Thursday, March 9, 2017

Entre-Deux-Mers Wines and Alsatian Cuisine: Lunch at L‘Auberge Chez Francois with Winemaker Joel Duffau and Chef Jacques Haeringer, USA/ France

Picture: Chef Jacques Haeringer and Bordeaux winemaker Joel Duffau at L’Auberge Chez Francois

Joel and Sandrine Duffau from Bordeaux were in town (Washington DC) for their annual wine promotion tour. As Elite Wines Virginia Sales Manager Hugues Beaulieu said in his introduction, Joel Duffau is a „Prêt-à-porter“ (in contrast to an „Haute Couture“) producer in Bordeaux. He does not belong to the group of elite wine makers like Latour, Margaux, Petrus, etc that produce expensive „Haute Couture“ wines that are out of reach for many consumers but he belongs to the large group of „Prêt-à-porter“ producers that make wine at very favorable prices for the average consumer for every day consumption.

Joel is not one of the 300 or so winemakers in Bordeaux, who produce a premium Bordeaux that sells en primeur for several hundreds of Euros per bottle. No, Gerard Dupuy is one of the other say 15.000 winemakers that are not in the limelight and who have to struggle against the competition of wines from all over the world, including the New World. But Joel Duffau‘s wines are interesting and special for at least 2 reasons. He produces – like so many others – good value Petit Chateau Bordeaux wines and he makes them organically.

Invitation: Bounty of Bordeaux featuring the Wines of Joel and Sandrine Duffau (Friday, March 3 at 11:00 am)

Join Chef Jacques Haeringer for a very special Cooking Demonstration and Luncheon with Bordeaux winemakers Joel and Sandrine Duffau.

Joel Duffau follows the tradition of nine generations of winegrowers in his family and has inherited their passion for making superior wines. He grow grapes organically at both Château La Mothe du Barry and Château les Arromans in the heart of the Entre-Deux-Mers region, between Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion. Joel and Sandrine have created around their vines a bucolic setting in which to make great wines.

Pictures: Arriving at L’Auberge Chez Francois

Chef Jacques will be demonstrating a delicious menu to complement the wines' elegance. The main course is the Navarin d'Agneau which showcases the season's first crop of vegetables and the delicate flavor of lamb, while the demonstration concludes with Île Flottante, a classic French dessert of meringue floating on a sea of crème anglaise.

L’Auberge Chez Francois

L’Auberge Chez Francois is an extraordinary place in the hills outside of Washington DC. It was founded by François Haeringer in the heart of Washington DC in 1954. Today, L'Auberge Chez François in Great Falls is much the same as when François first opened it - family-run, with Jacques’ brother Paul as the restaurant's sommelier and Jacques as Chef de Cuisine. L'Auberge Chez François is on the top 50 list of "Best Overall" Restaurants in US, as voted by users of the Open Table reservation system.

Pictures: Chef Jacques Haeringer Enjoying a Wine of Bordeaux winemaker Joel Duffau

Chef Jacques is one of America’s most respected culinary personalities. His menus feature classic Alsatian and French cuisine reinterpreted for American palates. While his father Francois used to say that the chef has to stay in the kitchen, Chef Jacques is very present in the restaurant. He clearly enjoys talking about food and to communicate with his guests. He is great fun to listen to. No wonder that Jacques can be found sharing his cooking secrets on radio and television programs across the country.

Jacques is also a great writer and his articles have been featured in such journals as Gourmet, Wine and Spirits,and Cosmopolitan. Finally, Jacques is the author of “Two for Tonight,” a collection of recipes that inspire romance through food and togetherness, and the “Chez François Cookbook,” the bible of classic Alsatian cuisine featuring some of the restaurant’s most popular recipes.

Pictures: Fun Luncheon

Bordeaux – Left Bank, Right Bank and Entre Deux Mers

Bordeaux wine takes its name from the region’s main city, which derives from the French bord de l’eau, meaning “along the waters.” The Bordeaux region is the second largest winegrowing area in the world, with more than 287,000 acres under vine. More vineyard land is planted in Bordeaux than in all of Germany, and ten times the amount planted in New Zealand.

Picture: Bordeaux and Alsace

The Gironde estuary dominates the regions along with its tributaries, the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers. These rivers define the main geographical subdivisions of the region:

The Left Bank is situated on the left bank of the Garonne, in the west and south of the region, around the city of Bordeaux itself. The Left Bank is further subdivided into: Graves, the area upstream of the city Bordeaux and Médoc, the area downstream of the city Bordeaux, situated on a peninsula between Gironde and the Atlantic. The five First Growths are situated here.

The Right Bank is situated on the right bank of the Dordogne, in the northern parts of the region, around the city of Libourne.

Entre Deux Mers is the inland region sculpted into a somewhat irregular wedge by the two rivers that give it its name, the Pyrenees-sourced Garonne to the west and the Massif-Centrale-sourced Dordogne to the east.

Picture: Right Bank, Left Bank and Entre-Deux-Mers

The Wines of Joel Duffau: Château La Mothe Du Barry, Château les Arromans and Château Haut Lartenac

Château La Mothe Du Barry and Château Les Arromans have their origin in one larger Chateau founded by Jean Duffau in 1965. It was called Château Les Arromans and grew to 30 hectares in the village of Moulon over the years. When Jean retired in 1998, he devided the vineyards and the winery into two, the (new) Chateau La Mothe Du Barry and the (remaining) Chateau Les Arromans between the two brothers Joel and Eric. Both Chateaus are now owned and run by Joel Duffau. He is the winemaker of both estates. In addition, recently, Joel and Sandrina created Château Haut Lartenac, which was a part of the other two estates before.

