St Hallett Wines

Blockhead Barossa Shiraz Grenache 2018

Award
Winner Blue Gold Medium Bodied Dry Red Wines
Grape Varieties
Shiraz (75%) Barossa Valley, SA, Australia
Grenache (20%) Barossa Valley, SA, Australia
Touriga (5%) Barossa Valley, SA, Australia
Country of Origin
Australia
Alcohol Content
13.6% Alcohol by Volume
Wine Type and Oak Treatment
Still Red with Oak Treatment
Recommended Retail Price
RRP AU $26.00
Buy This Wine

“Perfumed bouquet of blackberry pie. Supple plush and round with generous vibrant blackberry fruit and hints of nutmeg leading to a long and persistent finish. The toasty oak in the wine jarred slightly when paired with the duck.”

“Some sulfides at first though these largely blow off with air. Dense, dark, fleshy fruit on the palate. The wine went nicely with the food due to its balance. The sulfides were not at all noticeable when the wine was paired with the food.”

“Toasty cedar oak intertwined with vibrant black fruits. Tannins are chewy and acidity is racy. Long and fragrant on the finish. This wine would benefit with sometime in the bottle, which will reward the drinker with a beautiful bouquet and silky palate in 8-10 years.”

“White pepper nose with hints of chalky earthy notes on the palate. Ripe fruit tannin on the palate with black cherry flavours following through. Integrated oak with hints of pencil shaving to finish. Wine works well with this dish as oak and fruit become more integrated.”

“Medium crimson, plum, dusty, bacon, toast, spice, medium weight, slightly simple.”

“Rich dark black cherry fruit, brooding in the glass, sweet spiced oak, nice medium tannins.”

The Medium Bodied Dry Red Wines were judged with

Duck breast, Parsnip Puree and Radicchio

Presented by chef Marcell Kustos

Ingredients

  • 1 Duck breast/person, sous-vide at 57C
  • 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 bag English breakfast tea
Parsnip puree, serves 4:
  • 500 g parsnip, roasted at 180C for 15 min and cooked in 300 mL soy milk (reserve 200 mL cooking soy milk)
  • 50 g peanut butter
  • Salt
  • ½ tsp garam masala
Radicchio, serves 4:
  • 1 radicchio, quartered, white (bitter) part removed, thinly sliced
  • 300 mL pomegranate juice + sous-vide duck broth, reduced to half
  • Add 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, ½ tsp Xanthan gum and mix with stick mixer
  • Cook radicchio in reduced pomegranate syrup until the radicchio is wilted
Served with chive oil:
  • 1 bunch of chive, thinly cut
  • 50 ml olive oil, warm in microwave 10 s

Method

  1. Score duck breast and render fat in a pan with skin-side down on low fire. Bag up the breast with maple syrup, oyster sauce and tea and sous-vide.
  2. Cut the parsnip into 2-3cm pieces and roast until golden brown. Transfer the parsnips into a pot and cook them soy in soy milk. In a food processor, mix all ingredients for the puree. The result should be creamy, slightly nutty, slightly spicy and slightly salty.
  3. Reduce the pomegranate juice with the cooking juices of the duck. Add xanthan and oyster sauce and blend it smooth (velvety) with a stick mixer. The result should be liquid, but thick enough to cover the back of a spoon. Add sliced radicchio and warm them until cooked/wilted.