29 November Kham Signavong CoTD

After Wal’s 100^th last week we were delighted to acknowledge Ray Kidd’s 90^th birthday with an all Lindemans wine luncheon.

In the kitchen we had long-term member Kham Signavong former owner of Arun Thai in Potts Point and now Arun Thai in Hong Kong. It was pleasure to have him cook for us. James Hill was assisting.

Canapés. We enjoyed two canapés from Kham. Firstly, we had betel leaves with roasted peanuts, pieces of lime, shallot and ginger a speciality of his. This was followed by grilled pork fillet on skewers served with semi-spicy sauce. Both much enjoyed.

Aperitif wine. The main aperitif wine was the Lindemans Bin 1150 Semillon 2011. A wine in great condition (under screwcap) and some time to go. Given the numbers were above the normal wine luncheon numbers a few bin ends (Lindemans of course) were also served.

Entrée. Kham also provided us with an entrée using oysters delivered fresh on the morning and using them for individual servings of oyster omelette.

Main course. Goat curry was Kham’s choice and a very good choice it was. Often goat is all bone and no meat. His dish had a good portion of slow cooked goat meat in a curry sauce with minimal heat to cover all tastes. He picked his audience well.

The wines (main and cheese). All Lindemans:

• Bin 9655 HV Semillon 2000
• Bin 8850 HV Semillon 1996
• Bin 1100 HV Shiraz 2011
• Stevens Vineyard Shiraz 2005
• Pyrus (Cabernet blend) 1998
• Bin 9625 HV Shiraz 1998

A wonderful collection of Lindemans wines with some bottle variation, as expected, in the whites but little in the reds. The favourite varied with personal choice but the Pyrus had much support.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey selected what may be a first with Perenzin Formajo Ciock ak Vino Rosso from the Veneto region in Italy. If you spotted the vino reference it’s because the cheese is immersed for 10 days in red grape must and some grape skins remain on the skin of the finished product. Semi-hard with a smooth texture.

Spencer Ferrier provided us with arguably the best commercial (and possibly most expensive) coffee with Illy. Always sweet and flavoursome.

To finish Ray Kidd gave us a short presentation on his years in the wine industry and the Society. If you missed this article on Ray from the luncheon notice you can see it here https://www.bestwinesunder20.com.au/ray-kidd-visionary-ceo-lindemans/

22 November 2016 - Wal Edwards's 100th birthday

A very special day with Wal Edwards turning 100 years of age and 75 members and guests there to celebrate with him and his wife Joan. He was also joined by his son and family friends.

Nigel Burton was in the kitchen and John Rourke on canapés. We had the entire space of the Royal Exchange Club which worked particularly well.

Wal Edwards. What a guy. Looking dapper as always in his suit in our 30 degrees room currently without air conditioning he looked cool as a cucumber. He was presented by our President with the Society’s first 100th birthday plaque and gave a moving, sometimes emotional and sometimes amusing birthday talk. I won’t call it a speech.

Without notes Wal recited the Ode of Remembrance with those moving final words “at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them”.

Of course we had a “cake” with 100 candles which Wal extinguished in a few seconds.

Canapés. John provided three canapés starting with a beetroot and fetta mix on crostini and finished with coriander. Then came ocean trout rillette with ginger on very fancy filo pastry pieces. The third were mini quiche lorraine, simple, tasty and authentic. An excellent start to feed the what was a crowd just shy of a military company.

Aperitif wine. Much celebratory Champagne was consumed including Gosset, Camille Savès and Aubert Et Fils. This was supplemented by some aged single bottles of Tyrrells and Lindemans Hunter whites.

Entrée. Given the special occasion Nigel served cup-sized portions of French onion soup topped with a crouton and cheese. With this we much enjoyed the wonderful Lustau Manzanilla Sherry.

Main course. Nigel’s meal had a theme of food Wal would have enjoyed (or more likely survived on) during his war years in the 1940s. The main was beef Bourgogne with “authentic” tinned/bottled mushrooms and onions for the experience. The beef was wonderfully slow cooked, moist and most likely to be of somewhat higher quality than Wal was served in the war years. The sauce was made using carrot puree and a good parsley content. This was served with mashed potato and mushy peas.

The wines (main and cheese).

• Tyrrells 4 Acres Shiraz 2006 (screwcap, 12.4%)
• Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz 2006 (cork, 14.5%)
• Rosemount Mountain Blue Shiraz Cabernet 2002 (cork, 14%)
• Burton McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004 (cork, 14.5%)

The 4 Acres, a terrific Hunter label, was drinking wonderfully. Medium bodied, savoury fruit and a pleasing mouth feel of “just right” alcohol at 12.4%. The Bishop in comparison was, well, weighty and somewhat jammy. The fruit was of high quality and appealed to those who like this larger and sweeter Australian style.

