Tasting notes and food pairings for Maison Castel Grande Réserve Syrah 2020, a rich, peppery Pays d'Oc red. Madeleine on Beaufort, Perth.
The Grande Réserve range from Maison Castel focuses on single-variety wines made from carefully selected plots in the south of France. This 2020 is a 100% Syrah: dark, generous and peppery, with a portion of the wine aged in oak to add depth.
Deep, almost inky purple. The nose is full of blackberry, black cherry and blueberry, with a floral hint of violet. With air, the classic Syrah notes appear: cracked black pepper, liquorice, black olive and Mediterranean herbs, framed by a light touch of vanilla and cocoa from the oak. The palate is round and velvety with ripe tannins.
This is a wine for rich, slow-cooked and herby dishes: rack of lamb with rosemary and garlic, a beef bourguignon, or a steak with green peppercorn sauce. Mature hard cheeses such as aged Comté are also a good match. Ask our team which dish on the current menu suits it best.
The Pays d'Oc stretches along the Mediterranean coast of southern France. Hot, dry summers ripen the grapes fully, while sea breezes help keep their freshness. Its varied soils, from clay-limestone to schist and gravel, make it one of France's most dynamic wine regions.
2020 was a warm, early season in the south of France, giving concentrated, ripe Syrah with smooth tannins. The grapes are destemmed and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel with regular pump-overs; part of the wine is then aged in oak barrels and part in steel, balancing spice with fresh fruit.
IGP Pays d'Oc, a protected designation that guarantees the wine's origin and allows single-variety wines such as this Syrah.
Would you like to taste this wine at Madeleine? Our wine list changes with the seasons, so please get in touch with our team to check our current stock. We will be happy to suggest the perfect pairing from our menu or seasonal degustation.
