Sparkling Personality

Meeting No: 33

Date: December 18th, 2008.

Theme: Ready-to-drink Grand Crus from the Cote d’Or, red or white.

Present: Sir Philip of Trevalle, Sir David of Cirro, Sir Samuel of Pontifico, Sir Leon of Romanee, Sir Russell of Epicure, Sir Peter of Heathcote, Sir Ralph of Plenty, Sir Colin of Chambers, Sir Thomas of Stocks, Sir Philip of Oporto, Sir Ian of Umpirica, Sir Paul of Rousseau.

Food:

First Course – Japanese seafood plate: semi-cured Hiramasa kingfish, prawn remoulade sauce; Petunia ocean trout tataki, Yuzu miso sauce; seared Japanese Hokkaido sea scallop.
Second Course – Milk-fed veal loin rolled in porcini dust, spinach, feta and leek cannelloni, taro and root vegetable rosti.
Third Course – Pithivier of minced turkey, pork belly and ‘lup-cheong’ sausage, crushed green peas, red current sauce.
Fourth Course – Papillon Black Label Roquefort AOC – France; fresh pear, toasted spiced fruit and nut loaf.
Fifth course – Mango carpaccio with lime syrup, pistachio halva, watermelon sorbet.

Wines:
(In addition to the group ranking, I give the highest and lowest ranking the wine achieved, together with those who ranked it as such; you get some idea of how much we can differ in our appreciation. I also give the total ranking points after the overall ranking)

NV Krug Grande Cuvee Champagne (RG): Golden. Very fine, full, subdued-yeasty, nose, elegant. Medium-weight palate, dry with great finesse, good aftertaste. Fine quality. Not ranked;
1998 Raymond Boulard Cuvee Brut Rose Champagne (CL): Pale pink. Nose fine, faint Pinot. Palate rich and long, full, good aftertaste. More weight than the Krug but not as fine. Not ranked.
1. 1999 Corton Charlemagne (Olivier Leflaive) (IR): Deepish gold. Nose fine but understated, some saw a trace of maderisation. Palate rich with good structure, weight and length, long aftertaste. Ranked eq 10th (124). High – 7th (LC, SC); Low – 12th (CL, RG, TJ, RC);
2. 2004 Corton Charlemagne (Rapet) (PM): Bright, light gold. Nose fine, elegant and young. Palate very fine, young, good fruit-acidity and structure, lovely aftertaste. Beautiful now but will mature well. Ranked 8th (88). High – 1st (PA); Low – 11th (RC);

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Meeting No: 32

Date: November 20th, 2008.

Theme: 2001: Cote de Nuits reds, Cote de Beaune whites, Premier or Grand Cru.

Present: Sir David of Kardinia, Sir David of Cirro, Sir Ian of Palatte, Sir Samuel of Pontifico, Sir Russell of Epicure, Sir Steven of Grammar, Sir Peter of Heathcote, Sir Ralph of Plenty, Sir Colin of Chambers, Sir Thomas of Stocks, Sir Paul of Rousseau, Sir Philip of Politico.

Food:

First Course – Spanner crab ravioli, prawn remoulade with kaffir lime and lemongrass, shredded root vegetable salad, warm coriander dressing.
Second Course – ‘Kakuni’ slow-cooked Kurobuta pork belly, sautéed spring peas, BBQ sauce.
Third Course – Five-spiced roast duck breast, Peking cabbage and leek ‘okonomiyaki’ pancake, fresh cucumber, hoisin duck sauce.
Fourth Course – Beurre Bosc pear and almond frangipane tart, amaretto and almond icecream.

Wines:
(In addition to the group ranking, I give the highest and lowest ranking the wine achieved, together with those who ranked it as such; you get some idea of how much we can differ in our appreciation. I also give the total ranking points after the overall ranking)

NV Leclerc Briant Les Chevres Pierreuses Premier Cru Brut Champagne (CL): Light yellow. Nose lively, fresh and full. Palate very dry, young, refreshing, good aftertaste. Very attractive wine which could benefit from a little ageing. Not ranked;
1. 2001 Puligny Montrachet Champ Canet (Sauzet) (RG): Light gold. Young, fresh nose. Palate fresh and young, good acidity. Needs time to show its best. Ranked 11th (115). High – 7th (PS); Low 11th (DB, DA, SD, SC);
2. 2001 Puligny Montrachet Les Pucelles (Chavy) (CL): Medium gold. Full, young, rich wine with long aftertaste. Still a baby but should be splendid with time. Ranked 9th (109). High – 6th (CL, SC); Low – 11th (TJ, PD);
3. 2001 Meursault Poruzots (Jobard) (SC): Medium-light gold. Lovely nose, fine and developing. Palate with good weight and structure, long aftertaste. Pretty well ready. Ranked 8th (88). High – 3rd (SC); Low – 10th (IB, RG);
4. 2001 Chambolle Musigny Les Gruenchers (Fourrier) (IB): Good colour, pink on edge. Fresh, young nose, somewhat open. Palate fresh with good fruit-acidity. On the light side but still fairly closed and needs a few years. Ranked 5th (68). High – 2nd (PS); Low – 8th (SD, SC);

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Meeting No: 31

Date: October 16th, 2008.

