The Loire Valley’s Saumur region is known more for its whites, both still and sparkling, than for its reds. But the region does produce some red wine, with cabernet franc as the predominant grape, and some cabernet sauvignon as well. The reds of Saumur don’t get the same attention as their relatives from Chinon, Bourgueil, and Touraine. That’s probably one reason we don’t see a lot of Saumurs in the United States.

I recently found the Cave de Saumur Saumur Selection 2007 and decided to give it a try. It’s made with 100% cabernet franc and it’s 12% alcohol. The color was a deep red, more black cherry than purple. It had dominant musky, earth, mineral, and vegetal aromas and flavors. There were fruit flavors, but they were very subdued, leaving the earthiness as the prominent feature. The Saumur has a medium body and I found it very smooth and nicely balanced. It’s on the lighter side, but it still had some intriguing complexity that made it interesting to drink.

If you’re looking for a dense, fruit packed red, you’d probably best steer clear of the Cave de Saumur Saumur rouge. But, if you’re looking for a nicely balanced, medium bodied red with highlights of earth and mineral, this is a good choice. I definitely enjoyed it and will certainly try it again.

Where To Find It: K&L are offering it for $12.99.

Aged wines are something of an acquired taste.  They set up all sorts of conflicts.  Unless you are very fortunate or rich, laying down wines for the future is only for the very patient.  Buying something that will be at its peak in 10, 20 or more years is extremely counter cultural.  Then of course there is the big decision on when to drink the wine – unless you have bought a case, it’s all or nothing.  Finally, there is the matter of taste – do you actually prefer young fruit-led wines or the bready aromas of aged champagne, the distinctly farmyard smells of old Pinot Noir or oxidized styles of old sherries and Vin Santo? 

A few recent bottles illustrates some of these dilemmas. 

Selvapiana Bucerchiale Chianti Rufina riserva 1998 This bottle illustrated the adage that simply ageing a wine will not make it great.  Most wine is best drunk young.  This riserva from one of Rufina’s best growers may have been one of them despite its excellent pedigree from an excellent winery in one of Chianti’s most northerly (and usually age-worthy) areas.  But if it’s a poor year to start with, the wine may just not have the fruit to develop, and that was the problem here.  Despite several hours in a decanter during which it initially cleaned up a slight off smell in the bottle, it never really sang.  Remaining refreshing acidity but mono-linear. Disappointing. 

As commented on in the previous post, the expensive (£120) Taittinger Comtes des Champagnes 1998 still tasted rather closed – so in this case ‘old’ probably means a twenty year weight, rather than ten.  By contrast, 1999 Pannier Egerie is now ready to drink being in that fascinating state of tension between youth and decline, freshness and bottle age.  The sharp apples of the fruit were complemented by mushroomy notes and nice weight in the mouth.  To add to these treats a very generous host recently shared Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’or 1998 with us.  Feuilatte is widely available as a entry level Champagne in supermarkets but also has prestige lines of which this is the top offering.  Quite a lot of money had gone on the packaging – special plastic outer capsule, then a honeycomb style bottle.  The wine itself showed real class in the glass with a persistent mousse of ultra fine bubbles.  On the nose it was in mid-life, pastries and yeastiness and then rounded and civilized on the palate.   Probably the right time  to drink it – limited prospect of further development. 

Red Burgundy certainly repays ageing, again if it is of sufficient quality to start with.  At a recent Caviste tasting a Vallet Frères Gevrey Chambertin 2000 was superb – the lovely raspberry and redcurrant fruit now accompanied by a perfect accompaniment of earthly, composty goodness … Not old but perfectly mature.  As we like to think of ourselves. 

Finally, there are a small handful of wines made for the very, very long haul – they make all the preceding wines seems like children in the nursery.  Chenin Blanc can make almost every sort of wine from supermarket shelf-filler, to fizz, to grand white to off-dry or sweet wine that will outlast most of us.  Richard Kelley, an expert on the wines of the Loire, showed a range of these marathon wines for a Caviste tasting of the wines of Domaine Huet in Vouvray, Loire, France.  The reasons for their extreme longevity is the high level of malic acid in Chenin Blanc and then the northern latitude of the Loire.  All the acidity is retained and the wines are aged for decades in bottles; most will have residual sugar to offset the acidity.  Though I didn’t get to the full tasting, Richard still had a precious few drops of:

1947 Le Haut Lieu Moëlleux – as I tasted these wines in the hurly burly of a crowded shop, I am going to quote Richard Kelley’s own tasting note to give some idea of the complexity of these old wines:

1947 Le Haut Lieu Moëlleux (original cork)
The most highly respected Loire vintage of the 20^th Century and in Gaston Huet’s own words ‘The greatest vintage I ever made’. The harvest commenced on the 19^th September. Polished. Complex appearance with orange bronze moving to olive green at the rim. A mature nose with some positive oxidation. Complex and smoky with aromas of brown sugar and cinnamon. Beautiful on entry, it has poise and perfect balance. It is delicate, elegant, textured with a fresh, pure apple purée nose combined with toffee apples, crème brûlée and pommeau. There is a pure, racy acidity that contributes to the incredible length and persistence. This will continue to age indefinitely. A perfect wine. (08/04)

1938 Haut Lieu Demi-Sec – it’s difficult to believe that this bottle is more than 70 years old and still going strong, but it is.  You might be relieved to hear that it is beginning to plateau! Kelley says: 

Mid-full and polished appearance. Yellow/orange. Exotic nose with dried oranges and a mineral edge. Some mushroom, but retains good fruit to the palate. Bone dry on entry and finish with severe, but not unpalatable acidity. Quite simple. Drinking now or soon. (07/06)

1990 Clos du Bourg Moëlleux 1ere Trie.

By comparison, a babe in arms: easy to appreciate, lush, sweet, ripe apples, excellent acidic finish. In this company the strapping 19 year old comes over like a mere youth. 

There are many yet older wines available – port, madeira, claret.  Michael Broadbent’s classic Vintage Wine. Fifty years of tasting over three centuries of wine is an excellent guide.  But these few bottles at least begin to  open up the complex question of how old is old – at least in terms of wine.  

Country: France

Region: Loire

Vintage: 2008

Opinion: Very drinkable, though a bit overpowering after a couple of glasses. 75%

C’est l’un des tous premiers semi-marathons de la rentrée. Cela fait un moment qu’il me fait envie ! Ce qui m’attire, c’est le parcours en bord de loire, sur des routes et des chemins que je connais bien pour les avoir pratiqués à vélo, étant plus jeune.

