Christophe Daviau (Domaine de Bablut)
Saturday April 23rd, Sunday 24th and Monday 25th: Portes Ouvertes Domaine de Bablut, Brissac-Quincé
Showing posts with label Christophe Daviau. Show all posts
Cheers with a glass of Régis Neau's Crémant de Loire
RSJ's 30th Anniversary Dinner
Monday 11th October 2010
Monday 11th October 2010
RSJ's upstairs restaurant was packed last night for this celebratory dinner. The kitchen marshalled by veteran chef, Ian Stabler, were on top form. Also all the wines showed well with some particular stars.
Ian Stabler keeping a customary low profile but certainly producing the goods
Aperitif:
Crémant de Loire, Domaine de Nerleux, Régis Neau
Régis is one of the producers we have worked with for many years. His softly delicious Crémant is 70% Chenin and 30% Chardonnay and spends two years on its lees.
White:
Interesting that all three whites come from what are often termed difficult vintages. This is a reminder that the best dry white Loires often come from the cooler summers.
Tian of Cornish crab
watercress, crostini
Sancerre ‘La Perpétuelle’, Claude & Laurent Champault
This was a fascinating treat and probably the first time that La Perpétuelle has been drunk in the UK. This is made by the solera system, better known for its use in sherry. Claude and Laurent have just one 600 litre barrel of this wine, which they started in 1995 – filling it with 1995 red Sancerre (Pinot Noir). In 1996 they took a third out and bottled it, topping the barrel up with 1996 Sancerre red. Unlike in sherry they keep the barrel topped up to prevent oxidation. Just 280 bottles of this wine are produced a year. Our thanks to Claude and Laurent for their generous gift.
30 years in The Good Food Guide
RSJ Restaurant, 33 Coin Street, London SE1 9NR. Tel: 020-7928 4554.
Régis is one of the producers we have worked with for many years. His softly delicious Crémant is 70% Chenin and 30% Chardonnay and spends two years on its lees.
White:
1993 Montlouis Sec, Dominique Moyer
This was the big surprise of the night. Still very youthful, clean floral, buttery flavours with long, precise finish. Developed well in the glass. Was a fine match with the crab.
1998 Saumur Blanc, ‘Les Cormiers’ Jean-Pierre Chevallier
From one of our favourite Loire producers, this was more golden than the 1993 Montlouis and richer, fine but not the best match with the crab.
2004 Pouilly Fume ‘Pur Sang’ [Magnum] Didier Dagueneau
A sad reminder of how good a producer the late Didier Dagueneau was, this had lovely clean, precision and minerally length. A very good match with the crab.
This was the big surprise of the night. Still very youthful, clean floral, buttery flavours with long, precise finish. Developed well in the glass. Was a fine match with the crab.
1998 Saumur Blanc, ‘Les Cormiers’ Jean-Pierre Chevallier
From one of our favourite Loire producers, this was more golden than the 1993 Montlouis and richer, fine but not the best match with the crab.
2004 Pouilly Fume ‘Pur Sang’ [Magnum] Didier Dagueneau
A sad reminder of how good a producer the late Didier Dagueneau was, this had lovely clean, precision and minerally length. A very good match with the crab.
Interesting that all three whites come from what are often termed difficult vintages. This is a reminder that the best dry white Loires often come from the cooler summers.
Tian of Cornish crab
watercress, crostini
Red:
1999 Chinon, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine de la Perrière, Christophe Baudry
Another star of the evening – soft and wonderfully delicate red fruits, 1999 was initially an unheralded vintage that is now showing very well. A really classic Chinon that showed really well with the duck.
1989 Anjou Villages, Vincent Ogereau
In contrast to 1999, this was a very hot year – a glorious summer and autumn to celebrate the bicentennary of the French Revolution. This had richer fruit – leather, spice and fig.
Another star of the evening – soft and wonderfully delicate red fruits, 1999 was initially an unheralded vintage that is now showing very well. A really classic Chinon that showed really well with the duck.
1989 Anjou Villages, Vincent Ogereau
In contrast to 1999, this was a very hot year – a glorious summer and autumn to celebrate the bicentennary of the French Revolution. This had richer fruit – leather, spice and fig.
Sancerre ‘La Perpétuelle’, Claude & Laurent Champault
This was a fascinating treat and probably the first time that La Perpétuelle has been drunk in the UK. This is made by the solera system, better known for its use in sherry. Claude and Laurent have just one 600 litre barrel of this wine, which they started in 1995 – filling it with 1995 red Sancerre (Pinot Noir). In 1996 they took a third out and bottled it, topping the barrel up with 1996 Sancerre red. Unlike in sherry they keep the barrel topped up to prevent oxidation. Just 280 bottles of this wine are produced a year. Our thanks to Claude and Laurent for their generous gift.
Gressingham duck breast & confit leg,
Hisby cabbage, carrots, boulangere potatoes
Red wine jus
Sweet wine:
9] 2005 Coteaux de l’Aubance ‘Grandpierre’, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau
Christophe is another producer we have worked with for many years. This sweet wine is richly citric, with some luscious concentration and the mineral character that marks the single-vineyard, Grandpierre. Although it held its own reasonably well with the dessert, this is still probably best drunk on its own.
Apple & hazelnut torte
30 years in The Good Food Guide
RSJ Restaurant, 33 Coin Street, London SE1 9NR. Tel: 020-7928 4554.
2002 Chinon Blanc, Christophe Baudry
Time for a round up of recent bottles starting with this very attractive 2002 Chinon Blanc from Christophe Baudry, which must have been made prior to the tie up with Domaine de la Roncée and the founding of Baudry-Dutour. Nicely evolved with honey and tufa (the aromas of a dry, clean limestone cellar), this has the typical balance of the 2002 vintage. Enjoyed it as an apéro over several nights and if anything it got better and fuller with time.
2007 Les Millerands, Côte Roannaise, Domaine Robert Sérol
Two reds from Domaine Robert Sérol that I visited last August. The 2008 Cuvée Troigros (name of the famous 3-star Michelin restaurant in nearby Roanne) is a typical easy drinking Gamay, which can be drunk on its own or with a light lunch. Rather mistakenly I tried with a magret de canard and as I should have realised it was too light for the duck. Les Millerands, even though it was a 2007, would have been better as it has more structure but we had opened that a couple of nights previously with cold chicken – a good match.
2008 Cuvée Troigros, Domaine Robert Sérol
2008 Touraine Sauvignon, Antoine Simoneau
Antoine Simoneau is a family estate in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. This 2008 has a few grams of residual sugar that rounds the wine out making attractive and easy to drink with ripe grassy and goseberry scents.The domaines whites tend to be more successful than the reds. Unfortuntaely there is a reliance on the use of weedkillers, which in some vineyards with a slight slope causes some erosion. It would be good to see a reduction in their use.
2003 Anjou Villages, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau
Domaine de Bablut in Brissac-Quincé is biodynamic and this rich and powerful 2003 is very typical of this heatwave vintage. Lot of concentrated black fruits giving the impression of coming from somewhere well to the south of the Loire. Still very much on good form and looks to be good for a number more years.
