Artful Burgundies w/multi-course dinner...

P

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey
Multi-course dinner with mostly Burgundy wines.

RECEPTION:

Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve NV -- Nice bubbles, straight-laced, subtle, round and firm, some toastiness, apples/hazelnuts. [VG]

Les Heritiers des Comtes Lafon Macon-Uchizy Les Maranches '05 -- Light yellow, citrus, apple, crisp, stones, some earth, medium-bodied, ample acidity, clean and correct. [VG - E]

Both wines served with (no photos):
Oeuf de Caille Mimosa au Caviar
Cornet de Thon Ahi et Tuilles au grains de Sesame sur Creme de Wasabi
Cornet de Fromage Ouray et Ratatouille de Courges

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DINNER:

Domaine Boyer-Martenot Puligny-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru '01 -- Medium yellow/gold, tight profile, minerals, floral notes, good weight/texture, clean, fresh, young. [E]

Served with Croustillant de Prosciutto en Salade et Fromage de Chevre accompagne d'un balsamic de Figues Confites, rehaussee de Betteraves et Echalottes Caramelisees...

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Maison Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules 1er Cru '06 -- Medium ruby, raspberries/cherries/red fruits, light spicy wood, earthy complexity, medium weight, became forthcoming, tannins buffered. [E]

Served with Saumon en Croute de Cumin au Beurre d'Agrumes et Pommes de Terre Ciboulette...

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Domaine Rene Engel Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru '01 -- Medium ruby, black fruits, animal tones, concentrated and integrated, nice purity of dark fruits, leather and truffles, soft tannins, delicious dried cherries. [E]

Served with Selle d'Agneaus et Blette au Champignons de Saison, Assortiment de Legumes-Racine, Sautes a l'Essence de Thym...

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Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru '00 -- Healthy pale yellow, gorgeous features, concentration with nimbleness, minerals, medium acidity, crisp richness, textbook Corton-Charlemagne. [E]

Plateau de Fromages Francais Artisanaux (St Nectaire Affine, Tomme d'Acquitaine, et Brillat Savarin)...

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Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume '04 -- Light crystal yellow, high-toned fruits, floral nuances, not cloying or syrupy, acid in balance, peaches, some spice for complexity, delicious. [E]

Served with Mignardises: Pistaches Roties, Pudding de Chocolat Fondant, Truffes au Chocolat, Biscuits Florentin, Tartelette Chaude au Citron, Givre d'Amaretto, Gauffres aux Nois

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Thumbnail photos are clickable for enlargements...



. . . . . . Pete
 
Does anyone have an opinion as to serving the Corton-Charlemagne with the cheese course after two red wines with the prior courses?

I heard a few people speak in favor of the idea. And other people spoke against it...some rather strongly.

The Bouchard Corton-Charlemage '00 was really fine. However, serving it in this fashion pretty much negated its fineness in my view.

I'm curious if there might be a consensus pro or con.

. . . . . . Pete
 
As you probably know, whites after reds is a fairly common progression in Burgundy... makes sense, the whites are often bigger wines.
But Corton Charlemagne isn't really what I think of as a cheese white - too chiseled. Something in the Montrachet family seems more appropriate to me.
 
I almost always prefer a white wine with most cheeses, and have no problem drinking a white after reds. Eat a little bread, a sip of water, get a fresh glass and drink the white wine, no big deal to me.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
As you probably know, whites after reds is a fairly common progression in Burgundy... makes sense, the whites are often bigger wines.
But Corton Charlemagne isn't really what I think of as a cheese white - too chiseled. Something in the Montrachet family seems more appropriate to me.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure its red before white with Jura too.
Lately demi sec chenin with cheese has been my favorite, depending on the cheese.
 
originally posted by Marc D:
I almost always prefer a white wine with most cheeses, and have no problem drinking a white after reds. Eat a little bread, a sip of water, get a fresh glass and drink the white wine, no big deal to me.
Click to expand...

originally posted by Marc D:
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
As you probably know, whites after reds is a fairly common progression in Burgundy... makes sense, the whites are often bigger wines.
But Corton Charlemagne isn't really what I think of as a cheese white - too chiseled. Something in the Montrachet family seems more appropriate to me.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure its red before white with Jura too.
Lately demi sec chenin with cheese has been my favorite, depending on the cheese.
Click to expand...

