I’m turning 40 later this year which is no biggie but it provided a good reason to make a trip to France with three buddies of mine, including forumites @Otto_Forsberg and @Mikko_R. The main theme was to wine and dine well for seven nights but naturally we also visites several wineries, 11 to be exact. Now eventually Otto will create his own thread with his otherwordly thorough and detailed descriptions but while we wait for that I thought I could make picture-heavy write-ups of my known. Not sure if I will ever be able to finish it though as life is plenty hectic with the work and two small children. We shall see, no promises.
The trip turned out to be a rather unforgettable one for many reasons. As three of us are living a very hectic life with small children there is little to no ”own time” to speak of. As such it was pretty special to spend a whole week away from work, our families and constantly reading news about all the crap happening around the world. Sure the food, wine and scenery were great but just the quality time with the boys and the temporary sense of freedom were a lot for me.
The one restaurant where I absolutely wanted to take Otto and our fourth buddy was Hotel des Bains, a rather old family-owned restaurant in Charavines, a commune in the Isère department not that far away from say Voiron, of Chartreuse fame of course. The initial plan was to have both lunch and dinner there. Alas, as Europcar did a very sh!tty job and we had to wait roughly 45mins to get the sweet Mercedes minivan we had paid for we missed the lunchtime and only made it to the restaurant as last customers where leaving. To make the most out of a poor situation we bought a bottle of wine to go and asked for any place that would sell us anything to eat post 3pm. That place was an epicerie in the next village that really only had some local charcuterie and cheese. As it was only four hours or so to go until the dinner we were not too sad though. We checked in our hotel (Beau Rivage) which is right by the Paladru lake and got some glasses from the reception and were good to go.
- 2015 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru Les Brouillards - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (17.5.2025)
A very enjoyable and fairly expressive and vibrant nose of ripeish yet savory cherry-driven fruit, earthy tones and some appropriate wood. Not primary anymore, at a nice harmonious stage aromatically. On the palate has some chewiness and size to it but it’s pretty damn impeccably balanced with good structure and very good freshness (12.5%!). Packs a good grip and definitely has plenty of room to develop further.
Posted from CellarTracker
Lac de Paladru is not big but it is plenty pretty. Late-April is before the tourist season and it was not very warm and the village didn’t feel all that alive but there was one bar open and it seemed to attract a lot of people looking for a beer or something else to drink. We had a round as well but as Chartreuse is omnipresent in the region we couldn’t resist the temptation of the 9éme, the terrific mid-strength iteration of this fine beverage. Unfortunately it was only the first of three rounds that day.
For Hotel des Bains we had a great plan in terms of what we wish to drink. Bacchus wasn’t kind to us, however, as the Champagne and Pinot we were asking for were sold out and even the white Rougeard was not the vintage listed online. As such we had to improvise and perhaps the wines didn’t quite rock the way we had expected. That is not to say that they sucked, though.
- 2018 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur Blanc Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (17.5.2025)
Very restrained initially, took its time to get going. On the nose citrusy with beeswax, iodine and cereal. On the palate broad and heady with good acidity. A powerhouse that just lingers on the palate. A really firm wine. While I might prefer a cooler vintage this is really well put together and improved nicely over dinner. - 2016 Sylvain Cathiard Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Thorey - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (17.5.2025)
Immensely beautiful on the nose with ripe, sweet-fruited cherry fruit that just fills the nostrils. Surprisingly fruit-forward, the woody and earthy notes are clearly playing the second fiddle. On the palate rich yet airy with good tannic grip. Quite concentrated but not heavy. Very youthful and a bit heady but really good. - 2018 Bérêche et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Mailly - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (17.5.2025)
A properly rosé color. A restrained nose with faint toastiness, strawberry, red cherries and lemon zest. On the palate it is bone dry, compact and zesty as hell with very high acidity. Quite primary and reserved at the moment in a very linear style. Tight and fairly powerful.
Posted from CellarTracker
A terrific, no-nonse classic foie gras.
Scallops in a sauce to die for.
Tournedos Rossini, just as hedonistic as it should be. Certainly didn’t leave any room for dessert…
…which is why we ordered the day’s second round of Chartreuse. Not this one though, but rather again the 9ème. However as the somm was either sorry for the missing wines or just liked us he brought the green VEP bottle to our table and gave us very large pours gratis. We certainly wouldn’t complain, but it undoubtedly played a role in the trip’s only hangover of any kind.
Despite things not going quite as hoped when it comes to the wines this was another great dinner in Hotel des Bains and look forward to many more. The atmosphere and the service are always great, as is the food.
Next up: Burgundy.
