Category:Cabernet Franc

November 8
Meet The Maker Sessions – Jon Baxter of Airlie Bank Wines

Okidoke folks, for our final Meet The Maker Sessions for 2018, it is with great pleasure that the producer be one that has lined the shelves and fridges ever since we opened back in 2014 – Airlie Bank Wines from the Yarra Valley hosted by one of the WINE STORE | WINE BARS favourite wine person in Jon Baxter.

Comprising of five wines; Savvy B, Skinsy Pinot Gris, Cuvée Sparkling NV, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc, the Airlie Bank wines are, as far as this wine professional thinks, are possibly some of Australia’s best value wines in terms of quality and certainly price. These wines not only consistently deliver varietal expression but also through wine maker Tim Shand’s deft touch present wines that year after year throw slightly cheeky and different dynamic flavours in the glass that demands another bottle to be opened. Just because!!!

So make sure you swing by this Saturday November 10th from 3-6ish and have a sip and a chat with Jon where we are sure that you will like the wines as much as we do.

January 14
The Boss and Wine – If Bruce Springsteens songs were wine….

Does this bus stop at 82nd Street and The Eruption Cabernet Franc

What I love about this song is it is so happy and abounds with hope, “The daily news asked her for the dope and she said man the dope is there’s still hop.” Isn’t that just ace!!!! And what about that Matador getting the girl at the end. Or did the girl get the Matador?

The wine then. The Eruption Cabernet Franc 2016 from the Yarra Valley. And yes, the label says it all. This is very much a nouveau style of wine that is just so smashable for our very hot summer; tart red fruit, peppercorn berries, chewy tannins. And very much worth a full  full-page ad in the trades to announce their arrival

 

April 18
Slow Cooking Season – Lamb and Cabernet

SLOW-COOKED-HALF-SHOULDER-Slow cooking season is upon us. Prep in the morning. Turn oven on. Whack contents in to oven. Go about your biz for the rest of the day doing the usual blah blahs that weekends tend to throw at you, and anything up to 6 hours later you have a feast befitting Brunswick royalty.

 

To kick of the #SeasonOfSlow we are going to start with an Aussie staple; Lamb. Beautiful ever reliable Lamb. And to drink with said Lamb one of my favourite drops is the Chateau Pierre-Bise Anjou Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon Sur Spilites 2010 from the Loire Valley in France. A beautiful wine with layers of mocca, dark chocolate, cassis and achingly supple tannins with balanced acid. Sexyasnuts I say. anjou

So you have your wine, now you just need to cook the lamb. Here’s a good start. Happy times!!!

Ingredients:

  • 2 lemons
  • 650g waxy potatoes, peeled
  • 2 onion, sliced into wedges
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 half shoulder of Scotch Lamb 800g
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 big handfuls of rosemary from the back yard
  • 2 generous glugs of olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 300mL dry white for the lamb, 150mL of wine for you

 

Cooking:

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Cut away zest from the lemons then thickly slice one and squeeze the juice from the other. Cut the potatoes into large chunks and place in a large roasting tin along with the onion wedges, garlic and sliced lemon. Pour over half the oil, lemon juice and wine.

Place the shoulder of lamb on top of the vegetables, then drizzle over the remaining oil, scatter over the thyme lemon zest and plenty of seasoning then rub this all into the skin.

Stick in the oven uncovered for about 20 mins so crisps up a bit then loosely cover the tray with foil and put it in the oven and cook for a further 10 or so mins.

Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C then bake the lamb for 2 hours.

Remove the foil, baste the meat with the pan juices, but don’t disturb the potatoes too much. Roast uncovered for a further 1 hour & 30 mins until the potatoes are golden and the lamb tender. Serve the lamb with the potatoes, roasted garlic and onions along with some green vegetables.

Tickityboo Sweetasanut. Chateau Pierre-Bise Anjou Cabert Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon Sur Spilites 2010 is $32 always. Good cooking to all and 1!!!

 

April 9
Blue Poles Margaret River Allouran Merlot Cabernet Franc 2010

blue poles allouranAll I can say to the sheep that gave up Merlot after watching ‘Sideways’ is good, rack off; more for me. What a load of bollocks that was when Miles so eloquently sprouted, “No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!” And with that almost single handedly ruined Merlot growers around the world and had Australian Sommeliers avoiding it like the plague. Silly buggers the lot I say!!!

Anyway, where Merlot goes, so should Cabernet Franc; the Right Bank blend. And in Margaret River a wiley old Kiwi in Mark Gifford crafts a ripping blend of two thirds Merlot and one third Cab Franc and the outcome is absolutely gorgeous. Blueberries are plentiful on the nose with subtle notes of earth and anise in the background. The palate opens with more blue fruit along with soft dry tannins, more spice thanks in part to Cab Franc and subtle notes of cedar and tobacco.

Get on board the Merlot train once more: It’s ACE.

Drink with bloody lamb or parmigiana di melanzan and $26 always