Beaujolais NOT Nouveau.

I've never liked Beaujolais Nouveau. I'm sorry, but that's the honest truth. I find the stuff, to put it nicely, utterly bereft of merit. Yes, I've tried many of them in the past, served at parties where it would have been too impolite not to accept a glass - so mine is no a priori aversion. Thus, when Manila's resident wine crusader, Jérome Philippon, invited me to his Beaujolais Not Nouveau Dinner last night at Ciçou, I was so intrigued I made sure to attend.

When Jérome first conceived of this event and mentioned it to me many months ago, I cautioned him that the Manila-based French business community may not take well to it. That some may take this event against Jérome, however, seemed, in my opinion, narrow-minded. Would not it be in the best interests of the wine-consuming public and Beaujolais in general that an event showcasing good Beaujolais wines take place? That question is rhetorical, of course - as a far as I am concerned anyway.

In any event, the evening started off with:

2007 Terres Dorées Chardonnay Beaujolais by Jean-Paul Brun - served with, among others, Cyrille Soenen's excellent home-made pork head rillettes and pâté (I found that the wine married sublimely with the pâté). Initially, this was dominated by clean lines of tense, compact, somewhat steely-flinty apple, a light touch of grapefruit, with very slight oyster-shell/sea-side nuances that reminded me of Chablis.

After a few minutes in the glass, the wine fleshed out, gained nice heft and a bit more breadth in the middle. The grapefruit gave way to svelt white peach and slightly baked apple, bit of citrus (more towards the rear), white flowers, hints of white minerality. As it continued to open, its fruit components took on a slightly riper, more tropical character and whispers of mildly leesy vanilla. I believe this added ripeness, vaguely tropical ripe-sweetness made it such a nice match with the pâté.

At approximately P990 per bottle at Sommelier Selection, one can back up the truck on this.

With the comforting next course of Oeuf Meurette:

2006 Domaine Lapalu Brouilly Cuvée Vieilles Vignes - Nice depth to the ripe, vaguely plummy, blackberry, dark fruit compote infused with violets; medium-bodied, masculine, somewhat rustic and earthy feel to it, with nice heft mid-mouth, smooth texture and confident finish. The fruit well expresses the age of the vines.

Those relatively new to good Beaujolais (such as I) will note its admirable weight, depth and power compared to those of ubiquitous makers' bottles that line supermarket shelves. Available at under P2000 per bottle.

I also very much enjoyed the oeuf meurette - so honest, earthy and comforting - which is why, at the end of the day, I always go back to French country cuisine - seeking it out in good bistros and brasseries.

With another sentimental favorite dish of excellent Cassoulet:

2006 Domaine Lapalu Brouilly La Croix des Rameaux - Similar to the previously mentioned wine in many ways, also decidedly masculine, but this was notably firmer, with cherry and leather lining its violets and noticeably riper, mildly spiced dark fruit compote. Compared with the Vieilles Vignes, this seems burlier in character with a touch of sauvage. With the depth of the fruit, surely the grapes for this particular bottling came from old vines as well.

Marginally heftier, fuller and more powerful than the previous wine, it also seems to have comparatively better focus. This wine could do quite well with heavier dishes like roast beef or steak frites. I know I've tried this wine before, but cannot seem to find my previous notes on it - all I've found was that I mentioned it when discussing Lapalu's 2006 Beaujolais Villages Le Rang du Merle.

Very good buy at around P2000 per bottle. Everyone looked like they enjoyed it.

The Mapa brothers with Jérome.

2006 Domaine du Tracot Moulin à Vent Jean-Paul Dubost - Another Cru of Beaujolais - reputedly the very best that Beaujolais has to offer, this was clearly my personal favorite red of the night - as well as the best match with the cassoulet. I remember telling Jérome that I found its character very different from the two previous reds - i.e., comparatively feminine to the Vieilles Vignes and Croix des Rameaux, and that it was very graceful and light-footed, its flavors dancing and gliding on the palate. There is a more notable presence of red fruit - dark cherry, bit of raspberry - to the spiced blackberry/blackcurrant base and there is a fresher over-all feel to the fruit.

The wine is no pansy though. It has superior focus, definitive/sturdy structure and a confident drive/push on the palate without at all being over-bearing or aggressive. On the contrary, it is very suave, poised and polished. Nice silky texture on the palate from attack to finish and a subtle but definite dark minerality exquisitely and finely infused in its fruit.

