Earlier this week, we were invited to an exclusive wine pairing dinner at Hakka Republic featuring Le Macchiole wines. Le Macchiole's estate lies is in Bolgheri, Tuscany, an area known as Italy's Bordeaux and is home to Supertuscan wines. They started in 1983 and are now hailed as one of the world's most prominent Merlots as well as establishing a niche in the single-varietal genre.
Gianluca Putzolu of Le Macchiole was present at the dinner to introduce three different Le Macchiole wines to us.He explains that Le Macchiole wines are elegant and should pair easily with food.
Chocolate fondant
Hakka Republic, located in Menara Hap Seng serves Western food, and boasts an excellent wine and whisky collection. Hakka Republic was the first restaurant in KL to have an Enomatic machine, a wine dispenser that will preserve wine for more than 3 weeks after opening and allow serving by the glass. From the bar area, you can view the KL Towers.
For this wine pairing dinner, Executive Chef Adi Radzi has put together a 4-course dinner to best pair with the wines.
Art
Wine pairing menu
Le Macchiole wine
We got off to a great start with a simple but effective amuse bouche - slow cooked egg with truffle oil and caviar.
Next up is the barramundi with a spicy crust, served with the Le Macchiole Paleo Bianco 2008. This is an unexpected white from an area that produces mainly red wines. This white wine is made from 70% Sauvignon and 30% Chardonnay. It is a fresh and elegant wine, with nice fruity aromas. I enjoyed this wine on its own. The fish was nicely cooked but the spiciness is slightly overpowering for the wine.
The smoked duck was my favorite dish of the evening, served with some caramelised onions and figs. Coincidentally, the Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso 2007 paired with the duck also happens to be my favorite wine of the evening - smooth, easy to drink with a great mouthfeel. Both the 2007 and 2006 Le Macchiole Paleo is made from 100% Cabernet Franc (grown in the Macchiole vineyard in Bolgheri), a black-skinned French grape variety which can be found in many of the world's top Bordeaux wine. The 2006 is more full-bodied than the 2007, which Hubby prefers. The 2006 Paleo Rosso is served with the Australian Angus rib eye.
Duck with Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso 2007
Beef with Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso 2006
Dessert - chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream
The enomatic machine in Hakka Republic
KL Tower
Le Macchiole wines are available at Hakka Republic. Definitely a wine worth enjoying with your meal.
Location: Hakka Republic, Level 2, Menara Hap Seng, 1-3 Jalan P. Ramlee, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel +603 2078 8908
GPS Coordinates: 3.152664, 101.707467
Am glad tat Hakka Republic is still going strong...I love their food =)
ReplyDeleteFirst time eating here, but we enjoyed the food.
DeleteHakka name, not serving Hakka cuisine? Or maybe it's a synonym - same word, different language, different meaning?
ReplyDeleteActually I'm not sure what the name means, forgot to ask. :P
DeleteI'm not great at wine tasting but wine matching is another matter. I love it when you get a great wine matched to your food and it doesn't taste jarring! :)
ReplyDeleteI dont really know much about wine either, but I like it when they taste good with the food. :P
DeleteExcellent range of dishes you chose there.
ReplyDeleteHmm the duck and the beef looks very similar. I think the barramundi with a spicy crust might be a little redundant. Too much going on, maybe. Have yet to return to Hakka Republic.. it's been ages. thanks for jogging the memory:)
ReplyDeletePresentation is similar I guess but tasted different. I love the duck and the wine that is served with it.
DeleteLove the food here! The barramundi & smoked duck look really good! Eh, I don't know much about wine, hehe!
ReplyDeleteHaha same same, but good to go to these wine pairing and learn some new things about wine and get to drink it at the same time:)
DeleteChocolate fondant should always oooze like that...a sweet end to a great meal by the looks of it!
ReplyDeleteOverall the food was good and the company was great as well!
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