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L31 An afternoon escape to Italy
40 members and guests rolled up to enjoy some Italian delights, welcoming in the first day of Spring. The lunch was put togehter by newly sworn-in member Tom Squires, assisted in the kitchen by guest Sam Alexiou. Tom was presented with the WFSNSW 'Golden Apron' for his first time cooking for the Society.
Wine report by Stephen O'Halloran
The theme for today’s lunch was Italian, put together by one of our newest members, Tom Squires, with the assistance of potential new member Sam Alexiou. Their youthful keenness and drive to put on a good lunch were rewarded with an excellent lasagne, plus some delicious canapés. See food report.
It was terrific to see a good roll-up, with around 40 members supporting them at their first WFS lunch.
The canapé wine was a Prosecco Rosé by Riva dei Frati NV. I suppose it was only a matter of time before we saw a Prosecco joining us for lunch, given the popularity of this drink worldwide. I thought that one day we would have to move with the times and not be like King Canute.
So, what is so wrong with having a Prosecco with an Italian meal? Plenty, in my view. Put simply, it was far too sweet and sugary and not in balance. Sorry to sound negative, but that's how I saw it. I really did not like it.
A courageous choice by our Wine Master, who is always endeavouring to widen our wine horizons with something a bit different.
The first two lunch wines were top class: a Seghesio Langhe Nebbiolo 2019 at 14.5% and a Poderi Aldo Conterno Barbera d'Alba 2015 at 14.5%. Both wines were lovely.
The Nebbiolo was a lightish wine, the colour of mild cherry, with a matching structure, but packing in some wonderful full fruit flavours of strawberry and cherry. Spicy, earthy hints followed, leading to a well-balanced texture with firm tannins and sufficient acidity to ensure a delightful finish.
A fine wine. I can just see myself on the shore of Lake Garda, on a sunny day, sipping this wine with a plate of antipasto, with enjoyable company, of course. Heaven!
The second wine, the Barbera, was totally different. Full-bodied, dense purple/black in colour and almost opaque. A big wine, no doubt, but in perfect balance and showing lots of flavour of blackberries, leather and earth. Tannin, oak and acidity all teamed up together to produce a powerful and pleasant finish.
Very definitely a wine for a fine Osso Bucco. I can just taste it!
Next was the Wynns Black Label Cabernet 2015 at 13.8%. This wine needs no introduction to our Society. It never fails to hit the mark, time after time.
Medium-weight and jam-packed with the classic taste of mature Coonawarra Cabernet, I think this wine has a great future ahead. Now 11 years old, it will be showing its class well into the 2030s.
An Australian icon.
The wine had that unmistakable aroma and taste of an Australian red wine, so different from the preceding Italian wines.
Wine 4 was the Tyrrell’s Old Hut Shiraz from 2014 at 14.2%. This wine is commonly regarded as the poor cousin of the esteemed Tyrrell’s Sacred Site collection. However, it comes from a vineyard right next to their celebrated 4 Acres vineyard, and being a 2014 vintage, it just does not put a foot wrong.
Totally different from the Wynns, it was much lighter, with juicy, sweet fruit. A soft wine, with gentle tannins and spicy dark fruit of plum and blueberry. An excellent finish.
A great example of the excellence of the 2014 vintage in the Hunter.
The final wine for our table was a “Fridge Drop”, by reason of our table numbers: a Lindeman’s Limestone Ridge Cabernet/Shiraz from 2012.
Once again, this wine was so different from the Italian wines in flavour and structure. You really knew you were back in OZ!
However, as I am uncertain how many in the room tasted this wine, I will not bang on, save to say it was delicious.
My pick of the day: the Barbera.
Food report by James Hill
A great way to welcome Spring with an Italian-themed menu, with first-time Chef of the Day Tom Squires in the kitchen, assisted by Sam Alexiou (Bill’s son and Tom’s cousin).
Canapés
Caprese skewers of Roma tomatoes, basil, bocconcini, glazed balsamic and EVOO.
Whipped ricotta on crostini, topped with lemon oil, toasted walnuts, hot honey and thyme.
Mushroom arancini with aioli dip.
Main
Slow-cooked beef short rib lasagne.
Salad of butter lettuce, shaved fennel, Parmesan, pine nuts and lemon vinaigrette.
A lasagne with a difference. Tom used 10.5 kilos of braised beef short rib as the filling, with béchamel and pasta perfectly cooked. A simple salad accompanied the main course.
A great effort by a first-time Chef of the Day. All aspects of the lunch, from the canapés through to the main course and cheese accompaniment, were acclaimed by attendees today.
Plenty on the plate — no one went home hungry!
Great flavours, textures and presentation were a highlight.
Bread
Fiore Bakery - Mcmahons Point.
Cheese
Keeping with the Italian theme, our Cheese Master, Mark Bradford, presented a blue cow’s milk cheese from Italy, ‘Gorgonzola Dolce’.
