28th Contest of the Best Sommelier of France Beaune
Philippe Faure-Brac, Serge Dubs, Michel Hermet, Jean-Luc Jamrozik and Olivier Poussier congratulated the winner who is a member of the association of sommeliers of Paris.
In autumn 2009, Jonathan Bauer-Monneret surprised the fans of contests by winning the title of Best Young Sommelier of France—Duval-Leroy Trophy. He then used to work in the Indian Ocean, within the Mauritian group Constance. “It was my first job after my studies at the vocational school Alexandre Dumas in Illkirch-Graffenstaden. That is where I used for the first time my complementary mention sommellerie that I passed at Antoine Woerlé’s side. Jérôme Faure, Prince Maurice head sommelier, supported me when I talked about this contest …”
A few months later, the man from Strasbourg came back to France, beside Manuel Peyrondet, at Royal Monceau and tried his luck at the elders’ contest. With a lukewarm result. Semi-finalist in Fontevraud, he attended the finals in the audience. “Two years later, in Marseille, I didn’t do better!”
This year, at last, he was in the last batch of candidates and experienced the thrills of finals played in front of a public. And in the theatre La Lanterne Magique that was full with 500 persons and real supporters of the candidates, Jonathan Bauer-Monneret held the pressure. In front of young experienced professionals: Mikaël Grou, 26 (Four seasons George V in Paris), Jean-Baptiste Klein, 27 (Clos des Sens in Annecy-le-Vieux) and Florent Martin, 27 (Four seasons George V in Paris), he went through the different workshops naturally.
A well-organized ballet of 30 minutes per candidate. Commented blind tasting of a white wine (Vouvray 1971) then identification (origin, grape variety, appellation and vintage) of four red wines (Gevrey-Chambertin 2010 Sérafin Père et Fils; Mercurey Premier Cru Château de Chamirey 2010; Beaune Premier Cru 2005 Clos des Fèves by Domaine Chanson, Moulin-à-Vent 2005 Clos de Rochegrès). Management of three tables in a restaurant fitted out on the stage, then selection of wines with customers preparing a wedding meal, as well as UDSF president Michel Hermet’s teasing questions: a taste of everything and even a bit of humour.
The semi-finalists looked relaxed before the names of the four last candidates to fight for the title are announced.
“During the last seven months I have been prepared to all this. Friends of mine and my wife Martine helped me with role playing and unexpected workshops. To be able to deal with stress and feel at ease in this context, I also took acting lessons.” A lot of work he questioned again on last mid- November, for the selections of the Best Craftsman of France. Jonathan Bauer-Monneret met Romain Iltis, the Alsatian he succeeded on the list of national winners.
The fans of statistics will note that Jonathan also is, since ten years, the Best Young Sommelier to have also won the contest open to all professionals and thus the most pretigious. In 2004, Dominique Laporte, crowned in Avignon, confirmed the same way his title won in 1997 among the young.
In two years, he will experience the next contest—the hosting terroir will be known by the end of 2014—as a member of the jury.
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