Match of the week

Lamb curry and Luigi Bosca De Sangre 2011

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on March 16 2015 at 10:07

A cabernet would have been the last wine I would have thought of drinking with a curry but as happens from time to time you come across an unexpected wine match that really works.

It was at a lunch at Benares in Mayfair hosted by Argentinian producer Luigi Bosca and as is typical of Indian meals a number of dishes were served at the same time including a Rajasthani spiced lamb stew called Laal Maans, a chicken korma, a potato and tomato curry and a dal - quite a challenge for any wine to stand up to. Bosca’s 2013 pinot noir was also good particularly with the korma but I was struck by how well the full bodied (14%) 2011 De Sangre - a cabernet-dominated blend with a dash of merlot and syrah - paired with the Laal Maans.

When it comes down to it I guess that lamb is lamb and this was not a searingly hot dish. The wine was also almost 4 years old, mellow and supple. I don’t think it would have worked with a more tannic young cabernet.

Bosca also showed a deliciously fragrant white called Gala 3 - an unusual blend of old vine viognier, chardonnay and riesling - that went well with the tandoori salmon and plaintain kebab that kicked off the meal.

I’m not sure I’d go so far as to suggest drinking cabernet regularly with your curry but this shows you shouldn’t totally rule it out.

Waitrose sells the De Sangre for £16.99 - which is quite a bit more than Bottle Apostle which has it for £14.85. The most recent vintage of the Gala 3 I can find is at The Oxford Wine Company which has the 2011 for £19.50. (We had the 2012).

I was invited to Benares as a guest of Luigi Bosca.

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