If music be the food of love... Kingsley's Homage to Hermitage

If music be the food of love, then wine represents the lyrics to which the symphony of gourmet delights dances to.  Kingsley's at Woolloomooloo's beautiful wharf is the perfect venue for a tribute to the bloke-dominated Beefsteak Clubs of the 18th and 19th Centuries with its inspired Homage to Hermitage in partnership with one of my favourite Australian wine companies, Taltarni.

While i knew i was certainly in for a treat with the Delmonico Dry Aged Strip on the Bone being served up for main partnered by a 1993 Taltarni Shiraz and a 2003 Guigal Cote-Rotie, it was the accompanying courses that caught my eye.  The attention to detail in the hand-crafted menu was a nice touch and an indication of the care that had been invested in our evening under the experienced eye of Exec Chef Lars Svensson.

 

First up, a succulent, confident porter glazed sweetbread served on a smokey jerusalem artichoke.   rich, but not heavy, finishing with the palate pleasing depth of the puree.  I'd decided to limit my white given the impressive list of very special reds ahead but i do always enjoy just the one glass of Clover Hill Sparkling....

 

The bridging wine picks up on the smokiness of the amuse - a 2010 Taltarni Three Monks Fume Blanc.  I love it with the creaminess of the "scampi fritter" - which to my delight wasn't a fritter at all, but a juicy morsel of succulent seafood.  To my palate, it was a little strong for the delicate scallop ceviche accented with line, chilli and coriander.  I would travel over hill and dale, and climb Mt Everest and Kilimanjaro for this ceviche. It is seafood perfection,

The spoiling continues with the main - most definitely an homage to the Beefsteak Clubs of old.  It's big, juicy, flavorsome meat, accentuated by the earthy tones of the glorious 1993 Taltarni Shiraz and the quieter 03 Guigal.  Sides of kipfler, asparagus, and heirloom tomato also work their magic.  And yes, those onion rings are panko-ed.  DEVINE

Now, i'm not normally a dessert girl but the simple elegance of the rosemary pannacotta with a balsamic jelly spikes my curiosity and i may just have to name this as the stand out dish of the evening, particularly paired with a 77 and an 83 Taltarni Shiraz. The combination is surprizing, magical, and renders us speechless.  the pairing with the shiraz is perfection.

Kingsleys Woolloomooloo (http://www.kingsleys.com.au/sydney.html) is the perfect venue to enjoy the beauty of Sydney's harbour, with food and wine to match.  The combination of venue, elegant dining, and wines to spoil as well as some fantastic conversation (and a special thank you to Rob and Bruce for making sure i felt included), plus the informative guidance of our host made this an evening to remember.  May the lyrics and the symphony of Kingsleys continue to play on with success.