The Editor and I travelled into The Big Smoke to meet Swedish wine writer Erica Landin in Hawksmoor Spitalfields earlier today. She seemed impressed by our capacity to eat, the general pricing policies of London and the specific pricing policy of Hawksmoor. Fair enough.

Erica’s experience of wine journalism in Sweden is somewhat different to that of mine in the UK and Europe. It seems less involved in getting riotously drunk and telling scandalously ribald anecdotes ‘off the record’ for a start. She seemed moderately impressed that we got through two bottles and a couple of cocktails for lunch; I’m told by the Editor that Swedes have unhealthy attitudes to drinking at lunchtime. Anyway, let’s have a quick look at the food.

Any reservations about the quality of the plum-pudding pig ribs I might have had on my last visit were utterly erased this time. They were absolutely cracking. The combination of melting soft meat and fat along with a richly spiced sauce is quite the winner and, like me, you should go for them every time.

Erica seemed a bit daunted by the towering nature of her burger, but said she liked it even if it did ultimately require utensils to get it into manageable-sized units. I would have been impressed by her asking if she could have both triple-cooked chips and a salad with her burger, but wasn’t because not many salads are worth getting impressed about. Salads are just so unhealthy – JUST SAY NO!

Editor Dani ordered a medium-rare ribeye, double fried eggs, roast bone marrow, macaroni and cheese and stilton hollandaise. So did I. Everything was at the ‘jester’s shoes’ end of the pleasure-spectrum. One forgets quite how good their steaks are, the bone marrow is brillo and served with style, their macaroni and cheese recipe is perfect and, though I don’t think quality meat needs much sauce, I like the hollandaise to add to the M&C for enhanced richness.

The only slight disappointment was the eggs. I know here in Hampshire we have been spoiled with amazing King’s Somborne eggs, but these really do seem to be lacking much in the way of flavour. When you shovel a big lump of animal flesh with a whole yolk on top into your mouth you want there to be serious yolk action coating your meat-filled hole; these did not deliver. More work needed on sourcing top quality ova, I think.

The cocktails were faultlessly perfect and I really felt in the mood to be witty, charming and able to listen to a new friend after knocking back my Fancy Gin Cocktail. This remains the single best martini I have ever consumed on multiple occasions. Sure, you can almost have stronger martinis, possibly, but drinking isn’t a meat-measuring exercise. These FGC’s remain quite heroic and definitely enabling/disabling enough without sacrificing anything in terms of being really nice drinks. Dani had something else, but I missed it because I was busy with my drink and being probed by Erica.

The wines:

Cote-Rote ‘Les Grades Places’ 2004, Domaine Clusel-Roch

Clusel-Roch remain my favourite Cote-Rotie producer and one sniff of this demonstrated why that is so. No silliness with high alcohol here: this clocked in at 12%. No silliness with new oak either; nary a hint of it on the nose which was all about beautifully elegant and refined fruit, which a sophisticated earthy hint and real energy and life. This showed a lot of life and was not showing any signs of falling apart having been from a weaker vintage. A supremely engaging and attractive nose of minimalism and restraint; all about beauty and understated pleasure. I was a bit surprised that when we first opened it the palate seemed a touch tough, but a shake in the decanter and a swirl in the glass sorted that out. It then showed silky, polished tannins, a fine acidity that made it sparkle with life and refined but really deep and complex fruit. The depth of flavour, despite the small-scale of the palate, was amazing – the old vines character really shining through. It was very long, extremely sophisticated and highly pleasurable. The most enjoyable Cote-Rotie I’ve had since the last bottle of this.

Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru la Richemone 2005, Domaine Alain Michelot

This was one of the most reduced red wines I have smelled in years. When it was first popped it honked of Hydrogen Sulphide and I was going to say we shouldn’t drink it. But I risked shaking it and vigorously decanting and it opened a little. But just a little, alas. It remained stinky and reductive, not much fun as far as fruit went at all. Strangely, the texture on the palate was quite nice, silky and reasonably seductive, but I couldn’t get over that nasty reductive character and surreptitiously ordered myself an extra cocktail as I went to ‘strain the vegetables’. I tell you, those Fancy Gin Cocktails would be all you need in the cocktail department if it were not for the rest of Hawksmoor’s brilliant list.

