Mr Vine July Panel Tasting - the results
This was the best panel tasting yet. Normally we select the five wines most deserving of your attention, but this time round we were compelled to add a further three ‘honourable mentions’ that were so good it would be criminal to miss them off the list. We held the tasting at MASH Steak near Piccadilly – if you’re into wine, you should check out their list, it’s exceptional.
First place: Franck Bonville Blanc de Blancs NV (Champagne, France; 12.5%; £26.09, Cadman Fine Wines)
This pure Chardonnay Champagne is grown on Grand Cru rated sites and the quality really shines through: brioche-scented exuberance, full and rich on the palate with a lovely soft fizz. Very easy drinking while keeping its class and character, this isn’t the driest Champagne but it’s beautifully balanced and could easily compete with many big brands. 90 points.
Second place: Fattoria Le Fonti Chianti Classico 2012 (Tuscany, Italy; 14.0%; £14.50, Cadman Fine Wines)
Mostly Sangiovese with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this Chianti is somewhere between modern and traditional in style. It has detailed cherry, herb and leather aromas alongside coffee bean and tobacco leaf. Bright, vibrant and expressive this wine has a lovely sense of harmony and warmth. It engages the brain as well as the tongue. 91 points.
Third place: Auntsfield Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (Marlborough, New Zealand; 13.0%; £12.15, Cadman Fine Wines)
This estate was built on the site of New Zealand’s first winery, dating back to 1873. If you’re suffering from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc overload, this wine reminds you of what makes the style so special. It smells of freshly cut grass, fresh gooseberry and guava but has a sense of restraint; the flavours are pronounced by the wine remains elegant. Lovely round texture, a long, concentrated finish and wet foliage freshness. Very well priced to boot. 90 points.
Fourth place: Château Bel-Air La Royère 2008 (Bordeaux, France; 14.0%; £19.35, Cadman Fine Wines)
Unpretentious, old school claret with much to love: ripe and fruity, with spicy cedar, tobacco and blackcurrant. This blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Malbec from Blaye has plenty of stuffing and tannic heft to keep it going for another five years or so, but is at a lovely stage to drink now – harmonious and complex but still with youthful power. Bordeaux lovers will lap it up. 91 points.
Fifth place: La Torricella Barbera d'Alba 2011 (Piemonte, Italy; 14.0%; £15.99, Red Squirrel Wines)
Black cherry and cola on the nose, alongside coffee and cocoa – classic Barbera. Lovely concentration and a satin-soft, dry finish. A generous yet serious wine that's just crying out for rigatoni with meatballs. 89 points.
Honourable mentions
Vinteloper 'Odeon' Riesling 2013 (Clare Valley, Australia; 13.0%; £24.99, Red Squirrel Wines)
Just over a thousand bottles were made of this compellingly interesting wine. Naturally beautiful aromas of mandarin, mirabelle plum and flowers. It’s not cheap, but this is brave winemaking resulting in a unique style that some drinkers will adore. 90 points.
Vega Tolosa 'Icon' Bobal 2013 (La Mancha, Spain; 13.5%; £8.99, Red Squirrel Wines)
Bags of intense forest fruit flavour, this is a perky, juicy red that is easy to drink but has character and makes an impact. Fantastic value for money. 88 points.
Bruna 'Maje' Pigato 2014 (Liguria, Italy; 12.5%; £13.50, Red Squirrel Wines)
Delicate, fresh and perfumed this is a lovely example of the rare Pigato grape. Silken in texture and perfectly balanced, this is a great alternative to Pinot Grigio. 88 points.
Mr Vine is a free iPhone app that helps you discover and buy the kinds of wine you like from a marketplace consisting of over 1,000 wines across a dozen different independent UK wine shops. Each month, a panel of five drinks experts (Richard Hemming, Helena Nicklin, Nathan Nolan, Zeren Wilson and me) meet up to taste a selection of wines available via the app in order to sniff out some gems. We score the wines out of 100, provide a tasting note and – perhaps most importantly – pick our top five of the night. These won’t necessarily be the highest scoring, just the wines we feel most excited about bringing to your attention.
For more info on the app and how it works, check out mrvine.co.uk.
Chapoutier 2014 Sélections Parcellaires: a difficult birth
The vintage
I moved to London in August 2003 on one of the hottest days in living memory. Not the ideal conditions for shifting furniture up flights of stairs. Not brilliant for making balanced wines either; 2003 is remembered across Europe as The Hot One. In England it turns out we had it relatively easy; in France the temperature peaked in the Southern Rhône at 42.6°C. The heat was actually killing people; there were 15,000 more deaths in August 2003 compared to an average month.
To begin with, Rhône magnate Michel Chapoutier thought 2014 might be another 2003. The winter was warm, and so was the spring, resulting in a vegetative cycle that was three to four weeks in advance of a normal year. May and June continued in the same fashion, coupled with precious little rain. “There was drought, drought, drought – with stress showing on the leaves even earlier than in 2003,” he noticed. But after June, the comparisons stop. “In July, the rain and cold weather arrived – and it was very challenging.”
Much of the summer was cold and very wet. The rain brought with it the threat of disease, particularly mildew, which is difficult to treat for winemakers like Chapoutier who farm biodynamically. Thankfully most of his best sites are on steep slopes, so the rain drained away without causing serious issues. On 25th August, a new weather front took hold which resulted in warm, dry weather that was more normal for the time of year.
