Off to the Salon des Vins de Loire

Tomorrow Tom and Jim are off to the annual Salon des Vins de Loire (2nd-4th February) in Angers. Nigel hopes to get out sometime during the weekend. Internet connections willing, we will be posting frequent reports on our trip here and also on Jim's Loire. First stop will be Saumur with visits to Thierry Germain and Jean-Pierre Chevallier before heading to Angers and to the Hotel du Mail.

Thierry Germain: Domaine de Roches Neuves

Jean-Pierre Chevallier: Château de Villeneuve

Ursula Ferrigno cooks Sicilian style

Ursula with a tray of Pasta al Norma

On a drab January Sunday Ursula Ferrigno brought some welcome Sicilian sunshine to the RSJ. She was in early this morning with her five apprentices plus Chef George Harvey and Abbie to prepare a delicious meal – the first of her 2009 Sunday lunches. RSJ News took the opportunity to capture some of the action and excitement, especially the making of the pasta.

The team hard at their various tasks

The menu:

Involtini di Spada
Swordfish with chilli, pinenuts, olives, capers & cherry tomatoes

Preparing the swordfish

Dama di Bianca
'Woman in White' fennel, celery & mozzarella salad

Feeding the pasta carefully through the machine

That looks about right

Counting the pasta – beats counting sheep!

Still counting pasta....



Definitely lively pasta!

Pasta al Norma

Luxurious freshly made pasta using Italian eggs famous for their colour and flavour. The hand made pasta is accompanied with a rich aubergine sauce flavoured with wine and Oregano.

Ursula and one of her apprentices

Insalata Mista
A great combination of richly coloured & textured leaves designed to cleanse the palate.

It's all go.....

Dolce Casata Sicilia
The classical dessert - layers of homemade ice cream encased in a liqeuer soaked light sponge.

Chef George Harvey checks a detail

Formaggi
Special selection of cheese from our artisan supplier to compliment the menu.

Abbie

Forthcoming Sunday treats from Ursula:

15th March - Italian springtime favourites £30
Three generations of family favourites - light fragrant dishes using seasonal produce and the finest ingredients.

Cannelloni with broad beans and ricotta
A wonderful flavour of broad beans and mint combines magically with the freshly made pasta.

Foccacia farcita
Freshly made bread using six year old starter dough - a real joy!

Pappa con pomodoro e porri
Leek & tomato soup with a hint of chilli oil make this a light and fragrant soup with a slice of bread at the bottom of each bowl to thicken the soup

More preparation

Insalata Mezzogiorno
Prawn & artichoke salad - In Italy 'mezzogiorno' has two meanings: noon and the Southern regions. This salad celebrates the South using capers, prawns and of course, new season artichokes.

Dolci – Zuppa Inglese
Cream & marsala trifle - there are many variations of this popular dessert which loosely translate means 'English soup' but is a creamy trifle flavoured with Marsala.

Formaggi
Special selection of cheese to compliment the menu.

Abbie – the boss?

We are still awaiting details of the 26th April event from Ursula but I will post them as soon as I have them.

If you would like to assist Ursula during the morning – making bread, pasta soup and the sauces associated with these lunches- there are a limited number of places available. The cookery tuition will cost an extra £30 per person. You are advised to book early.

Read a great account by one of Ursula's apprentices of the morning and lunch here.

For bookings please contact: tel: 020-7928 4554, fax: 020-7928 9768, email: tom.king@rsj.uk.com

Ursula@work

Photos © Jim Budd

Report on Saumur tasting: 19th January 2009

The Château de Saumur from the centre of the town

The RSJ’s 2009 events programme started last night with a successful tasting and dinner partnered with nine wines from Saumur.

