Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne 2016

21 - 25 March 2016:

This is our second visit to Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne. This time the growers mainly featured the 2014 vintage. This was not a plain-sail vintage, despite the warm and dry spring, early budbreak, timely flowering in early June. The hailstorm on 28th June caused widespread damage to Volnay, Pommard, Meursault and Beaune. Crop was short, as much as 50% for most of the growers in these villages.  Wet and cold weather persisted throughout the summer, until the arrival of warmer and drier conditions with plentiful sunshine around mid-August. The north wind was a big help to Chardonnay, despite some rot issues with Pinot Noir that got dealt with on the sorting table.  Localised outbreaks of Suzuki fly infestation caused a few growers to pick rather too early, at the expense of phenolic ripeness.

Tasting of Macon wines at the Palais des Congres

Based on what we tasted, notwithstanding all the hype over the whites, 2014 turned out to be a fantastic vintage for the reds from the Côte d’Or, from Fixin to Saint Romain: the wines showed great balance, concentration, finesse, terroir expression and generally well-judged extraction.  They were a joy to be tasted now. The whites, as their reputation attests, equally showed great concentration, freshness, a lovely minerality with perfect ripeness. The reds from Côte Chalonnaise showed more variation, with some picking a bit too early to avoid the havoc wreaked by the Suzuki flies. In the right hands, the Mâcon whites were expressive with a good dose of freshness.  We missed the first day which was Chablis but from what I managed to taste subsequently, Chablis did rather well, showing a classic style.

What about the prices? A Pommard grower assured us that he only just managed to break even for 2013 and 2014, due to the extremely short crop. He decided to maintain the prices for 2014, rather than elevating them to make up for the small production. He lamented the spiraling increase in prices experienced by some appellations and amongst the Grands Crus, to satisfy the ever-increasing demand against the unpredictability of nature. Another grower also spoke about the rising prices of grapes for his négociant business, such that 2015 just became rather too expensive. We tried to do the maths for the grapes from a Côte de Nuits village appellation based on the higher prices, and it was impossible to make a bottle ex-cellar price to come within the normal 30 - 35 Euros per bottle, after including the brokerage fee and all the élévage and packaging costs. After that you have to factor in the distribution and shipping costs to get to the shelf price in London or Hong Kong. He said that Bourgogne wine is expensive now because of the distribution system, that the domaines do not sell direct. Perhaps buying own vineyards is the only solution but sales are few and far between, and opportunities might come at a time when one was strapped for cash through other winery investments.

Illustrating Pommard through its soil compositions

How about the much-discussed potential promotions? I spoke to a Nuits Saint Georges producer and they seemed optimistic about Les Saint Georges’s application to be promoted to Grand Cru. On the another hand, the growers in Pommard were not confident that the promotion of Les Rugiens in its entirety would be successful.

The famous Les Rugiens-Bas

There was an upbeatness about the Mâcon region, in anticipation of the promotion of some climats to Premier Cru. The Mâcon presents great options for vignerons who wish to expand their vineyard holdings plus it’s a very nice place and it would be wonderful to give Mâcon wines their deserved status. The wines here have never been better. Chablis has this very established brand that makes it a great by-the-glass wine choice on wine lists; Pouilly-Fuissé does not seem to brandish this same degree of recognition, nor does Saint-Véran or Viré-Cléssé. Would a Mâcon-Vergisson or Mâcon-Uchizy be able to make it to top restaurants’ by-the-glass programme? That would be a great development for this region.

Every year, the quality of the lesser appellations gets higher and more consistent. I was rather impressed by the emerging appellations I tasted this week. Here are some examples of the domaines and their wines that I particularly enjoyed (sorry not much on Chablis, as explained earlier, though I was pleased to catch up on some at the tasting hosted by Diva):

Chablis

Sébastien Dampt: Chablis 1er Cru Beugnons 2014, Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Lechet 2014

Daniel Dampt: Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys 2014, Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2014



Côte de Nuits

The wines by Rene Bouvier

Arlaud: Clos Saint Denis 2014

Arnoux-Lachaux: Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes 2014, Echézeaux 2014

Rene Bouvier: Marsannay Le Clos Blanc 2014, Marsannay Clos du Roy 2014, Gevrey-Chambertin Racine du Temps 2014, Charmes Chambertin 2014

Chauvenet-Chopin: Côte de Nuits Villages 2014, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Chaignots 2014

Robert Chevillon: Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Roncières 2014

