Four Seasons - Sampler

The Four Seasons of MALARTIC STORIES & RECIPES FROM THE BONNIE FAMILY

Contents Visit Us 02 Œufs Pochés aux Lentilles Vertes 52 Acknowledgements 04 Caesar Salad 54 Contents 05 Poisson à la Bordelaise 56 A few words from Alfred Bonnie 07 Filet de Bœuf au Barbecue, Sauce Béarnaise 58 Foreword by Robert Joseph 08 AUTUMN 61 Why this book? 09 Harvest 63 The History of Bordeaux 11 Velouté de Petits Pois 64 The Graves Region 13 Empanadas de DiamAndes 66 History of Malartic 15 Soles Grillées Sauce aux Champignons 68 The Bonnie Family at Malartic 17 Omelette aux Cèpes 70 The Argentine Adventure 19 Pain de Viande 72 Malartic and the Arts 21 Confit de Canard, Pommes Sarladaises 74 Bordeaux Gastronomy 23 WINTER 77 Matching Food and Wine 25 Blending 79 SPRING 27 Paupiettes Oiseaux sans Tête 80 En Primeur 29 Moules Marinières & Frites 82 Fraicheur de Tourteau 30 Stoemp 84 Steak Tartare de Michèle 32 Filets Mignons de Porc aux Morilles 86 Linguine alle Vongole 34 Gigot de Sept Heures, Fondue de Carottes 88 Dos de Cabillaud, Fondue de Poireaux 36 Oie de Noël, Farcie aux Morilles et Marrons 90 Entrecôte Bordelaise 38 Ingredients & Tips 93 Frites de Jean-Jacques 40 Serving Wine 95 Carré d’Agneau & son Gratin Dauphinois 42 Wine Tasting 97 SUMMER 45 How Wine is Made 99 Fête de la Fleur 47 Vintages 101 Terrine de Poisson 48 The Bonnie Family Wines 102 Tarte Fine à la Tomate 50 05

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The History of Bordeaux If you look at a map of the world, Bordeaux is located carry wine to a thirsty English court. And even if the just south of the 45th parallel, almost exactly between the French victory at the Battle of Castillon, east of Bordeaux equator and the North Pole. Bordeaux enjoys an average on 17 July 1453, freed Aquitaine from the English crown annual sunshine of 2,200 hours, very like that of resorts on after 300 years, the wine trade survived and grew. the Mediterranean coast, and a remarkably mild climate, thanks to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The 17th and 18th centuries saw a boom in wine production similar to the one experienced in California A Bronze Age tribe called Bituriges Vivisci was among in the 1970s, leading to a recognition of the differences the region’s earliest settlers in the fifth century BC. Then in style and quality between regions and individual the Romans arrived and built Burdigala, on the site of properties - the chateaux. the city now known as Bordeaux. The first vineyards they planted almost 2000 years ago were in Saint Emilion If the draining of the Medoc marshes by the Dutch in and close to Malartic in the area that would be called the the 17th century helped to make Bordeaux's fortune, Graves. the planting of the Landes forest on the marshes of the southern Gironde, two years after the French Revolution The Medoc, famous today for chateaux such as Lafite, of 1789, created a protective barrier for Bordeaux’s Latour, Margaux and Mouton Rothschild, had to wait vineyards against the salty ocean Atlantic breezes. another 1500 years to really emerge. At the time it was essentially a mosquito infested marshland where malaria As the number of chateaux multiplied in the 19th century, was rampant. the region’s wine merchants established classifications based on the prices of their wines. The one used for Wine production in the Graves was reserved for local the Paris Great Universal Exhibition of 1855 ranked consumption until the explosion of Bordeaux as a wine- the chateaux of the Medoc and one in Graves into five growing region in the 12th century, when the marriage levels of classified growths that have survived almost in 1152 of the English king Henry II and Eleanor of unchanged until the present day. A century later, a similar Aquitaine brought the region under English rule. classification was introduced in Saint-Emilion, and 1953, brought one for the Graves where Château Malartic- The broad Gironde estuary where the Dordogne and Lagravière stands out among the six estates classified for Garonne rivers meet was perfect for boats that would both their reds and whites. 11

