Taking our seats in the
elegant dining room and getting to know each other
The line up of La Vierge
wines which we were served with dinner
The first course: Crayfish
salad with semi-dried tomatoes, cucumber, prawn, caviar, orange and mustard
dressing. Served with La Vierge 2011
Original Sin Sauvignon Blanc
The Christmas dinner menu
in full
Lots of cutlery for all
the dishes to come, a teeny bit daunting.
The second time we have
been served rabbit this month, after eating none for years. Second course was
Confit rabbit ballantine, with pistachios, chorizo, smoked rabbit loin wrapped
in black forest ham and a plum puree. This came with the 2011 Jezebelle
Chardonnay
Third course and yes, the
first of three main courses. Very succulent turkey breast stuffed with Italian
sausage and cranberries and walnuts, with a cranberry jus and creamy mashed
potatoes. They poured the 2010 Satyricon, a spicy Italian blend of Sangiovese,
Nebbiolo and Barbera, probably the best wine of the evening for us.
The fourth course was the
most tender duck we have both ever had. The breasts were pan fried, served on a
thin potato galette with a sour cherry sauce, stunning. It just needed something green and refreshing
on the plate like spinach or broccoli. They matched this with La Vierge’s
Anthelia 2009, a blend of Shiraz and Mourvedre.
The fifth course was
almost a bridge too far for many of us. They served deliciously tender, rolled and braised shoulder of lamb,
crisp ratatouille vegetables, Pommes Anna and a smoked tomato puree. La Vierge
Nymphomane Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec matched the
richness of the dish.
We thought we would not be
able to manage one bit of the dessert but, somehow, it all disappeared. Pecan Nut Pie with Vanilla pod ice cream.
This was served with the very young and smoky Seduction 2012 Pinot Noir, not a marriage in heaven,
but interesting to taste another Pinot Noir from Hemel en Aarde.
The very modest chef, Albert Venter, with his sous chef
©John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2012
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