Wine and food pairing: Roast suckling lamb with honey and thyme

The presence of honey in the recipe considerably alters the classic rules of pairing with red wines. Indeed, the sweetness and caramelization brought by honey, combined with the resinous and floral scents of thyme, call for wines capable of absorbing this sweetness without appearing austere or unbalanced. Tannins that are too rough would be out of place here, as would red wines that are too austere or strict.

This is why warm, sunny, southern red wines, predominantly Grenache, Syrah or Mourvèdre, are among the most natural companions to a suckling lamb with honey and thyme. One immediately thinks of appellations from the southern Rhône Valley, such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape bio, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, or a well-vinified Cairanne. These wines combine mellow tannins, natural roundness, notes of ripe black fruit, sweet spices, garrigue and sometimes a touch of licorice or balsamic. These aromatic elements respond perfectly to the flavors of the dish.

A Languedoc wine - a Minervois or a Faugères, for example - made from sunny vines and often worked with gentle extractions will also be able to play this role. Cuvées with a few years of bottle age are preferred, so that the tannins have developed a patina and the tertiary aromas (fine leather, tapenade, dried herbs) blend harmoniously with the scents of honey and thyme.

In a more northerly register, a wine from the Northern Rhône Valley - a Crozes-Hermitage from domaine Laurent Combier or a Syrah-based Saint-Joseph - could bring that spicy, floral dimension (violets, pepper, blueberry) that resonates with thyme and honey, while retaining a juicy, fresh frame.

But it's also possible to envisage more original and surprising pairings, particularly with certain white wines. Milk-fed lamb with honey and thyme, with its sweet aromas, perfectly supports a dry white wine, but with a certain fullness and aromatic complexity. A great white wine from Provence, such as a Cassis, Bellet or Palette, with aromas of white flowers, candied citrus and garrigue herbs, could prove sublime.

The idea of a rosé wine shouldn't be ruled out, provided you go for a gastronomic rosé, structured, full-bodied and slightly spicy. The organic rosés from Bandol, made mostly from Mourvèdre, or certain rosés from the Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence can stand up very well to lamb with honey and thyme, especially if the dish is served warm at a summer lunch.

Wine service is essential in this pairing: red wines should be slightly chilled (16°C) to preserve their balance against the sugar in the honey. Whites should be served around 12°C to preserve their freshness. Rosés, meanwhile, can be enjoyed at around 10-12°C.

To sum up, suckling lamb with honey and thyme is a dish of character but also finesse. It calls for wines of warmth and elegance, with expressive but never brutal aromas. Southern red wines with mellow tannins are natural partners, while full-bodied, sunny whites offer an unexpected but sublime match, and certain gourmet rosés can also successfully accompany this dish. Beyond appellations, the key remains to choose balanced, mature, expressive wines capable of resonating with the sweet, herbaceous and slightly caramelized nuances of milk-fed lamb with honey and thyme.