30 May 2017 - CoTD Keith Steele

Our President, Keith Steele, was in the kitchen this week for our May wine lunch and was assisted by Graham Gardner. Graham is learning the ropes and we hope to see him again in the kitchen soon. Our Winemaster of the day was Hilton Chapman.

Canapés. Once again, our providers of the day treated us to three canapés. Graham had made full butter puff pastry with mushrooms and chives to start us off. This was followed by a chiken liver pate on toasted rounds and mushroon and fennell tarts. All tasty.

Aperitif wine. Hilton selected a young Semillon from the 2014 vintage from Brokenwood. As expected of a wine from this esteemed maker it was clean with bright fruit, under screwcap. This wine will improve for some time and whilst a little simple just now it will be fascinating to watch its development.

Main course. Keith chose slow cooked beef cheeks as his protein of the day. The texture was wonderful and could be simply cut with a fork. He had spent a lot of time removing little pieces of fat, sinew and silverskin and that gave the meat a particularly soft texture. Cooked for 5 hours with a gallon or so of PX sherry, Bordeaux red and vegetables the sauce was a treat. The cheeks were served on a cauliflower mash with sugar snap peas done in such a way on some plates (see photograph below) that reminded some of the Opera House.

The wines. Hilton’s selections today were interesting in that they were all under screwcap and there were none from South Australia. They were

• Best’s Bin 1 Shiraz 2012 (screwcap)
• Best’s Bin 0 Shiraz 2010 (screwcap)
• De Bortoli Shiraz Viognier 2007 (screwcap)
• Seppelts St Peters Shiraz 2007 (screwcap)
• Cape Mentelle Shiraz 2007 (screwcap)
• Tyrrells Old Patch Shiraz 2007 (screwcap)

The Best’s wines were a contrast between younger fruit and the complexity of older vines and more effort. The Bin 1 whilst entry-level was spicy and is excellent value for money. The Bin 0 with a few more years age had more complexity and length whilst also showing the spicy overtones. Some commentators found that the Bin 0 was little overripe and stewed but that was not shared amongst all.

The following four wines were in order from Yarra Valley, Grampians, Margaret River and the Hunter Valley. Not surprisingly there was a definite change of style moving between the wines. The De Bortoli was showing its age and seemed forward and should be drunk now. The St Peters was still showing significant oak but it was well balanced by its stylish fruit as befits a Seppelts flagship wine. The Cape Mentelle attracted differing comments and whilst the wine was elegant with a particularly long finish it was starting to show some age and many agreed that it needed drinking over the next year or two. The Tyrrells Old Patch had typical sweeter Hunter Valley fruit which was beautifully round in the mouth. At 10 years of age it needs more time to show its best.

Hilton suggested that this may have been the first time that we have had an entire selection of wine under screwcap.

Cheese and coffee. Gary Linnane’s choice of cheese was Beaufort from Savoie, France. It is a firm, raw cow's milk cheese associated with the Gruyère family. One of the best cheeses of the year and is worth its not unsubstantial price.

Spencer Ferrier in absentia provided us Peru Gesha. It is one of the world’s most expensive coffees and is considered to produce a very aromatic and floral cup of coffee showing many fruit flavours although mild to light in style.

Keith thanked the some 48 people who attended this wine lunch with special thanks to Graham Gardner for his assistance.

23 May 2017 CoTD James Hill

The Society’s inveterate chef, James Hill, was back at it again this week assisted by Nick Reynolds and Gary Linnane on canape construction.                                                         

Canapés. Not to do things by halves, James served us three canapés. Firstly, a prawn bisque with chervil served in small cups. There was some spice present and the prawn flavours were quite intense. Next on the list was Bacalao (salt cod) on crusty bread with parsley. A beautifully salty dish. Finally steak tartare with quail’s egg served on an Asian style spoon. High-quality steak made this a very popular dish.                                                                 

Aperitif wine. Our Winemaster of the day left the beaten track by serving us a red and white as aperitif wines. They were the Soumah Yarra Chardonnay 2013 and Marina Coppi Barbera 2010 from Piedmont. The Chardonnay with a fine Australian version possibly lacking a little complexity but good none the less. The Barbera was from great vintage, had seen no wood and had a berry nose that followed through to the flavours in the mouth. A bigger wine but not heavy.

