Chicken Saltimbocca and Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune "Clos de la Mousse"

One of my all time favorite dishes is Chicken Saltimbocca, elegant as it is simple and delicious it is a perfect dish for a intimate dinner party.

Chicken Saltimbocca Every time I make this dish I wonder why I don't make it more often. Hands downs one of the best returns on investment of almost any recipe I have in my repertoire. Heady with scents of sage and savory prosciutto, at once homey and elegant.  Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets fine sea salt ground black pepper 8 thin slices prosciutto 8 sage leaves, more for garnish 3/4 cup flour 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 tbl Shallot, minced 8 oz pasta 3 Tbl Italian parsley, Chopped 2 Tbl Butter Parmigiano-Reggiano Salt and pepper Asparagus, blanched    Printable Recipe and Instructions When it comes to pairing saltimbocca, a traditional white from Northern Italy would work well- Pinot Grigio, Soave or Orvieto or a northern Red - Dolcetto, Barbera or Nebbiolo. But my favorite pairing with this dish is a nice red burgundy the simplicity of the dish allows the complexity of the burgundy to shine. And nothing says I love more than Cru Burgundy.  All burgundy is not created equal. Most burgundy is made by and for négociant houses from many individually owned parcels, cut and pasted together to make collage wines, many delicious and some profound. There are a relatively few monopole wines from burgundy. A monopole ("monopoly" in French) is an area controlled by a single winery usually a single vineyard. The Clos de la Mousse is a walled Premier Cru climat vineyard just outside the town of Beaune itself located toward Pommard where the soils are very shallow, around 25mm deep. The vines here are planted north to south rather than the orthodox east to west. To quote Robert Parker about Bouchard, "This is one of the wealthiest firms in France, as well as the largest landowner of premier and grand crus in Burgundy. Paul Bouchard and his son Jean-Francois continue to turn out their finest wines since the forties and fifties. The wines are deeper-colored and noticeably more concentrated."   I had the opportunity to taste this wine with Luc Bouchard, 3 months before release. The wine is medium bodied, vibrant, balanced with plenty of stuffing for the long haul. Scented with citrus zest and layers of red fruit, lithe and elegant alive and fine. 2012 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune "Clos de la Mousse"  $56.99  "A pure, elegant and airy nose features wisps of both red and dark pinot fruit along with subtle earth notes that are set off by relatively generous wood. There is excellent concentration and intensity to the middle weight plus flavors that possess excellent power and drive, all wrapped in a serious, balanced and strikingly persistent finish. This is a big Beaune with solid minerality and phenolic maturity and one to consider." 92 Pts Allen Meadows, Burghound   92 Tanzer 91 Advocate 91 pts Wine & Spirits "Years Best Buy"