Spring Vale Gewürztraminer 2010

Freycinet Coast, Tasmania, Australia. Gewürztraminer. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A33.

On the last day of Spring. . .

Convincing and delicious and quite possibly the best local Gewürztraminer I can recall having. A beautiful and bountiful nose of lychee, spice and slate, while in the mouth the texture, flesh and persistent flavours of lychee and rambutan, are capably corseted by fine acidity. It manages to be exuberant without losing its shape. 90-92. Now - 2014.

Robert Bowen Sauvignon blanc 2010

Pemberton, Western Australia. Sauvignon blanc. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A25

I don't drink as much pure Sauvignon as I once did, though I do recall that it, along with Gewürztraminer were the first white grapes that I could understand and pick in a blind tasting. Perhaps this easiness and directness made me drift away in search of something harder to understand. . .

Green bean, guava, gooseberry and melon; a tropical and exuberant fruit salad cut with a sense of immediacy and freshness. The wine making tricks are not discernible on the nose, but in the mouth the tracks and lines are clear. Oak, new and old (Russian and Hungarian), prolonged contact with lees, part MLF - all of these are notable, like black ink on white canvas. Though the whole is pleasing, there is a notable transition from fruit to maker. A curious wine, which I liked. 90. Now - 2014.

Tabbouleh

One fiddle too many. I decided to substitute the burghul for quinoa, thinking the texture and taste would be similar. . . Burghul has more crunch and nuttiness and better absorption; my quinoa tabbouleh ended up being too moist and soft. . . perhaps three foreign ingredients is one more than this dish can bear. With the exception of lemons (arrived from India some time after the the 1st century AD) and tomatoes (in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue) all other ingredients (wheat, the umbelliferous brothers - coriander and parsley, garlic, spring onions, dill and of course olive and her oil) are endemic to the Levant.

Tyrrell's Stevens Semillon 2007

Hunter, NSW, Australia. Semillon. 12.2%. Screwcap.

Two unrelated thoughts as I twist the cap. How can producers of aromatic whites still seal their wines with cork, and the image of preserved lemons. . . From the instant the seal is removed this is alive, fresh and ready. There's no excess of reduction and there is certainly no doubt. Blossom and gun powder, flint, lemon zest and the first suggestion of toast. It is a fact locally acknowledged, that an unwooded Hunter Semillon of a particular age grows in stature and wants for nothing. Still, it comes as a pleasant surprise each time I taste. This wine perhaps even more so - the texture is mouth filling and the liquid carries perhaps a little more weight and density than expected. It still bristles and is full of impact, but the edges are more rounded and the citrus flavours have matured and remind me of the transformation that occurs with lemons left in brine. 91. Now - 2017.

Image: Port Hedland salt flats in the background from The Pilbara Project

An alcohol free day

and surprisingly delicious Quinoa patties for dinner. Thank you to Barbara for the idea and Heidi for the recipe. There are many players, but the dominant flavours belong to the dill and feta, plus I decided to make some aioli for contrast. If I were having a drink, I would pick something white, acidic and Sauvignon or Semillon based. . .

Marq Fiano 2011

Margaret River, Western Australia. Fiano. 12.5% (tastes bigger). Screwcap. Approx $A25.

Though this smells and tastes different from the only other Fiano I recall having, it does feel similar. A slightly fatty and textural wine. . . Pear and flint to start, it smells like a gris. The scent of ripe stonefuit (apricot) emerges later and I'm starting to think it smells like a viognier. . . Clearly I've no idea. After an opening few minutes of nondescript short flabbiness; it becomes quite pert, salty and crunchy. The finish is bitter and fleshy, giving the impression of a wine much bigger than the stated 12.5%.

A visually related post.

Chicken B'stilla

On and off for the last 3 years I've been thinking of cooking a B'stilla. That curious and delicious Moroccan pie which is part sweet though mostly savoury. My cooking and reading are of course a very poor substitute for actual travel, but for now they will do. . .

