Brotte Gigondas La Marasque Rouge

• 91 points, James Suckling
• 91 points, Wine Spectator
• 15.5+/20, Jancis Robinson

Eyes: Dark ruby
Nose: Intense, notes of spice, red stone fruit, vanilla, liquorice, raisins
Mouth: Complex, powerful, generous, notes of cherry liqueur, black and red fruit jam, flamboyant showing perfect harmony between nose and palate

A wine that pays tribute to the wine’s distinctive cherry brandy character. The Marasque is a quality cherry with an acidic taste that is much sought after for the “Marasquin” liqueur.

This AOC covers 11 communes in a triangle formed by the Tain l’Hermitage hill, the river Rhône and the river Isère. It is the biggest of the northern crus in terms of volume. The vineyard is located at the bottom of the hillside slopes that includes some areas of granitic sand but is primarily Isère quaternary alluvial deposits, made up of clay soils containing varying amounts of gravel. They select their cuvée from several wineries in the AOC, which have been working in partnership with Maison Brotte for many years.

Pair with a Lyonnaise salad with poultry gizzards and livers, a grilled beef ribs, a truffled sausage or roasted quail. With age, it will make a superb match for a quail stuffed with foie gras, Provençal stew, a rack of lamb, pigeon roasted with porcini mushrooms or a stuffed capon.