Lunch@L'Aubinière, Saint Ouen-les-Vignes

1st April 2010

Five of us had a very agreeable, relaxed lunch at L'Aubinière yesterday. We all took the 34€ menu – I had mousseline of trout, gigot d'agneau and chocolate pudding. All the dishes were very good, although without the same inventiveness that you find at Jacky Dallais' La Promenade. 

For our apéro we had a very attractive bottle of 2005 Montouis demi-sec from Domaine Flamand-Deletang run by Olivier and Corinne Flamand, who have 8ha in Saint Martin le Beau. This is quite a rich, honeyed demi-sec from 2005 with well balanced acidity and not unreasonably priced at 30€.

2007 Clos de Rougemount, Vouvray sec, Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau

With the first course we took the 2007 Clos de Rougemont, Vouvray sec from Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau (28.50€). This special cuvée comes from the historic Abbaye de Marmoutiers on the eastern edge of northern Tours and had all the qualities associated with good 2007 Loire dry whites. Very clean and precise with good mineral length, this was a fine match with the mousseline of trout.

2006 Cuvée des Loups, Saumur-Champigny, Domaine de Nerleux

I knew the 2006 Cuvée des Loups (40€) from Régis and Elizabeth Neau was likely still rather young and so it proved. Powerful, well fruited (black) wine this was attractive to drink now but it is clear that with another two or three years in bottle that this will be more supple and complex as currently it is still a bit angular.

Hotel-Restaurant L'Aubinière,
29 Rue Jacques-Gautier
37530 Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes
Tel: 02.47.30.15.29
www.aubiniere.com

Recommended eating places in Eastern Touraine (part 3)

L’Aubinière

Tulip tree in garden@L'Aubinière

This is a charming restaurant and certainly one of my favourites. It also has six rooms, in the pretty village of Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes, which is about 10 kilometres north east of Amboise. Run by Jacques and Odile Arrayet, the food is excellent and very reasonably priced and the service excellent – attentive but relaxed. Fine wine list including a good selection of Loire wines with at times some old vintages of Huet’s Vouvray. In the summer you can eat outside on the terrace overlooking the pretty and well-tended garden. Menus: Menus: €24 (Tuesday to Friday lunchtime only – €48. Restaurant is closed on Monday.

29 Rue Jules-Gautier, 37530 Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes
Tel: 02.47.30.15.29
Email: restaurant-laubiniere@wanadoo.fr
Web: www.aubiniere.com