Main course. James’s choice for main course had quite a bit going on. The beautifully cooked duck breast came with a pomegranate molasses, quince and ginger glaze. On the side, duck liver stuffed mushroom and very pretty pink pickled radish finely sliced. Wonderful to the eye and the palate.

The wines. In the absence of the Winemaster our wine presenter of the day was Richard Gibson. His selections were:

• Seresin Leah Marlborough Pinot Noir 2010 (cork, 14.5%)
• Laurent Gauthier Grand Cras Morgon Beaujolais 2013 (cork, 13.4%)
• Chateau de Beaucastel Coudoulet Cotes du Rhone 2009 (screwcap, 13.5%)
• McWilliams Anne Semillon 2006 (screwcap, 13%)
• Lions de Suduiraut Sauternes 2009 (cork, 14%) – a personal contribution from Richard Gibson

The first two wines were in theory an interesting combination as many have been fooled by a Gamay versus Pinot Noir blind tasting. However, the Seresin, whilst having good fruit, was of a sweeter New Zealand style and would have been better with a little more stringency. The Morgon was more austere with finer fruit that was preferable with the duck. The range of flavours made the task a tricky one for Richard.

With the cheese, it has become more common of late to serve a white and a red wine that most are enjoying. The Rhône was elegant, balanced and had great savoury fruit. What’s not to like! The Anne Semillon has been somewhat of a regular recently and as before, this was a definite step up from the Elizabeth with brilliantly clear acid and some length but it lacked the complexity of the more aristocratic Lovedale.

The generous gift by Richard Gibson of the Sauternes was a wonderful way to finish the meal. A lighter Sauternes style with tropical fruit and that beautiful intense marmalade flavour just beginning to develop. Thank you, Richard.

Cheese and coffee. Grandorge Pont Leveque was the choice of our Cheesemaster of the day, Gary Linnane. This Normandy cheese is claimed to be the oldest Norman cheese still in production and is cow’s milk. It is creamy but still elastic and is a member favourite.

Spencer Ferrier in absentia provided a Peruvian coffee, Paraiso Perdido, which was dosed a little more than usual and it did it no harm. Sweet and caramel overtones.

James Hill completed his description of the meal with one word, challenging. Again, Pete in the kitchen was a great help as were Nick and Gary.

16 May 2017 - CoTD Rudi Dietz of Stuyvesant’s House

This week in the kitchen we had the well-known Crows Nest based chef Rudy Dietz, from Stuyvesant’s House as our guest chef of the day. Member Grant Montgomery invited Rudi to cook for us and it was very successful. Grant was assisting Rudi on the day.

In 2016 we had a small number of guests chefs and is something that members should be thinking about so that we can have this happen a number of times during the year.

Canapés. Rudi started us off with “chicken balls” otherwise known as Dutch bitter balls made with chicken and veal and deep-fried. Crisp on the outside and moist in the middle with a mustard dip. Excellent.

Aperitif wine. Vasse Felix Chardonnay 2009 started us for the day along with La Goya and Lustau sherries both bone dry. The Vasse under screwcap was slightly reductive (which blew off) but opened-up to a fine, more austere style wine with some years ahead. As some say, a fine line of acid.

Soup. The function notice indicated that Rudi was to provide us with a goulash but many of us thought we are ran out the winners with a pea and grilled bacon soup served in a brioche with the top removed and placed back on top when it was filled. A wonderfully rich creamy soup. It was difficult to not eat all of the brioche but the mind managed to send a message to the stomach, reminding it of the main course yet to come.

