Wine of the week: a disarmingly butch rosé for Christmas

2009 Chteau de Sgris Ros, Tavel, Southern Rhne, France (£11.99, until 4 January, Laithwaites Wine, 0845-194 7700, www.laithwaites.co.uk ).

I suppose that you're thinking that I have already been inexplicably affected by the forthcoming 'silly season'? Not a bit of it, because there are several very good reasons why I have suggested a ros in the middle of November.

There are many people who drink and adore ros all year round, so this is for you, you beautiful, sensitive beings. But within this refreshingly illuminated subset of humanity dwells a very clever, palate-aware group of connoisseurs.

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Join them, because this spectacular blend of 50% grenache, 30% cinsault, 10% clairette and 10% syrah is the most complex and challenging ros I have tasted this year. It is disarmingly butch, bearing in mind its pale colour, and with turkey or goose it is a near perfect culinary match (so bear it in mind for Christmas).

It is a red wine in all but colour and the refreshing finish. So use it strategically with spicy, Indian nibbles (those M&S reheats are a guilty pleasure of mine), Malaysian prawn curries and slippery, glutinous dim sum. Present this wine with any tricky dish and it performs at the highest level imaginable that's why it is on this page today.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year ( www.matthewjukes.com ).