For our July wine luncheon, we had James Hill once again in the kitchen assisted by Hal Epstein and James Healey and Gary Linnane assisting on canapés. It was Hal’s first time in the kitchen assisting and we would like to see him back in the future.

Canapés. The team put together two canapés today. Firstly, thinly sliced celery on top of anchovy paste on, Iggy’s bread, of course. The second was really two in one being sliced salami on Iggy’s bread topped with a pickle. One salami was hot and other not so. Both simple but both an enjoyable start with our aperitif wine.

Aperitif wine. To start today was a Lindemans Hunter River Semillon Bin 0755 2007. It was under screwcap and was in marvellous condition and at 10 years of age, some years until it reaches its peak.

Main course. Following on from a rosso osso buco last week, James served as a bianco osso buco, that is, with no tomatoes. It was served with boiled potatoes, fried mushroom and gremolata. On this occasion and in the style of this dish there was no bone and the marrow had been used in the sauce which accompanied the dish. The sauce was beautifully rich and succulent but did not overpower the wines for this wine luncheon.

The Wines.

• Kaesler BV Old Vine Shiraz 2008 (screwcap, 15.5%)
• Charles Melton Nine Popes 2009 ((screwcap, 14.5%)
• Cuilleron St Joseph 2011 (cork, 12.5%)
• Penfolds Bin 389 1998 (cork, 14%)
• Houghton Gladstones Cabernet 2005 (screwcap, 14.0%)
• Antinori Badia a Passignano Reserva 2006 (cork, 13.5%)

The wines served at lunch were in the main on the heavy side. The Kaesler had a label declared alcohol of 15.5% but could be more. That is not to say that it was extracted or hot but rather it was a well-made high alcohol Barossa wine. The Nine Popes also from the Barossa was a strapping big wine though Grenache based. Both relatively young for the style and still with lashings of fruit.

The St Joseph was the youngest of the wines today. From 2011 it was a more restrained northern Rhône Syrah style which some thought was the wine of the day. It had lifted and bright fruit and was drinking at its peak although it may stay there for many years. Next in line, the Penfolds Bin 389, from a vintage that has attracted much criticism of recent times. These bottles were in excellent condition and were better examples than most had seen.

The Houghton Gladstones was a massive wine which clearly needs another 5 to 10 years before being approached again. Brilliant Margaret River lifted fruit and a dusty character that we come to expect from that area. Finishing off with the Chianti from 2006. This was a Reserva so one would expect some more body and that is certainly what we got. Though medium bodied it had power and elegance handed down from its elder brother, Antinori’s Tignanello. Beautiful.

We were fortunate to have member Richard Gibson donate 6 bottles of Barolo to the lunch. It was the Azelia Barolo split between botlles of 2003 and 2004. A real treat and both drinking beautifully. Thank you Richard.

Although few were able to try it Hal Epstein bought along his last bottle of Huntington Estate Pinot Noir 1982 as a 'chef's wine'. In stunning condition, it tasted nothing like a Pinot but was excellent drinking and a credit to Bob Robert's winemaking all those years ago.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey went all Cornish on us today serving Neal’s Yard Dairy cow’s Kern from West Cornwall. Cornish Kern is a modern British hard cheese and it was probably the first time the Society has had it served. It is aged for 16 months in black wax and this results in dense fudgy texture and complex profile. It is caramel sweet and salty. Nobody guessed it was from the UK.

Spencer was back in his fine coffee mode today serving a Kenya Karogoto AA. In his notes, he explained that this is a fresh import batch which he thought probably exceeded the quality of the same coffee we had earlier in the year. A medium coffee but very fruity.