Monbazillac – Cuvée Chateau -Tirecul la Gravière 2004
(around 900 cases made)
The estate’s Grand Vin has harmony and balance. Issued from perfectly botrytised grapes, the famous Noble Rot, it marries fruity aromas, spices and floweriness typical of Muscadelle grapes. Its roundness, its creaminess and its elegance fills out in your mouth for minutes; a great classic, at ease on the best tables.
Grapes: Generally 55% muscadelle and 45% semillon.
The vines: 30 to 40 years old.
The average yield: is app. 9Hl / Hectare. Grapes are harvested with extreme case, sometimes one by one.
Aging: From 20 to 30 months in French oak, 15% new.
Food pairing: Usually called “dessert wine”, one tends to oppose the wine’s sweetness to more sugar, by serving it with desserts. I think they tend to cancel each other, unless you will go for something not sugary, with a bit of bitterness, like a Panna Cotta with candied citrus fruit for instance.. Another classic is to serve the Monbazillac with Foie Gras, whether its in a Terrine, or just sliced and panned. My favourite pairing with The Tirecul la Gravière is something like a mild seafood curry, where the delicate spices of the dish will put to light the saffron, the cumin flavours and develop the incredible and depth and lenghth of this nectar. Enjoy.
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