The last Hurrah...

When the news of the end - for now - of Zucca came out there was quick booking made by fellow Zucca addict - Mr Rafferty for the last but one night, the last night would have been too much.

So nine of us including Mrs Duvault-Blochet joined together for a dinner. The theme being the last bottle from a case, any case. When I say bottle in true style most people brought a magnum or two bottles. This was a very relaxed evening with much opinion expressed and piss-taking. New friends made. We ate from the "normal" menu and rattled off the classics:

Zucca Friti

Carpaccio of Sea Bass

Burrata with Cavalo Nero

Beef Carpaccio

Vitello Tonnato

Squid Bruscetta

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Taglierini, Pork & Fennel Ragu
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Grilled Octopus

Veal Chop
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Chocolate SemiFreddo

We hadn't managed to co-ordinate anyone doing some fizz so we started with a couple of bottles of the fresh but just a shade toasty Satin La Montina Franciacorta. I really ought to get to know what's what with Franciacorta, beyond Ferrari and Ca'del Bosco I am just not that knowledgeable.

Then time for some white and we started with "Jazz Hand's" magnum - Meursault Les Grands Charrons 2009 from Boisson-Vadot. I've been lucky enough to drink a decent amount of Boisson-Vadot but never have I had it from magnum before. This had all the smokey, slight reduction you expect of this producer and the richness you expect of 2009, a really decadent start to proceedings. Alongside this was Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg Jubilee Spatlese 2008 from Schloss Schonborn from bottle. This wine was served in the same room at Mrs D-B's 40th so it seem appropriate to have it again. Lovely Rhine richness with the middle ground of Spatlese, a wine to just enjoy, no pretence.

And on to the reds! Tignanello 1986 was a really easy wine to quaff, not to say it was not more serious but it had slightly lost a sense of place. It wasn't showing the Sangiovese acidity and it's kind owner was a little disappointed as it was from "his" vintage (youngster!). I liked it just think that 5 years ago it would have had that bit more personality. 

It's partner was my offering, Cascina Francia Barbera 2008 from Giacomo Conterno, my thinking being that it is a producer I love and we (C&B) even did a dinner here with Roberto. On the other hand none of the Conterno wines are what could be remotely called mature so this seemed a good compromise. It drank well, still good rich dark cherry fruit but with that cool saline edge you always get from the site, wonderfully food friendly as ever. That was my last mag but I do still have a bottle somewhere.

The next flight was unplanned but set itself up as a great pairing. Two of the top names from respective banks in Bordeaux. Both top estates. VCC (Vieux Chateau Certan) 1998

and Palmer 1998 . Having them then served blind I was delighted to get them the right way round. Anyone in the trade who says they aren't relieved to get this right especially after 10+ years in bottle is probably lying. The VCC had real poise and such balance, really lovely, young yes but not infanticide at all. If you have a case of this (in bottles) then don't be afraid to have a bottle of two now, you'll be missing out otherwise. The Palmer actually tasted to be a little more mature, a little more developed (2nd base may be), not quite the layers of the VCC but splendid.

The next two bottles, from Mr Rafferty were a treat - Rauzan Segla 1947 a BBR bottling - was exuberantly sweet and reminded me of some of the 1955's I have been lucky enough to have had. A lovely bottle and so fitting to have something this old and special on a night like this. Hermitage 1994 from Chave has no right to be anything like as soft and lovely and just downright delicious as it is. The vintage is not great but then how many times do us wine lovers have to be told "producer, producer, producer".

One special glass got passed back to us in the Pdr from the main restaurant and it was the really rather lovely Sori San Lorenzo 1990 from Gaja a real treat from Mr Bowker.

Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg Spatlese 1989 from Schloss Schonborn (another coincidence to have this) finished us off for the evening in some style, oily and menthol fresh with good acidity. Is it wrong to say that I think people were concentrating more on the puddings by then.

It was great that Sam (Harris) managed to pop in and join us for a glass here and there.

The end had come - I've loved Zucca and shared so many wonderful times there…I am sure it'll be back. Thanks to all those who have brought bottles and served them, cooked and given great service I am not singling anyone out as it was a team effort…onwards!

