TO celebrate its exclusive distributorship of Patriarche wines, a local distributor hosted a five-course dinner at a Michelin-selected restaurant helmed by a French chef.
Patriarche is a French wine producer and distributor with a 240-year history.
Its wines are distributed in Malaysia by Luen Heng F&B Sdn Bhd.
The five-course menu was by Entier French Dining executive chef Romain Fabre, who hails from Provence, a region in southeastern France and familiar with wines from the Burgundy area.
On hand to present the two premier crus – a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Burgundy – was Erwan Lacoste, Southeast Asia sales manager of Barton & Guestier, the company that owns Patriache.
To start the evening, Fabre paired the Bourgogne Chardonnay 2023 with fresh oyster and seaweed, pissaladiere (French onion, anchovy, olive tart) and smoked mackerel bun with caviar, to harness the distinctly metallic taste of the mollusc, oiliness of mackerel and salty notes of anchovies and black olives.
The pairing was especially suited for a fresh, fruity Chardonnay from a young vintage.
Lacoste, who described the wine as being medium in body, said there was no need for oak ageing for the wine to achieve an “oily” texture.
Tasting notes have defined it coming across like green apples.
Interestingly, some diners also commented that this white was perfect with the truffle butter and dinner loaf which came as soon as the first wine label was poured.
“The acidity and minerality, combined with the earthy notes of truffle, creaminess of butter and the toasted nutty flavour of baked bread gives you four aromas at the same time,” said one diner.
For the second course, the Chablis Premier Cru Vosgros 2022 was selected.
Lacoste said the Chardonnay grapes for this wine were harvested during a year when there was a lot of sun.
“When this happens, the grapes will not only grow faster but also produce more sugar.
“When these grapes are made into wine, they will have more alcohol, less minerality and have good acidity.”
He added that during that year, temperatures had dropped before harvesting and the cold had played a part in keeping the grapes fresh, stopping the ripening process.
Tasting notes compare it to being reminiscent of the sweet liquid of fermented cassava with slight hints of anise, jasmine, a creamy vanilla ice-cream and slight hints of torch ginger.
Lacoste said the label owed its mineral characteristic to the terroir, the ancient, fossil-rich Kimmeridgian (denoting the Jurassic epoch) soils.
“Some 150 million years ago, the town of Chablis was underwater.
“Now that it is dry, the fossils of shellfish in the soil gives it this unique minerality,” he said.
To go with the Chablis was Sturia Baeri caviar with Japanese crab, mayonnaise and blinis.
Paired with the wine, the caviar was buttery and briny while the mayonnaise balanced the acidity.
A turbot in butter sauce and pickled turnip was presented as the third course, paired with the Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Chalumaux 2018.
“The pickled turnip is to titillate the taste buds, so that the sweet-and-sour flavours give the dish a degree of complexity,” said Fabre.
Lacoste said the label was fruity, full-bodied and floral.
“It is very elegant, not unlike a peach jam. It smells like a bouquet of flowers made up of jasmine and roses.”
He added that the label had a limited production because the vines were from the vineyard of Les Chalumaux, which is roughly the size of only nine football fields.
The plot is owned by many growers and each will only have a few bottles depending on the number of vines he owns.
“For Malaysia, the allocation is less than 200 bottles.”
The feminine, versatile and floral Chambolle-Musigny Vielle Vignes 2022 accompanied the main course of seared venison loin with pureed parsnip, chestnuts and berries.
There was a presence of tannins. Paired with the venison and roasted pear, the wine took on a slightly oily mouthfeel.
Combined with the chestnut, it delivered notes of chocolate, white pepper and roasted tobacco.
For dessert, Fabre presented a French classic Poire Belle Helene, a poached pear tart with vanilla custard doused with a sauce of dark Valrhona chocolate.
Entier French Dining, Level 41,
Alila Bangsar, No.58 Jalan Ang Seng, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 03-2268 3819) Business hours: noon to 3pm and 6pm to 9pm.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
Lacoste introducing the Patriarche range of wines.
The Bourgogne Chardonnay 2023 paired with (clockwise) a fresh oyster and seaweed, ‘pissaladiere’ and smoked mackerel bun with caviar.
Turbot in butter sauce and pickled turnip paired with the Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Chalumaux 2018.
The Chambolle-Musigny Vielle Vignes 2022 accompanies the seared venison loin with pureed parsnip, chestnuts and berries.
