Published the 08/27/2018 in Our Selection
August comes to an end, giving place to September and the new school year so close!
But, the sun still persists, letting come the nice days of the "Indian" summer on the Bay, with warm temperatures. The color of trees changes slowly and announces very nice oysters tasting in an oysterfarm lies with the Bay, or on boat with a white wine galss. But the oyster continues to play hard to get and does not associate itself with any type of wine!
Preferably, we try to pair a "nervous" dry white wine, with a brilliant acidity, minerality, letting discover hints of green lemon or yellow lemon.
Grape varieties, depending the type of the soils they are cultivated, will express differently.
Taking the example of Chardonnay, which is cultivated everywhere in France and worldwide, it will never succeed as well as in its own terroir, in Burgundy, where it will revealed its real potential.
In particular in Chablis, the semi continental climate ( with oceanic influences from the North and from the south), is a very cool climate, that allows a vigourous acidity to the wines, with low alcohol, on a Kimeridgian soil.
The Kimedrigian soil fits geologically to the jurassic era. At this time, the area was occupied with the sea, and era by era, the sea let behind grey marls, and massive deposits of limestone with fossilized oysters
This type of soil is named after the village "Kimmerigde" in England, where fossilized oysters were found there for the first time.
Thus, Chardonnay from Châblis will express all its potential, its soil and tipicity, its minerality and its elegance, but also its nervosity and its acidity. With oysters, it would be good to taste a Chablis premier cru or Chablis grand cru.
The kimmeridgian soil constitutes a ring, that we are going to find in Champagne too, in Côtes de Bar area.
If you want to try a pairing with Champagne and oysters, please try a "blanc de blancs" Champagne ( 100% Chardonnay).
Otherwise, if you prefer the traditionnal way, you can pair your oysters with dry white wine from Loire, for example a Muscadet Sèvre et Maine ( the grape variety Muscadet is also known under the name Melon de Bourgogne, not to be confused with the Muscat!) Close to the atlantic ocean, and surrounded by two rivers, the Muscadet is cultivated on a "gneiss" soil ( a rock made up with quartz and mica). This soil will give to this grape variety a very nice acidity, with hints of iodin and lemon, excellent for the tasting with oysters!
Generally, when you taste oysters in our region, the wine the most representative is Entre deux mers, because, the wines from this appellation are easy to drink, not expensive. They are issued from the Sauvignon grape variety, that delivers naturaly aromatic wines with a high acidity.
little story : The grape variety Sauvignon owes its name from the mix of two french words: sauvage( wild) et savagnin (another grape variety). Sauvage (wild), because before the winegrowing, it growed wild in the vineyard, and Savagnin, the grape variety indigeneous to Germany, relative of so many grape varieties.
But the excellent appellation pairing with oysters, is Pessac Léognan for the dry white wines ( blended wines: sauvignon blanc, semillon and muscadelle)
A wide range of aromas typical from its soil of gravels, clay and sand. A high acidity, a nice freshness, with hints of grapefruit, green apple, exotic fruits, and white flowers.
For a perfect pairing, please find indication for the serving temperature
For Chablis : Premier Cru between 10 et 11°Celcius degrees, The Grand Cru between 12 et 14°Celcius degrees
Champagne Blanc de Blanc : between 7 et 9°Celcius degrees
Entre deux mers : between 10 et 12°Celcius degrees
Pessac Léognan (white) : between 11 et 12°Celcius degrees
Cheers!
Aurélie L. My Private French Travel