Legende Wines Tasting at Boulud Sud Miami
When you get an invitation to go eat at a Michelin Star Chef’s restaurant… you go. I jumped at the opportunity to join the Legende Wines event at Boulud Sud Miami. Not only would I be eating top rated cuisine, I would also be tasting several of the Legende wines! It was like a dream come true. Upon joining the event, I was graciously greeted with a glass of Legende Bordeaux Blanc 2017. So far, cant complain!
After mingling with the other guests, it was time to get down to business… eating. The first course was an escargot tarte. Such an elegant presentation. Simple but delightful. The tarte was small but packed with flavor. The roasted mushroom filling was creamy and the crust was flaky and buttery. A perfect contrast between sweet and savory. This course was paired with the Legende Bourdeaux Rouge 2016. The Legende Wines event was off to a great start.
Second course was the roulade de lapin en croute. This was a rabbit, apricot, and pistachio mixture rolled into a flaky, dough crust. The presentation was very inviting. Now, I am not a huge fan of rabbit so I did not enjoy this course so much. However, the Legende Medoc 2015 wine that was paired with… it was outstanding! My second favorite wine of the night for sure.
The third course was the Mediterranean sea bass. The sea bass was topped onto a bed of pomme puree, with a side of melted leek. Everything was topped with a meurette sauce and flaky potato chip. The sea bass was fresh and full of flavor. The presentation itself was amazing. All the pieces of the course combines to create an explosion in your mouth. The sea bass had the white, flaky, fresh fall-apart feel everyone dreams of when eating fish. This course was paired with the Legende Saint-Emillion 2014. This wine was my favorite of the night. Such a great flavor, silky, smooth, and fruity all in one sip. And affordable I must add. Just around $35 for a bottle! At this point the Legende Wines event could not have been more perfect.
If you thought we had enough to eat and drink by this point you were wrong. Off to the fourth course. This was my favorite dish of the night, and I think it was safe to say that it was the favorite of most of the guests there. The fourth course was the braised shortribs. I mean… c’mon… who doesn’t love shortribs. This baby came with creamy polenta, carrots, and broccolini. The shortrib was so juicy and full of flavor. I wish they would’ve served more! It seemed like the dish was gone in two bites. But it was worth it, nonetheless. The shortribs had a nice charred crust on the outside, which contrasted with the tender meat on the inside. You could just see the juices overflowing onto the polenta. The meat literally fell apart. This dish was paired with the Legende Pauillac 2014. The Legende Wines event paired every dish perfectly with their wines. Not one bad combination in my opinion.
Somewhere in between we had a nice surprise. The Legende Wines crew blessed us with an extra tasting of their Legende Pauillac with Carruades de Lafite 2009, a bottle worth $300! Such an honor! Loved every sip of that glass.
Last but not least, dessert. There is always room for dessert and after trying this one I would’ve made room even if I was stuffed. The fifth and last course was a Provencale lemon tarte. This tarte… I CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW AMAZING IT WAS! It came with a lemon gelee, butter sable, and strawberry sorbet. Individually, the different parts of the dessert were delicious, but when combined it was just unbelievable. I can’t say I’ve had something this fresh and decadent in a while! The lemony-goodness of the tarte was perfect against the fresh strawberry flavors. Aside from the flavor, the presentation was also perfect. I almost felt bad cutting into it! But you know… sacrifices. Not one piece was left afterwards. This dish was paired with the Champagne Barons de Rothschild, Blanc de Blancs. Great combination and a great ending to the night.
The best thing about this event, besides having had the pleasure of eating some amazing dishes, is knowing that I can very easily purchase the Legende Wines locally. Of course, Boulud Sud Miami offers the Legende Wines at their restaurant, but they can also be found at Milam’s. Very affordable wines with an expensive feel to them. I now I will be going to purchase that Saint-Emillion soon! More South Miami restaurants will soon add the wine to their list as well.