COPPO WINERY 2023 CHARDONNAY "COSTEBIANCHE" x VEGETARIAN PUNJABI FOOD

 

This month we had a bonus event at the World Wine Travel group - #worldwinetravel - thanks to a generous offer from Coppo 1892 winery to sponsor our wines. Coppo is a winery dating back to 1892 but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2024) in Monferrato, Piemonte, Italy. It is Q4 and nearly year-end so with everyone's life and travel schedules we did not have a chat for this bonus event. But the list of (and links to) all of us who've written about Coppo wines is at the end of this post so do scroll over to browse each article and be inspired!

COPPO WINERY

In Piemonte, spreading over 85 hectares across Monferrato and Langhe, Coppo winery has been in operation since 1892, registered as a historic enterprise with uninterrupted activity in the same sector since they started. Their subterranean tufa limestone cellars at a depth of 40 m., were likely excavated in the 18th century for use as small storage cellars with subsequent expansion leading to their current area extending over 5,000 sq. m. Since 2024, these impressive and ethereal underground cellars have earned the honour of being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The vast underground network of spaces is used as cellars for Coppo wines, but it is also an engineering marvel, a look into the geology of the region, and a glimpse into œno-architecture. Don't miss a chance to visit Coppo the next time you're in Piemonte!

https://www.coppo.com/en/vineyards/

For many years Coppo has been committed to sustainability and followed organic and biodynamic techniques. Since 2001 they have officially committed to integrated agriculture and agronomic principles with the aim of having a reduced environmental impact.

THE WINE AND THE FOOD

2023 "COSTEBIANCHE" CHARDONNAY, PIEMONTE DOC

100% Chardonnay

ABV 13.5%

SRP $29

The "Costebianche" Chardonnay gets its name (white slopes) from the white limestone hills of the vineyard and surrounds. The grapes grow in calcareous clay marl soil and are hand-harvested after careful selection, and ater the initial soft pressing, they are partly fermented and aged on fine lees in barriques and partly in stainless steel vats. 

Looks: clear, straw yellow

Nose: lemon, white flowers, faint hint of pineapple

Palate: Echos the nose, but also has a fresh savouriness and a creamy edge. A very light but refreshing and juicy wine with a medium finish.

Pairing: We had the Costebianche Chardonnay with two Punjabi vegetarian dishes: chana jor garam and mattar paneer. Having just returned from a month of work in Hawai'i, cooking anything elaborate was out of the question. But after a month of all the tropical fruit and Ahi poké and rice in HI, as much as I had relished the fresh tuna everyday, I was also craving familiar Indian flavours. So we settled for take-away from the one restaurant near us that makes real Punjabi food that isn't loaded with cream (which is lavishly used in the West but never in India) while being devoid of proper flavour.

And in the pantry I found a packet of flattened Indian chickpeas that are used for chana jor garam, a classic street snack around most of India. It couldn't be easier to make - mix together the flattened chickpeas, diced onion and green chillies, chilli powder, chopped coriander, a bit of lemon juice, rock salt, chaat masala.

We started off with snacking on the chana jor garam paired with the Chardonnay. That was a hit! The lemon juice, rock salt, chaat masala, and earthy chickpeas were perfect with the citrus and faint hint of pineapple in the wine. The wine elevated the chana jor garam which in turn made the wine taste juicier. I would absolutely pair the two again.

Then we went on to the main meal of mattar paneer (peas and paneer) cooked in a complex, mildly spiced sauce garnished with cream and redolent with flavours of typical North Indian spices. We had it with naan and pickles. The mild but complex mattar paneer, slight tang of the pickles, and neutral naan with the Chardonnay were excellent, although we enjoyed the wine with the chana jor garam much more.

[Pickles play a significant role in Indian culinary tradition and are prized for their balanced flavour but also their role in digestion and gut health. Every region has it's own specific kind of pickles made with whatever vegetables or fruits are in season. Typical pickles of Punjab have mangoes, carrots, turnips, lemons, and cauliflower in any combination, seasoned with nigella seeds, mustard oil, and other seasonings.]