Nous sommes dimanche matin, il faut beau, pas de vent, température idéale. Rendez vous est pris avec mon pote Christian pour faire la route ensemble.  Arrivée à Beaugency. Je trouve que le nombre de compétiteurs sur la ligne de départ est relativement modeste. 

Après quelques rapides échauffements, la horde est lancée. Tout d’abord, 2 boucles dans les rues commerçantes, pentues et  pavées de Beaugency. Un rapide coup d’oeil sur le vieux pont et sur le château. Un rythme endiablé dès le départ : ça carbure, ça cavale, ça bombe ! 

Ensuite, direction les chemins des bords de loire (rive droite) en direction de Tavers. Nous voilà sur un chemin assez large et plat, entre loire et champs. Le clocher  du village de Lestiou est en vue. Impossible de manquer les cheminées de la centrale nucléaire de Saint Laurent des Eaux : “O loire, Patrimoine Mondial de l’Unesco…”  

Premier arrêt : je suis cramé ! J’ai encore une fois préjugé de mes capacités de résistance, je m’arrête donc  3 minutes.

La traversée du village de Lestiou  est relativement agréable : on emprunte des ruelles proprettes et fleuries,  on longe des jardins miniatures aux haies impeccablement taillées, on zyeute des fermettes et quelques lavoirs bien restaurés, on salue et on se fait saluer par un public chaleureux. Et c’est déjà le retour !

Direction Tavers, par la route cette fois ! Je suis à 2 doigts de m’arrêter pour souffler quand je me retrouve alors, épaule contre épaule avec un gros costaud, une grosse baraque avec qui, entre deux halètements je commence à discuter. Notre conversation ressemble alors un peu à celle de deux habitués du train Paris les Aubrais : on cause de tout et de rien et pendant ce temps là, mine de rien, le temps passe, on roule et le payasage défile tranquilement sous nos yeux … (paysage d’aileurs plus ou moins banal,  composé principalement de pavillons flanqués sur les coteaux, face à la loire…)  Sans qu’on n’y prenne garde notre train virtuel nous dépose presque en douceur sur la ligne d’arrivée.

Quelques rafraichissements, une douche et retour vers Orléans où un poulet rôti m’attend.

Quelques jours après, dans ma boite aux lettres un petit courrier de remerciement des organisateurs accompagné d’une jolie photo couleur de Moi en plein effort !  Sympa ! Merci ! Je reviendrai à Beaugency !

The November MPA Wine Tasting was this past Saturday.  John Biers was kind enough to host at his lovely new apartment near the Bastille in Paris.  This time around I organized a horizontal tasting of the Loire Valley (here’s a peek back to the October MPA Wine Tasting).  It would be difficult to announce any winners to the blind tasting picks, as many people batted a perfect 1000.  I was quite impressed, then again out of the 5 wines we tasted, there were 5 distinct varietals represented and so I guess positive results were to be expected.  So without further ado, here’s a summary of the tasting.

A quick overview …

The Loire Valley spans from the mouth of the Loire river on the West Atlantic coast near the town of Nantes, then follows the river all the way to the town of Sancerre, about 200 kilometers due South of Paris.  The area is so large geographically that it is typically broken down into the Lower Loire (melon de Bourgogne dominated wines of Muscadet), the Middle Loire (Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc dominated wines of Touraine, Saumur, Chinon and Vouvray), and the Upper Loire (Sauvignon Blanc dominated wines of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé).

Loire 2008 Vintage: (Wine Spectator 85-87/87-89/87-89 Rating, Franc/Chenin/Sauvignon) “Humid and gray growing season resulted in grapes struggling to ripen throughout the valley. Harvest stretched late in October, saved by an Indian summer; good botrytis development for Chenin Blanc”

Loire 2007 Vintage: (Wine Spectator 83/90/84 Rating, Franc/Chenin/Sauvignon) “Inconsistent growing season marked by a cool summer that led to uneven ripening for Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. A warm, dry September helped save the vintage for Chenin Blanc; late-harvest dessert wines could be outstanding”

Muscadet Sèvres et Maine (13,000 ha) is near the town of Nantes in the Lower Loire.  It is the most significant appellation of Muscadet, accounting for around 75% of overall production and in fact a larger production than any other appellation in the Loire.  Melon de Bourgogne, a white grape, is the sole varietal.  The wine is always dry and aged on its lees and is characteristically effervescent, light, tangy, and almost salty, with citrus, licorice and white flower notes.

Vouvray (2,100 ha) Near Touraine in the Middle Loire.  Chenin Blanc is the dominant varietal; however, a limited amount of Arbois can also be used.  The appellation is the largest producer of Chenin Blanc in France.  The wines are dry to sweet and 65% of the production is sparkling.  The wines can be very unpredictable.  Throughout the vinification the malolactic fermentation is usually forgone, and there is no ageing prior to bottling.  The wines are characteristically acidic and richly fruity with quince, honey and almond notes.

Pouilly Fumé (1,000 ha) is located next to Sancerre in the Upper Loire.  It is one of the Loire’s most famous wines.  Sauvignon Blanc is the sole varietal.  The wines are characteristically smoky, minerally and perfumed with acacia notes.

Saumur-Champigny (1,600 ha) is essentially a southwest extension of Touraine in the Middle Loire.  The appellation is often considered to produce the best red wine of the Loire.  Cabernet Franc is the dominant varietal; however, Cabernet Sauvignon and pineau d’Aunis can also be added as blending grapes.  The wine is characteristically refreshing, light and fruity with red fruit, licorice and green pepper notes.

Côte Roannaise (200 ha) is located on the Southeastern edge of the Loire within the town of Roanne, about 70 kilometers West of Beaujolais.  Gamay is the sole varietal and along with red wine, rosé is also produced.  The red wine is usually vinified similar to Beaujolais, including semi-carbonic maceration, yielding characteristically light and fruity wine, often with banana and cherry notes.

