July 18, 2014

Picque Caillou… a great find

Ottos

On Tuesday evening, at Otto's, Paul Marus and I hosted a Chateau Picque Caillou dinner with the Proprietor Paulin Calvet. Picque Caillou itself is in Pessac-Leognan and is an estate we have worked with consistently since the 1960's. Paulin spoke very well on the evening, he has an almost unique position...
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May 22, 2014

Dominio de Pingus trip 2014

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Peter Sisseck is experimental and innovative; a man who just never considers resting on his laurels. These sort of sentiments are often thrown around like confetti in the wine industry but in the case of Peter they are wholly accurate. A recent trip to Dominio de Pingus showed me first...
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May 14, 2014

And on the third day… several Cantina Giacomo Conterno wines…

Conterno tasting

Following on from the Monfortino Magnum Monday 1970-2006 and then the Dinner at Zucca the morning of day three we had a very special tasting in the office. We showed the wines below, all double decanted that morning: Barbera Cerretta 2008 Roberto only took over the vineyard in June 2008 so there this wasn’t fully under...
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May 13, 2014

Roberto Conterno Dinner at Zucca

Zucca - line up

This dinner was a long time coming but, possibly slightly arrogantly, was well worth the wait. My favourite producer and my favourite restaurant. When we are planning these dinners there will always be an advanced party 2-3 weeks before and to taste the menu and go over any potential tweaks  that...
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May 12, 2014

Monfortino Magnum Monday! 1970-2006 (A Vinous event)

Monfortino line up

This was a very memorable dinner and tasting. It was several months of work to get it organised. The drive to do it came from Anthonio Galloni and his team at Vinous with special mention to James Forsyth. The magnums all came from one cellar. Roberto (Conterno) had never himself...
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April 8, 2014

Bordeaux Days 5 & 6 – Right Bank – Saint-Émilion and Pomerol

Days5-6

Our last two days were spent on the right bank. Friday started off rather grey and gloomy but with a cracker of a schedule. There is a palpable sense of achievement in the bus that we have now tasted a lot of wines and are at the business end of...
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April 7, 2014

Bordeaux Day 4 – St Estephe, Joanne, Carmes Haut-Brion

Ducru-beaucaillou

Rain. It started last night at dinner - we were unprepared and got mercilessly drenched on the walk home. This morning is a little better, in a drizzly, foggy sort of way. The new tour bus game is spotting vineyard workers rising eerily from the mist as we drive past. Another...
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April 4, 2014

Bordeaux Day 3 – UGCs, Phelan Segur, Haut-Brion, Mission Haut-Brion

SONY DSC

Having been consistently late yesterday, we have turned over a new leaf and were so early for the St Julien Union des Grands Crus tasting that they were still setting up when we arrived. There is a distinct nip in the spring air today, but it started sunny and crisp...
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April 2, 2014

Bordeaux Day 2 – Pauillac, Margaux, Sauternes (mostly)

Chateau-Lynch-Bages-label

Just as we were dozily watching the sun come up over the Medoc from the comfort of our executive VW minibus, we hit traffic. Someone had gone off one of the notoriously narrow Medoc back roads into a ditch. Fortunately the pompiers were on hand and the only damage appeared...
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April 1, 2014

Bordeaux 2013 tasting – Day 1

Pontet-Canet-looking-over-vineyard

Some brief impressions from the road on our first day tasting the Bordeaux 2013 vintage. The first thing to say is that this is nothing like as bad as we have been led to believe. Yes, the fruit concentration is lighter than in the top years, and yes there are...
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