13 June 2017 - CoTD Paul Thorne

Today saw Paul Thorne return to the kitchen, threatening us in his website description about the onslaught of cholesterol and the need for ambulances after the lunch. He was assisted by Gary Linnane on canapés.

Canapés. We were provided with two seafood based canapés, the first being fresh anchovy on toast with goats curd to which a little wasabi had been added. The next was sashimi grade salmon with goats curd. Both canapés were spoken about fondly particularly the quality of both the anchovy and the salmon.

Aperitif wine. To begin the wines, we were treated with a Richmond Grove Reserve Watervale Riesling 2006. Under screwcap it was remarkably fresh for a 10 year plus wine with some bottles still displaying a little bit of spritz. Some disliked that characteristic but the wine was in remarkable condition and has more time in front of it. The acid/aromatic fruit balance was delicious and one could only describe the fruit as polished with a long finish.

Main course. Paul served a great looking dish with the Cotechino sausage topped with black pudding and served on a lentil base. Even the photograph below in low resolution makes a dish look desirable. No doubt between the sausage and the black pudding, we consumed our fair share of fat, but whilst eating it there was no hint of the dangers. The lentil base was a meal in itself with carrots, celery and a ham hock stock. Apparently, this meal is a traditional New Year’s Eve dish in Italy. An excellent main.

The wines. Roger Straiton was asked to present the wines in the absence of the Winemaster. A range of styles were presented attracting a range of comments. The wines were:

• Argiano Rosso di Montalcino 2009 (cork, 14%)
• Balnaves Shiraz 2008 (screwcap, 14.5%)
• Ocean Eight Vevre Chardonnay (cork, 12.5%)
• Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (cork, 14%)

For the main course the pairing of a Sangiovese from Montalcino with a Coonawarra Shiraz of about the same age was interesting. The Montalcino was an elegant wine as it should be as the little brother of Brunello di Montalcino certainly lighter than the Shiraz but both pairing well with the main. Both were spoken well of with the Italian wine probably just pipping the popularity stakes.

Once again, we had a white wine with the cheese to accompany the Wynns Black Label. The Chardonnay was elegant but certainly of the buttery Australian style, a very good wine. The Cabernet which is very well known amongst members was typical of the style, rich and not yet drying with all of the velvety rich blackcurrant fruit that we expect of this line. The best wine with the cheese? Well, it was much of a 50-50 bet but it’s nice to see the continuation of experimenting with white wine with cheese.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey was back to lunches this week and presented the Gorgonzola Piccante from producer Mauri which has more age than the standard version and was piquant, firm and touching on crumbly. There were some attempts to pick the cheese but without success.

Coffee this week by Spencer Ferrier was from the region of Boyaca in Columbia – Farm Guayata, an Arabica bean. Spencer praised the good balance but thought it could be improved by mixing in an Indonesian coffee of the style Apko Gayo that would provide a slightly heavier body.

Paul Thorne spoke to the relative ease of non-stress cooking with preparation and some experience with the help of Pete the chef and his kitchen staff. This was aimed at encouraging more participation by members as chef of the day or assisting chef of the day.

A very good lunch.

6 June 2016 - Peter Kelso

The presidential aura continued in the kitchen with VP Peter Kelso after Keith Steele the previous week. Peter was assisted by Martin McMurray. Our Winemaster of the day was Nigel Burton.

Canapés. The first canapé of the day was a taramasalata topped with smoked mullet roe on a pastry base. Next up was an olive tapenade topped with baby capers on a toasted bread base. Despite a modest crowd on the day the plates were emptied.

Aperitif wine. Nigel selected the Lindeman’s Bin 0555 Semillon 2005. This apparently came to our cellar directly from the vineyard in both labelled and cleanskin bottles. It became clear that the two wines were not identical and the Winemaster at the time of purchase, Greg Chugg, confirmed that the cleanskin was in fact the reserve version. Many members tried both wines side-by-side which was an interesting experience with the reserve getting the thumbs up for being the superior wine.

Main course. Not being a wine luncheon, Peter Kelso decided to rip into a bit of flavour and he did so with style. Pork neck was served on skewers (referred to as sticks on the day) which had been subject to a long marinade made up of five-spice, brown sugar, honey and apparently, the odd bottle of rum in keeping with the winter context. The result was a beautifully sweet and spicy characteristic. A lovely change to have very positive flavours, though not so good if you are the Winemaster. The meat was served on well prepared (loose) rice with bok choy on the side.

The wines. In a reversal from last week’s main wine service where all wines were under screwcap, today they were under cork and as Nigel pointed out none the worse for it. They were

• Hugel Riesling (Alsace) 2013 (cork, 12.5%)
• BVE Ebenezer Shiraz 2005 (cork, 14.5%)
• Penfolds Bin 389 2002 (cork, 14.5%)
• Burton McLaren Vale Shiraz 2002 (cork, 14%)

Given the flavour in the main course it was interesting to see the differences of opinion about whether the Riesling or the Shiraz best suited the main. The former with residual sugar of only 3.8% was effectively bone dry. Showing a beautiful floral nose it was typical Alsace and some felt the better match with the pork. Others, however, preferred the Barossa Shiraz at 12 years of age at it had the typical Aussie sweetness, though not extracted and in a medium bodied format.

The Bin 389 and the Burton were a contrast in styles. The 389 at just over 50% Cabernet would have contributed to that difference. The 389 still had significant tannins, excellent fruit and will continue to improve in the typical history of that label. The Burton was softer, drinking beautifully now with a long finish. Some bottles were a little low on fruit intensity on the nose but not on the palate. At its peak.

Cheese and coffee. The cheese presented by Gary Linnane today had every speaker guessing and incorrect. It turned out to be Maffra cloth-aged cheddar from Gippsland. It is typically age for up to 2 years in cloth to form a thin crust and in this case, no punters ventured to pick it as an Australian cheese. Much enjoyed.

Spencer Ferrier’s choice this week was the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe bean. A regular on our list Spencer dosed this coffee a little higher than normal and I think it was better for it. Floral and lemon overtones are the key flavours. To this highly ranked coffee.

Included above is a picture taken from the REX wall of Gary Patterson’s ancestor or Gary dressed up for fancy dress.

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.