Match of the week | Rabbit stew and 2011 Henri et Gilles Buisson Saint Romain ‘Sous Roche’

Match of the week

Rabbit stew and 2011 Henri et Gilles Buisson Saint Romain ‘Sous Roche’

This isn’t the first time I’ve singled out pinot noir as a good pairing for rabbit (see here for one back in 2011) but it’s good to be reminded what an adaptable wine a relatively modest red burgundy can be.

This was a bottle we bought direct last summer when we stayed at the Hotel les Roches in Saint Romain, one of our favourite places to break our journey through France (see others here). It’s the kind of wine that doesn’t really stand out in a tasting, especially if it’s just been released but greatly improves with a couple of years maturity* and with food.

The wine, which comes from a domaine that dates back to the 12th century, comes from an organically tended vineyard of 50 year old vines. It was delicate and pretty with lovely, juicy but not oversweet red berry fruit and a fresh acidity that made it a good match for this classic French bistro dish - which is one of my husband’s specialities. It was made with a full-bodied red (and a dash, he later told me, of 20 y.o. tawny port!) but the dish, although intensely flavoured, ended up tasting quite light, showing off the taste of the rabbit. With a richer sauce I’d have probably gone for a more robust red from the Languedoc or Rhône.

It’s not widely stocked in the UK. PM Wine has the 2009 for £22.85 and fine wine specialist Christopher Keiller, the 2013. In France you can buy it online currently from Vins et Millésimes for 17.10€ (£12.44) which is not bad as I remember we paid about 15-16€ from the cellar door. In the US you can buy it for $31.99 (£20.59) from Chambers Street Wines. For other US stockists check wine-searcher.com

*they actually recommend you don’t drink it until 3 years after harvest.

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