In 2003, he harvested his Méal vineyard on the hill of Hermitage on 14th August at 15.5% potential alcohol. In 2014, he started harvesting the same vineyard on 8th September. So the grapes had an extra four weeks on the vine in 2014 compared to 2003, which Michel sees as a big benefit: “one month more to prepare the baby during the pregnancy.”
Though the work in the vineyards in 2014 was challenging, in the cellar things were more straightforward; “the aim is a long, slow fermentation – as long and slow as possible – and that is what we observed” which has led to “a natural selection of subtle, stable tannins.” For Michel, 2014 was “a vintage for lazy winemakers, but sharp winegrowers.”
The wines
Powerful Rhône wines from hot years are often lauded by critics upon release; 2003 certainly was, as was 2005 and 2009. Undoubtedly some great wines were made in all three of these vintages, but many lack definition and freshness. Hot, dry vintages can deliver wines that are aromatically blurred, as if tasting through a heat haze – particularly with Grenache in the Southern Rhône, whose propensity to excess alcohol can make matters worse. You taste plenty of ripe fruit and sun in years like these, but the individual site is less clearly defined.
I was worried that the 2014s might disappoint due to such a weak summer. I experienced the weather first-hand; I spent a week in St Joseph in late July when it barely stopped raining (and I had tonsillitis: it was a terrible holiday). But going by this line-up, 2014 is looking stronger than I anticipated.
At a recent tasting in London, Chapoutier showed barrel samples of his top single vineyard 2014s, the Sélections Parcellaires. The Northern Rhône whites were impressive; they had definition and relief, svelte rather than lean, with restrained power. The Northern Rhône reds were also very good, speaking eloquently of their origins, displaying both power and finesse. The two Châteauneufs were good if showing a little lighter than some years at this early stage. Full notes are below.
Three new arrivals
Michel announced three new wines that will soon be available. The first is a sparkling St Péray made from 100% Marsanne grown on granite called La Muse de Wagner. (Apparently Richard Wagner used to order sparkling St Péray from Chapoutier’s forefathers, but Wagner never actually paid for it. His debt was finally settled by Franz Joseph Strauss, governor of Bavaria, by sending them some beer to compensate.)
Next year we can look forward to a new addition to the Sélection Parcellaire line-up, a new Côte-Rôtie from a recently acquired two hectare southwest-facing vineyard in Neve, Ampuis. We can also expect a new Crozes-Hermitage in the near future, as Michel has just bought a small plot of east-facing vines there.
Future releases are likely to be grown on granite: “a big part of my future will be searching for granite all over the world” he says, even suggesting that granite vineyards in the UK “could be more interesting than limestone”. So can we expect new single vineyard wine from Dartmoor sometime soon? It’s unlikely… but as always with the unpredictable Michel Chapoutier, you shouldn’t rule anything out.
Barrel samples tasted at Home House, London on 19th May 2015. Prices will vary between merchants, but the below are taken from H2Vin as a guide.
Whites
2014 Chapoutier Saint-Joseph Blanc ‘Les Granits’
£165 for 6 bottles in bond
2 ha, 100% Marsanne, very old vines south of Tournon grown on steep granite slopes.
Bright and expressive, pithy grapefruit, apricot, honeysuckle, vanilla – lean in fruit but aromatically generous. Rounded, fairly full-bodied. Fine, firm acid line and distinctly salty on the long, mouthwatering finish. A very good, powerful yet lean example. 2016 to 2026. 93-95 points.
2014 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc ‘Le Méal’
£435 for 6 bottles in bond
2 ha, 100% Marsanne, 50+ year old vines on alluvial deposits and large stones.
Rich in peach and apricot fruit but not overly ripe, alongside hazelnut and a touch of honey. Michel always finds tomato. Very full and rounded, regal almost. Powerfully flavoured, burgeoning complexity. Powerful, long, glittering with minerals and a saline finish. Like a pop-up book of the hill of Hermitage; plenty of angles, lots of relief. 2018 to 2044. 96-97 points.
2014 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc ‘De L’Orée’
£475 for 6 bottles in bond
3.5 ha, 100% Marsanne, from Les Murets. 70 year old vines on pebbles and sand.
Ripe peach with a squeeze of pineapple. Very round, rich and generous in body. As always with this cuvée, it has a wonderfully expansive mid palate. Silky on the finish, and the buried acidity rides in to deliver a tapered finish. Long in flavour with a slightly nutty finish. 2018 to 2040. 96-97 points.
2014 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc ‘L’Ermite’
£1150 for 6 bottles in bond
0.5 ha, 100% Marsanne, 100+ year old vines on the top of the hill of Hermitage behind the chapel on granitic soils.
Still some carbonic gas in this sample. Straight, currently quite closed on the nose, but underlying citrus pith and fleur du sel can be discerned. Rounded on the palate, full and powerful with plenty of energy. Touch of rhubarb flavour. Very intense and mineral all the way through. Very long. Honeycomb texture. Power, and length of power. 2022 to 2055. 98-100 points.
2014 Chapoutier Condrieu ‘Coteau de Chéry’
Not available to taste this year.
Reds
2014 Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Croix de Bois’
£170 for 6 bottles in bond
5 ha, 100% Grenache from Bédarrides, 45 year old vines grown on large pebbles and sandy red clay.
Rounded and full, lots of juicy Grenache strawberry fruit on the palate but currently relatively reticent on the nose. Plenty of body, but perhaps lacks the concentration of fruit of top years. 2016 to 2020. 89-91 points.