Surrounded by the lush pastures of Lombardy, the Mauri family still mature cheeses in their purpose-built caves, carved into the foothills of the Italian Alps.
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 and sweet, with a subtle creamy texture and a piquant finish.
The cheese was accompanied by peeled grapes baked with orange zest.
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.
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”.
L29 Hal and his Pork Knuckles
Today saw 30 members around the tables with Hal at the helm putting on a show with his pork knuckles. Our Wine Master brought back some fond memories for our President, brining out a wine he discovered on his honeymoon all those years ago.
Today, a crowd of about 30 or so gathered together for a bit of knuckle @ the WFS, and by that I mean Pork Knuckle, not what goes on in our Committee meetings. Hal Epstein had put on a delicious meal of perfectly cooked Pork Knuckle with red cabbage and all the other trimmings. It was a great effort from Hal & Amosh to put it all together. See Food Report for more detail.
Our Canapé wine was the Larry Cherubino Folklore Chardonnay 2022 @ 13.3%. This man is one of our best winemakers, and this is his entry-level chardy from his vineyards in WA. The wine is a very acceptable commercial-style drink for Canapés. Good acidity, hints of melon & stone fruits, quite a big wine packing lots of rich fruit flavours, but to me the finish was marred by a degree of sweetness which I found off-putting. However, it is what it is, a good-value Chardy which would appeal to many, but not this little black duck.
Wine number 1 on the lunch wines was the great Schloss Johannisburg Kabinett Rotlack Riesling 2021 @ 11.5% from the Rheingau district of Germany. What a wine!
My wife & I first tasted this wine when on our Honeymoon in 1972, when we visited Norfolk Island. One mouthful and we were hooked. I think we drank it with everything we ate: steak, roast beef, fish, pasta, salads and so on. The memories are very clear. It certainly washed away any honeymoon anxieties, including how we were going to afford bottle after bottle of this wine!
So much for an expedition down memory lane. Put simply, this is a magnificent Riesling. Elegant, restrained, perfectly balanced fruit/acid integrating seamlessly. Lingering finish that yearns for more! Pure, vibrant, everything in harmony. I can say no more. Wonderful.
Number 2 wine, the Port Philip Estate 2023 Pinot Noir @ 13.5%, was to me disappointing. The wine & I just did not hit it off together from my first glance at its insipid appearance. Light, pale red-brick colour, thin & lacking in any degree of depth or flavour. A cool-climate wine from the Mornington Peninsula, the wine was highly acidic & finished poorly. To me, this wine was a throwback to the early days of PN in Australia, watery & flavourless. I have no desire to see this wine again.
Wine 3 was the SC Pannell Adelaide Hills 2016 Shiraz @ 14%. This chap is one of my favourite winemakers, but I regret to say, this wine was not one of his best. Colour was good, a mid-weight Shiraz, quite elegant on the palate, showing nice earthy spices with firm tannins & good oak integration, but there was something lacking at the finish. Maybe acids were falling away a tad, leading to a rather dull finish. Still an enjoyable lunch wine, however, but perhaps I was expecting a bit more from this celebrated winemaker. Perhaps should have been drunk 2/3 years ago.
Final wine of the day was the 2016 Pagliarese Chainti Classico @ 13%. A wine from Tuscany, 90% Sangiovese. The colour was still good, dark fruit flavours of cherry, blueberry & raspberry, tannin & oak in balance, but I detected a touch of acid loss at the finish, with a touch of flabby aftertaste. Still quite an acceptable lunch wine, but again, in my view drinking a few years beyond its prime.
My wine of the day, the magnificent Schloss Johannisburg Riesling.
Our chef of the day was Hal Epstein.
Hal always looks to do something a little different. Today, it was canapés with an indigenous ingredient.
Hal started with popcorn with a bush pepper blend.
Freshly popped popcorn dusted with a bush pepper blend.
A first as a canapé in my time with our society.
Yours truly followed up with some kangaroo loin meatballs with saltbush, some Davidson plum paste, and balsamic dipping sauce. Kangaroo is a lean meat, so when preparing the meatballs, we added some pork fat to stop them drying out.
Then came mini arancini coated with lemon myrtle crumbs and onion, breadcrumbs, mozzarella, and Parmesan mixed with the rice.
Roasted pork knuckle with red cabbage, cauliflower, and a panko crumb topping.
The pork knuckles were perfectly cooked, crackling on the outside and the meat moist and tender, falling off the bone. On the plate, we had red cabbage that was slowly cooked with apples, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and butter, and panko-crusted florets of cauliflower.
What a feast! No one went hungry today; the pork knuckle average weight was 800 gms.
A very good lunch today. Thanks, Hal.
Hal acknowledged the assistance of our kitchen brigade in preparing the pork knuckle.
Bread was baguettes from Baker Bleu, Double Bay.
