December 2005 LOTS OF NEW WINE FOR THE

December 2005
LOTS OF NEW WINE FOR THE WINTER SEASON
What's been happening here recently at The Winery?
As we write, we are currently waiting for B52's to hit The Winery! All we can say for now is they 're German, they're
Pinot Noir, and they're utterly spellbinding - look for the stand-out labels in the shop, emblazoned with the date 1479.
After going to the Loire, Burgundy, Spain, Italy, California and Germany (twice) in the last eleven months, the fruits of
those visits sees our cellar bulging with new arrivals:
NEW - WHITE BURGUNDY - Classy Puligny, Meursault, Auxey-Duresses and Rully from Moret-Nominé.
NEW - RED BURGUNDY - Elegant, fragrant Chambolles and Moreys by Sigaut - Back in.
NEW - SPAIN - crisp refreshing Verdejos from Nieva in Rueda. Big reds from sun-scorched Jumilla near Murcia.
NEW - ITALY- Catch Schola Sarmenti’s juicy reds from Puglia - they arrived a couple of weeks ago and are flying!
NEW - CALIFORNIA - finally docking after a long sea voyage - who knows which way they came? We have had offers to
greet the vessel! Many favourites are on board, Green & Red, Rabbit Ridge and many new finds from our latest trip.
Spine-tingling Pinot Noirs from the Russian River Valley and beautiful Chardonnays from Alexander Valley.
NEW - GERMANY - Too many to list here! Check out the following pages, a whole host of new growers, including reds,
whites, and sparkling.
Our next few Tastings on 8th December, 18th January and 9th February will see us opening the new wines,
so come along and see what we've uncovered!
We've also been running a couple of food and wine matching events at Liberty, which have been a huge success and
enjoyed by all who attended - look out for news of more of these, as we've enjoyed putting them together!
Now on to our staff profiles :
Guillaume Aubert is a Parisian and came to England six and a half years ago. We poached him from the local Nicolas.
Guillaume studied for a wine degree in the Loire valley followed by stages working in the vineyards of Hungary, Cahors
and Médoc.
We came across Louise H o l s t e i n in Andrew Edmunds, the Soho restaurant famous for its fabulous wine list. As well
as working for The Winery and Andrew Edmunds, Louise is also developing her career in screenwriting.
Debbie Holt moved to London from San Francisco after experiencing the Dot-com bubble from the inside. As well as
bringing her knowledge of California, Debbie has been responsible for much of the cosmetic "uplift" of the shop and,
less visibly, enhancements to our computer systems.
15 years ago Agustin Sanchez Vicente moved from Salamanca (a stone's throw from the Toro region of Spain) to
London where he travels everywhere by bus - his knowledge is encyclopaedic! He worked with Louise at Andrew
Edmunds, surrounded by wine. It was his idea that he and Louise should do the WSET (Wine + Spirit Education Trust)
courses - the rest is history...
From tabloid journalist to wine-loving hooligan, after studying Keats, Zeren W i l s o n began work as a roving
reporter , then moved into advertising sales, before a wine epiphany changed his career direction. His other passion is
football - he is a life-long supporter of Tottenham Hotspur. Zeren has made his mark in many ways, lately broadcasting
weekly on his notice board outside the shop!
Heidi Whitelock - how does she do it? Helps out in a vineyard near Henley, speaks four languages, foodie with hotel
and catering experience and a stint at La Reserve running their cellars and tastings...and now working at The Winery!
Almost forgot - she also plays the harp. She has now started her maternity leave.
Ai Watanabe moved from Yakuza town Osaka to a Japanese boarding school in London
at the age of 15 and never went back. After several years working with autistic children
she moved into wine and joins us from a stint with Berry Brothers.
Our newest addition is Nick Trower who joins us from Fulham Road Restaurant “Tartine”.
If he’s not at the shop he can also be spotted whizzing around Ladbroke Grove on his scooter.
David Motion continues to balance his parallel careers in Wine and Music, travelling
extensively searching for new wines, appearing in interviews for the Ham & High, NW Harpers (the wine trade magazine), Classic FM and Radio 4. Recently wrote the music
for the Transport for London Ad and co-wrote the soundtrack to Lynda La Plante’s “Trial and Retribution” with classical percussionist Evelyn Glennie.
The Winery - We actually go there!
CONTENTS
Germany
3
4
5
6
9
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
15
15
15
16
16
16
16
16
17
18
18
18
18
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
21
22
22
23
23
24
24
24
25
25
26
26
27
28
29
29
29
30
30
31
31
33
33
34
34
35
35
36
37
37
38
38
Rheingau
The Ahr
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Mittelrhein
Sachsen
Rheinhessen
Nahe
Württemberg
Pfalz
Franken
Spain
Rueda
Extremadura
Jumilla
La Mancha
Valdepeñas
Aragon
Carineña
Toro
Ribera del Duero
La Rioja
Alta
Alavesa
Baja
France
Burgundy
Cote Chalonnaise - White
Cote de Beaune - White
Cote de Nuits - White
Cote de Nuits - Rose
Cote de Beaune - Red
Cote de Nuits - Red
North Burgundy
South Burgundy
The Beaujolais
Bordeaux
Rhone Valley
Northern Rhone
Southern Rhone
The Languedoc
Roussillon
Provence
Alsace
Champagne
Sparkling
Loire
Central Vineyards
Touraine
Anjou
Pays Nantais
Italy
Piedmont
Veneto
Friuli
Tuscany
Puglia
Australia
England
California
Dessert Wines
Beers & Cider
Grappa, Liqeur de Fruit, Schnapps
Fruit Nectar, Olive Oil, Vinegar
2
GERMANY
So what is it about German Riesling?
Many people turn their noses up and say it’s sweet. But often the same people might, at the right time, enjoy a glass of
Sauternes or an off-dry wine from Alsace or the Loire. Sweetness may not be the issue. The Germans have responded to the
general trend towards dry wines by producing “trocken” styles and consume enormous quantities domestically. Many estates
are producing anything between 60-80% of their wines in the dry style now.
To many, the glory of German wine remains within the classic Prädikat system - wines with natural ripeness increasing in
sweetness from QbA (quality wine from a specific location) through Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese to the dessert wines;
Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein.
“it’s like electricity!”…
Fans of German Riesling talk in evangelical terms and certainly many have had personal epiphanies - a wine that just clicks,
when the heavens open and it suddenly makes sense!
Could it be the exquisite balance between sweet and sour? A sceptical friend of ours tasted one of our dry Germans and said
immediately “it’s like electricity!”…Even the sweetest wines have incredible racy freshness that stop them from becoming
cloying or heavy.
Could it be their versatility with food? They’re great with fish, chicken, veal and the perfect partner for pork; particularly
good with spicy foods - try a Spätlese with Thai or Indian, for instance.
Another attraction may be, as with Burgundy, the real sense of terroir - that this particular wine comes from a tiny little plot
on a steep hillside with a long history and tastes different to one from 200m away.
Also they are brilliant value. The finest white Burgundy can cost between 35-50, whereas an equivalent German will be 1520.
Following our recent trips we now have wines from all the key regions and many from the already legendary 2003 vintage;
the delicate but steely Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, the rich and earthy Nahe, the perfumed Rheingau, the more tropical Pfalz and
Franken with its minerals and the mad bottle shape. We have a wide spread of growers - many, like Diel or Crusius, with
long-established reputations, some, like Herrenberg and Prinz, just starting up, but all united by the pursuit of quality.
So, put any memories of Liebfraumilch sugar water to one side and try these fascinating wines with food or on their own!
Naturally Sweet (edelsüß) or Dry (trocken)?
The Prädikat system as we know it (or are confused by it) was finalised in 1971. It was designed to give the most accurate
indication of what you would find in the bottle. The quality levels (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese etc.) simply describe the
ripeness (Oechsle) level of the grapes before fermenting.
In the 60s and 70s there was huge demand for sweeter wines. These were made by stopping fermentation before it was
complete by adding Süssreserve (unfermented grape juice from the same batch of grapes). There was also the additional
benefit of being able to produce a palatable wine even in an unripe vintage. Nowadays, with the growers we are working
with, this style is made by quickly chilling the tank to kill the yeast. The idea is to create a wine with a perfect harmony
between sweetness and acidity. This is also why in this style the alcohol levels are so low, often in the range of 7-9% alcohol
by volume.
An interesting point that emerged during our visits was the sense that 100 years ago, when classic German wines were the
most expensive in the world, the yields could be as low as 15-20hl/ha and many wines were allowed to ferment out dry.
Perhaps these cutting-edge garagistes are actually creating a more traditional German wine than we think.
A note about the 2003s
Everyone was talking about the 2003s. Some writers and some growers (including Fred Prinz who had access to the extensive
data and collection of the state domain Kloster Eberbach) drew strong parallels with the 1959s. Thanks to the incredible
unbroken summer across Europe, the wines reached a level of ripeness not seen for half a century!
How do they taste? Opulent. Are they better than the 2001s or 2002s? Difficult to say. Best to say “excellent, but different”.
There is less race and precision, but there is weight and richness. Vollenweider said it was a great year for sweet wines, we'd
have to agree. For growers who specialise in trocken wines, it was not a straightforward vintage. Manfred Loch said his
wines simply stopped fermenting in January. For a grower whose main market is for his trockens, it was a potential disaster!
He tried cultured yeast on one tank. Nothing happened. In something approaching desperation, he put a small heater in the
cellar and finally in April the fermentation started again! This time it finished.
There was a lot of talk in the Press about low acidity levels and the need to acidify. Most of our growers decided not to
acidify. In line-ups where one or two wines had been acidified and the others hadn't, those that were acidified stuck out like a
sore thumb - disjointed and unharmonious.
In our experience, regions such as the Mittelrhein and Sachsen, best known for their high acidity, turned out their best-ever
wines.
A note about the 2004s
A wonderful vintage with more classic race and focus than the 2003s. Fred Prinz says: “ If you draw a triangle with 2001,
2002 and 2003 in each corner, 2004 sits slap bang in the middle of all of them.” That’s a promising sign!
3
The Rheingau
Classical, long-lived Riesling from the south-facing slopes between Rüdesheim and Wiesbaden. Perfumed and floral on the
nose, with wonderful precision in the mouth.
Prinz (Hallgarten)
Until recently Fred worked for the large and well-known State Domain at Kloster Eberbach in Stadt Eltville. He started as
Sales Director and then became responsible for the winemaking. He, his wife Sabine and their two children live in a second
floor flat in the village of Hallgarten high up on the slopes above the Rhine. You only find evidence of what was his "hobby"
in the garage below the flats. Here you will find a few tanks and pruning tools - a true garagiste! He and his wife built up
their original 1.5ha of holdings in two vineyards around the village; Schönhell (generally used for the dry styles) and Jungfer
(for the fruity, sweeter styles). The exception in both the 2001 and 2002 vintages is the dry "Erstes Gewächs" (First Growth)
which come from Jungfer. Quality is high, yields are low, output tiny.
He green-harvests once or twice a year, stripping out 20-40% on each pass. In the cellar he allows the grapes to cold soak
overnight before allowing them to ferment. This, Fred says, boosts the extraction and lowers the acidity. After fermentation
he then leaves his wines for 4 months on the lees, adding more layers of complexity. The wines have a wonderful precision
and focus - not overblown, just quietly persuasive.
Demand for his wine is so great that he has just given up the day job to turn the hobby into a full time job. Uneconomic with
just 1.5 hectares, he needed to find another hectare. He always keeps his ears open while he's out working in the vines.
Gossip and rumour are rife among the vines...who has been approached by who, who's thinking of selling to who! As a result
he has now managed to scoop up a couple more parcels of old vines in his favourite locations, almost doubling his holdings
to 3 hectares.
trocken
Riesling trocken
Hallgartener Schönhell Riesling Kabinett trocken
Hallgartener Schönhell Riesling Spätlese trocken
Hallgartener Schönhell Riesling Spätlese trocken
Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling ERSTES GEWÄCHS
Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling ERSTES GEWÄCHS
2004
2004
2003
2004
2003
2004
8.99
11.99
14.99
14.99
19.99
19.99
Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Spätlese
Hallgartener Schönhell Riesling Spätlese
Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Spätlese
Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Auslese HALVES
Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Eiswein HALVES
Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese HALVES
2001
2002
2002
2003
2002
2003
14.99
14.99
16.50
27.99
49.99
89.99
fruity
Flick (Wicker)
Hardly anyone has heard of the village of Wicker. It is part of the other bit of the Rheingau next to Hochheim where the
River Main meets the Rhine and from whose slopes you can watch the planes on final approach to Frankfurt airport.
Although wine has been in the Flick family since 1775, it is only now, through the rising fortune of Reiner and his wife
Kirsten, that Wicker is being put on the map.They live in a rennovated 13th century mill and work their 14ha of vines scattered across 102 seperate parcels in two villages. Jewels in their crown are the Wickerer Mönchsgewann and the
Hochheimer Hölle where Reiner spends much of his time working with the soil, trying to get a 2-3% level of houmous. The
wines have blasted their way onto the German wine scene over the past two vintages. We found modern but stately wines
here - sometimes with savoury herbal notes, such as thyme or lavender. Supercharged Rheingau, classical lines but definitely
supercharged! His Charta wine was made only using yellow grapes, the Erstes Gewächs is quite simply explosive!
trocken
Wickerer Stein Riesling Kabinett trocken
Wickerer Stein Riesling Kabinett trocken
Wickerer Nonnberg Riesling trocken
Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Spätlese trocken
Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Spätlese trocken
Wickerer Mönchsgewann Riesling ERSTES GEWÄCHS
2004
2003
2004
2004
2003
2003
10.99
11.50
11.99
13.50
14.50
23.99
Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Spätlese
Wickerer Nonnberg Gewürztraminer Spätlese
2004
2004
16.99
17.50
fruity
What is CHARTA? (see Spreitzer’s Charta wine below)
Charta was a forerunner of the “Erstes Gewächs” movement in the Rheingau, an association of growers committed to
enhancing the quality of Rheingau’s dry wines. Grapes have to be 100% Riesling, be of one Prädikat level higher than that
stated on the bottle (so a Spätlese would be made from Auslese grapes), and finally be approved by the Charta panel. They
come in a tall brown bottle embossed with a Roman double arch and a Charta back label.
4
Langwerth von Simmern (Stadt Eltville)
As close to royalty as you find in Germany today, Baron Georg-Reinhard, Freiherr Langwerth von Simmern, and his
glamourous wife Andrea (who handles much of the client facing side of the business) inherited the estate (originally a gift
from a grateful Duke to his Chancellor in 1464) in 1996. There was major restructuring to be done on his arrival, with 20
employees in tied accommodation and German wine sales in a slump. They have 27ha, with plots in some of the most
hallowed vineyards on the Rheingau – Erbacher Marcobrunn, Rauenthaler Baiken, Hattenheimer Mannberg and
Nussbrunnen, all of which (with the exception of Marcobrunn) are now only made in the dry style. Now a lean, mean
machine, there are 8 employees, including the young star wine-maker Dirk Roth, who joined for the 2001 vintage. The results
are as spectacular as their eye-catching 19th century label!
Harvested four weeks earlier than usual in 2003 trying to keep the acidity levels up. Dirk has been experimenting with
cultured yeasts. Andrea says the yeasts influence the fruit aromas in the first year but the influence falls away after two.
trocken
Hattenheimer Mannberg Riesling ERSTES GEWÄCHS
2003
27.99
Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Kabinett
Rauenthaler Baiken Riesling Spätlese
Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Auslese HALVES
1996
2003
2002
14.50
19.50
24.99
fruity
Spreitzer (Oestrich-Winkel)
Founded in 1641, this family domaine is one of the oldest in Oestrich-Winkel. The Jugendstil house in Oestrich has a
wonderful view of the river a couple of streets below. While their father Bernhard can still be found tinkering in the cellar
(their collection dates back to 1743), the two sons Andreas and Bernd took over in 1997, steering the domain to new heights.
It is fascinating to compare Oestrich Lenchen Spätlese in trocken (dry) and edelsüß (sweet) styles - same grapes, different
outcomes. In addition to a stunning Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen “Erstes Gewächs” (First Growth), they also make a
CHARTA wine (see note below) from mainly Auslese grapes with a little Spätlese.
trocken
Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen CHARTA
Oestricher Doosberg Spätlese trocken
Oestricher Lenchen ERSTES GEWACHS
2001
2001
2001
10.99
11.99
18.99
fruity
Oestricher Lenchen Spätlese
2001
“14 now, 17.5 points in 5/8 years. Simple now, but give it time....and wow! (fruity)” Malcolm Gluck
11.99
Zum Krug - Josef Laufer (Hattenheim)
In the village of Hattenheim there is a wonderful hotel - Hotel Zum Krug - with a superb restaurant serving traditional
German specialities for lunch and dinner, and a more ambitious Michelin-style menu available in the evenings.
Eccentric, bow-tied Josef Laufer is the owner. He is passionate about Rheingau wine and is an authority on the subject. His
winelist is staggering : two inches thick with wines only from the region.
He also has some vines of his own and makes delicious Sekt. German sparkling wine, although popular on the home market,
can sometimes be a bracing, rather harsh experience, but not here. Beautifully made Extra Brut with bottle fermentation - dry,
full of character with layers of flavour, and makes a wonderful change from Champagne.
sparkling trocken
Riesling Sekt EXTRA BRUT (traditional method)
NV
13.99
The Ahr
Adeneuer (Bad Neuenahr)
The Ahr Valley, between Cologne and Koblenz, is one of the northernmost winegrowing regions of Germany. It is highly
prized for white Asparagus and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) which often has an ethereal smoky perfume and supple texture.
The Adeneuer family has been making wine for 500 years in Bad Neuenahr. Their wines are flying out. One of our
customers, more used to drinking Rioja said of Cuvee JJ “it’s so good it makes you want to run away from it!”
Don’t miss two oddities – the Blanc de Noirs, a creamy white wine made from red grapes, and the Red Sekt – mad!
white
Blanc de Noir Spätburgunder trocken
2004
10.99
2004
2004
2003
9.99
44.99
2001
17.99
red
Spätburgunder Cuvée JJ trocken
Spätburgunder No 2 trocken
Walporzheimer Gärkammer Spätburgunder Auslese Golkapsel tr
sparkling
Red Sekt Spätburgunder Brut
5
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Known for their lightness of touch, their ethereal delicacy, their wonderful raciness and terroir definition.
Lubentiushof – Andreas Barth (Niederfell)
Andreas Barth studied Law and Music but decided, with the support of his interior designer wife, Susanne, to turn to winemaking. He is almost entirely self-taught except for a couple of modules at the famous wine school at Geisenheim.
In 1994 they bought an estate on the outskirts of Koblenz on the not very well-known Lower Mosel called Lubentiushof.
Sounds grander than it was... But with a run-down cellar came 2.5ha in Gondorf, which is what Andreas was most interested
in. It was tricky starting with no customers - but the first two years went well. Then with all the radical work he was doing in
the vineyards there were two years when the vines went into shock yielding just 15hl/ha! Now, having recultivated vines that
had gone to seed, he has 5ha - many between 35-85 years old. He only uses natural yeasts, and is virtually organic.
