Thorn-Clarke Wines

Sandpiper / Terra Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Award
Winner Blue Gold Fuller Bodied Dry Red Wines
Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon (100%) Barossa
Country of Origin
Australia
Alcohol Content
14.5% Alcohol by Volume
Wine Type and Oak Treatment
Still Red with Oak Treatment
Recommended Retail Price
RRP AU $20.00

Very minty/eucalypt nose with cassis aromas. Big bold and plush with plentiful blackcurrant fruit and chewy drying tannins. Finishes a touch hot. The wine’s blackcurrant notes were accentuated by the dish and the meat paired well with the tannins for a more supple mouthfeel.

A briary aroma with flecks of herbs and earth. The palate is jubey and bright with good intensity. The wine went well with the food though I did still notice the tannins on the close.

Oaked berry fruited red wine with fine firm tannins and mouth-watering acidity. Has a warm finish. The tannins in this wine jut out and is unmatched by the beef. The finish becomes very spirity on the finish.

A lovely ripe blackcurrent nose with hints of ripe mint and cinnamon on the palate. Rich balanced tannins with well integrated oak. Great acidity and ripe tannins work in with a lovely black olive flavour on the finish. A great match as the wines berry fruit shines when tasted with this dish.

Full crimson with reds, minty, currant, blackberry an crushed leaf, medium to full bodied, bright fresh and varietal, good soft textural tannins.

Slight stewed black plums coming through the nose, sweet fruit on the palate, with stalky, drying tannins flowing through, the wagyu works well with those forward tannins, softening them.

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.