Special thanks to James Hill for the lunch review this week.

Winemaster, Paul Ferman, was in the kitchen this week.

Canapés. If there is one thing that is a certainty with Paul is that will have soup and terrine. So, Paul served us a vegetable soup of spinach and lettuce with a potato base and chicken stock. It was topped with cream, herbs and chopped bacon. It looked a treat and tasted just as good.          

Next, we had one of Paul’s favourite dishes, a Raymond Blanc terrine made from three cuts of pork, chicken liver and a range of herbs. Paul had made this ten days ago, so the flavour had integrated beautifully. It was served on Iggy’s baguettes. Delicious!

Aperitif wine. Astobiza Txakoli 2016, a Northern Spanish white blend under stelvin (12.5%) started us off. This had a mixed reception when served some weeks ago however today much appreciated it was floral and textural with a good acid balance that complemented the canapés. The obligatory Sherry was Tio Pepe Fino en Rama NV under cork at 15%.

Main Course. Paul served us braised kangaroo which was mainly the tastier part of the shoulder and Ioin with some browned chicken and bacon fat added to add taste.

It was braised with carrots, eshallots and chestnuts served on a bed of a very flavoursome polenta made up of buckwheat and maize that was cooked with cheese and chicken stock. It was served with crisp green beans. A great meal.

The Wines.

• Elderton Barossa Shiraz 2004 (stelvin,14.5%)
• La Grola Allegrini a red Italian blend 80% Corvina Verona 2010 (cork)
• Alvaro Castro (Dao) red blend of Touriga Nacional/Alfrocheiro/Tinta Roriz Portugal 2009 (cork, 13%)
• J Mayer Riesling Germany 2016 Kabinett trocken (vin lock (glass stopper) 12%)                                              

With the main we enjoyed the Elderton Shiraz a typical Barossa Shiraz fruit evident somewhat jammy still with acid showing. The first vintage under stelvin.

The Italian wine was preferred a 'food' wine savoury with sour notes and a hint blackberries and currants, it was rich and elegant.

With cheese Alvaro Castro (Dao) full bodied spicy with black cherry fruit evident.

The Mayer Riesling came straight from the fridge, so the residual sugar was masked by the cool temperature and the acid a highlight. Once in the glass apple and pear aromas came to the fore.

Both good matches for the cheese.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey presented the cheese this week and it was a cracker with most comments suggesting it origins were Italian or French. How wrong we were. It was a Berry's Creek Tarwin Blue cow’s milk from Gippsland. Straw coloured with a creamy texture and a long intense finish on the palate.

James always make sure that the cheese is removed from refrigeration hours before serving so that we get it at the correct room temperature. It was unwrapped when we arrived for lunch and displayed an ammoniated crust none of which was evident when eaten. Iggy’s bread was perfect with this cheese.

Paul accompaniments for the cheese were pecan and walnuts, muscatel naturally dried grapes and a salad of cos lettuce pear and chives.

Spencer, in attendance, presented a coffee from Costa Rica Arabica a good balance of tannin and acid with style and finesse one of the better coffees.

Paul generously donated various bottles of aged port to finish off a superb lunch.