Irish goes into his 50th year

I am a few blogs behind at the moment but this one has jumped the queue so that I can write it up while things are fresh in my mind. The other reason is that it is Irish Pete's actual birthday today and the lunch that follows was to celebrate this a couple of days early. Irish is one of the select few with a nickname on this blog…I can't quite remember from where or when the name started but there we go, Halifax (aka Nobby) started it.

So an email came round 10 days ago, can you make a relaxed lunch at Kitchen W8? I was delighted to be able to say yes. Come the day we were 8 in total and a lovely line up had fallen into place. As an aside it now often seems easier to organise dinner 3-10 days in advance rather than with lots of notice.

The menu that Kitchen W8 put together, of 4 half main courses, was spot on and is listed below (with a few pics at the bottom). I must have been there four or five times now and will be actively looking for chances to go back, I think the food and service are both very well pitched, "relaxed attention to detail" may be. Sadly living North and working just south east of the city it is not as close as I'd like.

Croquettes of Mangalitza Pork with Smoked Yolk, Glazed Salsify and Black Pudding

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Thinly Sliced Smoked Eel with Grilled Mackerel, Golden Beetroots and Sweet Mustard

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Fillet of Cornish Brill, Delica Pumpkin, Chestnuts, Trompettes, Turnip Tops and Red Wine

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Slow Cooked Short Rib of Beef, Parsley Potato, Heritage Carrots, Savoy Cabbage, Horseradish

And so to the wines:

Salon 2002, ok I am biased but Salon is never a bad way to start any meal, the 2002 is a teenager at best but a perfectly mannered and promising one at that. Brisk with great freshness, Chablis-esque possibly but not sharp, very moreish with a dash of saline, lovely and with such a bright future.   

Then as we sat down we had a pair of whites. Meursault 1er Cru Genevieres 2009 from A.Gambal and Chateau de Fonsalette Blanc 1997 from Rayas. The Meursult was exactly what you want of Meursault for drinking now, rich, opulent but with good warm minerality, really good length and a lovely rounded but not flabby texture, a very slight whiff or reduction essentially just a very good wine. The Fonsalette was a lovely contrast, more complex and academic for sure but not to such a degree that it was anything but delicious to drink. A little lanolin and chestnut, dry toffee and a burning butter as well a a long length and no lack of acidity, really rather splendid especially with the food. The wonderful contrast of the three whites already had me thinking this was a good tasting day.

Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs 2002 from d’Angerville was up next as we sort of served the reds in a staggered, one wine at a time, order which worked well. I know Clos des Ducs pretty well, in the main thanks to this exception tasting. The 2002 was showing very well, saline and tight with focussed red fruit and elegant persistence, serious with the drinking window just opening…really lovely, coiled tight. We now shifted both to the Cote de Nuits for the next 3 reds…some big names.

Clos St Denis Grand Cru 2001 from Ponsot was some how less precise, soupier possibly than the d'Angerville but that worked as a nice contrast. The less defined, slightly degraded nose gave way to a good, more generous palate and a certain lush decadence.

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cr Clos St Jacques 2001 from Rousseau had a nose of sweet fruited density with a dash of bovril just adding a savoury side which just shows this wine to be moving into the second phase of a long life. It was very precise, with fruits that are hard to describe, red fruit on a core of something darker possibly, long and just so dam drinkable. Yet another bottle of Rousseau that just makes you wonder how they do what they do.

Romanee Saint Vivant Grand Cru 2001 from DRC followed, it can be dangerous with DRC and Rousseau for a winner to appear and then the sum of the parts is less than the individual loveliness should make it. On this occasion both were singing. This RSV was superb, focussed and red with primary fruits but in no way one dimensional the nose is so packed with life, an exceptional bottle in every way. I think this will age with grace and balance rather than going through the phases that the Rousseau before it, I would be equally excited to own both. The RSV for its guile and finesse with a core underneath (think Philippe Sella), the Rousseau for its grit and savoury decadence whilst still being charming (Richie McCaw).

