Château Simone Palette AOC Rouge

Palette AOC, France

The red legend of Palette. Mourvèdre-dominant blend from vines up to 70 years old, aged two full years in old foudres, then bottle-aged before release. Dark ruby with garnet rim; garrigue, black olive, dried violet, leather, dark cherry, and a distinctive resinous-mineral character. Drinks beautifully at 10 years; exceptional at 20+.

Pairing intelligence

• main: The wine's Provençal terroir and Mourvèdre-driven olive-herb character is the definitive companion to the region's great slow-braised beef stew; a textbook regional pairing.
• main: The wine's gamey complexity and old-vine structure matches the wild boar's density; juniper's resinous character echoes the wine's garrigue depth.