Theme: 1998 Red and White, Premier Cru or Grand Cru.

Present: Sir Philip of Trevall, Sir David of Cirro, Sir Ian of Palatte, Sir Samuel of Pontifico, Sir Leon of Romanee, Sir Russell of Epicure, Sir Steven of Grammar, Sir Colin of Chambers, Sir Thomas of Stocks, Sir Philip of Oporto, Sir Paul of Rousseau, Sir Philip of Politico.

Food:

First Course – Seared scallops, miso eggplant with dried shrimp and spicy pork mince.
Second Course – Red roasted, master stock braised chicken roll filled with sweet corn and smoked bacon, coconut rice, cucumber and ginger salad.
Third Course – Milk-fed Meredith leg of lamb roasted with Sichuan pepper, stir-fried Peking cabbage. Minced shoulder pie with spring peas, BBQ lamb sauce.
Fourth Course – Gorgonzola blue cheese ‘strudel’, apple and celery salad with toasted walnuts.
Fifth Course – Silvan Estate Monbulk strawberries between almond shortcake biscuits with framboise mascarpone with macerated strawberries.

Wines:
(In addition to the group ranking, I give the highest and lowest ranking the wine achieved, together with those who ranked it as such; you get some idea of how much we can differ in our appreciation. I also give the total ranking points after the overall ranking)

1993 Pol Roger Brut Champagne (CL): Quite coloured, some orange. Nose meaty, some oxidation. Palate better, good acidity, not bad but a touch of sweet-sour character on finish. Hanging on grimly but the ‘93’s were generally early drinking. Not ranked;
1. 1998 Corton Charlemagne (Rapet) (SC): Some colour, light gold. Nose fresh and minerally, rather undefined, although some thought a touch of oxidation. Palate better with good weight and length, seemingly unmatured. Overall, disappointing. Ranked 10th (116). High – 3rd (PA); Low – 12th (DB, CL, IB);
2. 1998 Chablis Mont de Milieu (Grosset) (LC): Brilliant , light gold. Fine, flowery nose, young. Palate medium-weight, soft, good acidity and aftertaste. Ranked 11th (118). High – 7th (CL); Low – 12th (PA, RC);

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Meeting No: 30

Date: September 18th, 2008.
Theme: 1999 and 2002 Reds, Premier Cru or Grand Cru.

Present: Sir David of Kardinia, Sir Philip of Trevall, Sir David of Cirro, Sir Ian of Palatte, Sir Samuel of Pontifico, Sir Leon of Romanee, Sir Russell of Epicure, Sir Steven of Grammar, Sir Ralph of Plenty, Sir Thomas of Stocks, Sir Philip of Oporto, Sir Paul of Rousseau.

Food:

First Course – Tempura Coorong Mullet rolled with avocado and seaweed, shredded Asian coleslaw with kaffir lime and lemongrass, lemon butter sauce.
Second Course – Toasted brioche, mushroom ‘charlotte’, wilted water spinach, truffle poached quail egg, porcini mushroom ‘fumet’ sauce.
Third Course – Japanese citrus peppered seared scotch fillet, pan fried noodle filled with braised oxtail, creamed leeks and peas.
Fourth Course – Cinnamon poached pear filled with pear William jelly, toasted pistachio meringue, warm saybayon.

Wines:
(In addition to the group ranking, I give the highest and lowest ranking the wine achieved, together with those who ranked it as such; you get some idea of how much we can differ in our appreciation. I also give the total ranking points after the overall ranking)

1990 Bollinger Grand Annee Champagne (LC): Deepish yellow. Oldish nose, meaty, some maderisation. Palate better, full, good acidity but a little bitter on finish. Some prefer their Champagne this way, Sir Leon being the exemplar, but most prefer it fresher. Not ranked;
1. 1999 Chablis Les Clos (Pinson) (SD): Golden. Fine, fresh, minerally nose. Palate fine, minerally, taut, good backbone, quite long with good acidity. Fine Chablis which will take some age. Ranked 10th (105). High – 6th (PM); Low – 12th (PA, LC, PS);
2. 1978 Chablis Les Clos, Clos des Hospices (Moreau) (SD): Golden, slightly deeper than above. Lovely, fine, matured, Burgundian nose, very attractive. Palate quite lush, good fruit with a whack of acidity on finish. Now fully ready but testament to the potential longevity of Chablis. Ranked 8th (88). High – 1st (LC); Low – 12th (DB);

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Meeting No: 29

Date: August 21st, 2008.

