I can’t be really sure, but I have a hutch it is a mix of everything. Architecture, heritage sites, food, and probably people as well. Paris is an old metropolitan city and there is no surprise you will find many interesting sights no matters the preferences. If you are an architecture sucker like me then you will be amazed 100%. On the other hand, if you are a nature lover, craving parks like Vivi, then you will be amazed again. Looks like this city can fulfill many different tastes..

History, Art and Culture

Sophisticated cities are well-known for these three subjects and Paris is no different. If you are in search of any of these you will be satisfied for sure. There are many galleries, museums, libraries, they even made art out of strip shows. Moulin Rouge cabaret is a freaking institution. Not only that, I think everyone should be in Paris for a month at least to check most of it. Our next visit will be long-term for sure!

Architecture

Ahh yes, architecture photography is a thing and here in Paris, one will be very busy with it. It doesn’t even matter, old or modern, you will find something for sure. I was impressed by the cathedrals and their lush look. Do you still remember the Notre Dame fire? Here is our article about it and how important are other things, rather than this.

However, Saint Michael astonished me much more. Can architecture photographers wish for anything more? PS: If you are into architecture photography, please check our posts.

Food

As you probably know our blog is mostly about hedonistic satisfaction, and food might be on the top of the list. French cuisine is one of the most famous and there is a reason for this. They started making something more out of the ingredients far back in time. French royalty was one of the most spoiled brats, and they requested only the best. We are still dreaming about our macaron hunt in Paris. After all, Michelin Stars are coming from France and some famous world restaurants are holding french cuisine even if they are in another food paradise. You can check our Le Normandie Review and see by yourself.

Is Paris Good for Photographers?

Yes, yes and yes. Your camera will burst there, no matter the preferences. Cityscape photography or street photography, it doesn’t matter. On every corner you will find your next subject. Our plan for next visit of Paris is to have even a new camera and new lenses. To step up our game for this stunning place.

What About the Night?

Another city of lights another good place for shooting night shots. Sometimes I get carried away and makes some abstracts.

Is It All Gold and Honey?

Naaah, of course not, Every big city has its own big problems. In Paris is probably the biggest minus – Immigrants. Sometimes you will have the feeling you are on the street of Senegal and running black “merchants” in front of cops is a no rare phenomenon here.

But there are too many good sides of Paris, so you will easily forget on bad. If you have a chance, visit it. After Corona time maybe. 2024 will be a good year!

The post Paris Je T’aime appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

The House of Rémy Martin

The story of the House of Remy Martin started three centuries ago and is part of five generations. Since 1724, the House of Remy Martin is on their quest to produce the best what region of Petite and Grande Champagne can offer. Now two families with equal share run the business – Rémy Martin and the Heriard Dubreuil families.

Rémy Martin’s family understands the importance of time, and how can spirit develop over the years. So called the eaux-de-vie requires a great number of years to fully express its true character. Time is a master that Rémy Martin respects deeply, and counts on when it comes to the future. That might also be the reason they have one of the greatest cognac eaux-de-vie reserves in the world.

Part of the House of Rémy Martin is also an ongoing tradition to distill all its cognacs on the lees in small copper stills. This traditional process creates a perfectly balanced cognac with a subtle blend of fruity, floral, oaky, and spicy aromas. “On the lees” means it has a leftover yeast particle from autolysis which is the self-destruction of yeast cells by enzymes created from fermentation. Indeed, this tradition certainly is one of the reasons for Rémy Martin harmonious taste. But is this Cognac harmonious as well?

Packaging

Rémy Martin Extra Fine Champagne Cognac is made of 90% Grande Champagne and 10% Petite Champagne wine. It contains eaux-de-vie aged between 20 and 50 years. Rémy Martin Extra Fine Champagne Cognac comes in a cardboard box with Rémy Martin Centaur logo, which is Rémy Martin’s recognizable symbol since 1870. The interior of the box has a clean design with a beige color. It is a nice background for a flatly curved decanter, which comes in two different sizes – 35 cl and 70 cl.