I've talked about the Coppo wines that I'd received but we all received different wines from the great array of wines Coppo makes. See what the other writers sipped, savoured, and talked about below.

• Camilla from Culinary Cam says “Let’s Talk About Cortese and Barbera Grapes: Two Wines from the Historical Underground Wine Cellars of Coppo + Pairings”
• David from Cooking Chat shares “Pairings for Coppo Barbera and Moscato d’Asti “
• My discovery of this region is here on Keep the Peas where I talk about “Coppo Winery 2023 Chardonnay "Costebianche" x Vegetarian Punjabi Food"
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass shares “Two Piedmont classics: Nizza Barbera and Moscato d’Asti “
• Jennifer from Vino Travels shares “The Historic Coppo winery of Piedmont and their UNESCO underground wine cellars”
• Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles reports on “Tunnels and Tufa – The Underground Cathedrals and Coppo Cellars”
• Terri at Our Good Life shares “Pairings with Nizza Barbera and Coppo Monteriolo Chardonnay”
• Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog shares “Historic Wines, Timeless Pairings: Coppo’s Nizza Barbera and Barolo with Wild Mushroom Risotto”
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares “From Coppo’s UNESCO Cellars: Nizza and Gavi Paired with Shrimp Ceasar and Duck with Winter Squash Gratin”
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “Chardonnay From One of the Oldest Family-Run Wineries in Italy – Coppo“
• Susannah from Avvinare shares “Coppo Shows Piedmont’s Diversity“
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Dinner with Coppo Wine Cellars Flagship ‘Pomorosso’ Nizza Barbera”

NORTHERN THAI FOOD AND A ROUSSILLON MUSCAT

This month in July the French #winophiles are exploring the white wines of Roussillon. Lynn Gowdy of Savor the Harvest is hosting us; do read her very informative primer on all things white wine and Roussillon at the link above.

https://www.touteleurope.eu/

Before Languedoc-Roussillon, there was Languedoc and there was Roussillon in Sud-Ouest - southwest - France, and then they merged with the larger Occitanie administrative region in 2016. As is the case with every ancient land, a few kilometres travelled make you feel like you're in another country! It's no different in France... for example, in the wine world Languedoc-Roussillon are lumped together implying that they are similar. In reality, they're two distinct regions - culturally, culinarily, linguistically, geologically, and even in wine styles. While wines from the Languedoc are fairly easy to find, those from Roussillon can be challenging to find. But they are delightful and worth seeking out if you like food-friendly wines with minerality, salinity, floral notes, and a rich mouthfeel.

We decided to pair our wine selection with Northern Thai food from one of our favourite Bay Area restaurants, Monkey Thai.

THE WINERY + THE WINE

Clos de l'Origine is a small 10 hectare (~25 acres) domaine focused on organic farming with biodynamic practices since its creation in 2004, and now agriculture biologique (AB) certified since 2009. The winery has chosen to remain in the Vin de France classification to allow greater creative freedom. Winery operations are in a rather unassuming facility (see my Google Maps screenshot to the right) in Maury, Pyrénées Orientales (formerly Roussillon). The grapes are grown in several different terroirs throughout the region, ranging from 15 m to 400 m above sea level. According to vignerons and owners Marc and Caroline Barriot, the wines are made with the idea of vinifying "as close as possible to the expression of the terroir".

It is truly a labour of love - the soil is worked mostly by hand, harvests are 100% by hand, and the other work like weeding, tying the vines, etc. is also done manually. At the winery vinification is done with indigenous yeasts of each terroir, with no added yeasts or enzymes. As Marc Barriot says, "Our goal is not to obtain perfect and boring wines. Our choice is based on vinification with little sulfur, depending on the vintage, so as to respect the integrity of the grapes to obtain finesse and purity of the fruit, giving free rein to nature as to the tastes of our wines." 

