Le Bon Laboureur (Chenonceaux): un vrai régal !

Last week we had an excellent and very enjoyable dinner at Le Bon Laboureur in Chenonceaux. This is a long-established hotel restaurant. It was mentioned by Henry James in His Little Tour in France, first published as a book in 1884 but serialised in The Atlantic Monthly in 1883-84. 

I chose the Menu Decouverte (48€) – the only menu on that night, while CRM and our friend, Anita, went à la carte. 

 

2013 La Négrette, AC Montlouis, Le Rocher des Violettes,  

Xavier Weisskopf

Xavier Weisskopf

We kicked off with the 2013 La Négrette, Montlouis, from Xavier Weisskopf. Its attractive mid-weight and purity impressed CRM and Anita, neither of whom had ever tasted Xavier's wines before. The Montlouis was accompanied by some delicious nibbles and an oyster each. Then, just before the first course and to ensure that our palates were properly attuned, there was an amuse bouche.    

CRM and Anita's first course: langoustine juste saisie

Note that the langoustine are carefully 

arranged in descending size.
Well matched with 2013 La Négrette

My very tasty fish soup with a piece of lobster 
Consommé de crevettes grises et homard
(crevettes, pétoncles, lotte et champignons)

2005 Alcofribas Bourgueil, Domaine de la Chevalerie 

(Pierre, Stéphane and Emmanuel Caslot)

The 2005 Alcofribas Bourgueil was an unexpected delight. Unexpected as I had ordered the 2006 Chevalerie. However, as that was now out of stock, Fabrice, the maître d', offered us either the 2008 Chevalerie or 2005 Alcofribas Bourgueil. Pas photo! It had to be the 2005, which proved to be voluptuously excellent. Sadly it was Le Laboureur's last bottle. Alcofribas is the first part of François Rabelais' pseudonym Alcofribas Nasier – an anagram of the author's name. To date 2005 is only vintage in which the Caslots have made this cuvée, so we were privleged indeed!   

Pierre Caslot who died in October 2014

Photo taken June 2014

Main course: my skate dish

Conjugaison de ris et tête de veau 

– the most spectacular of our main courses

Selle d'agneau en croute d'herbes 

Table decoration with the Alcofribas 

Omelette Norvegienne a spectacular end to Anita's meal 

CRM: dacquoise praliné, glace "Guanaja"

My Gratin d'ananas et orange, sorbet pomelo

2012 Pointe de Doux Brochet Sauvignon Blanc (Ampelidae)

Frédéric Brochet

For our desserts Fabrice kindly offered us a glass of Frédéric Brochet's delicately sweet 2012 Pointe de Doux Brochet Sauvignon Blanc. While it was a counterpoint to our desserts, I'm not convinced that it was a fully successful match. 

The food at the Bon Laboureur is consistently excellent and as sterling is stronger for the moment against the euro eating and drinking there is now more affordable and a vrai régal !  

Wink Lorch's Jura Wine book wins the 2014 André Simon Drinks Book Award

Wink Lorch with her Jura Wine book at 

The Real Wine Fair 2014

 

Man Booker winning novelist Julian Barnes and cookery writer Annie Bell announced the winners of this year’s awards, showcasing the best of contemporary food and drink writing at the Goring Hotel in London last night.

Wine writer Wink Lorch was awarded this year’s prize in the drink category for Jura Wine (Wine Travel Media), an insider’s guide to the Jura wine region, with local food and travel tips. The judges described the publication as exhaustively researched, packed with information and full of good photos – many by Mick Rock (Cephas), who collected Wink's award as she is currently in Chile.  

Julian Barnes, this year’s assessor for the wine books, said: “Jura Wine is the first proper book in English about the wines of Jura. When its author took her first-ever glass of it, she thought it was ‘weird’. It is a reaction many of us have shared, and perhaps not got beyond. Happily for us, she did, and has produced a personal and deeply committed guide to this often intractable region.”

Wink Lorch said: “I am hugely grateful to the Andre Simon awards judges for choosing my Jura WIne book for the best drinks book award, a real honour especially as André Simon himself loved to write about French wines. Great news for the little Jura wine region and for me too, with thanks to my wonderful team who helped create the book, and to the Kickstarter supporters.” 

Writer and photographer Mark Diacono – known for his commitment to sustainable, ethically sourced food – scooped the prestigious prize for food writing for his 2014 publication, A Year at Otter Farm (Bloomsbury). 

Alongside this philosopher Julian Baggini’s publication The Virtues of the Table (Granta) was recognised with a Special Commendation while Sediment (John Blake Publishing) by Paul Keers and Charles Jennings won this year’s John Avery award.

(Books published during 2014 are eligible for the awards.)

Qataris invest in Epeigné-les-Bois: new church-mosque to be built

Flash actualité - Dernière minute: 

Qataris investissent dans Epeigné-les-Bois: nouvelle église-mosquée sera construite !

 

An early prototype of part of the proposed Eglise-Mosque

 inspired, in part, by the Shard in London 

The news broke very late last night that a group of wealthy investors from Qatar have bought land in the small commune of Epeigné-les-Bois at the eastern limit of Indre-et-Loire with the intention of building the first Eglise-Mosque in the Loire Valley. This will be part of a ground-breaking multi-cultural centre including exhibition spaces and restaurants and, perhaps, an hotel – but this is still very early days.  

The village is close to the famous Château de Chenonceau 

Sandra Turbot, the group's spokesperson said: "We are very excited by the potential of Epeigné-les-Bois, which is so close to the world famous Château de Chenonceau – one of the most popular tourist attractions in France. I'm sure a lot of people will be surprised by our choice but our investors have a vision that will surely be realised and will attract visitors from all over the world. 

"A sole, small group of Qatari investors has just purchased land in the commune of Epeigné-les-Bois. It is close to but above the village so that our eglise-mosque can be seen from a significant distance – just like the Shard in London is widely visible and can be seen from many parts of the city. 

Our new eglise-mosque won't be as high as the Shard, which is 284.7 metres. The main tower will be 120.4 metres high.  

"We understand that the existing church needs urgent repairs. The Qatari investors may be help but as yet nothing has been agreed.   

"Unfortunately at this early stage there is very little more detail that I can reveal. Our representative in France, Pregado Brochet, has done a great job in these lengthy and delicate negotiations. He will be available for interview later on Wednesday."  

À suivre !

 

The existing church in Epeigné
(above and below)

 The Shard at night in London 

Light striking the Shard

The Shard under construction (November 2010)
from London Bridge Station

Update 15.00 1st April

Have just had a call from Sandra Turbot to say that there has been an unexpected, last minute hitch meaning that this project is now on hold. Further news when I have it.