Hostellerie de Levernois

Rue du Golf

F-21200 Levernois

Tél. +33 3 80 24 73 58

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | JANUARY 24, 2020

The Food:

Lobster Menu (Menu Hommard)

The Right Claw; Melon, Pickles, Jabugo Ham, ‘Fleur de Feu’ Tea Consommé (La Pince Droite; La Melonnière, Pickles, Lomo de Jabugo, un Consommé au Thé, ‘Fleur de Feu’)

The Left Claw and Knuckle in Cannelloni; Multicolored Tomatoes, Bouchot Mussels and Basil, Coral Jus with Ganshu Berries (La Pince Gauche et L’Entre Pince en Cannelloni; Tomates Multicolores, Moules de Bouchot et Basilic, Jus Coraille aux Baies de Ganshu)

The Tail with Red Pepper, Veal Croquette in Zucchini Flowers, Chanterelles and Summer Truffles, Marjoram Sauce with Fallot Mustard (La Queue au Poivre Rouge, Cromesquis de Veau en Fleur de Courgettes, Girolles et Truffes d’Eté, Jus de Carapace à la Marjolaine et Moutarde Fallot)

Selection of Cheeses, Fresh and Aged (Les Plateaux de Fromages Frais et Affinés)

Lemon Custard Cake (Gateâu au Citron)

The Wines:

The Hostellerie de Levenois is a striking Relais & Chateau property just outside Beaune. Although I have been to the Hostellerie’s Bistrot du Bord de l'Eau on numerous occasions, this was my first time eating at the Restaurant Gastronomique, the fine dining restaurant on the estate. Obviously, the restaurant is a bit more formal than the bistrot, but this is Burgundy in the summer after all. The restaurant offers a number of menus and a wine list with plenty of gems, both of which we pored over before sitting down for supper.

I was in town to celebrate a birthday (not mine) and attend the annual Musique & Vin classical musical festival co-chaired by Aubert de Villaine and Bernard Hervet, which features an array of world-class musicians and younger talents performing in some of the most stunning settings in Burgundy, culminating with the grand finale in the courtyard of the Clos Vougeot. I was thrilled for Vinous to be an event sponsor, as supporting the arts has been a long-time passion.

Music has been a part of my life all the way back to childhood. My grandfather gave me a classical guitar when I was a kid. I wanted to play jazz and rock, but something obviously stuck. At Berklee, I studied composition and conducting, which took me back to classical music in a big way. Later I studied operatic singing with teachers from the New England Conservatory and Boston University’s Opera Institute. Through a long series of events which I won’t bore readers with here, I ended up working in Boston’s financial services industry. One of the first things I did when I had a good paycheck was set up a scholarship for young, aspiring singers at BU’s Opera Institute. It was so great to get back to supporting the arts with Musique & Vin.

The Right Claw; Melon, Pickles, Jabugo Ham, ‘Fleur de Feu’ Tea Consommé

Ordinarily, a lobster tasting menu is not something I would order in Beaune, but every dish looked absolutely delicious, and I couldn’t resist. I was not disappointed. Every course was simply divine. The combination of lobster with summery vegetables and richer accents such as ham and truffles worked beautifully throughout the menu. 

Our first course featured the right claw of the lobster, served in a tea consommé, with an assortment of melons, pickles and slices of Jabugo ham. The interplay of sweet and salty, of lighter and richer flavors, was so well done. If asked to make a list of my favorite wines, Raveneau Chablis would be very close to the top. Sadly, prices have ascended into the stratosphere and availability is tiny, so any time I see the wines on a list in France, where prices are likely to be reasonable, I jump. The 2016 Chablis Valmur is an attractive wine, but it is also a bit light in feel. On this brutally warm summer day, that is not a terrible thing, but I expected more depth and more Valmur texture.

The Left Claw and Knuckle in Cannelloni; Multicolored Tomatoes, Bouchot Mussels and Basil, Coral Jus with Ganshu Berries

The cannelloni stuffed with the left claw and knuckle meat was divine. Mussels and coral jus brought out a whole range of briny flavors. Lamy was a domaine I always looked forward to visiting back when I reviewed Burgundy. Olivier Lamy coaxes so much character out of his wines. The 2014 Saint-Aubin Derrière Chez Edouard Haute Densité is flat-out gorgeous. I am not a huge fan of decanting red wines, but increasingly I find it really helps whites to blossom. That is certainly the case here. The Derrière Chez Edouard Haute Densité, from a high-density plot right behind the winery, is a rich, intensely phenolic, structured white dominated by earthy, mineral notes more than the overt fruit that is often found in Saint-Aubins. I love its power and resonance, both of which make it ideal for this menu. What a wine!

The Tail with Red Pepper, Veal Croquette in Zucchini Flowers, Chanterelles and Summer Truffles, Marjoram Sauce with Fallot Mustard

Peppery lobster tail with chanterelles and summer truffles. What’s not to like? A rich, heady hedonistically pleasing dish, the main course on this menu was a perfect foil for red Burgundy. Dujac’s 2014 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes is simply wonderful. For some reason, I don’t buy the Combottes regularly. Tasting this bottle makes me wonder why. Lifted, perfumed and sensual, with striking layers of dimension, the Combottes does what only Pinot can do, and that is convey richness without weight. Captivating and so inviting, the 2014 is fabulous on this night.

We went relatively light with the cheese selection, but it wasn’t easy, as so many of the options were so tempting. A specially ordered lemon custard cake was a perfect, refreshing conclusion to dinner. I am not a big fan of lemon desserts, so I went back to the wines, but the cake was undeniably delicious. While everyone else enjoyed it, I had a last glass of the Dujac.

Eating in Beaune was once pretty tough. These days, visitors will find a lot more options than just a few years ago. The Hostellerie’s Restaurant Gastronomique is a terrific choice for readers who want a more relaxed experience. A spacious room, verdant views and tables set far apart add to a feeling of serenity that is pretty relaxing for this city boy.