A welcome return to the kitchen today for Leigh Hall as our chef of the day.

Food Report

By James Hill

Canapés 

Merv Peacock and Hilton chapman were on hand to assist in assembly .

First up

Sun-dried tomatoes some cream cheese topped with anchovy on a croustade.

Guacamole and smoked salmon toper with capers on brown rice crackers.

Pork meat balls with dab of eggplant pickle. A little heat in the pickle that went well with pork.

Main course 

A good choice for main on a cool winter’s today, day stuffed rolled pork loin with potatoes dauphinoise.

It was served with a wine and stock reduction that had an sweetness lingering on the palate and perfectly complimenting the pork ..

The roll was stuffed with figs,dates and crasins . A lot of effort evident preparation for lunch today ..there was some table variation as to ‘doneness’. 

Many favorable comments on all food presented today.

Thanks Leigh.

Cheese

Mark Bradford selected a blue cow’s milk cheese from Italy today ‘Dolce Gorgonzola’.

Dolce is the term used for young or sweet cheese.

Typically made from a single milking, the white interior has thick green lines of mould and a soft creamy flavour. The crusty rind bulges as it matures and develops distinct yeasty flavours reminiscent of Taleggio. Gorgonzola Dolce is soft, sweet, with a subtle creamy texture, and piquant finish.

Leigh accompanied the cheese with some sliced apples and pears, dried apricots, figs, cashew and walnuts.

James Hill

Wine Report — 21 July 2026

By Stephen O'Halloran

Today saw a modest turnout of 25 for Leigh Hall's roast Loin of Pork with all the trimmings; we had hoped for a larger number. We did, however, have a large attendance last week and a likely solid roll-up for next week, so I think that perhaps today was a victim of "lunch fatigue." 

Canapé wine: Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay 2022 @ 13%. His Folklore Chardy is excellent value, right up at the top end of good commercial Chardys. On presentation the wine was a gleaming gold colour, with still plenty of acid supporting quality fruit with melon and apple hints. A nice clean, crisp, persistent finish, driven along by the quality of the fruit base. A well-made wine from one of our top winemakers.

Wine 1 — 2015 Curley Flat Chardonnay @ 13%, grown in the Macedon Ranges, Vic. This vineyard has a well-deserved high reputation for its Chardy and Pinot. The wine today is now 11 years old and has developed into an elegant, beautifully balanced aged wine. The first sip shows its class — restrained flavours of peach and grapefruit, with a lingering finish. Acid falling away a little but still sufficient to deliver a rewarding experience. A lovely wine.

Wine 2 — Teusner Grenache 50%, Mataro 30%, Shiraz 20% blend from the Barossa @ 14.5%. Dry-grown and aged vines sourced by top winemaker Kym Teusner were used in this GSM. Light to medium body, lots of earthy and spice overtones. Not too heavy on the palate, an easy-drinking style. Good integration of tannin and oak — a good lunchtime wine.

Wine 3 — Pagliarese Chianti Classico 2016 @ 13%, a Sangiovese from Tuscany. I have developed over the years a very strong attraction for some of the better-quality Chiantis we have had at our lunches. For this reason I was really disappointed by this wine. To my palate it was flat and dull. A medium-bodied wine showing strong earthy, mossy flavours, but the taste and finish were, to me, a let-down. At 10 years old I suspected the wine had lost a significant amount of its acid balance, leading to a flabby and unexciting finish. To me, a big let-down — but as the old saying goes, "into each life a little rain must fall."

Wine 4 — Gilles Robin 2011 Crozes-Hermitage @ 13.5%. A very well-regarded northern Rhône producer, this wine a straight Syrah. I was full of hope for this wine, having an excellent pedigree. Sadly, my hopes were for a second time today dashed by a wine that had very little to offer. Colour and aroma were okay, but very little flavour — another flat and flabby wine, drinkable but unexciting. I was beginning to wonder if it was the wine or my palate having an off day. Very fortunately our table was able to scrounge a half bottle off the adjoining table, which we sparingly shared around. A remarkable difference between the two bottles — the second wine was terrific: lively fruit and acid, a good oak/tannin mix. Our table had obviously had a poor bottle first up! Reputation restored by a decent bottle. Bottle variation in older wines is a very real issue, as was evidenced today.

My wine of the day: the exquisite aged Chardonnay from Curley Flat.

Stephen O'Halloran