Saturday Night - Julie/Julia and Mick – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting dinner this past Saturday night and Mick had two new recipes for us to try and three new wines.

 

The first course was a leek and potato soup from Mick’s new Julia Childs Cookbook.  Hence the Julie/Julia reference in the title.  Mick paired this with a non-vintage Crémant de Bourgogne from Francois Labet.  Crémant is a term used for French sparkling wine made outside the region of Champagne, similar in concept to the term Cava for Spanish wines.

The nose on the wine was extremely faint and you really had to work at to discover the aromas of marzipan, and hay and yeast.  Tasting the wine you will find refreshing tangerine and lemon flavours. There was some creaminess to the wine.  I found it almost dainty in its structure as the acidity was very light and the finish didn’t linger for long.  It was a very approachable and easy drinking sparkling wine that worked well with the soup.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 87, Mark - 87, Kathy – 87, Amy – 87, Overall – 87.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

FRANÇOIS LABET BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE
VINTAGES 130088
750 mL bottle
Price $ 17.95
Made in: Burgundy, France
By: Francois Labet
Release Date: Mar 16, 2013
Style: Rich & Complex
Wine, Sparkling Wine, Other Sparkling Wine
12.6% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Blend - Other
Sugar Content: 10 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

Description  -  Burgundy's sparkling wine, Crémant de Bourgogne, continues to gain traction as an affordable and extremely satisfying alternative to Champagne. This version from François Labet (of Château de La Tour fame) is dry, full-bodied and vivacious, with oodles of soft fruit. It's got the versatility to be an aperitif or to be served alongside a main course like baked chicken and mushrooms, or pan-seared scallops.

The leek and potato soup was very mild and Mick’s pairing of the Labet with its mild demeanor was probably a very good choice as a more full bodied sparkling would have overpowered the delicate flavours of the soup.

Click here for Part 2