We bought half a dozen bottles of 2012 Bersan 2012 Bourgogne Epineuil red in the Leclerc supermarket in Troyes donkey's years ago. It said on the back of the bottle that you could keep it for seven years. We opened the last bottle a couple of weeks ago and drank it with some roast chicken. We weren't disappointed as the wine had matured well on its side and in the cool. The wine was fantastic.
Epineuil is one of my favourite Burgundy wines. It is difficult to find in the UK and we always buy it in France either from the vineyard itself or from a local off licence or supermarket.
I seem to remember that this particular wine was bought for under 10 EUR a bottle. You won't find it at this price anymore.
This wine is typical of the appellation. It is made from Pinot Noir grapes. It tasted of red and black fruits, it was of light to medium body and the tannin had softened. It was well balanced for acidity and sweetness and was dry on the palate and the taste remained for a long time. It had all the hallmarks of a very good wine which was excellent value for money.
The Epineuil appellation is very close to the town of Tonnerre, which is in the far north west of Burgundy and close to the Champagne border. The soil here is kimmeridgian and limestone. The wine has the goût de terroir of the region. It is one of the few red wines that my wife and I can identify easily -"blind", because we have drunk so much of it over the years, and because some of my wife's family come from the area. No other wine in the world has its distinctive taste and character. No one is able to copy it either in France or elsewhere. The climate, soil and vineyard combination cannot be copied
The Kings of France used to drink this wine and no wonder. You need to search this appellation out as it represents exceptional value for money. Tonnerre and it surrounding area is also worth locating and visiting.
https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/bourgogne-epineuil,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MjQ0Jnw%3D
https://www.google.com/search?q=kimmeridgian+soil+map&oq=kimmeridgian+&aqs=chrome.2.0j69i57j0l6.20781j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Thursday, 19 December 2019
Thursday, 5 December 2019
Restaurant Le Saint Père in Tonnerre
Last week we went to Tonnerre to buy some of my favorite red wine -Epineuil. Before buying our wine we had lunch in the Restaurant Le Saint Père in the Rue Georges Pompidou. We entered the restaurant which was a little dark inside to be greeted by tables occupied by local people. The restaurant was full and we got the one remaining table for two left. We had a chat to two gentlemen dining beside us. The food they were eating looked gorgeous. We decided on two menus and shared the starter and dessert. The starter of Terrine of smoked beef was one of the best we have ever tasted. We followed up with Bavette steak and chips The steak was really well seasoned and the chips were great. We shared a Vacherin for dessert and this was another fabulous dish. Vacherin is a meringue based dessert but it should not be confused with the cheese of the same name. The starter and dessert were home made by the chef. The restaurant and service was unpretentious and just as we like it . The presentation of the food was not Michelin starred but the taste and quality of the food was; if not better. We washed the food down with half a bottle of 2016 Dampt Freres Epineuil rouge. We had a great meal and wine in a friendly environment for 63,20 Eur. This was tremendous value for money. I highly recommend the restaurant and it is worth going to Tonnerre just to eat here.
https://www.google.com/search?q=restaurant+saint+pere+a+tonnerre&oq=restaurant+saint+pere+a+tonnerre&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l6.10309j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://www.google.com/search?q=restaurant+saint+pere+a+tonnerre&oq=restaurant+saint+pere+a+tonnerre&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l6.10309j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Hidden Bordeaux
My wife was rummaging through our wine stocks the other day and found a wooden box with a sliding lid sitting on its side. The box had been lying there in the dark for many years and we had completely forgotten about it. Imagine our surprise when we discovered two wines when we slid the lid off. The first was a bottle of 2000 Château Carbonnieux Grand Cru red from Pessac-Leognan produced by the Famille Perrin. The second was a bottle of Château Ducru Beaucaillou 2001 2ème Cru Classé Saint Julien. The latter is one of my favourite Bordeaux wines which at the moment fetches over £100 a bottle.
My wife and I are very lucky; we can remember which member of the family bought the wines for us, many moons ago, but we cannot remember when. Luckily the wines were stored on their side.
