Lunch in Paris

[tim]

SF Ed was visiting Paris this week, and we were able to catch up with Francois and his friend and wine enthusiast Luc for lunch.

I arranged the reservation at Le Gaigne, where I have gone with other visitors. I had delivered my wine the day before, and Francois arrived early to open our wines ahead of time, as per the Audouze method.

Unfortunately I was late caught in traffic, but they were kind enough to wait for me before pouring the first wines. I am not as good with notes as others, but I will do my best:

We started off with a 69 Waris & Chenayer Blanc de Blancs. This was a gorgeous Champagne, fully mature, still quite a few bubbles. On the mouth it was nutty and creamy, and the taste seemed to linger on and on. We had quite a discussion about aged Champagne, and Luc was describing how the 60's produced high quality champagne almost every year.

Next we moved to a 69 Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne. The color was yellowish-gold, not at all indicative of its nearly 50 years. The nose was beautiful, pure Chardonnay. It surprised me how fresh it was. Deep and rich on the palate, I could have been content to just drink this for the rest of the evening.

Onto the reds, we had a pairing of 1964 and 1961 Figeac. Francois commented that when he opened the 64 two hours ealier it didn't have a great smell. However, after the slow oxygenation, it came alive. The nose on the 64 was sweet and floral, very right bank. It had the complexity, although fell a bit short on the mouth. The 61, on the other hand, was more powerful, even though I didn't find it as pretty on the nose. It was more of a charcoal, tobacco notes, and a bit more muted. The power came through in the mouth, though, and it seemed almost young. Francois described a previous visit to Figeac where they had separately bottled the three varietal components of the 64, which he tasted individually and then as the final blend. Between the two, I actually preferred the 64, but others liked the 61 better.

Enough with the young wines, onto the old stuff. Francois and Luc had planned to do a theme around 1934, and so we ended up with five wines from 1934. We started with the Bordeaux: 1934 Gruaud Larose and 1934 Latour. The Gruaud Larose seemed to show its age more, and seemed like a typical fine aged claret. On its own, it would have been great. But it was really difficult next to the Latour, which was absolutely stunning. It's difficult to describe such an emotional wine, especially shared with people who not only appreciate but also experience the same pleasure. This was a big wine, deep red color, and just wow.

We moved on to some 1934 Burgundies. First was a Chambertin Charles Viénot and second was a Reserve de la Chevre Noir. These were lighter in color, most people observed that the Chambertin had a caramel aspect to it. I had a slight preference for the Chevre Noir, although I was unfamiliar with the producer. Francois described how he had acquired the Chambertin at auction years before. This was also the best pairing with the food, as we had it with an Entrecote and Morilles.

Moving to the cheese course, we began with a 1934 Chateau Chalon from Jura. 1934 is considered a legendary vintage for Jura, and Chalon is the top of the top. And the wine did not disappoint. Ed was trying to figure out how to maximize the small piece of Comte on the plate with the Chalon, as he described it as the perfect pairing, which Francois solved by asking the server for more Comte. We also opened the final wine, a 2002 Gosset Celebris, and Francois had us do a little experiment, moving between the Champagne and the Chalon and then to the Comte.

Overall an amazing gathering that lasted almost four hours. The food was great but not necessarily the ideal wine pairing food, and Francois discussed with the chef about building a wine-friendly menu. We shared quite a bit of wine with the staff and with some of the other tables, as ten bottles was a bit much for four people, even with a spittoon. It was great seeing the enthusiastic interns tasting through some of these older wines. And of course it was great to get together again with Ed, Francois and meeting Luc.

A very special lunch!

[Comte Flaneur]

Nice one Tim! Looking forward to seeing you and Ed next week

[tim]

lunchwines.jpg (28.67 KiB) Viewed 1646 times

[Nicklasss]

Thanks Tim.

Very nice report and a very good array of wines. The Bordeaux seemed to shine a lot on that day, especially The Tower.

Good to see François still enjoying company of BWEers!

Nic

[dstgolf]

Sounds like magic Tim. Man I I love living vicariously through these reports and also knowing old friends are still doing well. Thanks for taking the time and sharing your notes on some ancient treasures.

[stefan]

Great reunion, Tim.

