Which wine regions are represented on the Chez Clément list?

Question

Lorenzo Eeman · Accepted Answer

Chez Clément's wine list is anchored in the Bordeaux tradition (opened by Marcel and Andrée Clément in 1976) and reaches out to the great French regions, Burgundy, the Rhône, the Loire, Alsace, alongside selected European appellations. Fifty years of cellar continuity stand behind the list.

The wine cellar at Chez Clément was opened in 1976 by Marcel and Andrée Clément, the third generation of the family. That date is a structural marker in the brasserie's identity: it transformed Chez Clément from a pure brewer-limonadier brasserie into the wine-and-food house it remains today. The orientation chosen by Marcel was unmistakable: a strong Bordeaux accent, very much in tune with the classical French wine culture that dominated the Brussels-Brabant dining scene in the 1970s and 1980s. Fifty years on, that Bordeaux foundation still runs through the list.

The Bordeaux selection covers the right bank and the left bank with classical balance. On the right bank: Saint-Émilion (Merlot dominant, supple, food-friendly) and Pomerol (mostly Merlot, refined and elegant). On the left bank: the Médoc and its six communal appellations, Margaux (elegant, fragrant), Pauillac (structured, tannic, the most aristocratic Cabernet Sauvignon), Saint-Julien (balanced), Saint-Estèphe (austere and long-lived), Listrac-Médoc, Moulis-en-Médoc. Pessac-Léognan brings serious whites and rounded reds. Sauternes adds the sweet finish for fine cheeses and foie gras.

Beyond Bordeaux, the wine list reaches out to the other great French regions. Burgundy provides Chardonnay (Meursault, Chablis, Saint-Véran, Mâcon) and Pinot Noir (the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune appellations). The Rhône offers the northern Syrahs (Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas) and the southern Grenache-led blends (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes-du-Rhône). The Loire brings the Sauvignon Blancs (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé), the Cabernet Francs (Chinon, Bourgueil), the Muscadets and Chenins. Alsace provides Rieslings and Gewurztraminers. Selected European appellations (Italy, Spain) round out the list with strong food-friendly choices.

The pairing logic flows naturally from the brasserie's classical kitchen. Bordeaux Merlot for carbonnade or rabbit in kriek; Pauillac for autumn game; Burgundian Chardonnay for cabillaud florentine or sole; Loire Sauvignon for eels in green sauce or grey shrimp croquettes; Alsace Riesling for asparagus; Pessac-Léognan blanc for vol-au-vent. The exact vintages and domaines currently on Chez Clément's list are best confirmed with the sommelier or in the dining room, as the cellar evolves with each year's allocations.