Wino sapien

Tuna and avocado

2009-07-14T19:31:00.000+08:00

This is from the excellent Izakaya - The Japanese Pub Cookbook, by Mark Robinson. The recipes are pleasingly short and suited to alcohol, and they are interspersed with style tips and information about particular ingredients. Did you know for instance that it is considered rude to rub your chop sticks together? (*)

Though it is a beautiful, informative and evocative book of recipes, perhaps its best use, would be for planning an indulgent pub crawl through the streets of Tokyo.

How? Cut one avocado into cubes and coat with the juice of half a lemon. To this add 250 grams of sashimi grade tuna which has been diced. Now add the dressing (2 tbsp of soy, 1 tbsp of sake, quarter clove of garlic - crushed, 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil), then toss and top with finely chopped spring onion.

* Smoothing your chopsticks, implies they are substandard.

Any day now. . .

2009-07-13T21:02:00.004+08:00

my nose will stop dripping and I will be able to breath, speak and smell. In the mean time I wonder if it is possible to capture a bottle image of what I hope this wine will taste of. An arc of lightness, crystal clear, fresh and pristine?

A vinous comma

2009-07-07T16:20:00.006+08:00

I've started reading a small and beautiful book by Yoko Ogawa (and translated by Stephen Snyder). For a moment, I should be able to find my dose of stillness in words, rather than wine. It is such a contrast to PKD's vertiginous, but excellent book - Ubik, which left me anxious and disturbed.

Post script (July 11): Insomnia is easier in summer. The nights are warm and the shorter. . . I've completed The Housekeeper and the Professor, but so many questions and thoughts remain. I think for instance I am a prime number (based on the sum of my birth date and my inordinate stubbornness). As to the protagonist, there is something very pure about actions which take place without thought of reward or personal gain. The Professor is one such noble and tragic figure, with his 80 minute 'video tape' of live memory, his actions are based on first principles (the importance of prime numbers and the status of children) which have been hard wired. He looks and finds numbers, which provide him with comfort and significance. Like friends, the relationship between numbers are not always immediately obvious. It is a curious book, riddled with numbers and equations. It must work though, I'm still up in the middle of the night musing about the story and its secrets. . .

Isabel Sauvignon blanc 2008

2009-07-05T16:15:00.004+08:00

Marlborough, New Zealand. Sauvignon blanc. 13.5% Screwcap. Approx $A25.

July 5 and at least four things collide. Infection (I would assume H1N1 / Swine flu), children, work and wine. I think Ogden Nash put it best:

Isabel met a troublesome doctor,
He punched and he poked till he really shocked her.
The doctor's talk was of coughs and chills
And the doctor's satchel bulged with pills.
The doctor said unto Isabel,
Swallow this, it will make you well.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She took those pills from the pill concoctor,
And Isabel calmly cured the doctor.

I can't decide if the wine smells of a sweaty armpit or a bowl of fruit salad. Either way its delicious and entirely appropriate for a mid morning birthday party. Not having tried an Isabel SB for over 5 years, this seems to have more flesh, texture and saltiness than I can recall.

Very good.
88.
Now - 2011.

RK by Giaconda Shiraz 2008

2009-07-02T22:31:00.000+08:00

Beechworth, Victoria, Australia. Shiraz. 13.9%. Screwcap. Approx $A40

As with the Jack Reidy by Clonakilla, this is only available through one particular national retailer. It's an interesting exercise, tapping some of Australia's leading boutique producers for an exclusive line of wines. I'm a convert, happily picking up some of this, the Reidy and the RK Chardonnay.

I liked this. It does remind me (a lot) of the more expensive Giaconda Warner Shiraz, and it does nod to the Northern Rhone with its meatiness, though the note of eucalyptus on the nose is an early give away.

Enamel staining purple and black. Changeable and complex. To begin there is meat, pepper and a round soft note of vanilla. Crushed berries, bay leaf and eucalyptus. Powerful and in comparison to the last wine I tried (an 07 Rhone Syrah), sweet. Concentrated and multi-layered, this has a lovely silkiness and flow, while the tannins are seamlessly fine, creamy and emulsion like.

Very good - excellent.
92.
Now - 2018.

I've given this the same rating as the Clape Le Vin des Amis. Which of course highlights the absurdity of rating wine. I enjoyed both, and would happily buy more of each. I would also encourage a side by side taste test. The Clape is more beautifully scented, but it also has a hardness, with chalky, almost block like tannins. The RK has more flow, fat and sweetness. It is curved rather than angular.

