Grape News Importing has always had a soft spot for the rich and wonderful sweet wines from the appellation of Monbazillac. Quite similar to Sauternes, the wines of Monbazillac are often less syrupy and show a better fruit-sugar-acidity balance making them more versatile wines. Monsieur Christian Roche makes a Monbazillac that clearly distinguishes itself from its neighbors in which he takes great pride. You would not know it on meeting him as he is a modest and somewhat quiet man but he emanates a comforting confidence that comes across in his wines.

The Cuvée Abbaye is his flagship Monbazillac wine. The grapes are all harvested by hand with at least three passes through the vineyard. This allows the careful and meticulous selection of fruit that is at its peak of ripeness and is hopefully affected by the mold, Botrytis cinerea (affectionately known as the "noble rot") which helps to concentrate the juice and flavor of the grapes, and also adds a unique earthy and savory quality to the wine.

The juice is then fermented and aged in all new oak barrels, which adds further complexity, richness and concentration to the wine. Together with the sugar and the acidity, Monsieur Roche's Monbazillac wines are capable of ageing for decades and will just improve in the bottle.

Monbazillac can be served as an aperitif with salted nuts or chips or just by itself. The classic pairing is with foie gras (fattened duck or goose liver) prepared fresh or pre-cooked and served as room temperature. Monbazillac is also a great match for rich and salty cheeses such as Roquefort, blue and Gorgonzola.

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