Cantina Giacomo Conterno “Paulée” with Roberto Conterno

Back in May I made the annual trip to see Roberto Conterno and taste the new releases at Cantina Giacomo Conterno along with a few other wines (I love my job) you can read about that trip HERE.

One of the things we discussed with Roberto and his, ever helpful, assistant Stephanie was getting them over to London, this we finalised while we were out there, setting dates for July. They had a very busy time while they were here and I have briefly put notes at the bottom of this post about the wines we showed at a press lunch and a private customer dinner.

One of the main things I wanted to do, with not a hint of self interest you understand (much!), was to get some customers together for a small (we were 12 people) Paulee at 67 Pall Mall. The team there, headed by Gareth, did a great job with endless Zalto Burgundy glasses and lots of pouring.

The team in the kitchen did exactly as asked and came up with a simple and non-clashing menu as below. In the nicest possible way I don't think we even noticed the food much!

Fillet of beef Carpaccio, rocket, capers and sourdough croutons

Somerset organic spelt and girolle risotto

Fillet of beef Wellington with beef dripping roasties

Girolles on toast

People were asked to bring along a magnum or two bottles of a wine of Roberto's. I did a little bit of "steering" on the selections and we came up with a cracking combo.

As the guests assembled we started with some Wiston Blanc de Blancs 2010 which is drinking very well right now, a nice combination of zip and a little toastiness showing, the sort of thing I will regret not tucking a few bottles aside of to see what it is like in 5 years or so.

Flight 1 - "Nobody puts Barbera in the corner"
Ok so that's a naff title for a flight but as Roberto never tires of saying "you are not opening a bottle of Barbera or Barolo of even Monfortino...you are opening a bottle of CONTERNO". The Barberas are given every bit of love and attention that the Barolos are and I would say (well I would wouldn't I) that the Conterno Barberas are the most consistently high quality you will find anywhere. I wanted to use this as a chance to show not only the two sites but two different stages of evolution:

Barbera Cascina Francia 2008 - this is a wine I know very well, moreish and becoming more savoury, good mellow grip and dark but not deep fruit. There is a lot of balance here, pretty seamless. Quite serious as Francia always is.

Barbera Cerretta 2012 - this is, like 2008 above, from a cooler, more classically Nebbiolo vintage. The vibrancy of the violets and dark cherry fruit is superb. If I was to drink any Conterno without food as an "aperitif" it would be Cerretta Barbera. Cool stoney minerality seems to get in there too.

Flight 2 - two by two...
So this is a cracking way to get to know two sites. I was keen to show these as they are two different vintages and then the two sites. The site differences showed very clearly. The vintages did too but a little less so. I think this is often the case with great producers.

Barolo Cerretta 2010 Magnum - this is the first Barolo from the site, 2008 and 2009 both being released as Langhe Nebbiolo (the 2008 is stunning right now!). This has a super-charged feel, rich and fruited and with a big structure, there is density and concentration here, lusciousness even sucrosity. This will be fascinating to follow.

Barolo Cascina Francia 2010 Magnum - my note for this features the word "serious" twice. There is a density but this is a linear wine, with drive and poise. I like this a great deal, it is just as I would want it to be, introvert, saline, tight and proper.

Barolo Cerretta 2011 Magnum - this really typifies Cerretta for me, it is friendly and approachable, begs to be drunk. Sweetness and succulence. There is a very Nebbiolo character but also a warm vintage intensity. If you own this it would be a great shame not to try it in youth.

Barolo Cascina Francia 2011 Magnum - my note just starts "Superb wine". Delicious fruit, good grip and drive that makes this less overt than the Cerretta. Reassuringly savoury and grippy but with fruit that roles over the tannin, great balance to the nose, red, black, soil and salinity. You can really sense the input of what would have been the Monfortino barrel.

It was every bit as good a flight as I hoped, as expected the 2011s are showing more now but the 2010s would appear to have it all.

Flight 2

Flight 3 - One site, four vintages... 

If I was asked to name my favourite vineyard, from a pure drinking perspective it may very well be Cascina Francia. Now planted to 9hectares of Nebbiolo (to give you a perspective Clos de Tart is a little over 7 hectares and La Tache is around 5hectares) and 5hectares of Barbera.

Barolo Cascina Francia 2008 Magnum - I am a massive fan of 2008. I really feel that those who may have bought Barolo in 2004 and 2010 (the most lauded vintages) but not 2006 and 2008 have made a mistake. 2008 is a vintage of sweetness and elegant feminity but with no lack of classicism, 2006 is the older brother to 2008, grip and texture, a wine of sternness and complexity. Roberto was very interesting on the 2008 as a growing season mainly because there was a seven-day spell towards the end of September when the temperature fell to zero...this was about a month ahead of the Nebbiolo harvest. Somehow this seems to have left wines with less obvious tannin but no lack of complexity. This wine is a lovely example of Cascina Francia, fruited but not overly so, red bramble like hints with brine and leather grip in there.