The wines (all purchased at La Grande Epicerie at Le Bon Marché)…

1st PLACE
VOUVRAY | 2007 Champalou – 11€45
Tidbits: 100% Chenin Blanc, 12.5% ABV, bottled immediately after fermentation
Kenny’s tasting notes: A rich and complex nose of overripe, white, fleshy, tropical fruit.  Effervescent in the mouth with semi-sweet fruity flavors of citrus, peach, and dried apricot.  Slighly bitter on the finish.
Ratings: Kenny, 15/20; MPA, 13.9/20

David, “obvious”
Raghu, “marron glacé”
Lina, “honey mustard turkey”
Ben, “SWEET!, why does everyone like it sweet?”
Sophie, “honey ham”
Sheila, “Japanese restaurant”

2ND PLACE
SAUMUR-CHAMPIGNY | 2008 Domaine des Roches Neuves, Thierry Germain [10€50]
Tidbits: 100% Cabernet Franc, 12.5% ABV, 3-day cold maceration, aged 3-4 months on lees in stainless and wood vats
Kenny’s tasting notes: On the nose it’s like a green olive and red fruit smoothie.  Medium tannins and acidic in the mouth with notes of cherry.
Rating: Kenny, 12/20; MPA, 12.6/20

Marina, “Mediterranean”
Lina, “stinky cheese”
Raghu, “clay and truffles”
Ben, “all sorts of cool shit”
Euny, “petrol”
Sophie, “foresty”
Sheila, “old boat, hint of chevre”
Ricardo, “menthol”
Tim, “Bogota”
Laurence, “brioche”

3RD PLACE
POUILLY-FUMÉ | 2008 Michel Redde et Fils “Petit Fumé” [12€35]
Tidbits: 100% Sauvignon Blanc, 13% ABV, aged on lees a few months in stainless vats
Kenny’s tasting notes: Green apple and minerals on the nose.  In the mouth this wine is quite refreshing with flavors of sour apple Jolly Ranchers, minerals, and bitter unripe peach pit.  A great Summer picnic wine.
Ratings: Kenny, 14/20; MPA, 12.5/20

Sheila, “not getting a lot from this”
Pablo, “I don’t know how to describe tastes of wine”

4TH PLACE
MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE | 2008 Domaine Landron “Amphibolite Nature” (Bio) [11€20]
Tidbits: 100% Melon de Bourgogne, 11.2% ABV, TA 5.3 g/l, aged 4 months on lees in cement vats
Kenny’s tasting notes: A round and creamy nose with notes of orange, lemon, and yeast.  A creamy acidity in the mouth with tangy citrus flavors, marked by grapefruit.
Ratings: Kenny, 13/20; MPA, 11.1/20

Sophie, “cheese”
Elodie, “salty”
Raghu, “yunan green tea”

5TH PLACE
CÔTE ROANNAISE | 2007 Domaine des Pothiers [7€20]
Tidbits: 100% Gamay, 12% ABV
Kenny’s tasting notes: A funky, green nose with aromas of mint, banana and a subtle, distint hint of maneure, followed by a suggestion of sake after breathing for a few minutes in the glass.  Very light and acidic in the mouth with flavors of plum, sour cherry and subtle notes of sweaty socks.
Ratings: Kenny, 9/20; MPA, 9/20

Vasu, “fungus, fertilizer, bark, raw mushroom”
Susie, “eggs, a bit rotten”
Raghu, “saw dust”
Franklin, “a bad date”
Tim, “fruity goat pee”
Ricardo, “huele a queso KA”
Sheila, “feet”
Junwei, “something gone bad in a dentist’s garbage can”
Euny, “farm stable”
Ben, “pure evil”

A beautiful building houses the Bombay Palace: 1001 nights come to mind

I usually do not use business dinners as a source for my blog entries. However, in the case of Bombay Palace I make an exception from this rule. I had started the day (a Sunday) with an Indian breakfast to which my friends took my in one of the many shop-house-eateries in Bangsa. Needless to say that it was super delicious.

The excursion of my taste buds to the Indian subcontinent continued with the dinner at Bombay Palace. I always wanted to dine there but the occasion never arose. Therefore, I was very excited about the prospect of a dinner in this famous restaurant. Ever since living in New Delhi I love north Indian food.

A water fountain decorated with roses was to be found in the entrance hall

I did not feel like eating any meet, and therefore ordered a vegetarian “platter”, a selection of various vegetarian north Indian dishes as you can see from the photos below. The food was excellent, and so was the service in the restaurant. I can only highly recommend the place. You must eat there! if visiting Kuala Lumpur.

Condiments

My “selection” of vegetarian dishes

The wine list included wines from all over the world. After discussing wine preferences with my fellow diners, I selected a French wine, a ‘2006 Sancerre’ by Pascal Jolivet, a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, France (12.5% vol. alc.). I love Sauvignon Blanc wines not only because we grow our own but because I just love the finesse, the crispness and the fruity flavours.

Pascal Jolivet is a unique guy with a strong philosophy when it comes to the making of fine wines. With more than 30 ha under vines the Domaine Pascal Jolivet is not a boutique producer. His vineyards are located in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume in the Loire valley. In the USA the ‘2006 Sancerre’ retails for about US$ 22. We very much enjoyed this clean and crisp wine, just the right choice since it went well with our meals.

I admit that this was my first encounter with a wine of Pascal Jolivet. I do not drink much French wine but this time I was in an exploratory mood which is good from time to time. I recommend it and also the Sancerre by Pascal Jolivet.

The wine list

To sum up my experience I must say that the evening at Bombay Palace was just great. The food was excellent and the wine list gives you enough choice to find a complement to the north Indian cuisine. I will come back, promise.

Address:
Bombay Palace
www.bombaypalacerestaurantkl.com
215, Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan 50400, Malaysia
+60 3 2145-4241

Vous vous dites que ce blog commence decidémment par des articles assez connotés “terroir”. C’est pas faux. Mais l’art de la chasse ; l’art dans la chasse, c’est pas si fréquent !

Tout d’abord, situons nous : nous sommes dans la capitale du Perche, à Nogent le Rotrou (Eure et Loire). Conduit dans le zafira d’un des nombreux chasseurs de ce week end, j’arrive en ce vendredi soir pile à l’heure de l’apéro. Sachez qu’il est tout de même très aisé d’arriver à l’heure de l’apéro dans ce joli corps de ferme, celui-ci se déroulant entre 18h et 21h. Je ne suis pas tombé n’importe où et chez n’importe qui. Le maître des lieux est un ingénieur industriel de 84 ans, qui conduit, chasse, bricole et taille quelque centaine de noyers par an (entre autres). Une de ces personnes qui a mis son génie au service de l’armée (pendant la guerre) et qui aujourd’hui encore a le cerveau sans cesse en ébulition ; admirable. C’est d’ailleurs lui qui se delècte de l’organisation de ce week-end festif, avec l’aide de chaque membre de cette nombreuse famille, qui s’est trouvé chacun un rôle selon son savoir-faire. Je tiens d’ailleurs à rendre  un vibrant hommage à l’homme qui m’aura mis K.O grâce à une cuisine de terroir pleine de goût ; j’ai nommé mr Jean Sineau qui détient “La haie Godefroy”. Je suis accueilli avec un kyr vin blanc, un verre de rouge, un saucisson, une superbe terrine, et l’odeur du bois de l’énorme four à pain de la maison. Je ne vais pas vous le rabâcher pendant tout l’article mais ici, tout est fait maison. Exemple du kyr, la crême de cassis, le vin, ou le cidre sont fait ici, la terrine n’est faite que de cochon élévé par celui qui m’en coupe une tranche en ce moment même. Enfin, vous voyez quoi. Ca c’est moi 15 minutes après mon arrivée, déjà assez en confiance pour prêter mon appareil.

