Tuesday, April 22, 2008

My love hate relationship with Chicken Marsala and pairing

As you might know from reading my blog, I make Chicken Marsala from time to time and am always on the lookout for the perfect wine to pair with it. I serve it with a side of pasta alfredo and my sauce has a slightly creamy texture, but the base of the sauce, Marsala Wine, isn't white, so it goes with many things. Which, some could say is a great feature of a dish-that it tastes good with a lot of wines that you aren't stuck with a certain kind, but I think its a bit of a pain because nothing tastes perfect with it. The latest effort was the 2000 Pietra Santa Sassolino form Gold Medal Wine Club.
Its a "Tuscan-inspired blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, from grapes grown exclusively on the Pietra Santa estate. Sassolino translates to “little stone” in Italian, and is in reference to the granite and limestone rich soils that add interesting characters and flavors to the wine. The 2000 Sassolino was awarded 87 Points – “Highly Recommended” by the Beverage Tasting Institute. On the nose, rich aromas of cherry, sandalwood, sage and vanilla are present, and the wine opens with good concentration and a medium body. The Sassolino is loaded with ripe, mouthfilling fruit, and displays opulent raspberry and blueberry flavors with hints of mint and spice. Pietra Santa’s Sassolino has excellent balance, soft tannins, and a supple texture that pairs well with grilled steaks or lamb chops. Aged 25 months in oak. 54% Sangiovese, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy now until 2010. Pietra Santa’s Sassolino is a proprietary blend of the winery. This is a special wine not only to the family, but also to the winery’s enthusiasts who have anticipated each vintage release since 1993."

We decanted the wine for about 30 minutes, although in retrospect it could've used about 90+ minutes. It was great though- a bit harsh on the oak at first, but as I said we should've decanted it a bit more. It was also very good with the Marsala. Probably still not the perfect pair, but I guess I'll be *forced* to keep on trying.

Oh the demands of being a winelush.

2 comments:

LucyinStLou said...

Mr. Luce & I loved the wine! Although, I do agree. It tasted best as I finished my glass so it had been out for about an hour and a half at that point.

Thanks for the Marsala!

WineLush said...

Sigh-the last sip is often the best. Its almost as if it taunts me that now that wine is FINALLY perfect, I have no more. How sad. Mean, mean Wine Gods.