Includes a fairytale like pairing.
Grenache from Banyuls, Languedoc-Roussillon, France. The wine is fortified with pure alcohol after a long fermentation and aged in oak casks and stainless steel for 16 to 23 months.
SRP of $29 and available at Costco for $18 for a 500ml bottle. 1,163 cases produced. Imported by Terlato Wines International. Sample submitted for review.
From the bottle:
"The passion, the extra spirit of Maison M. Chapoutier, based in the Rhone Valley since 1808. To spin out the pleasure of a good meal, wines & spirits of my collection do celebrate the M. Chapoutier.
16% Alcohol"
It's not often that we focus on dessert wines here at Reverse Wine Snob, but one of our favorite pairings is a good Port or dessert wine with a good chocolate. Today we've got one of each that go great together. The wine comes from Banyuls region in south eastern France just a few miles from Spain, an area known for their Grenache based sweet wines. The chocolate comes in one of my favorite forms, a brownie!
First up is the 2012 M. Chapoutier Banyuls Rimage which shows a fantastic aroma of blackberry, plum, raisins, a little baking spice and some floral notes. Tasting the wine reveals lots of prunes, raisins, blackberry and black raspberry all wrapped up in a super smooth and lush texture. It ends with a super savory and sweet finish with very good length and lots more tart dark fruit.
The brownies are the aptly named Fairytale Brownies made from Belgian chocolate. With flavors like mint chocolate, pecan, white chocolate, caramel and much more, you'll have lots of fun pairing these tasty morsels with your favorite wines. Pick them up on Amazon.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 7.5