2018 CLOS DE L'ORIGINE "LE TROUBLE FAIT"

http://www.clotdelorigine.fr/index.html

100% Muscat Alexandria (muscat)
Price: $25, ABV: 12%

Vinification: direct pressed whole bunch Muscat grapes (no destemming), indigenous yeasts, skin contact with Muscat and Syrah for 3 weeks, no fining or filtration

Soil: clay, limestone, shale, 15 m above sea level

Colour: cloudy, yellow with a lashing of orange

Nose + Palate: Dried white flowers, juicy fruit, saline minerality, astringent but balanced, with just the right kind of medium length finish.

Pairing: We had this with northern Thai food which is savoury, not intensely spicy, features banana leaves used to wrap meats, uses sticky rice rather than Jasmine rice, and has a discernible absence of coconut milk. Quite different from the richly spiced, coconut milk "curries" sweetened with palm sugar that are ubiquitous in southern Thai cuisine and Thai restaurants outside Thailand. Northern Thai cuisine is fragrant and savoury, with layers of flavours, and brought out the best in Le Trouble Fait, an equally savoury wine with a rich mouthfeel to match the food.

Want to know more? Read below to find out what the other #winophiles are saying about their wine choices and food pairings! And do join us on Twitter to chat about the white wines of Roussillon with the hashtag #winophiles on 18 July at 8 AM PST.

• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm pairs American Bay Scallops with French Roussillon Blanc
• Cindy at Grape Experiences shares A Perfect Al Fresco Lunch in Roussillon: Domaine d’Aussières Chardonnay 2018 and Creamy Crab Quiche
• Jeff from Food Wine Click! presents Banyuls Pet-Nat with Treats à La Buvette
• Allison and Chris from ADVineTURES discuss Domaine Lafage Cuvée Centenaire: The Essence of Rousillon
• Melanie at Wining With Mel tells us about her Adventures in Roussillon White Wines
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass explains A Roussillon Blanc Turns My Thoughts Toward Chicken
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator give us M. Chapoutier’s Cotes du Roussillon Blanc Paired with Halibut Baked in Lemon Butter
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles talks about Snow Capped Pyrenees to the Mediterranean Sea – Exploring the Stunning and Diverse Roussillon Wine Region
• Cathie from Side Hustle Wino shares Why You Will Love the White Wines of Roussillon
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish tells us about Biodynamics and the Butterfly Effect: A Labor of Love in Roussillon
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla offers A Summer Pairing: Salade Niçoise + Bila-Haut Côtes du Roussillon Blanc 2017
• Susannah from Avvinare pours Muscat de Rivesaltes – A Marvel from Roussillon
• Katrina from Corkscrew Concierge hosts An Exploration of Roussillon White Wines
• Terri at Our Good Life writes about Summer Love and White Wines from Roussillon
• Payal at Keep the Peas whips up Northern Thai Food and a Roussillon Muscat
• Nicole at Somm's Table is having Fun with Ramen & Saint-Roch Cotes du Roussillon Vieilles Vignes Blanc
• And host Lynn of Savor the Harvest encourages us to Put These Rousillon White Wines On Your Buy List

ISRAELI WINE WITH THE DIVERSE CUISINE OF THE DIASPORA

  

https://winesisrael.com 

Israeli wine has come a long way from being absent from the global wine map to making  a strong presence around the globe. Viticulture has existed in the area now called Israel since biblical times, and wine was even exported to Rome at one point. However, the entire industry eventually died off with increased Islamic dominance in the area due to their religious rules about wine. Fast forward to much later, the modern Israeli wine industry was established in the late 1800s with the help of Baron Edmond James de Rothschild of the Rothschild banking and wine family but it really only took off after Israel was formed ~1948. Locally made wine was being sold within Israel earlier but it has continued to make a presence in other countries around the globe, although the US remains the primary export destination for Israeli wine.

