WTN: Arabian nights

A group of fellow arabophiles met up at my little place for a little bite to eat (Lamb tagine with no dried fruit it in as that seems rather faux-arabesque) and a few Arabian wines:

Musar Rouge 2000 was still a rather dark toned, unusually tannic Musar - I like it, but it isn't one of the all time great Musars. In fact I like it alot! It is precocious and though I do prefer classic European dishes with Musars, it worked well with the tagine.

Musar Rouge 1999 was simply fantastic! I have felt that recent bottles of the '99 have bcome progressively more closed so I decided to double decant it in the morning before going off to uni and work - the harsh treatment worked and this was a treat! As classic Musar as can be: vibrant, lifted, sweet but savoury, tangy. The only thing wrong with the wine is that it is a decade or two too young. Lovely stuff.

Alain Graillot Syrah Tandem Domaine Ouled Thaleb 2006, Graillot's project in Morocco, had classic Syrah aromas (black olive, meaty fruit) but a bit sweeter than what the N. Rhone usually makes and with a very delectable peachy note like I sometimes find in Côte-Rôties! It was well structured, too, so it wasn't only about the fruit. Really more a Syrah than a Shiraz. Better than the 2005. Nice!

Huerta de Albalá Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz Taberner 2005 was dark; very, very dark. Anonymous and international in style: lots of oak (fancy French barrique, I guess), lots of fruit so ripe it has lost all distinctive features and so is just a bit pruny and sweet (no sense of Syrah here). Full bodied, moderate acidity, voluptuous fruit, sweet, harshly alcoholic - quite painful to drink. Pass.

For dessert we had some lovely Baklawa (brought back just recently from Palestine) and a water pipe with the classic mixture of two apples.

-O

Interesting theme!

I wasn't aware that Graiilot had a venture in Morocco. I wonder what drew him there, of all places?!?

Hi Otto,

Arabian?

Best regards,
Alex R.

Arabian?
.

Let him have a little poetic license, the first 3 are from Arabic speaking countries, the last from an area once ruled by the Moors.

tagine with no dried fruit it in as that seems rather faux-arabesque

So when did that become a common practice? Is dried fruit not used in other 'savory' dishes in Morocco?

I wasn't aware that Graiilot had a venture in Morocco. I wonder what drew him there, of all places?!?

IIRC, the Finnish importer told me that Alain Graillot likes to go bicycling in the hills of Morocco and found the terroir to be to his liking (cooling Atlantic influence, so it isn't a warm climate wine) and so he started co-operating with Thalvin to produce some Moroccan wines.

Arabian?

As Dale says, Andalucia was one of the cultural centers of the Arab world until the reconquista. And Arab influence has never really left the area since, so I permitted myself the poetic license of calling a wine from Cádiz Arabian.

tagine with no dried fruit it in as that seems rather faux-arabesque

So when did that become a common practice? Is dried fruit not used in other 'savory' dishes in Morocco?

I don't really know when it became common practice, but I have only seen it the touristy places of N. Africa. But used in moderation, I think dried fruit can work, but the tomatoes I used were so juicy that I didn't want any more sweetness. I'm trying hard to think of Moroccan-Moroccan (as opposed to French-Moroccan) savory dishes that would use dried fruit, but none come to mind just now. Sorry to be of so little help.

-O