Astrolabe Wine Dinner
21st May 2011
5 Course Menu RM 318++ per person
David Coleman of Rubicon Reserve Wines was in town a couple of weeks ago and he was introducing Astrolabe Wines to Kuala Lumpur. Id worked with David once before, and it was a fascinating learning experience. Mastering the art of sabering a champagne bottle whist being educated on the subtleties of pairing New Zealand Wines with local cuisine. I walked away that day a little tipsy as I got on the plane back to KL from Singapore, and a little more enlightened on the complex flavours of white wines.
Astrolabe Wines hail from the land even down-nee-er than the land down under. New Zealand. Jason Yank (General Manager, Astrolabe) enraptured us with both his knowledge of Astrolabe wines, as well as tales of how the wine came to be. Simon Waghorn, owner of the winery, apparently chose the name because the vineyards of Astrolabe are located the Marlborough coast. The name Astrolabe comes from both a navigation device, as well as the ship that discovered the region.
They chose Senses at Hilton KL as the venue to host the debut of Astrolabe wines to the KL dining scene. Who better than award winning Chef Michael Elfwing aka Lil Chef, to prepare the feast that would accompany award winning wines? A perfect match.
The company was sterling that evening, and I was so pleased Fatboybakes, A Whiff of Lemongrass, Masak-masak and Splashie Boy were there to keep me company.
Canap
New Zealand Pacific Oyster with passion fruit dressing
Szigeti Gru! ner Velt liner
The sparkling wine was not one of Astrolabes own, as they dont make them. Rubicon chose to tickle our tastebuds with an Austrian bubbly that hit all the right spots. Acidic, bubbly, tart. Perfect complement to the citrusy dressing that smothered the plump, juicy oyster. Lovely aftertastes of the sea lingered on my tongue, but not for long as I sipped the last of my Szigeti and we were ushered into the main dining room.
Terroir
Escargot, smoked duck, clay baked potato
Astrolabe Pinot Gris 2009
The Pinot Gris I found to be a little musky, yet citrusy It reminded me of the woods, in spring, when plants are busy growing and you stick your nose around to smell flowers and leaves, and start sneezing s a result. In a good way, of course! I thought it went beautifully with the earthy ingredients it was paired with.
In terms of food, how much more down-to-earth can you get than snails, smoke and clay?
Sauvignon v/s Seafood
Gurnard with sea garnish
Astrolabe Voyage Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Snow crab
Astrolabe Awatere Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Little neck clams, garlic & parsley
Astrolabe Kekerengue Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Three outstanding wines lined up in unison with three outstanding dishes. All served up respectively, in a row.
It was difficult to choose my favourite wine, but I finally decided on the Kekerengue Coast Savignon Blanc. It just had a bit more character than the other two, and a bit more spice to every sip. I found it something a little unusual, and very pleasant to drink with all the seafood we had in front of us.
Gurnard is quite an ugly fish to look at raw, but when cooked it tastes so good the meat quite compact and slightly salty, beautiful with smoth parsley butter and fresh mussel. The crab was meaty and flaky, with a pleasant sweetness to the flesh. The clams, steamed and served in a transparent plastic wrap, were deliciously savoury, swimming in a garlicky broth.
NZ King Salmon
Horopito & Sarawak Pepper spiced NZ king salmon quenelle with sorrel beurre blanc
Astrolabe Chardonnay 2007
The salmon was exquisite! The sauce light and creamy yet rich in flavor infused from the roe. The crisp skin provided lovely bite to the smoothness of the pink flesh, while the velvety butter sauce just slid happily down my throat.
Im not a fan of Chardonnay, because it tends to be very oaky, but this one tasted more fruity, with a long, dry finish, and was well matched with the dish.
Quail & Veal
Boneless quail, veal & summer truffles
Astrolabe Voyage Pinot Noir 2008
I love quail. I love veal. I love truffles. And I especially love Pinot Noir!
Theres something very sultry about this particular type of wine, and Astrolabes Voyage Pinot Noir was every bit as seductive in taste as it smelt. Hints of smokiness and cherrys wafted out from the glass as I swirled it, and wait what was that I tasted? Orange peel? Im not sure, but this deep red wine was complex in so many flavours, yet easy on the palate. And, it enhanced the juicy, tender meats as well as brought out the woody, earthy tones of the summer truffles.
Love d it.
Pear & Cheese
Poached organic Beurre Bosc pears, brie ice cream & blue cheese puff pastry
Astrolabe Gewurztraminer 2009
Last, but not least, dessert. I usually skip dessert, dont like sweet stuff and normally go for cheese. This one though, I felt as if Lil Chef had made it just for me! The delicate balance of fruity sweetness from the fragile pears that were perfectly poached in two styles, coupled with the creamy, rich flavor of ripe cheese and the light, flaky, slightly salty and heady blue cheese pastry ahh.
A perfect savoury dessert washed down with the sweet, fruity wine.
A perfect end, to a perfect wine dinner.
Thank you so much David, and Jason, for the kind invitation!
All wines are available exclusively to Kuala Lumpur Hilton and American Express Platinum cardholders. For more information or to order, check out www.rubichonreservewines.com
For latest promotions at KL Hilton check out www.life.hiltonkl.com
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