For further reading, Wines Israel is an excellent resource to dive deeper into Israeli wine, past, present, and future.

JEWS AND THEIR CUISINE IN INDIA

The cuisine of the Jewish diaspora has always fascinated me because of its diversity and the nimbleness with which Jewish people have adapted foods to meet their religious and dietary requirements everywhere they have ended up. This includes India, which philosophically has nothing to do with Judaism but is a famously tolerant place that has offered protections and respect for cultural and religious proclivities to foreign communities who decided to stay in India after initially coming for trade and commerce.

Jewish people came to India initially as traders in the time of King Solomon’s reign (~970 to 931 BC) and stayed, and then after the Alhambra and King Manuel's Decrees which expelled Jews from Spain and Portugal if they did not convert to Christianity. The Hindu monarchs of the time offered numerous privileges to these waves of Jewish immigrants including land grants, tax exemptions, the freedom to speak their language, and freely practice their religion. These Jewish groups established themselves in India, built synagogues, and truly mixed  with the Indian population adopting elements of local  cultural habits and food. All of this was mostly in the coastal Indian states of Kerala and Maharashtra.

Indian Jews made their own wine, challah, and matzo because there were no Jewish bakeries, and like the Muslims do, they had their own butchers who slaughtered meat per Kosher requirements. As the Indian Jewry left or passed away, so did the butchers, and eventually the communities ate mostly vegetables and seafood along with the abundant varieties of rice, spices, and produce adapted from local recipes.

After Israel was established in ~1948 many Indian Jews emigrated to Israel. Although their centuries old synagogues and houses lay largely vacant in India, they continue to carry forward their synthesised cultural and culinary habits in their newly adapted land. I thought it would be interesting to connect the dots and discover how Indian Jewish food pairs with Israeli wine and ponder over whether the Indian Jews who are cooking their ancient hybrid Indian recipes in Israel ever pair them with local wine as they had done in India!

THE WINE + FOOD PAIRING

2014 Binyamina Winery Yogev, 12.5% ABV

SRP $20
WINE: According to the winery, "Our winegrowers instill their crops with their own individual character, Israeli roots and genuine love of the land, inspiring us to name this Series in their honor. Wines in the Yogev Series have been blended using the finest grapes from the best vines cultivated by our most outstanding winegrowers. Simply put, this is the very essence of our wines." The wine is an 80-20 cepage of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay from the oldest vineyards in the Upper and Lower Galilee, and strives to be a "harmonious fusion between two noble varieties".

Regarding the wine-making process, the winery says, "The Sauvignon Blanc grapes are harvested two weeks after the Chardonnay grapes. Both varieties are brought to the winery and immediately pressed to extract the best quality free run juice and maintain freshness and aroma. After a natural clarification of the must, the wine is transferred for a slow alcoholic fermentation at low temperatures. The wine is then transferred for brief storage in stainless steel tanks until selection of the final varietal blend. Contact with oak is deliberately avoided in order to maintain maximum freshness. The wine is bottled after filtration and is released after briefly aging in the bottle."
NOTES: We thought that the wine is a beautiful medium lemon colour, clean with a medium intensity and predominantly citrus + white flower on the nose. On the palate it is crisp, medium-bodied with a juicy medium acidity and intensity, and grapefruit/lemon and pear notes with green apple and orange blossoms in the back palate ending with a medium finish. Overall this is a simple wine and considering that this has no oak aging, I can't see how it would age well beyond 2020.

FOOD: We enjoyed the 2014 Yogev with a lovely Keralan lunch of ponganam (rice+lentil crepes) and mutta kari (egg curry) from the book Spice & Kosher. The wine paired exceptionally well with the warm herbaceous of the curry leaves, the smoke of the toasted black pepper, and sweetness of caramelised onions in the curry along with the slight tang of the crepes made from a fermented batter.