And so to the Rhone next. Hermitage 1991 from Chave was an absolute masterclass in how this producer belongs at the top of any table of wine estates. Rich yet weightless, a little armpit and grunt with a sweet fruited then saline palate the sombinationof elegance and almost light texture with much flavour was staggering. This was followed by Barbaresco Rabaja 2000 from Giacosa, 2000 being warm it was a better vintage in Barbaresco than Barolo due to the cooling effect of the river. It had a degraded, flattering nose of sweet bruised nebbiolo fruit that made it easy to enjoy and decadent. Just a lovely wine for right now. 

Then after the diversion from Burgundy to Rhone and Piedmont we were back with a cracking pair of 1999's both of which had been decanted:

Richebourg Grand Cru 1999 from Anne Gros was very good, a rich fruited nose of mulled, almost Christmas, fruits, this had a darker more powerful side to it, a wine that shows massive promise. There is a balance about it that makes it appreciably enjoyable now, brooding is too crude a word but probably as close as I can get.

Musigny VV Grand Cru 1999 from de Vogue is a wine I know rather well and is also a wine that, when I last had it, was still firmly in a sulking phase. This was all about coiled minerality, saline, iron and a wonderful rich yet not heavy texture. I, sadly, had to taste rather than drink these last two (its not often work has to get in the way but sometimes), I can well imagine they both came out more and more in glass and strutted their stuff. From a tasting perspective they were just how I wanted them to be...

A splendid luncheon with a really good crowd of wine lovers, lots of good chats…at one point I overheard a good, if not directly relevant to this, quote about Martinis (or Negronis in my case)…"One martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough." from James Thurber…too true.

Happy Birthday Irish Pete...

Croquettes of Mangalitza Pork with Smoked Yolk, Glazed Salsify and Black Pudding

Thinly Sliced Smoked Eel with Grilled Mackerel, Golden Beetroots and Sweet Mustard

Fillet of Cornish Brill, Delica Pumpkin, Chestnuts, Trompettes, Turnip Tops and Red Wine

Double birthday bonanza...

A meeting of "The Lads" – Ronaldinho, Chewy, Irish Peat, Halifax, Wattsy, Teardrop and Step-toe - was called to celebrate the birthdays of the first two mentioned. The venue was selected as No 1 Lombard Street and the brief was that the line-up, beautifully orchestrated by Halifax (aka Nobby), had to be top draw. Not a problem with this bunch.

As we gathered we started, post Peroni for some, with a magnum of Salon 1997, this was drinking superbly, nice focus but easy to enjoy, a dash of saline and citrus, no weighty biscuitiness which was not needed at this early stage. A cracking start.

The menu that lay ahead of us is below, with some pictures at the bottom of this blog.

Sauté hand dived scallop and prawn,chilli jam and coconut salsa

Pan fried olive crusted stone bass risoni,wild mushrooms and mushroom velouté

Truffled ballottine of chicken petit pois a la franchise

Stuffed fillet of pork sweet potato compote glazed cavolo Nero

Cheese

The two birthday boys have probably drunk more Ramonet than other mere mortals so a trio from this great estate was our starting stalls:

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Ruchottes 2000 - quite bold and opulent with richness and breadth. This struck me as a little more Meursaultesque than Chassagne-like but I think that is more the vintage than anything…nice wine.

Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2001 - slightly harsh to say so but this was the weak-link of the trio. It was not prem-oxed or anything but was looser than I think we expected. There was a striking note on the nose of fresh mint. It may be just suffered by comparison with the others.

Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 1988 (2 bottles because, well it was rather splendid) - This was an absolute joy, stunning. My tasting starts with "feck me" it really was that good. Superb balance, sweetness, a shade of lovely reduction - simply excellent.

From Ramonet to Mugnier for the first brace of reds…which were served blind, leading to the usual abusive "you know nothing" exchanges that have become the particular forte of this wonderfully direct group - sensitive sorts need not apply!

As a pair these were beautiful wines, such lightness of touch and confidence required to turn out wines like this that will gain weight with age but are stunning now:

Musigny 2001 - this was one of those rare occasions where Nobby got things spot on by saying this was "ding-dong". Primary, red fruit, so pretty, roses, wild strawberries, really focussed but fruited too, delightful. Definitely want to have this again...

