Blind tasting dinner at Kitchen W8...

A lovely mix...

This was a really fun evening at Kitchen W8, a good spot that for whatever reason I have never blogged about, despite having been a few times. This is a poor omission, the food is very good, classy and flavoursome and stops on the right side of fiddly. The service too is friendly but not fussy. They are pro-wine and deserve to succeed, which I am sure they will, the only thing I would tweak would be the quality of the wine glasses but that's me being picky. The format of this evening was to enjoy a bottle of Grand Siècle, Laurent Perrier that would then be followed by 5 reds all served blind. The wines then had to be scored, or ranked more specifically, with scores of 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2. This is produces a winner. There had been no instruction other than bring a red.

Now to some this may sound very structured and possibly a little like work but these are keen (and generous) wine people that I am getting to know better and better and actually it is crucial to do this sort of tasting as you have to be honest and really pay attention. We were 6 people in total with a mix of trade and amateur (not that the difference is easy to spot these days) with one MW amongst the gang.

The Grand Siecle was round, rich and quite full without the focus to make it really exciting, in retrospect as I write this I wonder what the dosage was, north of 6g I am thinking. It is not a Cuvee I know well, though I know it became a Non Vintage a few years ago.

So on to the first pair of reds which were: Langhe Nebbiolo Cerretta 2008, Giacomo Conterno and Sori Tildin 1974, Gaja, both suffered a little from being a little warmer than is ideal and a little shaken as a result of tube Journeys  It is fair to say that these two were not that well received and actually came last with Conterno edging the Gaja. I was very surprised and you'll not be shocked to know they certainly were not bottom two in my book. The Conterno is a wine I have written about many times. Roberto Conterno finalised a deal to buy this plot in June 2008 so only had a small involvement in the vineyard for this wine and as a result released it as Langhe Nebbiolo other than the Barolo he could have. The wine is light in colour and to my mind pretty but some of the criticisms were, a warmth and also a greenness, an odd showing. The Gaja was a wine I guessed as a warm vintage Barbaresco, the problem it has was an odd texture. I enjoyed it's degraded iron like richness but I had a good idea what it was and that made a big difference. It was not however 100%. It was a very kind bottle to bring from such an acclaimed vintage.

The three wines served next were:

Shafer Hillside Select 2003

Impostor McCoy 1997, Sine Qua Non

Montrose 1989

My first SQN...

Sadly the Montrose was corked which was a great shame as it was harsh on its generous "bringer" and also I have not had it before. Fortunately  I had another bottle in my bag - Biserno 2007, Tenuta di Biserno - so we added that in, again blind. The Shafer was so primary, so full, rich and the guesses were all over the place. This was mostly due to the succulent black fruit and the slightly indigestible oakiness. My view was that it was Australian, I was hoping it was really young and that would have meant the oak was more logical but as it is 12 years old I feel it will not change and whilst perfectly honest it is not exciting or complex. The bottle was one of the most heavy I have ever come across. It came in mid-division in the overall rankings. The Impostor McCoy was next and ended up winning the evening, I had it down as "weirdly enjoyable", herbs and cinnamon. There was a suggestion of northern Rhone which I came to agree with more and more, possibly out of desperation as I was struggling to place this wine. There was a sense of development but not a degradation. It was good and I was very pleasantly surprised when it was revealed, my first "SQN". The late addition - Biserno 2007 - actually came second with good lush fresh fruit, it is the first vintage of the wine and is mostly Cabernet Franc, it will repay more time but is open and ready for business.

A really fun and well co-ordinated evening, thanks to our hosts. I am already plotting for next time...

A rather delicious veal starter

Gaja at Zucca

I was delighted to get an invite from the UK agents for Gaja to a lunch at my Favourite Zucca. The format was a good one given that Gaia Gaja, Angelo's daughter, was in town sadly with very limited time. She came for a session pre-lunch and talked through the 2011's before also talking through the wines we were to have with lunch.

She is a very good and engaging host who does a very good job saying what must be similar things almost day in day out, you don't get that feeling and that is quite a skill. She had a few good sound bites, all delivered in a cheeky fashion, my favourite of which was "Nebbiolo - the variety the french don't have".

On a more serious note I have had a fair few Gaja's down the years and always found them to deliver, possibly more in a solid way than a charming one but that is down probably more to my bias towards traditional Barolo and Barbaresco than anything. The wines that the family make are good to very good and certainly you can't claim to have explored Piedmont and it's brilliance (bias again) without spending considerable time on these wines.

Before the tasting Gaia spoke a little about 2014. A vintage with a cool June, warm July and then very cool August (average 17 degrees) before a better September/October. Severe green harvesting was needed if what was to be picked would be ripe. It was a year where Gaja saw production in Barolo down by 40% and Barbaresco down by 20%.

When talking of 2011 Gaia mentioned that if was a decent year, better in Barbaresco than Barolo (which is still in concrete). Simpler to 2010 in having an elegant/lighter body...

Barbaresco 2011
Bold tannins but not too much so. Lovely nose, clean, saline with cherry fruit then other red fruits, roots and rhubarb, some lovely sweetness. A blend of 14 different vineyards sites. Impressive.

Costa Russi 2011
The last site to flower and the last to be picked. It is a site that has less humidity and is cooler with a more compact soil. I found this denser, darker and creamier with more texture, a little more wood does show but there is again a little saline, bold and lovely if obviously youthful.

Sori Tildin 2011
Gaia suggested that the addition of a little Barbera is a little like a little Merlot with the Cabernet in Bordeaux. This site is a little sandier and nearer the top of the hill. I found more spice, a deeper wine but not darker than the Costa Russi, more tannin, it took a little while to open in the glass. There was a bell-pepper lift to the wine that I liked. Very good.  

We then re-visited the white that we were served on arrival:


Rossj Bass 2013
A blend of 95% Chardonnay and 5% Sauvignon Blanc this wine is named after Angelo Gaja's youngest daughter Rossana. The grapes come from three sites planted in 1986: The Rossj and Bass vineyards in Barbaresco and a small vineyard in Serralunga. It is a wine I have enjoyed before. Ripe lemon and lime fruit combine with a small dash of toastiness. The fruit character is a little like a generous Chablis as there is real minerality. I like this! They so also make another serious white Gaia and Rey which is 100% Chardonnay and requires more time.

We then moved on to the, as ever, immaculate food:

Antipasti Misti

Taglerini, Pheasant Ragu and hazelnuts

Slow cooked pork shoulder, porcini and yellow polenta

Chocolate semifreddo, pecan ice cream and caramel

Barbaresco 1998

Thus had a slightly rancio nose, iron and resin this was a good drink but not up to Sori San Lorenzo 1998 served even more recently. There is a very true ferrous and iron-like character and with food this is good. Fully mature I would argue best drunk now.

Conteisa 2005 Magnum
Conteisa is a Barolo (with Barbera) in the same way that CR or SSL are Barbaresco. From a site in the Cerequio vineyard in the La Morra sub-district. Very good, nicely done in a sometimes tricky vintage, quite bold and dark but not without freshness, impressed.

Costa Russi 2008
I really like the 2008 vintage in Piedmont and I think it'll prove a savvy buy for many in years to come. The 2004/2006/2010 vintages are spectacular but the 2008 is a little more feminine and I expect the drinking windows to be massively wide. This wine was true to my words, not overly big of rich but in a lovely balance that I think will stand it in good stead.

A cracking lunch - Will and Adam - thank you...and Gaia of course!