Student Blend Requisition

Jaei. Lee & Jocelyn Romero (Team #5)

Menu Item : Grilled Lamb “Steaks” Hache with Ratatouille.

Menu Description : Chopped  grilled lamb steak topped with tomato sauce Serving with roasted oven fingerlings, ratatouille including green & yellow squash, tomatoes, eggplant, herbs and a hint of sea salt.

Blending Wine List : 

1. Cabernet Franc Séneca Lake 2018 : 

• Very clear, bright granite 
• Cherry, pomegranate, raspberry
• Pomegranate, high acid, hint of oak, balanced, bit tanin at the end, medium low bodie

1. Merlot North Fork 2018 :

• Slightly dark granite, clear
• Fig, bitter raspberry, bit of oak
• Very dry, tannin, fig, long finish, medium low acid

1. Cabernet Sauvignon and petit verdot 2018 : 

• Granite, clear
• Black currant, hint of strawberries
• Vinous, very acid, short finish, tannin

Palate Aiming / Reason : 

Light bodied~medium bodied ( To not disturb flavor of both steak and ratatouille ) 

Medium acid ( Encourage the appetite, but don’t ruin the ratatouille )  

Low ~ medium tannin (To keep the mouthfeel of steak )

Vinous ( To not disturb Ratatouille )

Hint of oak or wood (To enhance the flavor of steak )

Not so fruity ( wine for steak with ratatouille should not be sweet )

Medium~ long finish ( to highlight with ratatouille )

Chosen wine : 

Blend of Cabernet Franc Séneca Lake 2018 (60%) and Merlot North Fork 2018 (40%) 

Summary : 

A blend of Cabernet Franc Séneca Lake 2018 (60%) and Merlot North Fork 2018 (40%) would be ideal for our final wine to go with our Grilled Lamb “Steaks” Hache with Ratatouille. We are looking for a wine that is medium body, low to medium acidity to not disturb the ratatouille flavor, some tannins, hints of oak to enhance the flavor of steak and some but not much fruit notes to it. We believe that soft delicate fruit notes and long finishing tannin of the Cabernet Franc will be balanced out with the deep heavy fruit notes of the Merlot. Cabernet also will help to reduce the acidity of wine to balance out, and provide the notes of oak, which is what we are looking for our final wine. Also, blending these two base wines will create our medium body final wine that we desire. Furthermore, the tanninis of Merlot may balance out well with the acidity of the Cabernet Franc.