David Duband: Clos de La Roche 2014

Jean Fournier: Marsannay Les Longeroies Rouge 2014, Marsannay Clos du Roy 2014

Comte Liger-Belair: Vosne-Romanée La Colombière 2014, Echézeaux 2014

Rossignol-Trapet: Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Petite Chapelle 2014, Chambertin 2014

Georges Roumier: Chambolle-Musigny 2014, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras 2014



Côte de Beaune

The wines by Jean-Marc Bouley

Bouchard: Beaune-Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jéus 2014

Blain-Gagnard: Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Caillerets Blanc 2014, Bâtard-Montrachet 2014, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos Saint Jean rouge 2014

Jean-Marc Bouley (Thomas presented the wines): Volnay Clos de La Cave 2014, Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets 2014, Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens 2014

Coste-Caumartin: Pommard La Rue au Port 2014, Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers 2014, Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Boucherottes 2014

Fontaine-Gagnard: Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Boudriotte 2014, Bâtard-Montrachet 2014

Alex Gambal: Saint Romain Blanc 2014 and Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves 2013

Henri Gouges: Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Porrets Saint-Georges 2014, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers 2014, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains 2014, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges 2014

Lejeune: Pommard Les Trois Follots 2014, Pommard 1er Cru En Largillière 2014, Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens 2014

Lafon: Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2013, Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu 2013

Laleure-Piot: Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru En Carradeux Blanc 2014, Corton-Charlemagne 2014, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile des Vergelesses Rouge 2014

Benjamin Leroux: St Romain Sous Le Château Blanc 2014, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Embazées 2014, Volnay 1er Cru Clos de La Cave des Ducs 2014

Marchand-Tawse: Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles 2014

Des Perdrix: Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les 8 Ouvrées 2014, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Perdrix 2014

Henri et Gilles Remoriquet: Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges 2014, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes 2014

Jean-Charles Rion: Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru blanc Les Terres Blanches 2014 (he only does whites)

Roulot: Meursault à Mon Plaisir Clos du Haut Tesson 2014, Meursault 1er Cru Clos des Bouchères 2014

Etienne Sauzet: Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières 2014, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 2014, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes 2014

Thierry Violot-Guillemard: Pommard 1er Cru La Platière 2014, Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens 2014

Joseph Voillot: Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets 2014, Volnay 1er Cru Champans 2014

Côte Chalonnaise
Aladame: Montagny 1er Cru Les Vignes Derrière 2014, Montagny 1er Cru Les Maroques 2014

Paul et Marie Jacqueson: Rully 1er Cru Blanc Grésigny 2014, Givry 1er Cru Rouge Les Cloux 2014, Mercurey 1er Cru Rouge Les Champs Martin 2014

Lumpp: Givry 1er Cru Clos Saint Paul 2013, Givry 1er Cru Clos du Cras Long 2013, Givry 1er Cru La Grande Berge Blanc 2014

Masse and their négociant business, Roland et Fabrice Masse (with a great trio of whites: Givry en Choué, Montagny 1er Cru Les Terroirs and Mercurey Les Terroirs)

The new label from the Masse uncle-nephew team

Thenard wines

Thénard: Givry 1er Cru Clos du Cellier aux Moines Blanc 2013, Givry 1er Cru Clos Saint Pierre Rouge 2012 (and Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile des Vergelesses Rouge 2012 and Montrachet 2013)




Le Mâconnais
Château de Beauregard: Pouilly-Fuissé Vers Cras 2013, Pouilly-Fuissé 2014 (a mix of 50 parcels!)

Héritiers du Comte Lafon: Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine 2014, Mâcon-Chardonnay Clos de La Crochette 2014 , Viré-Clessé 2014

Saumaize-Michelin: Pouilly-Fuissé Clos Sur La Roche 2014, Pouilly-Fuissé Vignes Blanches 2014, Pouilly-Fuissé Les Ronchevats 2014


Some 2015 wines were also shown. I thought the Chablis 2015 showed a nice balance in youth, with more rounded fruit quality. I tasted one 2015 red from Côte de Beaune (a Pommard Premier Cru) and thought it tasted rather extracted with a slight jammy quality at this stage. 2015 has been described as the new 2005, great for both whites and reds, but with more suppleness than 2005 in youth. I need to taste more to get a balanced view.

