One Cup of Banyuls / availability of Cairanne in U.S.

Banyuls ranges from cheap undrinkable plonk to refined wine comparable to Porto. You can substitute a Tawny Port for cooking.

For a good Banyuls, look at Domaine de la Rectorie, Domaine de la Tour Vieille. Also try nearby cousin Maury from Preceptorie de Centernach or even Mas Amiel. Expect many styles, ranging from fresh fruity wines to oxidative ones. Both are VG in their own way.

Most southern Rhone reds or wines based on a combination of grenache mourvedre syrah will go well with lamb shanks, generally. A bit of carignan in there will add a pleasant acidity and help cope with the fat in lamb. Try Domaine Tour du Bon to experience this (if you are in California, it is one of Kermit Lynch's imports).

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

I agree with Mike. Cairanne is one of the villages of the Côtes du Rhône, one doesn't need to get too wrapped up in finding wine from a particular village (though Alary makes a nice Cairanne). Ask your merchant for a good example of a CdR or CdR-Villages; a Vacqueyras or Gigondas would be fine, too. Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

Andy,

It may help us if you revealed where you live. Cairanne is often sold at good wine shops in mtro areas. Banyuls is good, but like any other wine, it all depends on the producer. If you can't find Banyuls, I'm sure you can substitute a good, fruity Port.

I would think that the Banyuls should be good for at least a few days. If you are concerned about it, spend and extra four or five dollars for a "Wine Saver" compressed gas sprayer. This will put a layer of gas over the wine and it should last even longer...not indefinately though.

Carriane is a Cote-du-Rhone Villages wine. I'm not sure why that appellation is recommended specifically unless that village is possibly the origin of the recipe. With lamb I like almost any similar southern french wine. A few of the maybe more common ones to look out for:

Corbieres, Coteaux du Langeduoc, Minervois, Fitou, Gigondas, Chateauneuf du Pape (if you want to splurge and go a bit higher in price--some real research on good Chateauneufs would be wise here) Sablet, Vaqueras, Cote du Luberon, Cote du Provence, Bandol etc..maybe a basic Cote-du-Rhone would be easy to find?

All are based around Grenache, Mouvedre and Syrah in varying proportions...the ones from the Languedoc also generally have a lot of Carignan. The wines are distingushed by a spicy quality that complements the rustic flavours of lamb quite nicely.

M.Leduc

] I agree with Mike. Cairanne is one of the villages of the Côtes du Rhône, one ] doesn't need to get too wrapped up in finding wine from a particular village ] (though Alary makes a nice Cairanne). Ask your merchant for a good example of a ] CdR or CdR-Villages; a Vacqueyras or Gigondas would be fine, too.

Hi Dale,

I've always felt there was a particularly spicy, yet not heavy, quality to cairanne. Not disagreeing at all with your other recs. Couturier is also pretty widely available in the US, or even Marcel Richaud, if you can get it. Very fine indeed.

-E

Thanks for all of the help on this. I live in Maryland, and this is what I have found so far. I may splurge and go beyond CDR if it's a good match:

Alary Cairanne Villages 2001 $13.99 E. Guigal Chateauneuf du Papes 2001 $29.99 Clarendon Hills Old Vines Grenache Clarendon Hills Vineyard 2002 $47.99

I'm thinking about using the Clarendon Hills, because recently I have been missing the mark on wine choices for my wife. I have been opening $18-$25 syrah and cab from 99 00 and 01 vintages that I have found at the wine shops nearby. My conclusion based on this limited experience is that they are just too young, and so I'm going to have to let them lie down for a few years and focus on "less noble" grapes until they mature.

Thanks again for your help.

Andy

Given that background, why do you choose the Clarendon Hills? That's a HUGE wine that is still in its infancy. If I were you, I'd go with the '01 Alary Cairanne. It's a very appealing wine (you don't say which cuveé, but they all are nice wines) and can be drunk now with no problems. Be forewarned, though, that wines from the Cotes du Rhone have a meaty character that is often off-putting to the uninitiated. However, they have enough fruit to be crowd-pleasers, too.

Good luck! and let us know what your experiences are.

Mark Lipton