Event: Slowed cooked food and wines of South West France Sydney

Looking forward to seeing some of our Sydney friends in Sydney! This will be a great night of tasty slow cooked food and some great wines to match. Excellent value! Call Chophouse 1300 246 748

Taste the Tour - Six Wines from DiscoverVin

Mark the centenary of Le Tour in 2013 with DiscoverVin wines from the Pyrenees and the south west of France.

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It’s that time of year again; time to enjoy the legendary Tour de France. Enjoy the sights of the racing and the stunning scenery whilst enjoying this selection of French wine.

Allez Cadel - Road Graffitti in the Pyrenees.

The six wines in DiscoverVin's Taste the Tour pack are sourced from vineyards in the Pyrenees and the South West of France - regions that the 2013 Tour passes through in the second week as the battle for the yellow jersey really hots up. 

They represent great value for money and a great introduction to the wines of the region. And at a fraction of the price of a ticket to France! 

The white wine in this year’s Tour Pack, a Jurancon Sec from Domaine Bellegarde  is Wine of the month for July in SBS Feast Magazine.

Here is the list of wines, as matched with this years Tour stages, with some serving suggestions...more food suggestions and recipes are included in the tour pack.

Domaine Bellegarde, Pierre Blanche,Jurançon Sec 2009, 750ml $36.00

Stages 1, 2 and 3: Corsica 29 June - 2 July

It would be a perfect match with seafood and shellfish, but also goes down a treat with pre-dinner nibbles and dips as you watch the highlights.

Domaine de la Croix Irresistible cru classé rosé 2010, 500ml - $19.90 

Stage 4: Provence 

Tuesday 2 July:

Time Trial

25 km

Imagine that you are sitting in a café overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, smelling the sea air and the scent of herbs and local delicacies from the kitchen,

A great wine to enjoy on any day of the tour to evoke the French summer as you watch La Tour wrapped in a rug!

Château Bouissel, Bouissel Classic, 2008, 750ml $20.00

Stage 7 Friday 5 July Montpelier to Albi 205 km

The tour travels through the Tarn and Herault valleys with some hilly terrain just to the west is the wine region of Fronton.

Serve with a plate of charcuterie such as hams, salami and some cheese.  Allez Cadel! 

Domaine du Crampilh, Vielles Vignes, 2006, 750ml $29.00

Stage 8

Saturday 6 July:

Castres to Ax trios Thermes

194 km

The tour traverses the wine regions of Madiran and Saint-Mont.  

Domaine Crampilh, Madiran, Classic Le Tour country in the Pyrenees.

Perfect with lamb shanks or duck breasts. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for suggested recipes! Enjoy your wine in preparation for the Col de Pailheres (15.3 km at 8/%) and the Col Ax 3 Domaines (7.8 km at 8.2%). 

Château Jolys Cuvée Jean  2009, 750ml $32.00

Stage 9 Jurançon

Sunday 7 July:

Saint-Girons to Bagneres-de-Bigorre

165 km

This is where those attacking riders who are at home at high altitude will get the chance to combine showmanship with efficiency.  Five climbs figure in the day's program.  Sit back and enjoy the ride as with one of the famous wines of Jurançon. 

Perfect for the late night cheese platter or dessert - the right accompaniment on the late night stages.

Château Haut Monplaisir Prestige-AOC Cahors-Rouge 2006, 750ml $35.00

Stage 18: The Alps

Thursday 18 July:

Gap to Alpe-d’Huez

168 km

A long awaited and memorable day with two ascents of the Alpe-D’Huez.  A big day with big mountains deserves a big wine.  We have picked a great Malbec from a top producer.  Good value for the quality of this wine, which has won multiple awards including three $$$ from Robert Parker

Suggestion: Enjoy with pasta or pizza, or a cheese platter as you watch the climbs.

Chateau Jolys, Jurancon Sec, 2011 Best Import SMH 12/6/13

We were thrilled to see this review of Chateau Jolys Jurancon Sec 2011, from Huon Hooke.  Huon reviewed the wine in his Corkscore Newsletter and in the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday 12 June 2013.

He awarded it 92 points and "best import" status. 

 

Best import

Chateau Jolys Jurancon Sec, France 2011 $27.75
The colour is medium to full yellow and the bouquet evokes citrus blossom, honeysuckle and many other appealing fragrances. The palate is delicate, seamless and gently fruity, with a trace of sweetness early, then a clean, dry finish, with balanced acidity. It’s a lovely wine but drink it soon because the synthetic stopper is not designed for cellaring. 13 per cent alcohol. 92/100 (Huon’s Wine 360)
Food: pre-dinner nibbles

This review is for the 2011 Vintage.  Contact DiscoverVin if interested in purchasing.
The 2010 vintage is  still drinking well and is available online for $24.90.

The 2011  is the third vintage of this wine that DiscoverVin
have stocked, and it has become our best selling white wine,
 much loved by consumers.

Vineyards of Jurancon with the Pyrenees on the horizon

Made from indigenous varieties Petit Manseng (50%) and Gros Manseng (50%). Andrea Frost in the Melbourne Review said recently " Jurançon Sec is a dry white wine style from South West France that sits somewhere between the excited shrill of a Sauvignon Blanc and the luscious complexity of a worked Chardonnay. "

Internationally, demand for this particular wine has been outstripping supply, but late last year we secured stock of this vintage.

Pleasingly we have also received an allocation of the next vintage (2012), which won the regional trophy for south-west France at the Decanter world wine awards. We are confident that for the next 2 years at least,  DiscoverVin will have a consisitently high quality good value product to supply.

This is a fantastically priced authentic wine from an independent producer in one of the worlds oldest wine regions.

