Last Thursday was the turn of 50 lucky, private customers, who came to the Groucho Club in Soho for a celebration dinner. Brut NV bubbles kicked off the evening with a quick word from Adam and Didier about the relationship between Corney & Barrow and Champagne Delamotte and Salon; we have been lucky enough to be exclusive agents for Delamotte for 15 years (and Salon for almost 10.)

Le Mesnil-sur-Oger should always be said in the same breath as Delamotte, Adam then stressed, referring to the most prestigious of villages in the Côte des Blancs, where both Delamotte (and Salon) are based. This unique location means that the grapes used in Delamotte’s blanc de blancs non-vintage and vintage cuvées are 100% Grand Cru – a little known point of distinction for Delamotte.

We matched Delamotte Blanc de Blancs NV with potted crayfish; this style is so quintessentially Delamotte, at once soft and delicate but precise, its minerality cutting through the richness of the starter.
The main course was a sea bass with roasted fennel, paired with the Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 1999, the current vintage release from Delamotte. This wine is showing beautifully now, having emerged from its chrysalis in the last year. Its white blossom aromatics, ripe citrus flavours and incisive minerality proved an excellent match to this dish, and demonstrated yet again how well Champagnes can partner food. Our next glass was Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 1990, a special and rare treat for Corney & Barrow customers as there are no further stocks available for purchase; Didier very generously provided these bottles from Delamotte’s precious library archive, for the 250th dinner. Guests were not disappointed; the 1990 is the perfect evolution of the 1999, showing more complex aromas yet retaining its freshness and flavours of stone fruit and white flowers. The wine blossomed in the glass, developing notes of baking bread, brioche and mushrooms. The palate was perfectly balanced showing great finesse, power and elegance.

A birthday isn’t a birthday without a cake! We had Delamotte’s 250th anniversary cake hand made to a special recipe containing ground almonds and topped with delicate wild berries, the perfect match for a glass of Delamotte’s elegant saignée Rosé with its delicate acidity and fresh raspberry and cranberry notes.

Salon hits the big 100 next year, so more celebrations in store. Watch this space…

Further Options

The start of En Primeur and other things have got in the way of writing up the evening when 1 Thomas More Street hosted a seriously memorable Presentation Dinner. Two months of work by Adam, Bernadette and Davina saw the office converted out of almost all recognition – the entrance to the sales floor had a trio of musicians in it, the drawing room furniture had evaporated and two soldiers stood on guard at the entrance!! Even before crossing the threshold the change was appreciable from the flags – one British and one French. All this for as deserved an award as you can image in the World of Wine – Aubert de Villaine being “crowned” Decanter Man of the Year. Now we at C&B are very privileged to have the relationships we do but you could really see just how lucky from the wines on display that evening.

Before (and during!) the big group photo outside the office Salon 1997 was poured from magnum with Didier Depond in attendance. The 1997 was tighter (as you would expect) from magnum than bottle, a brilliant start to the evening and as much a wine as a Champagne as Salon always is.

As one of the pouring team, I am afraid that from here my version of events will be different from those that will no doubt appear in Decanter as we were behind the scenes checking the wines and then serving them. First up from the the cellars of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was Le Montrachet 2003, now this I going to sound absurdly understated but it was gorgeously drinkable and balanced already. There was real depth but no hint of hot 03ishness (if that’s a word). The glass we poured changed through the evening and was spectacular throughout. From this most magical of starts we moved to the two reds – La Tâche 1991 & Romanée-Conti 1971 – both these and the Le Montrachet were direct from the Domaine’s stocks and had been shipped for the event. The Romanée-Conti 1971 had been re-corked at the Domaine in 1996 and was awesomely consistent across the bottles and quite honestly the best wine I have tasted with so much ripeness whilst being developed yet youthful, simply extraordinary. The La Tâche by comparison was younger tasting and more primary (everything is relative). The two wines next to each other just showed the Domaines prowess so well, one majestic example of basically “perfection” the other a brilliant example of the Domaine’s consistency and skill at making great wine in less glamourous (compared to it’s predecessors) vintages. After the presentation (another glass of Salon 1997 served – poor things!) we served together – Fine de Bourgogne 1991 and Fonseca 1963 – some people had both, some were more restrained and went for the Port. Both were cracking examples of their type, the Foncesa to my mind was still youthful but at the same time drinking brilliantly. The Fine – and I always think I shouldn’t be suckered into these things – was lovely too, elegant but not with out punch, ok so no a patch on the wines but a lovely thing to have at such a unique evening.

