May 5 Lunch

Amosh and REX team

The Food - by James HillA modest number attending today with Amosh KC executive chef of our club preparing lunch. Perfectly executed, robust flavours and great presentation as we’d expect from our talented chef.

Canapés

The canapes were prepped by our kitchen team.

Spinach and mushroom quiche made with button mushrooms, spinach, garlic and puff pastry.

Crispy prawn roll served with sriracha mayonnaise. A little heat in both the prawn and the sauce however not too dominant, great texture.

Cheesy beef ragu wonton cup made with Nduja, a spicy, spreadable cured pork sausage originating from Calabria.

Members thought the last canapé was outstanding …a lot of effort and thought in the canapés, all favourably commented upon.

Main

Our main was confit duck leg with brown-butter celeriac, nepalese style mixed beans ragout and duck sauce.

The duck was nigh on perfect with crisp skin with meat falling off the bone, its glaze was made with sugar balsamic and orange.

A silky celeriac purée sat on top of the six bean mix made with duck fat juniper and star anise.

The sauce was made tomato, chicken stock white wine butter with cumin and coriander, elegant and delicious. 

Tremendous amount of flavour in our dish today without too much heat.

Bread sourdough with our main and seeded served with the cheese.

Cheese

Cheese master Mark Bradford selected a French white mould goat’s cheese ‘Buche de Lucay’.

P.Jacquin et fils produce traditional style goats milk cheeses in the Loire region of western France.  This typical, French log-shaped cheese takes its name from nearby Lucay-le-Male. Fresh salted curds are covered with p.candidum and ripened in humid rooms to encourage the moulds to form a velvety white coat.

Transported in a special ‘cloche’ to ensure the mould continues to ripen, this chevre has a dry, crumbly centre surrounded by a ring of soft ripened goat’s cheese, all blanketed in a soft velvet-like rind. The flavour is rich and creamy with a traditional goat’s milk tang.

Our cheese was served with green apples and walnuts.

Wine Report - by Stephen O'Halloran

A modest crowd of around 30, including four guests (excellent work, Tony Scott and James Hill), dined in fine style today with some delicious duck presented by Amosh, the Rex chef, in one of his occasional lunches for our Society. What a talent he is — truly outstanding. See the Food Report for full details.

Canapé Wine

For the canapés, we enjoyed the Brokenwood 2023 Semillon (11%). We have had this wine before and it continues to be very popular. Fresh, clean, with excellent fruit–acid balance. Remarkable drinking for such a young Hunter Semillon, which would normally need five to six years of bottle age before approaching drinkability. A clear example of modern winemaking technique. A great canapé wine.

Luncheon Wines

Wine 1 – Seppelt Sparkling Show Shiraz 2008 (13%)

A terrific start. This wine, made by our very own winemaker Chilly Hargrave — who regrettably was not with us today to enjoy the fruits of his skill — was universally regarded as outstanding. A wonderful example of this unique Australian style. Now fully mature, soft and embracing, with still‑generous mousse (aka bubbles). Glorious dark fruits wrapped in a voluptuous mouthfeel, perfect with the duck. From a great year, this was a rare gift for all to enjoy. Our guests certainly picked the right day to join us — come again, we hope to see you soon.

Wine 2 – Willunga 100 Bush Vine Grenache 2024 (14.5%)

Grown in McLaren Vale from 50‑year‑old vines, this wine was luscious and sensual. Mid‑weight, red‑brick in colour, spicy and acidic, but excellent on the palate with plentiful hints of strawberry and cherry. An excellent partner for the duck. This wine reflects the modern approach to Grenache — a grape once dismissed as a “weed” suitable only for cheap bulk flagon wine. We have certainly come a long way. The team at Willunga are among the top Grenache producers in the country.

My only criticism of the grape is that it lacks follow‑through — no lingering flavour, unlike a great Cabernet or Shiraz. That’s my view anyway. Fire at will.

Wine 3 – Greywacke Pinot Noir 2015 (13.5%)

This New Zealand Pinot provoked mixed reactions. I quite liked it, notwithstanding that it was an unusual Pinot. Very dark in colour for PN, medium‑bodied, with an alluring aftertaste not typical of the variety. A big wine, probably nearing the end of its good drinking window. Made by the legendary NZ Pinot grower Kevin Judd. At the end of the day, I was not entirely sure what to make of it — certainly unusual, but still drinkable. Definitely a drink‑now proposition.

Wine 4 – Helen’s Hill Shiraz 2021 (14.8%)

From the Yarra Valley, Victoria. Very deep in colour, almost opaque. Intense Shiraz with dark berry fruits, some tannin and spice. A powerful wine, but in balance — fruit, acid, oak and tannin all working together to produce a very pleasant wine, enjoyable to the last mouthful. The sort of wine to drink with a rare rump steak and chips.

Wine of the Day

No need to guess — of course, the Sparkling Shiraz.