A journalist on the Frankfurter Allgemeine Paper encouraged him to go for the vacant Kellermeister position at the large,
historic Von Othegraven estate in the Saar. He now works there one day a week, keen to fill the vacuum there and polish the
slightly jaded reputation. It's exciting to work with historic vineyards like Kanzemer Altenberg.
“In the Saar there is a homogenous geology within each vineyard. There is often a slight sparkle within the blue slate which
means there is a high oil content.
Whereas here on the Lower Mosel in Gondorfer Gans there is some blue slate too, but here it is mixed with red and yellow
sandstone/slate and quartz. It's as if someone has taken all the minerals and shaken them up! To give you an example of the
effect: if you can expect 24g of mineral extract on the Middle Mosel, you find 27g on the Lower Mosel.”
With the low yields and very late harvest in the vineyard, the high extract of diverse minerals and finally a very, very long
fermentation, these wines are surprisingly less floral when young, much tighter and more restrained but packed with
information and explosive potential! We tasted from three vintages and the oldest, the 2001s, were definitely showing signs
of brilliance. His late release 2003s after extended lees contact and the best part of a year in bottle now taste amazing.
Fascinating, deep textures and fabulous length.
trocken
Burg von der Layen Riesling trocken
2003
10.99
Gondorfer Gans Riesling Spätlese trocken Goldkapsel
2001
22.99
For the Goldkap Andreas carefully selects grapes from pre-phylloxera vines within the parcel. Fat and creamy with peachy
fruit and scented layers of incense and almonds, balanced by great acidity, making this extremely quaffable.
fruity
Gondorfer Gäns Auslese Goldkapsel 375ml
2003
33.99
Franzen (Bremm)
Ulli Franzen was kind enough to treat us to a ride in his motorised wine crate, which runs on a single rail, almost vertically up
Europe’s steepest vineyard, the Bremmer Calmont. Without the luxury of safety belts we clung on for dear life and enjoyed
every second of it! At the top, Ulli uncorked his Bremmer Calmont 2003 and we relaxed to enjoy the spectacular view, which
Turner also appreciated and captured in his stunning watercolours (housed at Tate Britain). We also enjoyed the wines, which
sold out very quickly. We now have his fabulous 2004s and have secured a few more half-bottles of his ’99 Eiswein.
trocken
Neefer Frauenberg Riesling
halb-trocken
Neefer Frauenberg Riesling Goldkapsel
Caldius Mons Riesling Goldkapsel
fruity
Riesling Eiswein 375ml
2004
11.50
2003
2003
18.99
26.99
1999
29.99
Clüsserath-Weiler (Trittenheim)
It’s difficult to imagine a more idyllic way to start the day, breakfasting in the house on Trittenheim bridge with the Apotheke
vineyard towering above you on the opposite bank and watching the sun swing over the hill, gradually bringing the vines into
the light as the mist rises over the Mosel. Father and daughter, Helmut and Verana, do the wine, mother Helga runs the
guesthouse. Trittenheim is full of Clüsseraths so to avoid confusion Helga brings the Weiler name with her from nearby
Mehring. They always use wild yeasts, which can give their wines a wild perfume. The “HC” is crisp and lean, with spicy
minerality. The Alte Reben (Old Vines) comes from a parcel of 50-75 yo vines and gives a deeper, denser flavour and
mouthfeel. The “S” is a selection of the best bits of the best parcels, (usually from a small beautifully placed triangular parcel
half-way up the vineyard immediately opposite the house) - while not the oldest vines hre are none less than 30yo. The 2004
has a dizzy, fruit salad perfume, is broad-shouldered, packed with herbs, spices, stones and gems, and very, very long.
trocken
Riesling HC trocken
2004
12.99
Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spätlese tr “Alte Reben” trocken
2004
20.99
Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spätlese “S” trocken
2004
20.99
6
Clemens Busch (Pünderich)
Clemens Busch looks a bit like Jesus. He certainly has intensity and conviction! He and his wife Rita have transformed our
expectations of the Pünderich vineyards. Pünderich was just another village in the middle Mosel churning out dilute, wishywashy wines with yields of over 100hl/ha. The Busch’s crop at around 40 hl/ha.
They own 7.5ha of vines in Marienburg (Virgin Mary’s Castle) and Nonnengarten (Nun’s Garden), which used to belong to
the Cloister. They are currently renovating Clemens’s grandfather’s old house built in 1663 on the riverfront, but continue to
make their wines in the cellars up the hill, away from the water’s edge.
We asked Clemens about the distinctive and fascinating nose on his wines, reminiscent of aged Rieslings, and he revealed
that, in the search for further layers of complexity, he allows his grapes to oxidise slightly before fermentation. Unusual, but
effective!
There is nothing of your average Mosel about these wines. They show definition, poise and intensity and set a new
benchmark of quality for others to aspire to.
trocken
Pündericher Nonnengarten Riesling Kabinett trocken
2004
10.99
halb-trocken
Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Auslese halbtrocken 500ml
2001
22.99
fruity
Pündericher Nonnengarten Riesling Kabinett
2004
10.99
Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Spätlese “Fahrlay”
2003
18.99
Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Spätlese "Weissenberg"
2002
21.99
Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Spätlese "Fahrlay-Terrassen"
2002
24.99
Martin Müllen (Traben-Trarbach)
Quietly determined Martin Müllen had a falling-out of almost biblical proportions with his father, ending up with Martin
going his own way and effectively building up his vineyard holdings from scratch. We have been watching his wines for a
while. Shallow as it may sound, we were originally put off by the kitsch bird motif on one of his labels. But then the wines
haunted us... Beautiful, poised, focused wines of finesse and polish.
Kröv may have been built on the bawdy image of the Kröver “Nacktarsch” (naked bottom), but Martin is almost singlehandedly raising the reputation of its finest slopes “Paradies” and “Letterlay” with his hauntingly fragrant, pure wines.
trocken
Kröver Paradies Riesling Kabinett trocken
2003
9.99
Kröver Letterlay Riesling Spätlese trocken
1999
11.50
Kröver Letterlay Riesling Spätlese trocken
2002
12.99
Kröver Letterlay Riesling Spätlese ** trocken
2003
16.50
Kröver Paradies Riesling Spätlese** trocken
2003
18.50
“Who says dry wines do not work in the Mosel? This is very exciting and tense with a strong mineral undertow and amazing
length of flavour.” Jancis Robinson, Financial Times
fruity
Trarbacher Hühnerberg Riesling Auslese* 375ml
2003
34.99
Rudolf Trossen (Kinheim-Kindel)
“Fate” Rudolf called it, when we called by on the off-chance and found him in. This after phoning for directions from the
riverside car park. “Can you see the house with the round windows on the opposite bank of the river? That's me waving!”
We were intrigued by whispers of a very uncompromising grower in Kinheim-Kindel. Rudolf Trossen, leather waistcoat,
Scholl footwear, is a Hardcore Eco-warrior...and poet. His father came back from the Russian front after the war with half a
leg missing, so Rudi had to do all the spraying and had an allergic reaction to the chemicals. Having not been convinced he
was going to take over from his father his allergies got him thinking about ecology. He had found his cause. “Bio-dynamics
started here in Germany with Rudolf Steiner's theories from the 1920s” he says. He founded Demeter and Ecovin in
Rheinland-Pfalz.
His vines all lie in the Kinheimer Hubertuslay and, as he points to his parcels scattered on the opposite slope, it quickly
becomes clear which are his - the ones with green ground cover.
So what are the wines like? The Schieferblume (Slate Flowers) and Trossen Kabinett tr are lively, fresh - and savoury,
smoky, with loads of mineral content. The Madonna Plateau is from a parcel of pre-phylloxera vines above a small statue of
the Madonna. Wonderful, crazy-subtle perfume and fabulous density.
trocken
Schieferblume
Trossen Riesling Kabinett tr
Hubertuslay Riesling Spätlese tr
Madonna Plateau Spätlese tr
2004
2003
2002
2003
9.99
11.99
12.50
13.99
Hublay Spätlese
2003
13.99
fruity
7
Kirsten (Klüsserath)
Bernhard and Inge Kirsten met in New York, got married in 1992 and changed the direction of Bernhard’s family domain,
previously geared towards volume, now going all-out for quality. They pulled out the vines on the flat bits down by the river,
planting pear trees instead. Then they sold less favourable spots and bought smaller, older parcels in the heart of the
Bruderschaft vineyard in Klüsserath on an impressive sweep of the Middle Mosel. Pride and joy is the sweetest spot in the
amphitheatre shaped Bruderschaft - the "Herzstück" (the heart-piece) the original Bruderschaft, before the renaming and
rationalising exercise called “Flurbereinigung” in the 1960s and 70s. With up-to-the-minute minimal intervention techniques
- old vines, very low yields, wild yeasts, long maceration times and extended lresting on lees, a single filtration, no fining, no
pumping – the wines have what the Germans call “Schmelz” – dense, buttery-fat, layered flavours. Exotic aromas, with notes
of oily tangerine peel and wheat. Soft, voluminous billowing textures and effortless length. Conclusion – fantastic!
trocken
Riesling trocken
Herzstück “Pfarrwingert” Riesling Spätlese trocken
2004
2003
9.99
14.99
Herzstück Riesling Spätlese
2003
14.99
fruity
Loch (Weinhof Herrenberg) (Schoden/Saar)
Manfred and Claudia Loch bought their first half-hectare plot in the Schodener Herrenberg vineyard in 1991. Each year they
try to buy another 0.2ha and another steel tank. They currently have 2.5 hectares and 8 tanks.
The steep Herrenberg is an almost fan-shaped slope overlooking the Saar and the village of Schoden 3kms north of Saarburg.
Yields in the area are often over 100hl/ha, but the Lochs are working between 20-35hl/ha. You can taste the difference! The
Saar is known for producing wines of racy acidity, hard to taste young, tightly-wound and softening only with age.
The Loch style is something else: much riper, much fleshier than your everyday shrill Saar wine. They still have a refreshing,
exhilarating acidity, but with richness, depth and a unique mouthfeel.
They leave the grapes on the vines incredibly late hoping to squeeze another degree Oechsle (ripeness level) or two out of the
late autumn sun.
Their plots are dotted over the vineyard. Each parcel is picked separately, placed in separate tanks and bottled separately
without fining and only one very light filtration. The Lochs (and we) are fascinated by the differences – each is clearly
distinct.
New this time is the Wiltinger Schlangengraben old vines trocken, from a parcel (unlike most from that vineyard)
overlooking the Saar. Also we had to wrestle Manfred for a few bottles of the Ockfener Bockstein trocken – he would dearly
love to get hold of more vines in Bockstein – but there are three large land-owners who hold most of it and unfortunately
don’t want to sell – shame, in Manfred’s hands the wine achieves another level of spicy intensity.
Also a new label – the third in as many years…a gentle identity shift. First there was Weinhof Herrenberg, then there was
equal billing for Weinhof Herrenberg and Loch, now it’s simply Loch.
trocken
Riesling Fass 1 trocken
Riesling Fass 2 trocken
Riesling Fass 4 trocken
Quasaar
Saartyr
Wiltinger Schlangengraben Alten Reben trocken
Ockfener Bockstein trocken
2003
2003
2003
2003
2003
2003
2003
14.99
14.99
14.99
18.99
19.99
22.99
25.99
Schodener Herrenberg Riesling Auslese Nr. 1
Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese 500ml
Riesling ContesSaar
Herrenberg Riesling Auslese Nr.7
Schodener Herrenberg Riesling Beerenauslese HALVES
1999
2002
1999
1999
2003
19.99
20.99
21.50
28.99
94.99
fruity
Rebenhof Johannes Schmitz (Ürzig)
Green-leaning Johannes Schmitz is an energetic player in the well-known village of Ürzig. He and his wife run a guest house
from their winery. He is the President of the committee that has been arranging the "Flurbereinigung" (the re-structuring and
rationalisation of the German vineyards, a process that started in 1968) – a sure way to win some friends and lose others!
He has 4.5ha, one third of which are young vines, the rest are between 40 and 80 years-old. His "Alten Reben" is always from
his 80 y.o. vines. He sets a benchmark for Ürzig, with all the body and herbal spiciness the Würzgarten is renowned for.
trocken
Ürziger Würzgarten Hochgewächs trocken
1999
8.99
“17 points now, the little beauty. The few years of bottle age it has reached has bequeathed it oiliness, a subtle richness, and a
dry edge with petroleum edge developing nicely (and classically).” Malcolm Gluck
Ürziger Würzgarten Kabinett trocken
2004
11.99
Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese trocken
2003
12.99
Ürziger Würzgarten Alten Reben trocken
2003
14.99
8
halb-trocken
Ürziger Würzgarten Alten Reben “Feinherb”
2003
14.99
fruity
Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese "Alten Reben"
2002
13.99
“Big, broad, ample and very fruity - although funnily enough on the nose you would have taken it for a trocken, a sign of
purity and definition. High extract, presumably thanks to those old vines. 16” Jancis Robinson
Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese***
2001
15.99
Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese "Eisbär"
2000
27.99
Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese
1999
29.99
Daniel Vollenweider (Traben-Trarbach)
Daniel cellars below his house in Traben-Trarbach. Temperature control involves opening or shutting the windows and
doors! Self-confessed "wine-freak", Daniel, now 36, moved from Switzerland, became a cellar rat for Ernie Loosen before
buying tiny parcels in the little-known Wolfer Goldgrube vineyard. He has accumulated 2 hectares so far, in a variety of
locations – (which he often keeps separate through to the bottle) – and a variety of ages, from 30 year-old "young vines" to
100 year "old vines". 2002 was only his third vintage and won him the "Discovery of the Year" in the Gault-Millau German
Wine Guide. Despite vinifying most of his wines in the classic reductive fruity style, we find his wines to be incredibly
modern. 2003 was the ideal vintage for his winemaking style. Sweet wines for the long haul – rich and opulent. Sumptuous
now, but if you can tuck a few bottles away for 25 or 50 years!…. The Goldkapsel (Daniel’s favourite in 2003) and the single
parcel "Reiler" are breath-taking.
halb-trocken
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese "feinherb"
fruity
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese Goldkapsel
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese REILER
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese REILER
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Auslele
Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Beerenauslese HALVES
2003
16.99
2002
2003
2003
2003
2002
2003
2003
16.99
16.99
21.99
21.99
22.99
26.99
89.99
The Mittelrhein
Matthias Müller (Spay)
The Mittelrhein is probably the prettiest part of the Rhine with fairytale castles and medieval villages aplenty. However, it is
not known for its quality wines and we certainly tasted a few punishing numbers on the way to finding the lovely balanced
wines of Matthias Müller. The Müller family have been winemakers for 300 years and have plots in the amazing sweeping
Bopparder Hamm vineyard overlooking the curving Rhine between Spay and Boppard. The Hamm is divided into the
original old vineyard names, “Engelstein” (angel stone) or “Ohlenberg” (a derivation of eel hill) etc, each with a charming
mythical story attached!
As we tasted through Mathias Müller's 2003s you could instantly tell which had wild yeasts (spontangärung - spontaneous
fermentation) and which used cultured. The wild yeasts had an extra dimension in the nose, perfumes that leapt out of the
glass.
Bopparder Hamm Ohlenberg Riesling Spätlese trocken
2003
11.99
A very dry wine (only 4g/l of residual sugar), lean and grapefruity with a fresh mineral quality too. Excellent with food.
Sachsen
Zimmerling (Dresden)
When Stuart Pigott, the English journalist who lives in Berlin and has made his name in the German Press asked us “what
about a Sachsen wine?”, we were sceptical… Sachsen is very cold – and best known for it’s searingly acidic wines. Stuart’s
recommendation was bang-on…Klaus Zimmerling’s wines are distinctive in every way – the striking packaging is what first
hits you. He only bottles in 500 ml format. Each year there is a new label – a reproduction of one of his wife’s fascinating
sculptures. Details of what is to be found inside the bottle only appear on the back labels. The contents are fascinating.
Intense Weisserburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Riesling and a fabulous dry Gewürztraminer all show a completely different
interpretation of the grapes. Powerful, taut wines which express themselves in big glasses with lots of air… Surely the newest
Eastern frontline of fine wine!
Weisserburgunder “R” trocken
2003
17.99
Gewürztraminer trocken
2003
18.99
Riesling trocken
2003
18.99
Riesling “R” trocken
2003
21.99
9
Rheinhessen
Justly maligned for producing oceans of sweetish watery Liebfraumilch and Niersteiner Gutes Domtal, Rheinhessen is
witnessing a quality upheaval. Many of us have been won over by St Antony's spicy offerings from Nierstein's Grand cru red
cliffs - showing us what can (and should!) be produced in the name of Nierstein.
Until very recently, the most maligned corner of this maligned area was the South-Eastern Wonnegau which most writers
considered incapable of producing good wine. There is a ridge that rises from the flat plain, visible for kilometres, clustered
with wind turbines and it is here that two 25 year-olds are changing minds. Just below the radar of the wider German Wine
scene, it was our friend in Berlin Stuart Pigott (who writes for the Frankfurter Allgemein) who told us “you just have to go
there!”
The stories are similar, the 25 year old sons Stefan Winter and Jochen Dreissigacker have recently taken over running their
long established family wineries. Both believed there was untapped potential in their vineyards and set about slashing volume
- Stefan Winter, who has been making the wine since 2000, says “Costs have tripled, everything is now picked by hand. We
pick much later - until mid-November. Everyone else finishes weeks earlier, so we have to go through the vines with airguns
to scare the birds away!”
trocken
Riesling “S” Leckerberg trocken
2004
12.50
Riesling "S" Geyersberg trocken
2004
12.50
red
Portugieser “S” trocken
2003
15.99
After studying in Weinsberg near Heilbron, Jochen Dreissigacker did stages with Bergdolt in the Pfalz and local star
Christian Keller. Like Winter, they have been picking by hand for 5 years. Jochen always chooses the precise time to pick by
tasting the grapes, which may sound obvious but many people rely on the refractometer. Only wild yeasts are used - plenty of
cold maceration. There has always been a tradition for quality wine in his village - which 250 years ago boasted only Riesling
and Gewürztraminer. Bechtheim has 1800 inhabitants and 600ha of vines - 3ha per head! Jochen works with the soil too,
applying horse and straw compost every other year, building a harmonious, healthy microbiology around his vines. His
“Selection” wines, which always come from the best grapes from the best vineyards, Hasensprung, Rosengarten or
Geyersberg, are always Auslese trocken level, making them exotic, oily and ample.
trocken
Riesling "R" trocken
2004
13.50
Bechtheimer Hasensprung Riesling SD
2003
12.99
Bechtheimer Hasensprung Riesling SD
2004
14.99
Bechtheimer Geysersberg Riesling SD
2004
18.50
fruity
Bechtheimer Heilig-Kreuz Riesling Kabinett
2004
9.99
St Anthony (Nierstein)
Owned by truck manufacturers MAN, St Anthony manages to remain completely un-corporate and is run like a family
business by Dr Alex and his lovely wife, in her own right an extremely knowledgeable wine-chemist and sought-after local
consultant. Rheinhessen is known for producing poor quality bulk wines and this is a shame as there are some spectacular
sites in and around Nierstein. Here the Rhine is wide and the sloping vineyards benefit from its warming influence producing
ripe, rich wines – the fullest bodied that we tasted throughout the trip. The soils change from vineyard to vineyard bringing a
different character to each wine, which is why we felt it reasonable to buy four Grosses Gewächs from the same producer,
from the same sweep of land.
