Saturday Night – Mick skewers dinner…

This Saturday was Mick’s turn to cook and he started with an old favourite that we haven’t had in awhile – Spicy Shrimp. The shrimp are marinated in vegetable oil, lemon zest, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice. They are then skewered and grilled on the BBQ. They are served with a mint dipping sauce which is made from fresh mint, lemon juice and vegetable oil.

"Good, but the Mondavi version still rules."

The ideal pairing for this is a Fume Blanc. Usually the Fume Blanc is from Robert Mondavi but tonight Mick broke out a bottle of 2004 “La Petite Etoile Vineyard” Chateau St. John Fume Blanc. The Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc has good acidity but it has been soften by a touch of oak. It is a great pairing with this dish as it contrasts nicely against the spice and helps cool the “burn” at the same time. The Chateau St. John was more oaky and had less acidity and it didn’t work as nicely as the Mondavi version usually does. It was missing the crispness that sets off the Mondavi. It still was an OK pairing but Mr. Mondavi still wears the crown in this pairing.

LCBO Information –

Château St. Jean Fumé Blanc
Vintages 537639
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 20.95
Wine, White Wine,
13.6% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: California, United States
By: Foster's Wine Estates Americas
Release Date: N/A

Note – the one in the Blog is a single vineyard version that Mick picked up in the US and the LCBO doesn’t carry. I’ve tried the one above and the single vineyard and didn’t notice much of a difference.

"Something new."

For the main course Mick did skewers of BBQ Lamb and served it with Tzatziki and a side Greek salad. He served it with a bottle of 2005 Teusner the Riebke Ebenezer Road Shiraz.

LCBO Information –

Teusner the Riebke Ebenezer Road Shiraz 2005

Vintages 48470
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 25.75
Wine, Red Wine,
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: South Australia, Australia
By: Teusner Wines
Release Date: Jan 5, 2008

Description - Kym Teusner is the talented winemaker for Rolf Binder Wines but he also finds time for his own venture which has been receiving rave reviews. This Shiraz is sourced from the famous Ebenezer district of the Barossa Valley.

Tasting Note - The 2005 Shiraz Riebke is a brilliant effort from young, 10-year old vines. It exhibits an opaque ruby/purple color as well as a sweet nose of creme de cassis, melted tar, graphite, and spice. Aged in old American oak for 12 months, it is a pure, nicely textured, full-bodied Shiraz with sweet tannin and enough acidity to provide freshness and uplift. It should drink well for a decade. Score - 91. (Robert Parker Jr., www.erobertparker.com, Oct. 2006)

I’ll be honest with you – I’m not a huge fan of Australia Shiraz, I find the peppery element too much for a lot of dishes and the usually high alcohol burns the back of my throat. I find most times a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot or even a Zinfandel is a better match to food than the Shiraz. I also think that a French Syrah or a California Shiraz/Syrah are much better wines than the Australian versions. I have found a few Australian Shiraz that I’ve enjoyed, with ones done by Yalumba coming quickly to mind.

The pepper element of this one was tame compared to some Australian Shiraz I have had. It was also not killing the back of my throat either which was a plus. I was an OK to Fair match with the Lamb and Salad but I would be curious to see if a Pinot Noir or even a thin, precise Merlot would have gone with the food instead… I suspect they would be a better match.

The upside to the main course was the Lamb itself; Mick did a terrific job grilling it and the lamb had a wonderful flavor to it. The Feta that he’d picked up for the salad was also extremely good.

For dessert Mick picked up a Chocolate Brownie Cheese Cake. I wasn’t brave enough to try the wine with it as I was pretty sure this would be a poor match at best.

Cheers!

Mark