If someone were to say to me “Baron de Rothschild” I would immediately think of Bordeaux, but as it turns out, Baron de Rothschild is so much more.
This producer has a very long and intriguing history. In short, it begins in the late 1700’s with Mayer Amschel Rothschild and his five sons. His sons were all trained in business and four of them were sent to major European capitals including, London, Naples, Paris and Vienna.
The son that was sent to London, was Baron Nathaniel and it was one of his sons, Baron Nathan, who ended up settling in Paris. Eventually it became Baron Nathan’s great desire to serve his guests his very own wine. Therefore in 1853 he purchased Château Brane Mouton at auction. Located in the heart of the Medoc, on the left bank of Bordeaux, the winery was renamed Château Mouton Rothschild.
When Baron Nathan died in 1870 the estate passed to his son, Baron James, and then to his grandson, Baron Henri. And thus the legacy of this famous Bordeaux producer evolved, but it did not end in France. In 1979 Château Mouton Rothschild collaborated with acclaimed American wine producer, Robert Mondavi, to create Opus One, a premium, California, Bordeaux blend.
In 1990 Château Mouton Rothschild was rebranded to Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA. In 1993, Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA partnered with Concha y Toro, another family company, launching a Franco-Chilean premium wine called Almaviva. That same year, they also launched the brand Escudo Rojo. Escudo Rojo is the Spanish translation of “Rote Schild”, the German for “red shield”, the historical emblem of the Rothschild family.
Over the weekend I had the pleasure of pairing the 2021 Escudo Rojo Reserva Carménère with baked cranberries and braised chicken served over rice.
2021 Escudo Rojo Reserva Carménère $18.99
This wine is made from 100% Carménère, 80% matured in oak and 20% in stainless steel vats for ten months prior to bottling.
There are aromas of raspberry jam, cherry, black plum, dried fig, green peppercorn, cocoa powder and liquorice pastels. This is a dry wine, medium+ in body with medium+ acidity and medium tannins. The palate offers notes of blackcurrant, black plum, black cherry, Dutch process cocoa, green peppercorns and brine with a medium+ finish.
Pair with baked cranberries and chicken (recipe to follow), Thanksgiving dinner or even just good company.
Baked Cranberry and Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries
⅓ cup brown sugar
3 TBSP white vinegar (divided)
6 bone-in skin on chicken thighs
2 cloves of garlic
1.5 tsp dry rosemary
1 tsp sweet paprika
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon juiced (do not discard the lemon)
1 large onion chopped
½ cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a bowl, combine the cranberries, sugar and 1 TBSP vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes; this helps to breakdown their tough skins.
Pat-dry the chicken. Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary and paprika. Rub this mixture on the chicken, even underneath the skin.
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and 2 TBSP of vinegar. Add the chicken, onions and lemon halves and mix together, allowing to marinate for about 15 minutes.
Heat a cast iron pan to medium/high heat and brown the chicken for about 3-4 minutes in order to give it a crust and seal in the juices.
Arrange the onions and lemon halves in a suitable baking dish. Add the chicken broth and top with the sugared cranberries and browned chicken. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 to 40 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Serve over rice or mashed potatoes with a glass of Escudo Rojo Reserva Carménère.