Katnook Estate Wine Dinner

This post was supposed to be written earlier but due to a number of factors such as absence of pictures, lack of time and also forgetfulness, I seemed to have delayed it till now. That is why, I have also forgotten the name of the guy above whom was someone from Diageo.

The wine dinner was held at my favourite fine dining chinese restaurant which I have written about it here. It was nice to have good food and good wine again.

The Katnook Wines

Katnook Estate is located in the heart of Coonawarra, Australia's premier red wine district. The name "Katnook" means "Fat Land" in aboriginal language and it refers to the Coonawarra's red and fertile soil. They have a few labels under Katnook Limited Release (Prodigy & Odyssey), Katnook Estate and Katnook Founder's block.

Wine Dinner Table Setting

At a wine dinner, usually there were a couple of glasses on the table for each person depending on the number of the different wines one is going to have. That night, we were going to try 5 wines and thus 5 glasses on the table each with a paper disc with number as a label on the wine glass stand to differentiate the wines. It also ensure that the waitresses whom are pouring the wines would not be confused and poured it into a wrong glass. Professional wine drinkers are a bit sensitive about this issue and you wouldn't want to upset them!

Pre-dinner
Katnook Founder's Block Sauvignon Blanc 2008

This is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes and have a pale straw colour with very light green tinges. The nose is subtle with some hints of lemon flower and gooseberries, thus giving it a zesty palate and a crisp finish.

Mo Mo Duck Roll
The Mo Mo Duck Roll is something I would love for an appetiser. Not only the smoked duck was tasty, it actually went very well with the mango slices, zucchini and wrapped with a thin layer of crepe.

Katnook Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2007
The 2007 vintage will be remembered for the severe spring frosts that devastated vineyards across Coonawarra and reduced crops to less than 25% of usual yields. The nose and palate is very close to the pre dinner wine but this one has got a better lingering finish.

Salt Baked Cod Fish
This fillet of cod fish is slightly salted and baked to perfection. The secret of this good tasting dish lies in the accompanying sauce.

Katnook Estate Chardonnay 2005
This Chardonnay is fermented in French oak barrels and thus the subtle oak aromas. The palate is fruity with subtle honeyed oak which is smooth and light.

Pan Fried Black Pig

This pan fried black pig is served with wasabi and butter shoyu sauce. Another one of Frankie's best dishes. It's a very interesting mix of tastes.

Katnook Founder's block Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

This one has a nose of berries and plum. It's an easy-drinking, full bodied wine with hints of plum and light mint.

Pigeon in Two Style
The pigeon is cooked in two ways. The two wings are roasted to a perfect crisp and the body is stewed.

Katnook Estate Shiraz 2005
This elegant wine has got aromas of raspberries, plum and liquorice. I like the light spiciness with hints of pepper and chocolate which gives it a fine finish.

Wok Charred Rack of Lamb
These two racks of lamb is wok charred and it has the aromas of the wok which is like slightly burned aroma but it's not. The juices is intact and the taste it just divine.

Katnook Estate Carbernet Sauvignon 2004
This is a layered, long and structured wine. It's nose is complex and has subtle hints of oak. On the palate, it is rich, layered with ripe fruits. It has hints of chocolate and also spicy plum fruit with lingering fine tannins.

Then as we thought that we had completed the wine dinner, he pulled out two bottles of wine wrapped with a layer of paper. When the paper was torn, it revealed two of the limited release bottles which is the Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon and the Prodigy Shiraz. These two are the award winning wines from Katnook and their prices is 5 times the Katnook Estate and the Founder's Block collection. So that two bottles were the surprise for the night. Every one squealed with delight!

The dinner was good and so were the wines. You can get them from Asia Euro Wines & Spirits as they are the distributors of Katnook now. This wine dinner costs RM180 per person which I think it's quite a good deal.