April

Dada 1 2007

New Zealand. White Blend (Sauvignon blanc, Gewürztraminer, Viognier). 14%. Diam. Approx $A65.

If you build it, they will come.

I had not particular preconceptions, the label certainly gives little away. . . an obsessive idea which has become quite a delicious and exemplary wine. Pale and pert, this is wonderfully clean, fresh and evocative. Musk and grape skin, grass, gooseberry and flint. It smells of Sauvignon, but not clearly from this hemisphere. . . Lean and tight, green apple freshness, but cut with stones and mineral and something fleshy and formidable. A wonderful wine. I wish I had more. . . 93-95. Now - 2013 +

A broccolini salad

An improvised salad, based on the premise that pancetta, broad beans and feta make a lovely Ménage à trois.

Ingredients:

• 12 thin slices of pancetta
• 3 slices of prosciutto
• 2 small bunches of brococolini - ends trimmed and peeled if desired
• 500g bag of frozen broad beans (it is Autumn)
• 2 small handfuls of baby chard leaves
• 1 bunch of mint
• small handful of parsley
• 100g of feta - diced (5mm cubes) or crumbled
• olive oil
• 1 lemon

How?

(1) Fry the pancetta and prosciutto in a pan with a splash of olive oil. You could of course use either on its own. When suitably crisp, set aside. (2) Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the broccolini and a tablespoon of salt. Boil and cook for a few minutes, no more, removing the florets and refreshing in cold water, before setting aside in a large bowl and tossing with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. (3) To the same pot of boiling water (once the broccolini has been removed) add the frozen broad beans and after 1-2 minutes, strain and remove, before once again refreshing under cold water. Remove the beans from their grey/white pods and place the podded beans in the same bowl as the broccolini. (4) Take a handful of the larger mint leaves and pound in a mortar and pestle. Once bruised and crushed, add the juice of half a lemon and a similar amount of olive oil. Add two thirds of this to the resting broad beans and broccolini and toss. (5) Now construct the salad. Layer the chard, the cooked and dressed vegetables, some feta and crumble some of the pancetta. Repeat as needed and the dress with the smaller mint leaves, the parsley and sprinkle with the remains of the mint / lemon dressing.

Caudalie

I toyed with the idea, of keeping this image for a suitably austere, pinpoint and intense young Riesling. It's a cliché I've mostly avoided, though I can see the appeal. The word laser seems to capture and indicate something modern, undiluted, focused and linear.

I suspect opponents of the 100 point scale and wine scores in general, will not like the notion of caudalie. As most doctors and Latin buffs will tell you, cauda means tail. The caudalie is the unit for measurement of aftertaste. 1 cadualie = 1 second of aftertaste. Even for an inhabitant of Nerdistan, it seems superfluous and overly prone to inter and intra-observer variability.

Lucy Margaux Little Creek Pinot noir 2010

Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Pinot noir. 13.8%. Diam. Approx $A40

Of the three I've tried from this stable, this is the one for me. Though it seems the beauty is greatest on opening and by nights end it is less flattering and more utilitarian.

Strawberry and plum, spiced oak, earth and much latter, rubber and stalk. Wonderful texture and layered complexity. Filmy and slippery, the acid is better balanced and this is curved instead of angular. The tannins are multifaceted - at times malt like and then inky and spiced, they define rather than rule. A momentarily gorgeous wine. 92. Now - 2012.

Redemption

You would not expect Peter Lloyd's book to give a glowing account of Singapore. Working for the ABC and then getting arrested and convicted for drug use and then spending 6 months in a Singapore prison, tends to give you a jaundiced view of things. What it successfully does, with it's staccato chapters, cutting back and forth through various SE Asian tragedies, court hearings, counseling sessions and personal dramas, is create a sense of his personal chaos, followed eventually by peace and redemption. My initial ambivalence towards him, had by books end become respect.

Two quotes, the second a composite from pages 261 and 287:

That verbal tick again - lah. Singaporeans append lah to statements and sentences out of habit, with no form of rules for when and where it appears. Lah is to language what the appendix is the the human body - functionally redundant and occasionally irritating.

and

Singapore's laws have not been kind to me, but the penal system, at least, is a more forgiving place where I am safe and secure and oddly entertained. . . Of my material possessions, I have missed the sum total of nothing. Not the perpetual logging on and checking of emails. . . Instead I indulged a guilty pleasure called reading, devouring nearly eighty books in those two hundred days.

Dr Mayer Remstal Kabinett Trocken 2009

Remstal, Germany. Riesling. 12.5%. Vino-lok. Approx $A44.

Though I had hoped for more, I still find that without much effort, most of the bottle has disappeared. It seemed slightly thin and dilute to begin, though there is still a notable imprint of stone and mineral. Lime cordial, grape skins and fennel complete the olfactory tale. Spiced and stony, what it seems to lack in precision and intensity is made up for by its grip and Gewürz like phenolics. 90. Now - 2015.

