-By Christopher Correa

Under a gonfalon of spring blossoms on the Upper East Side, the Explorers' Club hosted Landmark Australia's drinking tour of the many wine-rich regions of Australia. The guides on hand were Michael Hill Smith, a Master of Wine (he was the first Australian to pass the rigorous examination) and Paul Henry, general manager of market development for the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation. They worked well together, providing a point-by-point tutorial on the myriad varieties of wines that were alternately old standards (Shirazes), up-and-comers (pinot noirs) and underappreciated rising stars (Chardonnays). The selection of whites secured a place for Australia at any table from here on out, and the arrayed reds were aligned in a palette that only the late Estée Lauder would have had names for.


Tasting the Grape
First out of the gate was a lithe and springy 2002 Riesling from Pewsey Vale called "The Contours" ($28). Approachable even at this early a vintage (it was released just last year), this Riesling is already emerging as one of the country's best. Fresh and inviting, more so than its Clare Valley cousins, the depth and concentration of aromas and flavors in this honey-tinged wine leave plenty of room for growth. Notes of crisp lime and citrus complement the fig and zinc baseline that nearly follows through to the finish. Pair this wine with dry cheese and charcuterie; heavier foods may mask this ingénue's freshness.

A familiar label among supermarket sommeliers is reliable Jacobs Creek. The 2006 "Steingarten" Barossa Riesling ($28) took a while to find its feet, but once it opened up, streams of pale straw yellow and green invited the palate to take a dip. Fragrant and delicate, the lemony, floral nose grew denser and tenderer with each chewy sip. Tight minerals and acid-free structure gained necessary dimension when food accompanied this unoaked late bloomer.

Tyrrell's "Vat 1" Hunter Valley Semillon 1998 ($53) has already won a Canberra Trophy and two gold medals for this remarkably successful vintage. Arguably the region's finest Semillon (an argument could be made that it's the best from Down Under, in fact), Vat 1 epitomizes the benefits of a good rain season and patient bottle aging. Sourced from historic Pokolbin fruit parcels, the ripened flavors introduce a soapy cleanliness before they unfold with hints of fig, asparagus and mature melon. The lack of astringency makes for an idiosyncratic tickling sensation upon tasting. Creamy but never fatty, this wine will only gain confidence with age.

As Chardonnays go, Shaw & Smith's Adelaide Hills 2006 M3 Vineyard Chardonnay ($31) is surprisingly revivifying. It has a few Burgundian tricks up its sleeve (French oak aging, systematic soil replenishments), but doesn't boast the expensive pedigree of its French corollary. Notes of honeysuckle, peach and pear go straight to the top of the mouth. This is one Chardonnay with a little more bite than bark: there's not a trace of oil; the toasty tartness overwhelms the butter element. As such, this wine would do better paired with fish and green vegetables rather than chicken and potatoes.

Blindfolded, one might not notice the subtleties of Leeuwin Estate's "Art Series" Margaret River Chardonnay 2005 ($79) without actually taking a drink. The infinitesimal nose is misleading. In fact, this particular pour takes turns being both silken and pointy. Extraordinarily divisive in terms of flavor profiles, this is the "Sybil" of the region's Chards. And like the multiple personalities swirling around in young Sally Field's head, the Art Series reveals its traits one by one. It tastes like oak. And sugar. And butter. This is one wispy but witchy wine.

Although it is cooler in the Yarra Valley than a Chardonnay grape is used to, Giaconda Estate Vineyard Beechworth 2005 vintage ($100) is still sublimely rich and centered. Native yeasts, oak fermentations, organic viticulture and terroir impart essences of steely lemon oil, hazelnut and popcorn. Grassy and crunchy, but also mealy and gamey, the Giaconda tiptoes across the tongue before it carefully reveals a gentle smokiness. Grilled asparagus and duck confit would be ideal accompaniments.

De Bortoli's "Reserve Release" Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2006 ($57) is a saucy, sassy little number. At first stemmy and green, the scent quickly gains volume and -- at first taste -- flavors of strawberry and intense grape smack the drinker right on the lips. Actually, they never really let up. Keeping this wine from becoming watery, crispy oak and tannins (such that they are) round out the finish and keep things from blurring into purple oblivion.

For a pinot with a tremor of jazz beneath the surface, the PHI Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2006 ($48) is a bright, beaming cherry of a red. Pure and pungent with aromas of raspberry, cloves and vanilla, the balance feels more oval than round (those berries are bolder than the forest floor from whence they came). The long lines and rattle of soft tannins flirt with every bud in the mouth. A ravishing gamine of a wine, the PHI's got legs -- long stems that will move with more and more grace as they mature.