Bourgogne is exciting because of the diversity that arises from the multitude of appellations, that a Volnay does not taste like a Vosne-Romanée, and from the different levels of appellations, that there is a choice for different occasion, different budget, different mood, even. It would be very boring if you have the same tasting note for each bottle of Bourgogne. Bourgogne is also exciting because there are a growing number of young passionate growers, whether new to the region or returning to assist their parents, who are putting new energy into their craft. All this excitement has attracted much international attention, inspiring the burgeoning number of wine bars in Beaune and elsewhere (we have never seen so many before and all very high quality), and great dining options from bistro to fine dining. I just wish the wine prices can be kept in perspective, that we don’t suddenly find a village Ladoix retailing at more than 30 Euros a bottle, or that we cannot find a village Chambolle at less than 30 Euros a bottle. That would be very lamentable.


In Hong Kong, there is a common social stigma associated with serving an alternative red Bourgogne at dinner parties, that is not from the 3 famous communes in the Côte de Nuits (namely Vosne, Chambolle or Gevrey and it needs to be Premier Cru level at the minimum)….or a white that is not Meursault, Puligny or Chassagne. We are rather spoilt here. Our top restaurants are not helping the cause as they do not list the lesser-known appellations by the glass or on the wine list, because they believe that nobody will order them. Our deeply ingrained entertaining culture is partly a key driver of this phenomenon. So the stigma continues to be nurtured. Fortunately, there is a counter movement going on - the opening of bistros and more casual wine bars (usually by French nationals living in HK) is helping the promotion of other appellations and their growing popularity is a sign that we (or a small ‘we’) are perhaps maturing as a wine community…but we need to do more. We need to be able to pull the cork of a Saint Aubin, Pommard, Monthélie, Saint Romain, Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny, Rully, Givry, Pouilly-Fuissé at home with family and friends too!

Santé!

How useful is the Michelin Guide? (And to Whom?): Reflecting on recent experiences in Beaune, France and Germany

March 2016:  Do you rely on the Michelin Guide to make your restaurant choices when you visit a city that is covered by the Guide? The Michelin Guide started publishing in 1900 in France, as a guide with maps, given away free of charge to motorists so that they could locate local mechanics, hotels and petrol stations. In 1926, the Guide started awarding stars to dining establishments. In 1931, the hierarchy of one, two, and three stars was introduced and at the same time the cover of the Guide changed colour from blue to red. In 1936, the criteria for the starred rankings were published:

• *: "A very good restaurant in its category" (Une très bonne table dans sa catégorie)
• **: "Excellent cooking, worth a detour" (Table excellente, mérite un détour)
• ***: "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" (Une des meilleures tables, vaut le voyage)

Later, the Guide added the Bib Gourmand feature, listing restaurants offering “exceptional good food at moderate prices”.  So what prices are deemed moderate?  The menu items must be priced below a threshold determined by local economic standards.  (Wonder how often these economic standards are reviewed?) “Bib” is the company’s nickname for Bibendum, the Michelin Man, the corporate logo.

I was driven to research the above guidelines as I am increasingly confused by the standards represented by various rated restaurants. My experiences at equal-ranked restaurants in different cities have certainly been varying – for example, compare Hong Kong and London.  There seems to be a lack of global consistency. Some restaurants should be really categorized as Bib Gourmand, rather than the venerable starred restaurants.  At least for Hong Kong, the presence of a star does not mean much in terms of quality of food, and the rating rather equates to the degree of difficulty in making a reservation.  For example, ‘three stars’ means close to impossible, unless you try many months in advance or you have special connections.  (Having said this, Richard is a loyal ‘collector’ of the Guide and he buys all the European Guides and the rather unhelpful HK Guide every year.  What is more, they usually make up a reasonable percentage of luggage weight when travelling to Europe.)

During the week of Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne (21 - 25 March 2016), we had the opportunity to dine at a few restaurants in Beaune which boasts a couple of one-Michelin-starred restaurants (the city has 4 altogether, with no higher rated restaurants), as well as a number of casual places.  

Our Poulet de Bresse being prepared.

