67 Pall Mall Melbourne - Club Events

It was over 100 years ago when Alsace-born Marcel Ott fell in love with the white sands, olive trees and windswept shores of Provence. Acquiring his first estate, Château de Selle in 1912, followed by two more sites, Clos Mireille and Château Romassan, Domaines Ott soon developed a reputation for expressing the diversity, elegance and Mediterranean sun in its expressions of Provençal white and red varieties. Now in their fourth generation, the Ott family winemaking legacy is driven by their sustainable approach to viticulture, gentle winemaking, and respect for local varieties and the micro-climates of their respective estates. 

Hosted in the private dining room of Donovans, nestled on the St Kilda foreshore, Members are invited to join Christophe Renard of Domaines Ott in an exploration of the Clos Mireille estate, a pioneer in white wine production in the region since the 1930s, followed by an introduction to Étoile – a unique expression of the family’s three estates and an insight into the diversity of Bandol and Provence as regions.

Champagne Salon, alongside its sister house Champagne Delamotte, produces unique and sought-after expressions of the Côte des Blancs. After our recent indulgence in Salon with our Members in Melbourne, we could not resist the opportunity to showcase the two houses side by side during our October calendar. 

We invite our Members based in Sydney, and those inclined to travel, to enjoy five vintage expressions across the two houses paired to a tasting menu showcasing Josh Niland’s approach to sustainable fish-butchery. Cristian Rimoldi of Champagne Salon and Delamotte will talk us through the wines, alongside Ned Goodwin MW and our Founder & CEO Grant Ashton, during an intimate private dinner hosted at Saint Peter, at The Grand National Hotel in Paddington.

Australia’s close association with France’s Rhône Valley varieties has long been established by South Australian producers. More recently, winemakers in Heathcote have staked a strong claim to the strength of Victoria as a space for these styles – with a focus on soil types and more moderate climatic influences playing a key role in the spice profile and complexity of the wines. 

Join our founder & CEO Grant Ashton for an indulgent lunch at Firedoor, one of Australia’s top restaurants. Members are invited to enjoy a five-course menu by Lennox Hastie, whose fire-kissed cuisine is informed by years of working and experiencing the culinary traditions of the Basque region. Our guests of honour, Huon Hooke (The Real Review) and Adam Foster of Syrahmi Wines, will talk us through each course with a selection of classic Rhône valley producers alongside Adam’s premium expressions of Heathcote red styles. 

What we will taste:
Our wine selection for this event will focus on benchmark producers from the Northern Rhône, poured in five brackets alongside a selection of Adam Foster’s Syrahmi wines. Members will enjoy a selection of classic producers based in Condrieu, Saint Joseph, Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, with a distinct focus on Viognier, Grenache and most distinctly, Syrah and Shiraz, throughout the course of the afternoon.

Five Course Menu

Kangaroo
Blood plum, macadamia

Honeynut Pumpkin
Turnip kimchi, native miso

SHADY’S woodfired bread
Smoked butter, rye

Murray Cod
Pil-pil Bundarra pork, gem lettuce, apple, mustard 

Honey cake
Figs, burnt sugar

For over 25 years, Giant Steps has been a central figure in the conversation surrounding the Yarra Valley’s potential and suitability for producing premium, single-site expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Established in 1997, Phil Sexton embarked on his visionary approach for the Yarra with his acquisition of the Sexton Vineyard, which now sits alongside single-vineyard expressions of five other sites at varying altitudes and aspects throughout the valley. Now under the watchful eye of Melanie Chester, Head of Winemaking and Viticulture since 2021, the estate has gone from strength to strength, with the first release of the much-anticipated Bastard Hill Chardonnay and Pinot Noir earlier this year. 

We invite our Members to this showcase of the 2023 vintage at North Melbourne’s recently refurbished The Courthouse Hotel, with Melanie talking through 8 wines from the Yarra Valley Range, Sexton, Applejack and Bastard Hill sites.

Our latest Winemaker Dinner focuses on a landmark producer of Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon in south-west Victoria’s tiny Henty GI, Crawford River. Established by John and Catherine Thomson in 1975, the family history in the area dates back to 1886 when John’s great-grandfather settled the property for grazing. After careful consideration of the soil types and climatic conditions of the family estate in the 1970s, John embarked on a series of plantings of varieties he believed would be suited to the area, including red and white Bordeaux varieties, and Riesling, which now forms a key component of the family’s production and is one of only two Rieslings featured in the Langton’s Classification. 

Since 2004, daughter Belinda Thomson has worked seasonally on the property and now manages the farming and winemaker as Director and Vigneron, leading with an emphasis on organic farming and sustainability. Our Members are invited to join Belinda for a showcase of current and museum releases of Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and their white Bordeaux-style blend, Beta, finishing with the one-off release of her off-dry ‘Noble Dry’ from 2022. 

Members will be treated to a showcase of 9 Crawford River wines across four courses of comforting, but elevated, French-inspired dishes from North Fitzroy’s The Recreation. 

The dinner menu is as follows:

First Course 

Broad Beans
Parsley emulsion, feta, cured egg
2022 Crawford River BETA Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 
2015 Crawford River BETA Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 

Second Course

Spanner Crab
Green apple, cucumber, dashi
2023 Crawford River Strata Riesling 
2023 Crawford River Riesling 
2017 Crawford River Museum Release Riesling

Third Course

BBQ Lamb Loin
Peas, barley, rosemary, bitter greens, mixed leaves, shallot and cider dressing
2022 Crawford River Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 
2018 Crawford River Cabernet Sauvignon 
2006 Crawford River Cabernet Sauvignon

Fourth Course

Charles Arnaud 36mth Comté
House-made condiments 
2022 Crawford River Noble Dry Riesling