Régis Neau, Domaine de Nerleux Crémant de Loire

Guests were welcomed with a glass of Régis Neau’s Domaine de Nerleux Crémant de Loire (£9.75 a bottle retail). This creamy and lemony sparkler is an RSJ favourite: we get through about 150 cases a year both in the restaurant and in private sales. Made from 70% Chenin Blanc and 30% Chardonnay, the Crémant de Loire appellation was introduced in 1975 and modelled on the same strict conditions that govern Champagne. Indeed in some respects the conditions for Crémant are stricter, especially in terms of amount of grapes that can be produced.

We then tasted three Saumur Blancs – all made from 100% Chenin Blanc:

2007 Régis Neau, Domaine de Nerleux £7.50
2007 Insolite Thierry Germain, Domaine des Roches Neuves £12.95
2005 Antoine Foucault Domaine du Collier £15.95

Partnered with panfried scallops, cod branade and beurre blanc.

The two 2007s were typical of the vintage with very clean, precise flavours and quite austere; something that makes them attractive to lovers of Loire wines but which others may find too lean. The lemony Régis Neau is probably best as an aperitif. Insolite showed the mineral character that Thierry Germain is now wants, which is a very different style from the much richer style of Insolite that he was making during the 1990s and in the early part of this decade.

2007 Insolite, Thierry Germain, Domaine des Roches Neuves

As the son of Charly and Françoise Foucault, Antoine comes from a famous family. The wines (Saumur and Saumur-Champigny) of Charly and his brother, Nadi, are now much sought after on both sides of the Atlantic. Antoine set up on his own in 1999 with 5.5 hectares of vines on the hill of Bréze, which includes a plot called La Charpentie where the vines are around 100 years old. His wine-making cellar is in a large limestone cave under his parents’ home in Chacé.

Antoine’s 2005 divided opinion – for some it was the best white, others were not impressed citing an earthy flavour. This and Insolite were both a bit cold when they were served and showed better as they warmed up a little. Among the doubters some felt that it showed better with the first course rather than on its own. It is also a white that could benefit from being given time in a decanter or carafe. Equally you should be able to keep this for at least five years and probably longer.

2005 Antoine Foucault's Domaine du Collier

Next we tasted two Saumur-Champignys as an interlude between the first and main course:

2006 Jean-Pierre Chevallier, Château de Villeneuve £9.95
2005 Philippe Vatan, Château de Hureau £10.95

Both wines were true to their respective vintages. With Jean-Pierre’s 2006 showing some of that refreshing edginess that is often typical of Loire reds. Although 2006 is a good vintage, its potential was undermined by wet weather at the end of the harvest that forced producers to pick in great haste to beat widespread outbreaks of rot. It is Jean-Pierre’s policy to only make his top reds in vintages when he is fully satisfied that the quality is good enough. In difficult or average vintages, such as 1998, 2004, 2006 and 2007 he doesn’t make the Vieilles Vignes or Grand Clos and instead everything goes into the ‘domaine’ wine, making them both remarkably good wines for the vintage and great value.

2005 Château de Hureau

2005 was a very good vintage and the Vatan domaine wine is wonderfully seductive with plenty of black fruits and is drinking very well now.

They were followed by three Saumur-Champignys served with the main course:

2005 Clos des Châtains Régis Neau, Domaine de Nerleux £11.95
2005 Vieilles Vignes Jean-Pierre Chevallier, Château de Villeneuve £12.50
2002 Marginale, Thierry Germain, Domaine des Roches Neuves £17.95

Roast guinea fowl breast and confit leg with braised shallots, grapes, new potatoes.

All three showed well with Thierry Germain’s 2002 Marginale the current star showing what a lovely vintage 2002 – not a heavyweight but beautifully and seamlessly balanced. Unfortunately the one of the bottles had a cork problem that became more evident as the wine warmed up and opened up.

2005 Vieilles Vignes Château de Villeneuve

Jean-Pierre Chevallier’s Vieilles Vignes is all delicious, silky fruit at the moment. With more bottle age it is likely to develop more complexity. Régis Neau’s Clos des Châtains comes from a parcel of old vines on the western side of the hillside of Saint-Cyr overlooking the Thouet Valley. Less silky and more edgy than the Villeneuve, this is always very consistent and good value.

