Maury: A Little Known Treat from the Roussillon
by Anne Martin

Whilst choosing the wines for a cheese and wine tasting at Nancy’s Cheese two weeks ago, I searched for an interesting port at a reasonable price. There was none to be had. Instead, I chose on a Maury from the south of France. It called out from the shelves to me because, in the pre-tasting cheese tasting that Nancy Peppler and I always do before the event (yet another unpleasant task that I must endure as a sommelier!), we decided that one of the blue cheeses had a "chocolate" note in its flavour profile.

Maury and, it’s better known cousin, Banyuls are vin doux naturels that are often classically paired with chocolate and desserts with a high chocolate content. They hail from the Languedoc- Roussillon region in south-western France. Maury is an AOC and a village up in the slatey hills on the northern limit of the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages. It is mainly produced from Grenache Noir grapes and is almost always red, sweet, strong and sometimes rancio (a wine tasting term for a distinctive style of wine which is achieved by maderizing the wine by exposing it to oxygen and/or heat on purpose), having been allowed to age in different sorts of containers like cement, wood and glass in all kinds of weather conditions. As a vin doux naturel it is able to stand up to these extreme conditions because it is fortified - the conversion of grape sugars is stopped by the addition of a spirit before the fermentation is finished, like port, which makes a strong, sweet half-wine with more dominate grape flavours than wine flavours. (Vin doux naturels are slightly lower in alcohol than port.) When they are young, they taste quite simple - grapes, sugar and spirit. In the Roussillon; however, it is common for there to be vintage dates and other indications of age.

What I like about this distinctive wine is that it does retain a lot of the fruit character and can be more "fresh" tasting than port. This is what made it so brilliant with both the blue cheeses in the tasting. It went well with the more Stilton-like blue from Vermont, called Boucher Blue, contrasting nicely with its saltiness and pairing well with the "chocolate" element because of its fruity, grapey nature. With the next cheese, Bleu d’Elizabeth from Quebec, which is creamier and more rustic; its warm plum fruit with a rancio edge made for a sophisticated and interesting pairing. It was a hit! Most people in the class had never tasted it, and I consider my job particularly well done when I have introduced people to a delicious new wine that they have never heard of.

The Domaine Fonatanel Maury (LCBO# 79061) is made exclusively from Grenache Noir and is aged for a year in tank and a year in oak. The 2004 is on sale in the LCBO for the amazing price of $19.95. If you are planning on going against tradition this Thanksgiving and having a chocolate-based dessert instead of pumpkin pie; get some. Or alternatively, finish off your feast with some great blue cheese and Maury.

Anne Martin is a Toronto-based sommelier, writer and wine consultant. Learn more about Anne, including her cellar and tasting services at www.annemartinwine.com.