Hal got Claude to recommend a cheese, and cheese master Mark Bradford obliged. Today we had ‘Stilton’, a cow’s milk blue cheese from England.
A limited quantity of Stilton is made at Colston Bassett to a traditional recipe exclusively for Neal’s Yard Dairy using animal rennet, which creates a delicate, friable texture and long, complex flavour. Curds are hand-ladled into cylindrical moulds; a time-consuming and painstaking process, but one that helps to preserve the structure of the curd and deliver a smooth, rich-textured cheese.
The piercing takes place later in the maturation process in order to strike the right balance between creamy, flavoursome paste and blue mould.
During maturation, the crusty rind forms naturally, encouraged by rubbing and brushing, and after spiking, blueing radiates from the centre. This is a buttery, silky cheese with an elegant sweetness.
L28 A Taste of Chinatown Comes to Gresham Street
36 members gathered around the tables to enjoy a taste of Chinatown, put on by our very talented Bernard Leung with the assistance of James Hill.
A quite reasonable crowd turned up today to sample Bernie Leung’s Chinese banquet, which was delicious from the canapés through to the main course of stir-fried pork. See the food report for full details.
Canapés — Collector Chardonnay 2021
Wine 1 — Pikes Merle Riesling 2022
Wine 2 — Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2023
Wine 4 — Orlando St Hugo Cabernet 2009
With the canapés, we enjoyed a really nice little Chardonnay from Collector Wines, near Canberra, although the grapes were grown in Tumbarumba, southern NSW.
This region has, in recent years, developed a worthy reputation for excellent Chardonnay. Some of Penfolds’ top Chardonnays are sourced from the region, as are some of our best sparkling wines.
The wine today was the 2021 vintage at 12.9%. A few years of bottle age have produced a rounded, well-balanced wine. It showed a gleaming green-gold colour, clear and crisp, with an abundance of quality fruit. Apple, melon and peach were prominent.
This is an extremely good commercial Chardy, drinking at its peak, with a powerful finish.
Wine 1 on the lunch menu was the highly rated Merle Riesling from Pikes in Clare. This is their flagship white wine, made only in the best years.
A beautiful Riesling at 11.5%, this wine came from the acclaimed 2022 vintage. It was an elegant, restrained Riesling showing real class.
I have no doubt that it will be drinking superbly in another 10 to 15 years. Today, the wine was showing hints of lime and lemon, with perfect acid/fruit balance on the palate, leading to a crisp, lingering finish.
I would really love to drink this wine again in 2036, by which time it will have become a classic.
Wine 2 was the Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2023 at 13.5%, a wine grown in and around the Young district of NSW.
A mid-weight Shiraz, red-brick in colour and showing typical quality Shiraz flavours of pepper and spice. Oak and tannins were nicely in place. This is a cool-climate wine with great potential to develop into a refined Northern Rhône style.
I am sure that, given another five years of bottle age, this wine will become a delightful, elegant mid-weight Shiraz.
Just give it more time.
Wine 4 was a beauty — a 2009 Orlando St Hugo Cabernet at 14.2%.
A lovely 17-year-old Cabernet with all the trimmings. Huge berry-fruit aromas, an intense deep-red to near-black colour, and sweet, chewy flavours of plum, blackcurrant and chocolate.
The oak and tannins worked perfectly together on the finish to deliver great satisfaction. A rich, muscular wine and a real treat to drink.
A very typical example of a high-quality aged Australian Cabernet.
Our wine master also served some “table drop” reds. Our table scored a Deep Woods Estate Cabernet Malbec from Margaret River, which was delicious.
My wine of the day was the St Hugo.
A welcome return to the kitchen today for former Chef of the Year winner, Bernard Leung, presenting a Chinese themed lunch for us today.
First up Bernie presented some double fried pork bites:
Yours truly presented a variation on prawn spring roll — shelled and deveined prawns marinated in garlic and ginger overnight. Then smashed on rice paper and deep fried and served with hoisin and soy dipping sauce.
Braised Shanghainese Pork with Rice
Our main was served with Bok choy and rice.
An authentic meal executed with great success highlighting texture, flavours and innovation.
Much appreciated by all attending.
Thanks Bernie.
Mark Bradford selected our cheese today, a hard, unpasteurised cow’s milk cheese from France, ‘Comté Symphonie’. A society favourite, it came to the table in perfect condition.
Comté is a type of Gruyere, a large mountain cheese made in the Jura region on the borders of France and Switzerland. This hard cooked raw milk cheese is made at small dairies or fruitieres using the milk from several herds of Montbeliard cows.
Affineur Marcel Petite selects and matures the young wheels under a cold maturation system at 1,100 metres in the old underground Fort of Saint Antoine, carefully grading cheese before, during and after maturation.
Only a few wheels are selected for extra maturation and branded under the special label ‘Symphonie’. These are selected because of the development of intense flavour and supple texture which is in perfect balance.
Simply served with cabbage and crispy noodle salad dressed with white vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil.
