Tannic Teeth

Who would ever think that one of the most destructive introduced pests to Australia would fetch $21 per kilo at your butcher? Though I can say that these rabbits are farmed; they’re white (to be honest I prefer the wild rabbit) and pretty much taste like – you guessed it – chicken. And for a whole boned sectioned carcass, that’s about $24 a pop.

Leaner than beef, pork and chicken, rabbit meat is per meter squared, the most ecologically sustainable animal protein. They can be grown in hutches, mature quickly and, er, breed like rabbits. I don’t understand why rabbit meat isn’t:

1) cheaper

2) introduced widely among culinary menus (along with Kangaroo).

3) readily avilable available (thanks wonderfully accurate and anonymous literati for your contribution)

Our hopping friends are our only future if every one of the 6.6 billion hungry mouths are to get adequate protein and not reduce the earth to dust.

So we thought we would roast a rabbit (or two) and enjoy with some WA wine. I’ve kept wine it in the theme of the Rhône Valley. Shiraz (Syrah), Viognier, Marssane, and Roussane.

I could have been daring and picked a few bunnies off the road on the way to the butchers. But with the recent spell of Bikram weather, they’ed be close to jerky au jus than anything else.

Clairault can be said to be wear the stripes it’s earned during the harsh and formative years of Margaret River some 30 odd years ago. Truly one of the regions veterans, Clairault produces wines of distinctive style, reflecting that of Bordeaux;in many ways climate and topography is very similar, Margaret River receiving slightly more sun. 2007 was an outstanding year for Margs but then again this place seems to be unusually blessed with freakishly good weather taking into account climate change/ cycling.

Clairault Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007 [Margaret River] Western Australia 13%

‘Gleaming from the glass in bright pale straw, this wine carries the traditional SSB blend from Margaret River. Gauva, Passion Fruit, Grassy characters are so palpable and reminiscent of the real deal. The palate unveils the same bountiful tropical array, but also shows restraint when needed, supplely pulling the entire show back into line with a mineral lime acidic zing. The length is not overtly long, nor is it disappointingly short, it sits comfortably with poise given the bestowed fruit characters.’

One of the many jewels illustriously studded into the LVMH crown, Cape Mentelle enjoys the cooperate success of being part of something bigger. LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy) is the world’s largest luxury brand conglomerate owning the likes of the aforementioned also Gucci, Fendi, Tag Heuer, Château d’Yquem, Cloudy Bay and KRUG plus about 51 more iconic brands. This enables a lower revenue enterprise like vineyards and wineries to be propped up by the revenue from an overly priced pair of jeans. No wonder their wines dazzle with technical brilliance from a no expense spared environment.

Cape Mentelle Sangiovese 2006 [Margaret River] Western Australia 13.5%

‘Sangiovese quickly becoming a mainstream wine in Australia, is more approachable than Cabernet at the same age. Generous dark cherry and coffee notes waft from the surface of this wine, at times requiring some coaxing. There is also anise and spice evident on the nose, towards the palate it’s quite full bodied with plenty of guts, making up for perhaps where the nose lacked. Not at all lacking was the tannins, in abundance, but more velvety and of different texture than say Shiraz and Cab. The subtle influence of [stated] French oak edges this wine into chewy territory, the finish being of reasonable length and persistence. Top notch and highly recommended, but overall nothing out of the ordinary here – this is what you would expect when your siblings are d’Yquem and Cloudy Bay.’