L'Ami du vin

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After a year of inactivity, MNSC is playing catch up this year. So for the second week in a row, the boys gathered over dinner to blind taste a few bottles. We haven't seen much of Dr. Poon since the onset of the pandemic, so it was good of him to be hosting tonight. Knowing his close connection to Sébastien Allano, it's not surprising that he chose Ami as the venue.

It is perhaps surprising to myself that I have yet to visit the restaurant despite it having opened some four years ago. I dined at Épure several times, and enjoyed Nicholas Boutin's cuisine. After handing over the reins of Épure and setting up Ami, though, he somehow fell off my radar... as friends I dine out with don't seem to mention the place. This would be a good time to redress the situation.

We were, naturally, seated in the private dining area. Unfortunately, the soundproofing was practically non-existent, so the diners outside were probably still subject to our conversations...

I was a little hungry, so the sourdough and buckwheat and genmai (玄米) smoked butter was a welcome relief.

Amuse-bouche, duck foie gras - the tartlet came with a disc of foie gras, which had the mineral flavors I love so much. The thin layer of gélée on top was made with Pineau des Charentes, and had a nice touch of acidity to help balance the richness of the foie.

Hand cut wagyu beef tartare, seaweed crisp - the hand-cut tartare had a very nice and springy texture, and the flavors were kinda strong but very nice. Topped with diced gherkins, chives, and shallots, then garnished with a seaweed crisp. Very tasty.

Morel, stuffed scallop, yellow wine sauce - I love morels, and these looked beautiful! Served with a vin jaune sauce, and those petit pois I love so much.

The morels were stuffed with a mousse of scallops from Brittany, which disintegrated easiy. So, soooo tasty.

Yellow chicken, winter black truffle jus - another "three yellow chicken (三黃雞)" on the menu, which was fine with the truffle jus. Didn't care for the shroom that was on top, though.

Wagyu beef tenderloin, red wine sauce - while this was not too exciting for my very jaded palate, the execution of the marbled beef was fine and the sauce was classic. I could not fault anything in this dish here, and it certainly was designed to pair well with the reds.

Soufflé, chestnut and ice cream - a classic dessert to help us finish. I do love a good soufflé, and I quickly devoured it before the thing deflated... even at the risk of interfering with my wine tasting.

Petits fours

The focus tonight was, of course, squarely on the wines. The classic dishes from Nico played their supporting role, and Dr. Poon was ever so generous in his wine selection:

1990 Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon Rosé - a little flinty on the nose, with Chinese salted plum and marmalade. A little grassy, perhaps? Very soft of the palate after 35 years.

First flight: served without decanting around 2 hours after opening.

1995 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze - very fragrant nose, the fruit was just so sweet. 96 points.

1995 Leroy Clos de Vougeot - the nose was just so explosive, so fragrant, so floral, and just FUCKING GOOD. A little farmy, with leather and eucalyptus. Lots of ripe fruit. 98 points.

Second flight: served without decanting 1½ hours after opening.

1982 Cheval Blanc - smoky nose, minty, and a little stinky. More concentrated on the palate. After another 20 minutes the mint was more obvious, with a little capsicum. Still very lively and sweet on the palate, and even came with a hint of coconut butter. 97 points.

1982 L'Evangile - the nose was so perfumed, also a little smoky and bretty, with nice sweet fruit but slightly leaner. After another 40 minutes the nose was still very perfumed but now came with more leather. 96 points.

Third flight: served without decanting around 2½ hours after opening.

1926 Haut-Brion, acquired from Baghera/wines and reportedly reconditioned at the château - very ripe and jammy on the nose, so interesting with lots of spices and stewed prunes. 92 points.

1982 Haut-Brion - the nose was minty but a little muted. Also a bit alcoholic, and a hint of farmy, bretty notes. 93 points.

Since we had questioned the condition of the 1926 Haut-Brion - while tasting it blind and not realizing its age - Dr. Poon very generously opened up his "back up" wine for this flight. Just popped and poured.

1959 Haut-Brion - the nice was so sweet with lots of vanilla, so beautiful, and a little grassy. 96 points.

Somehow we ended up popping a bottle of Moutai at the very end, which isn't really my thing...

2019 Kweichow Moutai (贵州茅台) - not too bad as far as baijiu goes...

Another fabulous evening out with the boys, thanks to our jetsetting Dr. Poon. Hopefully our next gathering will take place in the first half of the year and delay no more...