Barolo Cascina Francia 1994 - this was "gone", badly stored I am guessing, like bovril and PX sherry then tobacco leaf. It is a wine I have had before, a few years ago, it is ok but not much more. In Roberto's own words "from 1995 it is pretty difficult to find bad vintages".

Barolo Cascina Francia 1990 - A wine I know pretty well and last had with Roberto when I visited back in May. It is also a wine I have had a few other times over the last 5 years. Saline, soy, degraded darker fruit and some bacon fat are real signatures of this wine. We did while tasting this superb wine get onto talking about 1989 vs 1990 and I remarked that I'd never had the 1989. There was also no Monfortino in 1989 which would seem odd for a vintage that many label as a comfortable 5stars. The reason is that only 4000 bottles of Barolo was made from the Cascina Francia vineyard due to a hailstorm. It remains I wine I crave to try.

Monfortino 1955 - now this is an experience and one I have had a couple of times before. Notably here during a splendid lunch. This was good showing. From 20 years (ok 19) before the Cascina Francia site was bought. Frazzles, bricky, briney nose with richness. There were a couple of funny conversations over this wine but the over-riding memory was that Roberto simply commented how totally ludicrous his predecessors would have found the idea of people in London enjoying this wine nearly 61 years after it was made!

Flight 4 - Mighty Monfortino...for now and for later...
Monfortino is an iconic wine in the correct sense of the word i.e. because it has proved itself to be a beacon for Barolo and not because the estate or someone in marketing department calls it such a thing. Iconic status can be difficult as it comes with expectation. I genuinely believe that the Monfortinos of the last 15 years (01, 02, 04, 05, 06, 08, 10 & 13*) are amongst the greatest. * The 2013 will be just Monfortino (i.e. no Barolo Cascina Francia), a move not seen since 2002. Simply put, the quality is that good.

Monfortino 2004 - one of only about 5 or 6 wines I have given a perfect or near perfect 20 out of 20 to. That was when I tasted it at the estate back in May 2011. It is a wine I have had a few times since and it is profoundly good. Such drive and persistence, grace and at the same time fathomless structure. It has red fruit as well, no deep dark monster just a great wine. I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Monfortino 1999 - a slightly volatile example compared to the ones that the note below refers to. The was good, rich and full with a lot of salinity.

Monfortino 1997 Magnum - This is a cracking example of a mature Monfortino. It has soy and a little ginger as well as nicely degraded fruits. Of the Monfortinos from the last 30 years this is the one to drink right now. I think it will age well but why would you?

Monfortino 1995 - This is a leaner vintage for me, not quite the round degraded elements that you can find in the 1997. A little stricter. I have a feeling it will make a good older wine, I have nothing but gut feel to base that on. 

It was a wonderful evening - to get the chance to sit and discuss this many wines with Roberto and hear the passion was incredible. I'll leave you with one comment from Roberto, said in the most heartfelt way imaginable "We do not make wines for other people, it is only in making wines for us that satisfy us, that we can be satisfied, that is what drives us".

All that really remains is, as ever, to thank Roberto (and Stephanie) for the time, energy and wonderful wines...I am looking forward to my next trip to the Langhe already!

A great nights work!

----

Also in the same visit we hosted both a press lunch at the office and a dinner at Sartoria in Mayfair. On both occasions we showed the same four wines, my notes below:

Barbera Cerretta 2013, En Magnum - "Intensity" and "pleasure" are the watch words here. This is a great vintage for Barbera, expressive and rich but with the necessary acidity and focus. More extrovert than the 2012 mentioned above. To my taste this will be in the zone in 2-3 years. Very true to its site. 

Barolo Cascina Francia 2001 - Saline, salty, a zesty texture with bacon fat and soy, mellow fruits, some ginger appearing. This is just shifting from 3rd gear into 4th. Classical - 2001 being a serious vintage of intensity.

Monfortino 1999 - This is a very typical Monfortino for me, a vintage you "Chew", rich but vast, full and focused at the same time. Hard to write a note for actually. I have always liked this wine.

Barolo Cerretta 2011 - More clay here in this site and it shows there is a lusher texture. Notes from all three times (including the above) are very consistent. Vibrant energy.

Roulot...a good look...

From the moment this was inked in the diary, and thanks to MS for organising, I had been looking forward to it. The format was a tried and tested one...bring a bottle of a producers wine, Roulot in this case, and we can taste and discuss the wines before breaking for a glass of Champagne then drink the wines with dinner. A few of us had taken a red so that we could  move to those bottles once our "work was done".

The whole show was orchestrated in the upstairs of Medlar which as these posts show is a spot I am somewhat familiar with. I just wish it could be nearer work (Tower Bridge) or home (Muswell Hill) but it is worth travelling for.

