My Wine & Only: Rock Restaurant@Hunter Valley, NSW on 12/09/09

I went up to the Hunter Valley on a Saturday to visit First Creek Winery. If you are going to the Hunter, you definitely have to go to the best restaurant that the Hunter can offer, which is the Rock. On Saturdays, it serves an eight course degustation menu for $220 and every cent spent was worth it although I feel that you could get a better experience at Tetsuya's if you could fork out another $150 to 200 bucks. Nonetheless, I had a really great time at this restaurant and it will go down my memory for a long time. Indeed, it is worthy of the SMH Two Hats.

An empty table waiting to be filled

Rock Restaurant

Two things that were striking to me were firstly, the service and secondly, the pairings of the wines with the food was perfect. Service was not only smooth, but the staff was able to make the customers feel at ease.

I was seated at 6.30 pm. The first dish came about 10 minutes later. All the wines were presented before being poured.

Steamed spanner crab with truffle, crisp deep sea bug, and shellfish bisque paired w/

2007 Bernard Defaix Petit Chablis

Shellfish bisque with truffles and spanner crab is a simple yet elegant combination. Roe eggs were added to give the dish a slight complexity to the flavours. Chablis with crab is a classic pairing. I am pleased that the Chablis was served at the correct temperature, not too warm or chilled. The subsequent wines were also served at the right temperature. Having an unoaked Chardonnay was a good choice as oak has a tendency to clash with delicate food. Minerals that usually shows up in Chablis was a perfect choice with a seafood dish. Bernard Defaix produces a Chablis that has flavours of seashells and chalk sustained by a firm line of acidity that finishes its race all to way to the end, signing off with a lime sherbet finish.

Scallop tortellini with swiss brown mushroom, crisp pancetta and Riesling cream paired w/ 2006 Louis Sipp Riesling

The first dish was promptly cleared and the second glass of wine came before the second dish. An Alsace Riesling was served. On the nose, it gave a sweet and floral aroma with a touch of pungency. It was like a German Riesling but lacking the same pungent dimension. The character of Alsace shines through this wine with a fine acid structure. Slatey and clayish characters were apparent, and it tasted off-dry. The fruit came creeping in and then it finished with tastes like wet clay and plaster.

The scallop tortellini dish was quite textured with more of the flavours coming from the cream. Although the Riesling didn't quite cleanse the palate like the Chablis, it added a different flavor dimension to the dish. Overall, it was a well balanced wine that supported the structure of the dish.

By now, it is 7.07 pm. Service has been on par so far. It is good to see that the chef takes the time to talks to customers. The Sommelier carries himself with confidence. The experience is culminating into the night. In the kitchen, I could see a total of four chefs. There were four on the wait staff team plus the Sommelier and a lady captain.

Utensils for the third dish were laid out before the dish was served.

Smoked Petuna ocean trout with confit globe artichokes, fennel bavarois and mushroom broth paired w/ 2007 Pooles Rock Semillon

In this dish, the skin of salmon is being removed, salted and made into a crisp before being combined back to the dish, giving the dish a crunchiness. The broth is light and its flavours contrast with the ocean trout. A simple dish but yet perfectly executed. The Semillon cuts through the fatness of the trout and wipes out the saltiness replacing it with a more fruity taste. The trout is not overly cooked but soft to chew. Surprisingly, the Semillon is toasty being that it is only a 2007. I suppose the wine was chosen not only for its acid but to have the toastiness complement the smokiness of the trout. It was a refreshing wine that is pleasant to drink.

Venison with Jerusalem artichoke, broad beans, golden beetroot and horseradish cream, Madeira jus paired w/ 2007 Farr Rising Pinot

It is already 7.22 pm. Farr Rising is a winery that is located in the Mornington Peninsular. It makes some of the most delicious Pinot Noirs in the state of Victoria. The wine is served in a balloon shaped glass which is appropriate if you want to get aromas of the Pinot to be released. An intense ripe nose of strawberry, cherries and raspberries along with spices can be detected. So far all the wines served generated enough acid on the tongue to whet appetite. This wine finishes well with enough subtle oak to give a lasting aftertaste.

The wine is a perfect match with the venison. The Slight sweetness of the venison and horseradish matches the fruitiness of the Pinot. This is a juicy dish which is mouth filling. The beetroot matches perfectly with the fat of the venison.

I have been impressed by the attentiveness of the staff so far. Each time my glass of water is empty, it is being topped up.

I got a little mischievous by placing my fresh, empty wine glass in between my Pinot and my water glass to see if they would be able to pour my next wine without any spills. The lady pouring my wine wasn't quite able to pull it off and got some drips on the table. However, she was quick to apologise and divert my attention to the wine. It was good damage control.

Wagyu hanger steak with kidney pie, wilted spinach and bordelaise sauce paired w/ 2006 Tinklers Reserve 'U & I' Shiraz

The Shiraz was earthy and full of mud, spice, chocolate; typical of a Hunter Shiraz. It was Intense, full of fruit and black pepper, the power of liqourice and cloves is overwhelming. The tannins are fine and
dusty and the wine finishes warm.

This dish is kind of small. It's flavours are very true to kidney pie without the soupy texture in
the meat. The beef is cooked medium rare. It was delicious with Shiraz.

It's 7.59 pm. The table has been set up for desert.

Fleur du Maquis with rosemary mousse, cranberry paste and sourdough paired w/ 2007 Chateau de Sancerre

Unlike New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which is full of capsicum and bell peppers, this sancerre had it's usual characteristics of minerals. Chateau Sancerre is not the best producer from this region but it is satisfying with the food. This wine is a classic match with this uncomplicated cheese dish.

As I looked around me, I counted approximated thirty-three guest tonight. The place is fully booked out.

Crystalised ginger and mascarpone stuffed Paradise pear with clafoutis, gingerbread and sabayon paired w/ NV Firestick Liqueur Shiraz

This was served in a port glass. Though a fortified wine, the alcohol is quite balanced with the
flavours of dried fruit toffee, chocolate and prunes. Not hot on the palate. It reminded me of cherry liqueur with liqourice and dark herbs. It went amicably with gingerbread as the flavours complemented the dish. I loved how the colour of the wine matched the colour of this dish.

By this time, I could hear and see fireworks through the glass window in front of me. It was certainly timely. Nobody knew what the event was but I suspected it had something to do with the Blues music festival that was going on somewhere in the Hunter. This seemed like a pleasant way to end the whole experience.

Truffle crème brulee paired w/Grant Burge Liqueur Muscat 'Age Unknown'

Finally, we come to the eighth dish. The Grant Burge was pretty big on the nose with the alcohol. Aromas of tree bark and cold tea were present.

A creme brulee that has been perfected. It was creamy with caramilised sugar on the top that give rise to toffee aromas. Great texture and intense flavours that melded with the wine. The alcohol warmness of the GB was eliminated by the sweetness of the creme brulee

It's already 8.54 pm. I came back to the Tinklers' Shiraz that was still on my table but it didn't evolve as nicely as I liked it to be. The fruit became dead.

The staff quickly took away the glass of empty sparkling water and replaced it with tap water.