I had dinner at the Roman restaurant Piero & Francesco and with the Fusilloni di Gragnano with needle squid, asparagus and ricotta salata they served the Metodo Classico Brut Rosé sparkling wine from the Abruzzo winery Marramiero.
INGREDIENTS for 2 people
* 220 g of Fusilloni di Gragnano;
* 250 g of needle squid;
* 8 asparagus spears;
* 1 clove of garlic;
* 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil;
* 30 g of ricotta salata;
* 3/4 small cherry tomatoes;
* pepper to taste.
PREPARATION
The Fusilloni di Gragnano were boiled in plenty of salted water. Meanwhile, the needle squid, well cleaned, were sautéed in a pan with garlic and oil as soon as the garlic began to turn golden. Then the cherry tomatoes were added along with the 8 asparagus tips sliced raw into small rounds. The sauce was cooked for about 2–3 minutes until the asparagus softened.
Drained 2 minutes before the end of cooking, the Fusilloni were tossed in the pan until the whole dish was well blended. The Fusilloni were then plated and topped with generous ricotta salata.
The dish presents the following taste and olfactory characteristics:
> pasta: perceptible sweet tendency, fairly perceptible savouriness;
> needle squid: perceptible sweet tendency and savouriness;
> asparagus: perceptible bitter tendency, fairly perceptible savouriness;
> cherry tomatoes: perceptible acidity, fairly perceptible succulence;
> ricotta salata: perceptible savouriness, fairly perceptible induced succulence.
The preparation presents great complexity of flavours and aromas. The main components are the sweet tendency of the Fusilloni and squid and the savouriness of the ricotta salata and again of the pasta and squid. But absolutely defining are the bitter and acidic tendencies lent to the preparation by the asparagus and cherry tomatoes respectively. We should add that the oil, garlic and pepper gave the dish fairly perceptible fattiness, aromaticity and spiciness, contributing to its very long taste and olfactory persistence.
The Marramiero Rosé
The Brut Rosé metodo classico from Marramiero is yet another jewel created, certainly on a par with the Montepulciano Inferi and Dante Marramiero and the Trebbiano Altare that first introduced me to this wonderful winery. The wine is made from Pinot Nero and Chardonnay grapes grown in Rosciano on medium-textured soils with a tendency toward clay. The north-facing exposure of the vineyard allowed for a naturally reduced vegetative development, producing low yields per vine, high acidity in the grapes at harvest and overall a high qualitative level of the raw material. The must macerates with the skins for approximately 10 hours, giving the wine its characteristic brilliant pink colour. The wine referments in the bottle and then remains in contact with its yeasts for at least 36 months, no more and no less than what happens with other far more celebrated metodo classico sparkling wines from other regions of Italy or beyond the Alps.
On to the tasting. The wine immediately strikes both for the beauty of its colour and the importance of the perlage, made up of fine, numerous and persistent bubbles. The nose is decidedly broad, with typical yeast notes, then fruity hints of raspberry and wild strawberry, mineral nuances and wafts of aromatic herbs. The palate is wide and balanced, with effervescence, freshness and savouriness well balanced by a soft and pervasive creaminess. A long finish with a distinct mineral trail. A splendid wine. But let us see how the pairing fared.
The sweet tendency of the dish is well contrasted by the freshness, effervescence and minerality of the metodo classico sparkling wine. The savouriness, bitter tendency and acidic tendency of the preparation are balanced by the great softness of the wine. Being particularly long, it magnificently accompanies the spiciness and the taste and olfactory persistence of the dish.
A harmonious pairing. Every bite accompanied by a sip of Marramiero Rosé generates sensations of great wellbeing, composing an almost perfect picture.
What do you think?
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