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History of Malartic Two hundred years ago, the estate we now know as who loved the sea so much that he left his wife to run the Malartic-Lagravière was simply known as Domaine de estate. Lagravière. Its name referred to the fact that the stones in the soil of its vineyards extend eight metres into the earth, In 1953, the chateau became one of only six Graves estate giving it some of the best, most gravelly, land in a region to be ranked as Crus Classés for both red and white, and famed for its gravel. the reputation of its whites grew to be among the best of the region. For much of the 20th century, however, the In 1803 it was bought by the family of one of Louis XV’s quality of the reds was less consistent. As the critic, Neal most successful admirals, Comte Hippolyte de Maurès de Martin, wrote in Vinous “The wines never reached their Malartic who had distinguished himself by his victories full potential.” over the English, most notably at the Battle of Quebec in 1756. It is Malartic’s schooner, the Minerve, that appears In the 1990s, the de Nonancourt family, owners of on the label of every bottle today. Laurent Perrier, raised the quality by improving viticulture and reducing yields. Sadly, however, their ownership The decision to add Malartic’s name to that of the estate of the estate was cut short by the financial crisis of the was taken in 1860 by a subsequent owner, a woman called time and the need to focus attention on their business in Madame Angèle Ricard. We do not know much about Champagne. her, but, in an age when women were firmly expected to take a secondary role, she was apparently known as ‘le Malartic was, in the words of one observer, “a Sleeping grand homme de la famille’ - the big man of the family. Beauty, waiting for her prince”. When her son Jean died in 1908, the chateau passed to his son-in-law, another sea captain called Lucien Ridoret 15

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Spring Spring in Bordeaux is a busy and often complicated time of the Bordeaux oceanic climate and, drawing on the of year for the wine community. The final blends of the complexity of the Malartic subsoil, to produce smaller, latest harvest will have already been selected but the more concentrated berries with more complex flavours. samples have to be prepared and presented to hundreds of As the plough turns the soil on the surface, the roots go buyers and media to taste during the annual En Primeur deeper and deeper to find moisture, until they reach the fortnight. It is a pivotal moment that will occupy all the layer of limestone full of fossilised shells that will nourish attention of the owners and their teams for several weeks the vine. But spring is also crucial in the vineyard, as the new Flowering, at the end of May, when the buds become buds emerge with their tiny down-covered leaves. These flowers, followed by fruit set, when the tiny bunches of fragile buds can give the winegrowers sleepless nights grapes appear about ten days later, are the highlights of if the spring also brings fierce frosts that can reduce a the beginning of the growing season – a period hopefully substantial part of the harvest. If these cold snaps are still marked by limited rainfall. rare, they have become more frequent and intense recently, forcing winegrowers to use more or less effective means of All these activities leave room for leisure activities, and protection. Easter is an excellent time of year to visit Bordeaux. The city's chocolatiers use their imagination and competitive In the vineyard, the chateau's team is now working on spirit to make the most appetizing and sophisticated green pruning, a manually and with great care removing Easter eggs, and florists display their most beautiful excess buds that will not bear ripe fruit. bouquets. Some chateaux organise Easter egg hunts in their gardens and parks. At estates such as Malartic, where sustainable and organic viticulture is practiced, natural methods are used to While enjoying the beautiful spring days and everything protect the vines from harmful insects. the city of Bordeaux has to offer during this season, the Bonnie family also has to go and see what's happening Following the same philosophy, the soil is ploughed on the other side of the world. In Argentina, of course, to encourage microbial life and force the vine roots it's autumn and it's time to pick the grapes at Bodega downwards. This will help the plant to resist the vagaries DiamAndes. 27

