The Judgment
The judges tasted and sipped their way through all three team combinations. Their deliberation resulted in not one winner, but three! Each dish was brilliantly created and beautifully presented. Each wine was the perfect companion to the dish it matched. In fact, only the Pinot Noir paired with each dish was a winner with that dish. Finally, the judges had to admit that the teams had done their jobs so well, that there was no single winner— there were three winners.
Team Resch / Jansen
Roasted butternut squash gnocchi with glazed cippolini onions, Sandiland forest mushrooms, Pinot Noir reduction, lightly smoked Oka foam, roasted carrots and a smooth puree of tarragon, served with Domaine Arlaud 2010
Roncevie Burgundy.
This is a great vintage year. Refined tannins make an attractive balance in this young wine that can be consumed right away— but try cellaring a couple of bottles to see how it develops. It has nice acidity and lively young fruit, floral notes, and a great finish. Though it carries some earthy tones, this wine represents the fruity character of Pinot Noir.
Winning flavours: You might be inclined to pair a white with this dish, but this Pinot Noir is an amazing match in intensity, weight, and flavours for the gnocchi. The Oka foam has a lot of impact— it brings out a weightiness in the wine and brings out a creamy texture. The wine picks up the cinnamon and nutmeg in the dish, and the mushroom brings out the fruit in the wine.
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