For the sheer pleasure it gives, it's a definite buy for me at P2225 per bottle.

Yet again, Jérome makes a strong case for Beaujolais wines - the good ones - as serious wines that definitely deserve a place in one's cellar or on one's mental list - be he/she a passionate aficionado, collector or casual wino. Much praise must be heaped on Cyrille's French country cuisine as well - deliciously comforting and honest. That's the way I like it.

Blind Bordeaux Challenge XI.

Back at Old Manila, 15th November 2008 for the Grand Crew's XIth Blind Bordeaux Challenge. As usual, no vintage, price or origin restrictions. Given the group's preference for fine Bordeaux, more than trying to pick the winner from the Médoc, Graves or the Right Bank, the challenge, I believe, is to find a non-Bordeaux wine that can compete at this level. So far, in the three years of this event, only three brave attempts at entering a non-Bordeaux wine have been made.

Things started off with:

2004 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl - From the Doc. A nicely reserved, comparatively lean (and that is a good thing for me), minerally, well-focused, just slightly sweetish pinot gris from a world-famous Alsace producer known for its rich, ultra-ripe-fruited wines with a lot of residual sugar in the more modern style.

The dominant fruit flavors are those of clean apricot and Indian mango (as we know them here in Manila) with nuances of honeysuckle and white minerals. There is also a very slight whisper of spritziness mid-palate and towards the back. Of the hallmark vaguely almond/nutty notes of pinot gris, they become more apparent towards the back of the mouth and on the finish.

Well-crafted with good reserve, with a nice, steely backbone and acidity that gives this wine a bright, fresh and cleansing character.

Thereafter, we moved on to:

2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé - My bottle. I just can't get enough of this wine, and I wanted to see how the Vigneron and Doc found it. I already know the Stockbroker likes this a lot. Since I've praised this wine several times already, I will not belabor the issue: this is an excellent rosé.

Last night, unbeknown to me, the Vigneron tested out his newly acquired Electronic Wine Breather (a contraption that, as claimed by its maker, aerates a wine within one minute - allegedly speeding up decanting for aeration time) on my bottle of rosé as I stepped outside for a quick smoke.

The result was that the lavender, herb and garrigue notes were enhanced, now standing on equal footing with the otherwise leading fresh fruitiness. Gave the wine a more earthy character. The Vigneron said he liked it a lot and wholly agreed with me that it would go beautifully with escargots à la Bourguignonne. That said, personally, I prefer this rosé without the use of the gadget.

~ oOo ~

With various main courses of duck, bison, rib-eye steaks, etc,. the competing reds were served.

NB: Because of the "competitive" nature of this tasting, I, unavoidably compare one wine against the other. For the record, however, all the wines last night were excellent in their own ways and I would happily and eagerly drink any of them anytime.

Wine # 1 - For me, 3rd best in the nose. Initial brettiness on the nose which blew off after around 15 minutes revealing a most unabashed, forward, openly generous bouquet marked by black coffee, anise/licorice, spiced super-ripe black fruit and sweet cedar. In the mouth, it was the thickest, most viscous and hedonistic of the lot, with the biggest body and greatest heft on the tongue.

Juicy, rich, opulent flavors, undoubtedly, and low in acid. I felt it was comparatively too boisterous and modern, though. It could use more reserve, elegance and finesse, in my honest opinion. I marked this down as 4th Place.

It turned out to be the Vigneron's 1990 Château Cos d'Estournel.

Wine # 2 - 4th best nose, suave on the palate with elegant, almost creamy, cassis, earth, graphite, licorice and violets. Graceful wine, comparatively light on the palate, it was difficult to analyze after Wine # 1. After several passes, though, the wine developed aggressive anise notes that threw off the balance somewhat. I ranked this wine 3rd Place.

It was my 1990 Château Pichon Longueville Baron.

Wine # 3 - 2nd best nose. Expansive, broad, big, but nowhere near over-bearing. Cedar, earthy cassis, nice touch of licorice, slightly sweeter fruit but not super-ripe, deft touch of violets. Full-bodied and excellent acidity gave it superb balance. Confident wine, but well-reserved. By far, it went the best with food - also noted by the Stockbroker. I loved eating with this and ranked it 1st Place.

