Contrary to popular belief, it’s not every day that us buyers get to taste through a line-up consisting of nothing but fine wines. So when we decided to check over a portion of our 400 strong fine wine range (which has been selling very well of late) to see where the gaps are and work out what our next shopping lists might look like, we knew we were in for a treat.
And there they were, 30 or so of the world’s finest wines standing side by side, in a very appealing row, ready and waiting for us to taste.
Hugh Johnson (and his wealth of expertise) joined us for the afternoon and, after a brief debate about what a ‘fine wine’ actually is (according to Hugh, it’s any wine that’s worth talking about, irrespective of provenance or price) we were swirling, sipping and slurping our way along The Arch’s impressive tasting table.
As is ever the case with wine-tasting, a few of the wines provoked a marmite response – with some of us loving them, and others not quite so keen (‘just not my cup of tea’).
But there were a couple of stand-out wines that everyone really enjoyed:
Château de Puligny Clos du Château, Bourgogne Blanc 2008, £16.99
A rich, deeply satisfying white Burgundy that punches well above its weight at under £17. Elegant, toasty oak is woven together with ripe citrus and melon fruit. Vibrant, yet weighty, this really is classy stuff.
Pikes Merle Riesling, Clare Valley Australia 2008, £18.99
Light, slightly floral and full of zippy lime fruit. Lovely and crisp, dry but not piercingly dry. We all agreed this would be great with sushi. Hugh’s description was by far the most poetic: ‘a rich golden stoniness followed by a lemony finish.’
La Grace de Cote Rotie 2007, £27.00
Cote Rotie finished in our very own Chai that’s showing its colours after a bit of time in bottle. Full of rich, brooding bramble fruits and spicy black pepper. Definitely one to enjoy curled up in front of a fire on a winter’s evening.
Te Mata Coleraine Cabernet Merlot, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand 2007, £31.00
The wine that took us all by surprise. A Bordeaux blend from New Zealand that gave the Pomerols and St Juliens more than a run for their money. Poised and elegant, this could easily pass for a Bordeaux Cru Classé in a blind tasting. Hugh’s favourite wine of the day, and the bottle that got snaffled by a certain quick-off-the-mark Italian buyer!
Cat Lomax, Buyer
Tony is on holiday.
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