“In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone….” You might remember the opening lines of that 1872 poem by Christina Rossetti, especially as it was later converted into a song by Gustav Holst and eventually became a favourite Christmas carol in Britain. The words sum up the unforgiving nature of the northern winter which despite its harshness, is often depicted in art and literature as a time of astounding beauty.
Even so, back in The Old Country I used to find the months from November to February especially gloomy and miserable. There were just too many “cold and frosty mornings”, to quote from a well-known English nursery-rhyme. Of course, it’s technically winter here in Thailand, being in the Northern Hemisphere (though only just). The evenings are significantly cooler at this time of year, especially up north in the hills around Chiang Mai. On chilly evenings, red wines seem more welcoming than white. Perhaps it’s because reds tend to have higher alcohol, or perhaps it’s because reds simply look more comforting when it’s cold outside. And of course, reds are usually served at ambient temperatures (or should be) unlike white wines, which nearly always taste better when they’re chilled.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are favourite winter wines, perhaps because they bring reminders of summer fruits. Both are produced world-wide but there’s a distinct difference between the wines from cool climates and those from warmer ones. For example, cool climate Merlot, such as those from the Bordeaux region is a medium-bodied wine with moderate alcohol and fresh red fruit flavours with earthy hints of leafy vegetation. Top quality cool-climate Merlot brings aromas of plum, black olive, herbs and mint and sometimes a kind of earthy, elemental quality.
Warm climate Merlot tends to be more full-bodied and smoother, with more fruit and less acidity. Both styles are excellent with dishes that have high levels of umami (savory) and salt flavours, such as mushroom dishes and sauces. Merlot also makes a good partner for grilled chicken, pork chops, roasted vegetables and light cheeses. Neither Cabernet nor Merlot goes well with light-flavoured fish or chicken dishes, because they tend to over-power the food.
Today I am suggesting some reds ideal for cooler evenings and I’ve chosen four examples from France’s premier wine regions: Bordeaux, the Côtes du Rhône and Burgundy. These bottles should be easily available as the outlets have branches all over the country. Here’s a pleasant everyday claret to begin.
Château Lauzanet Bordeaux 2021 (red) France. Bt 760 @ Wine Connection.
Bordeaux reds often have complex flavours with earthy hints of black and red fruit and a wide range of secondary and tertiary aromas. They are nearly always blended from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc but sometimes small portions of Malbec, Petit Verdot or Carménère grapes are added. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the dominant grapes in most Bordeaux reds. Generally, the so-called “left-bank” red wines contain more Cabernet Sauvignon, whereas the “right-bank” wines contain more Merlot.
Château Lauzanet is produced by the Patrick Forcato family winery, which is located between the small commune of La Réole and the northern slopes of the River Garonne, only about thirty-five miles south-east of Bordeaux city. This wine is evidently quite popular in France and it’s made predominantly from Merlot with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It’s an intense purple colour with warm, rich aromas of morello cherry and blackcurrant.
As you’d expect, the classic Merlot aromas are there and the secondary aromas bring hints of black olives, herbs and brambles. In many ways this is a jolly good everyday claret, the kind of thing you’d find in a decent Bordeaux bistro. It’s a pleasant, unassuming wine with a rounded and soft mouth-feel; medium-bodied, very dry with attractive grainy tannins. There’s a longish dry finish with typical firm tannin. The wine comes at 13.5% ABV and I’d suggest giving it half an hour in a decanter or wine jug before tasting it. You’ll be rewarded by a softer texture and a more floral aroma. To my mind, this is very much a food wine and would be a perfect match for rich beef dishes. It could even bring a new dimension to a simple hamburger.
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Part of the Patrick Foracato Estate in Bordeaux. Jeantet Côtes du Rhône 2022, (red) France. Bt 760 @ Villa.
