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Wine List of the Year Hall of Fame

Asiana, Melbourne (2004)
Aria, Sydney (2003)
Circa, the Prince, Melbourne (2001)
Forty One, Sydney (1998)
Syracuse, Melbourne (1999)
Walter’s Wine Bar, Melbourne (1996)
Friends, Perth (winner three times in WA)

Restaurants can only win the title of Australia’s Wine List of the Year once. If they are nominated for the award again, they automatically enter the Hall of Fame and as long as they retain their three-glass rating remain there. Any restaurant winning any of the other awards on three occasions similarly becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame.

The standard of the Hall of Fame list is little short of staggering, especially this year with Circa, the Prince and Aria. Andrew Caillard MW commented that Circa’s list is “one of the world’s great wine lists, with an embarrassment of riches”. Robert Joseph said he was “blown away by the cathedral-like quality of the Circa range” and agreed that it is “one of the finest lists in the world”. New Zealand’s Bob Campbell MW said that “Circa excelled in every category. Their list is a wine enthusiast’s dream.” I enthused about the impeccable presentation of the Aria list, which makes navigating this substantial document a joy.  I also found the selection of wines by the glass bold, fascinating and satisfying. Graeme Phillips said, “It’s an exemplary international list with lots of interesting smaller, specialist-producer wines among its extensive selection, perfectly tailored to its stylish menu and market.”

Another winner, Asiana, has lost none of its edge, impressive with both the breadth and depth of its Australian and international wines and clearly focused on wines that do best with its food. The presentation of the list at Syracuse is exemplary. Its strength is in Italian wines and its huge range of varieties. There is a precision in the choice of wines that thrills. Syracuse may only offer three rosés, but they are the right ones for the list. There is much to love in the lists of Forty One and Walter’s Wine Bar, particularly in the depth and breadth of the wines featured. Perth’s Friends is a massive list and particularly impressive in Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy. It’s hard to believe any restaurant can match its 36 vintages of Grange and nine vintages in magnum.

TEXT PETER FORRESTAL

This article appeared in the August/September 2008 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.