Decoy 2009 Anderson Valley is light on the palate

I quite enjoyed our Wine of the Week, Decoy 2009 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($22), which is smooth with a beguiling acidity. Between the wine's earthy foundation and its lively acidity, there are enough nuances of flavor to keep a serious wine lover captivated through an entire bottle.

I detect a hint of licorice root, moist topsoil, dried leaves after a winter rain and black raspberries. There's also a subtle something akin to bacon or a mix of sea air and smoke, as if the aromas of a campfire are carried in early morning fog. On this finish, there's just a trace of something cool, mint perhaps, or even pine.

If you prefer a powerhouse pinot noir, one made to capture zinfandel, petite sirah and cabernet sauvignon fans, you may not appreciate this wine. But if you appreciate a true pinot noir, one that lands lightly on the palate, this could be a wine for you.

When it comes to pairing, there are many options, as wines like this one -- subtle, with pretty acidity -- have broad appeal and compatibility with a wide range of flavors. Root vegetables, especially carrots, parsnips, beets and celery root -- are great companions, as is eggplant. Farro, barley and chickpeas also are flattered by this wine.

Yet the best match, I think, is one that resonates with the wine's earthier qualities -- mushrooms. If we ever get any rain, there could be a good crop of black chanterelles, excellent with this pinot. Portobellos are good, too, as are velvet pioppini and beech mushrooms. Maikake, also known as Hen of the Woods, are my top choice to enjoy with this wine, and for today's recipe I'm featuring them in a risotto I made recently. You can find maitakes at the Santa Rosa and Sonoma farmers markets, where they are sold by Bohemian Well Being Farm. You can serve the risotto as the main course or you can pair it with rare rack of lamb or rare duck breast, both of which are delightful with this wine.

Maitake Mushroom Risotto

Makes 3 to 4 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 pound maitake (Hen of the Woods) mushrooms, broken into pieces

-- Kosher salt

? cup Madeira, preferably Rainwater

? cup dry white wine

2 shallots, minced

1? cups carnaroli or vialone nano rice

4 to 6 cups duck stock (see Note below), hot

6 ounces Italian fontina cheese, in small pieces

-- Black pepper in a mill

3 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley or snipped chives

Put a tablespoon of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan such as an All Clad saucier, set over medium heat and when the butter is completely melted, add the mushrooms, toss and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning them now and then. Season with salt, increase the heat to high, add the Madeira, cook for 2 minutes, add the wine, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are fully wilted. Uncover and cook until the liquid is reduced to about ? to 1/3 cup.

Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and butter and, when the butter is melted, add the rice. Cook, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes, until each grain has turned milky white.

Season lightly with salt and add ? cup of the stock, stirring until nearly all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. You may need to adjust the heat so that the stock neither evaporates nor simply sits in the pan. Continue adding ? cup stock at a time, stirring all the while, until the rice is tender, about 18 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and all of their liquid and stir gently until the liquid has been absorbed.

Fold in the fontina, taste, correct for salt and add the remaining stock; the risotto should be somewhat loose and very moist, not thick and clumpy.

Season with several turns of black pepper and remove from the heat.

Spoon risotto into soup or pasta plates, sprinkle parsley or chives over each portion and serve immediately.

Note: Duck stock is the best stock for this risotto but vegetarians can use a full-flavored vegetable stock. If you don't have duck stock, you can use chicken stock but the match won't be as good. You'll need about 6 cups of liquid; if you don't have that much stock, simply add water. Bring the stock to a boil in a heavy saucepan and reduce the heat to very low to keep hot.

Michele Anna Jordan hosts "Mouthful" each Sunday at 7 p.m. on KRCB 90.9 & 91.1 FM. E-mail Jordan at michele@micheleannajordan.com. You'll find her blog, "Eat This Now," at pantry.blogs.

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