A note on serving, the wines were all just opened and poured from bottle, no decanting, except for the Fonseca which was decanted at 5pm. The temperature was deliberately cool to allow evolution in the glass.

The evening ended gradually with a few of the home team making use of the garden for a chat and a cigar (Petit Robusto from Hoyo de Montrerry – but I digress into one of my other passions) over a glass of the Fine. And that was that, a night that was without doubt the most unique since we moved to 1 Thomas More street and probably a lot longer…it will live long in the memory.

Read more about this event on Decanter, Jancis Robinson and Anthony Rose’s websites:
http://www.decanter.com/news/297988.html (additional filmed interview)
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201005184.html
http://www.anthonyrosewine.com/journal/2010/5/man-all-seasons-aubert-de-villaine-domaine-de-la-roman%C3%A9ee-conti

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A quick update following the first week of releases (not many of them!). Last Tuesday saw d’Angludet out at £219, demand seemed steady, it’s a wine that tasted well this year and has a good following. The other three wines we offered last week were all quite different “beasts” – the Sweet Doisy-Vedrines (£245 or £255 in halves), I won’t tell you the in house nickname, some sold but I think people like to wait and see what the Sauternes prices are like as a whole before selecting – although a few will be in big demand and therefore worth grabbing if you want them. Then there was the deep and serious Certan de May (£725) which sold well, I had been very impressed with this when tasting it in London on the day before release. The last wine of the week and a real C&B drinking favourite was Ch Lamarque (£130) a Haut Medoc on the up and up – selling well as people who know the wine “shove” a case or two away to drink at home in a few years….

So what will happen this week? Quite honestly nobody knows…there will be more press reviews out…a Chateau or two will no doubt come out but it still looks like the campaign will be more of a marathon than a sprint….

On other fronts we had two notable tastings last week.

Olivier Leflaive and his winemaker, Franck Grux, were in London to present the (now offered 2009’s) to the entire team…22 of us crammed ourselves into the tasting room. The wines were so much easier to assess than the 2008’s which had more pronounced acidity. The 2009’s looked lovely, lush and full but with underlying structure…white burgundy fans now have quite a trio of vintages to “play” with in 2007,2008 & 2009 – all will have their fans and all are good just with different characters.

Secondly Edouard Moueix was in town on Thursday night to host a really enjoyable and relaxed dinner at Papillon (which stayed open especially for the night). Rather than hype the 2009’s we focused on a slightly forgotten but good value vintage – 2006. Edouard took us through the wines in amusing style with many a story along the way. The tasting order was spot on as each wine built on the former. A full “Menu” of the wines and food is below…a really great night on which the really style and balance of Magdelaine was the highlight for me, saying that I feel guilty as the La Grave 2001 was so delicious…

Tasting

St-Emilion

Barrail du Blanc 2006

Franc Bigaroux  2006

Côte de Baleau  2006

Belair 2006

Pomerol

Bourgneuf 2006

Hosanna 2006

-

Champagne Delamotte NV

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Dinner Wines & Menu in Order

Terrine of rabbit and ham, herb salad, pickled Mushrooms

Les Songes de Magdeleine 2006

L’Hospitalet de Gazin 2006

Roast chump of lamb, potato gratin and rosemary jus

La Grave à Pomerol 2006 & 2001

A selections of farmhouse cheeses:

Brie, Fourme d’ambert, Comte and St Maure

Magdelaine 1er Grand Cru Classé St-Emilion 1999 & 1997

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Anyway, enough of the venue, on to the wines. Sylvan Pitiot the manager of Clos de Tart had flown in specially to present this flight of wines. He joined the Domaine back in 1996 and is almost solely responsible for putting Clos de Tart firmly back on the map after a number of years in the wilderness. The history of this incredible piece of land is unique, having only had three owners since the 12th century. Today it is in the hands of the Mommessin family.

