WINE-LIST.ME

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2014-01-17 - Exciting things are happening

 A new design has constructed for our planned launch at the London Wine Fairs.

In the future only photos will be released on tumblr and you will have to visit WINE-LIST.ME to check out the full articles.

Stay tuned and come visit us at our new website!

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2013-12-06 - Pizza with an extraordinary Argentinian

 Bodega Bressia is a boutique Argentinian winery sitting on only 20 hectares of vineyards near Agrelo, Mendoza. Walter Bressia established his small winery in 2003. His style of winemaking is characterised by following the philosophy of "minimum-human-intervention". The idea is to give the wines a possibility to capture their true character.

 The wines quickly gained international acclaim, and his Icon wine "Conjuro" is recognised among Argentina's finest. Bressia's production is very limited as they only buy grapes from a scarce selection of contracted growers. Making it quite challenging to get your hands on a bottle.

 The 2006 Conjuro is a blend of 50% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot from the Tupangato Region in Mendoza. It has been aged in 70% French oak (Coopers being Taransaud, Mistral, and Radoux), and 30% American oak. Only 200 cases produced. Its style is very European; subtle and with well-integrated oak. Utterly delicious!

 To most the 2006 Conjuro might seem like an odd pairing to even the best home-made Pizza and would have merged better with say "Tornedos Rossini". The wine has though a pure elegance and complexity which pairs well with the simplicity and honesty a pizza can showcase, when only using the best possible ingredients.

 The secret behind making great pizza is understanding the few steps in the Neapolitan's recipe (Naples, Italy).

 It is simply finding your optimal: Dough, Tomato Sauce, Buffalo Mozzarella and toppings.

 The Dough is a mix of two flours (Typo 00 and Durum), water, olive oil, a small portion of natural yeast, and sea salt.

 Tomato Sauce is made of boiled skinned and mashed cherry tomatoes (pomodoro) with dried oregano, and some finely chopped garlic.

 The best pizzas are usually the simplest, as the ingredients get to stand out. Therefore you should initially teach yourself to master the Margherita. Here oven-baked with fresh basil and drizzled with a thick well-aged Balsamic vinegar.

 Pizzas like fine wine should be enjoyed at their optimal temperature.  Serve your home-made pizza on a wooden cutting board (keeps it warm longer).

 Grilled artichoke and Parma ham are among my favourite toppings. Here flavoured with some wild thyme.

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2013-10-15 - Visiting Marlborough, New Zealand, Part 1

 New Zealand was first recognised as a fine wine producing country in February 1985, when the New Zealand House in London presented wine critics, buyers, and journalists to the Marlborough wines.

 It was especially a Sauvignon Blanc from Cloudy Bay that captured their affection. Its racy vitality and crisp fruitiness made them acknowledge the Marlborough wine region as truly unique.

 The British wine critic Oz Clarke has on numerous occasions advocated for the region, which he accounts among the most suitable terroirs in the world for Sauvignon Blanc.

 It is not due to coincidence that Clos Henri today is one of Marlborough’s most excellent terroir focused producers.

 Clos Henri is founded and owned by the Bourgeois’ family, who originally revolutionised how Sauvignon Blanc was produced in the Loire valley in France.

 Henri’s bold choice of creating terroir styled Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume quickly proved itself and Domaine Henri Bourgeois grew to become the largest producer in the their French Appellations.

Here we see the former church that makes their landmark and tasting room on their vineyards not far from Blenheim.

 Northern view on their down sloping vineyard with Mount Fishtale in the background, which continues on the other side of the road to the bank of the Wairau River.

 A careful eye will be able to spot some of the natural lines forming the individual terroirs and single vineyards. The soil samples, also showcased in their tasting room, clearly exhibit an equal difference of the soil types.

 Here their Winemaker Damien Yvon is giving us a vineyard tour to explain the foundation of their terroir based wines.

 His charming French accent does not try to hide his roots from Chinon in the Loire Valley of France, even after more than 7 years in Blenheim.

 Western view on their vineyard based at the foothills of the Wither Hills flaunts a small insurance against frost.

 Clos Henri has in contrast to many of the New Zealand producers imported specialised top of the line equipment from back home. Where most wineries in NZ have chosen to use steel tanks originally designed for the dairy industry, Clos Henri will not compromise.

 Here some of their stunning tanks. The benefits of using the expensive tanks go both towards control and easier workflows, when cleaning, filling and temperature controlling the tanks.

Their barrels for their Pinots are of course also from the best French Coopers.

 Here presented to their 3 Sauvignons; Petit Clos, Bel Echo and Clos Henri. They are products of two individual vineyards with different terroirs, soil types and yields.

 Petit Clos is produced from the young vines in the Clos Henri vineyard with a higher yield than the old vines. The soil is mainly gravel.

 The Bel Echo vineyard is an 80/20 mixture of clay and greywacke from the riverbed, the yield is similar to the yield of the vines going into Petit Clos.

