Dinner@J.P. Barbier's Le Lion d'Or with some Loire wines

22 August 2009

Jean-Paul Barbier's Le Lion d'Or, Arcins

We had an excellent dinner with our friends from Pauillac at Jean-Paul Barbier's Le Lion d'Or in Arcins. We ate there last year and the cooking was very good and it was exactly the same this time. Generously they allow you to bring your own wine and don't charge any corkage. We did try to add something to our bill (around 160€ for five) as we had taken four bottle and not bought any from their list but this was refused, so we left it as a tip. The waiter brought an ice bucket and left us a corkscrew. Highlights of the meal included an soft poached egg in a tomato sauce with a couple of small slices of Spanish bacon, the perfectly cooked pigeon – lightly pink – with a piece of fresh foie gras and a very flavoursome côte de veau with truffles and goose liver – not forgetting a café ligeoise, made with real coffee.

2002 Le Mont Moelleux, Vouvray, Domaine Huet

We had the lovely, delicately honeyed 2002 Le Mont Moelleux, Vouvray from Domaine Huet balanced with crisp acidity with just a hint of evolution – showing what a fine, balanced vintage 2002 is for Loire whites both dry and sweet.

2006 Rémus, Montlouis, Domaine de la Taille aux Loups

We moved on to the 2006 Rémus Montlouis Sec – good concentration, still a hint of wood spice, especially when first opened. Worked very well with the poached egg dish.

2001 Le Grand Clos, Saumur-Champigny, Château de Villeneuve

I haven't tried the 2001 Le Grand Clos for a while. Definitely soft, supple and very attractive now suggests that this vintage of Grand Clos may need drinking up reasonably soon. I suspect the 1996 may well outlast the 2001.

1997 Château de Suduiraut, Sauternes

With dessert we enjoyed a half bottle of rich 1997 Suduiraut full of apricot confit and rich, concentrated honeyed flavour.

All in all we had a really relaxed and very enjoyable evening paying for five of us less than the cost of one menu dégustation at Cordeillan-Bages for 175€.