Beppe Rinaldi...Brunate-Le Coste a vertical...

The first of a few posts I hope to nail today, a rather large, but good, backlog has built up. I was pretty knackered when this dinner came around but I was equally excited by both the prospect and the chance to see some of my very favourite wine folk - Eric, Mr Burns, Column, Mr Rafferty (jnr) and my favourite, but sadly on sabbatical, pumpkin chef!!

The venue was the Medlar Restaurant which is seeing a lot of action these days including these events. It came about through the wish to drink some Rinaldi, or Azienda Agricola Giuseppe Rinaldi to give it is full name, wines! Eric kindly co-ordinated this with Chris Delalonde at Medlar and everything was in place for a fun evening - expectation dangerously high.

To start, and after Burnsie had insisted on hugging everyone (is he really English), we had 
Louis Roederer Cristal 1999. It was an amusing choice as I had only been saying in the office that day that of the prestige Champagnes it is the one I see served least at wine dinners. It was mellow and a little honeyed but not OTT at all. More biscuity than nutty and with some citrus. If you had to be critical it could do with a dash more verve and length but that really is nitpicking, lovely.

Predictably we then all had the Crab Raviolo, Medlar's signature dish that has to be had. Alongside this we had Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts 2011 from Francois Carillon, here comes the usual bias warning but this is "a point" right now I think, in common with a lot of white Burgundy 2011s. A slight whiff of reduction  then easy yet rich fruit and lemon driven energy, a little spice on the finish...these two led us to the "work" at hand.

There are very few estates that I fearlessly buy totally "blind" - by this I mean I would buy more of these these Rinaldi wines than I can afford, at any chance I get. This doesn't mean to say they are all brilliantly faultless and perfect - wine isn't like that and arguably isn't meant to be. However, if I think of the top ten producer labels that lift the spirits immediately then this is one (others include - Soldera, Conterno, Coche, Rousseau, DRC, Chave etc - must do that list one day). I have only visited Rinaldi once but it was memorable in the extreme. Beppe's views and manor is well documented and long may it last. There will be a follow on to this post when we look at Barolo Cannubi S.Lorenzo-Ravera next month. The Rinaldi estate makes brilliant: Langhe Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera and Freisa but the focus tends to go to the two Barolo which I tried to explain at the end of the post here. Essentially from 2010 you can't have two Crus on the same label so in crude terms.

Barolo Brunate-Le Coste (65% Brunate and 35% Le Coste) has become (from and including 2010) Barolo Brunate (85%Brunate and 15% Le Coste) and...

Barolo Cannubi S.Lorenzo-Ravera (a blend of the two named Crus, sorry I don't know the rough balance) is now Barolo Tre Tini (a blend of Cannubi S.Lorenzo, Ravera and the remaining Le Coste that now can't now go in the Brunate).

To add some confusion there have been vintages when a Brunate alone has been made and also quite often the magnums have been pure Brunate (*see notes at end of post for clarity with thanks to Ken Vastola). Right, enough facts...the wines. We attacked them three by three, deciding not to work by age but my vintage type, often a more fun and logical way to do things.

Flight 1 - Brunate-Le Coste - The Warm vintages

1997 - A predictably more evolved and less pure colour than the others in the flight. Saline and deep fruit with some cucumber-water (sorry but I know what I mean). Spice and cherry fruit, deep, a shade powdery in texture which somehow works. Good. Perfect now, will last but in 5 more years will be old and whilst in 20 years it'll be interesting there is, for me, no real upside - enjoy now, degraded hedonism.

2003 - A little more cherry here and an almost candied note (that Monprivato and Cascina Francia both have in 2003 as well). There is a glycerol character here. If I had to draw a parallel with another producer in another region for this 2003 it would be Rayas, there is red fruited, Grenache like purity. When to drink is very tricky. If I had 12 bottles (as if!) I'd have drunk three by now, drink a bottle a year for the next six years or so, hold three just to see.

2007 - Tight, focussed, very fine, a shade muted on the nose, brilliantly saline on the palate. I know this wine quite well, a splendid 2007, does not show "warm" at all. Much as I would want to own more of this than any wine in the flight the 1997 is the wine I would drink most of right now. This is a 2007 to buy if you can find it!

Flight 2 - Brunate-Le Coste - The "should be a bit open" vintages.

Brunate Riserva 1986 - Ok so one of the exceptions I mentioned above and a wine I have had, and loved, once before in magnum also with Eric. A clouded texture, some frazzles and red fruit, degraded sweetness followed by a little bitterness. The mid-palate is a little quiet but the finish is super, a little herbal green drive at the end. Lovely. At it's peak.

2000 - A bit of a brute. The only wine in the first two flights where I thought this would be good alone but not in this company. It's a good wine, savoury and a bit adolescent right now. I feel I am being harsh but there is just a little sweetness missing. I'd love to try this again in 3-5 years.

