BY ALAN DOUGHTY
A little delayed, but Easter happened again, or more importantly for me - lamb versus ham. As sad as that "no contest" is, I still relish the fight to find the wine that pairs perfectly with the sweet and slightly gamy decadence of my favourite protein.
Although the French (from what I have been told) traditionally prefer to take down the odd bottle or two of Bordeaux with a leg of lamb, my default has always been the AOC wines of the Southern Rhone. With their savoury cassis richness and delightful garrigue herbaceousness, it's almost like drinking the perfect marinade.
However, when being in a position of privilege i.e. having a boss that is relentless in pursuing new and almost entirely unknown categories, I am constantly given unexpected options to haul me out of any varietal or regional rut I may find myself in.
Which brings me in my usual long-winded way to the red wines (the whites are ace too) of the Vaud region of Switzerland, or more specifically La Cote; an idyllic wine growing region nestled between the north shore of Lake Geneva and the southern foothills of the Jura Mountains. Although Pinot Noir and Gamay still dominate, these two frisky varietals were always liable to produce an offspring or two in the neighborhood.
So tonight's wine is the inevitable convergence of Gamay and anything that happened to be at hand at the research station at Pully - in this case Reichensteiner. Reichensteiner is a cool climate white grape that does remarkably well in England, and when mated with Gamay, created two offspring different enough to warrant their own distinction - it's almost like they're people.
So here we have a blend from Chateau de Trevelin named "Chambelin" - a name so suited to a type of vinifera, it's stupidly frustrating. However, the blend is two offspring of the aforementioned parents; Gamaret and Garanoir. Gamaret is apparently French Swiss and Garanoir is it's German counterpart. I have no idea how this geopolitical designation came about, so I expect a trip to Alsace may be in order to figure that out.
Anyway, the more brooding Gamaret gives the wine it's black fruited, spicy and structured characteristic, whilst the Garanoir adds fragrance and fruitiness - the combination of which pairs perfectly with the paradoxical sweet meatiness of the lamb. Expect some of the same delights of Cru Beaujolais (soft fruit, distinct structure and mineral) along with a more velvety texture aided by a smidge of creamy new oak.
I am pretty confident that the versatility of this wine or 100% versions of either (yeah I knocked down some pure Gamaret too), will be worth trying with a rich roast chicken dish, pork, duck or even that last placed finisher honey glazed ham, doused in canned pineapple and stuck with so many cloves it looks like a WWII sea mine.
Happy Easter and happy drinking!!