#5 Meeting : Anthony Girbes

It’s the early afternoon of a September day, slightly numb from the Indian summer heat. At 135 rue Saint-Dominique, Le Violon d’Ingres, after the midday rush, also plunges into a gentle torpor. The starred restaurant run by Christian Constant, former chef of the Crillon, now at the head of six restaurants, four of which are in Paris and two in the south-west, is seeing its last customers leave the table. This is a good time to chat with one of the members of the Violon d’Ingres sommelier team and talk about what, the man is honest, is not his speciality but the object of a growing personal interest: whisky.

On the agenda of the meeting between Anthony Girbes and Benjamin Kuentz, the latest creation of the young French house, Aux Particules Vines. And an exchange placed under the sign of a common culture, between love of the beautiful letters and the beautiful products. At the Violon d’Ingres, whisky is still served as part of a classic drink, rarely integrated into the meal, unlike wine, » confesses Anthony. To accompany a Grenoble-style roast skate or a traditional French veal entrecôte with verjuice, the man is more used to recommending wines from the South West, as the chef’s origins and the restaurant’s menu oblige, because that also changes; Or natural wines (organic or produced biodynamically) because the clients of Le Violon d’Ingres are curious and willing to discover.

This brings us back to the House of Benjamin Kuentz, which is also keen to break new ground in whisky. What could be more astute than a whisky that has aged in a cask that once housed a great Burgundy wine, to plough a new furrow in one of Bacchus’ favourite lands? Anthony, who has already referenced (D’) Un Verre Printanier, « perfect as an aperitif » and Fin de Partie, whose name he adores as much as the work of Samuel Beckett that it evokes, lends an ear. According to him, serving whiskies that have a story to tell is essential in an advisory capacity but also in the appreciation of the taste of a juice: a story of the palate, the ear and words. Those of the House of Benjamin Kuentz are perfect for those who do not like peat, he points out. And they have naturally found their place on a menu that now includes a dozen references from Scotland, Ireland, Japan and France. The restaurant’s French customers, a little chauvinistic, Anthony admits, like the idea of a whisky defending the colours of a national heritage in the same way as Christian Constant’s cuisine. Benjamin tells in detail the idea and the history of Aux Particules Vines before inviting the young sommelier to a tasting. Seduced by the name and the production method « that speak to him », Anthony notes the beautiful balance of this whisky rich in flavours, between woody and buttery notes, « fat but not too much ». Perfect with a pâté en croûte or a farm pigeon, enthuses the former chemistry student who came to wines and spirits a little by chance, without any pre-established formulas or dogmatic method. « Wine and whisky are all about emotions, sharing and stories. That of a Spring glass is a daring bet, as the juice is so atypical in the universe. According to him, Fin de Partie should not be offered at the end of the meal, but rather as a break, after the cheese, before returning to sweet tastes. The man comes out of his reserve when he mentions the Guip, which obviously wins all the votes: « I love iodized whiskies »!