Musigny 2000 - A little darker a little more texture, still elegant but a shade drier, superb. A rich weightlessness.

The quality of those wines took me straight back to the  Bonnes Mares 2008, Mugnier that I had 15 months ago in Chambolle-Musigny - a quality producer without doubt. On the topic of quality producers the second red Burgundy pair was from two rather special names - Rousseau & DRC.

Ruchottes Chambertin Grand Cru 1993 from Rousseau was incredibly youthful, very focussed with rich red fruits throughout, my scribblings have the word "lovely" about four times, I certain felt it showed more primary character than a 22 year old wine would normally, quality and poise, excellent.

La Tache 2000 from DRC was next, as we had this and the Rousseau side by side I think we all felt the Tache was the older wine. The texture was the odd thing, a little murky and bruised. There was acidity there and I liked the fruit character, which admittedly had nothing like the purity of the Rousseau. It was a odd showing for La Tache, lacking focus, I looked at my notes from the fairly recent La Tache "decades and decades" dinner tasting and there is some similarity. Anyhow, this group would never let a disappointing bottle change the mood. The next pair, of magnums, quickly had smiles all round. 

Hermitage 1990 from Chave was first up and was instantly a success, amazingly managing to combine meatiness with almost primary fruit, a dash of graphite but real energy. It's a good thing it was a magnum as there would have been a fight for more, a stunning wine. Several round the table saying it was a good few years behind the bottle format of this wine. Following that was always going to be tricky but Hermitage La Chapelle 1978 from Jaboulet had a damn good stab at it. It was at a different stage which was a superb contrast. Saline, iodine, some good grip and grunt, "pips and all" was a phrase someone used, there was lovely lack of compromise about this. Beef stock but good fruit too, a superb wine. As I write this I am two days away from heading to the Rhone -  a region I am loving more and more…these wines are amongst the very best reasons why.

We then hit a double "corked bottle" speed bump. Both Trotanoy 1982 and a magnum of

Figeac 1982 were corked -  a real shame. We had a brief squabble about whether you could taste "round" the cork but moved on swiftly and with good reason. A magnum of Margaux 1983 awaited. This is a wine I have long wished to have, something of a legend. There is a lovely lush texture and then a quiet extrovert, expressive character with a dash of spice, this is still youthful in magnum but is simply splendid. The expectation was high and it delivered.

The next wine, which was served blind, will be amongst the most memorable of the year without any doubt. It was effortlessly complex on the palate. The nose was far less remarkable, a little neutral to me but apparently it smelt like a "rotting hedgerow" to one of our number. Either way (the polite version of "whatever") the palate somehow managed to combine; bovril, marmite, butter, pastry, Tarte Tatin, nuts and more. It was not bone dry by any stretch, I loved it. It was revealed as Rayas Blanc Doux Liquereux 1950 - Ronaldinho's birth year - special. Vouray Mouelleux Reserve 1976, Foreau was possibly more conventionally brilliant, smokey, briney, real richness, lovely, lovely wine. A very dry and hot year of course. I have reading (and hopefully drinking) to do on this producer. The wines quality was as marked as my ignorance of it.

A Russell and McIver bottling of Cockburn 1955 followed and is a reminder, if we needed it, that mature Port is a category nobody should be forgetting about, this was long, precise and clean, not heavy, but full of gentle Christmas spices. A real highlighted even in this sort of company.

With the room, that we had sensibly been tucked away in, needed for dinner we were politely moved to the bar area where a couple of "glamourous super-subs" were opened:

The Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2009, Tollot-Beaut reminded Nobby of "Egg Custard" or may be he was just pining for his train back ooop norf. It was broad and good, nicely savoury to balance the ripeness of 2009. It did slightly struggle for attention with a magnum of Chambertin Grand Cru 2000 from that chap Rousseau. The Chambertin, unsurprisingly, was superb, rich, balancing sweet fruit, saline and savoury seriousness perfectly…

And with that the box marked "Mission accomplished" could be firmly ticked…great bottles, great people, great abuse…who's birthday next?

