Perfect Pairings from Sandy Block
Perfect Pairings from Sandy Block
Legal Seafood’s VP of Beverage Operations and the first American on the East Coast of the United States to be certified as Master of Wine recommends the perfect glass for Legal Harborside’s Seasonal Menu
With wine, everything begins with “terroir,” that mysterious alchemy reflecting harmonies of soil, climate, grape variety and the grower’s art. A short walk up Northern Avenue from Pier 4, Legal Harborside’s 2nd floor dining room just introduced a delicious new seasonal menu which will be served until October. To pair with dishes such as Lobster Three Ways and Pan-Seared Scallops, we offer bottles unavailable elsewhere in Massachusetts. Each originates from a singular parcel of vines cultivated at a family- owned estate.
- For Lobster Three Ways, we suggest a classic Pouilly-Fuisse from the venerable 5th generation family domaine, Château Fuissé. The 2011 “Les Brûlés” ($65 full bottle, $35 half bottle) is a supple, silky-textured white Burgundy. “Brûlés” means “burnt,” referencing the direct sunshine in which this steeply situated south-facing 1.7 acre vineyard basks. A barrel-fermented richly textured wine that shows subtle hints of nutmeg, lemon and apricot.
- Pan-Seared Scallops requires a more delicate accompaniment: the mineral-scented, bone dry Paumanok Chenin Blanc, 2014 from Long Island’s North Fork ($45 full bottle, $24 half bottle). Ripe, yet sharply focused and pure in flavor, its pear, citrus and stone fruit notes accent the understated scallop dish to perfection. Second generation winemaker Karim Massoud notes that the region’s cool, maritime climate helps elongate the harvest, permitting the expression of fruit with crisp, flinty minerality.
- A perfect “red wine with fish,” San Vincente Rioja, 2011 ($85 full bottle) tastes terrific with our meaty Grilled Swordfish. Made from the rare Tempranillo Peludo sub-variety, it is harvested from La Canoca Vineyard, a south-oriented site perched 1900 feet high. Here, in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Marco Eguren produces a creamy, chocolate accented wine smoothed out after 19 months in 90% new French oak. Its smoky black currant fruit and savory thyme and spice notes taste quintessential with fuller textured grilled fish.
