13 Dec 2023
I can’t believe it’s already December and the festive season is in full swing! I’ve been having fun with my “12 Wines of Christmas” campaign on Instagram and making sure Ed and his team at Fleetville Larder get my Christmas cheese order on time. What I love about the larder is that they have a huge and varied selection of cheeses, and they are always happy to find me something that I want but they don’t have in stock. I’ve tried many of their cheeses over the last 10 months, so I ordered all my favourites for Christmas.
On the back of my Port and fortified Malbec reviews I was keen to move onto sweet wines and Ed had just the answer… the classic combination of Roquefort cheese and Monbazillac wine. These two products from the south-west of France have a long history of being enjoyed together, and for good reason: they complement each other perfectly, creating a harmony of sweet and savoury, rich and refreshing, complex and elegant.
Roquefort cheese is a raw sheep’s milk blue cheese that is aged in the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, a small village in the Aveyron region. It is one of the oldest and most famous cheeses in the world, and has a protected designation of origin, meaning that only cheese from this specific area can bear the name Roquefort.
The cheese is white to pale yellow, with veins of blue-green mold that give it its distinctive appearance and flavour. The mold is produced by the Penicillium roqueforti fungus, which is added to the milk during the cheesemaking process.
The cheese has a moist and crumbly texture, and a sharp, tangy and salty flavour, with notes of butter, caramel and smoke. It has no rind, and the exterior is edible and slightly salty. Roquefort cheese is often called the “King of Cheeses” or the “Cheese of Kings”, as it was favoured by many historical figures, such as Charlemagne, Napoleon and Charles de Gaulle.
Roquefort cheese is a delicacy that can be enjoyed on its own, or with bread, fruit, nuts and honey. It is also a versatile ingredient that can be used in salads, soups, sauces, quiches and pies.
Monbazillac wine is a sweet white wine that is produced in the Monbazillac appellation, which covers about 2,000 hectares of vineyards around the town of Monbazillac, in the Dordogne department.
The wine is made from a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes, which are affected by noble rot, a beneficial fungus that shrivels the grapes and concentrates their sugars and flavours. The grapes are hand-harvested in several passes, to select only the ripest and botrytised berries. The wine is then fermented
and aged for at least 24 months, usually in oak barrels. Monbazillac wine has a golden colon, and a luscious and aromatic bouquet, with aromas of honey, apricot, peach, citrus, acacia and spice.
The wine is sweet but balanced by a refreshing acidity and has a smooth and persistent finish. Monbazillac wine is often compared to Sauternes, another famous sweet wine from Bordeaux, but it tends to be less expensive and more accessible. Monbazillac wine can be served as an aperitif, or with foie gras, paté, blue cheese, fruit desserts and chocolate.
One of the best examples of Monbazillac wine is the Domaine de Grange Neuve 2019 (£14.50 from Fleetville Larder), produced by Anthony Castaing, a fifth-generation winemaker who took over the family vineyard in the Bergerac wine district.
The wine is made from 80 per cent Semillon, with a little Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, and has a fabulous, sweet and luscious character. The nose is fresh with classic botrytis marmalade and ripe nectarine. The flavours on the palate are richer and nicely honeyed with a finishing twist of bitter orange. It has a great backbone of fine acidity leading to a pleasingly clean finish. The wine has received rave reviews from customers and critics alike and is a top quality wine at a top price.
The pairing of Roquefort cheese and Domaine de Grange Neuve 2019 Monbazillac is a match made in heaven, as the sweetness of the wine contrasts and enhances the saltiness of the cheese, while the acidity of the wine cuts through the richness of the cheese. To enjoy this pairing, simply serve the cheese at room temperature, and the wine chilled, and savour them in small bites and sips. You will be transported to a world of pleasure and refinement and discover why Roquefort and Monbazillac are considered among the finest cheese and wine in the world.