The Birthday boys…a happy couple…

Sauté hand dived scallop and prawn,chilli jam and coconut salsa

Pan fried olive crusted stone bass risoni,wild mushrooms and mushroom velouté

Truffled ballottine of chicken petit pois a la franchise

Sager & Wilde my first trip (and certainly not my last)

This evening made it's way into the diary a good two months earlier. It was with three like minded wine lovers. The venue was always going to be Sager & Wilde and having heard a lot about this place (all good, which is rare) there were no protests from me. They have a wonderful list put together by several of the team there but all from wines they love and want to drink. The Wine List just makes you want to trade up and the fact that the wines have the same (very modest) cash margin has the same effect. They must be selling a lot of the best actual bottles from "off the list" in London these days. The food offering is basic in a good way. Cold meats, great toasties and more simple dishes, all deliciously wine friendly without ever becoming fussy and certainly no need for cutlery.

The format of the evening was a sort of "your turn" scenario with all the wines coming from the list. There were several people who wandered over and shared bottles during the evening which is one of the great things about a place like this…it attracts kindred spirits... 

So, we were off and running with a little blind red…

Wetzer Kekfrancos 2011 Sopron, Hungary - Totally new on me and I guessed Cru Beaujolais…lovely aromatic blackberry and black cherry fruit with a real lift. The palate is round in shape rather than linear and the only way you could criticise this wine would be to say it is a little hollow but then, there is a lovely elegant finish, mellow with a dose of wet stones, impressive. We were then on to the whites for the next few bottles.

Enviate "Taganan" Parcela Amogoje Blanco 2012, Jose Paster Selections, Canary Islands - Ok so a long wine name (and the list of grape varieties is even worse!) and a rather smart Raveneau-esque capsule. This actually had a lovely Chablis-like character with a sort of waxy grapefruit. This showed a maturity (not tiredness) that would make you think it was 5 years older.

Barraco Catarratto 2012, Sicily - This I thought was absolutely delicious, a herbal wine with citrus and then a complex texture but never heavy…lovely…good choice Mr R.

Bourgogne Aligote 2000, Pierre Morey - Ok so this was my first pick with some help from Michael (owner)…I just thought that as we were doing things blind it's nice to watch and let people try when you know it is almost impossible (not in a cruel way just a fascinating one). The nose was mature and apple-like but NOT bruised apples, then the apples became toffee apples, good acidity…a great experience if not an "everyday tipple".

Hermitage Blanc 1997, Chave - This had a bit of time in a decanter but if truth be told it could have been there for hours. A rich texture without becoming heavy, a nose of honey and flowers a substantial palate…superbly hedonistic…have a look at the picture, annotated by DB to leave nobody in any doubt about who the bottle needed to be drunk by.

We ten thought "it's time for some red"…already this evening was building well…you need 4 whites before moving to the "serious" stuff!

Barbaresco 1970, Produttori del Barbaresco - I spotted this when looking for my white so had it decanted then. I have a massive love for this Co-op, the best anywhere. I have also had considerable joy with Piedmont wines from 1970 so this just seemed too good to miss. A wonderful expression of deep Nebbiolo in a very traditional style. Good dollops of Iodine in amongst a beautiful bruised black fruit, a cracking acidity to keep the freshness, tarry and perfect now.

Volnay 1er Cru Mitans 1988, Domaine de Montille - Mr P then struck with a very clever choice that had us all searching around Piedmont again only f0r it to be Volnay…what's that expression about being wrong for the right reasons? After the "reveal" I wish I'd been a bit more logical about things but hey the wine was good, fully mature and autumnal but in an elegant way.
  
Hermitage Le Greal 1983, Sorrel - My notes on this wine are rather hard to read given the rather vulgar doodling by DB but then he chose the wine. Exceptional and probably wine of the night all in all. aged tobacco and leaf tea, very fine red fruit too. Then a meaty mid-palate of liquid beef stock and dry Oxo cube before ending with a white pepper balance. Clearly of full maturity (certainly not on the way down though) but I was struggling to say Northern or Southern Rhone and went for the later - wrong of course. Very good wine!

