Farmstead Cheeses and Wines

This month's Classic Club offerings are a Sta Rita Hills Viognier, Muga Rosada from Rioja, a full throttle Malbec from Argentina, and a Cabernet-based SuperTuscan.

Melville Verna's Viognier We bought as much as we could of the 2007 Verna's - before Parker's 94 point review.  It sold out in a minute and a half, and when the 2008 was made available to us, we begged and pleaded for enough for the club. 

Parker said that the '07 "may be the finest example of this varietal I have tasted in California. Extraordinary minerality and precision, despite its enormous power, are what sets it apart from most blowsy, loosely constructed Viogniers."  Named in honor of Ron Melville’s mother, Verna’s vineyard in Los Alamos is planted to seven acres of viognier on sandy loam soil and is a combination of Alban selection and clone 1. Slightly warmer and windier then our Sta. Rita Hills property, this estate has proven well-suited for growing this aromatic varietal. The fruit was gently pressed, transferred to neutral barrel, cold-fermented at 45°F for three months and prepared for bottling in April. Cold fermentation, neutral oak and the avoidance of malo-lactic fermentation were employed to retain the wine’s liveliness, freshness and perfumed expressions. From one of the Santa Rita Hills’ superb vineyard sites, the Melville wines are made by Greg Brewer.

Muga Rosado.  This is the fourth time that we've presented this wine to the classic club; it truly is a store favorite. 

Where most rosé wines are made by the saignée method, this barrel fermented beauty is made by blending red wine with white.  The 2008 is a blend of Garnacha, Viura, and Tempranillo. Light pink in color, it offers up aromas and flavors of strawberry and rhubarb. Crisp and tasty in the mouth, it has a fruity, refreshing finish.  Muga has a lively acidity making it fresh and crisp, yet it has a good deal of body making it a mouth-filling wine. It’s dry and shows excellent fruit notes of ripe red apples, tropical fruits and fresh citrus. Perfect with traditional Spanish tapas.  ¡Olé!

Tiza Malbec is made from 100% Malbec, hand-harvested vineyards that total over 220 acres. Aged in new French oak barrels for 12 months. This wine offers a great intense and complex nose of wild berries and red ripe fruit with subtle spicy notes. Superb fruit flavors combine perfectly with toasty notes providing great structure, character, and a long finish.  "The 2006 Tiza Malbec is a lot selected by the importer. It was aged in new French oak for 12 months. More deeply colored, it offers up a bouquet of spice box, wood smoke, pencil lead, mineral, and black cherry. Layered, ripe, and intense, it conceals enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years. Drink this outstanding value from 2009 to 2016."  89+ points, Robert Parker.

Tenuta di Arcena Prima Voce, named for the leading voice in an opera, this blend balances the elegance of Merlot with the richness and power of Cabernet Sauvignon.  A lovely nose of cedar, fresh vanilla and a hint of ginger, followed by aromas of ripe plums and white chocolate. Tannins are soft, silky and balanced and lead to an explosion of cherries on the palate. The long lingering finish of forest floor, earth and spice.  72% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Syrah



RECIPES (provided by Andy Carthy)
For the Viognier:  Mussels with Curry and Basil    Serves 4

The sweet, mildly spicy flavors and aromatics of this recipe are a wonderful compliment to the Melville Viognier. I would suggest a mild Indian curry powder that contains a high ratio of tumeric and cumin for this recipe. Most high quality food stores will have this type of curry powder in stock.

• 4 pounds Mussels, rinsed, scrubbed and beards removed
• 4 oz unsalted butter
• ¼ cup minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced thyme
• 1 tablespoon Madras Curry Powder
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Sea salt
• Cracked black pepper
• 1-cup basil leaves

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, thyme and curry powder and cook for one minute or until fragrant. Next add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 30 minutes to infuse the flavors.

Bring the broth back to a simmer over medium high heat and add the mussels. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes, or until all the mussels have opened. Add the basil leaves and toss gently. Season with the salt and pepper and serve immediately.


For the Rosé   Salad of Melon Ribbons, White Nectarines and Serrano Ham   serves 4

This is a delicious light summer salad that will pair beautifully with the Muga Rosado. Select a Melon that is not too ripe or you will have trouble slicing it, and if you cannot find Serrano Ham, Prosciutto is the perfect substitute.