Love this salad, simple yet very tasty.
L27 A Food Tour Of Nepal
30 members came together to enjoy a taste of Nepal, put on by our very talented sous-chef Madan & the team in the REX kitchen.
We had our talented kitchen team cooking for us today with Medan ,our sous chef, producing a Nepalese meal based on Newari cooking of Kathmandu Valley.
Canapés BBQ Prawn — served with Nepalese-style mint achar (pickle). The prawns were marinated in ginger and garlic for twenty four hours and then char grilled. Kukhura Ko Jhol — spiced chicken soup made with chicken bones stock coriander,cinnamon,hot oil and cumin. Haas Ko Choila — char-grilled duck, marinated in Nepalese spice, a Newari specialty. The duck was marinated in ginger,garlic, tempered mustard and scallionsand wrapped with Chinese duck pancake.
Mains Aloo Tama — potato and bamboo shoot curry soup made with yellow onion,tomatoes,cumin coriander and chicken stock. Chicken Thigh — Nepalese style marinated in ginger garlic paste Served with basmati rice,daikon radish and cucumber. The chicken was moist and tender with a crispy skin finish. The ‘soup’ was served separately to the chicken and rice and we had to pour it over our meal.It looked great,glossy and inviting ,with a lovely depth of flavour with the right balance of spice and heat. All the food presented to day was very favourably commented on and appreciated by members attending today, high quality, deliciously flavoured and perfectly executed.
Cheese Our cheese master, Mark Bradford selected a white mould goat’s cheese from France ‘Buche De Lucay’. It came to the table in perfect condition and a good match for wines on offer. 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.
A decent roll up participated in an outstanding Nepalese banquet put on by the very talented REX kitchen team of Amosh & Madan. The Canapes were delicious & the Chicken Main was superb. See food report for full details.
Wine 1 – Minaia Gavi 2021 @ 13% Wine 2 – Gunderloch Riesling 2021 @ 11.5% Wine 3 – Castellania Barbera 2010 @ 14.5% Wine 4 – Magella Coonawarra Cabernet 2004 @ 14.5% Wine 5 – Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet 2012 @ 14%
Wine wise, we got the party started with one of my favourites the Minaia Gavi 2021 @ 13%. A wine from the Piedmont region made from the Cortese grape. A very popular wine in Italy, for good reason. Quite acidic on the first taste, but dry & mouth filling with high quality fruit. Rich flavours of apple & citrus fruits. Perfect wine for the Canapes. Sadly, our last bottles for a while.
First wine for lunch was the Gunderloch Riesling 2021 @ 11.5%. Crystal clear, a delicious quality Riesling, from the home of Riesling. This wine from the Rhinehessin region was a delight. Gleaming gold in colour, crisp on the palate but dry & full of flavour. A slight hint of residual sugar as one would expect, but overall a lovely wine.
Wine 2 was the Castellania Barbera 2010. 14.5%. A 16 yo wine which may have proved a bridge too far for a Barbera. A mid weight wine, traces of red berry fruits such as cherry, raspberry & strawberry. Juicy flavours on the mid palate with the acid still just hanging in there. I thought it was a perfect lunch wine with it's lightish structure & still plenty of flavour. Maybe drunk a few years after it's prime.
Wine 3 was the Magella Coonawarra Cabernet 2004 @ 14.5%. A vineyard with a very long history in that area, producing some high quality Cabernet in good years. Today the wine presented as a big, opaque wine, full bodied with lots of Cabernet flavours. Some signs of ageing with acid diminishing, but still very drinkable. Tannin & oak balancing out equally leading to an enjoyable finish, still retaining it's deep black fruit flavours of that grape. 2004 was a top year in Coonawarra & at 22 yo the wine is still doing well, but I would have preferred to have drunk it in say 2020.
Final wine of the day was the 2012 Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet @ 14%. This was a lovely wine. Great to see one of our most prestigious labels back in action.
In prior years this was one of our most sought after red wines especially in the 60 ' & 70 's. Any self respecting wine lover would have a few bottles of this wine in his cellar. This was the wine that gained enormous fame from it's famous " Peppermint Pattie ", a 1963 Cabernet, a truly unique wine which I was fortunate enough to taste many years ago.
Sadly, the brand became lost in the storm of takeovers & mergers during the 80's & 90's & it virtually disappeared for years eventually reappearing in the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio some years ago. In any event the wine today was in my view first class. Considerably more elegant than the Magella, but still showing strong cabernet indicators. A medium weight wine, deep garnet red & showing lots of blackberry, mulberry & plumb tastes, & was that a hint of mint I detected? Ah the memories!
Now at 14 yo, fully developed with plenty of time ahead, but don't keep it for too long!. Thanks for the memories.
My wine of the day? You guessed it. The Mildara. I plead guilty to being a sentimentalist.