2004 - Superb and universally the "wine of the night", not that one is needed. Power and poise, drive and precision. Not ready to show everything but is appreciably good. My note says "what wine is all about". Bold in density and structure but in no way too much. The nose is just sublime and the palate follows through. Don't open for 5 years I recon because if you do you will just drink the bottles you have.

Brunate-Le Coste - "Classic or closed?"

1999 - Bricky, salt and orange spice, very serious, delicious, good astringency, already in third gear, may be a little more open than I expected. Nervously classical. Hold but try every two years.

2001 - In Piedmont I have found quite a few 2001s to be just that bit too serious, too heavy. This is not one of them though Eric was a little disappointed in it. Savoury, serious and dense. Tight, a slightly soupy structure but a good savoury Bovril like finish, a real food wine (aren't they all). I would take the same drinking approach as the 1999.

2005 - I almost didn't mention this, we figured there was some labelling error with this bottle. The juice was not Nebbiolo and was more like 3-5 years old. Nice but not Nebbiolo...

1998 - This bottle was opened at the beginning of the evening and put to one side as it was a shade disappointing but we drank it again at the end and whilst it is a weak link and, on this showing, a lesser wine than the 1997 it is still true to the Nebbiolo grape if a little prematurely aged.

We had a most bizarre Champagne to finish and clearly the level of conversation deteriorated rapidly but then that that was to be expected.

Conclusions, or what auditors always refer to as the "opinion piece". My feelings about this estate are unchanged...I will keep buying. There is so much character to these wines, a lack of compromise that I love. Is there more precision (in the same period of vintages), elsewhere in Piedmont? Yes for sure...but is better always actually better? The daughters are having more and more input and the precision is being refined. Recent bottles from 2008 and 2011 were simply stunning, moreish and intense without being in any way remotely a waste to drink now.

An iconic man? Yes. Iconic wines? They probably are but the thing is, I am not sure they want to be...drink them whenever you can.

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*The labeling of Brunate with Le Coste  began with the 1993 vintage, when Beppe took over the winery from his father, Battista.  It was Battista  who (in the best vintages) bottled Brunate separately (and usually as a riserva) starting in 1964.  I think, but am not sure, that some Le Coste may have been in those old Brunates as well. Ken Vastola 
www.finewinegeek.com

Just a lovely evening…Medlar with five bottles...

This was a splendid Thursday evening a couple of weeks ago. Mr Magnum had organised a dinner for two of his merchants to meet. I always like meeting others in the trade, it's one of the things that sets the wine trade apart. I guess we all compete but really, and especially in this scenario, we agree more than anything. This chap (I am still trying to think up his potential "blog name" - may be that is for next time) has some lovely wines in his quiver none of which directly clash with those I work with anyway…

The venue was Medlar Restaurant which I have always enjoyed, if you've not been you should go, it features quite large on this blog, most recently with this 1996 dinner. It was apt therefore that Mr Magnum kicked us off with Bollinger RD 1996. This bottle being disgorged (Chris Delalonde the sommelier misses very little!) in 2006. It is a wine that is already on the developed spectrum in terms of the mellow, savoury, yeasty and serious aromas but this does not mean it won't age, it will. If a wine can be both young and tight and savoury and evolved at the same time this is it. Could I drink it every day? No, but then I don't have to stress about that. As a change of pace, serious, Champagne it is delicious. 

From there, and as the food arrived, we set about a (predictably) delicious Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2007 from Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey (PYCM to those in the know). Our fellow diner brings the wines in (so that's his cover blown). I was delighted (and lucky) to visit there once, anonymously as a guest of a customer, during a very special trip to Burgundy. Pierre, it is no secret, is doing some brilliant things and I am delighted to have started buying a few of his more humble bottlings. This Meursault was tight, refined, younger than 9 years but totally true to what 2007 should be, a focussed driven wine. There was a little reduction (which you'll know I love) and an almost total balance. On this showing there is more to come but then I'd drink it again tomorrow if I had some. Spot on.

We stayed in Burgundy for Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cherbaudes 2005 from Fourrier. The 2005's in Bordeaux are generally opening out, albeit slowly, there seems to be much less consensus in Red Burgundy. Some remain as muted as ever and others are showing their class. This is more the later than the former. The palate is still a shade meaner than it will be but in all other regards it was delicious. A nice fragant and inviting red fruited nose with the darker fruits in the backbone behind. The finish was a little saline (love it!) and had a severely moreish quality. Delicious wine, may be 2-4 years from peak but then it depends how you like it.