The cheese wines were again a contrast of styles but with more alignment of fruit weight. The Rosemount from Mudgee was a dryer more elegant style whilst the Burton from McLaren was a fuller fruit style and spot-on with its regional style. Not only did Nigel cook but he donated his namesake wine for the luncheon. Thank you, Nigel.

Special treats. The food went on and on and we are even at cheese yet. Peter Manners prepared some 80 mini chocolate cakes complete with an edible photo sticker of Wal on the top. Then Hilton Chapman’s Bundaberg rum balls were served. The size of golf balls and coated in white coconut there may have been a message about one of Wal’s pastimes. Thank you guys.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey went Australian for this lunch with Berry’s Creek Tarwin Blue from Gippsland. A jersey cow’s milk cheese it was, creamy, not crumbly. This was served with walnuts.

Spencer Ferrier provided us with peaberry beans (also called caracol, or "snail" in Spanish) which are smaller and rounder beans with some extra sweetness and body.

Other thanks. So many people made this a special day for Wal, his family and indeed us. Peter Kelso as the convenor was all over the day’s plans. Stuart Stow for all the printing of nostalgic material on the tables. Josef Condrau for the menus again with historical context. Nigel, again, for the wall and table decorations. Paul Thorne for his trumpet rendition. Of course, the President, Keith Steele, for running a smooth lunch in the face of almost 80 people keen on a chat.

Apologies if I have forgotten input from others.

A great day and importantly much enjoyed by Wal.

15 November 2016 CoTD James Hill

James Hill once again lobbed into the kitchen with a completely new armoury of dishes for us to enjoy. He had assistance from Gary Linnane, Nick Reynolds and others.

Canapés. Two canapes were provided by James. The first was salted blue-eyed trevalla 'Baccalà’ served with potato crisps James' take on "fish and chips". The second was smoked trout "parfait"  served on rounds of Iggys bagel. The former has formed a great salty offset to the Riesling.

Aperitif wine. Richmond Grove Watervale Riesling 2006 was served after the starting gun was sounded by Paul Ferman. An excellent wine at its peak. Minerally, flinty, limes, floral overtones and finishing dry.

Main course. James presented us with a wonderful lamb pie. We all love a pie and not a potted pie but a real pastry pie. The lamb shoulder was slow cooked, combined with allspice,garic onion and made into “meat ball’ portions which were wrapped into pastry pies. A wonderful look. They were baked and served with portobello mushrooms cooked with garlic and served underneath the pie in a light jus with parsley ,tarragon and chives.Accompanying the pie was char grilled asparagus served with butter.

The wines.

• Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino 2006 (cork, 13.5%)
• Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino (cork, 14.5%)
• Bowen Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (screwcap, 13.5%)
• Vincent Giradin Saint-Vincent Bourgogne 2012 (cork, 13%)
• Tyrrells Stevens Semillon 2004 (screwcap, 11%)

Thanks to the generosity of Richard Gibson, we enjoyed two Brunellos from the fabulous 2006 Montalcino vintage. These are sangiovese royalty. Locally the grape can be referred to as brunello or sangiovese grosso. Both were plush and savoury with delicious sweet, soft overtones. The Fuligni was a full 1% higher in alcohol (at least by the label) and was arguably the better of the two with a little bit more richness. A treat.

The Bowen with its sweeter Australian style struggled against the savoury Tuscans. Nevertheless, it is an excellent Australian Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon.

The cheese wines started with the Giradin Burgundy which did not lack sweet fruit but was a little flat and overdeveloped. The 2004 Semillon was in great shape with nice fruit/acid balance and great mouthfeel. The Tyrrells was the better match by a country mile.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey provided a favourite in aged Comte. It was a Will Studd La Couronne. Made from unpasteurised cow’s milk in the Franche-Comte region. Nutty and elegant. Wonderful. This was served with a salad of iceberg, radish, Dijon mustard and an olive oil based dressing.

In absentia, Spencer provided us Forsythe’s Blend from our main coffee provide.

Well done James and again our appreciation to Richard Gibson for the Brunello.

8 November 2016

Roger Straiton was on the pans with assistance on canape assembly from Scott Witt and Kham Signavong. A very healthy 47 members and guests were present.

