La Préceptoire de Centernach – Aurélie – 2009

This is fortified red wine from Maury, an AOC in Roussillon for vin doux naturel, that is, wine in which fortifying spirits are added to a wine mid-fermenatation, stopping fermentation and leaving residual sugars, essentially the same procedure used to make port. (Rather more of an unnaturel than a naturel process.) All Maury wines are made predominantly from Grenache.

Dark, even at the rim. It has the character of raspberry jam or berry compote with white pepper (the pepper being classic Grenache, of course). At 17% alcohol, it is rather like a hot, sweet ruby port although it does retain enough acid. Personally, if I’m going down the port road I’d prefer tawny or age; however, N1 is pleasantly surprised, and she normally prefers to steer clear of red dessert wines.

I used to have a friend who liked to pair unfortified red wines with chocolate; I would complain that this would wreck the wine, and he would say, “Neil, you sacrifice the wine on the altar of chocolate.” Maury is often paired with chocolate as it is supposed to stand up to it well. No doubt this would – there’s plenty of body, and not too much subtlety to wreck.

85/100