Haute Notes

The annual Chablis Wines Competition, organized by the Chablis Office, in association with the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB), was held on January 21st.
The 26th edition was presided over by the bubbly Ophélie Neiman, aka Miss GlouGlou, a journalist and blogger who runs a wine blog on the newspaper Le Monde’s website.
With the right words, Ophélie described Chablis wines in a very special way: « To me, a glass of Chablis is like a sunrise on a cold winter’s morning. It is early, a thick mist drowns the sky, but spring is almost here, tender green shows here and there…”

Ophélie had the opportunity to see for herself just how serious this competition is. Indeed, the contest is very selective, as only 26 wines out of a total of 335 are honored.
Another peculiarity: producers and other Chablis professionals are not allowed to judge the wines (as the wines could be theirs!). The 65 tasters were thus journalists, restaurant owners, sommeliers, brokers, oenologists and wine aficionados. They judged the wines in two rounds; the ones that got the best marks during pre-selection moved to the grand jury examination, the only one allowed to designate the winners.

Used by Chablis BIVB for communications and educational activities carried out in France and abroad, the awarded wines will be the Wine Ambassadors of Chablis until the next time the contest is held (in early 2013).

Chablis Wines Contest 26th edition winners

Amount of samples : 335
Amount of Tasters : 65
Amount of companies represented : 90 wine domains or trade

Petit Chablis 2010

Médaille d’Or
- Domaine Yvon Vocoret, Maligny

Médaille d’Argent
- Domaine de Pisse Loup, Beines
- Domaine Roland Laventureux, Lignorelles
- Isabelle et Denis Pommier, Poinchy

Médaille de Bronze
- Domaine Chevallier, Montallery

Chablis 2010

Médaille d’Or
- Domaine Servin, Chablis
- Domaine William Fèvre, Chablis

Médaille d’Argent
- GAEC De Oliviera Lecestre, Fontenay près Chablis
- Maison Lupé Cholet, Beaune

Médaille de Bronze
- Domaine Vincent Dampt, Milly

Chablis 1er Cru 2010, Rive Droite

Médaille d’Or
- Chablis 1e Cru Montée de Tonnerre, Damien & Romain Bouchard, Chablis
- Chablis 1e Cru Mont de Milieu, Domaine Jean Paul & Benoît Droin, Chablis
- Chablis 1e Cru Vaucoupin, Domaine de la Meulière, Fleys

Médaille d’Argent
- Chablis 1e Cru Fourchaume, Domaine Christophe et Fils, Fyé

Médaille de Bronze
- Chablis 1e Cru Mont de Milieu, Lamblin et Fils, Maligny
- Chablis 1e Cru Mont de Milieu, Samuel Billaud, La Chapelle

Chablis 1er Cru 2010, Rive Gauche

Médaille d’Or
- Chablis 1e Cru Montmains, Domaine Pinson Frères, Chablis

Médaille d’Argent
- Chablis 1e Cru Vaillons, Domaine Servin, Chablis

Médaille de Bronze
- Chablis 1e Cru Vaugiraut, Domaine Pinson Frères, Chablis
- Chablis 1e Cru Vaillons, Damien & Romain Bouchard, Chablis

Chablis Grand Cru 2009

Médaille d’Or
- Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses, La Chablisienne, Chablis
- Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos, Domaine Drouhin-Vaudon, Chablis

Médaille d’Argent
- Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir Domaine Bernard Defaix, Milly
- Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot, Domaine Vocoret et Fils, Chablis

Médaille de Bronze
- Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses, Domaine Servin, Chablis
- Chablis Grand Cru Valmur, Domaine William Fèvre, Chablis

Ode to the Beaujolais Crus–and Beaujolais Sorbet

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:49:02 +0000

by Sharon Kapnick, written on January 8th on http://sharonswineline.wordpress.com

It’s easy to sing the praises of Beaujolais, for in addition to being a delicious wine–flavorful, fruity or spicy– it has several special qualities:

1) It’s remarkably versatile, the most versatile red wine of all. It’s an ideal all-season wine that’s as appropriate at the picnic table as the Thanksgiving table.

2) Beaujolais has the well-deserved reputation of being the only white wine that just happens to be red. Because it has low tannins, a smooth, silky texture and is best when served chilled (60 degrees is perfect for the Crus), Beaujolais is the red wine that white wine fans will find easy to love.

3) Beaujolais is currently underrated by many and therefore offers very good value.

There are four categories of Beaujolais–Nouveau, Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages and Cru Beaujolais–all made only from the Gamay grape. The Crus, generally considered best because they offer the most character, richness and complexity, come from ten designated sites—Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié and St. Amour.

