Hilton Chapman celebrated a birthday milestone by presenting an individual but high quality line up of reds from the Society cellar, and provided a single malt whisky to boot.

We got under way with the 2004 Tyrrells Steven Semillon. A bit of bottle variation was inevitable, but most were fresh and zesty, with developed fruit and plenty of acid to keep it alive. From the kitchen, chef of the day Keith Steele, with help from Gary Patterson, provided a tasty terrine on toasts topped by a choice of dill pickle or sour cherry, and pieces of sweet and oily smoked eel on crispbread.

It was a good introduction to a terrific main course of beef bourgignon, made on chuck steak with onion, mushroom and spices including anchovies for salt. Simply served with well- made mash and suitably crunchy green beans, it was a great accompaniment to the wines, as well as being moreish in its own right.

The tasting wines were:

2008 Lindemans Pyrus Bordeaux blend, served masked and generally considered too young

2008 John Duval Entity Barossa shiraz, big and plenty of alcohol but with elegant tannins to generate complexity

2003 Tyrrells Vat 9 shiraz, a favourite with the Hunter aficionados and noticeably lighter in style with its next stablemate

1998 Tyrrells House Block shiraz, lovely drinking in the older Hunter style

1998 Seppelts Drumborg cabernet, a cooler style showing top fruit and no sign of age with a length that goes on and on

1996 Lindemans Limestone Ridge shiraz/cabernet, also served masked, a favourite with many, drinking at its peak, soft and mature.

The quality was such that no wine emerged as favourite, and it was one of those occasions where rankings are odious. Suffice it to say that no glasses were left undrained.

The cheese maintained the standard, and it was local: a Tarago River Jensens Red from Gippsland. The slightly crunchy washed rind lived up to the name in colour, enveloping a paste in perfect condition, nutty and creamy. Grapes and dried apricots were the effective accompaniment, along with the tasting wines, and a wee dram of The Macallan single malt from Speyside in Bonnie Scotland which commemorated Hilton's 60th in memorable fashion. The coffee provided a fitting conclusion, Strictly Hard Beans (the highest grade) from Guatemala, rich with mouth-filling flavour and a hint of nuttiness.