We decided to drink the 2000 Château Carbonnieux with some friends who were visiting for Australia. After we had decanted the wine and let it rest for a while, we drank it with duck accompanied by a rich orange sauce. The wine was just past its best, but it was a superb example of the Pessac-Leognan apellation. The wine was concentrated and complex and was long on the palate. It was warming to drink and was still full of black currant, tobacco box and plum flavours. The tannin had softened. The wine went perfectly with the duck and its rich sauce.
Our friends were impressed and so was I. It pays to keep your Bordeaux hidden away, as long it is lain flat in the dark.
Jancis Robinson describes the wine exactly on the following web site and I couldn't agree more.
https://www.millesima.co.uk/chateau-carbonnieux-2000.html.
You can still buy 2000 Château Carbonnieux for around £40 pounds a bottle but hurry up and drink it immediately.
I can't wait to open my second hidden bottle but I should wait a little longer for the right occasion. The Château Ducru Beaucaillou is most certainly a top wine; its world class. It's better to be born lucky rather than rich.
My wife and I are very lucky; we can remember which member of the family bought the wines for us, many moons ago, but we cannot remember when. Luckily the wines were stored on their side.
We decided to drink the 2000 Château Carbonnieux with some friends who were visiting for Australia. After we had decanted the wine and let it rest for a while, we drank it with duck accompanied by a rich orange sauce. The wine was just past its best, but it was a superb example of the Pessac-Leognan apellation. The wine was concentrated and complex and was long on the palate. It was warming to drink and was still full of black currant, tobacco box and plum flavours. The tannin had softened. The wine went perfectly with the duck and its rich sauce.
Our friends were impressed and so was I. It pays to keep your Bordeaux hidden away, as long it is lain flat in the dark.
Jancis Robinson describes the wine exactly on the following web site and I couldn't agree more.
https://www.millesima.co.uk/chateau-carbonnieux-2000.html.
You can still buy 2000 Château Carbonnieux for around £40 pounds a bottle but hurry up and drink it immediately.
I can't wait to open my second hidden bottle but I should wait a little longer for the right occasion. The Château Ducru Beaucaillou is most certainly a top wine; its world class. It's better to be born lucky rather than rich.
Tuesday, 5 November 2019
Ancient Celts and Wine
There have been reports recently that suggest that the Ancient Celts were partial to a tipple of wine. Archaeologists in Northern Burgundy have identified drinking vessels from 500 BC, and discovered the remains of Greek wine. There is no doubt that the Celts enjoyed a pot of wine with their game pie. I wonder if the wine tasted like ancient retsina.
The Celts also drank beer and mead. They had no idea of the natural process of fermentation; mankind had to wait until the 19th century until Louis Pasteur discovered how the process of fermentation worked. This means that for over 2,000 years the Celts remained ignorant of how their favourite drinks were produced, and that any improvement was the result of trial and error or fortuitous accident rather than scientific discovery.
I wonder what the Ancient Celts must have thought when they slugged back a goblet of red with their roast boar while they sat around the camp fire. They must have smelt their wine and tasted that it was good, and quaffed it back while they sang folk songs. The ancient stories must have become more exaggerated as they drank more and more. Some would have got quite drunk if they could afford it and some would have become alcoholics.
The ancient Celts would not have cared less about the nose of the wine or its bouquet. They weren't interested to assess its sugar content and whether the alcohol was well integrated into the wine. They might have perceived the complexity and concentration of its taste. The idea of a caudalie or a grand cru was far away from their thinking. They were just interested in whether the wine tasted good or not. The alcoholics would not have cared about the quality of the wine.
None of the mental or physical paraphernalia associated with sophisticated modern wine tasting and drinking would have existed. No doubt, the profit motive would have been going strong and some wise guy or other would have been trying to corner the wine market.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2206989-ancient-celts-were-partial-to-beer-mead-and-imported-greek-wines/
The Celts also drank beer and mead. They had no idea of the natural process of fermentation; mankind had to wait until the 19th century until Louis Pasteur discovered how the process of fermentation worked. This means that for over 2,000 years the Celts remained ignorant of how their favourite drinks were produced, and that any improvement was the result of trial and error or fortuitous accident rather than scientific discovery.
I wonder what the Ancient Celts must have thought when they slugged back a goblet of red with their roast boar while they sat around the camp fire. They must have smelt their wine and tasted that it was good, and quaffed it back while they sang folk songs. The ancient stories must have become more exaggerated as they drank more and more. Some would have got quite drunk if they could afford it and some would have become alcoholics.
