First off, we have a highly rated Albariño from Rias Baixas in Spain:  2009 Pazo Señorans Albariño. Established in 1989, Pazo de Señoráns is situated in a stunning ancestral 14th-century ancestral home located in the Val do Salnés sub-zone. Purchased in 1979 by Marisol Bueno and Jacques Mareque, the historic buildings have been restored. Wines are 100% Albariño and are marketed under the Pazo Señoráns brand.

93 points Parker:  Pazo Señorans’ 2009 Albariño beautifully displays the high quality of the 2009 vintage in Rias Baixas. Light gold in color, it offers up a splendid bouquet of mineral, honeysuckle, lemon, and tropical aromas. Round, creamy, and remarkably concentrated, this outstanding effort will provide much pleasure over the next 4 years."

"...Sourced from the oldest vines in Rias Baixas, fermented in tank and aged on its lees with batonnage. Light gold-colored, it delivers an attractive nose of mineral, white peach, and lemon zest. Smooth textured on the palate, tropical flavors emerge along with lively acidity. This lengthy Albariño will drink well for another three years. Pazo de Senorans is usually a candidate for Albariño of the year made by anyone other than Raul Perez."
Then we've got 2007 Stephen Ross Edna Valley  Pinot Noir - a juicy and well-balanced Pinot Noir -sexy, deep plum/ruby-colored effort, exhibits a big, sweet bouquet of strawberry jam intermixed with cherries, roasted herbs, seaweed, and spice. With an elegant attack, beautiful ripeness, and a round, savory character, this delicious, upfront Pinot can be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years

From the Winery:  "Our 2007 Edna Valley Pinot Noir is the best version of this wine in the last several years. The combination of a great vintage and working with superb vineyards, including our own Stone Corral Vineyard, make this a wonderful bottling. In general, most California Pinot Noir producers are ecstatic about the quality of the 2007 vintage, and this was true for Stephen Ross as well. This is a deeply colored, rich, concentrated Pinot Noir. The aromas are reminiscent of raspberries, cherries, cola and spicy clove; it is a yummy wine with complex Pinot Noir flavors and fine tannins yielding a silky refined palate and finish."

2006 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant Red Wine Blend:  Long before I owned Farmstead, I used to buy a case of this wine every vintage to lay down.  I loved the balance, fruitiness, length and interesting back story.  Winemaker Randall Grahm was a true raconteur, and this wine - an hommage to Châteauneuf du Pâpe and thier reaction to the flying saucer mania of the 1950s -  was always interesting, and became more so as it aged. 

Then, Grahm's Bonny Doon winery began to grow by leaps and bounds, and the wines - especially the flagship Cigare - became unpredictable - perhaps because of sloppy winemaking practices, or perhaps because Grahm's attentions were elsewhere.   I stopped buying the wine, and stopped bringing it into the shop.     A few years ago, Grahm sold off much of the winery's brands and proclaimed he was going to refocus on quality.  This 2006 vintage of Le Cigare Volant is the first result of that refocusing effort that I have tasted, and I am happy to say that Grahm and the winery are back in form! 

Notes from Grahm:  "A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault with just a soupçon of Mourvèdre and Carignane, make for a bright and wonderfully gamey wine. Very youthful with toasty notes of cherry, birch, sassafras and pomegranate. Pair this racey red with a bloomsdale spinach salad with sherry vinaigrette garnished with carpaccio of tuna or beef. Speaking of beef, a rare steak in any number of variations (tri-tip, hanger, New York, filet) would be quite delish. But more exotic fare such as chicken tikka masala or Tandoori lamb chops will also work wonderfully well. While the zesty ’06 is excellent right now, decanting or aging it for 2-3 more years would be all to the good.

91 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:  "Bright ruby. Smoky red berries, flowers and underbrush on the nose, with complicating notes of black pepper and licorice. Sweet red berry flavors give way to deeper bitter cherry in the mid-palate, which features notes of succulent herbs and a touch of smoked meat. Already showing good complexity, with suave finishing silkiness and a lingering note of raspberry."

Finally, there's 2007 Santa Duc Côtes du Rhône Veilles Vines Yves Gras of Domaine Santa Duc is a legendary producer of Gigondas. The Vieilles Vignes cuvée is a blend of fruit from Gigondas’ neighboring villages of Vacqueyras (25%), Rasteau (25%), Seguret (25%) and Rouaix (25%). This wine is technically a Côtes du Rhône Villages, as it comes from the best designated villages in the appellation. The Vieilles Vignes is composed of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, with the average vine age being approximately 40 years of age. This cuvée is all tank made with no destemming, and is bottled unfiltered.  Sustainable, practicing organic viticulture.

89 points Parker:  "The 2007 Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes (75% Grenache and the rest Syrah) is opulent, fleshy, and rich, with a dark ruby/purple color, medium to full body, and admirable flavor intensity

RECIPES:

For the Albariño:  Salt Cod Cakes with Roasted Pepper Confit Serves 4

These crispy brandade cakes also make wonderful hors d’oeurves. Just make them a little smaller.

