In what has become a traditional start to the year. James Hill was in the kitchen this week. He was assisted on canapés by Nick Reynolds and Gary Linnane. A very healthy start to the year with some 55 members and guests in a very smartly refurbed Royal Exchange dining room. The LED lighting gives a far better visual aspect to the wines.

Canapés. Two canapés for us this week. The first was a Tet’s duck (with some chicken and pork) terrine served with a cornichon on Iggy’s bread. Good texture with a flavour that was enhanced by the cornichons. The next was a simple tuna butter mixture served on some wonderfully crisp Italian crackers source from Simon Johnson. Simple and tasty.

Aperitif wine. This is the Wine and Food Society of New South Wales so what else would we have as an aperitif wine to start the year other then a Hunter Valley Semillon. This particular one was the Tyrrells HVD 2006 under screwcap and it was in wonderful condition and just starting to show some development. The Sherry today was the Equipo Navazos ‘I Think’ Manzanilla which we have had previously to very positive comments. Today, however a couple of commentators said it was one of the lessor sherries from recent lunches.

Main Course. The big fish were out today with James serving two 3.5 kg ocean trout. These were oven cooked and served with lemon butter, baby potatoes, baby asparagus and our own native vegetable, samphire. An attractive dish to the eye with the lemon butter adding a real tang to the dish. The fish was beautifully cooked and moist and attracted positive comments. With well over the numbers expected, James did pull off something of a loaves and fishes experience.

The Wines.

• Domaine Fevre Fourchaume 1er Cru Chablis 2010 (cork, 13%)
• Vincent Giradin Pouilly-Fuisse 2013 (cork, 13%)
• John Duval Annexus Grenache 2015 (screwcap, 14%)
• Glaetzer-Dixon Reveur Pinot Noir 2010 (screwcap, 13.5%)

The fish was served with two Chardonnay is both under cork. The 2010 Chablis had freshness and minerality and above all the acid to balance out this wine. The Giradin Pouilly-Fuisse was a softer wine with quite generous fruit which many found the lesser of the pair. Some commentators not fond of the wine at all. I thought they were being a little hard on what was an good white Burgundy.

The cheese wines were an exercise in contrast. The Grenache was very much in the new Australian style with its power in a velvet glove showing complex and elegant fruit with fine tannins. At 4 years of age, it has a long future. The Tasmanian Pinot Noir at 9 years of age was showing significant browning and one of the few Australian Pinot Noir is to show a spark of Burgundy. It was not universally liked, but I thought it was one of the better Australian Pinot Noirs we have tasted in recent years.

Cheese and coffee. Gary Linnane presented the cheese today in the absence of the Cheesemaster and we enjoyed Pont-l'Évêque. It appeared to be a little young and firmer, then we would like to see this cheese under normal circumstances.

James served a very attractive and tasty salad with the cheese of coral lettuce, nectarines, chives and lemon on an oil base.

Spencer Ferrier provided us with a Timorese coffee today and a special treat, some chocolate of unknown origin that was particularly dry and not at all sweet. Beautiful accompanyment to the coffee.

With Keith Steele’s birthday in the vicinity of the lunch he bought a long three bottles of the Cockburn’s 2013 LBV which disappeared in the wink of an eye.

A fine start to the year.