Last night I decided to buy a bottle of wine after helping to reset our new guest-centric style of store. I had been working with the French section and decided to play with one of my favorites while trying something new.

The wine I chose was 2009 Chateau Rollan de By from the Medoc (Bordeaux).  The profile is 70% Merlot,10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. The flavors are ripe with black currant, black cherry, and fig.  The granite style finish is perfect for pairing with succulent, gamey dishes such as lamb.

That is where my something new came in…

I went out and bought a lamb roast with red potatoes and discovered how to cook lamb to pair with this wine.  First, I bought fresh rosemary to use on both the lamb and potatoes, rubbed the lamb with olive oil and ground cumin, then sprinkled it with sea salt and added fresh cloves of garlic for the roasting.  I sliced the potatoes and soaked them in water for a bit, then marinated them with fresh pepper, a bit of onion powder and butter.  Before roasting, I seared the lamb to seal the flavors while cooking.  I then put it all in the roasting pan on 350 for about 40 minutes.  I kept my eye on it as the meat needed to come up to 140 degree internal temperature.

When it came out of the oven I knew my experiment was a HUGE success!

The lamb melted in my mouth with the wine pairing beautifully.  I recommend trying this one for yourself!

Kathleen Anderson, North/West Wine Supervisor. Follow me on Twitter: @ABCwinekat