Aubergine
by Lawrence Martin
Our November monthly event was held at the Aubergine Restaurant which has been voted by the Miele Guide as one of the top 20 restaurants in Asia in 2010. Chefs Stefan Langenhan and Uli Willimann were in charge of preparing the impeccably presented food on the evening.
Canapés were served with Château Bonnet Entre-deux-Mers 2008 as people used the traditional pre-dinner greeting period to say hello to friends. The smoked salmon wafers and the duck prosciutto were particularly tasty.
Some of the best Bordeaux Blancs come from the region known as Entre-Deux-Mers. The wine comprises Sauvignon Blanc 50%; Sémillon 40% and Muscadelle 10%. It is a brilliant pale yellow colour with both green and silver highlights. The nose is fresh, delicate and elegant, true to the Sauvignon Blanc. On the palate, it shows a combination of lime, grapefruit and mild herbs. It is relatively dry with a medium body, has a marked level of acidity and isn't too sweet.
As we sat down an Amuse Bouche of sauteed lobster with mango-papaya salsa was served.
Next on the menu was a Foie gras combination made up of three different presentations of foie gras. There were the traditional forms of terrine and pan fried, along with an innovative mousse foie gras with celeriac, balsamic lentils and cranberries. All of this was accompanied by organic salad greens in raspberry dressing and the wine pairing was Clos Lapeyre Jurancon cuvee le vent balaguer 2005.
Up in the steep foot-hills of the Pyrenees is situated the vineyard of Jurancon, famous for its luscious sweet wines. The warm wind funnelled up from Spain, the “Vent Balaguer” helps to dehydrate the grapes which literally “raisin” on the vine. The wine exudes a wonderful balance of sweetness with a characteristic acidity of Jurancon. Orange marmalade, barley sugar, toffee, lemon and spice tastes prevail which make this wine delicious with foie gras.
Initially, we were to have Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 2003, from Austria, but it was thought to be far too dry as a pairing, so our President and Winemaster Bernie Sim made the right decision to pair the foie gras with the Jurancon.
Essence of Mulwarra beef with oxtail tortellini was then served with Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2006. In case you are curious, Mulwarra beef is named as such because it is exported by the Australian Export company known as Mulwarra Exports. The Beef consommé was served in very ornate bowls resembling inverted Mexican hats and it was ethereally light with one oxtail tortellini (al dente of course) submerged along with miniscule carrots. It could not have been scripted better to follow the foie gras with this consommé.
What followed were pan seared arctic sea diver scallops on carrot-honey mousseline in curry-ginger nage which was my vote for dish of the night. The scallops were so fresh they were almost fresh out of the sea. The “mousseline” was in fact a bed of mashed carrot infused with honey and the curry ginger bouillon complemented the entire dish. This dish also was truly invented to pair with the Chardonnay.
The Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2006 hails from Margaret River which produces Australia's most complex chardonnays and this wine sits at the very top. On a world scale, this is as good as Chardonnay ever gets anywhere outside of Burgundy, meriting a rating of 97 points by James Halliday. The colour is brilliant and youthful green straw. The nose shows the influence of the coolest growing season experienced in Margaret River with the usually dominant ripe stone fruit taking a backseat to the more refined grapefruit, granny smith apples and almonds. The palate shows incredible restraint with a youthful freshness of grapefruit and citrus characteristics.
We then cleared our palates with a champagne and lychee sorbet served in teapots with dry-ice sublimating from the teapot spouts.
Roasted venison loin in cassis sauce was served next and it had been eagerly anticipated. The venison was also from Mulwarra and it arrived with pink fleshy tones indicating we were in for a treat. It was served with braised red cabbage, creamed savoy cabbage and cocoon potatoes. For me the venison was just a wee bit floury but overall it was masterfully presented and quite a delectable dish. Cocoon potatoes were like mini seed pods of mashed and herbed potato, very tasty.
This dish was served with Château la Fleur de Boüard, Lalande-de-Pomerol, 2000 - a rich wine which had a good 2 hours to breathe, settle and commence opening before being served. The nose, reserved at first, opened up to yield red fruit, cedar, tobacco and some barnyard though, still overall reserved. Dark garnet to purple colour in the glass, it provided flavours of liquorice, dark berries and black cherries. It is a concentrated wine with layers of thick, rich, chocolate covered plums and spice. It was not as full-bodied as I’d expected but it was velvety, with a long, caressing finish. The tannins were fully resolved, smooth and not overly complex. Members around me suggested they’d like to taste this again in a few years time.
Chocolate symphony followed served with Dow's Quinta do Bomfim 1995. The nose is inviting with sweet plum fruit, berries, spices, and some alcohol. On the palate it was sweet, elegant, and refined with mostly integrated tannins, and low acidity. Medium to full bodied it has moderate sweetness with a good finish.
To round of the evening we enjoyed Pralines & macaroons, Gourmel Age de Fruits with coffee, tea and a superb Leopold Gourmet Cognac.
Congratulations to the Board for planning, organizing and managing this memorable event.