I remember both 64 and 61 Figeac with great fondness as Lucie and I drank multiple bottles of these wines in the 1970s. Even then the 61 was all about power while the 64 was beautifully floral. I am happy to read that they are still that way.

[SF Ed]

I have very little to add to Tim's fantastic writeup except that the spirit of BWE is very much alive and well in Paris when Tim and Francois get together.

Absolutely stunning wines, especially the 1934 Latour.

And now I get to hang out with the BWEers in London on Tuesday! We are everywhere!

SF Ed

[JimHow]

Wow, that's some epic stuff.

Happy birthday Lisa!

I'm swamped in trials right now but I'll be in Paris in June, I can't wait.

[DavidG]

Wonderful report Tim. Always makes me feel good to read about our BWE brethren celebrating together.

[tim]

My favorite part of the lunch:

Francois turns to us in complete deadpan and says "My life is a sacrifice".

[JimHow]

Classic. I laughed out loud at that one.

[Nicklasss]

I guess the definition for "sacrifice" is different in France french than in Québec french!

Nic

[stefan]

ROTFL, tim.

[SF Ed]

That was funny. Having to do so many tastings, coming so early to open the bottles, that is a sacrifice. Luckily we have people in this world like Francois who are willing to make those sacrifices so we can have properly opened old bottles

SF Ed

[François Audouze]

Hello everybody !
I have made a report on my blog and after the excellent report of Tim, I will give you my own report.

On the internet, fifteen years is like a century. In the early 2000s I was writing on BWE forum and I faced a rather repetitive misunderstanding that a 70-year-old wine could have the vivacity of a 15-year-old wine. But the pleasant side of the forums is the encounters that can be made in the "real" life. When Ed from San Francisco got married, he wanted his honeymoon trip to go through one of my dinners. It was the 14th. When Tim moved to Paris, we deepened our relationships around beautiful bottles. A few weeks ago, Tim announces that Ed is coming to Paris with his wife Lisa. Almost at the same time, Luc, a forever friend whose sensitivity to wine is exceptional wants us to share beautiful bottles. I want to combine the two propositions and we meet all four, because Lisa had to leave towards USA, in the restaurant Le Gaigne of the chef Mickaël Gaignon. As always in this kind of event, it is a debauchery of generosity also we bring, Ed, Luc Tim and I ten bottles for four, knowing that we have all in our musettes rescue bottles.

We decide to take Gaigne's tasting menu which is not for our wines, but we will adapt. The menu is: dome of peas of Saint-Remy de Provence on a mint sandwich, egg in snow with horseradish / gougère with escargots of Poitou-Charentes in parsley, fall of lettuce and garlic of bears, cashew nuts / large Langoustines of Guilvinec just pan-fried, cannelloni stuffed with boletus and bacon then gratinated, sautéed radish chips and bisque / entrecote Charolaise, sauce with morels, young carrots / seasonal cheeses Quatrehomme, MOF / millefeuille strawberries Cléry des Alpilles and light cream with basil and maniguette pepper, zest of lime.

I arrive before 11:30 am to open the wines and I did well because some need a slow oxygenation time to rebuild. Tim had already delivered his wines and Luc will join me early enough to let me open his beautiful bottles.

The Champagne Waris & Chenayer blanc de blancs Avize 1969 from Luc is unknown to all of us and it is a divine surprise. Its color is very beautiful and young of a clear gold, its bubble is active, and in mouth, it is a festival. What impresses me is its magically controlled acidity. There is lemon, honey opulent and a length almost infinite with a course in the mouth twirling. It is a beautiful and generous champagne.

The first dish has iced parts that are not ideal for the Corton-Charlemagne Louis Latour 1969 brought by Tim. This wine is exceptional. The perfume is permeating as one would not imagine and in the mouth it is an absolute perfection. This is the perfect definition of the Corton Charlemagne, with its rich, racy style. A huge wine that does not have a gram of defect. We are in front of the perfect wine.

On the gougère with the snails we have two Figeac whose 1964 of low level had at the opening a dusty odor that could have been definitive. In fact, the Château Figeac 1964 completely lost its dusty smell. It is a sunny wine compared to the Château Figeac 1961 which had a perfect level and that is a marvel of precision. The 1964 is wide and sunny and the 1961 is straight, precise, rich, a wine of all beauty. Both wines are from Tim. It is with the snails alone that the combination with the two Figeac, especially the 1961, is found.