Those assembled are an experienced and satisfactorily opinionated bunch from the trade. Many of them where at a few of the below tastings, done over the last few years:

Burgundy 2004 ten years on

White Burgundy 2010s

Two very different vintages

A fun crowd to be amongst, if demanding of wines. I am probably more easily pleased than a few but then that's just one of those things. We tasted the wines in six pairs. Squabbling as we went.

Roulot is not a producer I am overly well versed in. I know of it well, and of it's reputation, I have probably had six or seven of their wines but never done anything like this or visited. The Domaine is actually named Domaine Guy Roulot. Guy died in 1982 and Jean-Marc Roulot took over fully from 1989. This estate was, as far back as the 1970s, the main driving force behind bottling lieux-dits (non classified but specific plots) by themselves rather than everything that was not a 1er cru going into a generic Meursault Village as was the habit at the time. I have listed the Meursault holdings below. This seemed the most conclusive listing I could find, size, site, year of planting:

0.26ha  1er Cru Perrieres (1964)
0.16ha  1er Cru Boucheres (1980)
0.28ha  1er Cru Charmes (1942)
0.25ha  1er Cru Porusots (1959)
-
0.85ha  Tesson Clos Mon Plaisir (1961)
0.49ha  Tillets (1974)
0.26ha  Narvaux (1960)
1.03ha  Luchets (1948,'61,'74,'76)
0.95ha  Meix Chavaux (1929,'47,'57,'75,'83,'96))
0.67ha  Vireuls (1956)
-
Other holdings: Monthelie 1er Cru Champs Fuillots 0.19ha (1989), Bourgogne Aligote 0.77ha (1922,'96), Bourgogne Blanc 2.64h (1955,'88,'90,'92,'96,'99).

So on with the wines, which I have chosen to score out of 25, just to help set some sort of pecking order:

Meursault Meix Chavaux 2010 - Deliciously complete nose, very focussed and dynamic but with breadth too. Waxy, textured, white flowers, dashes of both spice and reduction but so complete, so moreish, slightly saline, very fine, long, excellent. 23+

Meursault Meix Chavaux 2011 - Very closed, almost muted nose then much broader and more extrovert on the plate, slightly apple fruit (not bruised apples!). The acidity and finish don't really match the nose. A couple of people wondered if this was a perfect bottle, certainly it wasn't corked. It struggled against the 2010 but I'd give it 18 on its own and on this showing.

Meursault Tillets 2009 - Salty, spicy, delicious, rich, quite decadent, generous green (ripe green) and white fruits...almost like a warm vintage but high class Chablis. Impressive. 20-21
  
Meursault Tesson Clos Mon Plaisir 2009, En Magnum - Lovely lovely wine, easy to enjoy, oily, waxy, long and persistent, a wine to make you smile, ripeness and just a hint of gold and sun. 21-22

Meursault Tesson Clos Mon Plaisir 2006 - Butter and lardons, a little lactic and creamy, nuts on the finish, very 2006, gourmande and generous. With the right food this could be a lot of fun, Drink soon though. 18

Meursault 1er Porusot 2009 - Clearly this domaine did very well in 2009. Citrus and zesty energy, lemon rather than lime. Still quite primary and I think there is more to come here. Be excited to own this. 20-21

Meursault Vireuls 2008 - This was very much an '08 to my mind, that dry honey character, old school style, lanolin and wax, cheesecloth, moreish though and my overriding impression was that I could have drunk a lot of it...always a good sign. 20

Meursault Tesson Clos Mon Plaisir 2008 - Toffee'd notes, rich, quite broad, slightly over-dry on the palate, good but more evolved. A little rancio character. Drink. 19-20

Meursault Vireuls 2007 - Zip, inviting and very '07 in character, nice focussed length, very pure, some citrus, a little muted. More to come. 20

Meursault Tillets 2007 - Apple acidity, lovely palate has an even more '07 crispness to this. An intense wine, may be tense is actually a better word for this. Serious, grown up. Long-lived for sure. 21

Meursault 1er Porusot 2011 - Good crisp drive to this, citrus and then some toastiness but all very restrained from its youth. Generous in flavour on the palate, a little green spice, lovely now but clearly quite some future to this. Very good. 22

Meursault Boucheres 2011 - Just a level behind the Poursots but that's no real criticism, moreishness to the fore, long...my adjectives were clearly used up by now but this was a good to very good wine. 20-21

There was one last Roulot and that started dinner after a glass of good Champagne, the name of which I stupidly did not take down, and that was Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru 2013, this was a pure, open Pinot with red fruit to the fore, pretty but not with great depth, simple would be too harsh.

