On December 30, we go to the restaurant of Yvan Roux, facing the sea, with a magnificent view on islands, and a fight between shadow and light, the sun wanting to push the clouds to let appear the glory of its light.
One a delicious pata negra jabugo, a champagne Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle is excited and its romantic bubble thrills with it. Then some prawns cooked in boiled garlic give another aspect of this delicious champagne. As we were thirsty, we ask for another bottle of Grand Siècle to savour a “brouillade d’oursins”, scrambled eggs with urchins. Fantastic combination, as the salt was exactly as it should be.
We have then some squids cooked with a perfume of pata negra on the remaining of the Vacqueyras 1970 which has gained weight with one night of oxygen.
Then we have some “cigalons”, which are some small “cigales de mer”, but will never grow, exactly as shrimps will never become lobster. These small animals have a meat of an incredible intensity which makes a combination of a great purity with a Château Rayas red 1992 which is absolutely perfect. I would say that 1992 is an optimal year for Rayas. It is a period when Rayas was made with no pretending and with an exactitude which deserves respect.
And on the meat of a pink sea bream with great eyes, a bream which lives by minus 300 metres and eats prawns, the Rayas attains a perfection which is an ultimate pleasure.
On a dessert with boiling chocolate designed on a recipe of Michel Bras, the Maury Mas Amiel cuvée Charles Dupuy 1998 is a pure delight, beginning with a taste of raspberry, and going smoothly to a taste of blackberry and mulberry.
The real question is : will we survive to the preparations of New Year’s Eve ?
