L30 August Wine Lunch - COTD Denis Redfern
Today was certainly one for the books, with a stellar line-up of talent on display, both in the kitchen from our Chef of the Day and from our wine cellar. The day was expertly hosted by Chilly, who provided Members with a wealth of insight into the wines presented, bringing the stories and characters behind the wines to life.
The afternoon concluded with Members having the opportunity to sample wines from our two guest winemakers, providing a fitting end to an outstanding day of food, wine and conversation. More about this below!
To top things off, we were able to welcome a new Member into our Society.
Wine report by Stephen O’Halloran
A full house of 50+ enjoyed some terrific food and wine, and I am sure we all had a rollicking great time. The canapés by James Hill, Steve Sparkes and Gary Doherty were a great hit, while the roast beef prepared by Denis Redfern was plentiful and beautiful. Well done to all involved.
The canapé wine was a Society favourite, the Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling 2017. This wine never fails and remains one of our top canapé wines. Crisp, bright acidity and a clean finish, preceded by delicate hints of lemon and lime citrus. I did notice, however, that some bottles I poured were a tad darker than most — a little less vibrant perhaps. Bottle variation, or simply age, may have been a factor. Nonetheless, a delightful canapé wine.
Now for the serious business of the day: the Shiraz taste-off between Australian and French wines from the Northern Rhône. I do not intend to report in detail on all of the wines involved, but instead provide my summary of the comparison as I saw it on the day.
The Australian Shiraz was represented by the iconic Best’s Vineyard in Great Western Victoria, featuring their Bin 0 from 2010 and 2014. These wines come from vines planted in the late 1880s and early 1900s — truly a national treasure for Shiraz lovers. The French were represented by four Guigal wines: a 2010 St Joseph, and three Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde Syrah from 2012, 2010 and 2009. Interestingly, all six wines were 13.5% alcohol.
The local team elected to kick off with the 2014 leading the charge, followed closely by the 2010. Both wines were superb, although in my view the 2014 had the edge. Over the last few years I have drunk many bottles of their Bin 1 2014, which has become my go-to red wine.
Both the 2014 and 2010 Bin 0s were elegant, mid-weight wines, garnet in colour with traces of purple. Spicy and peppery, with wonderful balance between tannins, oak and acidity, they led to a lingering, powerful finish demanding another glass! Both wines were truly Shiraz of the highest quality.
The 2010 Bin 0 had won multiple awards at the Sydney Show in past years. However, on this occasion the room narrowly preferred the 2014, with personal taste probably being the key factor.
The French line-up was, I think it is fair to say, lighter in colour and structure than the Australian wines. The Côte-Rôtie wines were all 96% Syrah with 4% Viognier, while the St Joseph was 100% Syrah.
They were all mid- to light-weight wines, red-brick in colour, with hints of earthy spice and cherry on the palate. Balance was good, with noticeable acidity present. The wines were enjoyable to drink, but it must be said that, with the exception of the final wine — the 2009 — they left the palate without making much of an impression.
The 2009 was, in my opinion, the pick of the French bunch: a really nice wine, with a deeper and denser structure than the others, rich fruit and a fleshy, supple character.
A direct comparison between the two groups revealed, in my opinion, that the Australian wines had more flavour while retaining their elegance, finishing with a more appealing aftertaste. The French wines, with the exception of the 2009, finished in a somewhat bland fashion.
At the end of the day, by general acclaim it was a win for Team Australia, with the Best’s Bin 0 2014 the room’s first choice, the Côte-Rôtie 2009 in second place and the Best’s Bin 0 2010 third.
A most interesting afternoon, with special thanks to the late Paul Firman and our Gregg Chugg for selecting these outstanding wines many years ago, making a day like today possible.
My pick of the day: Best’s Bin 0 2014.
Words by Tony Scott
After completing his presentation of the Northern Rhône reds, Chilly invited Tony Scott to introduce his two winemaker guests, Tom Egan and Alex Head, who spoke to Members about a selection of their wines presented on the day.
Tom Egan learned his winemaking skills in Margaret River, Western Australia. For five years, he and two of his WA winemaker colleagues travelled to Mendoza, Argentina, for every vintage, making wines which they then marketed back in Australia under the Jed Wines label.
Tom is now National Marketing Manager for Viticult, based in Marrickville, which represents a number of impressive South American wines in Australia. These include wines from Bodega Colomé of Salta, high in the Andes of Argentina — an area where Phil Laffer himself spent five years working as a winemaker.
