| Rutherford Hill
Port Chocolate Truffle Torte |
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| Rutherford Hill Owners Bill, Anthony and John Terlato |
Looking for something entirely different in port? Rutherford Hill has your answer. Purchased in 1996 by the Terlato family, the winery offers 16 different types of wine. And its Zinfandel Port is a standout. One sip and you can tell the difference—it’s not nearly as sweet as so many other ports. A dessert wine, yes, but one that offers a true sense of the Zinfandel (it’s made from 100 percent Napa Valley Zinfandel grapes) from which it’s made. It’s a masculine, forward wine with a personality all its own. To find it, you’ll have to visit the winery (or at least its website at www.rutherfordhill.com), but that’s a treat in itself as well. In 2000, the family expanded the winery to create a premium facility for its reserve wines. It also features extensive caves, which house 8,000 barrels of wine year-round.
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| Chocolate Truffle Torte
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| 1 pound bittersweet chocolate 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter 6 large eggs |
(optional) whipped cream, raspberries, raspberry sauce
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| Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter one eight-inch springform pan at least 2.5 inches high and bottom-line with buttered parchment or wax paper. Wrap outside of pan with a double layer of heavy-duty foil to prevent seepage. Have one 10-inch cake or roasting pan to serve as a water bath nearby. Melt chocolate and butter together and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until triple in volume and soft peaks form when beater is raised (about five minutes). Using a large wire whisk or rubber spatula, fold three eggs into the chocolate mixture until almost incorporated. Fold in the remaining eggs until just blended and no streaks remain. Finish by using a rubber spatula to ensure the heavier mixture at the bottom is incorporated (very important). Scrape into prepared pan and smooth with spatula. Set the pan into the larger pan and surround it with 1 inch of very hot water. Bake five minutes. Cover loosely with a piece of buttered foil and bake 10 minutes. (The cake will be soft, but it should be.) Let the cake cool on a rack for 45 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, about three hours. To remove from mold, have ready serving plate and flat plate at least 8 inches in diameter, covered with plastic wrap. Wipe the sides of the pan with a hot, damp towel. Run a thin metal spatula around the cake’s sides and release the sides of the springform pan. Place the plastic-wrapped plate on top and invert. Wipe the bottom of the pan with a hot, damp towel. Remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment paper, re-invert onto the serving platter. The torte may be topped with fresh whipped cream, raspberries and/or raspberry sauce. |
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