Characteristics of the Crus

Brouilly: elegant, full flavored, not unlike Beaujolais-Villages but with more fruit, 20 percent of the Cru area

Chénas: sophisticated, full flavored, soft but concentrated, smallest Cru, rarest, sometimes described as “a bouquet of flowers in a basket of velvet”

Chiroubles: soft, light, lively, flowery, delicately fragrant, ethereal, charming

Côte de Brouilly: some call this wine the Grand Cru of Beaujolais, flavorful, rich, full, intense fruit

Fleurie: Queen of the Crus, most feminine, silky, seductive, floral, velvety

Juliénas: weighty, full bodied, earthy, intense, heady aromatics, has historically been the favorite Cru of Parisian poets, painters and journalists;

Morgon: full bodied, rich, powerful, robust, intensely flavored, virile; known for having “the fruit of Beaujolais, the charm of Burgundy”

Moulin-à-Vent: often called King of the Crus or “the Lord of the Beaujolais,” full-bodied, complex, robust, powerful, hearty, most structured; can be closer in style to Burgundy from the Cote d’Or than to very fruity Beaujolais

Régnié: many different styles, highly aromatic, can drink when young or after 3-5 years

St. Amour: most romantic, graceful, can be light and fruity or weighty and spicy

The lightest of the Crus are Brouilly, Chiroubles and Régnié; the middle in body and richness include Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie and St. Amour; the heaviest and most structured are Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent.

I recently attended a Beaujolais Cru event at David Bouley’s Test Kitchen, where I tasted nine wines from the excellent 2009 and 2010 vintages. 2009 is thought by many to be the best vintage since 1947; many of the 2009s will benefit from aging. Although 2010 is another outstanding vintage, most 2010s are ready to drink now.

One of the highlights of the tasting/luncheon was the Beaujolais sorbet–the best sorbet I ever had. I am pleased to have gotten the recipe for it. Although it’s a recipe better suited to a restaurant than to the home kitchen, I’ll include it here. After all, it’s not everyday that a chef at a top eatery reveals a recipe. If it’s too unwieldy for you–as it is for me– it’s still quite interesting. And I hope it will inspire you to find other recipes for Beaujolais sorbet more appropriate for the home chef.

Ingredients:

3225 g water
1400 g sugar
2000 g glucose powder
50 g sorbet stabilizer
3325 g Beaujolais wine

Directions: Bring the water and sugar to a boil. Add the glucose and stabilizer until dissolved and then heat to 80 degrees C. Cool over an ice bath and add the wine. Process in an ice cream machine.

Serves: Many. The pastry chef suggests that 1/4 or 1/5 of this recipe might be the appropriate amount for home use.

The wines we tried are listed below. While all were good, my two favorites are starred.

Prosper Maufoux, Brouilly, 2009
Christophe Pacalet, Chiroubles, 2010
Nicole Chanrion, Côte-de-Brouilly, 2010
Domaine Chignard, Fleurie, 2010
*Château des Rontets, Saint Amour, 2009
Domaine Sancy, Chénas, 2009
Joseph Drouhin, Juliénas, 2009
*Domaine de la Chaponne, Morgon, 2009
Domaine des Côtes de la Molière, Moulin-à-Vent, 2010

Good Food Partners for Beaujolais: Omelets; quiche; lentil soup; salads; grilled vegetables; fish; shellfish; sandwiches; croque monsieur; roast, fried and jerk chicken; chicken pot pie; coq au vin; turkey, including Thanksgiving dinner; game birds; ham; veal; hamburgers; pâtés and terrines; charcuterie; cold cuts and other picnic food; lamb; pork; beef; venison and other game; stews; grilled fish (including salmon and tuna) and grilled meats; barbecue; curries and other spicy cuisine; stir fries; mild to strong cheeses; fresh fruit

A Giant Fan

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:22:20 +0000

with Michael Pope

One of the best tight-end coaches in the business, New York Giants coach Michael Pope has been to the Super Bowl five times, with three rings to show for it. And while he enjoys eating in other cities, he feels the best restaurants are right here in New York City.