Entrer dans la maison d’un tel homme confère déjà à une originalité visible partout. Ici, tout appareil électrique (frigo, cafetière…), ou mécanique (chasse d’eau, porte) est arboré d’un post-it expliquant scrupuleusement le fonctionnement, ou les petits “trucs” utiles à son fonctionnement. Certaines notes mélangent notion philosophique et économie d’énergie, comme sur la lampe de chevet dans ma chambre :

“Espace/temps : matière à réfléchir”

Mais vous pouvez aussi vous trouver nez à nez avec une horloge solaire… dans le salon !!!  Ne bougez pas, c’est très simple (d’après ce qu’on m’a dit): “tu prends une vieille gouttière, dans laquelle tu fixes tout un tas de fibre optique, orientées d’est en ouest, pour que les rayons du soleil éclairent fibre par fibre tout au long de la journée… A l’intérieur, l’autre extrémité des fibres sont fixées dans des petits trous percés au préalable en face de chaque quart d’heure de la journée. Putain ça va c’est simple. Ici il est midi par exemple”… Bon, j’ai faim.

Là y a rien à comprendre je crois…

Je suis logé dans une chambre très agréable, appelée : “la chambre au lavabo”… Car il y a un lavabo dedans !

Le portrait d’un ancêtre à la moustache pas très avenante… bon allez gute nachte et à demain

Le matin est là, plus tôt que les autres matins. Sur une trentaine de personnes, il y en a toujours une plus gentille, plus altruiste et surtout plus matinale que les autres pour vous graisser les doigts de croissants chauds quand vos épis rebels et vos yeux fermés se mettent à table. Donc merci monsieur ou madame, je ne vous vois pas de toutes façons… J’enfile mes Aigle et prends une voiture au hasard et je fais semblant de vérifier le permis de chasse de chacun, histoire d’être sûr que personne ne possède une arme par erreur et de ne pas prendre une balle perdue.

Ca y est on arrive, on descend du Ford Fusion break et on met le panneau en place, essentiel à ceux qui voudraient aller aux champignons.

On nous distribue des gilets orange flashy, et je me dis que je n’ai pas porté de fluo depuis mon bermudas damier de l’été 1984, à Quimper avec mes cousins.

Alors on marche, en ligne. C’est parti, le but étant donc de rabattre l’animal vers la ligne de tireurs… Et on crie, on gueule… Ce qu’on veut, tant que nos amis rabatteurs et surtout nos tireurs arrivent à nous localiser… rho ça fait du bien. J’en ai profité pour exulter toute sorte d’insultes tel un individu ayant une crise de ” De la Tourette”… Non je déconne, j’ai fait dans l’ambiance central à la porte d’Auteuil lors du premier tour de Rolland du genre ” allleeezzz”. On se croise, on croise de magnifiques chevreuils en train de s’appliquer à courrir les dernières foulées de leurs tristes vies. Par contre, sans avoir un gros zoom style 200 ou 300 mm, amusez vous à suivre un chevreuil dans les ronces et le prendre en photo. Un echec total ; je vais attendre qu’une balle aie croisé leur chemin pour les faire poser.

En attendant….. Miam…

pas miam du tout…

un petit air de noël

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh,
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh

Quelques Bim bam boum pan pan et ce que vous voudrez plus tard, je redescends sur terre, on retrouvre nos héros et on fait un petit bilan.

On refait le match, comme dirait l’autre : “t’as vu celui que j’ai raté à cause du soleil qui m’a aveuglé? (…) ouais j’ai voulu le tirer mais je me battais à mains nues avec un sanglier…” enfin ce genre de témoignage. Nous les poètes, on a cueilli cinq cèpes d’un kilo chacun, et je ne vous cache pas être assez fier de ce butin. Deux exemples de transformation. Ici, le champignon est comme vous le voyez, victime de violences insoutenables : noyé puis decoupé en petits morceaux, il est pris à vif par une agression de beurre et de fleur de sel, et asphyxié enfin par un haché d’ail et de persil

`

Alors qu’ici, le chevreuil est détendu, pendu par les pieds, ce qui est très bon pour la circulation sanguine et est invité à l’instar de nous tous ici présents, à se rechauffer autour de la douce chaleur du grand four …

Un dernier Armagnac 1979 que je noublierai pas de sitôt et je quitte le vintage baroque de cet endroit de rêve.

Retour au bercail par le train de la ligne anciennement Brest-Paris, qui a son terminus au Mans désormais. Durant le voyage, je pense déjà à appliquer les conseils de notre cher Jean avec ma part de chevreuil. A savoir, un civet au cidre. Nous avons également mis nos cèpes à sécher. A couper en lamelle et les piquer avec fil et aiguilles pour en faire des colliers, à pendre au dessus d’une cheminée, d’un radiateur, ou dehors sur un linge dans la journée… (bon, moi je tente le coup dans un four à 60 degré pendant quelques heures, avec la porte ouverte).

See you, pour une investigation plus urbaine, et sans doute un peu plus polémique la prochaine fois.

Name: Armand Salmon Sancerre

Country: France

Region: Sancerre

Vintage: 2008

Score: 85%

Opinion: Something extra about this one.

Bij Chambord

Even voor een paar dagen de fiets aan de kant gezet en dankbaar gebruik gemaakt van de auto die het ons mogelijk maakte even wat zijstapjes te maken. We waren immers op onze hoofdzakelijk zuidelijke koers net de Loire overgestoken, en zouden bijna gewoon op zuidelijke koers zijn blijven doorgaan en daarmee de kans gemist hebben wat van de beroemde kastelen in het gebied te bezichtigen.

