I don't know many sommeliers, but those I have met swear by the greatness of pinot noir. 'Ethereal' is a word thrown about. I think the word means 'finesse' but with a little more metaphysical spunk. I don't know if this is accurate. What I do know is that Burgundy is the cradle of the elusive pinot noir. It's also home to the most expensive agricultural land on earth. The colour of pinot is the first giveaway in a blind tasting. Light. Bricky. On the nose, you'll generally find red fruit, earth, barnyard, stewed rhubarb, light spice. In the mouth, minerals and tight acidity dominate. As a grape, pinot is temperamental, but when done well it is so exciting - so ethereal, if you'll allow the word - that producers all over the world have been tempted to try the grape out at least once. Pinot is a tough grow. New Zealand, with its cooler growing climate, has had some of the best results to date and now produces some of the finest pinots outside of Burgundy. Pisa Range Estate is at the top end. The winemaker's name is Rudi Bauer. He's renowned, speaks English with a Austrian and New Zealand hybrid accent and drops the occasional f-bomb. Observe.
The classic pairing for pinot noir is duck. The rich, gamey quality of the duck needs something with acid and structure to cut through the fat and harmonize the flavours. Pinot plays this role. I've been waiting to try this recipe for a while. It's kind of a cross between a braise and a confit. Two of my favourite human inventions.
Duck with Green Olives (Adapted from Daniel Boulud's Braise)
Ingredients for 4:
***This recipe begins the day before you wish to consume it.
- 4 to 6 duck legs
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 pound sliced bacon, cut into ladrons
- 3 carrots, peeled, trimmed and diced
- 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
- 2 small turnips, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup of pitted green olives, preferably picholine
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups of chicken stock
1) The night before you plan to serve, place rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350.
2) Season duck with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a medium cast-iron pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the duck legs and sear until golden brown on all sides. Eight minutes maybe.
3) Transfer duck to a plate. Pour off excess fat from the pot. Return the duck to the pot along with the bacon and cook, stirring with vigorous thrusting motion, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Spoon any fat out of the pot. Add the carrots, onions, turnips, olives, thyme, and bay leaf, and pour in the stock. Transfer the pot to the oven and braise, covered for 2 hours, until the duck is tender. Chill overnight.
4) Preheat the oven to 350. Remove the rich layer of fat from the top of the sauce and heat the duck in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf and serve.
Notes on the 2007 Pisa Range Black Poplar with my Sweet, Sweet Braised/Confit of Duck:
Bright and deep ruby. That's the prefect way to describe this pinot noir. It's beaming. I'm no botanist, but as I understand it, this brightness originates in weather. Central Otago is a cool climate. The cooler it is at night the more acidity is preserved, creating brighter more vibrant fruit. The nose on this wine is also intense. The glass is two feet away and I can smell it. Spice. Cinnamon. Cloves. Nutmeg. Deep red fruit. Strawberries. I get some banana too, but this may be tied up with the sweet French oak spices. On the palate, there's nice acid and a mineral quality, like licking a stone. Little white fires pinching in your jaw. The finish is clean and long. Rich and smooth in the mouth. I may be having an ethereal moment and I haven't even touched the duck. The duck, by the by, is f-bomb good. Symmetry is nice. I fear intoxication is inevitable at this clip. I keep coming back to the wine and a strange flint-quality. Like a fire's being started somewhere in the glass.
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