The last table to be presented as a part of this cruise was the French Chef’s Table and it was paired with French wines, so should be interesting.
The French Meal
First Course – Lobster Salad with Green Asparagus Parfait and Bacarii Caviar
Red Radish, Pickle Cucumber, Green Pea Foam, Millefeuille
Great presentation, tastes good, especially the lobster.
The Wine
NV Veuve-Cliquot Yellow Label, Brut, Reims, France
| Appearance: | Light straw, tight bead |
| Nose: | Refreshing combo of citrus and brioche aromas |
| Palate: | Light |
| Finish: | Medium length |
| Oz’s Wine Rating: | 3.5 out 5 Reliable as always |
Second Course – Beef Consommé with Caramelized Onions
Baguette Toast with Creamy Gruyére & Thyme
A very good soup, especially like the cheese
The Wine
2021 Clarendelle, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France
| Appearance: | Very light straw |
| Nose: | Reserved mix of citrus, lychee and mineral aroma |
| Palate: | Refreshing, light |
| Finish: | Medium length |
| Oz’s Wine Rating: | 4 out 5 This was very good |
Third Course – Quenelle de Volaille
Chicken Jus, Crafish, Morel Mushrooms, Créme de Volaille
Looked good, nice combination of flavours and textures.
The Wine
2017 Jean-Luc Colombo, Les Abeilles Cotes Du Rhone, France
| Appearance: | Medium depth crimson |
| Nose: | Subtle collection of black pepper, spice and wild berry aromas |
| Palate: | Savoury tannins, soft and balanced |
| Finish: | Medium to long length |
| Oz’s Wine Rating: | 4 out 5 Another great wine |
Fourth Course – Pomegranate Rose Wine Granite
Nice and refreshing
Fifth Course – Filet of Beef Aux Herbes De Provence
Porcinic Profiteroles, Petites Carrottes, Pommes de Terre Confites
For my main course of the French Chef’s Table I went with the beef (again). IMHO this was the best steak I had on board, really liked the Morels as well. The other option was Line Caught Mediterranean Sea Bass.
2018 Chateau Mont-Redon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France
| Appearance: | Deep garnet |
| Nose: | An enjoyable mix of black pepper, mocha and red fruit aromas |
| Palate: | Dry firm tannins |
| Finish: | Medium to long length, with a bit of heat |
| Oz’s Wine Rating: | 3.5 out 5 Nice drop |
Sixth Course – Selection of Cheese
Artisan Bread, Grapes, Dried Fruits, Nuts
More good cheeses..
2016 Noval Late Bottled Vintage Porto, Quinta Do Noval, Douro Valley, Portugal
| Appearance: | Deep crimson |
| Nose: | Enjoyable combination of raisin and spice aromas |
| Palate: | Moorish tannins |
| Finish: | Long length with a bit of heat |
| Oz’s Wine Rating: | 3.5 out 5 |
Seventh Course – Fondant Au Citron
Meringue, Raspberry Mouse & Red Cherry Créme Glacée
This looked amazing. Tasted pretty good as well.
2018 Maison Sichel Sauternes, Sauternes, France
| Appearance: | Golden straw |
| Nose: | Perfume of apricot, honey and mango aromas |
| Palate: | Smooth, balanced, moorish |
| Finish: | Long length |
| Oz’s Wine Rating: | 3.5 out 5 |
When the dessert is served the on board Pâtissier presents it to us… She does a great job and always has a smile (wish I had written down her name, apologies Chef)
French Chef’s Table
The French Chef’s Table was my pick as the best of the Chef’s Tables. Probably has a lot to do with the quality of the wines, the food was of a very high quality as well.. The beef was the best course on this night.
Picking one wine of the night was a challenge, so will go with a tie. The Clarendelle Bordeaux Blanc and the Jean-Luc Colombo Les Abeilles Cotes Du Rhone were the best wines served on board this cruise.
amazing presentation of the food, no doubt it tasted as good as it looked, according to your report.!!
think i too would have enjoyed the wine as well as the food.
I am sure you would have enjoyed both. Was a great meal
Hi! Great to see your posts again! Amazing descriptions as always! We completed the Oceania Mariner trip from Santiago to Buenos Aires in February – Antartica was amazing!
Hi, thanks. You guys are just showing off now, Antarctica.. 88 days until my next cruise. More 9n that to come soon.