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Written by Henry Conway

Category: News

Published: 20 October 2016

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We have always had our gorgeous Fleur de Clinet 2010 in the shop and we think we will continue to stock it for a good long time due to the amazing quality Chateau Clinet imparts upon all of their wines. But now we have another one from them!

RONAN BY CLINET 2012 @ £12.95 EACH
Year on year, the attention to detail given to this mini Clinet draws closer to the Grand Vin. The wine is rich, round, open and expressive. Loaded with black a red fruit with a beautiful texture. Delicious on its own would be a fantastic accompaniment to roast lamb or grilled red meats.

And what better to go with a lovely merlot than a nice piece of lamb? We thought some lamb shanks would go beautifully.

LAMB SHANKS IN RED WINE SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
4 lamb shanks, around 1 lb / 500g each (Note 1)
2 tsp salt, separated
Pepper
2 - 3 tbsp olive oil, separated
1 cup onion, finely diced (brown, yellow or white)
1 cup carrot, finely diced (optional) (Note 2)
1 cup celery, finely diced (optional) (Note 2)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2½ cups red wine, full bodied (good value wine, not expensive! Note 3)
28 oz / 800g can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock (or water)
5 sprigs of thyme (preferably tied together), or 2 tsp dried thyme
2 dried bay leaves or 4 fresh
Sauce
½ to 1½ cups hot water

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
2. Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt and black pepper.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy based pot (dutch oven is ideal) over high heat.
4. Sear the lamb shanks in 2 batches until brown all over, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove lamb onto a plate and drain excess fat (if any) from the pot.
6. Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in the same pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Sauté for 10 minutes until the onion is translucent.
7. Add the red wine and turn up the heat to medium high. Bring it to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix all the brown bits into the wine. Simmer for 3 minutes to evaporate the alcohol a bit (Note 4).
8. Add the remaining ingredients (including remaining 1 tsp salt and pepper) and stir to combine.
9. Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeezing them in to fit so they are mostly submerged. (Note 1)
10. Bring back up to simmer, cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours (see notes for slow cooker).
11. Turn the lamb shanks, cover, then return to the oven for another 30 minutes (so 2½ hours in total). The lamb should be very tender, the exposed surface above the liquid should be browned and the sauce should be reduced down to about ¼ of the original amount.
12. Carefully transfer the lamb to a plate and pick out the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
13. Skim excess fat off the surface of sauce. Use a stick blender to puree the sauce to make it smooth and thick. Use hot water to adjust the thickness and intensity of the sauce. (Note 5) Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
14. Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato or cauliflower puree with plenty of sauce!

Cheers!

Details

Written by Henry Conway

Category: News

Published: 19 October 2016

Hits: 1466

Proud to sell Donnafugata Tancredi 2011

The Donnafugata winery was founded in 1983 by the Rallo family and became one of the
first wineries in Sicily to specialise in the production of high quality “table wine” (rather than Marsala -
formerly the island’s most important export). Still run by the Rallo family today, Donnafugata now owns
two separate estates (one in Contessa Entellina and one on the island of Pantelleria) and produces more
than 2 million bottles of wine per year. Known as one of Sicily’s most progressive and impressive wineries, Donnnafugata is always innovating and this 2011 Donnafugata “Tancredi” is a great example of that.

Produced from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero d’Avola (Sicily’s most important indigenous red grape) and Tannat Tancredi is an extremely elegant and refined wine particularly suited for a special gift or in occassion of formal and business lunches

It offers an ample and intense bouquet, balsamic and liquorice notes interwoven with fruity aromas of dark berries and spicy hints of dark tobacco. The palate is fragrant and perfectly reflects the nose. The tannins are soft and well integrated. Clearly a fruit-driven style, it is easy to pick out the dark fruit Cabernet characters alongside more red fruit orientated Nero d’Avola influences.

Its broad and enveloping structure pairs to grilled or roasted strong red meats, imposing roasts and lamb accompanied by earthy vegetables.

Try it with..

Rosemary and Garlic Roast Beef

Ingredients

3lbs boneless Rib Eye roast
¼ cup chopped Fresh rosemary, or other favourite herbs
¼ cup chopped garlic (about 20 cloves)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
4 cups of a variety of Mushrooms
1 cup of stock

Method

Preheat oven to 175C.
Tie the roast and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix together rosemary and garlic. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir to combine. Reserve. In a cast iron skillet, over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and, once smoking hot, sear all sides of the meat. Remove skillet from heat. Brush the herb-garlic mixture all over the roast. Bring the roast, in the cast iron skillet, to the preheated oven and cook for about 1 to 1.5 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 58C degrees (medium-rare). Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving (final temperature should be 61C for medium rare.)
While the roast is resting, sauté the mushrooms over medium heat with 2 tablespoons butter until cooked through and no liquid is left in the pan, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove roast from the cast iron skillet and bring the skillet to the stovetop. Add stock to the pan and deglaze the pan, scraping all the bits from the bottom. Allow to simmer until thick. Add the mushrooms to the sauce, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir until the sauce is silky. Then, place the roast back in the cast iron with the sauce and spoon some of the sauce over the roast.
Garnish serving platter with fresh rosemary if desired.

