At the test kitchen, sometimes, I let the host pick the menu. When he chose Beef Wellington with Napoleon for dessert, I smiled and thought that this meal WILL NOT be my Waterloo. It was my first time making a Wellington or a Napoleon, but, with my usual bravado in the face of challenge, I jumped in head first and embraced the opportunity to create a culinary riff on Naval history. The meal was perfect to showcase the Lenz Cabernet Sauvignon, and who am I to deny a man who plays the banjo while I happily putter in the kitchen? (I am a very lucky girl)
Now for the review:
Lenz Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon `07 unfiltered and unfined (Dr. Scribner would be thrilled). What a full, lush wine. At 13% ETOH, it was an excellent, traditional, old world style foil for the lean tenderloin wrapped in mushroom duxelles, prosciutto and puff pastry.
The truth is, I was sipping it all day as I cooked. (hey, it was 6:00 somewhere) By the time the meal was ready to be photographed... there wasn't a lot of wine left - maybe enough for a pairing - I smiled, praised Julia Child and toasted to a terrific afternoon of cooking and blissing out to my very own live acoustic soundtrack.
This Cabernet Sauvignon is flavorful, slightly dry, with notes of dark forest berries. It's a smooth, classic, left bank type Cabernet that winemaker Eric Fry makes right here on Long Island's North Fork. I really did kick myself for drinking it while it is still young (ish).
It was so much fun pairing it with a special meal (we even broke out the good china). I was delighted to sip it as I cooked and drink it with dinner. Thank you Lenz. I'll be buying more, and I'll try to let it sit in the cellar long enough to mature to its full potential.
I paired the wine with a dinner of:
Beef Wellington
Herb roasted Russian banana potatoes
Red and green leaf salad with toasted walnuts & shaved Parmesan with a Honey/Balsamic dressing
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