Thanks to James Hill for the reviews on food and wine.

In the kitchen today was Roger Straiton cooking for our monthly wine tasting.

Canapes. Roger served seafood for our canapés first up was pastry parcels with smoked cod pate with baby scallops on top. Delicious

Then we saw prawns and baby scallops both perfectly cooked with garlic served on spoons.

It was great to see something different and this was in the form of the baby scallops. Most members hadn't seen them before, and Roger advised that you only able to buy them at Coles Chatswood. Canapés were great match for our aperitif wine which was Seppelts Jaluka Chardonnay 2012 from Henty, Victoria. A rich elegant style of Chardonnay with some comment made that it was showing some sulphur.

Main course. Roger decided to tackle some standing rib roast, 17 kilos in fact!

It came to the table perfectly cooked a little grey on the outside and pink in the middle. Tender and flavoursome it was served with potato mash with cream butter and Dijon mustard. Also, on the plate some crunchy beans, a red wine jus and a condiment of creme fraiche and horseradish. A perfect dish for our wine tasting.

Roger advised that the beef came from Woolworths and at a very good price. Goldy commented that Woolworths are regular buyers at the Royal Easter show and are known for their good quality of beef.

Cheese. Gary Linnane presented an aged Comte cheese, an unpasteurised cow’s milk cheese from France. Comte has a concentrated nutty texture, elegant caramel sweetness and lingering flavour. Todays was a perfect example. Roger served a Spanish log of walnut and date to accompany the cheese.

Coffee. Spencer chose an Indonesian blue coffee grown in the style of Jamaican blue mountain soft on the palate with good flavour.

Wines.

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (under stelvin)

Good structure and tannin quite integrated still drinking young.

Chateau Cantemerle 2009 Haut Medoc 2009 (under cork)

A Bordeaux blend predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon. A ripe year showing some bret but good tannin structure and well-integrated.

Chateau Haut Bages liberal 2002 (under cork)

A Bordeaux blend predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon. Developed elegant and balanced with good fruit length.

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2002 (under cork)

Big rich fruit dominant wine with a good balance of tannin and acids.

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 1998 (under cork)

Jammy, well developed and balanced.

Alex Corton Burgundy Premier Cru 2005 (under cork)

Our cheese wine some commented and wine of the day. A great year, elegant and complex.