Although there is only one vineyard in the Domaine, in some vintages (but not all) a second wine is produced, La Forge de Tart. We kicked off the tasting with the two most recent vintages, 2007 and 2008. Both were delicious and impressive but in very different styles. The 2008 has a wonderfully rich, succulent feel to it, bursting with bramble and sweet raspberry fruit with just a hint of spice. The 2007 was more floral and elegant and a little more closed after the exuberant 2008. It was then on to the grand vin. Again we tried first the 2008 and then the 2007. As with the Forge de Tart, the 2008 exploded out of the glass with a profusion of rich, sweet fruit, violets, roses and minerals. The 2007 was a more reserved, quieter, older sister but with wonderful depth and complexity. Having thoroughly enjoyed the two vintages of La Forge, one quickly became aware of it limitations when compared directly with the grand vin. The step up in concentration, intensity and depth was impressive.

The next flight took us back to the beginning of the century and 2001, 2002 and 2003 although not actually in that order. 2002 was first up. Still amazingly youthful, the fruit here was rich and sweet again but there was a hint of VA on the nose. Certainly the raw materials are all there for this wines’ future but it was just not on top form tonight. The 2001 by contrast was arguably the wine of the evening. Again young but absolutely singing with fruit, leather, game, violets a full orchestra or flavours and aromas. Sylvain mentioned that he believes the 2008 will turn into a very similar wine – wow. Last wine of this flight was the controversial 2003, a marmite vintage and a marmite wine. Hedonistic is the word that springs to mind when tasting the 2003. It is luscious and voluptuous and heady and totally atypical but somehow it works. Probably not one for the burgundy purist but if you are a pleasure seeker then you will be in paradise.

Our last wine was a visit to Sylvain’s first vintage at the Domaine, 1996. Such an amazing contrast to the 2003 that preceded it; paler in colour, more tertiary and savoury in its aromas and with more marked freshness and acidity. Wonderful wine though and a glimpse into what this wine can become.

We all departed in very good spirits having been captivated by this incredible piece of land.

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It was finally time to pack the bags, DJ and passports, jump in the car and head down to Southampton clutching a very impressive looking invitation. We were on our way to the naming ceremony and gala dinner for P&O’s latest unveiling. The Azura is the newest addition to the P&O fleet, a magnificent and awesome superliner costing some £380m. One key feature of the Azura is its new Glasshouse Restaurant & Wine bar created by wine guru Olly Smith. We are very proud to be one of the wine suppliers with some C&B favourites such as Les Sétilles from Olivier Leflaive, PSI from Peter Sisseck, Malbec from Achaval Ferrer and Gewurztraminer from Domaine Trapet. We have also secured a fleet deal on our Prosecco, again in close collaboration with Olly.

The day had started well with a quick two hour blast on the mountain bike through the Surrey Hills to make some room for the delights to come. What’s more, the Met Office were forecasting the warmest weekend of the year. Things were about to get better. As we approached Dock Gate 4, the Azura was hard to miss, a sleek, modern looking boat, still spotlessly white. She sat there rather like a bride on her wedding day, full of anticipation about what was to come, not only for her grand day, but for the exciting lifetime in front of her.

The added beauty of hosting an event on board was that we got to stay the night in one of the new plush cabins with a wonderful view over the Southampton Docks. Not quite the Med, but hey the sun was shining. So this was mine and Olivia’s first cruise so speak, although we would not actually be going anywhere. Once settled in we headed up to the top deck for that very British tradition of tea and cakes. Splendid! The selection was awesome, firing the adrenaline on what was to come.

We did a quick reccy to see what all the hype was about, plus I was keen to check out the Glasshouse. I had seen the plans and artist impressions, but the final product was better than my already high expectations. The team has done a great job with the Glasshouse. Beautifully well designed and presented glass cabinets nurse each of the wines, neatly positioned in rows. Sitting at the back of the bar a Cruvinet system houses a selection of wines by the glass, selected to match the regularly changing menu. I take my hat off to P&O for promoting wine in such a positive, but crucially fun way.


