I’m currently planning a relocation overseas, and certain laws prevent me from taking my beloveds from the cellar along with me for the journey, which meant all my wonderful bottles of wine and champagne travelled en route to a suitable, secret storage location for the next few years.

There were two bottles that sparked my curiosity, mainly because it would be too risky to store them for another prolonged period of time, and that I couldn’t bare the thought of losing them either! So the date was set, my 1982 Dom Pérignon and my 1988 Château Mouton Rothschild were to be enjoyed prior to me leaving the beautiful city of Sydney.

We brought them along to Lotusbar for pre-drinks, followed by a wonderful degustation dinner.

The 1982 Dom Pérignon still had a lovely array of bubbles gently sparkling through the crystal flute. A beautiful golden color dressed with nice honey scents on the nose. The flavors are just bursting with a great chardonnay fruit, fresh, lightly creamy and incredibly toasty with some sweet nutty fruit and butter. Balanced and beautiful like a ballet dancer tip toeing gracefully on our taste buds.

The 1988 Château Mouton Rothschild was another bottle that needed to journey out of the cellar before my departure. Much to my dismay, the cork was slightly soaked through, and slightly pushed out (probably due to a sudden change in temperature during the buying process) and I was rather worried about possibility of a corked Mouton. I even brought the battered bottle over to the Ultimo Wine Centre for Jon Osbeiston, W.D.(wine doctor) to diagnose with a 55% chance to live, due to the heat damage. The thought of keeping it cellared for my intended event in 2012 would just be foolish, so a date was set for the unveiling of the Mouton. It was a gamble, where the odds were only slightly working towards our favour, fingers were crossed and we hoped for the best.

Peggy Lee Dampney, Amanda Ibrahim

After an hour of decanting by Frank (the cork crumbled and needed to be strained out), the familiar and eager Bordeaux flavors came out in a bout of earthiness. This may not be a perfect wine, but the quality is undoubtedly elegant. It’s rich and fruity, with loads of currant, truffles, roasted herbs and cedar on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, with invisibly silky tannins and an a long finish. I could go on and on, as we savoured every drop and exchanged and challenged tasting notes around the table, just ask my knowledgeable friends! (One of them being the Queen of hospitality - Peggy Lee, I can’t imagine sharing something so special with anyone else.)

When paired with Dan Hong’s roasted duck, still plump and pink in the centre, accompanied with beetroot, purple kale, olive and orange jus, it was a match made in heaven.

A toast to new beginnings! Stay tuned while I settle into the city that never sleeps – New York here I come.

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