The annual Canberra wine show pilgrimage yields wines worth talking about

I’m in Canberra this week for what is one of the few wine shows that I really love judging at – the Winewise Championships.

This show is my absolute favourite (and one of the few I bother with in a time-strapped modern era) for several reasons, not limited to the fact that it’s a beautifully autumnal time of year in the nation’s capital and great conditions for running up Canberran hills.

Importantly, every wine at the Winewise Championships needs to have already won a gold medal in a recent Australian wine show, which means standards are sky high (and few duds). Judging also happens in small brackets of no more than six wines, which are then ranked like a trophy judging format. The small classes are especially welcome as Aussie wine shows are still notorious for brackets of 60+ wines (which is brain and palate-numbing).

The other reason why I love this show is that every night we go to the cream of Canberran restaurants (which are always full of politicians at this time of year) to drink interesting things, and I usually get to fit an occasional stop at the Bentspoke Brewery for a warmup beer…

Monday night, it was a trip to Kingston’s Italian favourite, Agostini’s, to eat decent pizza and drain a bottle of affable Ceretto Barbaresco 2018 (while Tanya Plibersek fended off fans at the next table). That 2018 is not the most profound Ceretto Barbaresco vintage (not like the 2021), but what a delicious and approachable Nebbiolo expression.

Last night it was off to Yarralumla to the super cool SE Asian fusion fine diner Minima. The food was fascinating (like the pancakes above – have a squizz at the menu here) even if I left hungry, and with several interesting drinks for good measure.

I feel like the Mader Riesling 2021 above could be the perfect wine with this cuisine thanks to its easy generosity and ripeness, although a basic 2023 Riesling from Gunderloch threw in more acidity for a fresher option (I preferred the Mader by a mile FWIW).

There was also an oddball brace of Pinot and Gamay on the table too:

This magnum of Marcel Lapierre Morgon Cuvee Camille 2023 was a generous slice of Beaujolais to ease into things, with its streaks of darker fruit to remind that we’re stepping way above the Gamay standard. If anything, it could do with another six months in bottle to pull together.

I wish I had opened this bottle of Weingut Fromm Selvenen Pinot Noir 2017 a year ago, however, as the leaf litter was beginning to take over from the red fruit. A pleasure to share a little Swiss delight from my cellar, but also a reminder that I should have bought more when I was there in 2019 (but given this cost me a small fortune in Swiss Francs, that was highly unlikely).

This Daniel Rion Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Lavières 2018 was much fresher, with an open charm and easy energy that was a signpost that villages level Burgundy can be a bargain. It fell away just a little, but super drinkable.

Of course, the big winner on the table last night was this Domaine Dujac Chambolle-Musigny 2018. Same year, and another village wine but hot damn what a charmer. Silken, ripe, mouthfilling, it was a proper Chambolle party, missing only some of the grip and punch of the more fancied Dujac Cru releases (but not by much). Absolutely, the wine of the night for me, and also more Burgundy that isn’t stupidly expensive and still a delight.

Then again, this blinding old bottle of Penfolds Grandfather Port was the wine to be talking about. Still so alive, with this sweet vanilla creamy edge that was still entirely delicious (especially with the Minima riff on a sticky date pudding). Yes, sweet oak is the main remnant flavour but this was still very much a good drink rather than some decayed old reclic. Wow.

You know what else doesn’t suck? Australian Chardonnay. Easily the best bracket of this entire show was this morning’s lineup of local Chardonnay, with the whole spectrum of styles on display. Picking the trophy winner was like choosing a favourite child (lucky I only have one). Between that and a Tassie-heavy bracket of 2023 Pinot Noir where I was handing out gold medals like Oprah gives out cars, the judging part has been fun too.

But now I need a beer.