I’ve had a cold for the past week and this little jaunt into London was not only surprisingly manageable, both in terms of viral infection and London-related harassment, but quite a lot of fun as well. OK, I was let down by the Nuits, but the Cote-Rotie was wizard. Hawksmoor always deliver the goods and it was a real delight to meet Erica. I bet we got her more quaquaversal than the chap she was meeting next could manage.

Here’s Hawksmoor’s website

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On Sunday we had great fun hosting Guy Dennis and his fiancée Marie-Pierre. It was great that Guy had found a partner so charming and generally lovely. Shame only one of the other four things Guy brought along was any good.

The meal was a great success (once again) for the meat of Woodlands Jersey Beef. Once again their ribeyes stunned us with their tenderness and depth of flavour. We couldn’t have wished for better steaks and they were wonderfully complemented by macaroni and cheese made according to the Hawksmoor recipe.

Guy and Marie-Pierre turned up an hour early, which is always exciting. This meant Dani was yet to shave and I hadn’t had a shower and was still wearing my Teletubbies t-shirt. We soon dropped into the swing of an early lunch by popping one of my bottles of fizz.

Champagne Brut Blanc des Blancs 2000, Pol Roger

I admit I didn’t notice when this stopped being ‘Brut Chardonnay’ and became ‘Brut Blanc des Blancs’, but I don’t suppose it’s that important. It had a very attractive nose of bread and complex apple fruit. It seemed fresh but there was a lot going on when you smelled it, clearly more complex, if perhaps not as many laughs, as the Gratien I popped when I came out of hospital. The palate was toasty and complex with many layers of flavour and those flavours really persisted too. As Champagnes go it was utterly delicious and refreshing but clearly showing the style and class to age for a reasonable period of time. I’ve had Pol Chardonnay that I’ve aged for a long time and I see no reason why this would not age just as well. When the 2002 comes out it’ll be cracking!

Then we had the first of Guy’s wines.

Cotes de Jura Chardonnay ‘Fleur des Marnes’ 2002, Labet

Orange, oxidised, dead.

I admit I rarely drink Cotes de Jura Chardonnay, but isn’t it asking a lot of any white wine, let alone one from this appellation, to age and survive for a decade? This could have been very nice at one point, but that doesn’t mean it’ll get better, especially over such a long period of time.

Guy took it home to make vinegar. Presumably that simply required writing the word ‘Vinegar’ on the label.

So Guy opened a backup white.

Macon ‘La Roche Vineuse Vieilles Vignes’ 2002, Merlin

A tiring nose of old Chardonnay with little fruit remaining but a hint of minerality. It was tired on the palate too, but the acidity was pretty good. Never really dies first, the acidity, eh? We were presented this (like all of Guy’s wines) blind and we thought it was minor Chablis from the mid-nineties, I wondered about an anodyne, tired white Rhone as a possibility. It wasn’t bad, but why on earth keep a wine like this for ten years? I bet it would have been an absolute delight when it was up to five years old – I think I’d have loved it on release. When it was ten it didn’t have much to say, it certainly hadn’t improved. What a waste of time and money.

With our cracking steaks we had the first of Guy’s reds. It had been decanted for an hour.

Chambolle-Musigny 2008, Roblet-Monnot

A nose of pepper, spice and stewed, prune fruit. A bit rough and rustic, not much refinement. The palate had harsh, tough tannins and raw acidity – extremely spiky with not much in the way of harmony and certainly no elegance. This was a tough, punishing wine. Again presented blind I thought this was a rather unsophisticated Cornas. Guy then told us that it was not Syrah and I exploded into a rant about how evil bastards should not be allowed to do such things to Pinot and if it had the temerity to actually be from Burgundy I’d be tempted to pay them a visit and disembowel them when I’m next in the area. Not only was it Burgundy, but actually Chambolle. The least Chambolle-like Chambolle I’ve ever been unfortunate not to have avoided. Guy kept apologising that it was too cold, but temperature does not turn Chambolle into Cornas. He also said someone whose taste I rate really liked this wine – I feel there must have been some kind of mistake. This was the worst Chambolle I’ve had since I last opened a bottle of Groffier; it had no redeeming features.