After a swift pint at the bar with Rebecca Palmer and her partner Kevin, we donned our black tie and join the 1200 guests for a glass or two of Taittinger on the main decks. Thankfully the Met Office’s forecast has proved to be correct in the main, if not a little chilly in the wind. The other guests included lots of well known faces from Strictly Come Dancing, Holly Oaks, Emmerdale, tv and media in general along with regular passengers, Carnival staff and a host of suppliers etc. The guest of honour and godmother was the stunning Darcey Bussell CBE who named the Azura in some style, followed by an impressive firework display which brought Southampton to a complete standstill.

The gala dinner was a fantastic affair and we were extremely proud that the Passopisciaro from Andrea Franchetti had been selected as the main red wine for the dinner. For me, this served as a excellent synergy between the wine and the Azura, both from classic stocks, but with a modern, dynamic, fun, yet highly professional and unique style. It was a very fun evening. Whilst I am not sure that a long cruise would personally be my thing, for those that do, I can see Azura being a benchmark ship. I must also take my hat off to the P&O team on board for organizing such a professional event, especially the gala dinner. Chapeau!

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A bit of background for those who don’t know Andrea Franchetti or his wines. Most importantly he is a Bordeaux trained maverick Italian who creates sensational wines. He first established himself in southern Tuscany – Val d’Orcia – an area not traditionally renowned for wine making. Here he created the phenomenal wines Tenuta di Trinoro (taking the name of the estate) and Le Cupole (meaning Dome (s),) both super-Tuscans produced, predominantly, from Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. His next project led him to Mount Etna, Sicily and to the indigenous grape varieties of the region – Nerello Mascalese and Cesanese d’Affile. At Passopisiciaro, he established the most unusual vineyard – ash covered slopes of the not-quite dormant volcano (see blog prior to this for more info!). The results are spectacular and the wines have become massive favorites at C&B and further a field.

The format of the evening was a tasting lead by the charming and excitable Elena then followed by a glass of Prosecco (keeping the Italian theme going) and dinner with the only white Andrea makes and two pairs of reds.

Tasting Pre-Dinner

Le Cupole di Trinoro 2005 – Showing well, elegant style, lovely fruit…alas no more stock, if you have some start to drink soon but no rush.

Le Cupole di Trinoro 2006 – The most “Italian” in style, bruised fruit and a real food wine, becoming approachable

Le Cupole di Trinoro 2007 – A super charged version of 2005, very promising and the most popular on the night, try to resist for 18months I recon.

Le Cupole di Trinoro 2008 – to be released later this year, so much fruit with underlying structure too, impressive.

The 06/07/08 are all the same cepage – 30% Cab Franc, 40% Merlot 20%Cab Sauv & 10% Petit Verdot where the 05 is a little more Cab Franc heavy being – 50% Cab Franc, 30% Merlot 12%Cab Sauv & 8% Petit Verdot.

Tenuta di Trinoro 2008 – Massive in everyway but not at all cloying or OTT, so much fruit but such structure a 20yrs+ wine, fascinating to taste bearing the last two wines of the night in mind.

Franchetti 2008 – The first time I have tried this wine, I can see why it has been so raved about – amazing red, candied fruit and great structure, superb length….a real treat, wait 2-4 years minimum

Dinner Wines

Passopisciaro Guardiola 2008 with Beef Carpaccio, Calamari Fritti, Beetroot and Goats Cheese & Buffalo Ricotta Ravioli – This 100% Chardonnay is more akin to Burgundy that some international oaked style amazing finesse for a wine made so far south.

Passopisciaro 2006 & 2007 from Magnum with Roast leg of Lamb, wild mushroom risotto and veggies – I am a massive fan of the Passo (apparently pronounced Passo-pish-aarrow) – it has something in it for anyone who loves Burgundy, Rhone or Piedmont wines, I realise that it a convenient “catch all” but it is true and you should try it. The 2006 is a that bit more ready now as you would expect, there is a fruited sweetness to the wine that makes it so moreish.

