Lapin au vin and Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir

publication date: Jun 9, 2008

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author/source: Fiona Beckett

The other night I went back to one of my favourite restaurants Ransome’s Dock, a friendly neighbourhood restaurant in Battersea that has great food and an even more stellar wine list, put together with detailed and well-written tasting notes by chef/proprietor Martin Lam. (You can download it from the site)

It’s always difficult to decide what to eat there but I knew my husband would go for the rabbit (he always does, if it’s available!) which was cooked French bistro-style in red wine with bacon and mushrooms. I ordered some Welsh lamb cutlets so it wasn’t too difficult to find a wine that would go with both.

What we chose, having already had a half of Macon Igé with our starters, was a half of the ‘La Bauge au-dessus’ Pinot Noir 2005 from Au Bon Climat in the Santa Maria Valley. It was Californian Pinot at its luxuriant best, scented and supple - like sticking your nose in some exotic bath filled with raspberries and rosepetals. It was good with my lamb but just went sensationally well with the rabbit. Better even, dare I say, than many similarly priced burgundies . . .