At Jamavar in The Leela Palace, I am led to a table that has a distinct tag placed in the centre which reads Château Guiraud. Every table in the room has a similar tag — Château Cantelauze, Château Castagnac, Château Faugères, Château Corbin Michotte, Château Sociando Mallet, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, and Château Tifayne.
These châteaus, all from Bordeaux, took centrestage at an evening that brought together wine enthusiasts and food lovers from the city by the Consulate-General of France in Puducherry and Chennai, Tasting Pleasures, wine education centre and library, and Bordeaux World Heritage Organisation in association with Hotel Leela Palace. Here, all eyes were trained not just on the selection of wines from Médoc, Saint Emilion, Pomerol, Fronsac, and Sauternes that were to be served, but the menu carefully rolled up near each place setting.
“Today, you are welcome to share my passion for food, and great wine,” says writer Laurent Moujon, reflecting on his work for the book Bordeaux, Pairing Wines with Indian Cuisine, which chronicles the best of Indian recipes from chefs across the world, and ideal Bordeaux wine pairings to go with it. Lise Talbot Barré, Consul-Général, welcomed the gathering.
We start off with a dry white from Château Guiraud. Anne Xaviere, introduces the Bordeaux Blanc Sec 2022, as balanced and aromatic. “In 2022, the weather was pretty hot and dry, and we had an early harvest,” she says, diving into the specifics of the region while describing the wine. This is paired with the quintessential Indian aloo tikki.
Its time for the reds next — with three wines being brought out to accompany lamb galouti, murgh malai kababs, and paneer tikka. Every red is distinct in taste and texture, with a red from Château Castagnac complete with its fruity notes, proving to be the perfect companion to the tandoori appetisers. “We export to over 32 different countries now, and have just started to stock our wines in India in some duty free stores. Fronsac, where this wine is from, is an excellent place historically to produce wine. This is a 100% Merlot,” says Renaud Limbosch, as we swirl and sip.
Every wine served through the dinner comes with its own story, shared by a representative of the chateau who traces its origins, and details its characteristics. There is an array of reds once again with the main course, which pairs with the meats, and mildly flavoured lemon rice and vegetables.
Château Guiraud’s Sauternes Premier Cru Classe 1995 is easily the best of the night, with a sharp sweetness, and a lightness to it. It is paired with a crunchy shahi tukda and dark chocolate ganache, which does not overwhelm the wine.
Apart from the unique gastronomical pairings, the evening is also an informative introduction to Bordeaux’s geography, wine producing regions, appellations, and more. “We’re planning to visit all the lovely chateaus from where we’ve had wines participate here— a wine tour of sorts for at least five to six days,” says Chinmaya Arjun Raja, founder, Tasting Pleasures. An idea that is sure to find takers for a deep dive into the region’s complex, aromatic spirits.