2014 Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Barbe Rac’
£180 for 6 bottles in bond
4 ha, 100% Grenache grown on galets over red clay and sand, 90 year old vines.
Hilltop vineyard west of Châteauneuf. Darker in fruit than his Croix de Bois with more plum and damson in evidence. Lovely intensity of sweet blackberry fruit and smooth, sweet juiciness. Long, enjoyable and unmistakably Châteauneuf. 2016 to 2026. 91-93 points.
2014 Chapoutier Crozes-Ermitage ‘Les Varonniers’
£125 for 6 bottles in bond
3.2 ha, 100% Syrah, 60+ year old vines grown on southeast-facing granite slopes.
Blackberries on the nose, mostly ripe, some slightly under. Good generosity of fruit on the palate however coupled with a dry, assertive tannic structure. A little raw still but this should resolve. Good intensity and impact for the appellation. It has length and balance. 2017 to 2022. 90-92 points.
2014 Chapoutier Saint-Joseph ‘Les Granits’
£145 for 6 bottles in bond
2.5 ha, 100% Syrah, very old vines on stony granitic soil.
Liquorice and just-ripe blackberry fruit with a touch of meat jus. Dynamic, powerful, mineral and intense on the palate – clearly a very good year for this cuvée. Very long, really makes an intense impact on the palate. It has all the structural markers of a granite-born wine. 2018 to 2028. 94-96 points.
2014 Chapoutier Saint-Joseph ‘Le Clos’
£265 for 6 bottles in bond
<1 ha, 100% Syrah, 15 year old vines on granitic soil.
Full, rich, intense and generous. Powerful, fine tannic structure that is particularly noticeable on the finish. Deep, dark, brooding with a balsamic sheen to the fruit. Mineral, saline finish. Very long and muscular. 2017 to 2029. 94-96 points.
2014 Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie ‘La Mordorée’
£285 for 6 bottles in bond
3 ha, 100% Syrah, 70 year old vines on steep terraces of mica-schist in loess on the border of the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune.
Fairly closed but characteristically sylvan, with black olive and rosemary. Good fruit, but no excess fat. Very smooth, wonderful tannins that grip but are smooth as silk. Good acid line, overall very well balanced. Not terribly long but nonetheless very good. 2016 to 2018. 91-93 points.
2014 Chapoutier Ermitage ‘Les Greffieux’
£350 for 6 bottles in bond
3.5 ha, 100% Syrah, 50 year old vines at the foot of the hill grown on alluvial deposits, shingle and clay.
Aromatically a little unresolved at the time of tasting, but I’ve no doubt it will harmonise in time; liquorice dominates, some vanilla and black olive. Well worked tannins, powerful on the palate. Good acidity, a relatively lean style of Hermitage. There is length, and the final impression is of structure and mineral drive. 2018 to 2034.92-94 points.
2014 Chapoutier Ermitage ‘Le Méal’
£495 for 6 bottles in bond
2.2 ha, 100% Syrah, 50+ year old vines on high terraces of shingle and clay.
Plush and intense, with wonderful tannins – a thick swathe, but very, very fine. Long and intensely mineral. This has huge potential, very tightly wound but packed full of energy. Brimming with life. 2018 to 2048. 97-99 points.
2014 Chapoutier Ermitage ‘Le Pavillon’
£695 for 6 bottles in bond
4 ha, 100% Syrah, 65 year old vines on granite from Les Bessards.
Characteristically inky, herbal and straight in profile. Very full and round, juicy and packed with fruit. Very intense, really injects the palate with dynamic fruit, acid, fine tannins and minerals. Layer upon layer of texture and flavour. Very long indeed, more powerful and saline than recent vintages. Some spice on the finish. 2022 to 2054. 98-99 points.
2014 Chapoutier Ermitage ‘L’Ermite’
£800 for 6 bottles in bond
3 ha, 100% Syrah, 80+ year old vines at the top of the hill around the chapel on loess over granite.
Balsamic, spice, mineral. Very rounded on entry thanks to its wealth of fruit, primarily blackcurrant. Then narrows like an arrow, very straight and mineral. Packed full of fruit, with fine acidity and an endless finish. 2020 to 2054. 98-100 points.
First published on timatkin.com.
Wine matching: Lamb with spring vegetables
The recipe
1 kg best end neck of lamb
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
250 g streaky bacon, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
350 g baby onions, peeled
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
100 ml dry white wine
500 ml chicken stock
1 bouquet garni
250 g baby carrots, trimmed
250 g shelled petit pois
salt and pepper
Serves: 4-6
Preheat the oven to 180c. Trim any large pieces of thick fat from the lamb and discard. Cut meat into 2.5 cm cubes and place in a bowl. Combine the herbes de Provence, flour, salt and pepper and add to the lamb, toss well to coat.
Heat half the oil on in a flameproof casserole and fry the bacon over a high heat until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the lamb to the pan (in batches) and fry until evenly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Add remaining oil to the pan and gently fry the onions, leeks and garlic over a low heat for 10 minutes until softened. Return the lamb and bacon to the pan and add the wine, stock and bouquet garni. Bring to the boil and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour, then stir in the carrots, return to the oven and cook for a further 30 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook for a final 15 minutes.
Matching wines
Domaine Le Roc ‘La Folle Noire d'Ambat’ 2013 (Oddbins, £11.00)
As a rule, red wine works better than white with lamb. To come up with an enjoyable match, consider how it’s cooked. Roasting it or grilling it at a high temperature creates intense flavour, so choose a full-bodied red; cooking it gently in a broth as in this recipe and you’ll want something more medium-bodied. When cooking delicate new season lamb this way you could even go as light as a flavoursome rosé such as Chinon or Bordeaux clairet.
