Taste le Tour with Gabriel Gaté S08 2012 EP160
Channel: Peter J Warren
Date: 2020-06-29

This is the majestic Rhone valley, a region of great gastronomic richness with a very pleasant climate.

The Rhone is the second largest French river and flows rapidly under the attractive suspended bridge in between the two stunning vineyard towns of Tournon –sur-Rhone and Tain l’Hermitage.

It is in Tain that the superb Valrhona chocolate is made. 

It is a favourite of many fine chocolatier.

A stroll in the town market is a pleasure for a food lover.

The west bank of the Rhone is famous for growing really good chestnut and the honey made out of chestnut is outstanding.

But the main reason of my visit is to taste the famous red wines of Hermitage from vigneron M Chapoutier with general manager Pierre-Henri Morel.

Interview Pierre-Henri Morel

So Maison Chapoutier has been making wines since 1808. 

Michel Chapoutier is now running the seventh generation.

We are producing wine mostly in the Rhone valley.

Chapoutier is today the biggest owner of Hermitage appellation. 

We mostly produce red wines from syrah, it is approximately eighty five percent and the white only comes from Marsanne, which is a grape only from the Rhone valley vines. 

All of our vineyard is biodynamically grown. 

Our philoshopy and the way we try to make wine is do the minimum as possible in the winery and only reflect the difference of terroir in the wine.

We just want you to see the result of the terroir in a bottle and in your glass and enjoy it that’s it.

So we are drinking an Hermitage Sizeranne 2009 who comes from the vines behind us just right here.

The hermitage is a very powerful wine made from Syhra that reflect the aromas of leather of the graphite from the pencil, the blackberry fruit, you can even have an inky touch that make the signature of the Hermitage, the cold smoke from the fireplace on the morning after.

It’s a magnificent wine.

Full of fruit not too woody, very easy to drink, a little bit peppery, just a joy.

This much loved fig dessert with caramelised nuts and grapes is so good.

First I cut some perfectly ripe figs into quarters.  

Then heat some butter in a pan and cook the figs with half a star anise for one minute on each side.

'The star anise adds a magic touch to this great dessert.'

Transfer the figs onto dessert plates.  

Add three tablespoons of sugar to the pan and stir until it begins to caramelise, then add a selection of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, as well as a few grapes.

Stir to coat the nuts and mix in two tablespoons of cream.

I like to place the nuts and grapes in between the fig pieces.  

It looks so luscious, and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream it creates a great hot and cold contrast.

Voilà!  Les Figues Rôties aux Noix Caramelisés.  C'est très bon.

This is cap d’Adge in the Languedoc Roussillon a very popular family holiday destination and tomorrow we are tasting the flavours of this very sunny Mediterranean region.