KBBC May Meeting: The Office, Paraparaumu

May 19, 2013 Meeting 

The Office Restaurant, Paraparaumu Beach

WineMaster – Stewart Macpherson

No photographer, so just Stewart's excellent notes and

A few notable Quotes…

 

"Conversation is the enemy of good wine and food." 
- Alfred Hitchcock

"Wine never dies. Instead it lives in the soul of the person who consumes it.."

- Baron Philippe de Rothschild


"Strategy is buying a bottle of fine wine when you take a lady out for dinner. Tactics is getting her to drink it." – Frank Muir

"There is no back label with a story, on a beer can”– Eli Callaway, founder of Callaway Winery

"Wine is sunlight, held together by water!" – Galileo Gallilei

"A mind of the caliber of mine cannot derive its nutrient from cows." – George Bernard Shaw

                                       

WINE 1 – on Arrival & with Starter of a  trio - oxtail reduction - with offals, Filo bouche and hot smoked salmon on beetroot relish with pickled vegetables

Feudi Di San Gregorio 2011 Falanghina RRP$31.99 Our Cost $31.99 (from Caro’s Wines) 13% Alc/Vol

                                    

The Capaldo Family: Winemakers at Feudi Di San Gregorio (Fiefs of St. Gregory)

Falanghina is an ancient Italian white wine grape, reportedly of Greek origin. It is also said that Falanghina is the grape variety behind Falernian, the most famous wine of Roman antiquity. There has been a renaissance of interest in Falanghina since the turn of the century, and there is now a movement to restore the reputation of this once venerated grape. Most Falanghina is grown in Campania, in southern Italy. The vines thrive in the porous volcanic soils around Mt. Vesuvius and the warm Mediterranean climate. The berries are yellow-skinned and coated with a thin layer of protective wax. As a wine it can have a slightly pine scent, but is better known for uts citrus blossom aromas, in particular bitter orange. On the palate it typically shows classic apple and pear flavours, with spicy or mineral notes.

                                                        

WINE 2 – with Beef Wellington – Prime Angus Fillet surrounded by puff pastry, paté and mushroom, with beef jus.

                                  

Luis Alegre Reserva 06 Rioja –RRP$34.99 Our Cost $28.99 (from Advintage) 14% Alc/Vol

Beautifully balanced Tempranillo from the Bodegas Luis Alegre team. Intense, meaty and aged 19 months in the bottle. The nose displays vanilla, cinnamon and tobacco. The palate is meaty and well balanced with mouth-filling flavours of spices and ripe fruit.Predominantly (90%) Tempranillo with select Rioja varietals blended; mellow Mazuelo, juicy Grenache and robust Graciano.

                              

Views of the Bodegas Luis Alegre

WINE 3 – with Beef Wellington – Prime Angus Fillet surrounded by puff pastry, paté and mushroom, with beef jus.

                                          

Ch.Clerc Milon 047 Pauillac – Average RRP$120. Our Cost $84 (from the vineyard) 13% Alc/Vol

The 45 hectare vineyard of Clerc Milon in Pauillac is planted to 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenere. Clerc Milon adjoins two of the finest growths in the Medoc, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Lafite Rothschild, and is indeed now owned by Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The average age of the vines are old at close to 53 years of age. The vine density is the same as what is planted at Mouton Rothschild with 10,000 vines per hectare.

The wine of Chateau Clerc Milon is vinified in 40 stainless steel temperature vats which allow for very precise vinification of the vineyards 45 hectares of vines. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tank. The wine of Chateau Clerc Milon is aged in an average of 30% new, French oak barrels for between 14 and 18 months. The amount of oak and time in barrel depends on the character of the vintage.