Charlotte en haar ouders op weg naar het kasteel van Chenonceau

Gelukkig kwamen Charlotte’s ouders op het idee daar wat aan te doen. We zijn de kastelen van Chenonceau en Chambord gaan bekijken. Ook hier, net als in Chartres, horden Japanse en Chinese toeristen die we tot nu toe alleen tegenkomen bij kathedralen en kastelen. Dat vinden ze leuk. En waar Oosterse toeristen zijn, worden naast de ‘jambon-fromage’ ook stokbroodjes met surimi verkocht. Dat vinden ze lekker. Kennelijk. Ze zullen wel tegen elkaar zeggen: niet slecht, de Franse keuken.

De kapel van Chenonceau

Groot verschil tussen de twee kastelen, het ene een formidabel gebouw van een indrukwekkende elegantie, met een indeling die blijft verrassen, het andere vooral indrukwekkend, gebouwd om te imponeren, met een strakke symmetrie en zware lijnen.

Ik zal niet proberen de aandacht van de lezer vast te houden met details over de rijke geschiedenis van deze twee kastelen. Eerlijk gezegd kan mij zelf die ook maar matig boeien. Wat meer tot mijn verbeelding sprak, dat waren b.v. het deel van Chenonceau dat over de rivier de Cher heen gebouwd is, de aandacht aan de omringende natuur, en de rijkdom van de ‘buik’ van het kasteel, met zijn keuken, slachthuis, broodoven, voorraadkamers en eettafels. Beter dan bij het bekijken van de portretten van de illustere bewoners en het lezen over hun wapenfeiten, huwelijken en nakomelingen kun je je een voorstelling maken van het leven in een kasteel door juist deze ruimtes te bezoeken. Of zou dat alleen maar komen omdat natuur en keukens mij altijd aanspreken?

Deel van Chenonceau dat over de rivier de Cher is gebouwd

In ieder geval een hele geslaagde dag met ons viertjes waar we dankbaar voor zijn en waar we veel indrukken aan overgehouden hebben.

Robuust, solide kasteel, maar met wat water erbij is ook Chambord best mooi

Charlotte’s ouders zijn intussen weer op reis naar Nederland, en wij zijn, na maar liefst vier rustdagen, weer op de fiets gestapt. En vandaag zowaar aangekomen bij een plaats waar we wifi hebben kunnen vinden. Dat is niet altijd makkelijk. Het kan gebeuren dat we een café- of restauranteigenaar vragen of hij wifi heeft, dan bij zijn aarzelende blik besluiten toe te lichten: internet, en dat hij dan begrijpt dat het gaat om iets electronisch en zegt: weet ik niet, werkt dat soms via de kassa?

Santa

  One evening we saw something moving inside the wood burning stove.  Luckily it wasn’t burning at the time and, when we opened the door, a little creature staggered out on to my husband’s hand.  I hadn’t seen anything like it before but I had heard of little, squirrel-like creatures that live in barns and make lots of noise , gnaw through wood and, although protected, are considered fair game by a lot of people because they are considered a pest.  Anyway, this little one had obviously fallen down the chimney and his eyes were still closed.  We have four cats and felt that, if we put him back on the roof, the chances are the cats would get him before his mother so we dusted off the old hamster cage and put him in.  We thought he seemed quite tame but, as soon as his eyes opened, he seemed to realise he wasn’t with his own kind anymore and spent a lot of time running in the hamster wheel, looking round and, when he realised we were still there, running again.  Bless him, he thought he was running away.

When I went to the pet shop to buy food supplies for him, they told me off for keeping a wild animal as a pet and I had to explain that it wasn’t something I’d set out to do.  Then,  thinking that, like hamsters, the lifespan of the edible dormouse would be 2 or 3 years, he told me that they lived for about 9 years!  At that stage I started wondering whether or not it was  too late to put him back on the roof?

After a while we had to dust off our old pet rat’s cage as Santa had grown large with a lovely bushy tail and big eyes like a little bush baby.  He also had rolls of fat which made it obvious why they were considered a tasty snack by the Romans (and still are today by some – see footnote).  I hate keeping things in cages though and he always looked so sad – I think it was those big eyes – but we couldn’t really let him out as these creatures are extremely fast and can jump huge distances.  With all my cats and dogs I couldn’t risk him running around the house.  I cleared a shelf in the family bathroom for his cage and we would go in and keep him company from time to time but I still felt uneasy about him living in a cage.  He had all manner of beds, toys, things to gnaw on, things to climb in, up and round but, even so.  These animals normally hibernate for a long time – I think from October to April – but he didn’t and he wasn’t really nocturnal either – I guess normal patterns of behaviour go out of the window in such circumstances.

One day I went into the bathroom and the cage had been covered with a towel.  My teenage daughter said that, whenever she had a shower, he would cling to the side of the cage and stare at her and it made her feel uneasy! 

After about a year, we went on holiday and some friends looked after him for us.  These friends have a son who keeps pet rats and is very good at taming and training them.  On our return, he asked if he could keep Santa and try to tame him so, because I wanted to think that he would have a chance to run around outside his cage, I agreed.  The inevitable happened and, one day, he didn’t come back into his cage and was never seen again.  I like to think that he is living in a barn somewhere with loads of walnuts and can run around and jump as high as he likes.

The edible dormouse is a small dormouse which was farmed and eaten by the ancient Romans.  The dormice were kept and raised either in large pits or (in less spacious urban surroundings) in terra cotta containers something like contemporary hamster cages.  To this day, wild edible dormice are consumed in Slovenia where they are considered a rare delicacy and dormouse trapping an ethnic tradition. The edible dormouse lives in continental Europe. It was accidentally introduced to the town of Tring  in England through an escape from Lionel Walter Rothschild’s private collection in 1902.  As a result, the British edible dormouse population, now 10,000 strong, is concentrated in a 200-square-mile (520 km²) triangle between Beaconsfield, Aylesbury and Luton.  (Thanks to Wikipedia for this).

Knapp 350 Verkostungsnotizen hat es gedauert, bis – endlich – einmal ein Weisswein von der Loire im Mittelpunkt der hiesigen Aufmerksamkeit steht. Schändlich, schändlich, diese gröbliche Mißachtung, wenn man sich die Qualität der dort angebauten Produkte einmal bewußt vor Augen führt. Aber ich gelobe im Namen der Blogbesatzung hiermit Besserung (auch wenn ich im Zweifel alleine dafür herhalten muss).

