“Mon Chou” … my sweetheart … my darling … when used in casual conversation among the French.  When found made as a red wine, Mon Chou will equally enamor you.

Elyse Winery (“Elyse”) located on Hoffman Lane in Napa Valley makes a red wine under its Jacob Franklin label called “Mon Chou” that is a loving tribute to the red wine grapes that often make up some of the very best Bordeaux blends:   Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot.   Any of these grapes can stand alone but when combined together, the senses are guaranteed to be romanced.   The 2007 vintage of Mon Chou is identified also by “#50”.   For those who love Cabernet Franc, this number will be of interest to you as it always notes the percentage of Cabernet Franc used in that vintage.   2007 was a particularly big year for red wine grapes in Northern California, so using 50% Cabernet Franc in this vintage of Mon Chou will ensure an incredibly smooth mid-palate experience with this wine.

Pouring into the glass, rich aromas raise forth showing off scents of black cherry, cassis, raspberry with hints of earth and tobacco.  The wine itself is a rich garnet color and you can even see a rich jewel color around the edge of the wine on the glass.  Crossing the palate the wine is soft as silk, tender as a hesitant first kiss.  2007 #50 Mon Chou coasts back with cola, cassis, candied cherry and raspberry showing off a confident structure and yet as smooth as a lover’s lines.  As the wine makes its way to back of the palate, it remains soft, with a gentle wave goodbye on its finish with a lingering taste of red plum, raspberry and succulent berry fruit.   Lingering, lovely and delicious:  much like the discovery of a new love.

Another love for many people is the black truffle and last week wrapped up the end of Napa Valley’s Truffle Festival.   An introduction of Elyse’s Mon Chou to black truffle in a pate with Cowgirl Girl Creamery’s Mt. Tam cheese is not just a match made in heaven but an instant aphrodiasiac.

Truffle lingers on the palate which frequently can be quite heavy, but the sweet (if not nearly candied) fruit of the wine entertwine to lighten the palate enough to create a perfectly balanced, sensory love affair.   Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam cheese is wonderfully creamy all on its own.  In the black truffle pate, it melts on the tongue and its creaminess allows any tannins in a red wine to be excused.   Elyse’s Mon Chou is not tannic, however, but the cheese does allow the wine’s fruit to nevertheless to show off its exotic juicy attributes.

Rather than reach for a cracker or a simple piece of bread, I elected to create delicate ciabatta toasts with marjoram and lemon thyme. Slicing leftover bread thinly, the bread is quickly sautéed in a mixture of butter, olive oil, sea salt and minced herbs.  Popped into the oven for a bit and the bread emerges as perfect gourmet toasts:  not overly crispy but delightfully buttery, slightly crisp and chewy on the inside.  Choosing to use lemon thyme and marjoram from the garden is the right balance of aromatic perfumey herbs to compliment the wine.  The herbs are soft yet not understated.  They add an element of elegance and simple perfection:  much like everything from Provence.

With the cheese and the black truffle, the toasts transform each bite into sheer romantic perfection.  

Strawberries from the garden are the simple dessert to finish the plate, the last sips of wine and cleansing the palate.  It ties the sensory experience in a sweet bow, satisfied and not longing for anything more.

It is just heaven when one bite can harmoniously bring the collective senses in agreement without overwhelming you.  When this is accomplished, you have achieved perfect balance . . . and perfect balance is bliss:   much like your sweetheart should be.