Our last big dinner of 2011 was a cracker, no older vintages here as this is a new project but one set for great things I think. The actual launch was last year at Mossiman’s so this year was a lower key and focussed dinner here at C&B’s HQ. We began as we always do, with good reason, by having Delamotte NV, delicious.

After a warm welcome from Adam, Lodovico Antinori, a legend of the wine world, then started proceedings with a little background to this estate – Tenuta di Biserno in Bibbona just up the road from Bolgheri. The estate had at one time been earmarked for possible inclusion in Ornellaia but as sometimes happens this never occurred and instead Lodovico has decided that this will be his “last great” project. The estate is planted with a predominance of Cabernet Franc but also Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot (in more than it’s token Bordeaux amounts). The wines we were to taste and drink are from the first two released vintages- there were bits of 2006 made but essentially this is a story that starts from the 2007 vintage.

Over the first course of Oriental Duck Salad we had the three wines from 2008. Il Pino di Biserno which is the 2nd wine of the estate and was wonderfully easy to appreciate even now but with more to come in the medium term. Biserno which is the main wine of the estate and showed brilliantly (for me the wine of the night if I had to pick one); it has excellent balance and harmony that means the abundant fruit is kept in check with a framing structure that is a very complete scenario. Finally Lodovico which is from a specific plot within the estate and will not be made every year – there will be no 2009 and a minute 2010 for instance. This is a brooding wine of great depth and in need of time though impressive even now, it will be very interesting to see the development of Biserno vs Lodovico in each vintage when they are both made. These 2008’s were very impressive as there is the Tuscan warmth and ripe richness but you get a feeling of a cool structure too, classical is an overused word in wine these days but there is a good “dollop” of this here.

With the rest of the menu we had the 2007’s of the same three wines in larger formats, something I love and which add to any occasion. The generalisation of the 2007 vintage is that the wines are softer, more lush at the moment and very expressive. The density of 2008 is replaced with a more opulent feeling. So first up was Il Pino in Magnum, this is ready to go now, I will keep some but this would be a “restaurant cracker” of a wine with the Mossiman’s signature Risotto ai Funghi it was brilliant. What followed with the Roast Venison and then Welsh Rarebit was the Biserno and Lodovico both from Jeroboam. The Biserno was a little more closed than the other two 2007’s but with the food the texture was very classy. The Lodovico with the food was a star, the richness and almost flamboyance matching brilliantly for a hedonistic finale. It is great to be in on an estate from the off whether you are a buyer or a seller and this feels the case here. Meeting and listening to Lodovico speak about the wines adds a lot as there is a sense of fun and humour (and a twinkle in the eye) that means you just know you are in safe but exciting hands.

There will be more dinners in 2012, of that I am sure!

To view latest available wines from Tenuta di Biserno, please click here

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From there, the 14 of us were seated and started on Veal Carpaccio, rocket, parmesan and black truffle with this we had the two wines from the new, well new to Roberto from this vintage (2008), vineyard of Cerretta – the wines were the Barbera and the Langhe Nebbiolo. First up Barbera Cerretta 2008, this was several peoples surprise wine of the night, such fruit but also a savoury edge and real substance, a seriously under-rated wine, this is on clay and shows richness…if only people took Barbera a little more seriously. The second wine was the almost unique Langhe Nebbiolo Cerretta 2008, I say almost unique as there is likely (90%) to be a Langhe Nebbiolo in 2009 too. Although, the 2009 will be released next year after 3 years in barrel rather than the 2008′s 2 years. Both wines could be Barolo, technically and in quality, but this being Roberto, only the very best will do. The Langhe Nebbiolo Cerretta 2008 is stunning, I love it, a Volnay of a Barolo that isn’t actually a Barolo if that makes sense, this is no novelty. Next up was the obligatory Mushroom risotto with a pair I have had many times and was to have both nights but I will never ever tire of them. Barolo Cascina Francia 2005 & 2006 the former has amazing accessible balance, the latter is so classically correct, structured with lifted fruit, a must for Barolo lovers, I’ve bought a lot of 06′s so also always a relief too! I will repeat something here that Roberto said and that is that 2005 is a good and consistent (across the region) year as it was pretty easy;  2006 whilst technically better is less consistent as there was great ripeness, great tannin and more excess so the balance was harder to strike…there are people out there who have produced better 2005′s than 2006′s.