Recommended reading.

A paint swatch wine tasting note

I think about wine more than I should. So while looking for super glue in my local hardware store my eye was drawn to the paint swatches. Though I could not find a swatch called Riesling, there were enough clichéd components to form a tasting note.

Domaine Lucci Pinot noir 2010

Adelaide Hills, South Australian. Pinot noir. 13.8%. Diam. Approx $A28

Bright, sappy and svelte. Smelling of strawberry, stems and spice, this is savoury, juicy and quite sculptured. It's anxious, a touch short and overly pert and acidic - a mouthful of crushed raspberries - unbalanced and acute, though for an entry level wine, I found the angles and hardness acceptable. 88. Now - 2014.

Some alternate opinions - 1 and 2

Kracher Trockenbeerenauslese NV

Austria. Screwcap (Saranex liner). 187ml bottle, with a tartrate crystal at the bottom. Approx $A30.

I've previously confessed my love for small bottles, but I'm not blind to their potential problems. Such as deciding very late at night that such a little thing can do no harm, and then over chilling it in the freezer, so that it starts tasting unfocused and metallic. It transfigures with warmth and presumably for those with more sense and warmer freezers or better timing, it will sing from the beginning. Pale orange, I can't help but smell marmalade and cotton candy, though later acacia, botrytis and the reassuring scent of freshly washed woolens. Before it warms it's like drinking water flavoured with burnt toffee, or a spoon of maltose, it seems to be missing a sting. In time it rewards and gains more texture, depth and appeal, though by bottle's end, I still get the sense that it could be more shapely and defined. 89-90. Now.

Four recent meals

Hawkers Cuisine in Northbridge may just be Perth's most blogged about Chinese restaurant. There's much to like. It's busy, noisy and there's a constant queue waiting to get in. Judging by my post meal fuzziness, they use as much MSG as any other local Chinese restaurant. The pictured marmite chicken is good in small doses and the deep fried soft shelled crab is worthwhile.

Just Bar (Preston St, Como) is one of Perth's innumerable tapas bars. The menu appears to have nothing over $20 per plate and I left pleased and impressed. I suspect the menu changes frequently, but for what it's worth I loved the chorizo with cuttlefish. There's a flair and extravagance - the lamb chop comes with a slice of foie gras and the succulent 2 inch cube of pork belly is surrounded by licorice sand. Quibbles - my panna cotta was far too firm.

Pata Negra (Stirling Hwy, Nedlands) shows flashes of genius. The arroz negra is perhaps the best thing I've eaten all year. A superb crust and wonderfully evocative flavours. I also liked the smoky eggplant pie and the king fish ceviche. The suckling pig is not cheap at $50, but it is well executed and certainly much better than the rather ordinary confit duck, chorizo and white beans. The waiters were all clad in checkered flannel shirts and judging by the serving plates and the unmatched water glasses, I suspect they (and East Perth's - Toast) have cornered the local bric-a-brac market.

Toast (East Perth) could do with some proper water glasses and freshly printed menus. It seems unreasonable to expect paying patrons to drink from children's plastic cups from Ikea. . . Still the food is redeemingly adequate and I'd have no trouble recommending the potato, mint and feta pancakes.

Harkham Winery Chardonnay 2010

Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. Chardonnay. 14%. Diam. Approx $A30

I don't drink much one year old Chardonnay and even fewer preservative free wines, so it's not so easy to contextualise this wine. Despite the lack of preservatives, there seems to be no lack of wine making tricks. Butterscotch and peach, this seems quite fleshy and almost nougat like. It's bright, mineral and abundant. A large frame with no corset. 86. Now - 2012.

Jayer-Gillies Côtes de Nuits Villages 1999

Côtes de Nuits Villages, Burgundy, France. Pinot noir. 13%. Cork. Approx $65.

While its Southern sibling was faded and undrinkable, this was quite glorious. It shows few signs of fatigue and curiously there's something on the nose that reminds me of Central Otago. It's plush, spiced and there's a wonderful undercurrent of wilted rose petals and black tea leaves. I can smell stems and earth. Perhaps the nose is a touch quiet, but it does want for complexity. Clean and convincing in the mouth, unfurling and expansive and a defining seam of spiced, sappy tannins. 91. Now - 2015+

Image: Late afternoon.

Pork hock with star anise

It seems wherever I look I find references to bak kut teh. Meat bone tea. . . Introduced first to Singapore by the Chinese coolies at the turn of the 19th century, it soon found its ways to Malaysia and beyond. Picking up regional and ethnic variations along the way.

This is my first kitchen encounter with it, and this iteration comes from Street Food, though I've made some modifications to cooking time and have used brown sugar instead of palm. It's a simple dish, with cheap ingredients, but like many dishes with humble origins, it is full of comfort.