Domaine Auguste Clape Le Vin des Amis 2007

2009-07-01T06:00:00.000+08:00

Northern Rhône, France. Syrah. 12%. Cork. Approx $A50

A gorgeous wine. Fragrant, chiseled and chewy. Spice, musk and raw minced meat, but in time this becomes sappy and earthy. It reminds me a little of Burgundy with its suggestion of geosmin and freshly turned earth. Rounded to begin before showing its sinew and teeth. The structure and grip is quite something, a show of virility, with the chalky, meat like tannins giving a pleasing toughness.

Very good - excellent.
92.
Now - 2014.

Flametree Chardonnay 2007

2009-06-30T07:48:00.002+08:00

Margaret River, Western Australia. Chardonnay. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A25

Wine trivia - Did you know that an empty bottle of 1982 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is worth more than 100 euros on ebay. . .

Tasting note - This is a pretty impressive wine, though it does conform to the classic Margaret River (white bread) chardonnay mould. Spicy oak and vanilla, with peaches and butterscotch. Bright and lively but also with flesh and an essence like texture. The malo is notable but not overdone and I found the slightly bitter finish quite appealing.

Very good.
89.
Now - 2012.

Drinking once frozen wine. . .

2009-06-28T22:06:00.004+08:00

I've started reading Philip K Dick's masterpiece Ubik. All the talk of cryo-preservation and half lifers made me think of my unfinished bottle of Ch Bernadotte that I had frozen almost 2 months ago. It was frozen and preserved immediately. I had poured half into an old 375ml bottle and screwed the cap back on.

Ella, pretty and light-skinned; her eyes, in the days when they had been open, had been bright and luminous blue. That would not again occur; he could talk to her and hear her answer; he could communicate with her. . . but he would never again see her with her eyes openeded; nor would her mouth move. She would not smile at his arrival. When he departed she would not cry. Is this worth it? he asked himself. Is this better than the old way, the direct road from full-life to the grave? I still do have her with me, in a sense he decided. The alternative is nothing.

I awoke my bottle, by placing it in a pot of luke warm water. Within an hour it was ready to speak. Is this better than the old way? I think so. It was unchanged, fresh and still recognizable as the wine I tried 7 weeks earlier. Dusty and spiced, I can still find blackcurrant and lead pencil. The slick of tannins remains and the finish has a leafy dark chocolate edge.

Related post.

Marc Brédif Vouvray 1986

2009-06-27T10:10:00.006+08:00

Loire Valley, France. Chenin blanc. 12.5%. Cork. Source: restaurant wine list.

I drank some excellent wine last night, but already my memory is failing. An 05 Rockford Rod and Spur (Shiraz / Cabernet blend from the Barossa) was typically Australian and slightly scruffy and grainy. I was seduced by the 04 Roda I Reserva which was flashy, fleshy and exotic. The wine I remember best was the night's first. The 1986 Bredif.

Sealed with a new cork (not unlike the blemish free Bredif cork on the right), this is stunning. Melon, honey and stone, reticent and seemingly bruised and oxidized to begin, then it sings. A pure and beautiful voice, a crystal sting of brightness and vitality.

Excellent.
95.
Now - 2019+

PS. The image above is an old one, showing corks from 1985, 1996 and 2006.

Kooyong Ferrous Pinot noir 2006

2009-06-26T06:31:00.000+08:00

Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. Pinot noir. 14%. Diam. Approx $A65.

I remember in 2002 drinking my fill of the first release from Kooyong (1999 Pinot noir). They have come a long way since then, now producing a variety of single vineyard wines. I'll try the Meres in a few weeks, but first the Ferrous.

From the back label: The soil in the vineyard is dominated by numerous small rustic red stones. The colour is due to the high iron content.

For a pinot this is deeply coloured, bold and exuberant. Perfumed with stems, wilted rose petal and raspberry. For a moment I thought I could detect the warm note of nutmeg. Voluptuous in the mouth, silken, succulent and expansive. Sour edged, but with lovely sweetness and generosity. The softness upfront is countered by the tannins, which are pleasingly fine and persistent.

Excellent.
94.
Now - 2012+

Pipers Brook Vineyard Riesling 2008

2009-06-22T06:06:00.000+08:00

Tasmania, Australia. Riesling. 13% Screwcap. Approx $A30.

The Liquidambars on my street are shedding their leaves and on family walks, my children collect the multi-beaked seed pods. They smell of gumnuts. . .

