LEDOMDUVIN: SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND PASSION FOR WINE SINCE 1991 -
Tasting everything from everywhere, from the multimillion-dollar Chateaux to that small, unknown cellar ending a dirt path surrounded by vineyards... a wine blog to enjoy till the last drop!
I recently went to "AUOR", the new fine dining restaurant project of Chef Edward Voon, in Wan Chai (Hong Kong). It was a tremendously exquisite culinary experience. Highly recommended.
The dimly lighted decor is dark, somber brown and matte metallic gold, sober, elegant, chic, sophisticated, yet cozy, comfortable, intimate, and inviting.
The logo design, the name "AUOR" referring to both "Gold" and "Auror" (Dawn), as well as the clock concept for the menu and the menu itself, have all been created by Chef Voon.
As pictures are worth a thousand words, here is the menu we ate that night in pictures.
Proving once again that, despite his (or her) skills and experience, a Chef is all about creativity and imagination, as well as a constant search for excellence and consistency, perfecting his (her) talent and skills as he (she) continues learning, experiencing and discovering, meticulously and precisely crafting each dish, while reinventing and improving his (her) cuisine every day.
Each dish at AUOR was a delight for the eyes, the olfactory system, and the taste buds.
Beyond the elegant and creative presentation, I savored the most the combination of scents, aromas, flavors, textures, and substances of each bite. Each dish was both intriguing and enticing, colorful and very tempting.
Bravo, and thank you, Chef @edwardvoon74 (Chris and your team). You did an amazing job with the design, the decor, the menu, the food, and the service. My friend and I were very impressed and amazed.
I'm happy for you that you can now run your own restaurant to splendidly showcase your talent and skills to the world and do what you really want to do.
Each of your dishes was a rich, complex, refined, and sophisticated piece of art. And I feel privileged that I had the chance to see, smell, and taste them, as I very rarely indulge myself in such fancy restaurants.
I brought 2 bottles, which paired surprisingly well with the food:
Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru Champ Cain Brut 2009 (disgorged in 2019), and Château Léoville Poyferré Saint-Julien Second Grand Cru Classé.
It was an exquisite culinary experience. Thank you to Chef Edward Voon for the food and to Chris and the rest of the team for the service.
Have a look at their website to see what they offer and book your table: https://auor.com.hk/
I must admit that I have been opening quite a few 2010 Bordeaux lately, and they are drinking fantastically well. The Pontet Canet 2010, which I opened the previous night was amazing! (here) And this Leoville Barton was no exception either.
Following up on "which bottle should I pick to be paired with a cigar?" Some of you guessed it well, spot on, well done!
Yet, most of you discovered it with the reel (a short video) I posted in the previous post.
I picked Château Pontet Canet 2010.
Why?
Well, as I did not know which cigar it will be paired with, I needed a solid wine with complex aromas and body, so as not to be overwhelmed or overpowered by the flavors, strength, and richness of the cigar.
It was not an easy choice, as Pomerol first came to my mind. And yet, Cabernet Sauvignon being stronger and more tannic, it had to be from the Left Bank. And, amongst the choice I had, my gut's feeling (combined with my experience and knowledge of the wines) told me that it will probably be the best choice.
Pontet Canet 2010 is an amazing wine displaying aromas of dark fruits, earth, soil, and wood mingling with floral and mineral notes. It has power and richness, structure and texture while being harmonious and balanced, and beautifully expands throughout the palate with substance and character up to the long lingering earthy finish. Majestic!
It showed wonderfully after 2 hours of decanting and displayed a lot of complexity and refinement and potential of aging. Highly recommended and to be revisited within the next 5-10 years.
As for the "coincidental pairing" part, it came when I realized that the cigar, (it will eventually be paired with), was none other than one of my favorite cigars, and truly an excellent choice from the host:
Partagás Serie D Especial Edición Limitada 2010
What a coincidence! And, what a surprise! (as I had no clue what the cigar will be). A 2010 vintage wine paired with a 2010 vintage cigar. Perfect!
A man in black decanting Château Pontet Canet 2010
When it comes to preparing wine for clients or guests, decanting becomes a crucial, needed step of the preparation when a wine is too young, too tight, or presents lots of sediments due to its age.
For Burgundy, for example, I don't usually decant the reds (it might have happened but only on rare occasions), as Pinot Noir-based wines open up quite easily and rapidly in the bottle, and thus do not require decanting, unless really tight.
However, I love decanting white burgundy, especially if they are young to give them a boost and allow them to open up faster. Old burgundy whites also deserve to be decanted in most cases.
For Bordeaux, both young and old need to be decanted in my opinion. The ones in the middle with a certain maturity, not necessarily too young or too old, can just be opened, tasted, and left open, without decanting. However, if too tight, too young, or too old, and, more importantly, if full of sediments, then decanting is a must.
For other regions and appellations, it depends on the wine, the grape variety, the strength, the alcohol content, the vintage, and many other factors.
For example, I do not usually decant Loire valley Red, yet, some Chinon and even some Saumur Champigny deserve to be decanted, for the Cabernet Franc to fully express itself.
In the meantime, I like to decant full and strong wines from the Southern Rhone, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, California, Barossa, etc... as they usually need to be tamed down a little to be better appreciated.
I must say I love decanting and I'm pretty good at it. The key is to remain calm, concentrated, and focused. And after doing it and repeating the same gests for the past 30+ years, I'm like a Decanting Master now. It is definitely one of my specialties and all the videos I posted on YouTube and other Social Media can attest to the quality of my decanting skills.