It turned out to be the Stockbroker's 1999 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, the first Italian wine entered in our little competition - a so-called "Super Tuscan" (i.e., using a Bordeaux blend of grapes) from an excellent vintage in Tuscany.

Wine # 4 - Best nose of the night. Very clean, pure, sweetish red fruit-dominated. One of the lighter-bodied wines of the evening. Very elegant and graceful. consistent throughout the evening. I ranked this 2nd Place.

It was the Doc's 1982 Château Figeac.



My Own Results:


1st Place - The Stockbroker's 1999 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia
2nd Place - The Doc's 1982 Figeac
3rd Place - My 1990 Pichon Longueville Baron
4th Place - The Vigneron's 1990 Cos d'Estournel


The Group's Official Results:




1st Place - The Vigneron's 1990 Cos d'Estournel with a landslide total of 26 points (4 votes for 1st place, 3 votes for 2nd Place, 0 votes for 3rd Place and 1 vote for 4th Place).

2nd Place - The Doc's 1982 Figeac with 19 points (1 vote for 1st Place, 2 votes for 2nd Place, 4 votes for 3rd Place and 1 vote for 4th Place).

3rd Place - The Stockbroker's 1999 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia with 18 points (1 vote for 1st Place, 3 votes for 2nd place, 1 vote for 3rd Place and 3 votes for 4th Place).

4th Place - My 1990 Pichon Longueville Baron with 17 points (2 votes for 1st Place, 0 votes for 2nd Place, 3 votes for 3rd Place and 3 votes for 4th Place).

The winner proclaimed and whatever tension there was dissipated, jokes started flying and raucous laughter ensued amongst good friends.


It was a lucky thing ours was the only table left by the time things got a bit rowdy....especially when the Doc lamented our "Yule-timate yoo-miliation" at the hands of the Vigneron....


And so it came to pass that the Vigneron once again carries the Crown back to Bordeaux for the coming year's end. Chapeau, my friend! A sound and convincing victory. Hail to the king.

Wednesday Wine Lunch: 11 November 2008.

Back at Je Suis Gourmand with the Stockbroker, JayLab and Johnny R. Chef Marc Aubry made us a special menu to go with the wines. Great thing about Marc is that all one need do is tell him a few days ahead of time what wines you will bring and he'll create the matching courses. For example, I named the two red Burgundies I'd bring and, since it is now autumn in France, he sourced some wild French duck for our main course. How can you beat that in this country?

All the wines were brought by me - a very small token of appreciation for the many times the Stockbroker hosted the wines from his considerable collection.

~ oOo ~

To start things off, with a couple of plates of Escargots à la Bourguignonne:

2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé - From Bandol in Provençe. I've written about this twice before (and have had it even more times than that), always praising it to high heavens. Today was no different. As I said before, many consider this the best rosé in the world. Alice Waters (world-renowned gourmet and chef/founder of Chez Panisse and Café Fanny) has been quoted as saying that Tempier's is the quintessential rosé. I heartily agree. Johnny and I named this the best wine of the lunch. Offered by Sommelier Selection at P2050 retail.

Johnny, after trying the wine before having it with the snails, noted that the snails, butter and herbs brought the fruit even more. I add that the wine delicately cut the butter and refreshed the palate between bites. Excellent pairing, if I do say so myself. My old notes:

An exquisitely pure and clear light pinkish salmon in color, it is a hell of a
pretty wine, one could drink it in with one's eyes. In the nose - and I've never
really bothered to pay much attention to any rosé's aroma before - was alluring
- like a light, cooling summer cologne. In the mouth, it is light and delicately
infused with a fine melange of fresh canteloupe, strawberry, bit of melon,
orange rind and the faintest whisper of lavender. Perfectly balanced. Ethereal.
Astounding. My poor descriptions fail to do it justice. It is, without any shred
of doubt, the best rosé I have ever had.

~ oOo ~

With Marc's signature Home-Made Terrine of Duck Foie Gras on Salad Greens:

2001 Domaine Bott-Geyl Pinot Gris Grand Cru "Sonnenglanz" Vendanges Tardives - From Alsace. "Vendanges Tardives" (VT) means "late harvest", connoting a touch of botrytis cinerea - short of being a full-fledged "Selection Grains Nobles (SGN). JayLab noted that the the German equivalent to a VT is "Auslese", while an SGN's German counterpart is "Beerenauslese". Last time I had this wine, I liked it a lot and didn't notice a great deal of botrytis influence. My notes then stated:

Good, solid, very ripe, rounded, mildly-honeyed fruit base with a
well-integrated nuttiness underneath, a touch of minerality and an alluring
ever-so-slight tanginess (which, to me, helped balance off the sweet ripeness of
this VT. Nice complexity if one pays proper respect and attention to it.

