Almost all of our Buyers (you can never get them all together; there's always someone on a trip) did a big range tasting for us at our Arch near Borough Market yesterday.
It was the first chance our buying team (Thomas, Clare, Abi, Helen, Anne, Becca and Cat) have had to show our new Global Wine Director, Justin, what they can do. They all presented their current favourites. I thought it would be interesting to pick out a dozen wines and put them in a case for anyone who wants an up-to-the-second take on the wines we'll all be ordering for ourselves. I made some notes below. None of the wines are expensive and all are worth a try.
ONE, Abi’s choice: The new Chai white Roussanne du Baron is an instant hit. Mark Hoddy's latest creation. Roussanne is possibly my favourite white grape. Not sure why. It makes big white wines, solid, chunky, masculine. Nothing too floral or flippant about a good big Roussanne, but wow, great depths of chewy flavour, that get deeper over time. It was André Roux who introduced us long ago to this lady and I've stayed faithful. And tend to bang on about her. Mark Hoddy (Chai Cellarmaster) doubtless heard me droning on and last harvest, when in the Midi overheard Arnoud de Bertier (our tame Baron) say that he or his brother - I forget - had an old vineyard of Roussanne they were going to rip up after the harvest. He grabbed the last fruit and has worked obsessively on the wine ever since. The vineyard's now gone. And the wine's so good it makes you want to cry.
TWO, Abi again: Mark's hit from last year; the Vent de Folie Syrah from his 'home' in Maury. Its very, very good. The boy is able to make the often quite surly Syrah grape come out all smiling and singing.
THREE, Helen’s choice: Another Baron; the Baron de Barbón from Rioja 2008 is the best father and son Javier and Julian Murua have ever made. For the money, quite outstanding.
FOUR, Thomas went for this one: The Amoras Rosé from Portugal was a surprise choice but the winemaker Jose Neiva has won big awards for his pinks so perhaps not that surprising.
FIVE, Becca’s choice: The Stonewall New Zealand Riesling seduced us all. It would seduce our customers too if they can get past that word 'Riesling' which still gives too many the shudders remembering that cheap sugar-water from Germany which blighted their youth. Forget those days, folks, long gone, this is amazing.
SIX, Becca again: The Esk Valley Sauvignon Blanc is a cracker too. Got more votes than anything else. Really crackles with crisp energy. No-brainer.
SEVEN, Thomas: The Hunters Gewurztraminer is a wine we've bought for years, always good, if a touch niche-y. But this year, Wow, something else! Very spicy, of course, but just so drinkable. I reckon a roast chicken and this and I'd be in heaven. The wonder of wine, eh? God knows why one vintage does so well. But He doesn't tell us why. Three Kiwi wines in a row ... hat-trick for our Thomas W. He's on form, our T.
EIGHT, Cat went for this: Tomahawk Shiraz 07. From our new RedHeads place, McLaren Vale, a wine that's turned out much better that we expected. 14.5 degrees, tastes like 13. But just such lovely refreshing flavours. Must encourage 'Hoops' - Adam Hooper - to do more of this. I've showed it at a couple of customer tastings and it’s sold v. well, so customers agree.
NINE, Martin: Giant Steps Chardonnay 2007. Aussie Chardonnay - another 'turn-off' term for customers, bored with mass-produced, over blended, over-oaked, whack-with-an-iron-bar 'Chardy'. But here's a lovely cool-climate Chablis-rivalling wine from the most talked-about new cellar in the Yarra Valley. (Don't miss visiting if nearby, it’s my dream cellar. I want one like this - all gravity, no pumps, plus a restaurant, deli, bakery, creamery and brewery).
TEN, Becca: Casa del Rio Verde Cabernet Reserva. Casa del Rio Verde is, despite the earthquake which destroyed many others, still an idyllic manor house on the Teno River. The name is from their great mass of vineyards, fruit and other trees reflected in the bright river.
The Reserva is predominantly Cabernet with a small percentage of both Carmenere and Syrah too; for lovely dark plum and blackberry flavours with chocolate-y and vanilla-ish hints added by the months in oak - clever, very clever; from the multi-award-winning Adolfo Hurtado, and the up-and-coming Cecilia Padilla.
ELEVEN, Anne chose this: Masseria Cavallo Negramaro 08. Big staff favourite ... joint first (tie with a Rioja worth £23 a bottle) in our last 500 tasting ... subsequently won the 'Premio Nazionale Leone d’Oro' in Italy!! So now has big credentials ... A smoothly irresistible Italian seducer.
TWELVE, Helen again: Domaine de Dionysos Cotes du Rhone 2007. A fantastic example of why the 2007 vintage in the Rhone was so highly sought after. This delicious red comes from the family estate of Domaine Dionysos in the southern Rhone Valley, near to Orange. This is the first outing from skilled wine maker Andre Farjon and we are proud to see a debut wine becoming such an instant hit. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan, this is a juicy red with ripe tannins and a long spicy finish. Parker thought the 2007 Rhone vintage was the greatest he’d tasted in thirty years. Helen told me she’d found this wine at the Decouvertes wine fair and had ‘spent two days tasting nothing but CDR wines and this was only one of two wines that we now list. I must have tasted 250 wines to select this!’
So, twelve wines that the buyers (and me!) are drinking right now. The case has been put together. Not sure how it will sell, but these are all worth trying. See what you think…
No comments:
Post a Comment