Rendez-Vous .. Deja-Vu!

Dimanche 19 Octobre 2025, Paris

Arriving at Gare de Nord (Paris) on a Sunday morning and then taking a cab to my hotel on the otherside of the river, a stone’s throw from Pont Neuf. There where a group of people, some of them policemen, hovering around a long ladder that was resting on the first floor window sill of the Louvre. My taxi driver drove us past the museum on Quai du Louvre ‘en route’ to my hotel and I had no idea that just minutes beforehand a couple of geezers had managed to climb into the museum via this ladder and abscond minutes later with close to 90 million €uros worth of diamonds (The French Crown Jewels). Checking in at hotel reception, we could hear helicopters buzzing above and sirens whaling as if Lt.Col. ‘Bill’ Kilgore was landing his chopper squandron (The 9th Cav.) on the coast of the Nung River, the only thing that was missing where palm trees and Wagner’s Symphonia de Walküre.

At the same time all this was going on, and I am not kidding here, the large television screen on the wall behind the hotel receptionist was showing the 70 year old ex French president Nicolas Sarkozy being lead away in handcuffs by, of course, French Police. Welcome to Paris! I have never been so happy about arriving in a Capital City before especially one that I had fallen out of love with some years previous, for both gastronimque and bad local attitude reasons. Of course, two weeks later as I write this, all the news is very very old hat indeed. My only little question is? what on earth was Sarkozy doing chumming up with that basket case Muammar Gaddafi. Well, that we also do now know all about, Oh la la!

Now they have the ex Prez behind bars and the local fuzz are hunting for two colorful fellows with a heavy, clinky haversack, I can safely begin my three days of wine tasting and gastronomia Frances! all in peace.

Amongst the ‘din’ above I head off by foot, back across Pont Neuf, to dinner at Parcelles (Rue Chapron). Okay, so it started to rain a bit but not just cats and dogs, more like donkies and horses. Completely drenched (silly me no brolly), a warm welcome by the pretty owner of the restaurant and a large glass of bubbly, my journey begins.

The starters where Carpaccio de Tete de Veau and a Tartare de Dorade (Seabream), followed by Guinea Fowl hearts roasted in the Guinea Fowl juices. This was so delicious I ordered seconds, no room for pudding.

The welcome Champagne we kicked off with was a Non Vintage ‘non-sulphured’  Vincent Couche (very trendy) small grower number made of 84%PN and 16%Chardonnay. Bon dry!

The starter white was a chilled Domaine Lajibe ‘Serres-Seques’ 2020. Green apple, flinty, again bone dry and delicious. Made from Mansengs & Petit Courbu (Jurancon). This was followed by a decanted bottle of 2009 Mas de Daumas Gassac. I would not normally choose this wine but as they had a bottle with 16 years of bottle age on it in their caves, I had a hunch that it was going to go well with the Guinea hearts. By jove, they call it the Lafite of the Lanquedoc, and for good reason. The wine could not have neen better with those little hearts. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17 other grape varieties making up for the 30%. It reminded me that the Mas de Daumas Gassac that I have drunk over the years, was quite simply just too young to drink. I never got on with it. Another good reason dear reader to spread the word on ageing wine properly. We are all to blame for drinking wines too young, and it’s not about not having the space to cellar. Small glasses of Mirabelle and Framboise d’Alsace where generously offered and the evening came to a very digestable and comfortable halt.

After breakfast, next to Cheval Blanc (not the Chateau) and a brisk chilly (dry) walk to Isle d France. This morning was being dedicated to what we all agreed on last year, what is probably the greatest living French white grape. Chenin Blanc! Arriving at L’Etiquette, the only wine shop in Paris, if not the world, that specializes in wines that do not contain added sulphur. Owner, Hervé shared some of his indepth knowledge and reasoning behind the idea of this rather exclusive and weird world on non suplhured wines. We be began with the two cuvees of Hélicon, the 2021 Frênésie and 2021 Anicroche. Labelled as Vin de France (VdT).

Domaine Hélicon is owned by Constantin Vellis, who left a career in HR consulting to settle in Martigné-Briand, deep in the Anjou. Before founding Hélicon in 2018, Vellis worked closely with neighbors and mentors including Stéphane Bernaudeau, an influence that’s evident in both his farming and cellar approach. The domaine now spans just 1.87 hectares, all organically farmed and focused entirely on Chenin Blanc. Frênésie is of course 100% Chenin Blanc grown on schist-rich soils, harvested by hand and fermented with native yeasts in a mix of used oak and acacia barrels, without settling or added enzymes. The wine spends several months on lees, building a lightly oxidative, nutty texture while retaining precision and lift. Bottled with no sulphur and no filtration, this is a tightly coiled, mineral-driven Chenin that opens with air to reveal delicate white orchard fruit, hazelnut, and floral tones, all grounded by a saline cut. A serious wine that once upon a time I would suggest is a domaine worth watching. Now it is no longer under the radar.

The Anicroche 2021 was opened @ 10am the same time as Frênésie and really came to it’s peak @ around 14hs. The nose was simply all rock and pebbles, granite. The nose is huge and atypical, with hints of white fruit, quite different from the style of Frênésie. The palate is incredibly precise, it’s lively yet full, very refined, creating an ultra-coherent whole with that austere, herbaceous Loire! Chenin Blanc tension and richness that I personally find so appealing. Great mouthfeel, finishing as a powerful yet still delicate, seductive, and precise white wine, quite Superb! I loved both wines a lot though my fellow tasters needed to have a preferance. They chose Frênésie.

