TORB’s Trek - The 2004 Victorian Tour Diary Chapter Four Chapter Three can be found here

Days Four and Five: Sunday continued – from Heathcote to Rutherglen

After leaving Jasper Hill needless to say I was on a high, what a great experience and one I won’t forget for a long time. That was the last winery, not only for the day, as it was 6 pm, but the last winery for this region so it was onto Seymour which seemed like a good place to be to start the next days tour of the Goulburn Valley. The drive from Heathcote to Seymour is an easy forty minutes on Sunday evening and once you get off the main road to Melbourne, there is no traffic but the road has lots of twists and turns.

The town is not exactly large but at least there is a better selection of motels than Heathcote, four of them on the main road. I selected the best looking one, the Coach and Bushmans Inn, a single room was $83, which was not exactly great value, but in its favour, at least it was quiet.

The town is not exactly filled with top class restaurants; there is the local club, KFC, a Subway in the service station, and the obligatory Chinese. I decided to have a light meal and opted for take away combination chow mein which was all completely edible but the serving was smaller than many Chinese take-aways. Also refrained from drinking wine so it was an alcohol free day and an espresso free day - no wonder I am feeling jaded.

Speaking of withdrawal symptoms, the worst withdrawal was the lack of email and internet facilities. Except for a very brief ten minute period, I had not been able to connect on the internet since I was in Albury on the first night, shock, horror; but this room looked promising, there were back to back plugs at the phone point so it looked like internet access would be easy. I plugged in the connection and dialed the number - the dreaded wrong sound was heard through the modem speaker. A quick look under the phone shows its set to pulse dialling. Pulse dialling? This has got to be a mistake; even Bowral went to tone about ten years ago. Have I slipped back into a time warp? I set the phone to tone and try dialling a number, nope it won’t work; its pulse!

Spend ten minutes finding the modem tone setting on the computer and make the necessary adjustments and tried again. Damn! The setting has been changed but the computer still dials tone and not pulse. I am beginning to think I will be lacking a pulse soon if this withdrawal continues much longer. Oh the false promises! And I thought I felt jaded without wine and espresso.

An hour after check in, I went to complain about the ineffective room air conditioner (it was still 38 degrees outside) and the room had not reduced much in temperature. So now I can add feeling bloody hot to the list! At least Australia is doing well in the second game of the Cricket finals series. A record first innings score to us and we have the Indians on the ropes with 5 wickets down for a pathetic score so things are not all bad in the world.

The owner checked it out and made small adjustment but it still failed to cool the room down to an adequate temperature and as I typed this at 6 am the next morning, the inside temperature of the room is about 26 degrees.

Monday

Today is going to be another one of those days where hours are spent behind the wheel but at least once I get to Rutherglen, there are large number of wineries in a confined area. First stop was scheduled to be one of the oldest wineries in Australia and a winery that has the oldest surviving Shiraz vines in the world. Tahbilk was established in 1860 and it’s located about 120 kilometres north of Melbourne and the property of almost 3,000 acres runs along 11 kilometres of the Goulburn River and 8 kilometres of permanent backwaters and creeks so there is no shortage of water. The vineyard only represents about 400 acres. The vineyard produces about 100,000 cases and has a large range of wines, both red and c-through and is well known for its Marsanne as well as its icon, the 1860’s Vines Shiraz. The wines at the lower end of the spectrum represent good value and have always been reasonably priced. Almost all the premium reds produced (by Australian standards) are very long lived and these wines are about as far from fruit bombs as its possible to get. The reserve range wines are generally incredibly tannic in their youth and take 10 years before they are even approachable. Tahbilk also has a very active Wine Club and the range of wines, mixed packs and pricing is most attractive. Membership is free and its worth joining. Members receive 10% off the list price of wines.

