Good Weather, Just In Time…
Like any good British person I am obsessed with the weather, it’s variability over the last few weeks has been much cause for concern but as we head to this week I am excited to be able to at least head to the garden for a reasonable dose of Vitamin D – with a suitably large amount of Sun Cream.
I am ginger after all and don’t fancy the sweaty anguish that is sunburn in the UK.
I have found myself thinking about the Egri Bikaver a lot this past week. It was an outstanding wine and was probably most reminiscent of Brunello or Chianti. The Toasty oak and dark fruit were a true delight as well as a genuine surprise.
I had expected the wine to be fuller in body, something closer to the rich and intense blends of a South African Bordeaux Blend or an Argentine Malbec but it’s balance and suppleness have me transfixed. It’s for reasons like this that I find wine exploration and the ensuing surprises so interesting. This bottle was a gift and I’ve wanted to try it for a while but never found the right time,
middle of lockdown and dwindling wine supplies it felt the right time to dust off something a bit different
We all have a tendency to stick to the things we know, this is ever so, in our wine consumption. Especially regions and countries that are famous for very specific wines (see Tokaj in Hungary, Port in Portugal or IceWine in Canada) if you spend a little time in a local wine shop or online and chat to someone (doesn’t have to be a wine professional) you will find these countries have some outstanding things to offer outside of their Famous AOC’s.
NEXT WEEK
It will be the turn of a Riesling again – this time from the Clare Valley in Australia. Courtesy of Tim Adams Winery and it was a very kind gift from my friends who know my penchant for this grape. I love it and I am unashamed! Can’t wait to try it!
THE TASTING
THE WINE
THUMMERER
Egri Bikaver
CLASSICUS
2013
Colour: Medium Ruby
Nose: First appearance is richly stewed plums with ripe blackcurrant and a herbal sweetness that is lightly figgy. After the fruit comes the Toast, Vanilla & Smoke which is undeniably enjoyable and makes the nose linger with light perfumed tones of spice to finish. It’s fruit like opening is not overpowering and does reflect a wine with great balance.
Palate: The dark fruit of the nose fill the palate like a warm embrace, the stewed plums are richer, the blackcurrant has greater intensity and fig flavours blend seamlessly into mineral notes & spice. The spiciness is clove, black pepper and a little star anise – the minerality is nice intense earth or wet stones; it sits pleasantly in the middle. Tannins are mild and supple the favours of oak are brilliantly integrated and lend powerful finish to the wine; with a mouthfeel that ends with a little tart redcurrant note that has me reaching for the next slurp.
Verdict: An outstanding wine that in more famous AOC’s would command a price double what you would pay for this, maybe even 3 times the price. It has so many enjoyable facets and complexity that it delivers with real charm. The wine itself has been given time to age and I would say it could take a little longer in bottle to develop the richer flavour profiles you get from ageing a good wine. I could not be more impressed by a wine that is packed with flavour but classy in its delivery. Simply delicious.
PAIRING
Haunch of Venison, indirect barbecuing method with a 12-hour brine, roast potatoes & green vegetables
The main focus of this dish is the Venison – it was a Muntjac Deer shot by my father and it appears on size and taste to be around the 18-month old mark. It was a delicious piece of meat but like with many game animals it is inherently low in fat which presents a problem in cooking because it can and will dry out very quickly.
Brining meat is an easy thing to do – but requires a little thought to how long you are going to leave it in the brine and the flavouring required.
I made a 4% Brine which was:
200g Salt
5L Water
50g Brown Sugar
Spices (Coriander, Juniper, All Spice, Thyme, Rosemary & Pepper)
I left it the night before in the fridge and the weight of the leg rose by 200g or so which meant we had that little bit of extra moisture in the meat and it was beautifully seasoned throughout.
The brining and the indirect method of cooking allowed the iron rich game notes to really sing and this meat needed a wine that had fruit, toasty notes and spice to balance against the intensity of Venison. You can certainly find these flavour profiles in other wines around the world but I really enjoyed how well they worked together in the Egri Bikaver.
On a final point – Roast Potatoes are THE BEST WAY to eat a potato, better than the chip and don’t even start with Mash….
Method:
Boil in well salted water (4 mins)
Let them steam dry
Add them to a hot roasting dish with hot oil (you wanna hear sizzle)
Season half way through cooking
Don’t add your garlic too early or it will burn
Colour & texture is how you know they are ready, time is just a construct...
Make loads because cold roasties are brilliant too!
Have some fun, eat some food, drink some wine & be happy!
Love
Goose .