There is a certain magic that happens when an exquisite meal is paired with the right selection of wine and this is what happened during a celebratory lunch we atteneded at Enso Steakhouse in COTU, hosted by homegrown retailer, Bottles & Bottles.
This year marks Bottles & Bottles’ 21st anniversary, and they brought in an exclusive new partnership with AdVini, a global leader in premium French estates, bringing the legacy houses of Maison Champy, Clos de l’Oratoire des Papes, and Champagne Jeeper directly to Singaporean wine afficionados, among other brands from around the globe.
The narrative unfolded course by course over lunch.
We began with a delicate starter of assorted sashimi and sushi, paired with champagns by Champagne Jeeper, a maison with roots dating back to 1949.
The whimsical name Jeeper has its roots in a piece of history and American military influence. Following World War II, the founders of the maison acquired a surplus Willys Jeep, which became an indispensable workhorse around the vineyards in Faverolles-et-Coëmy. So integral was this vehicle to their daily operations and the early success of the estate that they decided to rename their champagne in its honour, ensuring the legacy of that hardy little Jeep is celebrated with every bottle poured.
Distinctive for its winemaking approach that marries modern stainless-steel vats with an impressive 1,200 oak barrels, the third-largest such cellar in the region, Jeeper crafts a range of acclaimed cuvées.
We experienced this diversity firsthand.
The Blanc de Noirs offered notes of creamy brioche and ripe dark cherries with crips acidity; the Grand Rosé enticed with undertones of vanilla and nutmerg brightened by red fruit notes; and the Grande Réserve Blanc de Blancs Brut concluded with a citrus-forward, creamy-mineral finish.
Champagnes are usually served as a celebratory drink, less so for pairing with meals, but Jeeper hopes to change this perception by demonstrating its versatility.
Next, our main course was a Petite Tender F1 Wagyu, setting the stage for AdVini’s white wines from the Rhône Valley and Maison Champy’s red wines from Burgundy.
The L’Oratoire des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc surprised the table with its crisp pear and floral notes, holding its own against the rich, umami-packed beef.
Its more intense sibling, the Clos L’Oratoire des Papes Les Chorégies Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, features a more intense yellow hue and a pronounced, mineral-driven saline freshness.
Moving on to the red wines from Maison Champy, the region’s oldest wine company, founded in 1720, the Maison Champy Pernand Vergelesses Clos De Bully Rouge (2023), is a supple Pinot Noir with notes of red berries and spice.
Next, the Maison Champy Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Les Vergelesses Bio Rouge (2022), from certified organic vineyards, features a structured complexity and an earthy finesse.
We rounded up the meal with a Fuji Apple Crumble served with Madagascar Vanilla ice cream.
At the end of the day, the true beauty of this immersive tasting was the realisation that these exceptional wines, ranging from the historic cuvées of Champagne Jeeper and the storied bottles of Maison Champy and Clos de l’Oratoire des Pape, are all readily accessible to Singaporean wine lovers, directly from Bottles & Bottles.
