Château de Brissac Anjou-Villages Brissac AOC Cuvée Grande Réserve

Anjou-Villages Brissac AOC, France

From the Château de Brissac estate — France's tallest château — this Grande Réserve spends 18 months in French oak barrels producing a wine of Bordeaux-like structure and ambition unusual for the Loire. Dark ruby with aromas of blackcurrant, graphite, cedar, and a distinctive chalk-mineral note from the Anjou schist. The palate is full with firm tannins and a persistent, savoury finish.

Pairing intelligence

• main: The finest Anjou-Villages Brissac with locally raised lamb — the wine's structure and dark fruit match the lamb's richness while schist mineral echoes the grazing landscape
• cheese: Loire reds with the valley's own goat's cheeses — the wine's dark fruit and herb character provides the contrast that makes this unusual regional pairing work