The Bistro de L’Hotel was our first dining venue.  It produced good honest bistro cuisine, with consistent quality, from potato cream soup, deep-fried artichoke, to ris de veau and a perfectly roasted Poulet de Bresse, complete with crispy skin, succulent meat and tasty garlic-flavoured jus.  One could describe it as gastro-bistro, to justify the elevated prices for a Poulet de Bresse (EUR 90 per Poulet to be shared by two or a Poularde de Bresse at EUR 110). The main course of ris de veau was EUR 42. The starters were relatively less expensive, with the Vichyssoise at EUR 16 and the deep-fried artichoke at EUR 17.  These prices matched those of the city’s one-Michelin starred restaurants, as we will see.  (I was told it was frequented by a number of serious wine collectors, from the US as well as Asia. One might draw comparison with another famous bistro in Paris: L’Ami Louis.)  And not to forget ‘les frites’ (the French fries). The wine list was extensive (especially for the Bourgogne selection) and included a number of vintages, which was a plus for their targeted clientele as most restaurants in Beaune would typically feature wines no older than 2007/2008, and even then would only be less than 5% of the selection, with the majority being 2011 – 2014.  (The Michelin Guide did comment on the impressive wine list.) Service was impeccable and Jeremy the sommelier looked after us and the bottles of 2005 Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre (EUR 210) and 2002 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Goulots (EUR 385) drank brilliantly.  Both bottles were chosen from the restaurant wine list.  The champagne by the glass was a grower blanc de blancs, perfect for the job at EUR 16 a coupe.  Approximately EUR 250 per head including the wines mentioned. The restaurant allows brought-in bottles and corkage is EUR 50 a bottle. Sounds like a fair deal.

The following evening we dined at a similar convivial set-up: La Maison du Colombier set in a building that dates to 1574 and includes a charming hexagonal turret. Chef Roland Chanliaud formerly ran the kitchen at Le Jardin des Remparts is at the helm at La Maison du Colombier producing seasonal dishes and creations of the moment. We actually returned a subsequent evening for an apero before dinner.  We were five people and were assigned a nice table upstairs.  Downstairs is a lively bar area made up of 3 vaulted cellars where people just come in for small bites/tapas, washed down with a nice selection of reds and whites by the glass.  At the time, they offered 2 crémants and 2 champagne by the glass (an Extra Brut (EUR 12 a glass) and a Bollinger).  When we were there, there were a 2013 Ladoix (Camille Giroud), a 2011 Volnay (Thomas Bouley) and a 2013 Auxey-Duresses blanc (Benjamin Leroux).  For our dinner, we shared a few tapas (excellent mackerels poached in white wine and vinegar, mini sardines on Poilâne toast, smoked salmon rillette and monkfish liver with piment d’Espelette, a plate of Bellota ham). All were about EUR 8 to EUR 16 per dish.  For main courses, I had 3 plump scallops (with coral), grilled with chorizo crumble and garlic butter (EUR 7 per scallop).  The others had a creamy gâteau de foies (like a mousse), with langoustines and a lamb stew (about EUR 15 – 17 per main course).  Portions were moderate and designed to be preceded by a few tapas.  I loved the atmosphere, the ambiance and the efficient and charming service.   For wine, we had a bottle of 2012 Hubert Lamy Saint Aubin 1er Cru Clos de La Chatenière (EUR 84) and a 2010 Hubert Lignier Morey St Denis 1er Cru La Riotte (EUR 142).  Roughly EUR 85 per person.  Somewhere I definitely look forward to returning to…and they even have a few apartments/suites.

Le Jardin des Remparts

The following evening, dinner à deux at Le Jardin des Remparts, a one-Michelin starred restaurant, set inside a lovely 1930’s villa bourgeoise with the remparts behind. In the summer, the terrace is a lovely spot for pre-dinner cocktails.  We arrived about 8:30 pm and we finished our meal around 10 pm.  We only delayed departure so that we could finish our bottle of 2008 Marquis d’Angerville Volnay Taillepieds. The amuse-gueles arrived in a hurry, even before our white wine was served.  They showed creativity and the boudin noir and mushroom ball was rather delicious. We decided not to have an aperitif as disappointingly they only had one choice of champagne by the glass, a Veuve Clicquot yellow label, nothing wrong with the consistent quality of the Grande Marques, but one would expect a restaurant of this quality to feature a more eclectic option to excite the palate. The chef’s welcome dish also arrived rather promptly. This was not as interesting as the 4 little amuse-gueules earlier. In fact, I could describe it as a plate of two large and bland-tasting beans – we could not see the point in this welcome dish.  I ordered a small salad to start – the chef was kind to accommodate my off-menu order but my first few mouthfuls of lamb’s lettuce (mâche) were filled with grit.  Richard’s white asparagus was much more successful and up to standard, as was his sirloin beef main course was excellent, perfectly executed, tender and juicy (The dish was Pièce de Bœuf Rôtie, Pommes de Terre Fondantes et Condiment Échalote, Kumquat de Michel et Bénédicte Baches, at EUR 45).    I ordered another starter as main course and the concept behind this creation really eluded me: the over-creaminess (taste-wise) of the avocado cream rather exaggerated the blandness of the squid confit (tasted more like steamed). It definitely needed lots of black pepper!  (The dish was: Crémeux d’Avocat, Encornets à l’Huile de Genièvre Frais des Hautes Côtes de Nuits et Bergamote at EUR 35.) According to the sommelier, she only had one bottle of Bourgogne red wine from a vintage older than 2007 – it was 2006.  We asked for a 2007 bottle and it was already sold out.  The selection of Bourgogne reds spanned about 3 pages, but did not feature that many appellations, with very rare appearance from the Côte Chalonnaise or even some Côte de Beaune emerging appellations (Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny, for example).  I thought it was a slightly feeble attempt to feature a single Fixin, after the Gevrey-Chambertins, and it was from Domaine Leroy, vintage 2009, priced at almost EUR 280. They did not clean the table (clearing away the crumbs) before serving the cheese course either.  The cheese platter here was EUR 14 (compared with EUR 15 at Bistro de L’Hotel). The sommelier looked hassled and uninterested to entertain any discussions about the wines.  She didn’t look as though she was enjoying herself as all she did the whole evening was going round the tables, topping water and wine and opening bottles.  Service lacked charm and I couldn’t help feeling like being ‘processed’ in a factory.  It was about EUR 230 per person with wine included (think the 2008 Angerville Volnay Taillepieds was around EUR 150).