Canapés. Two canapés were served. Firstly, lightly pan cooked asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto. A very popular snack at any time the prosciutto was of top quality. Then came “pinwheels” of puff pastry filled/wrapped with smoked ham, parmesan and mustard. Novel and very moreish.

Aperitif wine. The main wine was a Society favourite, Denmar Chardonnay 2010. Given the numbers, a range of single bottles were served and the mandatory Lustau sherry. If you are vigilant the single bottles, usually the last of older purchases, can be good fun.

Main course. Roger gave us a traditional veal scallopini served with mashed potatoes and peas a great accompanyment to just about anything even roast potatoes. The sauce was wonderfully rich. It included not only the usual stock and mushrooms but 500g of Roquefort and 3 bottles of masala. A real meal for the boys.

The wines.

• Chrismont La Zona Barbera 2010 (screwcap, 13%)
• Marina Coppi Castellania Barbera (Piedmont) (cork, 14.5%)
• Allegrini Valpolicella 2011 (cork, 13%)
• Marc Bredif Vouvray Brut N/V (cork, 12.5%)

We have previously enjoyed both the Barbera wines. The La Zona is at peak and soft. Some felt it was past its best. However, earthy aromas of meat and spice were still evident. The real McCoy from Piedmont was deeper in colour, richer with more complexity but still soft. A good educational coupling on Barbera.

One red (Veneto) and one sparkling (Loire) with the cheese. The matching was more than interesting. The red (Corvina and Rondinella) was the entry level and hence was lighter, soft but still elegent. The Vouvray had, as is common, very slight residual sugar. This did not detract from the cheese matching.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey provided Taleggio from Lombardy a cow’s milk cheese. Mild and creamy it was a first class fromage. It did decide to go for a “wander” (see photo above) given the high ambient temperature of the dining room.

Mr Coffee, Spencer, was up to his old tricks serving different blends using Illy and Lavazza. Whilst commercial blends they are Arabica and at the high end. Interesting contrast in style.

A well-attended lunch with good commentary excellent food and wine.

Wine tasting 25 October 2016

There was a decidedly cosmopolitan note to the tasting last Tuesday, with the Wine Master providing 2 whites from Oz and France and 4 reds from Italy, USA, Australia and France in a wholly masked lineup in which only the countries of origin were disclosed. Before that exercise, we were regaled with an eclectic array of aperitif wines including a 2013 Seppelts Jaluka chardonnay, a Warramate merlot rose, and a Tyrrells Stevens Semillon, as well as the omnipresent, and always welcome, Lustau sherry, this time the Oloroso. From the kitchen, chef of the day Bill Alexiou-Hucker, with a backing team of Peter Squires and Peter Manners, brought forth an assortment of canapes: a marvellous arancini rice ball made on 3 types of mushroom, some hand-made wheat tortillas containing a mild and slightly chili-boosted salmon ceviche, and refreshing cocktail sticks comprising fetta cheese, olive, mint and watermelon, a seemingly odd combination which actually worked very well together.

Then it was on to the tasting, with most identifying the whites as a SA riesling and a Vouvray chenin blanc from the Loire, but opinions divided on the grapes and ages of the reds. The unveiling, mercifully announced before comments were invited, was:

1995 Leonay Eden Valley Riesling, well-aged and with definite kerosene notes, but terrific fruit and length and a joy for lovers of the style;

1995 Bredif Vouvray, unexpectedly sweet although not identified as demi-sec, showing a pure honey nose and soft fruit characters, but no match for the food;

2011 Cos Classico from Sicily, a yummy food wine with good drying tannins and elegant fruit (a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato grapes) and probably the best received as a food match;

2011 Zinfandel from Sonoma in California, deceptively soft (many thought it a merlot) and juicy, with good length but lacking individuality;

2002 St Hugo Coonawarra cabernet, a great example of an aged Coonawarra with rich perfumed nose and sweet but balanced fruit and tannins – for many, the best wine on the table;

2002 Ch Leoville Barton, a 2nd growth Bordeaux from St Julien which pleased some but disappointed many – form a lesser year with fruit dropping out, a bit flat and showing brett dirty characters.

All these helped to wash down a great meal from Bill & Co: medium octopus, braised on its own to extract the juices and soften it, then stewed in a sauce of tomato, white wine, garlic and chopped parsley until tender and soft, and served with simple thin-sliced boiled potatoes. A definite Mediterranean dish with plenty of real flavour and good with most, but not all, the wines.

Then the cheese, a real challenge for the salt-sensitive. It was a Pecorino Romano, a hard sheep’s milk cheese from around Rome, this one obviously quite young and crumbly, no doubt with some good lactic characters underneath but overwhelmed by the salt content. A plain green salad with a non-intrusive dressing accompanied it, along with the tasting wines.

