Bathers Pavilion South West Wine Dinner

A cold and wet evening did not deter diners from enjoying the tastes of South West France at Bathers Pavilion.  Over forty guests enjoyed four courses matched with wines from Jurançon, St Mont and Cahors. Diners were warmly welcomed by Serge Dansereau from Bathers and Mary and Helen from DiscoverVin.

The menu was perfect for the evening and for the wines.  Diners were able to watch the waves on Balmoral Beach and simultaneous be transported to the French Pyrenees.

Rabbit and foie gras terrine.

The wines of South West France are diverse and made from indigenous grape varieties.  Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng are used to make both a crisp dry white and a rich dessert style wine. Both styles were perfectly show cased during the meal.

The first course of terrine of rabbit, foie gras and lettuce served with a verjuice jelly was a lovely match with Chateau Jolys Jurançon Sec 2010. With both floral and fruity aromas: honeysuckle, jasmine, grapefruit, citrus and fresh grape and  fresh, fruity  flavours on the palate the wine was enhanced by the texture of the terrine and the acidity of the verjuice jelly.

 



Poached duck egg with white bean, ham hock and anchovy.

The second course was also matched with a wine from Jurançon, Domaine Bellegarde, Selection DB, 2008. The minerality of the wine was perfect with the complex flavours of a poached duck egg served with white bean, ham hock and anchovy.

Perfectly pink pan roasted duck magret served with chestnuts and prunes was matched with two red wines.  A tannat from St Mont and a malbec from Cahors. Both wines are made to accompany food, especially braised and meaty dishes, making them an interesting match with the duck. The UK Guardian recently described Cahors as the rarest of all wines, both a rising star and a timeless classic.  The Chateau Lagrezette 2005 demonstrated this. The rich savoury flavours of the Monastere St Mont Rouge 2006 from Producteurs Plaimont  with its scents of stewed fruit was enjoyed by all. 

Pan roasted duck magret served with chestnuts and prunes and paired with a Malbec and a Tannat wine from South West France.

Tourtière des Landes with Cuveé Thibault dessert wine.

Dessert was apple tart, a superb Tourtière des Landes with Armagnac ice cream.  It was matched with another Jurançon wine, Domaine Bellegarde, Jurançon Moelleux Cuveé Thibault 2007. The rich golden colour of the wine was gorgeous with the tones of the tourtière.  The wine was lush, but with a crisp finish, enhancing the tartness of the apple.