The final two wines accompanied two courses Braised Lamb Shank with Potato Puree and then Cheese, the wines were both first timers to me Barolo Cascina Francia 1996 & Monfortino 1996. Both wines had been decanted out of the bottle and back about 2 hours before serving, the others were checked but then just poured from the bottle. This vintage has a lot of classical similarities to 2006 – taut structure, dense tannin and fruit. The Cascina Francia was stunning, young with a proper tightness wonderful balance and a way to go, no rough edges, ripe tannins, open enough to be no waste now. The Monfortino 1996 will outlive me but actually came out to play quite flirtatiously – it is a profound wine and chewy in a “see you in 10yrs” sort of way; there is fruit in abundance but presently subdued, the texture tells you everything – it took may be 15 minutes in glass to sing but it showed all its class.

We were well looked after by Franco’s…a memorable evening and a great atmosphere that lead on nicely to the following day…

The next evening we were at Mossiman’s, this time 50 people in the top room, a wonderful layout and stunning wines led to superb night. First up was the Delamotte Blanc de Blancs NV, always a wonderful aperitif Champagne, elegant and almost too drinkable. Once seated we got the evening going. There were many interludes during the evening with Roberto, Alison (Buchanan) and myself speaking. Roberto was asked to talk about the philosophy of the estate…he quite quickly pointed out that the estate was about people not philosophy, a point that struck home later with a poignant toast Roberto led to his father. The first food and wines were Barbera Cerretta 2008 & Barbera Cascina Francia 2008 with a delicious Warm Oriental Duck and Vegetable Salad. It was a great pairing that showed the difference between the two sites so very well, the clay of Cerretta give more flamboyance and fruit whilst the Cascina Francia was more savoury, serious, masculine and structured. They developed wonderfully in the glasses though the evening.

From here we had the same pairing as previously Barolo Cascina Francia 2005 & 2006 with the trademark Mossiman’s Risotto ai Funghi. Roberto spoke of the differences between the vintages and about Cascina Francia as a whole.

As we had done the previous night the last two wines were served with the last two courses, people having plenty of wines to re-visit, those two courses were Roasted Highland Venison, Juniper Berry Sauce, Market vegetables & English Farmhouse Cheese, Walnut and Raisin Bread. Far more importantly the wines were Monfortino 1997 (magnums) & 2002. Here Roberto spoke passionately of the 1997 being a good year and the year his son was born and of his decision to make a 2002 Monfortino but no Cascina Francia. 2002 was seen by many as a bad vintage…there was a lot of hail and bad weather, amazingly none of which hit Cascina Francia. After a severe Green harvest and with a small crop on the vines there was then a magical three weeks up to the harvest. Roberto then spoke with his father, who was by this time unable to join him amongst the vines, about the fact he had a small but immaculate harvest. The decision was then made to make only a Monfortino, tasting the wine shows this was clearly the correct decision. The amazingly thing about the 1997 and 2002 that we finished on was how brilliant they were whilst so different. The 2002 is a richer more dense and primary fruited wine that showed a loit of class but actually closed down a little in glass, this is a great but it may be about to go to sleep. The 1997 started as archetypal maturing Nebbiolo nose and just got better and better and more and more multi-faceted and complex. A Joy that I can still all but taste.

The atmosphere though the whole evening was magical with Roberto speaking passionately but concisely, customers getting bottles signed and everyone just loving the wines…

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As far as venues go, the Tower of London tends to speak for itself. It certainly wasn’t difficult to give directions. Once ensconced in the Tower, Champagne was chosen as a starting point by most customers, so let’s do the same. Tempting as it was to go straight for the exquisite Salon 1999 much was to be gained by working through the Delamotte range. The non-vintage was the crowd pleaser, both blancs de blancs were more serious and a strong showing from the rosé had more than a few people trying to think of a use for it over Christmas.

