Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food Putting the X in Excellent
by David Scott Allen
Winery: Maison Mirabeau
Cuvée: Mirabeau X Rosé
Appellation: Coteaux d’Aix en Provence
Type: Rosé
Vintage: 2022
Grape Varieties: 30% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cinsault, 5% Grenache Blanc
Alcohol: 13%
Suggested Retail Price: $22 US
Today’s wine, Mirabeau X Rosé (Maison Mirabeau), is an excellent wine, and 2022 a wonderful vintage. It was a serendipitous purchase at our natural grocer — not a store that carries a lot of rosé. Knowing that Mirabeau makes wonderful wines, I was sure I was in for a treat.
I paired it with my Grilled Halibut with Piquillo Pepper-Almond Sauce. Check out the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender . This sauce, while Spanish in inspiration, is very much Provençal in its flavor profile.
The wine is a pale salmon pink in color, with distinctive aromas of apricot, Cavaillon melon, and apple blossom. On the palate, I tasted sweet white peach, almonds, tangerine, and lemon balm. It has a very soft and elegant mouthfeel, thanks to its minerality, and a long finish with citrus notes.
Mirabeau X Rosé is a new favorite wine of mine, and it was the perfect pairing for the tender, buttery fish and the nutty and slightly acidic sauce. I went back to the store and bought several more bottles!
The Mirabeau X Rosé looks like a perfect accompaniment to your Halibut with Piquillo Pepper-Almond Sauce.
There’s a little bit of Catalan in Provence – the coat of arms contains the Catalan flag and the Counts of Barcelona were the Counts of Provence for about 130 years.
Thank you for that history, Mad Dog. You have such incredible knowledge base. So it does make sense that this sauce would go well with a nice Provence rosé.
The Mirabeau X Rosé sounds perfect for the grilled halibut entree and also sounds like it would be a easy to pair with many dishes, or to just enjoy sipping it.
The sauce works well with almost any white fish, Barb. And the rosé would work so well for almost any summer dish. I tried to buy more wine yesterday and the store was out. I’m beginning to panic…