Beautiful Night, Beautiful Bounty

It's the holidays, time for indulgence. I pulled up to Sabrina's with two bottles of wine and a cauliflower gratin. My contributions were a Non-vintage Guy Larmandier Rose Brut and a 1993 Tokay Aszu 5 Puttonyos. Sabrina had already opened a 1995 Gruet Blanc de Blanc and a 2003 Wehlener Sonnenur Riesling Kabinett from SA Prum. Joining us were Alan and Susanna, Patrick and Tara, Hilary, Jossiene, Eric and Marc. We nibbled on Smoked Coho, King and Keta Salmon all pairing beautifully with the acidity and toastiness of the Gruet. Next we popped the Guy Larmandier. The beautiful aroma carried dried raspberries, biscuit and slate with a bracing acidity that cut through the richness of salmon AND hummus. Jossiene has been tutoring me in properly pronouncing French. She is from the Juras region of France but has lived here in the States for many years. After successfully pronouncing the Champagne label Sabrina looked at Patrick and said "We won't be able to work with him from now on". I am bad at correcting people. . .I guess. Eric pulled the leg of lamb off the grill to rest as we sat down to the table and surveyed the other bottles. Patrick and Tara provided a 1996 Chateau La Cardone Haut-Medoc (which oddly enough was predominantly Merlot), Alan and Susanna brought a 2000 Andre Brunel Les Sambiches Cotes-du-Rhone Villages, our good friend Brett (who wasn't present) gave us a 2004 Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas Rouge AND a 2003 Treana Rouge, Sabrina whisked out of her cellar a 1995 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino and a 2005 Renwood Amador Ice Zinfandel. What a lineup!

We began with the Tablas Creek, it gave off aromas of cranberry and pomegranate and light smoke. On the palate the acid was bright but the alcohol was high. Maybe if we gave the bottle a bit more time to air the alcohol would have dissipated somewhat. The Treana, a blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah, was big, full-bodied and packed with berry jam. The nose had cocoa, blackberries and light earth. On the palate I tasted coffee, blackberry and chocolate covered raspberries that were carried by heavy tannins. The Andre Brunel delivered heavy aromas of earth, fennel, and dark stone influenced fruit. These aromas carried over to the palate (god bless old world wines) and screamed out for the lamb.

Hitting their stride, the old world wines of the lineup got better and better. The Argiano 1995 Brunello di Montalcino gave forth barnyard, cranberry, sage and lavender on the nose. The flavors of leather, dried red cherry, and dried herbs paired well with the lamb. Each bite and sip combined into one new, dare I say transcendent, flavor. The 1996 Chateau la Cardone Haut Medoc had a nose of cigar box, cedar, dried meat and dried berries with a rich luscious finish. The palate displayed earth, graphite and vibrant tannins that lingered and lingered.

All of these wines were so amazing, rare, beautiful and engaging. They paired wonderfully all of the dishes: cauliflower gratin with cream, garlic and gruyere; sweet potato puree with rosemary; and a lovely, earthy roasted lamb studded with garlic.

After dinner we had a glorious spread of artisanal cheeses such as Cabrales (Spain), Roaring 40's (Australia) and Humboldt Fog (California). The cheeses aided in showcasing the 1993 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos from Hungary. This wine was liquid sun with layers of honey, dates, caramelized sugar, flowers. . .the list goes on. It took me some time to get over just smelling it much less tasting it. The texture and acidity carried the cheese and lifted them all to another level.

As if that wasn't enough, Sabrina had prepared an espresso tart to pair with a 2005 Renwood Amador Ice Zinfandel. This cryoextracted dessert zinfandel had acid and fruit which not only cut through the richness of the tart but also amplified the smokiness of the espresso.

This meal will absolutely go down as one of the most outstanding, exceptional dinners I've ever had. I've always felt that when you get good friends together that is the basis for everything. Everything after that is icing. The food and wine held flavors that I've never experienced before.

My friends helped me taste them.

Away

As much as I'm glad to be in Memphis spending Christmas with Kelly and our dogs, I do wish I was in Indiana with my family. By now, my parents and I would have been headlong into our first bottle of Tempranillo. It would have been nice to watch my niece tear open her presents. It's okay. I'll see them in a few weeks.

Dec/Jan article

Check out my new article in the Lamplighter: www.cooperyoung.org/lamplighter.asp.

Sorry about the lack of a link. Something is not working.