Soldera 2008 was the first of my bottles. I love this estate, I am biased as I get to visit a fair bit (we work with the wines in Asia but not here). It is a magical place and the wines I think sit slightly outside anything else. They certainly, to me, sit apart from Brunello as a whole. There is a persistent elegance that, to my mind doesn't exist in Sangiovese anywhere else. The 2008 is the last but one release and people often assume that young Sangiovese is unapproachable but that is not the case here. Red fruit elegance with a saline and wet meat mineral quality, it is a wine in balance that you can drink now or in 20 years (same could be said of all the above).

The last red was Barolo Brunate-Le Coste 2008 from Guiseppe (Beppe) Rinaldi. This estate is one of those who's wines I simply can't resist (whatever my financial state). It is grippy and savoury but with a terrific intensity of pure yet slightly degraded darker fruits and a good acidity. It was the one wine you "should" rather than "could" definitely be more patient with but what the hell. For those non Barolo-obsessed you won't, from 2010, find this label as the "powers that be" have decided that you can't have two Crus ("Brunate" and "Le Coste" in this instance) on the same label, why? Who knows. So the estate now make a Barolo Brunate (at least 85% Brunate with the rest Le Coste - so a similar wine!) and the other Barolo being called Barolo Tre Tini which has the previous other Barolo wine, Barolo Cannubi S.Lorenzo-Ravera (two crus again), with the remainder of the Le Coste holdings, so again not vastly different. I have had the 2011s and they are predictably stunning.

What a splendid evening, good food, good service, cracking company and deliciously vibrant, lively wines... 

Prowein…my first trip...

I heard a few good things about Prowein wine fair held in Dusseldorf each year and when a colleague showed interest in going (and organising thankfully) I was very keen so two weeks ago on Sunday morning the alarm went at 5.30 and off we went.

The fair is spread over seven halls and has a massive spread of exhibitors, from producers, to collections of producers to agents to negociants, wine merchants and wine accessory people. We were there to taste many wines we offer but don't get to taste, too see producers we work with and most of all to see agents and brokers who we work with. From all the above angles it was an efficient way to get the job done.

From tasting on arriving at the show at lunchtime on Sunday to leaving at lunchtime on Tuesday it was pretty non stop with the evening reserved for a couple of beers and some (rather large) Pork knuckles, see pictures lower down.

So what was there that we tasted and left us impressed?

There were good tastings of Chateau Lagrange, both first and second wines from 2010 and 2011, then The Thunevin range, finishing with a ready to go and easy Valandraud 2007. But the first tasting that I felt taught something was going through the Taylors Tawny range from the nutty woodily delicious 10 year old to the 20 year old which was sweeter, with more fruit and dates, on to the 30 year old that had a refined cognac nose (but not sprity). There was though one more to go and that was the soon to be released 1964 Single Harvest Port (again a Tawny, well Colheita technically, but not called either) this was more Spreyside Whisky than Cognac with fruit and a wonderful acidity…quite a treat.

We then tasted the full Peter Sisseck range but I will write the Pingus wines up another time and have written up Rocheyron before. The wines that were interesting for this exercise where those I'd not tasted before. Rocheyron Rose from 2012, a meaty and savoury merlot rose. The La Fleur de Rocheyron 2011 from 100% merlot and deliciously opulent now. Psi 2011 was gorgeous, both 2010 and 2009 have needed just a bit more time to come round but 2011 looks like it is "out the blocks" lovely.

F.Rinaldi - cracking range

I was then delighted to taste the range of wines from Francesco Rinaldi, a producer I buy for myself each year (and often write up)  - I'm keeping the 06's and 08's while I drink the 2007's. We did the whole range:
Gavi di Gavi 2013 - Clean, crisp but not neutral, just about to be bottled, expressive and impressive in equal measure.
Dolcetto 2013 (cask sample) - Crunchy red fruit, primary, delicious almost carbonic in flavours.
Barbera 2012 - Easy, not serious, softly done, darkish fruit.
Nebbiola d'Alba 2012 - From vineyards between Alba and Barolo. Bruised red fruit, easy light and ready to go.
Barbaresco 2010 - Gentle fruit, almost dry Ribena in flavour. I have had some great older vintages of this especially the 1979.
Barolo 2010 - A step up, blended in the traditional way from three or four sites, really good, very complete, combination or red and black fruit, sweetness that makes it drinkable now but certainly best kept, impressive.
Barolo Cannubi 2010 - Needs time but very classical and impressive but with a lovely red fruit leaning.
Barolo Brunate 2010 - More brooding, deeper, darker more saline and savoury, a keeper, classy.