Während man die nur ca. 30 km entfernte Appellation Sancerre auch weit über die Landesgrenzen hinaus gut kennt, fristet die AOC Menetou-Salon ein weitgehendes Schattendasein. Nicht zu Recht, wie ich finde. Der Stil der Weine ist denen aus Sancerre recht ähnlich, die Qualitäten sind auch durchaus vergleichbar (soweit ich das bislang beurteilen kann), allein die Preise sind ein klein wenig entspannter, so mein gefestigter Eindruck. Ich selbst bin dieser AOC (und zugleich auch diesem Weingut)  zuerst vor einigen Jahren auf einer Weinmesse begegnet, die Qualität, die ich dort ins Glas bekam, liess mich aber schnell hellhörig werden. Und nach einem ersten “Manitou-wer?” ist die Appellation auch nicht mehr in Vergessenheit geraten. Sauvignon Blanc, das wird nun wirklich niemand mehr überraschen können, ist in der Region die prägende Weissweinrebe. Sie wächst hier (wie auch in benachbarten Appellationen) auf Kalksteinböden.

Auf dem Famlienweingut der Gilberts macht man seit dem 18. Jahrhundert Wein, seit Ende des letzten Jahrzehnts steht es unter der Leitung von Philippe Gilbert, der auf 27 ha neben Sauvignon Blanc auch Pinot Noir anbaut.

Blasses Strohgelb. In der Nase zunächst deutliche Spontinoten, die einen leicht gummiartigen Ton preisgeben, der aber verfliegt – mit mehr Luft schält sich erst verhalten, dann immer deutlicher werdend ein ätherischer Zitrusduft nach vorne, die Nase bleibt dabei weiterhin mineralisch-rauchig-schmutzig (im absolut positiven Sinne). Höchst erfreulich ist das gänzliche Fehlen von Katzenurinnoten – derartige Noten, die einem bei Sauvignon Blanc ja in unterschiedlichster Intensität begegnen können,  muss man mögen – oder (so wie ich in aller Regel:) halt nicht. Insofern: erfreulich. Der Antrunk lässt keinen Zweifel offen, das wird ein mineralisches Vergnügen. Saftig, zugleich ätherisch, breiten sich die recht elegant wirkenden Zitronennoten, begleitet von einem leichten und nicht störenden Gerbstofffilm im Mund aus, um dann doch umgehend von der sehr kraftvollen Mineralik umschlossen zu werden. Der Wein ist absolut trocken, ich habe keine genauen Werte, tippe aber auf etwa 2-3 g/l Restzucker. Auch im langen, leicht zitrusschmelzigen Abgang baut der Wein ganz auf die kraftvolle Mineralik. Der Wein gewinnt nochmals mit steigender Temperatur im Glas und sollte bei ca. 12 Grad getrunken werden; was seine Stilistik betrifft: dies ist kein Wein für Freunde von fruchtbetonten Sauvignon Blanc. Ein wirklich ansprechender, ja auch ein wenig (positiv) anstrengender Wein mit einem sehr ordentlichen Preis-Genussverhältnis. Offen und undekantiert getrunken.

Im Fachhandel gekauft, 12,50 Euro, 89 Punkte (sehr gut), bis 2010 trinken.

Răsfoiam astăzi impasibil paginile online ale jurnalelor naţionale. Nimic nu părea să-mi modifice starea relaxată şi absentă. Când totuşi…am descoperit, prin alţii, trădarea. Trădarea pe filieră franceză, trădarea cocoşilor de rasă. Căci aşa îmi place să-i numesc pe francezi când vine vorba de artă culinară. Pentru mine rămân acei “chef”, “maître” care au dus simpla modalitate de a găti pe culmile rafinamentului.

Bucătarii au rămas aceeaşi, faima lor continuă să strălucească prin stelele Michelin şi restaurantele cu preţuri astronomice. Nu acelaşi lucru pot afirma despre “hexagonalii” de rând. Or fi intrat ei în hora europeană sau transatlantică dar să piardă contactul cu arta culinară atât de puternic, nu mă aşteptam. Despre ce e vorba? Monstrul american cu nume de sorginte britanică, McDonald’s, a dat iama în ţara scăldată de apele cristaline ale Mediteranei precum buruienile în lanul de maci. Şi-a întins tentaculele ca o moluscă cefalopodă şi a împânzit Franţa cu peste 1140 de locaţii fast-food. Nu ar fi o mare problemă însă cu această reţea francezii sunt pe locul secund în lume după ţara mamă a Mac. Tocmai ei? Dintr-atâţia candidaţi? Vina principală o poartă, pare-se, lipsa timpului liber. Cu banii nu e chiar o problemă din moment ce media pe tură de fast-food este de 15 dolari. Spre comparaţie, în SUA abia atinge 4 verzişori. Mă enervează la culme că au cedat atât de uşor asaltului hamburgerilor având la îndemână atâtea contraargumente gustoase. Şi pricepute mâini care să frământe cargolada spre exemplu. Acea mâncare din Pirinei, care îmbină armonios melcii, cârnaţii şi cotletul de miel în arome de viţă de vie. Probabil foie gras îşi aşteaptă sentinţa alături de brânzeturile specifice. Bine că mai supravieţuiesc vinurile de Champagne sau Burgundia. Vive le Chardonnay! 

Sper din tot sufletul să mai apuc o masă pe malurile Loirei. M-ar întrista la culme ca somonul proaspăt asezonat cu ciuperci şi sparanghel să nu mă aştepte.

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I look forward to hearing from Matt Kramer in his regular Wine Spectator column.  He delivers “regular guy” sensibility with intellectual strength wrapped in an entertaining style.  His cut-to-the-chase humility combines with child-like amusement when discovering sources of fairly priced, quality wine that are messengers for their place of origin.  I mean wines that unleash vineyard identity, maybe a hint of unique rock or soil womb, whiffs of a cooling ocean breeze or wafts of a dry valley mistral, charming odors of stones or minerals baking in their personal angles to summer sun, or sometimes herbs growing close to a hillside’s sun-baked terrace.  None of these qualities get masked or shifted to fit a more crowd pleasing market style.  I share Matt Kramer’s weakness for these kinds of wines that taste like they can only come from their very own ancestral patch of irreplaceable earth.

This past month Kramer rang up my palate and pocketbook sensibility twice; first in his piece on the Loire in the November 15 Spectator and again leading a simple, pointed tasting of three wines made from indigenous Sicilian grape varietals last week in New York.  Out of Kramer’s discoveries comes both (1) a buying strategy and (2) a specific wine that will reward anybody sharing this orientation for honest wine of high quality and fair value.