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 125 grams of butter (100g melted and for brushing filo)
• 3 onions - halved and sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic - crushed and chopped
• 15-20 almonds - blanched, skins removed, crushed
• 2 tbs pinenuts - toasted and crushed
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
• 1.5 tsp ground ginger
• 1.5 tsp paprika
• 1.5 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 6 juniper berries - crushed
• 400g chicken thighs - cut into 1.5 inch pieces
• 1 large handful of flat leaf parsley - roughly chopped
• 1 large handful of fresh coriander roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 8-10 sheets of filo
• 1 tbs icing sugar for dusting

How? There are two processes, which can be separated in time if required. I made my filling earlier in the morning and completed the pie just before dinner. . . For the filling - fry the onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. Allow the onions to develop some colour (5 minutes), before adding the garlic and crushed nuts. Once the garlic is cooked (2-3 minutes), add all the spices, stir and wait another few minutes. Now add the chicken thighs. Stir occasionally, turning the heat off once the chicken has just been cooked (perhaps 5-10 minutes). Now add all the herbs and lemon juice, stir and incorporate, season to taste and then let the mixture cool.

I used a round, 22cm diametre baking dish, brushed with melted butter. 3-4 layers of filo were placed on the dish, each layer brushed with melted butter. Importantly, the filo overflows from the pan, so it can eventually be folded over to form the pie. Once the bottom layers of filo are in place fill the cavity with the now cool chicken mixture, partially cover with the over hanging filo and complete the top with another 3-4 layers of buttered filo. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 200 degrees C and then remove and dust with icing sugar and cinnamon. Serve while hot.

Chickpea stew

After an afternoon of drinking, a slightly rushed (20-25 minute) chickpea stew. The miso paste is optional, but gives an additional umami hit. An alternative would be 1/4 of a cup of stock.

De Bortoli Reserve Syrah 2008. A showy wine - which I thought was a little disjointed. Whole bunches and ground raw meat, but in addition, the unexpected scent of raisins. Slightly sweet in the mouth, it's pleasing enough with its firm stalk flavoured tannins, but still I was left unconvinced.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 onion finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic chopped
• small (1.5cm) knob of ginger - freshly grated
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1x 400g tin of diced tomatoes
• 2x 400g tin of chickpeas - rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon of miso paste
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/2 preserved lemon - rind finely chopped
• 1 small handful each of coriander and parsley leaves - roughly chopped

How? Add the oil to a large pan and toss in the onions and garlic. Stir and then add all the spices. Cook for a few minutes, allowing the onion to soften. Add the tin of diced tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes. Now the chickpeas, and cover and allow to simmer. After 10 of so minutes, add the miso if you are using it, the water and let this thicken slightly. Finally switch off the heat and throw in the preserved lemon rind and the fresh herbs.

Image: Jacaranda flowers

Henri Gouges Nuits St George Les Pruliers 1990

Very incomplete and partial morning after recollections. A half stained cork, which I've managed to lose, a slightly stained label starting to come away at the sides and inside something remarkably fresh and lively. There were no signs of decline and the wine grew in stature as the night progressed. Meat, spice and leather, but certainly nothing impure; wonderful focus and clarity in the mouth, the firmness and brightness suggests this is no more than adolescent.

Domaine Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots 2005

I had my doubts. The fill was good, but the capsule was stained and surely my anticipation would be met with disappointment. . .

My concerns were unfounded. The wine was superb, and fresh. Flint and struck match; curry leaf, peach skin and stone. Wonderfully intense in the mouth - it lingers and persists, the weight is exemplary and there is a tremendous concluding spark - a twist of citrus, which is lime like in its endurance and concentration. 95. Now - 2016.

Hayshed Hill Block 8 Cabernet franc 2008

Margaret River, Western Australia. Cabernet franc. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A30.

A delicious wine, though the scent is awkward to begin - there's more varnish, weed and eucalyptus than you would hope for, but this is all evanescent, giving way to a more satisfying tobacco, blackcurrant and bay leaf. Juicy and bright in the mouth, the attack is brisk and edgy and yet there is no hardness, just crowd pleasing fruit and soft slightly chewy tannins. 90. Now - 2015.

Image: The entrance to Margaret River, looking towards Cape Mentelle; Margaret River hens.

Earlier today

Image: Kakulas Brothers. The only place in Perth that bears a passing resemblance to a spice market.

