Posts Tagged ‘food pairings’
COS I love you
Looking through the bottles I had on hand for a wine to go with Saturday’s seasonal dinner, a guinea fowl braised with green figs (recipe after the jump), I ended up with this. While it made a wholly satisfactory pairing, I couldn’t stop thinking that the same estate’s soon-to-arrive just released 2011 Frappato ($24.70, 11695004) would be even better.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2009, Classico, Azienda Agricola COS ($29.35, 11577391)
Biodynamically farmed Nero d’Avola (60%) and Frappato (40%) from 18-year-old vines. Temperature-controlled fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats. Aged in barrels for 18 to 24 months. Bottled unfiltered. 13% ABV.
Ferociously reductive on opening. Righted itself after being vigorously carafed and left to stand for 45 minutes (the last 20 or so in the fridge). Fragrant nose of tart red fruit (cranberry, pomegranate, red currant, cherry) against a backdrop of slate and dried wood. Medium weight with a bordering-on-velvety texture. The lithe fruit (pomegranate again) sweetens on the mid-palate and sours on the finish. Darker, more minerally, even earthy layers emerge as the wine progresses through the mouth. The supple tannins structure the whole and linger astringently. An elegant, complete wine that delivers the same kind of satisfaction as good Burgundies costing half again as much.
Cellier’s lone Vetliner
Kamptal 2011, Grüner Veltliner, Heiligenstein, Trocken, Hirsch ($23.45, 11695055)
100% biodynamically farmed Grüner Veltliner. Fermented and matured in stainless steel. 12.5% ABV. Screwcapped.
Nuanced nose of lime leaf, white pepper, quartz and honey. Medium bodied with a slightly viscous texture. Dry but rounded by a little residual sugar, which in turn is checked by a faint carbon dioxide tingle and undertowing bitterness. The green-pearish, citrusy fruit is carried on a silvery stream of acidity before fading to stones and lime pith on the long finish. Less steely than expected (perhaps due to the hot vintage): an elegant, soft-spoken wine that, while enjoyable now, will surely improve with a few years in the bottle. A satisfactory pairing for boudin blanc, it would also be a natural with schnitzel. Cellier claims it’s oyster-friendly and, for once, I can see why.
Tocai, er, not Tocai
Collio 2009, Friulano, Mario Schiopetto ($25.90, 11450066)
100% Tocai Friulano. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Aged on the lees for eight months. 13% ABV.
Sour straw, orange blossom, honey, chalk and quartz. The unctuous texture has you thinking the wine will be sweet but, no, it’s actually quite dry. There’s plenty of acidity too, though the extract makes it easy to miss. The fruit is understated, the minerals aren’t. Both are subsumed in a final swell of bitterness and a faint alcoholic burn that fade into blanched almonds and pear. (Buy again? Yes, unless I can score some of Borgo San Daniele‘s peerless bottling. Yo, oenopole!)
Better at table than as an aperitif, it proved a passable match for a herb-scented stew of mussels, cranberry beans and tomatoes. A better pairing for the stew would have been a less dense, bone-dry white (a Pecorino, maybe, or an Assyrtiko). A better pairing for the wine would have been something like tagliolini tossed with prosciutto, cream, Parmesan and poppy seeds.
MWG August 16th tasting: report (5/5)
Vintage Port 1985, Graham’s ($46.38 in 1990 or thereabouts)
Surprisingly young and vibrant to the eye: some lightening at the rim but hardly any bricking. Outgoing deep and layered nose with notes of sweet black fruit, spice (licorice?) and dark chocolate. Opulent yet lithe, the texture poised between silk and velvet. More off-dry than sweet. Quite structured though the tannins are fruit-clad and beginning to soften. The depth is only hinted at until you chew the wine. The alcohol (20% ABV) adds warmth, not heat, especially to the long finish. Always harmonious and becoming more so with age, the wine is close to peaking. Should continue showing beautifully for another decade or two.
Tasted on its own and then with a beautiful old Stilton, an astounding English farmhouse cheddar and a youngish Reblochon de Savoie, all carefully selected by Yannick to go with the wine. While the group failed to reach a consensus as to the best match, the cheddar probably got the most votes.
Wednesday evening apéro at La QV
For the last couple of summers, La QV’s Wednesday evening apéros have made midweeks something to look forward to. The most recent iteration – the last until mid-September – featured smoked Sockeye salmon and a vibrant Vouvray sec.
