Santa Barbara Winemakers.

1994 Brander, semillon, Santa Ynez Valley, Alc13%. Day 2

I needed another crack at this and what a breath-taker it turned into. It rained all day and cabin fever kicked in around three pm. A hike was is order, a chance to see how full the frog pond and the creeks had gotten. Build up a thirst, while climbing the mountains in the rain. The trails had become waterfalls, mosses and fungi seem to bloom in the mist. The rabbit was in need of a second visit too. I conjured up a wintry soup by the time I got back.

The first chilled sip was intense, vibrant, refreshing, spine tingling, juicy again from a grove of unknown fruits with a hint of mandarin zest.

Boiled some roots, then boiled the rabbit remains to separate the meat from the bones in second pan. Boiled roots seasoned with marjoram, sage, a bay leaf, caraway, fennel, salt and pepper. When potatoes, carrot and parsnip are soft, pour the stock onto the rabbit in the other pan. Blend the roots in batches with some milk until its pulpy. If the mash sticks to the jug of the blender rinse it with the rabbit stock to loosen it off. Add the chunks of rabbit to the broth and bring to a short boil before racking it into a clay pot for an oven roasting. Use some of the rabbit stock again if you need to thin this down or spread it out. Loaded with flavour as it is, sprinkle some sea salt all over the top of the broth. For some real depth of flavour, I also added a few slices of perlagrigia cheese to melt in while it roasts.

Rabbit soup and the 1994 semillon were at one again, this time hints of sweetness popped up once in a while, more deeper into the forest of the wine was like trying to touch the mist through the rain. Trouble is that I can't stop drinking the wine. Content to simply sit and enjoy in silence.

Cheers

March 6, 2006