On the Strategy: Last month I had the great opportunity to taste through dozens of wines at a Loire Valley Wine Bureau event and shared my observation on the very real and honest character of the wines here in an earlier post.   Kramer kicks around evidence of the emerging trend to make buying and indentifying wine simpler and also a strategy for reliably securing honest wines of high quality without any previous knowledge of the wines.  In his recent column, “The One Word Wine Buyer,”  he declares:

The answer- drumroll, please – is Loire….With only the barest amount of knowledge-and not great gobs of money, either-you can obtain some of the finest, most pleasurable, most original and individual wines made anywhere in the world today by invoking the word “Loire”.  That’s data point number one.

Here’s data point number two: Find a good wine merchant.  Getting good Loire wines requires a committed retailer….because Loire wines are not money makers.  They are a labor of wine love.

The third data point is critical:  Look for Loire wines that are declared on the label to be either organically or biodynamically cultivated.  Not because organic or biodynamic is definitively superior. Rather, it’s because, as a cohort, these producers tend to be more rigorous and more committed to making genuinely fine wine.  It’s a useful shorthand.

Kramer went on to test this approach, buying a few wines that fit these data points and came away with wonderful results, all wines under $25, without a clunker in the bunch.  This was also my experience tasting wantonly through a wide swath of Loire whites and reds of varying varietals and locations.  Just weeks before Kramer published his column, I conducted his identical experiment visiting Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge (a leading cheese and fine food importer and seller that shares this philosophy of honest wine making and recaps their approach to a small but select inventory here) picking up three Loire wines I never heard of but were biodynamically farmed.  These wines all had character, charm, and a sense of their homeland elements.  They were experiences to try and couldn’t be replicated by wine makers in other world geographies.  Loire wines represent so much about the joy of wine as far as I am concerned.

Try out this three point buying strategy for yourself and share your results here. 

On the Specific Wine:

Having just returned the previous day from Sicily, Kramer’s brain, palate, and nostrils were clearly filled with the Sicilian elements.  He shared three wines made from indigenous Sicilian varietals and stories of vineyards irrigated with dew and Mt. Etna runoff.  Wines that can not be duplicated anywhere else on the planet.  The first two were reds selling for $35 each and were quite good and carried their unique qualities proudly.  They were Benati Etna Rovitrello 2004 and Gulfi Nero d’Avola Sicilia Neromaccarj 2005 (the winemaker adds a “j” to every wine name since one of Gulfi’s first wines was called Rossobleo. The authorities objected because there a Mount Ibleo in Sicily and European wineries are not allowed to use place names as brand names. To get around it, they added a “ j” to rename it Rossojbleo and the tradition stuck.) 

They were good wines, unique wines, pleasing wines.  I would not hesitate buying them, but I think for the religious experience that Kramer seemed to get from these wines, you need to climb the mountain and walk the vineyard and connect the wine and its terroir in your brain. 

But the third wine, a sweet wine, was of the highest quality and once you taste it you will urgently dial up your wine monger just as I did.  For first time tasters like me, Carlo Hauner Malvasia delle Lipari 2006 will make Sauternes and Barsac fanatics take notice, sweet wine naysayers stand at attention, and the most experienced and dedicated fans of late harvest desert wines wonder how they went so long without tasting this magical nectar.  Matt Kramer actually said that it could be the finest sweet wine in the world for him.  That’s a large claim, but I understand how one could get there.

The wine sells for about $25 in the half bottle and is made and grown on the island of Salina just off the coast of Sicily. It is comprised of 95% Malvasia delle Lipari and 5% Black Corinth.  The morning dew remains a source of water.  The fruit dries out on mats for a few weeks after picking and before maceration.

I have now tasted the 2006 and the 2005 (found a 375ml of the 05 on the list at Cesca on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for a little over $60) and both vintages underscore what is probably a characteristic representation of the wine.  Both combine a silky, rich, nectar like consistency with flavors and aromas of specific fruits and herbs.  Fruit and herb cocktail!  The 2006 had apricot and peach combining with wild sagebrush aromas.  The 2005 had a pronounced nose of dried oregano with a more citric grapefruit flavor sweetened by honey tones.  The purity of these wines combined with their unique values that can only come from these specific varietals grown, picked, baked, and crushed on their homeland island off of Sicily to make a memorable and must have wine. 

In an era where good wines come and go like passing buses and subways, there are only 5-10 wines a year that I taste and say I “must have” for my cellar at all costs.  This is one of them.  Try it and let me know what you think.  And, by the way, thank you Matt Kramer.

Aujourd’hui, mardi… . Ce week end fût un week end “pas comme les autres”, puisque j’etais de garde pour une virée familliale dans le Loir et Cher. En retard pour le dejeuner, nous avons trouvé sur la route un petit resto tradi  Américain, que vous m’en diriez des nouvelles (…)

(…) avant de reprendre la route. Arrivés sur place, à peu près là,     

un très jeune couple à l’hospitalité sans faille (sur la photo) nous a prêté cette charmante petite maison, avec un petit feu de cheminée en route. Lovely!

Est rapidement survenue la traditionelle mais non moins agréable visite des caves Tourengeaines… Enfin,… Parfois ça vaut le coup de pousser jusqu’à Bordeaux pour les dégustations sachons le. Le coeur me dit tout de même de vous conseiller un petit vendange tardive sans prétention (domaine Pré baron de Jean Luc Mardon)

Sinon, Mis à part que j’ai eu la légendaire chanson de Michel Delpech dans le crâne pendant 3 jours, j’ai aussi eu droit dans le désordre : au buffet salle des fêtes de Choussy, au dj quinqua qui vous enfonce dans vos poussées suicidaires avec des Début de soirée et autres David et Jonhatan (corrine Charby était là aussi), les bougies (1h du matin), les cadeaux à ouvrir (2h 24 du matin), les anecdotes en forme de private joke où j’étais complètement largué (4h47 du matin), 142 % d’humidité ambiante (tout le week end), les gamins à 200 ( DB et BPM), tout s’est passé magnifiquement….

Conclusion: Entre 20 et 40 ans, il est assez difficile de se retrouver dans une fête célébrant les cinquante ans d’une personne. Ca faisait longtemps que j’esquivais tel un matador virtuose ce genre d’exercice, mais ce week end a remis les compteurs à zéro. Ok on m’a vu je sors de ma tannière .Une nuit courte et un reveil difficile plus tard, et nous revoilà partis s’empaller dans nos trois heures de bouchons à l’entrée de notre chère capitale.