This bottle of Burgundy was so bad I felt offended that someone could commit such crimes and wanted to open something to restore my equilibrium. I popped a bottle.

Beaune Premier Cru les Greves 2007, de Montille

Delicious strawberry fruit nose, really very pretty. It smells soft and charming, with no hint of silliness with alcohol or new oak. The palate has a very slight suggestion of rigor to the tannins, but it is mainly all about that lovely, lovely strawberry fruit. The acidity us spot on to keep it fresh and juicy. Pretty good length to it as well. It may not be the most throbbingly complex bottle of Burgundy the world has ever seen, but it was the perfect 2007 Beaune and, as such, an utter delight to drink.

Guy’s final offering.

Cotes-du-Rhone Villages ‘Saint Gervais’ 1990, Domaine Sainte Anne

A lovely, soft, perfumed nose of fruit, herbs and grilled meat. It’s deliciously mature. Some alcohol shows on the nose but it is by no means excessive and the whole impression of the nose is one of mature harmony and accessible pleasure. Smells rather good! The palate has a hint of dryness, but there is more than enough of that soft fruit to keep you interested. Tannins are a touch dusty, but it is not past it by any means. Good complexity, good length, pretty classy! Tasted blind I thought this was a good Northern Rhone or a sophisticated Mourvedre-based Southern Rhone from the early nineties. Last guess pretty much right, the oldest Cotes-du-Rhone I think I’ve had that’s been more-or-less in top nick. Rather lovely to drink; thank you for bringing this, Guy, we greatly enjoyed it.

We popped a Schafer-Frohlich Auction Auslese 2009 to have with cheese that thrilled and excited with its violet wand-esque acidity, then drew the afternoon to a close. I still needed that shower and after eating rather a lot and fighting through a mixed bag of wines I was feeling rather tired. A nice kip worked a treat.

It was lovely to see you, Guy and Marie-Pierre; shame about the wines.

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This was published on Elitistreview

Being fairly new to the Winchester area it is good to make new friends. Consequently, on Monday night we enjoyed going the The Old Forge in Otterbourne to go drinking with Stone, Vine and Sun’s Simon Taylor and Gordon Coates. They are the local serious wine merchant and based upon what we enjoyed together I foresee a lot of wine-themed larks in the future.

The Old Forge has good food at reasonable prices, provides a pleasant dining environment and allows you to bring your own wine for a fiver corkage on Monday nights. The four of us brought seven bottles along, ate rather well and thought the bill was perfectly reasonable at the end of the night. I look forward to a repeat match!

Riesling Auslese Traiser Rotenfels 1989, Weingut Crusius

Gordon related that with this wine the producer was trying for something a bit grander than an Auslese, but due to the acidity levels they decided to finally bottle it as one. He always remembers it being distinctly on the painful side of acidic.

Quite mature on the nose, indeed heading slightly a bit toward the old wines’ home with hints of baked apple and mushroom. Not entirely past it but it’s seen better days. Some good minerality which I do like, though. By bums, I see what Gordon meant about acidity! This is frighteningly acidic and definitely hurts. It’s beyond direct and linear, the steel rod up the arse of this wine has a steel rod up its arse. It’s difficult getting beyond the terror factor with this, but there is a bit of fruit left, some sweetness and some minerality, but it is all acidity and tiredness, really. It would have been far better, although much more scary, about five years ago. Fascinating wine, but I prefer youth rather than crapulence for my drinking delights.

Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg L31E 2007, Domaine Boxler

Dani and I were a bit worried about this bottle as we’ve had quite a few highly-developed Boxler wines recently and we hoped this would not be another. One sniff… No, in top nick although time to drink, I’d suggest. Lots of very ripe but direct and focussed lemon and lime fruit. There is focus, but it’s not shy of flashing it’s assets for everyone to have a good look at. There is a real stoniness to the nose as well, which is very nice. The palate is a mixture of the fat and the searingly direct. The acidity and minerality are edgy and scary in intensity, yet the fruit is quite round and plump. It makes for attractive drinking, but you need to drink yours soon as I fear this is not going anywhere good. Boxler wines are pretty god-damned pricey in the UK and one would hope for a lot more ageing potential than this from them; I’m glad we got this direct and paid cellar-door prices.

