Bourgogne Part 4 - Good Food.......and Service!

Our welcome drink and snack!

16 - 24 Nov 2013: During our visit to Bourgogne, we took a small detour to Maison Troisgros in Roanne which celebrated this year its 45th consecutive year of 3 Michelin stars. Location would not be its best selling point these days - directly opposite the main railway station. Yet, once inside the building, there was an institutionalised professionalism, nicely blended with friendly service and efficiency. Modern touches ranged from interior decor to the merchandise....it's a very slick operation! We were shown to a lovely room (the hotel surprised us with an upgraded room!) with view of the garden inside, which we saw very little of because of the snow. Within minutes of settling into the room, a jug of iced tea with raspberry vinegar and mint appeared, together with a deliciously buttery brioche! The iced tea was heavenly, the vinegar giving it a really refreshing and tangy lift!

The first evening we had dinner at Le Central, the hotel's bistro, with an épicerie selling lovely tinned and preserved food items (we couldn't resist taking some sardines and anchovies!). I highly recommend the omelette soufflé with cheese - in the cookbook they make it with Persillé du Beaujolais....but at Le Central, it was made with Fourme d'Ambert......it was light and fluffy on the outside, and soft and runny inside, with the contrasting stronger blue cheese flavour against the delicacy of the egg......yummy and definitely big enough for two to share as a starter or as a vegetarian main course for one person!

The famous classic salmon dish!

On our second evening, we dined at the main restaurant.....and even though the classic dish of 'L'Escalope de Saumon à l'Oseille' does not feature any more on the menu - the chef was kind enough to make it for me.....fresh salmon in a creamy sauce of vermouth, Sancerre and double cream, balanced by the tangy sorrel! It could be a starter or main course....but given the amount of cream, having it as a second course was not a bad idea.

Ceps and eel, saltimbocca

For first course, I had the eel and ceps, saltimbocca! An unusual combination....but strangely it came out rather well - the savoury taste of the ham melted into the eel and the texture of the cep helped complement the softness of the eel.

John Dory with lots of white truffle!

Richard had a plate of John Dory with lots of white truffle.....I think frankly he could have done without the white truffle but was persuaded to have it by the very friendly maitre d'! His main course looked a little rich for me.....filet de boeuf in a rich red wine sauce (and lots of it!)!

 

Filet de Boeuf in a very rich sauce!

Our white wine of the evening was a 2008 Beaune Clos des Mouches, Drouhin: beautiful layers of aromas of citrus, floral, pear, toast and almond.....well balanced, with a good weighty palate, and vibrant acidity to take it to a nice long finish.

For the red, we had a 1999 Volnay Clos des Chênes, Michel Lafarge. Gorgeous bouquet, still lots of primary red fruit, with raspberry, fraise des bois and cranberry.....spicy and notes of game, coffee notes started to appear with a little aeration, and just a hint of underbrush. Very elegant, with a great backbone of fine-grained tannin, that is still taking its time to resolve, with refreshing acidity to balance. A remarkable wine, demonstrating excellent craftsmanship, that has yet to reach its apogée.....in fact after an hour and a half (with no decanting, just aeration in the glass), the astringency came to the fore. I think better approach not before another 4 - 5 years!

The pre-dessert was sensational.....it was like breakfast reconstructed.....yoghurt ice-cream/cream atop a generous sprinkling of granola....with something green appley!

The best part about our stay at Maison Troisgros though was the breakfast spread! There were lots of little pots of goodies....my favourite was cold scrambled egg topped with tomato concasse! Absolutely scrumptious! Not to count the numerous pastries.....and the bread basket! There was a cheesy brioche thing that was ever so delicate!

The breakfast table!

The whole experience at Maison Troisgros was altogether a very different one compared to that at Lameloise, and it probably wouldn't be fair to make a direct comparison. Lameloise to us has still very much maintained its focus on a traditional repertoire of local and fresh ingredients and a relatively traditional style of cooking with some modern innovations, perhaps more visible in the canapés than in the dishes...and the rooms are much more conventional, compared to the modern decor at Maison Troisgros....but the most rewarding part was a feeling of homecoming....that old-fashioned way of hospitality that the staff genuinely cared about your well-being....that's worth something! And the partridge and cep dish was a real treat at this time of the year!  (Frankly, we're spoilt for choices now with so many new hotels and restaurants in the Bourgogne region....and if you don't care for 3 stars, I highly recommend Le Montrachet for a great formula of delicious food, comfortable bed, well-sized rooms, a good shower, and extremely friendly and helpful staff and patron!)

