By associating its cuisine with an exclusively organic, biodynamic or natural wine list, Rikard Hult attests to a gastronomic coherence: one that focuses on the work of natural products preserved in their full expression.
Between gastronomy and philosophy
Few of the chefs give wine the same attention as their cooking. At the heart of Gaillac vineyard, Rikard Hult is one of them. At the head of the restaurant The Epicurean in Albi for fourteen years, he shares with Guillaume Roubet his sommelier the same standards and the same philosophy. For a cuvée to appear on the wine list, it must meet a list of criteria: no chemical inputs, manual harvesting, vinification using indigenous yeasts, sulphites reduced to a minimum. Therefore, the cellar found at The Epicurean will not be like any other. Favoring local circuits, focusing its choices on creative and committed winegrowers, gastronomy in these places also stands out as a philosophy of sustainable development and humanist sharing.
Food and wine in expressive pairings
What comes down to the choice of wines stems primarily from culinary determination. AT The Epicurean it is about a very precise style which is the fruit of a collective work perfectly orchestrated by Rikard Hult. If the gastronomic signature draws on the immense heritage of traditions, it also finds a particular perspective in the Swedish origin of the chef. Precision, spontaneity, mastery and concomitance of all flavors are essential. Here, any dish composition also plays on the combination of textures that the contrast of temperatures can serve. The warmth of a chocolate fondant associated with an ice cream, the freshness of a crème brûlée extracted under the crisp heat of a caramel, give Rikard Hult the most brilliant popular illustrations. Consequently, the food and wine blend calls for the same taste and expressive exactitude in all its nuances.
Natural wines and respect for flavors
In a cuisine that aims to be the expression of the right flavor, the intact aroma, the exact texture, the temperature controlled, the rule is also transmitted to the wines. From organic, biodynamic or natural vinifications, the wines selected by Rikard Hult and Guillaume Roubet perfectly match the gastronomic commitment of the Epicurean. The spirit is first and foremost democratic and partisan. It supports and favors creative winegrowers who take care of the expression of their terroir, their vines and their climate without ever lying. Truth in wine, personality in winemaking, are the perfect allies of a cuisine that first seeks the full and complete expression of nature. And the marriage turns out to be as consistent as it is delicious, just as demanding as it is successful. If Rikard Hult likes to say that "the winegrowers are always ahead", then the alliance they find with the Epicurean also testifies to a form of gastronomy which models with them a new relationship to the world where the germinates. future and innovation.
http://www.restaurantlepicurien.com/
Restaurant l'Epicurien
Locate on the map
42 Place Jean Jaures
81000 Albi
+05 (63)53 10 70 XNUMX XNUMX