The Côtes du Rhône region offers an enormous range of red and white wines which invariably offer good value for money. This one is from the house of François Jeantet and it’s is a typical Rhône blend of Grenache and Syrah. The wine is a dark crimson colour with hints of violet and if you swirl the wine around in the glass, you’ll see thick “legs” appearing. Contrary to popular belief, these “legs” don’t signify anything in particular and they’re partly caused by the evaporation of the alcohol. There’s a rich and delightful aroma of dry herbs, gorse, lavender and thyme. This captivating smell is known as garrigue and it permeates the vineyards of Southern France. If you’ve ever opened a fresh jar of Herbes de Provence, you’ll know what I mean.
The wine is remarkably smooth on the palate, and in the usual Rhône style, the fruit is restrained. It’s not excessively dry and there are hints of dark fruit, soft and velvety tannins, a touch of acidity and a long satisfying finish. This would make an excellent partner for beef or lamb dishes. The label also suggests that it would work well with St. Nectaire cheese. You might have a hard time finding Saint Nectaire in these parts, but it’s a semi-soft and rather pungent cheese from the Auvergne region. This is an attractive everyday wine with an interesting character and a fascinating aroma.
Prosper Maufoux Pinot Noir “Reference” Bourgogne 2022, (red) France. Bt 998 @ Villa.
This is another old wine house established in 1860 and named after its founder, Prosper Maufoux (“moh-foo”). Over the years, the successful winery expanded and eventually became a well-known company exporting its wines worldwide. In 2010, the Piffaut Family, whose winegrowing roots in Burgundy go back over two hundred years, took over the estate. It now owns several exceptional vineyards and is based in the heart of the Côte de Beaune region. The company produces an enormous range of excellent wines, many of which have been awarded medals at international competitions.
This Burgundy is a dark cherry colour with a slightly oily appearance. There’s an assertive and floral aroma of black and red fruit, notably red cherry, strawberry and sweet herbs. The wine is pleasantly soft on the palate, with a slightly tart taste, hints of earth and herbs and a slight edge of acidity. At 12.5% ABV, the tannins are soft but very supple; barely detectable in fact. The wine is as dry as they come, but quite delicate and light-bodied. There’s also a touch of oak and vanilla which is not surprising really because the wine was matured for twelve months in French oak barrels. I also thought I could detect hints of marzipan. It has a long and assertive finish heightened by a touch of acidity. It would make an excellent addition for a hearty winter dinner. The wine makers suggest that could make a good partner for red meat, roast chicken or turkey.
Moillard Pinot Noir Bourgogne, 2022, (red) France. Bt 1,300 @ Wine Connection.
Here’s another Burgundy which to my mind seems a little higher in quality, which is one of the reasons it’s more expensive. Founded in 1850, Maison Moillard (“mwah-yar”) has produced a range of quality wines for generations from all over the Burgundy region. The winery produces wines under several other names: Charles Thomas, Thomas-Moillard and Moillard-Grivot. This wine comes in an unusually heavy bottle. Most empty wine bottles weigh about 400gm but this monster weighs in at a just under a kilogram. It occurs to me that most of my local friends are probably out enjoying Pattaya’s relentless night-life, while I am in the kitchen weighing empty wine bottles. Sad, isn’t it? I must try to get out more often. Anyway, the wine is a bright and clear ruby colour and has floral red fruit aromas of strawberry, cranberry with a hint of rhubarb. It also has the classic earthy aroma that typifies a Pinot Noir and there is also a touch of mild spiciness. The wine has a lovely supple mouth-feel with gentle tannins, quite complex flavours of red fruit and dried herbs and a long peppery finish. There’s also a faint hint of oak.
At 12.5% ABV, the wine has a firm structure, which means it has good ageing potential and after another couple of years, it will seem even softer and smoother. In Thailand, red wines are often served too cold, though I have never discovered the reason for this curious custom. Unfortunately, lower temperatures heighten the tannins and can make red wine taste bitter and unyielding. This wine tastes excellent at the local ambient temperature, although in Europe that might seem too warm. It benefits from about half an hour of air contact, so after opening the bottle, pour it into another container and let it rest. This is an excellent example of a basic quality Burgundy and will surely help to alleviate a chilly winter’s evening.
