Our Wine Choice: Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2017

I had an amazing white Burgundy two weeks ago in Bangkok with my son, Jack. I hadn’t seen him for a while because he works in London now in finance. So it was a special dinner for both of us at Nusara, which finished at No. 3 on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants this year. Jack brought a bottle of 2017 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru from London in his bag to share with me.

We had a glass of Krug Champagne Grande Cuvée 171ème Édition to gear up for the white Burg while glimpsing at the gleaming Temple of the Reclining Buddha in the old part of town in the evening around 7 p.m. It was aromatic with bread dough and dried fruits as well as ginseng. On the palate, it was dense yet agile with structure and energy.

Honestly, I was a little concerned for the Chevalier-Montrachet. I’ve had a lot of problems lately with white Burgundies that were oxidized, so I have grown accustomed to being disappointed. But this bottle was everything but! What really blew me away was the density and texture of the wine. It had such presence in the mouth but at the same time it was not overwhelming, and the tannins in the white were there but perfectly folded into the wine.

Of course, it had all the bells and whistles you expect in a great grand cru white Burgundy, with cooked apple, lemon, crushed stone, seashell and mineral components as well as hints of oak from the barrel fermentation and maturation. It was one of those bottles you sip for as long as possible and then it is gone, like a rainbow dissipates in the sky.

How was the food?  Nusara is the brainchild of one of the most dynamic and famous chefs in Thailand, Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn and his wine-loving brother, Tam. Ton studied at the Culinary Institute of America and has worked at the revered Manhattan restaurants Eleven Madison Park, The Modern and Jean-Georges. He is also a certified somm.

Ton received his first Michelin star at Le Du in Bangkok in 2019 (Le Du finished No. 1 on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants this year)  and is working toward a star at Nusara. So the food was fabulous and very precise Thai cuisine, with the local ingredients emphasizing freshness and pinpointed spiciness from fiery to peppery sensations on the palate. The Chevalier Montrachet handled all of it beautifully! Thanks to my son for bringing it all the way from London.