How quickly our stately Autumn has slid into Winter. Early this year have been the snows, the ice, the school closures as well as the postmen ditching their shorts for scarves, gloves as well as woolly hats, only similar to us normal people.
Tastes as well change with the seasons. Now it is all delayed baked stews, warming soups, breakfast porridge, low red wines as well as autumnal flavours. The evocatively illustrated pages of The French Country Table have helped me along - the all bistro styled foods, elementary to prepare yet full of flavour. Those with some-more of an autumnal hue embody Hachis Parmentier (Beef as well as Potato gratin), Poulet Saut l'estragon (Chicken with Tarragon) as well as Gratin de Courge et de Riz (Pumpkin as well as Rice Gratin) have all been created in my common kitchen over the last couple of weeks.
Chou Rouge Aux Marrons et Aux Pommes (Braised Red Cabbage With Chestnuts as well as Apples) was the single of the some-more successful as well as flavourful it has to be said. Basically delayed baked sliced red cabbage, baked with onion as well as bacon lardons, with the in progress apple as well as chestnuts combined too. It is recommended with an Alsatian Riesling - both in the plate as well as to splash with it. But with deep, tasty sausages as well as howling winds outward the red booze seemed some-more apt.
The cork therefore dutifully private from the bottle of Chateau Blomac 2008 [Adegga / Snooth]. It's the standard Minervois blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Carignan as well as 20% Grenache - the single of my prime grape mixes in any case of percentages. Oldish vines for the Syrah as well as Carignan, 45 years apparently, from an estate brought only two years ago. Chateau Blomac's 200 acres of vines distortion in between Narbonne as well as Carcassone producing often Vin de Pays ! varietal wines (retailing for around 6.49). This Minervois goes for 7.99 the bargain for the silky palate, fine structure as well as berry-led flavours. There is some-more to the booze than the elementary berry-fest though, the fine complexity of piquancy as well as thigh-hugging tanned hide creates the recent Gold Medal win at the little French booze competition some-more understandable. Justified too; the delight as well as beautiful with the Beef as well as Potato Gratin (basically the glorified Cottage Pie) the following night.
The Absolutely Cracking Wines From France traffic tasting seemed to manage yet my attendance at the commencement of October. Superbly yet Sopexa sent me the couple of left over samples to try yet those trouser wearing postmen managed to broach the dripping, crushed box - we goal which wasted Beaujolias made the right disaster in the behind of the Parcel Force van! What did survive yet was the bottle from Domaine Sainte Rose. Their La Nuit Blanche Roussanne 2008 [Adegga / Snooth] was sublime! I've sampled it in the past as well as was underwhelmed; this yet - due to the small bottle age maybe or only sappy vines - was stunning. The perfect match to which Tarragon Chicken.
Way, way behind in 'the early days' we visited Charles as well as his family not long after they had brought the estate only outward Pxenas. I've been the fan of their red wines since. This Roussanne was superb; coupling the smashing textural peculiarity with the abounding density as well as long durability finish. There has been the small ash aging we think with the little lees stirring to supplement to the complexity. I'm off down Waitrose to buy the bottle - 8.99 we hold - to see how it matches with Pintade aux Lentils (Guinea Fowl with Lentils), another tantalising plate from The French Country Table.
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