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Taste masters: Nick Hildebrandt, Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Sydney

Nick Hildebrandt’s resumé is almost as impressive as the compelling wine list that has the hard-core wine nerds flocking to his acclaimed Bentley Restaurant & Bar in Sydney’s Surry Hills. Named sommelier of the year by every publication that awards such a title, Hildebrandt’s stints at genre-bending establishments Marque and Moog reflect a bold and creative mind not afraid to explore the outer limits.

What emerging trends are you seeing? “We have more interesting imports hitting our shores, and more and more new and exciting Australian producers releasing wines that are a little left of centre.”

Which wines don’t sell but you can’t understand why? “To be honest, everything on my list sells. However, I would like to see white Rhône varietals such as roussanne getting the attention they deserve.”

What’s the one thing a good Australian sommelier should know? “A rock-solid grounding in the classics and a finger on the pulse, trying to gauge what the next big thing might be.”

RAVE WINES
Red: 2006 Poonawatta The Cuttings Shiraz, Eden Valley, A$49. “Unashamedly Australian. Big and powerful but with excellent acidity and spice notes. Will drink well for a decade or more.”

White: 2005 Battely Marsanne, Beechworth, A$35. “I love this wine because it isn’t obvious. The subtlety and sleight of hand in the winemaking makes it the perfect accompaniment to a lot of food.”

Fizz: NV Serge Mathieu Brut Tradition, Champagne (France), A$95 (restaurant only). “I liked this Champagne so much we decided to import it to be our house Champagne at Bentley. It’s a blanc de noir (100 per cent pinot noir), and is rich, opulent, clean, crisp and, most importantly, dry.”

Import: “The Bernard Faurie reds from in and around Hermitage in France’s northern Rhône Valley always impress me. The recently released 2005s are stunning examples of Old World syrah.”

Bentley Restaurant & Bar, (02) 9332 2344, www.thebentley.com.au.

This article appeared in the April/May 2008 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine.