Food review by James Tinslay and wine review by Chilly Hargrave

Our first wine lunch for 2020 and Society President, Peter Kelso, was in the kitchen with his wife Catherine. They were assisted on canapés by Mark Bradford.

There were two notable factors about the lunch. One good and one not so good. Starting with the good, Winemaster Charles “Chilly” Hargrave opted for an all-white selection of the six wines which was commented during the lunch. On the worrying side was that there were six members who had booked and had not arrived for the lunch. Some of these attempted to signal their inability to attend at the last minute, but somehow communications did not get through.

Canapés

There was an abundance of the two canapés today with the first being beetroot stewed in orange juice and beef stock and then served in pastry cups topped with some Chevre. The next was a taramasalata on toast topped with not just fish roe but caviar. Both were commented upon favourably.

Main Course

Being a wine lunch, Peter instinctively cooked a dish that would complement the white wines, not compete. We had fish in a parcel or poisson en papillote. Inside the parcel was what looked like a lettuce leaf wrapping the fish which had been topped with a prawn to enhance the presentation. Shrimp paste, lemon, dill and bits of other things had been used to complement the flavour. The fish was pink ling and it was perfectly cooked so that the segments fell apart easily to the fork. This was simply accompanied by rice coloured yellow with turmeric to which preserved lemons and toasted almonds had been added.

A simple and very tasty lunch.

Cheese

The cheese selected by James Healey today was the subject of many informed guesses, none of which were on the money. It was the Tarago River Triple Cream from Gippsland, a white mould pasteurised cow’s milk cheese. This cheese has a fat content of 36% and was rich and buttery with a texture that was creamy. The cheese was beautifully fresh, and much enjoyed.

Coffee

While Spencer was absent this week, he had asked Peter Kelso (who clearly had nothing else to do on the day) to source some Illy coffee for the lunch. Peter had freshly ground the beans before the lunch. Illy is a commercial favourite for Spencer as it provides a smooth experience in the cup, as it did on this occasion.

Wines

Today’s wine lunch started with a pair of Tyrrell’s Johnno’s Semillons that really showed that we have vintage variation in Australia and the Hunter in particular. Curiously in Riesling bottles (perhaps a throwback to Hunter Valley Riesling) we tasted/drank the 2011 vintage followed by the 2010. Preference was split between the two, but there was general agreement on the quality of the wines. Both showed the slight phenolic edge typical of Johnno’s, but also the impact of vintage conditions. The 2010 wine was full-flavoured and textual, perhaps drinking at its best, while the 2011 was pure in fruit, very pale in colour with fine acidity - an absolute keeper.

The wines on the table were a selection of six Chardonnays. This drew comment on the lack of red wine (a rare occasion for the Society) with further discussion about matching cheese with white wine.

First up a 2012 William Fevre Chablis from the Grand Cru vineyards of Bougros. One of the earliest maturing wines of the seven Grand Cru, it showed richness and depth with some influence of lees ageing. These characteristics are what separates these top wines from the rest of Chablis. This Fevre wine, although it still carried some sulphur dioxide, was showing some development, unfortunately also under cork. Perhaps it would have shown better at a slightly lower temperature.

In a slightly confusing layout (a copy and paste error from the clumsy cellar master) we had a pair of wines from the cellars of Benjamin Leroux which were fortunately under screw cap. The 2014 Auxey-Duresses Blanc reflected its terroir, with some lees notes, full flavour and tension. Probably closer to its neighbour Meursault in character than the Montrachets over the hill. On the other hand, the 2014 Chassagne Montrachet was outstanding. It had the minerality, mouthfeel, length and poise that one would expect of Premier Cru or more. A great example of the purity and tension that can be found in Chassagne.

The final burgundy was a 2012 Vincent Girardin St Aubin ‘Les Murgers des Dents de Chien’ 1er Cru. This is the most highly rated vineyard in St Aubin. Situated on the other side of the scrubby hill (mont rachet in French) from the Grand Cru vineyards of Chevalier Montrachet, it shares a similar terroir. The Girardin wine was full-flavoured and textural. It was impacted by the used of old oak and starting to show colour. An excellent example of the impact of cork on white wines, it lacked the expected precision and structure.

Finally, we had a pair of Chardonnays from Curly Flat. The ‘basic’ Chardonnay from 2015 had an excellent balance of fruit, acidity and barrel ferment with a touch of struck match. It was fresh and lively with lingering melon fruit flavours. The 2012 ‘The Curly’ was a different creature altogether. Fermented and aged in 100% new oak with a high proportion of malolactic it was a bigger wine with a richness of flavour and mouthfeel. It still had lingering oak aromas and tannins that tended to dominate the fruit. An interesting pair of wines to compare with the burgundies. They lacked the purity of the first four but were still excellent examples of the variety and were probably the best match for the cheese.

Finally, I thank Frank L, James T, James H and Matt H for their assistance in pouring, always a difficult exercise in a crowded room