“There’s no reason you can’t serve a Grand Cru de Bordeaux with a raclette”
Magali Delalex, who received the Michelin Sommelier Award 2024, is based at Les Barmes de l’Ours in Val d’Isère. In this luxurious hotel at the foot of the slopes, she has assembled a magnificent cellar in which Grands Crus de Bordeaux feature prominently. With the winter holidays almost upon us, strap on your skis for our interview.
Hello Magali, what do the Grands Crus de Bordeaux mean to you?
I’ve always loved Bordeaux, there’s something magical about opening a bottle from an old vintage. It’s the excitement of discovering a wine which has survived through the years...
Your wine list features a lot of bottles from Savoy, but you also have a wide selection of Grands Crus de Bordeaux?
Yes, and I try to cover all of the Bordeaux appellations. In terms of Grands Crus, for example, we have Châteaux such as Gruaud Larose, Talbot, Pichon Baron and Cheval Blanc. I also try to have a few “niche” wines from the new stars of Bordeaux. Rose Bellevue from Blaye, for example, or the Malbec from Maison Chibaou. The idea is to shake things up a bit, because Bordeaux isn’t set in stone: there are some very interesting up-and-coming estates, along with the magnificent classic châteaux.
What type of food and wine pairings do you offer at La Table de l’Ours (the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant)?
My philosophy is that, since our cuisine is rooted in the terroir and celebrates local producers, we can easily find matches for 12 different dishes using wines from Savoy, exploring the diversity of the region’s native grape varieties. Having said that, there are some lovely food and wine pairings to be made with Grands Crus de Bordeaux. Our chef, Antoine Gras, cooks a lot of hare and venison. They pair really well with older vintages from appellations such as Margaux or Pomerol. He also uses a lot of Fin Gras du Mézenc, a very special breed of beef from cattle fed on natural hay. With that fine beef, I’d recommend a Pessac-Léognan red for its lightness of touch.
With the great classics of Savoyard cuisine, like tartiflette or raclette, people might not immediately think of Bordeaux wines. But can they go together?
On a purely personal level, more and more I find that I enjoy raclette with red wine. I think that raclette works really nicely with a Graves or a Haut-Médoc, something with punchy fruit and a bit of depth. So no, it’s not sacrilege if you want to treat yourself and combine a raclette with a Grand Cru. I say go for it! (laughs)
Can you tell us about a recent tasting which stands out in your memory?
Not so long ago there was a Château d’Yquem tasting here in Val d’Isère. My assistant and I were like kids in a sweet shop, especially when I had the opportunity to taste the wine from my birth year! That 1984 was absolutely magical with a chicken fricassee, mushrooms and potatoes. It was also a really good match for a mature Beaufort cheese. That was a wonderful experience.
