After having had a lunch by Alain Senderens which pleased me extremely, I raced to meet Patrick Pignol to discuss the menu for the dinner of tonight. I had agreed with Patrick that the menu would be made at the last moment, with the products bought by Patrick in the big market of Rungis. I trust in this talented chef. We discussed a few minutes about the directions of what should be made. Decision was taken. Here we go. This chef has lost one star in the Michelin Guide, and I find it inappropriate. But I respect the decision, as I do not pretend to have a more universal taste than the guide. This is the same with guides for wine. Too many people judge the judges. I prefer to know what I like and in this case I trust a lot Patrick Pignol.
I open the bottles a little earlier than usual as I begin at 4 pm. The first cork, of the Laroze 1947 resists extremely as it is stuck to the glass, and it breaks in thousand pieces. The other corks are pulled rather easily. All the smells are perfect, giving not the slightest worry, and with Nicolas, the very agreeable sommelier, open and smiling, we notice that it is the first time that we have such a complete group of perfect smells. The most vibrant is the Santenay 1949. The most divine is the Yquem 1938. I do not drink any drop; I just let the bottles standing quietly for 5 up to 7 hours.
Everyone is on time (nearly everyone…), but there is a big surprise. Two couples of Italian people living in Milano had registered for this dinner. One couple had cancelled a few days before the event, which is always a problem. And instead of seeing two Italian coming, four appear in front of me. Immediately the team of Patrick Pignol reacts with a great efficiency, and I open – at the last moment – my reserve bottle which is a Grands Echézeaux Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1980. We must thank Alberto and Sabrina to have come as we have enjoyed a spectacular bottle.
The menu made by Patrick Pignol was only given on a printed menu when we had begun our dinner :
Oursin et chou-fleur au parfum de marjolaine
Huîtres en habit vert pochées dans leur jus, compotée d’échalotes au vieux vinaigre
Langoustine croustillante, « Bormano » extra vierge
Foie gras de canard poêlé au suc de cuisson, truffes noires de Carpentras
Poitrine de pigeon rôti à la sarriette
Beaufort d’Alpage et Saint-nectaire
Mimolette
Triptyque autour de la mangue
Madeleines au miel de bruyère.
Founded on products of great quality, this menu, with a simplicity that I like, was exactly what was necessary. Of course, I would have put away the “compote of onions with old vinegar”, absolutely not necessary or I would have softened the heavy gravy sauce for the pigeon, made with the blood and the liver, which would have been more appropriate for young Cotes Roties than for old Burgundies. But the general performance was good, Patrick listening very carefully to all our remarks and being extremely generous.
The champagne Dom Ruinart rosé 1986 is one of the most solid rosés that I know, and is always exact and precise. The cauliflower is a good passport for the urchin to cooperate with the champagne. This combination of urchin with rosé champagne works well and the marjoram is a touch of class.
There must an especially tricky angel playing above my shoulder as it is the second time this year that a white champagne appears to be a rosé. The champagne Krug Grande Cuvée has a cork which confirms my idea that it should be from the end of 80ies beginning of 90ies. For me, it should be white, but when my glass is poured by Nicolas, it is obviously rosé, and the taste confirms it. Next time, I will certainly plan to pour lead in the glasses, and if my angel is still operative, I hope my guests will be transformed into gold, to reach their Grail. The oysters in a green wrapping are nice, but unfolding one, I notice that a naked oyster is sexier for the champagne, with a wilder iodine and salt. This rosé krug was a nice surprise.
It was a nice risk to take to put together langoustines with Château Laroze Saint-émilion 1947. It was my wish, and it worked well. The wine surprises everyone with its balance, velvety aspect and youth. Very well structured, it has a nice length. Very romantic, tasty, it is a real pleasure.
The other Saint-émilion, the Château L’Angélus Saint-émilion 1961, is one of the symbols of great wines. I had attended a vertical tasting of 21 vintages of Angelus and I would have liked that the 1961 would have been there, just to show how immense it is when compared with all its brothers, as it is the ultimate form of Angélus. And the Angélus tonight is greatly helped by the presence of Château Haut-Brion rouge 1950, which is a complete contrary of it. So the elegance and airiness of the Angelus shine even more, when the solidity and massive aspect of the Haut-Brion is shown even more. I knew that the HB would be truffle, as I knew that Pétrus 1934 would be truffle in a previous dinner. And I had asked Patrick to add some extra truffles, which he did. The presence of the two wines together extremises their differences and it helps to enjoy them even more.
