“Look, Aunty Helen, the legal drinking age in France is sixteen! I can come wine tasting with you!” Daniel, my eldest great nephew, was exuberantly holding the results of his Google in front of my face, with triumph in his eyes. During the course of our vacation in the Ardèche, I had been introducing him to the idea that wine drinking could involve more than glugging relatively inoffensive fluid from a five-liter box. He had scoffed at the idea of perhaps paying upwards of $200 for a bottle of wine, even as I tantalized him with stories of drinking lace, velvet, and three act symphonies. Now he was asking me to prove it with a tasting trip to M. Chapoutier.
The Chapoutier tasting room in Tain-Hermitage is a sublime starting point to introduce anyone to the transcendence of the grape. Michel Chapoutier is the rock star of the Rhone valley. His biodynamic approach to wine literally seems to suck the energy of the grape and take it to the outer edges of the Milky Way in heavenly expression. The tastings are free but the experience of the wine is so divinely heady, that I cannot imagine anyone leaving without buying at least one bottle.
We were extremely fortunate to be guided by David, a young winemaker under the mentorship of Michel Chapoutier. He asked Daniel what kind of music he liked… heavy metal… I grimaced appropriately. “To the majority of people like Aunty Helen, heavy metal is just noise, but to you, Daniel, there is a vast difference between the music of Metallica and say, Iron Maiden. You hear the progression of a band from album to album, you appreciate the guitar riffs, the lyrics, the energy and all the details of its components… so it is with wine.”
M. Chapoutier Lieu-dit Hongrie 2015
So it was that Daniel first experienced the sensual explosions of Marsanne, Viognier, and Syrah. He was astounded by the intense differences that can be explored by the senses when encountering the same kind of grape grown on a certain patch of land or in a specific year. He was able to identify the 2015 Lieu-dit Hongrie from Saint-Peray as the stand-out Marsanne from our tasting. I billowed with pride as Daniel took a giant leap by reaching into his pocket to purchase a bottle to take home to hold for his 18th birthday. On the way back to our rented villa in Largentiere, we had a young convert in the car who was no longer bewildered as to why someone would gladly spend 400 euros on a bottle of wine (We had concluded our tasting from a powerhouse 2010 bottle of Le Pavillon from Ermitage, sale price 413.10 euros).
I too, purchased a bottle of the Lieu-dit Hongrie to take back to America, with the intention of sharing a little of the trip with the readers of Sippity Sup. Whilst I was reeling with delight at the intoxicating dance of toasted apricot, pear, and honeysuckle, along with a harmonious balance of brine and hazelnuts, David mentioned that the perfect food pairing with this wine would be grilled oysters with Parmesan cheese.
Grilled Parmesan Oysters
On a warm end of summer evening in Los Angeles, Ken and Greg experienced this perfect food and wine pairing whilst Greg approximated the tastes for me (I’m vegetarian) with toasted baguette, French butter and shaved Parmesan. The simplicity of this meal belies the exquisiteness of the combination. All flavors and sensations are complete and distinct, yet so perfectly balanced that no single element stands out or overpowers. The fruit, earth, oak, malolactic fermentation of the wine and the stunning umami of the food curl together in a sacred sand mandala, breathtaking in its beauty, and then gone… HELEN
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for topping oysters)
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon minced fresh flat leaf parsley
- 24 large fresh oysters
- lemon wedges (for serving)
Directions
Make the compound butter: Combine butter, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, garlic, and parsley in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Prepare the oysters: Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium-high heat. If you’re using charcoal, don’t wait until the coals are white and ashen, you’ll want a little live fire. Using an oyster knife and a heavy glove or towel carefully shuck the oysters, keeping the shell horizontal to retain as much liquid as possible. Wipe the oyster knife clean, discard top shell, then carefully slide the oyster knife under the oyster flesh to cut through the muscle holding it to the shell. Leave the oyster in place. Repeat with remaining oysters setting them carefully on a rock salt or gravel covered serving plate as you work. This will keep the oysters sitting upright. Once all the oysters are shucked dollop Parmesan-butter mixture evenly onto the oysters, followed by about ½ teaspoon additional grated Parmesan cheese.
Grill the oysters: When ready to grill place the oysters, face up, directly on the grates over lightly flaming live fire. Wait for the butter to melt and begin to sizzle, about 2 to 3 minutes. Depending on the heat of the fire, you may need to cover the grill during cooking so they cook quickly. Using tongs, carefully move the grilled oysters, retaining the liquid, to the rock salt or gravel covered serving plate. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
FAC & SPERA — MAISON CHAPOUTIER (English Version) from GFILM on Vimeo.
WOW that looks fabulous!
This was a very different story once I realized that Helen had penned it.
I love raw oysters and this recipe might actually entice me to try eating cooked oysters. Your trip sounds like it was divine!
Fun read! And although I love oysters raw, I think they’re even better grilled. And they’re even better when you pair them with the proper wine! Thanks.
Thanks, Helen! This recipe for grilled oysters is similar to what we had in New Orleans, but never with such a wine. Lucky Daniel. Lucky Greg and Ken. Lucky you!
There’s very little in life which is perfect. French wine at source is definitely one of them. I’m still a Burgundy purist, but anything while on holiday in France tastes amazing.
Thank you Helen for all the information on M. Chapoutier’s wine. Robert Parker also likes him. I will look for his wine when I’m going to France in two weeks. I love grilled or baked oysters.