 The winemaking of the 3 Sauvignons also differ with Petit Clos and Bel Echo spending "only" 4 to 6 months on their lees, Clos Henri is kept an impressive 10 months on its fine lees; giving extreme texture and creaminess.

Here a close up of the 3 Sauvignon Blancs.

 Petit Clos is their entrance Sauvignon and a real value buy. Much more subtle than the Clos Henri, yet its elegance make it a wine you can pair with many dishes, and also enjoy on its own.

 Bel Echo is a rich and complex wine with classic Marlborough traits of gooseberries. The clay soil moreover gives the wine excellent minerality.

 Picture is from their tasting room, where they present the different soil types found in their vineyards.

 The Clos Henri Sauvignons resemble none of the other Sauvignons I have sampled from Marlborough. They are very original and much more French in their style. They are with no doubt among the very best from this region.

Their Pinot Noirs are also great and made with a similar dedication to detail.

[winelistme]

2013-09-01 - London Hedonism

 The Russian oligarch, Yevgeny Chichvarkin, aspired to revolutionise fine wine stores and their service, when opening his extraordinary Mayfair based Hedonism Wines in August 2012.

 He had been living in exile in London since January 2009, after falling foul of the Russian siloviki (Authorities), and ultimately being accused of kidnapping, illegal imprisonment and extortion of his former employee. He was then forced to sell on his company Euroset, that at the time was Russia's biggest cell phone dealer with more than 5,000 shops, it sold for an astonishing $400 million.

 He spent his first years in London resisting extradition and fighting to prove his innocence. Until he one day found his salvation at the bottom of a bottle, a 2001 Roda Cirsion from Rioja. In his search for this specific bottle he was surprised, to learn, that all of London's fine wine stores had the same answer. The best they could do was to ship the wine to him within two weeks. He thereby found an unfulfilled niche and his new business; a fine wine store with extraordinary luxury service.

 The multimillion pound store sports extravagant space, spread over two floors, on Davies Street in London's Mayfair district. The décor is modern, clever and functional with creative touches. The interior does not at all scream of the classic anecdotes on new money, and the surroundings do not alone impress you, they also create an amazing ambience.

 Entering the store, you are welcomed by a one of a kind collection of rare and fine spirits and whiskies on your left, an orgy of Champagne bottles on your right, and also the majority of their Whites, including extremely rare vintages and producers from Montrachet.

 A chandelier of 240 Riedel glasses hover over the staircase that gives access to the underground level. Here you will find everything from a d'Yquem wall, sections dedicated to cult wines, regions, and vertical collections of a significant part of the world's finest producers. It is hard not to be impressed.

 Chichvarkin has admitted that his taste for fine wine is less refined. He therefor persuaded Alistair Viner, to leave his position as chief wine buyer for Harrods, by giving him a more or less unlimited budget for purchasing a truly unique inventory of fine wines and spirits.

 Champagne from grand cru vineyards, rare vintages, and in bottle sizes all the way up to the Nebuchadnezzars.

 Their impressive wall dedicated to Château d'Yquem includes 88 different vintages. Here two of the older vintages from 1882 and 1884, both in near immaculate condition.

 The view, across the left side of their basement floor, showcases their understated minimalistic interior. Every component has been thought through. A clever detail worth mentioning is the low heat light bulbs that the lamps have been fitted with.

 Here part of their remarkable vertical collection of Petrus going back to 1945. Bordeaux is especially well presented in the selection.

Here the numerous vintages of Château Haut Brion.

 Château Ausone can be hard to come by, still Alistair has managed to secure vintages like the 2003 and 2005.

 Displaying their wines in the way they do, makes the experience of browsing in the store similar to making a visit to a fine art museum like the Guggenheim, and is perhaps part of the concept. It might rather also be the reason for presenting the wines in original and sometime even quirky installations.

 Here they have ingeniously gathered their collection of small bottles. I think most have to admit that under certain circumstances a small bottle can be more adequate.

 Big formats are notably present in the assemblage and have gained a considerable focus.

 A near complete collection of the Californian Cult Wine "Screaming Eagle" appear to be almost flying in a dedicated section underneath the pavement.

 Screaming Eagle often rank among the world's most expensive wines, because of the wines' ability to achieve an extreme demand compared to the low quantities produced.

 Another floating wall underneath the pavement is dedicated to Peter Sisseck's profound Spanish Cult Wine "Pingus" and his 2nd wine "Flor de Pingus", both from Ribera del Duero.

 The Californian Cult Wines from "Sine Qua Non" have perhaps because of their hype, rarity, unique packaging, and hedonistic style gained a significant position in the collection.

 A whole room is dedicated to present these rare gems. The quirky hands, that holds the bottles, have been made by London art students and the combination with Sine Qua Non's original labels/bottles create true installation art.

 Here a dramatic presentation of one of the many bottles from "Sine Qua Non".

