Sauternes and oysters

[AlexR]

Yes, I know, it sounds beyond weird, and yet…

It’s melon season in France, and the small luscious ones have nothing in common with the watery baskeball-size cantaloupes.

I’m an oyster freak and have them every single weekend. I prefer the ones from Marennes-Oléron, colored green by algae.
Well, seeing as I rarely eat a dozen at a time, I had six left over. But my wife and son don’t like oysters. So, I had prepared a quarter of a melon with thinly-sliced dry-cured Serrano ham (a combination the French have stolen from the Italians, who obviously use Parma ham) for them. The ultimate wine with the ham and melon is Sauternes. The interplay of textures, flavors, blend of sweet and savory, is wonderful.
Well, if they were going to have wine with their first course, dammit, so was I.

The people at Château Yquem swear by oysters and Sauternes, but I have never been temped. But it was now or never…

The wine was 2009 Château d’Arche, a second great growth.

I had had this wine before, and it was showing well: fresh and not too sweet with subtle peach and apricot flavors, in a very good spot.
How did it go with Sauternes? The answer is you have to drink it differently, in small sips, and then it’s OK. Although I still prefer a dry white wine I will not have cardiac arrest if ever offered a good Sauternes and seafood again.

Do you know Pineau des Charentes? This is made from unfermented grape juice and Cognac. It’s a lovely drink, and the locals imbibe with oysters from just of the Charente coast. I suppose I’ll have to try that sometime too!

Best regards,
Alex R.

[JCNorthway]

I would not have considered drinking sauternes with oysters. But I may need to check it out sometime.

[jal]

Jill alone can eat a dozen oysters, actually I can as well. The best ones I've ever had were from Cap Ferret, near Arcachon, a stone throw from Bordeaux.
I like oysters with Chablis or Champagne almost never with Muscadet.
Thanks for taking one for the team Alex, based on your experience, I think I'll skip the Sauternes - oysters combination

[greatbxfreak]

You guys can sing together Bachman Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't seen Nothing Yet"

It's been known for ages that combination of sweetness and salt goes perfect together!! So oysters and Sauternes make a perfect combination. I'm not a great eater of oysters, can eat 2-3 during dinner, but it's one combination to try.

Count Lur de Saluces at Yquem has welcomed journalists during primeurs at Yquem with a lot of oysters and some vintages of Yquem for many years. Immensely popular event!

Sauternes goes with fish in cream, goat and sheep cheese, chocolate with salt, lobster, Indian food with chilli and carry, Japanese raw fish dishes, etc, you name it.

[JimHow]

Mmmm Maine lobster and Sauternes...
Had my first lobster roll of the season the other night.
Mmmmmm.

Looks like it's going to be a quiet summer here in Maine tourist-wise, not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

[stefan]

You know what is a great meal?

First course: A dozen oysters with Champagne.

Second course: A dozen oysters with Chablis.

Dessert course: A dozen oysters with Sauternes.

Unfortunately, we cannot get good oysters where we live except sometimes at one of our favorite restaurants. But we eat a lot of them when we go to the west coast.

[DavidG]

Love this thread.

Jim, lobster and Sauternes was where my mind went as soon as I saw the title.

Alex, I am going to give it a try.

Stefan, you know what is a great day?

Breakfast:
a dozen oysters with Champagne.

Lunch:
a dozen oysters with Chablis.

Dinner:
a dozen oysters with Sauternes,
lobster with Puligny Montrachet,
lamb with Bordeaux,
creme brûlée with the rest of the Sauternes.

[Chateau Vin]

Talking about oysters...

The best oysters I have had was at Ch Lafite and at a restaurant in the city of Bordeaux. The next best was at a restaurant in SD. Other than that, whenever I try to buy at seafood market, I didn’t like as much. Sure, the type and variety makes a difference, but most of the time I see big size, tough oysters on the west coast...

[JimHow]

Nicola and Marie Claude came and visited me in Maine a few years back, we were in Bar Harbor.
For those of you who don't know, Bar Harbor, in Acadia National Park, is the most beautiful place on Earth.

We were drinking d'Yquem and eating lobster on a picture perfect Maine summer day out on a deck next to the water.

D'Yquem, lobster, summer in Bar Harbor, with Nicola and Marie Claude.

It does not get any better.

[JimHow]

My favorite oyster experiences are with Stefan and Lucie every couple years at that place near the White House.
Just too much fun.

[Chateau Vin]

Nicola and Marie Claude came and visited me in Maine a few years back, we were in Bar Harbor.
For those of you who don't know, Bar Harbor, in Acadia National Park, is the most beautiful place on Earth.

We were drinking d'Yquem and eating lobster on a picture perfect Maine summer day out on a deck next to the water.

D'Yquem, lobster, summer in Bar Harbor, with Nicola and Marie Claude.

It does not get any better.

I love Bar Harbor and Acadia. Visited Acadia maybe in 05 or 06, before kids... the best lobster roll I have ever had at a roadside shack (fresh and oh so good)...

[Nicklasss]

Yes, that time passed in Acadia National Park was great. And drinking Yquem and Étienne Sauzet Puligny Champ-Canet with fresh lobster and steam clams was just fabulous, on that very sunny evening. i appreciate thatbJim made the road to come pass some time with us.

I will get back there one day.

And Sauternes with oysters, i guess the match can be great, if incorporating the right topings.

Nic

[stefan]

BWE-DC for Lucie and me always involves having oysters at lunch with Jim. Jim convinced me that oysters with red Bordeaux is OK, though I still do preserve other match ups.

[OrlandoRobert]

For me this is gross. I’ve had Sauternes with Maine lobster as well, a total pass. I keep my pairing simple, with foie gras or toasted nuts and hard cheese, or just solo. Not drinking much sweet stuff these days. Frankly, I’d rather end a meal with Madeira, Champagne or Scotch.

[JimHow]

I usually like my Sauternes by itself.
One thing that definitely does NOT work is Sauternes + whoopie pies.

[jal]

Sauternes is for crème brûlée
If there’s some orange zest in the crème brûlée, then that I heavenly.
I’ll take foie gras with Sauternes but it’s so rich, difficult to eat this and a full meal afterwards

[OrlandoRobert]

Sauternes is for crème brûlée
If there’s some orange zest in the crème brûlée, then that I heavenly.
I’ll take foie gras with Sauternes but it’s so rich, difficult to eat this and a full meal afterwards

Too much sweet on sweet for me!

I chortled at whoopie pie! Can’t believe we ate that crap as kids.

[jckba]

Like Jacques, I like Sauternes with certain desserts and with foie gras but for shellfish; I’ll stick to something from the Loire, champagne or a white burg and if nothing French were present then I’d default to an Albariño from Spain.

And Jim, that lobster roll looks ridiculous.

[DavidG]

Sauternes is fine with creme brûlée, but I too like it for dessert rather than with dessert. Don't like it with cheese of any sort.
Do like it with the richness of foie gras or lobster. Though I agree that starting with foie gras and Sauternes makes for a very filling dinner.
Something Francois Audouze turned me on to: Sauternes and grilled pineapple. Very nice match.