Every now and then I join a dinner party with my good buddy Patrick Chazallet. Memorable events in the past few years include dinner at la Maison de l'Aubrac in Paris, dinner in a pizzeria in Monaco, lunch in Falicon (in the Nice arrière-pays), dinner at Les Ambasadeurs (Hôtel de Crillon, Paris), and recently dinner at L'Atelier Berger in Paris.
Patrick is one the best knowledgeable persons I know in oenology (with Corinne Lefort, wine historian at RVF, oenologist with Joseph Drouin, etc., and Bernard Burtschy founder of iacchos.com and also from RVF). Not only does he have a FANTASTIC memory (he can recall each of the EIGHTEEN wines we had at our last dinner but also what we ate with them, and what his impressions were. Patrick rarely takes notes... Very impressive. I remember the sommelier at le Crillon Hotel a couple of years ago, trying to challenge him with very obscure wines from his cellar, and Patrick would recognize them...
He also has a fantastic talent for writing up his culinary tales. For a really small fee, you can read all about it on his blog at http://www.chazallet.com.
Finally, Patrick makes a living as a wine agent, being the very discreet supplier of the best tables of France (from the Crillon down to obscure places in France). He doesn't care about the glamour of the place, but about marrying the right wine with the right food.
My latest order from him include 2 case of Raymond Boulard's Petrae champaign (excellent).
Patrick is a co-founder of the French chapter of SlowFood France !