Howard Park x Roost x Sunrise Wines & Spirits Wine Dinner

[Dining]

Ruby and I recently attended the Howard Park Wine Dinner at Roost in Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur which was organised by Sunrise Wines & Spirits – the official importer and distributor of the wines in Malaysia.

The Howard Park story was borne out of the ambition to craft wine with generational cellaring potential. The first two wines were produced by its founder, John Wade, who left his prestigious posting in the Coonawarra after seeing enormous potential in the budding Great Southern wine region. He crafted a riesling and cabernet sauvignon to stand the test of time. His friend and fellow wine lover Jeff Burch joined in partnership seven years later, purchasing cornerstone land parcels, constructing a winery and cellar door and entwining his family with Howard Park’s future.

Howard Park had humble beginnings, with a visionary winemaker, a shed and two powerful, elegant wines that still form the backbone of the range today. However, like many burgeoning ventures, the fruit was sourced from those who owned the vineyards.

The next 30 years were spent discovering quality fruit producers from both Margaret River and the Great Southern. This allowed the Burch family and their winemaking and viticultural teams to build an intellectual database of regions, vineyards, blocks and clones in the hunt for optimal fruit quality.

After these years of experience, Howard Park is the proud owner of 4 distinct vineyards, each identified for allowing their specific fruit varieties to flourish to their full potential.

Margaret River and the Great Southern are West Australia’s premier grape-growing regions. Howard Park’s winemakers create true wine expressions by using only the best parcels of fruit. No other winery has committed the last 30 years to developing their vital fruit source in the same way.

Almond Panna Cotta

with Raw Hokkaido Scallop and Caviar

Paired with Madfish Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2017

Tasting Notes: The palate is generous and bright with citrus zest, lychee, pineapple and passionfruit flavours. A fine texture and juicy acidity combine with the fresh, powerful fruit flavours to produce a fun, vibrant wine with great persistence of flavour.

I almost expected this to be like a dessert but it turned out to be quite a clever little appetiser with a really luxurious touch with the inclusion of the scallops and caviar atop the panna cotta! The wine paired well with this dish, providing a very fresh, fruity and dry notes to contrast against flavours of the dish, cutting through the richness. A bright start to the dinner with this fun play on a dessert!

Atlantic Skrei Cod

with Mussel Butter Sauce and Broccolini

Paired with Marchand & Burch Chardonnay 2014

Tasting Notes: Apple, pear, peach, apricot, lemon, lime, orange, pineapple, kiwi, butter, cream and vanilla.

A beautifully cooked cod with a delightful mussel butter sauce which paired wonderfully with the wine’s fruity and creamy notes which complemented the cod and adding another dimension to this simple yet elegant dish! A very easy to drink and refreshing Chardonnay that pairs easily with food, or can be enjoyed by itself on a hot day.

Togitxu Beef Skirt

with Hollandaise, Tarragon, Onions and a Demi Glaze

Paired with Madfish Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2014

Tasting Notes: On the nose you’ll get aromas of black and blue berry fruits and freshly rubbed dry herbs. On the palate, you’ll get juicy blackberry, fresh mushrooms and floral notes, with ripe open-knit fruit tannins from the fine grain French oak.

Steak and a decent red wine is one of my all time favourite pairings! Granted that a skirt steak is not the most tender cut of beef, however, it is a very flavourful cut. The well-balanced blend of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot complemented the flavours of the steak and jus admirably.

Lamb Shank & Bone Marrow Ravioli

with Spiced Tomato, Sarawak Black Pepper Cheese

Paired with Howard Park Leston Shiraz 2015

Tasting Notes: Opulence and ripeness of fruit with a fine and supple tannin balance. Hints of ginger, anise and pepper add elegance and spice. It is round and opulent on the palate with soft red berry fruits, refreshed by chewy, vibrant tannins. The expression of Shiraz from the temperate Margaret River region combines the ripeness and opulence of warmer climates with the spice and elegance typical of cooler ones.

The robust flavours of the ravioli needed a full-bodied wine to match it and the Howard Park Leston Shiraz 2015 did just that – imparting lively notes of red berry fruits and spice to match the dish. I’m not a big fan of Shiraz but I must say that I was pretty impressed with this wine which was refined and balanced, and thus wasn’t overpowering on the palate at all.

Bleu De Bresse

with Figs and Honey

Paired with Warre’s Port Optima 10 years

A creamy soft blue cheese from France that was not too overpowering yet had strong enough flavours to go with the sweet figs and honey! The port added more sweetness combined with some spicy notes to complement this cheese course!

Pistachio Ice Cream in Cone

House made pistachio ice cream served in a mini cone! A really lovely little but flavourful dessert to end the meal.

Howard Park wines are imported and distributed by Sunrise Wines & Spirits. For more info, head over to http://sunrisewines.com.my/ or call +603 6276 3993

For more info on Howard Park wines, head over to https://www.howardparkwines.com.au/

Roost is located at:

69-1 Jalan Telawi Tiga,

Bangsar Baru,

59100 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

Telephone: +603-22011710

Website: https://www.roostkl.com/