Despite the summertime heat, I was in the mood recently for a hearty dish.  I don’t know if it was my fond memory for the savory beef Bourguignon I enjoyed while in Beaune recently, but my palate was screaming for a slow cooked, aromatic dish.  Searching through a few recipes, my wife settled upon the classic Russian dish of beef stroganoff.  Melting together the ingredients of sirloin beef,   garlic, onion, beef broth, and an assortment of mushrooms, and spices, she let it slow cook for the next 6 hours.  It only took a couple of hours for the aromatics to begin filling the kitchen and then the whole house with deep meaty and earthy scents.    You can see the recipe here.

Next up was the wine pairing.  I ran through a mental inventory of reds cognizant that while the Stroganoff was a hearty dish of meat, the sour cream component enriched the juices and broth into a creamier texture.  In addition, the dish included a base of egg noodles which further softened the texture. That meant excluding anything that would overwhelm the dish such as excessive tannins, alcohol or big fruits.  That eliminated Cabs, Zins, and the bigger Rhones.  A Burgundy or Pinot Noir offered cores of cherry fruit which could work but the spice might be too much.  Besides, these certainly wouldn’t qualify as a “soft” wines.  Then it hit me………………Brunello.  

This fabulous wine made from 100% Sangiovese seemed to be the answer.  The tannic structure is soft and velvety, even more so for an aged Brunello.  The fruits of plum and cherry are soft and balanced by some earthiness and tar notes and there’s often a scent of florality, perhaps a little violet or rose.  I recalled that I had some 2000 and 2001 Brunello’s stored away (the ’01 vintage was outstanding) and since it’s time to finish off the 00’s, I pulled out a bottle of the 2000 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino.  As soon as I pulled the cork, I knew that we were in for a treat, aromas of violet, fruits of blackberry and cherry, some tobacco and tar notes……….just a rich and smooth aromatic profile.  After allowing it to breath for about 30 minutes, I indulged myself with a bite of the dish, relished the aromatics of the wine and then took a sip.  My palate and nose did the rest of the talking………..perfect harmony……..Velvety soft tannins and soft fruits wrapping itself around the creamy dish of beef, mushrooms and earthy spices.  Each bite and sip simply begged for the next.  

Tags: Brunello, Sangiovese