(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
Now that autumn is here, it’s the perfect time to continue my in-depth exploration of vineyards and wineries through their seasonal red wines. Enter once again, the enigmatic Merlot.
St. Supery Estate Vineyards and Winery has produced quite a deliciously complex wine that aches to speak its story with every sip.
(Photo courtesy of St. Supery Estate Vineyards & Winery)
Since Merlot is often a grape used for producing great blends like Bordeaux, it is a quite versatile, even on its own, making it a great wine thar pairs well and easily with many types of foods.
For this new recipe, I am bringing earthy, fruity and roasted flavors to the mix. They nicely accentuated the nuances of Merlot.
Let‘s get cooking!
Menu: Pan-seared pork chops, roasted fig sauce, goat cheese and pistachios.
Roasted fingerling potatoes medley.
Wine pairing: 2016 St. Supery - Rutherford Estate Vineyard Merlot (Napa Valley, California)
Serves 3
Ingredients
Pork:
4 (1 inch thick) boneless pork chops
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1 cup vegetable stock
3-4 fresh ripe figs, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup of crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup of roasted pistachios
Potatoes:
1 package of fingerling potatoes medley (peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch slices)
Extra Virgin olive oil
Sea salt & cracked pepper to taste
Directions
Pork:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and sear (brown) on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chops to a serving platter, cover with tin foil to keep warm and set aside (use a meat thermometer to ensure that internal temperature is at least 140 degrees F).
Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons vinegar. Simmer until vinegar evaporates, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon.
Whisk in the vegetable stock and simmer until mixture is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the figs and simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Whisk in the remaining tablespoon of vinegar and any accumulated juices from the pork. Simmer for another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
Spoon the figs and sauce over the pork, and some crumbled goat cheese and pistachios throughout the plate.
Potatoes:
Preheat oven to 40O degrees F.
Mix potatoes with a generous drizzle of olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.
Place potatoes evenly on a shallow oven proof baking dish and roast in oven for 30-40 minutes (until slightly golden brown and soft).
Serve it up!
This is another type of meal that looks beautiful and aplerizing served family style on large platters.
Don‘t be afraid to spoon all the sauce on top of the pork chops, trust me. Maybe you should keep a crispy baguette bread nearby.
Bon appetit! Enjoy!
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
About the winery…
St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery is a 100% Estate Grown, sustainably farmed winery located in the renowned Rutherford growing region in the heart of Napa Valley.
The vineyard sits on the “Rutherford Bench” of mineral-rich alluvial and well-drained soils allowing the grape- vine’s root systems to mine for nutrients and water, yielding complex and concentrated flavors.
Committed to producing the highest quality estate wines without compromise, we focus on sustainable winery and farming operations to protect the land and environment for future generations.
2016 St. Supery - Rutherford Estate Vineyard Merlot (Napa Valley, California)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
Tasting notes: Deep shades of reds and purples present in this single vineyard Merlot. Aromas of black cherry and black plum combine with a thread of raspberry and mocha a nd a hint of vanillin extract.
Flavors of black plum persist with fresh raspberry coupled with mocha and elegant toasted oak. This is a gracefully structured wine of fine texture and terrific length.
Grapes:
90% Merlot
5% Cabernet Sauvignon
5% Petit Verdot
Alcohol
14.5%
Food pairing: Cream of mushroom soup, cocoa-crusted pork tenderloin.
Accolades:
93 Points
James Suckling
91 Points
Wine Spectator
90 Points
Wine Enthusiast
For more information, visit:
&
Special thanks to my friends at St. Supery Estate Vineyards & Winery for this memorable wine pairing collaboration.
—————————————————————
Decorative wine drip collar by: https://dripstosips.com
(Special discount promo code: CFW15)
(Photo courtesy of St. Supery Estate Vineyards & Winery)
Kommentit