Crozes-Hermitage, Tour d’Albon 2005, Delas
Recently, my super organised flatmate has been following The Kitchen Revolution. This is a cookery bible inspired by the credit crunch, which involves cooking one HUGE main meal at the weekend and then living inventively off the leftovers for the rest of the week. Luckily for me, the main meal is usually so colossal, I get to help out eating it… but second helpings are a no-no – I must leave leftovers, or Stephen would starve. Since I’m getting a weekly free meal (and the main meal is the poshest), I of course provide the booze. So to accompany a roast leg of lamb, with new season’s garlic, braised lentils, glazed baby carrots and potatoes, we guzzled this wonderful Crozes Hermitages (bought from Nicolas, £16).
Many a wine bore will chatter endlessly about how great the 2005 vintage was in Bordeaux and pretty much the rest of France. This is a fantastic boost for French wine, but bad, bad, bad for the wino’s wallet. However, I thought this wine from the Rhone Valley certainly lived up to its glorious ‘class of 05 reputation’ and was therefore worth the dinero. Roasted hazelnut and blackcurrant aromas to the fore, with tons of spice. The palate is very well balanced, with some liquorice with the fruit. I think it would taste even better in 5 years time, but still awesome now.