Tenuta di Trinoro 1997 & 2000 with Cheese – I found these staggeringly good the 2000 was showing that unique aged Cabernet fruit, black currant but not one dimensional, structure still there and the peak is still a year or two away. 1997 is amazing as a wine but even more so when you consider it was the very first vintage of the wine. A superb blend of Italy and Bordeaux, perfect now and over the next 5 years……

A long and liquid evening that lead to the odd sore head the following morning. Bravo (or the Italian version) Andrea!! 

Further Options

Last night was Barolo night at the Maltings Cafe http://www.maltingscafe.co.uk/ run by Sam Harris, Fraser and I met up with a whole collection (what is the collective adjective for wine merchants?) of guys from the trade to taste a selection of Barolo 1971′s (& 3 Barbarescos) the tasting was hosted and organised by Eric Sabourin. For me as a Barolo fan this has been looming large in the diary for quite some time! 1971 is a great year for Barolo, up there with 1964, 1989 & 2004 at the very top of the tree.

The format was 6 pairs of wines with just some bread to keep the plate honest. We were asked to score out of 100 so I have included these below, I found scoring them difficult in because it feels strange to score wines of this age when you know that different bottles will show differently.

One observation from the moment I arrived was that the labeling (this is borderline geeky) is superb on these wines, varied but superb, you get a real sense of something special, far nicer than the dull minimalist so often found now. Whilst on the subject of labels what about the bottles….it appears there is no rhyme or reason to which bottle shape producers use and some producers, Giacomo Conterno for instance, uses the classic Albeisa (like Burgundy) bottle for Barbera and Cascina Franca and an almost Bordeaux bottle for Monfortino. This can be further confused by the fact that back when these wines were bottled it would not have been that uncommon for producers to go to their neighbours for bottles or vintage labels if they ran out, so you may find the “same” wine in two different bottle shapes…wonderfully Italian!!

All the wines were decanted at 5.30 and put back into bottles then tasted from 7.30 onwards, this is certainly the best option despite the fact that some wines might have faded as this allows you to check the wines and give them a chance to show best.

Barbaresco Rabaja Riserva – Prunotto (Pictured), nicely degraded nose, good now, savoury, nice start if not earthmoving (90).

Barbaresco – Giovanni Moresco, Moresco used to only make one wine, a blend of vineyards but has now sold to Gaja (you may see the names on the odd Gaja label), good wine, fully brown but with good acidity, impressive (94).

Barolo Marcenasco – Renato Ratti, a strange stink of degraded fruit, not sure it is a nose I like, palate big smokey and cigar box like, the 1978 is supposed to be better. Not for me but decent enough (87).

Barolo Riserva – Franco Fiorina, a soy-like nose, very dry palate that would be good with food but a touch hollow without, solid (89).

Barolo Brunate Riserva Speciale – Marcarini, a dash of Sercial Madeira about the nose but not a bad bottle at all, quite the opposite, this divided the tasters, I loved the tangy acidity (94). This backs up a bottle of 1970 I had last year, good value producer.

Barolo – Bartolo Mascarello, simply gorgeous, drinking perfectly, elegant and balanced, a “Volnay” of a Barolo, this wine is always a blend of many different vineyards in different villages in this case it sings (95). Keep an eye out for “anti” Berlusconi labels from the early 90’s, Mr Mascarello being a staunch Communist!

Barolo Bussia Riserva – Aldo Conterno, not a great bottle, a touch milky and a little too much tobacco for me, a shame (not scored).

Barbaresco Montefico – Giacosa, decent tangy nose, a little subdued but fruit is there under it all, a lot of sediment (89)

Barolo Rocche – Brovia, almost strawberry fruit, blind I would have ben in the 90’s!! Hints of tofee apple, unique in the tasting and remarkable if hard to rationalise as a 1971 (92+?).

Barolo – Cappellano, I wrote “I like this, I really like this”, great balance, very complete (93).

Barolo Briacca Rocche – Vietti, almost perfect, gorgeously big with great balance, deliciously savoury, dense colour too (98).

Barolo – Giacomo Conterno, richer, more textured and structured than any of the others. The one wine that almost needed more time. A note of Bovril. Seriously good (97).

