Wednesday, December 17, 2008

An afternoon with 'Baron of Barossa'

Nigel Dolan-Chief Winemaker of Wyndham Estate
with 2 Jimmy Watson trophy under his belt.
Wild Mushroom Consomme with Oxtail ravioli
paired with:-
Wyndham Estate Bin555 Sparkling Shiraz- Work interstingly well, the oxtail ravioli provide just enough punch to the consomme that lingers with the soft tannin of this rare red bubbly.
Foie Gras bon bon,caramalized apple
paired with:-
Wyndham Estate Show Reserve Cabernet Merlot-we let the acidity of the Merlot to cut through the fatty liver and it work ok, but the tannin of the cabernet give a dry after taste in the end.
I left a small sips of this wine for the beef main course and it becomes my favourite pairing of the day!Nigel makes this Cab Merlot Bordeaux style and he is please that some of us actually picked up the France Oak that he used during the making of this wine.
Confit of Salmon trout with poached oyster, dill & cucumber veloute
paired with:-
Wyndham Estate Show Reserve Chardonnay-The Chardonnay gives intense, ripe tropical fruits with light creamy yeast which compliment the flavoursome salmon and the tangy dill and cucumber veloute. It's a good marriage!
Oven roasted beef fillet, caramelized shallots,roasting jus
paired with:-
Wyndham Estate Show Reserve Shiraz-Opaque Red/Purple color with spicy, peppery nose. Ripe red and black fruits and careful balance of oak. I would love a lamb cutlet with this? I actually prefer the Reserve Cabernet Merlot with this juicy and perfectly done steak.
Happy Chris Low with Nigel Dolan.

Chris Low: With the 1992 and 2003 Jimmy Watson trophy wins, worked in Seppelt, Saltram and later the Group Red Winemaking at Fosters...surprisingly Nigel is extremely humble but you will quickly influnce by his overriding sense of fun and adventure in his character. An ordinary Australian who is serious of his barbie and i must say he loves his food too.
I was at Chinoz, KLCC over the famed Friday lunch last Friday of November, featuring Wyndham Estate and their newest Chief Winemaker-Nigel Dolan. Nigel winemaking skill is in his blood? or inherited from his father Brian Dolan-a legendary, respected winemaker who was the Senior winemaker of Saltram. When i asked what is his famous wine in Wyndham, he replied spontaneously Show Reserve Shiraz.
When the great lunch was closer to the end, i ask a very private question to Nigel and it's suppose to be of the record..."If tomorrow is the last day of your life, what is "the" wine that you will drink?" He wonder carefully:"I don't mine a 1962 DRC"

PS. Bravo Chef Haffiz and Wee Jey Teng!!




4 comments:

KY said...

good food, great wine, thanks for the invite, Chris :)

Lionel Lau + Chris Low said...

KY, we will keep you posted on future events. Many thanks for your comment/suggestion.
Rgds-Chris

Anonymous said...

Hi Lionel & Chris

I'm Chris Gan who attended the same luncheon that day. Agree with Lionel 100% that the Show Reserve Cab Merlot is a better pairing with the steak than the Show Reserve Shiraz. And I forgot to compliment Nigel for his perfect blending of the Cab Merlot which feels like one grape! Personally, although the Show Reserve Shiraz is Nigel's favorite, it didn't really stand out for me. Instead, I thought the Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz is smoother, silkier and tastes better. The Cab Merlot left such an impression on me that I bought the Wyndham Bin 888 Cab Merlot (not made by Nigel) as an alternative. Though not as good as Nigel's Show Reserve, it was quite close minus the strong french oak aftertaste. As good California Zinfandel is hard to come by in Malaysia, this Cab Merlot is a good alternative. Hope that you can organize a wine lunch with a good California Zinfandel in the future. Thanx and regards.

Anonymous said...

Hi Lionel & Chris

I'm Chris Gan who attended the same luncheon that day. Agree with Chris Low 100% that the Show Reserve Cab Merlot is a better pairing with the steak than the Show Reserve Shiraz. And I forgot to compliment Nigel for his perfect blending of the Cab Merlot which feels like one grape! Personally, although the Show Reserve Shiraz is Nigel's favorite, it didn't really stand out for me. Instead, I thought the Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz is smoother, silkier and tastes better. The Cab Merlot left such an impression on me that I bought the Wyndham Bin 888 Cab Merlot (not made by Nigel) as an alternative. Though not as good as Nigel's Show Reserve, it was quite close minus the strong french oak aftertaste. As good California Zinfandel is hard to come by in Malaysia, this Cab Merlot is a good alternative. Hope that you can organize a wine lunch with a good California Zinfandel in the future. Thanx and regards.