Le 8 restaurant, Ste Foy La Grande

The varying colours of Rose wine fascinate me.  The degree to which, in simplistic terms, the length of time that the black grape skins are left in contact with the Must or unfermented grape juice and affect the colour and flavour of the wine is intriguing.  The colours can range from pale strawberry to vivid crimson and shades in between:  all encourage exploration!

A recent lunch at “Le 8 ” In Ste Foy La Grande, a 13th Century bastide town in the Bordeaux wine region and located on the edge of the Gironde and Dordogne Departments in SW France presented an opportunity to drink Le Rose de Laregnere,  a Bordeaux Rose.

Red peach in colour, its pleasant dry style with subtle aromas of red fruit, citrus fruits and flowers was a flexible accompaniment to a varied four course menu of artichoke soup, pate de maison,  duck with olives, chocolate cake (light and cut from freshly made sponges on the chef’s counter) and local cheeses all for 42 euros for 2 people.

Recently opened, “le 8”, was bustling at lunchtime.  An open plan yet intimate interior where the chef was in full view of the tables gave a sense of dynamism to the place.  The busy pace of the restaurant, the hum of happy lunch time chat was made all the more enjoyable by the good quality of the food and Le Rose de Laregnere.

Reference:   Restaurant Le 8,  8 Rue Marceau,  33220 Ste Foy La Grande,  05 57 41 31 49

Le Rose de Laregnere,   See http://www.cavelaregnere