This time, it was much sweeter, more wild-honeyed and was much more mouth-coatingly viscous than I remembered it. Much more botrytised as well. I thought it could have used a bit more acid, freshness and lift for better balance. However, JayLab, who is much more into sweet wines than the rest of us, and the Stockbroker, who has a lot of experience with fine Sauternes under his belt, both deemed it the best wine of that lunch.

~ oOo ~

With a bowl of Sea Bass, Scallops and Clams in a lightly creamy sauce....

1999 Domaine Brocard Chablis Grand Cru "Les Clos" - Unfortunately, this bottle was badly oxidized and, thus, undrinkable. JayLab and the Stockbroker noticed it right away. I initially thought it was just too cold and that my palate was still out of whack (because of the previous viscous, sweet wine) and let it sit for a while. A few minutes later, I discarded the bottle, it tasted hideous. Such a pity, it was nice enough when I had it last. For whatever it may be worth, though, my old notes from this past 16th August were thus:

Plump but barely firm enough on the palate, with soft, ripe green apple and
pear, slight touches of lemon curd, oyster shell, minerals and vanilla. Nice
medium curves. Pretty good depth of fruit and complexity. The balance, however,
was just slightly above average, I felt it needed a bit more structure and
lifting acidity - but then I personally prefer the leaner, edgier premier crus
than richer, fuller grand crus. In all, pretty good....

~ oOo ~

With our main course of Roast Wild French Duck with Potatoes Dauphin, Mushrooms, Red Beet Purée and Red Cabbage, both wines served blind after a little over an hour in decanters:

2001 Lucien Boillot Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru "Les Pruliers" - Nuits-St-Georges (NSG) is an important town in the southern third of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits, just a few minutes drive south from Vosne-Romanée, which has its own appellation which includes the commune of Primeaux-Prissey. NSG wines are, generally, darkly intense, solidly structured, more masculine and tannic than many red Burgundies. "Les Pruliers" is a "premier cru" (the second highest rank in Burgundy wine heirarchy, the highest being "grand cru") designated tract of vineyards. As far as I know, there are no grand cru vineyards in NSG. The fruit of this particular wine, I understand, came from 70 year-old vines.

This wine openly displayed aromas of darkly spiced stewed prunes, sweetly ripe dark (almost dried) black fruit and baked fig, laced with sweet tea, craisin and woody nuances. In the mouth, it was firm, sturdy, slightly over medium-bodied, with cherry ("sour cherry with some raspberries" said Johnny) over dark berry compote, fig, bit of oak, minerals with touches of violets and camphor towards the back. Stylish, with deeply-veined fruit, it seemed relatively straightforward and more fruit-driven compared to the next wine. Noticably bigger tannins, but well-integrated. Johnny said that it seemed to him "more modern" than the....

2000 Jean-Jacques Confuron Clos Vougeot Grand Cru - As its name indicates, this wine is from the grand cru vineyards of Clos Vougeot in the town of Vougeot ("clos" indicates an enclosed, walled area), a short hop to the north of Vosne-Romanée, before hitting Morey St-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin. The picture of me is one taken by my wife as we were walking to Clos Vougeot on my left (idiot that I am, I insisted on parking down the street and the walk was longer than I anticipated).

Clos Vougeot is co-owned by over 80 different owners, the specific locations of the particular vines are, I've read, determinative of the quality of the wines produced. I understand that those of Confuron (1.23 acres = approx. ½ hectare) are ideally situated at the top of the clos, beside the Château Clos de Vougeot. If I recall correctly, the age of Confuron's vines in this clos is 46 years. Confuron's wines are manually harvested (organic since 1990) and fermented 60%-80% in new barrels. Production of their Clos Vougeot is under 200 cases per year. No fining or filtration is performed.

This wine was the preferred red of Johnny and, I think, JayLab. I found it suave, earthy, broad, medium-bodied, leather and lightly truffle nuanced, dark berries/fruit, red beet and cranberry undertones, with some raspberry and kirsch on top. Nice complexity, delicate layering and comparative finesse in this. What struck me most is that it was loaded with flavors but not at all heavy on the palate. Nice one, if I may say so myself; skilfully crafted to successful results for the vintage.