“Vom Rotliegenden” Riesling
2004
12.99
From vines grown on red slate soil – rotschiefer of the Jurassic period of 250 million years ago. The nose is wonderfully
different from anything else we have on the shelves – it reminded me of a seaside fairground – some oil fumes mixed with
fresh salty air! Very focused juicy fruit, veering toward the exotic, mangoes especially, with noticeable sweetness in the
middle (usually these vines produce Spätlese but in the hot 2003 vintage this could be Auslese level). Even though the wine
tends to off dry, the lush fruit is cut through by slatey minerality on the finish. This wine takes you on an effortless journey.
Orbel Riesling GROSSES GEWÄCHS
2003
16.99
Lovely golden colour, and a very exotic nose of pineapple and mango. Mellow fruit flavours (malolactic fermentation just
broke out in 2003) follow the nose, offset by a great jingly spritz of CO2 and a good clean mineral finish. The acidiy is high
in Orbel wines due to the huge day/night temperature variation influenced by the Rhine.
Hipping Riesling GROSSES GEWÄCHS
2003
17.99
Hipping is a warmer site, nearer to the river, and this wine has a fuller body than the others. The nose is more zesty with
hints of passion fruit and the palate is higher toned with jingly fruit and a flinty, almost salty finish.
Pettental Riesling GROSSES GEWÄCHS
2003
24.99
From 25-30 year old vines planted on the warmest site in just 60cm of top soil so the roots have penetrated into the rock
beneath. Big, deep and dark with exotic and grapey fruit with hints of incense perfume. Less minerality than the others but
still wonderful acidity.
10
The Nahe
Considered to be plump, rich and firm, some people say earthy. Classic German wines from historic sites.
Crusius (Traisen)
Championed by Hugh Johnson in the 1970s, Crusius has perhaps been overlooked recently. Dr Peter Crusius and his wife
Birgitte have seamlessly taken over from Peter’s father Hans and are making full-throttle, exuberent, dense Nahe wines in the
village of Traisen west of Bad Kreuznach. Jewel in the crown is Traiser Bastei, a tiny south-facing slope at the foot of the red
cliffs of Traiser Rotenfels. Their 2001s are stunning from Qba up to Eiswein. Fleshy in texture with weight and acidity classic, wonderful Riesling with enormous ageing potential. 2002s were a touch leaner and 2003s fuller, but still with good
freshness.
trocken
Traiser Rotenfels Riesling Spätlese trocken
2003
16.99
Norheimer Kirscheck Riesling Spätlese trocken
2003
17.99
Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg GROSSES GEWÄCHS
2002
27.50
fruity
Niederhäuser Felsensteyer Riesling Spätlese
2003
17.50
Norheimer Kirscheck Riesling Auslese
2001
21.99
Traiser Bastei Riesling Auslese
2002
21.99
“Very peachy and gorgeous. Easy to love. Open, accessible syrup-cum-medicine (in the most delicious way possible). 19” JR
Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Beerenauslese HALVES
2003
49.99
Schäfer-Fröhlich (Bockenau)
Tim took over from his parents and has modernised the winery and replanted good sites with Riesling, replacing the old
Müller-Thurgau vines. He’s one of the new wave of German wine-makers, concentrating on top quality Riesling in a modern
style, with especially low yields for his trocken wines.
trocken
Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese trocken
2003
17.50
From the Felseneck vineyard in Tim’s home village of Bockenau. Very fresh nose of peaches and candy-floss. Has a nice
weightiness in the mouth, cut through with a wonderful mineral finish. Very pure.
Monzinger Halenberg Riesling GROSSES GEWÄCHS
2003
24.99
Pure honeydew melon on the nose with hints of soft vegetal development that will deepen with age. Rich fruit and weight is
cut through by rapier-like acidity that makes the mouth water, leaving you with that stony minerality so characteristic of
Tim’s wines. One to age.
Schlossgut Diel (Burg Layen)
Armin Diel is a giant on the current German wine scene - imposing, opinionated and often controversial. He is co-editor of
the most influential annual German Wine Guide, the Gault-Millau. He is a frequent contributor to German wine and food
magazines and has done much to raise the standard and profile of German wines on the international stage. Not everybody’s
cup of tea, but we like him. He also makes excellent wines.
The Diel family founded their estate in Burg Layen south of Bingen in 1802. They now have 16 hectares on one south-facing
slope which embraces Pittermänchen, Goldloch and Burgberg. Although Riesling forms the heart of his collection, Armin
believes great wines can also be made in the Nahe with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. The barrel-fermented Cuvee
Victor (named after his son, now studying law) has all the weight and intensity of top white Burgundy and, surprisingly, is
made with equal parts of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.
trocken
Diel de Diel (Pinot Blanc/Riesling)
2001
11.99
Diel de Diel
2002
12.99
Dorsheimer Pittermänchen Riesling Selection
2002
21.99
Cuvee Victor
2000
29.99
Cuvee Victor
2001
31.99
fruity
Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Kabinett
2002
14.99
Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Auslese
2001
32.99
Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Auslese
2002
35.99
Kruger-Rumpf (Münster-Sarmsheim)
Based in Münster-Sarmsheim, the first village along the Nahe south of Bingen, the easy-going, no-nonsense Stefan Kruger
has a wide portfolio of vines in nooks and crannies off the Nahe. We highly recommend his excellent, casual winebar
(Weinstub) serving wonderful country food washed down with his earthy, tangy whites and where every family member is
pressed into service. Every family member, that is, apart from Johannes, the eldest son, who is in Vietnam working on a new
vineyard project.
fruity
Münsterer Pittersberg Riesling Spätlese
2001
11.99
“17 points. Brilliant style and cohesion of subtle fruit and acids with hints of minerals. 20 points within a decade.” Malcolm
Gluck
11
Württemberg
It was time to look at some German reds, so we had to head in two directions - the Ahr (see below),one of the northernmost
German wine regions and to Württemberg, one of its most southerly. It was our mate Stuart Pigott, the wine writer who
works in Berlin, who tipped us off about the “Junges Schwaben” (Young Schwabians). Five young growers, Jochen Beurer,
Sven Ellwanger, Hans Hengerer, Rainer Wachtstetter and Jochen Zipf, who had recently taken over from their parents,
wanted to make better wine than the region was known for. With coaching from Stuttgart sommelier-turned-wine-merchant
Bernd Kreis and early encouragement from respected boutique grower Albrecht Schwegler and journalists like Stuart, the
group is poised for wider recognition - we are the first to export their wines!
One of their ideas was to each produce a “Junges Schwaben” bottling of their specialist variety at a uniform price. Riesling
from Beurer, Trollinger from Zipf, Spätburgunder from Hengerer and so on.
The wines are distinctive, modern and broad in range. Apparently light delicate reds trick you with their surprising intensity.
The whites show another fascinating expression of Riesling's mineral transparency.
Stuttgart may not seem like wine country, but you can see vines on the hillsides as you pass Mercedes HQ. Jochen Beurer,
whose career as former European BMX champion was snuffed out when he did his National Service, took over the family
domain 10 years ago. When we arrived he looked more like a steam train driver – he was toiling over the family still,
belching fire and steam - distilling fruit to make schnapps.
white
trocken
Gutsriesling tr, Beurer
Pulvermächer Riesling Kabinett trocken, Beurer
Riesling Jungesschwaben trocken, Beurer
2004
2004
2003
8.99
12.50
22.99
Riesling Großhepparder Steingrüble Spätlese tr SL, Ellwanger
2003
15.99
2004
11.99
Gewürztraminer Spätlese, Beurer
Pulvermächer Riesling Spätlese, Beurer
Riesling Auslese 375ml, Beurer
2004
2003
2002
12.99
16.99
16.99
Kreation Nero, Ellwanger
2003
12.99
Trollinger “Steillage” tr**, Zipf
Trollinger “Jungesschwaben”, Zipf
2004
2002
9.99
22.99
Lemberger tr, Wachtstetter
Lemberger Ernst Combé, Wachtstetter
2004
2003
9.99
18.99
Trollinger Alte Reben Kistenmacher & Hengerer
Blauer Spätburgunder Kistenmacher & Hengerer
Lemberger Spätlese trocken Kistenmacher & Hengerer
Lemberger Edition “S” Kistenmacher & Hengerer
Spätburgunder Jungesschwaben Kistenmacher & Hengerer
2003
2003
2003
2002
2002
9.99
11.50
12.99
17.99
22.99
halb-trocken
Stettener Häder Riesling Kabinett tr 2004, Beurer
fruity
red
Albrecht Schwegler has a machine parts business just outside Stuttgart. He also has a couple of tiny parcels of vines, barely
1.2 ha in total. Ecological for 17 years but (like many) without certification. Despite the meagre output, he is held in very
high regard in the region and in Germany generally. The Gault-Millau Guide says “Granat 2001 is one of the very best wines
of Württemberg.” He wanted to prove that, if made right, Württemberg reds could age. When we visited he opened a 93 to
show how it develops. It was very good!
d'r Oifache
NV
11.50
1ltr
(Württemberger slang for “der Einfache” - the simple one) 50% Trollinger/25% Lemberger/25% Regent 2 yrs in 2yo barrels
Beryll, Lemberger/Zweigelt
2000
16.99
Saphir, Zweigelt and Merlot in 100% new French oak
2000
33.99
Granat
2001
49.99
Zweigelt and Merlot. Open-top fermentation, punching the cap 6 times a day. No filtration, one egg white fining.
12
The Pfalz
Rebholz (Siebeldingen)
Hansjörg Rebholz’s plots in the Bundsandstein Vineyard are made up of sandstone, which is typical of the Pfalz and is great
for both Riesling and Weissburgunder. The best plot within this vineyard is ‘Im Sonnenschein’ (In Sunshine) and provides
the grapes for the Grosses Gewächs for both varieties. The winery has been in the family for 350 years and many experiments
have taken place in matching grape variety to soil type. Rebholz doesn’t chaptalise or fine his wines.
Im Sonnenschein Riesling Grosses Gewächs
2003
28.99
Very ripe and juicy peach and apricot fruit offset with that high acidity to give a great nervous tension to this wine.
Weissburgunder Spätlese trocken
2003
16.50
A fatter nose and deeper colour make this a grown up wine compared to the previous trocken. Ripe, deep and focused with
even some grip on the teeth. Delicious.
Im Sonnenschein Weissburgunder Grosses Gewächs
2002
26.99
A fantastic smell of baking bread on the nose seems to go perfectly with developing palate of apples and peaches with
perfumed notes too. Gorgeous.
Dr Wehrheim (Birkweiler)
Dr Karl-Heinz Wehrheim took over from his father in 1985. Charming quiet-spoken, he is a big mate of Hansjörg Rebholz
metres away in the next village. He regularly hunts deer and wild boar in the local forest. We had several amazing pieces of
venison for dinner when we visited. All his wines are modern and high-class from the zingy Silvaner through the broad,
creamy Weisserburgunder (Pinot Blanc), to the spicy exotic Riesling “Rotliegendes” from red soil, rich in iron. Then to the
reds: The Spätburgunder trocken 2002 is well-balanced, smoky and autumnal with a shot of peppery tannins in the tail.
white
Silvaner Kabinett trocken
2003
8.99
Weisser Burgunder Spätlese trocken
2003
13.99
Rotliegendes Riesling Spätlese trocken
2003
15.99
Mandelberg Weisser Burgunder Grosses Gewächs
2003
25.99
red
Spätburgunder trocken
2002
12.99
Saint Laurent trocken
2003
12.99
Bergdolt (Duttweiler)
Based in Duttweiler on the edge of Neustadt this estate used to belong to the St. Lamprecht Cloister, then to the University of
Heidelberg before passing into Bergdolt hands in 1754. Brothers Rainer and Günther are now the eighth generation.
Stuart Pigott reckons they make the finest Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) in Germany. We’d go further - we have yet to taste
a Pinot Blanc this good from anywhere on the planet! In their hands it has an intensity and depth top Pinot Gris struggles to
achieve, let alone Pinot Blanc. Even at Kabinett level it is fat but with good acidity. The Grosses Gewächs is sensational,
winning 92 points in the Gault-Millau German Wine Guide 2003.
The Bergdolts have also been experimenting with other varietals.
Auxerrois is a grape you seldom see vinified seperately. We were surprised to learn recently that as much as 40% of wine
labelled Pinot Blanc in Alsace is actually Auxerrois and is often mixed up along the rows and vinified together. It has a touch
more acidity than Pinot Blanc but is very much in the house style; soft ripe creamy fruit with good concentration.
Saint Laurent is an unusual ancient grape formerly found in France but now only in common use in the Pfalz and Austria.
They first planted the variety 12 years ago and Rainer says they now understand why the French abandoned it - it is very
susceptible to rot and they have to discard an enormous percentage of the grapes. They recommend drinking it young. We
found it fascinating - deep, inky and chewy.
trocken
Auxerrois Kabinett trocken
Kirrweiler Mandelberg Weissburgunder GROSSES GEWÄCHS
2002
2001
10.99
19.99
Saint Laurent trocken
2000
13.99
red
Koehler-Ruprecht (Kallstadt)
Bernd Philippi, the estate’s energetic owner, and Axel Heinzmann, the cellarmaster, make some of the greatest dry Rieslings
in the world from the Saumagen vineyard outside Kallstadt at the north end of the region. They have all the dizzy tropical
notes of Pfalz Riesling along with the steel and presence of the finest dry Rieslings from Alsace, but with their own utterly
distinctive character. Not one to sit still, Bernd has established a new estate in Portugal with well-known Rheingau grower
Georg Breuer.
trocken
Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese trocken
2001
13
20.99
What is Erstes Gewächs? What is Grosses Gewächs?
Although “Erstes Gewächs” means First Growth (Premier cru) and “Grosses Gewächs” means Great Growth (Grand cru), in
the German context they have the same meaning. “Grosses Gewächs” is used in the Nahe and the Pfalz, “Erstes Gewächs” in
the Rheingau. These regions decided to create a new (and hopefully simpler) quality level, the ultimate expression of a named
classic vineyard in the trocken (dry) style. It has to be Riesling, except in the Pfalz where it can also be Weisserburgunder
(Pinot Blanc). It has to be minimum Spätlese in quality and enter into panel tasting where only a few will be allowed to call
themselves “Erstes” or, depending on the region, “Grosses Gewächs”. In the Rheingau, in the 2001 vintage for instance, only
eleven wines were awarded the title.
We feel it has been a very useful development. The labels are simple, just carrying the name of the vineyard and the grower’s
name. The wines are undoubtedly superb and show what can be done with Riesling in the dry style, competing with the finest
white wines in the world, equalling them in weight, concentration and vineyard definition. These are legendary wines from
legendary vineyards
Franken
Franken is all about the Bocksbeutel and Minerals. "Bocksbeutel" is the name of the funny squat bottles most Franken wines
come in, said to be derived from a goat’s "sack" and dangerously reminiscent of a Mateus Rosé bottle – but there the
similarity ends; the contents could not be more different!
The difference (as everyone we visited kept saying) is all to do with minerals. Apparently 250 million years ago, the bright
sandstone rock Franken now sits on was on the equator and 100 million years later, as the continental plates shifted
northwards and outwards, became the predecessor of the Mediterranean accumulating fossil-heavy chalk. These layers fan
outwards, exposing their seven different geologies to widely scattered pockets of the Franken vineyards.
Ruck (Iphofen)
Warm and friendly family run domaine right on the central square of the picturesque town of Iphofen. Father and son, Johann
and Hansi, work 13ha of vineyards around the town. Jewel in the crown are their wines from the Julius-Echter-Berg vineyard
which some German writers describe as "exotic".
Franken is often seen as Silvaner’s spiritual home (despite originally thought to have come from Transylvania and to be a
cross of Traminer and Oesterreicher Weiss). In the Ruck’s hands, with the added minerality and touch of earthiness, it
becomes particularly expressive - none of the searing pinch of some Alsatian or Swiss examples.
trocken
Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg Riesling Kabinett trocken
2002
“16.5 points. Beautifully tailored and elegant. Leaves an echo of peach.” Malcolm Gluck
Rödelseer Schwanleite Grauer Burgunder Spätlese trocken
2001
Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg TRIAS Silvaner Spätlese trocken
2002
16.99
20.99
23.99
What is yield and why is it important?
Yield may be measured by how much grape juice is produced from a given area. In Europe this is generally expressed in
hectolitres per hectare and may provide a useful indicator of how concentrated or dilute a wine might be. So with 100hl/ha
you would expect a watery, dilute wine, while with 25hl/ha you would expect it to be dense and concentrated. One way of
achieving low yields artificially is by performing a “green harvest” in summer when a proportion of the still-forming grape
bunches are removed.
But there are limits, even at the desirable, lower yield end. Sometimes a wine can appear too thick and soupy - you really
need a glass of water on the side to help it down!
14
SPAIN
We’ve been to Spain again, flew in and drove over 3,000 kms. You forget how big it is.
The mission, as usual, to uncover some great new wines. The unexpected bonus - we couldn't believe the prices!
RUEDA
VIÑEDOS DE NIEVA
The Spanish generally hold Ribera del Duero to be their finest red wine region and nearby Rueda best for whites. Rueda
starts just west of Valladolid and runs south to the outskirts of Segovia.
We were headed for the south-east corner where, although it feels like you are on a big low plain, at 850m above sea level
this is the highest altitude wine region in Spain, which helps keep it cool. Viñedos Nieva is now run by a mother (originally
from Montpellier) and her three sons. Made meticulously in the modern style, these are wonderful fresh Verdejo's. Blanco
Nieva is made from the free-run juice, Los Navales from the press wine. Pie Franco is the excellent old vine cuvée with
rolling layers of yellow flowers, then brine, then quince jelly. Finally a stylish barrel fermented version.
white
Los Navales
Blanco Nieva Verdejo
Pie Franco
Blanco Nieva Fermen. Barrica
2004
2004
2004
2003
7.99
8.99
10.99
14.99
EXTREMADURA
COLOMA
Extremedura was considered pretty remote to the Spanish until recently. Three quarters of the way down, very close to the
Portugese border, the area is strewn with Roman remains and Moorish influence. Franco's presence is still felt in the
agriculture. “Everyone had to have vines, olive trees and pigs,” Helena Coloma tells us. “Anything grows here, it is so fertile.
Did you know that 30% of Europe's tomatoes come from here? Our problem is we send everything to Murcia for them to
package or process, so nobody's heard of Extremedura.”
Bodegas Coloma is run by two sisters, both very well-travelled. Amelia is the very shy winemaker and viticulturist, who
studied in Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Australia and Argentina and who sleeps next to the maceration tanks after harvest, to
make sure they don't get to hot! Helena does everything else, to give Amelia the freedom to do what she wants. “She always
wants to do something new, like plant Syrah and Petit Verdot, or make our own clones of Garnacha Roja from our 50yo vines
before they died.”