Asparagus and meatball stir fry

A somewhat dubious combination of methodologies, but the flavours are tried and tested (asparagus with pepper, garlic, ginger and meat) and the end result was pleasing.

Meatballs.

• 100g each of minced beef and pork
• White pepper - 3-4 shakes
• 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
• 1 clove of garlic finely diced
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of finely diced coriander stems
• 1/2 an onion - sliced into rings and then fried till golden and partly caramelized and then finely diced

Combine all the ingredients by hand, till reasonably homogeneous, then make your meatballs. Aim for small 1.5cm ones and then set aside.

Asparagus.

I used 3 small bunches (400 - 500g). Each shoot was slim, so the cooking time would be fairly minimal. Even so, I blanched the trimmed and chopped up asparagus in boiling water for about 30 seconds before the final stage of cooking.

Stir fry.

3 stages. Meat, asparagus and finally meat and asparagus. Heat the wok add your oil and then in batches add your meat balls and cook till well browned and sealed. Set aside. When all the meat balls are done toss in two cloves of chopped garlic and then seconds later the partly cooked asparagus. Toss and stir vigourously for 1 - 2 minutes before finally returning the meatballs and any juices to the wok. Toss / Stir again. To ensure the meatballs are cooked through add a small amount of water (50mls) and cover with a lid for a few minutes, allowing the steam to finish the cooking.

The Prophet

Two recent meals, quite different in emphasis and impact.

First a degustation @ Harvest, in North Fremantle. The setting is whimsical, an urban restaurant complete with its own large and well looked after herb and vegetable patch. A relaxed and darkened bar at the front, it feels like a University student's rented house - it's small, intimate and enticing. The kitchen is in the centre, visible from most points of the dining space, open and easily audible; intentional or not, it gave me the (unwanted) feeling of being a visitor in someone's home. The food though, is beautifully presented, the flavours true and undisguised and the technique (foam, agar sheets. . .) adds to the impact without appearing superfluous.
Another minor quibble relates to the wines offered with the degustation on the night, (the standard and the reserve selection) these were mostly easily obtainable and pedestrian, the reserve wines in particular (you are paying $80 for 5 tasting glasses) could have been more challenging and harder to find.


The Prophet in East Victoria Park on the City's most heavily restauranted street is BYO ($3 per bottle). With young children in tow and arriving early (Six), I found the space to be comfortable and once again homely. The atmosphere shifts with time and by 7:30pm the tiny restaurant heaves with humanity. The food is simple, some of the plates come with chips; and be warned they arrive in convoy - with speed and at short notice. Having developed a mild obsession about the food of the Levant, nurtured by books and my own experimentation in the kitchen, I found my self transported by the simple dishes. The kibbeh, falafel and the baba ghanoush in particular were superb. This trio of excellence makes it easy to forgive the underdone and slightly raw baklava. . . Of my two recent meals, this one provided the greatest pleasure.


Image: A beautiful and smoky Baba ghanoush.

Oakridge Lieu-Dit Mackay Vineyard 2009

Macedon, Victoria, Australia. Chardonnay. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A45.

A searing and bristling wine. Flint and struck match, lemon juice, peach skin and spice. Intense, lean and tight in the mouth, you can imagine the cold and yet sun drenched days. . . Though there are more and more local wines in this style, very few can match the length and focus. 93. Now - 2016.

The Marq Gamay - is possibly more delicious than before. It's loaded with Maraschino cherry, on the nose and in the mouth, but it's cut with stems, tea leaf, earth and spice. It needs a few hours to really shine, which makes me wonder if this might be a mid term cellaring prospect.

Harvest

The cooler, wetter weather in Perth has pushed back the annual father and daughter mulberry foraging season. As finger and lip staining as ever, we decided to crush a small portion of our bounty and make juice.

Three small bottles

Milk, flowers, Riesling.

Friday

If only more days could be as bright and self indulgent. A day absent from the troubles of work; aimlessly and curiously wandering the streets of Fremantle; camera in hand, my senses trying to absorb all the textures. The adorable small terrace houses on George St with their twisted Mulberry trees, the monastic and dappled peacefulness of the Fremantle Art centre and finally an unexpectedly good bowl of karage ramen washed down with a green apple bubble tea, from the wonderful and already well known Dosukoi.

