After a couple of brilliant weeks in The States and Vancouver we are now in Trouville in Normandy France. This is a small seaside village and it feels like we have the place to ourselves as there’s not a tourist in site. That’s probably bullshit. I haven’t been to the local tourism office to confirm tourist numbers for March 2015, and I’m sure there’s a few around.
The local seafood market is a beaut. We sat down in the cold blustery conditions (actually it felt quite warm after freezing New York) and had a platter of freshly shucked oysters, crab, langoustine and giant prawns, washed down by a most serviceable 2014 Muscadet. All of this, with some freshly made soup to take away and a few exquisite Coquilles St. Jacques for under 100 bucks.
Happy to kick back here for a few days until the real work begins next week in Burgundy.
Bought a chicken from the local Boucherie tonight. Slathered it with demi-sel beurre and roasted it hard and fast. Accompanying wine was absolutely the bomb. The 1967 Henri Noellat Nuits-Saint-Georges ‘Les Boudots’ is light of colour, expansive of bouquet. It is an ethereal, elegant wine that has so much going on but you have to come to the wine, not the other way around. There are smells of damp forest floor, ginger, orange rind, dried flowers, smoke and spruce. It is very fine in the mouth with an earthy sweetness. There is a cool minerality at the wines heart and it has a lacy feel to it. It is all about perfume and finesse and whilst it may lack a little power it somehow builds and is remarkably persistent in the mouth.
Normandy is beautiful. My wife and I stayed in Boulogne sur Mer about 17/18 years ago. A few things are immediate in my memory: (1) the cheese/baguettes and strawberries were such a delight; (2) Normandian crustaceans are not as good as Maine crustaceans; (3) the poppy fields in Normandy were just damn beautiful; and (4) why do Americans get such a bad rap as tourists when the Brits are just downright mean to the French.
The weather closed in here so we headed out. After a gruelling dining schedule in New York we have been happy to kick back a few gears and dine in for most meals here in Trouville. The promise of a good lunch in a two star Michelin with friends from Paris was too much and we accepted their offer sans hesitation.
Food at SaQuaNa in Honfleur is very good. Seafood is the go here and there’s plenty of Japanese flourishes to many of the dishes.
Not sure about the wine at SaQuaNa as my friend was in charge of ordering. fortunately no Sine Qua Non hit the table as it would have monstered the elegance of the cuisine.
The highlight was a 2011 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cuvée Duvault-Blochet. It was young but accessible. It showed some cracked pepper, dried flowers and red fruits on the nose. It was exquisitely balanced in the mouth, with deliciously perfumed and crunchy berry fruits that went a little blue with air. Texture was lacy and the wine crackles with energy right through the minerally finish.
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