Mas de Daumas Gassac 1989 - I found myself back in the hot seat and went for this for two reasons, Firstly I had a case of the 2000 that I drank ridiculously early on, never a bad thing if you're drinking it because you simply like it. Secondly, I have never had it when mature. This was dense and black in an "Iron meets cool climate Cab Sauv" sort of way, did I like it? Yes, was it charming? Not really. I'd love to try it again as the only red and with a great steak.   

The numbers around our table seemed to have swelled now and the next couple were wines we were very kindly given tasters of... 

Windgap Pinot Noir (not sure of vintage) - A very rich and high octane style of Pinot…may be a little "worked" but good, so much fruit…

Clos de papes CNDP 1998 - a "puppy" of a wine…it's all there and brooding in intensity and fruit, good minerality but a wine that definitely will be even better with time, not because "it" isn't all here now but because when the fruit is looser and the structure more organised it'll be superb…made a mental note to try this again in 7-8years…very good. 

Nuit-Saint-Georges "Aux Saint Julien" 2000, Daniel Bocqueret - I remember liking this but little more…taxi to North London please!!

Great evening that will be repeated….interesting cycle in the next morning...

Late Christmas at Planet of the Grapes

Having not managed more than a beer as steam before Christmas it was time for a gathering and the venue was to be Planet of the Grapes at Bow Lane a great venue with proper grub, good glass and a very wine friendly attitude. There was no real brief on what to bring but we ended up with a nice selection. It wasn't a night for making many notes so the below are more recollections than anything.

The whites

Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2005, V.Dampt - a wine I know well, oily and a complex, drinking well.

St.Joseph Les Granits 2007, M.Chapoutier MAG - a waxy wine of weight and structure, delicious with the food, a mighty effort for a hot year, impressive 

Clos du Papillon Savennieres 2006, Domaine de Baumard - really lovely and received very well all-round. Savennieres is such a good drink. 

Langhe Riesling 2012, Vajra - A first for me and a welcome one, an easy mellow feel, wonder how it'll age? not that it needs to.

Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay 2009 - Really decadent number like a ripe vintage Meursault, not OTT but quite hedonistic.

Corton-Charlemagne 2011, Bonneau du Martray - Love this wine and showing well even now, well ahead of time.

The reds

Percarlo 2009, San Giusto a Rentannano - I love Percarlo but this needs time to mellow and for the oak to knit in, I just hope that does happen as the fruit is clearly very good.

Blagny Sous le Dos d'Ane 2002, Domaine Leflaive - The last vintage of this wine. A beautiful, delicate nose and then good rich but medium bodied palate, cracking.

Barolo 2007, Bartolo Mascarello - Showed very well, great estate in great form, quintessentially elegant Nebbiolo from a vintage where that was difficult.

Barbaresco 2010, Gemma - Interesting if to my taste a tad too dry, the 2010's are great in barolo, may be less so in Barbaresco. Good with the steak.

Potensac 2003 - I was really impressed here, I'm not a 03 fan generally but this was more "good drinking Bordeaux" than it was an "03".

Hermitage 2002, Chave - This has a nose to die for, such purity, it reminded me more of Rousseau than of Grenache.

L'Aurage 2008 - drinking beautifully in the degraded Mitjavile way.

The "others"
Gewurtztraminer SGN 2002, Clos St Landelin - I wish I'd made more notes here, I remember really loving it's waxy but sweet texture and refreshing finish.

Mossy's magic Ice wines - 3x200ml - Riesling, Vidal, Cab Franc - Very very sweet!

Fonseca 1997 - drank really well, still puppyish and young.

Delamain Pale "n" Dry - not sure I needed that but it was rather splendid!

Until next time...

Zucca then Golf then...

A slightly chaotic blog this one but a few memorable wines have been drunk so here we go.

