This Wednesday’s wine of the week was a Cremant Rose from Martinolles that I had last night at Raouls with friends. The wine is made from a blend of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc and 10% Pinot Noir. It is made using the traditional method and spends some 15 months in the bottle before being released into the market. The vinification is done using whole cluster pressing. I had it with skate but could also see it pairing well with sushi and salmon. The domaine is in town of Saint-Hilaire, where the Blanquette de Limoux wines were born. The soils are a mixture of clay and calcareous matter. The wine has both fruity and floral characteristics. It had a fair amount of residual sugar. around 14 g/l, which surprised me but also good acidity. I really enjoyed it and would buy it in a store to drink at home as well. It’s widely available and priced around $18. It would work well with Thanksgiving foods as well from the turkey to cranberry relish as well as cheeses and sides.

I’m having a sparkling rose moment so it went perfectly with my latest deep dive into these wines. The winery is apparently quite close to Carcassone, a
city in France that I have never visited but have always longed to see. Perhaps now I have two reasons to go on my next trip.

I had this wine at Raoul’s. It was a real New York evening, in a real New Yorky bar/restaurant of old. It was great to be out and see the New York I want to see rather than box stores and high-rises. Raoul’s recently celebrated it’s 40th anniversary, a long time for a restaurant. It was started by two brothers from Alsace, Guy and Serge.