Valrhona- Ampamakia, vintage 2008, 64% cocoa, single estate bar

I found this review from the Chocolate Trading Company:

'The 2008 vintage Ampamakia from Valrhona is again full of exotic fruit, tart flavours with that distinct sherbet edge. A fine blend of beans from the Millot plantation in Madagascar provide the plum, mango and citrus fruits. A very fruity and refreshing, single origin dark chocolate with an additional sharp edge on the finish.'

It sounded like a must-try bar of chocolate, and so I placed an order. To my surprise, this made its way to the top of my list, and is currently my new favourite bar.

The first thing that I noticed was the complex fragrance coming out from the bar, which was well complimented by the nice, dark, shiny appearance. The snap was neat, despite the relatively low cocoa content (64 %). I took the first bite, and it really was a drop of heaven! A smooth, and yet vibrant combination of the slight roasted liquorice-like bitterness, followed by the most pleasant lingering of passion fruit and citrus fruits! A little sweeter and more sour compared to most other dark bars, this is by far, the most complex bar I've ever had.

Savouring the bar is probably as close to wine tasting as possible, with the beans coming from a single estate, and the bar is indeed, a vintage bar. In addition, the fresh citrus note in this bar reminds me of the blend of floral/citrus flavours commonly seen in white wines. I don't usually pair chocolate with wine, but if I have to, I'd probably pair this with the 2004 Monterey Chardonnay, Hess Select, which as a tropical fruit nose of pineapple/guava/ripe fruit.

The only thing I don't like about this bar is that it is so pleasant to savour! I struggled to save the five bars I ordered for the tasting, and was sad when I 'had to' eat the last square!!