Perfect Petrus...

I am incredibly late writing up this truly wonderful evening that happened before Christmas last year. The evening was all about Petrus. The location was the stunning Dumfries House. It's an easy thing to say but this was a truly memorable time. The hosts were a combination of three of the team from Corney & Barrow (of which I was delighted to be one) then Christophe Jacquemin Sablon (CEO) and Olivier Berrouet (Winemaker from 2008 having taken over from his father Jean-Claude who was in charge from 1964-2008) from Petrus.

We started the evening with a tour of the house and a small explanation of the amazing works that go on all over the estate (this continued with a driven tour the following morning). It is a fascinating estate and story, one worth looking at the website to find out more about it.

We then gathered in the drawing room and started the evening with the rather splendid Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 1996 En Magnum. The 1996 was a vintage of Delamotte that all got sold to the Japanese market so I had never had it before. A lovely combination of toastiness and freshness with a lemon shortbread finish, very moreish and very appetising

We were then piped through to the spectacular dining room and a delicious looking menu of:

Half Lobster with Beurre Blanc

Roast Pigeon Breast with a Pea and Bacon Salad

Dumfries House Estate Venison with Market Vegetables, Roasted Shallots, Potato Puree and Thyme Jus

A Selection of Locally Sourced Cheeses (Aiket, KIlbride, Cheddar and Arran Blue)

With the opening speeches and the first course we had Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2011 En Magnum from Bonneau du Martray which, whilst on the youthful side, is drinking very well now like the vast majority of the 2011's. It has a steely classicism but not quite the searing acidity that you might expect of Bonneau at 4 years of age. Very good indeed with the delicious Lobster, quite a combination.

Now of course, it was time for Petrus, this most famous of Pomerols. I have been very lucky to have both visited and drunk my fair share of Petrus over the last decade or so. This 11.5 ha site with vines of 45 years age on average is planted, historically, with 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The wine is actually now pretty much 100% Merlot. We were to have the vintages served in two pairs. Older, and from more difficult vintages, first then the younger stellar vintages. This has the advantage of showing grace and maturity before power although it is not necessarily the conventional order. Olivier Berrouet did comment, with a twinkle in the eye, that of course these were his father's wines and he could not be "blamed". The wines had all come from the Chateau a moth or so earlier.

Olivier speaks...

Petrus 1969 - This was described as a lighter style of Petrus by Olivier, "a style that doesn't really exist anymore". The wine was delicate but persistent, not tired. The nose had notes of grapefruit and citrus almost a cool tropicality. I loved it, a shade of menthol and a good gentle balance.

Petrus 1979 En magnum - A growing season with quite high rainfall and limited warmth. This was by contrast to the 1969 (and accentuated by the format) a richer more succulent wine all round. Very iron-like and savoury, a wine to wallow in, a wine of depth and texture. As with the 1969 this far exceeds the vintages reputation.

Petrus 1990 - Velvet and superb weightlessness, supreme even, so moreish with a battle between red and black fruit. My note is clearly too concise, quite rightly this was a wine to enjoy and drink rather than write about. There was a brief comment about the contrast between 1989 and 1990 for Petrus. Olivier said that in 1989 the spring and early summer were hot then it was cooler later, pretty much the opposite in 1990.

Petrus 2000 - Savoury, granite, stones, so youthful, delicious, packed with fruit, decadent and rich. Stunning balance...depth, depth, depth, so much texture but without being heavy. I was trying to compare it to the 2001 that I once had and it seemed less extrovert than that vintage, may be more serious, more understated confidence.

The combination of the food, the wonderful conversations and the fact that there are never going to be enough occasions in life when you have four vintages of Petrus in front of you made for a wonderful atmosphere. The receptiveness of everyone to the Grahams 1970, bottled by Whighams of Ayr, was tremendous, I find myself saying it often but we don't drink enough good Port! We did on this occasion.

As the harpist, oh yes you have to have a harpist, played her last, rather brilliant notes we were joined by a singer and a fiddler...this went well with the Hine 1987 Early landed Cognac, bottled in 2006, which I find to be the most drinkable of all spirits, so mellow and refined...

The evening carried on late, with singing and cigars back at the lodges, a few sore heads in the morning...

What fun!

Not just any 40th Birthday - one hell of a dinner...

It has taken me a long time to write this one up - I am not completely sure why, but when you see the line up may be I was a little intimated by the unique array of wines. It was a simply brilliant dinner to celebrate Jordi's 40th Birthday. The wines were, with I think one exception, supplied by the man himself.

La Trompette in Chiswick was the venue and a brilliant job they did too. The food, listed below with a few pics at the bottom of the post, was superb, never showing too much ego just complementing the wines.

