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Posts Tagged ‘Burgundy’

Week 15: What to Eat with the 2006 Louis Jadot Cote-de-Nuits-Villages "Le Vaucrain"

14 Dec

Two words: Beef Bourgignon.  Duh.  Ok, that’s three words.  Three beautiful words that invoke images of the breathtaking Burgundian countryside and make one’s mouth water in pure anticipation.  Beef Bourgignon, like other peasant dishes, is an example of perfection in simplicity.  With just a few basic ingredients and several hours on the stove you’ve got yourself a hearty and absolutely delicious meal that will not only fill your belly but warm your soul and fill your kitchen with some of the best aromas known to man.  Mmmmmmmmm……

Can you smell that?  No?  Well, I guess that means you should put down that take-out menu and set aside a few hours next Saturday or Sunday to do a little cooking.  I promise that you won’t regret it.


Beef Bourgignon

Ingredients
2.5 pounds beef stew meat

About 20 crimini mushrooms
About 20 pearl onions
1 bottle red Burgundy wine
About 1/2 to 2/3 quart low sodium beef broth
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary and fresh thyme
Flour
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper

Preparation:
First, season the stew meat with salt and pepper and dust lightly with some flour.

Next, clean the mushrooms and cut any larger ones into bite-sized pieces.

Then peel the pearl onions.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot.  Brown the stew meat on all sides.  Add the mushrooms and onions and cook for about a minute or two.  Add the wine, broth, and herbs (tied in a cheesecloth bag).  The liquid should just cover the beef, mushrooms and onions.  Stir and bring to a boil.

Decrease heat and simmer with the lid just barely open.  Remove the rosemary and thyme after about 30 minutes.  Simmer until the liquid reduces to about half and the meat is tender and falling apart, stirring occasionally to ensure that everything spends plenty of time in the cooking liquid.

Serve with a crusty grilled French baguette and plenty of wine.

Cheers!!
 
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Posted in Beef Bourgignon, Burgundy, France, Louis Jadot Cote-de-Nuits-Villages "Le Vaucrain", recipes, red wine

 

2006 Louis Jadot Cote-de-Nuits-Villages "Le Vaucrain"

12 Dec

Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a winner!  With an absolutely beautiful aroma of ripe red fruit and spice and a big, velvety mouthful of rich cherries and raspberries, soft leather, and minerality, this is an excellent (yet affordable) example of what I love about Pinot Noir.  And no wonder…. upon some additional research, it turns out that this wine comes from a vineyard just next door to the well-known Premier Cru vineyard of Nuits St. George, whose wines sell for upwards of $90/bottle.  You know what they say… location, location, location…

Though this wine ordinarily buts up against the CorkPopper budget at $24.99/bottle I found it on sale at K&L Wine Merchants for $19.99/bottle.  I realize that this is still on the more expensive end of the “budget” wine category, but the fact of the matter is that this is simply an excellent wine for the price.

Yummm… there are 4.5 corks popping for this one!

Cheers!!
 
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Posted in 4.5 Corks Popped, Burgundy, France, Louis Jadot Cote-de-Nuits-Villages "Le Vaucrain", red wine

 

2006 Maison Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge "Cuvee Joseph Faiveley"

11 Dec

The second of this week’s Burgundies, a 2006 Maison Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge “Cuvee Joseph Faiveley,” is a lighter, less complex expression of Pinot Noir than was the Domaine Desertaux-Ferrand.  Though it’s not entirely unpleasant, with delicate red and dark fruit notes, the finish seems to drop off a bit too quickly, and there just isn’t a whole lot of depth of character.

What the hell does that mean, you ask?  Well, think about when you eat or drink something that seems to have just layers and layers of flavors, how each time you take a bite or a sip, you seem to discover another element of flavor buried in there.  This is, for me, one of my favorite things about food and wine – the whole sensory and intellectual experience takes over and challenges you to actually think about what you’re tasting and why.

J and I drank the Maison Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge “Cuvee Joseph Faiveley” with a delicious dinner of rack of lamb, grilled bread and an arugula salad.  Pinot Noir generally pairs wonderfully with lamb, and I was hoping that the food would bring out some more complexity in the wine.  Unfortunately, it just wasn’t happening.