The riesling smells of apple, lime and feijoa. It also gives the impression of talc and blossom. To start it seems rounder and sweeter than I would expect, but by nights end my tongue and I are sufficiently charmed by the zip and kick. There is notable intensity, duration and fleshy texture, and a pleasing spiciness to offset the lime zest grip.

Very very good.
92.
Now - 2015+

Le Tertre Du Lys D'or Sauternes 2005

2009-06-19T22:51:00.003+08:00

Sauternes, Bordeaux, France. Semillon. 14%. Cork. Approx $35 for a half bottle.

Like a freshly washed wool sweater, or perhaps a newly opened bag of dried apples. What ever the metaphor there is notable sulphur. Its not pretty, but still, like toluene it's addictive. Abundant, plush and round. Sugar cane with a hint of toffee and marmalade bitterness. Like the pots of maltose from my childhood this disappears quickly.

Very good.
90.
Now - 2015+

technorati tags: wine, australian wine,

Boisset Chorey Lès Beaune 2007

2009-06-18T23:19:00.001+08:00

Chorey Lés Beaune, Burgundy, France. Pinot noir. 12.5%. Cork. Appox $A30.

Apparently your yearbook photo from University can predict marital happiness. A grim expression. . . could mean more than just a passing bad mood. It could also signal that the subject is more likely to get divorced than someone with a big smile. People apparently use 'thin slices' of information all the time to make decisions.

Perhaps that was Mark Latham's problem. To many thick and thin slices of information all suggesting a bad temper. Out of curiosity I borrowed a copy of his Diary today. He communicates well, his disenchantment is palpable and his skewering of political identities is amusing and disconcerting at once.

As to the wine, Chorey Lés Beaune can be found on the flat and humble alluvial banks of the river Saône. As expected, there is less substance and beauty than its more esteemed and expensive relatives. Still, there is much to like. Youthful, energetic, but ultimately short, the nose is a simple but effective amalgam of cherry and strawberry with a note of small-goods and dried herbs. Spiced and mouth filling with a spine of chalky resistance before a hasty conclusion.

Good - very good.
86.
Now - 2011.

Tyrrell's Stevens Semillon 2004

2009-06-17T06:55:00.000+08:00

Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. Semillon. 11%. Screwcap. Approx $A25

The other pleasing thing about Spice, is that each recipe has thoughtful and diverse wine recommendations. For instance with Fried Squid with Avocado Hummus, Sortun suggests an Australian Semillon.

I can feel my teeth dissolving in this terrific wine. Charged and dangerously light and bright. Lemon zest, slate and powder. This smells of what I imagine cordite would smell of. Chalky and sherbet like in the mouth, with terrific tartness and mineral almost salty acidity. Candied citrus flavours linger adding to the impression that someone has just lit a lemon flavoured fuse in my mouth.

Very good - excellent.
94.
Now - 2015.

Persian Fried Chicken

2009-06-16T22:17:00.004+08:00

I've been reading a borrowed copy of an excellent cookbook by Ana Sortun. I flick through perhaps 6 cookbooks a month along with several food magazines, and usually they are only of passing interest. Spice - Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean is different. It's compelling and highly recommended. The first recipe I tried, the Persian fried chicken, is superb.

This recipe is from the chapter Saffron, ginger and vanilla. A good representation of the instructions and ingredients can be found here. For those in need of instruction - I took 2 cups of Greek style yogurt and placed this in a bowl with 3 crushed garlic cloves and large pinch of saffron. I gave the mixture a quick stir and then added 8 skinless chicken thighs, covered the bowl and placed this in a fridge overnight. Just prior to eating, I removed the chicken from the yogurt and with absorbent paper I removed most, but not all of the coating mixture. I then coated the chicken in a spiced flour (2 cups plain flour, 1 tablespoon of dried mint, 1 teaspoon paprika, pinch of salt and pepper) and then fried the chicken in batches, in suitably hot canola oil.

Tait the Ball Buster 2007

2009-06-14T16:31:00.000+08:00

Barossa, South Australia. Shiraz (mainly), Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot. Screwcap. Approx $A20.