I really enjoy serving wines blind. The idea is not for people to identify the wines, but to be able to discuss and evaluate them without pre-conceived notions, preferences or prejudice which nobody can be totally free of. The discussions over this lunch were animated, enjoyable and stimulating.

With cream and fruit dessert, we revisited with the 2001 Bott-Geyl Pinot Gris Grand Cru Sonnenglanz VT, complimentary glasses of Green Chartreuse thereafter, and, in closing, some double espressos and a few parting stories.

Many thanks, Marc, for the meal, and to you, guys, for sharing your time and company (not to mention paying for my lunch).

Twice at Ciçou with Sommelier Selection's Wines.

My wife and I and a group of our friends (making up a table of 20) were present at the absolutely jam-packed maiden voyage of Ciçou during Jérome Philippon's 3rd Annual France Wine Festival last 22nd October. Like in all the other restaurants involved in said annual event, the chef, Cyrille, composed a special menu for the occasion (the "Festival Dinner").

During the Festival Dinner, L-R: William, Johnson and Mike T.

On the 5th November, half of us returned for a somewhat smaller, more intimate dinner, this time to sample the fare off what is to be their regular menu (the "Private Dinner"). It is always good to get a balanced presentation of a restaurant, I believe.

During the Private Dinner, L-R: Jérome, Mike T., my wife, Louie, Ken, Lisa, Jay and Lance

~ Welcome Drink with the Amuse Bouche ~

Festival Dinner:

Champagne Drappier Carte d’Or (Non-Vintage) - With the amuse bouche. This was the same opening bubbly as that served at the Festival's initial dinner at Je Suis Gourmand. my notes then, still consistent of course, were as follows:

I first tried this champagne in June of 2007 at a dinner in Château Léoville
Poyferré and found it too tight, linear and citrusy then. Last Wednesday,
however, it was clean, fresh, exuberant, generously frothy with nice heft, a
pronounced creamy mid-palate (predominantly pinot noir with just a little
chardonnay and pinot meunier thrown in) that picks up slight brioche notes
towards the back. Very nice, I liked it so much as an apéritif that I bought
some for the pre-birthday dinner that my brother and I hosted for our dad last
night. Reasonably priced champagne at P3275 per bottle.

L-R: Felix, Angeline, Mike W., Lisa and Ken

Private Dinner:

2002 Champagne Drappier Grande Sendrée - with a palate-priming, light, cool amuse bouche of Beetroot Gazpacho with Dry Yellowfin Tuna Saffron Espuma. Drappier's tête de cuvée, made only in good vintages, from fruit of older vines I believe.

Evidently more complex in the nose (it's a vintage champagne after all) than the first mentioned bubbly, with lively and very pure notes of delicate white fruits,nuance of small white flowers, laced with whispers of citrus, the slightest hint of bread and a touch of minerality.

In the mouth, it is also comparatively more complex, with noticeable additional body mid-palate, yet still very light on its feet. Flavors of pear, white stone fruit, slight nuance of ripe grapefruit and bread. Delicately layered. Very refined, elegant performance. Well priced for special occasions at P5070 per bottle at retail.

~ Initial Course ~

Festival Dinner: Duck Liver Cooked in Madiran Red Wine, Crispy Pain de Campagne, Ginger Bread and Marmalade of Pomelos paired with...

2003 Domaine de la Bongran Viré Clessé Cuvée Tradition EJT - Viré Clessé is an appellation in the Mâconnais area of Burgundy (south of the Côte de Beaune) which has, lately, been garnering a lot of attention and praise for its reasonably-priced, terroir-driven, mostly organically-made wines. At the forefront of this terroir-ist movement is a group of sixteen winegrowers who call themselves "les Artisans Vignerons de Bourgogne du Sud", spear-headed by Jean Thévenet, reputedly the best maker in the area.

Domaine de la Bongran is the Thévenet flagship, a 9-hectare estate located in the town of Quintaine that has been in the Thévenet family since the early 15th century, the vines if which average 55 years of age. Three cuvées are produced in Bongran, the Cuvée Tradition being their traditional, dry, rich chardonnay-based wine (the other two bottlings involve increasing influence of botrytis cinerea). 2003 as I've written several times before, was a hot, ripe vintage.