We managed to get a good slot at the Guigal tasting table and go through much of the range. It worked well that we also managed to taste the "La La's", wines I am not as familiar with at a younger stage.
Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2012 - 65% Viogner which is very high for a Cotes du Rhone. It was a good combination of perfumed fruit with a oily richness on the palate, a little spice on the finish too.
Condrieu 2012 - Mellow nose with good balanced palate, not OTT.
Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2011 - Berry fruit, a little jammy but good jammy, nice, medium weight palate.
Cote Rotie 2010 - A more Bordelais nose than I'd expect, inky on the palate, violates and a savoury edge. All in all at a rather strange stage in evolution.
Chateau d'Ampuis 2010 (Cote Rotie) - Bottled Nov 2013 after 36 months in oak (1/3 new). Made from the 7 best vineyards except for the "La La's". Oak shows a little in the texture compared to the straight Cote Rotie. The wine feels like it needs a little more weight of fresh fruit but then I think it may just be a serious wine that leans towards the savoury and meaty.
Cote Rotie La Mouline 2010 - 11% Viognier which is very high. Floral almost, lifted and very pure of fruit with some pepper, lovely.
Cote Rotie La Turque 2010 - Deeper and a touch darker, good acidity, a lot of fruit weight.
Cote Rotie La Landonne 2010 - 42 months in new oak is a test for any wine. This is a bit of a monster (not in negative way), savoury, saline, meaty, stocky, has no Viognier and is deep. Some black pepper and spice. Very Syrah.
I would own the La La's in reverse order of priority to their stature (so La Mouline the priority). Great to get to taste these especially given the legendary nature of the vintage.

We saw a few of the Bordeaux Negociants while we were there and several wines impressed. I've mentioned a few below. It was interesting to note that with the 2011 and 2012 campaigns having been generally tough and the 2009's and 2010's "dead in the water" pricewise they need to sell some wine.

Will be buying this again!!

"G" Guiraud 2013 - is a cracking wine that given it'll be around £100 a dozen in bond I will be buying at least a case of. It has a cracking blend (70% SB / 30% SEM) than means it'll have legs for the next couple of years.
Pavillon du Poyferre 2011 - Rich, nicely heady, slight spice, quite bold, quite proper, good.
Palmer 2007 - Really easy, lovely, elegant but is this good enough for the stature of the Chateau?

Need one of these at home!

Guiraud 2004 - From a massive bottle (Imperial I think), tasted really good in a not young or old way, fresh enough to drink a fair bit of but with a little rancho character. I am impressed by how active Guiraud are being, they seem a Sauternes house with a real energy.
Paviel de Luze 2011 - A nice easy but complex, smokey, iron-like side to balance some good fruit.
Croix de Beaucaillou 2006 - Good mineral texture and a balance of earthiness and fruit. I do though have a bit of a problem with the 2006's. I find them overly foursquare.

At one stage we tasted the full Vietti range courtesy of the German agent. I am more than a bit of a traditional man when it comes to Barolo and as a result have never been a buyer of Vietti. The wines though from Barbera d'Asti 2010 to Barolo "Villero" Riserva 2010 were impressive. If there has been a turning down of "oak-volume" then brilliant.

Retro Aussi Tawny

Having done a recent tasting of the Penfolds bin series icon releases for this year there was a few other wines to look at on the Penfold's stand. The Grange 2008 which I had not tried and is obviously a very high profile wine. It was impressive, refined, bold but also poised, massive life ahead of it. As soon as I saw they had a Sangiovese 2007 I had to have a try, I liked it, it had a warm Tuscan (in land) feel about it but definitely showed the Sangiovese variety, nice. The last wine to try form this stage was the "Grandfather" an impressive "Tawny" with upwards of 50 years age to it…lovely unctuousness but acidity backed brown fruit with prunes.

At the Chateau Musar stand we met up with Serge Hochar and his team, an honour. We tasted the full range from the tyoung ("Jeaune") wines through the Hochar rage and onto the headline act. Chateau Musar is one of those wines that never fails to excite and interest. I'll be honest and say it is quite some time since I have tasted the wine. We were served a few vintages:
2007 - Leather, spice, sweeter leather, a lovely salty tang, old wood and warn bruised fruit.
2004 - Delicious, mellow, perfect balance, easy but not boring, red fruit on top of the finest leather, refined, very impressive.
1998 - Slightly browner fruits, in the next stage of life, tea and herbs, a little liquorice, a dash of eucalyptus and mint also. Good.
1979 - Soy and Chinese spices, salty with a whiff of swimming pool, tiny bit of mint as well.
1977 - Spicey old sadly leather and black fruits with some spice to follow.
On the interest side the 1974 has only been recently released and there was never a 1992. Also did you know that the "Decanter Man of the Year" was created to give Serge an award?