Main course. We were waiting for the Schweinshaxe or pork knuckle slow cooked with port, caraway seed, garlic and onion. Again, it was excellent in being tender, flavoursome, and had no shortage of what members like, meat. On the plate, it came with sauerkraut with cloves, bay leaves, wine onions and speck, and spaetzli, a German specialty. The dish received much praise.

The wines. In the absence of the Winemaster our wine presenter of the day was Steve Liebeskind. His selections were:

• Tellurian Rose (Heathcote) 2013 (screwcap, 13.5%) – with the soup
• Goaty Hill Pinot Noir 2010 (Tamar) (screwcap, 13.4%) – with the main
• Tyrrells 4 Acres Shiraz 2007 (screwcap, 13.5%) – with the main
• Guigal Hermitage 2005 (cork, 13%) - with cheese

It is always good to mix thing up a bit from our norm so the Rose with soup worked a treat. Bone dry being a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Nero d’Avola.

The red wines were an interesting bunch noting that the highest alcohol of the group was 13.5%. A pleasant change.

The Pinot Noir was a sweeter aromatic style with plum and cherry overtones. It was a smart wine and provided real contrast to the Tyrrells 4 Acres arguably the top and most expensive wine from Bruce Tyrrell. The latter wine was very impressive with soft red berry characters and whilst 10 years of age will improve with more time. Sweet fruit in the Australian wine style but not sugar sweet. Well balanced.

The Guigal Hermitage was an excellent comparison to a high-quality Hunter Valley Shiraz. The weight of the wines were similar, but the Rhône still very tight, savoury and tannic. What you may expect of a good Hermitage. It was also still a little closed and a 12 hour decant would have opened up the wine. At its peak, but not going downhill any time soon.

Cheese and coffee. Our Cheesemaster of the day Gary Linnane served us a French  Emmental de Savoie from Fromagerie Chabert which had more holes than Swiss cheese. The cheese is made 70 kg wheels so our portion did not touch the edges so to speak. Made with a natural, oiled rind and large walnut sized holes interspersed through the body of the pale yellow paste, its flavour is buttery with a distinct sweet fruity profile and smooth chewy texture. Bread also by Gary was a giant loaf from Sonoma and a quince paste from Rudi.

Spencer Ferrier in absentia provided us with the Arabica sub-species of Bourbon from El Salvador. The coffee was full flavoured, with a medium mouth-feel, soft acidity and a short finish.

Thank you Rudi and Grant.

Bill Alexiou-Hucker CoTD 9 May 2017

(Apoligies to Bill, our photo arrangements were disrupted on the day)

Bill Alexiou-Hucker this week attracted over 45 members and guests to his luncheon. Assisting him on canapé preparation was Peter Squires, minus Bill’s other stalwart, Peter Manners who was otherwise engaged.

Canapés. Bill provided us with two canapés to start the luncheon. Bill wanted simplicity in the canapés and the first was a herb and chili fetta with a Kalamata olive on toast. This was followed by taramasalata with lemon juice and black caviar on some ‘stale’ bread. They were all snapped-up and matched the aperitif wine well.

Aperitif wine. To begin proceedings, we were served a Tyrrells Belford Vat 18 Semillon. This was a single vineyard wine from the Elliott family’s vineyard which is leased by Tyrrells. It was quite a substantial style with a richer and almost honied palate that is commonly associated with that vineyard. Current vintages are simply labelled as Belford. A reviewer once said of the wine that it was “Vat 1 priced for the real world”.

Main course.  The main was a good introduction to cooler weather cooking, slow cooked beef cheeks in red wine and cloves on a bed of risoni pasta "risotto". The beef had been marinated for 24 hours and came to the table with a black coating which Bill could not quite explain. The beef cheeks were wonderfully soft, “creamy” in a protein sense and moreish. They were served on top on a rich risoni sauce and asparagus.

The wines. In the absence of the Winemaster our wine presenter of the day was James Tinslay.