First impressions are unrepeatable, but don't let the earth and metal flavors of Cullen's "Diana Madeline" Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2005 ($30) intimidate. Wade in this blend to enjoy what Jimi Hendrix referred to as "the experience." Deep purple with a capital P, waves of black currant and black cherry envelope the tongue like a mineral bath. Essences of violet, cocoa and coffee follow to the finish. The tinny hints serve to counterbalance the flavors, as this wine has been known to be one short in tannin supply.

When Parker Coonawarra Estate brought "Terra Rossa First Growth" Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 ($65) to the table, an air of import was immediately foisted on the wine as well as on the drinker. Self proclamations like "first growth" can often be interpreted as last rites. It's difficult to live up to the pristine implications, which stick to the label like unclipped price tags. But this sweetly slender cab is distinctively fruity and embellished with leather and caramel flavors. Bright but not too cheery, touches of licorice and cedar give this wine structure. It's not vulpine, nor is it a wallflower; drink this one on a balmy night and discuss the fall line.

Peter Lehmann's 1997 Barossa Shiraz ($90) is Ginger to a tenderly grilled filet's Fred. Opaque, inky and mild at first contact, the velvet shadow of chocolate and spice finish the proceedings off with finesse. Unlike a typical Shiraz, Lehmann's conjoins unlikely bedfellows like mint and smoke. The result is a fragrant, peppery -- and yet plummy -- elixir. Cheeses of delicacy will be outmatched by the finish. Stick to hunks of cheddar and Gouda, both of which will mingle with considerable ease. Or go with the filet. This wine deserves it.

2003 was a particularly warm season, not to mention a dry one. That didn't prove detrimental to the vibrancy of Mount Langi Ghiran's 2004 "Langi" Grampians Shiraz ($45). This Syrah-like wine teems with blueberries and subtle cassis. As the glass spreads the nose wider, the body thins a little to offer the expected pepper flavor, abetted by nutmeg and tingly balsamic from Modena. Dusty tannins leave the palate somewhat early, which should lengthen with proper aging. One wonders what flavors would be unlocked under the happier circumstances of growing grapes in a less arid clime, though.

It's lust at first bite when S.C. Pannell's McLaren 2004 Vale Shiraz Grenache ($50) puts on its blush, smiles and bats its lashes at you. Supple, warm and increasingly perfumey, this pretty slip of a wine is almost (but not quite) cloying in its sweetness. When decanted, the magenta-hued beauty lulls the nose with lush berry and freshly cut wood aromas; eloquent spices round out the flavor profiles. Big, broad layers of fruit give way to a satisfying, if hardly subtle, finish. Take the bait and flirt back.

Charles Melton produced a luscious Grenache Shiraz called "Nine Popes" ($45, Barossa Valley) in 2005. It is a standout in what has proven a banner year for Grenache. Haunting, musky perfume hits the senses like a love potion, with just a touch of spicy Shiraz influence for added kick. The previous winter was wetter than usual, which has only heightened the prim purity of flavor. Rather than a darker, rustier bouquet, Nine Popes blossoms with a talcum-like ambrosia. This is romance in a bottle.

The solid Yering Station "Reserve" Yarra Valley Shiraz Viognier 2005 ($45) earns wall-to-wall praise for the subtle alchemy of the blend (95% Shiraz, 5% Viognier). The wine is luminous purple-red in complexion, and chipped oak characteristics flecked with pushy tannins gain tenderness from the peachy syrup of the sweeter grapes. Silky and berry-filled, Yering Station's Reserve is a bantamweight that's a touch herbaceous, slightly confectionary and immensely drinkable.

Closing the day was a wine so mysterious, only Dan Crane and four generations of the Sutherland Smith family know of its properties. Having rested in 5,000-liter oak ovals since the early 1920s, this brown Muscat saw the light of day only recently. All Saints "Museum" Rutherglen earns its appellation: drinking it is drinking history and art. A piece of Australian winemaking legend, this is a particularly pricey pour, at $1,400 a bottle. At first, notes of raisin and nutmeg fill the nose, the mouth, the head. Then the unmistakable essence of coffee overwhelms the palate. Then toffee, before the flavors settle into an extraordinarily deep and deliberate finish of natural grape spirit.

Smith took a flute, swirled its contents and took a sip. Basking in the sensation that this was a taste that would never be recreated, he set the glass down and sighed, "Sometimes, the New World can also be old school." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Comments? mmoran@gourmetretailer.com