This is a committed Bodega. Experimental, but always with a respect for their traditional varietals such as Cayetana, from
which they make a tropical white, and the Garnacha Roja, a small-berried Grenache with a less raisiny, more autumnal
outcome and an adult, bitter twist on the finish. A fascinating range, climaxing with their Torre Bermeja (Red Tower)
Crianza Roble Viñas Viejas a delicious old vine Cabernet/Garnacha Roja/Merlot blend.
white
Vina Amelia White
Coloma Viura
Cayetana Blanca Ferm en Barrica
2004
2004
2004
4.99
6.50
7.99
red
Coloma Cuvee
Coloma Red Garnacha Roja
Torre Bermeja Red Roble
Merlot Seleccion
Cabernet Sauvignon Seleccion
2003
2004
2001
2004
2004
5.99
6.99
8.50
11.50
11.50
JUMILLA
SILVANO GARCIA
Final part of our recent trip was through the lunar landscape of Murcia (bottom right of the Iberian Peninsula) to sniff out
some Monastrell. Monastrell may or may not be Mourvedre, expert opinion is divided. At its best it has exactly what we were
hoping for - recognisably sweaty overtones, like Bandol in Provence.
The small town of Jumilla was where we found it. 33 year-old Silvano Garcia bought an old Co-op three years ago, knocked
down everything beyond the concrete tanks just behind the front wall and now he and his three employees rattle around in an
oversized Bodega.
He makes exciting, deep, blackcurranty reds, with the slightly sweaty thrill of the chase, and the unexpected bonus of two
outstanding sweet wines. Moscatel which bowled us over with its complexity and a Monastrell Dulce, monstrous enough to
beat any chocolate dessert into submission!
red
Viña Honda Joven
Viña Honda Crianza
Gran Reserva
dessert Moscatel Dulce
Monastrell Dulce
2004
2001
1990
2003
2003
15
6.99
10.99
9.99
13.99
13.99
375ml
375ml
LA MANCHA
VALDEPEÑAS
RAMIREZ
Next stop Valdepeñas in the southern corner of La Mancha. Very much a wine town, with avenues and backstreets of
Bodegas. Juan Ramirez's Grandfather started the Bodega and lived to the age of 111! Obviously the wine had a part to play.
Still very much a family operation they now have a 25 year-old Oenologue Rafael Lucendo who also comes from quite a
wine family. His father is the Director of the local Wine College and two of his brothers are also Oenologists.
The wines are punchy and assured, from the zizzy Tanis Blanco (100% Airen) through the reds in a variety of styles. The
Tempranillo 99, a semi-crianza, with ageing in bottle rather than barrel (here Rafael was paying homage to the traditional
style of Valdepeñas). A brilliant Gold Medal winning Crianza 2000 made from 55 year-old vines in the Vista Alegra
vineyard. “I almost froze the must so all the colour and aroma is extracted, but not much tannin.” Then there's a classy, dry
Reserva 98 and finally his own bottling, the Cesar Lucando 2000. A drawing of his Grandfather's hands on the label, a blend
of Tempranillo, Cab Sauv, Syrah and Merlot, it's very much a winemaker's wine. Deep, rich with loads of fruit and density.
white
Tanis Blanco Joven
Alba Blanco Ferm en Barrica
2004
2004
4.99
6.99
rose
Alba Rosado
2004
6.50
red
Alba Tempranillo Semi Crianza
Alba Crianza
Cesar Lucando
1999
2000
2000
5.99
7.99
28.50
ARAGON
CARINEÑA
A sub-section of Aragon with its own Official Denomination (D.O).
PIQUER
From the foothills of the Pyrenees we have found an excellent, characterful Grenache by Manuel Piquer in Muel. Jancis
Robinson was so taken with it, she made the 2003 wine of the week and wrote it up in the FT.
“This is super-fruity Grenache/Garnacha which is far from cookie-cutter modern red but even has a certain delicacy. Overall
it’s quite soft and easy (no oak was involved) but there’s a hint of tannin, presumably from the low-yielding, dry vineyards
and even a bit of real interest. This is hot, dry country in which the minimum alcohol level required for a wine to be labelled
with the denomination Carineña (named after the main town, which lends its name to the Carignan grape) has been lowered
from 14 to 12 per cent! It’s made by Manuel Piquer Guimerá in Muel, a bodega founded in the 1960s and now, obviously,
fully modernised. The bottle looks as though it might cost closer to £14.99. The wine is lightish, relatively delicate, soft, easy
and – amazingly at this price – really rather interesting.” Jancis Robinson, Financial Times
Lelia Garnacha
2004
4.99
TORO
Known for its big, hearty and often rustic reds, Toro was first planted with vines under the Romans, on the banks of the
Duero river, not far from the Portugese border, 200 miles north-west of Madrid. However, over the past ten years, many
bodegas have been modernising, making strenuous efforts to control the tannins and the wilder tendencies of their grapes.
Toro is now considered an upcoming, almost trendy, region.
VEGA SAUCO
At the forefront of the modernisers are Wences Gil and his family. Wences trained as an oenologist, working his way
westwards from Rioja through Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales before settling in Toro. He built his Bodega Vega Sauco
on the ashes of a defunct Co-Op in the village of Morales de Toro in 1991.
The grape is Tinto de Toro. Opinion is divided over whether or not it is Tempranillo, as it evolves differently in the local,
continental climate of scorching afternoons and extremely cold nights.
To keep the tannins down, grapes are allowed to ferment completely in whole clusters before very gentle pressing. Wences
says this stops the hard green flavours of the pips and stems affecting the juice.
Wences is Wences Gil’s flagship wine and 1999 is only his second vintage. The fruit from 100 year-old vines, hand-pressed
in his original ramshackle underground location in the backstreets of the village. Barrel-fermented and aged in French oak.
Almost black in colour, it has a super complex nose. Thick, saturated dark fruit and spice. Excellent mouthfeel. Plenty of oak
and a big juicy finish. Very modern - a kind of Super-Toro, perhaps?
Wences
1999
16
26.99
RIBERA DEL DUERO
This region, lying in the Duero valley in the old kingdom of Castile-Leon 150km due north of Madrid, was made famous by
Vega Sicilia and Pesquera and is often held to be the source of the finest wines in Spain.
ALVIDES
Alvides is a family Bodega. Concha’s father founded the Co-op in Aranda del Duero in 1962. They have 15 ha of vines, some
between 60-80 years old, others between 15-30.
Enter 33 year-old Emmanuel Ivar who studied winemaking in the Loire and moved to Ribera del Duero. Known locally as
Manuel, he has been making wine for 10 large estates in the area. Concha has given him free reign at Alvides to do his own
thing. Picked in 20kg baskets, some destemming, 2 or 3 days cold maceration, 30-40 days on the skins. Every level of wine
from Joven through Crianza up to the Reserva are treated to some time in oak. Crianza and above are fermented in barrique
and there is much stirring of the lees. The results are excellent – we find a high dark fruit content in the nose (with a touch of
vanilla – from the oak) and a fabulous suppleness in the mouth. Truly a modern expression of Ribera del Duero.
Tinto Joven
2002
9.50
CARMELO RODERO
Carmelo’s grandfather started the Co-op in Pedrosa of which his father was also President for a while. It’s a story that we’ve
heard more than once in the valley, but having sold grapes to Vega Sicilia for years, Carmelo took a huge risk with the family
jewels… If the grapes were good enough for Vega Sicilia, why not make his own wines? So, in 1991, he and his familiy
mortgaged everything to set up their own winery. The gamble is paying off. Carmelo Rodero is now the darling of the
Spanish wine press.
“Next time, bring all the girls from The Winery and after a nice meal we’ll all go to the Discoteca,” says Carmelo as we part.
It would be missing the point to see him as a strutting cockerel…twirly moustachioed, chest forward, slightly out of step with
our northern metropolitan sensibilities maybe…but the gutsy, showy, unreconstructed machismo finds it way into his wines.
They are uncompromising wines of power, of force and yet with finesse. They age magnificently – starting off in the modern
style, approachable with the fruit and oak of youth and then with age they develop some of the more animal, musky, leathery
overtones that the area is known for.
Reserva
Gran Reserva
1998
1995
25.99
74.99
VIÑA SANCHA
From just outside the Ribera del Duero appellation in the larger Castilla y Leon D.O. We came across this wine in the rustic
(and highly recommended) El Pastor restaurant in Aranda del Duero. Viña Sancha is the sous-chef’s family bodega.
Emmanuel Ivars, the french winemaker at Alvides will be making it in the future…what a coincidence! The Roble 2002 is
very chunky, plenty of peppery tannins, rugged but with a touch of Ribera del Duero-like finesse shining through.
Viña Sancha Roble
2002
9.99
A note about the quality levels
These apply to most of the key regions in Spain and are policed vigorously by the Consejo Regulador (regulatory council) in
each region who control the Denominacion de Origen (DO) or, in Rioja, the Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOCa).
Red wines:
Joven are young wines released in the year after harvest.
Occasionally a producer may give a Joven some time in oak - these wines may be called Roble (oak) or (with a little longer
still in oak) Semi-Crianza.
Crianza means “raising” or “rearing” and to qualify in Rioja and Ribera del Duero the wine must spend at least 12 months in
oak (six months minimum elsewhere) and a further year ageing in tank or bottle.
Reserva are reserve wines that must be aged for three years before release. At least one year in barrel and one in bottle, the
remainder in tank.
Gran Reserva is only made in the best years with the best grapes and has to spend a minimum of 2 years in barrel and 3
years in bottle.
White wines:
Whites appear mainly in Joven form, occasionally Crianza and, very rarely, Reserva.
A Crianza may be released with six months in oak and six in bottle, a Reserva with six in oak and twelve in bottle.
17
LA RIOJA
World famous Rioja is 100km south of Bilbao and protected by mountains on either side; the Sierra Cantabria to the East and
the Sierra de la Demanda to the West. It is divided into three subzones: Riojas Alta, Alavesa and Baja. Most commercial
Rioja is a blend from all three. Rioja Baja, with its hotter continental climate was considered a bit rougher than Alta and
Alavesa with their maritime influence, relying more on Garnacha (Grenache) than Tempranillo which was more prevalant in
the Alta and Alavesa. This is no longer the case. Many growers in Baja replanted to Tempranillo and the best are making
wines to equal their more rarified neighbours to the North West. We also mustn’t forget the other authorised grapes which
also have a part to play in the classic Rioja blend: Mazuelo (Carignan) for guts and body, and Graciano for colour and
elegance.
Rioja has always been a political hothouse. It was the first region to establish its own Denominacion de Origen, rigorously
policed by the Consejo Regulador in Logroño. The current controversy is that the Basques are claiming the Rioja Alavesa for
themselves. Such is the power of the Consejo Regulador that they have stated, yes, secede by all means, but you will no
longer be able to call your Alavesa wines Rioja. This leaves the Basques in a bit of a quandary!
RIOJA ALTA
ABEICA - LONGRANDE
Coming across Isabel Fernandez’s Longrande in a restaurant in Rioja Alta was a revelation. We had to beg to see her, largely
to overcome her fear of export.
She is as full of personality as her wines. Bright, energetic, 40 year old Isabel started full time in the family bodega at the age
of 25. Both sides of her family had vineyards and she now has 35ha around the village of Abalos in Rioja Alta over the road
from the Alavesa. The small bodega, built by her parents, is on three levels to make the best use of gravity. Grapes, (always
picked by family members) are sorted in the vineyards, arrive in baskets at the top level and placed directly into the tanks
where they ferment in whole clusters. Although they have owned three pneumatic presses in the last 13 years, Isabel says
they almost invariably end up treading the fermenting must by foot. A cool malolactic fermentation then takes place in tank
and is generally over by December.
Isabel is at pains to keep the whole process as natural as possible. No filtering, sometimes a little natural fining. She even
hermetically seals her subterranean barrel room with masking tape. She uses only American oak, which she thinks suits her
wines better, giving them a little longer in barrel to compensate for the lighter effect of American rather than French oak.
Finally, she determines the bottling date bio-dynamically, according to the cycles of the moon.
Her wines are fascinating : perfumed, with a beautiful purity of fruit and surprising body and structure. All her wines benefit
from an hour in a decanter.
Chulato Joven
2004
5.99
Longrande Crianza
2001
9.99
Longrande Reserva
1997
12.99
Longrande Gran Reserva
1994
21.99
RIOJA ALAVESA
The Alavesa, the Basque section at the north-western end of La Rioja, has a special microclimate with the Sierra Cantabria
above and the River Ebro below and a maritime influence - lost by the time we reach the Rioja Baja.
PRAXEDES DE SANTIAGO
We had been looking for a good Bodega in the Alavesa part of La Rioja and Isabel Fernandez (who makes the Longrande
Riojas many of us know and love) recommended we visit Carlos and Maria Santiago in the village of Baños de Ebro. Carlos
and Maria have a very small Bodega in Spanish terms with 24ha of vines between 20 and 30 years old. Previously having
sold to the local Co-op, Carlos and Maria founded the Bodega in 1996, using the family name of Carlos’ grandfather;
Praxedes de Santiago.
They have won prizes locally for their punchy, dark Riojas, but although a small amount leaks out into the rest of Spain, they
are a very well kept secret. We found their wines chunky and gutsy, but with definite blackberry/blueberry notes in the nose
and again at the end. In between there is positive, confident body and well-judged supple tannins.
Joven
Crianza
2002
2001
6.99
Sold.Out
RIOJA BAJA
NAVARRSOTILLO - NOEMUS AND MAGISTER BIBENDI
Based just outside Calahorra in the Rioja Baja, Navarrsotillo are doing exciting things. Using their own organic grapes they
are making excellent, punchy modern Rioja. In addition to making Crianza and Reserva in classic blends of Tempranillo,
Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha, they have also made a thick 100% Mazuelo, full and figgy. They will soon be bottling a
100% Graciano, which we eagerly await.
An oddity in Rioja, normally just part of the blend – a rare chance to taste Mazuelo (known as Carignan elsewhere) on its
own. All dried fruit and incense with a silky finish.
Magister Bibendi Mazuelo
2002
18
14.99
FRANCE
BURGUNDY
Every time we visit Paul Pernot in Puligny-Montrachet, we are struck by the sheer elegance and stunning quality of his
wines. Surely one of the top handful of growers in the village - his Pulignys have exquisite delicacy and poise but with the
structure to age gracefully. On one of our recent visits he told us he felt his 2001s have excellent ageing potential, with higher
acidity than the 1999s and the 2002s.
The Bourgogne Chardonnay is from vines planted in 1975 with a small track separating them from Villages vines. He also
adds one rocky parcel de-classified from the 1er cru Champ Canet vineyard. The Puligny is an assemblage from several
parcels with vines between 40 and 45 years old. The 2001 has a fabulous, ethereal perfume, wonderful depth and poise and a
hint of 1-2 year old oak (used firstly by the Batard and the Bienvenues-Batard). The Folatières vines were planted in 1956.
He treats them to 30-40% new oak. The wine is concentrated and has a massive finish. His Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet is
quite a different balance, less upfront in the nose than the Folatières but seriously enticing. An explosion in the mouth, a
complex mix of nuts, a touch of honey and wild white flowers. The Batard needs time. It is all it should be - tightly wound in
the nose when young, large-scaled in the mouth. If you can bear to wait 5-15 years your patience will be repaid, but, if you
can’t wait, pour into a decanter for an hour before serving.
Just before we headed to Calais on our latest trip, we had a call from Moret-Nominé, the producer of a rather fine Meursault
we sampled one night in Restaurant Ma Cuisine in Beaune. Difficult to find, up in the middle of nowhere, in the hills above
Savigny, it looked a little like a cult hide-away - think New Age Wild Boar Hunting Lodge. We found out that David Moret
used to collaborate with Michel Coutoux, whose Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet we already enjoy. They went their
separate ways, to make their own wines in different styles. Moret-Nomine’s wines, all white, are impressive in their style and
power. From Rully to Auxey-Duresses, a couple of Meursault’s, a Puligny-Montrachet Folatières, ending with the holy grail
– Le Montrachet, the most revered white wine in Burgundy….or rather, the whole world!
COTE CHALONNAISE-WHITE
RULLY Moret-Nominé
2004
14.99
COTE DE BEAUNE-WHITE
BOURGOGNE BLANC Paul Pernot
BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE Raisins Dorées, Lafarge
BOURGOGNE BLANC François Labet
AUXEY-DURESSES Moret-Nominé
BEAUNE Clos du Dessus des Marconnets Blanc, François Labet
SAVIGNY LES BEAUNE 1er cru Les Vergelesses, François Labet
BEAUNE Monsnières Blanc, François Labet
SANTENAY 1er cru La Comme, Michel Coutoux
SAVIGNY LES BEAUNE 1er cru Les Vergelesses, François Labet
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Paul Pernot
MEURSAULT Michel Lafarge
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Paul Pernot
CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 1er cru Les Vergers, Lamanthe
MEURSAULT Vendanges Selectionées, Lafarge
MEURSAULT 1er cru Santenots, Roger Belland
CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 1er cru Maltroie, Michel Coutoux
CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 1er cru Morgeot, Michel Coutoux
MEURSAULT 1er cru Charmes, Moret-Nominé
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er cru Folatières, Paul Pernot
MEURSAULT 1er cru Charmes, Michel Coutoux
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er cru Clos de la Garenne, Paul Pernot
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er cru Folatières, Paul Pernot
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er cru Folatières, Moret-Nominé
MEURSAULT 1er cru Genevrières, Moret-Nominé
MEURSAULT 1er cru Perrières, Michel Coutoux
MEURSAULT 1er cru Genevrières, Michel Coutoux
MEURSAULT 1er cru Genevrières, Michel Coutoux
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er cru Pucelles, Paul Pernot
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE Grand cru, Nudant
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE Grand cru, Ambroise
BIENVENUES-BATARD-MONTRACHET Grand cru, Paul Pernot
BIENVENUES-BATARD-MONTRACHET Grand cru, Paul Pernot
BATARD-MONTRACHET Grand cru, Paul Pernot
CRIOTS-BATARD-MONTRACHET Grand cru, Roger Belland
MONTRACHET Grand cru, Michel Coutoux
2004
2003
2003
2003
2002
2001
2003
2002
2003
2004
2002
2003
2003
2001
2001
2001
2001
2003
2004
2002
2001
2001
2003
2003
2002
2000
2001
2003
2003
2001
1999
2001
2001
2001
2002
11.99
12.99
13.99
16.99
21.50
23.50
23.99
23.99
25.99
25.99
26.99
27.99
27.99
30.99
37.99
38.99
38.99
39.99
42.99
43.99
44.99
45.99
45.99
45.99
48.99
49.99
49.99
53.99
55.99
69.99
74.99
74.99
89.99
89.99
239.99
19
COTE DE NUITS-WHITE
We headed to Marsannay to visit the youngest winemaker we know, Cyril Audoin. Now 25, he’s been making wine since he
was twelve. We’ve loved his reds since we first tasted them (a tip from Berlin based German specialist wine writer Stuart
Pigott) but the star this time was his Marsannay Blanc 2003. So much so, we had to squeeze some onto our already packed
van. Cyril is trying (with plenty of help from his girlfriend Sabine) not to let great reviews in the US Press go to his head.
BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY JMGuillon
BOURGOGNE PINOT BLANC JMGuillon
MARSANNAY BLANC Audoin
NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Perrière, Gouges
MARSANNAY “Au Champ Saloman”, Audoin
COTE DE NUITS-ROSE
MARSANNAY ROSE Audoin
2004
2004
2004
2001
2004
11.99
13.99
16.99
50.00
19.99
2004
11.50
COTE DE BEAUNE-RED
We were about to head back to the hotel, but decided to drop by a producer we’d heard about in Aloxe-Corton. We almost
turned away having knocked on the door for a good twenty minutes with no answer, but we’re glad that our final pounding
was noticed.
What we found were the wines of Didier Meuneveaux, beautifully crafted wines with a stunning clarity of colour and purity
of fruit. Certainly the purest, most beautiful Aloxe-Cortons we have ever tasted. Telling us about the atypical hot 2003
vintage, Didier stressed that in 2004 the wines were made in the vineyard, but in 2003 it was all about how the winemaker
handled things in the winery.
BOURGOGNE ROUGE Paul Pernot
ST AUBIN Rouge 1er cru, Lamanthe
BEAUNE Clos du Dessus des Marconnets, Paul Pernot
COTE DE BEAUNE VILLAGES Michel Lafarge
BEAUNE Clos du Dessus des Marconnets, François Labet
BLAGNY 1er cru La Pièce Sous le Bois, Paul Pernot
BEAUNE 1er cru Reversées, Paul Pernot
ALOXE-CORTON Meuneveaux
BEAUNE 1er cru Coucherias, François Labet
ST. AUBIN 1er cru Derrière Chez Edouard, Lamy
BEAUNE Monsnières Rouge, François Labet
ALOXE-CORTON 1er cru, Meuneveaux
VOLNAY Lafarge
VOLNAY Vendange Selectionées, Lafarge
VOLNAY 1er cru En l’Ormeau, Parent
VOLNAY 1er cru Fremiets, Parent
VOLNAY 1er cru Fremiets, Parent
VOLNAY 1er cru Fremiets, Parent
VOLNAY 1er cru Fremiets, Parent
VOLNAY 1er cru Fremiets, Parent
POMMARD 1er cru Les Chanlins, Parent
POMMARD 1er cru Les Rugiens, Parent
POMMARD 1er cru Les Rugiens, Parent
POMMARD 1er cru Les Rugiens, Parent
POMMARD 1er cru Les Rugiens, Parent
CORTON BRESSANDES Grand cru, Nudant
CORTON-BRESSANDES Grand cru, Meuneveaux
VOLNAY 1er cru, Lafarge
BEAUNE 1er cru Grèves
CORTON Grand cru Le Rognet, Ambroise
VOLNAY 1er cru Les Caillerets, Lafarge
VOLNAY 1er cru Clos du Chateau des Ducs, Lafarge
VOLNAY 1er cru Clos du Chateau des Ducs, Lafarge
VOLNAY 1er cru Clos des Chênes, Lafarge
2000
2003
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2002
2001
1998
2003
2001
2000
2000
1999
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2003
2000
2003
2001
2000
2003
1995
2003
9.99
14.99
16.99
19.99
17.99
17.99
19.99
21.50
23.50
23.95
23.99
28.50
28.99
32.99
32.99
35.99
38.99
36.99
32.99
35.99
36.99
39.99
39.99
38.99
35.99
39.99
44.99
45.99
49.99
54.99
58.99
66.99
66.99
69.99
The quiet village of Volnay has around ninety-five growers and Michel Lafarge plays a central part in its history. He was
mayor of the village, as were his father and grandfather. Famous for his reds, the 2003’s are the epitome of Volnay finesse
and rich elegance. Lafarge also makes a very elegant, quietly classy style of Meursault from the Volnay end of the
appellation. Other highlights in his freezing cellar were the Meursault Selectionées 2001 and the finest Beaune Grèves we’ve
tasted – his 2003. There seems to have been a seemless succession from Michel to his son Freddy but nobody really knows
who does what. We do have the very first release of what is definitely Freddy’s project - a barrel of powerful Volnay
Caillerets. It’s wonderful! The 2003s will be with us in Autumn.
20
COTE DE NUITS-RED
Unusually for Burgundy Jean-Michel Guillon has no previous background in wine. He’s a pilot (and still runs four planes at
Dijon airport) from Paris, who got the wine bug and bought some vines here 20 years ago. We got slightly nervous when we
entered his cellar and saw all the new oak barrels, but then we started tasting – delicious. And the oak? A bit, but beautifully
judged. We asked him how he managed that and he told us he uses the same tonnelier (cooper), but different toasters, who
sign their barrels. One toaster for village wines, the other for 1er cru and Grand cru!
We have long admired Anne-Françoise Gros’ wines from afar. The Gros dynasty is renowned, virtually wine royalty. In a
bold moment, sensing some subtle shift in the air around the Cote, we put in an exploratory call. The reception was so warm
that we shoe-horned a meeting into the following morning. We knew we were in for a treat from the first sniff of the first
wine, the relatively modest Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes-de-Nuits 2002. Haunting pure cherry and strawberry, subtle yet with a
serious focused finish. Everything we tasted was brilliant – a lesson in modern Red Burgundy at the highest level. Elegance
and lightness of touch, with a darker edge of fruit, complex yet balanced, with structure to age. Proper wine, serious
producer, high standards in the vineyard – winemaking guaranteed to make us swoon!
BOURGOGNE ROUGE JMGuillon
2002
12.99
MARSANNAY Cuvée Marie Ragonneau, Audoin
2001
13.99
FIXIN Noëllat
2001
16.99
MARSANNAY Les Longeroies, Audoin
2002
16.99
MARSANNAY Les Favières, Audoin
2002
16.99
MOREY-SAINT-DENIS Charrières, Sigaut
2002
19.99
GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN Vieilles Vignes, Heresztyn
1999
23.99
MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1er cru Millandes, Sigaut
2003
23.99
GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN Vieilles Vignes, JMGuillon
2003
26.99
NUITS-ST-GEORGES Gouges
2000
25.99
MOREY-SAINT-DENIS Les Sorbées Noëllat
2001
27.50
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY Noëllat
2000
27.99
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Fuées, Sigaut
2002
28.99
VOSNE-ROMANÉE La Colombière, Vigot
2001
28.99
GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN 1er cru Les Goulots, Heresztyn
1999
29.99
SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE 1er cru Clos des Guettes, AFGros
2001
29.99
BEAUNE 1er cru Les Boucherottes, AFGros
2001
29.99
VOSNE-ROMANÉE Aux Réas, AFGros
2001
29.99
VOSNE-ROMANÉE Maizières, AFGros
2001
29.99
GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN 1er cru Champonnets, JMGuillon
2003
30.99
NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Les Chaignots, Gouges
1998
32.50
NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Rue de Chaux, Chicotot
2001
32.50
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes, Sigaut
2001
32.99
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Feusselottes, Noëllat
2001
33.99
NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Les Boudots, Noëllat
2000
35.99
NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Clos des Porrets, Gouges
1998
36.50
VOSNE-ROMANÉE 1er cru Les Chaumes, Noëllat
2001
36.99
VOSNE-ROMANÉE 1er cru Les Suchots, Noëllat
2001
36.99
NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Les Vaucrains, Chicotot
2001
37.99
NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Les Saint Georges, Chicotot
2001
37.99
MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1er cru Les Millandes, Heresztyn
1998
37.99
MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1er cru Les Millandes, Heresztyn
1999
37.99
VOSNE-ROMANÉE 1er cru Les Suchots, Noëllat
1999
39.99
NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Les St Georges “Hospices”, Ambroise
2001
43.99
VOSNE-ROMANÉE 1er cru Les Suchots, Noëllat
1998
45.99
CLOS SAINT DENIS Grand cru, Heresztyn
1998
47.50
ECHEZEAUX Noëllat
2000
49.99
CLOS SAINT DENIS Grand cru, Heresztyn
1999
53.99
CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru, Noëllat
2001
54.99
CHAPELLE-CHAMBERTIN Grand cru, Noëllat
2000
54.99
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Fuées, Mugnier
2000
55.99
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Fuées, Mugnier
2001
57.99
MAZIS-CHAMBERTIN Grand cru, JMGuillon
2003
59.99
CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru, Ambroise
2001
62.99
CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru Vieilles Vignes, Chateau de la Tour
1997
66.99
CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru Vieilles Vignes, Chateau de la Tour
2000
69.99
CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru Vieilles Vignes, Chateau de la Tour
2001
69.99
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Amoureuses, Mugnier
1999
74.99
BONNES MARES Grand cru, Mugnier
1999
74.99
CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru Vieilles Vignes, Chateau de la Tour
2002
79.99
BONNES MARES Grand cru, Mugnier
2000
88.99
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Amoureuses, Mugnier
2000
92.99
MUSIGNY Grand cru, Mugnier
2000
119.99
MUSIGNY Grand cru, Mugnier
2001
129.99
RICHEBOURG Grand cru, AFGros
2001
149.99
21
Clive Coates describes the wines of Chambolle-Musigny as “silk and lace.” Herve Sigaut and his wife sum up the unique
atmosphere and attitude of Burgundy and its growers. Quietly spoken and modest, here was a couple making some of the
most delicately beautiful wines we tasted on the trip. Think layered aromas of cherry and redcurrants, think sweet red cherry
and strawberry on the palate, supple and silky, elegant and pretty, well defined fruit – “silk and lace”.
Later the same day in the same village, we revisited Freddy Mugnier, a genius producer with legendary status. Three times
the price of Sigaut’s and yet only half the price of De Voguë.. Scratch your head - Burgundy on the world stage! If you never
taste this man’s wines you will have missed out. Pinot Noir reaches the heights here, instantly distinctive, utterly seductive.
Another quietly spoken and modest man, Freddy took us into his shiny new cellar, expanded to absorb “Clos de la Marechal”
which has just reverted from Faiveley back to the Mugnier family, trebling their holdings overnight! Trebling and troubling –
quite a leap in volume and a leap in the dark economically, but the first vintage (2004) tastes very promising. He could bottle
it all as Nuits St Georges 1er cru Clos de la Marechal, but he has decided to bottle what he sees as less favoured spots as
village Nuits. He insists that good wine is made in the vineyard, and that it is his job as winemaker "not to mess it up" once
the grapes are harvested.
How to describe the wines? "Strawberry drenched satin", "Velvet wrapped strawberries with a dusting of sugar", and other
over-the-top descriptions are not out of place here. "A wine can provide intense sensations without being heavy," he says.
NORTH BURGUNDY
Philippe Defrance makes super wines in the ancient walled town of St Bris, 20kms south-west of Chablis. In mediaeval
times, the townspeople protected themselves with an intricate network of tunnels interconnecting their cellars. Like other
vignerons in the town, Defrance has a seemingly endless labyrinth of these tunnels for his wines. While St Bris is most
famous for its use of Sauvignon Blanc (alone in all of Burgundy), look out for his super Chardonnay and fragrant Pinot Noir
too.
white
BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ Defrance
SAUVIGNON DE SAINT BRIS Defrance
BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY Côte d’Auxerre, Defrance
BOURGOGNE CHITRY de Moor
CHABLIS 1er cru Vaillons, Francois Servin
CHABLIS Grand cru Les Clos, Domaine Servin
CHABLIS Grand cru Les Preuses, Domaine Servin
CHABLIS Grand cru Blanchot, Domaine Servin
CHABLIS Grand cru Bougros, Domaine Servin
2002
2002
2002
2001
2002
2001
2000
2000
2001
8.99
9.99
9.99
10.99
16.99
29.99
29.99
29.99
29.99
SOUTH BURGUNDY
MICHEL CHEVEAU
Not for lack of trying, but it has been a struggle to find (in our opinion) the perfect Pouilly Fuissé…neither too oaky on one
hand, nor too lean and mean on the other. And after years of searching we found it in an unexpected place.
We happened to be saying exactly that to Bruno Boisson in Cairanne in the southern Rhone, when he ducked into a corner of
the cellar and came back with a bottle of Pouilly Fuissé “Les Trois Terroirs” made by his friend Nicolas Cheveau. At last,
just what we were looking for!
We never quite get over the almost primal presence of the two jagged rock faces of La Roche de Solutré and La Roche de
Vergisson, with the small village of Vergisson nestling between and the even smaller village of Pouilly below – the village
that time forgot. We were the most far-flung visitors for Cheveau and the whole family and a stageiste from Macon popped
in to watch us tasting! Nicolas is the third generation in the familiy domaine carrying his father Michel’s name. They have 11
hectares. Everything is handmade. The whites are left on their lees for 8-12 months, with stirring every one or two weeks.
The Macon-Solutré comes from red argile Solutré soil. The 2004 has a lovely, wide Chardonnay nose, ripe compact fruit and
good acidity. The St Véran 2004 comes from a half hectare plot on Davayé soil, and vinified entirely in tank. There is a sense
of yellow flowers in the nose and a lovely richness in the mouth. Probably the finest St Véran we’ve tasted. Then onto the
Pouilly-Fuissé. “Les Trois Terroirs” 2003 is an assemblage of three separate parcels all in Pouilly. 70% in large Fudre and
30% in 5/6 y.o oak barrels. Amazing ripeness, a light touch of botrytis, providing a fascinating complex nose – agrûmes
(citrus fruits, especially grapefruit), notes of honey and even wild mushrooms. Fabulous volume and density but with a core
of good acidity to stop it being too heavy.
MACON-SOLUTRÉ
ST VÉRAN
POUILLY-FUISSÉ Les Trois Terroirs
2004
2004
2003
22
9.99
10.99
13.99
BEAUJOLAIS
JEAN-MARC BURGAUD (Villié-Morgon)
We were having a late dinner at l’Auberge du Cep in Fleurie one cold tuesday night one February, priming ourselves for the
following day’s tastings in the Beaujolais. Somehow, our quest to taste old Beaujolais seemed to have fired Madame’s
imagination (although, at first, it could have been interpreted as ire) and involved the opening of eight of the oldest bottles
from the cellar. This caused some excitement (and occasional awe) as departing diners filed past.
The last remaining diner was a Dutch guy who staggered over after being on the receiving end of a full day’s tasting rounded
off with a rich dinner accompanied by two bottles of fine Beaujolais. He told us, with a tear in his eye, what a beautiful sight
it was - two guys with a line-up of eight bottles from his beloved Beaujolais. Naturally we offered him to taste whatever he
fancied. After tasting a couple he then proclaimed, “This is all bullshit! I will show you a wine.” He then staggered out to his
car and returned clutching a bottle of Morgon Cote du Py 2001 by Jean-Marc Burgaud. Yes, it was superb and shortly we
found ourselves joined by the entire staff, including the three chefs complete with the tallest toques. Needless to say, we
squeezed in a visit to JM Burgaud the following morning and again every time we pass.
Jean-Marc makes each of his wines very carefully. He talks about terroir with great passion and is very attentive to vintage
distinction. His wines are incredibly age-worthy. He showed us wines back to 1963!
BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES Chateau Thulon
REGNIE
MORGON “Charmes”
MORGON “Cote du Py”
MORGON “Cote du Py”
MORGON “Cote du Py”
MORGON “Cote du Py” Reserve en Fut
2004
2004
2003
2003
2002
2000
2003
8.99
9.50
9.99
10.50
10.99
11.99
13.50
PATRICK BRUNET - DOMAINE DE ROBERT (Fleurie)
Introduced to us by Jean-Marc Burgaud and shares the same passion for viticulture. In our quest to taste old Beaujolais he
opened straight Fleurie back to the 70’s (Patrick has only recently started bottling an old vine version) – some of which
could definitely have been mistaken for old Burgundy. Many take on more weight and richness. Might be worth tucking
some of these away for twenty years!
FLEURIE
2004
11.50
FLEURIE Vieilles Vignes
2002
17.99
A wonderful opaque ruby colour, the fruit explodes on the palate before mellowing out to an oaky finish. The wine is
delicious and complex.
LAURENT GAUTHIER (Chénas)
A youngish man of few words, he fixes you with an unfaltering stare, more curiosity than judgment. He lets his wines do the
talking. His fascinating Cuvee Etalon seems to search outside the region for its reference points. Thick, chewy, some red fruit
confit. Surprisingly present tannins and yet supple.
MOULIN A VENT Cuvée Etalon
2003
10.99
PATRICK BOULAND (Morgon)
Possibly the most classic of our Beaujolais growers. Well-made, clean, breezy Beaujolais with plenty of Morgon minerality.
MORGON en fut
2001
12.99
Extremely fresh and light. The oak is used judiciously and does not overwhelm the delicate fruit/acidity balance; it simply
adds another dimension.
BORDEAUX
white
CHATEAU LA GONTRIE, Bordeaux Blanc Sec
MADLYS DE SAINTE MARIE, Entres-Deaux-Mers
2003
2002
7.99
10.99
ALIOS DE SAINTE MARIE Premières Côtes de Bordeaux
LAPIEY Haut-Médoc
LA CHAPELLE DE LAFON-ROCHET St Estèphe
MARGAUX Margaux
2002
1996
1999
1979
11.50
14.99
16.99
350.00
red
23
RHONE VALLEY
NORTHERN RHONE
We were a bit shocked by how much the average price of Cote Rotie had increased since our previous visit. Possibly Cote
Rotie’s reputation has been enhanced by the Guigal effect - his single vineyard designations now fetching well in excess of
100 a bottle on release. We tasted several Cote Roties which were very very good but, in our opinion, overpriced.
Then we stumbled across Joel Champet’s wine. Monsieur Champet is less interested in the swings of fashion and keen to
preserve some sense of reality. He left school at the age of 14 to work his father’s vines. He now has 3ha of vines between 35
and 50 years old. He makes just one wine - his Cote Rotie "la Vallière", no de-stemming, no addition of Viognier to hype up
the perfume, this is “hardcore” Cote Rotie - traditional and uncompromising. Savoury and delicious, you could almost eat it
with a knife and fork!
When we last visited, the busy harvest being over and with the wine now fermenting away, Champet’s cellar became the drop
in centre for the good and great of the town, including the doctor, the headmaster and a local tax inspector. Quite a crowd
gathered in order to exchange local gossip and rugby results. With Champet’s wine flowing freely (straight from the barrel)
the sound of laughter and heated debate soared and bounced off the walls of the ancient cellar and, as the evening progressed,
sausages, bread and cheese were magically produced from various coat pockets and briefcases to soak it all up.
white
CROZES-HERMITAGE Cuvée Particulière, Remizière
CROZES-HERMITAGE Cuvée Christophe, Remizière
2002
2002
11.50
14.99
CROZES-HERMITAGE Cuvée Particulière, Remizière
CROZES-HERMITAGE Cuvée Christophe, Remizière
COTE-ROTIE Champet
HERMITAGE Cuvée Emilie, Remizière
2002
2002
2001
2002
11.99
16.50
22.99
33.99
red
SOUTHERN RHONE
CORIANÇON
Vinsobres is one of the named Cotes du Rhone Villages not many have heard of. Following the success of Régis Boisson’s
Cairanne and Redortier with their Beaumes de Venise we thought we’d have a look around some of the other villages…
Vinsobres was known as Vinsobrium in the 1100’s and by the mid-1600’s the Cardinal of nearby Vaison-la-Romaine
waswriting ecstatically about the wine.
