They say that around the world, a bottle of Moët & Chandon is opened every second.
If what they say is true, the 282-year old house has got to be one of the most popular Champagne brands in history. In addition to being the official Champagne of the Golden Globes and partnering with stars such as Roger Federer and Pharrell Williams, the brand also has their own private château – the coveted Château de Saran tucked into the vineyards of Champagne.
Since 1801, this humble château has belonged to the Moët family. Reimagined by designer Yves de Marseille during an enormous renovation, the Château reopened its doors in 2019 with a completely new interior after five years of work.
The Château was completely gutted during the renovation in order to design 11 fabulous rooms, each with a different theme. My favorite is the Hollywood room, which evokes the elegant glitz and glamour of the golden age in Hollywood and of course the brand’s association with the Hollywood stars.
Before you get your hopes up, I should probably mention now that in order to visit the Château de Saran one must be invited. As I am the ambassador of the Veuve Clicquot private property that receives many of the same guests as Saran, I was invited to live the experience and see things from the guests’ perspective, an enriching and inspiring opportunity. Knowing that it is impossible to reserve an experience at the Château, when I was generously invited by the team at Saran to experience a chef’s table dinner, I couldn’t say no.
In addition to the 11 bedrooms, the Château has numerous rooms for receiving guests. A grand and smaller dining room, a breakfast room, a large living room, a library, a bar, 2 outdoor patios, and of course a dark-wood old English-style smoking room (did I miss anything?). Even the kitchen is suited for receiving guests, with 8 bar stools nestled underneath the passe where the chefs dress the plates before they are whisked away.
One of those seats in the kitchen is where I would be having my dinner, but not before a tour of the 11 rooms and apéritif in the bar. The bar is a vast space with twinkly star lights embedded into the ceiling, tastefully decorated with golden and animal print details. There is a piano for the musically-inclined (we even heard a guest’s rendition of “Eine kleine” late into the evening), and a vast library behind the bar featuring not only Moët champagnes but also spirits from the LVMH portfolio for an after-dinner night cap.
After a glass of the classic Brut Imperial accompanied by the mises en bouche, we were invited to our seats in the kitchen.
While the party of 8 guests was having dinner in the grand dining room, my host and I had front row seats to the show in the kitchen. We watched closely as head chef Jean-Michel and his talented team thoughtfully but efficiently dressed plates with tuiles and delicate mousses. Then like a coordinated dance, the servers in suits and white gloves elegantly transported the dishes to their spotlights in the dining room.
Having the chef’s table experience is great for discussing with the Chef, but the Chef had also designed a small game for us. The menus, instead of indicating each dish, portrayed a word cloud of ingredients in no particular order. With each course, we had to point out which ingredients from the word cloud were in the dish – but also guess the secret ingredient not indicated in the word cloud. This was a great way to interact with Jean-Michel and learn more about his cuisine philosophy.
And of course, dinner hosted by a Champagne house means champagne pairings with each course. From the apéritif to the dessert, we were accompanied by our own personal sommelier, Martin, who was a wealth of knowledge and a warm guide throughout the entire experience. Martin was there to explain each cuvée and its pairings. The first course, amberjack tataki with fennel and a fluffy sweet basil mousse, was paired with the 2016 Grand Vintage. This was a bright and flavorful duo that woke up our palates to start the meal. Next up was the 2016 Grand Vintage Rosé, which was paired with a beautiful carabinero with lightly shaved turnips for a surprising crunch. We continued with the Grand Vintage Collection 2009, which was a perfect match for the “soup” – crispy Iberico Bellota ham aged for 36 months that melted away in the mouth, in a shallow broth with thinly shaved mushrooms and an egg yolk confit. The egg yolk had a light sweetness that brought out the honey and caramel notes in the champagne, a delicious pairing. Finally, my favorite: the Grand Vintage Collection 2000. This champagne was aged for 15 years in the cellars sur lies, and then for another 8 years in the bottle before release. It can be described more as a wine, with very minimal bubbles (though still present) and rich, complex tertiary aromas of lightly toasted nuts, caramel and jasmine. It paired delightfully with its accompanying course of pork belly – the soft acidity slightly cut the fattiness of the dish, but the opulence on the palate paired smoothly with the flavors in the pork. The golden color was spectacular and exactly matched the aesthetic of the beautiful bar upstairs.
Untraditionally, the meal at the table ends on a savory note. After the fourth course, guests are invited to the bar to enjoy the mignardises, sweet treats created by the in-house pastry chef. As the party of 8 was in the bar, we moved to the fumoir – the cozy nook on the top floor of the Château with a still-functioning fireplace, properly stocked with wood straight from the grounds.
It was the perfect setting to tie up a beautiful evening. We ended the evening accompanied by the mignardises and great conversation over a glass of Sir Davis whisky (I finally got to try it – what better occasion?).
This was my first chef’s table, and it was an enriching and exciting experience that went by way too fast! Thank you to the entire Château de Saran team for an exceptional evening. What an honor to be welcomed to this magical place. Everything from the welcome to the last sip of the evening was unforgettable. Mille mercis!
The Younger Wine 