Grape Wine Journey

This dish may sound simple, but I could assure you there was lots of preparation that went behind the scene.

The duck was marinated with clove, salt and pepper for 15 hours, then slow cooked in the oven for 2 hours then grilled until brown.  After that, the skin and meat were shredded into pieces and put aside.  Next was to prepare the broth with what was left with the duck – the bones. 

It took about 10 hours to simmer the bones and reduced to highly concentrated broth.  The essence of the duck – the broth was the key to the rice.  The rice was cooked with the broth for one hour in the oven before serving. The duck meat was added to the rice about half way through.

Then the skin…….baked in the oven until crispy.  But only for folks that were not worried about cholesterol, a really good appetizer though!

It was a dinner gathering at home, so my friends all brought wines to share.  This was always the most exciting part of the dinner, never know what to expect and could always find the diamond in the rough, you never know.

To start off the celebration, champagne was the obvious choice – Le Drappier Brut Premier Cru 2004.  The Champagne was crisp and fruity, a good aperitif for the evening.  Then we went on to Bouchard Fere & Fils Chablis 2007.  Chablis is in the Northern region of Burgundy; it is one of my favorite white wines.  The grape varietal is Chardonnay.  The wine showed the terroir of the region, high acidity, crisp with lemon and lime, and also the mineral of the soil.

Then we followed with 4 reds:

Pascual Toso Reverve Reserve 2007, Malbec, Argentina

Chateau Cheval Blanc 1994, St Emilion, Bordeaux

Chateau Pichon Lalande 2002, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Marques de Caceres Rioja, Grand Reserva 2001, Spain

My husband also prepared stirred fried Chinese greens with “Yung Kee” goose liver sausage as the side dish for dinner.  This is always the perfect dish with any red wine.  And tonight with the 4 very different reds, it was the perfect showcase again.

What were the comments on the wines from the crowd?  Cheval Blanc was the most anticipated wine of the night; it was breathe for 30 minutes before serving.  The nose was very aromatic and complex, plum, grass, and spice all stood out.  However the palate did not live up to the nose.  The finish was short.  But I was so glad to add this to my display in the dinning room!

Pichon Lalande 2002, my favorite Bordeaux wine, it would need a bit longer in the decanter to show its strength.  The crowd was eager, so it was finished before it showed its full potential.

The diamond in the rough of the night… for me it was the Rioja.  It had to be something that you would not try under normal circumstances.  I never really like Rioja because of the oak, for me it was always too oaky and lacks character.  The Rioja was the last red we served; it was left to breath for almost 90 minutes before serving.  Rioja is probably the most famous red wine from Spain.  The predominant grape varietal is Tempranillo.  The Grand Reserva Rioja was full bodied with cherry, smoke and licorice.  The finish was long with a spicy note.  This wine could certainly keep in the cellar for a few more years to enjoy.

The highlight of the night was the company and ….. watching my husband getting drunk!