Karel's definitive pairings for my Herefordshire steak dish have arrived. Read it and weep. You don't need to consult anything else. But I also suspect Karel will not object to me saying that these pairings have relevance in almost all classical steak-based contexts.
Karel has surpassed himself with his parings for this Herefordshire steak meal. Obviously, you can extrapolate his insights for comparable dishes.
"Le Steak au Poivre interpreted and conducted by Chef Ken, njam! And here comes the disclaimer: I can’t get my hands on wild garlic flowers. I let Ken explain it to me and I’m confident I have a good idea what to expect, though.
"A beautiful trait of the classic: many very good to fabulous red wines can be paired with it. And the better the meat is, the greater the wine may be. A wide choice is yours depending on budget, availability and a personal preference you may have for one or the other grape variety.
"Talking about good meat, I take it for granted that the readers of this blog show respect for the animal and cook it anywhere up from blue to medium (rare) but stay away from entirely massacred. I wouldn’t know what wine to recommend when prime quality beef is ruined that way.
"The salad is a possible but avoidable pitfall. In honesty, no red wine I know of will jump for joy with a green salad. But, the wines chosen can peacefully co-exist. In fact, when young, some of them can show discreetly “greenish” characteristics like cassis leaves or figs just under the skin. Also, judiciously applied, balsamico will tie the salad in to an extent. Do not add leaves such as basil or ramsons (onion and garlic family), though.
"I am well aware that Ken’s dish is to be enjoyed as an integral experience. But given a situation where your choice of greens would result in an awkward match, eat the salad apart. I’d like to avoid a skirmish of cultures here but, personally, in such case, I’d prefer to eat it as an antipasto; to let the flavours of the sauce and wine linger for a longer time. That’s my vinous me.
"The cream will welcome some acidity. Moderate tannins can surely be present but they should not wield a sledgehammer. The degree of alcohol requires similar prudence; it should not deliver a burning sensation. Some of the wines mentioned below reach 14,5% vol. alcohol, nevertheless, but keep it all friendly and relaxed. Reserve the real heavy-hitters beyond that for some fine beef from the grill.
"The above explains why my first choice is not pure cabernet sauvignon that some may have expected. That is not the same as saying that each and every cabernet sauvignon is a tannic or alcohol-loaded beast, surely not. But, other choices fit the bill better. And so, rather choose a Bordeaux-style blend with or without cabernet sauvignon.
"Being a “pinot noirist” myself, Burgundy is what I would choose any day: remember the acidity and add a certain freshness to tackle the greens. But, I know that some have a real hard time with that grape (not only on financial grounds). No worries, fine matches can also be obtained with syrah and nebbiolo, for example. In the list of specific recommendations you will also find a 100% cabernet franc as well as a 100% gamay that fit perfectly well. Thankfully, Ken suggested that pinotage should also be an excellent match and, indeed, there is a brilliant one listed as well. Now, the following is a fairly long list of individual wines. Let me repeat, these are - and can only be - those of which I have sufficient drinking experience myself.
"They are therefore by no means an exhaustive list of possible matches. They define what I suggest you should be looking for though. The really important finding is that there is a nice range of very fine wines to choose from and no one needs to abstain from cooking this succulent dish because of lack of vinous accompaniment.
"I’ve tried to keep the wines mentioned within a price bracket of a little over €30 at the time of writing. Exceptions or mentions thereof not excluded, just to remind you that the sky really is the limit with a dish like this.
"As said before: the better the meat, the greater the wine may be! Bruno Clair, Marsannay (Burgundy - Côte de Nuits), 100% pinot noir. This is the generic red Marsannay that stays mostly just within the €30 price bracket. Since 2018, a new lieu-dit is bottled here: “La Charme aux Prêtres” (not yet tried) that you may still find at that price level as well. I point this out because the other lieux-dits “Les Longeroies” (simply superb!), “Les Grasses Têtes” and “Les Vaudenelles” are a considerable step up. But, you will most likely not find those below €40. You decide…
"Intermezzo: In terms of absolute quality, the Bruno Clair estate belongs to the highest echelon, bar none. Prices, high as they may seem, have not exploded as they have for an increasing number of hyped Burgundian estates, however. All of this estate’s wines are pure Burgundian classicism; elegant yet powerful, power that is never over-extracted, perfectly defined examples of their appellation. I take great pride in having had the opportunity to meet, taste and discuss wine with Bruno Clair and his cellar master Philippe Brun several times. Thanks so much for that. So, grab some of Burgundy’s essence as long as it remains, ahem (as in choke 3 times, breathe deeply and wipe the sweat off my face), "cheap". The Bonnes-Mares or Clos de Bèze, perhaps, once that unexpected tax return sits in your account?
