Gimonnet Champagne Dinner at Rokkaku



The most delicious salmon sushi!!

21 Sep 2011: Gimonnet, a grower champagne name from the Côtes des Blancs of the Champagne region, long admired over the generations for the finesse, purity, precision and consistency of their 100% chardonnay champagne.  It was therefore very appropriate to have these qualities matched with the purity, precision and dedication to detail and quality of Japanese cuisine at the restaurant Rokkaku (Kwong Ming Street, near Star Street HK).  Chef Wong did an amazing job turning out some extraordinary dishes of sashimi, sushi, tempura and robatayaki dishes that totally wooed the crowd, in particular the lightly seared salmon belly sushi, which received calls of 'encore' from a most enthusiastic audience!  Fresh salmon roe just came into season and we were treated to it, served with some light radish shaving.  Absolutely divine when paired with the champagne! 

4 cuvées from the range of Gimonnet champagnes were tried and paired with the food (and with some very satisfactory results!):

Gimonnet Cuis 1er Cru Non-Vintage: as an aperitif and also to go with the amuse bouche of edamame, cold tomato salad and cod crisps, it tasted young, refreshing and lively, with some gentle notes of citrus, green apple and a hint of peach.  Very expertly made (typically from a blend of 4 vintages), with just the right balance of freshness and roundness, and a great way to kick off the evening. 15.5/20

Gimonnet Gastronome 2006: a young vintage wine with around 50% contribution from the grand cru of Chouilly, less than 40% from Cuis, enriched by the addition of wine from some very old vines from Cramant.  It's a great cuvée offering complexity and richness, while offering youthful freshness.  It served very well accompanying the selection of sashimi and sushi that the chef prepared.  Fine-textured bubbles and a creamy mousse giving this wine a very elegant definition.  Lovely nose of white peach, pear, acacia, honey and underlined with a hint of toasty character.  A very approachable 'coupe de champagne'! 16/20

Gimonnet Extra-Brut Oenophile 2004: A dry style non-dosée champage, crisp, complex and characterful, with a well-balanced richness.  A very distinct mineral and savoury character dominates here, making it very stylish.  Finish is long and very neat.....a very impressive wine!  I thought this went so well with the salmon roe! 17/20

Gimonnet Fleuron 2005: A vintage champagne made only in the best years, with selections from the best vineyards that are most representative for the particular vintage, and with ageing on lees in excess of 4 years before disgorging.  An absolute great equation for price and quality.  Brioche, floral, pear, apple and mineral.  Rounded texture, creamy mousse, perked up by the house-style acidity.  A great effort and it had sufficient complexity and texture to be paired with the bacon-wrapped grilled oyster, grilled ox tongue and grilled chicken dishes!  17/20

We finished the evening with a warming bowl of udon in soup, which probably served well to soak up the alcohol and a touch of sweetness at the end (some Tokaji got sneaked in to round off the evening and it went down rather well too!)