At the end of July, we were invited to an exclusive wine pairing luncheon at Kampachi, The Troika, hosted by Estates & Wines, which is the Moët Hennessy wine division. We were introduced to the prestigious ICON Wines of Estate & Wines and to discuss the unique characteristics of each wine, Master of Wine Annette Scarfe, one of the only four Masters of Wine residing in Asia, was in attendance.
It was indeed a delightful afternoon discovering the grapes varietals, the degree of tannin in flavours and the different tasting notes of every wine vintage, while enjoying beautiful dishes specially curated by Kampachi’s executive chef Koji Tamaru for this event. The wine pairing luncheon featured premium global wine estates like Cloudy Bay, Cape Mentelle, Terrazas de los Andes and Cheval des Andes.
Before the four-course pairing dishes were served, we were greeted with a glass of chilled Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014 as an aperitif with servings of Kanpachi Carpaccio, a cocktail canapé made of amberjack, onion, cucumber, fish roe and crispy garlic, topped with wasabi dressing.
The tasting adventure began with the first main course, featuring Cloudy Bay Te Koko 2012, paired with Marinated Seafood, consisting of prawn, octopus, squid and capsicum in a light miso dressing. The refreshing, rich and fruity notes from the Te Koko wine really intensified the flavours of the seafood and created a creamy-textured finishing.
Next up, the Terrazas Single Vineyard Las Compuertas Malbec 2010 was featured, paired with Wagyu Asparagus, consisting of wagyu rolled beef and asparagus pan-friend in shoyu butter. The remarkable, buttery wagyu was flavourful and complex paired with the succulent red wine. The lingering silky finish in the mouth from the wine went very well with the tender meat.
Our palates were then teased with the Cheval des Andes 2009, paired with Gindara Teriyaki, a grilled cod fish served with teriyaki sauce. This was an extremely savoury dish that’s packed with flavour and for that reason, the powerful and mature red wine elevates its freshness, leaving a delicate long finish.
Finally, the luncheon ended with the Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, which is an intense fruity wine with a touch of firm tannin, offering a long and classically structured finish. This was paired with the Kampachi Special Maki, a seared salmon roll with crabstick, cucumber and avocado topped with grilled eel. The powerful and concentrated flavour of the red wine perfectly balanced out the myriad of food elements going on in the dish.
Despite being produced in various parts of the world, each ICON Wines stand out in terms of flavour and quality. These wines have earned the icon status as they have received acclaim as artisan wines, crafted with exceptional blending, technicality and careful aging.
Visit MHDM.com.my to check out a full list of Moët Hennessy’s offerings.
