Mulling it over (part 9): great birthday meal@Ninth Wave

 

 A Scottish Fisherman + a Canadian Chef = 'hedonism on a plate'  

Carla and John Lamont

Last night we celebrated my birthday with a great meal at the excellent Ninth Wave Restaurant at Fionnphort on the Isle of Mull.  

 The attractive and unusual place settings 

 2014 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, 

Jean-François Guilbaud – Jean-François de Grand Mouton

There is an interesting and varied selection of wines. We started with a bottle of 2014 Muscadet from Jean-François Guilbaud, the husband of Marie-Luce Métaireau of Domaine Grand Mouton. Quite lean and lemony initially it opened up in the glass showing the ripeness and texture of the 2014 vintage. Naturally it matched very well my first two courses – langoustine and crab won ton soup followed by a warm soufflé style cheesecake of Ionian crab served with a whole crab claw.

 

langoustine and crab won ton soup  

The impressive French onion soup

warm soufflé style cheesecake of Ionian crab 

served with a whole crab claw

2008 Garrigues, Vacqueyras, Montirius

We partnered our main course of a mini rack of lamb with blue cheese choux and some very flavoursome garden beetroot with a powerful and softly textured bottle of 2008 Vacqueyras from Montirius.When the bottle was initially brought for me to try, it was fractionally warm. I asked for it to be chilled slightly and when the bottle returned it was perfect – very good service and fine attention to detail.  

 mini rack of lamb 

Pink peppercorn meringues with rhubarb 
compote and Galangal Cream  


Green tea and dark chocolate

The Ninth Wave is a small, intimate restaurant. We had a very good evening there with excellent service and delicious inventive food along with two fine bottles of wine. Last year I had my birthday meal at the famous Three Chimneys on the Isle of Syke. I had a more enjoyable experience at the Ninth Wave and would certainly go back here if I return sometime to Mull. I don't feel that I need to go back to The Three Chimneys, where I had a sense of being processed – a slightly conveyor belt experience.    

The restaurant is only open in the evening and with just a few tables booking is essential.

 

the attractive garden beside the restaurant 

Vive la modération (part 1): Loire and Rhône

2008 Les Roches, Saumur-Champigny, 

Domaine des Champs Fleuris:

proof again that 2008 is an attractive vintage

drinking well now but still good potential to age 

Our just over three-week stay in Touraine is coming to a close. Time to record the bottles that we have enjoyed in suitable modération bien sûr!

 2010 Galichets, Bourgueil, Domaine de la Chevalerie, 

Stéphanie, Emmanuel and Pierre Caslot

(above and below)

Lovely mid-weight red from leading Bourgueil producer

2010 is a very good Loire vintage – rare in that it was successful across the board: dry white, reds and sweets

 2009 Les Chailloux, Sancerre, Claude Riffault  http://www.clauderiffault.com

Stéphane Riffault, who has taken over from his father Claude, is making brilliant Sancerres

This 2009 from flinty soil is wonderfully precise and very clean

(above and below)

2009 Sancerre, Domaine des Brosses, Alain Girard

softer and more evolved than the Riffault

 2011 Domaine de la Ganse, Vacqueyras

In the SkinCôntact raffle I won six bottles of Rhône wine (red). These are they. The Séguret and the Vacqueyras were both particularly good – full bodied with blackfruits without being overpowering fruit bombs.

 2011 Domaine de Mourchon, Séguret

 2013 Vinsobres, Cru des Côtes du Rhône, Les Dauphins

2008 Le Mont demi-sec, Vouvray, Domaine Huet

This 2008 makes the case for demi-sec 

lovely balance of delicately sweet fruit and acidity.