Rhone by Roger Sabon: is it a wine or the latest eau de toilette? I suppose it could be used for either, the nose is good enough although dabbing this number behind your ears will attract passing wasps in summertime but as its as cold as a snowmans cold bits outside you could certainly opt for this. At €5 its cheaper than Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker and provides more kudos than Intimate by Victoria Beckham. I think it may also work as a natural mosquito repellent too. Everyones a winner. Forgetting the pros and cons of this wine as a perfume lets try to focus instead on what this product was really made for, that being getting slightly tiddly. Rhone by Roger Sabon is one of the wines I picked up two weeks ago whilst on my tour of Chateauneuf du Pape. The cave of Roger Sabon was given a rubber stamp recently by Mr Parker as being one of the must visit vineyards in the world and I was lucky enough to try their latest top CNdPs along with their less expensive Rhone wine, this, the Cotes du Rhone. So impressed was I by the QPR here that I picked up a bottle and at €5 there was no chance I could pass. Be aware though, these are Chateau prices and you're looking at double these rates on the high street.
The Rhone by Roger Sabon is your baby CnDP using some of the same grapes. This wine is composed of mostly Grenache with Syrah and Cinsault playing back up in varying amounts depending on the success of the vintage and the choice decisions of Mr Sabon. As a Roger Sabon CNdP will set you back around €30 the credit crunch thing to do is to stock up on 6 of these bottles instead. Cotes du Rhone wines, especially from top producers in good vintages like we have here, will benefit from a little ageing but who has the patience for that with a €5 bottle of wine? Not me. The 2007 is drinking just lovely today and as seems to be customary on this blog - I've decided to write a tasting note for y'all.
Rhone by Roger Sabon - BUY - £8.99
Deep purple in the glass from centre to rim. On the nose a sweet cherried character with some accompanying raspberry and hints of cinnamon. Super silky tannins and a filling generous mouth feel with a snap of heat on the finish. Good value. 89 Points
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner. This wine goes perfectly with Orange Roast Chicken, a meal I prepared all by myself with no help whatsoever and to break with tradition I will post the recipe too.
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I am hugely proud of my culinary masterpiece and can now make at least 6 or 7 home made meals *beam* As successful as it was, Lasagna is my signature dish. What is your "never fails" number 1 best meal you like to make to impress a date, the mother in law, anniversary type dish?
Orange roast chicken
2 oranges
4 garlic cloves
1 oven-ready chicken, about 1.35kg
3 cinnamon sticks
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
Honey
450ml chicken stock or water
3 sweet potatoes
2 corn cobs
2 red onions
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Cut each orange into 8 wedges and tuck half of them and an unpeeled garlic clove into the cavity of the chicken.
Place the cinnamon sticks, rosemary, bay leaf and remaining garlic in a large roasting pan and set the chicken on top. Pour half the stock or water into the pan and add honey. Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour, basting the chicken with the pan juices after 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 3–4cm chunks. Cut each corn cob across into 4 pieces. Peel the onions and cut each into 4 wedges. Remove the pan from the oven and add the vegetables and remaining orange wedges, turning them in the pan juices to coat evenly.
Add the remaining stock or water to the pan and return to the oven to roast for a further 50–60 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender. Baste with the pan juices halfway through the roasting time.
Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a warmed serving dish. Lift out the vegetables with a draining spoon and arrange around the chicken. Discard the cinnamon, rosemary, bay leaf and garlic cloves. Skim any excess fat from the juices and heat until boiling, then serve with the chicken.