 The Californian Cult Wines are well presented. Here five superb vintages from "Bryant Family Vineyards" of the unique terroir on Pritchard Hill in Napa.

 Hedonism Wines have conveniently created neighbouring playgrounds for children and adults. The adult playground holds a selection of 40 different wines, ready to be sampled from the Enomatic systems.

 The area created in mind for the children make a colourful statement to the room. I though doubt that the area is much in use as they would be able to do quite some damage if unattended for just a second.

 The Enomatic machines are crammed with delicious goodies and changing all the time.

 Let us not forget - the staff. The team at Hedonism Wines are clearly a knowledgeable bunch, yet what I find to be most compelling are their warm friendly personalities. They emit a calm, attentive service that is both personal and rare.

 It is quite unique to be able to not only purchase bottles from some of the world's finest & rarest producers. WOW, what a line up! 

[winelistme]

2013-07-01 - Paradise Hills

The green gravel pave the road to Blankiet Estate and its Paradise Hills Vineyard.

This scenic drive, along the railway, Domaine Chandon, and Dominus Estate, sets the perfect mood and plays with your expectations, as you climb upwards towards the vineyard.

The Paradise Hills Vineyard has a unique position, on the western slopes of the Napa Valley in Yountville, overlooking Christian Moueix's Dominus Estate, which you pass on your way to the Estate.

Many think of disease as a rare sight today, yet it is something you can still witness. Here we see the horrifying view of Domaine Chandon's uprooted vineyard.

At the gates of Paradise.

It is all in the detail.

Issuing the problems of drainage, irrigation and erosion on the steep hills, has meant investing a significant amount towards engineering the structural foundation for the vineyard, also underground.

The aesthetics of the Estate are very magical and captivating.

You realise that this is not just a winery; this is also the home of a successful business man, Claude Blankiet, who made his fortune on the enzymes used to make stone washed jeans.

The stunning build quality, with remarkable attention to detail, is rare and very admirable. This attention to detail is also reflected in the winemaking, showing a strong dedication and passion when creating wines second to none.

The vineyard's position, on the western slopes of the Napa valley, benefits in magnificent views across the valley.

Here the proud owner and founder, Claude Blankiet.

Recruiting Denis Malbec, who was the former winemaker at Château Latour before settling in Napa, has meant getting the opportunity to purchase the Rolls Royce of stainless steel tanks from Château Latour.

Here we see one of the world's finest pneumatic membrane presses. A press that is used, to gently separate the must from its skins, to obtain juice quality of pure excellence.

The barrels are aged in a manner, where the contact between them are minimized, thus will the temperature changes, during the barrel fermentation, affect the neighbouring barrels to a minimum, and the end product will be as consistent as possible.

At the top of the Paradise Hills Vineyard, we find Claude Blankiet's home.

The Tuscan inspired Villa is made of original antique buildings, which have been taken apart and imported from different parts of the world. The detailing is magnificent, showcasing the couple's love of antiques.

The tasting room is found in the cellar of their impressive Villa. It is tastefully decorated with antiques and fabrics, which embrace the special ambience of the property and its surrounding gardens.

Soil samples from individual blocks of the Paradise Hills Vineyard. Three of them planted to Cabernet and one to Merlot.

Line up of their three wines from the 2009 vintage; Prince of Hearts, their Proprietary Red (Icon), and the Rive Droit.

The painting sporting the label of their "Prince of Hearts" Claret.

Their “Prince of Hearts” is their "affordable" Cabernet based Claret, introduced in 2008.

The wine has quickly won momentum among similar Cult wines of the valley. Tasting it against its big brothers, make you realise that it is not the concentration of flavour that make the Icons King, but more in the minor details and their complexity, and why this wine still has to be named Prince in comparison.

The 2009 “Prince of Hearts” display incredible value.

The "Rive Droit" is their Merlot blend, inspired by the great Right Bank Châteaux in Bordeaux, France.

2009 was an excellent vintage, especially for Cabernet. I have though sampled few Merlot based blends from the valley, that can come even close to the Rive Droit's excellence.

It is in short - a very balanced voluminous wine of great complexity and elegance.

The proprietor blend is Blankiet Estate's Cult Cabernet, and it is with no doubt to be found among the most spectacular Cabernets of the Valley, such as The Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, Colgin, Dalle Valle, Hundred Acre and Verité.

The palate is so clean, polished and elegant, yet with a remarkable punch of concentration. An excellent and original wine, that is not only among the best in Napa, it is to me, among the finest Cabernet blends in the world.

It was truly a remarkable experience sampling Blankiet Estate's portfolio from such an excellent vintage, and the aesthetic surroundings made it a memorable visit, which I am very thankful for.

[winelistme]

2013-03-29 - Near the centre of Napa Valley.

Recently returned from a trip to Napa Valley. Spring had coloured the valley in spectacular shades and nuances of incredible beauty.

View is from the western slopes of the valley, towards east over Yountville and Oakville. If you look closely, Opus One can be found in the left of the picture.

