This month, we offer an amazing wine, 2006 Las Flors de la Peira – a sustainable to organically farmed Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre blend from Southern France. We featured this wine's younger sister in a past Classic club, and customers are still asking for more of it!.
94 points from Robert Parker, who noted that the wine "displays a simultaneously ravishing and decadent nose of fading lilies, iris, candied black fruits, mint chocolate, resin, and baking spices. Chalky, stony foundations under-gird the chocolate-drenched and spice-dusted black fruits on the palate, and an inner mouth floral profusion persists right though to a superbly soothing finish. In both perfume and its cocoa-powder richness and velvet texture, this puts me in mind of a great Pomerol. For as far-gone on sheer ripeness and decadence as it is, this retains a wonderful sense of lift and elegance. Here is further proof (in a dramatically different style from Olivier Jullien’s wine) that 2006 was especially favored in this sector of the Terrasses du Larzac, and certainly this wine bids fair to evolve fascinatingly for at least a decade."
La Peira en Damaisela is the property of London-based composer Robert Dugan, located between Jonquieres and Aniane, on two adjacent parcels of no known previous distinction, but to which in 2004 instinct led him either with remarkable prescience or remarkable luck. The deep alluvial fan that is the basis for this site is only barely tilted, as it might be in St. Helena or Rutherford, St.-Estephe or Pomerol ... and these comparisons will not seem inapt once you experience the quality of La Peira’s wines. Claude Gros (of Chateau de Negly fame) consults here, expense seems not to have been spared on a new facility (with, of course, lots of new barrels), and Bordeaux-trained Jeremie Depierre is the hands-on (or, as I am sure he and Dugan would prefer me to put it “hands-off”) winemaker. New barrels of 500-600 liter capacity are favored here, incidentally, rather than classic (225 liter) barriques.
Recipe: Tapenade Stuffed Leg of Lamb with Butter Beans and Basil-Mint Aioli Serves 6
Tapenade is a typical seasoning for lamb in the southern regions of France, and will pair beautifully with the rich, robust, sweet and earthy flavors of this months club selection.
Tapenade:
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 anchovy fillet
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 clove of garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Butter Beans:
4 cups cooked or canned butter beans
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced into thin discs
1 cup basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
Aioli:
3 egg yolks at room temperature
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup basil leaves
Lamb:
3-4 pounds boneless leg of lamb
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
Sea salt and pepper
For the Tapenade:
Place the olives, anchovy, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Process the mixture, adding the oil slowly. Blend until smooth.
For the Butter Beans:
Place the butter beans and scallions in a large mixing bowl. In a food processor, blend the basil leaves, garlic, mustard and olive oil into a smooth paste. Add more oil if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add to the butter beans along with the zest and lemon juice. Toss to combine and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
For the Aioli:
Place the egg yolks in a food processor with the mustard and garlic. With the machine running, slowly add the oils. Add the lemon juice, mint and basil leaves and blend until smooth and bright green.
For the Lamb:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Oil a roasting pan just large enough to hold the lamb. Place a rack in the pan.
Unroll the lamb and spread the boned-out side with the tapenade. Roll up the lamb tightly. Tie at 2 " intervals with kitchen string. With a small knife, cut slits 2 or 3 inches apart in the top of the roast. Push the garlic slices into the slits. Sprinkle the roast all over with rosemary, salt and pepper.
Roast the lamb for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads about 145F for medium rare. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and let the meat rest for about 30 minutes before slicing. Serve with the butter beans and basil-mint aioli on the side.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