• Chateau Bellay (Canon-Fronsac, predominately Merlot) 2010 (cork, 14.5%)
• BVE Ebenezer Shiraz 2002 (cork, 14%)
• Hugel Gewürztraminer 2012 (cork, 14%)
• Coriole Sangiovese 2009 (cork, 14%)

The only wine consistency in this group was that three were 14% and the other damn close at 14.5%. Otherwise, certainly contrasting wines. For the main course wines, the Bordeaux and the Barossa whilst not similar were both substantially structured wines. Merlot is thought by many to be a lighter style but this is certainly not the case in Bordeaux. The right bank Bordeaux was drinking very well with a typical European tannin structure. The 2002 Shiraz was a little bit of a surprise in terms of its elegance, despite its substantial structure. Beautifully long and a credit to Barossa Valley Estates.

With the cheese, the contrast was interesting. The Hugel had an initial appearance of being a sweet wine but at 9.3 g/L of sugar it was dry on the palate, mouth filling and had a long aromatic finish. Many thought it a great match for the cheese. The Coriole wine would not be mistaken for a Tuscan wine but nonetheless was drying and had some savoury characteristics. The Lloyd family had planted the Sangiovese vines some 35 years ago and now had more experience with the variety than any other Australian growers.

Cheese and coffee. Our Cheesemaster of the day was Gary Linnane served a Will Studd Roquefort. It is such a distinctive style with its salty flavour that many picked it immediately. The cheese was in peak condition.

Bill provided poached pears soaked in tawny port, orange peel and cloves to accompany the cheese.

Spencer Ferrier provided us with Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, a lighter and more elegant style. Bill matched the coffee with a beautiful Ouzo flavoured Turkish Delight. We finished it off quickly.

Bill once again showed us a good time.

2 May 2017 - David Madson CoTD

After Chef of the Year lunches, and AGM lunch and a mixed lunch, this week we were back to ‘normal’ with a lunch prepared by David Madson assisted by James Tinslay.

Canapés. There were three canapés provided to the some 40 people who attended this lunch. Firstly, salmon on top of black bread rounds followed by a creamy blue cheese topped with roasted pecans and honey on a dried apricot base. Finally, there was a tortilla rolled up with hot Spanish salami and cream cheese. The first two had a good combination of textures whilst the tortilla needed some defining textures.

Aperitif wine. The aperitif wine of the day was the McWilliams Anne Semillon 2006. This was a definite step up from the Elizabeth with brilliantly clear acid and some length but it lacked the complexity of the more aristocratic Lovedale. Still, an excellent start to a wine tasting lunch.

Main course. David Madson had promised us pork belly which was a variation of a recipe attributed to the chef at the Fatty Crab restaurant in Los Angeles. In fact, it was a little more than that because it was a pork belly and watermelon salad with the salad component using ingredients such as rice wine vinegar, Thai chilli, kaffir lime leaves, ginger and palm sugar. The combination of the sweetness of the pork belly and watermelon provided a real alternative lunch for members and guests. Being a wine lunch the dish managed to avoid any major conflict with the wines and attracted complimentary comments.

The wines. In the absence of the Winemaster our wine presenter of the day was James Healey. With no masked wines, James went through each of the cabernets from the three vintages with a summary of some background and attributes.

• Woodlands Margaret Cabernet 2008 (cork, 13.5%)
• Lindemans Pyrus 2008 (screwcap, 14%)
• Chateau Lanessan 2005 (cork, 13%)
• Houghton’s Gladstones Cabernet 2005 (cork, 14%)
• Vasse Felix Cabernet 2001 (cork, 14%)
• Grant Burge Shadrach Cabernet 2001 (cork, 13.5%)

This was a very good selection of cabernets in anyone’s language. Being a wine tasting, the wines did have time to breathe in the glass and some of the initial views were later reversed or swapped. The wines most liked were the Lindemans, the Vasse Felix and the Grant Burge. Interestingly, many expected the Burge wine to be extracted given its origin but it was surprisingly elegant and naturally, full-bodied. The Chateau Lanessan was a little tannic, typical of the 2005 vintage, but also lacked fruit. The Woodlands Margaret is their premium winery red and was a little disappointing with its too sweet fruit.