Anyone who bypassed the riesling and Loire/French regional tables on their way to the more wintry end of the room missed out on a few gems. The Schloss Schönborn 2003 Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg (do I need to say it’s from Germany?) was popular, along with perennial favourites Domaine du Nozay Sancerre and Domaine de Saissac Cabernet Sauvignon.

Rhône wines, both red and white, are just the thing for winter. Our exclusive producer Tardieu-Laurent is a firm staff favourite so most Wine Tours, new this year and sometimes resembling The Pied Piper of Wine, stopped at the table. Rasteau is an under-rated village in the Southern Rhône and the 2008 Tardieu-Laurent example is exceptional. I had a customer take four cases and then two more, reasoning it had all her Christmas red eventualities covered. Traditional fans of White Burgundy were prepared to trial either the Guy Louis or Châteauneuf-du-Pape whites as a match for turkey. It couldn’t hurt to just make sure though, so the Burgundy tables were well patronised. Both Olivier Leflaive and Domaines Lefaive were popular (it always helps to have the family themselves pouring the wines) whilst Domaines des Varoilles and Matrot probably had the pick of the reds.

As the evening progressed, people pooled at the serious end of the room around the Bordeaux Châteaux and Spanish and Italian reds. Here it was darker and more crowded, with our own Adam Brett-Smith and the renowned Peter Sisseck of Dominio de Pingus anchoring. Peter did manage to slip upstairs each night to give a lecture on his new venture in St Emilion, Château du Rocheyron. With the 2010 available to taste as a practical augment to the theory, many customers were ready to sign on the dotted line, even if the dotted line wasn’t quite ready yet. Stay posted. Not present himself, but with his wines just as revered, Italian producer Franchetti had a busy table, with his well respected Tuscan Tenuta di Trinoro wines almost eclipsed by the sheer audacity of his newer Sicilian venture,  Tenuta di Passopisciaro, perched 1000m up on the side of Mount Etna and utilising unusual native grape varieties.

The smaller, family run Bordeaux Château de Lamarque and Château Phélan Segur, along with the wines of the Mitjavile family, all long-time friends of C&B, went some way to diffusing the hype and mystery of Bordeaux and were rewarded with plenty of orders. Ets. J.P. Moueix impressed as always.
Dominated as the tasting was by Europe, the wines of the new world were afforded a shared table. Fortunately, there was plenty of power and pedigree there. The Hyde de Villaine chardonnay was all Cadillac power with European finesse. Even the clean-cut Mr Pilkington of our office seemed to slip into an Aussie drawl as he explained why The Lane’s Adelaide Hills Cabernet was named ‘The 19th Meeting’. It was at the 19th meeting to decide the name that they decided on it.

Like a good Christmas lunch, the selection ended with the lovely C&B 10 year old Tawny Port and the molasses like Pedro Ximenez sherry. Then a quick stop off at the order desks or with one of our ipad toting staff (who says C&B is old school?) and out into the night.

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We recently had Michel Tardieu and his son Bastien in the UK for a dinner at The Palm. Before this I did an interview with them both in our tasting room. Please excuse the awful Moustache (link to Movember blog here!)

At the tasting / dinner the wines were:

Tasting

Côtes-du-Rhône, Guy Louis 2009 – beautifully fresh yet rich, 24 months in old oak, a serious wine at the price.

Rasteau Vieilles Vignes 2009 – a step up on wine 1 and a very savy buy…keep an eye on Rasteau, this one is from a great plot on the mountain.

Vacqueyras Vieilles Vignes 2009 – 60-80yr old vines, on big pebbles as per Chateauneuf-du-Pape, lovely fruit with a substantial tannic structure

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2009 & Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale 2009 – The difference between these two wines is discussed in the video but in a nutshell the Cuvee Speciale is 100% Grenache which is whole bunch pressed and sees no new oak…it is a staggeringly elegant yet deep wine. The Vieilles Vignes is a blend of Grenache and Syrah, 100% de-stemmed and sees some newer oak. This is a more modern interpretation.

 Dinner Wines

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes 2009 – this was stunning, rich, slightly waxy and tasting beautifully. Bastien suggested it will go into its shell soon.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2004 Magnum – I loved this and as Oliver commented it is a delicious vintage for drinking from now onwards (as with 2006)

Gigondas Vieilles Vignes 2004 Magnum – This was a few judges wine of the night, elegant and in a wonderful place right now.

