Above: Mary’s
Underground wine
director Caitlyn
Rees, co-owners
Kenny Graham and
Jake Smyth, and
sommelier Charles
Leong. Opposite:
Billy Kwong’s
rice-noodle rolls with
braised beef brisket.
“B
asement restaurants with
brilliant wine lists” are now
o cially A Thing in Sydney.
First there was Hubert (winner
of our 2017 Wine List of the Year); now, a
Champagne-cork-pop away from Hubert
near Circular Quay, we have the outstanding
list at Mary’s Underground. Caitlyn Rees,
GT’s Sommelier of the Year for 2018 and
formerly at Fred’s in Paddington, lays out her
philosophy clearly on the fi rst page of this
superb, on-trend, 250-wine list: everything
on o er here is organic and/or biodynamic,
wild-yeast-fermented and made with little
or no sulphur – the kind of wines, in other
words, that rusted-on Mary’s fans love to
drink. Rees doesn’t let ideology stand in the
way of quality, though: this is a wide-ranging
selection of wines, from grower Champagnes
to “Jurassic” whites, from obscure Italian
ramato to Grand Cru Burgundy, with few
if any heading too far into the funky/chunky
end of the natty wine spectrum. The prices
are also surprisingly reasonable, on the
whole: two-dozen excellent by-the-glass
options start at $12 (almost unheard-of in
Sydney venues of this calibre), there’s plenty
to drink well under $100, and the standard of
wine service is, as you’d expect, impeccable.WINE LIST OF THE YEAR
Mary’s
Underground
Sydney
SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR
Leanne Altmann
McConnell Group, Melbourne
S
ome sommeliers can’t wait to prove how clever they
are. But Leanne Altmann, beverage director of all
Andrew McConnell’s restaurants, has a humour and a
calm assurance about her that makes it feel like you’re
being guided rather than led. She asks questions, listens to
answers and imparts information in a way that’s more anecdote
than lecture. Altmann also has the ability to gauge your level of
expertise and interest, displaying the same level of engagement
whether you’re considering cocktails, softs, sake, beer or wine.
It’s all about getting you the good drink, one that will bring out
the best in the food. Given that the lists in McConnell’s venues
emphasise small, artisan and sometimes obscure producers,
there’s always a clear and present danger of intimidation for
the unwitting punter. Leanne Altmann eliminates the danger. GOURMET TRAVELLER 73