Frangipani Restaurant and Bar,
25 Changkat Bukit Bintang,
50200 Kuala Lumpur.
Business hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 7.30pm – last order 10.30pm.
Tel: 03-21443001).
THE most exciting part of a wine appreciation event is in the creativity of the chef and sommelier in pairing the wine with the food, to perfection.
Choose the wrong wine which does not go with a particular ingredient and dinner is ruined. At Frangipani Restaurant and Bar, sommelier Sebastian Le Francois’s selection of Fournier Pere et Fils wines with the food was a match made in heaven.
The Fournier Pere et Fils winery is located in the hamlet of Chaudox, a place well known as the vine growers village in Sancerre area.
Sancerre is famous for its limestone and white ground soil.
Paul Fournier, his two sons and wife, began the journey in the 60s with four hectares of vineyard but in the beginning of the 90s, the Fournier domain had more than 60 hectares. To-date the winery remains a family business.
To introduce the Fournier wines, its president Claude Fournier, joined by Le Francois, introduced a range of reds and whites at a wine dinner.
For the Caramelised Onion Tartlet, Le Francois chose the Sancerre “Les Belles Vignes”, Fournier Pere and Fils 2009 to go with the dish.
Perfect: Pan Seared Tenderloin with Sancere L’Ancienne Vigna Fournier Pere and Fils 2007.
The plate had oven baked tomatoes, sauteed baby lamb lettuce, chopped black olives and Sainte Maure Champion Goat Cheese Sauce that added saltiness to the dish.
“The Sauvignon Blanc is full and round at first, followed by a little crispness. The wine brings out the sweetness of the onions,” said Le Francois.
Frangipani’s signature Warm Tea Smoked Salmon was next on the menu and I must say, it was a refreshing twist to the usual salmon dishes found at restaurants.
The fish is smoked ala minute with tea from Java and Japanese rice.
It is served with a small portion of mashed potato, micro leaves, wasabi tobiko and soy vinaigrette.
To complement this dish, the Pouilly-Fume, Les Deux Cailloux” Fournier Pere and Fils 2009 was served alongside.
Le Francois describes it as an explosion in the mouth and it is not hard to see why. The wine has a smokiness that goes well with the smoked salmon really well. It is more round and more sharp, giving it more character.
“The Sauvignon Blanc grapes grow on the left side of the river so it is more round and fruity because of the morning sun,” he added.
Risotto lovers should definitely try the Grilled Tiger Prawn and Hokkaido Scallop Risotto with the Sancerre Rose “Les Belles Vignes” Fournier Pere and Fils 2010.
Simple: Risotto lovers will definitely enjoy the Grilled Tiger Prawn and Hokkaido Scallop Risotto.
The Rose was a personal favourite because it is a wine that can be savoured at any time.
It is an easy wine that can be appreciated with Asian dishes.
Diners can taste the sweetness of the prawns and scallop after a sip of the Rose and the delightful taste lingers in the mouth.
For the main course, there was the Pan Seared Tenderloin with the Sancere “L’Ancienne Vigne” Fournier Pere and Fils 2007.
The tenderloin comes with sweet potato dauphines, sauteed mixed mushrooms, fava beans and Porcini mushroom glaze.
This particular red has a fruity tannin but offers a tinge of spicyness which is ideal for any red meat dish.
We were served a sweet dessert – the Yogurt Ice Souffle with Almonds, Hazelnut and Vanilla Sauce to end a fabulous dinner experience.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