So what next? Well a very good tasting with Wine & Soul from Portugal with the white field blend "Guru" really impressing from 2012 and 2013. The 2012 reds from Quinta da Manoella, both the VV and the "Manoella" were very impressive in terms of the pure fruitidness. The Pintas and Pintas Character 2012 also hit the spot, big wines with a blue candied fruit but a wealth of freshness. Then we were onto their 10 year old tawny which was on the fruity side, may be not showing the full 10 years of wood but good. The Pintas 2011 Port was very impressive which I am delighted about as it showed ok but not more back when we tasted the Port 2011's on this showing it has really come together, deliciously decadent and with cracking balance. Then there was the 5G Tawny (G = Generations) which was mind blowing…more on that another time…

More general tastings took us past Fontodi where the 2010 Chianti Clasico was lovely, charming and very easy, the Flaccianello 2010 was a little bit of a monster, was it balanced? Time will tell, there's a lot going on…Heitz Napa Cab 2009 was easy mellow and very cabernet without being too much of one thing. The Heitz Trailside Vineyard 2007 was special, complete, balanced and rather splendid. Jonata another winery I know next to nothing about (but there's a fair bit of info out there) was impressive in doing a range of wines with integrity…a stunning White Bordeaux blend was very fine. Monteverro in Tuscany make some delightful wines too…solidity in "red country" but the Chardonnay impressed a lot. We then passed by the Tenuta di Passopisciaro and Tenuta di Trinoro wines and tasted as we went, impressive as ever and often written up here on this blog.

One of the next people who we managed to taste with was Dal Forno. Now this I was really looking forward to as, with the except of the odd bottle, I have very little experience. I left, having tasted, a little confused. The people were wonderful and very very honest, saying that 2008 was an average vintage, no hype, not great but not bad. So why was I confused? Well because the wines were massive and as I have no experience with them I do not know where they are going.
Valpolicella Superior 2008 - Was to quote my notes exactly "herbs, spices but mostly herbs - delicious. Savoury but with fruit depth. GRIP, savoury fruit…bruised". Just not really like anything I've tasted before.
Amarone Monte Lodoletta 2008 - was a little more fruit focussed…a surprise when you think that Valpolicella will "out fruit" Amarone. This was more mellow but also rich and bold. Not quite sure how you end up with both.
Vigna Sere Rosso Passito 2004 - is just knock out gorgeous in a "sweetness meets meat dryness" sort of way, sweetly draws you in and then tannins you out…fascinating. Can a wine be savoury and sweet at once.
In summary I am intrigued by the Dal Forno wines. I have just remembered an occasion when the Sere worked a treat… HERE

Mighty impressive

The first tasting on the last morning was the Ridge range. Wines I have enjoyed and made by a man that is massively respected for his quietly confident but humble approach.

Estate Chardonnay 2012 - Generous fruit and all in-check and balanced, beautiful use of oak to frame the fruit but nothing more.

Monte Bello Chardonnay 2011 - Very refined, clean and rich at the same time, lovely texture, great.

East Bench Zinfandel 2012 - A new wine for Europe (as a market) and 100% Zinfandel. Red blooded fruit, a little spice, easy to enjoy, unpretentiously delicious (a great "magnum with friends" wine).

Geyserville 2012 - 71% Zinfandel, 19% Carignane, 7% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro (Mourvedre), 1% Alicante Bouschet - Headily dense fruit, a little closed, classy.

Lytton Springs 2012 - 82% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah and 2% Carignane - Planted in 1901, more "Rhonesque", a little more savoury and structured.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 - Good classical blackcurrant but restrained, savoury edge, good.

Monte Bello 2011 - a remarkably lovely 12.8%, so so balanced between sweet and savoury and between black fruit and red, a very complete wine.

Monte Bello 1995 - Mellow easy black fruit, come mushrooms, a dash of eucalyptus and then a tobacco edge but no one flavour dominates, elegant.

Monte Bello 2013 (cask sample) - richly fruited, red over black, deliciously primary and pure...

All in all a cracking range of wines…Bravo.

Good showing

Next up we tasted the Achaval Ferrer range, very good showing it was too but I'll write them up another time. Pieropan was another stand we tasted at, great Soaves as ever but the reds also very good in a delicate way…impressive. A brief tasting at Scavino was interesting, a few different vintages and sites.

The next place we stopped between meetings and really tasted was Castello dei Rampolla so that I could add a few recent wines to the  Sammarco and Vigna d'alceo 1983-2006 tasting done recently.

Chianti Classico 2011 - quite glycerol, quite "high", very good but ripe, ripe, ripe, may be OTT or may be just needs to mellow. 2011 was hot and easy after all.

Sammarco 2005 - Lovely with an intriguing combination of tobacco and sweet red fruit, well balanced.

Sammarco 2009 - Nice work, more texture, good acidity, quite opulent but balanced also.

Vigna d'Alceo 2009 - More mellow than many at the tasting, a good thing.

Along the way we managed to taste the Sassicaia 2010 and 2011. Both showed well if slightly subdue as they do in youth. The 2010 was tighter, less expansive but with a lot of glance and some red fruit…promising. The 2011 was easier than the 2010 classically subdued Cabernet. A good showing from both.