FUN FACTS
The egg curry recipe is from Matilda Davidson, from Petah Tikva, Israel, a city that started small but became a permanent settlement in the late 1880s thanks to financial help from Baron. As I've mentioned above, he also helped establish the modern wine industry in Israel.

The word "curry" is anglicised from kari, a Tamil word for dishes seasoned with leaves from curry plant and meant to be eaten with rice or crepes. Kari isn't always saucy, and can be sweet or savoury. There are also 1000s of different kinds of crepes in India, and since rice grows exceptionally well in the wet humid climate, it dominates southern Indian cuisine so the crepes in South India are all rice and/or lentil-based. Seafood also aplenty, and each region has it's favourite fish. Also, in India oysters are considered poor fishermen's food so they never make it to the markets!

Pop over to the websites of everyone below to see what they've done with their Israeli wine and food pairings! And then come talk about it at #WinePW on Twitter on Saturday, 23 May @8 AM PST.

• Terri at Our Good Life shares “Grilled Mahi Mahi and Gilgal Sauvignon Blanc. Our Good Life”
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares “The Eternal Light Shines in Galilee: Yarden Merlot, Pinot Gris”
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “Lamb Stuffed Eggplant and a perfect Wine from Galilee”
• Deanna at Asian Test Kitchen shares “Yarden Wines Paired with Japanese Surf ‘n Turf”
• Rupal at Syrah Queen shares “Off The Beaten Path – Two Wines From Isreal’s Galilee Appellation”
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “Of Israeli wines, long-ago memories, and Harvey’s takeout”
• David at Cooking Chat shares “Pairings for Gilgal Sauvignon Blanc from Israel”
• Payal at Keep the Peas shares “Israeli Wine with the Diverse Cuisine of the Diaspora”
• Nicole at Somms Table shares “Memories of Yarden Wines with a side of Meatball Shakshuka”
• Jennifer at Vino Travels shares “Pairings with Wines from Israel”
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “Peppered Brisket, Honeyed Onions, and the 2106 Galil Mountain ‘Ela’”
• Pinny at Chinese Food and Wine Pairings shares “Enjoying Gilgal Cab Sauvignon – Merlot and Yarden Pinot Gris with Grilled Wagyu Steak, Alaska Sockeye Salmon and Poke Ahi Tuna Bowl”
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Two Fisted Wine Pairing with Yarden Wines”

CORSICA: THE MAQUIS, THE MOUNTAINS, THE SEA (#winophiles)

This month the French #winophiles are in Corsica, France. The small island - or what seems like a large mountain - in the Western part of the Mediterranean sea, sitting squarely across the water from Italy and France, with an inevitable political and cultural history of occupation by both. Although it has been a part of France for the last 250 years, Corsica was Italian (or, Genoese which is now Italian) for centuries before that and retains much of the language, culture, and proclivities from that time as well as its own identity formed from centuries of exposure to a whole slew of other cultures including Greek, Roman, and Moorish. Corsica also has the distinction of continuous human occupation since the Mesolithic era. That's the era 15,000 to 5,000 years Before Present (BP). I.e. a really long time ago.

SOIL, GEOLOGY

But not as long as 225 M years, which is how long ago some of the mountains on Corsica formed during one of Earth's geological periods called "mountain-building periods" when the earth, oceans, and tectonic plates shifted, collided, crumbled, layered, and pushed, resulting in mountains of various sizes. Although Corsica looks like one large mountain range, and little else, it's actually two large mountain ranges and little else. Islands conjure images of beaches, tanned bodies, etc. Not Corsica. As you can see in the NASA image below, nothing looks like a beach there, just mountain. Two distinctly different but rugged mountain ranges run N-S along the length of the island. The western range is volcanic/igneous rock, mainly granite, and the eastern range is sedimentary and metamorphic rock including limestone, schist, slate, flint, etc. that usually forms in compacted layers on the seabed.