The tasting was followed by a selection of dishes Sam had prepared then the conversation flowed as the wines were finished up……

A memorable night with names to follow for the future, especially for me G.Conterno, Vietti, Bartolo Mascarello & Cappellano……Cheers Eric.

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Well, well, well. Apart from the stresses of the first 24 hours with no wine, no e-mail and therefore, no sense of humour, The Laurel & Hartley show has got off to a very good start.

A decent flight over via Dubai with Emirates to Singapore and Mr Laurel was very excited about flying on a new Airbus A380. A few hours after arriving we had dinner with Nicky Tan and some of his friends at the Crystal Jade Golden Palace where the food was outstanding. The highlight was sharing a Chinese New Year tradition of tossing Yee Sang, a salad made up 27 ingredients including raw fish, shredded vegetables, nuts, sesame seeds, spices, plum sauce which we all stood and mixed with giant chopsticks. Apparently all participants are encouraged to toss enthusiastically as the higher in the air the salad goes the greater your luck in the new year. It was commented that as a result of the MD and Sales Director’s masterful tossing, Corney & Barrow will have an excellent next 12 months! This was followed by two whole suckling pigs and a great deal more. The wines showed well – we had Roc de Cambes 1995, Chambertin Trapet 2001 and the Côte Rôtie René Rostaing 2006 and 2007. The star of the wines was certainly “The Roc” 1995 which was sweet and ripe.

Yesterday was a day full of meetings with customers and an excellent lunch at Desmond Lim’s new Shabu Shabu restaurant. Desmond, aside from being a very successful stockbroker, owns a number of Singapore’s best restaurants including the world famous Les Amis and also one of Asia’s best wine merchants, Vinum. He very kindly gave us a bottle of incredible Bienvenues Bâtard Montrachet, Domaine Leflaive 1989 and a bottle of Le Chambertin Rousseau 2003. The Leflaive was incredible and still manage to match great freshness with richness and a delicate touch – wonderful. Whoever said white burgundy doesn’t last……The Chambertin as excellent and very “03” in that it was ready so early and was so sweet.

The many enemies that I have made over the DRC allocations would have enjoyed being a fly on the wall at dinner last night. ABS (aka Laurel) and myself entertained a very lively group of friends who know me perhaps a little to well and spent most of the evening teasing me mercilessly. We showed four 2001 Burgundies: Le Corton Bonneau du Martray; Chambertin Trapet, Gevrey Chambertin Clos du Meix des Ouches Domaine des Varoilles and Nuits St Georges Clos de l’Arlot Domaine de l’Arlot. The general consensus was that the Corton and the Chambertin were tops, although I thought the Gevrey showed beautifully and is just such amazing value.

Today was the first big event where Adam and I co-hosted a tasting of 2002 Domaine Leflaive wines with Vinum, a sell-out event that was held at Desmond Lim’s Bistro du Vin. Over 60 people attended the event and the wines tasted were Mâcon-Verzé 2006, Bourgogne Blanc 2006 then the 2002s: Puligny-Montrachet Villages, Clavoillon, Pucelles, Bâtard and Chevalier. There were quite a number of familiar faces there who buy from Corney & Barrow including a very enthusiastic James Mead Fan Club. General consensus was that the star of the show was Chevalier (obvious) but also Clavoillon and the Bourgogne Blanc.

More news soon………..

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Kung Hei Fat Choy!!

Well, it is finally the end of the year of the Ox. This means it’s time to stop dragging that heavy plough and lighten the load so you can leap into the year of the golden tiger with grace and speed!  The year ahead will be a flighty one, but ultimately very rewarding – particularly for those of you born in the year of the Sheep, Horse and Dragon (I’m reliably told…sadly this doesn’t apply to me)

For me, still relatively new to HK, I have learnt the great pleasure of being able to celebrate New Year twice as well as getting a second chance at those botched New Year’s resolutions!

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Hong Kong has quickly become a major hub for fine wine in the world, thanks to the freshly eliminated taxes (from 80%) and fueled by China’s ever growing economy.

A new wine bar and/or merchant is opening every other day, and a wine-drinking revolution is afoot among locals and expats alike. Even a winery can be found on the 8^th floor of an industrial building in Ap Lei Chau!

