A friend brought a special bottle last night - Domaine Le Petit Marand Cuvée Elise 2016 (Elise is daughter of Fabrice Papin, whose family owns this domaine - read the lovely message on the back label). Limited production of Chardonnay from the Gironde region - IGP Vin de Pays Charentais. Only 1,830 bottles were produced. 10 months of élevage in oak barrels. Winemaker is Joël Bonneau. It was an added bonus to find that this bottle won a gold medal at the drinks business Global Chardonnay Masters in 2017!
A grape variety not usually associated with this area of the Gironde, but I was told that the soil at the vineyard is chalk-dominated, and suited to Chardonnay. Here the climate is warmer and more maritime than Chardonnay's spiritual home, Bourgogne. Beeswax and white flowers dominated the nose, on the palate, there was a core of chalky minerality, with nuances of liquorice spice, Macadamia nuts and ripe pear. Fleshy and slightly unctuous, balanced with soft acidity. Creamy and long finish.
We initially served it with the prawns and Marie Rose sauce starter, with guacamole and cherry tomatoes. While it did a nice job, not overwhelmed by the slightly spicy sauce, it did an even better job later on when I went back to it with cheese. I paired it with La Bonde de Gâtine, a raw goat milk cheese from the Poitou region. La Bonde de Gâtine weighs about 150 grams, has a wrinkly charcoal-ash coated rind. It has a close and crumbly texture, giving a smooth yet dense paste, delivering ample saltiness and acidity. The characteristic fruity tang belies the mineral richness. The generous character and vivid minerality of the Domaine Le Petit Marand wine paired beautifully with this cheese, with just enough acidity to cut through the richness of the cheese.
About the other wines we had:
We started the evening with 2009 Dom Perignon. The richness of the vintage was so well-carried off by the vibrancy and energy of this young Dom Perignon. Fine bubbles and creamy texture caressed the palate, delivering a serious yet approachable champagne, that is already drinking well.
With the main course, we had a magnum of Trotanoy 1990, and then a bottle of Trotanoy 1982 to finish off the evening. Had the size of the bottles been different, we would have swapped them round. (Main course was Coq au vin blanc.) The 1990 showed more stewed plum fruit, with a slightly burnt character., with tobacco notes It had an immediate hedonistic appeal, fleshy with a ripe and firm tannic structure, but it lacked the balance of lively acidity. No sign of waning here. Can be cellared for another 8 - 10+ years in this magnum format.
The 1982 was much more elegantly structured, with more complex bouquet of tobacco, violet and leather. There was an understated finesse about this wine, but I felt that the fruit and the overall palate was a little weak and I would probably drink this wine in the 750 ml format within the next 4 - 5 years for optimum enjoyment.
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