Lunch on a Snowy Weekend

This passed weekend has been very snowy and cold in NYC so Michele and I decided to stay home. I was looking for a wine to drink and came across a1970 Brunello I was saving for our anniversary which is in July.  But why wait?

Brunello di Montalcino 1970 Lisini. Made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso, also known as Brunello. Vineyards are at 300 to 350 meters. Some of the vines were planted between 1930 and 1940, others in 1967. In the oldest part of the vineyard are 200 vines planted in 1880.  They are still their own roots (have not been grafted). At the time stainless steel tanks did not exist in Brunello. The wine was aged for 4 years in large Slavonian oak barrels. 1970 was a 5-Star vintage in Brunello. In 1970 there were only 25 producers of Brunello, making the Lisini Estate one of the oldest in Montalcino (Source “Italy’s Noble Red Wines” Wasserman). The wine had hints of cherry, rasperries, tar and balsamic notes. It went very well with the food.  

We started with crostini topped with La Tur cheese, piquant tangerine mostarda and a few pine nuts

Michele made Pork Tenderloin Wild Boar Style with mushrooms, a recipe from Marcella Hazan.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Butter, Nutmeg and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Endive

Pork and sweet potatoes with roasted endive.

Caffe and ciambelline, my favorite cookies.

Another day, Michele was in the mood for Burgundy.

Savigny-les-Beaune “Lavieres” 1999. Robert Ampeau et Fils made from 100%  made from 100% Pinot Noir. This is a complex and elegant wine, fruity but firm with hints of raspberry, blackberry, violets and a note of leather.  It is drinking very nicely

Costini with Gruyere Cheese and Dried Tomatoes on homemade olive and rosemary focaccia.

Our main course was sauteed Duck Breast with Shallots and Red Wine.  With it we had broccoli rabe with garlic and roasted butternut squash.Orange Cake with Walnuts and Golden Raisins for dessert

And of course we finished with a good cup of Caffe…

And a sip of grappa.  What better way to take the chill from a cold day by ending the meal with Grappa. Traditional grappa Capo di Stato from Loredan Gasparini made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.

Somehow, we managed to pass a pleasant weekend, despite the snow and frigid temperatures.

An Afternoon at the Opera by the Fireside

Once again we were invited to watch an opera and have lunch with friends. This time, another friend joined us and he brought the Burgundy. We watched Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart starring Cecilia Bartoli and Bryn Terfel

sitting by the fireplace as we enjoyed our Prosecco.

With the wine, we had a assortment of charcuterie, including duck rillettes, a pate campagne with black peppercorns, a rabbit pate, prosciutto, bresaola, fontina cheese, and rustic sourdough bread.

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore 2018 Brut Natural Silvano Follador made mostly from Glera with a small amount of Perera, Bianchetta and Verdiso. There is a careful selection of the grapes. The grapes are fermented slowly and then aged on the lees for 6 months. In the spring the second fermentation takes place in a pressurized tank (Martinotti method) and at the end the yeasts are eliminated by slow filtration. It always ends with less than 3g/l of residual sugar so that it is a Brut Natural. The wine is aged 6 months in steel before release. It has hints of fresh fruit, green apple, a touch of citrus fruit and a floral note.

Meursault 2002 1er cru “La piece sous le bois” Robert Ampeau & Fils 100% Chardonnay. Located in the Puligny – Montrachet region of Burgundy covering 10 hectares of vineyards. The harvest is by machine and this allows other plants to grow between the rows of vines. The wines are not released by the winery until they feel they are ready to drink. The wines are fermented without stalks in cement cuvees and aged in barriques, mostly used for 10 months. The wine has hints of honey, butterscotch, pear, citrus fruit and nuts with mineral notes and good acidity.

After a couple of acts, we put the opera on pause and headed to the dining room for our main course which was a classic coq au vin served with steamed little potatoes.

Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru “Lavieres” 1999 Robert Ampeau et Fils made from 100% Pinot Noir. This premier cru is actually located in Meursault, though it is sold as Volnay.  This is a complex wine with dark ripe fruit aromas and flavors, hints of strawberries, cherries, currants, plum and a touch of spice. It is a very impressive Burgundy.

Michele provided the dessert, sliced navel and blood oranges marinated in orange syrup with the orange zest and Gran Marnier. It was light and refreshing.

Back by the fire, we finished watching the opera with glasses of Armagnac.

A Post-Christmas Dinner

The spirit of Christmas lasts longer than 12 days at our house so we decided to invite a friend over to commemorate a meal we had shared last year in Beaune, France.  The menu was simple.  Our friend loves roast chicken and Michele had a slightly different roasting technique she wanted to try.   Our friend brought the Burgundy wine.

We started with chicken livers with onions on crostini.  A drizzle of high quality balsamic vinegar and sprinkle of flaky salt really enhanced the flavor.

On the plate

Meursault – Perrieres 1995 Robert Amprau et Fils Located in the Puligny – Montrachet region of Burgundy covering 10 hectares of vineyards. They harvest by machine and allow other plants to grow between the rows of vines. The wines are not released by the winery until they are ready to drink. The wines are fermented without stalks in cement cuvees and aged in barriques, mostly used for 10 months. The wine has hints of ripe fruit, honey, apricot, nuts and a touch of brioche. The wine is at its peak.

For extra crispy skin, Michele first butterflied the chicken, then left it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight so that the skin was very dry.  The result was great.  Moist meat and crispy skin.

Broccoli rabe with garlic

Mashed Potatoes with lots of butter

It was a simple meal, just what we wanted after the holiday feasting.

The wine Volany-Lantenots 1999 Robert Ampeau et Fils made from 100% Pinot Noir. This Premier cru, is actually located in Meursault, is sold as Volnay.  This is a complex wine with dark ripe fruit aromas and flavors, hints of strawberries, cherries, currents, plum and a touch of spice. It is a very impressive Burgundy.

A bloomy rind French cheese, the name of which I cannot recall, was all we needed to finish the wine.

We enjoyed slices of pannetone for dessert.

Followed by just a small glass of Vieil Armagnac 1983