Nice just add "1272"

We swung by Jacquesson and tasted the 737 (2009 base) - toasted, fresh also, not too big, mellow, easy. Then the 736 (2008 base) which had a bit more weight over the 737, a lovely drop, delightfully toasty nose. To get the vintage of the base wine from the Cuvee number all you do is add 1272 to the cuvee number!

And so to the final tasting - Zilliken - brilliant wines, I'd heard good things, all justified and lovely people, oh and they do an awesome gin….right taxi to the airport...

The food each evening was just what was needed after a day on our feet and with lots of varied tasting going on. Both the places we went were welcoming and efficient with delicious food that was cracking value…After both suppers there was time for a cigar or two…once in the Capella Bar and Cigar Lounge at Hotel Breidenbacher Hof which was a nice setting with slightly over humidified cigars and slightly odd service then the other time was just outside in the old Town over a beer seated near a "patio" heater…The Bolivar was the pick, the Party Short as sturdy as ever and the Hoyo needs years…

Schweine Janes - this man's back must be "crackling"

Schweine Janes - perfect post tasting dinner

Hoyo - Grand Epicure EL 2013

Pork Knuckle again, this at Brauerei im Fuchschen

Bolivar Short Bolivar - Asia Pacific release 2008

Partagas Short (REA April 2010)

Not a new agency just yet...

The run-in to Christmas - Coche, Soldera, Dujac, Cappellano, Monfortino, Rinaldi, Rousseau...

The last ten days has seen three particularly good lunches: Burgundy at The Ledbury, Italian at Zucca and then a mixture at Theo Randall in the Intercontinental. All three were "end of year" catch ups with customers who are also friends.

Burgundy at The Ledbury:
The three wines were Meursault 1er Cru Rougeots 2002 from Coche-Dury, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St.Jacques 1979 from Rousseau and Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes 2006 from Dujac. The Meursault was lovely, has mellowed that little bit so the distinctive "reduced/struck match" nose you get with Coche was in the wine rather than in front of it. Certainly that bit more complete now that the stunning yet youthful 2004 I had not that long ago. The 1979 Clos St.Jacques was a really strange wine, very cloudy and muddy, the nose was fine, evolved obviously but very much Rousseau (not that I would quite know how to describe that moniker). The palate was initially a little chalky and to be honest very subdued but as the wine had time in glass the nose became better and more clear and the palate improved as well. This was a bottle that could have "turned turtle" but was pleasantly surprising from a tricky vintage. There was just time for one more half bottle and the list at the Ledbury had an interesting candidate in the Dujac 2006. This was quite tight, dark fruited and very primary. A good drink but a wine to probably re-assess on it's 10th birthday (even in half). I do like the 2006's but I would rather drink the 2007's or even junior 2005's right now. The food was as good as ever!

Italians at Zucca:
A glass of Perle 2006 from Ferrari gave way to Soldera 2006 (the last bottling i.e. "Toscana"), this is a wine I have had a few bottles of on three different occasions now. It is simply brilliant, elegant, clean, crisp, focussed, perfumed wine that is without doubt the best expression of Sangiovese I have ever had. There is amazing precision of fruit and a density of flavour but with no heaviness at all. It is one of those wines you feel you could plough though a magnum of all alone, stunning. Next was a, sadly corked, Barolo Brunate 1990 from Voerzio a real shame but actually it allowed us to continue on the 2006's and next up was Cappellano Barolo "Piè Franco" 2006  this is from a parcel planted on its own roots with Nebbiolo's "Michet" clone in 1989. Cappellano does not allow his wines to be scored, I have had a few and I am buying whenever I can afford to. This was delicious, focussed and taught but even in a masculine vintage like 2006 it is not too hard to enjoy now, this will be serious. There was just about time for one more Barolo, and that was another great name in traditional production - Beppe Rinaldi and his Cannubi S.Lorenzo 2006 the wonderful thing here is that the wine is so different from Cappellano but  has just the same integrity and interest. The texture is richer and the wine more savoury. Both great Barolo's with a long life ahead of them. The food was, as ever, a perfect foil for the wines.

Two "M's" at Theo Randall:
A new restaurant to me and good flavoursome food. There isn't quite the atmosphere of Zucca but I really liked it. The two wines both showed well. Meursault 1er Cru Sous Le Dos d'ane 2007 from Domaine Leflaive is a halfway house between the poise of Leflaive's Puligny and the more heady richness of Meursault. The real deal for this meal was to be Monfortino 2001 from G.Conterno. The wine is big in density, still has that lovely clarity of colour that you can only really get from Pinot, Nebbiolo and Grenache from the very best names. The fruit is tight but there in spades, I would say ultimately this is a wine of weight and density rather than tannin. If I had a case (sadly I don't) then I would be waiting 5 years to try it again…not because it is too young to drink, just because there are layer and levels to follow. A mighty wine.

Truffle-tastic at Zucca...

