A beautiful deep red colour with ripe
berries, cocoa, slight mint and chocolate on the nose, the wine shows good
balance and tannin structure, rich body with fruit and a lingering aftertaste
on the palate.
The perfect wine to enjoy with
tomato-based Italian dishes, caramelised roast vegetables, mild to medium hard
cheeses, crispy duck pancakes and even rabbit casserole with apricots and
prunes.
For added inspiration the wine can
also be enjoyed with:
Chocolate
When
you’re next in the area pop in for a delectable chocolate and wine pairing at
the Lanzerac Tasting Room. The Lanzerac Merlot 2013 has been paired with the
Dark Cherry Cigar Chocolate (R55 per slab), which displays intense cherry
aromas, creating the perfect marriage between the wine and chocolate. The red
fruit and deep tobacco flavour lingering in the Merlot is beautifully
accentuated by the smoky tobacco notes in the dark chocolate. Simply
irresistible.
Wine and
chocolate pairings are offered daily at the Tasting Room between 9am and
5:30pm.
Merlot
and chocolate mousse dessert
Ingredients:
170gm
good quality dark chocolate
4 whole
eggs, separated
24tsp
castor sugar
1/2cup
Lanzerac Merlot
2/3cup
chilled whipping cream
Method:
Start by
placing a medium mixing bowl and mixer beaters into the freezer, to ensure they
chill sufficiently for when you need to whip the cream.
Place
water in a double boiler and bring to a low simmer. Place the chocolate into
the top pan and leave to melt.
With a
hand mixer, whip the egg yolks with the sugar until it becomes light and
creamy.
Add the
melted chocolate and wine.
Pour the
cream in the ‘chilled’ bowl and whip until stiff.
Add the
cream to the chocolate mixture and combine with a spatula until evenly
combined.
Using
clean beaters, whip the egg whites until stiff and form peaks. Fold egg whites
into the chocolate mixture.
Spoon
mixture into six serving glasses and refrigerate overnight.
Serve
with fresh berries, or a dollop of whipped vanilla cream with shavings of dark
chocolate on top.
Makes six
portions.
And
last but by no means least........cheese
There are
only two strict rules for pairing wine and cheese. The first rule is to match
acidity. Tart wines should pair with sharper cheeses and mellow wines
should pair with creamier cheeses. The second rule is to match power.
Do not let a strong wine overpower a mild cheese, or vice versa. One additional
tip, albeit not a rule, is to create a wine and cheese pairing by selecting
products from the same region of the world. This brings in the element of terroir,
which describes how foods get their qualities from the earth and the climate,
and that a wine and a cheese from the same region should share complementary
properties. The Lanzerac Merlot pairs beautifully with Camembert, Gruyere, Gouda or a Pecorino, all of which are available to
purchase directly from the Lanzerac Deli.
The
perfect stopover for a light lunch the Deli at Lanzerac offers a selection of
delicious platters to share. These include the Cheese platter, a Charcuterie
platter and the traditional Ploughman’s Platter.
With an ageing potential of up to 10
years, the Lanzerac Merlot 2013 is available directly from the Tasting Room at
R120 per bottle, as well as select outlets nationwide.
For more information contact Zelda
Furstenburg on winesales@lanzerac.co.za or 021 886 5641.