Offering the palate a visit to the Perigord is always a gourmet moment for the Perigord is one of the most gastronomic regions in the gastronomic country that is France and the fine wines of the Château de la Jaubertie are no exception. The castle itself has been listed on the inventory of the National Historic Monuments of France since 2005 and one of the country’s most gastronomic kings, Henry IV used it as hunting lodge in the 16th century. Henry IV, known as the Good King, had a penchant for having his favorite hams and terrines sent up to Paris from his native Béarn and insisted that everyone in France had a chicken bubbling to perfection on the stove (a typical dish of the Béarn) every Sunday.

Meanwhile the Château de la Jaubertie itself has been refurbished and renovated since the days of the Good King and has been in the talented hands of the Ryman family since 1973. The house brings out a fine Designated Label of Origin Bergerac, one of the great wines of France. And today the house elaborates wines from the regional grape varieties notably Sauvignon, Sémillon and Muscadelle, but Chardonnay and Chenin as well. Red wine varieties include Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet franc, Cabernet sauvignon but also two very old grape varieties typical of the southwest of France: Mérille  and Fer servadou. And it is precisely a delicious wine elaborated with these two varieties along with Malbec that The Gourmet Gazette brings to you today along with two of the house’s fine Bergeracs. The first of the Bergeracs we discovered at a soirée in Paris held for the release of a new mix album by David Christie and produced by Jack Robinson and Robin Song Music. The dry white wine, predominately Sauvignon (80%) with the remainder being Sémillon, was an A.O.C Bergerac Contrôlée made from grapes grown in sun-drenched vineyards protected by southwesterly winds by a line-up of trees. The deliciously dry wine was perfectly paired with oysters on the half shell and a host of other seafoods, although we went mainly for the oysters.

The Château de la Jaubertie Cépages Oubliés Rouge (Forgotten Red Grape Varieties) is an I.G.P Périgord wine, full of character and quite frankly like nothing we have ever tasted before. I.G.P is the French acronym for protected geographical indication and this wine fully deserves its place in the Périgord. Intense, fruity, pungent. It was a perfect before dinner wine although we accompanied it with Valençay goat cheese from the Berry region in central France on pumpernickel toasts. The estate’s Monologue line has its own philosophy that of bringing together a grape variety with a specific soil. The A.O.C Bergerac Contrôlée Cuvée Monologue Cabernet Franc is, as its name indicates,  made predominantly with the Cabernet franc grape variety (90%) with the remainder being Merlot which is one of the more smooth and suave of the red grapes upon vinification. The Cabernet franc vineyards evolve on the Jaubertie plateau and face north-south in a good earth that is predominately made up of a brown clay soil with limestone bedrock nearby. The wine is then aged in casks for 14 months resulting in a delicious Bergerac, rich and fruity, powerfully fruity. We paired it with a classic and regional specialty, confit of duck — preserved duck  (although in a nod to Henry IV, ours came from the Béarn region) and it all fitted together perfectly. The vineyards of the Château de la Jaubertie were certified organic already back in 2008 and we wish the Rymans this year a happy 50th anniversary of cultivating this unique estate. The house also welcomes visitors. https://www.chateau-jaubertie.com/

©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette