Clos Rougeard, 2014 Saumur-Champigny

No.24 | What's In My Glass

Bonjour à tous! I am back in the Loire for a brief visit for La Paulée d’Anjou on Monday. For my first meal in the region, I journeyed to Angers for a much overdue visit to Gribiche. I first dined at this Michelin Bib Gourmand gem two years ago and I’ve been dying to go back ever since. Chef-owner Alex Tessier is not only a masterful chef who makes some of the best pâté en croûte I’ve ever had in my life, he is a true bon vivant, generous host, and a passionate wine lover. He has curated a superb, well-priced wine list that features some of the great vignerons from the Loire and beyond, including many of the sought-after/cult/hard-to-find selections that oenophiles yearn for. And on Friday evenings, the last service before they close for the weekend, chef offers a tasting menu of all of the week’s dishes for around 56 euros - a veritable bargain if there ever was one.

While there was oodles of Cabernet Francs to choose from, chef was insistent that this trip needed to start with bang a…