Chateauneuf du Papes Blanc 1999, Clos des Papes 1999

OK, this is strange. Nothing wrong with being strange, of course, but modern palates might have the willies scared out of them by the odd aromas and flavours this displays. I rather liked it. A nose of glue, mushrooms and some berry fruit. Somewhere between Airfix and mature Rosé Champagne. I think it’d be fair to say it’s quite broad on the nose. I love how this smells, although it might be getting a little over the hill. A differently attractive palate that makes the nose look conventional. I really love it! Fat and broad with an idea of acidity, oddly rotten fruit and an incredibly powerful stoniness. Very long. Incredibly broad. Yes, this is brilliant. No one seemed to like it as much as me, but I’m bloody reporting on it so I can say it was great and you’ve only got me to believe. I really did like it. It fell apart after about 40 minutes, alas.

Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2001, Domaine Arlaud

A gloriously expressive nose bursting with youthful fruit but showing hints of soft maturity. This is well up for plucking and ravishing with great delight. The fruit is really Charmes, very complex and highly attractive. There is a strong earthiness which is intricate in character. It just smells amazing, all one could ask from a 2001 Grand Cru Burgundy and a lot more. The palate is gloriously refined and elegant with plenty of sprightly fruit, good earthiness and a sophisticated tannic structure that keeps the whole thing lively and full of energy. The acidity is spot on too. The finish lasts and lasts. What a wine, totally pleasing and definitely for drinking now with almost indescribable pleasure. You know, you can still buy this from the Wine Society for £55 a bottle and if you are a member you should be buying some at the end of this sentence.

Bandol La Migoua 2002, Domaine Tempier

Perhaps it is because this is from a lesser vintage but this smells the most wonderfully restrained and totally winsome bottles of Tempier I’ve tried in a while. There is no hint of excess alcohol, just lovely, lovely scented fruit, flowers and leathery meatiness. It is simply so good. Just from sniffing this I can tell it’ll be a joy on the palate but will be able to age and improve far longer than I will. It smells like a fabulously great Bandol. And the palate tastes like one. Some rigour, but real soft, silkiness to the palate with, would you believe it, decent acidity as well. The fruit is delicious and it’s earthy richness just right up my passage. Maturity is there but so much life and energy as well. It really will last forever. I enjoyed this bottle now and I would like to drink more soon, it was absolutely fine. Not that this really matters, but it was an incredible food wine matching so well with my slow-cooked lamb. Although I was more interested in necking lots of this than eating the lamb…

Cornas 2001, Domaine Balthazar

What you want from Northern Rhone wines is a bit of elegance and this really delivered. Really seriously delivered. A delightful nose with lots of red fruit and good earthiness, but not alcohol driven or over-blown at all. It was a model of restraint. The palate had tannins that were correct for Cornas of this age, rigorous but nicely softened, good, lively acidity and plenty of fruit. Again, it did not seem heavy or soupy, just nicely balanced and very attractive. I am a big fan of 2001 Northern Rhones and this was one of the very best I’ve had in a while, quite the charmer.

And finally…

Chateau la Tour Blanche 2003

Unlike most of the other wines of the night, a big, big nose. Lots of botrytis peaches and cream character, lots of new wood and quite a lot of booze. It has scale, that much is sure. I think there is some complexity, but I am just a tad over-come by its inhalation anaesthetic characters to be absolutely sure. The palate is extremely rich, ripe and sweet. Very big and powerful. I was happy just to have a glass of this as my dessert as nothing else sugary could have stood up to it. A sweet beast!

And that was dinner. I think we all had quite a lot of fun and I hope we can repeat the event at some point soon. Assuming Gordon ever gets over his hangover… Many thanks for the wines, chaps, it was a hoot!