Tahbilk 2000 Shiraz sells for $15.95 at CD. The wine has a rich fruit driven aroma showing dark berry fruit, subtle spice, chocolate and some earthy tones. Tannins, although fine, are noticeably powdery and the obvious fruit provides an underlying sweetness which is overshadowed by the very savoury spicy fruit that finishes with sappy, liquorice. Medium weight with a supple consistency, the structure is solid and layered with an agreeable complexity. A good everyday drinking wine that represents reasonable value and whilst its approachable now, it should get better over the next few years. Rated as Agreeable with *** for value.

Tahbilk 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $15.95 at CD. A good varietal cabernet bouquet with a pleasant perfumed aroma, the taste is both savoury and sweet, which flows across in layers and has a respectable finish for the price point. Fruit is distinct and persistent, the consistency supple, with an agreeable, harmonious complexity. This medium bodied wine is approachable now and has enough tannin to hold itself together and, although they are not noticeable, they should provide enough backbone to ensure the wine cellars well too. A good food wine, its well made and is rated as Recommended with ***.

Tahbilk has a huge museum of wines and in every newsletter back vintages are packaged and available for purchase so it was no surprise to find an older wine available for tasting.

An Original Spray Cart………

Tahbilk 1992 Cabernet Merlot sells for $29.95 at CD. Purple in colour with a bright hue and little sign of ageing, the bouquet had that typical earthy nose (with subtle red berry fruit underneath) that is so common in their wines. Chewy, powdery, drying tannins combine with delicate, pure fruit to form a medium weight wine with an open structure that has a soft consistency and harmonious complexity. Savoury, slightly sour, raspberry fruit with redcurrants, a hint of chocolate and mint finish with respectable length. The wine is rated as Recommended with *** for value and wont get any better.

Tahbilk 1933 Vines 1998 (vintage) Shiraz sells for $59.95 at CD. A classy, cerebral bouquet that requires time and thought to truly appreciate which, unfortunately, are normally precluded in these situations; it also shows subtly with earthy notes, chocolate, mint and coffee oak. The wine has a classic construction in a very subtle way with smooth, drying, unobtrusive tannins, the acid crisp and the fruit can only be described as beautiful and pure. Medium weight, the structure is seamless, the complexity harmonious and, whilst it’s approachable now, it will continue to improve till the end of the decade and beyond. Savoury subtle flavours of cherry, redcurrant, chocolate and mushroom flow across the palate and co-mingle with excellent power and a great length finish. Rated as Excellent with *** for value.

Tahbilk 1998 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $59.95 at CD. Just dark purple in colour, the hue is light. A typical Cabernet nose with typical Tahbilk characteristics showing smoky oak, coffee and mint. A veritable baby that’s a squawking its head off and needs time to settle down and shut up! Savoury fruits of blackcurrant, chocolate, raspberry and mint over some sweet initial underling fruit; the finish is a bit ordinary now but has potential to come good. Ample in weight with a firm consistency and a solid, layered, tight structure, the fruit is buried by the copious drying, almost puckering, powdery tannins. Rated as Highly Recommended now with ** for value, the rating should improve as the wine becomes approachable in 2012 and beyond.

Tahbilk 1860’s Vines 1998 (vintage) Shiraz sells for $109.95 at CD. If you are expecting a blockbuster from this piece of history, forget it! A classy wine in all respects this particular vintage shows great promise and is the best young wine under this label I have tried since the 1986 vintage. Varnished smoky oak, dark chocolate, earthy notes and menthol on the bouquet, leads to a palate that’s very savoury with no sweet elements, showing red cherry, redcurrant and chocolate but you have to spit out the oak splinters to find the fruit at present. However there is enough medium fruit buried under the abundant, drying, dusty tannins and oak to last for the long haul. The consistency is hard at this stage and the acid noticeably piquant so, whilst its rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value now, that rating is not indicative of what the wine will be like in 2014 and beyond when this wine should be approached. If you have got a few bucks to spare and want some history in your cellar that will turn into an elegant refined wine (eventually), you can do far worse than buying some of this one.