Sunday Dinner

Sundays, as I've said before, are my days to cook. I try to do something special, not outrageous, just full of love, flavor and care. In the process of creation, I'm always paying attention to how the meal will pair with wine. What wine will go best? What flavors should I add to the dish to mirror/contrast the wine?

Recently, I had the urge to cook some duck. There were two wines I had in mind for this dish. The first was a 2004 Savigny-Les-Beaune from Joseph Drouhin. This wine has a light ruby color, elevated (but not overpowering) acidity, a gorgeous array of earth, and soft fruit profile. The second was a 2001 Chianti Classico Riserva from Luiano. The bright acidity (typical of Sangiovese), medium-full body, and berry-fruit characteristics seemed perfect for duck.

I marinated the duck legs in a dash of soy, red wine, pepper, garlic and a dash of pomegranate molasses. After a few hours of marinating, I laid them on a baking sheet and roasted them in the oven. While they were roasting I prepared some red rice, english pea pods, and a dried cherry sauce with red wine, balsamic vinegar, shallots and a dash of pomegranate molasses to mirror the marinade.

Finally it was time to test my wine theory. The acidity of the red burgundy cut through the richness of the duck, the fruit and the acid in the wine mirrored the dried cherry sauce, and the earthiness popped out to go with the gamy quality of the duck. Delicious.

Unfortunately, I couldn't test my theory about the Chianti. It was corked. Oh well, I'll just have to try it again!

Certified

I did it! I actually did it! I am officially a Certified Sommelier! On November 13th I successfully passed the Court of Master Sommelier's Certified Sommelier Exam. It was unbelievably difficult, but I pulled it off. This can only lead to bigger and better things. Even though it takes a few years for new vines to produce quality grapes, the world of wine changes at a rapid pace. There are new wines and new wine regions emerging on a regular basis. It's a pleasure to keep up.

Sonoma-The 30th Birthday

So Sorry that I haven't posted in FOREVER, but I've been spending all my spare time studying for the Certified Sommelier Exam. More on that later, back to Wine Country . . .Kelly and I have been to Northern California wine country before, mainly Napa. However, I've always been a HUGE fan of Sonoma wines. Therefore, I wanted to focus this trip on Sonoma; specifically the Russian River AVA and Dry Creek AVA. The Russian River Pinots are beautiful and silky, the Dry Creek Zinfandels are powerful and luscious. We headed north out of San Francisco with the top down on our Mustang convertible; the sun beating down and the ocean breeze cooling us off. We popped in the audio cd "Napa Uncorked" narrated by David Hyde Pierce, pick this up for your next trip to Northern California. I did want to stop by Failla in St. Helena to check out what Turley's winemaker, Ehren Jordan, was up to at his new winery. There was an unfortunate miscommunication between us and the winery so we missed our appointment. Oh well, since we were in Napa I wanted to check out Cliff Lede in the Stag's Leap District. I've heard so much about their S. Anderson sparkling wines that I had to try them for myself. The tasting room was warm and luscious with wood and granite and large windows to stream in light. I was pleasantly surprised by their Petite Sirah (one of my favorite varietals). It was dark, rich, bold and filled with black fruits with big tannin. Yet it wasn't overpowering and jarring the way an overextracted Aussie Shiraz can be. Next up was what I came for, the S. Anderson bubbly. I tasted the 2000 Brut and the 1999 Blanc de Blancs, both were outstanding. The Brut was crisp and mineral-filled with bright citrus peel and biscuit aromas. The Blanc de Blancs had apple, pear, white peach and limestone aromas. We left with a bottle of the 2004 Petite Sirah and the 2000 Brut Rose. Onward . . .

We headed out of the Stag's Leap District toward Santa Rosa in search of Siduri. If you haven't experienced Siduri wines (and they are an "experience"), I implore you to go immediately to your favorite wine shop and buy a bottle of their wine. They produce only Pinot Noir (their sister winery, Novy, which is housed in the same facility produces Syrah, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and sometimes Pinot Meunier). The winemaking facility is in a warehouse park just outside of the Charles Schultz airport in Santa Rosa. It is very minimalist, no bells and whistles here. Obviously they focus all their energy on what goes in the bottle, rather than how to showcase it. What's inside the bottle is awe-inspiring. Their Pinots aren't cheap, but they are worth every penny (and I rarely say that). Some highlights were the 2005 Russian River (even being so young it was drinking beautifully), and the 2005 Rosella's Vineyard (which was luscious but needed some bottle time. Jill Kennedy, the National Sales Manager, led us through the facility showing us the incoming grapes, the hopper, fermenting bins and the barrel room. We also had the pleasure of tasting, from barrel, the 2005 Novy Christensen Family Syrah, Gary's Vineyard Syrah, and Rosella's Vineyard Syrah. They were all amazing, each with their own terroir, simply beautiful. The Christensen was my favorite, with supple tannins, blackberry fruit, rosemary aromas, and a long finish. Even in barrel it was showing signs of how amazing it will be. The Siduri experience was amazing.

