North facing single vineyard at 130-210m planted in 1997 on grey clay loam in the Yarra Valley of Victoria. This Chardonnay (13.5% ABV) shows young, full fruit of lemons and nectarines; it is still somewhat reluctant and not fully open but displays good potential. Highly recommend purchasing the 2024 Giant Steps Circle of Friends Chardonnay (a blend of five vineyards) for its value and top quality.

2021 LEEUWIN ESTATE ART SERIES CHARDONNAY MARGARET RIVER This family winery with the old Mondavi connection consistently makes excellent Chardonnay. The 2021 was a cooler year but they still found power in harmony and used 100% new oak at 13.5% ABV. Fred Withers correctly noted less oak than the two Penfolds (which used only 50%+ new oak) because it integrates so well into the fruit. Classy and stylish, with racy subtlety and length. Like the structured energy tension and interesting flavors of citrus, peach, and pepper. A treasure.

2021 PENFOLDS BIN 311 CHARDONNAY SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA Fun to compare these two more modern styled Chardonnays from Penfolds both from multi-regional South Eastern Australia blends both at 12.5% ABV. This Bin 311 is much better value as a junior version “Baby Yattarna”. It uses a majority of Adelaide Hills fruit with additions from Tasmania and Tumbarumba spending 8 months in French oak. It shows Penfolds’ “struck match flinty” signature in a solid very good Chardonnay.

2019 PENFOLDS YATTARNA BIN 144 CHARDONNAY SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA Yattarna means “little by little, gradually,” which is appropriate for how this top Chardonnay has successfully evolved from the first one in 1995 released in 1998 to now in its 25th vintage.This too uses 8 months in French oak (55% new) for the three regional grape juice contributors: 57% Tasmania, 32% Tumbarumba, and 11% Adelaide Hills bottled February 2020 under bottle number AX908. This iconic wine shows greater quality from using exceptional parcels from the best cool climate vineyards, resulting in a wonderful full smooth complex mix. Generally we preferred the second flight of Chardonnays over the first. Any of these Chardonnays are enhanced by the sensational grilled langoustines course. WOW. Accolades and praise to talented Executive Chef Frank Pabst and the dependable Blue Water Cafe kitchen.

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Question: I am worried and sad about the wildfires everywhere affecting grapes in so many vineyards. The latest in the special Summerland British Columbia region is a surprise. Do some grape vines survive wildfires or do they all have to be replanted?

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Lots of dry hot weather seems to be happening everywhere this Summer. It’s always a time to enjoy so many wonderful local fresh fruits – alone or in ice cream or gelato. Some amazing, sweet, deep red local British Columbia strawberries hit the spot yesterday. I annually hunt for wild blackberries, which are healthy but make fantastic homemade ice cream and puree (remove those seeds) – see photo. This year the blackberry crop is much earlier and is suffering from drought—the same as the wine grapes are experiencing. A cheap & cheerful lovely dessert for any time of the year needs only one ingredient: very ripe (or overripe) bananas. We enjoy it regularly and are making some more today. Here is our highly recommended simple recipe for BANANA ICE CREAM – with no milk or cream added:

Use 2-3 very ripe bananas (depending on size). Slice them thinly (about 1/4 inch) and place them in a freezer container for a minimum of 6 hours. Remove them from the freezer and transfer them to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on/off to break up the mixture. Then puree using a steady pulse until the mixture forms a thick, creamy ice cream. Occasionally scrape down the sides until the best heavenly texture is reached. Serve immediately and enjoy one of the best healthy treats possible. Perfect cooling “medicine” treat right now during this hot weather – or any time.

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Question: I have been reading about this year’s hot, dry European weather. Do you know of any winery that already started picking grapes last month in July 2026?

Answer: Yes indeed. Franciacorta in Italy started the grape harvest on July 30, the earliest date ever, according to the Wine Business August 4 detailed report linked here “to preserve both yields and wine quality”. The President of Consorzio Franciacorta Emanuele Rabotti is quoted as stating “This year, high temperatures and limited water availability accelerated grape ripening, leading us to bring forward the start of the harvest”. Many wineries will be picking earlier than usual in 2026.

