2009 Domaine des Terres Dorées Beaujolais L’Ancen Vielles Vignes

Terres Dorees Beaujolais L'Ancien Vieilles Vignes 2009

Wines from Beaujolais, where the Gamay Noir grape varietal is grown, are some of the finest and most underappreciated quality wines on the market today. One of my favorites is the 2009 Domaine des Terres Dorées. The owner and wine maker is Jean-Paul Brun and he has worked hard to make his wines some of the best in the region. The domain is situated in the south of Beaujolais, in the village of Charnay-en-Beaujolais. He practices 100% organic farming, and uses only native yeasts in the fermentation process. The wine is sourced from some of the oldest vines on the lot, where there are fewer grapes per vine, resulting in a more concentrated and robust flavor. 2009 was an outstanding vintage for Beaujolais; David Schildknecht of the Wine Advocate awarded the wine 90 points, and coming in at 16.99 per bottle; it is an outstanding value for a win of this quality. It is deep red in color, contains refined soft tannins, a beautiful bouquet of bright red fruit, and spice. It is truly delicious. You can pick it up online or in the store; City Wine Merchant

I have been asked to keep this blog going, so I appologize if you get repetition from this blog and my store blog.

Beaujolais is one of the more versatile and forgiving wines to accompany with food, and I recommend exploring different pairings with a variety of foods. It is an interchangeable selection with many traditionally white wine pairings, but it can hold its own with richer and heavier foods.

It was a perfect selection to complement tonight’s dual meal, surf and turf; that is Prime dry aged NY strip steak with a spice rubbed grilled sea scallop. The richness of the beef was cut with the soft tannins and the spice, and the fruit forwardness of the wine softened the spice rub on the scallop.

With a Prime Dry Aged Strip steak I don’t like to fuss much with it, I want the rich flavor of the quality beef to shine through and not covered up by herbs or spices, coat with extra virgin olive oil, fleur de sel (French grey sea salt), and coarse fresh cracked pepper, and grill to one’s liking.

For the scallops, I also coat with extra virgin olive oil and a spice blend (recipe below) or there are some quality pre-made rubs from Penzys. Make sure the grill is hot and well-oiled before placing the scallops atop. They only take about 3-4 minutes per side.

Scallop Spice Rub:

1 tbsp. Hungarian Paprika
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Cumin powder
½ tsp. Cayenne powder
½ tsp. Garlic powder
½ tsp. Fennel Seed
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper

2009 JJ Vincent Bourgogne Blanc with Littleneck Clams

I apologize for the short hiatus. My second son, Maddox, was born 2 weeks ago, and I started a second job at City Wine Merchant. So I have been quite busy, but I am ready to get back to Monday Nights!!

A hot summer day, steamed littleneck clams and cold bottle of white wine is a recipe for a perfect dinner. For tonight’s meal I have selected the 2009 JJ Vincent Bourgogne Blanc. This Bourgogne blanc is 100% Chardonnay, it has a fresh ripe nose, and lemony citrus notes, while some oak, it is well structured and delicious. Extremely great value and quality in this price level. 14.99 and can be found on citywinemerchant.com

Steamed Littleneck Clams

Recipe:
50 Littleneck clams
3 minced shallots
2 lb.’s Garlicky sausage (Italian sausage or chorizo could substitute)
1 Cup Dry white wine
2 tsp. Saffron
3 Diced Tomatoes
Chopped chives to garnish (optional)
Baguette grilled with olive oil and salt and pepper

This is a quick simple dish, and the stove doesn’t have to be on too long in the hot weather. Start by searing the sausage whole in olive oil, remove from pan and cut on the bias and reserve. Add the minced shallots, diced tomatoes, white wine, saffron and sliced sausage to the pan, allow the alcohol to cook off then add the clams. Cover with a lid until the clams have opened. Pour into a large bowl garnish with the chives, and serve with the grilled bread for dipping in the broth.