The langoustines will accompany two Bordeaux. The Château Gruaud Larose 1934 of Luc is a pleasant Bordeaux that would make our happiness, but as in the Saturday parties in province where the local beauty, which one would see miss of the department, eclipse all the other girls, the Chateau Latour 1934 of Tim occupies all the space of our loves. This wine is absolutely perfect, to the point that I concentrate, forgetting everything around me, to capture as many elements as possible of his message. This wine is unbelievably beautiful. Perfectly balanced, he is at once sweet and lively, bountiful and serious. One cannot imagine that it has the slightest defect. I am totally absorbed in his unreal perfection. The wine expresses itself best with the cannelloni aux blettes. It should be noted that this wine whose bottle had a perfect level had a cork glued to the neck, a cork light and friable, which came out in thousand pieces.

The beef is delicious. The Burgundy Reserve of the Chèvre Noire Charles d'Aubigney 1934 of Luc presents itself in a bottle that is not Burgundy and unusual. The wine is clear, the nose is pleasant. I will find a tiny corky taste that my friends will not perceive like me. It is a beautiful burgundy pleasant and very lively for 1934. Beside him there is a Chambertin Charles Viénot 1934 that I bought maybe thirty years ago when Pierre Cardin sold part of the cellar of Maxim's during high-profile auctions, duplex between Paris and New York. The level in the bottle was low at the opening and the nose was a superb red fruit. The wine appears a little roasted with notes of caramel and coffee, but there is enough of the Burgundian soul for me to enjoy. The morels help this wine to express itself.

On the cheese, we serve the Château Chalon Jean Bourdy 1934 that I brought. This wine is exceptional. He offers a freshness that makes him give twenty years and not four times more. His age shows on the coherence of totally integrated tastes. He has walnut and sweetness. It is obviously on the Comté that the combination is the most brilliant. The fluidity of this wine is incredible.

As I often do, I ask that Ed's Champagne Gosset Célébris Extra Brut 2002 be opened so that we can see how a yellow wine and a champagne fertilize. And that's the case. The yellow wine broadens and makes shine the magnificent champagne whose youth seduces us.

At dessert, one of the friends asked why this meal would not be included in the series of my wine-dinners. There are ten wines which makes this meal eligible, provided that everyone votes. This is what we do. All the wines have votes except the Figeac 1964 which had suffered and the Gosset because it is very young. As we are four there are only two wines named first, the 1934 Latour three times and the 1969 champagne once.

The vote of the consensus would be: 1 - Château Latour 1934, 2 - Champagne Waris & Chenayer white of white Avize 1969, 3 - Corton-Charlemagne Louis Latour 1969, 4 - Château Chalon Jean Bourdy 1934, Chateau Figeac 1961.

My vote is: 1 - Château Latour 1934, 2 - Corton-Charlemagne Louis Latour 1969, 3 - Chateau Chalon Jean Bourdy 1934, 4 - Chambertin Charles Viénot 1934.

We drank sublime wines, some of which are absolutely perfect - and this is the case for the first three of my vote - and we have benefited from a highly motivated service. Chief Mickaël Gaignon came to greet us. We chatted with him and we can imagine that at future meetings we will work more the combinations food and wine to make beautiful events.
That it is nice to share great wines with generous friends.

[François Audouze]

I wish you all the best and if you organize a trip in France as we did 11 years ago, I will be happy to join.
Friendly regards to all,

[dstgolf]

Francois,

As always your review of the offline event was a pleasure to read. Next best thing to being there are savoring the wines on our own is to be able to relive the moments through your vivid descriptors. As we`ve said before the wines are great at the gatherings and certainly your descriptions of the 34 Latour and 69 Corton left me wanting! Sounded like a few magical wines but again the BWE spirit and friendship highlighted this special encounter of friends brought together from all parts of the world through this common bond that continues to be alive and well.

Thanks for taking the time Francois to post and share your impressions. It would be great to reunite back in France some day to again share some of these moments in real life.

Danny

[François Audouze]

Danny,
Thank you for this nice message.
I will always be happy to meet BWEers with whom I have had great memories.
The trip in France in 2005 (?) was fantastic.
Friendly regards to all.

[tim]

You know, I really have to thank Francois for turning me on to old wines. It was the BWE Beaune trip that convinced me.