I just ordered a few of these from Copain and Arnot-Roberts.
Questions -
- How is Trousseau best served? Room temp? Slightly chilled? Chilled?
- What foods complement Trouseau? Similar to Pinot? Similar to Rose?
Thanks!
Mike,
Be aware that there is Trousseau (which is what A-R produced), presumably, as it was planted for Port production. And there is TrousseauGris,
formerly known as GrayRiesling, which is a lot of old-vine stuff (near&dear to your heart). The TrousseauGris in Calif is often/usually made as an
orange wine, has a fair amount of phenolic content, and must be served at (cool) room temperature. The (red) Trousseaus, from Calif and Jura,
I’ve had were about the intensity of PinotNoir, but much more tanninc…again at (cool) room temperature.
With (red) Trousseau, I’d go with rather peasant/rustic food that’d stand up to the tannins.
Tom
I’ve had the Arnot-Roberts, not the Copain. Better closer to cellar temperature I think. It’s a food friendly grape, ought to work fine with most anything, but I’d probably be more inclined to open it with roast chicken, white meats, etc.
Tom and Keith - thanks!
I’m excited to have an incoming wine variety that I know absolutely nothing about!
Tom - I remember the old Grey Riesling, but did not connect it to Trousseau Gris. I understand that red Trousseau (the wine I have coming in) is also known by the somewhat off-putting name “Bastardo”.
St. Amant in Lodi has worked with Bastardo from Amador in its Port-style wine program for quite a few years. They made a 100% Bastardo Tawny in 2002 that is really good.
One more question. So the wine is tannic. Would it be wise to put some age on these young (2011, I believe) Trousseaus?
The Arnot Roberts I had was the 2009 and not tannic at all. It doesn’t seem to make a tannic wine in the Jura either, although the body is light enough that you’re not going to see much fruit stuffing smoothing over whatever tannin is there.
I’d agree, the ones I’ve had show a little tannin but it’s more because the fruit is more restrained. They aren’t particularly tannic wines. The roast chicken idea mentioned above would be a good match, or any other dish that goes with a savory, light to medium weight wine.
-Al
The food pairing recc I got from Copain was similar to Pinot but maybe a bit richer e.g. salmon will still work but go for the fattier varieties. And as already mentioned roast chicken is a good choice.
Agreed…keep it on the cool side. The AR version is definitely a CA version of Trousseau, but not in a negative way. It will have the weight of a lighter CA pinot, but with a unique profile that will keep your attention. It would be enjoyable with food, but since it differ from to the CA wines you typically enjoy Mike, you might find it interesting on its own.
Don’t be afraid to try one now to see if it’s your thing. Tannins shouldn’t distract much, or they didn’t when I tried the AR 2010 last June.
Mike,
The Trousseaus I’ve had (Jura/Calif) have had a tannic bite to them a bit like Nebbiolo shows often (as in Nebbiolo Langhe),
but not really big tannins like a Cabernet. The fruit has been rather delicate/light like Pinot and I don’t see the wines as serious
agers…but admit I have no experience w/ older ones.
Indeed, GreyRiesling and TrousseauGris are one in the same. But the Bastardo is probably the Trousseau(Noir) version,
if it’s used in Port. I’ve had a bunch (well…all of two) of Bastardo Madeiras. I would guess it’s TrousseauGris, but don’t
really know for sure.
Tom
Found this thread while searching for the same exact questions, having no experience with Trousseau. I received my Sandlands this week, and was thinking of cracking one with dinner tonight- smoked pulled pork (dry rubbed shoulder, no sauce). Seems like like the Trousseau could work?
One more question, for my second and last bottle of this: would it benefit from age, or is this meant to be consumed young?
I have 7 tasting notes on trousseau, admittedly all from Jura. None of them mention tannins, indeed I tend to think that the flavor of trousseau is a bit like grenache, but tarter and more savory, almost dirty (rustic, I guess). In the hierarchy of Jura reds (trousseau, pinot noir, poulsard), I find trousseau as darkest, with the strongest texture, and the ripest flavors (not necessarily saying much as Jura reds can be pretty green). This is definitely a food grape, and a versatile one, a well made trousseau can stand up to anything from salmon to steak to barbeque without overwhelming any of them, and I like them slightly chilly.
I had the Sandlands the other night with grilled pork belly skewers and it paired beautifully…
Well said, that was my impression as well. Great food wine.
It’s certainly not “mouth filling tannins”. To me, it’s more of a structural element. Like a narrow vertical band. Fruit tends to be delicate, with a lot of floral complexity and some feisty spice. It gives a lanky impression.