I tasted three wines today, each with a similar emphasis on softness and plenty. The Mount Tamborine Clems Blend (which appears to be a non vintage blend of cabernet and merlot) from Queensland's Granite Belt was surprising and quite delicious. It sells for under $13 and is a simple but guilty pleasure. The 06 Rufus Stone from Heathcote has more varietal complexity on the nose, while in the mouth it is similar in its plush richness. The 07 Ball Buster is incorrectly named. With all its puppy fat and softness, it is hard to see how this could endanger your testicles. Full, ripe and with no bones, this is laden with vanilla, cream and sweetness. It's sticky pleasure without the pain.

Beef cheeks in red wine

2009-06-13T02:36:00.000+08:00

The observant might notice that I need to buy a new set of dinner plates (for my food photos) and that this is very similar to the daube of beef recipe I did a few years ago. The main difference is the cooking time. I love beef cheeks, they are relatively cheap, but they need at least 3-4 hours to become other-worldly.

Ingredients:

8 beef cheeks
1 bottle of red wine (I used cheap shiraz)
1 bunch of fresh herbs - parsley, marjoram, thyme
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic - crushed
6 peppercorns
6 juniper berries
150g of pancetta
3 small onions - diced
3 medium carrots - diced
1 and a half tins of diced tomatoes
500mls of stock (I used chicken stock)
2 strips of orange rind

How?

The night before you plan to eat, place the beef cheeks in a large pot with the wine, herbs, spices and garlic. Leave overnight. Five hours before you plan to eat, remove the beef from the wine and set aside. Place the pot and the contained liquid and aromatics onto the stove and bring to the boil and reduce by 50%. In a separate pan brown the pancetta, and then the beef cheeks. The pan will now have a slight crust, which can be removed by frying off the onions and the carrots for a few minutes. Now place the pancetta, beef and vegetables into the now reduced wine and herb mixture. To this add the tomatoes and stock, so the meat is just covered. Finish by adding the orange rind, cover with a lid and then place in an oven which is set to 140 degrees Celsius and leave for at least 4 hours.

Domaine Confuron Cotetidot Vosne-Romanée 2005

2009-06-12T09:22:00.000+08:00

Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy, France. Pinot noir. 12.5%. Cork. Approx $A95.

More from Slaughterhouse Five - Billy answered. There was a drunk on the other end. Billy could almost smell his breath - mustard gas and roses. It was a wrong number. Billy hung up. There was a soft drink bottle on the windowsill. Its label boasted that it contained no nourishment whatsoever. . .

I'm half way through this extraordinary book with its talk of war, alien abduction and time travel. I'm still in awe at the flow and rhythm of the book. It's comical, serious and effortlessly thought provoking.

The wine in contrast is stern, though still rewarding. A momentary flush of soft perfume gives way to cedar, earth and spice. Ginseng root and a suggestion of aniseed. Firm and serious from the very start, though there is some redeeming sweetness and roundness to surround the bones. A chewy wine, with mouth puckering tannins which almost wring out the tongue. Quite expansive and seemingly with all the key ingredients in place for a successful future.

Very good - excellent.
92.
2011 - 2019

Domaine Leflaive Macon-Verze 2007

2009-06-09T21:29:00.001+08:00

Macon, Burgundy, France. Chardonnay. 13%. Cork. Approx $A60 (from a wine list)

I started reading the Slaughterhouse Five today. The most notable early feature is the ease and cadence. The flow of words seems so perfect and unforced. My favourite lines so far:

I have this disease late at night sometimes, involving alcohol and the telephone. I get drunk, and I drive my wife away with a breath like mustard gas and roses.

The Leflaive Macon also has a particular flow and pace which is uncommon at its price point. Tighter than the 06, it is fast becoming my favourite mid price Chardonnay. Bright, focused and fleshy there is an equal measure of conviction, zip and finesse. Peaches, fabric softener and even a suggestion of talc on the nose. Vibrant and crystalline, this has lovely presence and shape.

Excellent.
95.
Now - 2014.

Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling 2008

2009-06-08T09:35:00.000+08:00

Clare Valley, South Australia. Riesling (Cane cut and concentrated). 11%. Screwcap. Approx $A40 for half bottle.

The 2002 edition of this was my favourite Aussie dessert wine of the vintage. The 08 is very good, though not as compelling or bracing. Apple mint, nail polish remover and sugar cane nose. Simple and rounded in the mouth, this could do with a little more sting, at times I thought I was drinking green cordial.

88.
Now - 2012.

Getting warmer - Kari Ayam, take 2

2009-06-07T17:28:00.000+08:00

Much closer than my last attempt, but still not quite there (maybe too much ginger). . . Recalling an old Osler aphorism from my medical youth - To study the phenomenon of disease without books is to sail an uncharted sea. . . I looked for a suitable source of inspiration and visited my local library and borrowed a copy of South East Asian Specialties.

