Shaun Corrigan's 'Pinot Family' Food and Wine Matching Event at Tassili - 14th October 2010

Last night, Shaun Corrigan, The Grand Jersey's Restaurant Manager, hosted the first in the series of their new Tassili Wine Dinners showcasing new and exciting wines accompanied by complimentary menus created by their, have to be said quite brilliant, Executive Head Chef, Richard Allen.


This first evening was based on the Pinot Family with a selection of six wines (inclusive of aperitif) from different countries including Italy and France and five courses to accompany each wine. The evening promised the perfect treat for any food or wine connoisseur.

Take a look at the menu to the left. I personally felt that this menu was going to push the boundaries of food and wine matching. There were some particularly difficult challenges but I have to say and everyone who attended will also agree that this was probably one of the best food and wine matching events experienced for a very long time.

Shaun has worked all over the world as a restaurant manager as well as a sommelier in many top hotels and restaurants and is most definitely passionate and knowledgeable in his field. He has been working at the Grand Jersey for 7 months now.

The evening started with a lovely 2008 Pinot Bianco from  Elena Walch in Alto-Adige, Italy. Very classic in style with ripe fruit and elegant acidity. It was extremely drinkable, a perfect apertif but boy was it good with the delicate fish goujons that were served. We joked that this wine was perfect for fish fingers! It was also great with the squid ink tapioca.

We then moved through to the restaurant to begin the journey of flavours. First up was the Goat's Cheese and Truffle Sandwich with a 2005 Pinot Blanc Auxerrois 'Les Princes Abbés' from Domaine Schlumberger, Alsace. I was in heaven. The best goat's cheese dish I have ever had and with a wine that complemented perfectly. The acidity was so finely balanced and it cut through the cheese really well. The palate of butter, brioche, almond and jasmine was delicious. I could really go on and on about this match!

Next up, the Lemon Sole with Lobster and Clams with 2009 Grauer Burgunder 'Schlossgarten' Trocken Grosses Gewächs from Weingut Bercher, Baden, Germany (don't ask me to say it). Unfortunately I have developed an allergy to lobster so I only ate the lemon sole but it was stunning. The wine made by the Bercher family (currently in ninth and tenth generation) was of the highest quality, lemony with great acidity and great minerality. This was Pinot Gris in all its glory and it was a very good match with the dish.

The next course was one I feared. Pot roast squab pigeon, boudin noir, cep espuma (foam) and dry roasted pumpkin seeds. I have eaten pigeon before and I do like it (sort of) but with boudin noir (black pudding) I wasn't so sure. I am not a fan of black pudding at all but when the dish appeared it smelt so good I just had to try it out, especially when Shaun had matched it with a straight Pinot Meunier (a mutation of the Pinot Noir grape) from Eyrie Vineyards, Oregon, USA. I haven't tried a straight Pinot Meunier for a very long time. Sometimes described as 'Foxy', this grape variety can often express quite unattractive animal type aromas, earthiness and mustiness. It is usually used when blending Champagne or sparkling wines. When used in the Champagne or sparkling wine process, the juice is usually pressed with no skin contact (it is a red grape) during fermentation and creates essentially a dry and highly acidic base wine but when making red wine, the grapes are usually cold soaked (same process of Pinot Noir) to extract pigmentation and tannins.

Indeed, this particular Pinot Meunier did have a slightly unattractive nose but it had a lovely palate of morello cherry with herbaceaous undertones. The finish was of strawberries. Not exceptional on its own but gosh did it totally come alive with the dish. All I can say was the match wowed us all and was perfectly executed. The food flavours totally made this wine sing from the roof tops. Neil said "If you're going to drink Pinot Meunier, this is the dish to have it with". It was revelational.....and the black pudding, stunning! I'll eat black pudding but from now on, only if Richard is cooking it!

Next up was the 2008 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir from Martinborough, New Zealand. This is one of Shaun's favourite wines of the moment made by Clive Paton, one of a handful of winemaking pioneers in Martinborough. This was served with best end of lamb, aubergine caviar boulangere and braised shoulder. I have eaten a lot of lamb (it's my favourite meat) but I have never eaten lamb so tender. It cut like butter and the boulangere potato stack was gorgeous. The wine, one we have been selling for a while now, was deep, rich and spicy and had a luxuriously silky texture. It complemented the food superbly. Shaun also explained that he had decided to serve the wine slightly chilled (15 mins in the fridge) to emphasise the fruit and the quality. He also mentioned that glassware also makes a dramatic difference to the quality and the taste of the wine. We agreed.

The final course, the dessert, was on paper, one that really should not have worked. Toasted hazelnuts with liquorice meringue with, wait for it, a 2007 Pinotage Steytler from Kaapzicht, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Don't get me wrong, if you are going to drink this 'love it or hate it' cross blend of Pinot Noir and Cinsault then Zaapzicht is one of the best producers, but with hazelnuts and liquorice? Well I have now eaten my proverbial hat because it was GENIUS! The liquorice was very subtle and the meringue so light and fluffy. The toasted hazelnuts were a perfect addition. The wine was deep, with layer upon layer of rich black fruit intertwined with perfectly balanced oak. The fruit was so rich and ever ever so slightly sweet that it matched incredibly with the sweet fluffy meringue and delicately scented liquorice base and then after eating the hazelnuts completely wowed the finish. It was a complete dish and a real journey of the senses!

All in all it was an amazing and very enjoyable evening. The staff were highly professional (as always) and did not faulter. Shaun and Richard did an amazing job of putting this challenging menu together and executing it to such perfection. We actually tweeted the fact that Michelin should seriously take note of this chef. Totally unassuming but really deserves a huge amount of credit. Jersey is lucky to have a chef of this quality.

The next event is on 11th November entitled 'Emerging wines from Italy' and will be introduced by Michael Palij, Master of Wine. He will introduce some of the more unusual styles of Italy's wines and some 'lost' varieties from far afield as Piedmont to Sicily. It is priced at £80 per head. If last night was anything to go by, you do not want to miss the next one!

See their website for more details or call 722301 to book.

Thank you

Jane

Wine pictures: