Paracombe Premium Wines

Paracombe Cellar Reserve 2013

Award
Winner Blue Gold Fuller Bodied Dry Red Wines
Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon (76%) Adelaide Hills, SA, Australia
Shiraz (10%) Adelaide Hills, SA, Australia
Petit Verdot 8%, Merlot 6% (14%) Adelaide Hills, SA, Australia
Country of Origin
Australia
Alcohol Content
14.2% Alcohol by Volume
Wine Type and Oak Treatment
Still Red with Oak Treatment
Recommended Retail Price
RRP AU $35.00

Very overt cedary toasty oak aromas. Big, bold and chewy with a brooding core of blackcurrant fruit supported by plentiful cedary tannins. The dish brought out the overt cedary notes in the wine making it appear dry and astringent.

Intense fruit with strong Ribena characters. The palate is bright and fruity, medium-to-full in body with fruit brightness, softness and freshness. I do enjoy the energy in this wine. The wine matches the food beautifully due to its moderate intensity of flavour, fruit brightness and freshness.

Animal funky notes on the nose. Generally a black fruited wine with bracing acidity and grippy tannins. For the adventurous. Hopefully fairly priced. Has good intensity and concentration so will age. Brought out the funky cheesy flavours in the wagyu fat. A good thing if you like that.

A strong black current and slightly herbal nose. Hints of red current and savoury notes come through on the palate with lovely ripe rounded tannins with great balance. Well matched as the wine becomes more in balance with the fruit and tannins.

Medium full red, hint of brick, earthy currant, hint of farmyard, mature, prune, full bodied quite savoury and drying tannins, the wagu softens the tannins.

Spiced oak, fruit forward style, dark choc mint slice, medium firm tannins, stand up well, food really brings forward the integration of fruit and oak.

The Fuller Bodied Dry Red Wines were judged with

Wagyu, Potato Gratin and Fennel Salad

Presented by chef Marcell Kustos

Ingredients

  • ~100 g Wagyu sirloin/person, sous-vide at 55C, pan fried
Potato gratin: 30 min at 180 C
  • 1 kg potato, 3mm mandolin
  • 1 can of coconut cream (whole)
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 2 shallots, sliced not minced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, sliced not minced
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 20 g salt
  • Pepper to taste
Fennel salad:
  • ½ fennel, thinly sliced, mandolin (preferably very thin with Japanese mandolin)
  • Pickle fennel for 10 min in 100ml water, 100 ml apple cider vinegar, 30 g maple syrup, 10 g salt
  • In a bowl, mix fennel with 1 Tbsp pickling liquid and 1 Tbsp seeded mustard

Method

  1. In a frying pan, add 2 Tbsp oil and fry the garlic and shallots on low heat until golden brown. Add coconut cream, stock and salt.
  2. In a baking dish, layer the thinly sliced potatoes and pour the coconut stock onto them. Bake at 180C for 25-30 min, until cooked, golden brown and creamy. Set aside and let it rest for 20-30 min before serving. In that time, the potatoes will absorb the remaining broth and the gratin becomes even more creamy and easier to slice.
  3. In a bowl, mix fennel with 1 Tbsp pickling liquid and 1 Tbsp seeded mustard.
  4. Pan-fry the Wagyu just until nicely seared and the fat melted. DO NOT overcook as well done steak will not match the wine as well as medium.