This wine was served just slightly cooler than the restaurant's air-conditioned temperature. This, in my opinion, is actually better for an analytical/evaluative wine tasting ("academic tasting" I call it) - good minerality, ripely-sweetish fruit with tropical character but well-balanced in acid. Good breadth and heft mid-palate, expands with slight creaminess towards the back, nice confident finish.

Good show (not surprising as I've had this wine before and already knew it was good), but, since I was not out that night for academic tasting, I would have liked it a bit better chilled to go with the foie. The members of the International Wine & Food Society's Ladies Branch contingent appeared to enjoy it fine though - their glasses looked nicely chilled. P2415 per bottle at Sommelier Selection.

Private Dinner: A particularly delicious Marinated Filet of Fresh Sardines, Goat Cheese on Warm Farmer’s Bread, Tapenade and Herb Mesclun (most of us felt this to be the best dish of the night) beautifully executed - deft, simple, honest unpretentious - emphasizing the quality of the ingredients used. Loved it (will definitely come back for more of this), especially paired with:

2005 Michel Redde Blanc Fumé de Pouilly "Les Bois de Saint-Andelain" - Great freshness, purity, minerality in this 100% sauvignon blanc from the Loire. For a 2005 (also a richly ripe hot vintage), it showed excellent balance - a testament to the winemaking skills of Michel Redde et Fils. - transcending vintage dictates. Solid structure, good ripe fruit, but all buttressed, brightened and kept in check by its acidity.

Very confident wine. I liked the flintiness that shines through the fruit. Nuances of citrus, white peach and white flowers. This is a hefty sauv blanc with a decidedly rounder, fleshier texture than many Loire whites I am used to (the vintage expressing itself for sure). As I've previously stated, however, it was fresh and precisely balanced - the acidity giving the needed brightness and lift to the ripe vintage characteristics. Harmonious wine. Definitely a buy for me at P2395 per bottle.

~ Soup Course and Second Course~

Festival Dinner: With Prawn Bisque and Sea Urchin Fan, and, Roasted Local Sea Bass in Red Wine & Lime Sauce, Oyster & Geen Cabbage Ravioli:

2005 Domaine Robert-Denogent Pouilly-Fuissé "Les Reisses" - Medium-bodied, pure, lush chardonnay, slight minerality, with notable focus. Mild honeyed notes surface in the fruit after time in the glass - added heft as well. Notably bigger, riper and heftier than the 2003 Viré Clessé above mentioned. Again, served at a temperature good for academic tasting, but not quite chilled enough otherwise.

The local sea bass dish, while good enough on its own, paled in comparison to those others served at the Festival Dinner in my opinion - one shared by almost everybody I spoke to who was there.

I, personally, found the prawn bisque with the sea urchin flan noteworthy, as did most everyone else. The flan could have been just a little lighter and smoother, but, over-all, it was a successful dish, one that I virtually finished in a single gulp. P2230 per bottle.

Private Dinner: Oeuf Cocotte with Mashed Watercress & Bread Mouillette. I was very happy to see this course as this simple dish is very comforting to me and a favorite of my wife ever since she had it in Ducasse's 1930s-styled Aux Lyonnaise in Paris. Jérome reminded me that I had mentioned our fondness for oeuf cocotte to him and Cyrille during the Festival Night, so Cyrille squeezed it into the Private Dinner - the only dish not on their regular menu. That was very thoughtful of him and we are most grateful for it. With this dish was paired:

2005 Domaine Colinot (Anita, Jean-Pierre & Stéphanie) Irancy Vieilles Vignes - I drove past Irancy while in Yonne, visiting, mainly, the old town of Auxerre. Irancy is very close to Chablis (under 20 kms. west by south west) and it is very easy for a non-wine-tourist not to notice it. Domaine Colinot is a family domaine (like most in Burgundy to my mind) with a total of 12.5 hectares of vineyards, whose wines appear on the cartes du vins of illustrious establishments such as La Tour d'Argent and Hôtel de Crillon.

Like many in Irancy, this pinot noir has some césar (a traditional grape in Irancy introduced by the Romans in the 11th century) in the blend which reputedly intensifies its color and bolsters structure for better age-worthiness. Be it as it may, in what little experience I have had with Irancy reds, I have found them to be comparatively more delicate (in body and structure) and rustic (in flavor) than those of the Côte d'Or - certainly not what I would consider particularly age-worthy.

