Tuesday 29 April 2014

A delightful, delicious wine; Menetou-Salon



Last November 1st a delightful elderly French couple, H & L, came to dinner. We have known these elegant lovely people for about fifteen years. He helped me out of a problem spot with a madman many years ago. 

That evening we had soup and a very slow roasted shoulder of lamb. 4 to 5 hours if I recall. They loved it; 5 months later they remembered exactly what it was I had cooked. As they came into the house that cold winter's night H presented me with a bottle of wine he said he bought from a 'producteur' he knew.  It was a 2011 Mademoiselle T, from Tailler, a Menetou-Salon from the Loire. A sauvignon-pinot noir blanc. 

H said he and L did not drink white wine, but we being English he knew we were likely to. That surprised us. Nevermind. But from experience I do not care for Loire wines having in the past found them too acidic for my palate. I accept of course it may be no more than my poor choices. 

That evening we drank red wine with the roasted lamb although  I have no note as to what it was. Rioja if I did my job properly. 

Last weekend we went to H & L's flat with commanding views over the lake and as we settled down apéros were offered and I chose a glass of white wine. As it was brought H said it was a wine he bought from a 'producteur' he knew. In the Loire near Sancerre. I took a mouthful and tasted a beautiful crisp flowery fresh wine that just delighted the tastebuds. Was this, I asked, the same wine he brought to us several months before?

Menetou-Salon? His eyes lit up and he fetched the bottle. The very same. You like it, he asked and I had to admit I had not drunk the bottle but put it into my bursting wine cupboard. He understood this perfectly; the opportunity had not offered itself to drink it. No accompanying meal had been researched, no idea of what to eat with it. But that will soon be put right. 

At the end of a good evening we rose to leave and H asked, "would you like a doggie?"

He returned with the bottle half empty-half full and putting it into a plastic bag handed it to me. I Iater finished it at home. Delicious. 

This wine will be sought soon. May have to stop nearby to Menetou-Salon on a future drive back to England. 

A special find is this Mademoiselle  T. 


Tuesday 1 April 2014

A Few Days in Provence.

Twisted trunks and gnarled branches cling to the early season and already dry soils just above the celebrated sea port of St. Tropez. 

The port and town has so far managed to fend off the ugly hand of someone's idea of progress keeping the sloping lanes among the old houses desirable still. 

The money though still continues to float on the calmed waters of the Vieux Port.