Partridge and cep at Lameloise

Lameloise

Bourgogne in November 2013 - Part 3 - Stunning 1959 Gevrey!

16 - 24 Nov 2013:  As a last hurrah, a dear friend pulled the corks of a few old bottles. 1959 Gevrey-Chambertin, Armand Rousseau. This wine definitely delivered above its class…..a garnet allure…..with a gorgeously mature and complex bouquet of plum, prune, animal, leather, cardamom and dried mushroom. A wine that still tasted with its structure intact, silky tannin, richness of flavours, balanced by fine acidity, lingering in the mouth for a very long time. The 1964 Gevrey-Chambertin, Armand Rousseau, showed maderised notes of caramel and coffee, and a hint of volatility. The 1953 Avery-bottled Charmes Chambertin was also very nice, but perhaps a little too sweet and soupy, bordering on being cloying……

It may sound like we only had red wines on this trip….not true at all. A few memorable examples included 2007 Lafon Meursault (classy Chardonnay fruit, with a fine structure and a long finish), 2002 Meursault Les Rougeots, Coche-Dury (green apple, pear, toast, acacia, with stoney mineral nuances, round and viscous, but deftly balanced by superb acidity, very long finish…punching above its class!) and 2011 Puligny-Montrachet Clos du Cailleret, Jean Chartron (crisp acidity, aromas of pear and apple, loved the detail and minerality on the palate). I did have a tiny taste of the 1999 Meursault-Perrières, Coche-Dury…but it was rather brief! Richard said it was quite sensational and seemed hardly evolved at all.

As we drove away from a snow-covered Côte d’Or, memory of the 1959 Rousseau Gevrey Village still lingered………

Bourgogne in November 2013 - Part 2 - A Vertical Tasting of Bachelet Charmes Chambertin

16 - 24 Nov 2013: The highlight of our trip was a vertical tasting of 21 vintages of Charmes Chambertin, Denis Bachelet. I met Denis at the end of the tasting and he seemed relieved that the bottles showed well, as he was sceptical about the condition of the wine that had travelled some distance to find its way back to Bourgogne, given the fragility of the pinot grape!

When Denis turned 16, his father decided that he would stay in Belgium and traded his pedigree in the wine industry for a career in the chemical industry…..so Denis was sent to the wine school in Beaune in 1979. With support and guidance from his grandmother, he slowly started the building and expansion of the domaine (which already began well with some prestigious Charmes Chambertin planted in the 1920s by his great aunt). His first vintage was 1983. The Charmes Chambertin comes from 2 parcels of very old vines totalling 0.433 hectares, located at the top of the hill between Morey and Gevrey, with very shallow top soil (around 30 cm) but the age of the vines and the deep root systems are very important to ride out extreme conditions. Normally he produces around 8 barrels of Charmes every year, but only 3 barrels were produced in 2012! Ouch!!!

I took some notes from Richard to complete the following as I only tasted a few of them….

1988: A beautiful mature bouquet of prune, coffee and mushroom. Utterly harmonious, a seamless assembly of silky texture, with just the right amount of freshness keeping alive the palate, layers of complexity on the palate, leading to a long long finish. If this were music, this would be a Brahms symphony……… Drink now and over next 8 – 10 years. One of my top 3 favourites in the flight. (Market price around GBP 400 a bottle)

1989: Unfortunately corked – Richard and I will try one of the other 2 bottles from the same batch that we recently bought in HK.

1990: Bouquet a little funky for me..….but silky mouthfeel and fine structure. Richard’s note says: “sweet mature fruit, good energy, slightly less dense than 1999, but some similarity. Perfect now.”

1992: Despite a large crop vintage and a lesser reputation, this turned out to have aged rather well. Coffee, mushroom, fig with a lovely perfume of ripe fruit. Everything nicely proportioned in a lithe frame, well balanced and finishes long. Very charming and drinking perfectly now. This really was a nice surprise. Don’t miss it if you can find a bottle! Drink now….and over next 4-5 years?

1993: Very expressive of the vintage characteristics, with the consistent Bachelet style. I found this a little angular and stiff at the moment. Time should help the sinewy and still astringent tannin soften, with sufficient fruit to last through this evolution. (Richard’s note says: “meaty, savoury nose, fruit and acidity coming together nicely, complex and long flavours. A great 1993!)