Opus One was initially founded as a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Baroness Philippe de Rothschild, with the aim of producing a Californian wine equivalent of a first growth from Bordeaux.

It is one of my favourite wines from the valley, because of its elegant complexity. Good vintages of Opus One has a staggering nose similar to the great Pauillac wines.

The Winery's striking limestone architecture makes quite a statement, and it is difficult not to notice it from the road.

Completed in 1991 and designed by the architect, Scott Johnson.

Opus One's architecture feels slightly introverted, being protected by the surrounding walls of soil and limestone, and most of its details does not reveal themselves before entering the small courtyard.

This gives the winery a sense of peaceful serenity.

Warm and inviting atmosphere in the salon of Opus One.

Decorated to make the visitor aware of the winery's owners and their history.

Opus One's western view is of the legendary Robert Mondavi Winery.

Their small vineyard of only 14 hectares was also initially part of Mondavi's To Kalon Vineyard.

Michael Silacci joined the winery in 2001, and has since 2004 been Opus' Chief Winemaker following Patrick Léon and Timothy Mondavi.

For more than ten years he has committed incredible attention to detail to set impressive levels of quality and purity into their wines.

Here nestled by the raised grounds and olive trees, Opus One is seen from its southern facing side in the morning sun.

The Winemaking team sporting their stupendous equipment for picking grapes at night.

On the left, Assisting Winemaker and Viticulturist, Nathalie Juré.

Their Enologist Lucia in the lab testing corks.

On the top floor of their gravity flow winery, you find some heavy first mover investments, as the optical grape picker. 

Utilising the season to re-tile their lower floor.

A truly unique Barrel Room.

Southern facing part of their Barrel Room.

One of their Private Tasting Rooms next to the Barrel Room.

Glass lids keep the wines' aroma in the glass.

The vertical tasting with Michael included four vintages: 2005, 2006, 2009 and the not yet released 2010 vintage, which was quite a challenging year for most of the growers in the valley.

All stunning wines, I favoured though the 2006 from what is said to be the coolest vintage to date, and the 2009 for its larger quantity of Cabernet Franc.

Visiting Michael Silacci and Opus One was such a treat.

I can not share pictures from the Demptos Cooper tasting, that I was fortunate enough to also be invited along to. It was though truly an educational experience, to sample 12 different barrels' effect on the 2011 vintage. One get to realise the many difficult decisions their winemaking team make each year.

[winelistme]

2013-03-02 - Wine-list focus: Nimb Vinothèque (Tivoli, Copenhagen)

The Amusement Park and Gardens "Tivoli", found in the centre of Copenhagen, entertain not only children and the young at heart.

Their Vinotèque at Nimb (a boutique hotel) holds one of Denmark's most extensive wine-lists, equipped to also keep the privileged bon vivants content.

Set in the cellar under the hotel, the vinotèque sport a classic wine cellar atmosphere with contemporary twists.

Solid oak tables are paired with the iconic wishbone chairs (designed by the Danish Architect, H.J. Wegner), and tucked in between the prodigious wines.

The Vinotèque has for one a great collection of Grand Crus from Bourgogne, with a significant portion of the appellations represented (eg. all of the Vosne-Romanée Grand Cru AOCs).

Here Richebourgs from Domaine Romanée Conti, Maison Leroy and Domaine A.F. Gros, in selected vintages between 1976-2004.

The wine-list additionally includes both the Grand Cru appellations of Flagey-Echézeaux; Échezeaux and Grand Échezeaux.

Here Échezeauxs from Domaine Romanée Conti, Domaine Bizot, Domaine d`Eugenie and from Maison Leroy. Selected vintages from 1964-2008.

The interior of the Nimb Vinotèque.

A healthy portion of Lafites (various vintages from 1988-2004).

Clearly Bordeaux is also well presented on the wine-list, with examples of all the First Growths, and a significant collection of second, third, and fifth growths, and from appellations on both the left-bank and right-bank of the river.

Two of the grand five in Bordeaux; Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux.

Magnum Moutons from 2002, and Moutons from 2000.

List also includes the 100 point Château Mouton Rothschild from 1986.

A few Haut-Brions from 2003 and 2006, next to a 2004 Château Margaux.

Precious Pomerols. Château Le Pin is a right-bank wine of Pomerol, that has managed to achieve a cult status equivalent to Château Pétrus, along with the growing respect for this unclassified appellation in Bordeaux.

The cult wine of Pomerol, Château Pétrus, is also included on the wine-list. Here we see vintages: 1982, 86', 94', 97' and 1999.

Chateau Ausone, a premiers grands crus classés A classified producer from Saint-Émilion, is another right-bank treasure, which many sommeliers would love to have on their list.

The list moreover includes a rare and nearly complete vertical collection of Peter Sisseck's world famous icon "Pingus", from the first vintage 1995 and up to the 2006.

