Cloudy Bay Soiree At Southern Rock

Of late, I have been using the hashtag that more or less says "don't jealous me", (Malaysian English for "Don't be jealous of me"), and truly, Cloudy Bay events are really always events that really deserve that hashtag.

When I heard the pairing was to be at Southern Rock, one of the latest places in Bangsar (actually the old section of Bangsar to be precise), renowned for its fresh seafood where fish were still swimming in the cold oceans the day before, and oysters clinging onto barnacles for dear life before boarding a flight to our tropical shores... I looked forward to this event with eager anticipation.

We were honored to be graced by the presence of Estate Director of Cloudy Bay Estates, Ian Morden, who was a commercial lawyer turned wino...

....Josh Green, owner of Southern Rock, and Ian Morden,  Josh explained how seamlessly seafood pairs with Cloudy Bay, especially the range of seafood found at the establishment.

And wow, there were oysters from CLOUDY BAY as well....what better wine to pair with these little bivalve molluscs, with a wine from their own hometown.  It's like pairing a Chateneuf Du Pape with foie gras from geese that live there...

For the uninformed, that's where Cloudy Bay is, in the North Island of New Zealand, in the Malborough region.  I remember back in circa 1996 or so, when I was first introduced to Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, and it was like the WOW, the White Wine of All White Wines ... and anyone who could afford to drink it was like wow,....also, it was a lot rarer those days.

To pair with the Sauv Blanc 2015, two varieties of oysters, the Cloudy Bay oysters and Irish Gallagher bringing out the acidity and fruitiness of the sauvignon blanc and intensifying the flavors of the oysters.

We were also given a taste of the Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2013. Ian Morden pointed out that the pairing helped "accent the mineral qualities of the oysters, making the entire combination taste fresh and reminiscent of the bay where it originated from".  I still preferred the Sauv Blanc over the Chardonnay.

Diamond shell clams were next on the menu, succulent sweet clams, which were almost still swimming in the brine from whence they came, again, in my opinion, paired beautifully with the Sauvignon Blanc, although the 2015 IS a bit young, and the Chardonnay, being older, has slightly more depth of character, but as I am not a chardonnayist, I am partial to SBs unless the distinction is so great.

Backtracking a bit, which oyster did I prefer?  I actually preferred the Irish Gallagher ones, which seemed to be more interesting in flavour.  The Cloudy Bay oysters were great, but the Gallaghers, WOW.....

It was then time for the Pinot Noir 2013, paired with the "Wagyu of the Sea", the Petuna Trout.  The colour of the trout was amazing, so gorgeously pink and vermilion all at once.  I love the Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir.  The subtle tannin, and medium bodied-ness makes it exceedingly drinkable.  I reckon it should be served somewhat chilled, in our climate.

However, to be honest, and I told the owner, the tuna seemed a bit overcooked, which was a pity, cos really, Wagyu of the sea like wagyu of the land, should be minimally cooked surely, to let us appreciate the fullness of the fatty flavours, melting in the mouth.  I def want another slab of this when it's less cooked.  Seems like a good reason as any to head back to Southern Rock.

The inimitable Cherry Koh of Moet Hennessy Diageo...

What can I say, but thanks, for a lovely afternoon....#dunjealousme...