Starting with a delicious dinner at Zucca with a great wine lover. Two good bottles were opened. A very nice, if still simple due to its age, bottle of Bernkasteler Badstube Spatlese 2008 from Prum and then a serious bottle in the form of Grands Echezeaux 1991 from Rene Engel. The Prum was decanted which is necessary at this early stage, still simple it had lovely ripeness and vitality, really wakes up the taste buds. There is a long life ahead for this, I would probably next look at it again in 3 years time. The Grands Echezeaux was really something, nothing like a wine of 22 years old in honesty. I would say this was just starting to hit the second phase of it's life, vibrant and complex but still with forceful fruit really beautiful. 1991's along with 1993's really are lovely. The Truffle pasta and then Mallard went brilliantly with these wines.

The following morning it was off to the Wildernesse Golf club in Sevenoaks for a round with friends as their guest. We got lucky with the weather and after a good front nine things sort of fell apart for me this meant it was cigar time. I got out a nice mellow, easy, morning Robusto - Saint Luis Rey Regios from 2012. The round was really enjoyable and after a quick beer we then ventured off to The Vine, also in Sevenoaks for some lunch. The food was spot on, all the dishes tasting delicious and working well with the wines. We hadn't really co-ordinated much and ended up with four reds. They were an interesting selection starting with Charmes Chambertin 2005 from Tortochot, not a producer I know at all. The wine was primary but not closed, clear and clean red fruit with a tiny bit of tannin. Many of the 2005's do appear to be showing more than was the case 6-12 months ago. This is a wine that will age well but I don't see it being an epic. Lovely, relatively simple and a nice drink. Next up was the oldest bottle of the day and both the most unique as well as interesting. Troplong Mondot 1962 is not something you see everyday. I have to admit to having a real mental block over this estate. I am, in polite terms, not a fan. I find the wines they make now to be a little monstrous in character and extraction and just not the sort of thing I like to drink. This though was very different, elegant and with red/black fruit, poured straight from the bottle it drank well immediately and over the next 30 minutes, much longer and it might have faded but it was both fascinating and impressive for a vintage that is decent but not a patch on it's predecessor. The last two reds were both red Hermitage. The first Hermitage 2008 from Tardieu-Laurent, this was my offering and before you think why such a young Hermitage? I'll explain. In 2008 the plot that this wine was from was harvested even later than Chave and the elegance of the wine really impressed me recently so I thought it was time to re-visit and share it. It showed well, very primary but with a lovely feminine red fruit in amongst the more "butch" darkness, it was good but then I was somewhat trumped by the next wine! Hermitage 1998, Chave. Absolutely delicious, only really getting into 3rd gear but very easy to appreciate. I love the wine at this stage because it was mellow but is in now way either primary or older, just in a zone of loveliness, really superb. So two young wines that showed well and two more mature examples that were delicious, you can't ask for much more than that.

After a couple of days of normality it was time for another wine merchant friend to come over. This just means more bottles to open! We started with Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg Riesling Spatlese Jubilee Label 2009 from Schloss Schonborn which is a wine I have followed for some time as I think it offers stunning value and lovely richness. This showing did not disappoint. I am trying desperately to leave some for a little while but not managing it very well at the moment. The next bottle was infanticide, Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses by Nathalie & Giles Fevre, even decanted it didn't give a way a great deal but did have a lovely texture and was very try to Chablis I just kind of wish I hadn't opened it. On to red and a wine I know very well, Barbera Cerretta 2008 from Giacomo Conterno which was great with Mrs H's brilliant, if labour intensive, chicken pie. It just has guts as well as elegance and fruit, tricky combination to pull off. We then went onto one last bottle and I have to say I was really impressed. The wine in question was Slowhand Pinot Noir 2009 from Muddy Water in Waipara, NZ. The clarity of the red - strawberry and raspberry but in no way bitter - was staggering, not far off the kind of character you get from Felton Road. I will certainly be having more of that!

Trinity with the gang (why no star?)

