Chateaunuf Du Pape Paired with Braised Lamb Shanks & Rosemary
Looking for a special bottle of wine for someone special, maybe you?
Chateaunuf Du Pape is a very food friendly wine even more so when it’s had some time to age, here is a pairing that works very well with this wine.
The Wine
Domaine De Nalys, La Chataignier, Chateaunuf Du Pape. 2013
Nalys is one of the oldest domains dating back to 1630. With four centuries of growing grapes and wine making it’s easy to say that they know what they’re doing. Constantly winning praise from critics, this this wine is no exception. The Le Châtaignier cuvée is made from some of the domain’s oldest vines, grown in some of the very best vineyards in all of Chateaunuf Du Pape. Made from a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Mourvedre.
This is just some of the praise given to this special wine. 90 WCI Medium bodied, soft, supple textured and a fresh, ripe, sweet, purity of fruit, which leaves with a good impression. 90 IWR(JD)
The 'La Chataignier’ opens with pretty aromas of cherries and plum layered lavender, fresh thyme, rosemary and a touch of black olive and white pepper which all take shape in the glass. On the palate it is clean and focused, with a lovely finessed texture and soft tannins that make a seamless transition onto spice-tinged finish. Although appealing today, this also shows the potential to evolve nicely over the next few years. (Best 2016-2026)
The Pairing
Braised Lamb shanks with Rosemary
What you will need:
6 lamb shanks (about 5 pounds total)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
10 garlic cloves, minced
1 750-ml bottle dry red wine
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can beef broth
5 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
How to prepare it:
Sprinkle shanks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add shanks to pot and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.
Transfer shanks to bowl. Add onions, carrots and garlic to pot and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Return shanks to pot, pressing down to submerge. Bring liquids to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until meat is tender, about 2 hours.
Uncover pot; simmer until meat is very tender, about 30 minutes longer. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold; cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
Transfer shanks to platter; tent with foil. Boil juices in pot until thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over shanks. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted Brussel sprouts. Bon Appetit, 1997
Cheers,
The Wine Guys