Saturday, July 27, 2024

Dinner at Restaurant L’Essentiel, Michelin-listed and Nestled at the Foot of Saumur’s Fairy-tale Castle - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours








 
 
2024 Loire by ombiasy Wine Tours, led by Annette Schiller, took place from Sunday, June 9 to Thursday June 20, 2024. The tour started in Nantes and ended in Sancerre.

We stayed two nights in Saumur at Hôtel Mercure Bord de Loire, a modern 4-star hotel located on an island in the Loire River with a gorgeous view towards the panorama of Saumur and the Château de Saumur.

Saumur is an incredibly beautiful town at the confluence of the Loire and Thouet rivers worth exploring. The pretty Château dates from the 14 th century, but Saumur is most known for its excellent cavalry school with its Cadre Noir, a counterpart of the Spanish riding school in the Hofburg in Vienna, its Crémant de Loire wines, and mushroom cultivation.

On the first evening, after a full day of winery visits: 

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domäne Vincendeau in Rochefort-sur-Loire, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Liv Vincendeau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with a Light Lunch at Domaine de la Soucherie in Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Anjou - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

we went for dinner to Restaurant L’Essentiel. It is a Michelin-listed restaurant, located on the foot of Saumur's fairy-tale castle.

We had a wonderful walk from our hotel to the restaurant, dinner and walk back at night from the restaurant to our hotel, with spectacular views. 

The restaurant is owned by Chef Anthony Vaillant, who was between 2007 and 2011 the executive chef at the restaurant of the

Gault&Millau's review (12/20)
 
A setting full of character under the château, to showcase the meticulous and interesting work of chef Anthony Vaillant. In this well-appointed setting, the menu is always tempting, with progressive menus depending on the number of dishes. For €38, the sequence is pleasant, with scallops in carpaccio with kalamansi jelly and leek maki, veal with Colonnata bacon and sweet potato espuma, and a pear dessert with a successful vanilla mousse caramel beurre salé cookie. Classic cellar with regional selection.
 
Guide MICHELIN

Nestled at the foot of the castle, this beautiful tuffeau-stone house sports charming dining rooms (parquet floors, exposed rafters and bare stone walls) and peaceful little patios. Chef Anthony Vaillant crafts food in the zeitgeist, jazzed up by a scattering of deft creative touches: start with a medley of asparagus and green peas, enhanced by a citrus fruit flavoured dressing followed by fabulously fresh cod flanked by a curry sauce and velvety mashed potato. Extremely attentive service. Regional tipples take pride of place on the wine list. An enjoyable culinary experience!

Walking from the Hotel to the Restaurant 






Dinner

















Walking back from the Restaurant to the Hotel








Centuries Ago

 
Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours: Already Released and Forthcoming Postings
 
Announcement: Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours (Sunday, June 09 - Thursday June 20, 2024)
 
Stopover in Frankfurt: 3 Nights at Zur Mainlust Desche Otto in Frankfurt/ Schwanheim - From Washington DC (USA) to Nantes (France) for 2024 Loire by ombiasy WineTours, led by Annette Schiller
 
Pitstop at Le Petit Sommelier, Standard (10.5/ 20 Gault&Millau) Food and Worldclass Wine List, Just Opposite of Gare Monteparnasse in Paris - From Washington DC (USA) to Nantes (France) for 2024 Loire by ombiasy WineTours, led by Annette Schiller    

Dinner at L'Océanide (Bib Gourmand Michelin) in Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at L'Instinct Gourmand in Nantes, with Owner/ Chef Sylvain le Bras - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Tour of Old Town Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Iconic Brasserie La Cigale in Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour, Tasting and Light Lunch at Vignobles Günther Chéreau, Château du Coing, in Saint Fiacre-sur-Maine, with Owner Véronique Günther-Chéreau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Two Domaines under one Roof: Visit at Domaine Gadais Père et Fils and Domaine de la Combe/ Pierre-Henri Gadais in Saint Fiacre-sur-Maine, Muscadet Sévre et Maine, Pays Nantais, with Owner/ Winemaker Christoph Gadais - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Les Petits Près of Chef Samuel Albert (Top Chef France 2019) in Angers - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Château d’Épiré, AOP Savennières, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Paul Bizard - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour, Barrel Tasting and Salon Tasting at Château des Vaults, Domaine du Closel in Savennière, Anjou, with Owner/ winemaker Evelyne de Pontbriand - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

 
Guided Visit of Château Angers and the Apocalypse Tapestry (UNESCO) - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
 

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domäne Vincendeau in Rochefort-sur-Loire, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Liv Vincendeau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with a Light Lunch at Domaine de la Soucherie in Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Anjou - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant L’Essentiel in Saumur - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Visit of L’ Abbey Royale de Fontevraud in Fontevraud - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at L’Orangerie Saumur in the Courtyard of the Château de Saumur - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting, Cellar Tour and Vineyard Tour at Domaine des Roches Neuves in Varrains, Anjou, with Next Generation Owner/ Winemaker Louis Germain and Agathe Germain - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour and Tasting at Maison Bouvet-Ladubay in Saumur, with Owner Juliette Monmousseau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Cave M. Plouzeau in Chinon, Touraine, with Owner/ Winemaker Marc Plouzeau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Domaine de la Haut Olive in Chinon, Touraine - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Le Bistrot du Marché in Chinon - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine François Gazin, Le Petit Chambord, in Cheverney, Touraine, with François Gazin - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Brut Maison de Cuisine in Blois, with Owner/ Chef Adrien Delafoy and Owner/ Chef Thomas Gaudard - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour by Car and Tasting at Domaine Brazilier in Thoré-la-Rochette, CôteauxVendômois, Touraine, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoît Braziliery - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Le Moulin du Loir in Vendôme - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Visit of Château Chambord - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Tour of Château Royal de Blois - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Sunday Lunch at Restaurant La Croix Blanche (Bib Gourmand Michelin), with Owner/ Chef Jean-François Beauduin - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Visit of Château du Clos Lucé and the Leonardo-da-Vinci Park in Amboise - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner, Overnight-stay and Breakfast at Château de Pray in Amboise - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours.

Visit at Denis Meunier in Vernou-sur-Brenne, Touraine - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Visit at Domaine des Aubuisières, Bernard Fouquet, in Vouvray, Touraine - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Visit of Château Chenonceau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner and Overnight-stay at Auberge du Bon Laboureur in Chenonceau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pellé in Morogues, Menetou-Salon, with the Export Manager Pauline Guillot - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Restaurant Fluteau in Morogues - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Extensive Tasting at at Domaine Alphons Mellot in Sancerre, with Alphons Mellot - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de Vrillères, SCEA in Sury-en-Vaux, Sancerre, with Kevin Lauverjat - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Tinel-Blondelet in Pouilly-sur-Loire, with Marlène and Annick Tinel - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours 

Lunch at Restaurant/ Affineur Romain Dubois in Chavignol, with Gilles Dubois - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Henri Bourgeois in Chavignol - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Wine-pairing Dinner at Le Clos du Maréchal with the Wines of Vignobles Berthier, with the Owner/ Winemaker Clément Berthier and the Chef/ Owner Nathanael Fromant - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Last Meal of the Tour: At La Coupole in Paris - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

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