The evening before we left Beaune, we tried another one-Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Carmin.  We heard great things.  The chef Christophe Quéant was previously at Michelin-starred Château de Pommard. Le Carmin has a great location, right on the Place Carnot and very close to L’Hôtel Dieu. I liked the modern chic and clean décor, using grey and red colours, with contemporary lighting fixtures.  I often find the amuse-gueules served with aperitif exciting and innovative creations by the chef.  However, here they seemed rather mundane and disappointing, compared to those served at Le Jardin des Remparts.  The cold and soggy gougère was particularly off-putting.  To accompany the amuse-gueles, we had a glass of Henriot champagne (EUR 12 a glass). The rest of the food was tasty but did not hit high notes.  Richard had a slow-cooked egg with morels and green asparagus (EUR 33), followed by a simply grilled pork chop, served with rich mashed potato (EUR 36).

Steamed monkfish with carrot and ginger jus

I tried the salmon, smoked with vine ‘sarments’, served with lemon cream, white toast and a small salad (EUR 21), followed by steamed monkfish with carrot jus and ginger (EUR 44). It sounded a lot more exciting than it tasted.  It was not a harmonious creation – while the carrot and ginger enhanced the endive that wrapped the monkfish, these two flavours did not make great company for the monkfish.  Richard ordered a tarte fine aux pommes (EUR 12) which strangely arrived cold – normally, it would be made à la minute, served hot with the ice cream just about to melt on top.   The service was charming and professional.  The wine selection was well-appointed, with offerings across a number of Bourgogne appellations, with price per bottle ranging from EUR 40 to 400. There were good showings from Auxey, Ladoix, Marsannay, Beaune, Savigny, Chorey, Nuits, Pommard and Volnay, just that the vintages tended to be rather young – 2013 and 2014. (Big tick from me!)  We ordered two half bottles: a 2010 Louis Jadot Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot Clos de La Chapelle, Duc de Magenta and a really yummy 2011 Bouchard Beaune-Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jésus (the latter EUR 67 for half bottle).  I was very impressed by the manager/sommelier’s immediate acknowledgement of the white’s prematurely oxidized state (when he poured for us to taste before serving) and prompt recommendation of a 2014 Rapet Pernand-Vergelesses Clos du Village (EUR 37 for half bottle).  When asked if it would be too young, he assured us of the accelerated development in a half bottle and that 2014 would not seem young at all.  (Sad to report) he was absolutely correct!  The red was really delicious with silky texture and harmonious mouthfeel, beautifully integrated flavours, and not too young to enjoy either!   About EUR 140 per person.  We were not convinced about its 1- star award. 

As mentioned above, 1-star means the food is very good in its category, according to the Guide.  Le Carmin is listed under Cuisine Classique and Le Jardin des Remparts Cuisine Moderne.  The differences in these category definitions are a little too subtle in this case.     