Cep Arancini

Seared Isle of Orkney scallops with parsley root, delice pumpkin and hazelnut

Roast Guinea Fowl with turnip and come di rapa

Roast Fallow prickett with jerusalem artichoke, bone marrow, elderberries and damson

Charolis and whipped goat's curd

Chocolate tart, salted caramel ice cream, white chocolate crumble, espresso vinaigrette

So onto the wines then, each pair or trio was shown blind briefly before a reveal:

Bollinger Grand Annee 1982 en Magnum was our starting point with a lovely mellow, toasty notes, some nuttiness but not bready. There was good focus to this mature Champagne.

When I caught a glance of the white pair which was not served blind I was instantly excited. Having been smitten by so many Coche wines down the years I has always wasted to drink the Corton-Charlemagne. The 2005's from Coche are rightly lauded as exceptional, early picking the key, so Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2005, Coche-Dury had a bit of a reputation to live up to. It did so effortlessly. My notes are just a list of adjectives; persistent, dense, acidity, freshness, luscious, endless, refined, wow! To be flippant it was just delicious. You could savour it over days or throw it back, as with all great wines it begged to be drunk. To then have it with Montrachet Grand Cru 1986 from Ramonet was some treat. Even more of a treat was the fact that this did not turn into a battle or competition, the verve of one complemented the maturity of the other. The Ramonet had some of this producers classic signatures; Lanolin, ginger, spice, a little more ginger then nutmeg. It was heady and rich but not heavy.

So from Burgundy it was a trip west to Bordeaux for the next pair. There is some exceptional "value" to be had in mature white Bordeaux. The Laville Haut Brion Blanc 1966 had a note of green fruit, lovely verve and freshness, there was, amazingly, a district sauvignon note to this. An unctuous depth. Splendid wine. By contrast the Haut brion Blanc 1985 was deeply frustrating as you could glimpse a great wine but it was in some way unclean. In agreement with others it didn't seem corked to me (and didn't get worse with air) but was not what it clearly was underneath.

Any frustration evaporated rather rapidly and here are the three reasons. Vosnee Romanee Cros Parantoux 1990 from E.Rouget was superb, ripeness, richness, sturdy. The ripeness had good depth and some grit. With time some leather and spice, this was very much the opulent texture of the lavish 1990's. Then a little more age, Vosnee Romanee Les Brulées  1977 from H.Jayer, sweet, rounded and charming, so elegant so seductive, complex and absolutely "a point". Such a treat. The final Musketeer, Vosnee Romanee Les Brulées 1970, R.Engel with oranges, dried herbs, tea, some sweetness, bricky acidity and a slightly citric edge, almost a note of cherry, good now and probably not worth holding longer. What a trio!

BUT…then another trifecta was shown. The Moueix flight! Petrus 1960 was tropically high toned, as always with Petrus, stunning, iron like, extravagant, complete, so textured, so dense with some good acidity, succulent…just so "Petrus". Trotanoy 1955 was a delight, such a good vintage, iron-like richness, blood and meat, a lovely maturity with good acidity, almost a mocha note, magical finish, so moreish. Very different to the Petrus but complimentary. Latour a Pomerol 1949 (more - rather a lot more - of which coming on another blog soon) had more sinew, grip, a savoury edge, lovely grittiness, a shade of bovril, slightly dry toffee finish. By this stage it was already a dinner of a lifetime but wait there is more!

The next two wines, both Burgundy, couldn't have been much more different. First there was Chambertin Grand Cru - Domaine Marion - 1959 from Lionel.J.Bruck en Magnum which had an extravagant nose and lusciously dark core, having this blind I think we were almost all in the Rhone and possibly this wine may have had some help before bottling from that area! It just had a "pepped" up feel to it with a funky grip. The next wine - Romanee Conti Grand Cru 1958 - just simply could not have been more different. Pure elegance, tea and sweet degraded fruits, good energy, gentle and effortless, sweetness again and rosewater delicacy, long and persistent. Special.

Jordi is well know for his love of older wines and whilst we had been "mucking about" with some mature bottles I think he felt it was time to ramp things up and how lucky we were to try these next two but also for them both to show as you could only hope they might. 

Margaux 1900 (Deuxième Vin) had a note of candle wax and bananas, this passed and then there was lush texture of aged purple fruit, lovely, iron showed through amazingly it literally seemed to get younger and younger!! Then going back 30 years further Lafite 1870. This was all iron grit and a little metal then a very clear left bank character came through as the wine gained sweetness and showed more and more of that textbook Cabernet character albeit melded with the maturity…pretty staggering really. We then had the chance to revisit the glasses in front of us and try and take the enormity of what we had been drinking. The good thing was that in all other respects the dinner was just a lot of fun with good stories and views, some nice anecdotes - a good celebration. 

