Author Archives: Debbie

Chateau Haut-Bergey Blanc 2007

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Dear Readers,

Let me boldly interrupt my summer-long hiatus from blogging by introducing to you the best wine I’ve enjoyed so far this year, hands down: Ch Haut-Bergey Blanc 2007 from Pessac-Léognan.

A find from last fall’s BC Liquor Stores Bordeaux Release, an annual promotion I’m proud to say I used to work on, this wine waited patiently on my wine rack for nearly a year until I decided to uncork ce petit chiot (“this little puppy” in French, naturellement) on my birthday in August.

And what an excellent gift this wine was to the tastebuds, indeed!

A little bit of background info:

Together, Ch Haut-Bergey and Ch Branon (Pessac-Léognan) plus Ch Barde-Haut (St-Emilion) and Clos l’Eglise (Pomerol) comprise the Bordeaux properties of Vignobles Garcin, a small family-owned wine conglomerate.

The white wines of Haut-Bergey come from a mere 2 hectares of Graves soil, well known for a high gravel composition (from which Graves gets its name), excellent drainage, and the unique trait of imparting particularly mineral-tasting characteristics into wines from that area. Graves is 50 km inland from the Atlantic coast, along the southern edge of the Garonne, an estuary of the famous river Gironde in Bordeaux.

I’m sure by now you’re asking, “So… What the hell did it taste like?!” Indulge me while I offer a few more fun facts.

Made of 82% Sauvignon Blanc and 18% Semillon from mature vines (35 years on avg.), only 8,000 bottles of this wine are produced. Hand-picked grapes, grown under la lutte raisonée (philosophy of minimal intervention), are fermented in stainless steel vats; 30% of the grapes then aged in French barrels over 12 months.

Ahh… Okay, now let us give the tasting note.

Ch Haut-Bergey Blanc 2007, Pessac-Léognan

Lemon in colour. The nose reveals an inimitable Bordeaux white wine bouquet of crushed granite, ripe apple, freshly sliced citrus, burnt grass and hints of tropical fruit with cerebral intensity. Not to be outshone by the heady scent, the palate is at once radiant and delicate, with wave after wave of juicy citrus, quince, mango, gravel and subtle warm spices from the oak aging. Supported by a firm acidic backbone, the velvety textured wine feels rich in body yet refreshing at the same time. The only thing holding one back from rushing to down the entire bottle is the wine’s delectable finish.

Fantastic with oysters on the half-shell (which was the food theme of my birthday party), and I’ll wager that a slice of that heavenly chèvre (soft goat’s cheese) with preserved lemon from Les Amis du Fromage would be another mouth-watering pairing. $59 last year at BCLDB.

Some echoes of praise from the pros:

Profile: This white wine is very accomplished: it is just a shame that they have such a miniscule vineyard. They are almost Burgundian in style with their plushness and creaminess. If you can find a bottle, these are well worth picking up for they are very reasonably priced given their scarcity.
- 92-94 pts, Wine Advocate

Golden. Oaky nose. Palate also quite oaky, with nice weight of fruit. Creamy-rich, with nice freshness. Oak tannin on the finish a little dominant. Sound effort. Drink 2012-18.
- 15 points / 3 stars, Decanter

 

Recipe: Bun Patty Nuong

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I normally don’t do food posts, however this recipe was too good to miss. (And I wanted to keep a record of it for myself in the future!)

Here’s my twist on a classic Vietnamese vermicelli dish that tasted so good, I inhaled most of it before I remembered to take a photo.

Try this heat-laden, kicky, crunchy herbal meal with New World Sauvignon Blanc, Prosecco, or a hoppy India Pale Ale!

Ingredients

  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 large shallots, halved & sliced into tiny, thin strips
  • extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
  • 6 veggie tempura patties (those fish cake-like things with the carrot bits and peas embedded within), cut into strips
  • 1 lb. bean sprouts, washed
  • approx. 250 g or 1/2 package rice vermicelli or Pho noodles (depending on your preference for thin / broad)
  • 2 carrots, julienned
  • 1/2 English long cucumber, julienned
  • 1/2 head Romaine lettuce, chiffonaded
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup (loose) cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup (loose) mint leaves, chiffonaded
  • 1 cup (loose) Thai basil leaves, chiffonaded
  • 1 dried bird’s eye chili, ground into flakes (or 1 tsp. dried chili flakes)
  • 1 heaping tbsp. sugar
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1/4 cup nam pla (fish sauce)
  • roasted peanuts, unsalted, lightly smashed

Directions

  • Place half of the minced garlic along with the ground dried chili flakes, sugar, limes and nam pla into a bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar, add a generous swirl of oil and set aside.
  • Coat the bottom of a saute pan with oil. Over medium heat, fry the shallots and remaining garlic until browned. Scoop them out into a bowl, reserving the oil in the pan. Briefly saute the tempura patty strips in the oil until heated through. Turn off heat and set aside.
  • Cook the vermicelli or Pho noodles in just-boiled water to the desired softness (note: this shouldn’t take long). Drain the noodles into a sieve or colander and run cold water over the noodles to decrease the heat and prevent them from sticking together in a giant clump. Save about 1/2 cup of the noodle water.
  • Add noodle water gradually into the nam pla mixture to dilute to taste. Sort of like chemistry, this step helps the sharp acids, sugar and salt of the mixture come into balance.
  • You are now ready to assemble your meal! In either a large, wide serving dish or individual dishes, layer the ingredients upward as follows: carrots, cucumber and romaine; bean sprouts and noodles; tempura strips; chopped herbs; fried garlic/shallot mixture; and finally the crumbled peanut topping.
  • Add spoonfuls of the nam pla sauce to taste. Mix together and enjoy!
  • Serves 4 – 6. Tastes great with extra dried chili oil.