Earlier in the day, we made room for lunch at Caves Madeleine. I had exactly the same dish that I had there 3 years ago. It was a warm cabbage salad with bacon.  It was simple but really tasty.  Richard said he had the best cabillaud ever, served with olive oil from the Douro, and a tasty Vichyssoise to start. (He said the cabillaud was far better than the fish course he had at a 3-Michelin starred restaurant in the Black Forest where we were 9 days ago, on this same trip.) Our guests had a lovely endive salad, a suprême de canette in a nice broth and a great vegetarian pot-au-feu.  Portions were well-measured, and prices were reasonable.  EUR 12 for my salad.  EUR 28 for the daily menu.  Caves Madeleine features a classic selection of wines, as well as paying attention to interesting new domaines, natural wines and even a biodynamic beer. We had a gorgeous bottle of 2012 Lafon Meursault Désirée and a 2008 Lafarge Volnay Clos des Chênes – a great comparison with the Angerville Taillepieds from the previous evening.  I found the Angerville more appealing at this stage while it seemed a bit precocious to enjoy the Lafarge now, given its more serious structure. Convivial ambiance, friendly service.  Definitely a place to return to. 

Both the Caves Madeleine and La Maison du Colombier are not listed in the 2016 Michelin Guide.

We would have loved to try La Dilettante (also not listed) if we only we could get in! I was also recommended Bissoh for great yakiniku and sushi, if you felt like a late supper and the chef would just prepare in front of you. It would be ‘mission impossible’ to convince Richard to go to a Japanese restaurant in Beaune though.

Just before Beaune, we spent 5 days in Germany where we tried a number of restaurants, including a couple of 3-Michelin starred restaurants within 6 km of each other within the Black Forest.  

The very charming dining room at Hotel Bareiss

The gastronomic restaurant of Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn-Mitteltal is a paragon of 3-star holder. It got its first star in 1984; a year later the restaurant was awarded one more star till 2007 when it was awarded 3 stars and has been since.  Everything is impeccable here, from service to ambiance to quality of food.  If you had to criticize something, you could argue their bread selection is rather limited.  It is a lovely dining room, not too big, with classic upholstery, a warm crimson colour, and a beautiful large chandelier as centre-piece.  The ambiance is cosy and romantic. The prestige cuvée by the glass was a Pommery Cuvée Louise 2002 (EUR 25 a glass), and a very delicious one too!  They very kindly accommodated my request for a small salad to begin, followed by what I thought was the best sole dish I have ever had in a restaurant (bravo to Chef Claus-Peter Lumpp). 

The pan-fried sole with croutons

It came in 3 ways: 1) pan-fried with croutons, served with asparagus tips and Béarnaise sauce, 2) gratinated sole cannelloni with asparagus noodles and grape seed oil vinaigrette and asparagus consommé with strips of sole and small spring vegetables.  It tasted fresh, and each way of cooking as exciting as the last, with the firm texture of the sole forming a great contrast with the soft texture of the white asparagus, and the flavours melted into one harmonious assembly. This dish was EUR 76.  Richard rated his turbot middle course equally highly: Breton turbot, semolina with sorrel lemon powder and lemon butter sauce. The lamb dish was perfectly executed (Cassolette of milk-fed lamb with raw marinated artichokes fregula sarda and wild garlic).  Dessert is a highlight here – the pastry chef does a really fine job if you still have room.  Otherwise, the petits fours are quite divine too.

The dining room at Schwarzwaldstube

6 km away in Tonbach, the Schwarzwaldstube has continuously been a 3-Michelin-starred restaurant since 1992.  We were greeted by both the proprietor and the chef Harald Wohlfahrt separately. We went for lunch – therefore it was not a direct comparison.  Perhaps it was lunch, the clientèle seemed more business-like and the décor of the dining room is an interesting mix of country wood panels and fine chandeliers.  The colour scheme here is mauve blue. They have a vegetarian menu which is every bit as exciting as the normal gourmet menu.  I actually took 2 dishes from the vegetarian menu for lunch: a salad with cereal grains and artichokes followed by the mushroom tart with truffle.  Richard had the same mushroom tart, followed by the sole.  I thought the mushroom tart was perhaps not their finest creation, as the tofu in the middle was moist and let out quite a bit of moisture into the shortcrust pastry, which was a bit too thick for our liking and absorbing the moisture from the tofu, it turned a bit soggy.  The salad of grains was really delicious though.  Richard’s sole was over-cooked and not quite a 3-Michelin star quality dish.  Another great feature about this restaurant was its wine list.  There were some great (reasonably-priced) gems here, especially from France.  Something we started noticing was that the prices of top German Spätburgunders on wine lists were very similar to some Village/Premier Cru wines from top domaines in Bourgogne. 

The Bareiss was definitely a 3-star experience, but we need to return to Tonbach to have dinner for a proper verdict.  Based on the lunch experience alone, it did not quite merit 3 stars.

