The Chocolate Block

My love of all things chocolate has pushed me to various excesses of consideration and hate in the past.

I’ve worked my way through all the excellent chocolatiers of Paris, and the majority of them never fail to surprise me: From the crazy creativity of Patrick Roger to the excellence of Jean-Paul Hévin to the precision of Pierre Marcolini to the modernity of Jacques Génin, my world revolves around these four key players.

I usually take a very individualistic approach to my love of chocolate, but two weeks ago, my wife, and some wine, showed me a new moment of sharing and pleasure around this venerable product. What better way to spend an intimate moment with a loved one than by sharing delightful wine and delicious chocolate? What bliss to combine the three loves of my life...a true moment of LOVE: The Chocolate Block.

This fantastic wine comes from the great South African winemaker Boekenhoutskloof and is an unexpected blend of 55% Syrah, 17% Grenache noir, 15% Cinsault, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Viognier. The colour is garnet red, and the nose announces spicy and dark aromas with hints of clove and ripe red-fruit flavours. On the palate, the wine is rich, stylish and balanced with smooth tannins. But perhaps most important, this rich wine creates the perfect base for a true moment of chocolate – a true moment of passion.

Let me offer you four opuses in which my delight and love converged.

Opus I: The first glass expressed a floral intensity with a deep base. Accompanied by Jacques Génin’s Tahitian-vanilla black treasure, it became long, almost eternal...what a moment.

Opus II: The wine took the lead, and we had to battle with this pure nectar. We decided to go for a second glass and balance it with a radical lemon-tea chocolate from Pierre Marcolini. The length of the bergamot mixed with the intensity of the fresh lemon and lime zests awakened our souls and spirits...but what to do?

Opus III: Only one solution was offered to us…continue…continue…and continue! We then agreed to go for the simplicity of a black diamond from Jean-Paul Hévin – a pure miracle that seemed to reflect a moment where Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia charms were having an affair with Madagascar depth! Very unexpected.

Opus IV: Blue Eyes or “Prunelles de l’Amour;” blue is the colour of your eyes; blue is the most positive colour in the world; blue is one of the most iconic but also one of the most forbidden colours in gastronomy! The last drops of our elixir were accompanied by Patrick Roger’s “Cyclone”: caramel and plum in a blue chocolate sphere. It was magic...unbelievable!

We are in love with the Chocolate Block.
I’m in love with Léa.
I love you, my blue Mirabelle.