Côte-Rôtie Vielles Vignes 1999 Magnum – A wine which Michel never sold…he kept it for friends…aged 36months in new oak, there is balance but also profound depth, a wonder.

Hermitage 2007 Magnum – Quite a treat and whilst very young this was appreciably delicious. An uber-ripe vintage.

Saint-Péray Vieilles Vignes 2009 – 100% Viognier and a ultra clever buy. Freash and white fruited great with the cheese.

What an evening it was….

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During the Summer of this year a friend of mine and I agreed to grow moustaches in order to profoundly irritate a very conservative fellow commuter that we both know well.  Time passed and we forgot about it.  However, when I heard about the Movember charity I remembered our idea and thought it would be fun to combine a little mickey-taking with some fund raising.  Originally something I was going to do alone, I mentioned it to some of the Corney & Barrow team and instantly, Team La Tache was born. 15 men of steel amongst the Corney & Barrow teams in London, Scotland, Newmarket and Hong Kong joined the team and, at the time of writing, have raised close to £15,000 that will go to The Institute of Cancer Research and The Prostate Cancer Charity.  A fantastic effort.  We even managed to bully Squadron Leader “Buster” Brett-Smith into growing a moustache for the month.  Tonight, at our Old Broad Street bar, a barber from The Refinery is coming along with razor and foam to remove our facial adornments that have been so carefully grown over the last month.  Special thanks to the rest of the team:  Flight Lieutenants “Spitfire” Seddon,  “Bomber” Bird, “Mungo” Mead, “Pete” Moss, “Happy” Hargrove, “Bob” McRoberts, “Libido” Sabido, “Cuppa” Lupton, “Paddy” Ireland, “Masher” Marus, “Leaky” Fountain of the RAF, Oberleutnant “Ingwer” Muller from the Luftwaffe and Lieutenant “Scratcher” Tickle from the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment.  And of course, the biggest thanks of all go to our very generous sponsors around the globe.  Now I must go and find the McChairman who has promised much and delivered little so far – he said to come and find him after lunch but I gather he is not coming back.  Long pockets, short arms! 

Please click here for more information about Team La Tache and Movember.

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Corney & Barrow In The Press

Achaval Ferrer Quimera 2008
‘Ambitious blends of Mendoza Malbec fruit with several Bordeaux varieties.  The former smoky, spicy and unmistakably Argentinian on the nose, quite seriously structured with firm, fine tannins, unashamedly weighty, but balanced and age worthy.’
Peter McCombie MW, Harpers Magazine (September 23rd)

Shiraz Eagle Vale 2005
‘Bouquet includes thyme, black olive, leather, sweet spice, balsamic and tobacco leaf.  Excellent concentration and complexity with an attractive creamy texture and soft tannins.  Open-knit style with a lean, minerally finish.. Gracefully mature.’  4****
Decanter Magazine (November 2011)

Shiraz Mad Dog Barossa Wines 2009
‘Farmyard, black fruit, mint, chocolate, spice, earth, medicinal notes and leather on the nose.  Rich and full with sweet vanilla oak, yet nicely balanced with it.’ Recommended.
Decanter Magazine (November 2011)

Cabernet Merlot Eagle Vale 2008
Top Value Pick – 5*****
‘Just 3km from the Indian Ocean, Eagle Vale has garnered worthy praise since its debut vintage in 2001.  This wine is graceful and refined, with herb and green pepper notes underscored by oaky, damson fruit characters.  Concentrated, savoury and fantastically enjoyable.’
Decanter Magazine (November 2011)

Que Bonito Cacareaba Rioja 2009
‘Stylish even so young.’
Liz Sagues, H&H (September 29th 2011)

Wine & Soul, Pintas 2008
‘Really elegant lift to the fruit and very fragant incense-like oak.  Lovely sweetness on the palate, with magical brightness to the acidity and very firm tannin structure.  Tight, ripe density.’ 4****, 18/20
Decanter Magazine (November 2011)

International Wine and Spirit Competition 2011
Muddy Water Hare’s Breath 09 – Silver Medal
Muddy Water Slowhand 09- Silver Medal

TO ORDER ANY OF THESE WINES, PLEASE VISIT WWW.CORNEYANDBARROW.COM OR CALL 020 7265 2430.

