Champagne Philippe Gonet Launch of Belemnita 2005
by Jen Shek Voon
@ 04 Dec 2015
This lunch time on Monday 1 December 2015 was a very special day as it marked the Singapore launch of Champagne Philippe Gonet’s Grand Cru Cuvée Belemnita 2005 by Chantal Gonet, the Director of Marketing worldwide for this famed champagne house at new trendy fine-dining Odette Restaurant, at the ground floor Supreme Court wing of Singapore National Gallery at St Andrews’ Road, where various Gonet champagnes were paired with the fine gastronomic cuisine of Chef Julien Royer, who had left Jaan with nine members of his team to kick start this new restaurant.
The Cuvée Belemnita 2005 was filled with its characteristic minerality, and the bubbles lifted the wine to an even greater freshness, making it thoroughly enjoyable. Chantal attributed the quality and uniqueness of the Cuvée Belemnita to the terroir, which possesses very special characteristics. The soil is derived from two different types of the fossilized sea animal bones that populated the inland sea at the Côte Des Blancs, before the seas disappeared at the end of the Cretaceous period some one hundred million years ago. These sea animals (cephalopods) were: (a) Ceriatitid ammonids and (b) the Belemnites, which is derived from the Greek word “belemnon”, which means dart. Chantal intimated that the fossilized remains in the vineyard give the Cuvée Belemnita the unique minerality and intensity coupled with the citrus aromas, and tinge of grapefruit flavour inherent in every glass of this exquisite champagne.
During the launch we had various courses, which included 1st Course of the hand dived scallop with radish; Heirloom Beetroot Variation comprising Salt baked beetroot, Stracciatella Artigiana, and, Honeycomb with Philippe Gonet Signature Brut Blanc de Blancs; Pine Smoked Organic Egg with Root vegetables, Patrick Duller Pancetta, Melanosaporium truffle, magnificently paired with the Champagne Philippe Gonet Belemnita Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2005; and Aquitaine Rainbow Trout with Charred Yuzu kurobuta pork belly after sous Vide, and Miso caramel; also paired with Champagne Philippe Gonet Belemnita Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2005.
And when we ended with the aged Comte and the Confit Victoria Pineapple dessert made with the small pineapple for La Reunion, we had a truly memorable launch to remember Cuvée Belemnita 2005, well after this afternoon.
