Category:2012

August 14
#Augdulgence – Pierre Morey Bourgogne Blanc 2012

Oh what a delicious beast this is!!! pierre

A serious chardonnay and most certainly a chardonnay drinkers chardonnay. Did I mention its an amazing chardonnay? A wine coming from mostly Meursault vineyards, the Pierre Morey Bourgogne Blanc 2012 is drinking superbly well right now with rich crème brûlée notes all melded deliciously with ample new oak – which does not leave splinters in your tongue – and balanced grapefruit pithy acid holding it all together.

Belle sanglate indeed and always $58, or maybe $54 this #Augdulgence. And also pouring #BTG in the wine bar at the moment for $15. Bon

September 1
#TuedaysTasteLike – Springtime and David Reynaud Crozes-Hermitage Syrah

beaumontOh Melbourne town, you certainly know how to tease with weather like today’s masterpiece. The sun is out, the clouds are but shadows and the wind is no more than a gentle sneeze. We love you Melbourne!!!

So its the first day of Spring. The sun is out but it’s going to be a little piccardilly tonight so lets balance it out shall we. The David Reynaud Beaumont Crozes-Hermitage 2012 Syrah is that perfect balance. And it’s got precious little Sulfur so you won’t have to worry about those Sulfur headaches, but can not guarantee that you won’t get a headache after the 4th bottle though.

So, what does #TuesdayTastesLike then? In the glass the wine looks quite dirty in the glass but that’s just because it’s unfined and unfiltered. The nose is all savoury notes of earth, spice and wonderful and very pronounced black olive. Yes. Black Olive. And its delish!!!

The palate follows the nose with wonderful savoury notes, blackberry and yes, black olive. It’s a ripper I tell ya and always $24

July 17
Izway Barossa Valley “Mates” Grenache/Mataro 2012

To state the bleeding obvious, winter is here and geez is it bloody cold!!! Seriously, this is the coldest winter I have had since 1997 in France – that was cold. I think the big reason for the ‘coldicity’ (just made a word up) is that autumn was also cold, so I guess it is ‘cold2’. Now with this coldicity upon us one of the great cures is red wine, and this wine I think may just be that cure, that saviour if you will. The Izway “Mates” Grenache/Mataro 2012 from the Barossa Valley is exactly the wine that is made for cold weather. Why you ask? Just is, is the short answer. But that will not suffice.

The nose has layers of complex aromas of autumnal earth – think wet tilled earth, master stock and rich dark fruit. The palate again has complex and rich notes of mushroom soy, spice, master stock, and rich and velvety dark fruit.

It’s also poring#BTG in the wine bar right now!!!

It’s truly delish and $28 always

May 7
Slow Wednesday – Chicken Pie and Benjamin Laroche Chardonnay 2012

It was very deja vu like yesterday. Day off. Cooking Slow. Kids sick. At home. Again!!! Bloody heck. But all was well and the house was quiet with movies, an open fire blazing and yum aromas from the kitchen.

Chicken Pie. My theory with pies is if you are going to put a lid on it, put something below it too; pastry all over. That means if you are making short-crust pastry you gotta make double. pastryAnd when you are making said pastry it is always better to have a food processor to mix the butter and flour because if you do it by hand you are more likely to melt the butter.

So to start. Once butter and flour are blitzed, in a bowl slowly add cold water until you have a solid ball of pastry that is elastic like in texture and not crumbly. Cover and sit in fridge for about 30 minutes. Next brown whole thighs of chicken off with butter, tarragon and garlic in batches with the occasional slug of white wine to glaze and release the crusty bits.

browning chook Remove chook from pot and soften leek, carrots, slippery jack mushrooms and more garlic. Throw chook back in and top with chicken stock and white wine until almost to the top of the pot. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer and walk away for about 4 hours.

About an 3 hours in grease of round baking dish with butter and roll pastry in. Make sure you have plenty to tuck in and to hang over side. Cover with baking paper and weigh down and on about 150°C for about 12 minutes. Then remove baking paper and heat on same temp for another 10 minutes until semi-hard and tanned and with that, pour the reduced yumness in and pop the lid on and brush with an egg wash and bake until golden brown. Awesomeness awaits!!!

ready for lidlid ondone

Now with a pie like this you are going to want a wine that has punch yet finesse as well. The Benjamin Laroche La Manufacture Bourgogne 2012 from Burgundy. A Chardonnay. Pithy grapefruit and lemon aroma’s waft up with a hint of stone fruit and white licorice powder and more pithy grapefruit come through on the palate. Not too big but not too skinny either. Ripping and always $37le manufacture