Pinot Noir would be a classic red option, but have you ever tried a Fronton? It’s made near Toulouse from the rare Négrette grape which imparts the most amazing fragrance. This is a classic example from a family-owned estate with aromas of pot-pourri, rose and cinnamon with cherry and cranberry flavours underneath. Give it a try if you fancy something a bit different.
Domaine de Torraccia Rouge 2011 (Yapp, £13.95)
Little-known varieties or unusual regions are often where the best value is to be found, so here is another esoteric choice – this time from Porto-Vecchio, southern Corsica. It’s primarily made from local varieties Nielluccio and Sciacarello, alongside the Rhône stalwarts Grenache and Syrah. The estate was established in the 1960s by Nevers aristocrat Christian Imbert after many years spent in Chad as a spice trader. The estate is farmed organically and now managed by his son Marc.
It has an intensely herbal nose of thyme and bay which chimes nicely with the herbs in the dish. Though pale in colour it’s surprisingly punchy in flavour, with a savoury, earthy side that will work well with lamb, particularly if you’re using a slightly older animal.
Jean Foillard Morgon 2013 (Les Caves de Pyrène, £17.99)
Beaujolais has enjoyed a renaissance over the past decade. It’s one of the epicentres of the natural wine movement, where producers farm organically, pick by hand and eschew any additives. Jean Foillard works in this way, and is undoubtedly one of the greatest producers in Beaujolais today.
One of the most appealing features of this dish is the freshness of the spring vegetables, so it feels right to drink a young, vibrant wine alongside it. His 2013 Morgon has just hit the shelves and it’s deliciously drinkable already. It has the bright astringency, piquant acid and juicy fruit of fresh redcurrants. Alongside beautifully pure aromas of wild strawberries it also has a distinctly floral, almost grassy aspect that will help it pair brilliantly with this dish.
Based on a recipe by Louise Pickford. First published in Living France magazine.
Mr Vine Tasting Panel #4: the results
It was another eclectic tasting for the panel in June, this time in the private room at 10 Greek Street in Soho (who have an excellent wine list that we couldn't help but explore after the tasting…) A particularly strong showing from online retailer Wine2Drink this time round, with first place going to a delicious Aussie Riesling; if you’re new to dry Rieslings, it’s a perfect introduction to the style.
First place: Magpie Estate Riesling 2014 (Eden Valley, Australia; 12.5%; £11.00, Wine2Drink)
The impressive result of a partnership between Barossa Valley winemaker Rolf Binder and UK wine merchant Noel Young. Great fruit purity – salt, lime and orange blossom – as well as a flinty character. Long, dry, lean and lip-smackingly fresh; a laser-sharp thirst-quencher. Good value too. It’s even got a beautiful label. 91 points.
Second place: Calusari Pinot Noir 2013 (Viile Timisului, Romania; 12.5%; £7.50, Wine2Drink)
This is made by Cramele Recaş a winery in western Romania now owned by Bristolian Philip Cox. It has classic Pinot Noir character, plenty of ripe redcurrant and earthy cherry fruit. It’s lighter on its feet than many French Pinots at this price, and very easy to drink. An interesting find and a good example of the quality and value currently to be found in Romania. 86 points.
Third place: Mas de Daumas Gassac ‘Réserve de Gassac’ Blanc 2011 (Languedoc, France; 13.0%; £9.75, Wine2Drink)
A blend of 25% Viognier, 25% Chardonnay, 25% Petit Manseng, 15% Chenin Blanc and 10% of various other varieties from one of the Languedoc’s best producers. Aromas of fuzzy white peach and a heavy perfume of white flowers floats from the glass. It has a creamy, lush mouthfeel, impressive purity of fruit and a soft, floral, dry finish. Nicely balanced and refreshingly different. Great value for under a tenner. 89 points.
Fourth place: Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (Marlborough, New Zealand; 13.0%; £16.00, Wine2Drink)
There are so many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs on the market that these days it’s rare to find one that really stands out. This one however, made by Kevin Judd, former winemaker at Cloudy Bay, is exceptional. There’s vivid asparagus, cut grass, aloe and gooseberry flavour, but it’s not overblown like some of its compatriots. Fragrant, crisp, balanced and incredibly long, this is a very accomplished New Zealand Sauvignon. 89 points.
Fifth place: Domaine Des Cigalounes 2011 (Lirac, France; 15.0%; £11.56, Wineman)
After the two champion Liracs we had last month, here’s another on that hit the spot. A blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, this has plenty of blackberry, hung game and dense black cherry on the nose. It’s loaded with local garrigue (wild herb) character which provides a herbal lift to the ripe, potent fruit. A complete and delicious foodie wine that’s like having several courses all at once. 88 points.
Mr Vine is a free iPhone app that helps you discover and buy the kinds of wine you like from a marketplace consisting of over 1,000 wines across a dozen different independent UK wine shops. Each month, a panel of five drinks experts (Richard Hemming, Helena Nicklin, Nathan Nolan, Zeren Wilson and me) meet up to taste a selection of wines available via the app in order to sniff out some gems. We score the wines out of 100, provide a tasting note and – perhaps most importantly – pick our top five of the night. These won’t necessarily be the highest scoring, just the wines we feel most excited about bringing to your attention.