Incidentally, the rocky soil in both of Corsica's mountain ranges is suitable for grapevines. E.g. the granitic soil of the western range allows high acidity in grapes, whereas the slate in the eastern range absorbs and reflects heat, helping to ripen grapes. Schist retains heat well, producing wines with rich minerality and limestone helps vines with nutrient and water uptake and also yields grapes and wines with bright acidity. And indeed wine-making has existed in Corsica since centuries ago when the Greeks introduced vitis vinifera to Corsica, although it has not always flourished. The most recent effort to organise the Corsican wine industry started in the 1960s with the first AOC being established in 1968. Now there are nine AOCs and a variety of grapes are used including Italian varieties. Some grapes are known there by their Italian names rather than French, such as Vermentino/Vermentinu rather than Rolle.

Image from NASA

FOOD, STORY

Along with a long history comes a strong culinary presence as well. Apart from its association with famous figures like Napoleon Bonaparte (who was from a family of Corsican vintners) and Roman philosopher Seneca (who was exiled there), Corsica is known for its candied fruit, pigs fed with wild herbs (maquis) and chestnuts, various charcuterie, seafood, and the unbelievable casgiu merzu, a maggot/larvae-filled cheese made by leaving whole tommes in air to allow flies to lay eggs... you can imagine the rest. It's unbelievable that someone would do that to a tomme. And it's unbelievable that it's a very expensive product. If you've read Asterix in Corsica, you know this cheese and its effect on unsuspecting non-Corsicans! If you haven't read Asterix in Corsica, see the photo above!

WINES

We chose one red and one white from Domaine Vico's Clos Venturi, Vin de Corse AOC which is an island-wide designation. Jean Vico, whose family produced wines for several generations, originally planted the domaine’s vineyards in 1901. In 1987 Jean-Marc Venturi purchased the property, replanted some of the vineyards and began improving the quality of the wine. At the end of the nineties, Emmanuel Venturi began working with his dad after studying winemaking on the island and doing some internships abroad. Domaine Vico covers 46 hectares, planted with local varieties Vermentinu, Niellucciu and Sciaccarellu, along with Grenache and Syrah. The vineyards complex soils contain schist, small rocks and sand, as well as some volcanic sediment, and the vines are planted at 300 - 400 m. After working the vineyards sustainably for 35 years, the domaine was awarded the HVE (High Environmental Value) certification in 2015 and has been in organic and biodynamic conversion since 2017.

2017 Clos Venturi White Wine, 13.5% ABV

100% Vermentinu (Rolle) | SRP $18

From the label: "Clos Venturi is not only the furthest Corsican winery from the sea, but also the highest with vineyards at 400 m (1312 ft). The grapes are planted on granite soil, hand-harvested, and aged in wood, clay, and concrete barrels and tanks."

The wine is deep lemon with aromas of lemon rind, white flowers, and faint honeysuckle. On the palate it has ripe lemon, lemon rind, quince, quinine, and faint honeysuckle in the back, with a sprightly acidity. The finish is medium. A delightful wine for a sunny day, salt cod brandade, and sea urchin bruschette!

2015 Clos Venturi Chiesa Nera, 14% ABV

40% Sciaccarellu, 30% Niellucciu, 10% Carcaghjolu Neru, 9% Minustellu, 4% Morescala, 3% Moresconu, 2% Aleático, and 2% Vermentinu (Rolle) | SRP $36

From the label: "Chiesa Nera is a rare wine produced in very small quantities. Made with a variety of eight red and white grapes native to Corsica and aged in amphorae."

This elegant wine is medium ruby with complex aromas of blue and black fruit, violets, and fresh roses. On the palate the wine offers notes of blueberries, violets, red roses, fraises (wild strawberries), and a faint hint of black pepper rounded out by plush but firm tannins, a silky mouthfeel and a finish tending to long. Absolutely delicious!

We enjoyed it with lamb burgers seasoned with herbs typically meant by "maquis" - oregano, basil, thyme, mint, etc. Although our herbs were not wild, they were splendid with the lamb!