Winding forward a few centuries, François Vallot is a fourth generation vigneron and took over in 1976. With 30 hectares, of
which 6 are white varietals, François has plenty to play with…In red, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre go through long 60day macerations before being placed in tank or barrique for the basic or selected cuvées respectively.
In white he has Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. The basic cuvée then goes into tank, the other
is fermented in used barrels he buys from the famous Sauternes Chateau Yquem.
We found the wines really exciting – proper, classic Cotes du Rhone Villages with plenty of character and stuffing. If you can
bear to lay some down, they will age beautifully!
white
CÉPAGE CHARDONNAY Domaine de la Rosière
CÉPAGE VIOGNIER Domaine de la Rosière
2003
2003
LA MADONNE Gressac
VINSOBRES “Le Haut des Cotes”, Coriançon
GRAND CUVEE Gressac
LE MARIAGE Gressac
CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE Raymond Usseglio
VINSOBRES “L’Exception”, Coriançon
CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE “Cuvée Imperiale”, Raymond Usseglio
2001
1999
2001
2001
2002
2000
2001
6.99
8.99
red
16.99
17.50
19.99
22.99
32.99
GRESSAC
On the hill there is a statue of the Madonna. A century ago, so the legend goes, the childless wife of the owner said in a rash
moment, “if I ever have a child I will build a statue of the Madonna up on the hill and go up there on my knees!”… She then
had nine children in swift succession. No-one can confirm the condition of her knees, but the statue is definitely there.
Fittingly, La Madonne is the name of one of Gressac’s top Cuvées. 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache from a single parcel below
the statue and treated to oak. It tastes fantastic.
Le Mariage is a cuvée celebrating the marriage of owners Bob and Lydia Forbes (yes, one of the Forbes’ children) and is a
marriage of Grenache and Mourvedre, vinified together, creating a super-stylish and distinctive red.
Jean-Michel Rieux does pretty much everything at Gressac, making the wine and overseeing viticulture. Before the Forbes’
bought the estate in 2000, the estate had unfortunately fallen into decline with the illness of the previous owner. On the
upside, the domaine has been biologique for 30years. There is an enormous commitment to quality, vineyards are healthy and
pristine, yields are low (in the 30-35hl/ha range) – the wines are excellent, showing what can be done in the Gard.
24
THE LANGUEDOC
LES FILLES DE SEPTEMBRE
Françoise and Roland Géraud have four daughters of September – les Filles de Septembre. The domaine is in Abeilhan, a
village 50kms west of Montpelier in the up-and-coming Côtes de Thongue section of the Languedoc. It’s been in the family
for four generations, selling grapes to the local négoce until 1995 when they decided to fix up the cellar and start bottling
themselves.
We were impressed with every wine they make. We start with a concentrated Sauvignon Blanc, oozing all the grassy, bright
flavour you’d hope for, but without any trace of harshness or sharp acidity you can find. Then there’s a fabulous, rich
Viognier and Clos Marine, barrel-fermented 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Viognier in new oak with bâtonnage (stirring of
the lees). And on, into the ripe characterful reds. The Côtes de Thongue Rouge is 70% Carignan with the rest Grenache and
Syrah. The Cuvée Dannaé is 70/30 Cab Sauv/Merlot. The Cuvée Delphine is Syrah and Carignan with carbonic maceration
and a year in barrique. You can find the Vendange d’Automne in the dessert wine section – it’s a blend of late harvested
Sauvignon and Viognier with a tiny splash of Chardonnay.
The non-standard cuvées are named after the daughters – you may have only noticed three. The youngest has been
complaining and, sure enough, her cuvée is now in barrel!
white
SAUVIGNON
VIOGNIER
CLOS MARINE
2004
2004
2003
6.99
8.99
9.50
TRADITION
CUVEE DANAE
CUVEE DELPHINE
2004
2003
2003
5.99
7.99
9.99
red
ROUSSILLON
We have worked with Mas Cremat for so long - it was a real pleasure to see Catherine Jeannin-Mongeard on our visit to her
"Mas" (Catalan for farm) overlooking the Mediterranean just north of Perpignan. We were also delighted to bump into
Olivier Varichon who many of you will remember from his stint at The Winery. Olivier and his girlfriend Emmanuelle Vinci
(who worked at the Nicolas on the corner) bought some vines near Mas Cremat and often help out on the estate while they
get their own domaine up and running.
Catherine moved down in 1991 with her husband (who unfortunately died shortly afterwards) from Burgundy - she is part of
the Mongeard-Mugneret clan based in Vosne-Romanée.
For several years Catherine has given us big Winery favourites, the excellent value “Les Tamarius” (an equal blend of
Grenache and Carignan) and its white partner “Les Balmettes” (white Grenache and the rarely seen white Carignan), raved
about by Malcolm Gluck in his Superplonk column in The Guardian.
She showed us some excellent new wines - the Cuvée Bastien, a mouthwateringly juicy Cotes du Roussillon named after her
first grandson, and Dédicace, her 100% old vine Syrah with a dash of new oak, dedicated to her husband.
white
LES BALMETTES Mas Cremat
MUSCAT SEC Mas Cremat
ESQUISSE Vaquer
GRENACHE BLANC Vieilles Vignes Mas Cremat
L’EXCEPTION BLANC Vaquer
L’EXCEPTION BLANC Vaquer
2004
2002
2004
2002
2001
2002
5.99
7.99
10.99
12.99
18.99
18.99
red
TAMARIUS Mas Cremat
2004
5.99
COTES DU ROUSSILLON Mas Cremat
2003
8.99
COTES DU ROUSSILLON “Cuvée Bastien” Mas Cremat
2002
9.99
CUVEE BERNARD VAQUER Vaquer
2000
11.99
CUVEE FERNAND VAQUER Vaquer
1991
13.99
L’EXPRESSION Vaquer
2002
15.50
L’EXPRESSION Vaquer
2000
16.50
L’EXCEPTION Vaquer
2001
18.50
“An extraordinary wine from an extraordinary Roussillon old-timer. Exceptionally rich, intriguing perfume and yet not at all
heavy or sweet on the palate. L’exception indeed.” Jancis Robinson, Financial Times
DEDICACE Mas Cremat
2000
18.99
ROUGE Vaquer
1986
22.99
25
VAQUER
Mad. But very good!
In the café-less, bar-less village of Trésseres, barely 10kms from the Spanish border, with a view of the snow-capped
Pyrenées in one direction, the sea in another, lives the Vaquer family. Fernand must be in his eighties. We tasted the wines
and asked if we could take a photo of him. He disappears for an hour, finally emerging after a “quick” shower and change of
clothes! Time moves at a slightly different pace here. His son Bernard died tragically a few years ago. His daughter-in-law
Frédérique makes the wine now.
There are three distinct strands to the wines here.
Firstly the old stuff. Back in the early 80’s, an oenologist friend of Fernand’s told him he should keep his wines much longer
before releasing them. He did – so he has a spread of vintages back into the 80’s. In our opinion some have aged more
gracefully than others, but startling when you taste the 86 Rouge – fully mature but alive and well, a fascinating expression of
Carignan (85%) and Grenache (15%).
The second strand is the recent vintages made by Frédérique. L’Exception is a blend of Carignan, Syrah and Grenache, with
big, wild fruit. L’Expression is 100% Carignan with a touch of oak. Sleek, with a surge of inky juice and a fascinating lift of
freshness.
The third strand is dessert wine and Vin Doux Naturels. Well-known and highly prized in France, but little-known and
undervalued outside. Many are made with Grenache and, along with other local wines like Banyuls and Maury, are the
perfect partner to desserts involving chocolate. From a breezy, but weighty, Muscat Rivesaltes to Préface, an Ambré style
(purposely oxidised, like sherry) all nutty and crème-brulée. Then there’s the tawny-style Post-Scriptum and L’Extrait a
juicy, thick, late harvest Grenache Noir whose fermentation was stopped with spirit (Muté sur Grain). Finally a fabulous
Vieux Rivesaltes, made from vintages up to 22 years old using Grenache Blanc and Rouge and Maccabeu. You can find these
listed in the dessert wine section.
PROVENCE
SAINT ANDRÉ DE FIGUIÈRE
Provence is well-known for its rosé, but we were taken aback by Alain Combard’s wines…rosé at another level!
Alain was right-hand man for Michel Laroche in Chablis before moving to Provence 13 years ago. His son and three
daughters (who each have a Cuvée named after them) all work with him on his organic domaine. He says it’s relatively easy
to be organic in Provence because, if it rains, the hot wind dries the vineyard before there’s any chance of rot.
There’s a fabulous sense of progression through the wines in his range. He has a range of grapes in each colour at his
disposal, and you get a sense of constant experimentation and tweaking to achieve an impressive set of variations.
Beautifully-judged, stylish and often surprising wines.
BLANC VIEILLES VIGNES
2003
13.99
ROUGE VIEILLES VIGNES
ROUGE RESERVE
2002
2001
13.99
19.99
LA COMMANDERIE DE PEYRASSOL
Tracing it’s history back 800 years and inextricably linked with the Knights Templar is one thing. What Francois Rigord
achieves with 45 year old vines is another, and exactly the sort of wine we were hoping to stumble across! Beautifullyjudged, airy wines, evocative of Provencal herbs transported on the wind. Not too heavy, not too light – with effortless ageability. We have tasted 5 vintages now – all ethereal, understated and moresome!
MARIE ESTELLE BLANC
2003
12.99
MARIE ESTELLE ROUGE
2003
12.99
ALSACE
MARC TEMPÉ
Marc Tempé’s wines are all about texture- his yields are so low, around 15-17 hl/ha, that they have a viscous quality, a
disinclination to pour! Based in the village of Zellenberg, Marc could be the cartoon version of the French Vigneron – fiveday stubble, ruggedly handsome, a hint of Serge Gainsbourg about him, with a young wife who runs a lovely wine shop
opposite the cathedral in Colmar. Bio-dynamic for years, he has parcels in a handful of Grand cru vineyards, many of them
old vines, on differing soils.His wines are about texture…texture and essence. Essence of Gewurztraminer. Essence of
Rimelsberg. Essence of Mambourg. Alsace at another level.
RIESLING Grand cru “Mambourg”
1999
28.50
TOKAY PINOT GRIS VENDANGE TARDIVE Grand cru “Schoenenbourg” 1999
33.99
MITTNACHT-KLACK
Wines of exceptional concentration from this small family domaine who have holdings in some of the best vineyards around
the picturesque town of Riquewihr, including the precariously steep “Schoenenbourg” Grand Cru vineyard which runs right
down to the town’s mediaeval walls and “Rosacker” the legendary vineyard above the neighbouring village of Hunawihr.
TOKAY PINOT GRIS Grand Cru “Schoenenbourg”
1999
15.99
TOKAY PINOT GRIS Vendage Tardive
1997
29.99
26
CHAMPAGNE
We knew what we were looking for when we set off for the Champagne region, but we had no idea the first trip would be so
successful! The famous Grandes Marques buy most of their grapes or base wines from the scores of small growers who own
the vines. We wanted to find a top quality, small grower in each of the three classic areas surrounding Épernay, south of
Reims, each with a clear expression of their terroir; Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne. We
were deeply impressed by the quality and regional definition of the wines we found.
Lately we re-visited shortly after a violent hail storm hadripped through the Cote des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims.
Some growers were estimating losses between 60 and 90%. Although some were suggesting there may be a hiccup in supply
2-3 years down the line, when you look at the reserves they keep in their extensive cellars, we suspect the blip may even itself
out…
COTE DES BLANCS
Clearly visible from the motorway south of Reims the Côte des Blancs runs south from Épernay and boasts the highest
concentration of Grand Cru vineyards in the region. This is the home of Blanc de Blancs; 100% Chardonnay, fresh,
extremely elegant and fine.
SAINT CHAMANT
Monsieur Coquillette of Saint Chamant has his labyrinthine cellars under Épernay and his 11 hectares of vines in Chouilly,
the first Grand cru village south of Épernay on the Côte des Blancs.
His Carte d’Or Blanc de Blancs NV, a gold medal winner in Paris, has a fresh, lemony nose with hints of aniseed and
caraway and a lively body. The Brut Millésimé Blanc de Blancs 96 is fresh and elegant, richer in the nose and fuller on the
finish..
Carte d’Or Blanc de Blancs
NV
20.99
Brut Millésimé Blanc de Blancs
1993
27.99
Brut Millésimé Blanc de Blancs
1996
26.99
PIERRE MONCUIT
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is the spiritual heart of the Côte des Blancs where Pierre Moncuit makes fabulously expressive Blanc de
Blancs. When we visited him recently, Monsieur Moncuit reckoned he had lost 60-70% of his fruit in the hailstorm which
may affect his supply in two or three years. We can cross our thumbs in the meantime and enjoy his current releases. His
Cuvée Hugues de Coulmet has a
Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Hugues de Coulmet
NV
19.99
“Controlled tight nose, a lovely tightly-packed ball of mouth-filling fruit with an exhilarating, long finish.”
Blanc de Blancs HALVES
NV
11.99
Blanc de Blancs Grand cru Cuvée Delos
NV
22.50
This is his Cuvée de Reserve from 1999 fruit. “Brisk, compact, flirtatious wine from a much-admired grower in
the Côte des Blancs village of Le Mesnil. Nicole Moncuit sighs that the British do not appreciate this more lively
style of champagne but I think her fears may be outdated. Great as an aperitif or with shellfish.” Jancis
Robinson, Financial Times
“Superb wine from 90 y.o. vines. Lovely rich deep, fantastic balance. Very Chardonnay! Creamy with lovely acidity to
balance. Harmonious. Long.”
Blanc de Blancs Grand cru Cuvée Nicole Moncuit Vielles Vignes
1999
28.99
Blanc de Blancs
1995
31.99
Blanc de Blancs
1996
33.99
GERARD DUBOIS
In the village of Avize, halfway between Chouilly and Mesnil, Monsieur Dubois (and his very friendly dog) took us through
his range. The stand-out winners were his vintage Grand cru Blanc de Blancs from vines in Avize and Cramant.
Grand cru Blanc de Blancs
1994
25.99
Similar taste profile to the 91. Gerard says there was some botrytis in 94. “Honey and hazelnut with a touch of freshness to
lift it – lemon tart.”
Grand cru Blanc de Blancs
1993
26.99
Different to the 91 and 94. Franzipan in the nose, more action in the middle and a long life ahead of it.
Grand cru Blanc de Blancs
1991
27.99
“Superb nose, suggestive of cinnamon, star anise and caraway. Biscuity with age, almost like brioche and honey. Fat and
mouthfilling. Magnificent!”
27
MONTAGNE DE REIMS
FORGET-CHEMIN
In the village of Ludes, between Reims and Épernay, Monsieur Forget makes his champagnes in the classic Montagne de
Reims style. He has 12 ha of vines in ten villages, four of which are in the Montagne on chalk. He sells 1.5ha of his output to
Veuve Clicquot.
Carte Blanche Cuvée Marie Forget is made in equal parts of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier and is a blend of
three vintages. Classic champagne nose. Good, classy in the mouth. Clean, balanced. Good mouthfeel. Lively, but fullflavoured.
Many of you have tasted his wonderful Rosé, which he makes using 10-15% of old vine Pinot Noir still wine. Unfortunately
he never makes enough – it’s entirely determined by the output of one small parcel of old vines near Ludes and the yield goes
up and down with each vintage- so catch it when you see it!
Carte Blanche Cuvée Marie Forget HALVES
NV
11.99
Rosé HALVES
NV
12.99
Carte Blanche Cuvée Marie Forget
NV
19.99
Rosé
NV
23.99
VALLÉE DE LA MARNE
TARLANT
Tarlant is another family-owned domaine at Oeuilly in the Marne Valley about 15kms west of Épernay. Since 1687 the
family has built up a holding of 13ha in three villages (Oeuilly, Celles les Conde and Boursault) on steep sections of the
valley. The family is passionate about their wines and the four surviving generations still meet for the assemblage (blending)
at the end of April each year. It was Benoît, the son, who stressed the concept of “the wines of Champagne rather than
brands”. ...And what a wine-making palette they have at their disposal! 45 parcels of vines at different elevations, 4 different
soil types and all three of the classic grape varieties (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier). Apparently, Chardonnay on
sable (sand) is a heavenly combination. Then there is the use of oak, still fairly rare in the Champagne region. They use 12%
new oak and every cuvée spends some time in oak. Some cuvées are fermented in barrel with bâtonnage (stirring of the lees
to add further complexity) while others age in oak after fermention in tanks. With the exception of the luxury Cuvée Louis,
where the oak is clearly noticeable, the oak is used discreetly, generally adding another layer of texture and flavour.
Brut Zero
NV
23.99
Brut Zero is a remarkable wine. No dosage (without the usual sugar in the liqueur d’expedition added after dégorgement)
means it is absolutely bone dry. If you ever wondered what Champagne really tastes like, this is it! Focused, complex and
clear. Best with food. Great with fish (lemon sole, sea bass) or goat’s cheese.
Brut Prestige
1996
30.99
The Brut Prestige 96 is 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Noir and has a lovely nose. Creamy, rich and mouthfilling 30-40%
barrel-fermented. Rich and balanced, excellent control.
Cuvée Louis (with wooden box)
NV
42.99
Cuvée Louis is their award-winning luxury cuvée named after Benoît’s Great Grandfather who replanted their vineyards after
WW2 in 1946 and 1947. Super-rich nose, spicy with a shot of toasty vanilla oak. Bags of flavour, almost like sparkling
Meursault. Super-long and complex.
THE AUBE
AMYOT
Many of you already know our House Champagne. Amyot is a small, family producer based in the Aube, closer to Dijon than
Reims. Jancis Robinson gave the NV Carte Or a great review in the FT. It’s big, bold and incredible value!
CHAMPAGNE AMYOT Carte Or
N.V.
14.99
CHAMPAGNE AMYOT Carte Or HALVES
N.V.
9.99
CHAMPAGNE AMYOT Rosé
N.V.
21.99
SPARKLING
RIESLING SEKT BLACK LABEL ZUM KRUG Josef Laufer (Germany)
PROSECCO Bosco del Merlo (Annone Veneto, Italy)
MONTLOUIS L’Ouche Gaillard (Loire)
RIESLING SEKT WHITE LABEL ZUM KRUG Josef Laufer (Germany)
RIESLING SEKT EXTRA BRUT “DECENIO” Dr Crusius (Germany)
RED SEKT SPÄTBURGUNDER BRUT Adeneuer (Germany)
28
N.V.
2003
N.V.
N.V.
2002
2001
9.99
9.99
10.99
13.99
16.99
17.99
THE LOIRE
We weren't expecting it, but our trip to the Loire was a revelation. We found growers, many quite young, less shackled by
tradition, more willing to experiment and unusually for France, we found growers who had no previous background in wine.
Loads of bio-dynamic influence. Those that weren't “Bio” or “Demeter” were often “Lûtte Raisonée” or “Lûtte Integrée”, a
half-way system in which vines are only treated after rigorous observation: …I treat only if needed, not because I’ll be safer
if I treat regularly as a matter of course (which is still the norm).