In Baden-Baden, we visited 2 restaurants, one with 2 stars (Brenners-Park) and the other with just one (Le Jardin de France).  There was one really positive thing about the Park restaurant was that there was one whole page of vegetarian menu and one whole page of gluten-free and lactose-free menu, out of a 4-page menu!  

A very fine vegetarian starter

I did not feel that my dishes lived up to the Michelin star standard, in fact, my monkfish was rather unexciting.  It did not help that I had to have a long discussion with the manager/sommelier that we didn’t like the wine he recommended, that we all thought it was too ‘bretty’ and simply not enjoyable (it was a 2005 GG Spätburgunder), and I didn’t react too well when his only comment was that he had sold a few bottles of this wine and nobody had complained before. In the end, we just paid for it but also ordered another bottle of a much younger Spätburgunder.  Aside from this interlude, the service was generally friendly, but I did not feel that we had any high points. Richard was indifferent about his turbot main course.  Approximately EUR 230 per head.  I don’t particularly feel a hurry to return.   It would be hard to call this worth a detour, as it was right in the heart of Baden-Baden.  Perhaps the Guide has another definition that they internally use.

Le Jardin de France on the other hand is a small restaurant run by a couple.  The room is not particularly charming, in fact, with the conservatory-like exterior, it felt a little ‘cold’ and ‘impersonal’, compared with the warmth of the old world décor at the Brenners Park.  The food was classic French, with probably too much cream in a few dishes, but tasty and suitably salty.  It was asparagus season and 4 out of 5 of us had the stir-fried white and green asparagus in a parmesan cheese cream sauce, with morels.  I had that as my main course and started with a cappuccino of asparagus velouté above a tasty green pea mousse.  Richard’s main course of rack of lamb was perfectly executed while others enjoyed the monkfish and lobster casserole in a rich lobster sauce. We returned to a French wine selection of Condrieu followed by Pichon Baron 1999.  The patronne served us herself and she was charming and friendly.  Bread was very good here, with the potato bread being particularly recommended!

Did they live up to their Michelin star award?  I thought the Park’s 2-star award was questionable and Le Jardin de France deserved its star for tasty classic cooking that delivered consistent quality each time we visited (we have been 3 – 4 times) but lacked creativity/innovation.

A bit like wine-tasting I suppose, a lot of factors could affect our dining experience: mood, ambiance, company, freshness of ingredients, execution (often less is more!), and expectations based on food critics and guides.  From our week in Beaune, I felt that we had far better/more satisfactory experiences at places that don’t even feature in the Michelin guide and certainly without a star.  And as a consumer, my first question is always: “Would I return to it?”, recalling the Michelin Guide’s definitions of the award system.  For me, it has to be more about the food – the food is but one aspect of the entire experience.  Sometimes simple honest food, well-cooked with quality ingredients, with friendly and charming service, combined with the ambiance of the room, is well worth a return. 

2000 Rousseau Clos St Jacques

12 March 2016: Ruby garnet. Sous bois, mushroom, slightly metallic nuance. Still retaining attractive tinned strawberry note. Slight astringency on finish. Mellow, subdued, a quiet Bourguignon, almost lacking in vivacity to make it an exciting drink. Can't see much upside from further cellaring. 17/20

1989 vs 1990 Rousseau Clos Saint Jacques

7 March 2016: Another 3 magnum evening to send off a couple of friends!

We started with a 2002 Dom Perignon: Persistent fine bubbles. Toast, apple, almond notes. Light-bodied. Fine tension and mineral backbone but very restrained palate at this stage.   Not as exciting as expected, when compared to recent tastings of more opulent 2002 Cristal and 2002 Krug. Perhaps it's in a shutdown phase?? 16(+?)/20

[I just located my tasting note on 2002 Krug which was tasted on 8 February.  A complex bouquet of toast, caramelised hazelnut, ripe apple, at the front, followed by chalky, savoury and yeasty notes mid-palate and towards the finish.  Vibrant acidity, mouthfilling texture and layers of complexity coating the mouth.  Persistent fine bubbles.  Nicely evolved, voluptuous and mouthcoating. 17.5/20]

2004 Fontaine-Gagnard, Criots-Batard-Montrachet (magnum): Pale golden robe. Nuances of cardamom, roasted hazelnut, vanilla, shortbread, ginger, with ripe baked apple and tinned pineapple. Lively but not crisp acidity. Mouthfilling texture. Long finish.  This paired very well with the slight spiciness of the starter of 口水鸡!  16/20  

