What do you do when your daughter bake a dark, rich, full flavored chocolate layer cake? You simply open a bottle of Banyuls — certainly the best partner for chocolate — to enjoy with the cake.Our Banyuls was the 2003 Banyuls Rimage Les Clos des Paulilles, produced by the Dauré family, a well established winemaking family in the Roussillon region. With breathtaking views of the Baie des Paulilles, Les Clos des Paulilles is located just north of the Franco-Spanish border and produces wines from both the Collioure and Banyuls appellations.
The Banyuls Rimage (which means vintage in Catalan) is made from Grenache Noir grown in red schist soils. Grapes are hand-selected and then destemmed. Fermentation is stopped by addition of grape spirit, then the wine continues to macerate on the skins for a few weeks before being aged in tanks.
The wine exhibited a dark garnet color and aromas of prunes and candied fruits. On the palate, it was sweet but not cloying, with a light to medium body and a long aftertaste of dried figs and raisins. The cake recipe was from the Scharffen Berger book The Essence of Chocolate and called for 100% unsweetened cocoa for the cake and the frosting.
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