Dominio de Pingus is one of only three Spanish Producers, that have achieved the legendary status of becoming a Robert Parker 100 point wine (their 2004 vintage).

Here the man taking care of this extraordinary collection, Cellar Master, Ivar Winberg.

Well, it was a Friday and being in great company do make you crave some of Bacchus's sweet sweet nectar.

Consequently, did Ivar and I succeed in starting the weekend with a small bottle of Sassicaia from 2004.

FYI: Their full wine-list can be found @ http://www1.tivoli.dk/composite-8851.htm

[winelistme]

2013-02-20 - Copenhagen Dining Week

CPH Dining Week is a yearly initiative, organised by San Pellegrino, Copenhagen Food and Copenhagen Cooking.

Concept is simply a list of Restaurants offering a fixed 3 course lunch/dinner with a bottle of water included for a reduced price.

My best experience during the week was at the Bib Gourmand classified, Restaurant Kanalen. Even looks attractive in the cold winter months, still Copenhagen definitely presents itself best, from mid-May to the end of August.

Table setting at Restaurant Kanalen.

Sometimes it can be a simple lunch that makes the grandest impression during a week.

I think most would agree, that you usually do get a lot for your money dining out for lunch, compared to going out for dinner on a Friday or Saturday evening. Service can also be more attentive and personal.

The entrée was a tartar of Cod, served with tarragon cream and browned butter snow.

We boldly chose a glass of Pinot Noir from Montes' Chilean winery (also appears in our wine travel guide of Chile). A winery perhaps not known for Pinot Noir, yet an acceptable match for this course.

First time I have sampled a Chianti in this very charming "half" bottle size of 375ml. Wine was moreover surprisingly good for its reasonable price-tag.

Main Course was veal brisket, with glaced heart, smoked marrow, onion filled with cress, lemon-zest, and a mash of potato.

Less than two hundred meters from the world famous Noma Restaurant, you find this pleasant spot.

Recommend visiting, if you ever find yourself in beautiful Copenhagen.

[winelistme]

2013-02-10 - Mature Left Bank Bordeaux

Wines from especially the classified Left Bank Bordeaux Châteaux have their exceptional ageing potential because of Cabernet Sauvignon's tannic structure and longevity. Certain unique vintages can even last for a century and more, when stored under perfect conditions.

The ageing process in the bottle develops both the wine's colour and its aromas. Rounding out the tannins and highlighting the more complex aromas while letting go of the fruit, until the stage of its life where the wine will slowly start to decline.

The 1986 vintage was for some Chateaux in Pauillac truly an exceptional vintage, e.g. does both the Lafite & the Mouton Rothschild from this vintage score the magical 100 points with RP.

Château Pontet-Canet's vineyards are situated just south of Mouton Rothschild and distributed between 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Their vineyards are classified as 5ème Grand Cru Classé from the 1855 classification, yet wines can perform equivalent of a first growth in supreme vintages (as the 2009 vintage showed achieving 100 points with RP). 

The grand estate with its remarkable 120 hectares has since 1975 been owned by the Cognac family Tesseron.

Opened and decanted the wine roughly 3-4 hours before it peaked. Such complex flavours and a nose dominated by tobacco, spice, cedar and just a hint of damp curtains. A very powerful and intoxicating experience.

The 86' Pontet-Canet is an excellent example of how well the great Left Bank Bordeaux wines age.

I would not have guessed its considerable age (27 years) if I was just served a glass and did not see the sediments in the wine and stuck to the side of the bottle.

If you plan to open a mature wine in the future, I recommend investing in a two-prong cork puller instead of the classic screw pull opener. Even though being very careful the cork unfortunately broke for me, as my Monopol cork puller is still back in London.

The Saint Julien appellation is found just south of Pauillac. Traditionally divided into two areas. The southern wines tend to usually be smoother and more feminine, while the northern wines are more robust and powerful similar to the style found in Pauillac.

Château Lagrange is found in the south western part of the AOC, and the style is much more feminine than the Pontet-Canet, even though the blend is somewhat equivalent.

1985 was a great year if perhaps not as exceptional as 86'. Still 85' is a special year for Château Lagrange, as it was the first year that they introduced their second wine, Les Fiefs de Lagrange, made of the younger vines, and now represents a significant amount of production. Also an entirely new winery was built and ready for the 1985 vintage.

Château Lagrange was purchased by the Japanese liquor giant Suntory in 1983 with Marcel Ducasse as directeur général and winemaker. Large budgets from Suntory allowed Marcel Ducasse to invest in the remake of the vineyards, winemaking equipment and techniques. These impressive investments led to a successful revival of the 3ème Grand Cru Classé classified Château.

[winelistme]

2013-01-28 - Risotto & Amarone

I must admit that I have a very personal relationship to Amarone. The technical expertise involved in drying the grapes for months before starting a low temperature fermentation during winter benefits the wine to not only gain dense concentration but also helps the grapes reveal their complex characteristics.

