More Champagne with Champagne Diva

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After running an errand across the harbor this morning, I came back for a lunch date with Champagne Diva. Apparently the meeting with The Chef Who Tries to Kill Me went well, and our visitor wanted to experience the cuisine at Restaurant Petrus for herself. I had originally hoped to take a break from dining out, but knowing full well that someone keeps complaining about not getting love from me, I decided to accept the kind invitation.

The Chef Who Tries to Kill Me showed up to our table with a smile on his face that belies his true nefarious intent. Both Champagne Diva and I expressed our wish for a smaller menu, as I recounted that my last dining experience here left me feeling comfortable for the first time in years. I knew, though, that I wasn't gonna get my wish...

Champagne cork - a gougère is always a nice way to start, especially when filled with Comté cream inside.

Vegetable waffle with vegetable dip

Champagne baguette - don't think I've had this before, and since I'm dining with Champagne Diva... this was my choice of bread today. Apparently a mix between a Champagne bread and German sourdough.

Oyster / Fukuoka / Ebisu / 3 5 flavors - so we get five of the same Karatomari Ebisu Oyster (唐泊恵比須かき) but the toppings will deliver very different experiences as they interact with the flavors from the oyster.

Sicilian lemon / olive oil - the oyster had lots of briny minerality but was also fat and creamy, somewhat enhanced by the olive oil... while the lean acidity of the lemon was highlighted.

Buttermilk / caviar - the briny flavors were balanced out by sweetness from what seemed to be diced apples, and it was nice that the caviar didn't manage the overpower the oyster.

Champagne granité - both the granité and the sour cream helped to neutralize the brine from the oyster.

Shallot vinaigrette / 21 Years Hibiki - the shallot vinaigrette definitely covered up the brine with the acidity, and this was definitely interesting with the Suntory Hibiki 21.

Blood orange - the fruity acidity from the blood orange sure was nice.

Tomato / Japanese / burrata / pesto - Japanese heirloom tomatoes with some burrata, pesto, and topped with a small quenelle of sorbet made with tomatoes. The tomatoes were just soooo fresh and nice. Wonderful.

On the side we had focaccia with pesto and tomato.

White asparagus / French / blood orange / sabayon - very pretty presentation after being poached. We were told that the left spear came with a little lemon gel while the spear on the right came with very finely diced chives. The blood orange hollandaise was a tad too strong for my taste. Sadly, though, these didn't come from the chef's mama the way they used to be.

Seabass / ikejime / asparagus / ikura caviar - the French seabass from Bretagne had been aged for 5 days, and came with a spear of asparagus from Georges Blanc, Kaviari Kristal caviar, and sauce vin jaune. Pretty nicely done, but I wish someone gave me a sauce spoon so I could have an easier time picking up the caviar... as it's awfully difficult with just a fork.

Duck / roast / puntarelle / cherry - zee duck is from Guangdong and very tasty, while the pairing with cherries is pretty classic. But couldn't they get some fresh cherries?! Did they really have to use the leftovers from last year?! The puntarelle and pea purée on the side were nice touches.

Strawberry / Ayamihime / vanilla / meringue / pistachio / olive oil - this uses a relatively new cultivar of strawberries named Ayamihime (綾美姫) coming from Ishikawa Berry Farm (石川農園) in Fukuoka Prefecture, along with pistachio cream, vanilla meringue, and drizzled with some El Mil del Poaig olive oil.

Finally came the petit four:

Nougat

Amaretti

Chocolate truffles

It's a leisurely lunch on a Saturday, and we would of course enjoy a few bottles of wine... especially Champagne!

2014 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs - initially the nose was rather muted, or perhaps it was actually 'elegant'? With a little minerals. The acidity was really nice on the palate, with good depth and a long finish.

2014 Pascal Henin L'apelle de la Forêt, dégorgée 15 Decembre 2020 - this was very different from the Delamotte. The nose was very open and fragrant, with more woodsy notes, followed by citrus and marmalade. Good dose of acidity on the palate without being too sharp. Very enjoyable.

2002 Araujo Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard - drank about 2 hours after decanting, but really not sure why most of the sediment was poured into the decanter. The wine was soooo fragrant, with mint, pencil lead, and sweet cassis notes. Later on we also got smoky and savory mineral notes on the nose. The wine was riper and sweeter on the palate than expected based on previous experience.

We had a small glass of Sauternes to go with our dessert...

2005 Yquem - classic nose of honey, safron, apricot, acetone, and beeswax.

A very happy lunch that was definitely NOT light, and we enjoyed ourselves so much that I was pretty sure we overstayed our welcome. Champagne Diva wanted to keep going, so we went downstairs to the Lobster Bar and opened more bottles...

2019 Penfolds Bin 704 - very ripe nose with lots of cooked fruit, obviously very hot, and pretty minty. Surprising this also got a little more acidity on the palate than expected.

2008 Lynch-Bages - I actually haven't tasted this wine since the en primeur season at the château. Initially the nose was more muted, with some smoke and a hint of sweet grass. Then we got some oak and meaty notes, pencil lead, and was showing a little of the savory profile.