Well, this wine was an eye-opener in that it certainly seemed like it could age for a respectable amount of time (but, then, this is a vieilles vignes, i.e., old vines, from 2005). Still quite young and primary, it displays aromas and flavors of ripe dark fruit and spices with tinges of cherry and raspberry. Its youthfulness, no doubt, adds to its rustic palate-feel and finish. The fruit definitely has good depth, though, and the structure is quite solid - the best structured Irancy I've ever tried - only Jérome could hunt a wine like this down for the Philippine market. Only P1515 per bottle from his Sommelier Selection.

As to the pairing, I, personally do not drink red with eggs as I find that the pairing makes the wine taste a bit metallic. I sipped a bit of it with the dish and, thereafter, saved my glass for after I had finished eating and rinsed my mouth out with water. I liked it much better alone.

~ Main Course ~

Festival Dinner: Veal Rack en Cocotte with a Gratin of Pasta, Duck Liver and Truffle and Wild Mushrooms - personally, I found this the best dish of the Festival Dinner in terms of flavors - though robustly earthy, they were married delicately and came off as not heavy at all on the palate. The veal was also cooked perfectly tender and succulent. This was paired with:

2000 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon "Croix Boisée" - This is from the appellation of Chinon, located in the Loire, where the reds are primarily made of cabernet franc (incidentally, the major grape of choice, along with merlot, of no less than Château Cheval Blanc). I remember having told Jérome that, after spending many days tasting through the Loire, I did not like a single red I tried there (the whites, though, are excellent) - finding them aggressively herbaceous, tannic and lacking in body.

With an open mind, though, I sipped this before eating, and, sure enough, it was quite forwardly herbaceous in its dominant ripe blackcurrants, cherry flavors. Also present were typical notes of violets and, more in the nose, black pepper. Admittedly, it had better heft and confidence than any red Loire I had previously tried, but I still found the middle a bit weak.

The wine's magic, however, was in the pairing. With the deliciously earthy veal, the wine fleshed out and even expanded mid-mouth. The notes of violets rode a swelling blackcurrant river that paired hand-in-hand with the meat, and the black pepper found its place with the duck liver's touch of richness. The wine's transformation, when taken with the dish, was nothing short of astounding. Excellent pairing. Bravo! Reasonably priced at P2435 per bottle.

Private Dinner: With a well-executed Roasted Lamb Filet Coated with Herbs, Raviolis of Braised Shoulder à l’Oriental:

2006 Domaine Tempier Bandol Cuvée Classique - I've writtenabout this star of Provençe a few weeks ago, at a wine lunch with Jérome and other friends that lasted 7 hours. Then, as now:

Made up of mainly mourvèdre grapes with some grenache, cinsault and a touch of carignan from the different estate vineyards, this is Tempier's basic bottling. Poured straight in to the glass, it is full, masculine and unabashed, loaded with sturdily structured ripe-roasted dark plum, blackberries, cassis, very subtle black coffee and meaty undertones, pepper, anise, violets, lavender, thyme and rosemary. Admirable harmony and balance, with a discreet earthiness/meatiness that will probably surface more after a couple of years in bottle.

There is, naturally, a bit of heat at the start which subsides with aeration. Good push and length. Enjoyable now with food and a bit of aeration, with very good future potential as well.

Tonji and I later on discussed how surprisingly enjoyable it was with the food though still very young. Though it will surely gain in complexity with age, this was already very enjoyable to have with our robust, earthy main course. A reasonable P2520 per bottle from Sommelier Selection, an affordable way to get a sample of Provençe.

~ Cheese Course ~

Festival Dinner: With a visually attractive dish of Shavings of Goat Cheese, Pear Cooked in Sweet Wine and Mint Salad that featured a bit too much fruit and mint flavors that, consequently, over-shadowed the cheese:

2006 Domaine Lapalu Beaujolais Villages "Le Rang du Merle" - As far as I can tell, "Le Rang du Merle" means "The Row of Blackbirds" - the significance of which is totally lost on me. Probably something to do with the vineyards, I really don't know. I do, however, know, that this wine, is made up of gamay (the major grape of Beaujolais reds). Beaujolais is in the southern portion of Burgundy, though, strangely, nobody seems to consider it or refer to it as a Burgundian wine. I've never been there, but, from Jérome and Robert Burroughes, I know it is on the way on a drive from Beaune to Lyon.