Equanimity was restored with the coffee, a medium roast bean grown in Panama using the rare Ethiopian Gesha variety. It came to the table as soft but rich in the mouth with subtle citrus notes to keep it on the back palate. All hail to the absent Spencer Ferrier for sourcing it.

Luncheon 18 October 2016

It was a welcome return to the kitchen by Peter Manners, with an assortment of assistants: Neil Galbraith, Tony Scott and Bob Swinney. None of them notably Germanic, they nevertheless produced some authentically German-style food for Oktober (evidenced by the German flags on the tables). To start, two varieties of sausage, frankfurters with toothpicks and a fiery German mustard hit; and kranskywurst, a slightly larger sausage served in slices on rice crisps. The aperitif wines, due to a breakdown of the fridge, were a mix of reds, both local and foreign, of various styles and quality, most of which went well with the sausage

We then sat down to a cup of what was described as “Fischsuppe”; and it was as advertised, with chunks of fish, fresh and smoked, and mussels lurking under a creamy very tasty broth. The accompanying wines, served mainly to match the main course, were a 2009 Hahndorf Hill blaufrankisch from the Adelaide Hills and a 2011 Tiefenbrunner lagrein which despite its name came from the Tyrol district of northern Italy. Both unusual grapes, the blaufankisch, an Austrian variety, regarded as somewhere between a pinot noir and a cabernet franc, this one showing nice forward fruit with some fresh acid and tannins to support it, while the lagrein was a touch extracted and overripe. Both were better with the Kasseler Rippenspeer which followed, a classic German celebratory dish of baked smoked pork loin, served in thick and juicy steaks with an excellent sauerkraut made with caraway seeds and some apple to sweeten the vinegar pickle, baked sliced potato finished off with duck fat and some sliced, not too tart, beetroot. It was all very mittel European, with plenty of smoky pickled flavours and good presentation on the plate.

For the cheese, we crossed the Alps into Switzerland to enjoy a real Le Gruyere, made in large wheels with a pronounced rind indicating some age and a wonderfully dense sweet nutty paste. With it, a choice of colours in the shape of a 2009 Vasse Felix chardonnay from WA and a 2006 Macquariedale Thomas shiraz from the Hunter. Both very good wines, but the white, with good acid length and cashew nuts on the palate, was a better match with the cheese, although the red, made organically, showed quite rich sweet but soft fruit with Hunter drying tannins to balance which also did the cheese credit.

The lunch concluded with coffee made from Yurgachef beans from the home of coffee in Ethiopia, and a stimulating finish it was, with rich roasted bean character in the mouth followed by a clean citrusy finish.

Luncheon October 11th

Earlier this year, Steve Liebeskind won both Chef of the Year and the Chris Alexiou Seafood Trophy for his smoked poached salmon in broth. Last week, he was back in the kitchen to give us a dish of barramundi in a Thai coconut sauce – and by crikey he may have done it again!

Before the main event, we enjoyed a fresh zingy gazpacho in shot glasses, some superior gravlax with crème fraiche on bread rounds and an intriguing mix of shredded smoked chicken and cranberry sauce with chives and walnuts served in whitlof “boats” providing a touch of contrasting bitterness to the sweetness of the sauce. The aperitif wine was the 2010 Den Mar chardonnay from the Hunter, still fresh if a bit one dimensional, and the ever reliable Lustau oloroso sherry.

Steve, with help from Graham Fear, used wild barramundi, less mushy than the farmed variety, and baked individual fillet slices with a salted skin, served upwards to preserve a bit of crispness on bok choy, on a puddle of rich coconut-based sauce made on chicken stock with galangal, kaffir lime leaves, some enoki mushrooms and, of course, a red hit of sliced chilis to give it the real flavour of Thailand. The fish was very well handled and the whole dish sang with the hot sweet and sour characters required of the region. Always a challenge with spicy food, the wine choice was thoughtful, with a 2012 Hugel gewurtztraminer from Alsace providing plenty of perfume on the nose and sweet fruit, while a 2007 Barwang 842 chardonnay from Tumbarumba was an elegant, well-structured cool-climate wine with some wood evident which made it less of a match with the food, although a superior wine.

