Barossa Wine Tasting at The Oak Barrel

Bucketing down. Dashing through the rain drops on a Wednesday evening is not my idea of an ideal way to start a wine tasting. Or maybe it is. I deserve every sip.

A Barossa tasting of two of the stalwarts who are part of the reason this region is world renown, and two emerging which I’ve been hearing a lot about but hadn’t had the opportunity to try at The Oak Barrel.

TORBRECK

OK. Must admit, this is one of my favourite Australian wineries, it is just so good. Mr Nomad and I were in the Barossa last year and we have nothing but amazing cellar door reminisces and there are wines here tonight that I had never tried.

2009 The Steading Banc - Price $46.95

The Steading Banc being one of them. This is like a red in a glass when you feel like white. Make sense? Hmmm – 55% Roussanne 25% Marsanne 20% Viognier – RMV, catchy? Thinking so! I would like crustacea. And some peas.

2009 Les Amis Grenache - Price $210

Planted in 1901 these bush vines look like knuckles breaching the soil. This is a low yielding crop but it is amazing and, at 15.2% alcohol, a big wine. This has been aged in new French oak for 18 months. I didn’t want this wine to end. I know it will just get better with age, but this is good drinking now – 2011!

Courtesy of clarendonhills.com.au

KAESLER

2008 Weapons of Mass Seduction – Price $80

Best name of the night goes to Kaeslers 2008 WOMS Shiraz Cabernet. WOMS – Weapon of Mass Seduction. I can see men touting this line to a sleuth of women come Friday night. A 64% Shiraz and 34% Cabernet blend, winemaker Reid Bosward has nailed the best of Aussie terrior. My pick of the Kaesler bunch.   

RUSDEN

This family owned winery from the Vine Vale(this is not a typo) region of the Barossa, where son Christian Canute is winemaker.

2008 The Driftsand Grenache Shiraz - Price $32.95

Fruit, fruit, fruit. Soft tannins and juice like a punch in the face. 60% Grenache, 40% Shiraz, and the Shiraz is coming through nicely. The work this family has put in to get Grenache back and growing after an 80’s exodus has been well worth the effort. Cleared to make room for popular white varieties, grafting the Grenache back on to the vines has been a great success.

2009 Good Shepard Cabernet Malbec - Price $49.95

I’ve never had this blend. I know – rookie! Now I will drink more of this blend. Almost sweet to begin with, it finishes with soft silky tannins, and then my tasting splash is all gone. No spittoon for you my new friend!

Due to a fellow taster who seems to be a Rusden follower from way back, I find out that Rusden also do a Chenin Blanc and a Zinfandel that is worth seeking out.

TOMFOOLERY

Ben Chipman and Toby Yap now have a wine label of their own after making their mark at many Barossa wineries. And what a label – with the byline “the coming together of all things foolish”, I have a smile on my face even before I try the wine. Isn’t that what it’s all about, not taking ourselves too seriously?

2009 Black and Blue Shiraz - Price $42.95

Pleasantly surprised and then some. With vines between 30 and 150 years of age, this wine was well structured with the smooth, flowing, long lined finish I was hoping for.

2008 Artful Dodger Shiraz - Price $95

This new vintage will age well. Quite a deep purple, the flavour is there – quite earthy with lots of berries and, once laid down, will develop into a full bodied, cheeky red with which to impress. Note to self: do not drink upon purchase.

Note: Go to the Tomfoolery website! I would love to know more about the graphics – to be a part of that marketing meeting would have been amazing. Join their ‘Skullduggery Club’ for further information.

Nomad Musings

The whimsical ensures we don't take life too seriously... Food jokes are my achilles heel. Happy weekend!

Buy these letter press online from Lisa Krowinski at Sapling Press

Southern Highlands

The Southern Highlands is not yet known for its wineries but winter is the perfect time for a quick trip as it's only an hour and half south out of Sydney. Having had some family embark on a tree change, I am slowly finding little pockets of bliss in my new home away from home.

