Libertine – North Melbourne
Date: Tuesday 18th May 2010
Restaurant: Libertine – North Melbourne
Address: 500 Victoria Street, North Melbourne
Phone: 03 9329 5228
Commentary : Sarah Andrew
It was with anticipation that I arrived at this venue to co-host a wine degustation for Amietta Vineyard (based in Moorabool Valley near Geelong). The night had come about through mutual support: Selador Wines is the distributor of Amietta Vineyard; The Wine Society is a retail store selling the range of wines from the vineyard and Libertine has had the Amietta Shiraz listed on their wine list for more than eight months.
The owners Zoe Ladyman and Nick Creswick have established a very successful restaurant based on approachable French cuisine, with ambience and staff to carry the dining experience to another level. This recipe has evolved over the past few years and has become highly successful, with specialised dining experiences offered on a regular basis.
I had the pleasure of liaising with Marija Venables (manager) and André De Laine (Head Chef) over the Amietta Vineyard degustation. We convened post lunch about a month before the dinner and sampled each wine to be showcased at the dinner. Coming from a wine perspective I was in awe at the level of discussion we had about the flavour and texture of ingredients, not to mention where the ingredients came from. By the end of the meeting several ‘taster’ plates had been provided to confirm our decisions and I left the restaurant longing for more food!
Libertine is a wanted restaurant, whereby suppliers turn up on their doorstep with quality produce in limited supply. The focus is on fresh quality produce, the more local the better. So much so that some of the ingredients served for our dinner arrived freshly picked (mushrooms) from Macedon the morning of the dinner!
The function room upstairs was set beautifully for the 28 guests in attendance. Alan and Melissa took care of our every need with precision and ease. Timing was to perfection, and the owner / winemakers for Amietta Vineyard, Janet Cockbill and Nicholas Clark took on the role of host with gusto.
The menu from start to finish ran something like this:
On arrival
2003 Wine Society Late Disgorged Vintage Brut
Courses with matching wne
Hervey Bay scallops ceviche with cucumber & Yarra Valley salmon roe
2008 Amietta Riesling
Confit ocean trout with sauce vierge and almonds
2009 Amietta Chardonnay
Quail with carrot puree and banyuls vinegar jus
2007 Amietta Angels' Share Cabernet Carmenere
Pork belly with beetroot vanilla compote & quince jelly
2007 Amietta Shiraz Lagrein
Daylesford duck with pearl barley, pine mushrooms & forestière sauce
2007 Amietta Shiraz
Baked apple pavé, calvados crème & orange blossom sorbet
2010 Amietta Riesling in Progress
Reading the menu does not give justice to the precise and delightful food and wine pairings we all experienced. Given that it was a school night (Tuesday) and the last guest left just before midnight, I would hazard a safe guess that the night was a huge success.
For those of you who would like to see Libertine at their best, book into one of their events such as Cassoulet night, the long lunch at the end of May, the Roast Game Dinner & Pinot Noir battle or the ever popular Bastille Day. Bookings are essential for these events and are standard a la carte. Bon appétit!