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En Primeur At the end of March and beginning of April every this often meant shipping barrels to Britain, Belgium or year, whatever else is in their diary, thousands of wine Holland, which is why old bottles of ‘London-bottled’ merchants and critics have to find time for Bordeaux. Bordeaux are still occasionally bought and sold at auction. Over the space of a few weeks, this is when the chateaux invite them to sample and ideally buy the latest vintage, For the negociants, the concept of tasting the wine before ‘En Primeur’ - as a future - while it’s still in barrel and at buying it, and alongside their customers, is also relatively least a year from being bottled. modern. In the early years of the 20th century, prices were often agreed while the grapes were still on the vine - ’sur There is no event in the wine calendar that is quite like it. souche’ - while the risks of poor weather spoiling the In every part of the region, chateau-owners get together crop were still high. That changed in 1961, a great vintage to pour their wines at estates like Malartic that have the whose quantities were slashed by an historically late frost. space to accommodate them all. Experts from a long list The deals they had made left chateaux unable to price of cities across the globe will use their tastebuds and their their wine as highly as it deserved, and they needed to pay experience to try to guess how the new wines will evolve their bills. over time. This is when they will first be scored out of 100, and compared with other vintages. Tasters may sip and Even if most of the people who drink Bordeaux are taste well over a hundred wines per day, often returning possibly not aware of En Primeur, they may benefit to their hotels with teeth that have been temporarily dyed from the passion and attention professionals put into its almost black by the wine. selection during their working visit to the region. What sets Bordeaux apart from other regions both during In 2020, Bordeaux, like the rest of the world, had to adapt the En Primeur ‘campaign and the rest of the year, is that to the way the Covid-19 effectively stopped the flow very few of the top chateaux sell their wine directly. In of international travel. Unable to receive visitors to the keeping with tradition, almost every transaction passes chateau, top estates such as Malartic, sent their samples through local brokers and merchants - négociants - who around the world to be tasted by professionals, and hosted will then distribute the wine to importers, wholesalers and numerous online tastings in which the stories behind the retailers internationally. Historically, until the middle of vintage could be told. the 20th century when chateau-bottling became the norm, 29

Fraicheur de Tourteau AVOCADO & CRAB COCKTAIL “As the name suggests, this is a deliciously healthy dish that’s perfect with a young white from Malartic, but we were surprised how beautifully it paired with the richness of the 2014 vintage we enjoyed recently.” — Severine Alternative wine option: DiamAndes Grande Reserve Chardonnay 30 MINUTES SERVES 4 Ingredients Recipe 2 x quarter pound/120g dressed crab Remove the crab from the shell and place into a medium bowl. Working gently, stir or 2 x 100g/3 1/2 oz tins white through the double cream, lime zest and juice. Season well. crabmeat Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes and add the shallot and a little chopped basil. 500g/a generous pound of tomatoes, Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Stir gently to combine and set aside in a deseeded separate bowl. 2 medium avocados, peeled and stone Finely slice the avocado and sprinkle with lime juice to prevent it from turning brown. removed To assemble, put a layer of tomatoes at the bottom of the mould, then the avocado 1 finely chopped shallot slices and finish with the crumbled crab - or vice versa if you prefer. Add 2 or 3 A handful of basil leaves drops of balsamic vinegar. Set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Remove the Juice and zest of 1 lime mould to serve, garnished with a basil leaf or two. ½ tsp paprika or Espelette pepper 1 tbsp double cream Tip – Serve with some very small pieces of apple for a crunchy fresh texture. Salt & pepper This starter can be assembled in either a rectangular or circular mould. 30

