Pouilly-Fumee

BARON DE L

POUILLY FUMEE, LOIRE, FRANCE,





My friends call me the wine poet because I think the wine is more than just
a "brevage" something for when your thirsty , It's a moment you share with
your friends or the person you love, could be a night out or a romantic
dinner, but, always as we say in Bordeaux " with aged all I could remember
are sweet moments a glass of wine in my hand". Since I am in england I
discover the joy of a late fish and chips or watching eastenders, a good
Banger and mash in a pub , watching Arsenal on TV. For all those moments in
this moments I tend to sip a glass of Pouilly-Fumee made with Sauvignon
Blanc from Loire Valley in center France , clear with green edges, lots of
perfume spicy and musk, that wine is more mineral and floral than is cousin
the Sancerre, in Loire there is a long history of English and French
occupation , all the King had there castle or their mistress castle around ,
one in particular the Chateau du Nozet was the residence of an illegitimate
daughter of Louis XV (one of many). The estate is part of the domain of
Baron Patrick de Ladoucette, who run the family business since 1787 . The
main estate is already a pleasure for the eyes with five gardeners employed
all the year around to maintain the elegant gardens and it is the same care
in the vineyard . They is as well lots of blackcurrant bushes for making the
famous "creme de cassis" for the Kir Royal of course as we are in the
Valleys of Kings !! of France !! . The Baron de L is a prestige cuvee that
was first instituted in 1975 and made only the best years as 1988, 1989,1990
or 2000 a must for a king's table an still served at the Elysees palace with
orange peel, grapefruit, silex and a fabulous finish a really strong bone
dry wine presented in an old fashion bottle to give you even more pleasure,
as being in 1700 or 1800 at Versailles, so just relax, enjoy and share for
the first dinner with a new lover or over a romantic dinner to say "I love
you ! You are my queen!".

sex wine and chocolate !!!!!

Good chocolate is like a “kiss of the one you really love” a “caress of sun and angels” but the real base of chocolate is cacao, sugar and milk sometimes. A strong taste bitter, powerful, the torrefaction and the provenance will alter is taste. So, which wine with it???

Champagne ? A vintage rose for small chocolate-mousse cake.Vintage Rich (sweeter) for milk chocolate or “Poire belle Helene”.

White wine ?A Loire white saumur or layon for pain au chocolat Anjou as well for peach chocolate tart

Red wine ?with already cacao aroma as in a Pommard or a madiran. A new world Zinfandel is the obvious choice for chocolate cakes. Pinot noir from new world tends to be perfect for milk chocolate, creamy mousse or chocolate cheesecake a Cabernet or merlot from Chile as well for milk chocolate.

Porto ? Tawny port with Chocolate cake, An older vintage ( at least more 20Y) for dark chocolate.

Sherry ? Pedro Ximenez, full of rich raisin and toffee is the one to try with chocolate and vanilla ice-cream or a white chocolate

Sweets ? Banyuls from France or Recioto from Italy for dark deep chocolate dessert, muscat or recioto for black forest, if its an orange cake try with tokaji or orange muscat from Australia, Berry with chocolate cake need a Maury from France. For a Mousse take a Moscato d'asti. A Riesling is always nice with a light chocolate desserts grd crus for dark chocolate, rivesalte with a Grenache base as well. If you are lucky a marsala “vergine stravecchio” with 10 years in oak are sublime with chocolate. If you are curious a Mavrodhavne from Cephalonie in Greece with figues, plum, coffee and chocolate flavor.

Whiskey ? You need a strong butter, caramel, grilled almond so a Speyside sherry cask like a Macallan 18 will be perfect Bushmill's Malt works perfectly, try the Monkey Shoulder's with light preparation. Or a bourbons, with long cask vanilla, wood underlying like a Bulleit.

And for the real “fans” a Stout will always work , warm if possible to give a balance in amertume and alcohol.

And finally if you don't drink alcohol water really neutral (nothing fancy). Coffee need something well balance and soft as a Venezuela Amer (70%cacao) only. For the tea Oolong tea are the perfect match with praline. Darjeeling or Assam with cakes. Lapsang Souchon with a spices chocolate.

“Bon appetit !”

Sans vin, il n'y a pas d'amour

“Sans vin, il n'y a pas d'amour”

Without wine there is no love ! . If the first diner with the loved one must be perfect, that dinner should be taken with the good choice of place, music and wine to be that perfect moment to reminber for the following years.

For a good present the best proposition should be ... two words in a sweet murmur, a caress on a chick to surprise her or a last minute booking some flowers, chocolate, kinky underwear or even a bottle of wine.....

But which one to choose (the bottle not the ...), women have a better approach to wine , they “smell” more perfume more flavor, but that doesn't mean go for a cheap Australian white. The wine should be link to her, its an invitation to travel :

• Spain (creamy or deep)
  A white Albarinho that you drink really chilled with fish or meat. A red TORO to show your manly side, the Arena, the fight, the rose in your mouth!!.
• Italy (fruity or subtle) A white Pinot Grigio (please not the cheapest !) because you know she likes it but try a Gavi to surprise. A red Aglianico from the vesuvio to light the fire!!
• France (rich or perfume) A white Muscadet “the wine lover's” who spin your head. A red Beaujolais (Saint Amour or Chiroubles) to cause the desire !!
• Don't show off by asking the most expensive one and taking the house wine !!!. go away from the House choice, you have to show more confidence than that, but, you could take one minute to talk to the sommelier before, or, take something in a middle range price.
• Australia (fruity or spicy) A white Semillon crisp and dry. A red Shiraz to spices up !!
• New Zealand (white with tropical note) Any Sauvignon Blanc worth more than £8, like a tropical fruit storm !!!
• USA (red with black cherry) A Cabernet like a breakfast on a bed of rose !!!
• Chile/Argentina ( dense or big) A white Chardonnay organic for a communion of soul. A red Merlot like a caress !!!
• Same as for old world but be careful in your choices of label don't go straight for a Villa maria, Hardy's, Wollf Blass or others tesco/asda wine .

As for champagne “The king of drink” it will need a special article. So in the mean time have a nice dinner , and, if something should go wrong don't blame me, as you know I cannot be responsible for any action, consumption, excess of food, bad word, bad thinking or organization due to the fact that “women will still be a mystery to man, thats why I am drinking to drown my sorrow!”

THE WINE POET

Bonjour,

That's 20 years I am in wine industry making, selling and/or drinking wine. When I started in Bordeaux France there is was no question of others wine except the Bordeaux and french burgundy. Now all I change , first the italian and spanish wine improved a lott 15 years ago then the american's arrived and today the all worlds is at the door (of the cellar). From a discussion between man in comfy room around a couple of Rotschild 1955, the discussion is open to everyone and more and more people are looking at better quality wine than "vino di Tavola" to drink every day. There is as well more and more "bullshitting" (excuse my french) about how to taste, drink, served or enjoy your wine !!!, I think some of the "connoisseurs" out there forgot about the simple fact that "wine is there to enjoy!!" . I take pleasure drinking from a 1961 nectar from pauillac ( £2000 bottle), but, I will enjoy a glass of australian shiraz in a night out with some friends!!! (£4.50 a glass), I go to Aldi or Tesco to by my wine as well than visiting Bordeaux and friend's "caves" to buy some others. Please as the philosophe says " Its the company who makes the dinner, not the wine....." but of course "Wine help's you to forget about the company , If the company is not good.....".