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This was published on Elitistreview

Once again it was our pleasure to host Peter Sidebotham (of Hand-Picked Burgundy) and Peter Palmer (the Black Sea wanderer) at Elitistreview Towers. We drank quite mind-bogglingly well, but I was a tad dejected that three weeks off the sauce whilst in hospital has done my historically epic tolerance no favours at all. I was distinctly moderate in the measures I poured for myself otherwise I’d still be positively quaquaversal.

Even though moderation was called for, it is evenings like this that remind one why one drinks wine – not only were all of them hilariously fine but also sharing such delights with enlightened company is highly gratifying. I have to say I was pleased that Peter S was a tad delayed, as this gave me the opportunity to try some Sherry I’d scored before my hospital appointment yet was unable to pop before my pancreas did. It was an exhilarating precursor to a hoopy roller-coaster ride of brilliant wines.

Fino Perdido, Sanchez Romate Hnos.

Before I get to the note, this Sherry deserves a bit of exposition. The wine is bottled in April, when the growth of flor yeast on the surface of the wine in barrel is at its thickest and so imparts most flavour. It is also quite old for a Fino, with an average age of its constituent wines being eight years old. Finally, the wine is bottled without fining, filtration or any other form of jiggery-pokery; consequently it retains maximum character. The label warns us that the wine may be a tad cloudy, or throw some deposit, but who really cares about such things? Historically this Sherry style was called a ‘Fino-Amontillado’, but the use of this moniker has been banned – hence the name Fino Perdido meaning ‘lost Fino’.

On to the note. It is the darkest Fino I have ever seen, real golden/amber tones present. Even though it is only 15% it smells incredibly potent and profound; the depth of character it displays is quite arresting. There are all the Fino nutty aromas one would hope for, but they are quite striking in terms of their power and complexity. Brilliant stuff to sniff. The palate also has a prodigious density and layers of complex flavours charged with energy. It is pretty god-damned concentrated too. The finish just lasts and lasts. I think this is the best Fino I have ever tried and it cost me a mere £7.95 a bottle – an obscene bargain for such a captivating wine.

Meursault Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir 1993, Domaine Roulot

This has all one could ask of a mature Roulot. It definitely has mature toasty, vanilla aroma whilst also not being short on lively fruit, creamy minerality and definite complexity. The energy it has is impressive, not tiring in the slightest but rather fizzing with life. The palate also has an incredible interplay between mature and fresh characteristics which make it highly engaging. The acidity levels are great and it has a really satisfying savoury character. There is some age-derived roundness here but I feel this is more a wine about lithe sophistication. The finish is great. All those people who have been sniffy about 1993 White Burgundies would do well to try this, it is a brilliant wine. Will keep a bit longer too.

Crozes-Hermitage Cuvee Gaby 2007, Domaine du Colombier

I popped a bottle of the 2008 Cuvee Gaby not so long ago. I liked that then and I like this now. The alcohol level of the nose is a tad higher than the 2008, but it is still far from being hot or unbalanced. There is lovely, refined fruit as well and it is not short on earthy aromas. The nose makes me think it is suffering somewhat from being in a middle-aged hole, but there is still plenty to relish here. The palate is a model of Crozes delight; ravishing fruit, tannins on the right side of rigorous, as is the acidity and it speaks of its appellation in terms of its mineral components. I should have popped this a year ago or waited about five more, but it is a winning Crozes.

Hermitage 2007, Domaine du Colombier

Considering the time Hermitage needs to express itself at its best I can understand if you think I am fairly bonkers for popping this and the next wine when they are so young. Moreover, I think Domaine du Colombier make Hermitage that needs longer in the cellar – what can I say apart from “Yes I am bonkers”. I popped them because I wanted to see if I should be acquiring any more of these vintages before they disappear from the shelves, I rather think I might.

A powerful, dense nose suffused with monumental fruit and splendidly complex minerality. We are told that Hermitage is the manliest wine of France and I can see plenty of strapping, virile characters here. You couldn’t really describe this nose as charged with minimalist finesse , but I think if you expect that in a ripe vintage, young Hermitage you need to re-adjust your stylistic expectations. I am really taken with this nose. The palate has a great Hermitage tannic structure; rigorous, but in exemplary harmony with the rich fruit. The acidity seems spot on to me too. This is incredibly long, leaving you will much to think about as the flavours slowly subside on your palate. A serious Hermitage that I will open my next bottle of in at least ten years time.

