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Burgundies pair well with earthy wild mushrooms
Listen to "In the Wine Cellar", Dave's weekly radio show on KQV Radio on the web or your MP3 player.
To determine the availability of wines at PLCB stores near your home, go the PLCB's Product Search Page (www.lcb.state.pa.us) and type in the wine name and then your county name.
Dave DeSimone is a member of the American Wine Society. He can be heard daily on KQV Radio with the Wine Cellar reports. He can be reached via e-mail.
Recommended:
Indicates a well-made table wine ready for immediate enjoyment with everyday meals and offering good value.
Highly Recommended:
Indicates a well-made table wine ready for immediate enjoyment and offering very good value on a particularly well-made example of its type.
Cellar Selection:
Indicates a well-made table wine that requires additional bottle aging in a temperature-controlled cellar to reach peak enjoyment.
Note:
Code numbers and prices refer to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board system unless otherwise indicated.
Recently, Jeremy Carlisle and the talented culinary crew at Le Pommier Bistro Francais, on the South Side, introduced a new seasonal menu incorporating mushrooms very creatively in two excellent starter dishes called Trio de Champignons and Escargot Forestière. The restaurant also has adopted an enlightened wine corkage policy.
When planning to bring a bottle of wine to a restaurant with a liquor license, it is practical to call in advance to confirm the BYOB -- bring your own bottle -- policy. At Le Pommier, customers may bring bottles not offered on the restaurant's wine list, and are charged a corkage fee of $5 per glass. In other words, $10 for a couple sharing a bottle.
My better half and I brought the 1999 Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny "Les Fuées," 1er Cru, a wine made by an accomplished producer in an outstanding vintage with grapes from a fine Burgundy terroir. Upon request, the wine was promptly and properly decanted. This assisted the still evolving young adult of a wine to open up and reveal intensely ripe, complex aromas. The first few sips of concentrated, ripe dark fruit, excellent acidity and still fairly firm tannins quickened our appetites.
We ordered the two intriguing mushroom dishes with keen anticipation and the hope of experiencing flavors and textures that would make the wine really sing with confidence. We were not disappointed.
The Trio de Champignons offers a marvelous diversity of mushroom tastes on a single plate: Porcinis blended with truffles in a creamy, yet firm and flavorful concoction are served in a small pot de crème; Wild Shitake, Crimini, and Chanterelles mushrooms are folded into a flavorful, but mild Gruyère cheese tart with a delicate, flaky crust; and slices of smoked portobello mushrooms are rendered in a gateau topped with a dollop of crème fraîche.
The Escargot Forestière featured plump snails in a puff pastry with a savory, yet delicate, boudin blanc sausage, fingerling potatoes, juicy chanterelle mushrooms and bits of bacon.
The wine certainly enhanced our enjoyment of the mushrooms, but each bite of these beguiling and earthy treats also made the wine taste even better. With the food, the wine unfolded more harmoniously as the tannins melted away in seamless integration with the rich flavors of the mushrooms and other ingredients. It was a memorable experience.
It is a combination also worth trying with variations at home. Wild mushrooms and other exotic farm-grown mushrooms are now readily available.
While well-aged, distinctive red Burgundies from France are not generally widely available in Pennsylvania, the following two well-made selections are an exception to the rule. They are drinking nicely now and worth trying:
- 2000 Domaine Robert Arnoux Nuits-Saint-Georges (7760, $39.99): This wine, from an accomplished, leading producer has dark berry fruit framed by the classic "rustic" earthy nuances typical of Nuits-Saint-Georges reds. Village level reds from the 2000 vintage are primed for current consumption. Highly recommended.
- 2001 Joseph Drouhin "Clos-des-Mouches" Rouge, 1er Cru (specialty 19098, $39.99): The national wine press basically overlooked the 2001 vintage in Burgundy, creating excellent opportunities for savvy buyers. This wine is undoubtedly the best value in red Burgundy currently in the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board system. Precise, clean aromas and flavors balance silky tannins and good acidity with subtle, complex notes. The wine will continue to improve with cellar aging. Highly recommended.
National retailers with outstanding, extensive selections of older red Burgundies include Zachy's in New York (www.zachys.com) and MacArthur Beverages in Washington, D.C. (www.bassins.com).
Best Buy
Chaddsford Winery Pennsylvania Spiced Apple Wine (7324, on sale: $8.49 with $2 off instant coupon): With tongue planted firmly in cheek, winemaker Eric Miller calls this apple cider with an advanced degree. Spicy aromas of apples open to lush, off-dry apple flavors with a sweet but nicely balanced finish. Try this fun-loving, relatively low-alcohol wine mulled with spices at tailgate parties and with warm apple crisp made with Pennsylvania's heirloom apples, now plentiful at local markets. Recommended.
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