Red Wine-Balsamic Sauce

I was sifting through some of my old recipes the other day and came across this gem.  It can literally be used for almost any type of meat.  The original recipe was used over salmon which I found a bit strange as I would normally pair a sauce like this with red meat, but feel free to chose your protein. 

Red Wine- Balsamic Reduction Sauce
Yields - about 1/4 cup which is enough for 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot minced
1 thyme sprig
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 cups dry red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil.  Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes.  Add the thyme sprig, black pepper, red wine, and balsamic vinegar and boil over high heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 12-15 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream, then whisk in the butter, 1 Tbsp at a time.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.  Strain into a bowl and serve over a protein of your choosing.  Enjoy!