Grosset Polish Hill 2011

Clare Valley, South Australia. Riesling. 12.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A40.

11.11.11

Talc, wet river stones, lime blossom, lavender scented bath soap and white pepper. A captivating and clean nose which exudes freshness with an undercurrent of gun barrel. . . It changes in the mouth. To begin it seemed slightly attenuated and oily; texturally quite different from what I can recall of the previous vintage. There is less immediate electricity and though this is still coiled it seems more diffuse than expected. Even so, from the first sip - there is concluding and lingering jolt of lime juice. . . Hours later the nose is much the same, though perhaps the pepper and gun barrel are a little more apparent. In the mouth, the shape is better; there is more energy and less oil, as well as some bitter citrus pith. 93. Now - 2016+

Brussels sprouts

The bitterness is concentrated in the central of the sprout, and as McGee suggests, it is worth partially cooking halved Brussels sprouts in boiling water to extract and lessen the bitterness. Whilst doing this, I also started frying some cubes guanciale in a pan to render much of the fat. Once the pork is golden and there is a good layer of liquid fat in the pan add some small cubes of potato which have been par boiled and cook for a few minutes until the potatoes have taken up some colour. Finally add the now strained and part cooked Brussels sprouts, face done and leave for a few minutes.

Postcard: Maylands

A structurally sound and quite delicious hamburger from the quaint Old Bakery on 8th. The gunshop is still nextdoor, and the avenue is still dotted with mostly derelict Bric-a-brac stores; but there is a definite and presumably unstoppable gentrification of the area. Be it Mrs. S, Sherbet or the newer Smoults continental deli (stocking Jamon, $120/kg proscuiito di San Danielle and a good range of cheeses); the area still a pleasing mix of yesterday and today is blossoming.

Fleur de sel

Flower of salt - the finest and most delicate crystals harvested by hand from salt pans, just as they form on the surface. Unlike the beach evoking sel gris, these are dainty and pure and expensive. . . Curiosity comes at a price; in this case $A16 for a 125g calico bag.

Harissa and pomegranate rub

A hat tip to Chris, the creator of the wonderful Oz Wine Toons for helping me decide what to have for dinner. . .

A partially boned leg of lamb (shank bone still in situ) was coated with the above Harissa and pomegranate rub, left for a few hours and then roasted at modest heat (150 - 160 degrees C) for 2 hours. A cup of water was added to the pan at the start of the process (and another cup midway through the cooking) and the resultant sauce was drizzled over the cut meat.

The rub is modification of Claire's recipe from the Masterchef V2 cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp each of coriander and cumin seeds - dry roasted for 1 minute and then pounded in mortar and pestle
• 4 long red chillies - seeded
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp of smoked paprika
• 2 tbs of tomato paste
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs of white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of pomegranate molasses
• Zest of 1/2 a preserved lemon - finely diced

How? Pulse for the first 7 ingredients with a food processor / stab blender till a suitable consistency. Add the remaining ingredients and fold in and set aside till ready to use.

Cherubino Riesling 2011

Porongurup, Great Southern, Western Australia. Riesling. 12%. Screwcap. Approx $A31.

As the dial on the back label attests, this is virtually bone dry, and yet despite this apparent hardness and austerity, it explodes with vitality and purity. It's achingly intense, linear and focused. I know it is imprecise, but this is like a sting: an instant of searing sensation as it enters the mouth and beautiful telescopic length and mouth puckering tightness. A delicate, but expected nose; talc, white pepper and lime zest. . . my mouth waters in anticipation. Superb, intense and biting acidity giving a sensation of salt, minerals and electricity. With my imperfect memory, this is better than the 2010 and perhaps as good as the 2009. 95. Now - 2021.

The sense of an ending

Two quotes from the extraordinary and existentially troubling novella by Julian Barnes.

We live with such easy assumptions, don't we? For instance, that memory equals events plus time. But it's all much odder than this. Who was it who said that memory is what we thought we'd forgotten? And it ought to be obvious to us that time doesn't act as a fixative, rather as a solvent. But it's not convenient - it's not useful - to believe this; it doesn't help us get on with our lives; so we ignore it. page 63.