Ingredients:

Pastry

500 grams plain flour
250 grams butter
Cold water

Pie

1.2kg chicken thighs
1 big handful of tarragon
3 x carrots
1 x leek
1 whole bulb of garlic, skinned and thrown in whole
3 x slippery jack mushrooms
1 litre of good chicken stock
400 mL white wine
Salt and pepper

April 30
Slow Wednesday – Corsican Stew and Cavallalotto Dolcetto

Yesterday marked the first day that the store was open but I wasn’t here; sort of strange but nice to have a sleep in I guess. Now the one thing I have missed since being here everyday (and yes, my family of course) is cooking. I love to cook. And I love slow cooking. Love it, love it, love it.meat and pasta

Something else I love is pasta. Home made pasta that is. Usually when I make pasta at home I would usually have Henry, Little Red #2, helping me out. Yesterday I had both Little Reds due to both being home from school with a lurgy. So both had to help. Yeah, what could go wrong? Not a lot I’m happy to report and the end result was a bench full of pasta.pasta

Next thing to sort was to brown off the meat in some white wine; just your garden variety chuck/stewing steak. Once done add soaked cep mushrooms, bacon lardons, bay leaves and a handful of rosemary and pretty much walk way for about 4 hours.

The end result is a gorgeous pot of slow cooked meat that everyone in the family will eat, especially the kids because they helped put everything together.full pot

But the meal isn’t complete without wine, and with a meal this hearty and rich the wine needs to be able to be big enough to standup against such robust flavours. The Cavallotto D’Alba Dolcetto 2012 from Piedmonte Italy. I really love Dolcetto, but don’t let the name fool you; she aint sweet!!!. This wine is earthy with dark tart black fruit, spice, savoury bay leaf notes and effortless acid and tannin structure. An absolute Sussan – you know, ‘This goes with that at Sussan’ – with my Corsican Stew and $38 alwayscavallotto

Ingredients & Method for Corsican Stew and home made pasta:

Pasta
3 x eggs
1 1/2 cups plain flour
pinch of salt

combine eggs, flour and salt and mix until firm but doughy. Roll out in small batches and lay out to dry on a non-stick surface. I cling wrap the bench.

Corsican Stew
1 1/2 kg of stewing beef
200 grams bacon
40 grams cep/porcini mushroom and 2 lites of water
450mL white wine
2 x bay leaves
A handful of rosemary
2 pinches of cinnamon
100mL pasata
3 x cloves of garlic
3 x onions, quartered

In a large plastic bowl soak porcini/cep in boiling hot water for 30 minutes. Cut the beef in to large chunks and brown in small batches. De-glaze pot after each batch with white wine. Do the same with bacon. Add remaining ingredients as well as liquid to soak mushrooms. Top with water/stock to the top of the pot. Bring to boil then immer until reduced. There should be plenty leftover for a few leftover lunches I reckon. Having some now actually; it’s delish!!leftovers

March 26
Winter Warmers – Domaine Santa Duc Les Plans 2012, Gigondas France

santa ducWith the end of Daylight savings almost here, the days will start to get shorter and darker and cooler. Winter is upon us and with this juicy reds are always welcome in a glass nearby.

The Domaine Santa Duc Les Plans 2012 from Gigondas in the Rhône Valley is full of juicy goodness, primarily thanks to 50% Grenache and 25% Syrah which gives the wine a plump and rich texture without coming across as jammy and stewy. It’s like a warm hug in your glass. It’s just ACE.

Winter is here. let’s embrace it head-on with a bottle of this gorgeous gear.

Drink with a lamb casserole and $20 always

March 18
My Birthday Wine – Domaine Seguin-Manuel Bourgogne 2012

seguinBirthdays are great aren’t they? Birthdays mean it’s all about you, and yeah, that’s it. I’m 44 so I’m going to have some Burgundy. The Domaine Seguin-Manuel Bourgogne 2012 was the wine of choice and yep, Delicious!!!

With fruit coming primarily from Pommard – about bang on in the middles of the Côte de Beune – this wine is everything I love about Pinot Noir; earth, spice, funk and game. No Funk & Wagnalls but…

So, the wine. The nose is tight with subtle perfume, tart red fruit and hints of cardamom. The palate is deliciously sexy; spice, pan juices, and what I really loved about this wine, cold black tea on the back palate.

Yep, it’s ACE having a birthday.

Drink with 2 point rib-eye roast beef (birthday dinner) and $52 Always