Twists on Burgundy
When one mentions "Saint Laurent," images of high-end fashion or luxury accessories often spring to mind. However, today we're steering away from runways and into the realm of a lesser-known delight: a captivating red wine you might not have heard about before. The grape we refer to as Saint Laurent is also called Sankt Laurent in Germany, or Svatovavřinecké in Czech.
Saint Laurent
Originally hailing from Austria, Saint Laurent actually has DNA linked to the illustrious Pinot Noir of Burgundy fame. And just like its famous parent, Saint Laurent has now spread its roots across various countries, from France, Austria, Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic. It is thought that the name comes from “Saint Lawrence’s Day” on August 10th, which is more or less when the grape begins its veraison. And while it does share certain traits with its renowned relative Pinot Noir, Saint Laurent possesses its own distinct allure, with a more “beefy” character that sets it apart, like a richer color, firmer texture and more tannins. These characteristics may stem from the grape's finicky nature. However, the vines can actually thrive in less fertile soils, and all of this combined can often produce lower yields and thus more concentrated fruits.
This is U Chlupa on Thaya’s estate in Moravia Czech Republic which is used to make their single vineyard Saint Laurent, with the national park in the background.
When discussing Saint Laurent, it is worth considering in its Czech context, after all, it is the number one most planted red grape variety in the Czech Republic. For this, we turn to Thaya in Southern Moravia. Crafted by the skilled hands of young winemaker Jakub Smrka, who we interviewed discussing Thaya and his journey in wine, Thaya’s Saint Laurent wine actually comes from vines from a single vineyard with south east exposure and calcareous clay soil in the area designated U Chlupa on Thaya’s estate, bordering a national park. Organically farmed, and fermented with native yeasts, the Thaya Saint Laurent is then aged in oak, a mixture of new and used, large and small, French oak barrels. The partial usage of previously used oak barrels allows them to keep in check the super vanilla-y notes while still having a healthy dose of fruity flavors stay in the wine. In fact, the wine has a delightful full body, yet with relatively low alcohol at 12.5%, it still maintains a slim profile, thus pleasing both those that like bold wines yet prefer a low alcohol wine.
When you have this wine, it’s a real delight, starting with it gorgeous dark ruby hue with just a hint of purple on the border, aromas of violets, berries, spices, and chocolate are abundant in the complex bouquet.
What does the wine taste like? It’s a harmonious medley of spicy oak undertones and luscious fruitiness are reminiscent of indulgent plum cake. It is fruity and fresh, with just the slightest hint of tannins to give an interesting texture, it makes us think of a cool-climate Pinot Noir… with a kick.
And given its familial ties to Pinot Noir, Thaya’s Saint Laurent presents a fun alternative for wine enthusiasts seeking something new or out of the ordinary. While an obvious comparison is to Pinot Noir, it could also be an expansion for Cabernet Sauvignon lovers. It’s a great way for Pinot lovers and Cab lovers to meet in the middle with something unique.
Saint Laurent pairs well with a classic French dish like Beef Burgundy.
Food Pairing
Saint Laurent is fun wine to work on your pairing wine and food skills (brush up on that from our previous article). Its robust yet versatile character makes it a good companion to a wide array of dishes. For a classic pairings, consider trying it with roasted or grilled meats, such as beef tenderloin or lamb chops. Additionally, especially with the Thaya Saint Laurent, its spicy oak nuances make it an excellent match for aged cheeses, hearty stews or pasta dishes with rich tomato-based sauces.
In fact, a little obvious given its parentage of Pinot Noir, it works well with most Pinot Noir pairings, and even some. Thanks to that extra body and fullness, as a younger wine, it handle bigger bolder dishes than your typical Pinot Noir of the same age, especially those Pinots from cooler climates. That is why today we thought it would be interesting to see how it matches up to the pinnacle of Burgundian cuisine: Beef Bourguignon.
Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon, also called beef burgundy, seems to date back to the 1800s. However, it isn’t until more modern memory in the 1900s that it really became popular and became heavily associated with the famous wine region of Burgundy. Part of this is thanks to celebrity chef Julia Childs who in staple cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, called beef Bourguignon “certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man.” Today, it is a fixture of Burgundian menus, alongside escargot.
And we can see the love for the dish… essentially a braised beef and red wine stew, beef burgundy is a mixture of tender melt-in-your-mouth beef bites cooked in a rich red wine sauce with vegetables and mushrooms. Delicious all around right? And while sometimes it may seem daunting to take on such a classic French dish (anyone remember the scene in Julie and Julia where she falls asleep and burns the beef bourguignon?), however with the help of Thaya winery, we have today a great and easy recipe for beef burgundy to try out!
Ingredients to make your own Beef Burgundy, including the Saint Laurent!
As a quick side note, while this does require a long cooking time (you can’t rush tenderizing the meat!), you can make this dish a little more “weeknight friendly” by prepping it, and at Step 3 below, place it instead into a slow cooker or crockpot for beef burgundy in a slow cooker. It will take a little longer to cook, but it won’t need to be attended quite as much as the stove and oven recipe.
Get Ready to Cook and Pair
All right… ready to ditch your typical Pinot Noir and expensive Burgundy wines to try out a new version? Then look no further than a bottle of the Thaya Saint Laurent and the easy recipe for beef burgundy below.
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Beef Bourguignon - Beef Burgundy
Cooking and Prep Time: 3-4 hours
Portions: 4 portions
Ingredients:
3 lb beef tenderloin in chunks
½ lb lean bacon, in strips
3 cups red wine St. Laurent
2 cups beef broth
8 oz small mushrooms
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
10 shallots
2 tablespoons Flour
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Il Nostro Oro, Febo, Aurinia, or Caletra)
Wine Pairing Example:
Thaya Saint Laurent Natural Red Wine Organic Late Harvest Single Vineyard
Procedure:
1. Boil the bacon for 10 minutes, then pat it dry and fry in a spoonful of oil in a skillet. Remove the bacon and brown the beef in the same skillet until brown. Transfer the meats into an oven safe pot and set aside.
2. Add a tablespoon of butter to the skillet and sauté the onion and carrot until soft. Add the vegetables to the pot, season with salt and pepper and sift the flour over the top, shaking to coat everything evenly. Place the pot in a 400 degree oven for 4 minutes.
3. Remove and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. In the hot pot, pour in the broth and red wine so that the meat is submerged. Add the tomato sauce, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and put back in the oven for 3 hours, stirring every hour.
4. Meanwhile, peel the shallots, leave whole and begin to sauté in 2 tablespoons of butter. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms. When cooked, set aside.
5. After the 3 hours cook time, strain the finished meat and vegetables, placing the juices back in the pot. Remove the bay leaf and thyme. Now either loosen the juices with stock or reduce by gently simmering until the desired thickness.
6. When done, add meat and vegetables back, season with salt and pepper to taste, lay the mushrooms on top, and serve with a glass of Saint Laurent.
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