After a small break following the great lunch of the greatest Cheval Blanc, we met again for the first meal devoted to Yquem, a dinner by Chinois on Main , with the cook of Luis Diaz and Rene Mata, and with the supervision of wines by Christian Navarro.
The tasting is conducted by Bipin Desai and the guest of Honour is Pierre Lurton, who will give very precise data on every year with dates of crop, yield, proportions per variety of vine, alcohol, acidity and sugar levels. As I arrived early from my hotel, I could see all the golden bottles standing under the benevolent protection of a Buddha, whose face seemed to indicate that such devotion was accepted by Him.
Except the pork loin, I have not been impressed by the attempt of matching with Yquem, which can be achieved better. But the place is so charming and the staff is so active that we spent a very nice time.
I just give an anecdote which made me smile. When I make dinners with great chefs devoted to old wines, I ask them to simplify their cook, telling them that a simplified cook can be delicate and can show the talent of the chef. When the pork loin arrived on the table, there were just slices of meat, with no sauce, no extra accompaniments. And then, a waiter comes with a huge pot and fills the plates with another meat the shoulder , with vegetables and sauce. I had rapidly eaten the simple meat with an Yquem, just to check that it worked well.
The more complex dish was heavier to be a real friend to Yquem. The first flight : Yquem , , , , , The examination of the smells is not of a great help for such young wines. I just noticed that the greatest nose was the one of the , which is normal as it is the oldest.