Cheese and coffee. The cheese served by James Healey was Agour Petite Brebis Pimento from the Basque region in South-West France. Apparently, the people of Basque Country insist their brebis cheeses have remained true to the traditional style for over 4000 years. It is a semi-hard sheep milk cheese that has a natural rind which is covered with pimento in the later stages of production. The cheese is full with complex flavours on the palate.

David provided dried fruits and nuts to accompany the cheese.

Spencer in absentia served Paraiso Perdido beans from Peru. His notes suggest the coffee may be paradise lost! It was however a pleasant brew with some sweetness.

All in all an excellent wine luncheon.

18 April 2017 - Nick Reynolds

Our first mixed luncheon of the year saw our Foodmaster Nick Reynolds in the kitchen preparing food for some 50 members and guests. Were also joined by a good number of members from the Sydney Ladies Wine & Food Society. Nick was assisted by Steve Liebeskind and Gary Linnane.

Canapés. Nick provided us with two canapés, the first being a mini French tart with caramelised onion, olive and anchovy. The caramelised onion had a wonderful sweet character that perfectly matched the saltiness of the anchovy. This is followed by smoked salmon on blinis with a horseradish cream.

Aperitif wine. The main aperitif wine selected for us by Paul Ferman was Cherbino Riesling 2011 from Great Sothern. However, given the numbers and the enthusiastic networking that went on before the lunch we had such wines such as the Tyrrell’s Vat 47 2004, Craggy Range Riesling 2011, La Cana Albarino 2012 and of course the faithful Lustra Fino sherry.

Main course. Nick, of course, is not our Foodmaster for nothing. He is a dab hand in the kitchen. His lamb tenderloin with bok choy, red-miso braised green beans, shiitake, edamame and pickled vegetables not only presented well but tasted fantastic. The contrast of the various ingredients and the high-quality of the lamb did him proud.

The wines. Given the numbers there was some variation around the tables in terms of the wine offered in the following list covers most of them:

• Chrismont La Zona Barbera 2010 (screwcap, 11.5%)
• Pallister Pinot Noir 2009 (screwcap,14.5%)
• Handorf Hill Blaufrankisch 2009 (screwcap, 14.5%)
• Tintilla Estate Justine Merlot 2015 (screwcap, 13.8%)
• Tintilla Estate Saphira Sangiovese 2014 (screwcap, 14%)
• Glandore TPR Tempranillo 2011 (screwcap)

The Chrismont La Zona was a wine that had been previously enjoyed at lunches and this time was no different. Not in Piedmont style but nonetheless the fruit had richness and real character. The Pinot Noir was a good southern hemisphere version lacking the complexity and the elegance of its historical birthplace. Both the Tintilla wines were apparently well liked, judging by the comments and the Tempranillo had matured into a fine drinking wine.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey served a most unusual cheese this week which is described as an extremely good example of artisanal workmanship. It was a Gouda from the Netherlands, which been age for some 24 months and could only be described as deep golden yellow. Refer to the photograph below. It was probably just beyond semi-hard and was a little polarising amongst those at the lunch. Those who loved it, loved it. It was not crumbly but rather flaky with a beautiful creamy texture. For the record, it was Reypenaer Kass Proeflokaal. Say that quickly ten times!

To accompany the cheese, Nick served us perfectly ripe figs with goat curd and Adelaide Hills honey.

Spencer in absentia served a Guatemalan coffee from the El Volcan Estate. A strong and heavier style it was perfect in the way we like our coffee.

In the absence of the President, the VP, Peter Kelso, closed the lunch noting that there are three more mixed functions this year and they will need to be good to beat the food and atmosphere at today’s lunch.

11 April 2017 Paul Thorne

This week in the kitchen we were fed by Paul Thorne assisted on the canapés by Paul Panichi. This followed the Society’s Annual General Meeting with a total of some 52 members sitting down to a meal.