Down the road a few kilometres is the complete anthesis of Tahbilk. Where as Tahbilk is all old world, Mitchelton is as modern as tomorrow, the old dark barn with no windows versus the ultra modern glass structure with glowing natural light. Which is better? It doesn’t matter as neither is right and neither is wrong, they are just different and both good wineries in their own way. Mitchelton has a large range of wines, from the budget conscious end, right through to the Print series. Like Tahbilk they also have a large museum section with an excellent range of aged releases available for purchase from CD. In fact, their aged release selection is one of the best I have seen and the prices most reasonable and this winery is well worth a visit. Many of the large modern wineries go in for associated gift items in a big way with heavy price tags. Mitchelton has a reasonable range of these gift items but the prices are very reasonable. I bought two cotton polo shirts and they were only $25 each, which is dirt cheap for these items.

Mitchelton 1999 Crescent is a blend of Shiraz, Mourvedre and Grenache (50/30/20), which has a list price of $25 but was on special for $20 at CD. Purple in colour with a light hue, the wines bouquet is dominated by the Mourvedre and shows meaty notes with chocolate and raspberry. Medium in weight, the drying, powdery tannins, fresh acid and obvious fruit produce a very firm consistency, solid structure and well developed complexity. Earthy chocolate, raspberry and blackcurrant fills the palate and finishes with excellent length; this is a serious wine that needs time, about 5 years. Rated as Recommended with **** for value, the rating may improve around 2009 when the wine peaks.

Mitchelton 2000 Crescent is a blend of Shiraz, Mourvedre and Grenache, which sells for $25 at CD. A complex nose showing more Shiraz characters than the 1999 but the other components are still obviously there. The wine is lighter in style than the 1999 but has more obvious fruit and less tannin. Medium weight, it shows raspberry, meat, pepper and blackberry with an agreeable complexity; it’s a typical SMG blend that has been well made and well balanced and is much more approachable than its predecessor, which makes it more attractive now but not necessarily a better wine. Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Mitchelton 1999 Print Series Shiraz sells for around $40 on the street. I was pleased to be able to try this wine as I had already purchased some based on past experience and its pedigree. A rich classy bouquet with coffee essence, chocolate, blackcurrant and mint, which flows through to the palate as sweet and savoury flavours with a wonderfully complex flavour profile. A very smart wine, the fruit is pure, deep, persistent and medium strength but the smooth, dusty, drying tannins add weight to the wine. Consistency is firm but supple; the structure is solid and shows some elegance but is still very tight and closed. Rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, the wine needs time and the rating should improve after 2007 when it enters its drinking window. (I paid $29.50 on special so am more than happy with my purchase.)

Mitchelton 2002 Blackwood Park Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $17 at CD. Dusty oak, subtle cigar box, coffee, blackcurrant and mint translate to the palate, which is sweet on the uptake, going savoury with blackberry/blackcurrant and chocolate, which finishes with loads of powdery, drying tannins. Ample in weight with a firm consistency, solid structure and agreeable complexity, the fruit is buried and when it eventually emerges from underneath the tannins, it could be a very good wine. Not very approachable now, it’s rated as Recommended with **** for value, it should be drinkable by 2008+.

When I turned off the main road to Tahbilk and Mitchelton I noticed a sign in the other direction pointing to Plunkett and although David Traeger was next winery on the list I decided to detour and go to Plunkett first. However, as it was right next to the freeway, I never did make it back to Traeger. The Plunket winery is reasonably modern, very bright and attractive. When I walked in, there was a winemaking type body mucking around with an instrument that looked like it was last used by Galleao and then the two parties adjourned to a table filled with paperwork and were involved in deep and meaningful, very quiet discussions that may have been about things vinous but then on the other hand they may have been about WMD, was there a mad scientist on the loose?

Plunket 2000 Reserve Shiraz, which sells for $45 at CD was the only wine that really interested me in their line up (that I had not tried previously). The 2001 has sold out so they brought out some 2000 from their museum stock to keep them going till the 2002 is released in April. The bouquet is subtle with aniseed, mint, chocolate and dark berry fruit. Medium in weight, the wine is clean and well balanced with some elegance and refinement as well as a harmonious complexity. Fine grained tannins combine with pure, deep, medium fruit to deliver pepper, chocolate, blackberry, and star anise flavours which finish with good length. Rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value, the rating may improve as the wine matures around 2007.