"Pierre Morey, Monthélie (Burgundy - Côte de Beaune), 100% pinot noir. Another great wine by another superior winemaker that won’t break the bank. Its humble appellation defies its quality. There is also an inevitably more expensive Monthélie 1er cru. The sheer gourmandise of both pair in a lovely way with our steak. And then there is that Pommard Grands Epenots … Intermezzo (okay, this is the last one): everything I said about Bruno Clair applies in every aspect to the Pierre Morey estate and the Morey-Blanc house as well. Look at the prices some Meursault wines fetch these days and then hurry to buy the stupendously fine classics, red and white alike, that Pierre and his daughter Anne produce. Perfect time to become emotional: I take this opportunity to express gratitude to my all-time vinous hero Pierre, even more for the caring and considerate way in which dear Rosemarie and I were welcomed for many years. Superb tastings, blissful moments (sorry for highjacking the blog, Ken).
"Clos Salomon, Givry 1er cru (Burgundy - Côte Chalonnaise), 100% pinot noir. Leaving the Côte d’Or for the Côte Chalonnaise to find Burgundian pinot noir at a more humane price. If one chooses carefully, great wines and, certainly, great value can be found in Givry, Mercurey and Rully. I have chosen my own favourite, but there are a number of other names you may want to consider such as Faivelay, Vincent Dureuil-Janthial, Joblot, de Suremain or Bruno Lorenzon (don’t start eating steak every day, I mean it).
"Friedrich Becker, Pinot Noir “B” (Germany - Pfalz). 100% pinot noir. Great value from one of Germany’s top-notch pinot noir producers. Not trying to be a copycat of a French wine. Why should it? For the dish, this will be an excellent pairing as well as the more complex Pinot Noir “Schweigen” that still sits well within the price bracket. If this style appeals to you, start climbing the hierarchical ladder without remorse. These days, excellent racy and authentic German pinot noir is made as far north as the Mosel region. The cool trait of many of these wines comfortably suits the greens. Take a closer look at Rings (Pfalz), Bernhard Huber (Baden), Jean Stodden (Ahr) or Rudolf Fürst (Franken).
"Château des Jacques, Moulin-à-Vent Clos de Rochegrès (Beaujolais), 100% gamay. Happy to say a word on Beaujolais here. Once and for all, forget the insult of Beaujolais Nouveau. Real Beaujolais is very serious wine. This particular one will keep 20 years or more, easily. And there are more superb wines to be found, worthy to pair with superior meat. Recently, Mee Godard is quickly becoming another favourite of mine. Perhaps, we should consider it lucky that Beaujolais still has its rather undeserved image of "simpleness" (see the wine searcher link: “style of the wine: red, light and perfumed”. Yeah, sure you bozo’s) since it kept prices friendly up until now.
"Chateau Puyguéraud, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux (Bordeaux), 75% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 5% malbec blend. One from Nicolas Thienpont’s portfolio. Should you have looked at the price first ( in the region of €15 to €20) and believe this must be a lesser wine… wrong. Incredible value classic Bordeaux that has nothing to envy of competitors in the higher-appraised appellations.
"L’Hêtre, Côtes de Castillon (Bordeaux), 95% merlot and 5% cabernet. This is one of Jacques Thienpont’s stable (Le Pin, L’If, Vieux Château Certan … you’ll get the picture). The earlier mentioned wine is great value; pay €10 more and you'll get the grandiose wine that is L'Hêtre. This one is simply grandiose. Still flying under the radar, so get it while you can at its present prices.
"Château Le Bosq, Saint-Estèphe (Bordeaux), a very classic and very good Médoc blend of mainly cabernet sauvignon and merlot in changing proportions depending on the vintage. If you lust for a matching wine from one of the venerable appellations, this will be a perfect fit within the price bracket. Why Saint-Estèphe in particular? Because it matches and, admittedly, also because my own first vinous love was the Saint-Estèphe 2ème Grand Cru Château Montrose 1970. Very far beyond the price bracket, I hasten to add so as not to give you unsatisfiable hopes. But now we're here anyway, the great Chateau Montrose is a predominantly cabernet sauvignon blend and it will pair wonderfully.
"But I implore you to choose a mature one if you venture to take a ride with this powerful giant that remains supremely elegant at the same time. At this point, let the salad be salad and make sure to choose some neighbouring Cognac for the sauce, noblesse oblige …
"Arnaud Lambert, Saumur Clos Mazurique (Loire), 100% cabernet franc. I seem to be paying too little attention to the wines made in the enormously diverse Loire region. This is a fascinating wine: very expressive, cool and kind of refreshing; quite mineral, a basket of red fruit, a hint of bell pepper. Fit for early drinking. Perhaps this is the wine you’ll choose for outdoor dining in summer, but please do not limit it to that purpose. Wine-searcher makes a mess of the search, so no link, I’ve bought the 2019 at €12,90 in Germany.
