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June
30, 2009 Riquewihr to Dizy
We decided to take a different route back to Champagne. This
time near Metz instead of the southern route near Nancy. Of
course we needed to triangulate the lunch. We took a recommendation
from Le Guide and headed slightly off the A to Amneville. Didn't
look like a good idea. We were going through a very industrial
looking area. The restaurant description said in the forest
and we didn't see one. Then we came upon tourist trap hell.
Indoor skiing, imax, water park, aligator park, zoo ... Well
we found La Foret and it was indeed in the forest. We did have
trees all around us. It is a hotel-restaurant and reminded us
a little of Beaurivage along the Rhone from the last trip. Good
hotel food with the feel of a conference center. Our starters
were actually quite good: I had a terrain de canard with pistaches
and Jeff had scallops with chanterelles. The rest, -meh- . The
outta here and to our destination of Dizy. We had the a/c full
blast because, damn, it is getting more humid as we head back
toward Paris. Very rural drive through wheat fields and gypsum
cliffs.
We checked into our hotel, Les Grains d'Argent in Dizy. The
towns definitely are not as cute as Burgundy, Rhone/Provence
and especially not Alsace. They are more utilitarian in nature.
Even the church is surrounded by modern buildings and warehouses.
So our place is on a round about. The name of our room is Mutigny
and that sets us on our first adventure. A great view of the
vineyards at Mutigny.
We are very close to Epernay, so we decide to head there. It
too is industrial. We manage to drive down the road with the
big Champagne Houses: Moet, Mumm, Perrier Jouet, Pol Roger,
etc. We park in a square and have a walk around. It is still
warm. We head to a brasserie for drinks, champagne and water.
Then walk around some more. We thought about something light
for dinner. We came upon an "ethnique" section of town. A portuguese
and morrocan place. We opt for morrocan. Great choice, but light
it was not. Jeff has a mixed meat and veggie couscous and I
get the lamb, almond and prune tagine. Fabulous. We get a bottle
of NV Jean Jacquesson Brut of course. And out comes peanuts.
Now we had been talking earlier if we could get potato chips
with our champagne somewhere here. Very good combo we've had
on occasion. Peanuts, also good.
Stuffed to the gills and really wishing I could eat more, we
walk a bit to help settle the full tummys.
Well deserved snooze in the a/c. That is helpful. And much
more quiet. We really are spoiled Americans, but we wouldn't
have chosen this time of year to be in France.
July 1, 2009 Dizy
Today, we want Champagne, bien sur. We head out to the village
of Mailly. This is a cooperative of 70 grand cru growers that
make wines under the label Mailly. We have a bottle in Redondo,
so thought we could go to the source. Again an industrial town
surrounded by vineyards. We walk out with 2 bottles, a blancs
de noirs and a 2002. We asked for a recommendation for lunch
and had problems finding the spot.
So we back tracked a bit to Tours sur Marne. This was one of
my possible locations to plant us and I wish I had. It was a
little more charming. And the Hotel-Restaurant is across from
the canal. We were the first into La Touraine Champenoise for
lunch, but it was full by the time we left 2 1/2 hours later.
We had two half bottles of Champagne (of the glory of a lower
alcohol wine, unlike the Paso bombs). We started with an NV
Henri Beaufort from Bouzy. A bit sulphery. Crisp fruit. Then
a 1999 Laurent Perrier. OMG. This was fabulous. So rich and
complex. Gotta get some. They are in Tours sur Marne, but no
visits. Ok, lunch quite good. Started with a gazpacho (it is
summer after all, so seems to be the trend) with a celery creme.
Jeff had the terrain de canard and then the special, a nicely
cooked piece of beef. I had the tete de veau and then the fish
filet with chorizo. Fruit dessert and coffee for both. We walked
out to the car and a bunch of kids were enjoying the canal.
What to do now? Well Jeff had noticed a wine shop in Dizy.
It was across from the estate/house of Jacquesson. No visits
to the caves here either. We also decided that tasting champagne
is not the same as other wine tastings. So Les Caves des Filles
was a good choice. A bit like 15c in Templeton. The gal that
helped us was very enthusiastic. We caught a bit here and there.
But the priorities were the recommendations. We walked out with
3 special bottles, that are probably hard to come by in the
states. Most champagnes are fractionally blended so each house
has a signature, with wines be blended with wines from previous
years. Each house does hundreds of thousands of these bottlings
a year. Some years are exceptional and they'll do a special
vintage. But still many bottles. We got some that are less than
10K a year. Can't wait to try.
Took a nap. Jeff finished his Parker novel and started The
Three Musketeers. We decided to have dinner easy in the restaurant
downstairs. Very nice setting, easily the most comfortable we've
been in. Rowdy Northern European trio eating everything in site.
We thought they were on the desserts when we got seated, but
we left before they were done (only 2 hours this evening). After
our lunch Champagne choice, it is hard to decide. We got the
1999 Gosset from Ay. We got the easy tasting menu. Outside was
a group (perhaps including the owner) drinking at least one
bottle of Dom amongst others. They were seated to dine as we
were leaving. Tonight we started with, yep, the gazpacho. Jeff
had an asparagus salad on a cannelloni filled with a local cheese,
then the lamb dish with eggplant cavier (reminiscent of an enchilada
filled, must try to recreate) and goat cheese filled fritters.
I had the terrine with foie, very lightly poached flesh, tomato
and aspic followed by the lotte on a "minestrone." Nice. We
did the cheese course, finally. Oddly this is the first official
cheese course we've had this trip. Just too full, but we paced
ourselves better. I had the tasting of strawberries and Jeff
the tasting of coffee. Not dying full, but close.
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