Jay Miller
Jay Miller
This and the Grand Tasting were the only two events I attended.
The format of this event was that 4 sommeliers were given a single dish - in this case Fluke Grenobloise with lemon, brown butter and crispy capers prepared at Rebelle - and asked to choose a Champagne to accompany it. They would then discuss their choice and their general philosophy in pairing Champagne with food (or vice versa). Seeing that both Patrick Capiello and Pascaline Lepeltier would be among the somms made this a must-attend for me.
We all tasted the Champagnes first before the food, then the food alone, then the Champagnes with the food. This turned out to be a very enjoyable way to experience both the wine and the dish. We had the chance to pay attention to each of the wines and how they developed and changed with the food (not much of an option at the Grand Tasting to follow).
1. Marie-Courtin Eloquence Brut Blanc de Blancs (Base 2011)
Selected by Pascaline Lepeltier (Rouge Tomate)
Very nice nose, bright, slightly appley, subtle undertones of brioche.
Palate is a skillful interplay of flavors, a shy wine but lovely.
Interestingly, alone among the Champagnes this really elevated the food to another level. Like a perfect host, it stepped aside and made the dish shine. I felt that the wine seemed a touch less complex during the pairing, a touch lusher, still lovely.
I was very glad to have the chance to taste this wine again. After reading high praise for MC I tried the Resonance twice and wasn't very impressed. I tried the Eloquence once at a dinner and loved it but had pretty much forgotten about it until this and the grand tasting reminded me of how much I liked it. Now it's a wine I will seek out. Only reinforced at the Grand Tasting later.
2. Chartogne-Taillet, "Heurtebise" Brut Blanc de Blancs NV (2008)
Selected by Jeff Kellog (Maialino)
More reserved and less complex nose than the Marie Courtin.
Stronger and rougher on the palate, my note reads "really needs food"
As I expected, with the food the Champagne becomes deeper and matches very well. In this case the dish elevates the wine from simple and uninspiring to something very good.
3. Ulysse Collin "Les Maillons" Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut NV (2011)
selected by Patrick Capiello (Rebelle)
I maintain that Patrick had an unfair advantage given that the dish came from his restaurant :).
Beautiful nose, hints of sea breeze, air before the rain and autumn undergrowth. Absolutely beautiful.
The wine soars with this dish. I'll name it my favorite though I spoke with several people who had the Marie Courtin as their favorite and I certainly understand that point of view. Despite the zero dosage it displays great richness.
4. Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose NV
selected by Raj Vaidya (Daniel)
Pleasant, a bit rough on the nose. On the palate, again,pleasant, round, really suffers in comparison to the other wines which make it seem a bit clumsy.
A nice pairing, I wouldn't say either was really improved by the other but they match well.
My grand tasting notes will take a bit longer.
The format of this event was that 4 sommeliers were given a single dish - in this case Fluke Grenobloise with lemon, brown butter and crispy capers prepared at Rebelle - and asked to choose a Champagne to accompany it. They would then discuss their choice and their general philosophy in pairing Champagne with food (or vice versa). Seeing that both Patrick Capiello and Pascaline Lepeltier would be among the somms made this a must-attend for me.
We all tasted the Champagnes first before the food, then the food alone, then the Champagnes with the food. This turned out to be a very enjoyable way to experience both the wine and the dish. We had the chance to pay attention to each of the wines and how they developed and changed with the food (not much of an option at the Grand Tasting to follow).
1. Marie-Courtin Eloquence Brut Blanc de Blancs (Base 2011)
Selected by Pascaline Lepeltier (Rouge Tomate)
Very nice nose, bright, slightly appley, subtle undertones of brioche.
Palate is a skillful interplay of flavors, a shy wine but lovely.
Interestingly, alone among the Champagnes this really elevated the food to another level. Like a perfect host, it stepped aside and made the dish shine. I felt that the wine seemed a touch less complex during the pairing, a touch lusher, still lovely.
I was very glad to have the chance to taste this wine again. After reading high praise for MC I tried the Resonance twice and wasn't very impressed. I tried the Eloquence once at a dinner and loved it but had pretty much forgotten about it until this and the grand tasting reminded me of how much I liked it. Now it's a wine I will seek out. Only reinforced at the Grand Tasting later.
2. Chartogne-Taillet, "Heurtebise" Brut Blanc de Blancs NV (2008)
Selected by Jeff Kellog (Maialino)
More reserved and less complex nose than the Marie Courtin.
Stronger and rougher on the palate, my note reads "really needs food"
As I expected, with the food the Champagne becomes deeper and matches very well. In this case the dish elevates the wine from simple and uninspiring to something very good.
3. Ulysse Collin "Les Maillons" Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut NV (2011)
selected by Patrick Capiello (Rebelle)
I maintain that Patrick had an unfair advantage given that the dish came from his restaurant :).
Beautiful nose, hints of sea breeze, air before the rain and autumn undergrowth. Absolutely beautiful.
The wine soars with this dish. I'll name it my favorite though I spoke with several people who had the Marie Courtin as their favorite and I certainly understand that point of view. Despite the zero dosage it displays great richness.
4. Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose NV
selected by Raj Vaidya (Daniel)
Pleasant, a bit rough on the nose. On the palate, again,pleasant, round, really suffers in comparison to the other wines which make it seem a bit clumsy.
A nice pairing, I wouldn't say either was really improved by the other but they match well.
My grand tasting notes will take a bit longer.