SI Five Course Wine Dinner at Le Cirque, The Leela Palace Hotel

Sommelier India recently hosted a five-course wine dinner at Le Cirque, The Leela Palace Hotel in Delhi, sponsored by Anggel’s Share Wines and Spirits. It was our first wine dinner after a long period of inaction due to Covid and its aftermath and was consequently a great success. Le Cirque is a fine dining restaurant that serves French-Italian cuisine. The restaurant has a Michelin star and is known for its elegant atmosphere and impeccable service.

The wines were a fine mix from Italy, France and Spain (listed below), starting with a vintage Prosecco as the welcome drink, followed by two whites and two reds. The wines drank superbly and were an ideal match with the food, neither partner overwhelming the other. It wasone of those rare occasions when everything comes together – the restaurant ambience, the people, the food and most of all, the wines.

Wines

• Casa Bottega Prosecco, Brut, 2021 Veneto, Italy. A top Prosecco DOC. Grape variety – Glera. Fine, persistent perlage with beautiful citrus aromas. Harmonious, elegant and balanced, the palate was soft due to residual sugar and, at the same time, dry due to lively acidity.
• Mont-Redon, Côtes du Rhône Reserve Blanc, 2020, France. 
  A blend of 70% Grenache Blanc, 20% Clairetteand 10% Viognier. A medium-bodied, restrained white wine. Fresh, with a crisp citrusy flourish on the finish.
• Cheval Quancard Réserve Bordeaux Blanc 2020, France.
• 80 % Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sémillion with six months of ageing in oak barrels. The wine had a nose of grapefruit, white peach and toasted bread. It was full-bodied and lively on the palate, with a long aftertaste.
• Mont-Redon Côtes du Rhône Réserve Rouge 2019, France. A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. The perfume and fleshy generosity of fully ripe Grenache with tannin freshness and finesse and a faint hint of Provence herbs. Mont-Redon is one the best producers in the historical appellation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and is well-known by those who know and love the appellation.
• Bodegas Luis Cañas, Crianza, Rioja, 2018, Spain 95% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha.
  Aged for at least two years before release with six months in oak. Dominant flavours include cherry, dried fig, cedar, tobacco, and dill. The Luis Cañas vineyard is located in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. Old vines are grown mainly on chalky-clay soil terraces, with an ideal microclimate and exposure, producing excellent quality.