Conclusions: The Roulot tasting was fascinating. There were only two wines that I felt disappointed a little and those were Meix Chavaux 2011 and Tesson Clos Mon Plaisir 2006 neither of which were bad and drunk in insolation with food would have been decent bottles but this was not that format. Two out of ten in white Burgundy at the current time, reasons for which I am not getting into now, is a good showing. The general consensus post-tasting was that there weren't quite the highs people had hoped for. I can see this argument and the wines are expensive (we're in the £100-200 a bottle range) but two or three things hit me. Firstly, these are drinkers wines rather than show off wines, very little reduction and new oak so youth is not necessarily going to show them at their very best where age will add layers to the undoubted purity and drive that exists as a real strength. With food I loved them a notch more. Secondly, the one 2010 - Meix Chavaux 2010 - we had was stunning. Thirdly, the 2009s way outperformed the general perception of the vintage. Both these points are interesting in my view. 2010 is seen as an exceptional vintage with only a few 2005s, some 2012s and then 2014 rivalling it in my view (comments please). The 2009 "victory" is something that more and more producers seem to have done, those that picked early and made sure the winemaking was understated have clearly excelled in a vintage many perceive as three or four star for the whites. Anyway, I now feel I know what to expect and that Roulot is very much worth ageing. The finest white Burgundy producer not to have Grand Cru? If you look back to the 2004 post mentioned at the start then you'll see the note below which I hope helps my point about maturity and time:

2004 Meursault Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir, G. Roulot

A little bit of brine on the nose, a tight and taut wine. I expected more of the 2004 whites to be like this. Very impressive. There was a grapefruit core with a long finish that had a very classical “proper” profile. Some people were less excited but I thought this had real class. 18.25 (out of 20 then)

Time now for the food and having gone off piste last time I was at Medlar I made sure to return to the straight and narrow and had the Crab Ravoli with several of the whites, it was absolutely perfect with the Meursault Tesson Clos Mon Plaisir 2009 which was convenient as that was the only magnum!.

The Medlar signature - Crab Ravoli

I then pretty much insisted on a blind red which was Contrada Porcaria 2012, Tenuta di Passopisciaro. 100% Nerello Mascalese from on Etna it seemed to go down pretty well. I almost hoped there would be more divided opinion but may be we were tired from squabbling over the whites. Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux 2006, Comte Armand followed which was sturdy, in a proper way, a little funk from youth, some spice, a wine to leave a few more years but a good one. Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots 2010, Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg is one of the very best NSGs I have ever had and certainly shows the vintage, simply delicious, if you don't like this sort of wine then red Burgundy is not for you. Purity combined with density, delicious. Echezeaux Grand Cru 2012, Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot was lovely too, sadly my note only extends about that far. More intense and tight now being a 2012, a vintage it'll be fascinating to follow, good good wine. Finally Flor de Pingus 2009, this might seem like an odd choice but it fitted in well at the end. I think the quality and structure of Flor means that other than at age 2-4 years it is best left for ten years, certainly the 2006 is a beauty now. The 2009 showed class in a slightly muted way.

A cracking evening all round, generous bottles and a lot of fun...what next for this group?

OS Wine Lunch and my first "Chez Bruce"...

This was actually the second gathering of Old Shirburnians who find themselves in the wine trade! The first being at the now no more, Zucca (wipes tear from eye). We managed to span all the years from 1977 to 1995 with the exception of the academic year '82-'83 but this is under control for the next "meeting".Those present are listed at the bottom of this post.

The venue was chosen and co-ordinated by, organiser-in-chief, Meels and was to be "Chez Bruce" which has long been on my "must visit" list! I was not disappointed one bit, delicious food, well balanced with an emphasis on what I am going to call gentle properness. My only gripe, entirely unjustified, is the location. I desperately need - in a "first world problem" sort of way - a restaurant like this or Kitchen W8, Medlar, La Trompette in North London.

Anyway, once "Larry" had made the long trek from practically next door to the restaurant and only been 25 minutes late we were off and running. No theme just bring a bottle or two...

We kicked off with Nyetimber Tillington Single Vineyard 2009 - first time I have had this and I have to say I was very impressed, good bit of toasty richness but nicely refined and very balanced. No more biscuity than a perfect bit of shortbread, very nice start (well for 8 of us...).

As we cracked on with the starters it was time for some Chardonnay with Californian leading the way before two Burgs. Hapgood Chardonnay 2012, Brewer-Clifton was lovely, rich and full but not smokey, more about the intensity of rich tropical yet mellow fruit. There is acidity there but behind the richness, waxy. Went very well with my Curried smoked haddock with spiced fish pastilla, crisp onions and coriander.

The Burgs were - Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts 2007 from E.Sauzet and 

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes 2009 from Domaine M.Niellon. Not that it's a competition but the Sauzet pipped it for me here, probably more down to the drive of the 2007 vintage than producer. The Sauzet was crisp with a little richness there but had good energy and is spot on, to my taste, right now. The Niellon, and I am getting to know this producer a little through recent experience, was good but needs drinking and had a slightly looser feel. I am being picky though, it was lovely.

