Sunday in the Parc

Okay, long delay since the last posting and all of you following this blog breathlessly since its introduction know how much I dislike that. But it has been a busy week, including even today with an attempted coup in the Philippines. Now I am not very political, but I do watch a fair amount of news TV in Paris (and listen to news radio in NYC), and this habit folds one into world politics especially in the morning in Europe when even CNN is broadcast from London. Anyway, to return to the coup and TV coverage, I think in any crisis, any disaster or other “breaking news” scenario, how a broadcaster handles the situation can define the channel for time to come. It seems that this series of events in Manila has the power to redefine Aljazeera’s English channel.

Not only did Aljazeera have two intelligent broadcasters narrating the events, but one of them speaks the language spoken by the dissidents in the hotel and did simultaneous translation during the coverage. Additionally, the channel had camera coverage from inside and outside the hotel, and interviewed by telephone high-ranking Philippine government officials and supporters of the dissidents. Meanwhile, CNN chatted on the telephone with camera-less correspondents on the edge of the security perimeter surrounding the hotel and while the first shots were fired, there were no comments despite viewers hearing the shots behind the conversation. Repeatedly, the CNN correspondent questioned a telephone interviewer on a point that the interviewer had answered while more newsworthy issues went without discussion. Aljazeera has been accused of a pro-Arab, anti-American slant and I certainly have felt that. However, there is much to be gained from intelligent news reporting by newscasters who seem interested and involved in the news they are reporting. The tone of CNN’s reporters, especially once the base of broadcasting has shifted to Atlanta, often appears to be either misunderstanding or jovial disbelief. Perhaps Aljazeera, using so many British English speakers, follows in that old BBC tradition of speaking down to the viewers rather than serving them pabulum.

Enough of my ranting, I’ll close with a small note-to-file: Remember to ask Scooter what a hotel manager does when armed personnel carriers crash into the lobby of a 5-star hotel?

Okay, so now we need to return to important things and what all of you, Audience, have been waiting for – Sunday lunch hosted by the Chef Cousin now 10 days ago. It took place on the last day of the Carrefour du Club des Vignerons Lauréats (the wine expo). Ravaut, one of Chef Cousin’s favorite Burgundian wine producers, offered him a selection of four of their wines and he organized a small meal around them. We were invited, with the Boulanger and his wife, to join the Chef Cousin and La Serveuse at a restaurant in the Parc St. Cloud. This is a large park on the top of a hill to the west of Paris in a posh suburb that was once part of the grounds of a royal château and currently is also the location of the Sevres Museum (second note-to-file: why have I not visited that Museum?).

Although the park has a reputation equal to that of the suburb in which it is located (a member of the Prince Consort's Entourage asked he would be wearing his “vison et tiara”), the restaurant was casual, chalet-style and obviously built to receive summer park strollers with numerous outdoor tables on a terrace looking out over a striking view. We, luckily, were indoors as it was grey and cold, huddled around a warm fire in a corner fireplace. Once we settled at the table, platters of charcuterie, fois gras, butter and bread were served with the first of the wines, all red (the saying goes in France “all good wine wishes to grow up and be red”). It was a Ladoix Clos Royer 1999. Having tasted the 2005 the day before, it was a revelation to taste this wine with some age. I have mentioned before that 2005 is a mythic year, and in the few years like that the grapes produce what can be called perfect wine. Perfect wine is produced when the grape expresses completely the terroir in which it is grown and in Burgundies each parcelle’s distinctive taste can be distinguished in the wine. In such a year, four Ladoix made from four different parcelles taste different. 1999 was not such a remarkable year but a very good one. The tannins found in the younger wines have diminished with age and now balance the fruitiness. It was smooth and lingering in the mouth.

Next was an Aloxe Corton 2003. 2003 was not a mythic year but one of note for the occurrence of that summer’s canicule or massive heat wave. As a result, in addition to tens of thousands of old people dying from the heat, the grapes ripened quickly containing little water and with concentrated juice. The wine produced that year, both red and white, has concentrated flavors, is well balanced between tannic acids and sweet fruit, and, most importantly, can be drunk earlier than normal for the appellation. This Aloxe was no exception. Its nose was rich and complex filled with red fruits. In the mouth, the fruitiness remained with a rich velvety flavor. On a negative note, one complaint of the 2003’s is a lack of nuance and a tendency towards ‘jamminess,’ something most Burgundy producers attempt to avoid.

An Aloxe Corton 1er Cru 1999 followed with our main course. For this, we’d been offered three or four choices, but I had chosen to stay with the serious meat theme and chose their version of Steak Tartare aller-retour. Now, traditionally, aller-retour means the Steak Tartare is mixed with the seasonings, formed into a loose patty and browned quickly on both sides in a hot pan, which seems to me like a very rare hamburger. This version was much more intriguing. Lardons (matchsticks of pork) are sautéed and then the patty of Steak Tartare is browned quickly in the same pan. At the end, a slice of Roquefort cheese is laid over the patty, and it is served with the lardons sprinkled around it!!! Well, the Aloxe 1er Cru performed admirably; its nose was a beautiful mix of florals and red fruit. In the mouth, there were several different experiences of acid and sweetness coupled with the flavor of the fruits.

To close this experience, the fourth bottle was a Corton Bressandes Grand Cru 1995. This is an extraordinary wine as all Grand Crus are intended to be. The subtle differences to the eye, nose and mouth are what separate it from a Burgundy Premier Cru. The color was a deep red-magenta; in place of the scent of florals and red fruits there were violets, ripe blackberries and strawberries and a certain muskiness. In the mouth tastes also were differentiated, and I could taste the different fruits individually balanced with a certain acidity that created a structure like a shelving system on which to place the different tastes. Behind all lingered that muskiness, something that the French call ‘l'animal’ and in English might be described as leather or warm spices. Regardless of the name, it is present in great Burgundies and creates the complex flavors that are sought in the more ‘masculine’ wines from this region.

What a great pleasure this meal was but it had to end with une ballade dans le parc, a freezing walk in the humid cold far from the fire! Horrific and I managed to lose the drooling dog's ball which endeared me to no one. Finally back into the car for a ride back into Paris and collapse into a pleasant doze on the sofa.

Now Audience, go forth and drink!!