4 red bell peppers
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes
1 head garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pinch Salt and pepper
3 thyme sprigs, leaves removed
1 ½ pounds salt cod
2 large potatoes, sliced
6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 bay leaf
1 thyme sprig
3 parsley stems
1/4 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon espelette pepper or hot paprika
1 handful chopped parsley leaves
1 handful chopped chives
1 pinch Salt and pepper
Panko breadcrumbs for dredging

Soak the salt cod in cold water in the refrigerator for 24 hours, changing the water every 3 hours. Drain and pat dry. Cut into large pieces and set aside.

Heat the oven to 300°F.

Seed the peppers and cut into thin fingers. Toss the peppers and tomatoes with the garlic, salt and pepper, and spread on a baking dish. Pour over the olive oil and bake for about three hours. During the last hour add the thyme.Set aside until needed.

Put the cod, potatoes, and garlic in a pot. Tie the bay leaf, thyme sprig, and parsley stems with string and add. Cover, just, with cold water and bring to a bare simmer. Poach until the potatoes and cod are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

Discard the herbs. Separate the cod from the potatoes. Mash the potatoes with the cream. Shred the cod finely. Then combine the two again, mixing until creamy. Stir through the piment d’espelette and the chopped fresh herbs. Check the seasonings.

Pour an inch of cooking oil into a skillet and heat until sizzling. Shape the cod and potato mixture into small cakes. Just before frying, dip them in panko to coat. Fry on both sides until very brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Top a brandade cake with a few caramelized peppers and tomatoes.

For the Pinot:  Oven Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables Serves 6

This root vegetables in this dish take on the flavors of the chicken, herbs and lemon as they roast, creating a rich, sweet intensity.

Serve with a simple tangy salad for a great mid-week supper.

2 parsnips, peeled and chopped in 1” pieces
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
1 rutabaga, peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
½ onion, thinly sliced
½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced
12 garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and chopped;
4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and chopped
3 sprigs of lavender, leaves removed and chopped
2 meyer lemons, zested and cut in half
1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds
24 seedless green grapes

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Scatter the chopped vegetables, onion, fennel, garlic and bay leaves in a large roasting pan. Drizzle almost all the oil over the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Stuff the chicken with the lemon halves.

Truss the chicken and brush with the remaining olive oil. Season all over with salt and pepper. Mix the chopped herbs and lemon zest together and scatter all over the bird. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables.

Roast the chicken and vegetables until the skin is golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced with a knife at the leg joint. A temperature reading should be 165F.

Carefully transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Drain the excess fat from the roasting pan and add the grapes. Return to the oven and roast for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Serve the chicken with the vegetables and grapes on a large serving platter.

For the Cotes du Rhone:  For the Cotes du Rhone Lamb Shoulder with Olives, Potatoes and Carrots Serves 4-6

I love the gamey, rich, deep flavors of this braise. Olives, a perfect partner to lamb, add a nice briny flavor to the dish.

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz. salt pork, cubed
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 pounds lamb shoulder cut into medium size pieces
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups light beef stock or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
6 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, and sliced
1/2 pound baby potaotes, such as fingerlings, cut into half lengthwise
1 cup picholine or other good French green olives


Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the salt pork and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in lamb and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring often, until juices thicken and flour loses its raw flavor, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, wine, thyme, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the beef or chicken stock and bay leaves, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, until lamb is tender, about 1 hour.
About 30 minutes before lamb is finished cooking, stir in carrots, potatoes and olives. Before serving, skim any fat from liquid and remove and discard bay leaves.


For the Cigare Volant:  Grilled Skirt Steak with Mustard, Spring Onions and Taleggio Serves 6

This delicious grilled steak recipe was created by Chef Laurent Tourondel. The only change I have made to the dish is the Taleggio,  which happens to be one of my favorite cheeses!

3 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
6 skirt steaks, about 6 ounces each
Sea salt and black pepper
6 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
8 ounces thinly sliced Taleggio
4 large handfuls wild arugula
Juice of 1 lemon
3-tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Saute the onions in a large saute pan over medium heat until tender and translucent. Add the sugar and continue to cook until the onions are caramelized and golden brown.

Lay the steaks on a work surface and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Spread one side of each steak with the mustard.

Sprinkle the tarragon over the mustard and top with the caramelized onions and cheese. Beginning at the thinner end of the steak, tightly roll up the steak, jelly-roll style, and secure with a toothpick.

Grill steaks for about 7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove from the heat, cover with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Slice the steaks crosswise in half, and gently remove the toothpick. Place the steaks on warm dinner plates. Toss the arugula with the  lemon juice and olive oil; season with salt and pepper and arrange next to the steaks.

Serve immediately.

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