30 October 2012

Bordeaux DInner in Brisbane





Following on the heels of successful dinners in Adelaide and Melbourne it was a great pleasure to hold a Bordeaux dinner in Brisbane on October 25th. This time we went to local favourite and award winning French restaurant C'est Bon in Wollongabba. Part of the charm of this restaurant, apart from the great food and wine, is the friendly and quintessentially professional front of house staff led by Celine Damour. As usual they made everyone welcome and the evening ran like clockwork. Thanks to Celine, Anthony, Sandrine and the team!


The evening kicked off with an amuse-bouche of salmon and goat cheese "tartare" which was a perfect foil with our favorite  cru classé  dry rosé from Provence- Domaine de la Croix 2010.Following that the dinner followed the theme of New Bordeaux showcasing 2 fabulous whites matched to a classic dish of monk fish in a white wine sauce. The soft acidity of the Chateau Haut-Peyrous Graves 2009 and rich complexity of the Tour des Gendres Moulin des Dames Blanc 2009 (both semillon/sav blancs) were great matches. There was a lot of discussion about which one people preferred and it seemed to be a split decision. Both are drinking beautifully well. Several people made comments like "the best semillon/ sauvignon blancs that I have tried".

Then onto a great main course of rack of lamb moist and just pink in a red wine sauce, matched with spaetzle (to soak up the delicious sauce!) and some beautifully presented seasonal vegetables. We enjoyed 3 red wines which showed off the Merlot based wines of the right bank versus the Cabernet based wines of the red bank. Chateau D'Aiguilhe 2008 one of the "rising stars of Bordeaux" (and recently shown on the cover of Decanter magazine) is a great example of the opulence of the right bank Merlot based wines. Tourelles de Longueville 2007 is a great example of a "second label". A wine made from the younger vines to at Pichon-Longueville Baron to the same exacting standards as the "first label", intended to drink young and representing great value for money. The third red was from the ever reliable Chateau Lanessan. From the 2004 vintage it is starting to show some integration of the fruit and tannins and is a great example of how the reds of the left bank can develop with a few years of clearing. These 3 red wines all impressed for their purity of flavours, class and finesse.

Desert was a pear poached in red wine served with  a lovely calvados sabayon and cinnamon ice cream matched with the incredible Chateau Le Pradey Sainte-Croix-de-Mont 2008. This is a lovely dessert wine. Luscious fruit (stone fruits, tropical fruits and and some citrus notes,) excellent mouth feel and sweetness but a lovely non-cloying dry finish. Lots of excitement amongst the diners who had not previously had a Saint-Croix de Mont wine before. This is an excellent appellation facing the famous vineyards of Sauternes and Barsac just across the Garonne river.

To finish some excellent cannelles de Bordeaux. Crunchy on the outside, moist and gooey in the middle. Not easy to get right. Well done Anthony!

All in all DiscoverVin had a great night. and it was a pleasure to collaborate with Celine and her team. There was a real "buzz' and energy in the room.  It was a pleasure to meet some new customers and to see them enjoying the food and wines and see their excitement and pleasure form enjoying good food, great new wines and great conversation. 

Next up it will be Sydney's turn to enjoy the wines of New Bordeaux, matched to the cuisine of Fix St James in Sydney and hosted by another consummate professional- Stuart Knox Sydney Morning Herald Somelier of the Year 2012- to look after us. Details of the dinner can be found here.


















25 October 2012

Almost a perfect wine- La Rayre Rosé




One of the stars of this summer's Rose Revolution is Chateau La Rayre Bergerc Rose 2010

For the second year running this wine has been selected by French consumers for a guide called "almost a perfect wine" (A vin presque parfait). 

A consumer-led panel (some wine experts are also on the panel) selects about 200 wines from the thousands available to have this title, "almost a perfect wine". Wines are choosen on the basis of taste (funny that!) and price/value for money. Given this wine tastes delicious and sells for under $20, its not a surprise really that it has been chosen 2 years in a row!







To date this has been one of our best selling wines- it seems to appeal to wine lovers who would not normally look at rosé. It is darker in colour and has more body than other styles of rosé (this is acheived by a pressing of the skins with the juice which otherwise would be clear). We poured this wine at The Paris to Provence Festival in Melbourne Nov 23-25 and it had a great response.

"Enjoying the La Rayre rosé tonight. Alison says her favorite rosé ever. Big call for her!" James, Melbourne 1/5/2012




Here are some of the technical details:
Region/Terroir: from the appellation Bergerac.
Grapes: Made from merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.
Wine making: Made by the saignée method at low temperature.
Our Tasting notes: Blackcurrant nose with an ample unctuous palate. Beautiful balance and freshness.
Alcohol:13%
Drink young and chilled. Drink on its own or with food. A great wine to take to a bbq or to the beach-goes with just about anything! A great lunch wine or for a sunset tipple or in the heat when you don’t feel like a red. Almost perfect!














21 October 2012

Bordeaux Wine dinner in Sydney Nov 13






Details have now been finalised for the upcoming wine dinner in Sydney at Fix St James November 13th 2012. Fix St James is one of Sydney's restaurant gems and is run by Sydney Morning Herald Sommelier of the Year 2012, Stuart Knox. It will feature some excellent but good value wines matched to the great food from the kitchen. It promises to be a great night. Be quick for bookings as our recent dinners in Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane sold out very quickly. Call DiscoverVin on 0260 206016 for reservations.

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