Kariem Hamed - 27 / Jan / 2017
Winemaker’s Dinner with Hervé Kerlann in restaurant Arles
January 27, 2017 - Winemaker Hervé Kerlann from Bourgogne will join us for a special Winemaker’s Dinner in restaurant Arles in Amsterdam on 24 January. We will taste a range of his wines accompanied by mr Kerlann’s stories and excellent food.
Winemaker Hervé Kerlann from Bourgogne joined us for a special Winemaker’s dinner in restaurant Arles in Amsterdam on 24 January. We tasted a range of his wines accompanied by mr Kerlann’s stories and excellent food.
Hervé Kerlann, wine trader turned maker, has built a solid reputation for himself in Bourgogne and his main export markets in Asia. Making traditional cuvées (‘vins de terroir’) of very high quality which are regularly decorated with awards, as well as wines that challenge the status quo (‘vins d’audace’), mr Kerlann showcased a range of wines in each category at this event, a first taste of his wine in the Netherlands.
Pairing
We tasted 5 wines by Hervé Kerlann. The chefs in Restaurant Arles paired amazing dishes with Kerlann’s wines.
After the aperitif with champagne from our house Apollonis, we opened the evening with an introduction by Hervé Kerlann, explaining how he got into wine making. With the first course we had 2 of his whites: a Blanc de Pinot Noir and Bourgogne Chardonnay Cuvée H, both from 2015. The Blanc de Pinot Noir paired really well with the steak tartare while the Chardonnay did really well with the clams and mussels.
With the main course we had 2 reds: Bourgogne Pinot Noir Cuvée H 2013 and Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2011. While the combination of beef with red wine might have seemed obvious, the sauce and mash really mirrored the Pinot Noir tones. The same can be said for the wild salmon dish; these flavours really enhanced the experience of drinking elegant Pinot Noir wines.
After that there was a little surprise as Hervé brought a barrel sample of the 2015 Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes which will (hopefully) be released after summer. This wine showcased what we already suspected: 2015 is a fantastic vintage in Bourgogne!
Listening
Before each flight and course, Hervé explained the philosophy and process of wine making, capturing the attention of the participants.
For the desert we chose to serve a sparkling Pinot Noir. This wine has a touch of sweetness and a nice Campari-esque bitterness. This wine has been designed to be drunk as aperitif on a hot afternoon, as it really refreshes you. However the combination with the deserts was also divine. For the participants it was the first time to have tasted the sparkling Pinot Noir and judged by the number of refilled glasses it left a good impression!