1995: A touch closed on the nose, some 1995 firmness/acidity but good fruit. A good effort for 1995. (Richard)

1996: Out of condition bottle.

1997: A wine that is drinking at peak now…….quite gamey, farmyard and tertiary, but still retaining a good dollop of plum and prune fruitiness. Structure started to loosen a little. Recommend drinking now. (Market price around GBP 160 a bottle)

1998: Ripe red fruit, slightly gamey nose. Explosive fruit on entry. A great 1998. (Richard)

1999: (First bottle was corked….and Jasper swiftly came to the rescue with a second bottle - thank you!) This was absolutely sensational. From the brilliance of the colour to the way the flavours lingered in the mouth for an incredibly long time! Velvety in texture, with remarkable freshness, overlaying the concentration and intensity of flavours. I loved the poise of this wine, delivering power and class in a most subtle and understated way. Dried red fruit, plum, prune, violet and notes of mushroom. A persistent finish. The most complete wine and an absolute treat to be enjoyed now, with a long way to go! I would drink this over the next 15 – 20 years…….This was another top 3 favourite for me in this flight.

2000: Not quite the same energy or power as the 1999. Quite classy with a good balance, with very ripe black frit, spice and violet notes……almost sweet on entry. Soft and cuddly……quite ready now! Drink now and over next 8 – 10 years.

2001: Less concentration and looser-knit than 2002, but still showed an elegant structure. Slightly funky and earthy on the nose that is quite 01. Remarkable effort.

2002: Lovely 02 nose….wonderfully linear, silky concentrated fruit…long finish. A class act. (Richard)

2003: Well-balanced and elegantly crafted, given the challenges of the vintage. I did not detect any burnt fruit character – only lush and ripe black fruit, just starting to get nicely integrated. Went rather well with Russell’s sausage and lentil casserole.

2004: A little vegetal….but a very good effort for the vintage. I rather liked it….the vegetal edge added something different to the wine…..without detracting from the perceived elegance and intensity. Fine tannin and balancing acidity with layers of good fruit underneath the vegetal notes. This drinks very well now……and could provide quite good ‘value-drinking’? (Market around GBP 80 a bottle)

2005: Still very youthful…ripe red fruit….a bit closed…big, concentrated and powerful. Firm finish. A wine for the very long haul. Try again in 5 years time…..(Richard)

2006: Very 06 wine gum nose, nice round balanced mouthfeel, good lift on finish (Richard)

2007: Made in a more approachable style…..overlaid with Bachelet stylistic elegance. Pure red fruit….doesn’t quite have the same dimensions as 2006 or 2008 but very attractive now. (Market around GBP 130 a bottle)

2008: Neat and suave, with hints of spice amidst the ripe brambly fruit. Very fine juice, expected to have excellent ageing potential. A superb effort.

2009: Richness and concentration are hallmarks here, neatly balanced by a good dose of acidity. Very ripe and succulent blue and black fruit……lush mouthfeel, without any heaviness. Very fine material for long term ageing. (Market around GBP 300 a bottle!)

2010: Still very young…..great precise winemaking here, accompanied by exceptional fruit material. Beautiful ripe red fruit, raspberry and cranberry. Perfectly proportioned. Persistent finish. A wine with tremendous potential. My other top 3 favourite! (Market around GBP 300 a bottle!)

This tasting more or less concluded our brief visit to Bourgogne! All the wines were so consistent with the Bachelet style….all delivering such balance, elegance and fine expression….as Clive Coates put it once: ““The Denis Bachelet style is for wines of intensity, great elegance, and subtlety: feminine in the best sense. They are concentrated, harmonious, pure and understated………”

