What Wine with this Lamb

So I'm doing my internationally famous butterflied BBQed leg of lamb this weekend for some guests (including another member of this board who shall remain nameless).

I marinate the lamb in various spices including paprika, marjoram, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, in a lemon juice and oil rub. That gives you the flavours.

Question is - what wines should we choose (3 couples including yours truly and SWMBO, all of whom can pony up a wide range of wines)?

Despite the oriental spicing, I have found that Bordeax works beautifully, but there is a faction touting Australian wines, and there could be arguments for Rhones, American cabs etc.

If you were faced with this food, what would you bring out of the cellar?

Since you're butterflying, I'm assuming you're grilling, not actually BBQing (I know I'm fighting a losing battle, but I can't help it).

Bordeaux is always my "go to" with lamb. With those spices I'd also consider Northern Rhones,and Rioja (an underrated lamb match).

That sounds like a great piece of lamb, Bill. Last September I made a leg 'o lamb that was encrusted with a number of different herbs and spices. Not much rhyme or reason either. I kicked in Bordeaux which went very well, but my guests brought a Vranac that was a wonderful match. So maybe try a Vranac to surprise the people that are accustomed to either Bordeaux or Syrah with lamb.

Bill,

My favorite match for anything meat with a curry type spice blend is either a right bank bordeaux or something like a Washington State Merlot. For some reason, merlot and curry (especially a grilled meat with curry spice) have been one of the most successful food/wine pairings I've had.

GL...let us kow how it goes.

kicked in Bordeaux which went very well, but my guests brought a Vranac that was a wonderful match. So maybe try a Vranac to surprise the people that are accustomed to either Bordeaux or Syrah with lamb.

OK, maybe Bill knows, but this is the first time I ever remember someone offering a match where I had no clue what the wine was! What/where is Vranac?

Also, thinking about lamb/cumin/turmeric/cinnamon/lemon I think Middle Eastern, so Musar might be an idea (omigod, I'm channelling Otto!).

OK, OK, you are correct, I am grilling

The Rioja is a good suggestion (only problem for me is that I am hosting a Spanish dinner the next night so wouldn't want to OD on Iberia).

Just checked my liquor supplier for Vranac. Oddly enough they are clean out....guess we'll have to stick to more common grapes. Interesting though.

The main reason I ask is that if I just leave it wide open, I not only miss the chance to compare several wines of the same sort, I risk the mismatch of wines - try drinking a Claret with a big Aussie Shiraz - and so the Shiraz gets relegated to the cheese and never gets to match with the lamb. Better, I think, to try and coordinate a bit.

I go to pick up Lambchop today....

Also, thinking about lamb/cumin/turmeric/cinnamon/lemon I think Middle Eastern, so Musar might be an idea (omigod, I'm channelling Otto!).

My very best lamb dish (the leg is my second) is a loin rubbed with similar spices, wrapped in phyllo and cooked rare. The spices go superlatively well with Bordeaux, much to the surprise of some drinkers that think it would be too highly spiced. I find this butterflied leg to be the same - the spices aren't hot, and they seem to mate well with just about any red wine.

We normally try to go with Shiraz/Syrah with lamb, or like last night Petite Sirah. Cabernet Sauvignon is fine if don't have anything else, but I think lamb likes a little pepper in the wine.

kicked in Bordeaux which went very well, but my guests brought a Vranac that was a wonderful match. So maybe try a Vranac to surprise the people that are accustomed to either Bordeaux or Syrah with lamb.

OK, maybe Bill knows, but this is the first time I ever remember someone offering a match where I had no clue what the wine was! What/where is Vranac?

Also, thinking about lamb/cumin/turmeric/cinnamon/lemon I think Middle Eastern, so Musar might be an idea (omigod, I'm channelling Otto!).

Dale,

I'm certainly not an expert but I believe Vranac is a full bodied red grape from Serbia and Montenegro. The one my guests brought was from Montenegro but is imported and distributed around the U.S. The wine was really interesting and its aromatics matched some of the ingredients in Bill's lamb.

Great call on the Musar. I think that would be a winner as well assuming you are talking about the red and not the white.

Bill,
This pairing challenge reminds me a lot of a recent dinner with my mother in Berkeley, where we had lamb grilled with Moroccan spices. The very astute sommelier of Rivoli and I had a long discussion about pairing: he favored Bordeaux, I thought of Syrah and we settled on Nebbiolo, which worked beautifully ('01 Sella Lessona would make old shoes taste good). Apart from those choices, I'd go with Zin of the spicier sort.

Mark Lipton

Hmm - I am torn between Trotanoy and Turley - with thoughts of Terrabianca or Tignanello.....

I'm certainly not an expert but I believe Vranac is a full bodied red grape from Serbia and Montenegro. The one my guests brought was from Montenegro but is imported and distributed around the U.S.

Aha. I've never had a Montenegran wine (though I did read all the Nero Wolfe books). Will keep my eyes open, thanks

I'm certainly not an expert but I believe Vranac is a full bodied red grape from Serbia and Montenegro. The one my guests brought was from Montenegro but is imported and distributed around the U.S.

Aha. I've never had a Montenegran wine (though I did read all the Nero Wolfe books). Will keep my eyes open, thanks

Dale, during a brief visit to Kotor and Vranac with lunch at a very nice restaurant on the water front, I snagged a bottle of produced by an outfit called Plantaze from a shop in town. The wine region is at the other end of what is not a very big country and Plantaze seemed to be by far the most prevalent label. It was good and also ridiculously cheap. If I remember right, the "regular" bottling we'd had a lunch went for about $2 in the store, I took a risk and splurged on the reserve for about $5. Wine in the touristed parts of Croatia is no bargain but Montenegro is still a bit off the beaten path. If you Google on "Plantaze", you'll find all kinds of info, including importer and so forth.

I agree with Carl and Mark. A spicier Zin, or a Syrah/Shiraz.

I love Pinotage and that was my first thought when I read this, but I didn't see that anyone mentioned it so I figured I was out in left field. I decided to do a quick google and came up with this:

http://stuffedandplastered.blogspot.com ... otage.html

Any thoughts on this?

I love Pinotage and that was my first thought when I read this, but I didn't see that anyone mentioned it so I figured I was out in left field.

No, you aren't out in left field, but I don't happen to like Pinotage - I don't think it has any merit on it's own and I certainly don't think any of the blends are better for having it as a component. Obviously not everyone agrees with this and some people do like Pinotage, and for them your suggestion might have some usefulness. No crticism of you at all and I appreciate the suggestion, Linda.

Nothing wrong with Cape wines - syrah or cabernet with lamb, though.

IMNSHO, Dale nailed it right out of the gate: Bordeaux, Rhone, or Rioja.

A petite syrah would be nice.

rwj

A petite syrah would be nice.

It would. Sadly, the only ones I still have in the cellar are some Turleys that may not be drinkable until next decade. Toward the end.....

A petite syrah would be nice.

rwj

Sirah

A petite syrah would be nice.

rwj

Sirah

As in "Prithee, Sirah, woulds't thou truly open this can of worms?"

A petite syrah would be nice.

rwj

Sirah

Yeah, whatever.

rwj

A petite syrah would be nice.

rwj

Sirah

Durif.

Mark Lipton

Durif.

Think I'll save that for my Peloursin varietal tasting....(if anyone still makes wine with that varietal)