Our "compulsory" middle course of Crab Ravoli worked well with the magnum of Cassis 2014, Clos St.Magdeleine. Clean fresh and wonderfully unpretentious this just flew down.

And so to the reds Spur Ranch Grenache 2014, La Marea kicked us off, another selection from our American evangelist, a very elegant Pinot-like feel to the texture and weight but contrasted by an almost northern Rhone pencil shavings and graphite scenario, nicely done. Corton Grand Cru Clos des Cortons 2008, Faiveley then followed, a very gently handled Burgundy, more Cote de Beaune in feel than the grittiness of Corton. I really like the 2008 reds they have an elegant leanness.

Time for some Rhone as the conversation continued its predicted decline.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois 2003, Domaine de la Mordorée and Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1990, Vieux Telegraph were the pair and I have to say I really enjoyed both. The Vieux Telegraph is in a lovely place, degraded and mellowed but still together, no real upside to keeping it I imagine but lovely now. The Mordoree had all the good characteristics of 2003, richness, ripeness and slightly dry fruit but none of the over extraction or over ripeness. Love the Rhone more and more.

Off to Italy for Biserno 2010 by Tenuta di Biserno (I am biased), I possibly miss-judged this by having it decanted for quite a while. It might have been better with less air as it had tightened up, still lovely though. Rich full and decadent!

Rieussec 1976 was a very thoughtful selection with a handful of those present born in this warm (hot) vintage. It was just like the top of a creme brulee, rich, decadent and lovely with the tart and the cheese. I had brought along another bottle that i love showing people and had no intention of carrying it all the way home - Barolo Serradenari 2011 from Giulia Negri was the wine in question. From the highest Cru site in the Barolo region, elegant and poised, lovely young Barolo.

A splendid afternoon (early evening if you include the beers) that made it all rather obvious why we'd all ended up in the trade…we like wearing pink shirts and talking (mostly) nonsense…onwards to round 3 which may aptly be held on 1st April... 


Present: (age order, ladies first!)
Amelia Jukes (Pinsent) SSG (89-94)
Jo Thompson (Haycock) SSG (89-94)
Julian Chamberlen (77-82)
Tom Ashworth (83-88)
Rory Benham (86-91)
Peter Richards (89-94)
Will Hargrove (89-94)
James Mason (89-94)
David Porter (90-95)

Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay. A mini vertical, 2010-2013...

Not long ago I did a tasting at 67 Pall Mall of Eleven 2013 Chardonnays from around the globe and the standard, as the blog suggests, was very high.

When the chance came round about 2 weeks later to do a Skype Chardonnay Master Class tasting with Stephane Vivier, winemaker, of Hyde de Villaine, I was very keen. Hyde de Villaine owes its name to the coming together of two great names in the wine world: Larry Hyde, celebrated Californian viticulturist and Aubert de Villaine, best known as co-gérant of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Aubert’s wife Pamela is Larry Hyde’s cousin. The estate as a whole, across it's five wines, only makes 4000 cases.

This specific tasting covered the 2010-2013 vintages. The wines are made in a lovely blend of styles between the Californian and Burgundian. This is not to say they aim to make Burgundy in California but they interpret things that way. For those who fear big and oaky Chardonnay there is no need to worry - this only sees one year in barrel, of which only 20% is new (the rest is mix of 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill), before 3 months in stainless steel prior to bottling. The Chardonnay comes from 10 different parcels which are in turn from 5 distinct blocks. The vast majority was planted in 1979. The site is 35-40 miles from the bay and typically sees fog in the mornings. There is a small amount, only 5%, of a "second" Chardonnay released as "De La Guerra Chardonnay". So, to the wines:

Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay 2010 - The second and third weeks in September saw quite a heat spike in what had already been a warm vintage. The wine exhibits an oily richness, some brioche, full, quite rounded and opulent, perfect now but no mad rush. 17+

Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay 2011 - No heat spike here, the latest picked of all the Chardonnays they have made, October the 4th. Cool, lovely minerality, citrus, some saline too, white fruits and a splendid long finish. 18

Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay 2012 - A really "easy" vintage, consistent conditions. This makes me think of a combination of 2010 and 2011. Floral but with more richness. 17.5+

Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay 2013 - The 2013 vintage is, climatically, the very best since 1974 with richness from a good amount of drought, just the right amount of stress you see, cool ripeness and great acidity. This has an easy citrus backbone, expressive yet streamlined at the same time. Difficult not to drink it now but will repay patience very well. Very impressive. 18-18.5(+)

On this last point Stephane remarked how the wines age superbly, clearly he is biased, but a recent tasting at the estate went back to the early 2000s and all the wines were in great shape.

The estate's own website is a good one especially the interactive map.

I have always loved showing this Chardonnay and the same estate's Merlot/Cab blend ("Belle Cousine") blind and will continue to do so. Superb wines at prices that compete with anywhere else in the world.