Rémy Martin Extra Fine Champagne Cognac Tasting Notes

The dark amber color of Rémy Martin Extra Fine Champagne Cognac immediately stands out. On the nose, I got a bunch of dried fruits with woody hints, and after that a nice subtle cigar tobacco. Entry is an elegant and complex but still well-rounded pallet; warming middle with direct dried fruits and oak that lasts for a long time. Aftertaste of Rémy Martin Extra Fine Champagne Cognac is long more than 20 minutes and keeps the harmonious fruitiness in your mouth. Amazing!

Rémy Martin Extra Fine Champagne Cognac Review Card

• 8.8/10
  PACKAGING – BOTTLE – 8.8/10
• 9.1/10
  ON THE NOSE – 9.1/10
• 9.4/10
  ON THE PALATE– 9.4/10
• 9.5/10
  FINISH – 9.5/10
• 8.2/10
  VALUE – 8.2/10

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When Should I Drink This Cognac

This Cognac certainly is one step further from XO and it should be served with serious respect. Sure you can have it just with your favorite cigar, but my thing is more gastronomical. I would enjoy it with a cocked pear in red wine, accompanied with pan-seared foie gras and crispy jamón ibérico on the top. On the side, some sweet smooth port wine espuma and that’s it.

Price of Rémy Martin Extra Fine Champagne Cognac

Rémy Martin Extra Fine Champagne Cognac can be bought on auctions and also on some spirit seller’s webshops. The price varies with demand, but expect the price to be ranging from 330 USD to 500 USD for 700 ml decanter. Todays’ price is quite high, so the value is not the best. After all, the XO is much cheaper with just a little bit fewer fireworks.

The post Rémy Martin Extra Fine Champagne Cognac appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Macaron

Vivi in Paris

“Their chic appearance is perfect even though, at first sight, it might seem almost too simple”

My favorite is the one which has a slightly sour filling. The dulcet confection is so light that I like to counterbalance it with fruits. Actually, the raspberry ones are usually my first choice. The raspberry also won when we were in Paris, although the choice was so great that I had a really difficult time to remember all the flavors. To make things even more challenging, one was better looking than the other. They were so nicely presented that I didn’t want to take any, as it would undermine the perfection. But they somehow manage to keep the place full and neatly folded at all times. It’s magical how they do it! The flawless macarons got even more glamorous and elegant when I was looking at them in the streets of Paris. Of course, we had to look around first, and then we stopped at the place, which was the most attractive to us. The Macarons, we tried there were one of the best ever. Well, we did have some very close ones after. But the winners are for sure, those ones from Paris.

One would think that making them is easy as you can buy the macaron molds and simply fill them up. But this is far from the truth. Multiple times, I was planning to make one by myself. At first, the recipes piled up and the collection of books broadened. Then I sat in front of the computer and browsed the forums and the YouTube as well. Then I realized that there are various options to ruin the sweet circle. So, each attempt ended even before I got to the kitchen. To soon the enthusiasm for the baking went down the drain and I’m still holding on to my plan that one day I’ll make them by myself. Then I’ll probably hide somewhere and eat them all in a judgment-free zone.

Gallery

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The post Are the best Macarons really from France ? appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Every age brings some of that velvety texture and reveals fragrant character on a whole new level. Well, Hennessy Paradis is one of the really matured spirits. Its oldest eaux-de-vie comes from 1870, and in this blend, you can find approximately one hundred exceptional Eaux-de-vie.

Tasting Notes

The aroma reveals a complex and rich structure separated into more layers. At first, you smell a spicy palate of pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon. Right after that, you’ll find some berry fruit, maybe even dried or crystallized berries. When these fragrances are exposed, you can find some really complex aromas. Some dried roses and honey with truffles. The taste comes very slowly, and, at first, it reveals spicy and fruity notes with a nice bouquet of aromas. The aftertaste is very silky and reminds you again of that spicy character with dried roses.  I wouldn’t mind just a bit longer, though.