Some polite chit chat with the lady behind the counter and I was introduced to the “pseudo budding mad scientist” who turned out to be the winemaker, but like everything about this place, which is a contradiction in terms or a dichotomy, Sam Plunket in reality has both feet very firmly planted on terra firma. The story behind this winery (like the winemaker) is a little different to most and worth exploring. Firstly the factual bits which are normally boring but not so in this case! The family started farming in 1842 and currently owns two hundred and seventy acres of vineyard land of which two hundred and thirty are in the Strathbogie Ranges and nine are around the CD location in the Goulburn Valley area. In 1968 they planted thirty varieties of grapes on three acres. In 1986 they produced their first trial vintage in a sheering shed but the poor electricity supply made winemaking almost impossible so they finally moved into their new winery and Cellar Door building in 1991 and produced their first commercial vintage that year.

A winery or an engineering shop? …………

Sam’s brother Matt is the viticulturalist. The majority of vineyard land is 500 meters above sea level and receives the occasional snow in winter. Despite that, there was no trouble ripening the 2002 vintage Reserve Shiraz which came in at 14% alcohol. Yields are low, normally below three tons an acre. The vineyards produce about eight hundred tons of fruit but much of it is sold off. At the winery, they currently crush 352 tonnes but half of that is under contract with 40% of their own wine being exported.

Most of the time when you are offered a winery tour its pretty boring because once you have seen a few wineries there is not much new to see so when Sam offered to take me on a winery tour I was reluctant. However he promised it would be a little different and when we walked out into the shed, he was good to his word. This place looked more like an engineering shop than a winery. There were spare parts everywhere, metal all over the floor, welding gear and a team of workman that looked like they would be more at home on a construction site. What gives? Are they renovating the joint? The answers are interesting.

Homemade versus state of the art technology

It turns out that Sam, quote “likes to make things” unquote! And in some respects that’s just as well. For example when they were building the cellar door building they could not afford much so they made their own bricks, milled their own timber for the beams and even made their own tanks. That tradition of making their own, to a great extent, has remained but now it’s out of the love of doing it rather than due to financial necessity and it certainly gives a unique character to this winery. Sure the 10 tonne rotary fermenter is homemade but it’s not at all a Ma and Pa Kettle operation although some could be excused for looking at it that way. The Cross Flow Filter that is used is state of the art technology and normally only found in wineries that are much larger. This gadget can take dirty fermenting wine and in a single pass produce squeaky clean wine with all the nasty bits removed which allows an incremental increase in wine quality.

Rather than reviewing the unreleased 2002 Reserve Shiraz at the winery under the normal hurried conditions, Sam was kind enough to give me a bottle so I could try it at my leisure.

Plunket 2002 Reserve Shiraz should sell for around for $43 when it’s released in April. The nose is closed and tight but does express some white pepper and pure dark fruit. It’s a very youthful wine with pure, deeply seated, concentrated fruit, fresh acid and abundant fine, drying tannins. The plum, liquorice, pepper and chocolate finish in a harmonious fashion and this is undoubtedly a well built wine that requires years to show its best. Muscular in weight, it has some class and dignity and as indicted by the bouquet; the structure is also very tight and it’s rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value. I would love to try this in about 6 years.

Having had the opportunity to try this wine over a few hours was a great idea as the wine, when first opened, was so tight it showed but a glimpse of its true class. However after a few hours in the decanter it seemed to gain weight, the complexity of flavours increased and the finish (which at first taste was a little short) improved dramatically. The Highly Recommended rating may well improve as the wine matures.

