Sparkling Personality

A new Champagne focussed wine bar has finally appeared - in Malvern Victoria. A great range of growers Champagnes by the glass. Website is at www.champagnedarling.com.au

Had a great lunch on Sunday 21st at Petaluma Bridgewater Mill restaurant in Adelaide Hills - to celebrate a friends 60th Birthday.

More info to come - but here are some pictures.

Amuse Bouche - a nice selection of perfectly sized finger food - a very nice touch to the menu.

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During the Grand Jours the four of us had the opportunity to have lunch at the Michelin One starred Le Benaton.

Wines were:

1996 Salon Champagne. After a heavy week of visiting small producers in Champagne - we expected a lot of the 1996 Salon - but we were disappointed. It is nice in a commercial sense but lacks the real terroir typicity that we were looking for. Shame. Food was spectacular as usual.

2005 Clos Vougeot Musigni Gros Frere et Soeur - gorgeous wine that drinks rather well now.
2005 Charmes Chambertin - Jacky Truchot - a lighter style - elegant and great with the food.

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We had a great breakfast in a magnificent building in Healesville. Superb sour dough breads - great pastries and cakes and coffee roasted on the premises. A great venue for foodies!

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This is a great place for lunch and dinner and breakfast just out of Coldstream towards Healesville. They bake there own breads and pastries. Great long leavened sour dough breads. Menu for breakfast is very impressive - excellent coffee and service. Chef - Gary Cooper was writing up the lunch menu while we enjoyed breakfast.

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Had an opportunity to visit Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld - about 3 hours drive out of Melbourne. This has always been an oasis but now with chef Dan Hunter in charge of the kitchen and Lok Thornton in charge of front of house - this raises itslef to dizzy heights! A quick test menu was simply sensational - a huge 35 page wine list with something for everyone - lots of Burgundy too !!

First dish was a light starter of fennel with herbs and a spicy but very complex sauce.


Next was a lovely tempura artichoke with pork belly and prawns.

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Dinner with friends at 'Maisonette' restaurant in Essendon. Gabriel Martin had prepared a degustation menu for us.
We started with a 1998 Bruno Michel Blanc de Blancs Champagne with a little amuse bouche. Lovely oak and spice. Also we had a 1997 Gaston Chiquet Special Club Champagne. Very Pinot dominant with bright red fruit and toasty aromas and flavours.

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1988 Pol Roger Churchill - sublime but maybe a little over its peak.

1988 Salon - fresh, youth, unctuous,piercing.

1990 Grands Echezeaux Domaine Engel, Game and hints of truffle -nice.

2003 Vosne Romanee Aux Reas A.F.Gros (standin for a corked 2001 Clos Vougeot Domaine Anne Gros). Rather nice if a little simple.Showed great Pinot Noir character but a little too fruity and plummy to be a true Burgundy from Vosne-Romanee.

2004 Kracher Beerenauslese - nice acid and a refreshing finish.


Food just kept coming - look at the photos - so many courses - of course ! More notes upon request and/or/if/when I sober up !
Dishes were good apart from comments attached.

Oyster shooter.

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