Château Haut Peyrous – A Darroze Estate in Graves

DiscoverVin is proud to be importing wine from Château Haut Peyrous in the Graves appellation of Bordeaux.  While not a classified producer, Château Haut Peyrous exemplifies Bordeaux’s new generation. Producers adopting new techniques, including organic practices and working with their terroir to produce quality value for money wines.  Marc Darroze, of the famous Darroze family of Gascony owns Château Haut Peyrous and has been driving the changes to make these unique wines.

For three generations the Darroze family have lived in the area and have been known for their Armagnac.  Marc’s sister Helene Darroze boasts two Michelin rosettes at her wonderful restaurant in the Connaught Hotel, London, along with award winning restaurants in Paris and Moscow.

Marc has worked with his father producing Armagnac and recently diversified into his own wine estate, Château Haut Peyrous. Organic practices in the vineyard are producing wines with lots of personality, by making the most of the quality of the terroir on his estate.  Since June 2008, all work on the estate has been carried out in accordance with organic production criteria.  Wines from the 2012 vintage will be certified as organic.  The soil is worked mechanically, and the grass grows between rows to enable humus to develop and encourage intense microbial activity in the soils. Similar projects are cropping up across Bordeaux and the south-west of France with a new generation of wine-makers introducing modern production methods to properties on proven terroir.

When we first tasted the wines of Haut Peyrous, the quality and value blew us away.  The white wine being simply delicious and a great example of just what can be achieved in the white wines of Bordeaux.

The red wine was smooth and restrained, but opening a bottle recently from the 2008 vintage, has revealed a new level of flavour and complexity with the passage of time.

Mary Harrington from DiscoverVin says, “Marc Darroze is producing great wines. We are delighted that everyday wine lovers in Australia now have the opportunity to enjoy authentic French flavour and impressive quality, together with value for money.”

The Darroze wines in the DiscoverVin portfolio are:

Château Haut Peyrous-Pêche au Carrelet-Graves Blanc, 2010

RRP $46.20 (online)

The square shaped net (carrelet) that the fisherman has just hauled out of the Garonne is teeming with shad, lamprey and eels …tasty fish, which need to be cooked slowly and gently.  Fish like this need complex and generous wines to pair with! 

Grapes:  Semillon (75%), Sauvignon Blanc (25%).

Alcohol: 13.0% VOL

Our Tasting notes:  Lively nose with spice and mineral notes and vanilla from the oak.  Lovely soft and round mouth feel.  Richness and complexity on the back palate and a lovely soft acid backbone.

ChâteauHaut Peyrous-Retour de Palombières-AOC Graves-Rouge, 2008

RRP $38.50 (online)

Palombieres (wild pigeons) return to the region each autumn in massive flocks which at times cover the skies, then roost in pine forests adjacent to the vineyard.

Grapes: Merlot (65%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and small amount Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Alcohol:  13.5 % VOL

Wine making:  The long maceration period without massive extraction brought finesse to the wine, while maturing in oak barrels for one year helped to refine the tannins and to make the wine more complex.  In 2009 new oak was used to emphasise the lovely fruit.

Our Tasting notes:  Immediate complexity in nose with red fruits, chocolate and violets.  Great mouth feel, round, complex and gorgeous.  Lovely weight and primary fruit with restrained and integrated tannins. Lovely minerals and spice of good Graves. 

Bathers Pavilion South West Wine Dinner

A cold and wet evening did not deter diners from enjoying the tastes of South West France at Bathers Pavilion.  Over forty guests enjoyed four courses matched with wines from Jurançon, St Mont and Cahors. Diners were warmly welcomed by Serge Dansereau from Bathers and Mary and Helen from DiscoverVin.

The menu was perfect for the evening and for the wines.  Diners were able to watch the waves on Balmoral Beach and simultaneous be transported to the French Pyrenees.

Rabbit and foie gras terrine.

The wines of South West France are diverse and made from indigenous grape varieties.  Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng are used to make both a crisp dry white and a rich dessert style wine. Both styles were perfectly show cased during the meal.

The first course of terrine of rabbit, foie gras and lettuce served with a verjuice jelly was a lovely match with Chateau Jolys Jurançon Sec 2010. With both floral and fruity aromas: honeysuckle, jasmine, grapefruit, citrus and fresh grape and  fresh, fruity  flavours on the palate the wine was enhanced by the texture of the terrine and the acidity of the verjuice jelly.

 



Poached duck egg with white bean, ham hock and anchovy.

The second course was also matched with a wine from Jurançon, Domaine Bellegarde, Selection DB, 2008. The minerality of the wine was perfect with the complex flavours of a poached duck egg served with white bean, ham hock and anchovy.

Perfectly pink pan roasted duck magret served with chestnuts and prunes was matched with two red wines.  A tannat from St Mont and a malbec from Cahors. Both wines are made to accompany food, especially braised and meaty dishes, making them an interesting match with the duck. The UK Guardian recently described Cahors as the rarest of all wines, both a rising star and a timeless classic.  The Chateau Lagrezette 2005 demonstrated this. The rich savoury flavours of the Monastere St Mont Rouge 2006 from Producteurs Plaimont  with its scents of stewed fruit was enjoyed by all. 

Pan roasted duck magret served with chestnuts and prunes and paired with a Malbec and a Tannat wine from South West France.

Tourtière des Landes with Cuveé Thibault dessert wine.

Dessert was apple tart, a superb Tourtière des Landes with Armagnac ice cream.  It was matched with another Jurançon wine, Domaine Bellegarde, Jurançon Moelleux Cuveé Thibault 2007. The rich golden colour of the wine was gorgeous with the tones of the tourtière.  The wine was lush, but with a crisp finish, enhancing the tartness of the apple.