We were lucky enough to score a few bottles of Sean Thackrey's stunning single vineyard blend, Orion!  Orion is an inky Rhône-style blend with an intense dark fruit nose punctuated by hints of graphite and earthy sweetness. Full-bodied, this is a boutique gem that's hard to find, even harder to get your hands on and worth every penny.

Parker gave the wine 98+ points and raved:  "As for Thackrey's flagship wine, Orion from the Rossi Vineyard is a cuvée from a field blend of old vines planted in 1905. This wine, like so many of its previous renditions, has an inky purple/black color and a superb nose of blueberry and black raspberries intermixed with forest floor and floral undertones. Its striking aromatics are followed by a full-bodied wine with a multi-dimensional personality, terrific texture, purity, silky tannins, and a blockbuster finish.

Everything is in perfect balance. The wine is superbly pure, very expressive, and a real attention grabber, but at the same time it is classic in every sense. This is a beautiful example of a wine that pays homage to pre-Prohibition pioneers and their field blends, which have fortunately been preserved in this legacy wine. Drink it over the next 15 or more years.

One of California's most iconic and mystical winemakers, Sean Thackrey has logged in 20 or more vintages of consistently stunning wines that perhaps say it all with the simple quote on his label: -Sean A. Thackrey, Vintner, Bolinas, California."

Finding information to share about Sean Thackrey's wines is about as challenging as locating Thackrey's Bolinas property, which is located an hour north of San Francisco in western Marin County. Thackrey's rustic winery-in-a-eucalyptus grove is only accessible via a twisting road that ends at the Pacific's edge.

Recipe: Venison Wellington with Caramelized Shallots and Spinach Serves Six

Venison makes a unique and fun alternative to the traditional Beef Wellington! This recipe requires a little bit of prep work, but time can be saved by making the shallots, duxelles and sour cream dressing ahead. This would make a fantastic meat course paired with the Orion on New Year's Eve dinner menu.

3 pounds Denver leg of venison***
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 sheets of quality puff pastry, rolled to 3mm thick
1 egg, lightly beaten
I pound baby spinach

Duxelles:
1/2 pound Cremini mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley

Caramelized shallots:
1 tablespoon olive oil
18 golden shallots
2 ounces butter
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Sour cream dressing:
6 ounces sour cream
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon chopped chives
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For Duxelles:
Preheat the oven to 425F. Place mushrooms in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and season to taste, cover with foil and roast until tender (15-20 minutes). Transfer to a food processor and process with garlic and parsley until finely chopped. Season to taste and set aside.

For the Shallots:
Reduce oven to 375F. Heat olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over low heat, add shallots and stir occasionally until golden (10-12 minutes). Add butter, vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and stir occasionally until shallots are well coated and caramelized (4-5 minutes). Transfer to oven and cook until tender (5-7 minutes).

For the Venison
Cut venison into six pieces, about 8 ounces each. Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan over high heat, add venison and seal on all sides (3-5 minutes). Cool and pat dry with absorbent paper. Spread one side of each piece of venison with one-sixth of duxelles. Set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 425F.

Working with one piece of puff pastry at a time, place onto a clean work surface. Place venison mushroom-side down at end of puff pastry, brush with eggwash and roll tightly to form a cylinder. Trim edges flush and place, seam-side down on a baking paper-lined oven tray. Repeat with remaining venison and pastry. Brush parcels with eggwash and roast until cooked through or a meat thermometer reads 135F when inserted (10-15 minutes). Rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, for sour cream dressing, combine ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and set aside.
Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add spinach, stir until just wilted and season to taste. Serve with Wellington of venison, caramelised shallots and sour cream dressing.

***Denver leg of venison is the boneless hind leg of a deer, broken into 4 muscles and trimmed of fat and connective tissue.

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