For more info on the app and how it works, check out mrvine.co.uk.
Guerrilla winemakers
One wine, in one place, for one year only. It's hard enough making wine in the same place each year, so as winemaking philosophies go it doesn’t get much more ambitious. But since graduating three years ago with degrees in winemaking Nick Jones and Leah de Felice Renton have stuck to it. As a result, their output is unusually disparate; so far the range of wines that they bottle under their Wine of Momentary Destination (WMD) label contains a Roussillon Syrah, a Mosel Riesling, an Istrian Cabernet Sauvignon (and even a gin). They control everything; they buy the fruit, make the wine, design the labels and sell the finished product. Each year presents a unique set of challenges; poor weather, shysters – even poltergeists. But so far the results have more than justified the means.
Nick’s current work is making mead in Peckham. It sounds like the most hipster job imaginable, but that’s not their style. Sampling their wines outside a bar in south London felt more like chatting to new-found friends at a festival. Nick and Leah met at an Oddbins staff training course in 2009. Soon after, they decided to take their love of wine to the next level, and enrolled on viticulture and oenology degrees at Plumpton College in Sussex, UK. Graduating in 2012, they took temporary winemaking positions at a small domaine in the Roussillon, southwest France. While they were there, Leah inherited a sum of money; she decided the best way to invest it was to buy some grapes and make their own wine in their spare time.
They put the word out at a busy café in a nearby village that they were looking to buy some fruit. After much whispering and backward glances from the locals, the pair of English twentysomethings were approached by a local man who smilingly shepherded them to a knackered vineyard and offered them some sorry-looking grapes. They gave him a second chance and this time he came up with a more convincing proposition, so they rented tanks and equipment at nearby Domaine Vella Frontera in order to make the wine. The result was Fuse – 777 bottles of Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes made from 100% Syrah. It went down well back home, and within a few months they’d sold the lot.
They decided to plough the proceeds into another wine the following year but on a larger scale. Although they had never worked with Riesling before, this time they found themselves in the Mosel in Germany. For Leah “the challenges were huge, but it really stretched us as winemakers”. Nick adds that “you really have to think on your feet,” but working in this way is possible thanks to a mix of different ingredients: winemaking degrees, previous experience, a lot of reading and a bit of instinct. “Follow the instructions and it will all be fine!” states Nick, with a slightly nervous grin.
But there are some eventualities you can’t plan for. The tasting room at the winery where they were renting space to make their Riesling had some unusual decorations; a human skull and two leg bones over the door. They were ploughed up by the owner’s grandfather in the 1970s who previously kept them on his bedside table as good luck charms. Nick and Leah held a party in the tasting room for friends that came to help them harvest the grapes; towards the end of the party things took a turn for the weird. An internal window started gradually opening and closing of its own accord; when they tried to open it themselves it wouldn’t budge. They tried to calm themselves down with various rational explanations; but that wasn’t so easy when cupboard doors started bursting open. Leah didn’t believe in ghosts before; “I do now”. They named the wine The Spectre in its honour.
Working with new varieties in different regions each year has given them plenty of other stories; the Istrian Malvasia/Chardonnay that they worked on last summer is called The Will to Live “because we nearly lost the will to live” says Nick. The weather was so awful while he was there he had to switch plans; he ended up making an Istrian Cabernet Sauvignon instead. This is one benefit of their modus operandi; “you can be flexible… you’re not at the mercy of Mother Nature” to the same degree as owning a specific vineyard plot. “We have the option to pull the plug or look elsewhere if we need to.”
The Istrian deluge prompted them to make a back-up wine just in case all was lost. It was too late to make something from scratch so they decided to create a second label, Birds & Bats, for wines that they’ve sourced and blended but didn’t actually make themselves. This time they found themselves on the Greek island of Chios near the coast of Turkey. Their first release is Three Years Down, a blend of two grapes indigenous to Chios (Chiotiko Krassero and Ayanittis – no, me neither) that spent three years on oak; two in French barriques followed by a third in Bulgarian puncheons.
Producing wines with big consumer followings clearly isn’t their number one concern, but unusual bottle shapes, distinctive handmade labels and strong branding all help the wines to stand out. They also detail all the ingredients and equipment they use for each wine on their website which gives you a unique insight into the winemaking process and the decisions they took along the way. This year they are opening up their Wines of Momentary Destination project to some old Plumpton classmates; 2015 destinations will be Priorat and Slovenia. The regions that they choose are often dictated by where they happen to be working that year, but Nick’s dream destinations would include Mallorca, Yarra Valley and Georgia; Leah would choose the Pfalz, Willamette Valley and English sparkling.
There is a certain satisfaction in following the wines of an old, established estate. You look back down the years and sense the lineage, the experience amassed through generations, the gradual honing of a style. Above all, you know what to expect. Clearly this isn’t something you enjoy when following WMD: rather than looking back, this is a young winemaking outfit that is always looking forward. Buy a bottle from them and it could contain anything imaginable. What you can rely on, however, is a well-made, characterful wine made in a small batch by a pair of committed wine lovers in a transparent fashion. The UK wine industry has long looked outside its own borders towards the best from other countries; so perhaps it’s not surprising that some of our home-grown winemaking talent is doing the same thing.
The wines
Wine of Momentary Destination ‘The Spectre’ Riesling 2013 (Mosel, Germany; 10%) Read full ingredients here
Vinoteca, £19.96
Slightly off-dry impression, with delicate, pure, apple and apricot fruit with underlying citrus. Gently floral and rounded from a proportion (around 20%) of botrytised grapes. Very well balanced with zinging acidity; long and fresh. 90 points.
