We are fortunate in #Vancouver to have a world-class Thai restaurant Maenam featuring outstanding @chefangusan producing fantastic dishes. Our Tastevin group held a special dinner there on November 15, 2022 of some of his many best courses that all were singing with delicious assertive flavours. From experience your scribe usually prefers matching slightly off-dry white wines with good acidity and a touch of residual sweetness to tame the spices of Thai food. Thinking like Sparkling with higher dosage, Chenin Blanc, and especially Riesling at the Spatlese level. Here the matching was dry white & red Burgundy all of which actually stepped up surprisingly well to this tougher challenge.
The aperitif was a spectacular 1996 vintage in large magnum format from quality producer Pol Roger that was brilliantly fresh and complex with the bubbles complementing the flavourful canapes served. Clever use of pineapple.
Three aged Les Clos Grand Cru Chablis followed with Fevre clearly outclassing the other two with the depth and signature textbook statement of this best vineyard. Brocard showed lighter refreshing elements with appropriate spice notes from the less ripe nature of 2008 while the two 2009s were richer and softer but Servin showed some pre-mox (their 2018 Montee de Tonnerre also is forwardly from another hot vintage but has better balance with their 2020 releases). Even though the 2009 Fevre Les Clos deep salinity was really excellent and wonderful paired with the truffled Crab dish, probably a younger fruit-forward more acidic Chablis or off-dry white would have calmed the unique 8 Spice Red Perch to better advantage. Fun education with this food matching!
The lobster course with 2011 puligny was fine. The Champs-Canet has lovely “sweetness” of fruit but Lucien LeMoine is rather reductive and drier from that outlying Blagny region vineyard La Garenne even though cleverly decanted an hour or so before by the talented Sommelier Kristi Linneboe.
Big reds that are quite tannic usually can be difficult with Thai food but Pinot Noir usually has less hard tannins and perfect natural acidity for balance. However, Philippe Leclerc uses older full extraction techniques and this perfect 2005 vintage from Cazetiers stills needs more aging. The lighter charming 2005 Volnay red Burgundy pairs better presently with the duck and Angus An skillfully tweaked the curry and smoking to make it work marvelously. Everyone knows that duck and Red Burgundy is a sublime pairing. What an amazing chef!
What are your choice wines to serve with Thai dishes?
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