Roast fillet of beef with two sauces

Villa Maria Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Gimblett Gravels 2014 is a densely coloured wine that makes a suitably robust partner for a quality cut of aged beef, served rare with a set of intensely-flavoured sauces.

On the palate, the wine is soft yet concentrated beautifully with fine-grained tannins and integrated oak. The aromatics are layered with red and plum and cassis, smoky roast coffee bean, dried thyme and cedary spice. There is a lot of wow-factor here.

For the beef

1 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 Tbsp	Butter
850 g	Beef fillet, at room temperature (Main)
2 Tbsp	Thyme leaves

For the herb and anchovy sauce

½ cup	Extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup	Chopped parsley
2 Tbsp	Chopped chives
1 Tbsp	Shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp	Anchovy, chopped, use a heaped tablespoon (Main)
1 Tbsp	Chopped capers
½	Garlic cloves, small, minced
1 Tbsp	Red wine vinegar

For the blue cheese sauce

2 Tbsp	Shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp	Butter
1 Tbsp	Flour
½ cup	Full cream milk
100 g	Blue cheese
1 tsp	Thyme leaves

Directions

1. For the herb and anchovy sauce. Place all ingredients in to a bowl and mix well and set aside.
2. For the blue cheese sauce, gently fry the shallot in the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour and mix to a paste. Stir in milk, mixing all the time to avoid lumps and bring to the boil. Stir through the blue cheese until sauce is smooth. Stir in the thyme, season, cover and set aside.
3. Heat the oven to 220C.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a heavy based, ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat.
5. Season the beef well with salt, pepper and thyme leaves and fry on all sides for a minute or two until browned. Baste the beef with the pan juices and place in the oven to roast for 10-15 minutes for medium-rare beef, longer if required, basting the meat with the pan juices once more during cooking.
6. Rest the meat for 10 minutes, reheat the blue cheese sauce and give the herb and anchovy sauce a stir before serving (diners choosing their sauce) with crispy potatoes and Villa Maria Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Gimblett Gravels 2014.