The wonderful world of pastry adores top quality wine. Here are five of the best wines for this week’s Eric Lanlard pie and tart recipes.
2009 Château Ollieux, La Volière, Corbières, France (£8.50, Oddbins). This wonderful blackcurrant and fresh herb-scented red is so redolent of lazy holidays spent in the South of France touring around and drinking delicious, fresh local wines. La Volière is a wonderful, dreamy, succulent and juicy red beauty.
2011 Beaujolais, Paul Sapin, Burgundy, France (£6.99, Marks & Spencer). This urgent little red wine is just the ticket if you would like to chill it and drink it with either spicier dishes or cheesy pies and tarts. It has vibrant red cherry notes and a white-wine-like acidity on the finish making it lip-smacking and uplifting in equal measure.
2011 Mas de Cadenet Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France (£11.50-£11.99, Portland Wine tel. 0161 928 0357, Last Drop Wines tel. 020 7351 2973, hangingditch tel. 0161 832 8222). Lighter than last year’s wine, 2011 MdC is stunningly pale and elegant with crystalline purity and delicate rose petal and raspberry notes on the nose and palate. Effortlessly classy and distinguished this is a terrific summer rosé.
2010 Forrest Estate, Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand (£12.99, Adnams tel. 020 7580 2443). This is one of the velvetiest and most alluring Pinots I have tasted in ages and you will be hypnotised by its seamless, juicy core of black cherry and strawberry flavours. Dr John Forrest is a master craftsman and this is one of his finest and best value wines ever.
2010 Wither Hills, Chardonnay, Marlborough, New Zealand (£9.99, reduced £7.99 until 26 June, Waitrose). With a price of under eight pounds this must be the ‘don’t miss at all costs’ wine of the week. Ben Glover, at Wither Hills, is a very talented winemaker and this honed, chic chardonnay is a beautifully well balanced work of art.