This weekend I found myself in Exeter. This is not a busy part of the Highlands. While in Bowral it can be hard to find a parking spot, Bundanoon and Exeter are a little more relaxed and slower of pace. 

Our destination is an unassuming cellar door off the main road of Exeter by the name of St Maur. This patch of land started out as a cattle farm, which it still is, but the main attraction is definitely now the wine. The southern highlands produces cool climate wines in particular chardonnay and pinot noirs.

A lone, leafless tree stands sentinel at the cellar door and we quickly make our way inside to escape the bitter winter winds. As we descend into the room, owner and winemaker Nereo welcomes us to his cellar door with all the warmth and charm of his native Italy with smile on face and bottle in hand. Barrels line both walls, old copper pots hang from the ceiling, a bowl of fresh walnuts, and a long central timber table complete the picture. 

Copper pots - not for sale but I asked!

Starting with chardonnay, a new addition to the line up, with a beautiful fresh, crisp flavour and aroma. Light yet still with the slight wooded flavour of being aged in French oak for 9 months, this will definitely work well in Sydney summer with seafood.

2007

St Maur Lot 41

Chardonnay

$12.5% alcohol

Price: $25

We are informed that everything is estate grown, with 16 acres in total under vines. We move through the rosé, pinot noir (2009), cabernet sauvignon, cabernet merlot and lastly the 2004 Pinot Noir. This is amazing. Depth of flavour, earthy, slightly sweet with a truly rich red hue. The tannins stay with you just long enough before your ready for your next sip. This wine is exceptional and only available at the cellar door. Duck is the obvious parring for this wine, add some sweet prunes or grapes, (a meal at Billy Kwong wouldn't go astray!)and I'm one happy lady. With the most expensive bottle being $30 this is excellent value wine. 

Perfect Label

Nereo knows his wine is good. There is no pushy salesman techniques, this wine sells itself. 

2004

St Maur Lot 41

Pinot Noir

12.5% alcohol

Price: $20

Concrete Blonde

33 Bayswater Road
Potts Point, NSW 2000
http://www.concreteblonde.com.au/

On a rainy tuesday night Mr. Nomad and I braved the weather for a night of....? I don't know. Reviews have been published and murmurs abound but what on earth is Concrete Blonde? 

Concrete Blonde Branding

Heading up the well trodden steps to Hugo's you see an alluring new space complete with fire pits and glowing outdoor furniture. This new space is cavernous and decked out with a new sparkly kitchen with cylindrical rotisseries front and centre, deep chocolate timber floors, glass cabinets full of wine and rows of tables waiting to be sat at. Being a tuesday and raining we were not expecting these rows to be full, yet a smattering of people both inside and out creates a nice ambience so we settle in for the evening.

At my request we are seated right in front of the kitchen with Mr. Nomad looking out to the people and the streetscape while I get to watch the team of chefs practice their dark art behind a glass balustrade. Everything is on show so the kitchen must be kept spotless and no yelling of abuse a la Gordon Ramsey. The chefs are deft as they glide along doing what they do best.

Presented with a book sized wine list that could have seen me dining alone, Mr Nomad took charge and ordered a 2008 Stellenbosch Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa. Having visited last year and extolled the delights of said trip this was my first experience of wine from this region. The flavour of this Cabernet lingers long after the sip has been sup. Blackberry, smooth tannins, some oak and a deep purple hue create a food wine with flavour to boot. 

2008 Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon 

The menu is broken into 4 sections:

to nibble...

to start...

to carry on...

over the wood...