Ravazzol is Ca' La Bionda's unique single vineyard wine, made of old low yielding vines with an average age between 50 and 70 years. The 2005 vintage blends 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, 5% Molinara and 5% Oseleta. The wine is aged for astonishing 48 months (36 on new oak barrels), gaining the concentrated wine remarkable sweetness and elegant structure.

No wonder why the owner and winemaker at Ca' La Bionda, Alessandro Castellani, is so proud of their Ravazzol site. The outcome is genuinely incomparable.

Risotto with Porcini mushrooms and tiny rumps of lamb. Generously seasoned with thyme, sage, soft rosemary and 3 sorts of pepper.

[winelistme]

2013-01-17 - Sexy Mr. Pink...

Rosé is a summer classic. The fleshy wines spread over the pink colour scheme often from Provence and Champagne can though also be enjoyed during the cold winter months.

Sacha Lichine has with Patrick Leon created a serious rosé, Garrus, made of 80 year old Grenache and Rolle vines from vineyards in Provence, only half an hour away from St. Tropez.

Produced using both barrel maturation and sur lie (on the lees, a method often performed on whites from Bourgogne, adds extra complexity and a creamy texture). 2nd wine Les Clans is on the menu. Let us see what all the fuzz is about...

Sacha Lichine is a significant character of Bordeaux, also running the Bordeaux Negociant business Borvin.

His 2006 acquisition in Provence Chateau D'Esclans was made with firm dedication to innovate the production side of Rosé, aiming to make the world’s finest Rosé. Being sold at prices around the finer examples from Chassagne-Montrachet of Bourgogne; his rosés are definitely among the world’s priciest.

Guy Charlemagne can regard themselves among the best producers in Champagne.

Despite their modest size of only 15 hectares most of their vineyards in Les Mesnil-sur-Oger are classified as Grand Cru vineyards.

Their Rosé is made of 100% Pinot Noir grapes from Sézanne, rougly 30 km south west of Épernay.

Soft rays dragging dramatic shadows in the late afternoon.

Significant difference in the colours of the two wines. The near clear Les Clans reveals its minimum contact to the grape skins. Moreover is the Guy Charlemagne Rosé initially very dominated by the yeast on its nose.

Les Clans' scents and flavours reminisces more a white wine from Bourgogne than any Rosé I have ever sampled from Provence. Sure it is due to the production techniques that are similar to the ones used in Bourgogne, benefiting the ending wines with extreme richness and delicate creamy textures. An extremely delicious wine!

Small bites of cod and salmon accompanies the two extravagant Rosés.

Salmon tartar marinated in lemon juice and white wine vinegar.

Salmon sautéed in a layer of poppy seeds (using egg whites) and dressed with chives.

Salmon skins roasted crispy in the oven (To avoid it from curling up, roast it between two trays in greaseproof paper).

Home made "fish fingers" of the tail of a cod, seasoned with lemon zest, thyme and salt. Try adding beer to your batter, will make the fish fingers crispier.

Served with home made mayonnaise seasoned with lemon juice (no doubt the egg yolks were organic, with such an intense colour).

Cod is steamed, dressed with fried Parma ham, and flavoured with Porcini salt (just as Jamie Oliver inspired many to make salts using eg. lemon zest, you can make original salts with pretty much anything with a pestle & mortar or just using a fine blender).

[winelistme]

2013-01-06 - Visiting Meerlust & Warwick Estate

The South African Estate Meerlust is situated in the Stellenbosch Valley appellation, and is one of the first wineries on your right when taking exit 33 on N2 towards Stellenbosch from Cape Town.

Meerlust is one of the classic acclaimed Stellenbosch producers, famous for their excellent Cabernet blend Rubicon. A serious wine that often demands a decade to mature.

Their iconic palm tree avenue score truly high on the ambience factor.

Meerlust's tasting room is at their historic Cape Dutch styled Manor House.

In their cellar for a private tasting hosted by Winemaker Chris Williams. Here (left to right) 2009 Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Meerlust Rubicon, 2008 Meerlust Merlot, 2010 Meerlust Pinot Noir, and 2009 Meerlust Chardonnay.

Here their charismatic and humble Cellar Master/ Winemaker Chris Williams. He started as assisting winemaker (1995-2000), after 4 years elsewhere (opening up his own boutique operation The Foundry and involved in Delaire's extravagant refurbishment) he was offered the responsibility and he has since 2004 been in charge; ensuring the continuation of Meerlust's timeless style and high quality.

While discussing South African top Cabernets and their ability to age, Chris quickly opened a more than 20 year old example of their Icon Rubicon. A wine that had developed unique complex layers. It possessed impressive character and potency for its age, revealing its ability to cellar even further. In addition it surprised with its concentration and quality.

The initial fruit has to be of very unique quality to cellar this long, defining why the Rubicons are collected and popular across the globe.