Franchetti Vertical...

The front but technically the back!

Possibly the wine that Andrea Franchetti is least well known for is the very one that actually bears his name. Andrea is famous for his Tuscan wines at Tenuta di Trinoro and for the wines made from Nerello Mascalese at Tenuta di Passopisciaro on Mount Etna. BUT there is another red made on Etna from a combination of varieties that Andrea brought with him from Tuscany. Franchetti is an ever-oscillating blend of Petit Verdot (richness and depth) and Cesanese d'Affile (lift and elegance). It was a wine first made in 2005. With Andrea in town last week for a dinner and another tasting, more on which in later blogs, it seemed a good chance to taste four vintages.

Franchetti 2008 (60% Petit Verdot, 40% Cesanese d'Affile)
Some rubber and cheesecloth here, a savoury degraded fruit, a definite food wine. There is good but bruised dark fruits on the palate. An intense and rich quality with lots of leather, some iodine and a good dollop of tar. 15-16/20

Franchetti 2009 (80% Cesanese d'Affile, 20%  Petit Verdot )
A much lighter colour which reflects the switch in varietals in the blend. Brightness and violets on the nose then a good bit of citrus and grapefruit. There is a grippy feel and a definite nod to Nebbiolo here. To my mind a far more vibrant wine than the 2008 but then the 2009 vintage was not a blockbuster on Etna. 17/20

Franchetti 2010 (100% Petit Verdot)
Just to show Andrea doesn't follow a particular plan, 2010 is almost the opposite in blend to 2009. Very dark, tar and leather, a wine for the Northern Rhone fan...there is depth and some sweetness on the palate which has a red-berried freshness to the finish. I like this. 17.5/20

Franchetti 2011 (50% Petit Verdot, 50% Cesanese d'Affile)
And then the "middle ground" in terms of the blend. Cooler fruits on the nose, a little muted, then a lovely texture on the palate. There is a lot of the three crucial components here, ripe sweetness, good tannin and then a vibrant drive of acidity. It strikes me the two varieties complement each other well. 17.5-18/20

I feel I understand the wine far better now. For me, the drinking window looks to be in the same zone as serious Barbera i.e 4-7 years after production. Thanks for the tasting Andrea.

The back but technically the front!

Lunch in the office

We had a rather special guest(s) in the office for a tasting and as he came from Bordeaux we couldn't serve him anything from that fine region.

Instead we served the above wines but not before we started with Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2002 which is drinking superbly now, just the beginning of a bit of biscuit appearing but essentially still focussed and fine with a linear drive. If you own any then you've done well to keep it, just let me know if you need a "hand" drinking it.

We then went for Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2009 from Domaine Leflaive which was both very much a Chevalier and very much not a 2009. Real focus and saline, slight reduction but tightly wound. No goey-ness here which was good. Opening white Burgundy can be a game of roulette and I would still recommend a read of the guest post by my colleague Sara on premox. The wine got better in glass and the remnants smelt lovely, white fruits.

So to the reds, the Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Cuvee Duvault-Blochet 2006 from DRC is a wine I last had here - it showed just as well this time but a little more focussed and a little less rich, slightly less 2006 ish you could say. Lovely elegance and drive with a core of darker red fruits and a real lift, clearly a wine with a long future but certainly not a waste to drink it now. Obviously always a bit of a treat given the name of this blog!

Soldera 2008 - was next up and not a wine our visitors knew. I last tasted it here, on a brilliant visit to Case Basse (mind you they all tend to be). The wine has such incredibly purity with slight spice behind that and a wonderful energy. There is a salinity that makes it just about the most drinkiably moreish wine I know. I am biased, and I've said this before, but I really don't think anyone gets near Gianfranco when it comes to Purity from Sangiovese.

Our final wine was Corney & Barrow 2010 Sauternes which comes from an address that stands up well in this company and I am saying no more than that...if only everyday was like this...

Francois Labet - One man two estates!

It was great pleasure back on the 3rd of February to host a Dinner with Francois Labet at No 1 Lombard Street. A venue I've used several times for events we have done with people like Peter Sisseck, Domaine Trapet, Tenuta di Biserno, Phelan Segur and many, many others. It is a good venue in a good central location.

Myself with Mr H and Francois Labet

Francois is best known for running, in every way, Chateau de la Tour, the largest owner of Clos Vougeot which in turn is the largest Grand Cru in the Cotes de Nuits. This dinner was to showcase both this estate and Domaine Pierre Labet, DPL, with Pierre being Francois' father. The wines under both labels are made at Chateau de la Tour with the same fastidious attention to detail. The DPL vineyards, which is 16ha in total, are farmed organically where Chateau de la Tour, 6ha, has been run Bio-dynamically since 1992.

