December 2012: Christmas with Seasons at Country Life

December 2012: Christmas with Seasons at Country Life

Santa Barry in good form

Deck the Halls...

Owners and Front of House team

 

“Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know.” – John Keats

The first Wine: Wooing Tree "Blondie" 2012 Blanc de Noir

                    WINE 1 – on Arrival & with an ‘amuse bouche’ 

of pork belly on apple slaw

 This unique Blanc de Noir was made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes, grown on the family owned vineyard in Cromwell, Central Otago. Ripe hand picked fruit and gentle winemaking have given a wonderfully balanced wine. The elegant champagne colour resulted from minimal skin contact prior to a gentle whole bunch press. The juice was fermented in stainless steel to retain the varietal and fruit characteristics. The wine shows delightful aromas of peaches and cream, with red berry, stone fruit and a hint of honey on the palate. Best served slightly chilled.

“It [discovering Finnish] was like discovering a wine-cellar filled with bottles of amazing wine of a kind and flavour never tasted before. It quite intoxicated me.”  - J.R.R. Tolkien

The Entree: Tuna Tartare Avocado

Lovely blush on the eye

The second wine: Chateau Riotor 

Côtes de Provence Rosé: Château Riotor 2010

Organically Produced Rosé

WINE 2 – with Entrée of Tuna Tartare

Made from Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah,and a palate weight to raise the eyebrows, the Riotor has been astutely constructed. Owned by the artful team at Château Mont-Redon, at Château Riotor right in the heart of the Cote d’Azur they make rosé and nothing else, in the process illustrating perfectly how concentrating on one thing sure does pay off, the wine matured in stainless steel and oak before being bottled.

Beautiful color, petal of roses, with light pearly shade.

Nose with fine aromatic intensity and nice smooth.

Notes of very ripe small berries, redcurrant and wild starwberry, exotic fruits, lychee, as well as very ripe pears and melon.

Tangy notes of fruit drop, small touch of citrus fruits, pink grape-fruit and kumquat.

Notes of fennel and fresh almond.

They bring to this wine fat, freshness and a nice frankness.

Wines with flavours and notes with fine purity.

Mouth with rich, full, fat start .

Delicate wine with a lot of freshness and nice aromatic smoothness.

Château Riotor is produced by Jean and Henri Abeille, direct descendants of Henri Plantin (their grandfather), founder of Château Mont-Redon in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Quality wine-making is in their blood. I was first introduced to this estate by Jerome, the son of Jean. One day at lunch, Jerome told me about his father Jean and his Uncle Henri's Rosé that they produce from a tiny family plot in Provence. He stressed the use of Châteauneuf-du-Pape standards on this estate but reassured me it was classic Provence. Jerome arranged a meeting with his father and uncle at their vineyard. Jerome was not lying, the wine was exceptional! 

The 48-hectare estate is located in Var in the eastern region of Provence. Here, Jean and Henri tend to their old vines, planted by their great-great-grandfather. The vineyards, dedicated to Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Vermentino are farmed organically. The vines are protected from the harsh winds of the infamous mistral by tall, 100-year old pine trees surrounding the vineyards. This natural shield allows a qualitative stress for the vines to produce ripe, healthy bunches that are full of flavor and concentration.

Douglas gives his opinion (which proved to be right)

And so does Graham...

Must be time for another wine...

Our Wine Master, Stewart, in top form again

Two Reds, both alike indignity....

The Ransom Syrah, as yet unreleased, which developed very well with the excellent braised rib of beef; and the equally good Napa  Valley Dominus 2007. No-one got the American wine.


WINE 3 – with Merlot Braised Beef Rib, cauliflower puree, fresh steamed asparagus with slow roasted vine tomatoes
Ransom 10 K Syrah

A deeply coloured wine with an expansive aroma, a well structured palate and typically rich 100% syrah flavours, it was bottled in 2012 in Matakana, and will certainly cellar for a few years.

$1 from every bottle sold is donated to the Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Society (TOSSI) who run a predator-free sanctuary near this vineyard. The vineyard writes “The K-Syrah labelling tells the story.  Each front label features an exquisite painting of a New Zealand native bird - kiwi, kereru, kaka, or korimako, the tamper strip lists 25 New Zealand native birds whose names begin with the 'K', while the back label points out that we can't afford to take a ‘que-sera’ attitude to these birds - many of them are now rare or threatened with extinction”. see the News letter for details on obtaining this unreleased gem.

Conviviality

Good conversation

Michael is the spokesman at their table

And Gehard, at the " head table"



WINE 4 – with Merlot Braised Beef Rib, cauliflower puree, fresh steamed asparagus with slow roasted vine tomatoes

Napanook Dominus Estate 07 Cabernet Sauvignon

Christian Moueix

Napanook is made solely from grapes grown by Christian Moueix at the historic Napanook Vineyard in Yountville, Napa Valley. The wine is blended from blocks in the vineyard that were carefully selected for their lively fruit, soft tannins and early maturing characteristics.

Napanook Cellar

The 2007 vintage is vibrant and rich, filled with fresh cranberry, incense and floral aromas, round tannins and exceptional energy. Creamy on the palate, the wine is pure, precise and powerful. This vintage is one of the finest produced to date. It is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot
.