See below what the other winophiles did with their Corsican wine picks!

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares "Friday Night Pizzas + Domaine Poli Niellucciu Rosé 2018"
• Cathie from Side Hustle Wino shares "Wines from Corsica? Of "Corse"  (#winophiles)"
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles shares "Corsica – An Island and it’s wines #Winophiles"
• Martin from Enofylz Wine Blog shares "Mixiote de Pescado Paired with Domaine Petroni Corse Rosé"
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares "Spaghetti and meatballs for a Corsican wine (#Winophiles)"
• Gwen from Wine Predator shares "Corsica Rose with Salmon Crespelle and Currant Clafoutis #Winophiles"
• Payal at Keep the Peas shares "Corsica: The Maquis, The Mountains, The Sea (#winophiles)"
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares "Corsica; French with a lot of Italian Influence"
• Cindy from Grape Experiences shares "Drench Yourself in the Sunshine of Corsica with Domaine Petroni Rosé Corse 2018 and Provençal Vegetable Gratin"
• Nicole at Somm's Table shares "Corsican Happiness: Domaine Giacometti Sempre Cuntentu Sciaccarellu with a Flavorful Seafood Stew"

BASQUE-ING IN IROULÉGUY WINES AND MORE

This month in August, the French Winophiles took on the task of wines from French Basque country, which, to make a long story short, is essentially the compact AOC of Irouléguy. Why is it a task, you ask? Because at approximately 550,000 L wine produced annually from approximately 210 ha of vineyards, Irouléguy is small.

Image: http://www.france-sudouest.com/fr/denomination/aop-irouleguy

Jeff from Food Wine Click was our host, read his preview post here to find out more!

SOILS 

Small with a long history of wine growing and making on it's Jurassic limestone (aka oolitic or fossiliferous limestone that is studded with ancient marine fossils) and sandstone soils streaked with iron oxide, mica, silica, clay, and dolomite. As we well know, fossiliferous limestone is basic (higher than 7 pH) and particularly helpful for nutrient uptake in grapevines and cation exchange which occurs at the root level through root hairs. Dolomite, composed of calcium magnesium carbonate is a source of magnesium that vines also need along with potassium, calcium, and sodium. So in summary, the region is small but packs a punch soil-wise. Thanks Pyrenees mountains, for ardently prepping for what was to come!

STORY

As far back as the 11th century, spurred by pilgrimage traffic on the coastal journey to Santiago de Compostela in Spain across the Pyrenees, the first vineyards and wines were the work of monks, although wine making records exist from the 3rd century when the Romans were everywhere. Thanks to politics and phylloxera, once the monks had to give over winemaking control to the villagers, quality took a hit and by the 1950s only about 70 ha of land was used for vineyards. Eventually, the local wine industry organised and in 1970 Irouléguy was granted AOC status. Since then it's been on an upswing although production is still small compared to more well known wine areas like Alsace (100+ M L annually).

Irouléguy, located in southwest France bordering Spain (with its own Basque country), produces mainly red wines, with whites and rosés done in far smaller quantities. Red grape varieties include Bordelesa Beltza (Tannat), Axeria (Cabernet Franc) and Axeria Handia (Cabernet Sauvignon). White wines are made from Xuri Zerratia (Courbu), Izkiriota Ttipia (Petit Manseng) and Izkiriota (Gros Manseng) - grapes also used in Jurançon AOC.

NOT JUST IROULÉGUY HERE

Since Irouléguy is small and the wines can be hard to find in the US, the Winophiles' border generously extended to include wines from Jurançon AOC as well. Jurançon AOC is white wines only, made from Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, Camaralet, and Courbu grapes. Petit Manseng wines are not ones you'll see frequently and when you do see them you'll notice that they're pricey. Gros Manseng wines, on the other hand, are easy to find and often blends with camaralet (aka Petit Camarau) or other grapes. The wines are quite fresh and delightful with tropical fruit notes, especially welcome on a hot summer's day.