Vouvray 2010, Sec, Domaine François Pinon ($25.00, La QV)
100% Chenin Blanc (the estate has been converting to organic agriculture since 2003 and expected to certified organic in 2011). Fermented with native yeasts and minimal intervention. Filtered before bottling in order to minimize the use of sulphur. 13% ABV.
Pale gold with a green cast. Complex nose of grass, honey, spice, wax and a whack of minerals. Medium-bodied and totally dry, with a slightly waxy texture. A mouthful of pure, clean fruit and quartzy chalk charged by citrusy acidity (not surprising to read that Riesling is Pinon’s favourite non-Loire grape). Admirably broad and long. Made a fine pairing for salad of diced smoked salmon, watercress and sliced new potatoes garnished with lemony crème fraîche. Unfortunately, La QV appears to be sold out though bottles are sure to be found on the wine lists of the many local restaurants that snapped up cases. The 2010 “Silex Noir” Vouvray, a demi-sec and reportedly the cuvée that Pinon most enjoys drinking, is still available on a private import basis ($25.50, 6 bottles/case).
Isole e Olena’s 2009 Chianti Classico
This 50-hectare Tuscan estate was created in the 1950s by combining two farms, one called Isole and the other called Olena. It’s good to see their Chianti Classico returning to form after the lean and green 2008. The wine made a near-perfect match with the chicken recipe you’ll find after the jump.
Chianti Classico 2009, Isole e Olena ($27.80, 00515296)
A blend of Sangiovese (82%), Canaiolo (15%) and Syrah (3%). Fermented on the skins in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for around one week, with daily rack-and-returns and pump-overs. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into old barrels and 4,000-litre botti and aged for about one year. 14% (!) ABV.
Textbook Chianti nose: black cherries and pits, tobacco, terra cotta, cedar, leather and a whiff of kirsch. Medium-bodied. Very dry, almost to the point of austerity but saved by the fruit, which is somehow both very present and elegantly reserved. Astringent tannins – like those in long-steeped tea – and souring acidity provide just enough structure. Long finish with lingering plum peel, wood (not oak) and minerals. Ready to go and probably not a keeper. Sangiovese lovers needn’t hesitate.
You say Albariño, I say Alvarhino
One last note before returning to the PEC wines. This never lasts long on the SAQ’s shelves and has almost disappeared from Montreal stores. Carpe diem.
Vinho Verde 2010, Alvarinho, Deu La Deu, Adega Cooperativa Regional de Monçâo ($19.40, 00927996)
The cooperative’s flagship wine. 100% Alvarinho. Two pressings. Allowed to settle 24 hours. Fermented at 18-20ºC (64-68ºF). Racked and filtered before maturation. Cold-stabilized. Passed through earth and membrane filters before bottling. 13% ABV. The name refers to Deu-la-Deu (“God gave her”) Martins, the wife of the mayor of Monção, who, in 1368 during a long Castilian siege, used the last of the city’s flour to bake loaves of bread which she tauntingly threw at the invaders, fooling them into believing that the starving townsfolk had provisions aplenty and that the siege was futile.
Yellow plum and peach, green pineapple in the background and a hint of coriander seed. The sweet-ripe fruit and texture verging on oily would mean heaviness were it not for the crisp acidity, crunchy minerals and surge of grapefruit-pith bitterness that persists through the long, dry finish. In addition to length, there’s considerable breadth and some depth. A bit less remarkable than the dazzling 2009 but easily the best Vinho Verde and best Alvarinho/Albariño I’ve tasted in the interim. Enjoyable as an aperitif, it also proved a natural match for grilled squid. Fish, shellfish and even white meats in southern European preparations will also work.
Now, can we get the monopoly to bring in the co-op’s red Vinho Verde?
Torrette syndrome
(Pardon the pun. I made it so Nick won’t have to.)
The next Prince Edward County post won’t be up for another day or two. In the meantime, here’s a note on an obscurity.
Vallée d’Aosta 2010, Torrette, Grosjean Frères ($25.55, 11660645)
The Aosta Valley is the narrow alpine corridor that connects northwest Italy to France over the St. Bernard pass and, these days, through the Mont Blanc tunnel. Torrette is one of several areas within the larger, but still small, Valle d’Aosta DOC. Torrette wines must be at least 70% Petit Rouge but may also contain Gamay, Dolcetto, Pinot Noir and/or any of several local red grape varieties. At a minimum, Torrette must reach 11% ABV and be aged six months (12% ABV and eight months in oak for Torrette Superiore). Grosjean’s version is 80% Petit Rouge and 20% Vien de Nus, Fumin and Cornalin, all from vines planted between 1975 and 1995. The grapes were destemmed, then macerated on their skins for seven or eight days, with pumping over three times a day. Maturation took place in stainless steel vats. This is stoppered with a plastic cork and clocks in at 12.5% ABV.
