Match of the week

Lapin au vin and Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on June 9 2008 at 07:18

The other night I went back to one of my favourite restaurants Ransome’s Dock, a friendly neighbourhood restaurant in Battersea that has great food and an even more stellar wine list, put together with detailed and well-written tasting notes by chef/proprietor Martin Lam. (You can download it from the site)

It’s always difficult to decide what to eat there but I knew my husband would go for the rabbit (he always does, if it’s available!) which was cooked French bistro-style in red wine with bacon and mushrooms. I ordered some Welsh lamb cutlets so it wasn’t too difficult to find a wine that would go with both.

What we chose, having already had a half of Macon Igé with our starters, was a half of the ‘La Bauge au-dessus’ Pinot Noir 2005 from Au Bon Climat in the Santa Maria Valley. It was Californian Pinot at its luxuriant best, scented and supple - like sticking your nose in some exotic bath filled with raspberries and rose petals. It was good with my lamb but just went sensationally well with the rabbit. Better even, dare I say, than many similarly priced burgundies . . .

If you’d like be able to check out all the food and wine pairings on the site you can buy a bundle of credits here to access my premium content.

And/or for regular updates on what and where I’ve been eating, drinking and travelling sign up for my weekly newsletter Eat This, Drink That, Live Well.