2005 Les Châtains Régis Neau, Domaine de Nerleux

Dessert: Apricot tart, rum and raisin parfait, strawberry, kiwi and passion fruit salsa

Sunrise over the Loire@Saumur

Saumur tasting this evening

Antoine Foucault: one of Saumur's young stars

With two changes the wines to be tasted this evening are as listed on Saturday's posting. The three whites will be:

2007 Régis Neau, Domaine de Nerleux
2004 Antoine Foucault Domaine du Collier
2007 Insolite Thierry Germain, Domaine des Roches Neuves

Followed by five Saumur-Champignys:

2006 Jean-Pierre Chevallier, Château de Villeneuve
2005 Philippe Vatan, Château de Hureau
2005 Clos des Chatains Régis Neau, Domaine de Nerleux
2005 Vieilles Vignes Jean-Pierre Chevallier, Château de Villeneuve
2002 Marginale, Thierry Germain, Domaine des Roches Neuves

Partnered with:

Fresh scallops with a cod branade

Duo of roast guinea fowl with a confit guinea fowl leg

George's pudding surprise

Saumur tasting Monday: 4 places left

Four places left for the Saumur tasting and dinner on Monday (19th January) starting at 7.30. £45 per person.

Saumur consistently produces some of the best reds and whites of the Loire and we will be showcasing some of the best.

Although the list of wines has yet to be finalised, this is what we will be tasting with some minor tweaks still possible.

We will kick off with a welcoming glass of Régis Neau's Crémant de Loire, the RSJ's best selling sparkling wine.

Then we'll have three Saumur Blancs – three from these four:

2007 Régis Neau, Domaine de Nerleux
2004 Antoine Foucault Domaine du Collier
2007 Insolite Thierry Germain, Domaine des Roche Neuves
Les Cormiers, Jean-Pierre Chevallier, Château de Villeneuve

Followed by five Saumur-Champignys:

2006 Jean-Pierre Chevallier, Château de Villeneuve
2005 Philippe Vatan, Château de Hureau
2005 Clos des Châtains Régis Neau, Domaine de Nerleux
2005 Vieilles Vignes Jean-Pierre Chevallier, Château de Villeneuve
2002 Marginale, Thierry Germain, Domaine des Roche Neuves

Menu:

Fresh scallops with a cod branade

Duo of roast guinea fowl with a confit guinea fowl leg

George's pudding surprise


To book your place please contact Nigel or Tom on 020-7928 4554.

Ian Smallridge, Prestige Vintners

We have just heard the very sad news that Ian Smallridge of Prestige Vintners died this morning. Ian had been ill for some time – first with cancer and then a heart problem.

Ian was a Loire great enthusiast and imported wines from many of the leading growers Huet, Couly-Dutheil and Lame Delisle Boucard (Domaine des Chesnaies, AC Bourgueil). Despite dealing with Loire producers over many years, Ian never learnt to speak French, he left that to his wife Therese. He was a good friend of and frequent visitor to the RSJ.

He was also a lover of fine fino from Jerez., especially Inocente from Valdespino. Even on trips to the Loire Ian would make sure he took along a few bottles with him.

Ian was a man of great charm – one of nature’s gentlemen. Our thoughts are with Therese and his family.

Prestige Vintners
Lake Tawstock. Barnstable

2009: proper cold winter

Saint-Georges-sur-Cher: frost on the vines this morning

Many of the recent winters in the Loire Valley have been mild. Instead the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 has seen extended cold weather. The current spell started around Christmas and shows no sign at the moment of lifting. Indeed today it is colder, although bright, than previous days. Overnight in the Cher Valley it was around minus 7 and around 10am still only -5.5˚C. The temperature is unlikely to rise above zero today despite bright sunshine. It is a little warmer in Saumur-Anjou – around - 4 early this morning.

This prolonged cold is good news for the vignerons as it helps to kill unwanted bugs and diseases in the vineyards.