Food review by James Hill and wine reviews by Steve Liebeskind and Charles Hargrave (two for the price of one!)

Food

They say membership has its rewards and members certainly appreciated the first class offering of food and wine for today’s lunch.

In the kitchen, 2023 Seafood Chef of the Year, was Matt Holmes presenting his fish and chips.

We welcomed a new member to our society today, Colin O’Connor, and he was presented with a Society bow tie, our history “A Table of Delights” and a Society badge by acting Chair Steve Liebeskind.

Canapés

The first canape, prepared by Mark Bradford, was roast beef with a grilled red pepper garnish, sat on a bed pesto and a pumpernickel base. The pesto was the dominant flavour, with a good texture, along with cashew basil pesto and pumpernickel.

The second canape was courtesy of Paul Thorne, named “fisheye anchovy” by Greg Chugg it was white anchovies wrapped around pepper-stuffed olives, sitting on blini.

Main

Inspired by his time living in London Matt produced a meal of

reimagined fish-n-chips, laid down on a sheet of newspaper to evoke memories of seaside meals: all we needed were a few seagulls screeching in the background.

The fish was Kingfish with parmesan and panko crumbed crust.

The panko crumbs were given a flavour lift with garlic and parsley and plenty of olive oil to produce a glazed, golden-brown finish. The hidden ingredient to adhere the crumbs to the fish was Dijon mustard, not flour and egg as would be the usual option. The mustard also added to the flavour without overpowering the fish.

You can't have fish and chips without mushy peas and in this case, they were cooked in chicken stock and mint, some said the hero on the plate. The homemade tartare sauce was a combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, cornichons, capers and lemon juice.

The chips were triple-cooked Desiree potatoes in a Jenga stack, always well received.

Very well executed and presented there were many comments on the quality of food presented today. A great combination of flavours and texture, as fitting a CoTY nomination.

Bread Bourke Street bakery bread today, soy and linseed served with the main and semi-sourdough baguette with cheese.

Cheese

Cheese master Mark Bradford, in theme, presented a Cropwell Bishop Stilton from Nottinghamshire England a blue cow’s milk cheese. It came to the table in perfect condition today.

This cheese is soft, sweet and savoury with a mild blue mould finish that has notes of honey, leather, tobacco and molasses.

Stilton is one of Britain’s best-known PDO cheeses made in the counties of Nottingham, Derby & Leicester using local, full cream pasteurised milk. Cropwell Bishop Dairy is one of the smallest producers - a family-owned business operating for 3 generations.

Curds are hand ladled into cylindrical moulds; a time-consuming and painstaking process, but one that helps to preserve the structure of the curd and deliver a smooth rich textured cheese. During maturation, the crusty rind forms naturally, encouraged by rubbing and brushing, and after spiking, blueing radiates from the centre.

Simply served with pears Beurre Bosc and Delicious, dates and walnuts.

Wine

(Editor comment: Sorry boys, neither of you reached the poetry of normal reviewer Stephen O'H's reminiscing of drinking a wine with a beautiful young lady in some exotic location etc etc. Thank you both for putting your hands up in Stephen's absence)

1. Charles Hargrave comments

An excellent fish dish deserves an exceptional selection of wines. This week’s wines were on the money. In fact they were more like a wine lunch. Unfortunately, only 30 very fortunate members joined us today.
 
A 2019 William Fèvre Petit Chablis ($50) was served with the canapés. It’s a popular brand with a wide range of cuvées in their portfolio. This wine, however, was a disappointment. Bottled under screw cap, their characters varied from pale, pure Chablis to yellow and oxidised. Coincidentally, I met with someone from the importer (Negociants) the next day and commented on these faults. Apparently Fèvre have since stopped using screw cap until they resolve these issues. Our most recent purchase of the 2022 version is now under cork (Diam)
 
The main was served with two very different burgundies. The first, a 2018 William Fèvre Chablis (under cork - $65) was in excellent condition. Showing the recognisable mineral Chablis notes with tension, freshness and finesse. Whereas Petit Chablis (20% of production) is grown on the upper slopes (often facing north) on lighter, silty soils, the Chablis (65% of production) is on grown on the lower slopes with much older soils, rich in oyster shell, dating to the Jurassic period. These differences are reflected in the intensity of the wines. 

2. Steve Liebeskind comments

Canapé wine

• 2019 Domaine William Fevre Petit Chablis

Vintage Notes: The 2019 vintage in Chablis was marked by favourable weather, producing wines with excellent ripeness and balance. A cooler spring and early summer were followed by a warmer ripening period, which led to concentrated flavours with fresh acidity.

Tasting Notes: This wine offers bright citrus and green apple flavours with a touch of minerality. Its crisp acidity and light body make it perfect for starting the meal, refreshing the palate and complementing the full-bodied canapés. The surprise here was that there were 2 styles of bottles – 1 showed minerality and freshness, the other, full body, flinty and flabbiness and Burgundian style. Both were good but I preferred the flinty/minerality style.

Main course wines

• 2018 Domaine William Fevre Chablis

Vintage Notes: 2018 was an excellent year for Chablis, with warm weather producing ripe, expressive wines that still maintained good acidity. The growing season led to balanced, concentrated wines with both fruit and minerality.

Tasting Notes: This wine had bright citrus, green apple, and subtle pear notes, with a strong mineral backbone. Its vibrant acidity and clean finish make it an ideal pairing for the fish and chips. Personally, I found the Petite Chablis more interesting and refreshing and would have gone well with the fish and chips as well.

• 2020 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune Au Bout du Monde

Vintage Notes: 2020 was a warm year in Burgundy, producing rich, concentrated wines with lower acidity compared to cooler vintages. However, in the hands of skilled winemakers like Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, the wines retained freshness alongside ripe fruit.

Tasting Notes: This wine offers notes of ripe stone fruits like peach and apricot, alongside a slight nuttiness and refreshing minerality. It is fuller-bodied than typical Chablis, which helps it hold up to the richness of the fish and chips, while the minerality and freshness balance out the dish. A wine with tannin and flabbiness, this was a terrific wine and paired with the meal very well. An excellent drink.

Cheese wines

• 2017 Domaine Christian Clerget Bourgogne Rouge

Vintage Notes: 2017 was a classic vintage for red Burgundy, producing elegant, lighter-bodied wines with bright acidity and expressive fruit. The vintage is known for its finesse, with balanced, approachable wines in their youth.

Tasting Notes: This Pinot Noir delivered vibrant red fruit flavours such as cherry and raspberry, with subtle earthy undertones. It has light body and fresh acidity. We had a Stilton today and the cheese slightly overpowered this wine.

• 2017 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
  Vintage Notes: 2017 in Canberra was a great vintage for Shiraz Viognier, producing wines with bright fruit and floral aromatics. The cooler growing season allowed for more finesse and elegance in the wine.

Tasting Notes: This wine combines the richness of Shiraz with the floral lift of Viognier. It presents flavours of red and dark fruit with a silky texture, complemented by spicy undertones. Its aromatic complexity makes it a versatile pairing with cheese, adding depth and richness to the cheese course. The sweetness of the Viognier lifted the fruit of the Shiraz and matched well with the Stilton. A good wine and drinks well now, with years to go.