Dégustation Prestige Tinqueux
PRESTIGe tasting CHAMPAGNE
13 October, 2014
L’ASSIETTE CHAMPENOISE
On this beautiful day of autumn, the Assiette Champenoise welcomed a new Champagne Prestige Tasting organized by SommelierS International. The magazine invited the sommeliers from the association of Champagne-Ardenne, led by their president Eric Arnaud, to taste some 90 cuvées, skillfully produced by fourty Champagne houses.
See the video of the tasting /
Videos of others tasting available on 
Entered in February 2014 in the very close circle of the 27 best three Michelin-starred restaurants of France, the Assiette Champenoise is managed by Arnaud Lallement, helped by his family, since he is 26. His creativity and his love for the produce are reflected in a surprising cuisine, but highly refined and very respectful of the raw material. Arnaud Lallement praises Eat Real and strives to highlight the quality of the produce first. The names of the dishes on the menu are minimalist, letting the guest’s imagination and very essence of the flavours express.
The 5-star hotel welcomed the new SommelierS International Prestige Tasting on October 13th. Forty-five Champagne houses and cooperatives turned up to submit some of their cuvées to the assesment of the professional sommeliers. The morning was thus dedicated to the tasting behind closed doors. Although industrious, the atmospher was convivial.
The sommeliers divided into groups of three shared the cuvées to get additional opinions and thus produce the most objective and collegial possible comments. To complete the sensory analysis of the wines, the Verrerie de la Marne provided the mouth-blown flute Lehmann Glass Classique 30. Designed for traditional and gastronomic restaurants the collection Classique consists of three glasses of superior quality with classical and pure lines.
The day was marked out by the presence of Enrico Bernardo, crowned Best Sommelier of Europe in 2002, and of the World in 2004 at the age of 27. Founder of the restaurants Il Vino and Goust in Paris, consultant, trainer, he is committed for the transmission of the wine culture. And he made himself really available to exchange with the present guests.
A beautiful autumn sun had come to warm up the terrace where the aperitif took place, over the wines tasted in the morning. The representatives of the participating houses joined the sommeliers to share with them about their impressions, get some advices, talk about the new products, but also the just-finished harvest and the current vinifications. Conviviality and good mood were the key words of this prelude to the meal.
Then came the much awaited moment of the lunch. The menu imagined by the starred-chef was in perfect harmony with the Champagnes of the houses present. Thanks to Head Sommelier Frédéric Bouché and his team, each guest could watch the waltz of dishes and had his own wine served at his table to share it with his neighbours: Foie Gras and Date with Lime; John Dory and Matcha tea; Farm Lamb and Beans in Chorizo Sauce; and Declension of Pear with Chiboust cream.
This lunch of sharing was just like Champagne, convivial, festive, warm. After the traditional group picture, sommeliers and houses separated without forgetting to promise to meet very soon over a flute!Sylvia van der Velden
Photos: Michel JOLYOT
Vidéo: Xavier PARIS
COLLÈGE DE SOMMELIERS
Enrico Bernardo, Meilleur Sommelier du Monde.
Association des Sommeliers de Champagne-Ardenne (ASCA)
Eric ARNAUD, Président
Roselyne AGUESSE
Christine ARNAUD
Franck ARNAUD
Marie-Caroline BOURRELLIS
Marie DOYARD
Bernard ETIEN
Richard FETRE
Jean-Luc FEUTRY
Jean-Paul GANDON
Jean-Luc GONOT Jean-Pierre HUBAILLE,
vice-président
Walter JUNQUET
Nicolas MARTINET
Amaury MERCHEZ
Maurice MERESSE
Geoffrey ORBAN
Silvio ROUSSETTE
Laurent VALLET
The 2014 edition of this traditional
prestige tasting took on a special sparkle
with Enrico Bernardo presiding over it.
He is one of the great figures of the profession. This young Italian prodigy was crowned Best Young Cook of Europe at 17, and Best Sommelier of the World at 27! Dishes have no secrets for him, he worked for the greatest starred chefs before opening his own restaurants. The phenomenon born Sagittarius, eager for ardour and passion, is considered a forerunner in food and wine pairings. In his restaurant Il Vino he opened seven years ago, he iniated to choose the wine first and then to adapt the cuisine. He appreciates the marriage of the minerality of a Blanc de Blancs Champagne with the saltiness of an oyster; the fruitiness of a Champagne Brut associated with the smoothness of a John Dory with Matcha Tea like Arnaud Lallement
prepared for the lunch. During this tasting that gathered the greatest Champagne houses, he found the Champagnes of very good quality. His favourite was the Cuvée Winston Churchill 2002, a terroir Champagne, very pure and linear.
Marie-Caroline Bourrellis
Photos de la manifestation