The ancient Celts would not have cared less about the nose of the wine or its bouquet. They weren't interested to assess its sugar content and whether the alcohol was well integrated into the wine. They might have perceived the complexity and concentration of its taste. The idea of a caudalie or a grand cru was far away from their thinking. They were just interested in whether the wine tasted good or not. The alcoholics would not have cared about the quality of the wine.
None of the mental or physical paraphernalia associated with sophisticated modern wine tasting and drinking would have existed. No doubt, the profit motive would have been going strong and some wise guy or other would have been trying to corner the wine market.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2206989-ancient-celts-were-partial-to-beer-mead-and-imported-greek-wines/
Restaurant Villa Vauban Dijon
We recently ate at the Restaurant Villa Vauban in Dijon. I can thoroughly recommend this establishment.
The food was excellent. it was not up to the presentation standards of a Michelin starred restaurant, but what the hell; flavour and good cooking is what is important to my wife and me. My main course was a Pave steak, and it was cooked perfectly - rare. It is extremely difficult to cook and season a steak perfectly: it is not as easy as it would seem.
We had eight people in our party and everyone ordered something different for a main course and everyone was satisfied. The staff coordinated the delivery to our table with aplomb.
The service was courteous but it was not over the top. Six of our party were English speakers only but that was no problem for the staff.
The wine card was extensive and if we had wanted then we could have really drained our wallets on top class Burgundy red and whites. We settled for less exalted wines which still went very well with our meal; there was something for everyone but, mainly, from Burgundy of course.
http://www.restaurant-villavauban.com/restaurant-dijon-restaurant-cote-dor/?mod=actu&cat=carte
We ended up having a superb meal at a reasonable price in the centre of one of France's most renowned cities. What more could we ask for?
https://about-france.com/cities/dijon.htm
The food was excellent. it was not up to the presentation standards of a Michelin starred restaurant, but what the hell; flavour and good cooking is what is important to my wife and me. My main course was a Pave steak, and it was cooked perfectly - rare. It is extremely difficult to cook and season a steak perfectly: it is not as easy as it would seem.
We had eight people in our party and everyone ordered something different for a main course and everyone was satisfied. The staff coordinated the delivery to our table with aplomb.
The service was courteous but it was not over the top. Six of our party were English speakers only but that was no problem for the staff.
The wine card was extensive and if we had wanted then we could have really drained our wallets on top class Burgundy red and whites. We settled for less exalted wines which still went very well with our meal; there was something for everyone but, mainly, from Burgundy of course.
http://www.restaurant-villavauban.com/restaurant-dijon-restaurant-cote-dor/?mod=actu&cat=carte
We ended up having a superb meal at a reasonable price in the centre of one of France's most renowned cities. What more could we ask for?
https://about-france.com/cities/dijon.htm
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
A couple of great Champagnes from Merrey Sur Arce
We recently visited our family in Troyes and on consecutive evenings we drank two excellent Champagnes from Merrey-sur-Arce with our evening meals.
Troyes and Merrey-sur-Arce are in the Aube region of France. You cannot visit Troyes to see friends or family without being offered some Champagne from the Aube region. Troyes was the ancient capital of Champagne, and the centre of the town is built in the shape of a Champagne cork.
https://www.francetoday.com/travel/rainbows_in_champagne/
https://www.larvf.com/,vin-montgueux-ile-craie-champagne-terroir-aubois,4511514.asp
Troyes itself has neighbouring vineyards on the Montgueux slopes. Montgueux produces some fine Champagne but our family seem to turn their noses up at it. They prefer the Champagnes from the Côte de Bar about 40 Kilometers further South.The soil in Montgueux is a mixture of chalk and limestone based clay. The Champagne is produced mainly from the Chardonnay grape.