Alex Head, of Head Wines, spent several years working with Jon Osbeiston at Ultimo Cellars before moving to Langton’s, where he spent a further five years developing his knowledge of wine. During this time, he also graduated from Sydney University with a degree in Chemistry and Microbiology.
Alex has now completed 20 successive vintages making wines in the Barossa. His wines include several Shiraz made in a Northern Rhône style, notably Head Wines The Blonde and Head Wines The Brunette.
Perhaps most remarkably, Alex has achieved all of this without owning a winery himself — an impressive testament to his winemaking experience, relationships and resourcefulness.
Food report by James Hill
Full house today for our August wine tasting lunch, with Denis Redfern in the kitchen as Chef of the Day.
Guests were welcomed with a selection of canapés: James Hill’s coarse country-style terrine, based on a recipe from Damien Pignolet; Steve Sparke’s dried apricot with a splodge of crème fraîche, a piece of walnut and a drizzle of honey; and Gary Doherty’s salmon mousse tarts. A varied and enjoyable selection to get the afternoon underway.
The ribeye was the centrepiece of the meal, with four substantial pieces of beef prepared for the occasion. Each piece was carefully dried, seasoned and lightly oiled before being given a very hot sear to develop a rich, flavoursome crust. The beef was then finished gently in the oven, with the cooking closely monitored to ensure each piece reached the desired level of doneness.
As the pieces varied slightly in size, they were removed from the oven individually rather than all at once. After a long, well-insulated rest, the beef settled beautifully, resulting in a consistent rare to medium-rare finish across all four pieces.
The result was excellent. The exterior had a deep, well-developed crust, while the meat remained tender, juicy and beautifully pink through the centre. The long resting period also appeared to pay dividends, with very little juice lost when the beef was carved.
The beef was served with Beaver horseradish cream. The sharpness and gentle heat of the horseradish provided an excellent counterpoint to the richness of the ribeye and made for a classic combination.
Yorkshire puddings were prepared to accompany the beef, ensuring there were plenty to go around. The batter was made with eggs, plain flour and light milk, with the lighter milk helping produce a particularly crisp result.
The puddings were cooked in well-preheated muffin pans with beef tallow, giving them a wonderfully savoury flavour. They rose impressively in the oven, developing a crisp, golden exterior while remaining light and airy inside. Briefly reheated at the REX just before service, they retained their crispness and arrived at the table in excellent condition.
They proved to be the perfect partner for the ribeye — crisp on the outside, soft within and ideal for soaking up the meat juices and horseradish cream.
The roast potatoes were another highlight. Potatoes from Mitolo Farms were prepared and partially roasted in a combination of duck fat and ghee before being finished the following day at the REX. The result was exactly what you would hope for from a great roast potato — beautifully crisp and golden on the outside, with a soft and fluffy centre. They provided an excellent accompaniment to the beef and gravy.
The gravy was made by deglazing the roasting pans with Fantini Sangiovese, before combining this with beef stock, more of the wine and Oxo cubes — a nod to traditional Yorkshire practice. It was reduced to develop plenty of depth and body and provided a rich and flavoursome accompaniment to the beef and Yorkshire puddings.
The sauce soubise was particularly interesting. Cooked until tender before being combined with béchamel and finished with butter. This is a family tradition passed down from Denis’s grandparents and is rarely seen on menus today. Its creamy, savoury character made it a wonderful accompaniment to the beef.
The green beans were simply prepared, cooked until tender but retaining a pleasant crispness. Their freshness provided a welcome contrast to the richness of the main course.
The meal concluded with a washed-rind Langres from Fromagerie Germain, which arrived at the table in perfect condition. This was accompanied by a fresh spinach salad and crusty bread, both courtesy of Rob Guthrie.
Denis is indebted to James Hill, Steve Sparke and Gary Doherty for their excellent canapés, and to Rob Guthrie for the spinach salad and for sourcing the crusty bread that accompanied the cheese.
It has been ten years since Denis was last in the kitchen, and it was a very welcome return. There was clearly a great deal of thought, preparation and effort that went into today’s lunch, and it was masterfully executed, with flavours, textures and presentation all working beautifully together.
As Phil said today, we saw a perfect combination of food and wine — a fitting description of an excellent August tasting lunch.
New Member Alert
President Stephen O’Halloran welcomed a new member today, Peter Antaw, to our society presenting him with a society pin and our history “A table of delights”.