Canapés. Paul and Paul started of us off with a couple of canapés, the first being Paul Thorne’s homemade chicken liver on freshly cooked puff pastry rounds in the other being bocconcini on sliced tomato with a touch of a herbal paste on top. Despite the substantial number of guests Paul had made sure that there was plenty to go around and the chicken liver seemed to be the firm favourite.

Aperitif wine. Paul Ferman started us off with La Cana Albarino 2012. Most thought it was an interesting wine with quite a deep colour and development. Others thought it may have been passed its peak. It was however excellent drinking. Given the large number at lunch. Paul also pulled out odd bottles of Vat 47, Stoney Rise Riesling, Giesen Sauvignon Blanc and even a somewhat aged Tyrrell’s Rose which will make an excellent cooking wine.

Main course. Our Chef of the Day managed to feed the hordes with his chicken and leek dish. The tender chicken was served atop some mash which could be best described as a Paris mash given the richness of cream and butter. No wonder he suggested a Lipitor with the meal. A dish of beautiful and intense flavour that did not overpower the wines.

The wines.

• Soumah Chardonnay 2013 (screwcap, 12.7%)
• Metrat Beaujolais (Cote Rotie) Chiroubles 2012 (cork, 12.5%)
• Mt Langi Cliff Edge Shiraz 2002 (cork, 14%)
• Tyrrells Rufus Stone Heathcote Shiraz 2002 (cork, 14.5%)

The 2013 Soumah was a rich Australian style Chardonnay, but in a nice way. There was sufficient acid to cut through the generous fruit. It was a good entry-level effort by Soumah. The Beaujolais was drinking beautifully and was probably at its peak. Confusingly enough the label called itself Cote Rotie as a descriptor rather than having any relationship with the famous northern Rhône wine.

The next pair of reds were more of your typical richer Australian style, both from the 2002 vintage. The Cliff Edge was a sturdy solid Heathcote style that seem to come from the Cambrian soil common in the area. It was not overly sweet and for their entry-level wine at some 15 years of age, it was very good. The Rufus Stone exhibited bottle variation and was generally not well liked although it had its fans. Poorer bottles had volatile acidity backed up by a stewed/hot fruit character.

Cheese and coffee. Our Cheesemaster this week provided us with Saint Agur a wonderful blue fromage from Auvergne. A pasteurised cow milk cheese it was sweet, buttery and very moreish. A much loved cheese. It was a favourite of the previous Cheesemaster, Ross McDonald.

Spencer Ferrier served us Kenya Karogoto AA beans. A profound sweetness in the cup, it performed well from the plunger.

Final Cook-Off 4 April 2017- Graham Fear

Graham Fear and his assistants both in the kitchen and on the canapés this week participated in the final cook-off for Chef of the Year. His assistants being James Hill, James Healey and Bill Alexiou-Hucker

Canapés. Graham and his team presented us with three canapés this week. Being one of our seafood heroes. Graham produced seafood for all three. We started off with a Jeremy Strode recipe of scallops on black pudding followed with white anchovy with red and yellow capsicums on a biscuit. The final canapé, served in spoons, was Western Australia spanner crab with a aioli, parsley and dill. Whilst all three were good, it was the texture and the love of black pudd that many liked.

Aperitif wine. It’s always a special treat to have a selection of wines with the canapés based on bin ends from our wine cooler. Besides our usual sherry there was a Barwang 842 Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2007, Stoney Rise Riesling 2008, Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon 2000 and Lindeman’s Hunter Valley Semillon Bin 9655 2000. Enough range to suit anyone.

Main course. The seafood fest continued with a beautifully presented and beautifully prepared piece of Milford Sound salmon. The salmon was simply cooked in ghee and apparently, the cooking was consistent across the room with a number of comments about the lack of oiliness in the salmon. It was served on a mascarpone sauce with risotto sans butter with spears of asparagus on the side. A great meal to finish off the 2017 cook-offs.

The wines.