This is my attempt, with a few additions (turmeric, curry leaves, ras el hanout) and substitutions (coconut milk instead of coconut flakes).

Ingredients:

10 shallots - peeled
6 garlic cloves
1 piece of ginger root - approx 3cm knob
1 chicken cut into pieces
7 tablespoons of chicken curry powder (about 50g)
small handful of curry leaves
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of ras el hanout
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
2 small tins of coconut milk (540mls in total)
2 cups of water
3 large potatoes cut into pieces
pinch of salt

The ras el hanout is of course not Malaysian, but the base ingredients are not foreign and I'm fond of the flavours and the colour it lends.

How?
Take the shallots, garlic and ginger and pulse in a blender for a few seconds. Add this to a large pot with a generous glug of oil and fry for a few minutes. To this add the curry powder, curry leaves and all the spices. Mix and continue to heat through. Now add the chicken pieces and stir, letting the chicken coat in the spice mix and colour slightly in the heat. Add the coconut milk, water, potatoes and salt. Gently bring to the boil and let simmer until the potatoes are soft and cooked through (approx 30 minutes).

Domaine Roulot Bourgogne Rouge 2006

2009-06-04T23:00:00.003+08:00

Burgundy, France. Pinot noir. 13%. Cork. Approx $A55

Competent and very appealing. I feel like a teacher writing an end of year report for a good but unexciting student. . . Someone with good grooming and hygiene and a pleasant disposition. Tries hard, but seems to lack conviction when challenged. This wine is all those things. It is likable, fresh and pure. There is a hint of perfume along with the raspberries and stems. Bright in the mouth, but a light touch (which at this level is not unreasonable) with minimal tannins and not quite enough substance.

Very good.
89.
Now - 2012.

Malaysian Chicken Curry

2009-06-03T22:49:00.008+08:00

For the last month I've been dreaming about the perfect chicken curry. This first attempt falls well short. The sauce needs more depth and probably more turmeric and at least another 100mls of coconut milk. Still I'll post it, mainly so I can refer back to it in the coming months as I try to fine tune the dish and the spice mix. (My next attempt - which I think is much better, can be found here.)

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken - cut into about 10 pieces.
4 medium potatoes
70g of curry powder (I used a local blend made by Spices of the orient)
Pinch of salt and cayenne pepper
1 handful of curry leaves (I bought mine from the Asian grocer opposite the Queens Hotel)
2 medium onions sliced into thin rings
400mls of coconut milk
400mls of water

How?

Coat the chicken pieces in a tablespoon of the spice mix and set aside for an hour.
Boil the potatoes, till just cooked and then peel and quarter.
Fry the onions in a pot till starting to become translucent, then add the curry leaves and the rest of the curry powder, salt and spice. After a few minutes add the chicken pieces and again stir occasionally for a few minutes. Now add the coconut milk, water and bring to the boil. Leave for about 10 minutes, and then add the potatoe pieces and let simmer for a further 15 minutes.

Mount Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz 2004

2009-06-01T22:11:00.000+08:00

Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. Shiraz. 14.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A60

Half way through book and bottle, I can see that both are alternate reflections of history. The Man in the High Castle asks how life would be if the Allies lost WWII (The Germans have reached the Moon and Mars, have drained the Mediterranean and along with Japan have divided the US in half). The back label of the bottle mentions that the fruit is selected from the same vines used by Maurice O'Shea some 70 years ago.

The oak is notable, at first rosewood, but in time vanilla. It is also leathery and volatile, not unlike a freshly cleaned pair of Blundstones. Sour edged, varnish like, the only fruit like thing I could find was a haw flake. Juicy and fine, but the shape is wrong. Too short and loose, this seems to lack flow and tension.

Good - very good.
87.
Now - 2012.

Tripel Karmeliet

2009-06-01T07:10:00.002+08:00

Belgium. Authentiek 3 granenbier. Wheat, oat, barley. 8.4% alcohol. Approx $A10 for 330ml.

Glorious. Bronze and unfiltered. Floral, grassy (fresh hay) and malt scented, this is quite possibly the best beer I have tried in recent times. Gewürz like with a trace of musk and lychee, this is pleasingly brisk, smooth and enduring. Undergoing its final fermentation in the bottle, this is creamy and laden with dissolved carbon dioxide and intense and enduring flavours.