Bourgogne mon amour

Today I went to Fouquet's for lunch.

To tell you the truth although it's a real institution in the world of French Brasserie, I had never actually eaten at Fouquet's before.
A diet coke for 15 euros; I can live without that.



Yet today I was agreeably surprised by the gentle waiters and the delicate dishes I was served. But what really drove me crazy was the wine I tasted.

Three words: cherry, truffle, mint.
The chewy fruit is subtly replaced by a whiff of truffle that finally gives way to an edgy end of mint. Just to keep your breath fresh after the powerful mushroom. Pretty impressive really.






I was so happy with this wine, and with its price, that I convinced the sommelier to tell me a little more about it.

The wine I tasted comes from Burgundy. Although we probably all agree on the fact that Burgundy wines are among the best in the world, we all probably agree too that they are often completely unaffordable.

There are two important questions I consider when buying Burgundy.
First, is this producer consistently reliable, vintage after vintage?
Second, is this wine a good value? Yes, there are many wonderful Burgundy producers, but I seldom want to spend 300 euros for one bottle of wine. Actually the word "want" is not appropriate. I would LOVE to spend that money on wine but unfortunately I have to refrain those urges if I want to eat something else than pasta with no sauce for the rest of my life. Anyway I find it much more satisfying to drink a fine wine that doesn't break my budget.

So to get back to my Fouquet's Burgundy, I was surprise to discover the retail price of the wine I tasted is less than 20 euros. How could this be ? Is there a secret that explains this miracle?

Indeed my friends, there is such a secret, and I can promise you it is not that I was too drunk to realize I had actually forgotten to see a zero on my final bill...

This safely guarded secret is named ... Chorey-Les-Beaune.

Chorey-Les-Beaune is a relatively confidential appellation from Burgundy; one of smaller villages in the northern part of the Côte-de-Beaune which tends to produce delicately flavored Burgundies which are perfect as aperitif wines at a much lesser price than Volnay for example. On the contrary, Côte de Beaune wines are a bit weightier, richer, and rounder than the delicate Chorey-Les-Beaune, but with the same delicious red fruit aromas and flavors.

Here are my tasting notes on this very refreshing wine:

Joseph Drouhin, 2006
Chorey-Les-Beaune

Nose: Chewy cherry that is subtly followed by earth and truffle flavors. The end gives a refreshing note of mint which gives the wine an elegant and edgy finish.
Mouth: The tannins are soft and fine, well balanced with the fruit and final acidity.

Wine Pairing: Overall this wine gives instant pleasure and is perfectly suited for roasted white meats or poultry and light spices like cinnamon or paprika.
You may also enjoy it with salmon carpaccio or duck breasts.



And they gave us some lily of the valley to celebrate Labour day !