Odd nose: dried cherries, leaf mould and earth until you swirl, then dried blood and a hint of vinegary fish sauce. Medium bodied and dry. Not very tannic, though the understated fruit does nothing to hide the fine tannins, meaning there’s an astringent undertow that lingers long. Light, supple, sweet cherry quickly fades to a tart, faintly bitter finish with leaf tea and dried wood notes.
Pricey for what it delivers today. Torrettes are said to improve with up to ten years of cellaring, but you wouldn’t want to test that claim when the closure is a syncork.
This goes well with charcuterie, including lightly smoked meats. The winemaker also recommends it as a pairing for Valdostan “soups,”* a role I can see it playing supremely well.
_____
*For example: In a baking dish, alternate layers of sliced, butter-toasted country or black bread, Savoy cabbage braised with onion, and slices of fontina cheese. Ladle meat broth over. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a little nutmeg, if you like. Bake in a medium oven until the cheese melts.
MWG July 13th tasting: report (1/5)
The Mo’ Wine Group met on Friday the 13th to taste its way through an assortment of wines from Ontario’s up-and-comingest wine region, Prince Edward County, located on a peninsula jutting into Lake Ontario, about five hours by car from Montreal. Parallels having been drawn between the county’s cool climate and limestone soils and those of Champagne, we were especially interested in checking out the sparkling wines. Many thanks to members M and L for selecting and transporting the bottles.
Ancestral 2011, VQA Prince Edward County, Hinterland Wine Co. ($23)
A wine inspired by the sparkling Gamays (sometimes with a little Poulsard thown in) from Bugey Cerdon in France’s Savoie region. The name refers to the rarely used (outside of Savoie and Gaillac) méthode ancestrale of sparkling wine production, whereby the wine is bottled before fermentation is complete. Fermentation is then allowed to continue in the bottle and the carbon dioxide that is a byproduct creates the effervescence. (Like those of far too many Ontario wineries, Hinterland’s website is stingy with production details. One sentence found there – “Using the Ancestral method, the bubbles of this wine was [sic] achieved by capturing the carbon dioxide produced during the primary fermentation” – and the lack of a deposit in the bottle suggest that they may also be using some form of the transfer method.) In any case, this is 100% Gamay Noir and 8% ABV.
Pale strawberry pink with cotton candy glints. Foam disappears quickly; occasional small bubbles remain. Come-hither nose of yeast, strawberry and rose. Light on the palate with a fine effervescence. Fruity and off-dry, though the sweetness is tarted by bright acidity. Turns drier on the finish as minerals and a hint of earthiness emerge. Not quite up to Bugey Cerdon standards – this is simpler, more superficial, a bit more soda poppy – but not terribly far off and certainly enjoyable in its own right. Serve chilled as an outdoor sipper, an aperitif, with not very sweet stawberry- or rhubarb-based desserts or, possibly, as an accompaniment to Indian food (Bugey Cerdon works, so why not this?). (Buy again? Yes, a bottle or two for an all-Canadian dinner or picnic.)
Barn owl and salmon
Looking for a wine to pour with Indian-style salmon brochettes (recipe follows), I popped the cork on this. It worked.
Coteaux du Loir 2010, L’Effraie, Domaine Bellivière ($27.45, 11495467)
Effraie is French for barn owl. 100% biodynamically farmed Chenin Blanc from vines under 50 years old. Fermented with native yeasts and aged 12 months in second-, third- and fourth-use barrels. Depending on the year, the wine can range from dry to demi-sec. 12.5% ABV according to the label (13.5% according to SAQ.com, though that may refer to an earlier vintage).
Complex, if subtle, and constantly evolving nose: yellow apple, melon rind, summer savoury, chalk, preserved lemon and honeycomb. Off-dry (sec-tendre according to the winemaker), the sugar softening the acidity and augmenting the somewhat viscous texture. Mild white and yellow fruit dissolves dryly into minerals, ash and a light citric tang. A faint aftertaste – more a fresh, mint-like sensation – haunts the mouth for minutes after a sip. A natural with white fish or scallops in lemon cream (the estate suggests tartare preparations), this also goes well with not-too-spicy Asian fare like the dish you’ll find after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »
Brett happens 