Sutton Grange Giove 2009 + American Beef Ribs

Sutton Grange is located near Bendigo but they produce very different wine that is typically associated with the region.  All of the wines that I have tried from this producer have structure at the forefront of their mind. The first planting for this winery started in 1998 and the vineyards are run biodynamically. Gilles Lapalus is the winemaker for the estate and his wines manage to combine drinkability, savoury style and insane levels of inbuilt complexity and texture.  These wines, along with many of his other wines have the best tannins and acid structure in Australia. If you are into the over the top fruit bombs then this winery is not for you but if you dream of food friendly wines of interest, then get a hold of some of the Sutton Grange wines.

American Beef Ribs

These ribs are so satisfying but they take 7 hours to cook so you will need to think ahead.  Also beef ribs aren’t that common in Australia so you will need to find a butcher that knows what they are doing.  I have only been able to find one butcher that is located an hour and a quarter from my house so I make a special trip well in advance to procure the best parcels for this dish.

 Ingredients

1 large rack of beef short ribs

4 tablespoons mustard

5 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 1/2 tablespoon chilli flakes

pepper

salt

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoon honey, runny

knob of butter, runny

2 tablespoon water

Rub mustard over ribs and leave over night. Heat oven to 130 degrees. Mix paprika, chilli, pepper, salt and oil together to make a firm rub. Cover ribs with rub and place on tray with the rub facing towards the sky and cook in over for 5 hours.

Mix sugar, honey, butter and water together to form a soft mixture. Take out ribs from over and place on a board.  Insert some foil in tray and place mixture on foil. Return ribs face down onto tray and cover with foil. Cook for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours and 140 degrees. 

To serve slice meat long the rib line and serve with mash potato.

Sutton Grange Giove 2009

To begin with this wine is very dirty and twiggy but over the course of four days, bobbles of tart blackcurrant, licorice stick, dried provincial herb and mint emerge. The flavours are lip smackingly dry and  are so seductive and inviting that I just want another glass to fill the void that now resides in me as I have finished tasting. Every time I went back for another sip another flavour poked its head up from the voluptuous liquid. Cherries, chocolate coated strawberries and pocketfuls of warm forest mulch added intrigue to the symphony of medium bodied flavours. The true enjoyment comes from the structure of the wine.  Imagine a thousand Swedish women or men, depending on your orientation, spooning you for all eternity! That is how these tannins make me feel! Enough said.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $60

Rated: 93

Drink: 2018 – 2029