Birds & Bats ‘Three Years Down’ 2011 (Chios, Greece; 13%)
DVine Cellars, £27.00
A blend of Chiotiko Krassero and Ayanittis, tannic grapes that need long wood ageing. Crunchy cranberry and black cherry fruit with a distinctly floral (violet and iris) element, some bergamot and cinnamon spice. Grippy, no-nonsense tannins, firm acid and a savoury finish. Very drinkable and refreshing with lots of angles and detail. A blend of the floral, the earthy and the tannic that appealed to the Nebbiolo-lover in me. 91 points.
First published on timatkin.com.
Mr Vine Tasting Panel #3: The results
Here are the top five wines from a tasting of 14 at the last Mr Vine panel tasting. This is the first time we've had the two top spots bagged by the same producer - Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine from the Southern Rhône appellation of Lirac. These were entered by Nickolls & Perks, an excellent independent merchant based in Stourbridge near Birmingham that's been run by the same family since 1797. Well not literally the same family. Members of the same family. You know what I mean.
By the way, if you're going to Taste of London this Friday (19th June), the panel will be doing a live tasting for anyone that's interested at 1.30pm at the Mr Vine Wine Theatre.
The results
First place: Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine Lirac Blanc 2013 (Rhône, France; 13.5%; £11.30, Nickolls & Perks)
A peachy mélange of three much underrated white grapes from the Rhône: Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Viognier. More ripe stone fruit flavours like apricot and nectarine in the mouth give it a lovely lush texture. This would work well with fairly rich dishes but is deliciously drinkable by itself. Plenty of impact but perfectly balanced – a very successful blend. 90 points.
Second place: Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine Lirac Rouge 2011 (Rhône, France; 13.5%; £11.30, Nickolls & Perks)
Another generously flavoursome Rhône blend from this reliable producer, this time red: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan. Rich and intense with forest berries, cigar tobacco and hung game, this is a wine in a deep red smoking jacket. It really won us over; it’s hearty without being heavy. 88 points.
Third place: Domaine Bourdon Saint Veran 2011 (Burgundy, France; 13.0%; £12.60, Nickolls & Perks)
Lots of attractive, gentle apricot and peach here – there’s a touch of honey and caramel too but thankfully it hasn’t been clobbered by oak. It has a lovely, silky, rounded mouthfeel and impressive intensity of flavour. A lot of wine for the money, which is relatively rare when it comes to white Burgundy. 89 points.
Fourth place: Caligiore Malbec 2013 (Mendoza, Argentina; 14.0%; £10.49, Vinceremos)
There's a lot of samey Malbec out there, but this isn't one of them. It has layers of dark chocolate, concentrated blueberry, succulent plum and coffee bean flavour. A wine to cosy up with that's crying out for steak – it’s a muscular Malbec that would happily stand up to a juicy ribeye. 88 points.
Fifth place: Bodegas Parra Jimenez 'Parra' Verdejo 2013 (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain; 12.5%; £6.99, Vinceremos)
Verde-who? This white grape is native to Spain and makes pungent, herbal styles of wine with loads of personality. It’s like a trek through the tropics: guava, greengage and pithy grapefruit. Not exactly subtle, but it’s a fun, sunny BBQ party wine that’s a shoe-in for lovers of Sauvignon Blanc. 85 points.
Mr Vine is a free iPhone app that helps you discover and buy the kinds of wine you like from a marketplace consisting of over 1,000 wines across a dozen different independent UK wine shops. Each month, a panel of five drinks experts (Richard Hemming, Helena Nicklin, Nathan Nolan, Zeren Wilson and me) meet up to taste a selection of wines available via the app in order to sniff out some gems. We score the wines out of 100, provide a tasting note and – perhaps most importantly – pick our top five of the night. These won’t necessarily be the highest scoring, just the wines we feel most excited about bringing to your attention.
For more info on the app and how it works, check out mrvine.co.uk.
Wine matching: oeufs en cocotte
The recipe
250g small mushrooms wiped clean
50g butter
4 free range eggs
500ml double cream
30g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
French baguette, toasted to serve
A drizzle of truffle oil, optional
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan-assisted.Thinly slice the mushrooms or chop roughly if any are large.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and as soon as it stops foaming add the mushrooms and a little salt and pepper. Fry the mushrooms over a high heat for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften but before they start to release their juices.
Divide the mushrooms between the 4 x 200ml capacity ramekin dishes. Break an egg into each one and top with the cream, Parmesan and a little salt and pepper. Give the whole mixture a slight stir to just break the egg yolk, but do not over mix.
Place ramekins in a deep ovenproof tray and add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 20 minutes until the mixture is golden and eggs are cooked.
Cool for 5 minutes before serving with crisps of French bread.
Variation #1: Spinach en cocotte. Replace mushrooms with 250g baby spinach leaves. Saute spinach leaves in a little butter until just wilted, divide between dishes and continue as above.
Variation #2: Salmon and dill en cocotte. Divide 125g smoked salmon between the 4 dishes and scatter over 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill. Continue as above.
The wines
The Co-operative ‘Les Pionniers’ Non-Vintage Champagne (£16.99, Co-op)
There are few dishes that strike fear into the hearts of sommeliers like oeufs en cocotte. Egg-based recipes can be tricky to match with wine, especially when the yolk is still runny. White wines are a safer bet; something with a degree of richness but nothing overtly fruity.
