Clos du Marquis

Wine friends - Andover April 16th 2008

This menu is elaborated to combine the wines with the food. It's a typical South West of France dinner, with unusual vine varieties and food seldom found in outside this area.

Aperitif
Mauzac Nature NV
Robert Plageoles
R. Plageoles believes in rediscovering what has been lost. He grubbed up his Sauvignon and concentrated instead on the native Mauzac. R. Plageoles uses only la Methode Gaillacoise, which to the difference with champagne do not use any extra sugar and liqueur d'expedition. It's only the sugar of the grapes that produce the fermentation and the bubbly wine.

Breast of goose stuffed with foie gras de canard, salad of mache, Jerusalem artichoke sauté

Jurançon Moelleux
Cooperative des vignerons de Jurançon. Pau
It's one of the most distinctive white wine of France. A tangy, green-tinged essence made on the step of the Pyrenean foothills in a wide range of sweetness levels. Gros Manseng grapes are responsible for the dry, earlier picked versions while the smaller, thicker-skinned Petit Manseng berries are much more suitable for leaving on the vine into November and sometime December. These sweet Moelleux wines are lively enough to drink as the French do, at the beginning of a meal with local foie gras.
The story goes that Henry I, born in Pau, capital of Navarre, during his christening his lips were rubbed with Jurançon and a clove of garlic.

Estofinade with new potatoes and croutons

Montus Pacherenc du Vic Bilh
Alain Brumont.
A.Brumont is one of the foremost winemaker of Gascony. His reputation in wine circle is undisputable. He redefined Madiran in the 1980s and resurrected its reputation. His wines have won many awards at the highest level, competing with Chateau Petrus.

Pacherenc and Madiran come from the same area. Madiran is red as the Pacherenc is white, Vic bihl is the name of the occidental part of the area, meaning: old country. White wines can be dry, fresh and full of flavours or Moelleux (sweet) as the grapes are rested on beds of straw (passerillage)
The vines varieties used are for a minimum of 60% Petit Manseng and Arrufiac, Sauvignon and Semillon to a maximum of 10%.

Magret de canard aux truffes et a l'aligot

Cotes de Frontonnais , « Thibault de Plaisance »
Chateau Plaisance, Marc Penavayre
From the North of Toulouse and West of Gaillac, between the Tarn and the Garonne. The unique Negrette grape grows here. The Knights of the Templar brought the vines back from Cyprus almost 900 years ago and called it Negrette because of its dark skin. Fronton is one of the oldest vineyard in France. It was the Romans who planted the first vines, but the Negrette appeared only in the 12th century. Cuvee Thibault is a blend of Negrette and Syrah to give more structure. Aged 12 months in barrels.

Cheese

Madiran, Chateau Bouscasse vieilles vignes 1994
Made at the original estate of Alain Brumont (his birth place) This wine contains 100% Tannat grapes. It received more accolades than any other wines in the South West. It's superb.

Souricou

Caprice d'Antan 2004
Robert Plageoles
This wine from Robert Plageoles is the flagship of the domaine. It is made only of Ondenc, a vine from the Tran valley which was widespread in the South West since the Middle age.. Dr Guillot, who invented cane pruning (taille Guillot in France) used to say that Ondenc produced wines that could rival the best Sauternes. R.Plageoles replanted almost 5 acres in 1985.

R.Plageoles found out in old books the way that Ondenc was grown. And used a new method of trellising. When the grapes are ripe, the vintners go through the vineyards and pinch the peduncles to stop the sap from flowing to the fruits. The grapes slowly dry out thanks to the Autan, the name of a wind blowing from the south east. Later the grapes are picked and left to desiccate on straw mats. To preserve the purity of the fruits the elevage is done in concrete tanks for 12 months.