With all that lowdown on things, let's get into our wines!

2017 Domaine Cauhapé Jurançon Sec "Chant des Vignes", 14% ABV

Sample | SRP $20

This wine is a long-time favourite and I had a 2017 sample in the cellar that was begging to be opened. 60% Gros Manseng and 40% Camaralet grapes are crushed and destemmed then macerated on skins for 12 hours followed by press. The wine is cool-fermented in stainless steel and matured on lees for 5 months before bottling. After that, you have a wine that has beautiful fruity notes - on the nose and palate - of citrus, white flowers, fennel, faint spice, and just-ripe pineapple. Crisp and high acid, this wine lingers on the palate for what seems like forever and no one is complaining!

We enjoyed it with samosa chaat: samosas filled with seasoned potatoes and peas and fried, layered with tamarind chutney, coriander chutney, and a drizzle of creamy yogurt then finished with a garnish of shallots, fresh coriander, red chili powder, chaat masala, and a light dash of crispy chickpea flour snacks. While all of this overall has a layered complexity of flavours, it was an incredible complement to the wine! Especially the sweetness and acidity of the tamarind chutney.

2006 Domaine Arretxea "Cuvée Haitza", biodynamic, 12.5% ABV

$50

Domaine Arretxea began on leased land and is now a top estate of Irouléguy. It was always organic but is now also certified biodynamic. The grapes are harvested by hand, sorted in the vineyard and in the winery, after de-stemming are transferred by gravity, and vinified separately using natural fermentation. Maceration is 3 to 4 weeks with daily punch-downs and aging is 16 months on the lees in foudre and 400 to 600 L demi-muids.

Pitch black and stunning out of the bottle, this wine is a blend of 70% Tannat and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. It could easily be laid down for another 5 years but is very drinkable now. The grapevines have clearly seen some warmth because it's juicy, fruity, and has a layer of baking spice in the background. Although straight from the bottle it has high tannin and strong wild fruit on the palate. After about an hour it mellows to a more approachable wine with red flowers, peppercorns, baking spices, and a welcome meatiness. At 12.5% abv it's not an overpowering wine despite the tannat and cabernet blend. Also soft but very present tannins and medium acidity that beg for food, rounded out by a medium finish.

We enjoyed this wine over two days, paired with two different things: bbq pork on day one, and falafel, hummus, green pea smash, and garnishes on the next day. It was splendid with both! Having it with bbq pork on the first day when it had been opened for just over an hour was perfect because the meatiness and spice in the pork and wine worked beautifully. The following day the wine was not as out of control and was fruitier on the palate, which made it lovely to have with our equally staid plate of falafel etc. All in all, a delicious wine that most definitely needs food to rein it in!

See you all next month for our exploration of wines from the island of Corsica! In the meantime, see the links below to find out what our fellow #winophiles are saying about the wines they chose!

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “A Geography Snafu + Poulet Basquaise with Domaine Illaria Irouleguy 2016” 
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• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles shares “French Poets, Philandering Kings and little sweetness from Jurançon“ 
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• Martin from Enofylz Wine Blog shares “A Match Made in Heaven; Jurançon Sec and Instant Pot Shrimp Boil” 
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• Jane at Always Ravenous shares “French Basque Rosé Paired with Sicilian Pasta“ 
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• Oliver at In Taste Buds We Trust shares “Domaine Brana : Showing the Way in Irouléguy” 
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• Cynthia and Pierre at Traveling Wine Profs share “Celebrating the Revival of Irouléguy“ 
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• Gwen from Wine Predator shares “Madiran: French Basque Wine of Pyrenees With Pixtos“ 
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• Payal at Keep the Peas shares “Basque-ing in Irouléguy Wines and More” 
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• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Basque Chicken and Irouléguy, Perfect Winter Dish on the Hottest Day of the Summer”