Millésimé Cellars Brings Old World to Camarillo

A sip of Millésimé Cellars' 2009 Lumiere Du Fleur reveals luscious blackberries, tobacco leaves, black pepper, boysenberries, toasted hazelnuts, cocoa and dark coffee beans. It's a Right-Bank Style Bordeaux blend of 53% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, making this a full-bodied wine with medium tannins.

Vintage to vintage, the Camarillo winery's unfiltered blend has Old World style, great richness and amazing layers of depth, says owner and winemaker Brittany Rice.

Rice, who's also a culinary school graduate, says the wine pairs well with smoky and spicy foods, like grilled or slow-cooked vegetables seasoned with chipotle peppers, smoked paprika, garlic, basil and cilantro. Or match it with peppered steak, roasted lamb or pasta tossed with a spicy tomato sauce. It's also lovely with Italian sausage or yellow or red Indian curries, potatoes, pineapple and fennel.

For fun, we asked Rice if the 2009 "Lumiere Du Fleur" was an animal, what it would be: "Handsdown, a zebronkey," she says. "A zebronkey tricks your eyes because it's unusual, it has complex chemistry and is native to its particular place of origin, as is the Lumiere Du Fleur. It tricks your palate with its unusual richness and has complex layers within its chemistry and shows its true native characters with its true rich Bordeaux Right Bank balance."

For more info, visit MillesimeCellars.com.