Dinner was Hello Fresh's Balsamic Fig Chicken. Only a few tweaks tonight. We're really tired of roasted broccoli, which seems to be the only way Hello Fresh suggests preparing it. So we steamed it and hit it with a bit of compound butter made with lemon zest. We had some rosemary left over from what was needed for the sauce, so we mixed them into the potatoes before roasting them.
Coming up with a wine for a meal dominated by a sauce made from shallots, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, and fig jam was a bit of a challenge. Sweet but also sour. Sauvignon blanc would have been an easy option, as long as it wasn't too grassy. But we wanted (as usual) a red. Preferably a young one one with bright fruit, mainly primary flavors, and good acidity, A Chianti might have worked well, but one disadvantage of having downsized our cellar is that we occasionally have gaps in our options. So we opted for a Turtle Rock Westberg Red (Paso Robles) 2017, which is a blend of Zinfandel and Tempranillo. It was immediately approachable, with soft and rounded tannins. Smooth and silky. Tons of forward dark fruit aromas and flavors. A slight suggestion of jam. Grade: A-