Champagne is a good choice, and a richer style with some age would work well with the classic recipe with mushrooms and truffle oil. Vintage Champagne would be perfect if you want to spoil someone, but don’t miss the Co-op’s Les Pionniers NV. This blend of traditional varieties is made by legendary winemaker Regis Camus at Champagne house Piper Heidsieck. It may be relatively cheap but the wine is remarkably complex; smoky and dense, dry yet honeyed with cinnamon, coffee and caramel on the finish. It’s unbelievably good value.
Domaine Jones Grenache Gris 2013 (£14.95, The Wine Society)
If Domaine Jones doesn’t sound very French, that’s because Katie hails from Leicestershire. She moved to the Languedoc to work in sales and marketing for a local winemaking co-operative, but eventually bought some of her own vines including a parcel of 80-year-old Grenache Gris in the Maury Valley in the Roussillon.
When it comes to the alternative recipe that uses smoked salmon, this assertive white has the freshness, acidity and character needed to contrast with the intense flavour and richness of the fish. It has subtle pear, lime and melon aromas and although just medium-bodied it makes quite an impression. It has a firm, chewy texture and long, clean, saline finish. The hint of fresh herbs on the finish would chime nicely with the dill.
Domaine Paul Blanck et Fils Pinot Blanc 2013 (£9.99, Wine Rack)
The oeufs en cocotte with spinach is the most difficult of the three to pair with wine; the richness of the eggs alongside the earthy, bitter leaves is quite a challenge. Another reliable choice when it comes to eggs however is Alsace Pinot Blanc, a middle-weight wine with subtle aromatics.
Incredibly, Domaine Paul Blanck has been in the family since 1610, and they farm their land without using chemicals. Their off-dry 2013 Pinot Blanc is soft, pure and gentle. It’s an unshowy, well-made and enjoyable wine, but one that’s happy to let the food do the talking – perfect for a tricky match like this.
Based on a recipe by Louise Pickford. First published in Living France magazine.
Mr Vine Tasting Panel #2: The results
The second Mr Vine Panel Tasting was another eclectic mix of wines from a variety of different independent wine merchants. The panel and I ploughed our way through 14 different bottles, and these are the five we thought most worthy of your attention. The Oxford Wine Company performed particularly strongly, bagging three of the top places.
The top wine of the tasting was totally stunning and worth tracking down immediately. Dry Hungarian Tokaji is still a little-known style of wine in the UK, but it can be wonderfully hedonistic and great value for money; the Château Dereszla is both of these things.
The results
First place: Château Dereszla Dry Tokaji 2013 (Tokaj, Hungary; 14.0%; £12.34, The Oxford Wine Company)
This unusual white is bursting at the seams with honeyed apricot, baklava and rosewater flavour. Rich, ripe and lush but it remains vibrant. Totally non-mainstream and so much the better for that. A jewel of a wine. 92 points.
Second place: Château Peychaud Cotes de Bourg 2012 (Bordeaux, France; 13.5%; £10.40, The Oxford Wine Company)
Very appealing on the nose – blackberries, cedar and Havana cigars – coupled with loads of concentrated dark fruit flavour. It’s not always easy to find good value in Bordeaux but this is very impressive for the price. Considering the relatively obscure appellation it’s a thoroughbred. 88 points.
Third place: Domaine du Haut Peron Touraine Sauvignon Blanc Vieilles Vignes 2013 (Loire, France; 12.0%; £10.79, The Oxford Wine Company)
With fistfuls of gooseberry, kiwi and green pepper, this couldn’t be anything but Sauvignon Blanc. It wasn’t unanimously loved but those that did enjoyed its soft fruitiness, intense fruit flavour and vibrant acidity. 88 points.
Fourth place: Weingut Josef Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner Loessterrassen 2014 (Kremstal, Austria; 12.0%; £10.99, The Real Wine Company)
A good introduction to the Grüner grape. Pithy and citric with a green apple tang and a characteristic whiff of white pepper. Vibrant lime juice acidity provides plenty of refreshment through the clean, mineral finish. 88 points.
Fifth place: Weingut Martin Kohl Zweigelt Classic Red 2013 (Niederösterreich, Austria; 13.0%; £8.99, The Real Wine Company)
Wow – the first thing you notice is the lip-smacking acidity, but there is plenty of perky, crunchy red berry fruit and piquant spice underneath. The label might be rather plain but this has lots of personality for the money. Try drinking it lightly chilled – it's a stunner for the summer! 87 points.
Mr Vine is a free iPhone app that helps you discover and buy the kinds of wine you like from a marketplace consisting of over 1,000 wines across a dozen different independent UK wine shops. Each month, a panel of five drinks experts (Richard Hemming, Helena Nicklin, Nathan Nolan, Zeren Wilson and me) meet up to taste a selection of wines available via the app in order to sniff out some gems. We score the wines out of 100, provide a tasting note and – perhaps most importantly – pick our top five of the night. These won’t necessarily be the highest scoring, just the wines we feel most excited about bringing to your attention.
For more info on the app and how it works, check out mrvine.co.uk.
Lidl Wine Cellar magazine: how many?!