From there it was an easy run up the freeway to the King Valley turnoff. This area has a small number of well-known wines; chief amongst them is Brown Bros but there are some interesting other wineries as well. First stop was Brown Bros who has a huge range of wines available for tasting but there were only a few that interested me as most of the low end are not my style. This winery has been playing around with a lot of the non-traditional varieties and in some cases the final results have been pleasing. Many of the trial wines are only available at CD in the early stages of development so one never knows what treats may be in store.

Brown Bros 2001 Barbera sells for $15.60 at CD. Purple in colour with a light bright hue, the wine has a spicy, flinty nose. Tannins are smooth, the acid is refreshing but noticeable and makes a positive contribution to the pure persistent fruit, which delivers savoury pepper, brambly blackcurrant and mint, which finishes with good persistence. Medium in weight, the consistency is silky, the structure is seamless and the complexity is harmonious. It’s an interesting wine, a bit different and would be great with food. Rated as Recommended (just) with *** for value - drink up now.

Brown Bros 2001 Tempranillo sells for $18.90 and is only available at CD. Violet in colour, the wine is lean with delicate fruit that shows pepper, spice and red currant flavours. Tannins are smooth and whilst the balance is OK, the structure seemed a bit short and the wine failed to excite. Rated as agreeable with ** for value.

Brown Bros 2002 Sangiovese sells for $18.90 at CD. Intensely savoury with blackcurrant fruit and chocolate over a sweet, underlying raspberry film, the delicate but persistent and pure fruit is well balanced to the deceptive but drying tannins. It’s a lean wine with a layered structure and well-developed complexity and is worthy trying for something different and would be a good food wine. Rated as Recommended with **** for value.

………….Brown Brother Cellar Door and Restaurant

Brown Bros 2000 Patricia Shiraz sells for $44.95 at CD. The nose is subtle and cerebral and it requires real thought to try and understand this wine. The palate delivers black berry and red berry fruit with chocolate with a fair wack of chary, smoky oak. Tannins are smooth, very fine grained and drying, the fruit is medium but deep which combines to form a tight elegant structure with refined and well-developed complexity. It’s a good quality wine that, in my opinion, needs time to integrate and would best be drunk after 2008 but the back of the bottle recommends drinking 5-8 years from vintage, which is even more perplexing. Rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value this may be a good quality wine but frankly I don’t get it and as much as I thought about it, I still could not understand it.

Brown Bros 2000 Patricia Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $44.95 at CD. A varietal Cabernet nose showing blackcurrant, cigar box, chocolate and mint; the deep, pure fruit express itself as mulberry and brambly black fruit which has good persistence but stops half way back on the palate despite the abundant, drying, puckering tannins. Ample in weight with an agreeable complexity its rated as Recommended with ** for value, I am not sure where this wine is going.

Brown Bros Liqueur Muscat sells for $29.80 for a 375ml bottle at CD. Dark gold in colour, the bouquet showed apricot, cold tea, caramel and orange peel but on the palate the complexity was a plain and mainly caramel flavour. Muscular in weight, the consistency is fleshy, the sweetness syrupy, length is medium, finish is dry but the wine is not as complex as others in its price bracket or class. Rated as Recommended with ** for value.

Brown Bros Very Old Tokay sells for $27.90 for a 375ml bottle at CD. (The last time I bought this, the wine cost me $29 for a full 750 ml bottle.) The nose was a bit flat and I suspected it was suffering from TCA but after sniffing it and tasting it the senior staff member pronounced it was fine. However they had another bottle open anyway and poured some from the second bottle, the first was indeed corked! The wine showed some sweet raisin and some rancio characters but also a fairly heavy amount of caramel. Muscular in weight, the consistency is fleshy, complexity is reasonably developed and harmonious and the wine finishes long and dry. More interesting than the Muscat, its rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value.

For a winery that makes such a large range of wines, frankly I walked out of here unimpressed as not one wine held any real excitement. Well made, yes but in most cases just “me too” wines.

