October's array of four wines have arrived for your selection.   This month we present two wines from my good friend Sara Floyd - Luli Chardonnay and Luli Pinot Noir, made by Jeff Pisoni from great Santa Lucia Highlands fruit.  We also have Chad Melville's great Samsara Rosé, and a Sangiovese from the Tuscan seaside, Carandelle from Podere San Cristoforo.

This is our second go round with Luli Chardonnay. Luli is a relatively new project owned by Sara Floyd,  Master Sommelier and the Pisoni family, and was created to produce moderately priced wines of impeccable provenance and quality. 

This year's vintage of Luli is produced from 100% Santa Lucia Highlands fruit, tank and neutral barrel fermented, with no malo-lactic fermentation carried out in the wine.

Luli Chard has bright aromas, fresh flavors and refreshing acidity.  Bright and fresh aromatics leap out of the glass.  The  aromas are full of white flowers, minerality, meyer lemon peel.  The wine coats the palate nicely and the crisp acidity is very cleansing and refreshing.   It offers pure peaches-and-cream notes with a lick of citrus and pear.  Named one of the best wines $20 and under from Food and Wine Magazine.

I loved the pure flavors of Chad Melville's Samsara Rosé. It was undoubtedly the surprise at our Samsara/Melville wine dinner at the Wood Tavern over the summer. 

Intensely perfumed bouquet of wild strawberry, blood orange and nectarine aromas are complicated by dusty minerals and flowers. Juicy, lightly sweet citrus and red berry flavors hit the palate, and are given a firm edge by the acidity. Gains weight and richness on the finish. This rose will be very flexible at the table.  The fruit was whole clustered to a tank for five days before it was pressed off and went straight to neutral barrels in the cold room. Fermentation lasted 7 weeks due to the chilly environment which helps capture the delicate aromas from blowing off. The wine was prevented from going through ML, which has helped keep the strong acid backbone.

New this year, the 2008 Luli Pinot Noir is sourced from sustainably farmed vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands, this wine is a showcase for cool climate fruit. Fermented using native yeasts with only 20% new French oak, the 2008 Luli Pinot is fresh and bright, with strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors, supple tannins, ebullient acidity and a bit of spice.

The 2006 vintage at Podere San Cristoforo was excellent, and this year's Carandelle, a single vineyard designate made from the Montalcino clone of Sangiovese has intense ruby red color, with violet touches, a violet-, cherry-, and wild berry-scented nose, a good structure, and  pleasantly fresh with a soft and persistent finish. 

Maremma is a not very well known region of Tuscany, near the coast, that's most famous for producing Super Tuscans like the ultra-premium Sassicaia and Ornelaia.  Podere San Cristoforo is a small winery, located inthe Montereggio DOC (known for its views of the sea and steady winds), that practices biodynamic viticulture.

Recipes (by Andy Carthy)

For the Chard: Halibut with Autumn Vegetables and Saffron Broth serves four

This recipe works very well with the bright, fresh citrus flavors of the Luli Chardonnay. Saffron is an expensive spice, but a little goes a long way, and is available at most quality food stores like Whole Foods, and specialty stores such as The Spanish Table.

Broth:
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
* 1 small yellow onion, chopped
* 1 1/2 carrots, chopped
* 2 ribs celery, chopped
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 sprigs parsley
* 1 sprig thyme
* 6 black peppercorns
* 5 cups water
* Pinch saffron
* 2-4 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

Fish:
* Four 6-ounce halibut fillets, skinless
* 1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil for cooking
* Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable:
* 2 carrots, peeled and cut into one inch dice
* 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into one inch dice
* 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
* 8 red pearl onions, peeled and halved
* 8 fingerling potatoes cut in half
* Kosher salt and pepper to taste

* Lemon juice to taste
* Chopped parsley for optional garnish


For the nage: Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat with the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, wine, bay leaf, parsley, thyme and peppercorns. Simmer until the wine is almost evaporated; then add the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, removing the garlic if the flavor starts to become too strong.

Strain, discarding the vegetables, herbs and spices. Return nage to the saucepan. Gently crush the saffron between your fingers then add it to the nage; simmer until the saffron releases its color, aroma and flavor. Set aside until ready to cook the vegetables.

If doing ahead, store the nage unstrained. Strain before using to cook the fresh vegetables.

For the fish:
Just before serving, season fish with salt and pepper and pan cook to desired doneness over medium-high heat (the general rule of thumb is about 7-10 minutes per inch of thickness). The length of cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillets and heat of the pan. If you grill the fish, be sure to oil the grates with an oiled paper towel and brush a light coating of oil on the fish before seasoning so the fillets don't stick to the grill.