L26 Basque Flavours Meet Cabernet Excellence
A sunny winter's day welcomed 37 attendees to our July wine lunch, with Mark Bradford back in the kitchen for the cohort. The same dish earned him a place in the running for COTY last time—can he do it again?
Our Wine Master, Nick Reynolds, certainly delivered some quality 'oldies' to accompany the food, with a stellar line-up of Australian Cabernets going head-to-head with their French counterparts.
Food report by Mark Bradford
Matt Holmes, Craig Smith and Fabian Dwyer assisted with canapés, with some wonderful Cabernets presented to accompany the lunch.
These were in abundance.
Matt served us smoked trout on blinis, with sour cream and a garnish of capers, dill and diced onion.
Craig provided balsamic, onion and goat's cheese tarts. These had a baked puff pastry base with a topping of butter, sliced onion, thyme and sugar, then were garnished with additional thyme and EVOO.
Fabian presented colourful Caprese skewers, garnished with a high-quality balsamic drizzle.
Some Basque pintxos – Gildas – rounded off the pass-arounds.
To accompany the Cabernets, the chef of the day cooked Basque-style lamb stew.
This was a rolled lamb shoulder, diced and marinated overnight in Chardonnay, garlic and rosemary. After drying, the lamb was braised and then cooked in a stew of sautéed onions and garlic, chopped, skinned, trussed tomatoes, sweet paprika, parsley, roasted capsicum, Cabernet, bay leaves, chicken stock and white radish (daikon) for 3 to 4 hours until tender.
The meat was accompanied by yellow onion rice, featuring long-grain white rice absorption-cooked in chicken stock with turmeric, butter and onion powder. A green pea and mint purée, strained to remove the roughage, also accompanied the lamb.
The Cheese Master selected a Merco Iberico for the lunch, nominally 50 per cent cow's milk, rounded off with half goat's and half ewe's curds. This hard, blended-milk cheese is typical of those once traditionally found in many parts of Spain, where mixed herds of dairy animals were common and the ratios of milk types used in cheesemaking constantly altered according to seasonal availability. The cows' milk provides the volume, goats' milk gives the cheese a white colour and lingering piquancy, whilst the use of ewe's milk provides a rich, buttery texture. Iberico is commonly found all over Spain today.
The cheese was accompanied by Bengali rusk biscuits and honey to offset the piquant fromage.
Today was one of those special days when being a member of our Society really pays dividends!
The format for the day was a comparison of three top Australian Cabernets from the 1991, 1996 and 2002 vintages. The three French wines were from Bordeaux, all from the famous 2000 vintage, which many regard as one of the best vintages since the famous '82.
For the purposes of my report, I will depart from my usual practice of detailed assessments of each wine and will provide an overall summary of each region's wines.
Before I start, I should mention that with our delicious canapés we had a 2019 Tyrrell's HVD Semillon, which I thought was quite acceptable. However, when pouring the wine for members before lunch, I received some adverse comments. Perhaps we have some fussy drinkers. See the food report for details of our lunch.
On now to the comparison tasting. One of the early comments from the room crystallised the comparison: flavour vs elegance and structure. A worthy comment.
Dealing with the Australian contingent, the standout was the Seppelt Barossa Dorrien Vineyard Cabernet 1991. Put simply, a wonderful wine. Now at 35 years old, the wine was superb: vibrant, dark crimson, with powerful, sweet, chewy flavours of quality fruit. Tannins and oak combined perfectly to deliver a memorable, lingering finish. A real treat. A rich and intense wine.
Second Australian was the Yeringberg 1996 Cabernet from the Yarra Valley. A blend of the five classic grape varieties of Bordeaux reds. Lightish in colour with medium to light structure, this was a very elegant wine with strong hints of dark berry fruit, cedar and earthy overtones. Needs time in the glass.
Third Australian was the Penfolds Bin 407 2002, a straight Cabernet from the Barossa and McLaren Vale at 14.5%. I have often regarded 407 as my least favourite Penfolds red, as to me the wine has always been dull, opaque and unyielding. This continued today until the wine had been in my glass for at least 1.5 hours. At that time, the wine began to show some typical Cabernet indicators such as blackcurrant, mint, cedar and leather. Quite a recovery from a poor start.
Now for the French contingent. All of these wines were at 13%. The Australian wines ranged from about 13% to 14.5%.
First of the French was Château Talbot, a Fourth Growth from St Julien, one of the most respected regions in Bordeaux. A medium-bodied wine, mostly Cabernet, with that intoxicating Bordeaux aroma of cigar box, cedar and leather. God, how I love that unique smell of quality Bordeaux. I think sometimes I would be happy just to smell that aroma and not taste the wine! A graceful wine, with wonderful structure between oak, tannin and acid; it just wants to go on forever! Loved it.
Next was the Clos du Marquis, another St Julien wine. Mainly Cabernet with a hefty slug of Merlot (24%). Mid-garnet colour, redolent with the aromas of Bordeaux Cabernet, cassis, tobacco, cedar, leather and plum. Smooth tannins, with a velvety final taste leading to an alluring finish.
