Valrhona Chocolate

by Alice Medrich

Valrhona Chocolate

Tasting Notes by Alice Medrich

Valrhona Le Noir Gastronomie (61%)

Very dark, slightly reddish color.

Tart, fruity aroma with a rich undertone of chocolate.

The bar is good looking and well tempered with a good sharp snap when bitten or broken. It melts evenly and very smoothly on the palate, releasing flavor immediately.

I love the fruity flavors of this distinctive chocolate. Flavors of cherry, dried fruit, and wine enhance the rich base chocolate flavor. A hint of grass, a little citrus acidity and a touch of astringency at the end make for a long lasting finish. Cook with this chocolate by all means, but don't forget to nibble italone or with toasted almonds. I use this chocolate in the simplest elegant chocolate desserts in order to highlight the flavor characteristics of the chocolate itself.

Tasting Notes For Le Noir Amer (71%)

Dark reddish brown.

Aroma is earthy and rich. This chocolate has a good snap when bitten or broken and melts as smooth as silk on the palate.

This is the second 70 percent chocolate offered in the club. It is very bittersweet with a rich earthy, almost vegetal undertone balanced with winey notes, a little citrus, soft tannens and hint of tea and spice. I like the tart astringency, and flavor that lingers and stays on the palate. This is a more austere chocolate, much earthier,less feminine and floral than the Scharffen Berger, with more low notes to the flavor and a faint nuance of licorish at the very end.

Notes From The Chocolatier: Valrhona Chocolate

Valrhona Chocolate, imported from the Rhone Valley in France, is widely recognized as the finest chocolate maker in the world. Valrhona sets the standards in chocolate making supremacy for all other manufacturers. Valrhona chocolates are made from Grand Cru cocoa beans—from single-origin cocoa beans. That is, Valrhona selects cocoa beans from plantations that meet only the highest standards of quality. Valrhona employs a panel of twelve experts that meets each day to guarantee the consistency and excellence of the chocolates. Valrhona makes some of the world's most expensive—and deservedly so—chocolates.