I’m really enjoying this wine.  We had it it at a tasting at Valley Cheese and Wine during their anti-Nouveau party in November and we picked up a case.  This is definitely something we’re planning on holding on to and drinking through slowly.  There’s a lot of room for growth in this one.

In the glass, it’s a rich ruby red with a clear defined rim.  On the nose it’s showing its youth with lots of clear, crisp currant and cherry notes.  On the palate, you can see a lot of the earth and tobacco that it will continue to develop over time.

This is a nice, versatile wine… a lot of the suggested pairings are for game and meats, but we drank it tonight with a squid-ink pasta in a vinho verde, scallop and crab alfredo, which worked really well.

Drink this now or hold for a few years and see how it grows up.

Scallop, crab and vinho verde alfredo:

Sautee 3 large cloves of garlic in half a stick of butter until the garlic starts to carmelize.  About halfway through, toss in a teaspoon of Herbs de Provence and put in 1/4 lb. bay scallops to sautee to about half done (probably 3-4 minutes).  As the garlic starts to brown, remove the scallops and set aside and add 3/4 c. vinho verde or other crisp, citrusy white wine and 2 tablespoons of flour.  Give the flour about a minute to cook and slowly add in 1 c. whipping cream or half and half, whisking constantly.  Let the sauce simmer until thickened and simmering, about 10 minutes on a medium flame.  Remove from heat and let stand to thicken.  Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.  While the pasta is cooking, throw the scallops and 1/4 lb. lump crab meat in to warm in the sauce.  Drain pasta, do not rinse!!, and toss with the sauce.

Written by bonne-vivante

Visit bonne-vivante's Website

Follow bonne-vivante on Twitter