Whom You Know: CHAMPAGNE WISHES VALENTINE'S DAY EXCLUSIVE: Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois Recommended by Whom You Know

Friday, February 4, 2011

CHAMPAGNE WISHES VALENTINE'S DAY EXCLUSIVE: Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois Recommended by Whom You Know

THE VINEYARD

St. Jean de Minervois is located just north of the much larger appellation of Minervois. The two are not the same. St. Jean Minervois is a small (700 acres) high altitude (900 ft) limestone plateau planted almost exclusively to “small berry Muscat”, the finest variety. The appellations is farmed by one group of cooperative wine growers and several individual growers. The vineyard benefits from its own “appellation controlee”. The Cave at which our Muscat is made is a long standing member of the Val d’Orbieu and has been involved in innovative and modern winemaking under the direction of Marc Dubernet for over 25 years.

HARVEST & AGEING

Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois is harvested when the grapes are super-ripe and then fermented in stainless steel tanks. The production of the wine is based on the ancient methods of fortification or”mutage”: simply the late harvested grapes are allowed to begin fermentation and then, suddenly, are frustrated in their wish to “go all the way” by the sweetness and sugar of the just fermenting grapes with the strength and “backbone” of the alcohol. The result is a delicious and delicate wine.

WINEMAKER'S NOTES

Muscat de St. Jean Minervois is one of the great sweet fortified wines of France. The wine is a rich golden yellow with an immediate and powerful nose, distinguished by a complex aroma suggesting apricots, quince, mandarin orange, honey and Muscat. On the palate, the wine is simply luscious.

Grape Varietal: 100% Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains

The Champagne Wishes Panel comments:

Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois is my new favorite dessert wine. It is a must have for Valentine's Day. Do not be fooled by the cute little bottle. As we know, size isn't everything, right? There are more flavors packed inside this diminutive bottle of wine than I can name. It's a unique mixture of chocolate and berries that cannot be matched. It is labeled as dessert wine, and I am no wine expert, but it's flavor almost seems too full to call it a wine. This rich luxury is more like an aged port, and a little goes a long way. On the back of the bottle, Pasternak provided some pairing suggestions, so we set up a tasting bar tonight. We enjoyed tasting the Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois with the recommended raspberries, strawberries, and dark chocolate. Then, we decided to enjoy it as our dear friends across the pond might. In true Anglophilic style, we enjoyed our second dessert of assorted cheeses, to see how they would pair with the Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois. Both the sweet and savory flavors complimented the wine. But the consensus at our little soiree was that the Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois
is truly best when allowed to stand alone. Each food we tried paled in comparison to the gorgeous flavor this wine offers all on its own. We cannot praise this little bottle enough. We couldn't put it down and found ourselves wanting more and more, as the night went on. And isn't that what Valentine's Day is all about?

As soon as took out this bottle of

Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois

, I knew it was special. It seemed so mysterious with its black label and dark intense color. Instantly I decided I must pair it with chocolate. Maybe that is because the label has small twig of cocoa on it. The rich dark color of this wine made me dream in chocolate and knew I was in for a double treat. Dessert wines are not for everyone. However, this bottle opened my mind to having it more regularly. After a great dinner, why not settle down with a glass of

Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois

. Much better for you then crème brulee. And to be perfectly honest, I would much rather prefer to have a glass of this then port. Other suggestions would be to pair it with some great cheeses especially blue cheese. Now doesn’t that seem rather decadent as well. Well, I applaud this French Desert Wine and plan to introduce it more often into my repertoire. This is an experience you are really going to enjoy and share with friends.

Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois

has to be one of the best dessert wines I have ever tasted. It was the perfect way to end my meal! The wine has a beautiful, bright golden color. It also has a lovely fresh fruity aroma of peach and apricot. The taste is very sweet, but also very satisfying. Sometimes, dessert wines can be too sweet. This Muscat was not like that at all. I would say the wine almost tastes like it was mixed with honey! Also, the consistency is a bit thicker than most white wines. It nearly has the texture of a fruit nectar. These qualities make it very tasty! It would be an excellent complement to a nice light dessert like a white or yellow cake or a pastry. I made sure to drink mine with a tart, and it was a perfect pairing! I usually do not seek out dessert wines when shopping for wine, but after tasting Les Petits Grains, I know I will be picking up another bottle very soon! You should do the same!

A delightful dessert wine enjoyed as an aperitif, the Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois is one to be indulged in, on it's own or paired with cheese, strawberries, or 70% dark chocolate, for an experience par excellence that's absolutely decadent. Or maybe even apricoice creamam. The apricot, floral notes, and honey undertones give this Muscat a rich and pleasant full bodied taste on the palate that is quite luscious, with a long and alluring finish. Truly enchanting, this sexy bottle filled with its golden elixir, peach label and calligraphic-type handwriting would be the preferred drink of Aphrodite or Marie Antoinette. A gorgeous bottle to give as a gift. The Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois is a lovely dessert libation deliciously served chilled and savored with your sweet Valentine.

When it comes to wine, I know what I like and I tend to stick with those. I hardly ever go outside my comfort zone. When I have picked out of my comfort zone before, I've picked wines I've not been fans of. When I tried the

Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois

, I immediately loved it. I had never tried a true dessert wine before, and boy was I glad I did. I liked that it had a sweet taste to it, but the sweetness wasn't overpowering. I could enjoy it alone or paired with some suggestions that were on the back of the bottle. Luckily, I already had blackberries and chocolate. I tried the wine with each and it enjoyed it better paired with those than drinking it alone. Because the weather is so cold out, by the time I got home, this wine was already cold. I enjoyed it chilled. I have several friends that love dessert wine and I immediately started texting and messaging them to tell them about Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois
. For those friends that enjoy dessert wines, this is one that I plan on taking with me when we plan a get together. This is one wine that I know I'll have to keep stocked in my wine cabinet for a rainy day. I am so glad I went out of my comfort zone to try this wine. If I hadn't, I would've missed out on a great wine. I highly recommend it!

http://pasternakwine.com/

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