Last of the French was probably the best, the Ch Puy - Lacoste, a Fifth Growth from the Pauillac region, regarded as the pick of Bordeaux. Again, mainly Cabernet, but with a generous slug of Merlot (20%). Once again, medium-bodied and balanced, with an exquisite taste of cherry, leather and cedar. Does it get any better? Now a delight to drink, with no sign of ageing, and indeed all of the French wines have the key elements to continue as superb drinking for another 10 to 20 years at least.
So, after this awesome collection of fine wine, how do we emerge? It is, I think, a matter of personal choice. Powerful flavours from Australia against restrained elegance from the French. I feel that in 20 years' time the French will still be superb, whereas our wines will have long peaked some years previously.
My overall review: the star of the show today was the Dorrien. Silver medallist was the Puy-Lacoste.
Final comment: sincere thanks to Nick Reynolds for putting all this together, and to Greg Chugg, who had the foresight years ago to purchase these outstanding Bordeaux wines.
New Members Introduced
We also had the pleasure of introducing three new Society members to those attending the lunch.
Please take the opportunity to welcome our new members when you see them at future lunches.
A welcome return to the kitchen today for Leigh Hall as our chef of the day.
Food Report
By James Hill
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.
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
A cold winter's day for Tuesday 14 July: Bastille Day! Vive la République!
Who better to prepare a hearty meal with a Francophile focus tham Steve Sparkes? It is well-known that Steve attracts a large turnout, and today was no exception; we had a full house and a wonderful, lively lunch, including a marvellous rendition of the first verse of La Marseillaise from Keith Steele:
"Allons enfant de la patrie Le jour de gloire est arrivé Contre nous de la tyrannie L'étendard sanglant est levé L'étendard sanglant est levé....."
Steve noted the high-level theme was rustic farmyard/country French fare — no truffles, no foie gras, no frills; just a celebration of Bastille Day. James Hill assisted with a canapé, and recent member Gary Doherty did a sterling job assisting Steve by jumping in with the canapés and main course service.
Steve turned out some delightful rabbit rillettes. This canapé was a slow braise of wild Australian rabbit, pork belly and some aromatics. The meats were left to cool with the addition of some cooking liquid and fresh tarragon, thyme and parsley. It was left to rest for a couple of days and then served on crackers. Steve thought a simple slice of baguette would have been a better choice.
James presented a country terrine, based on pork and chicken and the usual goodies, topped with cornichon and red pepper sitting on toasts.
Steve also gave us onion tarts — a simple rendition of onions (filling and base) with apples, fresh herbs and a touch of red wine vinegar.
Great rustic French pass-arounds from two chefs of renown.
Chicken chasseur — hunters' chicken! Steve told his butcher "off with their heads!"
This is a traditional dish based on the hunter's bounty: a fresh bird with wild-gathered mushrooms slowly braised in a tomato-based broth. Today's main was an interpretation of the famous Marco Pierre White chicken chasseur recipe. Steve told us that, as with most of these traditional recipes — boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, bouillabaisse etc. — there are nearly as many variations as there are cooks preparing them. This was yet another, but true to the basics, with chicken, mushrooms, a tomato base and plenty of fresh herbs.
The dressed chicken Maryland was roasted in a very hot oven, with the drumstick parted for service. The sauce was based on shallots, tomato and chicken stock, with vast quantities of Swiss brown and button mushrooms as well as fresh herbs. The garnish was pan-fried oyster mushrooms. A simple mash, perfumed with spring onions, cream and plenty of butter, was served alongside basic petits pois which included bacon and shredded lettuce.
A "rustic" dish perhaps, but worthy of any fine dining establishment in town.
The Cheese Master selected a farmhouse cheese — a traditional-style French brie — produced on the farm and presented in a wooden box.
Ferme de la Tremblaye is located south-west of Paris and produces a range of goat's and cow's milk cheeses. Today's was a cow's milk cheese. With a focus on environmental responsibility, the B Corp–approved farm has adopted the agroecology model of sustainable farming that works with nature.
A traditional-style brie with a soft, buttery paste and complex savoury flavours, contained within a delicate, thin rind.
The brie was served with a salad dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar, roasted spiced almonds and morello cherries.
The bread was a baguette from Taste Providores in Woollahra, served with the main and cheese.
Wine Report by Stephen O'Halloran
A splendid crowd of 50+ gathered to enjoy the 237th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on this day in 1789. The room had great energy and a very positive atmosphere in anticipation of a wonderful afternoon that awaited us. Our theme of French food, wine and cheese was a natural choice, delivered to us in fine style by our excellent Chef du Jour Steve Sparkes, whose Chicken Chasseur was outstanding. See food report for full details.