                                                      

Winery at Chateau Clerc Milon

WINE 4 – with ‘Pera Pochado co Helado’ (Pear poached in Red Wine) and served with Cinnamon Icecream

Marcarini 2011 Moscato d’ Asti – RRP$28.99. Our Cost $28.99 (from Caro’s Wines)

5% Alc/Vol

Marcarini,  La Morra, Piedmont, Italy

One of the worlds most delicate and delicious, slightly sparkling (it is frizzante not spumante ) wines made in the world today. Made from the moscato grape (and coming in at a modest 5% alcohol) it is as though someone has crushed fresh grapes in your glass. As it comes from the cool north of Italy the crisp acidity gives the off dry fruit flavours real verve and thrust.

President's Notes: April 2013

  President's Notes

   Greetings KBBC Members,

A large gathering of Members and Guests (50 in total) at Season's were treated to a wonderful menu and 5 very fine wines giving all present a lot to discuss. Number 2 wine, a delicious chardonnay was a perfect match with the seafood bisque. This was followed by 2 excellent reds ( I had doubts about number 3 but a re-pour changed that), especially number 4 a top shelf and top $ Penfold. The tokay dessert wine went excellently with the crepes. All in all, good food with fine wine, all enjoyed with great company and good friends.

Two new members have joined the Club as Associate Members, Sally Kennedy-Clark ( a member of the Club in the 1980's and 90's and a previous Club President) and Glen Charlett. Welcome to KBBC, enjoy your membership.

A big thank you to Rebecca and Chef Paul at Season's. The service was first class. Also special thanks to Wine-Master Stewart and Food-Master Don for bringing the evening together. A number of members expressed thanks for having named seating arrangements. This process will continue.

We are enjoying having large attendances at our monthly meetings with numbers in excess of 40 plus. With the scarcity of suitable venues always available on the Kapiti Coast it is likely that we may have to limit numbers at some meetings. Priority attending will be given to Members followed by Associate Members followed by guests. Hopefully, this will not be a problem. When the Secretary requests RSVP's for the next meeting please respond promptly to avoid any disappointment. A negative response is always appreciated by the Secretary so numbers can be finalized quickly, and this is always helpful to the Food-Master and Wine-Master.

Happy dining and wining until our next meeting.

Barry

Turning of the Season(s)...back at a favourite haunt

April 2013: Another turning of the season 

"Seasons at Country Life"

Autumn has arrived, and the KBBC met at Seasons at Country Life. In many ways the Alma Mater of the KBBC. An excellent turn-out again, with Chef Paul serving his excellent fare, and Wine Master Stewart matching each course perfectly.

The President, Barry also took the opportunity to welcome 2 new associate members to the club. A warm welcome to Glenn and Megan Charlett and Sally Kennedy-Clark.

WINE 1 – on Arrival
Marques De Cacares Rosado 2011 RRP$19.90 Our Cost $15.49 (from Glengarry)
13.5% Alc/Vol

Blended from Tempranillo and Grenache, this is a wonderfully aromatic, forward style of rosé with a bright and colourful personality that is elegant. Pick the bouquet of raspberries and strawberries. These guys have done wonders for Spain’s wine reputation by making great quality wines at a very good value price point.

 Towards the end of the sixties, Enrique Forner founder of the Bodega, guided by famous Prof Emile Peynaud, chose the best location in Rioja Alta,  an area renowned for its fine wines to establish the Bodega. 

So started a very productive collaboration, which began in Bordeaux where the Forner family were already proprietors of a Grand Cru Classé, Chateau Camensac, as well as Chateau Larose Trintaudon, and Cru Bourgeois Superieur, previously owned by the Duke of Infantado.

Forner's daughter Cristina completes the team of enthusiastic professionals. After a difficult beginning the Bodega has become a well  known producer of consistent good quality wines. 

                                

No-one guessed the wine or origin, with many thinking it may be a NZ Pinot or Syrah Rose, or a French Blanc de Noir type of wine. An excellent choice with Chef Paul's the Pork Amusee. (Amusee Boche)

Wine Master Stewart had famous quotes to share:

"Mother's Day: Don't Forget to Buy a bottle for Mom! Remember, you are the reason she drinks!"

"Wine is sunlight, held together by water!" 
- Galileo

" You haven't drunk too much wine if you can still lie on the floor without holding on."
- Dean Martin


WINE 2 – with a Prawn &Scallop Bisque – creamy & lightly scented tomato soup

Man O’ War Valhalla Chardonnay 2010 –RRP$43.99 Our Cost $32.49 (from Glengarry) 14.5% Alc/Vol

GOLD MEDAL: International Wine Challenge
Rated 90/100 – Robert Parker


A heavenly golden hued wine blended exclusively from the finest barrels of Chardonnay. This Waiheke Island wine is distinguished by distinctive stone fruit aromas and flavours embellished by tangerine nuances, and mealy characters enhanced by subtle oak. It finishes with great length and characters of just ripe, fresh stone fruit; crunchy, fresh and vibrant. Everyone got it as Chardonnay, but no-one got the origin. Nelson and Marlborough, even France were all contenders, with no-one considering Waihake. A beautiful wine. Some discussion on whether this was oaked or not.

Matt Allen says: "The 2010 vintage is widely talked about as the greatest vintage Waiheke vineyards have ever seen. A summer of endless sunshine where clean fruit was allowed to hang until peak maturity and flavour development was reached. Not the largest vintage by any stretch as a cool spring limited the vines production but the combination of lower yields and a perfect summer merged to form the base for complete wines of great concentration and purity"

Very full, open and broad nose but well-concentrated. Full-bodied, rich and powerful flavours form a dense, luscious and near unctuous, mouth-filling palate. Excellent underlying acidity which enhances the liveliness of the wine leading to a very long, full-flavoured finish. Full-bodied, rich with waves of complexity. 

Cuisine Magazine writes: "As its name suggests, this is a hell of a wine. Man O’ War serves up a powerful salvo of creamy, mealy flavours, with oak notes and characterful minerality also in the mix. This rich, supercharged style would be in its element with Peking duck."

Over two hundred years after Cook first sighted Waiheke the 
Man O’ War's owners we were convinced that world class wine could be grown there. Throwing caution to the wind they began planting our first vines in 1993. Today Man O’ War consists of 150 acres of vines planted in 76 individual hillside blocks, each with a distinct soil profile and micro-climate.

Every single block bears the footprints, and sometimes the names, of those who transformed Man O’ War’s rugged hillsides into a spectacular patchwork of vines. Each block has been meticulously designed with different root stocks, clones and planting densities to best match the specific terroir on offer.

Driven by this blueprint our white varieties have been carefully placed high on the exposed volcanic hilltops of Man O’ War so that they benefit from cooling sea breezes, extending their growing season and giving them great concentration and minerality. 

Duncan McTavish, Man O' War's Winemaker

WINE 3  – with Paupiette of Beef ; a fillet pocketed with bacon lardons & Brie, duxelle of mushroom & shallots, and finished w ith a Dijon mustard sauce. Accompanying vegetables are green beans, stuffed Ricotta & Basil tomato, and croquette potato

Gris Caillou Bordeaux 2006 –RRP$29.99 Our Cost $16.12 (from Advintage) 12% Alc/Vol

Classically styled and right in the zone after 5 years in the bottle, this delightful blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc delivers a traditional Bordeaux nose full of spiced berries and a palate loaded with cassis and tobacco flavours. It finishes with a delightfully creamy acidity and fine tannins.

    

                      

WINE 4 – Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 – RRP$73. Our Cost $66.45 (from Regional Wines) 14.5% Alc/Vol

                                                                                                                                           

From the exceptional 2006 vintage, this 407 offers aromas of blackcurrant and mint followed by a deeply flavoured palate underpinned by grippy, cedary oak.Its a restrained and elegant cabernet sauvignon style with clear, varietal black-currant/cassis aromas, fine-grained firm tannins and underlying cedar/savoury oak. James Halliday scored it 94/100.

                          

  

WINE 5 – with a layered crépe cake of caramelised apples in cider, with passion fruit crème fraiche.