For the vegetables:
Cook these vegetables in the nage, adding the longer-cooking vegetables like the carrots, potatoes and onions first, then the parsnips and cauliflower 3-4 minutes later. If needed, add just enough water to cover the vegetable. When vegetables are done, remove them from the nage; continue to simmer the nage, reducing it to about 2 cups. Mount the nage with 2 tablespoons of cold butter to enrich it by removing the reduced nage from the heat and whisking in small pieces of the butter until it's all incorporated.

Add salt and pepper to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice as needed.
Assembly: Place the fish in a shallow bowl. Spoon the vegetables around it with some of the nage. If desired, garnish with chopped parsley.

For the Rosé: Bruschetta of Fig, Ricotta and Prosciutto serves 10
These delicious little mouthfuls are the perfect canapes to be passed around with glasses of the Samara rose prior to dinner.

* 10 slices Ciabatta
* Olive oil
* 2-3 fresh ripe figs
* 4oz ricotta
* 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
* Handful of arugula
* 3-4 slices of Prosciutto

Brush the bread slices with olive oil and cook on a preheated grill or ridged grill pan until just striped with black.
Slice the figs into rounds and cut into quarters.
Put a teaspoonful or so of ricotta on each toast.
In a bowl, mix the vinegar with a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of oil and add the arugula, tossing it in the vinegar.
Press a few arugula leaves onto each ricotta-topped toast.
Arrange the figs and ham, ripped into pieces, on top.

For the Pinot: Rare Seared Tuna with Truffle Oil Polenta, Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce serves four

This recipe is a play on Tournedo's Rossini, the classic Burgundian dish of Filet of Beef, Truffles and Foie Gras. Tuna's buttery texture and rich flavor is a perfect substitute for the filet, and combined with the remaining ingredients is a perfect compliment for the rich fruit flavors of the Luli Pinot Noir.

* ½ cup coarse polenta
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 ½ cups heavy cream
* 1 cup chicken stock
* 1 teaspoon black truffle oil
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup dry red wine, preferably pinot noir
* 1/2 pound small to medium shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
* 1 clove of garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
* 2 thyme sprigs, chopped
* ¼ cup olive oil
* salt and pepper to taste
* 4 pieces of thick cut sushi grade tuna, 6 ounces each
* salt and cracked black pepper

Put the polenta, butter, cream, truffle oil and chicken stock into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Season with salt and pepper, and keep warm until needed.

Place red wine in a small saucepot and reduce over medium heat until it just covers the bottom of the pot. Set aside until needed.

Toss the mushrooms with the garlic, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper, and place on a baking sheet and roast in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes. Remove and keep warm until needed.

Season tuna with salt and pepper and sear in a large skillet over high heat on all sides for about 2 minutes for rare or to desired temperature. Remove from heat

Divide the polenta between 4 large dinner plates. Place a piece of tuna on top, and spoon the mushrooms over top. Bring the red wine back to a simmer and whisk in 2 tablespoons of cold butter until glossy. Spoon the sauce around the plate.

For the Veneto Red:  Baked Polenta with Sausage serves 6-8
My friend, and very talented Italian chef, Luke Palladino calls this dish (which he used to serve in his restaurants at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City) “pasticciata,” which means “a big mess” in Italian and usually refers to dishes in which the ingredients are mixed together and baked in a casserole. The best polenta, a speciality of the Veneto region, is stone ground (rather than milled with steel rollers), which has a coarse texture and more corn taste.

Polenta:
* 9 cups water
* 2 teaspoons coarse salt
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal
* 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
* 1 tablespoon butter
* Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Sausage Mix Ingredients:
*2 tbsp unsalted butter
* 4 cloves garlic, chopped
*12 sage leaves
* 2 lbs Italian sausage, removed from casing
*  1 cup milk
*Coarse salt and ground black pepper
* 1 cup (8 oz) Gorgonzola dolce, rind removed and crumbled into large pieces
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

For the Polenta:  Bring water to a boil in large heavy pot. Add salt and olive oil and reduce heat until water is simmering. Rain down the cornmeal over simmering water, adding it very slowly to control flow and whisking constantly to prevent lumps. (If necessary, stop adding cornmeal from time to time and beat mixture vigorously.) Set burner at lowest setting, cover pot, and cook, removing lid to stir every 10 minutes. The polenta will become very thick. After 30 minutes, stir in Parmesan and butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove pot from heat and store covered, keeping it warm until ready to use.

For the Sausage: In a large sauté pan over moderate heat, melt the butter until foamy. Sauté garlic and sage leaves until lightly golden. Add sausage and stir with a wooden spoon, mashing any chunks, and cook until pork loses pink color and edges are slightly brown. Add milk, cover with lid, and braise (at the lowest setting of your burner) until very little liquid remains under the sausage, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter a large (8 quart) casserole or (12 inch) skillet. Pour polenta into buttered casserole, spooning sausage on top. Evenly distribute Gorgonzola and sprinkle Parmesan over all. Bake uncovered until bubbly and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

• < Prev
• Next >