The canapé wine was a white Côtes du Rhône 2022 @ 14%. A blend of Viognier 60%, Roussanne 15% and Marsanne 10%, with a few other bits and pieces thrown in.
Those familiar with this column will be aware that I have written harsh words about this Rhône white wine, as basically I just do not like the style. Heavy, unctuous and oily — it does just not appeal to my taste. Give me a crisp Riesling as a canapé wine any day. Being a harsh but fair marker, I must say that today's wine was not too bad! Certainly not my cup of tea for an aperitif, but nonetheless a reasonably enjoyable wine for the delicious canapés. I found the wine rich and full-bodied with powerful flavours of apricot and peach. Just too heavy for me, but it was clear that many in the room enjoyed it. Vive la différence!
Wine 1 was totally different — a Moreau Chablis 2018 @ 13%. Lovely light gold colour, flinty and restrained, dry but with flavours of stone fruit obvious. Great balance between acid and fruit, a crisp delightful finish. A top wine from a leading producer in a good 7/9 year.
Wine 2 was the Bouland Morgon 2023 @ 14%. This is a Beaujolais wine, but very much at the upper spectrum of the Beaujolais clan. Whilst many Beaujolais are designed to be glugged down without too much thought, this is a serious wine and deserves respect. Made from the Gamay grape, this is a mid-weight, strongly flavoured wine redolent with fruit flavours of cherry, plum and raspberry. Vibrant acid mixed with silky tannins and quality fruit make this wine a delight to drink. Great balance and a lingering fruit-driven finish made this wine the perfect partner for our Chicken Chasseur main. Mid-weight, never heavy on the palate, but powerful flavours lift this wine to its deserved status as a much sought-after luncheon wine.
Wine 3, the Ch. Rochemorin 2019 @ 13.5%, was a Bordeaux blend, 50/50 Cabernet and Merlot, from the Graves district. A lightish, quite elegant wine showing all the usual aspects of both grapes. Crimson red in colour with a noticeable plummy flavour from the hefty proportion of Merlot; dark cherry and blackcurrant from the Cabernet. Velvety and plush, it was an easy-drinking Bordeaux from a reasonable 6/8 year.
Final wine for the day was a Ch. Cruzeau 2019 @ 14%. Another Graves Cabernet/Merlot blend, 55%/45%. Medium body, very typical Bordeaux aroma and taste. Some stewed fruit aromas from the Cabernet balanced by the plummy Merlot. Strong, grippy tannin and a firm, lively finish with good acid. Another enjoyable, easy-drinking Bordeaux from a good 7/9 year.
Our member Tony Scott has once again, like last week, been very kind in donating these last two reds. Thank you, Tony — you are a very generous man.
My star of the day: the Morgon.
Chef of the Year
2025
Report by James Hill
Full house of members and guests in our club rooms for our 2025 Chef of the Year awards evening.
Our ‘night of nights’, celebrating what we do at our Society, high-quality food, fine dining standard, and masterfully executed.
2024 Chef of the Year, Rob Guthrie, was assisted by former seafood Chef of the year Chilly Hargrave , Nigel Burton , Denis Redfern , Paul Thorne and the Royal Exchange kitchen brigade.
Chef of the Year Presentation
President Stephen O’Halloran welcomed us, and Bill Alexiou-Hucker was our MC, introducing our finalists, taking us through the meals that were cooked to earn the nomination for ‘Coty.’.
Our finalists were Nigel Burton, Paul Irwin, Jonathan Casson, Leigh Hall and Steve Sparkes.
The award of Chef of the Year, voted by members, went to Jonathan Casson for his dish of shredded brisket, topped with a great mash, topped with a portabella mushroom, with spinach and a silky red wine jus.
There were no nominees for Seafood Chef of the Year this year.
The Ross MacDonald trophy for the best accompaniment to the cheese course, selected by our Cheesemaster, was won by Steve Sparkes.
The finalists were presented with gourmet French cast iron skillets and our chef of the year a set of Kasumi knives.
The evening started with Champagne and canapés:
Duck Breast with Toast, Hoisin and Mandarin by Nigel Burton
Blinis with Mascarpone, Wasabi and Sardine by Paul Thorne
Black Truffle Foie Gras on Toast by Denis Redfern
Chilly Hargrave presented an entree of home made Gravlax Salmon.
Rob Guthrie’s main tonight was crusted Lamb Rack, Mash, French Beans, Hazelnuts and Vine Tomatoes.
Cheesemaster Mark Bradford selected a Quicks Cheddar. Rob accompanied the cheese with a rocket salad with a balsamic dressing and mandolin sliced pear.
Denis Redfern followed with a dessert of raspberry tart and mascarpone cream.