Merrey-sur-Arce is located near Bar-sur-Seine in the Aube. The village is situated on the river Arce, and the river Seine flows nearby. It is a small village with just over 300 inhabitants. The soils here are Kinmmeridgian and they are limestone rather than chalk based. The terroir here is more akin to the Northern Burgundy region than to the chalk based terroir on the Montagne de Reims, much further north. Chablis and Tonnerre in Burgundy are not far away. The Champagne from the Aube tastes different to the more famous Champagne produced next to Reims and Epernay. You might think that you have never drunk Champagne from the Aube, but you almost certainly have because Champagne from the Aube is shipped much further north to be blended into the House champagnes of the famous brand names.
https://winefolly.com/review/hottest-champagne-region-cote-des-bar/
Most of the Champagne makers of Merrey-sur-Arce grow their own grapes and make their own Champagne and each has their own individual style. Merrey-sur-Arce has around 130,000 Ha of Champagne grapes planted. Over 100,00 Ha is planted with pinot noir and the rest with pinot meunier and chardonnay.
One night we drank Nicolas van Belle non-vintage Blanc de Noirs. This Champagne is made exclusively from the pinot noir grape. Nicholas van Belle is a grower-maker: his is a soft Champagne with a fruity flavour and for me it tastes stronger than Champagne made from Chardonnay. It is gorgeous. I feel that the Champagnes from the Côte de Bar are less acidic than the Champagnes from the grower-makers much further north, and for this reason they are easier on my stomach if I drink too much. It is easy for me to drink too much Champagne as it is my favourite wine.
http://bacchus-club.over-blog.fr/article-28615395.html
The next night we drank Champagne Lacroix-Triaulaire, le Biographe, non-vintage. This wine is producced from a blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay grapes. It has the taste of the region plus a style of its own. It has a fruity and savoury taste and it is elegant. The hallmark of a good wine comes from its identification with its region but with a style of its own. this too is a gorgeous wine.
https://www.xtrawine.com/en/wines/lacroix-triaulaire-champagne-brut-la-biographe/p13277
So there you have it; two classic examples of Champagne which have a taste of the region mixed with a style of their own. These Champagnes represent excellent value for money: they can be sipped as an aperitif, they can be drunk with light starters and light main courses and can be drunk with a dessert. What more can you ask for. If ever you are in Troyes, find your way to the local vineyards and get ready to be impressed by the finest sparkling wines in the world.
Troyes and Merrey-sur-Arce are in the Aube region of France. You cannot visit Troyes to see friends or family without being offered some Champagne from the Aube region. Troyes was the ancient capital of Champagne, and the centre of the town is built in the shape of a Champagne cork.
https://www.francetoday.com/travel/rainbows_in_champagne/
https://www.larvf.com/,vin-montgueux-ile-craie-champagne-terroir-aubois,4511514.asp
Troyes itself has neighbouring vineyards on the Montgueux slopes. Montgueux produces some fine Champagne but our family seem to turn their noses up at it. They prefer the Champagnes from the Côte de Bar about 40 Kilometers further South.The soil in Montgueux is a mixture of chalk and limestone based clay. The Champagne is produced mainly from the Chardonnay grape.
Merrey-sur-Arce is located near Bar-sur-Seine in the Aube. The village is situated on the river Arce, and the river Seine flows nearby. It is a small village with just over 300 inhabitants. The soils here are Kinmmeridgian and they are limestone rather than chalk based. The terroir here is more akin to the Northern Burgundy region than to the chalk based terroir on the Montagne de Reims, much further north. Chablis and Tonnerre in Burgundy are not far away. The Champagne from the Aube tastes different to the more famous Champagne produced next to Reims and Epernay. You might think that you have never drunk Champagne from the Aube, but you almost certainly have because Champagne from the Aube is shipped much further north to be blended into the House champagnes of the famous brand names.
https://winefolly.com/review/hottest-champagne-region-cote-des-bar/
Most of the Champagne makers of Merrey-sur-Arce grow their own grapes and make their own Champagne and each has their own individual style. Merrey-sur-Arce has around 130,000 Ha of Champagne grapes planted. Over 100,00 Ha is planted with pinot noir and the rest with pinot meunier and chardonnay.