Dans deux semaines, je teste au coeur du Perche, l’ouverture de la chasse (me demandez pas pourquoi). C’est un baptême, mais j’ai hâte. je ne vais evidemment pas tirer,  juste essayer de ne pas me prendre une balle perdue et ramener quelques photos d’animaux

L’école est le développement durable. Le premier volet du Pays de la Loire pour satisfaire à la norme HQE, haute qualité de l’environnement. Tabarly L’école professionnelle ouverte à Olonne sur Mer Vendée et le vendredi, Octobre 2.

Cour propre des matériaux respectueux de l’environnement, la gestion de l’énergie, l’implication des usagers dans le début du projet, les enseignants et les étudiants, lycée … Eric Tabarly L’école va maintenant servir de modèle pour tous les nouveaux bâtiments sont faits. Livré dans un temps record, tout juste 16 mois, ce projet a coûté un total de 34,15 million euros mobilisé une cinquantaine d’entreprises et 150 employés locaux sur le terrain.

L’école a ouvert ses portes en Septembre 2009 à Olonne-sur-mer près des Sables d’Olonne en Vendée. Il peut contenir jusqu’à 350 élèves. Novateur dans son cadre architectural, est également en vigueur. Les concepteurs ont envisagé une école où l’on peut vivre différemment, où la population locale pour apporter confort et la flexibilité des enseignants. Dès le début il a été conçu pour une formation tout au long de la vie.

IN ENIGE BEELDEN

vreemdste beeld:Louis de Funesgewijs een twintigtal nonnen in een desolaat landschap
(uit pudeur helaas slechts een in de vluchte door het autoraam geschoten onscherp fotootje)

zaterdagochtend 17 okt. 2009 domein les Cerisiers.

FIN

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I can only tolerate an hour, or so, of tasting through large portfolios at crowded trade events.  With an air of desperation, I scurry to discover a new wine or two representing a commensurate quality and value reward for immersing in this tasting format’s inherent nest of inconvenience.

My schedule had me in Boston simultaneous with the Loire Valley Wine Bureau tasting at the Taj and the Freedom Wine Tour event at the Westin.  My attendance was convenient and tinged with fate.  All combined, there were approximately 1000 wines to taste in two sessions, or for me, two hours.  

Here are three take-aways:

1) Loire Valley wines hit me as wonderfully honest representations of varietal and appellation.  The Wine Bureau organized an excellent multi city event series.  Working your way through a volume of Loire wines is serious business with over 40 regional and village designations compounded by multiple growers, styles, and grape varietals.  Suffice it to say, my speed tasting experience with the broad sampling of Chenin Blancs, Cabernet Francs, Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Gris, Melon de Bourgognes, Gamays, etc. did not bore me with homogenous singular styles, but instead expressed the joy of winemaker and vineyard/village/regional differences in the wines.

2) There were so many Loire Valley wines that spoke from their originating soil that it’s hard to pick a favorite.   A standout came from Chinon: 2005 Couly Dutheil Clos de L’Echo Crescendo.  It is 100% Cabernet Franc made from 80 year old vines.  Couly-Dutheil was founded in the early 20th century by René Couly and Madeleine Dutheil and The Clos de l’Echo vineyard was in the family before then.  As luck and my taste would have it, the wine is not cheap and is in the $50-$75 range.  Still, it is a round, full bodied, exotic wine of medium to heavy tannins that mixes aromas reminiscent of Hong Kong’s harbor and field herbs to entice fans of full wines anchored in specific old world soil.  It is a wine to lay away for a good long time.  Check it out on a splurge. 

3) 2008 Falanghina Cantina del Taburno: This was my value find of the week at $12.  When Matt Demers at Arborway poured the wine for me, he could have told me it was $35 retail and I would not have blinked.  It was a white wine of such amazing purity and cleanliness with summer white fruits, melon, and flowers streaming out of the glass that I could not move past it.  Cantina del Taburno is a cooperative from Italy’s southern wine district.  In subsequent reading I discovered that Parker wrote:

Cantina del Taburno is one of Campania’s most promising estates. The winery is a cooperative and quality can be variable, but the top wines compete with the best being made anywhere.

The Falanghina grape that makes up 100% of this wine seems to be gaining in popularity.  Demers claims his secret mission is to replace every bottle of Pinot Grigio on all wine lists with Falanghina.

I strongly recommend both of these wines.  They are on different ends of the value spectrum, but both offer unique looks into varietal and regional distinction.

The Castle Lit Only by Candles

As a last birthday surprise, Marine took me to this beautiful castle lit only by candles (it was a special event actually, there were people in costume, walking around and I guess they were trying to replicate how the castle may have been a few hundred years ago or whatever). It comparison to the tree house and zoo, it was very “grown up” – we even went on a horse ride. It was a nice end to our weekend away, as tired as we were – but really a nice end (again, apologies for the positive comments, I promise you it won’t last at least another paragraph).

This is basically the first sight of the castle we got,  the summer day was ending – but it was quickly becoming very cold. From a distance, you can already see the candles – but it was still light out, so we couldn’t really see the full effect. It only happens three times a year, and it was the last night – so it was bound to be packed.

And it FUCKING was … let me tell you, I have had bad experiences of how the French line up … but this was absolutely the worst. It would have taken literally 30mins for all of us to get in, if people just stopped shoving and pushing in front of each other, and if everyone just got into one fucking line, it’s not that fucking hard! The worst culprits are old French women, they will push in front of you and stare yo uin the face – so instead of a normal 30min line up because there were too many people, it took 1hour and a half – to finally get to a single girl, with one cash register – it was a bloody nightmare.

But once we got in, all that shit was forgotten (even temporarily) – but I can fucking tell you now, I am more likely to remember that bloody line than the rest of the fucking castle. Anywho – music was playing, choirs singing – it was the border of tacky/quaint when some guy in a frilly 15century suit comes to greet you to give you directions. But it was nice.

In the main section, there were markets and just lots of people wandering around. There was also a labrinth of candles so that was pretty nice as well. It was nice. A very nice end (yes, I have writers block right now – and I don’t feel as bitchy as I usually do). It was just nice to be able to experience something as unique as this in France. And as I have said before, it was nice ending to my birthday weekend, probably the best birthday I have ever had!

Max ERNST, ‘Le Jardin de la France‘, 1962

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