But time. . . how time first grounds us and then confounds us. We thought we were being mature when we were only being safe. We imagined we were being responsible but were only being cowardly. What we called realism turned out to be a way of avoiding things rather than facing them. Time. . . give us enough time and our best-supported decisions will seem wobbly, our certainties whimsical. page 93.

Image: Dust cover at night.

Pomegranate molasses

Mother nature's daughter, Persephone was lured to the underworld by a pomegranate. . . I can recall as a child living in a house which had a fecund though largely ignored shrub which bore these wonderful fruit, sadly my palate was too immature and most of the crop was left for the insects. . . The smell of the molasses is disturbingly familiar and I have an urge to visit a candy store so I can test my hypothesis. The image of the politically incorrect Redskin keeps coming back, but I'm not sure. It certainly smells of something sticky and sweet that I used to eat as a child.

Fraser Gallop Chardonnay 2009

Wilyabrup, Margaret River. Chardonnay. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A35.

A delicious and representative Margaret River Chardonnay; a succinct and intense statement of flint, grilled peach, flesh and acidity. The flinty acids give this wine a newness and freshness that reminds me of Spring, it's beautifully paced, precise and yet to be blemished by age and excess. 93. Now - 2015.

Pastitsio

It's hard not to think of Greece. Each day a new headline which seemingly reinforces the notion that it is the class dunce, forever to be confined to the austerity corner. It seems to be an entirely unfair characterisation for a country which faces two equally difficult decisions. To stay and suffer or to leave and rebuild from nothing. The push for more austerity and seemingly endless and pointless suffering has a puritanical zeal to it, which each moment must make the uncertainty and loneliness of excommunication more and more appealing.

Pastitsio is often called a Greek Lasagna. It has a more rigid structure (like the EU) by virtue of the hollow pasta tubes, which never develop that melting softness and give of flat pasta sheets surrounded by a ragu. The pictured plate is based on this Tessa Kiros recipe. It makes a lovely mid week meal and the leftover freeze well, but for me it will never have the guilty, unruly pleasure that comes from a good lasagna.

Sel gris

In an alternate dimension I can imagine myself owning a small shop called Sel gris. On offer would be unpackaged unrefined sea salt and home made small goods. It would smell of the ocean and aniseed and fennel and of course pork. . .

In the interim I'll have to content myself with the taste and feel of sel gris. The imperfections and inconsistency of the crystals; the dull grey from animal, mineral and vegetable impurities; the retaining moisture; and of course that lingering taste of the sea that each pinch delivers.

Ruggabellus Timaeus 2009

Barossa, South Australia. Grenache 69: Mourvedre 16: Shiraz 15. Screwcap. 13.6%. Approx $A45.

Distinctively and beautifully packaged. There is something modern and yet old school about the label and typography; the bottle too are notable for the lack of punt and their lightness (about 350 grams).

Slightly lighter in colour than expected, the nose is spiced and sappy and in the mouth I thought the wine was serpentine. Dried herbs, menthol and eucalyptus; it smells of Australia. Pepper, stems and raw meat. In attack it is smooth, coiled and energetic; a muscular and yet slippery wine. Bright and well paced the olfactory theme of spice and meat continues to the end. 90. Now - 2019.

Melva by KT

Watervale, Clare, South Australia. Riesling. Screwcap. Approx $A26.

On the 1.11.11 my 1111 tasting note.

The one with the pink polka dots. A curious wine. I wonder if it is the vintage or stylistic choice. Wild fermented and orchestrated by Kerri Thompson it smells and tastes like a Grey wine. Pear skin and flint, rose petal and grape skin. The usual Clare Valley Riesling characters are in the background. Rounded, and to this observer slightly fatty. The electricity is there but attenuated by the sweetness and musk flavoured flesh. 89-90. Now - 2014.

Post script: Day 6 and a sip of the refrigerated remains - now more typically Clare in scent, with lime and blossom; still notably sweet and soft on the tongue, though the texture and shape have improved. I think the drinking window can be extended.