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Œufs Pochés aux Lentilles Vertes POACHED EGG WITH LENTILS “There‘s nothing like cooking eggs you have collected from the henhouse yourself. This dish is perfect as a first or a main course - cold in Summer or hot in Winter. The secret of poached eggs? Very fresh eggs and add white wine vinegar on the eggs before cooking them in boiled water! Enjoy with Gazin Rocquencourt Rouge 2015”. — Séverine Alternative wine option: Beaujolais, Moulin à Vent from Domaine Labruyère 30 MINUTES SERVES 4 Ingredients Recipe Half pound/250g puy green lentils Put the lentils in a stewpot, cover with cold water and the stock. Bring gently to the 4 eggs boil, allow to simmer for about 20 minutes (the lentils should remain a little crunchy), 200g/7oz lardons made from high stirring from time to time. quality smoked bacon Fry the bacon in a dry frying pan over a medium high heat, until just crisp, drain on 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped absorbent kitchen paper. 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar For the dressing, in a bowl, emulsify salt, pepper, wine vinegar and olive oil with a Vegetable stock or 1 organic vegetable fork. stock cube Bring a shallow saucepan of water to a gentle simmer 4 tablespoons olive oil Crack an egg into a small bowl or ramekin, add the vinegar, then slide the egg into 1 bunch of chives Salt & pepper the water, lowering the bowl as close to the water as possible. Using a large spoon, gently fold any stray strands of white around the yolk. Repeat with the other eggs. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon. Place the eggs in a small bowl of warm water where they can sit until needed. Drain the cooked lentils, pour them into a large bowl, add the shallots, bacon and vinaigrette. Combine and divide into 4 shallow plates. Sprinkle with chopped chives, place a poached egg on each plate, sprinkle with ground pepper and serve immediately. 52

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Oie de Noël, Farcie aux Morilles et Marrons CHRISTMAS GOOSE STUFFED WITH MOREL MUSHROOMS AND CHESTNUTS \"The traditional Christmas or Thanksgiving meal – for which you can use a goose, a turkey or a capon if you can find one. It’s a magical dish to share with friends and family. The children love it, but at Christmas, of course, they know there are presents to open afterwards. Fabulous with a Malartic red 2000.\" — Michèle Alternative wine option: Champagne Laurent-Perrier 2004 4 HOURS SERVES 6-8 Ingredients Recipe 1 goose (approx. 4-5.5kg/10-11lb) Calculate the cooking time for your goose: cook for 10 mins at 240°C/465°F fan 220°C/430°F/gas 9, then reduce temperature and cook for 30 mins per FOR THE STUFFING: lb/500g at 190°C/375°F, fan 170°C/340°F, gas 5. Allow 30 min to rest. A knob of butter, for frying A glug of olive oil, for frying Make the stuffing. Melt butter in a heavy bottomed pan; soften onions, garlic and 20g/3/4 oz dried morels, soaked in shallots over med. heat. Remove and set aside. warm water for 30 minutes then rinsed Wipe the pan clean, add a touch of oil and chicken livers. Fry lightly until they are just and finely chopped cooked but still remain pink in the middle. Remove and add to onions. 100g/3 1/2 oz cooked chestnuts 200g/7oz minced beef Add a little more butter to the pan, keep the heat at medium and add morels. Sauté 100g/3 1/2 oz chicken livers, cut into for 5-6 minutes. Add onions and chestnuts. small pieces 1 medium egg, beaten Add minced beef, yoghurt, egg and parsley. Mix thoroughly and season well. 2 tablespoons plain yoghurt Season the cavity of the goose generously with salt, then add stuffing. Sew the 2 shallots, sliced 2 garlic cloves, sliced opening with kitchen string. Oil the outside and brush with thyme. Spread the wings A small handful of flatleaf parsley, and legs to facilitate the cooking. roughly chopped Transfer goose to oven to roast. After 30 mins, turn the bird on its side and baste 2-3 springs of thyme generously, then repeat every 30 mins to ensure even cooking. Pour off the fat Salt & pepper through a sieve into a large heatproof bowl. You will end up with at least a litre of luscious fat – save this for the potatoes and other vegetables. At the end of the cooking time, leave to rest for at least 30 mins, covered loosely with foil. The bird will not go cold, but will be moist and much easier to carve. To serve, carve goose and accompany it with rice, celery purée and extra chestnuts. 90

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