05/28/17

Shopping day in Paris! On a Sunday! Oh wait, everything is closed on Sunday….right….

Window shopping and Eiffel tower- we had saved our shopping day for today, oh well, Ce la vie! As soon as we step out of the taxi at Rue de Commerce (excellent French boutique shopping district I researched) Jeff’s feet hurt….my feet have been killing me for three days and Jeff has said nothing. I am sensing a direct correlation between shopping and Jeff’s feet….

We get lucky and there is a street fair open on Rue de Commerce. It is all locals, yes we stick out like a sore thumb. It gets us talking about fresh ingredients and cheeses and the underwhelming nature of superstore grocery stores (except king soopers according to Jeff). We may need to delve into this further when we get home, I believe Cap Hill/South Broadway need us!

 

Today we went to the Cave de Louvre for our wine tour. We were super pumped to find this gem, this location used to have a tunnel to the Louvre and it is where the kings sommelier lived. They have turned it into an interactive wine tour including all the senses. They have a section to learn about the vines and the soils that create the best wines, the different flavors profiles, labeling ect…

Atchimie- Sauvignon Blanc- Domaine de

• Dry wine, citrus flavors, fresh

Saint Emilion- Grand Cru- Bordeaux- Merlot 2012

• Dark red fruit, blackberry, cherries, earthy, Smokey

Origami- Domaine Capdeville- Bordeaux- Merlot, Cabernet Franc

• Fruit forward, stone fruit, spicy, pepper, olive pip

3 Star Michelin chef Antoine Westermann has our attention, we went to one of his restaurants last night (Le Coq Rico), and went to another of his hubs tonight. Drouant is tucked away around the corner from the opera house, get a reservation this listing is a keeper! We ordered the milk fed lamb with seasonal vegetables, when it came out you would not believe you were in Paris the portion was large enough to feed an American family of 5. To complement we ordered what we thought would be the oldest wine we had every had.

Chateau La Garricq- Moulis en Medoc- 2004

• Ripe red fruit, chocolate flavors

Halfway through the meal the couple next to us introduce themselves. Christian and Hanna are from Norway and they overheard us talking about wines and offer us a glass of their chilled 2015 Sancerre. Shortly after the table next to them joins the conversation. KK and Jaime are a charming couple from Connecticut and offer us a glass of our oldest wine to date.

Cordier- Chateau Lafaurie- Peyraguey- Sauternes 1994

• Apricots, and marmalade, complex sweet flavors. Amber coloration.
• Wine created from grapes with fungus, concentrating the sweetness. Dessert wine
• Paired with Roquefort cheese to cut through the sweetness.

We finish our last night in Paris with a pistachio and raspberry napoleon. Already we are planning our next trip back.

Nerd Notes:

• Young vines are under 40yrs old, they produce more grapes but lack concentrated developed flavors.
• Conversely old vines are over 40yrs produce fewer grapes but with more aromas and flavor.