We are actually within the Margaret River space, within the south-west of Australia, south of Perth. This space is thought for having a Mediterranean local weather and its wines. Many wineries have an excellent restaurant that gives a tasting menu for lunch with a wine pairing of wines from the property. The primary one we’re visiting is Wills Area. The restaurant presents nice views of the vineyards, in addition to a signature menu (6 programs for AU$ 189, wine pairing $75), a tasting menu (4 programs for $119, wine $55), in addition to à la carte. We opted for the tasting menu.
The primary wine was a Blanc de Blanc (sic), 100% Chardonnay and solely 3 months of growing older of the lees. Subsequently a easy glowing wine, virtually like a prosecco however much less fruity.
It was accompanied by the chef’s each day snack, melon filled with goat cheese.
There was additionally some good seed bread with butter served within the form of a honeycomb, with some precise honey inside, in addition to some seeds (appeared like caraway seed to me).
The second wine was the 2024 Eightfold Sauvignon Blanc, balanced and really grassy.
This was a wonderful pairing for an excellent dish: Shark Bay scallops, cured and calmly steamed, with avocado cream, thinly shaved daikon, a little bit of wasabi, and a rice tosazu sauce. This dish was wonderful, worthy of a number of Michelin stars. Nice class, steadiness, and complexity. The scallops had nice texture, virtually uncooked however barely extra agency however very tender and juicy on the identical time. There was a smoky factor as properly. The daikon offered some very mild crunch. There was only a trace of wasabi. And the wine, which was good by itself, turned significantly better with the dish. Wow.
The subsequent wine was a 2016 single winery Semillon. Australian Semillon is thought for its growing older potential. This wine was great, with a pleasant creamy texture however nonetheless fairly recent.
It was an excellent pairing for the Margaret River heirloom tomatoes with stracciatella cheese, yellow chili, and frozen inexperienced tomato nectar. Due to the frozen nectar the tomatoes had been served fairly chilly, so that they weren’t as flavorful. The chilli introduced some good spiciness that was enhanced a bit by the acidity of the wine. Altogether a really good dish and pairing.
The ultimate wine of the pairing was the flagship wine of the vineyard, the Paladin Hill Matrix, 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Petit Verdot on this classic. The mix modifications yearly. The wine was properly balanced and recent, with easy however current tannins, and a few good spiciness.
The wine was good by itself, however even higher with the farm home Arkaday lamb fillet (cooked sous vide at 55C/131F) with eggplant mousse, uncooked zucchini, and sheep yogurt. The lamb was topped with backyard herbs (together with oregano), which offered a pleasant distinction in taste.
The property doesn’t produce dessert wine and we skipped the elective Espresso Martini. The dessert was a chocolate parfait with chocolate from the native chocolate store Bahen & Co, with backyard mint mousse, and wattle seed.
Our first tremendous eating expertise at a Margaret River vineyard units a excessive normal for the opposite lunches to observe! Meals and wine pairings had been wonderful, the service very pleasant. As now we have observed earlier than, numerous the serving workers in Australia is ‘imported’ from Italy or France, and this was no exception. The one criticism I might present is that the irregular tempo of the menu; the scallops and Sauvignon arrived too shortly after the glowing, whereas afterward it slowed down an excessive amount of, and the espresso arrived properly earlier than the dessert.
