Perfect Match

Steak tartare is wonderfully complex and layered. Although the flavour of the raw beef is important, it would be boring without the complementary condiments and seasonings. The raw egg adds silkiness, while capers and onion give high notes. Salt, pepper and Tabasco balance the meat and also contribute high notes. The best wine with steak tartare needs to respect the meat's raw protein and rich flavour. Reds with excessive and unbalanced tannins will render the raw meat sandpaper-like. Exotic, savoury red fruit notes are in the same flavour direction as the condiments and the meat's richness.

Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino 2002, Tuscany, Italy

Vineyards surrounding the Giocondo Castle produce some of the most memorable Brunello in Italy. This is an excellent partner to steak tartare because the flavours in the wine and steak are respectfully blended. The combination has rich meat supported by onion, salt and spices with deep red Brunello fruit. The texture of the steak is reserved, while palate freshness is restored with each sip of the silky Brunello. The finish is an interplay between the many notes of the steak tartare and the soft fruit and gentle oak in the Brunello.

Available for HK$448 from Jebsen (tel: 2923 8777)

Reverdy Daniel Sancerre Rouge 2004, Loire, France

This is an unusual wine, in a world filled with cabernets and chardonnays. Sancerre is noted for its zesty sauvignon blancs. The pinot noir for Sancerre Rouge is grown not too far from the focal point of pinot noir: Burgundy. Although European wine regions have their definitive grape varieties, their theoretical boundaries are often a grey band rather than a strict demarcated line. This Sancerre Rouge is excellent with steak tartare. The wine has a lifted nose of cherries and some stone fruit. It's light , as it should be, but is filled with medium-rich flavours. There isn't any obvious oak. It works well with the raw meat and it lubricates the combination. The wine's crisp acidity sits alongside the steak.

Available for HK$179 from Vins de France (tel: 2803 5760)

Kay Brothers Block 6 Shiraz 2004, McLaren Vale. Australia

The Block 6 Shiraz vineyard is almost 80 years old. The Kay family has been in the wine industry for a few generations and know a good thing when they see it. They haven't been tempted to dilute the Block 6 with grapes from younger vineyards. This wine is stunning with steak tartare: it's deep and rich, but every bit as silky and well-balanced as a good steak tartare. In the combination, the two components exchange texture silkiness. The wine is completely age-worthy, but so well-balanced that the soft and supple tannins don't interrupt the silkiness of the raw meat.

Available for HK$780 from Altaya (tel: 2523 1945)