I'D normally recommend a nice Pinot Noir to sit alongside pigeon. Even if the pigeon is served with raspberries. But raspberries and a bitter chocolate sauce! We’re back into the realms of difficult matches for overworked wine-merchants. One of the rules about sauces is that you shouldn’t entirely base your wine match solely on the sauce, especially if it’s to the detriment of the main element of the dish. However, with this combination, I would up the ante and pick a rich Zinfandel from the drinks cabinet.
I’ll list a Pinot and a couple of Zinfandels today that you simply have to try before the end of the summer, but I think Shirley’s dish this week really needs a Zin.
And the Zin in question is the Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel 2014 (Inverarity One to One, £17.99). This exceptional wine comes from two different vineyards, one in Russian River and one in Alexander Valley. The Russian River vineyard was planted in 1904, so the vines are remarkably old. Older vines produce fewer, but better grapes, and this vineyard also benefits from being in one of the cooler parts of California meaning that the grapes ripen more slowly increasing the depth of flavour in the wine. Due to the age of the vines, it would be difficult to produce a commercial release from this one site, so the grapes are supplemented by supplies from the warmer vineyard in Alexander Valley. The winemaker carefully blends the two parcels together making my favourite ever Zinfandel. Ever.
A fabulous alternative that won’t break the bank is the Apothic Red Winemaker’s Blend 2014 (Waitrose, £9.19). This is a blend of Zin, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon which also opens up the food matching possibilities. Zinfandel is a difficult grape to grow as within the bunches, the fruit ripens at different rates. This means that a lazy producer will wait until all the fruit is ripe before harvesting, so you inevitably get some overripe fruit which can make the wine taste slightly sweet. A good producer will revisit the same vine three or four times while individually selecting the grapes that are ready each time. This labour-intensive approach means that you rarely get a decent Zin under a tenner, but the Apothic is the exception (albeit that it’s a blend).
And the Pinot that you must try with the pigeon (hold the chocolate sauce) is the Saint Clair Pioneer Block Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 (Majestic, £18.99). I’m a massive fan of Pinots, but I’m also painfully aware that they can be disappointing. Burgundy has set the bar very high, but Saint Clair are up for the challenge. This is lovely. Cheers!
Pete Stewart is Glasgow director of Inverarity One to One, 185a Bath Street, Glasgow (0141 221 5121) www.inverarity121.com
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