Theme: Gevrey Chambertin, Chablis, Premier or Grand Cru.

Present: Sir David of Kardinia, Sir Philip of Trevall, Sir David of Cirro, Sir Ian of Palatte, Sir Samuel of Pontifico, Sir Russell of Epicure, Sir Ralph of Plenty, Sir Thomas of Stocks, Sir Murray of Rouge et Blanc, Sir Philip of Oporto, Sir Philip of Politico, Sir Paul of Rousseau.

Food:

First Course – Steamed prawn raviolo, warm shiso and coriander dressing.
Second Course – Crisp-fried, master stock quail, pan-fried rice noodle filled with eggplant and miso béchamel.
Third Course – ‘Kobe Cuisine’ Wagyu striploin (marble score 7) seared with Japanese citrus pepper, Peking cabbage, leek and bamboo shoot ‘okonomiyaki’, Tetiyaki field mushroom.
Fourth Course – Warm crepe roulade with pistachio nougat ricotta, cinnamon ice cream.

The food, in a word, was sensational. My gastronomic vocabulary is extremely lean so I won’t commit adjectival suicide. But I think we all were left shaking our heads at the extremely high quality. Forget the wine for a minute: sometimes the food is sufficiently intoxicating. Marvelous!

Wines:
(In addition to the group ranking, I give the highest and lowest ranking the wine achieved, together with those who ranked it as such; you get some idea of how much we can differ in our appreciation. I also give the total ranking points after the overall ranking)

NV Le Brun Servenay Brut Selection Grand Cru Champagne (RG): Very pale yellow-green. Fine, aromatic nose, young and fresh. Good mouthful, full, citrusy, good aftertaste. Lovely drinking. Not ranked;

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Present: MJM, DB, RC, RG, CL, DA, TJ, IB, PD, PS, SD & PM


Food:

Sesame glazed Balmain Bug tail, seared scallop & veal sweetbread in a Yakitori sauce, Asian coleslaw with shredded pork and jellyfish.

Chinese style, five-spiced roast duck breast, zucchini, crushed soya bean and shiso paper cannelloni, Chinese BBQ sauce.

Braised wagyu beef shin, steamed coconut rice, tempura okra, black bean sauce.

La Roche served with pear & quince paste, toasted spiced fruit & nut loaf.

Caramelized apple confit, marsala zabaglione


Wines:

1993 Pol Roger – A wine that is showing some obvious development, there is a fine bead, attractive, bready nose with some complex lemon and spice. Excellent entry with very fine acid and some length. Very good, mature Champagne. (CL) 18/20
(Not Ranked)

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Meeting No: 27

Date: June 19th, 2008.

Theme: The 2005 Vintage, Premier or Grand Cru, Red or White.

Present: Sir David of Kardinia, Sir Philip of Trevall, Sir Ian of Palatte, Sir Samuel of Pontifico, Sir Russell of Epicure, Sir Colin of Chambers, Sir Ralph of Plenty, Sir Thomas of Stocks, Sir Philip of Oporto, Sir Philip of Politico, Sir Paul of Rousseau.

Food:

First Course – Paillard of Petuna ocean trout, ‘toasted’ with shiso-spiced Japanese breadcrumbs, herb veloute sauce. Just delicious.
Second Course – Crumbed pork terrine, sweet and sour eggplant, Chinese BBQ sauce. Lovely.
Third Course – Seared, peppered venison loin. Peking cabbage and bamboo shoot ‘okonomiyaki’, teriyaki glazed field mushroom, pickled red radish. To die for!
Fourth Course – Dolce latte Gorgonzola creamed with mascarpone, beurre bosc pear. Requested by Russell to accompany the Sauternes, the combination bringing rather mixed comments.
Fifth Course – Honey-glazed quince clafouti tart, Yoghurt sorbet. Very sweet, and had to be to accommodate Pedro Ximinez.

Wines:
(In addition to the group ranking, I give the highest and lowest ranking the wine achieved, together with those who ranked it as such; you get some idea of how much we can differ in our appreciation. I also give the total ranking points after the overall ranking)

1996 Lanson Brut Champagne (CL): Light gold. Fine nose showing development, meaty and yeasty. Palate a full mouthful of bubbles, good acidity and aftertaste. Good wine. RG picked the maker unassisted. Not Ranked.