That said, because I neither loved nor disliked this wine, I’m giving it a middle of the road 3 corks popped, and I’d be curious to try it again in a couple of years.

If you’d like to try it for yourself, you can find it at K&L Wine Merchants for $17.99/bottle.

Cheers!!
 
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Posted in 3 corks popped, Burgundy, France, Maison Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge "Cuvee Joseph Faiveley", red wine

 

2007 Domaine Desertaux-Ferrand Bourgogne Rouge

09 Dec

As a self-professed Pinot-phile (hehehe…. I crack myself up…), I’m always on the lookout for quality yet affordable Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir is a finicky grape that grows best in cool climates – the Burgundy region in France (duh), the Russian River and Santa Rita Hills areas of California, the Willamette River Valley in Oregon, and the Marlborough region of New Zealand are just a few.  At its best, Pinot Noir is spicy with an earthy complexity balanced out with rich red fruit and nice acidity.  At its worst, it can be sour and taste like dirt.

The 2007 Domaine Desertaux-Ferrand Bourgogne Rouge is an excellent choice in Pinot Noir (especially at this price).  The aroma and flavor are bursting with bright cherries and pepper, yet the flavor is light and delicate, just as a Pinot Noir should be.  Can you find an even better Pinot if you’re willing to spend more?  Of course.  But that’s not what CorkPopper is about.  This is an elegant and refreshing wine that is sure to please… and no one will know that you spent less than $20 on it.  What could be better?

I have to give this one 4 corks popped….

Check it out for yourself.  You can find it for $18.99/bottle at K&L Wine Merchants.

Cheers!!
 
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Posted in 4 Corks Popped, Burgundy, Domaine Desertaux-Ferrand Bourgogne Rouge, France, Pinot Noir, red wine

 

Week 15: Red Burgundy

07 Dec

The Burgundy region of France is one of those places where the climate, soil, and long-held wine knowledge combine to create the perfect combination of factors for making brilliant Pinot Noir.  Now, if you prefer the bigger, fruitier versions that come from California, Burgundian reds might not be for you.  They have more minerality and less ripe fruit and are generally much more subtle than their America siblings.  This means that poorly made Burgundy can be either bland and tasteless or taste pretty much like dirt.

I have never tried any of this week’s wines, and none have been rated by the usual critics.  Instead, I sought the advice of the lovely folks at K&L Wine Merchants in selecting this week’s trio.  I, like you, am curious to see if they have helped me find three quality Burgundies for under $25/bottle.

First, we have a 2006 Maison Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge “Cuvée Joseph Faiveley.”  It’s available at  K&L Wine Merchants for $17.99/bottle.

Second, is a 2007 Domaine Desertaux-Ferrand Bourgogne Rouge, which is available at K&L Wine Merchants for $18.99/bottle.

Finally, we have a 2006 Louis Jadot Côte-de-Nuits-Villages “Le Vaucrain,” which was $25.99/bottle at K&L but was on sale for $19.99/bottle when I was doing my research.

Cheers!!
 
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Posted in Burgundy, Domaine Desertaux-Ferrand Bourgogne Rouge, France, Louis Jadot Cote-de-Nuits-Villages "Le Vaucrain", Maison Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge "Cuvee Joseph Faiveley", red wine

 

Week 14: What to Eat with the 2004 Emilian Gillet Vire Clesse Quintaine Jean Thevenet

07 Dec

What a great CorkPopper week it has been.  All three of this week’s white wines from Burgundy were delicious in their own way.  Of course, even in an excellent week, there was one that stood above the rest…. the 2004 Emilian Gillet Vire Clesse Quintaine Jean Thevenet.  If you missed the review, you can read it here.

As I thought about what to pair with this wine, I found myself drawn to the idea of fish with some hearty, earthy notes.  I wanted something light but with warm and earthy flavors.  It is, after all, December, and I don’t know about you, but I find myself drawn to all things comforting and warm during these cold days.*

And without further delay, here’s this week’s CorkPopper recipe (tweaked from a recipe I found on Epicurious).

