(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
A Pinot Noir like no other. That's the sustainable promise of California's Domaine de la Riviere.
For over a year I've been fortunate to partner and collaborate with this gem of a winery, headed by lovely Bedrosian family, that produces amazing varietals (featured on Carlos-Food-Wine.com), but their flagship wine, the ever intriguing Pinot Noir, has been consistently special...a true treat.
The 2018 vintage feature here has tremendous body and nose (and legs), the complete package, and rightfully so, it deserves a food pairing that will resonate well with it.
Let's get cooking!
Menu:
Seared stuffed pork loin with mix berry wine sauce and apricot-cognac sauce with pan fried rosemary potatoes.
Wine:
2018 Domaine de la Riviere
Middle Reach Vineyards - Pinot Noir
(Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Pork:
1 and 3/4 lbs pork tenderloin (butterlflied)
3/4 cups of walnuts
1/2 cup puréed cognac laced apricots sauce (make sauce ahead of time)
3 tablespoons chopped sage
1 leek thinly sliced
4 tablespoons coarse grain dijon mustard
4 teaspoons of cracked pepper
Extra Virgin olive oil
Butcher's twine string
Wine sauce:
1 cup of mix berries (blended)
1 cup of red wine
2 tablespoons of butter
Apricot sauce:
3/4 cup of dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup of cognac
Potatoes:
1 pound of small yellow potatoes (par boiled, skin on)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
Directions:
Wine sauce:
In a small sauce pan, bring to a boil blended mix berries and wine. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has reduced and thicken.
Add butter, stir and remove from heat.
Apricot sauce:
In a small sauce pan, add apricots and cognac. Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes or until softened. Stirring once in a while.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Then purée in a blender.
Pork:
Set oven to 400 degrees F.
Place butterflied pork tenderloin on a large cutting board. Cover surface lightly with whole grain mustard, walnuts, sage, leeks and apricot sauce.
Roll pork tenderloin tightly (making it look like a log). Tie ends and center with butcher's twine to ensure pork loin doesn't open and fall apart.
Season outside pork with sea salt, pepper and extra Virgin olive oil.
Heat up large (oven proof) frying pan or cast iron pan with 2 tablespoons of extra Virgin olive oil, on medium high heat. Carefully place pork loin on the pan and sear each side for approximately 2-3 minutes.
Remove from oven stove top and place pan with pork in the oven and finish cooking for 15-20 minutes or until inside of pork reaches at least 145 degrees F.
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
Potatoes:
In a large frying pan, heat about 3-4 tablespoons of extra Virgin olive oil on medium heat. Add potatoes and lightly fry about 2-3 minutes per side.
Add garlic and shallots, cooking for 3 minutes, carefully turning potatoes over.
Add rosemary, then salt and pepper to taste. Carefully stir and remove from heat.
Serve it up!
On individual plates, place 3-4 slices of stuffed pork loin in the center of the plate, staggered one next to each other.
Carefully pour some berry wine sauce around the pork. Place pieces of pan fried potatoes around the pork and then drop small spoonfuls of apricot sauce in between the potato pieces.
Bon appetit! Enjoy!
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
About the wine…
The 2018 growing season in the Middle Reach neighborhood can be considered classic and ideal.
The early Winter months were slightly warmer than usual with below average rainfall, but the lack of early rain was made up in February and March.
The growing season had generally moderate temperatures resulting in a long hangtime that created optimal cluster maturity.
A cool foggy marine layer was prevalent most mornings but gave way to warm afternoons. Harvest began August 28th and end September 21st.
Both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit quality was excellent and is characterized as generating intense flavor and well-balanced acidity.
2018 Domaine de la Riviere
Middle Reach Vineyards - Pinot Noir
(Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
Tasting notes by winemaker Kale Anderson:
The 2018 Middle Reach Vineyards is a classic Middle Reach “Neighborhood” wine that exhibits dark fruit and silky elegance.
The aromatics display boysenberry, candied cherry and hints of licorice and sage.
The palate is driven by black cherry, red plum red current and pomegranate accompanied by touches of allspice, cardamom and white pepper. Intense acidity supports a long velvety finish.
Grapes:
100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol
14.1%
Food pairing:
Excellent with roasted and grilled dishes of beef, chicken, lamb and pork. Salads with nuts and mild-medium cheeses, and vegetables.
For more information, visit:
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Special thanks to Marla & Geoff Bedrosian and the Domaine de la Riviere team!
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Decorative wine drip collar by: https://dripstosips.com
(Special discount promo code: CFW15)
(Photo by Giuseppe Mondi)
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