"Tardieu-Laurent, Saint-Joseph vieilles vignes (Rhône - north) Forget wine-searcher’s “Les Roches” nonsense, it’s this one alright. 100% syrah; the small berry serine variety more precisely. Michel Tardieu is turning out one wondrous beauty after another. In the latest, all very good vintages in the Northern Rhône region, the Saint-Joseph VV has become a spectacularly fine example. Gobs of fruit, roasted aromas, bacon, wild herbs, unobtrusive acidity to keep it fresh. You bet this pairs well with the dish!
"Jean-Luc Jamet, Côtes du Rhône “L’Enclave” (Rhône - north), 100% syrah. Merely Côtes du Rhône? Yeah, but look again: 100% syrah surrounded by the soils of Côte Rôtie but without carrying the appellation itself - hence the name enclave - by none other than one of the Jamet brothers! I refrain from becoming delirious again, but, wow! I drank the 2018 and think this is softer and fully approachable much earlier than the previous syrah. Hurry, before the name Jamet dictates another price level.
"Richard Kershaw, Elgin Syrah Clonal Selection (South-Africa - Elgin). 100% syrah. Apart form Klein Constantia, I have not been overly familiar with South African wines for too long (so many things worldwide to try, sig …). Now, following Anwilka and David & Nadia, the fireworks went off for the third time when I discovered this genius winemaker. Sadly, since I acquired this wine for €30 precisely, prices seem to have gone up markedly. Even then, a superb wine that I feel compelled to recommend urgently. Black fruit, elegantly spicy, complex and that special “salty” freshness due to its ocean proximity.
"David & Nadia, Topography - Pinotage (South-Africa - Swartland), 100% pinotage. Pinotage is an original Cape crossbreed of pinot noir and cinsault. It certainly has pinot noir-like characteristics with cinsault-like mellowness to complete. But never make the mistake to think of it as “poor man’s pinot noir”! Even more so when approached by formidable winemakers like David & Nadia. Add a fresh wildness (terroir?) and here’s another excellent pairing. I have more than a suspicion that Ken will want to add Simonsig pinotage (as yet, none of theirs tasted myself, though).
"Fattoria di Magliano, Poggio Bestiale (Tuscany - Maremma), a cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot blend as Médocain as they come with decidedly Super-Tuscan flair. Dark and intense, yet refined. A mouthful of berries, earthy and spicy. In my perception, undoubtedly better than some of the better known and higher priced Tuscan competitors. Great value, unfortunately at wildly varying prices that may propel it out of the bracket in some locations (smashing 2016 at €23,50 in Germany).
"Luigi Pira, Barolo Serralunga (Piemonte), 100% nebbiolo. Surely, you’ll find other Barolo’s at €30 to €35 but very, very rarely you’ll find any to rival Luigi Pira’s entry level Barolo at the same price. Traditional style, so give it a few years but not as much as the other masters of this type require. No modernist wood but no old-style crushing acidity either. Tar and roses as you would expect, refined and complex with polished tannin. Great wine with power.
"Giulia Negri, Nebbiolo Langhe “Pian delle Mole” (Piemonte) don’t get confused, wine-searcher shows an old name and label; 100% nebbiolo. An exquisitely juicy and fresh Langhe from “Barologirl” Giulia Negri. The entry Barolo “La Tartufaia” would also be a good choice but is outside the price bracket; with it, you’ll get the panoply of noble Barolo flavours and the name. “Tartufaia” appears not to be mere fantasy in that respect. Your decision …
"Elena Fucci, Aglianico del Vulture “Titolo” (Basilicata), 100% aglianico del vulture. Is this the most affordable Grand Cru out there? Arguably, yes, and I don’t think calling it “Barolo from the south”, as has been written, does it justice. Rather, this wine can singlehandedly put Basilicata on the map as a place for great wines. Complete in every aspect with a unique touch of flavour; the volcanic soil perhaps? Another delectable pairing.
"Dancing Crow, Cabernet Sauvignon Lake County (California), with 89% the nearest we come to pure cabernet sauvignon plus 11% Mendocino merlot to complete. Very savoury and harmonious. Dancing Crow make a small range of excellent wines that have remained very affordable. For superior value from the USA, this is a name that will reappear in these pages. Enjoy!
Comments