Match of the week

Cheese soufflé and old Sauternes

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on May 2 2023 at 09:24

OK, OK. It wasn’t just *any* Sauternes but a bottle of 2003 Chateau d’Yquem and not just *any* old cheese soufflé but a Stinking Bishop double baked soufflé with hazelnuts and Comté sauce with pear, apple and ginger chutney

It was the final course at a splendidly lavish wine dinner at Bob Bob Ricard City which kicked off with 1996 Dom Pérignon and included a 2018 Saint Aubin 1er cru Les Charmois from Domaine Paul Pillot which went beautifully with my truffle, potato and mushroom vareniki (quite a similar match to this).

I also ordered* the spectacularly glossy chicken and champagne pie which would also have gone with the Dom Pérignon but was actually rather good with a 2006 Chateau Giscours Margaux (in magnum), better, to my surprise, than the 2017 Domaine Chanson 1er cru Clos du Roi Beaune which was still a bit youthful.

I don’t imagine you’re going to have a bottle of 20 year old Yquem to hand (me neither) but you could try the same trick with any bottle of Sauternes you’ve forgotten about in the wine rack or a bin end if you’re lucky enough to run across one in a local wine shop. The wine was really quite evolved, almost caramelised in taste like a tarte tatin, but still perfectly offset the richness of the cheese. Some clever pairing there from Head of Wine Giacomo Recchia.

What’s so clever about both branches of BBR (there’s another one in Soho) is that the mark-up on all their fine wines is a comparatively reasonable (for the quality and rarity of the wines) £75. Chateau d’Yquem 2003 is currently on the wine list for £32/47 for a 50ml/75ml glass while Dom Pérignon is £38 for an unusually generous 125ml glass (but you can have a glass of Beaumont des Crayères champagne for £15).

It’s all wildly over the top but fun for a special occasion.

* Love the fact that you can order from the à la carte menu in the private dining room.

As you might have guessed I ate at the restaurant as a guest!

For other Sauternes pairings see here

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