Royal Tokaji Blue Label 2008– RRP$41.99 for 250 mls. Our Cost $34.45 (from Regional Wines) 11.5% Alc/Vol

This perfectly balanced 5 puttonyos wine coming from Royal Tokaji's 1st growth Nyulászó vineyard in Hungary is the benchmark for quality. Acknowledged as one of the region's top winemakers, Karoly Ats combines traditional techniques with modern technology to create the award-winning Royal Tokaji range. With a unique combination of volcanic soil in this region, hot Summers, Autumn fog,Tokaji is produced by blending hand-picked shrivelled or 'aszu' berries of Furmint and Harslevelu with top quality base wines. The characteristics are a vivid gold colour with honeyed apricot and orange peel flavours which are uplifted with dramatic acidity leading to a clean, refreshing finish.

Historically the wine and the region were called Tokay or even Tokai in English but the wine is more correctly referred to as Tokaji and the region as Tokaj. The Tokaji wine region also has the distinction of being the first in Europe to be classified.

At the end of the 17th century, Tokaji aszú wines were so well regarded throughout the Courts of Europe that Prince Rakoczi insisted on a classification of the finest vineyards around the 28 villages in the region into: Great First Growths, First Growths, Second Growths and Third Growths.

The Royal Tokaji Wine Company, founded in Hungary in 1990, has become one of the most defining wineries in Tokaj. From the outset, Royal Tokaji decided to concentrate on producing single-vineyard wines, made from the first growth vineyards of Mézes Mály, Nyulászó, Szt. Tamás and Betsek. Acknowledged as one of the region's top winemakers, combining traditional techniques with modern technology to create the award-winning Royal Tokaji range of wines. Royal Tokaji is the acknowledged leader of the renaissance of this legendary Hungarian wine, which, in the words of the wine author and company co-founder Hugh Johnson, is "a wine that would make angels sing out loud in praise".

Royal Tokaji was inspired and founded by Hugh Johnson, the noted author and wine historian, whose goal was to revive and bring back to international acclaim the wines of one of history’s most renowned wine regions.

Royal Tokaji remains in private ownership and today our wines are exported to more than 30 countries.

The wines of Royal Tokaji have won over 100 international awards and continue to seduce wine lovers throughout the world.

Royal Tokaji has, from the outset, devoted itself to reviving these great wines and to bringing them back to the world’s finest tables

Tokaji was served at the French Royal court at Versailles, where it became known as Tokay. Delighted with the precious beverage, Louis XV of France offered a glass of Tokaji to Madame de Pompadour, referring to it as “Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum” (“Wine of Kings, King of Wines”).

Emperor Franz Josef had a tradition of sending Queen Victoria Tokaji Aszú wine, as a gift, every year on her birthday, one bottle for every month she had lived, twelve for each year. On her eighty first and final birthday in 1900, this totaled an impressive 972 bottles. In a continuation of this tradition we were honoured to present a case of Royal Tokaji to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee.

Tokaji wine received accolades from numerous great writers and composers including Beethoven, Liszt, Schubert, Johann Strauss, Goethe, Heinrich Heine, Friedrich von Schiller, Voltaire and Bram Stoker. The composer Joseph Haydn's favorite wine was Tokaji.

Besides Louis XIV, several other European monarchs are known to have been keen consumers of the wine. Louis XV & Frederick the Great tried to outdo one another when they entertained guests with Tokaji. Napoleon III, the last Emperor of France, ordered 30-40 barrels of Tokaji at the French Royal Court every year. Gustav III, King of Sweden, loved Tokaji.

In Russia, the Imperial Court imported large quantities of the very finest Tokaji and the wine became closely associated with the Romanov dynasty. Customers included Peter the Great and Empress Elizabeth, while Catherine the Great actually established a Russian garrison in the town of Tokaj with the aim of assuring regular wine deliveries to St. Petersburg.

Thomas Jefferson was another to seek out these wines. From merchant adventurer J. Erich Bollman, President Jefferson purchased an assortment of Hungarian wines at the highest price, per bottle, he ever paid for wine. Included were thirty-six bottles of the famous Tokay.