I DON’T say “no” to Champagne. And when the moment calls for drinking it at CAV, all the more reason to say “yes.” At CAV, Chef Markus Gfeller wields the baton and chef de cuisine Björn van der Oeuver is the principal soloist. That is to say that Gfeller leads a well-rehearsed orchestra that plays wonderfully to a full house on most nights. And especially on by-invitation-only nights, like the recent Champagne Bruno Paillard cocktails, the performance is all the more inspired.
Of the six types of Champagnes that Bruno Paillard produces—three vintage and three non-vintage—we tasted four. How these wines got on the portfolio of Premium Wine Exchange, its importer and distributor in Manila, is a story in itself, along with that of its owner, Jojo Madrid, a marathon enthusiast, wine collector-restaurateur. But that evening, it was Bruno Paillard’s story that Madrid was telling.
Bruno Paillard is hailed as one of the most successful producers in Champagne’s recent history. Starting out as a buyer and increasingly knowledgeable about—and enamored with—Champagne, he decided he had to make his own. In 1981 when he was 27, he sold his old Jaguar, bought the best grapes from independent growers and made Champagne in a rented cellar. The rest, as they say is history, the 500,000 bottles he produces annually rated highly by wine critics and as highly coveted by wine enthusiasts, including top chefs.
The man who sold his car to raise the starting capital for his Champagne venture went on to finally buy his own vineyards, acquired another Champagne house, and in between made decisions that somehow rocked the Champagne landscape. In 1984, he built an ultra-modern cellar that strictly controlled temperature, lighting and humidity. In 1985, he began to put the date of dégorgement on the bottles—a practice now adapted by other Champagne brands. For all his Champagnes, Bruno Paillard uses only the juice from the first pressing and the wines are left to age for more than the minimum time required.
From vineyard to cellar, the attention to detail is exacting, all geared toward making Champagne of the highest quality.
That passion we tasted in the Brut Première Cuvée, Brut Rosé Première Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs Réserve Privée Grand Cru and the Brut Assemblage 1999—each one a result of meticulous winemaking. These are clean, lean, wines with very fine, yet persistent bubbles, leaving a sensation of crushed velvet in the mouth.
As with all his Champagnes, Bruno Paillard keeps the dosage (the mixture of wine and sugar added to the bottle after dégorgement) at very low levels to make as natural a wine as possible. And for his vintage Champagnes, like the Brut Assemblage 1999, an artist was commissioned to create the label, the design always a depiction of the character of the vintage.
While each Champagne has its own distinct personality, all have the same vibrant, elegant profile marked by a long, neat finish. With such wines, food can be a distraction—which, happily, does not happen at CAV.
Chef Bjorn came up with an assortment of exquisite hor d’oeuvres that did not get in the way of the wines: frog’s legs, lightly battered and taken with a shot glass of chilled cucumber soup; fresh asparagus, wrapped in prosciutto, dusted with Parmigiano-reggiano then fried; subtly smoked salmon on potato blini; crisp-tender arancini with fresh tomato fondue; foie gras terrine with caramelized onions; tuna tartare and fresh watermelon with avocado purée, and the show-stopper: sea urchin on a crisp sliver of toast, dabbed with wasabi mayonnaise. All came on a sleek, black slate tile, including the fresh strawberry meringue and the white and dark chocolate cup that were meant for the rosé.
Seamless pairing works when the interplay of wine and food is deeply understood.
Still, only passion can make the best even more extraordinary. At CAV that one evening, an outstanding Champagne maker, two gifted chefs and a brilliant wine enthusiast-importer came together to show me that.
Vinofile
Champagne Bruno Paillard—in regular bottle, half bottle and magnum format—is available at Premium Wine Exchange: Ground Floor, Smith Bell Building, 2294 Chino Roces Extension, Makati City. www.pwxchange.com.ph.
· Brut Première Cuvée NV
· Brut Rosé Première Cuvée NV
· Blanc de Blancs Reserve Privée
· Grand Cru NV
· Assemblage Brut 1999
IN PHOTO -- PERFECT PAIRING Champagne Bruno Paillard and CAV’s hors d’oeuvres