One night we drank Nicolas van Belle non-vintage Blanc de Noirs. This Champagne is made exclusively from the pinot noir grape. Nicholas van Belle is a grower-maker: his is a soft Champagne with a fruity flavour and for me it tastes stronger than Champagne made from Chardonnay. It is gorgeous. I feel that the Champagnes from the Côte de Bar are less acidic than the Champagnes from the grower-makers much further north, and for this reason they are easier on my stomach if I drink too much. It is easy for me to drink too much Champagne as it is my favourite wine.
http://bacchus-club.over-blog.fr/article-28615395.html
The next night we drank Champagne Lacroix-Triaulaire, le Biographe, non-vintage. This wine is producced from a blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay grapes. It has the taste of the region plus a style of its own. It has a fruity and savoury taste and it is elegant. The hallmark of a good wine comes from its identification with its region but with a style of its own. this too is a gorgeous wine.
https://www.xtrawine.com/en/wines/lacroix-triaulaire-champagne-brut-la-biographe/p13277
So there you have it; two classic examples of Champagne which have a taste of the region mixed with a style of their own. These Champagnes represent excellent value for money: they can be sipped as an aperitif, they can be drunk with light starters and light main courses and can be drunk with a dessert. What more can you ask for. If ever you are in Troyes, find your way to the local vineyards and get ready to be impressed by the finest sparkling wines in the world.
Monday, 19 August 2019
It's that corked wine again and again
In my last blog I promised to report back on my efforts to remove the taste of corked wine from the glass. The theory goes that you can dip a sheet of cling film into a jug of the tainted wine and stir it around for a few minutes. The TCA chemicals that taint the wine will then stick to the cling film and you will be able to taste the wine without the cork taint.
I did this with my contaminated wine. I took one sniff of the wine and realised that it didn't work. I asked my wife to sniff the wine and she thought that the process had worked. Ten minutes later she concluded that the experiment did not work and we poured the wine down the drain.
We had a bottle of the same wine and vintage in reserve: we opened the bottle and the wine was superb with roast lamb, fresh peas and Ile Noirmoutier Lady Christl potatoes. I must say that the Lady Christl potatoes were excellent and almost as good as the Pembrokeshire new potatoes that I picked as a boy, in South West Wales. Pembrokeshire early potatoes are treat not to be missed and are available from late May, they are best eaten steamed or boiled until they are just soft. They are good enough to be eaten on their own with some welsh salted butter and better still with Sewin, if you can find it ,but beware of poachers as the species is rare and protected.
https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/features/pembrokeshire-early-potatoes
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/sewin-gets-more-elusive-rivers-1857181
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/808045/protected-food-name-wwcc-sewin-spec.pdf
The island of Noirmoutier is situated in the Vendée region of France on the bay of Biscay and just south of the Brittany peninsular. It's most celebrated agricultural product is the Bonnotte potato which is not cheap.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnotte_de_Noirmoutier
https://www.ile-noirmoutier.com/en/savourer/nos-produits-locaux/potatoes-noirmoutier-island.html
https://www.vendee-tourisme.com/vacances/l-ile-de-noirmoutier/
I did this with my contaminated wine. I took one sniff of the wine and realised that it didn't work. I asked my wife to sniff the wine and she thought that the process had worked. Ten minutes later she concluded that the experiment did not work and we poured the wine down the drain.
We had a bottle of the same wine and vintage in reserve: we opened the bottle and the wine was superb with roast lamb, fresh peas and Ile Noirmoutier Lady Christl potatoes. I must say that the Lady Christl potatoes were excellent and almost as good as the Pembrokeshire new potatoes that I picked as a boy, in South West Wales. Pembrokeshire early potatoes are treat not to be missed and are available from late May, they are best eaten steamed or boiled until they are just soft. They are good enough to be eaten on their own with some welsh salted butter and better still with Sewin, if you can find it ,but beware of poachers as the species is rare and protected.
https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/features/pembrokeshire-early-potatoes
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/sewin-gets-more-elusive-rivers-1857181
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/808045/protected-food-name-wwcc-sewin-spec.pdf
The island of Noirmoutier is situated in the Vendée region of France on the bay of Biscay and just south of the Brittany peninsular. It's most celebrated agricultural product is the Bonnotte potato which is not cheap.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnotte_de_Noirmoutier
https://www.ile-noirmoutier.com/en/savourer/nos-produits-locaux/potatoes-noirmoutier-island.html
https://www.vendee-tourisme.com/vacances/l-ile-de-noirmoutier/
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