Pictures: Joel Duffau Explaing his Wines - Château La Mothe Du Barry, Château les Arromans and Château Haut Lartenac

Château La Mothe du Barry AOC Bordeaux Supérieur: Un Bordeaux Supérieur 100% Merlot d’une robe élégante et d’un bouquet puissant, un vin gourmand qui joue la fraicheur pour des plaisirs quotidiens.

Château La Mothe du Barry Cuvée French Kiss AOC Bordeaux Clairet: Le Clairet de couleur écarlate livre un bouquet de fleurs et de fruits rouges tout en fraîcheur, un vin séduisant. Notre rouge d’été.

Château La Mothe du Barry Cuvée French Kiss Blanc AOC Entre-deux-Mers: Marquée par le SAUVIGNON, notre Entre-Deux-Mers est une boule de fruits à laquelle la muscadelle apporte une touche de fraicheur.

Château La Mothe du Barry La Cuvée Design AOC Bordeaux Supérieur: L’harmonie entre le typicité du Merlot et le bois, ce cépage qui en maitre sur nos terroirs apporte une générosité dans les arômes de fruits mûrs finement soulignés par un élevage maitrisé. Un bel exemple d’élégance en Bordeaux Supérieur.

Château La Mothe du Barry Cuvée le Barry AOC Bordeaux Supérieur: L’association subtile entre merlot et cabernet sauvignon provenant des vignes les plus anciennes, récoltés à des petits rendements. Un Bordeaux Supérieur de garde charnu et puissant aujourd’hui qui deviendra velours grâce au travail d’élevage. Un vin d’exception primé tous les ans.

Château La Mothe du Barry La Cuvée à mon Loup AOC Bordeaux: Poussé par deux esprits « éveilleurs » (clin d’œil à Manu et à mon Loup), j’ai décidé de suivre d’autres chemins : vinifier une cuvée sans aucun ajout de soufre. Ce fût une aventure particulière à la marge de la conformité, que j’ai toujours connue depuis le début de mon activité, et bien avant moi, étant la neuvième génération de vignerons. 100% MERLOT, sans aucun ajout de sulfite.

Château Les Arromans Blanc AOC Entre-Deux-Mers: La palette aromatique des cépages laisse s’épanouir des notes florales et fruitées, pour un vin expressif et équilibré.

Château Les Arromans Rosé AOC Bordeaux rosé: Issu de pur Cabernet Franc, il apporte fraîcheur, légèreté et rondeur. Une petite gourmandise, fruitée et florale.

Château Les Arromans Rouge AOC Bordeaux rouge: Un équilibre entre Merlot et Cabernet Franc, un Bordeaux fruité, rond et ample grâce à une vinification respectueuse du fruit.

Château Les Arromans Cuvée Prestige AOC Bordeaux rouge: Du Merlot à 100% mûr à point offre un séduisant boisé bien marié aux arômes de fruits confiturès, un Bordeaux riche et harmonieux.

Chateau Haut Lartenac AOC Bordeaux Superieur

Chef Jacques Haeringer's Cooking Demonstration

The lunch began with a cooking demonstration of Chef Jacques.

Pictures: Cooking Demomonstration by Chef Jacques Haeringer

To sipp during the cooking demonstration Chef Jacques Haeringer and  Joel Duffau served the excellent Château La Mothe du Barry Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc 2015 (US$14)

Pictures: Château La Mothe du Barry Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc

Lunch

Following the cooking demonstration, we had a most delightful 5-course wine-pairing lunch.

Wine-Poached Norwegian Salmon, Roasted Sweet Potatoes


Château Haut Lartenac, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge 2014 (US$15)

Grapes: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot. Description: Deep, intense red color. Smooth and velvety, yet fleshy, and well structured. Sweet tannins provide a prolonged and persistent finish. A fresh and rich Bordeaux!


Organic Mesclun Salad, Vinaigrette Maison


Seasonal Sorbet


Navarin d'Agneau: Ragout of Lamb, Fresh Vegetables


Château La Mothe du Barry Cuvée “Design”, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge 2014 (US$17)

100% Merlot. Description: Harmony between Merlot and wood is typical, this grape reigns supreme in his generosity bringing aromas of ripe fruit with a fine toasty notes. A fine example of elegance in Bordeaux Superieur.


Château La Mothe du Barry “Le Barry”, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge 2012 (US$25)

75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Description: A subtle blend between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the oldest vines, harvested by low yields. A Bordeaux Superieur fleshy and powerful today will become velvety thanks to the work of farming. An exceptional premium wine every year.


Île Floutant: Meringue with Crème Anglaise


Gillette’s Locally-roasted Coffee, Selection of Harney & Sons Fine Teas

ombiasy WineTours: Bordeaux: September 06 - September 15, 2017

We will see Joel and Sandrine Duffau again later this year during the 2017 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours. We will spend 2 nights in Saint-Émilion and will visit, taste wines and have a light dinner with them at their estate while in Saint-Émilion. Join us!

Spend 10 days in Bordeaux traveling through all the important subregions of the Bordeaux appellation: MARGAUX, SAINT-JULIEN, PAUILLAC, SAINT-ESTÈPHE, SAINT-ÉMILION, POMEROL, PESSAC-LÉOGNAN, SAUTERNE, visiting world-famous classified Châteaux. ”Bordeaux” embodies more than just wine. In France the interplay of wine and food is very important and almost every day we have a wine pairing meal at a famous Château, hosted by the owner, general manager or winemaker. We will visit many of the hidden gems - such as a cooperage, an oyster farm on the Bau d'Arcachon, some small, top “petit Châteaux” - that other tours pass by, but which are essential to understand what Bordeaux is all about. In a nutshell: this is a hands-on Bordeaux wine class on the ground.

To get a feel for this tour see: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France

Pictures: Joel and Sandrine Duffau - See you soon in Bordeaux!

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