Nothing to grouse about!

We returned to London from our six week stay in the Scottish highlands on Friday bearing with us a brace of grouse – the UK grouse shooting season always opens on 12th August. The grouse were brought from George Gow, the excellent butcher in Kingussie for £5.30 each, which strikes me as very reasonable. He assured us that they had been shot locally, which I can well believe because cycling up in the hills around Newtonmore and Kingussie a few days before the 12th it was evident that there were lots of grouse around. Flocks would rise up from the heather as I passed. 

Plainly roasted on Friday the two little plump birds were delicious – the best grouse we have ever had, we decided, especially accompanied by a slice of George's Stornoway-recipe black pudding. A memorable bottle of 1979 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château de Beaucastel was a perfect match with its soft, cinnamon and spice and heady perfume. Only problem is that Kingussie is a long way to go to get some more grouse!  

 1979 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel

The hills are alive with grouse or they were before 12th August

2010 Les Chiens Chiens, Chinon, Domaine de la Noblaie

2010 Les Chiens Chiens, Chinon, Domaine de la Noblaie

Last evening we enjoyed the excellent 2010 Les Chiens Chiens, Chinon from Jérôme Billard's fine Domaine de la Noblaie. This seductively soft and rich Chinon that has enough acidity to prevent it from being cloying comes from 30 year old vines on thick clay and flint. It is matured for a year in 400-litre barrels and then spends a further eight months in stainless steel tank. 

It was a very good match for our rump steaks from Kingussie's long established  and highly reputed butcher – George Gow.