Anthony Gismondi: A good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon makes for a perfect Father’s Day gift

Article content

Father’s Day celebrations never quite measure up to Mother’s Day, but I think most men are OK with that summation. Research would suggest dads don’t want anything, and interestingly, they think their kids shouldn’t be spending money on them.

A recent survey in the U.S. said the most presented Father Day’s gifts are invitations to dinner or brunch, clothes, gift cards, power tools, personal care products, sporting goods, or car-related items. In the UK, the best selling items are chocolate, alcohol, books, gadgets and aftershave. That said, spending for Father’s Day is on the rise but remains well behind what is spent on Mother’s Day, which makes a lot of sense to this father.

Having noted the alcohol, I wondered, did anyone ask about wine? It may be rosé weather or brosé in some circles, but I’m guessing a good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon will settle the day and best of all, chances are it will get opened and consumed at dinner by all.

Article content

Cabernet Sauvignon is responsible for some of the biggest, manliest wines on the planet and, from what I have experienced in my travels, attract men in a way street lights attract moths. If Bordeaux set the historical standard for the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, the rest of the world has quickly taken advantage of the grape’s ability to adapt to new sites and climates.

It used to be you had to wait forever for Cabernets to “soften up” in the bottle, but the day of dry, blocky, chewy tannins is long gone in exchange for round, soft, fine-grained, sweet tannins. The lighter, more modern styles, such as those from Chile and Australia, emphasize fruit flavours and the aforementioned soft tannins. It makes them eminently more drinkable at a young age than traditional Bordeaux or some of the more serious examples from California and Australia. The best strive to combine finesse and power with ripe tannins and fruit, making them attractive in their youth yet still possessing an excellent potential to age in the bottle.

I have scanned the B.C. Liquor Stores list for some Cabernet gift ideas running from the reasonable under $17 up to the sky’s the limit pricing in honour of Father’s Day. I think dad would be happy with a glass of any of our picks as long as he gets to share it with you.

I’m a fan of ‘The Show’ wines that hail from several countries:

• The Show 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon ($17.99), out of California is a terrific barbecue Cabernet for the price.

Article content

• From Chile, Finca el Origen Reserva 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.99) is equally as tasty with its savoury, leafy minty Chilean mystique.

Australia is having a moment, and some excellent Cabernets are coming to B.C. from Down Under. Labels to look for include:

• Vasse Felix Filius 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River, ($29.99)

• Peter Lehmann 2017 The Barossan Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley ($22.99)

• Wakefield 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon ($17.99)

• Wynns Black Label 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra ($34.99)

Passing through $40 is where the intensity and length of Cabernet Sauvignon take a big jump. A pair of local buys from Oliver and Skaha Bench are:

• Burrowing Owl 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)

• Painted Rock 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, ($40)

From California, the lineup is extensive, but some of the “affordable” gems include:

• Austin Hope 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles (69.99)

• Freemark Abbey 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon ($62.99)

• Stags’ Leap 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($57.99)

Finally, if the sky is the limit:

• Penfolds Bin 707 2016 ($555) is a stellar bottle

• The reigning champ of California cult wines is Oakville-based Screaming Eagle, and you can grab the 100 points rated 2018 Screaming Eagle for $37 a point or a cool $3,700.

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there who would easily settle for an inexpensive hug if they are anything like me.

Weekend wine picks

Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Region del Valle Central, Chile

Article content

$23.99 I 90/100

UPC: 715126000116

A solid performer, this Colchagua Cabernet Sauvignon has a history long of growing on the Montes estate in the Apalta Valley, with a small amount of fruit coming from the cooler Marchigüe Estate at the cooler Western edge of the Colchagua region in southern Chile. The blend is 90/10 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot. It mixes blue and black fruits with a healthy umami dose to offset the chocolate and oak, although the oak is very subtle. The tannins are nicely reined in, so you can drink it now, but it will improve in the bottle for several more years. Empanadas, anyone?

Torres Mas La Plana 2016, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain

$65.99 I 92/100

UPC: 8410113003126

From deep, limestone-rich soils in the Alt Penedès, this 100 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon from old vines was destemmed, fermented in stainless and oak foudres, with a gentle extraction. It spent 18 months in French oak (65 per cent new) barrels. The wood and Cabernet’s structure is firmly felt, but its juicy, mouth-watering core dominates with fleshy black cherry, graphite, dried florals, tobacco, and a fine-grained savoury spice through to the lingering finish. It is already well-integrated and drinkable yet will cellar easily for another decade.

Frind Estate Premier Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

$37.99 I 88/100

UPC: 626990415299

Frind Estate Winery is a new lakefront winery on the historic Bennett Property in West Kelowna. Markus Frind purchased the property in 2017 after selling the wildly popular dating company Plenty of Fish. With over 500 years of family farming history, Markus wanted to combine his two passions; technology and agriculture. This youthful, compact Cabernet Sauvignon is amazingly kept to 12.7 per cent, with dense dark cherry, cassis, and blackberry. The wood plays a welcome, integrated supporting role, while tannins are near negligible. Serve this youthful red with grilled sausages or burgers.

