A like minded lunch

Tom Cannavan's excellent wine-pages site and forum have dedicated members (forumites) who organise regular informal BYO restaurant meals in London and the UK. One annual theme is "Less Celebrated France" which basically bypasses Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone, and usually has good Languedoc-Roussillon representation.

We are fortunate to be hosted by one of London's finest restaurants The Ledbury. This was the menu and line up for my table. Wines are submitted by participants and the Ledbury team devise dishes to match.

Nobody was taking notes, everyone wanted to focus on the occasion and the company. The most complex wines were the pair of Coulée de Serrants. They had been double decanted the day before and each taste was like opening a new window on an Advent calender. Very much wine lovers' wines and fine accompaniments to the rabbit boudin with pumpkin soup with thyme foam (picture below). The Languedoc 1998 Marfée Les Champs Murmurés has aged magnificently, although it wasn't an ideal match for the dish. Later vintages (the Domaine only started in 1997) seem more expressive with better integrated tannins - I've been enjoying the 2000 and 2001 over the winter, but have yet to try a younger vintage.

The trio of reds were perfect with the deep flavoured lamb. The 2001 Terrasse d'Elise cuvée Elise (Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre and essentially a Terrasses du Larzac) was understated, subtle with quite gentle perfume and nice ripe fruit that avoided being jammy. Yes it was the wine I contributed, but the table concurred all three were a success. Of the Tempier Bandols I preferred the more elegant 2002 La Migoua, but that could change if I were to taste the pair in 5+ years time when the 2001 may have developed further.

Note that I posted on a range of Terrasse d'Elise wines hosted by Xavier Braujou in Montpeyroux back in 2009 here.

The third wine from the region was 1998 Domaine de la Rectorie Banyuls Cuvée Léon Parcé. Tawny port like and immensely satisfying, perfect with the Frangipane "cake".

Three final words - a real treat.