How? In a mortar and pestle pound 4 coriander roots (cleaned and sliced), a pinch of salt, 4 cloves of peeled garlic and 10 white peppercorns. Fry this paste in a large pan (with 2 tablespoons of oil). To this add 1 tablespoon of 5 spice powder and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir for a minute of so, then add 3 tablespoons of fish sauce and 4 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of water. Now add the pork hock. Mine was sliced and weighed 850g. Add more water or stock, if needed to cover the meat. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 90 minutes. Turn the heat off, add a piece of bruised ginger and two tablespoons of oyster sauce. Leave covered for at least a few hours more, to allow the meat and connective tissues to soften further. Just before eating, remove the pork from the soup, remove and shred the meat and set aside. Now briefly blanch the leaves of some kai-lan and add to the pork meat. Dress with some fresh coriander leaves and then ladle some reheated soup over this prior to serving. For extra punch make a sauce - sour and hot.

Dipping sauce - not unlike a Nước chấm. Pound 1 deseeded red chili with a pinch of salt, 2 cloves of garlic and a small slice of ginger. Then add to 1/3 cup of white vinegar and stir.

From the pictured book: The body of Alan Lee was at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital morgue. The reason that he remained in the morgue a month after his death was due to the dispute between the State Islamic Council and Alan Lee's mother, both of whom claimed the body. The disagreement was over whether Alan Lee should be buried according to Moslem or Buddhist rites. The Council insisted that Alan Lee had converted to Islam shortly before his death. They had records of his official conversion. His mother said that was not possible. She had cooked him his favourite meal the week before he died - bak kut teh, a pork belly soup. . .

Jayer-Gillies haute Côtes de Beaune 1999

Beaune, Burgundy, France. Pinot noir. Cork.

Like a smelly man, whose odour lingers long after leaving a room, this wine is almost gone, what remains seems unflattering and overly acetic. Purchased recently, I wonder if this is a representative bottle. . .

Mayer Pinot noir 2010

Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. Pinot noir. 13.5%. Diam. Approx $A50

There's a growing trend to release red wines earlier and earlier. Presumably it helps with cash flow and reduces inventories, but it also means the inpatient and curious drinker, like me, will drink the wines a few years ahead of their prime.

As you would expect from a young wine, it evolves and improves with air and time. It seems quite similar to the 2006, but perhaps it is marginally more spiced and zippy. Rose petal and perfume, the prettiness is marred by the sappiness and earth, which seems unsettled and prematurely disturbed. Rosewood and stems, and a suggestion of flint and reduction. Rounded and fleshy in the mouth, it seems too zippy and rushed to begin. . . the pace does settle, but in shape, this remains a bit of a tadpole wine. 90. 2012 - 2015

Image: Tarragon and pork.

Guidebooks

Whilst reading The Singapore School of Villainy, I came across the term kiasu. A fear of missing out. It's a powerful motivator. Presumably it's why people line up to buy into the latest fad. . . it's also what drives me to read guide books. . . I travel so infrequently, I want to know everything about my prospective destination before hand. Baden-Powell would be proud. . .

Though the Inspector Singh books are more about the short, fat, sweaty and hirsute Sikh Inspector, with his fondness for cigarettes, sweet coffee and chappati, they are also about place. More than the various travel books I have read, Shamini Flint's 3rd book, manages to give Singapore a coat of grime and interest.

I've had The Flavour Thesaurus for only a few days, but already it seems indispensable. My young daughter is a fan, having located a simple eight line recipe for lemonade. There's a single illustration - which is repeated on the cover and twice within. A wheel classifying foods by their salient flavour. It sets the tone and challenges you to think. The short entries provides cogent explanation and refreshingly stripped down recipes and instruction. Freed from images, the text shines, with its balance, clarity and context (scientific, historic and gastronomic).

Bonny Doon Le Pousseur Syrah 2006

Central Coast, California, USA. Shiraz. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A44

Perfumed and cuddly to begin, the nose is woolly and diffuse, a suggestion of animal and hide, spiced oak and something stem like and reminiscent of tea leaves. A sweet core, making this quite approachable. The label mentions that tannins are added and oak chips are used in addition to the the French oak barrels. The finish is quite assertive, abrupt and adhesive. My first thought was sticking plaster, though perhaps the more generous might call it tea like. As an Australian, paying $A44, this seem generic and particularly poor value.

A change of scene

I periodically toy with the idea of changing the format of the blog, procrastination and an obsessive personality usually mean nothing happens. Pleasing then to see that blogger has allowed the reader to change and pick the format they like the most themselves.

Just type view after the blog name and it will take you to a new page with options on the top.

I quite like how winosapien looks on snapshot mode. . .

Image: Gracetown, Margaret River, Western Australia