I'm 30, why not?

To celebrate my 30th birthday, my partner Kelly and I decided (well, I really decided) to take a trip out to the beautiful Sonoma Valley. Being in the business I was able to set up a few appointments with wineries beforehand. After a smooth 4 1/2 hour flight from Memphis we landed in San Francisco, a former home of mine. Our friend Cori picked us up from the airport and whisked us into the city. We had the whole day before us to play around in the city. We went down to the Ferry Building Marketplace (a must for any foodie) and had some wine at the Winebar. Service was kind of "ehh" but the wine was good. I almost purchased a bottle of Vega Sicilia's second label but the alcohol was a bit too high for a Spanish wine. I was concerned that it would be hot. We left the Ferry Building and walked towards Union Square. We then stopped at First Crush. This delightful little wine bar was beautifully stylized and had a lovely menu. Our server had been to Memphis and I recognized her (small world). After the recognition our server proceeded to shower us with wine and food. You've got to check this place out when in SF. Cori had to work the next morning so she bowed out at this point. We regrouped back at her and her husband's apartment in Noe Valley, and then Kelly and I went back out on the town. We found an amazing little place called Hotel Biron. Located in an alley behind the Zuni Cafe (which we had dinner at later in the week, I'll get to that), Hotel Biron looks like it belongs in Barcelona or Prague. It's very minimal and sleek, not to mention miniscule, and so very comfortable. With a wine list to die for (kudos to whomever put it together) and a small menu of cheeses and charcuterie, it had everything we were looking for. Kelly and I split a bottle of 1997 Calera Mt. Harlan Pinot Noir. The wine displayed gamey aromas of dried leather, dark earth, licorice and dried cherry. It had aged gracefully into a structured wine with black cherry, tea and espresso on the palate. Lovely!

We'll continue northward to Sonoma......

Lamplighter

Check out my new column in the Lamplighter newspaper. Go to: www.cooperyoung.org and click on Lamplighter.

We're back

Kelly and I just returned from Sonoma. I will be posting soon about our amaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing trip.

My Birthday Trip

Kelly and I are leaving for California on Sunday!!!!! We are staying in San Francisco Sunday night, and driving up to Sonoma on Monday. I'll be posting after the trip.

Lyrical Cuisine Pt. 2

As I said before, I love putting on some great music to cook to. But sometimes there is nothing more I need than the beautiful sound of a meal. It is a soundtrack unto itself. The slice of the knife through garlic and onion, the crunch of fresh celery, the sizzle of a piece of fish in olive oil.

The most beautiful noise in the world is my kitchen.

5 Things to Eat Before You Die

I've recently been tagged (by Colin over at memphiswineevents.blogspot.com and see-sip-taste-hear.blogspot.com, check 'em out) to list my top 5 Things To Eat Before You Die.

Here's mine:

1. Blowfish (isn't that the fish that could kill you if not prepared properly?0
2. My grandmother's Saltenas. Ta (that's what we called her growing up) would make these South American beef and vegetable pies about a day or two in advance. She made the dough from scratch and marinated the beef for a day. You haven't lived until you tasted these. My mom does an excellent job preparing these as well.
3. Tapas in a Barcelona bar. When I was over there we would pop into a bar around 6 and they would usually have plates of snacks on the bar to munch on. Usually, the snacks would be octopus, various jamons, olives, etc. The perfect accompaniment to the lovely carafes of Spanish wine we would indulge in.
4. Fresh grapes picked right off the vine.
5. Fresh scallops harvested right out of the ocean.

Save the leftovers

I've found that it always helps to evaluate what can be saved from a meal. Case in point, I braised some lovely beef short ribs (purchased at the farmer's market!) in red wine, beef stock, onion, garlic, dried thyme and rosemary. After about 8 hours of braising, I pulled the short ribs out and let them cool. After cooling, I pulled the meat off the bone. I sliced some potatoes very thinly and fried them, and topped the chips with the beef, and topped that with a fresh horseradish-garlic marscapone cream. Yum. In the pot I had a LOT of leftover braising liquid. I strained the liquid and reduced that down to about 1 1/2 cups. The short ribs on fresh chips was delicious and paired perfectly with a bottle of Baron Phillipe de Rothschild Escudo Rojo from Argentina. Awesome.