CENTRAL VINEYARDS
The Loire and Sauvignon Blanc go hand in hand, so we started near Sancerre over in the Eastern section, which one can
forget is less than an hour from Chablis. Naturally, we dropped in on Sonia and Jean-Marc Raimbault-Pineau, whose wines
many of you already know. We also wanted to check out some other villages famous for Sauvignon Blanc. We found fruitdriven, but not blousy styles from Valéry Renaudat in Reuilly. Not the only example in the wine world, the apparently mildmannered son had a massive blow-out with his father and has gone his own way, bought a few of his own vines and built a
cellar. Zingy, zesty Reuilly, evocative of fresh running water, lime blossom and camomile flowers. Fabulous Quincy from
sandy soil with a super-present nose and a fascinating sparkling Sauvignon Blanc from the 2002 vintage and Reuilly soil, the
Mousseaux du Berry.
sparkling
MOUSSEUX DE BERRY Renaudat
white
REUILLY Renaudat
QUINCY Renaudat
SANCERRE Domaine Raimbault-Pineau
SANCERRE Domaine Raimbault-Pineau HALVES
POUILLY FUMÉ Domaine Raimbault-Pineau
POUILLY FUMÉ Domaine Raimbault-Pineau HALVES
rosé
SANCERRE Domaine Raimbault-Pineau HALVES
red
SANCERRE Domaine Raimbault-Pineau
SANCERRE Domaine Raimbault-Pineau HALVES
NV
9.99
2004
2004
2004
2004
2004
2004
9.99
10.99
10.99
6.99
12.99
7.99
2001
6.99
2004
2004
12.99
6.99
TOURAINE
The home of Cabernet Franc.
Pascal and Béatrice Lambert
There are several Lamberts in the Chinon area, but we were looking for Pascal and Béatrice. We caught them in the middle of
a strange bio-dynamic preparation, adding rainwater to copper and lime, stirring 20 times clockwise, then 20 anti-clockwise!
They make unusually fleshy, organic red Chinon in a number of cuvées from different parcels with differing soils. And a big
white with some toasty oak influence.
Pascal's father was a vigneron, but there were seven children and the family domaine ended up in one of his brother's hands
so he started up on his own in 1987. He now has 13ha around Cravant-les-Coteaux of which 1ha is Chenin Blanc, behind
their house. They pick very late, haven't chaptalised for years. He's quite intense and determined - something confirmed in the
eyes of his (one suspects) long-suffering wife.
CHINON BLANC “Les Chesnaies”
2003
13.99
From the 1ha slope of Chenin Blanc behind the house. Chalky soil keeps the acidity levels higher, even in the super-hot 2003
vintage. Plenty of resting on its lees to help the mouthfeel. Stylish. Gently oaky.
CHINON BLANC Cuvée Antoine
2003
14.99
As above, but selection of later harvested grapes, plenty of bâtonnage. Malos? Whatever the wine wants to do, he says, “let
the wine live.” Impressive weight and power. Needs time for the oak to harmonise.
Fabian and Cyril Boisard St Nicolas de Bourgueil
Then there are the young Boisard brothers (Fabian and Cyril) in St Nicolas de Bourgueil - who, even though their vines,
cellars and office are all shipshape, are still living in a mobile home in the yard...talk about commitment! Hardcore ecowarriors, they are trying to create totally balanced microclimates in their vineyards, planting shrubs and trees with balanced
colour profiles “blue, green, red, yellow” to attract natural predators so they can control pests without chemicals - even the
ubiquitous, organic-approved Copper Sulphate. They have four bottlings, three from different soil types.
The series of underground galleries that form their cellars were used as a secret bakery in WW2. How could the Germans not
have smelt the baking bread? Will they ever move into the house again?
ST NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL “Dionisos”
2000
12.99
Their reserve wine from their best barrels. Beautiful pure nose. Some rich red fruit confit. Lovely balance.
29
Catherine and Pierre Breton - Bourgueil
Then from Bourgueil, husband and wife team Catherine and Pierre Breton each make their own cuvées, but don't like each
others' wines! We think they are brilliant. People with memories of 1991 may remember Catherine and Pierre's wines from
Oddbins and Waitrose. Then they had a major change of direction. They went biologique. Quality skyrocketed, as did their
costs and their prices, and the UK market stalled. They make some of the purest, most refined Cabernet Francs from a variety
of sites across 16.5ha of very acidic Verjul soil (clay/silex). They pick very late and all except “Les Galichets” wines go into
barrique for fermentation and a very long élévage with plenty of lees contact.
VOUVRAY “La Dilettante”
2003
15.99
Don't be alarmed - slightly petillante, made by Catherine from her brother's vines. If you'd prefer it still, she advises putting it
in a decanter for an hour.
CHINON “Les Picasses”
2001
23.99
From a couple of parcels they bought in Beaumont-en-Véron. 35 yo vines. More mineral nose than the Bourgueils. Big shot
of explosive fruit and tannin and minerality in the mouth. Different balance to their Bourgueils.
ANJOU
The home of Chenin Blanc.
Olivier de Cenival - Domaine des Chesnaies (St Lambert de Lattay- Layon)
Sold his IT business in Paris to chase his dream to make wine. 40-ish, clearly able to harness his experience of business plans
and systems, his dreams are reality. Supplementing the family income with holiday villas next to their house, it's a 20 minute
drive to their winery which boasts the most organised storage system we have ever seen. While we can revel in the vision of
one man, every tank computer controlled by his own tailored system, whizzing around on his pallet truck, keeping his stock
in meticulous order, more importantly - the wines are clear and bold.
METHODE TRADITIONELLE
2000
12.99
80% Chardonnay, 15% Chenin Blanc, 5% Grolleau – Grolleau gives it a bit of extra backbone.
CHENIN BLANC
2004
7.99
SAUVIGNON BLANC
2004
8.99
CHARDONNAY
2004
8.99
GROLLEAU
2004
7.99
These four were all raised in tank to keep the bright , clean fruit.
ANJOU BLANC “La Potardière”
2002
11.50
18 months elevage, 12 months in 2-6 yo barriques. Only the yellow grapes – absolutely no botrytised grapes. The alcohol of
this wine has crept up over the last few years – he says the only explanation is the work he’s been doing in the vineyard.
COTEAUX DU LAYON “Clos des Bonnes Blanches”
2003
18.99
15 hl/ha yield. Sun-drenched, stratified schiste and white clay. 100% botrytis. 12 months in new oak. Big, viscous.
CHAUME 500ml
2003
21.99
Not 400metres from the Clos des Bonnes Blanches. Hard schiste. Again 100% botrytis – tiny 12hl/ha yield. Fabulous.
Jo Pithon - (St Lambert de Lattay- Layon) Legend on the Coteaux du Layon!
Our very own Guillaume, who studied at the local Lycée Viticole, always remembered Jo Pithon's legendary dessert wines
from his college days. So we had to pay our respects. Larger than life, jovial Jo has broadened his range slightly, now making
some serious dry Chenin Blanc under the Anjou appellation. We were fascinated.
Then we moved on to the sweet wines. The Layon is a tightly winding river (not much more than a stream, really) with folds
that trap fog and moisture, creating amazing microclimates built for botrytis. His sweet wines are jaw-droppingly impressive.
Without a doubt the finest Coteaux du Layon we have tasted. It was difficult to conceal our excitement as bottle after bottle
appeared - and after a passionate discussion of German dessert wines (Riesling is his other love) he ushered us into another
cellar and proceeded to give us a teaspoon of liquid so thick and viscous it barely poured, more like, slid. This was a wine he
made for his own amusement, “to see how far I could take it”. He calls it Cuvée XXL (X-rated). In 1997 it took 10 people 10
days to pick and press 100 litres (less than half a barrel). It took 5 years to ferment to 1 degree of alcohol! It doesn't
technically qualify as wine, and yet it clearly was. We were reminded of Essencia, the Hungarian dessert wine that was
thought to bring back the dead.
Jo Pithon - master of this slightly unfashionable but amazing art.
COTEAUX DU LAYON ST LAMBERT “Les Bonnes Blanches” 500ml
2002
32.99
100% botrytised grapes. 2 years in new oak. Golden colour, amazing intensity in the nose. Marmalade. Jo says Chenin needs
lots of oxygen.
QUARTS DE CHAUME 375ml
2002
42.99
Old vines, yielded less than 10hl/ha. Thicker, more viscous. Super intense. Like the Bonnes Blanches but just more!
COTEAUX DU LAYON ST LAMBERT “Les Bonnes Blanches” 500ml
2001
32.99
Very heavy botrytis in the nose, almost champignon-like, savoury definitely. Then fabulous balance and intensity in the
mouth. Turkish Delight. Magnificent.
PAYS NANTAIS
A Muscadet in The Winery?! Amazingly, yes. Michel Bedouet makes a super Muscadet sur Lie with lovely jingly acidity but
a shot of fruit to flesh it out. We also stumbled across our new House White “Le Convivial” a Folle Blanche/Melon de
Bourgogne blend. It's lean, clean and refreshing. Bring on the shellfish!
LE CONVIVIAL, Bedouet
NV
4.99
MUSCADET SUR LIE “ Le Domaine”, Bedouet
2001
7.99
MUSCADET SUR LIE “Le Fûté”, Bedouet
2000
8.99
30
ITALY
PIEDMONT
Despite the value of Barolo, until quite recently Piemonte was really quite poor. Relying heavily on the land and very much
at the mercy of the harsh mountain winters, life was pretty hard. A recurring (and slightly irreverent) theme around the valley
was that the men were always groomed to run the small family farms, usually leaving school prematurely. What to do with
the girls? – Oh, send them to school and college, maybe they can get a job in the towns and cities…As a result, many of the
women speak more languages than the usual Piemontese dialect and Italian. It was Daniela Veglio who smilingly told us
“that’s why our men are so stupid!” – one way of looking at it maybe, but they can certainly make great wine!
Although it seems to us as if Barolo has always been a classic fine wine, in the 1800s and first half of the1900s Barbera was
considered finer and was always planted in the prime spots. Nebbiolo, the grape which finds its purest expression in Barolo
and Barbaresco, was just too difficult, too tough. It needed such a long time in bottle (routinely 20-30 years) to tame its
aggressive tannins and awkward acidity.
Barolo’s stature was increasing in the mid 1960’s and there was a revolution in the mid 70’s led by Elio Altare and friends
who modernised their winemaking, seeking to control the tannin levels and boost aromas. There is still a rift between
traditionalists and modernistas (usually referred to as “barrique” wines in the area), the traditionalists saying the modern
wines are just too oaky and won’t age and the modernistas saying the traditional wines are undrinkable young and why wait
30 years to find if the wine is any good?
What we found on our trip was a rich and satisfying third way opening up – where some growers have eased back on the new
oak, aiming for a wine with the weight, body and power of some of the better traditionalists, but with the perfume, nuance
and sheer approachability of the modernists.
Like Burgundy, there is a clear definition of styles from township to township; Monforte – powerful, tough. La Morra –
elegant, perfumed. Serralunga – sleek minerality and poise. Barolo – power and perfume. Also a “cru” system has taken
increasing hold over the past few years with “cru” vineyards such as “Cannubi”, “Arborina” and “Rocche” specified on the
label. These are considered a higher level than straight village Barolo – and equivalent to 1er cru status. Mauro Sebaste says
the “cru” is now more important than the old fashioned Riserva system.
Many are experimenting with super-cuvées of Barbera and Langhe Rosso blends in various combinations of Barbera,
Nebbiolo, Freisa, Brachetto and international varieties like Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir. Still, the unique noble
grape of the region is Nebbiolo, now planted in all the prime positions and with a string of very good to excellent vintages
(with 2 exceptions) over the last 15 years Barolo is highly valued as one of the great red wines of the world. We love it!
MAURO SEBASTE
We rolled up outside a massive factory with a sign saying Sebaste and a picture of a cockerel. It felt wrong, so we phoned for
the tenth time to ask for directions. Yes, we were at the wrong Sebaste. At the other end of the small town of Gallo d’Alba
was a smaller building with a smaller sign saying “Mauro Sebaste Enologo”. It did turn out that Mauro Sebaste was part of
the same Sebaste confectionary family but that there had been some kind of falling out…Mauro wanted to be a winemaker
not a confectionary boss. We will get to the bottom of that story on our next visit!
A fully qualified oenologue, Mauro studied in Alba with stages in Bordeaux at Mouton-Rothschild and in Burgundy at
Bouchard. With his wife running the office, most of the time he runs his winery single-handed.
Within a few moments of arriving Mauro told us he wanted to make wines like his mother used to in the 60’s when he was a
kid. As he showed us around his winery the paradox emerged…
A filter made by NASA just 3 microns thin. The very latest bottling machine using Nitrogen to ensure the wine never comes
into contact with the air. He told us about micro-oxygenating some wines in tank – to create a barrique effect without the
flavour of oak…He told us about the way white wine hits the stomach and enters the blood stream draining oxygen from the
blood and how he tailors his sulphur levels to minimise that effect. He told us about flavenoid analyses…
“I like very much the technology” he tells us. This is not a man bound by tradition!
We were naturally confused, apart from his opening remark about tradition, everything told us to expect techno wines pristine, precise, squeaky clean. Actually we found confident, open, clear, diverting wines with plenty of vigour and quiver.
We’re still a bit confused, but the wines are really very good!
white
MOSCATO D’ASTI
ROERO ARNEIS
2004
2004
10.99
10.99
BAROLO PRAPO
BAROLO BRUNATE
2001
2001
33.99
33.99
red
31
GUIDO DAMILANO
Barolo is more big village than small town. There’s the Castello, there’s a particularly good restaurant, there’s the baker who
(we’re reliably informed) makes the finest grissini bread sticks in Italy and who unfortunately has a flour allergy…then there
are the wines.
We had finished tasting for the day and had a little time before dinner. We had heard small whispers about a new guy –
Guido Damilano who was rising from the ashes of an old family business, recognised the name of the passage and thought,
no harm ringing the bell…The building looked all wrong. No name on the door, more of a deserted run-down office block
than a home or a winery. We rang the bell and four floors up out popped the head of Guido. Louise grappled with our script
in italian – “we’re from The Winery a small Enoteca in London”...Moments later we were in his car for a tour of his vines in
the little-known “Liste” and the widely-known “Cannubi” , then off to the winery on the road between Barolo and Alba. A
massive aircraft hangar of a place, built in the early 60s, run-down, like something out of an american movie. His tanks and
barriques rattle around in one tiny corner of the space. The office, up several flights of stairs, where we do the tasting by the
fading sun is also in a time warp. There is something incongruous and yet cool about the whole set-up.
The wines are simply stunning. Full-throttle Barolo. Modern, yet with weight and structure. Wave upon wave of complexity
and concentration - excitement like a drop ride. Through it all Guido, pleased that we’re pleased, popping off to find more
glasses, more bottles, more barrel samples. Not arrogant, not falsely modest, just right!
red
BAROLO LISTE
BAROLO CANNUBI
2000
1999
33.99
36.99
MAURO VEGLIO
There are two houses on the Cascina Nuova outcrop overlooking the “Arborina” vineyard. One belongs to the chief
revolutionary Barolista Elio Altare, the other to his protégé Mauro Veglio.
With much help and guidance from Elio in the early years, Mauro and his wife Daniela started making wine in 1992 and have
built up a formidable reputation with their basket of Barolo “crus”. Apart from the “Castelletto” vines in the Monforte
township which came from Daniela’s family, all of their vines lie in the Annunziata section of La Morra. “Gattera” the
vineyard marked by a single tree and often expressing wild aromas of rose. “Arborina” which forms their back garden, with
elegant earl grey notes and a silky mouthfeel. Finally, jewel in the crown “Rocche” (also known as “Rocche della
Annunziata” - the scallop-shaped sun-trap on the approach to Annunziata) which, in Mauro’s hands, produces wines of
exquisite richness in the nose, a surge of concentrated fruit in the mouth threatening to capsize you and an intense
sappy/supple finish.
They only use the natural wild yeasts and use rotary fermenters to keep the tannins soft. As you’d expect with La Morra fruit,
and unlike much Barolo, the wines here are all about elegance and finesse.
red
BAROLO CASTELLETTO
BAROLO ROCCHE
2000
1999
32.99
45.99
GIANFRANCO ALESSANDRIA
From the Monforte d’Alba township. It is generally held that Monforte makes the most powerful Barolo and Alessandria is
the brightest star of the township.
Gianfranco Alessandria continues to use the traditional fermentation methods, punching down the cap in open-top
fermentation vats. Having said this, the wines are far from traditional. Tiny quantities, low yield.
He has been hoovering up awards – Decanter Magazine put both his Barolo 1999 and “San Giovanni” 1999 (his cru Barolo)
in their Top 100 wines of the year. His Barbera “Vitorria” 2001, one of the modern-style Barberas, has again picked-up Three
Glasses (top marks) in them Italian Wine Bible Gambero Rosso.
He manages to combine raw power with silky finesse.
red
BAROLO SAN GIOVANNI
BAROLO SAN GIOVANNI
L’INSIEME
1999
2000
2000
32
39.99
39.99
39.99
FONTANASSA
We had researched Gavi extensively before the trip and made appointments and tasted wine. A friend of a friend’s
boyfriend’s friend turned out to be a grower in Gavi and he would show us around – “Sandro knows everybody”. He showed
us the town – an imposing citadel in which the Germans imprisoned British soldiers in WW2, some fantastic almond biscuits,
but surprisingly no vines. He then showed us where the best Gavi di Gavi comes from - a village called Rovereto on the
gently undulating plateau above Gavi and its gorge. He showed us a winery in the valley – too harsh. He showed us his wine
- very good but he doesn’t sell it commercially, just supplies his parent’s restaurant in Rovereto…shame. Then he took us to
see Marco Gemme (possibly one of the most bearded men we have ever met) at Fontanassa. Truly a rural experience with
chickens and dogs running underfoot, beaten-up car under a tree. But roll back the big door and there’s the shiniest modern
winery. Then off to taste the wines and suddenly we were in another league. Gavi with flavour!
The whole range is impressive - the zesty Gavi normale, the richer, deeper Gavi di Gavi, the stylish I Borbi ( a 60/40 blend of
Pinot Bianco and Cortese), the silky Bricco San Carlo - a Monferatto Rosso made with 50% Merlot, 40% Barbera and 10%
Cabernet Franc. Finally a Passito called “Testematte” - late harvest Cortese is left to dry on mats from September to March
then fermented in barrique. Marco tells us that it takes 10Kgs of fruit to make a half bottle of wine!
white
GAVI CA’ ADUA
GAVI DI GAVI (Art Label)
I BORBI 60% Pinot Bianco/40%Cortese
PASSITO TESTEMATTE Late Harvest Cortese Barrique fermented HALVES
2003
2003
2002
2002
9.99
12.50
13.99
19.99
VENETO
MAZZI
In addition to making classy Valpolicella and monster Amarone, Roberto Mazzi, with the help of his wife and two sons, also
runs an Agri-Turismo from their winery premises. The highlight of the eleven course feast is often their Wild Mushroom
Risotto with Amarone after which you will need carrying out.
