Easter Sunday falls later than usual this year, and there are lots of tipples with which to enjoy the spring sunshine. It is very easy to book lunch at a local hostelry and let them take the strain, but I always prefer to do a proper Sunday roast – leg of lamb this year – and focus on some decent wine to wash it down.
Now everyone favours the time-honoured accompaniment to roast lamb – Rioja or Claret (of which later). So it is advisable to have a good white wine to kick off the proceedings and drink with the first course. Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape that produces wine with pungency and crispness – great to get the juices flowing. I love the subtlety and elegance that winemakers achieve with Sauvignon in the Loire region of Sancerre.
Take a look at the splendidly named Sancerre, Chateau Fontaine-Audon (along with the other still wines mentioned here available at an equally splendid 40% discount at www.drinks21.com
Classic, aromatic, beautifully balanced with intense grapefruit flavours and a stylish mineral finish. Consider serving a goats’ cheese salad or smoked salmon as a starter and mother should be delighted.
For the roast lamb, the Spanish would swear by a Tempranillo based wine, whether from Rioja or Ribero del Duero or Navarra. Bodegas Marques de Murrieta has a deserved reputation for producing outstanding quality Rioja. Their 2006 Reserva has tobacco and vanilla spice on the nose, reflecting the ageing in small oak barriques, and rich blackcurrant and liquorice flavours.
Should mother be a Bordeaux fan, then I would recommend Chateau Tour Pibran 2008 from the Pauillac region. Smoky oak and dark berries on the nose and pleasing blend of ripe cherries and plums, supported by cedar wood, tobacco and smooth tannins will delightfully compliment rose coloured lamb.
If mother is not happy by this stage, a little indulgence with a bottle of pink Champagne to round off the meal should do the trick. My favourite is Bollinger Rose. Classy like all Bollinger Champagnes this is full of red fruit, refined and decadent. A great way to toast motherhood!
All of the mentioned wines are currently on offer at special discounts at www.drinks21.com
About the Author / Gareth Hargreaves
Gareth looks after all editorial content on 50connect. He is the Swiss Army knife of content ideas and production.
