Bottoms up with wine from Down Under
Blackbird, Colin Mackay’s chic eatery at Nielson Tower, Makati, was abuzz last Thursday — its rear patio swarming with cocktail-attired foodies, media and businessmen, not to mention Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely, and a different sort of envoy altogether — Penfolds Wine Ambassador Patrick Dowling, who proved he has the best job of us all. The event was a wine-pairing dinner to celebrate Penfolds’ “relaunch” in the Philippines. Why relaunch? Isn’t the 150-year-old winegrower from Down Under already a staple in these parts? Well, with the booming local economy, it’s now time for a Penfolds full-press, according to Dowling and a coordinated segment of Australian trade and industry that also included Australian senior trade commissioner Tony Weymouth, Treasury Wine Estates GM for Southeast Asia Andrew O’Brien, and local importer Premiere Wines & Spirits president JP Santamarina. And with 70 years of bilateral trade between the two countries, this sort of sitdown at the posh Blackbird is just the way to celebrate it.
Mackay’s chef Erwin Go prepared a six-part paleo feast, paired with the same number of Penfolds bottles, and we just couldn’t wait to tuck in. Well-known food blogger and STAR columnist Cheryl Tiu was on hand, infectiously chatting up Treasury Wine Estates’ Yodi Mootoosamy, and the pre-dinner conversation buzz among the business folk naturally settled on election outcomes and the need for continuity.
With 172 years of winemaking history, Penfolds needs little introduction: from early Adelaide vineyards where English Dr. Christopher Penfolds created port wines for home and medicinal purposes, to a vast wine-producing juggernaut that was recently voted Most Admired Wine Brand by Drinks International — a veritable bible of spirits and wine that culls the opinions of distributors, restaurateurs, wine writers, retailers and sommeliers. In addition to its popular mid-range bottles that always raise wine lovers’ eyebrows, Penfolds will also introduce more of its high-end Grange and Bin 707 line, plus a new range named after the company’s visionary, Max Schubert (simply called “Max,” it’s a “drink now” selection of wines that’s en route to Manila as of this writing).
Chef Mackay’s assistant Go prepared a special pairing menu that was heavy on the proteins, which makes sense with Penfolds’ line of bold reds. As Dowling joked, “I don’t think a personal trainer could complain about this menu.” It went something like this:
• Appetizers ahi poke and tempura lobster, Scotch quail eggs, caper and tarragon aioli and coconut chili sambal were served with a bright Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling 2005, what Dowling called a “go-to wine, with beautiful acidity, wonderful fruit characters, a blend of lemon and lime blossom… It’s a gateway wine into the brand.”
• A first course of smoked roast duck breast fought for space with foie gras and roast pear on a leek tart, wonderfully washed down with a Bin 2 Shiraz Mataro 2013, balanced by a shiraz blend for a bold, juicy flavor. Dowling calls it “very affordable, one of the big success stories of Penfolds.”
• For the slow-cooked spiced lamb shoulder (sourced from Australia, naturally), roast pumpkin and Za’atar crisps, we savored the Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2013. “Lamb and cabernet are like best friends at school, always seen together,” says Dowling. “The Bin 407’s beautiful tannin structure, that leafy character and wonderful gaminess of the meat were just beautiful.”
• The third course of Jacks Creek Wagyu beef fillet with sweet onions and roast celeriac was divinely paired with a relatively modest Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz 2012, with its coffee, mocha and chocolate notes from the Barossa Valley. As Dowling joked to lovely hostess Jody Victor, “It’s rich, full and character-full — much like yourself.”
• We wound down with the priciest bottle, a St. Henri Shiraz 2012 paired with a plate of Ashgrove premium vintage cheddar and Tasmanian smoked cheddar. Quick on its heels was a selection of bitter chocolates, salt caramel cookies and orange flower macarons served with a 10-year-old Father Tawny, an old school port (by nature if not by name) that was a bonus hit with guests. This was our chance to wander around, glass in hand, to soak up the gregarious talk floating above Blackbird. And above that happy babble, a quartet continued playing classics and pop hits, and even the theme from Game of Thrones interwoven during our six courses. Indeed, let the games begin anew for Penfolds.