The aperitif before dinner was Savigny 1er cru Vergelesses 2011, a flattering and expressive wine from a vintage I love drinking now. The site is opposite Corton-Charlemagne and is one of those that people are looking at more and more seriously as they are with Pernand Verglesses, Auxey-Duresses and St.Aubin.

We then made our way though for dinner of:

Seared scallops, black pudding and roasted cauliflower purée

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Mini Cumberland sausage and mash

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Honey roasted Gressingham Duck breast  Boulanger potatoes, Baby carrots, Purple sprouts broccoli and currant  jelly

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Cheshire with charcoal crackers

We kicked off the dinner wines with Beaune Blanc Clos du Dessus des Marconnets 2010. Francois described 2010 as the vintage of reference, for both reds and whites. This was tighter and more serious than the Savigny, with a vibrant citrus note and is clearly a wine that there is no rush with.

Beaune 1er cru Coucherias 2009 in magnum was up next and had a lovely decadent richness, it opened up more and more in glass and is more rich than heavy.Francois is a fan of whole bunches and this is 100%. I think this works really well, especially in the riper vintages.

As we moved to the main course we were solidly into the Clos Vougeot zone. Francois knows the Clos, which was created in 1098, inside out. These wines are always ones that, for me, need time to shine their brightest but what I think has become really a great feature of almost all great red Burgundies is how brilliant they are young which is why I was delighted Francois chose to show the Clos Vougeot Château de la Tour Classique 2013 from magnum. It was juicy and generous with good balance and purity. There is a certain easy cool, stoneyness with a crunchy fruit. I picked up a marked note of digestive biscuits at the end. This is a good interpretation of a vintage that some people might have slightly underestimated. The Clos Vougeot Château de la Tour Vieilles Vignes 2009 that we had next is made from the parts of the holdings that were planted in 1910 so you could certainly add a "tres" in front of the Vieilles Vignes. The nose is quite muted and closed, there is a warmer vintage feel here in the decadence of the serious, darker fruit. There is a density to the sappy fruit character. Whilst a tad closed this is classy. Clos Vougeot Château de la Tour Vieilles Vignes 2002 was stunning to put it simply. Combining elements of the 2009 and 2013 but adding the beginning of the secondary aromas. This is really starting to go through the gears. The sort of wine you wish you could just wallow in a bottle of with simple food and no rush. A gorgeously sweetly degraded fruit and a dash of saline…delightful. For those that like factoids - 1986 was the first time the Vieilles Vignes was made and 1987 was the first year of 100% whole bunch fermentation.

Fine de Bourgogne, Clos de Vougeot 1979 - I can totally understand those who see Fine or Marc de Bourgogne and think "oh no, a by-product of vinification and a bit of easy money" BUT this is a little different as it is an exception not a rule. I had no idea there was such a story but then I should have realised as I had never heard Francois mention he does a Fine because essential he doesn't. The 1979 is the only time. The reason being that there was a small second harvest in 1979 in November, I think due to the fact there had been hail damage earlier in the season. Anyway these grapes harvested in November would only have been any good for litres and litres of very acidic rose so they made an Fine instead. Just three barrels and only bottled 3 years ago. It was really rather splendid, I didn't write a note - I was not in note taking mode by this stage.

A really special dinner with terrific wines and lovely insights from one of the most modest, but not to underestimated in any way, men of Burgundy. I will leave you with a link to two very generous bottles Francois opened back in 2009 - 1990 and 1959. Oh to taste many of the wines from tonight in 50 years time!!

Masterclass & Dinner - Latour a Pomerol & Trotanoy...

"Wine is not for sharing"

The above is a quote from Edouard Moueix and those that know him will know it is very much "tongue in cheek", he was referring the fact that often the very end of a bottle in the kitchen late at night or the next morning when your guests have gone is the most delicious, and that glass is only for you...Quite the opposite of the not sharing idea!

A few months back we (C&B) were looking at which of the Moueix estates to focus on, to me it was a matter of going for two very special ones that compliment each other well - Latour a Pomerol and Trotanoy. I have written a fair bit on each in the past as the links below show.

Latour a Pomerol a Historic Vertical

Trotanoy at La Fleur-Petrus

Trotanoy at The Ritz - 4 years ago!

Trotanoy - the-lesser-vintages

The format for this evening was a Masterclass and then dinner, both at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. The wines for the Masterclass were all served straight from the bottle and the dinner wines were double decanted gently late in the afternoon. Edward gave a good insight into both properties. I will not repeat these - I strongly recommend that people read the profile chapters on each in Neal Martins book "Pomerol". One point of particular interest was that when asking if anyone had questions Edouard said "the blend, which is the most asked question, is Merlot with more Merlot". In fact both properties are planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, he was not trying to be awkward - merely pointing out that a blend is so much more that just grape varieties; different parcels, differently aged vines, different picking times, different clones and many other factors go into it".

