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Posted by Alan Boehmer Dec 5, 2006 |
The Food:
Ripe Robiola Soft-ripened Cheese, Italy
French Camembert (pasteurized milk export version)
The Wine:
2005 Castillo de Jumilla Monastrell-Tempranillo, Spain (($5.99)
2000 Mandolina Nebbiolo Santa Barbara County ($18)
Robiola is considered one of the 100 greatest cheeses in the world, according to Max McCalman, Maître Fromagère of New York City's Picholine restaurant. Similar cheeses include Reblochon, Pont l'Eveque, and ripe Camembert.
I happened to have an open bottle of an inexpensive, full-bodied Spanish red wine (50/50 Monastrell and Tempranillo). The Robiola bloomed on the palate in the presence of this good, but undistinguished Spanish wine. The wine, taken alone, was nice, but ordinary. The cheese, delicious. But together, a marriage. I repeated the experiment a day later to confirm my first impression and added another component: a ripe Camembert and a much more elegant Nebbiolo from Santa Barbara County, CA.
Nebbiolos are light in color, but aggressive in flavor. This one, from Mandolina, was beautifully balanced and replete with bright red cherry flavors. It overpowered the Camembert and provided a decent complement to the Robiola. But no magic.
The rounder, full-bodied, softer Spanish red overpowered the Camembert also, but raised the cheese to greatness.
My conclusion: Very ripe and fully flavored soft-ripened cheeses will marry with full-bodied, round wines. And those wines need not be pricey.
McCalman suggests Amarone, Tempranillo, Syrah, and Merlot with Robiola.
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