To round things off we had a Madeira from Henriques & Henriques the 1898 Boal Solera this had a very distinct; menthol and pine resin nose then the classical Maderia acidity.

All that really remains is to thank Jordi for the bottles opened, so many of which there is no chance I will ever have again! A special evening.

A few remnants

All set!!

Seared Isle of Orkney scallops with parsley root, delice pumpkin and hazelnut

Roast Guinea Fowl with turnip and come di rapa

Roast Fallow prickett with jerusalem artichoke, bone marrow, elderberries and damson

Magnificent luncheon at Medlar

So the Friday after the spectacular Rousseau at Riverside there was another wine feast planned. This time at the Medlar Restaurant in the King's Road. The group of five included two chaps - Betrand, the chief organiser, and Jordi - who have great cellars and love opening older bottles - both being expert in this area. The menu had been specifically put together and is below:

Crab Raviolo with samphire, brown shrimps, fondue of leeks and bisque sauce

Cornish Turbot with Truffle Veloute, Pak Choi, Enoki, and Potato Galette 

Salad of Confit Quail legs, Iberico Ham, Sairass Ricotta, Baby Green Peaches and Pea Flowers

  

Anjou Pigeon with Mint and Coriander Pesto, King Oyster Mushroom, Chargrilled Broccoli and Endive

Rare Grilled Ox Heart with Veal Sweetbread, White Asparagus, Pomme Anna and Confit Onions

48 month Gouda and 36 month Comte 

English Strawberries with Prosecco Jelly, Mint and Lime Granita, Strawberry Sorbet and Meringues

So to the wines, which were splendidly served at good temperatures by the Sommelier Clement. We started with:

Dom Perignon Oentheque 1996, having had the "normal" 1996 Dom Perignon the week before this was interesting. I tend to prefer the normal bottling but this Oenetheque is good, more richness but not in a clumsy way, good toast, a lovely start.

The two whites we started with were any thing but aperitifs being terrific to follow through the next hour or so - Meursault Perrieres 2004, Coche Dury and Meursault Narvaux 2004, D'Auvenay. The D'Auvenay had one of the most expressively explosive noses I can remember. A whiff of bold reduction then a little toffee, then a very marked and persistent note of popcorn, both popped and unpopped. That sounds like a silly note but it is so precisely what the aroma was. A bold and masculine white. The Coche was wonderfully subtle, young, more taut than the D'Auvenay (almost impossible not to be) it developed really well. It was an unfair fight when they were opened, the D'Auvenay taking control, but an hour on it was almost the reverse - a terrific pair.

Next we were having wines from possibly the other two big names in Cote d'Or whites. They were Chevalier Montrachet 1996 from Leflaive and Meursault Perrieres 1989 from Lafon. Sadly, as happens, they didn't live unto their predecessors. The Lafon was corked, it seemed fully mature but wasn't mildly corked so we moved on immediately. The Chevalier, which I have had a couple of times before, is a good wine. This bottle was a decent one if unexciting. It has a saline and salty almonds aroma, there was fruit but slightly bruised. Good length but just slightly missing a bit of "zip".   

The next flight was a splendid trio:

Echezeaux 2007, DRC

Lovely elegant colour, some orange rind, spices, a dash of graphite, with time it actually got more dense. I love the purity of the gently made 2007's. Very pinot.

Bonnes Mares 1976, Clair Dau

I had not heard of Clair Dau before but I was quickly told it is what is now Bruno Clair. This was mature. Animal, good, a little soy, some green but good green. Balanced and complete, possibly missing the excitement of sweetness. There is that mature mushroom water aroma, good and interesting.

Chambertin Clos de Beze 1971, Clair Dau

This was initially served blind, it was a really exciting bottle, dwarfing the previous wine exactly because it did have the sweetness that older wines need to counter balance the complexity of age. Brown sweetness, leather and undergrowth - absolutely stunning.  

From Burgundy we were off to Bordeaux:
La Tour du Pin Figeac 1961 had an orangey hint, mulled, bruised fruit, a little milky in texture, some tin. It was a little "murky" and impure, not bad for it but not perfect.
Cheval Blanc 1952 This was served blind and had come from parcel that also included 1948 which I have had before. Black fruit and saline, great intensity, there was a spice dimension as well, extremely good wine!
So with so many of the great names of wine already having appeared we still had a few to come. 

Petrus 1966 and La Mission Haut-Brion 1966 were next on the "agenda". I had not had either before. The Bordeaux 1966's that I've had have been pretty special though. The Petrus was superb, so Petrus-like in character, extrovert and high-toned, succulent. There is something unique about Petrus, especially about it's texture and showiness. The La Mission was initially a little dusty and a shade metallic by comparison, but it got better, sweater and cleaner over time, there was a little smokiness.

