Jaufrette Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 2012

Name: Jaufrette Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 2012
Brand: Jaufrette
SKU: 1-FR-JAU-CPR-12-75
Price: 58.0 USD
Availability: InStock

For the August Dirt Club, we’re giving you two gorgeous wines from the Southern Rhône Valley. Frederic Chastan is the third generation to helm his family estate in Châteauneuf du Pape, and he hasn’t changed anything since his grandparents’ day. Their vines are farmed organically, they use low-intervention in the winery, and they hold their wines until their ready for release—one of this month’s offerings is a 2012 that we’re incredibly excited to offer.

This old-school Châteauneuf du Pape is Grenache-forward, giving it a silky quality that we can’t get enough of. It comes from stony soils and has a whopping 12 years of age on it already. The fruit is perfectly developed, the earth and mineral notes are shining, all in all it’s an impressive wine that you’ll love drinking.

Producer: Domaine de la Jaufrette

Country: France

Region: Southern Rhône

Grape: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise

Tasting Notes

Raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, earth, thyme

If You Like This...

Then you should try: If you like this, you’ll like other Grenache blends and Grenache wines. Look to other appellations of the Southern Rhône and parts of Spain, like Rioja.

More Info

- Grenache is a thin-skinned variety, which can lead to lighter colored wines with low tannins. Syrah and Mourvèdre are used to add color and texture to the blend.
- Frederic Chastan uses an extra slow fermentation process—wines can spend up to a year fermenting in concrete vats—a traditional practice that has fallen out of fashion thanks to pressure for fast turnaround.

Variants

$58.00

Pair With: Borani Banjan

Adapted from New York Times Cooking

Ingredients
1 cup full-fat Greek or Indian yogurt
1 garlic clove, grated
Salt
½ to 1 cup vegetable oil
4 Japanese or Indian eggplants (see Tip), or 1 globe eggplant, cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
½ teaspoon kashmiri or other red chile powder (optional)
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
4 to 6 small mint leaves

Preparation
Step 1
In a bowl, mix the yogurt, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons water. Place in the fridge to chill and develop garlicky flavor.

Step 2
Line a tray or large plate with paper towels. In a large frying pan, heat ⅓ cup oil on high. (The eggplant slices should be submerged about halfway in the oil while frying.) When the oil is heated, about 1 minute, add the eggplant slices in a single layer, and fry 1 to 2 minutes on each side, working in batches to avoid overcrowding and adding oil between batches as necessary. When the eggplant starts to caramelize and turn brown, transfer to the prepared tray or plate. Pat dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to remove any excess oil and to preserve the eggplant’s crisp texture. Season with salt as desired.

Step 3
To the same pan, add tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons water and chile powder, if using. Cook on high until the tomatoes start to break down, about 5 minutes.

Step 4
To serve, spread the yogurt in a single layer in a large shallow dish. Add the eggplant in a single layer on top, and then scatter the tomato over the eggplant (see Tip). Finish with pomegranate seeds and mint.