For a wine lover like me, being in the middle of this revolution is an incredible place to be.

Friday night, for example, was Burgundy night, and white Burgundy at that (a real treat, given that the majority of wines consumed in HK are red).

After getting hideously lost outside Mongkok MTR (the tube, but not as you know it Londoners), a lovely security man rescued me and escorted me to the 8^th floor of the Langham Hotel.

Arranged on the tables were ten full glasses of delicious white Burgundy. Having done the meet and greet with Hong Kong’s wine enthusiasts and bon vivants, the tasting began.

Tasting wines

Raveneau: Chablis Les Montmains 2002

-Rather a stern, almost bitter wine which filled the nose with scents of lemon sherbet and pear drops. By the end of the dinner, the wine had blossomed with more integration and weight.

William Fevre: Chablis  Les Clos 2000

-A touch oxidized on the nose, but with minerally, sea shell nuances. Going back to it half an hour later, the scent of pear drops filled the glass. Good cut of acidity but somewhat austere and showing more maturity than I would have predicted.

Les Heritiers de Comtes Lafon: Macon Milly Lamartine Clos du Four 2004

-Floral, and faintly flinty. Brimming with rich, well weighted fruit; kept fresh with nice minerality running through it. Excellent for the money.

Colin Morey: Meursault 2004

-Toasty oak with hints of almonds. Missing something on the middle palate.

Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet: Meursault Les Perrieres 2004

-Creamed corn and rich, tropical ripe fruit…International in style. Well made, but lacking some refinement. Thankfully more subtle on the palate and rather good.

Carillon: Puligny Montrachet 2002

-TCA

Marc Morey: Puligny Montrachet  Les Referts 2006

-Opulent, rich, caramelly nose. Nice use of oak. Lovely acidity and stunning purity of fruit. Long, lingering finish. Delicious.

The winners of the night (and what do you know…two C&B wines!)…

Colin-Deleger: Chevalier Montrachet  2002

-Classic. Beautifully made. Rich, full and perfectly balanced. Wonderful steely minerality and a lovely finish.

Domaine Leflaive: Batard Montrachet  2001

-Sublime elegance. Nuts and rich caramel fill the nose. Oak is well worked into the background, but is in support throughout. Minerality elegantly provides a backbone to this complex masterpiece.

Bonneau de Martray: Corton Charlemagne 2001

-Subtle hints of vanilla, and dried apricots. Taut, but what a delicious and memorable finish.

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Saturday, feeling a little on the delicate side, instead of nursing myself better the old fashioned way, I decided to head off to Middle Island off the South coast of HK Island to cut my teeth at Dragon Boating. Having never seen a Dragon Boat before, I had no idea what I was letting my sorry body in for. It’s a unique and truly amazing sport, each boat containing 18 paddlers, someone to steer and someone to beat a drum. Unlike rowing or sculling, the momentum is only generated by twisting one’s entire torso, holding the paddle in one of the most uncomfortable positions imaginable. It seems we were using muscles that most of us didn’t even know we had… until the following morning…and a further 3 days!

At the end of a very painful afternoon, all 40+ weary paddlers sat down to a sumptuous barbecue, sampling some of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Wine list. A list I hope to fill with C&B wines shortly…

Further Options

I thought the two wines were showing very well (you never quite know with cask samples) and for those lucky enough to get some 2007 I think there will be a massive amount of enjoyment over the years in comparing the two vintages as I feel the quality level is similar but the wine different in profile. To be crude I feel the 2007 will peak earlier and the 2008 is a “keeper” as below…

Les Forges de Tart 1er Cru 2008 – Pungent, spiced but very precise, gorgeous lanolin nose of good oak in the background. The palate is a more Pinot expression…good length and weight. Impressive and just begs to nosed time after time…for me an 18/20

Clos de Tart 2008 – Stylistically similar to the Les Forges but with more power, density and weight. A more broad-shouldered and masculine wine. Darker fruits but still that tell tale spice. Palate is dense and everything is there even if it shows less than the Les Forges (it should) at this stage. A keeper! 18-19/20

Not even time for 11′s yet…..

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