This wine was, like Lapalu's Brouilly (pronounced: broo-yee) "La Croix des Rameaux", fuller, deeper, rounder and more expansive than any other Beaujolais I have ever had (fresh, light, fruity and can't age well). This, I guess, comes from older vines than the ones I've tried as the fruit seems deeper-veined. A comparatively more masculine Beaujolais, it is, nontheless, still very accessible, user-friendly and easy to drink.

There is also a gaminess to it I have never before detected in any other Beaujolais I've had (even Lapalu's own afore-mentioned Brouilly). Given that gaminess, I could easily see why Jérome paired it with the goat cheese as it was complementary, the wines round, dark fruitiness acting somewhat like the accompanying compote favored in Bordeaux and Spain.

Robert, who used to part-own and operate a negoçiant business in Beaujolais also noted that it was quite unlike those fresh, light, fruity reds from the area. Different, surely, said he, atypical of Beaujolais reds as he knows them, but added that he quite liked this wine and would happily drink more of it in the future. P2420 per bottle.

Private Dinner: With a delicious Brie de Meaux Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Cream, Nuts and Dried Fruits, we continued with the 2006 Domaine Tempier Bandol Cuvée Classique, the afore-mentioned "discreet earthiness/meatiness" of which went hand-in-glove with that of the cheese. Lovely dish and lovely pairing.

I must add (admittedly, in part to fill up some space in lieu of wine notes, so as to balance off the picture on the left) that I have grown quite fond of the French dining practise of having a small salad at nearing the end of the meal, with the cheese course or separately. I find that it somehow refreshes the palate after a meat course and heavier red wine. In addition, it also seems to make the stomach feel less full and aids in digestion. I may be imagining things in that regard, but, there you go.

~ Desserts ~

We had the same dessert wine in both the Festival and Private Dinners. At the former, dessert was Chocolate Milles Feuilles, Ganache and Mousse; while at the latter, it was a dish of Roasted Pineapple and Flamed Light Cream of Rum. With both these desserts, we all very much enjoyed the 1998 Domaine du Petit Paris Monbazillac Cuvée Grains Nobles.

I have always liked this wine have served it several times to friends and have recommended it to many as well. It is a wonderful dessert wine that marries very well with crème brûlée, tart tatin, pan-seared foie gras, etc. I've written about it in the past, and my notes have been consistent the past 2+ years. A steal at P1820 per 500ml bottle:

Another recommendation by Jerome Philippon that did not disappoint. I was
looking for a moderately-priced alternative to Sauternes to serve for dinners at
home for 10 or more guests. I also wanted one that I could reduce with balsamico
for a sauce for seared foie gras. Jerome really stepped up to the plate on this
one.

A beautiful medium-dark gold/amber, nice viscosity to its mildly
floral candied apricots, orange marmalade, honey with notes of lemon bouquet
which held true in the mouth. Good underlying acidity, nice heft mid-mouth and
an elegant finish. Very Sauternaise, it would have fooled me if tasted blind. At
the equivalent of only US$42 (current rate of exchange) and its ready
availability in Manila, it's a no-brainer.

The Private Dinner was topped off by a simply beautiful looking espresso with absolutely delicious mini Napoleones, Honey Madeleines and Chocolate Ganache Millefeuille with Crispy Chorizo. Napoleons happen to be one of my favorite pastries and Madelines are one of my wife's favorites as well. They remind me so much of France. I hope Cyrille can make me some nice macarons as the ones commercially sold in Manila, while they are better than nothing, are always a bit too sweet.

The Chocolate and Ganache Millefeuille with Crispy Chorizo (I ate the ones in front of and nearby me before I could take a proper picture) was strange to many, but I liked it - reminded me of the chocolatey, spicy and vaguely salty Mexican chocolate tablets a Mexican college friend of mine used to give me.

This wine dinner was an absolute hit with everyone. I was even happier to know that all the dishes served at the Private Dinner, unlike those of the Festival Menu, shall form part of Ciçou's regular menu when it formally opens on the 15th of this month. I have, as early as now, already requested a dinner reservation for later this month.

Many thanks, Jérome, Cyrille and Anna, for all the wonderful food, wine and company.