Lunch review by James Tinslay

David Madson was in the kitchen today for the wine lunch and was assisted by Duane Roy (winemaker at Glandore Estate and an ex-chef) and James Tinslay.

This wine lunch was a completely Tyrrells-themed lunch, but more of that later.

The first canapé was from me and were savoury palmiers which were based on anchovy with a Philadelphia cheese base on the puff pastry with dried tomato and a very sharp Parmesan cheese. I first came across savoury palmiers from Peter Manners who served them some years ago and I’ve kept the tradition of serving them at lunch every few years.

The next two canapés were from David with the first being commercial smoked ocean trout rillette combined with white cod taramosalata served on a rice cracker with dill and cucumber. The fish lovers in the room. This went down a treat.

The next came on an Asian-style spoon and was yellowfin tuna, kohlrabi and trout roe with dashi. Kohlrabi goes by many names and is from the same family as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower etc.

The main was chicken Maryland seared then braised in a tarragon infused stock and served with hasselback potatoes and snow peas. The skin of the chicken was pleasingly crispy with moist flesh. David had used a mix of fresh and dry tarragon with some dry vermouth and white wine in the mix. The sauce was plentiful and tasty. Their hasselback potatoes were red unpeeled, and the oven did a sterling job of crisping them. The dish was much liked.

This was our Cheesemaster’s first lunch for some time after his travels and James was back with a new cheese which was the Uplands Cheese Company’s Pleasant Ridge Reserve. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is a cow’s milk cheese made in the tradition of alpine cheeses by a family-run dairy and cheese making facility located on ‘Pleasant Ridge’ in southwestern Wisconsin.

The cheese is only made between May and October, while the cows are grazing on fresh pastures. The grass-fed milk produces flavour complexity in cheese that can’t be replicated when cows are eating machine harvested feed. It comes in 4.5 kg wheels and it was served with mixed nuts and dried fruit.

The cheese was buttery and reminiscent of another alpine classic, Beaufort, a Society favourite.

Of the canape wines, David donated six bottles of his newly bottled 2022 Glandore Estate Fiano which was Broke fruit. Very fresh with strident acid sometimes lacking in Fiano.

The meal wines were all Tyrrells and were:

2013 Vat 1 Semillon

2013 Johnno’s Basket Pressed Semillon

2011 4 Acres Shiraz

2007 Vat 9 Shiraz

2007 4 Acres Shiraz

2007 Old Patch 1867 Shiraz

The pick of the whites was the Vat 1 which was in great condition with stunning acid and was certainly in the more classic or traditional style of Hunter Valley Semillon, especially the Vat 1. The Johnno’s still had a good acid structure but was a fuller style.

Of the four reds, there was not much agreement between the tables. Many in the room love their Hunter reds and the most expensive of the bunch, Old Patch, was very popular. It was a big wine with huge intensity. In a blind tasting. I wouldn’t have picked it anywhere near the Hunter Valley. However, I only occasionally imbibe Hunter Valley reds.

There was quite a bit of variation between the other three reds with the lightest being the 2011 4 Acres which was more in the “HV Burgundy” style. Our table picked the 2007 4 Acres as the pick of the reds.

The Society cellar has large quantities of Tyrrell's wine so I think we shall see many of these aged and relatively expensive wines being served over the next few years.