We were about to rendezvous with William Kelley at Au Fil du Zinc in Chablis. Patrick asked me how I knew William. Having explained that I met him in an online wine chat room, Patrick responded with ‘that is not good cyber safety daddy’.
When we arrived at the restaurant it was a balmy 2 degree Chablis day. Patrick was wearing shorts, much to the delight of the manager. He got us seated and we strapped ourselves in for a terrific lunch, of Japanese fusion food and a trio of classic bottles.
Much like Le Soufflot, there is a page of ‘big hitter’ bottles, where you can select a single bottle for the table from. We chose a 2011 Raveneau, but the manager suggested a 2010 that wasn’t on the list. Brilliant suggestion! The 2010 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montmains has tightened considerably over the past 24 months. Smells of oyster shell, mint and citrus blossom. It is dense, layered and intense. Loaded with citrus and finishing with outstanding cut. Grand Cru length!
Having not technically had a wine of the ‘greedy page’ yet, William thought he’d try his hand at extracting a Ramonet from it. His conversation with the manager headed towards aged Ramonet territory. I think he was mis-heard, and we ended up with a bottle of 1986 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux, again not on the list. It poured out glistening and bright, with a green rim. Fabulous aromas of Ligurian honey, lavender, beeswax and preserved lemon. Full, round, textured and spicy. There’s a hint of vanilla and some cinnamon. There is just a hint of white mushroom and the finish, whilst relatively low in acid, was fresh and invigorating. It is complete wine of great character and thoroughly engaging the whole bottle through.
There is a handy little selection of Rayas at very reasonable pricing. We opted for a 2008 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. This is an elegant rendition of Rayas, that draws you in with its subtlety. It smells of decaying rose, black earth, red berry and blood. It is mid-weight, beautifully balanced and plays in that perfect space between sweet and savoury. There’s a hint of coffee and structural elements are present but gentle. It possesses sneaky persistence.
The luncheon menu started with fresh oysters, spring onion and mirin with pickled leek. There was a delicious boudin noir that looked like a black river stone. Green asparagus soup was creamy rich and intense and followed by two beautifully cooked spears, one done in a tempura batter. There was an intriguing dish of lobster that had a meat jus that bound it together. The dish of the day was a braise of lamb in a light reduction of pan juices. It came with crunchy new season root vegetables. Strawberries and cream with meringue completed the menu.
Au Fils du Zinc is an outstanding restaurant. Spacious, lovely setting. Attentive, friendly service and food that is cooked with passion and a light hand. The wine list is killer!