Recipe by : Olivia's cuisine

Enjoy it !

@DonnafugataWine

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Written by Henry Conway

Category: News

Published: 19 October 2016

Hits: 1470

This week we focused on selecting wines that are easy to approach in both terms of palate and price. Texture is soft, flavours and aromas are immediate and easy to understand. Although these are not particularly complex examples we can consider them to be reliable and affordable wines for everyday drinking.

Torres Tormenta ORGANIC Sauvignon Blanc 2014 at £8.95
Great aromatic intensity and character, exploding with tropical notes such as passion fruit as well as citric and woolly hints. On the palate the wine has a crisp but full-bodied mouth-feel giving way to passion fruit, lime, gooseberry and grapefruit.

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Written by Henry Conway

Category: News

Published: 15 October 2016

Hits: 1514

A lovely sunny Saturday has lightened the mood after a cold burst so we thought we would make it even better with our lovely Chilean Pinot Noir.

 

In the last few years, Errazuriz has been recognized as perhaps the single top quality producer of Chilean wines. Its wines were either the top-rated or shared the top rating in the last major Chilean reviews from the Wine Spectator, the Wine Advocate, and Tanzer.

 

ERRAZURIZ WILD FERMENT PINOT NOIR 2014 @ £14.95 EACH

A vibrant ruby red with bright violet nuances when the light hits it, the nose of the Wild Ferment Pinot Noir pours red fruit flavours of cherries, raspberries, and exotic fruits, along with notes of dill and tobacco against a floral backdrop. The palate backs up the red fruit flavours with light notes of toast and nuts such as hazelnuts to the mix.

 

And if you haven't thought about what to have to eat over the weekend, well why not make yourself a rich Coq au Vin to pair with our big Pinot Noir?

Coq Au vin

1½ tbsp olive oil

3 rashers (100g) dry-cured, smoked back bacon, fat trimmed, chopped

12 small shallot, peeled

2 free-range chicken leg (460g), skin removed

4 free-range chicken thigh with bone and skin (650g), skin removed

2 free-range, skinless, boneless chicken breast (280g)

3 garlic clove, finely chopped

3 tbsp brandy or Cognac

600ml red wine

150ml good-quality chicken stock

2 tsp tomato purée

3 thyme sprigs, 2 rosemary sprigs and 2 bay leaves, to make a bouquet garnish

small handful chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

 

For the mushrooms

1½ tbsp olive oil

250g chestnut mushroom, halved if large

For the thickener

2 tbsp plain flour

1½ tsp olive oil

1 tsp softened butter

 

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or flameproof dish. Tip in the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Add the shallots to the pan and fry, stirring or shaking the pan often, for 5-8 mins until well browned all over. Remove and set aside with the bacon.

 

2. Pat the chicken pieces dry with kitchen paper. Pour the remaining oil into the pan, then fry half the chicken pieces, turning regularly, for 5-8 mins until well browned. Remove, then repeat with the remaining chicken. Remove and set aside.

 

3. Scatter in the garlic and fry briefly, then, with the heat medium-high, pour in the brandy or Cognac, stirring the bottom of the pan to deglaze. The alcohol should sizzle and start to evaporate so there is not much left.

 

4. Return the chicken legs and thighs to the pan along with any juices, then pour in a little of the wine, stirring the bottom of the pan again. Stir in the rest of the wine, the stock and tomato purée, drop in the bouquet garni, season with pepper and a pinch of salt, then return the bacon and shallots to the pan. Cover, lower the heat to a gentle simmer, add the chicken breasts and cook for 50 mins-1hr.

 

5. Just before ready to serve, heat the oil for the mushrooms in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the mushrooms and fry over a high heat for a few mins until golden. Remove and keep warm.

 

6. Lift the chicken, shallots and bacon from the pan and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Remove the bouquet garni. To make the thickener, mix the flour, olive oil and butter in a small bowl using the back of a teaspoon. Bring the wine mixture to a gentle boil, then gradually drop in small pieces of the thickener, whisking each piece in using a wire whisk. Simmer for 1-2 mins. Scatter the mushrooms over the chicken, then pour over the wine sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Details

Written by Henry Conway

Category: News

Published: 14 October 2016

Hits: 1437

There's a new Prosecco in town !

Thomson & Scott CEO and Founder Amanda Thomson has created Thomson & Scott Skinny - a portfolio of Champagne and Prosecco for the next generation of wine lovers globally who want to drink top quality sparkling wine and reduce the levels of added sugar in their bottle.

"My mission is to be completely open about what we're drinking and cut sugar where it's not needed. We're not counting calories, but we share them for transparency. My mission is for us to ask why we can't drink better and cleaner. I've developed my own range of top quality sparkling wines to answer this question."

Having been raised on a vegetarian, no sugar diet, Amanda has always had healthy living in her DNA. After a career as an Arts Broadcaster at the BBC, she moved to Paris and studied for a Diploma in Wine at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu School.

She says, "When you have the best grapes, a talented winemaker and great conditions, why add unnecessary sugar to the process?"