Following from the first meeting of what I can see is fast becoming a regular dinner "gang" at Zucca in January here for the post we met last Wednesday at Trinity in Clapham.
I don't really do food and or restaurant reviews (I tend to eat out at Zucca) but I have to say that why Trinity does not have a star I do not know. The dishes were all delicious and clever without being fiddly. The menu and pictures are at the bottom, they do corkage too but I am sure also have a good list. Recommended.
So the wines, there was no theme as you'll see but actually the balance of wines worked really well. We started with two vintages of Bianco Seco from G.Quintarelli. A wine made predominantly from Garganega (as in Soave) but also some other "bits n bobs" amongst them Sauvignon Blanc and Soarin which is near to Furmint apparently. The 2011 and 2007 were the two vintages. The 2011 was Floral but with a nice waxy texture, young and quite taut but very balanced. The 2007 was in a similar weight profile but was a little more oxidative and more unctuous, I don't know if this wine has phases but I would say the 2007 is probably a dash better than this showing or may be could have been a touch cooler. Fascinating wines and a good start. Next up was a bit of a gem Meursault 2007 from P.Boisson, as in Boisson of Boisson Vadot a producer getting rave reviews and the beginnings of a cult following. This was way above village Meursault in ranking, refined and yet with broad chest and shoulders, as yet unpuffed, a lovely touch of reduction and struck match. Serious stuff indeed and another strong showing from a very proper white Burgundy vintage. I am definitely finding, in agreement with the provider of this bottle, the 2004, 2007 and 2010 vintages the place to go for white Burgundy and none with the exception of 2010 get the uniformly rave reviews they might. From here we were onto a pair of Bordeaux, the first of which was blind - Lafite 1970 - from a bottle with no label remaining. We had a bit of fun "guessing" I went for mid 60's Pauillac which was actually more of a hedge that a specific guess as it was never going to be too far away. With a few steers we got there in the end. Encouragingly the wine got better and better with air, it was developed but had good, once black, fruit and tasted less than its 43 years. A real treat. My offering a kind gift from a friend was next - Montrose 1966 - it was a few wines in one. The level was good - at the junction - the colour was a firm and saturated colour, richer and darker than the Lafite. The initial nose was strange but on one swirl in the glass it released a deep beef stock and soy nose with good fruit, there was also a touch of bacon fat and a little caramel before a brief finish. It was strange but fascinating. It also got better with time. A really good pairing.

Burgundy got its chance next - Clos de Tart 2001 - this is a wine I have been impressed with a few times. Sylvain Pitiot took over the helm at the domaine midway through the 1996 vintage and the wines improved from there but I would say that from the 2001 you really see the rewards of the work that was put in. I also love this vintage for reds. It is still in its almost primary phase, there is both freshness and depth which is both encouraging and impressive. The fruit is brambly with some candied cherry elements. So much fruit on the nose, the palate a little more muted, if you own this wine, you are lucky but also I would say keep being patient. Next on parade was Beaucastel 1981 a wine that it appears is a bit of an insiders secret, not a secret I knew about! There was depth and texture with soft black but hard to define fruit and a bit of good greenness. Too many wines now are so afraid of greenness that the over selection that goes on is crazy. This Beaucastel clearly had both young and old vines and was all the better for it, really delicious, mature but not in old age. The next wine was a stunner - Sori San Lorenzo 1989 from Gaja - my notes are a bit strange though as they simply say..."Ski boots" "adolescent" & "very good". The former is a note I have never written before and must be to do with only coming back from Skiing a week ago! This wine was delightful but in mid-development at best and backs up a good Sori San Lorenzo 2001 tasted here.  The last red was Hermitage 1989 from Chave, I am very poorly drunk in the Rhone which needs work, what can you do? This showed as a big wine, very dense black fruit, it was served a little warm which was a shame, the structure was well integrated and I liked it but even more than the Gaja it was still very young. Must drink more Chave. We had a corked bottle of Sauternes so we went for a Pedro Ximenez San Emilio from Lustau with a rather spectacular desert as below. It's a good wine and works so well with the richer darker puddings. A cracking evening, apparently Medlar is next...can't wait!

From my seat, "quite!" near the kitchen

Bresaola

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, Hazelnut and Brown Butter

Scallop Cerviche, Pickle and Charred Cucumber

Warm Salad of Cheltenham Beets, smoked Aubergine and walnut

Halibut, Fricasse of Shellfish, Cucumber, Sorrel and Sea beet

Smoked Venison, Baked Onions

Black forest (which I didn't photo) & "large" Baked Apple Souffle