I am a big fan of David Burke. The way David has grown his business is a great success story. I have witnessed firsthand how amazing it is to see what you can accomplish when you get everyone as close to their level of competence and direction as possible, and fuel that with enthusiasm. That is what David Burke does in both his kitchen and his dining room. I met Teddy Suric when I called to make a reservation one day, and we became fast friends. Teddy has an incredible memory for names and faces and events, and besides that is a wholesome, good person. We stay in touch through text and e-mail. I was able to repay his kindness when he brought his kids up to our training camp last year.
With David in the kitchen and Teddy in the front of the house, they make for a great team. We held my wife’s retirement party at Townhouse and it was memorable because of the quality of food and unbelievable service. You won’t find nicer people to work with. We had a large crowd and they were able to accommodate us with no problem. In fact, I’ve heard more compliments about how it was all handled that you could imagine! I really enjoy eating at Townhouse and Fishtail, and I have often done so with my sons. The first time I looked at that pretzel-crusted crab cake, I wasn’t sure what to think because I’m not a big pretzel guy. Boy, was I wrong! And just the presentation of the angry lobster alone is worth it! I find the scallops to be incredible.

GIVE US A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF YOUR CAREER.
I started coaching high school after a shoulder injury playing in the World Football League. I worked my way to becoming the freshman coach at Florida State, where I stayed for a while. There, I worked with a lot of the same people I ended up being with on the coaching staff at the NFL. I worked for the Giants from 1983 to 1991, went to Cincinnati for two years, New England for three, and then Washington D.C. for three. I came back to the Giants in 2000 and I’ve been with them ever since.

GROWING UP IN NORTH CAROLINA, DO YOU HAVE SOME GOOD FOOD MEMORIES?
Definitely. In the South, a lot of festivities take place around family gatherings, and it was a matter of pride to be known as the family member who always brought the best pies, corn bread, meatloaf, etc. I had one aunt who made the best coconut cake on the face of this earth. She would hand scratch and grate the coconut and when she was finished with it, it weighed like 20 pounds! A lot of things cooked in the South aren’t necessarily very healthy for you, but growing up as a young athlete I had a healthy appetite! Every spring in college, someone would cook a whole pig over charcoal in the ground. It was a decedent, daylong event. You could put your hands right over the coals and pull the meat off the carcass—it was that tender. I vividly remember pulling up to drive-through windows to get an order of coleslaw, a BBQ sandwich, a big cup of iced tea, and fries, if you could afford them. There is something magical about seeing the smoke in the air from those old 55-gallon drums that they used to cut in half and grill on. It made for incredible BBQ!

DO YOU COOK?
I’m usually at work from 6:15 a.m. to often 8 or 10:00 p.m. at night so, no, unfortunately I don’t have the time. My mother was a great cook, but she was one of those who could never quite tell you what was in the recipe. If the oven is on in my house, it is probably going to be followed by a 911 call!

DO YOU HAVE A PREGAME FOOD RITUAL?
Well, whether we play at home or are traveling, we always stay at a hotel the night before a game. So after check-in, we usually eat in. Since we eat four hours before kickoff, if it’s an afternoon game the meal is more like brunch. For the most part, meals are on the lighter side, like pastas. It’s a bit of a superstitious thing, but I avoid anything green before a game at all costs!

ON THE ROAD, ARE THERE CERTAIN CITIES YOU LOOK FORWARD TO EATING IN?
It’s challenging to eat out with our timetable. If we are in Boston in the fall, I have a few favorite places for clam chowder if time permits. If we’re in Florida in the winter, I look forward to fresh seafood. (I’m a big lobster and shrimp guy!) And I’ve never had a bad experience in San Francisco. But we have the best restaurants in the world right here!

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR MENTORS, AND WHAT DID THEY TEACH YOU?
My high school coach was very demanding but I learned from him how to treat people. It’s one thing to be part of an organization, and another to run the entire thing. Both my college coaches were the same, much like Bill Parcells was and Tom Coughlin is here.

DO YOU THINK THERE ARE ANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE WAY YOU WORK AND THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS?
Sure! If you can get the people around you to perform—not specific to the football industry—and raise their levels while realizing that everyone is different, then you are a real leader. A hands on, one-on-one way of learning has a memory and creates an excitement and exchange of ideas that you can’t get from a book or the Internet, just like in cooking, being there in the kitchen under the tutelage of a chef. There are as many personalities in the chef world as there are in our business. Tough love was part of our strategy before it had a name. Just like in a restaurant, you have an obligation to not have a bad day. It takes only one bad experience—you lose one game or you served one person something that wasn’t your best effort—and you hear about it. It’s human nature to find the smallest error in something.

WHAT IS YOUR FANTASY FOOD COMBINATION?
Corn bread, black-eyed peas, turnip greens with hot sauce on them, and smothered pork chops. Followed by banana pudding for dessert, and some Zantac an hour later!

ANY DESIRE TO BECOME A HEAD COACH?
No, thank you! I prefer the one-on-one teaching, watching the players grow and improve. I like to get my hands in the dirt and mold the guys and help them. That is where the joy in this is for me. I have no real ambition to get a job I wouldn’t have the same passion for.