MASTERCLASS

Latour à Pomerol 2009 - Succulent richness, soft yet deep, nothing over the top or overblown at all, mouthwatering and persistent. The fruit is both red and black on the nose with a redder side to the finish. Juicy but contained and good. This has all the positive (and there are many) aspects of 2009 with none of the bruised or overipe elements that there can be. Delicious. 18-18+

Latour à Pomerol 2010 - Edouard commented on the 2010's when talking about them and the 2009's that "everytime you open a 2010 you see something else". This was really superb. Initially more muted on the nose, needing more coaxing and swilling. A cool nose with a power packed palate, tannin and acidity in abundance but so balanced. Ever so slightly saline to compliment the fresh intensity. A shade darker in fruit character than the 2009. Special. 18.5

Latour à Pomerol 2011 - A trickier vintage and only the 2009 and 2010 to follow on from! If wines could get nervous then this one should have been! Leaner and a little leafier on the nose, a little more standoffish. Then the palate has both more depth and a greater sense of properness, this wine has some grip and would love to be drunk with food. 16.5-17.25

 
Latour à Pomerol 2012 - It is quite a while since I had tasted or drunk this wine. I would say it was one of the big discoveries of the night for me and something I plan to add to the cellar pronto. The nose had a lushness but this was kept in check by a cool freshness, possibly that is a contardiction that just means it was balanced. It did not seem showey, just nicely complete. The palate in contrast was an explosion of lovely rounded open freshness and red fruits, really delightful. I asked Edouard, hoping he'd say "no not really" if the wine would shut down and he said "they all close down but for varying times". 17.5-18 

And so we moved to the same four vintages of Trotanoy. Edouard made one general observation on Trotanoy and that was that the wines can be "quite a ball" in youth, tight and sometimes hard to access. I found this the case, to a degree, with the stellar 2010.

Trotanoy 2009 - Bold, serious, delicious, more depth, darker fruits with flashes of red. Succlent without over doing it. The acidity it good but the over-riding impression is of generosity and depth. 18-18.5 (+)

Trotanoy 2010 - Big fruit, if muted, great acidity (can acidity be ripe?) bold but defined and perfectly ripe tannins. Other than the amount of time you will need to wait to see this at its best there is nothing not to like here. Boldly classy, like a novic chaser that you know will go on to compete in the Gold Cup one day...am I overdoing it? Possibly, but I really don't think so. 19

Trotanoy 2011 - More closed on the nose then a little cherry as well as black fruit in a compote style. More red fruited on the palate and quite viscous. Almost like there has had to be a lot of selection. 17

Trotanoy 2012 - Saline, classical Trotanoy nose as my mind's eye sees it. Then on the palate wave upon wave of fresh fruited intensity, long on the finish but so fresh and moreish. When it comes to scoring this wine, it really highlights the silliness of doing so because in a many ways I feel it is as good as the 2010 just entirely different but then to give it the same score doesn't seem correct, anyway I'll sort of dodge the issue and go for 18.5(+).

I really enjoyed the tasting - 2009 and 2010 is a debate that will go on for decades but the 2012's are wines not to overlook and the 2011's will gve pleasure while one "tries" to be patient with the others. Being able to chop and change amongst the 8 glasses was brilliant.

We then had a brief interlude and short talk from a historian who spoke about the background to the hotel whilst we drank some Wiston Blanc de Blancs 2010 from Sussex, and rather splendid it was too.

We were then seated for a dinner of:

Roast quail, warm spring pea salad and game consommé
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Oven-Roasted Cornish Beef Fillet, 5 hour braised beef cheek, wild mushrooms, soft mash

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Blue monday and Cornish yarg cheeses

The first two wines served, in drinking rather than tasting measures(!) were Latour à Pomerol 1990 and 1998. I found the 1990 to be so elegant, right in the drinking zone now, sure it'll go on but you have everything where you want it now.The fruit was relaxed and balanced by the ripe tannins, there was just a shade of the soy arriving, a wine to just drink and enjoy. The 1998, in many ways still an insider's vintage on the right bank - Merlot worked, Cabernet largely didn't - was more primary, a wine moving into third gear, poised and whilst open it is still coiled quite tight, this will be luscious very soon I think.

With the beef it was time for the Trotanoy pair of 1989 and 2000. My note for the 1989, and notes were getting more basic by now, starts "wow, sexy and seductive", this had such vibrant energy and hightoned fruit, some tar and sweetness, a lovely degraded extrovert character. This is a purely hedonistic wine that picks you up and demands you enjoy it, sweet and succulent. The 2000 is, accounting for the age difference, always going to be a more savoury, mineral and, arguably serious, wine. This has darker cooler fruit and is possibly a more clasical Trotanoy, either way a lovely pair and a real treat. 

There was one more wine - C&B Sauternes 2010 - served from halves. It's from a rather top-end address but little more than that can be said!!

When you expect a lot - and I do from these two great Properties - you can often be left a little flat. Not a chance here!