Chris started his own label The Foundry in 2000. Having also a great interest in Rhône wines, he decided to make a very personal project with James Reid sourcing grapes from small parcels of vine spread across the Cape regions.

Bar is already set high with the staggering quality available in his current 4 releases of Rousanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Syrah. Yet he intend to also make single vineyard releases from different appellations and terroirs in the future.

The Warwick Estate is found in the Greater Simonsberg appellation of Stellenbosch, past Kanonkop, in the northernmost part of Stellenbosch.

Entrance to the Warwick Estate.

Current winemaker and hostess at the entrance to Warwick's Cellar Door.

Here their young talented and enthusiastic Winemaker Nic van Aarde is giving us a juice sample of the just harvested Sauvignon.

Serious equipment, an advanced automatic grape destemmer. Benefiting their only roughly filtered wines with the most gentle destemming currently possible.

Barrel sampling Cabernet Franc from 2011 with Nic van Aarde.

Warwick's Cellar Door.

Warwick Estate has as most SA Cellar Doors chosen a warm inviting boutique hotel style. 

Tasting ended with the delicious newer addition 2009 Black Lady Syrah. Definitely a wine worth looking for, beside their also excellent blends such as Trilogy (Icon of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, matured 2 years on French oak, has intense flavours of prunes and chocolate).

[winelistme]

2012-12-26 - Californication

Opening three such show-stoppers from Napa Valley, demands careful consideration on an evening's menu.

Shafer One Point Five (left) and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis (centre), two Cabernet blends from two of the very best producers in the famous Napa subregion Stag's Leap District. Caymus Special Selection (right) is a 100% Cabernet from the subregion Rutherford, and been a collector's item for quite some years.

Tenderloin of pork with Pommes Anna, sautéed fennel, crispy Parma ham, and a reduced juice of the Artemis.

Warren Winiarski's Stag's Leap releases are truly among the finest Cabernets made in California, and include the single vineyard wines Fay, S.L.V. and their icon Cask 23. His winery is for the same reason considered among Napa's first growth estates. 

Artemis after the Greek goddess of the hunt, is a Napa Cabernet blended with small quantities of Merlot from a collection of growers spread over the valley, and aged 18 months in new French oak. 

An elegant wine with velvet layers of blackberry, cassis, vanilla and violets which paired well with the pork.

The tenderloin is flavoured with white pepper, lemon zest and salt. Grilled and finished until medium-rare in a water-bath.

Pommes Anna is ultra-thin layers of potato and shallots doused with extravagant quantities of melted butter. Oven-baked in a covered tray under press for an hour or more. Should be flavoured with plenty of salt and pepper, and eg. nutmeg, and thyme. Needs to rest at least 24 hours in a fridge, before cutting it to your preferred sized servings and finished by roasting them in a hot oven for approximately 15 minutes.

Fennel is sautéed at low heat in butter until it is again crispy.

Parma ham is made under press. Laying it between two trays in an oven, to avoid it from curling up like bacon on a hot pan.

Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet followed the Artemis ending the first course.

Chuck Wagner took his father's fruit and pushed it to make two very original Cabernets. By practising the risky technique of increasing the grapes' hang time on the vine, he achieves super soft tannins, velvet textures seldom seen; making their wines even approachable at a young age.

Flagship wine is their Special Selection from the very best barrels of a vintage and only released in good years, it has gained cult status and international fame. Its luxurious flavours of liquorice, vanilla and prunes matched the fennel perfectly. An exquisite and very special wine experience.

Can almost feel the warm ambience and contentment endowed by these wines.

Shafer Vineyards is another Stag's Leap District winery that have gained a significant reputation worldwide. Their icon Hillside Select is also a collector's item, and one of Napa's most profound Cabernets.

One Point Five takes its name from the term a generation and a half, and is the product of a father-and-son partnership. The 2009 is made of 98% Cabernet, and 2% Petit Verdot, from Stag's Leap Vineyards, aged 20 months in new French Oak barrels. Definitely the most concentrated of the three, but the considerable ageing has tamed its tannins and makes it very approachable. Super delicious.

Sautéed breast of duck, roasted beetroot, caramelised onions and pea sprouts on a bed of carrot purée. Served with a glace of reduced balsamic vinegar.

The flavours of the Caymus Special Selection paired perhaps better with the duck, yet the Shafer's concentration was much needed to give the course a balanced opponent.

The mixing colours of the carrot purée and beetroot when tucking in.

[winelistme]

2012-12-21 - Chateau Reynella 2006 & 2008

Chateau Reynella is today the headquarters of the giant Hardy's, situated in the McLaren Vale in South Australia, but Reynella is also one of the original first producers in Australia with old Shiraz vines exceeding an age of 80 years. Being owned by such a mass producer has fortunately not meant changing the style of production, and they still maintain the original careful techniques.

The intense density and impressive colour, even in a tipped glass; reveals the excellence of the 2008. It has pleasing flavours of blueberries, chocolate and subtle spice. I personally think that Reynella has been overlooked compared to some producers from the McLaren Vale and Australia. Surprised that their icon Cellar no. One is not available outside Australia.