Six million copies. Six meeeeeeeellion copies. That’s the print run of the Lidl Wine Cellar magazine. In the UK at least, this must be one of biggest print runs (the biggest print run?) of any magazine. Lidl asked me to help them write it – our first collaboration is available in store today; it’s inserted into The Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Guardian and The Daily Record this Saturday. Hope I didn't leave in any typos…
My aim as a wine writer hasn't changed since I first started writing for friends seven years ago: I want to help people get the same enjoyment from wine that I do. Ever since I was a grubby-faced, spoon-licking toddler I've been drawn to the hedonistic, but I can honestly say there is nothing that has brought me more enduring pleasure than this magical drink. Sure it takes a while to get into. But once you’re in, there’s no looking back. I’ve never met an ex-winelover.
The team at Lidl have given me remarkable freedom. I've written introductions to various regions around the world so drinkers can explore with more confidence. And within the 40-page magazine, they've also granted me the space to write a couple of general wine features which I hope will inspire people to get involved if they aren't already.
When it comes to sourcing the wines, Ben Hulme is the senior buying manager for beer, wines and spirits so he does most of the legwork in putting the collection together. To help him hone his selection he then convenes a tasting panel of three Masters of Wine: Ed Adams, Caroline Gilby and Richard Bampfield, who give every wine a score out of 100. For wines that get the green light, Richard supplies a concise tasting note for the magazine. The wines in each quarterly Wine Cellar collection are bought in finite quantities and distributed to all their stores, so when they’re gone, they’re gone. The top wines sell out very quickly – don’t say I didn't warn you!
I love writing in-depth articles for websites and magazines that are aimed at committed wine nuts. But writing for Lidl’s Wine Cellar magazine gives me incredible reach, much greater than any individual wine column, to talk to normal people who haven't really discovered wine yet. If I can give them a hand up and help them discover their path to enjoying brilliant bottles, then I'm happy.
What I learned whilst judging The London Steak Awards
Over the past four weeks I've been helping to judge the 2015 London Steak Awards. The competition, sponsored by Graffigna, involved the meat-loving public voting for their favourite London steak restaurant on Facebook and Twitter and a panel of judges visiting the top four to confirm just who it is that serves the best steak in London. The panel consisted of Luiz Hara, aka The London Foodie; Jon Hawkins, editor of Foodism magazine; Matthew Zorpas, aka The Gentleman Blogger, myself and an alternating guest judge.
Obviously the first thing I learned was what a jammy bastard I am to be judging the London Steak Awards. Over the past five years steak restaurants have been popping up all over London and the standard has never been higher. Here’s my take on the top four.
In fourth place: Roxie
Roxie is a small chain of four restaurants dotted around West London. It was set up 16 years ago by some South African friends who couldn't find a decent steak house in London so decided to create their own. We visited the Putney branch, which was busy even on a Monday night, and had a comfortable, lived-in feel to it. My sirloin was fine but it lacked the depth of flavour of the other steaks we sampled. But at £14.95 it was less than half the price of most of them; Roxie offers great value for money. The wine list however was only passable, and they don’t offer corkage. 6/10.
In third place: Marco Pierre White Steak & Ale House
The grizzled Knorr-peddler may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I visited with an open mind, despite some recent unflattering interviews. This competition is about the meat, not the name above the door. And the meat is very good indeed; my 14oz ribeye (£35) was juicy and flavoursome with an intense char and real depth of flavour. Service was friendly and entertaining, and the high-ceilinged, sunken dining room is spacious and bustling (though very warm on our visit). The wine list is serviceable and not overpriced considering its City location. But most importantly, they offer some of the best steaks London has to offer. 8/10.
In second place: Mash
Mash is a capacious, polished, subterranean steak house near Piccadilly where somehow it is always night. You walk past two impressive glass-walled meat lockers and a well-stocked island bar into the main part of the restaurant, which consists of a series of comfortable red leather booths. You can select steaks by country of origin and cut; the floor staff are highly knowledgeable and helpful (as are the bartenders and sommeliers for that matter). The 90-day aged 500g Danish long-bone (£48) had an intense, though not intensely gamey, flavour; but the Australian tomahawk steak was better value at £60 per kilo (so £30 per person) and had an appetising meatiness. Sides are very good, but the wine list here really needs to be seen to be believed. It’s comprehensive without being over-long, has one of the best selections of modern US wines in London, and, surprisingly for the West End, offers very good value for money. Mash is worth visiting for the wine list alone; but coupled with the quality of the meat, Mash is one of the very best steak restaurants in London. 9/10.
The winner: Hawksmoor
But the meaty crown goes to Hawksmoor. Now with five restaurants around London and an outpost in Manchester, Hawksmoor served up one of the finest steaks I have ever eaten in the capital. I shared a 900g porterhouse (sirloin and fillet on the bone, £40.50 per person). It had a substantial char on the outside but remained perfectly medium rare inside. It was intense in flavour, with both cut giving you all you could ask for; the fillet meltingly tender, the sirloin deliciously flavoursome. And the sides were also the best of the four restaurants; the bone marrow smoky and wobbling, the triple-cooked chips actually perfect. Though they have more impressively decorated rooms (we ate at Hawksmoor Knightsbridge), it was comfortable, convivial and had good acoustics. The service was enthusiastic and precise, and our waiter could answer even my most annoying questions. On top of this, the wine list is fantastic, boasting impressive variety within a medium-sized list, plenty of mature bottles and largely very fairly priced. You can spend a grand on something to impress if you want to, but there’s plenty of good wines between the £30-40 mark. They even do £5 corkage all day on Mondays. If you haven’t been to Hawksmoor, go to Hawksmoor. 10/10.