Jun 14, 2010
Cave du Mont Tauch Grenache, Syrah
AOC Corbieres
Mont Tauch
As I mentioned last week, now is the perfect time for drinking rosé and this week’s Wine of the Week is an excellent and affordable example. The L’Ancien Comté is a blend of Grenache and Syrah, two grapes that are considered particularly well-suited to the production of top quality rosé wines. The combination of these two grapes facilitates the extraction of a nice mix of fruit and structure – the Grenache provides ripe fruit, alcohol and body and the Syrah assists with structure, tannins and spice notes.
While this wine is well-structured and nicely balanced, I have consistently found that one of the most challenging things about rosé wines is that there is a strong association with color pink and sweet wine. Many people find it confusing trying to decipher whether or not a rosé wine is dry or sweet. This wine, like most French rosé wines that we see here in the US, is dry. So while the wine might be fruity and aromatic, it does not have a sweet aftertaste of residual sugar.
With refreshing acidity and a balanced structure, this wine is terrific for pairing with a variety of foods – or even just enjoying on its own. This week though, I have just the dish in mind for this wine. Check back on Wednesday when I post a food and wine pairing that I guarantee will knock your socks off!
For more information on this wine, please check out its page in our Buying Guide.
If you have a chance to taste this wine, with friends or over dinner, I'd love to hear from you. Please send me your thoughts.