I am delighted to say that something of a tradition appears to be emerging…a November truffle extravaganza at Zucca.
Sam (Harris) organises a great menu, Eric gets a fun crowd along and we all bring wine then eat our way through about nine courses each coated in white truffle. The 2013 Truffle crop would appear to be stunning. The best bit of it all is that people are generous and choose interesting bottles, about half way through you can't work out whether its about the wine or the food - perfect!
As always we kicked off with Perle 2006 from Ferrari, showing well at the moment with a little edge of lemon shortcake then a dry finish it sets things up well.
So, with some Sprat Fritti and Broccoli Fritti it was time of the first white, my white. Meursault Perrieres 2009, Matrot in Magnum, it's my wine so I can say what I like, I took it because I have a lot of time for Thierry Matrot and think that he makes some seriously good wines. This, however, was decent but no more than that, ready now, a little broad and loose, not worth cellaring further. The next white was very poised Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2003 from Raveneau you would not have guessed 2003 in a "million years". Chablis purity and a lovely whiff of old gym socks that you some times also get with White Bordeaux, beautiful texture and very expressive but in no way "of" a hot vintage, very moreish and a perfect combination with the delicious triple header of Pesce Crudo (see pic at bottom).
And so to the red as the Venison Carpaccio smothered in Truffle hit the table, the dishes were all good but this might have been in the top three for me. The red of choice was spot on, lots of black and a little red fruit exploded out the glass, charm with a dollop of extrovert, it was La Dame de Montrose 1990, two bottles served separately. The structure was soft and I would say this was definitely at a beautiful peak now, really great. It is so nice to be excited by a Bordeaux.

The next five reds were all from magnum and were all decanted as the "Dame" had been. We ventured into Burgundy next with Romanee-Saint-Vivant 2000 from R.Arnoux. Open, mellow and fruited without a bite of structure. The 2000's are looking lovely now and certainly it represents one of the vintages to be drinking. A totally new dish to me was served with the RSV -Potato & Mushroom cake, fonduta, Saturday breakfast was being cancelled as I started it and that was only the last of the Antipasti!
The structure of the wines took a bit of a step up from here with Ornellaia 2000 showing next. It showed superbly, ripe and a touch sweet with a dash of tobacco. It was expressive and stopped short of being too much, may be a little tarty but in a good way, just lovely from now onwards. The dish with it was what Sam described as an "old school" pasta dish - Ox cheek Cannelloni, Cauliflower Cheese - slow cooked comfort food with Truffle everywhere? Yes please!
The next wine was the only glass I didn't finish - Voerzio Barbera d’alba Riserva Pozzo dell ‘ Annuziata 2007 - it had been decanted at 4pm and was still almost impenetrably rich and port like. I have not had it before and it'll probably out live me. It would also stand up to chocolate very well. If you own it then forget about it for a decade I'd say, incredible stuff that was just hard to gauge in amongst wines with a different texture and weight.
Risotto Bianco came next and once the "truffle squad" had been you actually couldn't see the Risotto, apparently Adam who did the food with Megan helping as well, doesn't like doing Risotto, well all I can say it that it's pretty awesome. It worked really well with the next magnum, Barolo Brunate 1997 from Marcarini, this is a wine and vineyard I know well but I hadn't had the 1997 before. It can be a tricky vintage as it is often a little open, lush and lacking focus but this wasn't. As "Henry the 8th" my fellow diner said "the cool serving temperature was crucial" to how well this wine showed. Warmer vintages need cooler temperatures. The wine showed tarry red fruit and a little tartness (in a good way). Really very enjoyable.
Pigeon, Hare & Lentils was the next course served and may be it's the fact that I live in North London but I love lentils especially in this sort of dish. It was a prefect foil for one of, if not the, wine of the night - Barolo Brunate Riserva 1988 from Giuseppe Rinaldi. Rinaldi is a wizard of a producer and one whose wines I do anything to buy. My notes are hard to read by this stage but I can tell from their erratic nature that the wine was exciting and exacting. Lots of fruit but a lovely degraded complexity, dense and rich but also elegant and with a cracking saline quality that I love in the best Barolo. Simply put, a brilliant wine.
The main course (yes that's right the rest was just a warm up) of Grouse, Roast Carrot & Wild Mushrooms was now served and along side it the oldest wine of the night. Another legend of Barolo - Cappelano. The wine was Barolo 1964 from 2 different bottles. The wine had a nutty, hazelnuts and walnuts, finish as well as some sweet but degraded red fruit, lovely but I would suggest it has little more to offer from here on in, the savoury bacon and tar edge was delicious, the odd "frazzle" too but not too many.
A fascinating blind white was served with the selection of Italian cheeses, it was a couple of bottles of Clos Joliette 1970, Jurancon Sec. It was like dry toffee apple and one of those wines that was fascinating on the nose but slightly harder work on the palate, really intriguing. And so to a lovely Pistaccio Cake with a cracking couple of halves of Avignonesi Vin Santo 1986. The Vin Santo was brilliant and even at the end of this feast of wines and food it caught the attention for having a beautiful rancio edge to a lovely nutty but fruity nose…as good a Vin Santo as I have ever had.