Milk-Poached Alaskan Halibut with Asparagus and Chanterelle Mushrooms
4 halibut fillets
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
About 1/4 cup white wine, preferably white Burgundy
12 thick asparagus spears, peeled and trimmed
Extra virgin olive oil
2-3 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed, washed well, patted dry, and halved or quartered if large
3-4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Pat halibut dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  In large, heavy skillet over moderately high heat, heat vegetable oil until hot but not smoking.  Add fish and sear lightly.  Add the milk, cream, and wine. Bring to light simmer, cover, and place in oven until just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove halibut from liquid, cover, and keep warm. Reserve poaching liquid.

Meanwhile, in heavy 10-inch skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add mushrooms and asparagus and sauté 5 to 6 minutes.  Remove from heat and add sherry vinegar and thyme, stirring to scrape up any mushrooms that might stick to bottom of skillet.  Just before the mushrooms and asparagus are done, add a splash of Brandy.  Tilt the pan and allow the Brandy fumes to light on fire.  Voila!  You’re doing a flambe!

Place poaching liquid over high heat and simmer until reduced by half.  Remove from heat and stir in butter.

Divide asparagus between 4 plates.  Place 1 fillet on top of the asparagus on each plate and top with mushrooms.  Spoon sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

J and I are trying to get into the habit of inviting friends over to share in our weekly CorkPopper dinners, so we invited two of his good friends from business school.**  Cheers to JW and VG for joining us!!

Cheers!!

* Yes, 50 degrees is cold for an Angelino.

**Although this meal turned out relatively well, J and I are discovering that it’s much harder to cook an absolutely fantastic meal when you’re trying to entertain at the same time… especially with a recipe like this, where everything happens very quickly and must be timed well.  Thanks to JW and VG for hanging in there!!

 
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Posted in Burgundy, Emilian Gillet Vire Clesse Quintaine Jean Thevenet, France, recipes, white wine

 

2007 Seguinot Bordet Chablis Fourchaumes Premier Cru

05 Dec

The Chablis region of France is the northernmost wine district of Burgundy, and the grapes here are virtually all of the Chardonnay variety.  Though the Grand Cru and Premier Cru producers age their wines in oak, the time Chablis spends in the barrel is much lower than many wines, and the non-Cru Chablis often never touches oak at all.  This, coupled with the cool climate and the clay soil of the region means that Chablis is often considered to be a fairly pure expression Chardonnay but has a characteristically “steely” taste that lovers of Californian or Australian Chardonnay may not care for.

The 2007 Seguinot Bordet Chablis Fourchaumes is, as expected, steely and spicy with lots of ripe fruit.  Interestingly, whereas the Roger Lassarate Macon-Vergisson La Roche needed to air out a bit in order to mellow out the big honey flavors, the Seguinot Bordet Chablis Fourchaumes needed a bit of oxygen to really allow the flavors and aroma to open up.

All in all, this is a solid Chablis.  It may not appeal to lovers of big, oaky Chardonnay, but for those who prefer their whites with more acidity and minerality, this is an excellent option.  All in all, I’m giving it 3.5 corks popped….

If you’d like to give it a try for yourself, you can find it for $19.99/bottle at Wine Exchange.

Cheers!!
 
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Posted in 3.5 corks popped, Burgundy, France, Seguinot Bordet Chablis Fourchaumes Premier Cru, white wine

 

2007 Roger Lassarate Macon-Vergisson La Roche

03 Dec

At first taste, all I could think of this wine was, “Whoa.”  Rich and bold, it fills the mouth with flavors of honey, melon and pears, and a bit of minerality.  Though it mellowed out significantly after breathing a bit, I don’t know that this is a wine I’d choose to drink on its own.  That said, it worked quite well with tonight’s dinner – a hearty salad of arugula, grilled chicken, sauteed apples, Roquefort cheese and grapes.

All in all, I’d say that as long as you drink this wine with food, it’ll pop about 3.5 corks…

If you’d like to give it a try, it’s available at wine.com for $17.79/bottle.

Cheers!!
 