Bourgogne in November 2013 - Part 1

16 - 24 Nov 2013: We’re back in Bourgogne……every year we notice a few changes to this very charming and special region and we learn some new things about Bourgogne wines.  I landed at CDG on the Saturday morning and just made it in time for the Hospices de Beaune pre-auction tasting at the Hôtel Dieu.  We tasted some very young but promising 2013s, some of which still hanging onto a bit of residual sugar yet to be fermented out.   Having been totally dumbfounded by the extraordinary prices for the brilliant 2012 vintage, we still found it hard to believe the stellar prices the auction fetched this year: a total sales value of EUR 5.77 million for 443 barrels, representing a 27% increase in value per average barrel (28% increase for reds and 20% increase for whites), despite a 15% decrease in total volume.  The Pièce de Président (456 litres) went for the grand price of EUR 131,000 (last year it went for EUR 270,000)!  The Meursault-Genevrières Cuvée Philippe Le Bon did taste very well but at this price, this would easily put a bottle of this wine at well over EUR 450, after factoring in costs of élevage, auction premium and transportation, etc.  This very charitable act would benefit two very worthy causes: L’Association Petits Princes and L’Association Beaunoise des Papillons Blancs….even if this stunning price almost rivalled that of a bottle of Montrachet by a good producer?!  

The direction of this auction may have left us behind……perhaps….but there is a piece of Bourgogne for everyone.  We are now ever more encouraged to discover lesser-known appellations which offer great price-quality relationship and younger growers who are getting increasing recognition for the improving quality of their wines with every vintage.  Bourgogne is as diverse as the terroirs and the people behind who work to preserve the character of the terroirs through their own individual expressions……this for me is the ‘Inimitable Bourgogne’.

For those interested in discovering the lesser known appellations, I highly recommend Givry, Montagny, Mercurey, Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Marsannay, Ladoix-Serrigny and Auxey Duresses.  Another thing we noticed on this trip was how approachable young Burgundies are, we had some rather tasty 2010s and 2011s.  Some very interesting examples that we tasted on this trip included: 2010 Mercurey Blanc 1er Cru Croichots, Bruno Lorenzon (well balanced, with a lovely minerality and spiciness, ripe peach, and clean finish); 2011 Auxey Duresses, Maréchal  (lovely juicy Pinot with very pure red fruit and underbrush character, and a nice refreshing lift at finish – an alternative to a Beaujolais Cru?); 2011 Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc 1er Cru Le Clos du Village, Rapet (great balance and lush mouthfeel, balanced by crisp acidity and finishes with superb minerality); 2010 Pernand –Vergelesses Blanc 1er Cru Sous Frétille , Rapet (good grip and balance, soft mouthfeel embodying finesse and elegance, crisp minerally finish); 2010 Santenay Blanc, Borgeot (lovely crispness plus rounded mouthfeel, some complexity with a hint of oak and a minerally finish); 2011 Rully, Vincent Dureuil-Janthial (needing a little more time to come together but very appealing, with a bit more ‘gras’ than the typical Rully, quite close to the Côte de Beaune style)  and a 2011 Mercurey 1er Cru La Cailloute, Theulot Juillot (crispy red fruit with a good grip).

For the appellation of Givry, we went for a very good tasting at Domaine Masse Père et Fils which produces 50% Givry and 50% Bourgogne from 11 hectares of land (the wines are made by Fabrice, nephew of Monsieur Roland Masse, winemaker of the Hospices de Beaune). Tasting through 2011 through 2013 (with the 2012s just bottled)…the wines all showed good expression of the vintage characteristics, as well as purity of fruit and balance, with freshness, vibrancy, elegance and the top cuvée showing layered complexity.  Highly recommend the Givry 1er Cru En Veau (with vines that are just 6 years old but showing great potential) and the Givry 1er Cru Champ Lalot (an excellent top drop of Givry 1er Cru).  The 2003 Champ Lalot that we tasted at the end was still remarkably fresh and vibrant.

How did the 2012s taste?  I’m afraid it is shaping up to be yet again ANOTHER GREAT VINTAGE!  We tasted at a few domaines…..admittedly most of them from Côte de Nuits, but the quality has been very consistent, and the small millerandé fruit gave a very fine structure, silky tannin, refreshing acidity, wonderful balance, aromatic complexity and with the greatest wines, a very long finish to the wine.   At least from the reds that I tasted, this seems to be a vintage that will be able to be approached readily with a long ageing potential for the best wines!  We need to come back to taste some whites to see how they compare with the 2011s. It is possible that some white wine domaines probably did better in 2011 than 2012.  In any case, with the much lower volume (generally 30 to 60% less depending on region and appellation, and being the 3^rd successive small vintage and with a fourth in view for some appellations), there will be no bargains…..

Snow arrived while we were in Bourgogne.....and everything looked rather magical!

View from our room at Le Montrachet in the morning, fresh from the overnight snow fall.....