Match of the week
Anchoïade and strong dry southern French rosé
Anchovies are supposed to be tricky with wine but I pretty well always find that rosé hits the spot.
Mind you, over the last few hot sunny days in the Languedoc (sorry to rub it in for those in the UK who've endured a week of grot) we've been drinking it with pretty well everything from charcuterie to pasta. But I was impressed by its ability to handle this particular anchovy paste which was very strong and fishy - almost like a patum peperium.
The wine came from our neighbour a couple of doors up the road, Domaine Belles Courbes, whose vineyards are in Saint Chinian. He makes two - one that's oak aged (elevé en fûts de chêne) which is 13.5% and a slightly lighter fruitier one that's just off-dry and which I think would work better with kormas, and other mild Indian and Chinese dishes.
They appear to be stocked in the UK by a company called Wines Unfurled but the most recent vintage they have is 2008 which is really too old for this style of wine. (The oaked version I had was 2009 and the unoaked 2010). If you're in the Languedoc you can buy them direct from the winery in St Geniès-de-Fontedit. Or buy something similar in style.
Cold roast veal with herbs and St Chinian rosé
It’s been so hot over the last couple of days here in the Languedoc I haven’t felt much like cooking so we raided the very good local traiteur (takeaway) in Murviel yesterday for our weekend’s eating. The highlight was some beautifully cooked rare roast veal with herbs - in the style of Italian porchetta.
I accompanied it with a tomato, rice and basil salad and a green salad (which I did manage to rustle up from scratch) and paired it with our neighbour’s very good St Chinian rosé. His estate is romantically named Domaine Belles Courbes which translates as ‘beautiful curves’. (Referring, I hasten to add, to the vineyards . . . )
He has two rosés - an oaked and an unoaked version - both based on Cinsault and Grenache (the oaked version also has Carignan). We were drinking the unwooded version which also paired brilliantly well with some French style stuffed tomatoes with sausagemeat we had the other night and - to my surprise - with some very ripe Charentais melon. (I would have thought it would have been too dry)
I didn’t think you could get hold of it in the UK but it is apparently available from a company called Wines Unfurled (www.winesunfurled.co.uk 01280 847422) for £8.99 a bottle. Here it's only 5 euros ;-)
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