1989 Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques (magnum): Garnet robe. Notes of sous-bois, mushroom, slightly acetic. Silky texture, freshness from acetic was uplifting and did not detract from the enjoyment. An elegant 'old boot'.  For me, I would have preferred this a few years ago. 16.5/20

1990 Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques (magnum): Ruby-garnet. A complete change from the 1989.  Rich, velvety texture, supported by bright acidity. Gorgeously matured, still with plum, mushroom, and spicy notes, very long finish. Drink now and over next 4 - 5 years if well cellared.  We opened a 750 ml format after this and I found that had a drying finish and the fruit was lacking. 18/20  

1983 Climens: Beautiful Barsac, classic and persistent.  Mango, marmalade, rye, honey, apricot. The opulence balanced by bright acidity. Layers of complexity. Long balanced finish. Rather impressive.  18/20  (And it paired beautifully with Cecile's mango meringue roulade!)

1989 vs 1990 Haut Brion

27 February: On the occasion of some merchant friends visiting from the UK, we hosted a simple supper with a few magnums to round off an already very indulgent week with 2 meals by 2-Michelin starred chef Jean-Luc Rocha of Cordeillan-Bages, paired with some lovely Lynch-Bages vintages, including the lithe and delicately-framed 2001 and 1996, an under-rated vintage but performed extremely well at dinner with the characters and fleshy tannins of mature Pauillac (tobacco, pencil shavings and just a hint of cedar) and no signs of drying out.

For our simple home cooking, we started off with 1996 Pol Roger, Chardonnay Brut, Extra Cuvée de Réserve, Chardonnay Brut. It showed beautiful balance and poise, with mature notes of ripe pear and rounded mouthfeel, delineated with minerality throughout the palate.  Persistent mousse and long finish.  Wine of the evening for Richard.

1996 Chevalier-Montrachet, Leflaive (magnum). Pale gold robe. Gorgeous bouquet of ginger spice and nuts. Initially, racy and tight mid-palate, with great poise.  The mid-palate somewhat fell away for me just over an hour after opening, and the finish tended towards the shortish end.  It didn't retain the same lift and excitement that it showed initially.  Still a fabulous drop and it's our last magnum! (17/20)

We paired this with the peaty smoked salmon from the Hebridean Smokehouse (http://www.hebrideansmokehouse.com/) (and thank you Paul!).  It's very addictive if you like the peaty nuance. One pack was enough to last 2 dinner parties!  I served it with Laphroig 18 years last time - divine!

1949 Clos-Vougeot, Château de La Tour. Our guests brought this to share with us (and we duly raised a glass to Joe for its provenance!).  Elegant, silky texture.  Nuances of mushroom and earth.  Slightly acetic on the nose and aftertaste for me (I think other fellow guests found the acetic acid enhanced their enjoyment).  Still showing very well for its age.  A fine well-aged Bourgogne. I would have preferred it a few years ago.(16/20)

1989 Haut Brion (magnum). A classic claret, with hallmark nuances of graphite, tobacco leaf, cedar, cigar box and a hint of herbal (mint-like)/spicy note, layering the mid-weight palate.  Not an opulent wine by any measure, rather it impresses by its balance, harmony, vibrancy and particular freshness in the magnum format, with an invigorating lift with every taste.  This showed more freshness than the 1990 and more acidity too.  Really delicious and no sign of slowing down.  Will continue to mature for the next 15 - 20 years in this format.  For me, it was the wine of the evening, even though with its 100 RP points, at market rate of GBP 1,100 per bottle (750 ml) (Wine Searcher), it is almost 3 times the price of the 1990 Haut Brion.  Ouch! (20/20)

1990 Haut Brion (magnum).  A totally different style altogether.  As the 1989 was classic, the 1990 was hedonistic and boasted notes of chocolate, baked blackberry, cigar and liquorice, filling the layers in a rich and mouthfilling palate. For me, I preferred the 1989 for its poise, freshness, backbone, lift and persistence.  A gorgeous and irresistible wine for those who like this opulent style.  With just 2 RP points below the 1989, its market rate is GBP 400 per bottle (750 ml) - bargain??  The colour of the wine didn't have the same limpidity as the 1989 when I first opened it.  Should drink well for the next 8 - 12 years, in this format. (18/20)

1988 Doisy-Daëne.  It was a well-made Sauternes, showed balance and crisp acidity but lacked depth and character.  Quite one-dimensional in character. (15/20)

Large formats are simply perfect for dinner parties.......and we have a few more this weekend!  Our third Saturday dinner in a row!