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Over the years your scribe has been fascinated by the intriguing variation in the same aged wine from different stored bottles. Bottle variation in aged wines seems inevitable. However, the odds of finding an outstanding aged bottle increase when the format is larger than the standard 750 ml. but in a larger size. Grand formats, like a 1970 La Tache DRC in Imperial size (6 litres or 8 regular 750 ml bottles), can cause other issues as discussed in the Ask Sid feature of February 15, 2017 linked here. In my 2012 Monograph for IWFS “An Appreciation Of The Age of Wine,” (available sec@iwfs.org) I reference several memorable wine events in the Eighties hosted by the incomparable Haskell Norman for IWFS Marin County. Results were mixed with the jeroboam size for both vertical La Tache (though the 1962 La Tache was extraordinary) and especially with the horizontal 1959 DRCs (including four Romanee-Conti – the last one produced in that large jeroboam size). This may be due to the neck of the Burgundy-shaped bottle widening, thus limiting tight cork closure more than in the neck of the straighter Bordeaux-shaped bottle. The magnum size always seemed to shine brightest, achieving remarkable success at his January 28, 1984 all magnum 1949 First Growth Bordeaux dinner (Mouton & La Mission starred), followed by magnum First Growths of 1953 (Petrus closely challenged by Lafite & Margaux) and on July 22, 1988, with the 1961 vintage (Petrus again & Mouton, but this time the star Latour was “more weedy and somewhat unclean, not its usual plummy star performance”). This shows you there is bottle variation even in magnum size. Wine generally ages better in double size 1.5 litre magnums than in 750 ml bottles. The reasons include a lower oxygen ratio because the headspace and ullage are similar in both formats but there is twice the volume of wine to absorb it. Some feel as well that the larger liquid mass provides better stability against temperature swings and slower maturation, allowing the integration of fruit, acid and tannins to maintain freshness longer and enhance overall complexity. Certainly for Champagne and Sparkling the magnum size is phenomenal both for celebration and brilliance!

I was fortunate this past week to open four older magnum-sized bottles. All had wonderful fruit remaining, but this got me thinking about my aforementioned comments and how these old wines ranging from 20 to 56 years of age, would have shown in a 750 ml size. A few impressions:

1990 CHAMPAGNE CUVEE DOM PERIGNON EN MAGNUM Richard Geoffroy’s initial notes on the 1990 vintage state a “harmonious balance” where the “floral impression gives way to aromas of acacia honey, culminating in notes of dried fruits and brioche. On the palate, the wine is round and complete with a long refinement and fresh finish.” A legendary stylish Champagne recently shown to be quite mature at 36 years old and variable in regular bottles. En magnum the rich full 1990 vintage is fresher and more complex warranting the present premium price at Auction. It was a direct Oenotheque release and standard P1 and subsequently released as both P2 & P3 Plenitude. The subtlety and complexity are singing brightly en magnum! Buy Champagne in Magnum.

2006 CHABLIS GRAND CRU VALMUR DOMAINE LOUIS MOREAU EN MAGNUM I’m a big Chablis fan as you know, but I usually prefer the classic intense structured balance of Les Clos. Valmur is also an excellent Grand Cru, but I often find it full rich fleshy and rounder than Les Clos. Here the 2006 hot Summer and earlier harvest contributed less acidity so it shows more Burgundian in style than vibrant Chablis. It is drinking at its best right now. I prefer the greater energy shown by both the 2014 and 2010 vintages even in regular bottles. This 2006 is still holding very well in Magnum.

1995 VOLNAY “EN CHAMPANS” 1ER CRU DOMAINE MONTHELIE-DOUHAIRET EN MAGNUM This is a most nostalgic bottle for me, as I visited there on May 30, 1997 with my friend the amazing importer Martine Saunier hosted by Armande Douhairet and their renowned winemaker Andre Porcheret. I acquired this magnum there. André stated it already showed the most gentle red Burgundy terroir of Volnay from the Champans vineyard, possessing so much finesse that it would develop beautifully in this magnum format as it aged. Perfect pairing at 30 years with fresh wild Sockeye Salmon.

1970 CHATEAU LEOVILLE LAS CASES ST. JULIEN EN MAGNUM A fav St. Julien property for me now 56 years old from a lighter year for the estate. It has developed spectacularly; Jane Anson reviewed a 750 ml bottle in June 2024 rating it 94 points and noting “feel the excitement ripple around the table at the aromatics on this wine, as a clutch of wild roses came floating out of the glass”. She stated “still showing crushed raspberry puree and gentle blackberry fruit, white pepper, soft leather, smoked earth, soy, a great example of the meaning of umami in wine”. I agree with all of this, noting even more freshness and full depth of complexity in our magnum format.

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