For cheese, it was up to France with a Pont l’Eveque washed rind cows’ milk cheese from Normandy. Served quite cool and firm in the French manner, it showed some good nutty washed rind notes, but without the runny lusciousness which a tallegio from Italy showed a few weeks ago. A green salad of mizuna and rocket leaves was dressed with sliced pears and white radish and a sweet vinaigrette. The accompanying wines were a 2010 Port Philip pinot from the Mornington Peninsula, showing good soft slightly funky fruit but lacking acid to give it length, and a 2007 De Bortoli shiraz viognier from the Yarra, good drinking with the viognier dressing up the shiraz into a spicy lighter style, showing that the Yarra can do shiraz.

The coffee was a monsoon Malabar from India, the touted exposure of the raw berries to monsoon rains giving it a reduced bitterness and a rich chocolate feel in the mouth.

Mixed Luncheon October 4th

Once again, the numbers were intimate, due no doubt to school holidays and misogyny, but the spirit was great, as were the wines and food.

From the kitchen, Peter Kelso with help from Martin McMurray produced a couple of tasty canapes: olive tapenade on sourdough rounds, and a tuna-based dip served in whitlof boats. Both were largely down to Catherine Kelso and were well received, as were a brace of aperitifs: Tyrrells Old Winery rose, a better example of the drier Oz edition of this style, and the Lustau amontillado sherry, reliably nutty and lingering.

The main course saw a Thai-influenced fish parcel, accompanied by jasmine and steamed asparagus. The parcel contained pink ling pieces with a softly spicy paste made on red onion, garlic and ginger with sesame oil, coconut cream and thai basil, with a hint of green chilis, wrapped in soft lettuce leaves, and baked in foil. Moist and flaky, but not the least mushy, the meal was light and stimulating. So were the wines, a 2010 Giesen sauvignon blanc with a typical but relatively subdued grassy NZ SB palate which went well with the asparagus; and a 2012 Cannoneau di Sardegna, a Sardinian wine made from Grenache grapes and still showing good savoury tannins although starting to tire.

The cheese was once again a beauty, and this time from Australia: a Tarago Shadows of Blue from Gippsland Vic, a lovely soft double-cream blue with mild mushroom notes from the mould and great richness on the palate. It was well served by a 2012 Bourgogne Cuvee St Vincent, still quite soft but with potential for further development , a 2013 Ch de Pizay from Morgon (one of the Beaujolais crus) showing soft but full and juicy berry characters with acid and tannins to balance; and ,especially, a taste of the 2009 Constable botrytis semillon from the Hunter, with intense forward sweetness and a long finish which balanced the richness of the cheese so well. Nashi pears, roasted walnuts and golden raisins were the simple accompaniment.

Coffee was of top quality, as were the 2 types of tea which Spencer Ferrier offered as alternatives (or in addition).

Luncheon September 27th

Wine tasting 27 September 2016

This month, a line up of 6 shiraz, 5 from Oz and 1 from Europe, all served masked. But first, the Tyrrells Vat 1999 was a pretty good aperitif, even if the cork seal meant inevitable bottle variation. A Lustau amontillado was reliably excellent, as were a range of aperitifs from chef of the day Leigh Hall: superior trout pate topped with capers, a tasty assemblage of goat’s cheese, pesto and a bit of anchovy, and a hot Spanish salami with avocado mash on bread rounds.

The tasting itself produced the usual range of opinions when wines are served masked, although all agreed that the choices were quite different in weight and palate. Probably the most favoured were the 3rd and 5^th wines, and it was interesting that both were Barossas: members’ tastes haven’t changed.

In order, they were:

A 2011 from St Joseph, a Northern Rhone appellation, which attracted criticism for its lack of flavour and length

2011 By Farr shiraz from Geelong, a cool climate wine with elegance, but needing more time

2004 Torbreck The Struie, a Barossa monster in the house style, rich and developed, but balanced

2004 Yarra Yering Underhill, again lighter and with some green fruit characters which were offputting to many

1998 Hewitson, at its peak from a great year, although lighter and more tannic than the Struie

1998 Tyrrells House Block, with top fruit spoiled by dirty characters, perhaps from a touch of brett.

The accompanying food was an unusual match: individual pastry parcels of sea mullet with a tapenade on top, and nicely crunchy green beans. Fish with (big) reds was a brave choice, but the oily earthiness of the mullet, and the bite of the olives in the tapenade at least gave it a chance. Good marks for presentation, with a slightly caramellised slice of lemon atop the pastry parcels.

The tasting wines proved an ideal complement for the cheese, an Italian taleggio washed rind in beautiful condition with salty orange rind and a wonderfully nutty sticky paste. A simple green salad, with a big garlic hit in the dressing, accompanied it.

The coffee was a New Guinea Pearl bean, good rich mouthfeel and a nice note of citric bitterness in the finish.

20 September