The Wines
Our cellar master Nick chose a great selection of wines from our cellar .. we are fortunate to have this opportunity to taste some great wines
Appetisers/on Arrival
NV Bernard Bremont Evidence Brut Champagne
NV Bernard Bremont Brut Rosé Champagne
Entrée
2018 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne Aligoté
2018 Domaine Vincent et Francois Jouard Chassagne-Montrachet Les Champs-Gains Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru Chardonnay
Interlude wine
2015 Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir
2010 Chateau Sociando-Mallet Grand Bourgeois, Haut-Medoc Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
2013 Tyrrell's Wines Vat 9 Shiraz
2010 Tenuta di Ghizzano Terre di Pisa Veneroso Sangiovese Cabernet
2009 Charles Melton Nine Popes Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
Dessert
2007 Chateau De Myrat 2me Cru, Barsac Sauternes - 375ml
A Great Night
A great night was had by all, showcasing the talent of our members.
The American Lunch 7 July 2026
On a day when Belgium beat USA and it wasn’t fake news, our talented kitchen team prepared an American-themed lunch for our enjoyment.
First up, some corn ribs seasoned with salt and pepper and condensed milk then grilled.
Then came mini hot dogs in a potato bun with lashings of ‘ball park’ mustard and ketchup
To finish our canapé service we had beef sliders in a milk bun topped with ketchup, onion, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, malt vinegar and melted cheese.
Our main today was 24-hour marinated beef short ribs with a wicked mac and cheese and sautéed green beans.
There was plenty of meat on the ribs. They were slow-cooked for three hours, and the marinade was brown sugar, honey balsamic and malt vinegar.
All the food served today was high quality, deliciously flavoured and perfectly executed.
A big thanks to our kitchen brigade led by executive chef Amosh KC.
Our cheese master, in theme, chose a Cabot clothbound cheddar .cheese from Vermont in the USA
This clothbound cheese is the result of an unusual collaboration and is now recognised as one of the finest traditional cheddars produced in the USA.
Cabot Dairy Cooperative makes the cheese with milk from a single herd of Holstein cows and their own unique starter cultures at their huge facility in Vermont. The wheels are then transported to Mateo and Andy Kehler’s picturesque farmhouse dairy at Jasper Hill for expert ageing. After being carefully bound in cheesecloth and smeared with lard, the 16kg wheels are matured for at least 12 months in the underground caves carved out of the green hillside.
The result is crystalline-flecked, moist and crumbly cheddar with a sweet, tangy caramel flavour.
A salad of rocket and pears accompanied the cheese.
Wine
A modest crowd of 25 or so tucked into an American-themed lunch to mark America’s national day on 4th July, just a few days previously. We had some great American-style food prepared by the very talented Amosh & his team in the REX kitchen. Well done boys, see food report for details.
With regard to wine, we started brilliantly with a Brian Croser Tapanatta Chardy 2021, 14%. This was a really nice wine, indeed a high-class wine from the famous Brian Croser from grapes grown in the Adelaide Hills region of SA. Clear & clean with lively acidity, a gleaming green/gold appearance. Traces of citrus & peach on the palate. Impeccable balance of acid & quality fruit. A beautifully made wine from one of our top Chardonnay makers. Say no more!
The first wine on the lunch list was an American Chardonnay from Kendall Jackson, a Californian wine at 14.5%. The comparison with the previous wine was stunning, to put it mildly. I have always known that Americans like their Chardy to be on the sweet side, but this wine took sweetness to the next level. If you like your Chardy with lots of sugar, then this wine is for you. Go ahead, knock yourself out! To me, the wine was just drinkable, a mouthful more than enough. Impossible to do a review of the wine as all I could taste was overpowering sweetness, blotting out any other flavours. Sorry, just could not write in any more detail.
Wine 2, also from America, was much better. A 2021 Murphy Goode Zinfandel at 15%. This was a good wine, a perfect partner for the excellent Beef Ribs we had for lunch. A full-bodied red, dark ruby colour, bursting with black fruit flavours. A powerful wine, but quite in balance with its oak & tannin flavours. Rich & luscious with a nice, clean finish. I would like to see more of this wine in our cellar, just for something different.
Wine 3 was a Chateau Bonnet 2020, a Bordeaux Blanc at 13%. This wine & I just did not get on right from the start. A Sav Blanc/Semillon blend, mostly Sav Blanc, was to my taste overpowering with what I describe as the smell of just crushed Lantana leaves, pungent & strongly vegetative, off-putting. I did not enjoy the wine.
What is evident is that Sav Blanc grown in Bordeaux has a vastly different taste to the same grape grown in the Loire, such as a Sancerre, which is quite delightful.
Wine 4 was another Chateau Bonnet wine, a 2021 Diane Rose at 12.5%. Fresh & clean, showing delicate fruit on the back palate. A nice aperitif wine on a warm afternoon with a good terrine. I must say that my taste buds had been smashed by the previous wine’s pungency, so that it was hard for me to get a real grip on this light rose, which however was quite enjoyable. Both of these French wines were kindly donated by Society member Tony Scott.
My wine of the day was the Tapanatta, by a whisker over the Zinfandel.
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