Sunday Dinner

Last week we posted a picture of a pork loin after it came off the grill.  Sunday that menu was repeated so I thought the best thing to do was post the before picture from the same recipe. 

The pork loin was rubbed with garlic and sprinkled with salt and pepper.  Branches of fresh sage and rosemary encased it and strips of bacon were tied around it.  After a half hour on the grill  over indirect heat the oil from the herbs infused the loin and the bacon and hickory chips gave it a wonderful smoky flavor.  There was also a a repeat of the buttercup squash and Swiss chard risotto.  Good meal.

There were two wines and by the end of the day it was hard to choose between them except to say that one seemed a tad better with the pork and the other seemed to light up with the risotto.

The wine that was best with the pork was a 2003 Enzo Boglietti Barolo, Arione.

It spent a good part of the day open to breathe,  The nose was classic Barolo, rose petals and violets, dried red cherries, and whiff of dry, fresh earth and a a touch of fresh road tar.  The color was true also, more on the orange side of the red spectrum and clearly lighter in color.  Swirling in the glass continued to release those wonderful aromas.

The taste was the dried cherries and the earth.  There was only a hint of oak though this wine would be classified as a modern style Barolo.  Good depth of fruit and wonderful acid were there.  The Barolo tannin was out in full force on the sides of the tongue, not harsh or rough, but definitely strong.  The wine was at its best with a bite of the pork loin as the herbs seemed to intensify the fruit flavors and tone down the tannin and astringency.  It was a match that I would gladly repeat.

This wine was chosen by our host over a couple of 2001 Boglietti Barolos in his cellar.  His wine merchant explained that the 2001 vintage reportedly is still improving in the bottle while the 2003 vintage may not get  better with more age.  Whatever - this was a delicious wine and a great meal.

The wine that went best with the risotto was a 2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico.  More on it tomorrow or Thursday.