When I plan these trips I prepare a list of wineries I really want to visit as well as a list of possible contenders but every day or so I take pot luck with a winery that’s not on the list, usually one I know nothing about and today when I drove to Brown Bros I noticed a few unfamiliar names. Two were down the same street and one of the names seemed to be beckoning me so I answered the call and arrived at Ciavarella Wines cellar door. The grapes were first planted in 1978 from old vine cuttings taken from Rutherglen and Glenrowan. It’s a family operation with Cyril being the winemaker, his wife Jan manning the cellar door and now son Tony (who has completed his science studies with a PhD) has come home to work in the winery too. The first vintage was in 1992 and they produce around 3,000 cases in a good year.

Now this is one of those places that’s not exactly swish but then not too many tin sheds are so when I walked in, I had no idea what would be in the bottles - it could be great or it could be crap. The mature lady behind the counter was certainly friendly and welcoming without being pushy or giving me a hard sell. After Jan Ciavarella had poured me a glass she realised I was pretty serious about matters vinous and called over her son, Tony to talk to me as he had the answer to a question I had raised.

Tony recognised me as he reads one of the wine forums and it was like two old mates meeting. But that still did not answer the question, would this unscheduled visit be worthwhile or would it be a waste of tasting time? You can be the judge, here are the tasting notes.

Ciavarella Oxley Estate 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $24 at CD. The bouquet is lifted, fruit-driven and shows blackberry, chocolate, mint and coffee. Medium in weight, the smooth, drying tannins are deceptive and provide a supple consistency but solid structure and combine with the pure, deep, persistent fruit to form a well made harmonious wine with good construction that has a lovely mouth feel. Loads of liquorice, blackberry and blackcurrant flavour that has power and a good finish, makes this wine worth buying. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, the wine should peak about 2005+.

Ciavarella Oxley Estate 2000 Shiraz sells for $22 at CD. A ripe, soft, fruit-driven bouquet that also exhibits some French oak nuances, delivers red spectrum fruit, chocolate, mint and black coffee to the palate with purity and persistence. Tannins are smooth and have an almost creamy mouth feel, the wine is medium weight with a supple consistency and harmonious complexity; an easy drinking well-made red that would be perfect with pasta, a “no brainer” wine that you don’t have to think about, just enjoy! Rated as Recommended with *** for value.

Ciavarella Oxley Estate 1999 Durif sells for $22 at CD. The first vintage of Durif made at this winery, it has a lifted nose with spice, chocolate, coffee, varnish and blackcurrant. On the palate its very earthy with intense blackberry, liquorice, spice and dark chocolate. Ample in weight, the drying, silky tannins have creamy feel and pure, very persistent, deep fruit sneaks up on you and builds on the palate with a supple consistency and harmonious, well-developed complexity. Believe it or not, the wine still manages to maintain some elegance. Well made with good construction, it’s rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, a real bargain and should peak about 2007.

Ciavarella Oxley Estate 2000 Durif was given to me to take away so I could access it at my leisure and complete the picture of the three vintages sold. It too has a lifted nose that’s clean and showing white pepper, spice, earth notes and slightly scented, floral-perfumed soap, plums with chocolate - very inviting! Powdery tannins are reasonably smooth, acid is crisp and the fruit is pure and distinct with everything in perfect proportion to compliment the construction and the ample weight of the wine. Its still just a baby but just starting to show its true potential and, as suggested by the bouquet, its clean with no sharp edges but its not at all boring. Savoury blackberry, plum, dark chocolate and pepper slowly build across the palate and finish long, providing some refinement to the powerful flavour. As well as the drying tannins, it finishes with a bit of cigar box and green sappiness that in some wines can be unattractive but here it just adds to the interest and complexity. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, the wine is years off its best.

Ciavarella Oxley Estate 2001 Durif sells for $28 at CD. A lifted, sweet, fruit-driven bouquet showing deeply seated black fruit and other sweeter surface notes that waft in and out with menthol on the tail. Loads of drying tannins anesthetise the tasting implement until the fresh acid kicks it back to life which allows the sweet and savoury, red and black fruits with spice to slowly try and raise their profile from a buried prone position and sneak up on the senses. Ample weight, the structure is solid and layered, the complexity is well developed but this wine needs lots of time - about five more years should see it enter its drinking window. Rated as Recommended with *** for value, the rating will improve as it matures.