• Timo Mayer Pinot Noir 2012 (Yarra) (screwcap)
• Glaetzner-Dixon Reveur Pinot Noir 2010 (Coal Valley) (screwcap)
• Giles Robin Crozes-Hermitage 2011 (cork)
• Tyrrells Vat 9 Shiraz 2011 (screwcap)

The two pinots served with the main course were a great contrast. The Yarra Valley wine from Mayer had terrific power and needed still more time. The Coal River Pinot had complexity and length and was the more Burgundian of the two.

Moving on to the two cheese wines also showed that our Winemaster was trying to provide contrast and he did so with a northern Rhône Syrah and a Hunter River Shiraz, both from 2011. Predictably, the Croze Hermitage was the lighter of the two, less muscle, but with more complexity. The Tyrrell’s Vat 9 with its relative youth had power and intensity indicating that it needs a few more years.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey this week served Caprinelle Tomme de Chevre from the Midi-Pyrenees. It was very pale, semi-hard and had a wonderful rustic aroma. A distinct salty flavour matched the sherry for those who kept a nip in their glass for the cheese.

Spencer Ferrier provided us Yirgacheffe beans from Ethiopia. It was bright with a fruity dry.

In closing his comments, Graham thanked Peter, the REX chef, for his invaluable assitance to the serving of the lunch.

28 March 2017 Gary Patterson

This week we had a break from the Chef of the Year cook-off lunches as it was the March wine luncheon. Gary Patterson was on the pans and ably assisted by Paul Thorne.

Canapés. We were treated to three canapés to start this lunch. Paul had produced two soups for us, both cauliflower based, one with a decidedly brilliant purple colour which of course was from a purple cauliflower. The disposable plastic drinking containers Paul supplied were apparently new to everyone and were a wonderful idea. The plain white cauliflower soup had been prepared with capsicum, garlic, apple cider, chilli and paprika and had a wonderful flavour much spicier than the purple version. Gary served a canapé of clearly fresh green prawns lightly pan-fried in a mix of spices. The quality of the seafood was brilliant and the soup and the prawns provided a wonderful contrast.

Aperitif wine. In the Winemaster’s absence this week Ross Tzannes filled in very well. The aperitif wine was a Craggy Range Riesling 2011. Most found it a little bland but clean and consistent under screwcap, the fruit level struggling to entice. Disappointing from such high-quality maker.

Main course. Gary’s meal was based around an eye fillet of beef. It was served simply with jus with potato and some iceberg lettuce on which had been placed corn, tomato and other vegetables. The simplicity was well appreciated in the room and the beef fillet quality and doneness was perfect. Gary thanked Pete the chef for helping him achieve this result.

The wines.

• Argiano Brunello Montalcino 2007 (cork, 13.5%)
• Guigal Cote Rotie 2007 (cork, 14.0%)
• Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (cork, 14.0%)
• Penfolds Bin 389 Shiraz Cabernet 2004 (cork, 14.0%)
• Penfolds Bin 389 Shiraz Cabernet 1998 (cork, 14.0%)
• Penfolds Bin 389 Shiraz Cabernet 1996 (cork, 14.0%)

In summary, a beaut group of wines.

The Brunello and Cote Rotie provided a real contrast as would be expected. The Italian Sangiovese was of lighter hue showing dried fruits on the nose with a wonderfully smooth long palate and overriding elegance. The Syrah Cote Rotie was more powerful with dusty soft tannins and came through as an iron fist in a velvet glove.