The Santenay Léon Violland 1949 had the greatest smell by opening some 6 hours before. And when I smell my glass I nearly faint with happiness. All the seduction of Burgundy is there. There is a great sensuality in this wine. It has not an extremely complex structure, but it performs magnificently at this very moment.
The Echézeaux Joseph Drouhin 1947 is a wine that I adore. I had bought in auction a big lot of wines coming from a very sound cellar in which I had taken many Nuits Cailles 1915 which have always performed with no defect. This one is the right wine at the right moment, of an extreme solidity. Many people at the table are more in favour of the Santenay. I love the serenity of the Echézeaux.
Now the Grands Echézeaux Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1980 appears. The people who know me know that I have a certain tendency to love the DRC wines. And I recognise in the smell the wildness of the earth, the salt dominating in it. And in mouth, it is a wild mustang. I love the enigmatic aspect of this wine, like a sculpture which would not be finished.
I should make more justice to wines like this Arbois Pupillin Gilles Lornet 1976, as too often it is associated to cheese, which we did. Such complex wines, with an incredible set of flavours, should be associated to risky recipes, just to extract their greatness.
As we were contemplating the cheese plateau, one of my friends is tetanized by the mimolette. He says : “do you mind if I go and fetch a 1910 Jerez ?”. 99% persons being polite would have refused this kind offer. I said yes. So he jumped to his home and came back with a “BOAL 1910”. This Jerez is absolutely fantastic. The complexity is incredible. There is pepper, tropical wood, tea, coffee, liquorice, nuts, citrus fruits and so many tastes. It goes well with the mimolette but it would be more perfect with sweetbread or a duck with oranges. It is so intense that I was afraid for the wines which would come after. We had to eat a beginning of the mango dessert to prepare our mouth to a delicious Domaine du Pin 1ères Côtes de Bordeaux 1937. This wine surprised many people as no one would have expected such a performance from a foot soldier wine. Can it be imagined that some guests voted for this wine above the one which comes : Château d’Yquem 1938 ? I was convinced that in the decade 30ies, the only great Yquem was 1937. I must change my view on that as this 1938 belongs to the most classical and archetypal Yquem. It is not extravagant, it is perfect. The apricot and mango tastes are solid, deep, and the length is immense. Nothing is more comfortable than this wine.
We have voted, as by every dinner, for the preferred four out of eleven wines, the Jerez being out of the votes. I must say that I am immensely proud that every of my eleven wines was included at least in one vote. Among those wines, it was on purpose that there were great archetypes like Yquem, Angélus, Krug, and foot soldiers like the Laroze, the Santenay or the Domaine du Pin. And to see that all of them were included in votes is my pride.
The Grands Echézeaux DRc was the most voted with 5 votes as first. Three wines had two votes as first : Santenay, Haut-Brion and Angélus. And Echezeaux got one vote as first. The consensus vote would be : 1 - Grands Echézeaux Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1980, 2 - Château L’Angélus Saint-émilion 1961, 3 -Château Haut-Brion rouge 1950, 4 - Santenay Léon Violland 1949.
My vote has been :
1 - Echézeaux Joseph Drouhin 1947,
2 - Grands Echézeaux Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1980,
3 - Château d’Yquem 1938,
4 - Château Haut-Brion rouge 1950.
I must say that I am extremely happy that my method of opening works so well. In many dinners people say : one half hour later, the wine had its full shape. This did not happen as every wine performed at its maximum from the first drop to the last. And wines which are of a supposed secondary quality performed at a higher level than anyone would have expected.
A generous friend proposed that we drink some alcohols, and I took a Louis XIII Rémy Martin, exceptional cognac, but less sexy than the Marc DRC 1979 which my friend took.
As it happens in many dinners no one wants to leave his or her seat, and tries to stay as long as it is possible, late in the night, to keep the precious atmosphere of a wonderful dinner.