Ciavarella Oxley Estate 2002 Shiraz Viognier should sell for around $25-30 at CD. I was also lucky enough to try this new wine that won’t be released for some time. It’s a 96% Shiraz that has been co-fermented with the Viognier and, had I not been told it had the other grape variety in it, although it was a little different, I would not have noticed it easily, which is a good sign. The bouquet shows loads of white pepper, black pepper, chocolate and a sweet note on the tail. On the palate, the wine is a contrast from a very sweet hit to the massive dose of pepper and whilst the flavour is a little disjointed at this youthful stage it should come together prior to release. Tannins are smooth, the acid crisp and the obvious and distinct fruit combine to form a wine that is just ample in weight. It’s still very tight and needs time but should be good so look out for it.

For a small tin shed job, this winery is producing some well made, good, interesting wines that are reasonable value, especially the Durif which is worth seeking out. I will be watching what they do with interest.

….These signs are all around the area

……I wonder if the fruit flies can read?

That was the last winery of the day but not the last wine or last experience to share with you. From the King Valley it’s less than an hour’s drive to my final wine-growing destination of this trip, Rutherglen. This is exciting as Rutherglen is home to some of the best fortified wines in the world and as much as I love a good red, there is nothing like a great Liqueur Muscat or Tokay and I am also looking forward to trying the Durif that this also grown in this area.

As I drove into Rutherglen it quickly became clear there was a good choice of motels. I checked into the Wine Village Motor Inn which is almost in the middle of town and within walking distance of everything. The motel is very well appointed and more than reasonably priced at $72 a night. The rooms are quiet, everything works as designed and to top it off, at last, before kicking the sparrows out of bed, I could spend a few hours on the internet and get the twitches out of my two typing fingers.

At the suggestion of the owner of the motel, I walked around the corner and had dinner at Tuileries. Without doubt, the best dining experience of the whole trip (so far) and a fantastic place to eat. They also have a “wine buffet” with five c-throughs and five reds, you can help yourself to as much as you want for $17.50 a head. Unfortunately I didn’t know at the time, but you can BYO for $2.50 a bottle corkage but at least their mark up seems reasonable. I paid $59.50 for a bottle of Buller’s Sparkling Shiraz that retails for $47.50.

The menu is innovative without being over the top or wanky. They have some smaller dishes to tempt and whet the appetite so I decided to be a bit different and have two of the taste tempters and two starters. The first dish was warmed fresh figs pocketed in Milawa Blue Cheese wrapped in warmed prosciutto. To say it was delicious was an understatement.

The next dish was crispy chicken and coriander won tons with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Very tasty and generous size serving, there were about 5 of them, and both taste tempters were $8.50 each.

The tomato consommé with lobster tail medallions garnished with salted crispy basil was not what I expected but very well presented, tasty and enjoyable. They were not stingy on the lobster either. Good stuff at $12.50.

Morton Bay Bugs and sautéed scallops on seaweed with vanilla and saffron bourree blanc sauce was very well presented and enjoyable; cost $17.50.

The desert menu was a tough choice but the chocolate tart with vanilla bean ice cream and berries won. Unbeatable, cooked to perfection and beautiful presentation; good value at $11.50.

The service was good without being in your face and the meal took about two and a half hours, which was a good pace. Happy to eat here again anytime, it was faultless and I could not think of a thing that could be improved, rated as Outstanding with **** for value (grin.)

Needless to say after a meal like that I was going to sleep well and was looking forward to the next day. Because of the time spent driving, this has been the shortest chapter. However if you have read the preceding chapters and enjoyed them, in many ways I can promise the some of the best experiences are yet to come, so stay tuned.

The previous chapter can be found here

The next chapter can be found here