Kellermeister are a winery from the Barossa Valley who I have written about before. We love their wines and go to their annual tasting in Melbourne in August each year. This is the first time they have held a dinner and when I found out about it I jumped at the chance to go.
The evening started with a glass of the Boots sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir, a lovely drop of golden bubbles with a hint of citrus. The perfect aperitif.
The 40 or so guests were all seated at one long table in the spectacular gallery. The exhibition on display by Eugenia Raskopoulos, called Vestiges, was colourful and bright and set a happy mood for the diners.
The dinner was divided into four different brackets, showcasing two or three wines per bracket, matched with fantastic food from Cumulus Inc.
The first bracket showcased a couple of the whites from the Kellermeister range. There was the 2011 Reserve Eden Valley Riesling and the 2012 Rambling Ruins Eden Valley Pinot Gris. Served with the wines was a beautiful pressed chicken terrine with a creamy parsley sauce, radish and bitter leaf salad with candied walnuts and pear. The Riesling was crisp and dry with lots of lovely citrus acidity and a touch of honey. This was a beautiful wine to drink on it's own. The Pinot Gris was younger and more fruity with some nice minerality. I found that the Pinot Gris matched better with the chicken terrine as the minerality perfectly complemented the creamy sauce. This was a delightful way to start the meal.
The second bracket showcased two of the Storyboard range of wines. The 2011 Funk Wagon GSM and 2013 Curtain Raiser Tempranillo were matched with prosciutto di Parma and aoili, Wagyu Bresaola, fried shallots and parmesan cream and a green bean salad with sweet mustard dressing. The GSM was full of blackberry and black plum flavours with a beautiful rounded mouthfeel. The Tempranillo was bigger and more complex with plenty of red berry and cherry flavours and fine tannins. Both wines complemented the salty, fatty meats and the creamy garlic aioli served with them.
The next bracket compared the three wines in the Threefold Farm series, named after the winemakers three children. The 2012 Threefold Farm Whiskers Single Vineyard Grenache, 2011 Missy Moo Single Vineyard Mataro and 2012 The Firstborn Single Vineyard Shiraz. These lovely wines were matched with the most fantastic lamb I have ever eaten! A whole slow roasted lamb shoulder, falling apart at the bone with sumac marinated onion and lemon, roast potatoes with confit garlic and wheat and freekah salad with labne and barberries. I forgot to get a photo of the lamb before it was destroyed, so you'll have to trust me when I say it was delicious!
After tasting the GSM in the previous bracket, it was a nice comparison to try the three components as individual wines. The Shiraz was jammy with smooth tannins and lovely ripe fruit flavours. The Grenache more tannic, but still complex and fruity and the Mataro full of black plum and blackberry. All three of the wines complemented the lamb and the acidity in the onions and lemon and the nuttiness and creaminess from the grain and labne salad. A wonderful combination of flavours and textures!
The final course was a chance to let the big boys in the red wine stakes shine. I wasn't sure that cheese was going to be the best choice with these wines, but I was pleasantly surprised. The strong flavour of the sheep and goat's milk cheeses and the sweet, bold quince paste was the perfect way to finish a big meal. The 2012 Black Sash Old Vine Shiraz and 2011 Wild Witch Shiraz were our last two wines. The Black Sash is a big Barossa Shiraz, full of black fruits, grippy tannins and fine oak. The Wild Witch is Kellermeister's flagship wine and it doesn't disappoint. Dark and brooding, it is rich, complex and fruity. Just how a good Barossa Shiraz should be!
Thanks to Kellermeister for a wonderful evening of beautiful food and wine and great company. After the success of their first dinner, I think this will definitely become a regular feature on their events calendar. I am looking forward to catching up with the boys again at The Good Food and Wine Show this weekend and trying some other wines from the Barossa Valley while we are there.
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