Uniquely 'Lamoon'

Uniquely 'Lamoon'

The first Australian wine specially created to complement Thai cuisine

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

One of Australia's leading wine brands, Jacob's Creek, led by Patrick Castanier, managing director of Pernod Ricard Thailand, hosted an exclusive sit-down dinner to launch Jacob's Creek "Lamoon", the first premium Australian red wine specially crafted to complement Thai cuisine. The event took place at the beguiling Chakrabongse Palace last week, and flown in directly from Australia for this important launch event were Jean-Christophe Coutures, chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard Winemakers, and Bernard Hickin, Jacob's Creek chief winemaker.

From left, Patrick Castanier, managing director of Pernod Ricard Thailand, Bernard Hickin, Jacob’s Creek chief winemaker, chef Ian Kittichai Chalermkittichai, and Jean- Christophe Coutures, chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard Winemakers.

Lamoon is a collaborative project between chief winemaker Bernard Hickin and internationally-renowned Thai chef, Ian Kittichai Chalermkittichai.

The two, along with a team of Jacob's Creek winemakers at Barossa Valley, crafted this exquisite wine to complement the diverse flavours of Thai cuisine.

The Thai word lamoon (pronounced lah-moon) means soft, balanced and in harmony, and it is an ideal name for this latest wine which is expertly blended from a mix of around 20 individual reds.

"From my experience, it's difficult to find a wine that can work well with so many different dishes all at once, but with Lamoon, the wine perfectly complements an array of Thai dishes that are served at a meal," said chef Ian.

The dining venue was beautifully bedecked amid a contemporary Thai ambience, perfected by the winsome beauty of Chakrabongse Palace that was once the residence of Prince Chula Chakrabongse. Chakrabongse Palace was built following a Western architectural style located alongside the charm of the Chao Phraya River, ideally reflecting the distinct traditional Thai flair. The special occasion also saw chef Ian putting together a special menu that represents the genuine taste of Thai cuisine for guests to savour with Lamoon. The menu included plaa-style grilled Hokkaido scallop with lemongrass and hot chilli dressing; seafood tom yum; grilled turmeric-marinated free range chicken; slow-poached salmon fillet with spices and finger pepper sauce; amd stir-fried sunflower sprout with garlic and bird eye's chilli. Lamoon was a perfect partner to all the dishes.

The dinner ended happily with jasmine flower panna cotta, a luscious dessert beautifully wrapped in coconut leaf.

Lamoon is the second wine created as part of the special World's Cuisine Series by Jacob's Creek. The first is "Wah", a premium white wine created in partnership with Michelin-star sushi chef Mamoru Sukiyama, to complement Japanese food, especially sushi and sashimi.

TASTING NOTE

Name:Jacob's Creek Lamoon.

Release date:November 2013.

Colour:Vibrant hues of crimson and ruby.

Bouquet: Displaying fresh and lively raspberry fruit aromas on the nose, harmoniously balanced with hints of musk and spice.

Palate:The palate shows delicate berry flavours and soft, silky tannins.

Serving suggestion:Can be served at traditional red wine temperatures of 15-18C. Due to the softness of the tannins this wine may also be lightly chilled if desired. The soft tannins and subtle spicy notes work well with richer flavours while the fresh, cleansing berry fruit flavours support the savoury chilli intensity of Thai cuisine.

Vintage conditions: The 2012 harvest produced one of the very best vintages in recent years. Very good winter rain was recorded across all grape-growing regions of Southeastern Australia. Mild weather with moderate rainfall was experienced throughout spring providing excellent soil moisture profiles, which promoted healthy canopy development. The summer months were generally warm without extreme heat periods.

Winemaking:The fruit was harvested when optimal flavour and tannin ripeness were achieved. It was machine picked and delivered to the winery where it was de-stemmed, crushed and immediately cooled to around 15-18C before allowing to warm gradually as fermentation commenced. After fermentation, the individual parcels were blended in a partnership between Jacob's Creek winemakers and chef Ian Kittichai, in conjunction with various examples of Thai cuisine cooked by chef Ian himself. Seven items representing the national dishes of Thailand were freshly prepared and then tasted together with various blend options at the tasting bench. The blending exercise continued until the perfect blend was identified.

Alcohol: 13.2%.

Grilled Hokkaido scallop with lemongrass and hot chilli dressing.

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