September: Our recommendations on the menu this month

What we’ve been eating: Smoked duck tart,
confit field mushroom, beetroot, thyme, chive

This gorgeous smoked duck tart has been on the menu this year, made with smoked duck breast and confit duck legs as well as confit mushrooms and pickled beetroot.

After arranging the ingredients in a hot water crust pastry tart – the melt-in-your-mouth, savoury kind of pastry used for pies – we serve it with thyme oil, thyme emulsion and beetroot jelly, as well as adding some chives and nasturtium.

 
Pretty... and pretty delicious! It packs a real flavour punch.

What we’ve been drinking: A Portela Godello Alberto Orte, Valdeorras, Spain

Alberto Orte is a force to be reckoned with, producing compelling and ambitious wines, discovering great terroirs, resurrecting ancient clones, and replanting nearly extinct grape varieties.
 
The grapes for A Portela Blanco undergo wild yeast fermentation, before being aged for 14 months in a combination of steel tanks and French oak barrels, giving the wine subtle complexity and depth and allowing the characteristics of the Godello grape to shine. It all results in a wine that is refined as well as expressive.

A Portela Blanco offers aromas of citrus, green apple and floral notes, with a mineral edge reflecting its elevated terroir. On the palate, refreshing acidity, crisp green fruit, and a hint of stone fruit. The clean finish is marked by lingering mineral and saline notes.