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Meeting No: 26

Date: May 15th, 2008.

Theme: Echezeaux, Corton Charlemagne.

Present: Sir Ian of Palatte, Sir Samuel of Pontifico, Sir Russell of Epicure, Sir Steven of Grammar, Sir Peter of Heathcote, Sir Ralph of Plenty, Sir Thomas of Stocks, Sir Philip of Oporto, Sir Philip of Politico, Sir Paul of Rousseau.

Food:

First Course – Scallop tortelone and seared scallops, sweet ginger and carrot sauce, shredded vegetable salad.
Second Course – Crisp-fried, master-stock ‘spatchcock’ chicken, steamed coconut rice, cucumber and mint salad, red curry laksa sauce.
Third Course – Brendan’s corned beef ‘girello’. Parsnip puree, baby leeks, seeded mustard sauce.
Fourth Course – Twice-baked gorgonzola blue cheese soufflé, ‘Waldorf’ apple and celery salad with toasted walnuts.

The food was just splendid. I don’t know how Brendan and his staff consistently come up with such original, yet very tasty, dishes, but we are the beneficiaries. Bravo Brendan, long may you reign.

Wines:
(In addition to the group ranking, I give the highest and lowest ranking the wine achieved, together with those who ranked it as such; you get some idea of how much we can differ in our appreciation. I also give the total ranking points after the overall ranking)

NV Philipponnat Royal Reserve Brut Champagne (CL): Pale yellow. Attractive, light yeasty nose. Supple palate, good mouthful, just enough dosage, maybe a little short but good aftertaste. Good drinking. Not ranked.

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Meeting No: 25

Date: April 17th, 2008.

Theme: Chambolle Musigny, Meursault, Premier Cru.

Present: Sir David of Kardinia, Sir Philip of Travelle, Sir Ian of Palatte, Sir Samuel of Pontifico, Sir Leon of Romanee, Sir Ralph of Plenty, Sir Thomas of Stocks, Sir Philip of Oporto, Sir Philip of Politico, Sir Paul of Rousseau.

Food:

First Course – Chevre goats cheese royale tart, sweet and sour glazed beetroot, roasted shallot ‘soubise’ sauce.
Second Course – Pork kakuni: master stock braised pork belly, zucchini, crushed soya bean and shiso paper cannelloni.
Third Course – Seared wagyu skirt steak, potato mash with parmesan, ratatouille of Mediterranean vegetables, chicken liver parfait.
Fourth Course – Five-spiced quince custard crumble, rhubarb sorbet.

Excellent food again, although some thought that the combination was too rich and requested that next time we might start with a lighter fish dish and build to a rich main course.

Wines:
(In addition to the group ranking, I give the highest and lowest ranking the wine achieved, together with those who ranked it as such; you get some idea of how much we can differ in our appreciation.

2000 Drappier Grande Sendree Brut Champagne (PM): Light yellow. Fine, fresh, yeasty nose. Palate with good weight, acidity and aftertaste, a little sweet. Lovely mouthful, drinking well.

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Meeting No: 24

Date: March 20th, 2008.

Theme: Grand Crus, red or white, excluding Chablis.

Present: Sir David of Kardinia, Sir Philip of Travelle, Sir Ian of Palatte, Sir Samuel of Pontifico, Sir Russell of Epicure, Sir Stephen of Grammar, Sir Ralph of Plenty, Sir Thomas of Stocks, Sir Colin of Chambers, Sir Philip of Oporto, Sir Paul of Rousseau.

Food:

First Course – Blue swimmer crab ravioli, warm iceberg lettuce, taro straw chips, crustacean ‘bisque’ sauce.
Second Course – Toasted brioche, mushroom ‘charlotte’, poached quail egg, wilted water spinach, porcini mushroom ‘fumet’ sauce.
Third Course – ‘Aiguillette’ of five-spiced duck breast, pan-fried rice-noodle roll, stir-fried choi sum, Chinese BBQ duck sauce.
Fourth Course – Warm honey fig, aged ‘Chevre’ goats cheese, candied prosciutto.

Wines:
(In addition to the group ranking, I give the highest and lowest ranking the wine achieved, together with those who ranked it as such; you get some idea of how much we can differ in our appreciation.

NV Raymond Boulard Reserve Brut Champagne (CL): Medium-yellow. Fine nose, a little meatiness, showing development. Palate a full mouthful, fine acidity, good aftertaste. Lovely drink. Not ranked.

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