François Audouze: 1 Seat for Lunch at Plénitude, ★★★ Michelin Restaurant by Arnaud Donckele at the - Hotel Cheval Blanc in Paris - Wines from the 1800s such as Lafite Rothschild, Yquem, Bassermann along with first vintage of Krug

François Audouze 316 Lunches at Plénitude

"The lunch will take place on October 23rd, 2026 at Plénitude, the three-star restaurant of Cheval Blanc Paris.
In my eyes, it represents one of the most ambitious themes I have ever created.
For many years, I have considered that two vintages stand above all others in the history of wine
since 1800: 1811 and 1865."

"The year 1811 is universally associated with the famous “Napoleon’s Comet”, which appeared in the
European sky from March 1811 onward. Winegrowers throughout Europe attributed the exceptional
quality of that year’s wines to the comet. The legend has endured to this day.
The Château Lafite 1811 that will be served at this lunch belongs to an extraordinary group of very
old wines of which I have had the privilege of tasting several bottles. Among them were a Château
Latour 1794 of astonishing grandeur and a Château Margaux 1825 of almost unreal youthfulness.
These experiences reinforced my conviction regarding the unique character of the 1811 vintage and
the importance of provenance. I have drunk a Chambertin 1811 which confirms how great is this
vintage.

The year 1865 possesses a comparable aura. Jean Hugel, the renowned Alsatian winemaker, once
told me that, for his family, 1865 represented the greatest vintage in their history. Quite
independently, the father of Jean-François Bourdy expressed exactly the same opinion regarding
Château Chalon in Jura. I have tasted two Chateau Chalon 1865 which confirm the testimony.
Even more striking, I had the opportunity in Beaune to taste a Montrachet Bouchard 1865 that
remains, to this day, the greatest Montrachet I have ever drunk, as well as an exceptional Beaune
Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus 1865.

These testimonies, combined with my own experiences, have led me to regard 1865 as one of the
absolute summits in the history of wine.

The lunch of October 23 will bring together, around this idea, a collection of wines that would be
virtually impossible to assemble today, with three 1811 and five 1865 plus some extraordinary wines
like the 1820 Juglar found in the Baltic sea.

The Wines
Champagne Dom Ruinart 1990
Champagne Krug Clos du Mesnil 1979 First vintage
Dry Alicante Wine 1865
Château Lafite Rothschild white 1935
Juglar “Baltic Sea” Champagne circa 1820
Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Riesling 1811
Romanée Conti Domaine de la Romanée Conti 2011
Château Lafite 1811
Da Silva Port 1865
Château Chalon Périgny 1865
Château d’Yquem 1865
Fine Champagne Château de Lafot 1865
Cognac Roi de Rome 1811

The years: 1811 - 1820 – 1865 – 1865 – 1865 – 1865 – 1865 – 1935 – 1979 – 1990 -2011
The meal is accompanied by a magnum of Dom Pérignon 1988 Champagne, which will help the
palate transition smoothly from one wine to the next.
What distinguishes this lunch from a great old-wine meal is that it can never be recreated.

With sufficient time and resources, it would always be possible to reconstruct dinners comparable to
the greatest I have ever made. By contrast, bringing together once again such a coherent collection of wines from 1811 and 1865 is practically impossible.For this reason, I consider this lunch to be a truly unique event" - François Audouze