Article content

Painted Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

$39.99 I 89/100

UPC: 626990105831

This dark, brooding Cabernet Sauvignon is intensely extracted with concentrated black and blue fruits, huge weight, and pronounced firm, grainy tannins. If you are looking for a big Okanagan Cabernet, this is it, but it’s going to need some time to come into its own. From Painted Rock’s 2.15 acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon, this Skaha red was cold-soaked before a 21-day ferment, followed by aging in French oak for 18 months (30 per cent new).

Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Clare Valley, South Australia

$19.95 I 88/100

UPC: 9311659000626

Big, ripe, and potent, this Clare Valley Cabernet leads with a medicinal-hued black cherry and cassis note, imbued with tobacco leaf, green sap, anise, gravels, and a wave of eucalyptus on the warming finish. Tannins are firm but slightly sanded, with cedar and oak propping up the ripe fruit. The wine was gently pressed to French oak barrels to complete ferment, and it remained there for one year (10 per cent new wood). Best taken now with grilled burgers or steak.

Recipe match: Duck a l’Orange

Celebrating savoury duck, sweet carrots and a delicious hint of orange, this elevated dish created by Time Winery’s Chef De Cuisine Matt Martin is worth rolling up your sleeves to tackle the multi-step procedure required to make it.

Duck a l’Orange

Duck Confit

Article content

5 oz (142 g) kosher salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp (5 mL) crushed black peppercorn

Zest of 1 orange

1 oz (28 g) parsley, chopped

4-6 duck legs

Duck fat (to cover)

Combine salt, garlic, peppercorn, orange zest and parsley in a food processor. Once combined, heavily season both sides of the duck legs and massage into the meat.

Place duck legs in a non-reactive container and sprinkle the remaining salt over top. Wrap or cover and allow to sit in the fridge for 12 hours. Once cured, rinse the duck legs with cold water and pat dry.

Place the duck leg in a single layer, with the skin side-up, in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven. Submerge the duck legs in melted duck fat, cover and cook for 12 hours at 200 F.

Allow the duck legs to fully cool in the fat to ensure the meat doesn’t dry out.

Carrot Purée

9 oz (256 g) carrots

1 cup (250 mL) cream

1 sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

White wine vinegar to taste

Peel the carrots and cut into even pieces. In a medium pot, combine the carrots, cream, thyme and bay leaf. Cover the pot and cook over medium-low heat until the carrots are completely tender.

Discard the thyme and bay leaf, and blend the carrot and cream mixture until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh chinois and season with salt and white-wine vinegar.

Orange and Carrot Marmalade

3 oranges

2 large carrots, peeled

1 cup (250 mL) white-wine vinegar

1 cup (250 mL) sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) ground coriander

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) ground ginger

Salt to taste

Quarter the oranges and remove the flesh leaving only the pith and skin.

Article content

Heat a pot of water until it reaches a boil, add the orange skins, and allow to blanch for 30 seconds. Once blanched, immediately place in ice water. Once chilled, mince. Shred the peeled carrot. Juice the flesh of the oranges. In a large pot, over medium-low heat, add all the ingredients and cook until it begins to look candied and is jam-like.

Duck Jus

2 cups (250 mL) heavily reduced duck stock or chicken stock

1/3 cup plus 3 tsp (100 mL) apple cider vinegar

1 tsp (5 mL) orange blossom water

In a small sauce pot, over low heat, combine all the ingredients.

Carrot Chips

Carrots

Oil for frying

Salt

In a medium pot fitted with a candy thermometer, heat oil until it reaches 325 F. Meanwhile, with a mandolin, slice carrots lengthwise into thin strips. Once oil reaches temperature, fry them until they’re golden and crisp, remove from the oil and season with salt.

Assembly

Heat a small pan with a small amount of duck fat and add the duck confit skin side-down and then place in a 425 F oven. In a medium pan brown two tablespoons of butter and add five baby carrots, tossing them in the brown butter to ensure even coloration. Once carrots are fully cooked, add a handful of chopped swiss chard and a dash of white-wine vinegar, cover and remove from heat.

Gently reheat carrot purée until warmed through. Place the carrot purée on the bottom of a plate, add the wilted spinach and pan-roasted carrots, place the crispy skin duck confit on top and garnish with carrot chips, carrot and orange marmalade, and finish with the duck jus.

Article content

Serves 4-6. 

Recipe match

Duck a l’Orange confit style brings bold flavours that could be matched with New World Pinot Noir.

Lunessence Pinot Noir 2019, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $27.99

Black cherries flecked with earth, tobacco and soft tannins will melt into the confit flavours and textures.

Zorzal Terroir Unico Pinot Noir 2018, Gualtallary, Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina $19.49

Look for spicy and black raspberries with easy-sipping tannins in the back end that will easily assimilate the big confit flavours. Good value too.

Subscribe to West Coast Table and start planning for your weekend with expert recommendations from our team of writers on what to cook, where to dine, and the perfect wine pairing delivered straight to your inbox on Thursday at noon.