Wine to Dine – January 2023 – The Batch Lady

Wine columnist James Robertson picks bottles to pair with The Batch Lady’s recipes.

TAKE a look at The Batch Lady’s recipes in the January issue of Scottish Field magazine and then enjoy the full version of the Wine to Dine column…

Louis Jadot Cote d’Or Pinot Noir 2019, Wine Direct (£19.95)
Classic Burgundian Pinot Noir with a depth of flavour that matches perfectly with the grouse meat parcels or the venison ragu. There is a harmony and balance of red berried fruit and soft tannins that come from the marriage of grapes from the Côte de Nuits, Saône et Loire, and Irancy, providing the structure, whilst those from the Hautes Côtes will give fruitiness.

Edouard Delaunay Septembre Chardonnay 2020, Majestic Wine (£13.99)
Sticking with the Burgundian theme, this elegant Chardonnay has the richness and body to compliment the pheasant bake or even the venison meatballs. Edouard has taken grapes from the Côte d’Or, which are complemented by a selection from the Mâconnais, adding a roundness combined with citrus, apple and a note of brioche from the partial barrel ageing.

Sybille Kuntz Riesling Kabinett Trocken 2016, de Burgh Wines (£19.99)
Tangy apple and apricot fruit with amazing poise and acidity that marries so well with the partridge pate and also the pheasant goujons. At a recent tasting in Edinburgh this was the stand out wine. Sybille makes some wonderful wines and this is no exception. The 45-acre estate is run on strict biodynamic principals. Her wines are complex, fresh and possibly some of the best in the region.

Constitution Road Shiraz, Robertson Winery 2021, Tesco (£16)
A wine to pair with the pheasant chipotle chilli? This cracking Shiraz from South Africa has the body and flavours to be the perfect match. The grapes come from the Wolfkloof Farm and then are fermented in open top fermenters. The resulting wine then spends 36 months in oak. This provides the rich tannins, black cherry fruit and balance that makes this such a good wine.

Bodegas La Purisima ‘Old Hands’ Roble Monastrell 2019, de Burgh Wines (£8.99)
A wonderful aromatic wine with notes of dried figs, black cherry and herbs that is ideal with the venison burgers or the pheasant bake. This is a co-operative that was formed in 1946, based in Yecla in South East Spain. The vineyards are organic and the quality shines through as can be found with this delicious fruit driven wine.

Read more of James’ reviews on his drinks blog, The Grape & The Grain.