Affordable Brunello's

In the past, I have posted tasting notes on some of my favorite Brunello di Montalcino, but as some of my friends noted, most of them were either very hard to find, or not reasonably priced. So this is my attempt at recommending some Brunello's for everyone to try out.

2006 is one of the best Brunello vintages in recent history and there are plenty of non-Riserva  available at great prices. Here are some of my recommendations:

2006 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino ($40)



2006 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino ($42)





2006 La Colombina Brunello di Montalcino ($33)



Others that I like:

2006 La Velona Brunello di Montalcino ($39)

2006 Campogiovanni Brunello di Montalcino ($40)

2006 Capanna Brunello di Montalcino ($45)2006 Fanti Brunello di Montalcino ($37)

2006 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino ($34)

All of them are still a bit young and I would keep them for at least another year or so before drinking, but with an hour or two of decanting, you can enjoy them now. The prices I quoted are approximate retail prices in California if you were to purchase them today.

Pork with Fennel

Pork, Fennel and nutmeg make an amazing combination. This is my variation on a great Mario Batali recipe. I make this often and is a perfect match with a nice Pinot.

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) pork loin on bone. I prefer center cut Berkshire breed pork (Kurobuta)
• 4 fennel bulbs, trimmed and segmented. keep the fronds. Also try to get 'female' fennel. they are the rounder ones.
• fennel fronds, finely chopped. try to get as much as possible from the bulbs. you can also add some fennel pollens
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon gratings nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup dry white wine

Directions

If I have time I always brine my pork loin for at least an hour (up to 24 hours). Longer is better, but even a litte time can really help the taste and texture of the loin. I use equal part kosher salt and brown sugar for the brine mixture. My basic brine is 1/4 C salt, 1/4 C brown sugar desolved in 2 cups of hot water and then cooled down with 2 cups of ice. Be sure to wash and dry the loin after brining.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, fennel fronds and nutmeg and stir well to combine. Place the pork loin in an ovenproof casserole and rub the spice mixture all over the loin. Place the pork in the oven and after 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and continue cooking for around 50 minutes, gradually adding the white wine and basting with the cooking juices.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. it is much better to use pasta water for this. Cook the segmented fennel in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain the fennel and add to the roasting pan, arranging all around the pork, for the last 20 minutes of cooking time. Allow the meat to rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with pan juices and fennel.

Wine Suggestions

I like this recipe with a nice pinot from Oregon or Sonoma Coast. some wines that I have tried with this dish are:

Aubert Pinot Noir Reuling VineyardKistler Pinot Noir Cuvee Natalie Silver Belt

Kistler Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Cuvee Elizabeth

Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Coastlands Vineyard

Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Precious Mountain

Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard

Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Homer

Bergstrom Vineyard Pinot Noir Bergstrom Vineyard

2000 Aldo Conterno Barolo Granbussia

I love seasonal cooking and this time of year bring some of my favorites to the San Francisco farmer markets, asparagus, morel mushrooms and spring lamb. Last night I made lamb loin chops marinated in Lemon Zest, Oregano and garlic accompanied Sautéed morel mushrooms in lamb demi-glace and roasted asparagus. It was one of the better meals I’ve made recently.

The lamb was a perfect match with 2000 Aldo Conterno Barolo Granbussia. Although it is a fairly young wine, the 2000 vintage in Piedmont tend to be on the softer side and are fairly accessible now and the rounded tannins of this wine went perfectly with the lamb.