Food review by James Hill and wine review by Stephen O'Halloran

After a two-year hiatus, we returned to the Royal Exchange Club for what many consider to be our premiere night the “Chef of the Year” awards.

Contenders for the 2021 award were Haley Epstein, James Hill, Peter Kelso, Merv Peacock, Nick Reynolds, and Steve Sparkes.

Nick Reynolds was named Chef of The Year as voted by members for his dish of homemade fish sausage served with beurre blanc with scallop, prawn, butter-glazed snow peas, forty layered potato pavé with crème fraîche and Beluga caviar. He was also awarded the Chris Alexiou award for the best seafood. Having now won both awards three times, he announced that while he will still cook lunches for our Society he will cease being a competitor for these awards.

Lynnette MacDonald joined us for the evening, she has donated a trophy in memory of our long-standing member and Cheese Master Ross MacDonald. The trophy awarded for the best accompaniment to a cheese course was won by Gary Linnane for his raisin/sultana mix that had been marinated in a 20-year-old Yalumba Museum Muscat.

A special thanks was made by our Food Master to all our members who cook during the year.

James Hill, Steve Leibeskind and Nick Reynolds were our chefs on the evening with wine presented by our Cellar master Chilly Hargrave.

Chef’s notes on food.

Canapés - James Hill

Bacon and three-cheese gougères. These we made by Lynnette MacDonald and the filling was Parmesan, Cheddar and Gruyère finished with a light dusting of bacon powder.

Sweet school prawns on rice crackers with Marie Rose sauce and lettuce.

Tartufata and goat’s curd served in pastry cups. Tartufata is a truffle and mushroom paste with a combination of black truffles, mushrooms, black olives, anchovies and extra virgin olive oil.

Entree - Steve Liebeskind

Confit salmon with herb beurre blanc, tarragon, chives, parsley, fried capers and finger lime topped with crispy salmon skin.

Main - Nick Reynolds

Duck three ways. The three components were confit duck Maryland served on a bed of puy lentils garnished with diced carrots and potatoes with a red wine and duck jelly sauce; hand-rolled duck spring roll (confit duck, carrots, green onions, enoki mushrooms and Peking duck sauce); and green salad spritzed with balsamic vinegar with a 62.5C sous-vide cooked duck egg providing the fat for the dressing. 

Cheese - Gary Linnane

Tonight’s cheese was Beaufort a cow’s milk hard cheese from France. This is a naturally rinded cheese from the European Alps traditionally made in 45kg wheels and is one of the largest cheeses is made in the world. The cheese is made from late spring or summer milk, this is when the best cheese comes from cows that have ascended into the rich mountain pastures.

The close concentrated creamy texture and nutty, slightly sweet long flavours are typical is rare cheese.

Served with the Society's favourite bread, Iggy’s sourdough.

Dessert - James Hill

Citrus tart with Cointreau-macerated blueberries and a lemon basil sherbet.

The Wine

Bernard Brémont Brut NV Champagne

Tyrrell's Wines 2005 Vat 1 Semillon

Tyrrell's Wines 2015 Vat 1 Semillon

Christian Moreau 2018 Chablis Vaillon Cuvee Guy Moreau 1er Cru

Domaine Christian Clerget 2010 Echezeaux Grand Cru

Domaine Georges Lignier et Fils 2012 Clos-Saint-Denis Grand Cru

Château La Dominique 2010 Grand Cru Classe, St-Emilion 

Houghton 2008 Gladstones Cabernet Sauvignon

Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2003 1er Cru Classe, Sauternes

Champagne

The evening got off to a flying start with a Bernard Bremont Champagne from Ambonnay in the  Champagne region. A highly regarded boutique producer.  Developed colour and flavour with fine tiny bubbles. Most enjoyable. Mainly Pinot Noir.

The Tyrrells Semillons both Vat 1 2005 and 2015

Both great wines. The 05 has become a legend in its own lifetime. Regarded by Tyrrells as one of their greatest Vat 1’s. 11.6 % and drinking superbly even at 17 yo. No fading, no browning, fresh and destined for a long life. A real example of what quality Semillon can produce in terms of Lanolin and bees wax overtones.  An Australian Classic.

 The 2015 was a terrific wine, 11% and 7 yo.  Lots of time ahead and may even in time, finish up like the 05.  Suffered a little by comparison to the 05.  “ Batting after Bradman “ they used to say.

The next white wine was the well-regarded Chablis by Moreau a 1er Cru 2018. Year rated 7/9.  14%. Flint, gravel and steely overtones. Upon tasting the wine I was instantly taken back to a seaside town in France with a plate of Bay of Biscay oysters. A perfect pairing.

Red Burgundy

Christian Clerget Echezeaux Grand Cru 2010. 14%. Year rated 8/10

The first of two examples of why Pinot Noir from Burgundy is accorded almost Divine Status. The second was a Clos Saint-Denis  Grand Cru from 2012. 14%  year rated 8/9.

Both wines drank beautifully, velvety,  smooth, deep power of quality PN. Seductive aromas. At the end of the process of comparison, I came to the view by a narrow margin, that my preference was the  Clos Saint-Denis.

I felt that the Echezeaux had better structures, but the Saint-Denis had a more appealing finish. Possibly the result of a bit of fading by a  12 yo wine. Others may well hold a different view   It is however when all said and done a privilege to enjoy these wines from vineyards the size of postage stamps and prices that resemble postcodes!

Bordeaux

We were treated to a glorious Merlot from the Right Bank, a Chateau La Dominique from St Emilion. This vineyard sits right next to the famous Cheval Blanc vineyard, so it ought to be a cracker, and it was! 86 % Merlot and a bit of Cab Franc, and an eye dropper of Cabernet. Big wine  14.5 % powerful wine, lots of time ahead, superb rich, plummy merlot flavours. Thank you Wine Master.

Australia

A superb 2008 Cabernet from Houghtons was on show.  The Gladstones MR Cabernet is right up there with their other top wine, the Jack Mann.  The wine was named after the renowned Dr John Gladstones from the WA Dept of Agriculture,  whose tireless work in the 1960s led to the establishment of grape growing in Margaret River.  This wine was impressive. Huge fruit, mint overtones, but in balance. For those who like their MR Cabernets, this wine is for you.

Sauternes

To finish up we were treated to a luscious 2003 La Faurie  Peyraguey. Superb. Some say this Sauterne is considered by some as being a genuine challenger to Ch D’yquem.   Tell them they’re dreaming would be my response!   Nonetheless, a great way to finish the evening with a quality stickie and a fruit tart.

Many thanks to those who put the evening together. These events do not happen by accident.   SOH.