Tasting at Napanook

This wine is created to be consumed young, and enjoyed with food, but will also age well for more than a decade. 

Napanook Vineyards

As many opinions as there were members:

“Men are like wine - some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age. - Pope John XX111

                                 

Enthusiastic enjoyment

                                           

Wine number 5 had most of us stumped. It went really well with the traditional Xmas pudding!

                   

Decanting Wine number 6

Only a few could identify the The Chateau La Leche 2012, high in lactic acid...

   

A delightful unfortified Cabernet dessert wine

Askerne Estate

WINE 5 – with Christmas plum pudding, brandy sauce and custard.

Askerne 09 Dessert Cabernet 16.5% Alc/Vol

The fruit for this wine was grown on the stony, sandy lower terrace of Askerne Vineyard in Hawkes Bay. It was hand harvested, sorted then destemmed and crushed. A short fermentation followed which was stopped by the addition of alcohol. The wine was then aged in older French oak barriques for twelve months.

Spice, plum and red berry fruit characters on the nose combine with chocolate, marshmallow and spicy blackberry flavours on the palate to produce this smooth, slightly earthy dessert wine.

 Chef Paul came out of the kitchen to answer some questions and receive the accolades

“Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it.” – Anonymous

A great evening, once again

November 2012: Stephan's Restaurant

Meeting at Stephan’s Restaurant, Manakau

November 18, 2012

WineMaster – Stewart MacPherson

Apologies for lack of photographs of members this month.
It appears no-one took photographs. The blogmaster couldn't make it due to a prior commitment.

 A few notable Quotes,

" It is the wine that leads me on, the wild wine that sets the wisest man to sing
at the top of his lungs, laugh like a fool – it drives the man to dancing... it even
tempts him to blurt out stories better never told.” - Homer, The Odyssey

“Beer is made by men, wine by God” – Martin Luther

“Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.” – André Simon

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

WINE 1 – on Arrival

Hewitson (Miss Harry) 10 Barossa Valley Grenache – 14% Alc/Vol

Blended from old Barossa Valley vines dating back to the 1800s, the 2010 Miss Harry was traditionally vinted and matured for twelve months in old French barriques. Deep and dark, with concentrated aromas of mulberry and cassis supported by earthy notes and understated oak. The rich, vivacious palate has oodles of ripe-tasting berryfruit flavours enhanced by hints of spice and a lengthy finish.

WINE 2 –with Entrée of grilled Weisswurst (white veal & pork sausage), with cucumber salad and shaved fennel on yoghurt dressing with pumpkin oil

Fairview Bored Doe 09 14% Alc/Vol

From Paarl in South Africa, it is a blend of Petit Verdot (49%), Cabernet Sauvignon (23%), Merlot (18%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). Deep ruby in colour with aromas of violets and cedar with subtle white pepper, the mouthfeel is full, with rounded tannins balanced by fruit acidity and classic blackcurrant flavours. Well structured with a long, full finish.

Fairview's Tasting Room

Fairview is also famous for it's Saanen goats and Goats Milk Cheese, and this unique Goat Tower

Fairview's Goat Shed Restaurant

Fairview Vineyards and Paarl Mountains beyond

WINE 3 – with Roasted Veal Fillet (Zurich style on a creamy mushroom & Kirsch sauce with Spatzli (pasta dumplings) and seasonal vegetables

Two Gates 07 Omahu – 14% Alc/Vol

Two Gates Omahu 2007 is a blend of Merlot (62%), Cabernet Franc (29%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (9%) with each variety contributing characteristic aromas, flavour and structure. This certified organic Gimblett Gravels wine displays a deep red colour, concentrated aromas of blackcurrant, dark cherry and plum, with a fragrant rose petal and allspice nose.  It should cellar for 10-15 years.

WINE 4 – with Roasted Veal Fillet (Zurich style on a creamy mushroom & Kirsch sauce with Spatzli (pasta dumplings) and seasonal vegetables

Himmelsfeld Moutere 06 Cabernet Sauvignon – 14% Alc/Vol

I am down to my last bottle of the 1998, which is brilliant, and according to Michael Cooper the 01 was “perhaps the best Cabernet Sauvignon to have ever come from the region.”

Beth, who is the Owner and Winemaker has not yet released this wine, but will make it available to members at ‘our cost price’ as an introduction to B&B Club Members. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with grapes sourced solely from her vineyard, and is well worth cellaring. 

WINE 5 – with Vermicelle – a traditional Swiss dessert of Chestnut purée with meringue, whipped cream and Summer berries
Grower’s Mark 09 Bone Dry Riesling – 12.6% Alc/Vol

Made by Donna Anderson in Marlborough who practices sustainable wine growing, the rose symbol serves as an early warning system to protect the vines, and are planted along the edges of her vineyard. Intense citrus and honeyed notes complexed with a hint of aviation gasoline. On the palate, it is once again dominated with citrus, honey and ripe fruit. The wine finishes bone dry.

"I was in love with a beautiful blonde once. She drove me to drink; that's the one thing I'm indebted to her for." – W.C.Fields

"Wine rejoices the heart of man, and joy is the mother of all virtues."
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1771

“Wine to me is passion. It's family and friends. It's warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It's culture. It's the essence of civilization and the art of living.” – Robert Mondavi in his autobiography, ‘Harvest Of Joy’