The week after, Kelly and I got together with our friends Max and Marlinee for dinner. I prepared a spice crusted pork loin and served it over the reduced wine sauce. I'm so glad I saved that sauce, it went well with the pork. And it went perfectly with a bottle of 2001 Coturri Jewell Vineyards Sonoma Mountain Pinot Noir. The high acidity and bold cherry fruit of the wine complemented the spice crust on the pork.

P.S. Sorry I haven't blogged lately. I'm working on my birthday trip to the Russian River!

Bubbles from the Great Lake State

I have been reading and hearing a lot lately about Michigan sparkling wines. I am always willing to try wines from different regions of the world, but I was even more curious because I'm a Midwesterner and I love Sufjan Stevens' album "Greetings from Michigan". My best friends Sarah and Jon also just moved to Michigan. This past Sunday Richie and Megan brought over a bottle of L. Mawby Talisman sparkling wine. It had an interesting bottle label, not garish but not too simple. We decided to start off the meal with it, I loooove starting off with bubbles! Upon first sniff I was shocked to detect aromas that I would normally pick up in top quality Champagne. The nose was giving off biscuit, orange peel, pie crust and lemon curd, along with wet stone and chalk. The palate was full of creamy texture and balanced acidity. The lemon curd had carried through along with the orange peel and a hint of spice. To me, it's absolutely thrilling to see that there are passionate winemakers crafting beautiful juice all over this country. Seek them out!

Lyrical Cuisine

There is not many things more satisfying than putting on a great CD (or hooking up the Ipod to the stereo) and conjuring up a great meal. Music can set the town for that meal, guiding the flavor intensity and choice of herbs or spices. A great song and intoxicating aromas can draw people to the kitchen. Many will offer assistance if the right combination of scents, wine and lyrical inspiration occur. I put on different music for different meals.

For all purpose culinary music I enjoy:

Ibrahim Ferrer "Buenos Hermanos"
PJ Harvey "Stories from the City, Stories from The Sea"
Rufus Wainwright "Poses" and "Want 1"
Imperial Teen "On"
Miles Davis "Kind of Blue"
Radiohead "The Bends"

This is a small list in a sea of music that I love to play when preparing dinner. The music makes everything flow so beautifully. It puts me in a glowing mood. The produce looks fresher, the fish looks just killed, the meat looks more glorious. A perfect combination of all these components can make for an ethereal experience. A great bottle of red wine, such as Peregrine 2001 Central Otago Pinot Noir, always helps too.

Parental Units

The Ps came to visit this weekend and, like always, it was fueled by great food and wine. On Sunday I prepared a steamer pot of clams and red snapper.

I first diced and sauteed half a large onion and five garlic cloves in olive oil in my sturdy dutch oven (thanks, mom!) After they were nicely colored I tossed in 30 rinsed and cleaned littleneck clams and put the lid on to allow them to steam. Once the clams were slightly open I added about 3/4 a bottle of Vega Sindoa Viura/Chardonnay from Spain, gave them a good stir and popped the lid back on. Once the wine had reduced a bit and the clams were half open I added the snapper filets, some sea salt and about 10 grinds of fresh pepper and popped the lid back on. After one side of the snapper had turned a bit white I flipped the filets over and added about a tablespoon and a half of butter, and returned the lid. 5 minutes later I added a small amount of fresh chopped tarragon and fresh red bell pepper (from Bluebird farmstand at the Farmer's Market) everything was done and ready to eat. On the side we had some nice grilled bread (from Simone the doughgirl at the Farmer's Market) for sopping up the buttery, garlicky, olive oilly, winey broth. Yuuuummmm.

We served 2 bottles with this steamer pot. The first was Epiphany Cellars 2005 Grenache Rose from Santa Barbara (only one case came into Memphis so don't even bother looking for it), and the second was Vina Rey 2003 Tempranillo Crianza. The rose exhibited deep red berry fruit, a nice hit of tannin and lovely complex spice character. The Vina Rey was lush and dark with earthy notes, silky texture, spicy flavors and a lovely finish. Seek it out now!

The Gravitational Pull of Spain

To ease the pain of my yearning for Spain, I wallowed in a delicious dinner of Spanish cuisine.