Two last bottles awaited us and both the enjoyment I got from them and the styles could not have been more different. Masuizumi 2008 Sake was, I am afraid, just not for me. It was served blind and I had no idea what it was. It was a little like hazelnut and white chocolate but with no sweetness at all, odd, I clearly need educating. Quinta do Noval Nacional 1967 was simply brilliant. I have had "Nacional" twice before, once it was also the 1967 and once the 1983. Both times I have been incredibly impressed. This tastes so young but not in a one dimensional fashion, it has developed but just at a snails pace. Dates and sweet spiced fruit, power but so graceful, I would put Nacional up there as a wine that any wine-lover has to experience.

It has been a very special lunch, lots of brilliant conversation and so many good bottles, very well pulled together from both a food and wine standpoint. Bravo and thank you!

Some pics for the Foodies!

Crab Raviolo - a Medlar signature

Cornish Turbot

Quail legs, Iberico Ham

Anjou Pigeon

Ox Heart with Veal Sweetbread

A week in Bordeaux tasting the 2014's - picture blog...

Just back from Bordeaux:

7 days tasting the 2014 Bordeaux with colleagues at C&B

372 samples - 315 tasted and 57 consumed.

Wines tasted between one and four times

I'll do a summary of my thoughts on the vintage and the wines at some stage

Picture blog of the trip in 57 photos...

The only way to prepare properly... 

Helen and France's least comfortable van!

Quintus...

Tasting the Haut Brion stable...very proper

Mr Marus clearly can't read the words "grass, keep, off, the, please" 

Alison, Guy and Mr Marus tasting at Pichon Lalande... 

Saturday morning...lovely tasting

Mr Fraser gets prepared to re-taste the Moueix 2013's before the 2014's.  

Always love this property, 2014 no exception...

Exceptional...

Well said and it does help.

Adam and Guy interview Edouard and Christian...

Can't say where but this is rare in Bordeaux..."glass or knife sir?"

Exactly...

Peter Sisseck gets animated at and about Rocheyron with Percy, Adam and Paul...

Caption competition?

Decent if no more....

Jo-Jo guards Lamarque...

Team in the cellar at Lamarque with Pierre-Giles...

Ready, steady, go...really useful Negoce tasting pre lunch on a Sunday....

Sweeties...great to taste along side each other, I'm not good enough with words to describe these.

Well it's sunday and the cabbage was awesome too...

Lovely set...de Fargues really is a bargain, 2004 not easy but this superb...

Such lovely weather for a Monday morning at Branaire... 

The Branaire wines with Patrick Maroteaux's son... 

Mr Fraser enjoys a furry chair at Latour...

When they will be released? Who knows? But lovely they certainly are...

The recent releases...Latour 2003 a wonderful "freak", unconvinced about Forts 2008...

Amazing set up at Mauvesin Barton...it was suggested it'd be awesome for paint-balling...

Wet and grey from Tertre Roteboeuf...

Adam and Guy interview Francois Mitjavile...never dull!  

Tertre Roteboeuf cellars - I never think the wine is particularly Burgundian but the set up IS...

More Interviews - Edouard Labruyere at Rouget, very interesting perspective...

How Rouget's label has changed, 2014 very good and liable to be a great, savvy buy! 

What a line-up with a friend, customer, wine-lover...THANK YOU!

Red scarves at Palmer...it got quite feisty on pricing... 

This red fiat was a complete pain...we needed a referee... 

The Marketing was in full flow at Margaux...Pavillon Blanc was wonderful... 

An icon even now - hustle, bustle and good game chips....

Where did that extra chin come from...

Impressive, Cabernet showcase...

Brooding and serious, for the patient...rewards will follow

A wonderful, relaxed and happy evening...

Vineyards at Les Carmes Haut-Brion - very much still "in town"...

The works at Carmes Haut-Brion, amazing set up for the 2015 crop... 

On great form...

We were at Smith Haut Lafite for the Pessac & Graves UGC... understatement never included...

Monster or masterpiece? A bit of both actually...

"Softplay area" at a very well organised St.Julien UGC at Leoville Poyferre...

Lord Marus of Bordeaux awaits the tasting at Cos d'Estournel... 

His request is answered...impressive and the white is cracking...

Not your average start to a Thursday...

So pure fruited, open, elegant...

Mr Fraser inspects the "arrangements" at La Conseillante...

Conseillante 2014, floral, elegant, precise, good!

The last tasting...filling any gaps and settling any differences, oh and tasting all the Sauternes...

Job done!