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‘The Bunch’

Last week we collectively hosted the annual Bunch Press Tasting, a favourite of journos and merchants alike through its small size and ‘careful’ selection of wines. This year we upped the ante a little with a run of wines under £10 and 4 further wines per Merchant over £10. We then each brought 2 vintages of 1 iconic wine, eg. Tertre Roteboeuf 2001 & 2007 Cote-Rotie, René Rostaing 2004 & 2007and Ridge Monte Bello 2007 & 2008 to add a touch of X factor glitz to the day.

 Alongside the swilling and deliberating, we added a further dimension to the day; a ‘Q and A session’ for the press to put forward their questions to the panel of representatives for The Bunch. The theme – surprise, surprise – was The Value added by Independent Wine Merchants and questions ranged from Independent merchants’ tasting notes & verdicts – how useful are they and to what extent are they objective? (Steven Spurrier) to Do Independent Wine Merchants have an opinion on the 2010 Bordeaux en primeur campaign?

 We will post the press comments as and when they come through.

 Do you have any questions for The Bunch? Please post them…

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Along with our customer Henry Cripps and his establishment The White Oak in Cookham we provided the wines for the evening dinner but more on that later.

The morning started with coffee and bacon rolls for the 150 golfing participants who represented around 25 different companies. Then we moved into the marquee for the morning’s presentation by Sir Clive named “Blueprint 4 Success”.

Prior to that though he introduced 2 of his guests for the day: Aaron Moon and Gregg Stevenson. Both commandos they had suffered leg amputations following injuries sustained while serving. They were there to raise awareness of The On-Course Foundation. This foundation has been created to offer injured servicemen and women the opportunity to participate in golf and ultimately to provide employment within golf and other related industries. Both had inspiring stories and were also playing off impressive handicaps in their golf games.

Sir Clive’s main speech focused on his recent work to develop a system designed to capture, store, use and deploy knowledge for the development of individuals, teams and businesses. As one would expect from a World Cup winning coach and one of the leaders of TeamGB for London 2012 it was as elegant as it was thought provoking.

After the speech the guests prepared for lunch before the looking for their Tee times.

Dinner in the evening started with a reception with Corney & Barrow Sparkling Wine. The meal itself was served with Eradus Ana Sauvignon Blanc 2010 and Corney & Barrow House Claret 2008.

Related links

http://www.woodenspoon.com/

http://www.oncoursefoundation.com/

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A particularly muggy evening led many to take solace on the balcony, and a chilled glass of Delamotte 2002 proved the perfect accompaniment.   The 2002 vintage has received unanimous praise with many comparing its potential to the glorious 1990.  In my opinion, Delamotte is one of the best value Champagnes, and this marvellous Blanc de Blanc 2002 has the power and precision to age for many years to come.  2002 is one of the top vintages over the last 25 years and its freshness and structure rings true here in a seriously refined manner.  A mineral backbone with a delicate, creamy mousse that will gain more texture with age will knit further complexity into this outstanding wine.  Stick some away for a few years and you will have incredible champagne with bottle age that will be almost impossible to rival at its price.

Hyde de Villaine is a joint venture in Carneros, California between two viticultural behemoths with the de Villaine and Hyde families calling on 400 years of history and experience between them.  In comparison to both the Sonoma and Napa valleys, Carneros is famed for its cooler, more moderate climate and this is immediately evident in their 2008 Chardonnay.  I love this wine, a pleasant richness and weight with purity and minerality underlying. A delicate touch of oak brings together the sensual mouthfeel and superb balance throughout the wine. Blind, you could mistake for Corton-Charlemagne or top end Pernand-Vergelesse, a seriously good Carneros Chardonnay at incredible value.

