Autumn continues to settle into Napa Valley, bringing brisk northern winds, cooler temperatures and a continued yearning to explore warming hearty red wines.    To continue the Location Series with Cabernet Sauvignon, this week there is no area better to feature than Rutherford Bench.  

Rutherford Bench, which sits on the western central floor of Napa Valley, is famed for producing top Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.     Located north of Oakville and south of Zinfandel Lane, the famed Rutherford Bench contains deep alluvial soils which drain well and contribute to producing high quality Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.    These grapes typically produce a wine that has depth in its fruit flavors and herbal qualities.   However, the distinguishing characteristic about these grapes is that there is a certain dusty quality in the wine that is produced.    While it is readily easy to sense the dusty component in a Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon, it is not as simple to describe exactly what this component represents on the palate.     To walk through the components of an outstanding wine like this, a fantastic example is Sequoia Grove’s 2004 Rutherford Bench Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sequoia Grove’s 2004 Rutherford Bench Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is dark in color with lustrous ruby notes.  Its nose offers mystery and suspense as aromas of blackberry, cassis, leather and mocha dust come forth.  

Wait… mocha dust?  

Sipping the wine, it is discovered on the palate as silky smooth with similar romantic, subtle dark berry fruit, spice and a confirmed sprinkle of mocha dust.    The dusty character of Rutherford Bench fruit is often described by many as being similar to mocha dust and this wine exhibits no different.  

Taking these components into consideration, it is easy to imagine this wine paired with warm hearty dishes or beef dressed with a spiced sauce.   Combining both of these ideas, this week’s pairing consists of:  

·         Sautéed Top Sirloin Strips in Red Wine Sauce With Balsamic Caramelized Sweet Onions and Garden Green Beans Atop Brown Rice

While the above dinner may sound simple or potentially bland, rest assured there are thoughtful gourmet aspects to dress up an otherwise straight-forward meal.   Irrespective, when enjoying a very good bottle of wine (particularly if more than a casual sum was expended) a far more liberating lesson to be learned is that the meal does not have to be equally as lavish.   By keeping the cost of the meal low, the guilt of enjoying a more expensive bottle of wine lessens.   And more importantly, by avoiding the pressure of creating a lavish menu, the meal is kept under control and in balance with the wine being served.   It is in these moments that the wine is truly allowed to stand out as the centerpiece of the dining experience.

Assembling this meal is done in the concept of creating a “bowl dish”, which while casual in appearance brings together all of the flavors of the ingredients to create depth similarly found in the wine.   Beef, as previously discussed, pairs naturally with cabernet sauvignon and helps to offset the wine’s natural tannins.    To insure that the steak will remain tender once sautéed, I marinated the meat in some red wine and seasoning and allowed it to sit out at room temperature for a bit prior to cooking.  

Since brown rice is being used (which can sometimes be described as dry), I have elected to create a Red Wine Sauce to drizzle over the meal and to coat the steak strips.   The ingredients of this Red Wine Sauce make the sauce unique and tailored for this wine.   Thinking about the components of the wine, the one element that stands out the most is the sensation of mocha dust.    As I carefully reduced the red wine with some minced shallots in the sauté pan, I began sprinkling cocoa powder into the sauce.   Later adding some Worcestershire sauce (among other ingredients) and allowing the sauce to thicken a bit, the Red Wine Sauce was created.    Tasting it, the cocoa powder does not overwhelm the other ingredients.    Instead it adds a different rich dimension, creates a similar dusty sensation, and really makes the flavors “pop”.   

To add some vegetable to the meal and help accentuate the herbaceous notes found in the wine, pieces of steamed green beans from the garden and Balsamic Caramelized Sweet Onions are added to the mix.   Finding garden green beans at this time of year is not impossible in my garden.    Presently, there a few blossoms set on the plants despite having produced heavily throughout the summer.    However, unsure of what autumn yields my plants would produce this year, I blanched and froze green beans from the garden.    Taking a few from the freezer, the green beans were steamed for a few minutes; the revitalization worked and near-freshly picked flavor came forth for the dish.    Similarly, to create an earthier or darker taste in the meal, balsamic vinegar was used at the end of the process to caramelize the sweet onion.    Both of these elements when taken into account with the wine accentuated the spice and the herbal notes found in the 2004 Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon.

Once assembled, the dish offered all of the hearty, earthy rich elements that one could attribute to a Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon.   

The next time you are exploring Cabernet Sauvignons, plan to stop and explore those offered along the Rutherford Bench in Napa Valley.    They are smooth, rich, elegant and mystical.    Try identifying that dusty factor and associating it with mocha.   If you dare, invite that wine into your kitchen and add the allure of cocoa to a dish or sauce and bring out the subtle sensuality for which Rutherford Bench is known.