Hermitage 2008, Domaine du Colombier

Glorious blueberry, plummy fruit bursts from this nose. The alcohol is a tad higher than the previous wine but I see nothing lacking in terms of ultimate harmony. It is a swashbuckling, vigorous nose (just as I’d expect at this age) but everything is in the right place and shows flashes of great things to come in the future. At the moment the palate is perhaps most suitable for the brawny lover of red-blooded hedonism, but this is not an over-blown, over-whelming fighting wine – it is a damned good young Hermitage from what is clearly a top bunny vintage for this producer. It is true I usually prefer minimalist, sculpted little beauties, but when a wine can manage such levels of stirring vehemence and still do that whole harmony thing I’ll drink the bleeder with a big grin slapped across my face. Good stuff, needs time.

Nuits Saint Georges Premier Cru Chaignots 2005, Domaine Robert Chevillon

Ho ho ho! This is what quality Nuits should smell like: infused with dark, brooding fruit and clear earth characters – beezer! It is clearly very ripe and a tad on the young side but I know I am going to love this when I can drag myself away from sniffing it. Those tannins are a perfect expression of ripe vintage Nuits, bold but not punishing. There is a great acidity to it and its minerality is just right in the zone as well. Freaking gorgeous, no buggering about with new oak or excessive alcohol levels, it is just a brilliant Nuits Premier Cru which you should not really be opening for at least five more years. When mature, this’ll blow your socks off.

Riesling Beenerauslese Graacher Domprobst 2005, Willi Schaefer

Sublime.

Oh, you want more? This is one of the very greatest very sweet wines I have ever been lucky enough to try: it hurts me, it moves me, it ignites my faculties of both intellectual and visceral flavours. A great wine is something other – this is boggling my mind. Sure, it is intensely sweet, but the acid levels are more than you could ask for in such a wine – they hurt. The expression of minerality has not been diminished by vintage warmth or high botrytis levels. The length staggers me. Ah I was right first time: sublime.

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Unless you know the producer and vintage of a Cote-Rotie before you pop it, you can often be surprised by the variation in styles they show. Some are heavy and dense, some light and refined. Some can be as Bretty as a farmyard whilst others clean as a whistle. My preference is for the clean, elegant numbers and Clusel-Roch rarely fail to deliver in this regard. Indeed, I cannot think of a bottle of Clusel-Roch I’ve popped that I didn’t utterly adore.

Consequently, I am rather chuffed that I have a magnum of their wine that I am going to pop to celebrate Elitistreview’s sixth anniversary next Monday. A bunch of chums are going to meet up at Hawksmoor (so should that be ‘meat up’?) and we are going to nosh on London’s best steaks; hooray! I’m told the aesthetically-challenged arse A. A. Gill was recently very rude about Hawksmoor’s steaks. If so, it further proves that he is a pathetic hack whose writing is dripping with his pathological fear that he’ll be found out as knowing nothing about food. Much like that other odious git Nossiter he seems convinced that his pretentious musings are of supreme interest to the extent that they are all he writes about rather than actually bothering to review the restaurants he visits. Back to Cote-Rotie:

Cote-Rotie 2001, Domaine Clusel-Roch

This nose it utterly at ease with itself as a superlatively harmonious and classy entity. The fruit is super-elegant and pretty and the intricate earthiness is irresistibly complex. It really speaks to me as being totally beautiful and up for drinking – it is the best Cote-Rotie I’ve had in an age. To smell this is to love it, and I bet tasting it will be even better so I’ll do that now. By arse, it is full of stars. OK, their single-vineyard, old vines bottling may be better than this, but the silky smooth, finesse-charged, supremely balanced delight this is on the palate makes it impossible to do anything but love this. There is more than enough complexity here and it is fully mature. The gorgeously attractive flavours just last and last. A truly amazing wine of utter beauty, and not that pricey either. From The Wine Society.

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This was published on Elitistreview