Marc D is a genius. I agree with everything he said in both posts.
 
Thanks for the feedback.

I'm surprised that the vote, thus far at least, is a majority, not to mention unanimous, in favor of white Burgundy with the cheese course of this dinner.

My prejudices are probably in full force. No question that Corton-Charlemagnes, including the subject Bouchard, can be terrific; however, no matter how fine white wines may be, they tend to be pigmentally challenged...at least in my view.

I agree that the best wine should normally be served with the cheese course. In this case, to me, this means a red Burgundy. And personally, I prefer the greater impact of red wines to go with most cheeses.

I concede I may need to rethink the magnitude of my convictions on all of this.

Thanks again for the responses!

. . . . . Pete
 
Unless the cheese course is single-cheese and chosen specifically for its synergy with the red you want to serve, one or more of the cheeses will almost always conflict with/obliterate any single wine. I can't understand serving "the best wine" in such a situation.

Orange wine with the multivariate cheese course. Or sweet, if you'd instead prefer the wine to obliterate most of the cheeses except the blues. But if you must choose between white and red Burgundy, then yes: the white.

To be honest, I also don't understand the reluctance to follow reds with whites. It's not like you're chasing a just-swallowed sip of one with the other. There's mitigating time and food. What's the fear? If you care most about the pairing, then care about the pairing and serve the best wine/food match you can. If what you care most about is an ascending progression of wine weight, then arrange the food to fit. And if what you care most about is an ascending progression of food richness, then arrange the wine to fit. But if these three desires are in conflict, you have to let go of the ones that are causing the conflict, or you're accepting compromises for the sake of...what, exactly? Hyper-rigidity? Gastronomic religiosity?

There's also the path of non-concern, but that doesn't seem to be on the table.
 
I have often heard it said that it is conventional that the best wine be served with the cheese course. And this is compatible with my preferences also.

For wine-oriented events, whether they be tastings or dinners, I prefer to proceed toward the greater quality and drama as the event unfolds. To me this means proceeding toward usually older, finer, more mature red wines.

After hearing recent opinions, including the ones expressed here, in favor of white wines with a late cheese course, I'll try to soften my prejudices and maintain a more open mind.

. . . . . Pete
 
I have often heard it said that it is conventional that the best wine be served with the cheese course.
Click to expand...
So it's your opinion that, say, Cabrales, Humboldt Fog, Idiazabal, and Munster are all compatible with the flavor profile with any single wine? Really? Because that's fascinating. It's like serving raw fluke, foie gras, kale, and serranos stuffed with camel loin and opining that one wine will do for all of them.

I'm also curious what you do if the "best wine" is a riesling. Or a vin jaune. Or a Champagne. Or does that never, ever, ever, ever, ever happen?

For wine-oriented events, whether they be tastings or dinners, I prefer to proceed toward the greater quality and drama as the event unfolds.
Click to expand...
Well, there's certainly drama in uncorking a carefully-aged, delicate, complex wine and pummeling it into Dadaism with an incompatible cheese. So I'll give you that.
 
hmmm, wish I knew the name of the cheese my friend just smuggled home from Burgundy because he's bringing it to my house friday night and said it would serve well as the cheese to pair with a fig/walnut loaf from a local baker (fwiw, he said it was described as "mustardy" - and note that my friend is half french, his wife is french, they are in france all the time and he'd never had the cheese so from that I'm inferring the cheese isn't well-known). I'd love to get views on what wine to serve with it as I suspect we'll have drained the already opened bottles ('90 CFE VT with the butternut squash soup made with guanciale, 93 Confuron RSV and Bachelet Charmes with the bone-in pork loin roast). Should I open a huet le mont demi (I have 02 and 08)? I had been thinking of opening a '79 voillot fremiets (recently ex-cellar) but perhaps I should go white with a bit of r.s. Thoughts?
 
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