We start with sea scallops on sushi rice with foie gras, shiso, grapefruit and truffle. It's a fresh, sweet and sour combo which leads nicely to the pressed duck salad, the presentation of which is divine - slate is the new plate! This is where the wine is matching really nicely - and setting up our mains. The hawkesbury river pencil squid with radicchio, potato, white beans and a green herb sauce is my favourite dish of the night. Mr Nomad is a huge squid fan - I tend to find it generally rubbery and covered in tempura so rarely order. Tonight it was succulent, charred, and tender. Head chef Patrick Dang is playing with texture and flavour and this dish is demonstrating the confidence the owners have in backing him with a top notch fitout. 

The pork neck special done on the wood fire rotisserie is quite rich with a sweetened jus and seasonal vegetables. It is very strong on flavour so anyone after a perfect piece of pork with some punch would love this.

The accompaniments are an interesting bunch - and quinoa being my new favourite "superfood" option - not a cereal and not a grain, the grilled broccolini with quinoa, hazelnut and lemon was delish. Naan, although cooked nicely is more of a flat bread with eggplant relish and cucumber raita, and sops up any sauce residue nicely. 

Dessert on a tuesday is rare but Mr Nomad couldn't go past the guanaja chocolate valrhona 70%, with pistachio, navel orange and olive oil jam. Very rich, very decadent and very naughty! 

All in all, this is a very Sydney restaurant in a very Sydney location. It feels as if its been here forever and should age quite nicely. The slightly elevated location befits a restaurant that commands, and deserves, attention. 

ChinChin Melbourne

125 Flinders Lane,
Melbourne 3000

Walking up Flinders Lane with a post-Movida glow, discussing our dinner plans (at this stage still undecided) we spot a very cool looking restaurant. "This is the one the Movida guy told us about!". Open just 4 weeks now, ChinChin is the newest operation from Andrew McConnell and Chris Lucas with ex-Jimmy Liks Chef Andrew Gimber.


And what a place!


From the team at Projects of the Imagination the interior, with it's high pressed metal ceilings, graffiti like posters on the walls and a whole bunch of timber and steel columns and, along with a very striking menu, led to a decision made. Just when you thought that Flinders Lane and its ubiquitous corner sites were full to bursting, this minx comes along for a share of the pie.

Interior View

Back  a few hours later for a late nosh we were not disappointed. A pet hate of mine is when people judge a new restaurant too harshly. 3 weeks old, there will always be teething problems. This is a big space with an ambitious menu and a bunch of new staff learning as they go. Yes, the vegetables were the same in a few of the dishes - this to me says "smart operator" - less wastage and cheaper when buying in bulk.


The Wine Guy (an apron worn with these words just in case you missed him) assists in choosing the 2009 Garagiste Chardonnay from Mornington Peninsula. A perfect example of how fresh and well matched a young Chardonnay can be with Asian flavours. Very tempted by the  wine exclusively made for Chin Chin made by Yabby Lake winemaker Tom Carson.

2009 Garagiste

Chardonnay 

Mornington Peninsula

13% alcohol

$65 menu pricing

Being an avid menu reader, I felt the need to order off the menu. If making another decision is a bit of a stretch after a long day, "Feed Me!" will create a surprise banquet menu.

Very cool menu

We start with the kingfish sashimi w Lime, Chilli, Coconut and Thai Basil. The coconut cream drizzled over the top with the fresh lime is a match made in piscatorial heaven.

The seared Scallops on the Half shell w Crispy Sweet Pork and Green Chilli Nahm Jim is my preferred surf and turf option - mouthfuls of salty, sweet goodness.

The Green Curry of Rockling, Eggplant, Snake Beans and Thai Basil, Jumbo Clams wok tossed w Black beans and Chilli and the Twice Cooked Hopkins River Beef Short Rib w Saw Tooth Coriander and Prik Nahm Pla was my pick of the more substantial dishes. 


Not being so partial to baby corn, the vegetables were a little of a distraction but the flavours in the dishes were rich and intense. A little more gravy and this would have made the side of Chin Chin Roti that we ordered sing (one of my favourite things from my days in India). 

There are so many things on this menu I want to come back for - time to find another excuse to flit down to the great southern city!