Our second fine dining lunch at a Margaret River winery was at Vasse Felix. This is the oldest winery in Margeret River, established in 1967 (so in fact not old for European standards). Like most wineries in Margaret River, it specializes in Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, with also some Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Shiraz. The climate is very mild, with small temperature differences between day and night or between summer and winter, with a dry summer. The climate is somewhat similar to a dry vintage in Bordeaux. We had the tasting menu (6 courses for AU$ 120) with ‘premier’ wine pairing (4 glasses for $45). There is also a Filius wine pairing for $39 or an ‘icon’ wine pairing for $75, in which the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are downgraded/upgraded. As I had tasted the ‘icon’ Heytesbury Chardonnay of the current vintage and thought it was too young (drinking it would be ‘baby murder’), I asked whether it would be possible to upgrade the 2023 Chardonnay to the 2019 Heytesbury Chardonnay (listed for $50 per glass on the wine list). This was not possible as an upgrade, but I could of course order the 2019 Heytesbury in addition to the wine pairing, and that is what I did (giving the 2023 Chardonnay to Kees, who was the designated driver so could only drink one or two glasses anyway).

We started the pairing with a traditional method sparkling Blanc de Blanc, 100% Chardonnay. Contrary to the sparkling at Wills Domain, this was a ‘serious’ traditional method wine, aged for 21 months on the lees (rather than only 3), and quite nice.

It was a good pairing for the squid ink pierogi, a Polish type of dumpling, filled with sausage and potato, and served with beurre noisette, and salmon roe.

The following wine was the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, aged in oak barrels, and therefore more structured and less aromatic than a ‘regular’ Sauvignon Blanc.

This was a reasonable pairing with the cured but otherwise raw kingfish with rhubarb, herb oil, and pink pepper. The kingfish was said to be cured in ginger, but I could not really detect any ginger. I believe curing with a bit more salt would have improved the flavor. Despite the fresh ingredients (rhubarb, pink pepper, and ginger), the dish had a creamy profile overall, and would have worked better with a more creamy wine. The dish made the wine slightly astringent.

The following wine was the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, which has been produced since 1972. It is actually a blend with 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, and 1% Merlot, aged 18 months in French barriques (34% new). Without food the wine was a bit young and the oak overpowering the fruit a bit.

It was however an excellent pairing with the beef with black garlic sauce; the dish really brought out the fruit in the wine. The beef (I believe it was blade steak) had been cooked sous vide and then finished in the oven. It needed the softened tendon (gelatin) and the sauce, as the beef by itself was slightly dry. There was also some laminated potato with tofu, which did have a good potato flavor, but otherwise was a bit bland (and I am not sure about the purpose of the tofu).

The next serving was a palate cleanser of a yuzu marsmellow stuffed with mango icecream. This palate cleanser was necessary as Vasse Felix wanted to serve the (according to them) more elegant Cabernet Sauvignon before the more aromatic Chardonnay. I could not really make out the yuzu, but it was nice.

Next was the 2019 Heytesbury Chardonnay, which was indeed less ‘baby murder’ than the 2023 I had tasted before. Although it also seemed to me that 2019 was less powerful as a vintage than 2023, although of course it would only be an honest comparison to compare the 2019 with the 2023 how it will be in four years’ time. In any case a nicely balanced Chardonnay. Vasse Felix is one of the few producers in Margaret River that still does malolactic on his Chardonnays, and I applaud that, as the acids are otherwise too aggressive for my taste.

This was a good pairing for the toothfish, lacquered with miso and chicken stock, with eggplant mousse, and a potato dumpling with herb oil. The toothfish had been cured first and had an excellent texture and flavor. The eggplant mousse was very mild in flavor, and the potato dumpling was too rubbery (probably by using too much flour, a common mistake when making potato gnocchi) and lacking in flavor. The pairing with the ‘regular’ Chardonnay that Kees had, did not work either, because the wine could not handle the glaze on the fish (in part because it was served too cold).

The dessert was a crumbled parfait/semifreddo of toasted rice and pear, with kiwi and elderflower. The flavors and textures were nice.

Food, wine, and service were all good, but the dishes didn’t meet the expectations I had because of the reputation of the restaurant and the price.