• 4 oz Serrano Ham, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Sherry Vinegar
• Sea Salt
• 4 oz Cantaloupe, thinly sliced
• 2 White Nectarines, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced chives

Whisk the olive oil and sherry vinegar together in a mixing bowl and season with the salt. Drape alternating slices of the melon, nectarine and ham on each plate like loose ribbons. Drizzle the dressing on top and garnish with the chives.

For the Malbec: Whole Boneless Rib Eye with Chimichurri and Salt Crust Potatoes with Marjoram  serves 6-8

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit the Mendoza wine region and one of my greatest memories of that incredible time down there was dinner at Francis Mallmann’s restaurant, 1884. The following recipe (actually a combination of two separate recipes) is from his fantastic cookbook, Seven Fires, Grilling the Argentina Way, and I can think of no better match for the Tiza Malbec.

 Chimichurri Sauce:

• 1 cup Water
• 1T kosher salt
• 1 head garlic, peeled and minced fine
• 1 cup packed parsley leaves chopped fine
• 1 cup packed oregano leaves chopped fine
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup extra virgin olive

Bring the water to a boil, add the salt and stir until it dissolves. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. In a medium bowl mix the garlic, herbs and pepper flakes. Whisk in the vinegar, then the oil followed by the salt water. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use. Best made 1 day in advance.

• 1 Boneless Rib-Eye Roast, 3-5 pounds
• Kosher Salt

Heat the oven to 450F. Sprinkle the meat with the kosher salt and coat on all sides with the Chimichurri sauce. Place on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 350F and roast approx 10 minutes more per pound to125F for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board to rest 10 minutes before carving.

• 4 Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 4 Marjoram sprigs
• 4 pounds kosher salt (not a typo)
  
• Extra virgin olive oil

Scrub the potatoes and make an incision lengthwise in each potato and insert the sprig of marjoram.

Empty the salt into the kitchen sink, or a large basin. Pour one cup of water over the salt and mix to combine. The mixture should be the consistency of damp snow-add more water if needed. Make a bed of half the moistened salt in a 9”x13” roasting pan. Nestle the potatoes into the pan, spacing them evenly without touching the sides of the pan. Cover with the remaining salt, patting it down so that the potatoes are completely encased in salt. Place in the oven when the meat is approx halfway.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven allow to rest for 15 minutes. The potatoes will continue to cook in the crust. Using a wooden mallet, carefully crack the crust and remove the salt using a large spoon. Brush the excess salt form the potatoes with a pastry brush and transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with the olive oil.

For the SuperTuscan  Bistecca Fiorentina with Sautéed Spinach   serves 4-6

 The Fiorentina steak is one of the glories of Tuscan cooking. You may have to special order this steak, but it is well worth it. This will make a memorable barbecue night with some good company and a bottle or two of the Primavoce!

• 48 oz Porterhouse or T-bone steak, (28 Day Aged Preferable)
• 2 Rosemary Sprigs
• 1-tablespoon sea salt
• Pinch cayenne powder
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 2 pounds baby spinach, washed and dried
• Juice of ½ lemon            
• Kosher salt and pepper

Remove the steak from the refrigerator about 6 hours before cooking it. Chop the rosemary and mix with the sea salt, cayenne, sugar, and olive oil. Rub the mixture into the steak, season with freshly ground black pepper and allow to sit at room temperature until ready to cook.

Light a hardwood charcoal fire in a grill and place the grill rack about 4 inches from the heat. When the flames have died down and the coals are glowing bright red, place the steak over the heat. Allow it cook, without moving it, until the underside is well-browned 8 to 9 minutes. Turn the steak with tongs and cook until the second side is well browned and the meat is rare at the thickest part close to the bone. The meat should feel springy to the touch. (If you like, you may judge the doneness of the steak with an instant reading meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the steak close to the bone. The steak is cooked rare when the thermometer reads 120° F.) Transfer the steak to a carving board.

Allow the steak to rest 5 to 10 minutes before carving. 


Meanwhile, in a large heavy pot, add approx 3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat until very hot. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until just golden. Add a few handfuls of the spinach, sprinkle lightly with the salt and pepper and cook until just wilted. Add the remaining spinach in batches, lightly seasoning each batch and cooking until just wilted. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning if necessary with more salt and pepper.

To carve and serve the steak, first cut the meat away from both sides of the T-bone. Cut each piece of meat on a slight angle into 1/2-inch slices. Reform the slices and place them back next to the bone. Bring the steak to the table like this, right on the board and serve slices from the board unto 4 large dinner plates. Place the spinach next to the steak.