Now, having been a ‘consumer’ of Champagne Bollinger (Bollie as we would call it back then) since my first wage packet days circa 1970’s, it was good to catch up on their new creations a la chez Bollinger. Today, the Champagne House owns 179 hectares of vines, 85% of which are Grand and Premier Cru covering the villages of Aÿ, Avenay, Tauxières, Louvois Verzena, Cuis and Champvoisy.

A total of 60% is planted with Pinot Noir, the same proportion of the grape variety in Bollinger’s basic NV, Special Cuvée blend.The House also boasts an enviable library of reserve wines, with 800,000 magnums. You read that correctly! They have a resident cooper who is tasked with tending to more than 4,000 small casks in the cellars. All of Bollinger’s wines are aged for two to three times longer than required by appellation regulations. Pinot Noir defines the house’s style which is rich and powerful yet elegant, further emphasised by the use of oak (with a significant proportion of the base wines barrel-fermented).In 2020 Bollinger introduced a range of single-site Blanc de Noirs wines, PN, which showcase a different Cru from a particular vintage. The first release was PN VZ15, from 2015 and Verzenay, followed by PN VZ16. In addition to it’s vintage wines, Bollinger releases a small number of limited editions. Bollie also produces a 100% Pinot Noir still wine from Coteaux Champenois called La Côte aux Enfants after the single vineyard in Aÿ. We tasted all of them. Lucky me!

After lunch we had a brief and very informative tasting in a wonderful unpretentious caves near Epernay of the local hero, Jules Brochet’s Champagnes. I really got on with all the three Cuvees, Premice and Albane but the star of the day was his Autochtone Blanc de Noirs. They where all disgorged in 2023 and if you can find a bottle and also have the patience keep them hidden until 2033.

This informal tasting after Maison Bollinger just confirmed to me that not only small grower Champagne is right at the top of it’s game today, but if you should have interest in this a la mode, now is the time to hop on that train before the prices go absolutely bonkers. Our Natural wine friends over in Japan are already eyeing them up with a great thirst. You’ve been warned!

Le train back to Paris and having de-fizzed a bit en route. 24 hours of only bubbles can really balloon the olde system up somewhat. I just love Champagne too much.

The short train journey back to Paris and then a lunch at one of my must go to eateries, Allard (Rue St-Andre des Arts) depuis 1932. I only really go there for their L’Escargots and Foie Gras, but this time I swopped F/G for their Bresse Chicken roasted whole and of course for two pax! The pan juices roasted the new potatoes at the same time. Not being a big fan of Chicken, yet still getting back into the swing of top-notch Chicken only,  I just cannot stop thinking about this dish.  There is something about good chicken that is highly addictive. Alas! more Champagne. An excellent bottle of Bérêche & Fils ‘Le Gran de Ludes’ NV.  Straw yellow color and a fine, delicate mousse. On the nose, aroma of creamy Brioche and a touch of red berry. Why does Champagne go so well with roast chicken, this is not a question! No need to drink anything else.

Lunch was over and then back under Le Channel thanks to Le Shuttle and before heading back to the office proper, I popped in the next day for a light lunch at Wild Flor (Brighton) to catch up with family and also toast the recently departed Peter Hall (R.I.P.) with his 2019 vintage of Breaky Bottom ‘Manja Scott’ (Chardonnay/PN) Sussex. It went very well indeed with a large plate of Jersey Oysters, from Grouville. Followed by a whole Patridge ‘spatchcocked’ and roasted to perfection. Even my three year old Grandson had a nibble of a leg.

The wee birdie was washed down with a really good bottle of Chiara Condello’s 2022 Sangiovese di Predappio (Emilia-Romagna). We just simply LOVE Chiara and her wines. It really blew me away to find it on the wine list here. Bravissimo! Wild Flor.

It was a little odd to be drinking and enjoying a bottle of Breaky Bottom having just heard that Peter Hall had died the previous week. They sure as hell do not make them like that (him) anymore. I used to take my children to the vineyard to help in the harvest when they where nippers. Saludos! a Pedro!!

”Ou est le papier?”

Monday 3rd November 2025, London

Dear Reader

If you have managed to get at as far as this in the BLOG and you still have interest, firstly thank you for reading it all & I hope you enjoyed the kerfuffle content.

All the wines mentioned, tasted and drunk in my article (and in drinking order as per below) are available from us by the bottle (or two) ONLY unfortunately, lying ex London City Bond VT (Eton Park):

2020 Domaine Lajibe ‘Serres-Seques’ @ £150bt

2009 Mas de Daumas Gassac @ £75bt

2021 Helicon Frênésie @ £125bt

2021 Helicon Anicroche @ £125bt

Champagne Bollinger PN VZ15 @ £125bt

Champagne Bollinger PN AYC18 @ £95bt

Champagne Bollinger PN VZ19 @ £90bt

Champagne Bollinger PN TX20 @ £60bt

2019 Coteaux Champenois ‘La Côte aux Enfants’ @ £105bt

2015 Bérêche & Fils, ‘Le Gran de Ludes’ @ £125bt

2019 Breaky Bottom, ‘Manja Scott’ @ £49bt

2022 Sangiovese di Predappio, Chiara Condello @ £30bt

Prices quoted above are per bottle in GBP£ ‘Under Bond’ exclusive of local taxes and shipping/delivery…

ORDERS:    william@worldwineconsultants.com

PS – One of the tastings (not mentioned here) I went to in London where hosted by two 67 PM Master Sommeliers. This is not a joke: One was called John and the other was called Elton. They did not get the connection when pointed out to them, until I explained. They loved it!