Serious wine consumers will concur to the fact that vintages can be astonishingly different. This is due to the ever so changing conditions that vine-growers and winemakers has to grow grapes, harvest and produce under. Weather and temperature might be less volatile in some new world countries compared to eg. France. These two vintages of the Reynella Basket Pressed Shiraz though clearly showcase a significant difference and 2006 was by no means a poor vintage.

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2012-12-16 - Visiting NZ's Martinborough during December 2010

Martinborough is just an hours drive over the mountain from Wellington on New Zealand's north island. Characterised by its many small producers aiming at quality Pinot Noir. Here the town square with the once famous hotel, which unfortunately felt quite run down when we were staying there.

A high quantity of the wineries' cellar doors are positioned along the roads going into the town square of Martinborough. Most within walking/cycling distance.

Martinborough Vineyard is one of the local wineries that have won great acclaim by critics worldwide and won numerous competitions. The most controversial was a Californian tasting aiming to name the world's top 20 Pinots, as it named their 1998 Reserve Pinot Noir the world's greatest Pinot Noir.

Their nearby vineyards.

Their trophy décor might not be to everyone's liking, but the current winemaker Paul Mason has continued his pre successors impressive work and their Pinots are very delicious. The Riesling is also noteworthy.

Schubert wines is a tiny producer, yet the ambitions have always been high from this German couple, graduates in viticulture and oenology. Kai Schubert has during the recent years travelled around the world with his impressive Block B and Marion Pinot Noirs (vineyard named after Marion, his partner in life and business). His hard work promoting his wines has paid off as they are now recognised among NZ's finest

The modest cellar door did not make the experience any less. Christine Calmus was generous to answer questions and the wines amazed  Also their excellent sweet wine called Dolce, made of Müller-Thurgau in small quantities.

Ata Rangi is the Maori term for new beginning. New Zealand has unlike other nations chosen to see to eyes with their dark past, and has gone far to support/aid the original people called the Maoris. Ata Rangi has quite a unique story as their Pinot Noir vineyards are in fact planted using Dijon clone cuttings from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

Visited early in the season during the first leaf pruning. Ata Rangi is known for their brutal cropping on their low yielding vines, which is part of the recipe for their extraordinary quality.

Here the portfolio including both their unique long lived classic Pinot Noir and their Pinot Noir release Crimson. Crimson is from their younger vines and is made intended to be enjoyed at a younger age. The illustration also reveals its aim to support "project Crimson"; planting and protecting NZ's native red-flowering Christmas tree, which we actually saw blossoming while visiting NZ. Also making it the perfect Christmas wine.

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2012-12-12 - Maximiano, a true Don....

Eduardo Chadwick, fifth generation and proprietor of Errazuriz, is to Chile what Nicholas Catena was for Argentina and Robert Mondavi was for California. He has proved that also Chile is not just about value for money, and that his top wines can equally compete with the very best. Their potential was applauded over several blind tastings against first growths such as Lafite, Margaux, Latour and Mouton, and Super-Tuscans including Solaia, Sassicaia and Tignanello. First tasting was held in Berlin 2004 and was followed by a series of equivalent tastings around the world. Also one taking place at Hotel D'Angleterre in Copenhagen May 2008.

Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve is made to honour Errazuriz's founder Don Maximiano and was the first of Eduardo's three icon wines to be released in 1989. A Cabernet dominated blend. Richly textured, with intense cassis, blueberry, truffle and leather on the nose.

Mushrooms make a great companion to the intense Don Maximiano. When lacking truffles; grilled Porcini will do just fine. Here on soft oversized crostini with wild garlic, thyme and Parma ham (matured 24 months). The porcelain is made by the Swedish manufacturer "Rörstrand".

Rustic set-up with salad served on the side.

Seasoning and one's taste to flavour can be quite individual. So when serving Italian inspired dishes I think allowing your guests access to good quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar is just as essential as having salt and pepper on the table.

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2012-12-04 - Oysters & Champagne......

Here the oysters are served with Perrier-Jouët's Prestige Vintage Cuvée "Belle Époque" from 2004. Champagne is with no doubt the best companion to oysters; both natural components with refreshing intoxicating effects. Sparkling wine also has the advantage of rinsing your palate.

To give this classic a twist I recommend eg. grilling the lemon slices; as this releases the natural sugars in the lemon allowing it to caramelize with smoky notes.

The French-American artist Guy Buffet has in his series called "The Good Life" included the beautiful hand-painted Belle Époque bottle, as a symbol of celebrating life.

The bottle was initially thought out by the then proprietor Henri Gallice in 1902 who commissioned a master glassmaker to create a special anemone bottle to commemorate the era of the Belle Époque. The bottle was though not utilised before 1959 when the new-found owners discovered the bottle and decided to commercialise it for their new flagship Cuvée.