Price: £8.99
Region: Loire
Location: France
Vintage: 2011
This delicious and great value Sauvignon de Touraine has lifted aromas of elderflower cordial, Victoria plums and hints of grass. The palate is filled with gooseberry fool infused with elderflower and hints of summer fruit. This domaine, with its beautiful Touraine-style house, overlooks vineyards on the banks of the river Cher, producing first class Sauvignon from vines grown on perruche (sandy-clay) soil. The estate is managed according to the Terra Vitis programme, a codified system which posits not only respect for the environment but knowledge of the land, parcel by parcel. This sensitivity to the environment means that natural rather than chemical solutions can be pursued in the vineyard, and the health of the soil is preserved for future generations. In the cellar, fermentation under controlled temperatures preserves the fresh vitality of the fruit, whilst maturing on lees for some months softens the grapes.
More wines from this retailer
- Pinot Noir, Burn Cottage (Biodynamic/Natural) →
- Gran Cerdo Tempranillo, Gonzalo Gonzalo (Biodynamic/Natural) →
- Terras Gauda ‘O Rosal’, Bodegas Terras Gauda →
- Madeleine Angevine, Knightor Winery →
Recipe matches
A few delicious dishes to compliment your drink.
Mitch Tonks’ South Devon crab salad
Ingredients
- one crab
- pinch of salt
For the mayonnaise
- 2 egg yolks
- 1tsp Dijon mustard
- 25ml white wine vinegar
- 350ml vegetable oil
- 50ml olive oil
- squeeze of lemon juice
- slice of lemon to serve
Method
To make south Devon crab salad, bring a pan of water to the boil, add a pinch of sea salt, boil a crab for 12-15 minutes, then drain and cool. Turn it on its back, tuck your hands around the side of the shell and force the carapace away with your thumbs. Remove the ‘dead man’s fingers’ and break away the stomach sac from behind the eyes. Scrape the brown meat from the top shell into a bowl and mix well. Tear off the claws and legs, crack with the back of a knife and pick out the white meat. For the mayonnaise, whisk 2 egg yolks, 1tsp Dijon mustard and 25ml white wine vinegar in a bowl. Slowly whisk in 350ml vegetable oil until thick and creamy. Whisk in 50ml olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve a spoonful of both the brown and white crabmeat with the mayonnaise, salad and a slice of lemon.
Linguine with broad beans and fresh pea pesto
Ingredients
- 250g podded broad beans
- 500g dried Giuseppe Cocco linguine (or De Cecco)
For the pea pesto:
- 300g fresh shelled peas
- 75ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 100g parmesan cheese
- 100g blanched almonds, chopped
- pinch caster sugar
To serve:
- parmesan shavings
Method
To make the pesto, cook the peas in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, until just tender. Drain and transfer to a blender. Add the remaining ingredients – do not omit the sugar – and process to a textured paste. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the broad beans for 5-6 minutes, until just tender. When the beans are cool enough to handle, peel away the dull outer skin and add them to the bowl with the pesto.
In the meantime, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following the timings on the packet. Using pasta tongs, lift the pasta out of the saucepan and into the bowl with the pesto. Toss quickly and thoroughly and serve in warmed pasta bowls, with extra shavings of parmesan.
Crab, broad bean and mint risotto
Try to search out Vialone Nano risotto rice for this, from the Veneto region in Italy; it has the definite edge over Arborio for fish risotto.
Ingredients
- 250g podded broad beans
- 1 litre hot vegetable or light chicken stock
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, finely sliced
- 100g shallots, finely chopped
- 30g butter
- 300g Vialone Nano rice
- 100ml white wine
- 400g dark and light crab meat
- small bunch dill, finely chopped
- dash Pernod (optional)
- bunch small, young mint leaves
Method
Cook the broad beans in a large pan of salted water for 6-7 minutes, until just tender. Cool and peel off the dull outer skin.
Keep the stock hot in a saucepan over a gentle heat. Pour the oil into a large, flat sauté pan and add the leek and shallots. Cook for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the butter and rice. Stir and cook for a minute or so, until the rice is coated and shiny. Add the wine, and cook for 3-4 minutes until it has been absorbed. Add a ladle of stock and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the stock has been absorbed. Repeat until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is creamy, but still has bite. Stir in the crab meat, broad beans and dill. Add the Pernod (if using), scatter over the mint, and serve.
This article was published on 1st July 2012 so certain details may not be up to date.