Match of the week

Steak tartare and Côteaux du Languedoc

You might be surprised to know that red wine isn’t the first pairing I think of with steak tartare, which for those of you who haven’t tried it is chopped raw beef flavoured with punchy seasonings such as capers, parsley and hot pepper sauce. I actually think it pairs really well with sparkling wine, especially Champagne but last week I was down in the Languedoc and that didn’t really seem appropriate.

My husband had ordered a dish called hachis parmentier which is a French version of shepherds' pie so we compromised on a medium bodied red in the form of the 2006 vintage of Château de la Negly’s basic wine ‘La Côte’. A blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah, it comes from the La Clape part of the Coteaux de Languedoc (see this more detailed description from K & L wine merchants)

It’s one of those easy-going reds that should be in everyone’s cellar, refreshing, quaffable but in no way simple or jammy. It was a great companion for both dishes, especially the steak tartare (and chips, I must confess). Almost as good as Champagne ;-)

In the UK H & H Bancroft carry the Château de la Negly range. The restaurant where we were eating is called Larcen in Agde, one of our current favourites in the area.

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