The Amarone is not a lightweight… Absolutely massive, powerful but with loads of dense, dark fruit – one of the very finest
examples of the genre!
red
AMARONE Cru Punta di Villa
1999
34.99
FRIULI
ALESSANDRO VICENTINI ORGNANI
There was a massive earthquake in 1976 which reduced the Orgnani home to rubble. The family moved their home into the
winery and the winery into the barn. Alessandro studied architecture in Venice before changing direction, returning to the
family winery which his mathematician father had set-up in the 1950’s in Valeriano, a tiny village 200m above sea-level in
the foothills of the Alps, just as they rise out of the Friuli-Grave plain. Whereas his father sold all his wine to the local co-op,
Alessandro has gradually overhauled and modernised, now bottling his entire output himself. He has 20ha of vines all around
the house, “Braide Cjase” as they call it in Friuli.
“What’s the point of making another Chardonnay?” says Alessandro when we ask him about the gnarled old Chardonnay
vines. It is good Chardonnay, we tell him, but you can see his point. “We should concentrate on what we do well” – Friuli is
best known for its fabulous whites – Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, unique Sauvignon, but most of all for its Tocai Friuliano. No
relation to Hungarian Tokay or Alsatian Tokay Pinot Gris, it has a beautiful honeysuckle nose and, when made at low yields,
a creamy rich texture. Beautiful with many foods, it is often drunk in Friuli with San Danieli ham, the local highly-prized
variation of Parma, and with creamy locally made cheeses.
white
TOCAI FRIULANO
CHARDONNAY Braide Cjase
2003
2001
7.99
8.50
MERLOT
2003
7.99
UCELUT Passito HALVES
Routinely wins two glasses in Gambero Rosso
2002
27.99
red
dessert
33
BOSCO DEL MERLO (LISON-PRAMAGGIORE)
Hurray- our Prosecco is back! The Paladin family who started in 1962 have been organic for years, with a spread
of vines over the flat plains just outside Annone Veneto, north-east of Venice. The area is thick with Roman
history – the old Roman road , the Via Postumia runs right by the estate.
sparkling
PROSECCO
white
PINOT GRIGIO
CHARDONNAY
PRINE Pinot Bianco/Chardonnay/Riesling
TOCAI JUTI
2002
9.99
2003
2003
2000
2001
10.99
10.99
13.50
13.99
TUSCANY
IL PARADISO DI FRASSINA
Wagner in the vineyards?... Carlo and Diana have loudspeakers set up in their vineyards and play music to their vines stirring, lively material such as Wagner during the growing season and a more relaxed selection during harvest. So convinced
that their vines respond favourably to music, they now have a professor from Florence University doing a study on the effect
of music on vines.
They set up Il Paradiso di Frassina on the northern side of Montalcino just five years ago. Their first Brunello (the 2000) has
finally just been released and is everything we remember from the barrel sample. We also have another batch of Gea, their
Rosso San Antimo from sangiovese - all breezy and juicy.
red
GEA
2002
16.99
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
2000
35.99
IL MOLINO DI GRACE
Frank Grace, originally from San Francisco, runs a successful global logistics business, specialising in international removals.
He and his wife adopted London as their home 15 years ago. Two passions - art and wine. Their home is bursting at the
seams with art. Their Tuscan holiday home came with vines. Il Molino di Grace is in Panzano, one of the sweet spots of the
Chianti Classico zone. Day to day running is by Gerhard Hirmer, one of many Germans in the area, The Super-Tuscan
Gratius is a superb 100% Sangiovese.
red
GRATIUS
2001
28.99
VESCINE
The Paladin family, who make Bosco del Merlo, our favourite Prosecco, thought it might be good to buy an estate in
Tuscany. Silly not to! Here are their first releases of pure classical Chianti. As always with the Paladins, everything is just so.
red
CHIANTI COLLI SENESI
2004
9.99
CHIANTI CLASSICO
2003
14.99
CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA
2001
19.99
PUGLIA
Is Puglia the new Tuscany? Tuscany is hilly, Puglia is flat. Tuscany is known for its light to medium weight reds, Puglia for
high alcohol, heavy, rich reds. Maybe the only parallel is the surge of North Europeans buying run-down cottages and
houses…
SCHOLA SARMENTI
It was a convoluted route via a restaurant in an unmarked doorway, down a side alley, hidden away from everyone but the
locals. Then a tip from Alfonso, the owner, to go to the tiny Enobar to see his friend Adriano, who then tipped us off about a
new winery called Schola Sarmenti right down in Puglia's southernmost corner. Like something from the Godfather, we
waited in the square for a young man in black, Lorenzo, who instructed us to follow his car on the way to the winery,
stopping on remote country roads to admire one vineyard here, another there, tucked behind some houses.
We are the first importers of Schola Sarmenti's wines - precise, powerful with a distinctive edge, the focus here is on
blending different local grape varieties together including Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera Leccese and Primitivo, Zinfandel's
Italian cousin.
white
CANDORA CHARDONNAY
2004
10.99
red
ROCAMORA NARDO ROSSO
2001
9.99
NERIO RESERVE
2000
10.99
ARMENTINI
2003
11.50
CUBARDI PRIMITIVO
2001
13.99
34
MICHELE CALO
Land is cheap here and the wineries are large and often very corporate. Often several co-ops have grouped together to be
more commercial and they have all opted to make wines that will export well, wines from Merlot and Syrah and Cabernet
Sauvignon. These are all very well but not what we were looking for at The Winery. Just when we were beginning to feel we
had come to the wrong region, we arrived in Tuglie, the bottom of the heel and knocked on the door of Michele Calo. We
were met by his son Giovanni, who told us the story of his father who had left poverty-stricken Puglia in the 1930s to make
money in France. Michele worked in Burgundy and became a wine expert but his dream was to make enough money to
return home and make wine in Puglia, which is exactly what he did. Calo wine is proudly Puglian and only local grape
varieties are used. They don’t own much land but supervise local growers and then buy in the grapes if they reach the right
quality level. Calo wines are different to any other Puglia wines in that they are not heavy and rich but are surprisingly
elegant. It must be the light touch of the Calo brothers who now run the winery though 80 year old Michele still keeps a tight
reign on things!
white
MJERE SALENTO BIANCO
2004
9.99
MJERE SALENTO ROSATO
2004
9.99
GRECANTICO SALENTO ROSSO
MJERE SALENTO ROSSO
2004
2003
rose
red
Sold.Out
Sold.Out
AUSTRALIA
ELDREDGE (CLARE VALLEY)
Leigh Eldredge, urbane, former cereal farmer, bought the disused dairy in Spring Gully in Clare Valley in 1993 and with
some help from his mate, Sean Edwards, at Kirribilly Vineyards, set about making his own wines. He decided against
Chardonnay – a recurring theme with some growers…and concentrated on other varietals; Semillon, Sauvignon, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Rhone varietals Mourvedre, Grenache and of course Shiraz. Particularly unusual is an amazing Sangiovese –
possibly one of the finest versions we’ve tasted outside Tuscany.
He now has accumulated a list of awards several pages long. Silver Medals in Adelaide and Gold and Silver in Melbourne.
James Halliday, the leading authority on Australian Wine, singles out the Sem/Sauv with a score of 90 “Light straw-green;
a clean and fresh bouquet with herb and mineral aromas is followed by a lively, clean and fresh palate, finishing with nice
acidity.”
white
SEMILLON SAUVIGNON
2002
10.99
MSG Mourvedre/Shiraz/Grenache
BOUNDARY SANGIOVESE
2000
2000
11.99
14.99
red
ENGLAND
CLAY HILL (KENT)
From a south facing slope on the banks of the River Teise near Lamberhurst, Carole Lamond and Nick Rogers, with the help
of their winemaker Will Davenport (who trained in Australia), have produced a wonderful grassy white picked as late as
possible to squeeze as much ripeness out of the english sun.. Matthew Jukes recently met Nick and Carole at one of our
tastings and subsequently wrote a rave review in the Daily Mail.
“ When Carole Lamond and Nick Rogers bought this estate, after doing a viticulture course, they nursed the neglected
vineyard back to health. They use no additives, pesticides or fertilisers, and Will Davenport helps with the winemaking. This
new 2001 is delicious. Made from 65 per cent Bacchus and 35 per cent Reichensteiner, the creamy texture and
mouthwatering finish are delightfully balanced. My wife commented that it’s perfect for summer lunches in the garden – I
couldn’t have put it better myself.”
white
CLAY HILL
CLAY HILL
1999
2001
35
5.99
6.99
CALIFORNIA
ZOOM
We were just finishing our tasting at Rosenblum in the old Navy dockyard in Alameda across the bay from San Francisco
when a guy came up and said “I make wine too”. OK, so how do we get to taste it? “Well, I’ve just finished work, I guess we
could do it here”. We were then led to a corner of the barrel room where there were three barrels and a few boxes. “This is
my bit” he said. John Eppler just makes Zinfandel. One from Paso Robles in hot, Central California, one from Napa Valley,
one from Redwood in Sonoma and finally a blend of “leftovers”. They were all sensational. Big, chewy, modern. Saturated
with fruit and multi-dimensional - surely at the very top of the Zinfandel hierarchy!
John is a Formula One fan (hence “Zoom”) and hopes to visit The Winery around the time of the British Grand Prix. He got
his first score over 90 points in the Wine Spectator last year. Does it make a difference? “It sure does - I sold out in a week!”
ZINFANDEL Napa Valley
Napa
2000
28.99
GIRARD
Pat Roney owned a successful restaurant in Chicago and recently bought the famous Dean & Deluca delicatessens that started
in New York back in the 80s. In 1999 he bought the Girard Winery from Rudd Estate. With this track record you might
expect a high-volume, high pressure wheeler and dealer. Not so. Pat Roney is soft spoken and relaxed. We tracked him down
after coming across his amazing Petite Sirah and found a super collection of modern, beautifully-made and well-judged
wines. Not showy but subtle, focused and polished. They are settling into their new hard-to-find home, the former Fisher
winery on Pride Mountain
ZINFANDEL Napa Valley
Napa
2002
18.99
CLAYTON
“Nobody makes blacker wines than me”, says Clayton Russell from Lodi, just inland from the north eastern corner of San
Francisco Bay. From his trademark cowboy hat, lucky patchwork shirt and standard issue jeans, you might expect straightdown-the-line Americana. Anything but. Within the first minute, Clayton told us that he was the first owner of a Mini Cooper
in Northern California and he’s a big fan of Queen Victoria and he used to be a steelworker and got into wine after making
barrels for Kendall-Jackson. “I only make two wines”. The Old Vine Lodi Petite Sirah and the Old Vine Lodi Zin. They are
both remarkable. Black, thick, with big chewy tannins and impressive fruit. Bags of stuffing and bags of character - just like
Clayton himself.
PETITE SIRAH Old Vine Lodi
Lodi
1999
27.99
GREEN & RED
Jay Heminway has a definite spring in his step since his Zinfandels picked up high marks in Wine Spectator and Robert
Parker’s Wine Advocate. Luckily we had already reserved. The spectacular Catucula Chardonnay is fast
disappearing...Interestingly, Jay has replanted the Catucula vineyard with Sauvignon Blanc and it will be 2 or 3 years before
it comes on line. Early signs are very promising.
SAUVIGNON BLANC Napa Valley
Napa
2002
13.99
CHARDONNAY Napa Valley
Napa
2001
16.99
SOBRANTE Zinfandel/Syrah
Napa
2001
18.99
SOBRANTE Zinfandel/Syrah
Napa
2002
19.99
ZINFANDEL Chiles Mill Vineyard
Napa
2002
22.99
SYRAH Tip Top
Napa
2002
23.99
ROBERT SINSKEY
The Vineyard Reserve is a classic Napa-style Bordeaux blend and includes fruit from vines around Robert Sinskey’s winery
at the base of the Stag’s Leap outcrop.
MERLOT RESERVE
Los Carneros 1996
29.99
VINEYARD RESERVE Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
Los Carneros 1997
38.99
RABBIT RIDGE
We visited the new Rabbit Ridge winery outside Paso Robles at the beginning of last year’s harvest. It was still very much a
building site, the fermentation tanks had only been delivered a few days earlier and were being connected as the first crush
arrived! Erich and his wife Linda are crazy about things Italian, so the new facility is a rhapsody on an Italian theme - a
palazzo on the desert’s edge. Many of you have already tasted his Barbera, the Super-Tuscan “Montepiano” and his
Sangiovese (in our opinion, the best version of the Chianti varietal to come out of California). Although Rabbit Ridge has
expanded rapidly over the past five years, it is still very much a family concern - both Linda’s sisters are now on board and
Erich’s brother-in-law is now helping with the winemaking. The Paso Robles palazzo is surrounded by vines, part of Erich’s
masterplan to increasingly rely on his own fruit and to experiment more with lesser-known varietals such as Primitivo and
Carignan. Olive oil is also part of the plan!
CHARDONNAY Barrel Cuvée
California
2003
10.99
CHARDONNAY Paso Robles
Paso Robles 2003
13.99
ALLURE Rhône style Red blend
California
1997
8.99
CABERNET SAUVIGNON Barrel Cuvée
California
2003
10.99
MERLOT Barrel Cuvée
California
2003
10.99
BARBERA Barrel Cuvée
California
NV
10.99
SANGIOVESE Barrel Cuvée
California
1999
10.99
36
T-VINE
A coup for us! T-Vine is a one man operation : Greg Brown. Greg won Winemaker of the Year in the San Francisco
Chronicle, but is otherwise unheard of. He distributes to a handful of states within the USA and we are his first export
customers. Each wine is made in microscopic quantities, usually in the 400- 600 case range. Malcolm Gluck gave the Napa
Syrah 18 points in his Guardian column and on his website Superplonk.com.
SYRAH Contra Costa County
Napa
1999
32.99
WHITE ROCK
Just 1,500 cases each of Chardonnay and Meritage (labelled Napa Valley Claret in the US) were produced from Henry
Vandendriessche’s own land in Soda Canyon, just off the Silverado Trail behind the Stag’s Leap outcrop. These wines were
made by Doug Danielak (of Jade Mountain fame) in the caves carved out of the hillside above the vines.
MERITAGE
Napa
1998
38.99
BACIO DIVINO
Claus Janzen also works for Caymus. This is his own wine, getting incredible reviews.
BACIO DIVINO Cabernet Sauvignon/Sangiovese/Petite Sirah
Napa
LIVINGSTON
The tannins of the 95 have given way to soft round plummy fruit. Now mature and quite delicious.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON Moffett Vineyard
Napa
1995
59.99
1995
35.99
2001
2002
2003
2003
2003
1999
1995
1993
NV
2003
2003
2002
2003
2002
2002
2001
2000
NV
2002
2002
2003
2003
2003
2003
10.99
11.99
11.99
13.99
13.99
14.50
15.99
16.99
17.99
18.99
18.99
19.99
21.99
27.99
32.99
32.99
33.99
37.99
42.99
49.99
49.99
89.99
89.99
94.99
DESSERT WINES
MUSCAT RIVESALTES Mas Cremat
MUSCAT RIVESALTES Mas Cremat
MUSCAT RIVESALTES Mas Cremat
MOSCATEL DULCE 375ml
MONASTRELL DULCE 375ml
L’EXTRAIT (Grenache Noir Muté sur Grain) Vaquer
POST-SCRIPTUM (Tawny) Vaquer 500ml
PREFACE (Ambré) Vaquer 500ml
VIEUX RIVESALTES Vaquer
COTEAUX DU LAYON “Clos des Bonnes Blanches” Cenival
COTEAUX DU LAYON “Les 4 Villages” Jo Pithon
PASSITO TESTEMATTE Late Harvest Cortese Barrel fermented Fontanassa 375ml
COTEAUX DU LAYON CHAUME Cenival 500ml
UCELUT Passito, Alessandro Vicentini Orgnani 375ml
COT. LAYON ST LAMBERT “Les Bonnes Blanches” Jo Pithon 500ml
COT. LAYON ST LAMBERT “Les Bonnes Blanches” Jo Pithon 500ml
TOKAY PINOT GRIS V.T.“Schoenenbourg” Marc Tempé
BANYULS “L’Oubliée” Rectorie 375ml
QUARTS DE CHAUME Jo Pithon 375ml
EISWEIN Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling, Prinz 375ml
BEERENAUSLESE Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg, Crusius 375ml
BEERENAUSLESE Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling, Vollenweider 375ml
TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE Hallgartener Jungfer, Prinz 375ml
BEERENAUSLESE Schodener Herrenberg Riesling, Loch 375ml
S France
S France
S France
Spain
Spain
S France
S France
S France
S France
Loire
Loire
Piedmont
Loire
Friuli
Loire
Loire
Alsace
S France
Loire
Rheingau
Nahe
Mosel
Rheingau
Saar
BEERS & CIDER
DUCHESSE ANNE (6.5%)
Single malt, triple-fermented lager.
BLANCHE HERMINE (4%)
Cloudy wheat beer.
1.99
330ml
1.99
330ml
CIDRE DE TERROIR (5%)
Traditional artisanale cider also from Brittany. Medium dry and very appley
3.75
1.99
750ml
330ml
37
GRAPPA/LIQEUR DE FRUIT/SCHNAPPS
CASSIS BACCATE
FRAMBOISE BACCATE
MURE BACCATE
PECHE DE VIGNE BACCATE
MYRTILLE BACCATE
13.50
13.50
13.50
13.50
14.99
350ml
350ml
350ml
350ml
350ml
GRAPPA DI PINOT GRIGIO Borghi (42%)
GRAPPA STRAVECCHIA Alba Antica (45%) aged in oak
GRAPPA RISERVA Il Lebbio (43%) aged in oak
GRAPPA DI CHIANTI CLASSICO Castello di Selvole (43%)
20.99
23.99
23.99
25.99
700ml
500ml
500ml
500ml
KIRSCHWASSER Beurer (42%)
18.99
350ml
MISCELLANEOUS
Fruit nectar, olive oils and vinegar from the vineyards of some of our wine growers.
APRICOT NECTAR Rosière (Provence)
ORGANIC VINEGAR ACETO DI CABERNET Bosco del Merlo (Venice)
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Moulin Dozol-Autrand (Nyons, Northern Provence, France)
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Michele Calo (Tuglie, Puglia, Italy)
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Michele Calo (Tuglie, Puglia, Italy)
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Il Lebbio (nr. San Gimignano,Tuscany, Italy)
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Castello di Selvole (nr. Siena Tuscany, Italy)
Back.Soon
6.50
11.99
7.50
14.99
14.99
16.99
TO ORDER
The Winery, 4 Clifton Road, London W9 1SS
Tel: (020) 7286 6475 Fax: (020) 7286 2733
info@thewineryuk.com
The Winery at Liberty, Liberty, Regent Street, London W1B 5AH
Tel: (020) 7734 3239
liberty@thewineryuk.com
Cases of twelve or more 750ml bottles qualify for a 5% discount. Cases may be mixed.
Free local delivery. UK Delivery £10.00 per case. Orders of 3 or more cases delivered free.
Wines subject to availability.
Prices may change without notice owing to errors, omissions, exchange rate/Duty fluctuations.
www.thewineryuk.com
38
1 ltr
250ml
500ml
250ml
750ml
500ml
500ml