Wow!
I hope your “friends” appreciate you.
Those of you who love Sauternes + lobster – do you prefer younger or older Sauternes? Any particular producers?
A rich Chassagne, maybe ‘Morgeot’ from Ramonet would be spot on.
I love Chablis with almost anything (I’m drinking a 2006 C Moreau Valmur tonight with ribs-mostly because my wife and I decided independently what to drink and what to eat), but I think a richer wine does better, perhaps even with a little sweetness. So I think the Vouvray really sounds great.
Re: Sauternes - young and rich with acidity to cut through the richness of the lobster is what does it for me.
Rayas Blanc
The first thing I thought of was a big, oaky Chardonnay - to me, it’s the ultimate pairing - I love Champagne, but usually with something a little racier like sushi -
Hard to go past Lobster and an nice aged Montrachet…
An Huet demi-sec would be my first suggestion to go with the richness of lobster
+1
Wow, thank you all for the fantastic advice and comments. Here in Bellingham, WA, we only get New England lobster once a year; Memorial Day weekend, during which the Ski to Sea relay is run (google it; amazing event).
I knocked the ball out of the park with my lobster wine pairing this year. We only needed three bottles (I didn’t realize four of the ten guests were minors). I opened a '10 Huët Le Mont Sec, a '96 Duval-Leroy Blanc de Blanc, and a '10 Ceritas Porter Bass Chardonnay. Each was perfect in its own way. I was shocked by the juvenility of the champagne; purchased on released, this could have lasted another decade or three. 17 years has merely softened it, but there were absolutely no oxidative elements; fresh and gorgeous. The Huet was as wonderful as ever, reaffirming it as my 2012 WOTY. Similarly, the perfection of the Ceritas maintained its position as my 2013 WWOTY (my first American white infatuation).
The Sauternes suggestion came too late; there’s always next year.
Life is very good, and I thank you all once again.
Just thinking about this now - I will have to try a Huet. But what about a top German Mosel Riesling, preferably with some age maybe. Like the '96 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett from J.J.Prum that I had recently. A touch of delicious residual sugar in there too.
or Batard or a great Corton Charlemagne. Rule of thumb - insanely rich and great white wine with Tasmanian or other cold water lobster = heaven. Plus you can go there and come back !
Too late, but
ROSE
Dan Kravitz
Here we try to limit our guests to lobster no more than 3 times a day (if you have it for breakfast and lunch, don’t have it with your afternoon snack or you won’t get any for dinner). We have no shortage of opportunities to try different pairings. I like Champagne, but Sally doesn’t. I like big whites and can deal with Sauternes, but we come back to rose far more often than anything else.
Dan Kravitz
I had this “same”? dinner Saturday night. Though I’m not a big fan of trying to match much of anything, we loved a 2000 Sauzet Puligniy-Combettes with it. (I had opened a 1999 Chassagne-Chaumees/Clos de la Truffiere from Niellon, which should have been good, but it was oxidized; Niellon really has a bad record…especially at my house with the oxidation issues.) Grand Cru burgundy, IMO, “competes” for attention with the lobster…so I never let them…at the same table!
Though I don’t feed my guests lobster more than once a day (unless they are paying), we have a place in Maine, accross from two docks. My friends/family/I have come to the conclusion that Condrieu is really the “perfect” wine with lobster. Champagne’s bubbles are a distraction; Dauvissat Chablis, another candidate, can be great, but usually shows best a day after the meal when left in decanter. A Boxler or Barmes-Buecher pinot blanc or , sometimes, a pinot gris, do work fine. But, a Georges Vernay Condrieu never disappoints. (And, that Ch. Grillet at age 8 sounds like it should be tested, at least.) A really dry New Hampshire apple cider (Farnum Hill) or even one of Eric Bordelet’s great Normandy cidres…also does the trick nicely for a change, IMO.
Of course, if one does more than steam and serve with butter and lemon to dip…which I never do…all bets are off. I don’t get how anyone can improve on perfection. (And, even the women from Weinbach in Alsace, who know better than I, say Maine lobster is the best they’ve had…with their L’Inedit.)
No rules…though Condrieu rules for me.
Sorry I’m late to this party, but I am considering this from a foodie’s point of view: Lobster is a flavorful and very sweet meat. Possibly the sweetest protein we land dwellers eat.
So the wine you pair it with must do one of two things: Either a.) clean out the palate of the lobster flavor in order to refresh the mouth of the lobster flavor with high acidity and/or bubbles; or b.) compliment the sweet creamy flavors of the lobster with its own.
Posters have already made good suggestions that beat me to the thought but I will add my own ideas to the list.
-
Champagne
-
Chardonnay
-
Chenin Blanc
-
Vinho Verde
-
Beaujolais Nouveau
-
Riesling Trocken
-
Sauternes
-
Late Harvest
-
Icewine
People here have already suggested champagne and chardonnay and Chenin Blanc from the Loire and Sauternes. All good choices.If you like dry wine, I would also suggest a Vinho Verde, a Riesling trocken, or a decent Beaujolais Nouveau as well. All very light wines with high acidity. I would also add Late Harvest and icewines to the list if you like a sweeter wine.
Anyone ever tried an oak fermented rose such as Château d’Esclans Côtes de Provence Garrus with lobster?..sort of a combination of typical rose with a nice white burg. A bit expensive for a rose, but might be interesting.
There are so many good pairings (most of which were suggested above) but I’ll add one of my favorites - sparkling chenin. A 2002 Huet Petillant was wonderful with lobster about 3 years ago (they’re pretty shut down at the moment so I’d go with a 2002 Foreau or 2005 Huet instead for current consumption).
But this is also probably the only time that I might reach for a CA chardonnay with malo and a little oak. I’m not a fan of the Chablis (usually a favorite wine of mine) pairing I see suggested very often - I’d much prefer a Chassagne or Puligy or Meurseult.
I still haven’t tried Sauternes, need to remember that esp. as my bf loves both lobster and sweet wines.
dry /semi dry whites from sauternes?