The hallmark of all the Hyde de Villaine wines is their inimitable minerality alongside a clear expression of terroir, and their two reds emphasise this in abundance.  The 2007 Californio Syrah is a wine I really rate.  It is in no way a full, over extracted, monstrously spicy Syrah that can reside in the New World. It is much more subtle, pure, with a gentle hint of white pepper and herbaceous tones captured in total balance. It reminded me of a supercharged St-Joseph with a deft sweep of acidity.  HdV’s Bordeaux blend, the 2007 Belle Cousine, was not as muscular or powerful as the 2006 with a more accessible and generous style of fruit alongside a gentle hint of white pepper and herbaceous notes.  Deep and somewhat lush, the balance is divine with a fresh lift which will continue to be so for the next 10 years plus.  I’d love to see this wine in another three years when it’s properly starting to hit its stride.

With spirits at a high after such a great tasting we headed for some food, and in particular prawn tempura and steak at Goodman’s steakhouse on Old Jewry.  James Gannon, the restaurant manager, didn’t need the greatest persuasion skills to whet our appetites and after enjoying some of the most amazingly succulent beef, there is little doubt that this is one of our favourite restaurants in London.  The only thought that lingered on my mind was where my glass of Syrah had gone….

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I remember last year’s tasting at C&B HQ with the man himself very well as, quite genuinely, one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of attending and this year was equally impressive…  

Alex Burge, in charge of Andrea’s exports (and thank goodness he does export these wines) deputised brilliantly for the boss.  Alex is a former rugby player and boxer and would cut an intimidating figure on a dark night on the streets of Palermo!  That assessment alone would be doing Alex great disservice, however, as he talked us through the wines with great charm and technical knowledge.  It has to be said that his Italian heritage also gives him a significant edge over the rest of us when it comes to pronouncing words like Passopisciaro, Contrada Sciaranuova and Chiappemacine!      

Linguistics aside, however, the simple truth for any one that loves the diversity that Italy (and the world) has to offer (as I imagine you do, if you’re taking the time to read this) is that the wines that Alex opened for us, and that we are proudly offering to our customers, are an absolute treat.    

Alex described one of the features of Tenuta di Passopisciaro, in Sicily, as taking the best of historical winemaking practice (principally great viticulture) and improving significantly on the worst.  Harvesting grapes strictly on certain saints’ days and using chestnut wood barrels, for example, are traditions that Andrea has (I’m sure very wisely) dispensed with!  Add to that a little maverick genius in the winery and you have some incredible wines from the slopes of Mt Etna.  

Guardiola, the only white, is still a great example of Chardonnay in its purest form (with no oak whatsoever) which also benefits from a little bottle age.  It’s only drawback, however, is tiny production.     

Guardiola-2010

Passopisciaro is still, in my view, one of our very best wines for those that like to venture off the beaten track although, in reality, it’s not too much of a detour.  Nerello Mascalese shares both genetics and certain qualities in the glass with Pinot Noir and, particularly in 2009, Passopisciaro provides a lighter, slightly earthy, perfumed wine that can’t fail to impress Burgundy lovers.  

Also keep an eye out for tiny quantities of the Contrada wines we tasted (single vineyards, more or less equivalent to the French lieu-dit or even cru) each from different parcels, and different altitudes, across Etna.  The Italian names are something of a challenge for Englishmen like myself to pronounce with much style, but all offer incredible complexity within a brilliantly elegant structure.   

Franchetti 2009 presents us with more ‘real Italian’ (historic Sicilian variety Cesanese is 80% of the blend, together with Petit Verdot) and a beautiful bottle of wine, rounded with a rich, velvety texture.   

Tasting the Tuscan wines last, it felt completely appropriate that our boxing, rugby playing Italian expert was showing them to us; there was something of a heavyweight quality to all of the wines in their rich, concentrated and dense complexity.  

Nonetheless, it goes almost without saying that Le Cupole, Palazzi and Tenuta di Trinoro itself each offers a very different ‘Super Tuscan’, not only in their raw ingredients and structure but also between the excellent 2009 vintage and our sneak preview of the 2010 tank samples.  I found that all of these wines were almost surprisingly enjoyable to taste now (more so than a 2010 claret of equally great quality, perhaps) but they will clearly become incredible with time in the bottle, as previous vintages have done.   

Andrea Franchetti and his team are still creating beautiful wines.  

Wines from Andrea Franchetti’s 2 estates are available below:

Tenuta di Trinoro

Passopisciaro

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