Holiday Cooking with Bonneau du Martray
By Mary Margaret McCamic MW | General Manager, Karolus Wine Imports
For wine and food lovers, the months of October, November, and December are simply glorious. It’s the time of year where, even in Napa, the wind starts to chill, big pots come out, and all sorts of delicious smells waft from the kitchen. The sound of corks popping amidst good conversation becomes the natural backdrop for weekends and holidays at home. And though I love Bonneau du Martray every time of year, I have to admit that the holiday season feels like an especially exciting time to open a bottle (or let’s be honest, several). This year has been packed with cheese, antipasto platters, roasted chicken, braised pork, and beyond. Read on for a few of my most favorite pairings with Bonneau du Martray this time of year!
Cheese
favorite current vintages to pair: 2017 & 2015
favorite library vintages to pair: 1991 & 1994
You really need not ask me twice - yes, I want cheese with Bonneau du Martray. Any vintage will do. I adore younger vintages of Bonneau du Martray like the 2015, 2016, and 2017 with cheeses like Compté, P’tit Basque, or California’s own Point Reyes Toma.
If I’m drinking older Bonneau du Martray, like the 1991 or 1994 vintages of Corton-Charlemagne, I lean more toward aged cheeses, or those with distinct flavors, like truffles. Those earthy, developing flavors in white burgundy with 20+ years on it just marry perfectly with the creamy, savory qualities in a cheese like Brillat-Savarin. And I’m not alone. In fact, I didn’t actually come up with these cheese pairings, I just happily experimented with them at home after a trip to Burgundy in September. They were inspired by the winemaker Emmanuel Hautus and vineyard manager Fabien Esthor, each of whom recently declared their love for these cheese pairings back in September when I was there for harvest. Watch the video or read the spoiler: Emmanuel’s favorite cheese with Bonneau du Martray is Brillat-Savarin with Truffles (try it with the 1994 — trust me) while Fabien’s is 18-24 month old Comté is perfect with just about any vintage.
Dishes with Mushrooms
FAVORITE CURRENT VINTAGES TO PAIR: 2015 & 2012
FAVORITE LIBRARY VINTAGES TO PAIR: 2007, 2005, & 2002
As I mentioned before, there is something haunting about great, aged white burgundy and mushrooms. While I adore truffles this time of year, we’ve made many homemade pastas with a simple sauce of butter, white wine, sautéed Cremini or baby Portobello mushrooms, and a dash of fresh thyme. These simple dishes liven up the table and remind me of some of my favorite eating and drinking adventures in the European countryside; the wine is often extraordinary yet is paired with something so pure and humble, yet so full of flavor.
What I love most about mushrooms with current vintages is their matched “meatiness” — the texture and savory flavors work perfectly with fuller-bodied vintages like 2012 and 2015. Older vintages that have a bit more development and sometimes nuttiness, like vintages from the early 2000s and 1990s, match the earth and texture, too. It’s all a matter of taste.
Roasted Poultry
favorite current vintages to pair: 2016 & 2017
favorite library vintages to pair: 1987, 1994 & 2008
There is just something about Corton-Charlemagne that calls for roasted chicken. This season, I’ve done it all, from roasted chicken legs with rosemary Tuscan white beans, to a whole roasted chicken stuffed simply with lemon, onion, and seasoned with thyme, to goat cheese stuffed chicken breast with herbs. The list goes on.
One of my favorite dishes with Bonneau du Martray’s Corton-Charlemagne has been a very simple whole roasted chicken with carrots, onions, and potatoes. The sweetness of the onions and carrots works perfectly with the mid-palate of the wine (especially younger vintages like 2016 & 2017), and the acidity cuts through the fat and crispiness of the skin on the chicken and potatoes. Young library vintages like 2008 work beautifully, too, offering a combination of youthful qualities like lemon zest and stone fruit amidst slightly developing earth and honeycomb. Likewise, a reach back to 1994 or 1987 never hurts, as both vintages have so much verve from their acidity while also offering notes of hazelnut, caramel, and rich stone fruits.
Braised Meats and Stews
pair with bonneau du martray’s red corton grand cru
favorite vintages to pair: 2005 & 1999
Braised vegetables, braised meats — that low and slow method of cooking just beckons friends and family in the kitchen and fills the house with enticing aromas. I love braised pork or lamb with Burgundy, especially reds. (You might wonder if a white wine could stand up to such flavors, and if any white wine has the stuff to stand up to beer-braised pork shoulder over spinach polenta with mushrooms, it’s Bonneau du Martray’s Corton-Charlemagne.) Typically, I reach for library vintages of Bonneau du Martray Corton with a dish like braised pork shoulder because world class pinot noir with 15-20 years of age does amazing things with these flavors. Powerful yet pretty, Corton offers enough structure to pair with darker meat, enough fruit to bring easy pleasure, and layers of earth and spice that bring everything together harmoniously.
There’s absolutely no going wrong when good food and good wine are around, especially when its Grand Cru Burgundy from atop the Hill of Corton. May your tastebuds be inspired, your cellar full, and your glass filled with Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne or Corton this holiday season!