Hennessy Paradis Review Card

• 9.5/10
  PACKAGING – BOTTLE – 9.5/10
• 9.2/10
  ON THE NOSE – 9.2/10
• 8.8/10
  ON THE PALATE– 8.8/10
• 8.3/10
  FINISH – 8.3/10
• 8/10
  VALUE – 8/10

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How to Enjoy Hennessy Paradis Rare Cognac?

With a cognac like this, I like really good chocolate or some matured cheeses. However, my favorite bite with this one is a recipe from Gordon Ramsay. It is bread and butter pudding, with a little twist. I add some blue cheese and instead of apricots, I add berries. Should you buy Hennessy Paradis Rare Cognac? Well, if you’re looking for some investment, for sure. Hennessy Paradis Rare Cognac is getting more and more expensive because some of the oldest “Eaux-de-vie” are very rare. But don’t be too enthusiastic, because after all, it is not that rare. You can find it in a bigger grocery store, so…

If you have some extra money and you’re looking for a good comfort spirit, yeah, sure, go and give yourself a treat. Pamper yourself for your special day and drink it whenever you appreciate this beautiful life. However, to be honest, you can find another pleasant style cognac for less money with the same rollercoaster of flavors and aromas.

The post Hennessy Paradis Review: Cognac For Those Days appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.

Tesseron Distillery Overview

I heard about them before, but I didn’t pay much attention to them until now. I found out that they have one of the biggest and oldest collections of “Eaux-de-vie”. The Tesseron family is growing all three traditional Cognac grape varieties Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard, which is rare because Folle Blanche and Colombard have almost disappeared in the region as they are difficult to grow but very important for a good blend. Their vineyards are in the Cognac region of Grand Champagne. There are the best grapes for this liquid gold. Till 2001 they were selling their old “Eaux-de-vie” to other big cognac families.

XO and Beyond

That is when they decided to proudly represent their house and sell their own labels. So, they are pretty much new in this business, however, with a long tradition and one of the largest collections of aged cognac reserves in the world. I think this brand has a bright and successful future, and they are maybe undervalued right now. One of the big pros is also that they are selling only high-end XO and beyond cognacs. Not to mention that they have some of more than 175 years old spirits.

Tesseron Royal Blend Rare Cognac

My choice was Tesseron Royal Blend Rare Cognac. There are only 1000 bottles of this extraordinary blend on the market and I am the lucky one, who can enjoy it. The price is around 800€ and I must say it’s fair. It’s bottled in hand-blown glass “Bonbonnes”, specially commissioned from a French master glassblower and it’s an art by itself. Royal Blend spends the early months in new Limousin oak casks and later completes its aging for two generations in “Tierçons”, the oldest and the most precious barrels. It comes from a selection of some fifty Grande Champagne Cognacs with components between 50 and 100 years of age.

Tesseron Royal Blend Rare Cognac Tasting Notes

Tesseron Royal Blend Rare Cognac is multi-layered, nicely rounded with full of floral aromas, and immediately after it nice fruity experience. There are some apricots with almonds or perhaps dry walnuts, which determines some great age. Of course, you will find some wood, tobacco or more like cigar box well rounded with a long aftertaste where some flowers kick again. Well, it’s more like summer or spring Cognac, but from all perspectives, it’s a sumptuous-luxurious Brandy and I think mine won’t see summer anyway. The finish is decently long with some dried apricots and more oak.

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Tesseron Royal Blend Review Card

• 9.1/10
  PACKAGING – BOTTLE – 9.1/10
• 9.3/10
  ON THE NOSE – 9.3/10
• 9.1/10
  ON THE PALATE– 9.1/10
• 9.1/10
  FINISH – 9.1/10
• 9.1/10
  VALUE – 9.1/10

Conclusion

Oh, did I mention Tesseron Royal Blend Rare Cognac was originally commissioned for the royal family (whose identity remains secret)? What do I have in common with Queen Elizabeth II? Most likely we drink the same cognac. Cheers, Your Highness! Joke aside, as you can see, Tesseron Royal Blend Review is great. if you have a chance to taste it, I strongly recommend.

The post Cognac Tesseron Royal Blend Review appeared first on Wild 'n' Free Diary.