2005 Domaine de Sahari Guerrouane Vin Gris Cuvée du Soleil

Knowing that wines from North Africa are almost impossible to find here, my husband recently came back from Paris with a bottle of Guerrouane gris. It is true that we haven't drunk a wine from North Africa for a long time. When we were still living in France, we used to regularly go to North African restaurants and we would always order a bottle of Moroccan vin gris to accompany our couscous.

A vin gris is a pale rosé wine that is produced by leaving the grape juice in contact with the skin for a very short time. Afterward, the winemaking process is similar to the one used for white wines.

Guerrouane is one of the best wine regions of Morocco and has been known for producing wines for more than 2000 years. It is located in the northern part of the country at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The Domaine de Sahari, owned by the Maison Malesan of Bordeaux, has 600 hectares of vines growing at an elevation of 550 meters in clay-limestone soils. The estate produces 2 wines, a Guerrouane rouge and a Guerrouane gris.

The 2005 Domaine de Sahari Vin Gris Cuvée du Soleil is a blend of Grenache (40%), Cinsault (50%), and Carignan (10%). When we poured the wine into our glasses, it had a lovely light orange-brick color. The nose was subtle with aromas of honey and red fruit. The palate had an oily mouthfeel, leaving notes of caramel on the finish.

Needless to say, we ate a couscous with the wine. It was actually a Fish Couscous that went particularly well with the vin gris.

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