First, I prepared a lovely salad of spicy arugula (from the Memphis Farmer's Market, wow), young manchego cheese, shallot, Las Brisas Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil, heirloom tomato, sherry vinegar and Maldon Sea Salt. The best sea salt EVER!!!



We paired the salad with Ventana Riesling from Arroyo Seco Monterey. The bright acidity and off-dry nature was a perfect counterbalance with the sweet acid in the Sherry vinegar. The Riesling also cut through the richness of the cheese and stood up to the spice in the arugula.

The star dish of the night was my grandmother's recipe (Thank you Ta!) Paella. I tweaked it a bit because I can't just leave well enough alone. The Paella was filled with brown arborio rice, fresh clams, spanish chorizo, fresh shrimp, saffron, red pepper, garlic, tomato, onion, wine and edamame (sorry ta, I didn't know I had sweet peas in the freezer).



The paella was perfect with a 2003 Bacio Divino Pazzo (thanks Richie and Megan!), a blend of Sangiovese, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon. It's rich earthiness and bright fruit flowed perfectly into the heady earthiness of the saffron. It was a bit much for the clams but I still had a bit of the Riesling left to drink with that. The chorizo's spicy garlicy deliciousness made the fruit in the wine explode! Incredible.

This meal was a nice salve for my open wounds. A good meal can always make me feel better, and transport back to where I want to be.

Fuedi Di San Gregorio

The Blue Fish Restaurant, located at 2149 Young Avenue 901.725.0230, will be hosting Robert Shea of Fuedi di San Gregorio winery in Italy from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Wednesday July 26. Mr. Shea is the National Sales Director for this highly acclaimed Italian winery. The Blue Fish will be serving their regular menu for dinner and featuring these wines by the bottle and by the glass. Fuedi di San Gregorio is well known for its vineyard tactics such as high density planting and strict pruning.

I've had the opportunity to taste the Fiano, Falanghina and Aglianico and all were fabulous. The Fiano exhibits a woodsy earthy character that hits the top of your palate. The Falanghina is a crisp bright wine that follows through with good body and mouthfeel. The Aglianico is an old world wonder, big juicy red with dark red fruits and a hint of soil. The whole line is worth a try, I highly suggest making reservations for this. Call 901.725.0230 for reservations, and visit www.thebluefishmemphis.com for further information on the menu.

Here is what James Suckling of Wine Spectator had to say about the Taurasi Riserva 2001:


Daily Wine Picks
July 19, 2006

FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO Taurasi Piano di Montevergine Riserva2001 (90 points)

Ripe currant, with violets, lots of oak and a hint of charred meat. Full-bodied, with firm, velvety tannins and a long, oaky finish. Silky and fine. Best after 2007. 1,600 cases made.

--James Suckling

Arugula! For the first time.

I went to the Farmer's Market at Central Station downtown this past Saturday to find some inspiration for Sunday's Spanish dinner. I came upon an organic stand. The guy behind the stand said to me "hey, weren't you here a few weeks ago looking for arugula?" I couldn't believe he remembered me! He gave me a taste of the arugula that he said was harvested at 4am that morning. Wow! It's as if I never had arugula ever in my life! This little green was so spicy and pungent, it was amazing! I purchased a clamshell of the greens, and thanked him for remembering me. Last night I made a salad with the spicy arugula, heirloom tomatoes, shallots, manchego cheese, sherry vinegar, olive oil, and finished with some Maldon sea salt (Kelly's fave). It paired wonderfully with a Ventana single vineyard Riesling from Monterey.

Entranced

Tuesday night Kelly and I met up at Napa Cafe to have some wine. I scanned the list and almost fell out of my chair when I saw they had Chateau Musar 1988....FOR $35!!!! I couldn't believe it. We ordered a bottle and asked them to decant it (which they were very happy to do).

It was transfixing. When I tasted the wine I tasted the vineyard. I tasted the soil the vines grew out of, the air that caressed the grapes, and the sunlight that warmed them. The wine nearly brought tears to my eyes. So rarely do I have the pleasure of enjoying a mature and affordable wine at a restaurant. We so often are subjected to current release wines that may or may not be ready to drink. This was truly special, a gift.

That wine is the perfect example of an establishment that truly cares. Go now to Napa Cafe, have a bottle of Musar (or another one from their INCREDIBLE selection), some great food, and support one of the few restaurants in town that is as passionate about wine as they are about customer service. Independent restaurants always seem to get it right. The chains could care less if you're even there, but the Mom and Pops welcome you.

By the way, Lulu Grille (also in East Memphis) is changing their wine list after many years. Stay tuned with details on that.