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Posted in 3.5 corks popped, Burgundy, France, Roger Lassarate Macon-Vergisson La Roche, white wine

 

2004 Emilian Gillet Vire Clesse Quintaine Jean Thevenet

01 Dec

As an oenophile raised on the myriad wines of California wine country, I have to admit that I am most familiar with “New World” (and especially California) wines.  Chardonnay is no exception.  The very word “Chardonnay” evokes for me big, buttery and/or highly oaked monsters that drink like a red that you chill.  And while I have gone through phases where I really enjoy a big California Chardonnay (and have been exposed to many, as they are SM’s wine of choice), it is currently not at the top of my to-drink list.

That said, white Burgundian wines (made from Chardonnay) are a different story.  These wines are more subtle – lower in alcohol and higher in mineral content and acidity – and they float lightly over the tongue with herbaceous and mineral notes that are harder to recognize in their New World counterparts due to the New World focus on big, bold, ripe fruit.  In short, I am becoming a fan of Chardonnay again, just not those from my beautiful home state.

The 2004 Emilian Gillet Vire Clesse Quintaine Jean Thevenet is just such a wine.  Its aroma is reticent of a meadow after it rains, and although it has the round mouthfeel typical of the Chardonnay grape, it has little to none of the overwhelming oakiness found in most California Chardonnay, instead carrying notes of tart Granny Smith apples and fresh apricot.  And the finish is long and makes me crave moules frittes (steamed mussels with french fries)… hmmmm…..

Would I drink this wine again?  Absolutely.  I’d say it popped at least 4 corks for me.

And depending on how the rest of the week goes, you may just see this wine again this weekend!  If you’d like to try it for yourself, you can find it at Wine Exchange for $17.99/bottle.

Cheers!!
 
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Posted in 4 Corks Popped, Burgundy, Emilian Gillet Vire Clesse Quintaine Jean Thevenet, France, white wine

 

Week 14: Burgundy Whites

30 Nov

Happy Cyber Monday!  I hope everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving.  J and I had a great time with the Lyman clan on Thursday followed by a relaxing and beautiful weekend at his family’s cabin up in the Sierra foothills.  We did a lot of cooking, eating, and drinking, which is, I suppose, not much different than a normal weekend for us, but this time we got to share it with both of our families.  Very fun.  We took some arancini di riso (fried risotto balls filled with cheese) to my family’s Thanksgiving gathering* and cooked some really fabulous meals (chicken stuffed with goat cheese, mushrooms and spinach on Friday night and pork and wild boar ribs braised in red wine on Saturday night) for J’s family up at the cabin.

Anyhoo, with Thanksgiving now behind us, I’m jumping right in to Week 14 of the CorkPopper project.  I’m leaving Italy behind (Ciao!) and heading to France (Bonjour!), stopping first for a couple of weeks in Burgundy.  Burgundy (or Bourgogne in French) is, of course, a very famous French wine region in eastern France.  Though you can also find wines made from other grape varietals (Gamay and Aligote, in particular), the two most famous Burgundian varietals are Chardonnay for white wines and Pinot Noir for red wines.  This week’s wines will all be Burgundian whites made from the Chardonnay grape…. and without further delay, here’s this week’s list!

First, we have a 2004 Emilian Gillet Vire Clesse Quintaine Jean Thevenet, which was given 90 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and is available at Wine Exchange for $17.99/bottle.

Second, is a 2007 Roger Lassarate Macon-Vergisson La Roche, which received 90 points from Stephen Tanzer and is available at wine.com for $17.79/bottle.

Finally, a 2007 Seguinot Bordet Chablis Fourchaumes Premier Cru, which received 90 points from BurgHound, a great resource for information on Burgundian wines.  This wine is available at Wine Exchange for $19.99/bottle.

Cheers!!

* Though I’ve long warned J that newcomers to the Lyman family Thanksgiving must have an excellent sense of humor, J escaped mostly unscathed…. though he did take some ribbing about how good his “balls” were (meaning the arancini we brought, of course).

 
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Posted in Burgundy, Emilian Gillet Vire Clesse Quintaine Jean Thevenet, France, Roger Lassarate Macon-Vergisson La Roche, Seguinot Bordet Chablis Fourchaumes Premier Cru, white wine