Staggeringly good evening as it goes - thanks to all for their generous bottles.

Beautiful Pesce Crudo

Potato & Mushroom Cake, fonduta

A German and three Italians or one 2007 and three 2008's...

This was a cracking little sunday selection with a couple of friends (and former colleagues) a few weeks back. I've been meaning to write them up for a good while but just not got round to it:

Bernkastler Badstube Kabinet 2008, J.J.Prum - I have had several bottles of this now and whilst I wish I could be more patient this is just delicious now. I am a big fan of decanting young Riesling as it just opens out so much, in texture as much as anything. This has a little bit of what I like to call Prum-Stink. The white, slightly floral, fruit is in perfect balance with the acidity, it is just the sort of thing to wake up the taste buds and refresh the mind.

Barolo Cannubio 2007, F.Rinaldi - I decided to show this as I want to see how it compared to the Brunate 2007 from the same producer that had so impressed me a few weeks ago. This was also splendid and poised, slightly redder fruit than the Brunate. I first started buying the F.Rinaldi's after having a few older (1971 & 1979) bottles and then loving the 2006's. The 2007's are going to develop nicely but will certainly get drunk before the 2006's & 2008's.

Percarlo 2008, San Giusto a Rentannano - Having had a Vertical tasting of Percarlo a year or so ago this was a first re-visit in a purely drinking capacity. The wine is impressive, has grown an extra savoury component. I would say it is best left now, this was enjoyable but in 5-6 years will be even more so. The magnum I have will stay tucked away for well over a decade. The estate seems to be going from strength to strength and is on of my favourites in Tuscany.

Barbera Cerretta 2008, Giacomo Conterno - Anyone reading this blog regularly will not be at all surprised by this appearing, it is in a lovely place at the moment, the rich but red/purple fruit balancing the acidity and the grainy tannins perfectly. To think that this wine has got better every year since Roberto took it over in June 2008 is very exciting.

And that is that - it was great as ever to catch up with old friends and realise that nothing changes, well except for their cool new addition "Henry"! Lots more blogs to write so better get to it!

Two Burgs and two Barolo's...

A relaxed lunch at Zucca last week with Mr G was a great chance to chat about wine and mostly racing (that's horses for those inclined to think there is any other type of racing).

We started off with a glass of Franciacorta then got straight into a lovely bottle of Corton-Charlemagne 2006 from Bonneau du Martray. I am a little sceptical about a lot of 2006 white Burgundies I think they are biggish, round and probably best drunk sooner for their exuberance rather than kept too long. As with everything there will be exceptions but I would drink 2006 before 2004 and 2007 for sure. This was a slightly different kettle of fish, it has depth but is still lemon fresh and whilst lovely now probably not yet at its peak, it disappeared quickly. A lovely start. The first red was Chambertin Grand Cru 1990, Rousseau. A wine I am getting to know better and better courtesy of a few friends (see here), but I had never had the 1990. There is an animal quality about these wines that makes them, to my mind, some of the richest and most savoury of all the red Burgundies. I think of Rousseau's Chambertin as being 85% Burgundy and 15% Northern Rhone, the later adding a touch of "animal". This 1990 was really great, sweet dark but bright fruit with spice rather than pepper, a lovely finish and just the right amount of grip. I would say it is between stage 2 and 3 of development and comes very much recommended...the pasta with ox ragu was great with it.

A couple of Barolo's followed. Rinaldi's Cannubbio San Lorenzo Ravera 2006 and then Granbussia Riserva 1999 from Aldo Conterno. Both showed well and yes both are not yet at their peak BUT as I had l always maintained, in my opinion, a great wine is always a great wine and even when young can be enjoyed as such. This is not to say wines can't shut down because they can but even then you can tell class by the texture and balance however muted. 2006 is a Barolo vintage that I never tire of, which is good as I own a fair bit of it, yes it is structured and will repay the patient but it has real class and is very true to Nebbiolo. Uncompromising is may be the best word, a good thing in a wine world where too many wines are a "nod" to something else. Beppe Rinaldi is a legend and this sort of wine shows why, intensity, purity, depth and also spice, truly multidimensional. The Aldo Conterno was very fine also. I am, as regular readers will know, a lover of very traditional Piedmont wines as made by Beppe Rinaldi and Roberto Conterno amongst many others. Aldo's wine come from the other side of the fence, this was delicious, more textured and showing well, young yes and with years ahead but balanced and very fine, darker fruits, blacker fruits, not bruised.

A really cracking lunch.