Pairing:  Roast Pheasant Paired with 2009 Chateau Lyonnat Lussac-Saint Emilion

Food:  As summer begins to fade, we begin to look forward to autumn and its associated sights, smells,  textures, and … tastes. Roast pheasant is a dish we always think of as an autumnal meal. Our recipe for roast pheasant comes from the L.L Bean Game and Fish Cookbook, a favorite of source of ours for many years. It involves finely mincing (by hand or food processor) 2 shallots, 4 mushrooms, dried basil, dried tarragon, and fresh parsley and thoroughly combining them all with a little brandy and a few Tbs of butter forming a thick paste. With your fingers, carefully tuck the mixture under the skin of the breast and thigh meat. Rub any remaining paste over the outside of the bird. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the bird in a heavy skillet at 350F. Remove the bird and deglaze the pan using some of the wine and chicken stock. Boil down until the sauce is to the desired consistency. As a final touch, swirl in a Tbs of butter and/ or veal demi-glace. Serve the sauce over the meat and mashed potatoes. Yikes … is that good! You bet.

Wine:  The vineyards that surround the town of Saint-Emilion are among the most prestigious in all of the Bordeaux wine region. Some might say in all of France.  Lussac-Saint-Emilion is considered to be one of four “satellites” of Saint-Emilion, all four of these sub-regions lying north of Saint-Emilion. Lussac-Saint-Emilion is located in the far northeastern corner of Bordeaux. Merlot is the dominant grape variety in all of Saint-Emilion and is often combined with a little Cabernet Franc in the making of these distinguished and distinctive wines. Many of the wines from fabled Saint-Emilion wineries are in high demand throughout the world and get top dollar on the market … sometimes hundreds of dollars per bottle. The Chateau Lyonnat from Lussac is far more reasonable … $25.  Click on the link for tips on finding inexpensive Bordeaux wines.

Tasting Notes:  Ruby red color. Rich aromas of black currant and leather. Big, round flavors of both black and red currant, leather and more subtle tastes of black pepper and spice. All tied together with mellow tannins. Glad we decanted the wine two hours before eating. As we progressed through the meal, the mushroom and herb flavors of the pheasant enhanced further the elements of the wine. And the finish carried on and on. This … is Bordeaux! And this … is a great pairing! (mmmm …)

Other Food That Pairs Well with This Wine: Roast Duck and Confit, Venison, Roast Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, or Beef

Other Wines That Pair Well with This Food:  Barolo (Italy), Red Burgundy (France), Crozes-Hermitage (Northern Rhone), Pomerol (Bordeaux)

Read About:  http://winefolly.com/tutorial/superieur-cheap-bordeaux-wine/

A Source:  www.wine.com