Then came a group of four Penfolds wines. The Bin 407 has long been the poor cousin but now retails at the same price as the Bin 389. At 13 years of age it was still a dense wine, a little one-dimensional but still with noticeable tannins showing from the hand-me-down Bin 707 wood. It had a hard edge and a little bit of bitterness. The three bottles of Bin 389 being 2004, 1998 and 1996 were an interesting contrast. The 2004 was of course full-bodied, well-balanced and just needs a bit of time. Fine wine. The 1998 had slight oxidation which could have been brought about by the early pour, the lunch being a wine tasting. However, the underlying fruit was poor with a degree of volatility. The 1998 vintage in South Australia showed great merit early on but as time has progressed it has become very disappointing. The 1996 was a wonderful wine. Balanced, mouth filling, good fruit density and wonderful blackberry flavours. Penfolds is at its best

Cheese and coffee. Our Cheesemaster James Healey this week provided us with an American New England area Cabot cloth bound cheddar. A cheese James has served before it is always well thought of and has a good medium texture and a nutty sweetness to the palate. The cheese was served with spinach leaves and smoked almonds.

With cheese were the lucky recipient of Dennis Cooper's birthday offering, Delord Bas-Armangnac 1994. An outstanging grape spirit. Sadly there was no one there who was born in 1994 but it would have been wasted on them anyway!

Spencer Ferrier provided us a Forsyth’s Kings Blend coffee which is a blend of three countries. A very good coffee to serve strong and black it had real body.

21 March CoTD Denis Redfern (cook-off 4)

Our 4^th cook-off for the year involved our finalist Denis Redfern. He was ably accompanied by both Jennifer Darin (VP of the Ladies Wine and Food Society) and Dennis Cooper. However, the latter Dennis was sent to the sidelines to do canapes as Denis and Jennifer ploughed on in the kitchen.  

Canapés. We begin with an innovative tuna cube on a stick with honey, lime, sake, miso and bonito flakes. The tuna had been cured with lemon, lime zest and salt at 1C. A bit like a savoury Turkish delight. This was followed up with a mini pithivier filled with onion, bacon and caraway seeds. Denis explained the process of making this by cutting out two pieces of pastry, one each for the top and bottom. A delightful starter which is much enjoyed and served in quantity. Dennis had an interesting story about how he used a 3D printer to produce the mould to cut the pastry.

Aperitif wine. Paul Ferman started us off Ciro Picariello Fiano 2014, a DOCG from Campania. At 12.5% it was fresh clean and generally well liked. One member described it as a ‘potting wine’ which is what many of us would much enjoy if we were to be undertaking such a perilous task..

Main course. Denis’s main course today was a repeat of his Raymond Blanc Provençal lamb racks served with Dijon mustard, breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic. This was plated with ratatouille with sizeable portions of garlic bread in foil served on side. The lamb was served beautifully pink, a comment made from many tables. The general opinion that the quantity of ratatouille on the plate was a little plentiful but that was to do with the plating from the kitchen. Serving lamb consistently medium to rare for such a large number is a difficult process but well executed today.

The wines.

• Nicolas Reau Pompois Anjou 2010 (cork, 13.0%)
• Huntington Estate Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (cork, 13.5%)
• Barwang 842 Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2008 (screwcap, 13.0%)
• Rosemount Mountain Blue Shiraz Cabernet 2006 (screwcap, 14.0%)

The Anjou Cabernet Franc was fresh with lifted fruit and had bright characteristics. A very attractive lighter red but after a few mouthfuls a little too much fruit. It did show however how good a straight Cabernet Franc can be. The Tumbarumba Chardonnay was interesting in that it was relatively low alcohol at 13% and comes from a price point of around $50. The 842 refers to 842 m above sea level. For those who prefer their Chardonnay in the more restrained style it was little sweet and broad.

The Huntington Cabernet was fantastic at 15 years of age. Smooth, aged, still good acid with soft tannins. It was drinking beautifully and most thought it was a better match with the food. The Mountain Blue, a favourite of many, was still a solid wine, very Australian in nature with a long finish. A wine of good balance.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey provided Fromager d’Affinois, a Society favourite. A rich cheese with a silky mouth feel and creamy flavour. Excellent.

Spencer Ferrier provided us with Apko Gayo an Arabica bean from the Acheh region of Sumatra, Indonesia. We last had it in March 2013 and his notes made the point about its variability.

We now have a week’s break from cook-offs as we enjoy the March wine luncheon.