December 2005 LOTS OF NEW FOR THE WINTER SEASON What's been happening here recently at The ? As we write, we are currently waiting for B52's to hit The Winery! All we can say for now is they 're German, they're , and they're utterly spellbinding - look for the stand-out labels in the shop, emblazoned with the date 1479. After going to the Loire, Burgundy, , Italy, California and Germany (twice) in the last eleven months, the fruits of those visits sees our cellar bulging with new arrivals: NEW - WHITE BURGUNDY - Classy Puligny, Meursault, Auxey-Duresses and Rully from Moret-Nominé. NEW - RED BURGUNDY - Elegant, fragrant Chambolles and Moreys by Sigaut - Back in. NEW - SPAIN - crisp refreshing Verdejos from Nieva in Rueda. Big reds from sun-scorched Jumilla near Murcia. NEW - ITALY- Catch Schola Sarmenti’s juicy reds from Puglia - they arrived a couple of weeks ago and are flying! NEW - CALIFORNIA - finally docking after a long sea voyage - who knows which way they came? We have had offers to greet the vessel! Many favourites are on board, Green & Red, Rabbit Ridge and many new finds from our latest trip. Spine-tingling Pinot Noirs from the Russian River Valley and beautiful Chardonnays from Alexander Valley. NEW - GERMANY - Too many to list here! Check out the following pages, a whole host of new growers, including reds, whites, and sparkling. Our next few Tastings on 8th December, 18th January and 9th February will see us opening the new , so come along and see what we've uncovered! We've also been running a couple of food and wine matching events at Liberty, which have been a huge success and enjoyed by all who attended - look out for news of more of these, as we've enjoyed putting them together! Now on to our staff profiles : Guillaume Aubert is a Parisian and came to England six and a half years ago. We poached him from the local Nicolas. Guillaume studied for a wine degree in the followed by stages working in the of Hungary, Cahors and Médoc. We came across Louise Holstein in Andrew Edmunds, the Soho restaurant famous for its fabulous wine list. As well as working for The Winery and Andrew Edmunds, Louise is also developing her career in screenwriting. Debbie Holt moved to London from San Francisco after experiencing the Dot-com bubble from the inside. As well as bringing her knowledge of California, Debbie has been responsible for much of the cosmetic "uplift" of the shop and, less visibly, enhancements to our computer systems. 15 years ago Agustin Sanchez Vicente moved from Salamanca (a stone's throw from the Toro region of Spain) to London where he travels everywhere by bus - his knowledge is encyclopaedic! He worked with Louise at Andrew Edmunds, surrounded by wine. It was his idea that he and Louise should do the WSET (Wine + Spirit Education Trust) courses - the rest is history... From tabloid journalist to wine-loving hooligan, after studying Keats, Zeren Wilson began work as a roving reporter , then moved into advertising sales, before a wine epiphany changed his career direction. His other passion is football - he is a life-long supporter of Tottenham Hotspur. Zeren has made his mark in many ways, lately broadcasting weekly on his notice board outside the shop! Heidi Whitelock - how does she do it? Helps out in a near Henley, speaks four languages, foodie with hotel and catering experience and a stint at La Reserve running their cellars and tastings...and now working at The Winery! Almost forgot - she also plays the harp. She has now started her maternity leave. Ai Watanabe moved from Yakuza town Osaka to a Japanese boarding school in London at the age of 15 and never went back. After several years working with autistic children she moved into wine and joins us from a stint with Berry Brothers. Our newest addition is Nick Trower who joins us from Fulham Road Restaurant “Tartine”. If he’s not at the shop he can also be spotted whizzing around Ladbroke Grove on his scooter. David Motion continues to balance his parallel careers in Wine and Music, travelling extensively searching for new wines, appearing in interviews for the Ham & High, NW Harpers (the wine trade magazine), Classic FM and Radio 4. Recently wrote the music for the Transport for London Ad and co-wrote the soundtrack to Lynda La Plante’s “Trial and Retribution” with classical percussionist Evelyn Glennie. The Winery - We actually go there! CONTENTS

Germany 3 Rheingau 4 The Ahr 5 Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 6 Mittelrhein 9 Sachsen 9 Rheinhessen 10 Nahe 11 Württemberg 12 Pfalz 13 Franken 14 Spain 15 Rueda 15 Extremadura 15 Jumilla 15 La Mancha 16 Valdepeñas 16 Aragon 16 Carineña 16 Toro 16 17 La 18 Alta 18 Alavesa 18 Baja 18 France 19 Burgundy 19 Chalonnaise - White 19 Cote de Beaune - White 19 Cote de Nuits - White 20 Cote de Nuits - Rose 20 Cote de Beaune - Red 20 Cote de Nuits - Red 21 North Burgundy 22 South Burgundy 22 The 23 Bordeaux 23 Rhone Valley 24 Northern Rhone 24 Southern Rhone 24 The Languedoc 25 Roussillon 25 Provence 26 Alsace 26 27 Sparkling 28 Loire 29 Central Vineyards 29 Touraine 29 Anjou 30 Pays Nantais 30 Italy 31 Piedmont 31 Veneto 33 Friuli 33 Tuscany 34 Puglia 34 Australia 35 England 35 California 36 Dessert Wines 37 Beers & Cider 37 Grappa, Liqeur de Fruit, Schnapps 38 Fruit Nectar, Olive Oil, Vinegar 38

2 GERMANY

So what is it about German ? Many people turn their noses up and say it’s sweet. But often the same people might, at the right time, enjoy a glass of or an off-dry wine from Alsace or the Loire. Sweetness may not be the issue. The Germans have responded to the general trend towards dry wines by producing “trocken” styles and consume enormous quantities domestically. Many estates are producing anything between 60-80% of their wines in the dry style now. To many, the glory of remains within the classic Prädikat system - wines with natural ripeness increasing in sweetness from QbA (quality wine from a specific location) through Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese to the dessert wines; Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein.

“it’s like electricity!”… Fans of German Riesling talk in evangelical terms and certainly many have had personal epiphanies - a wine that just clicks, when the heavens open and it suddenly makes sense! Could it be the exquisite balance between sweet and sour? A sceptical friend of ours tasted one of our dry Germans and said immediately “it’s like electricity!”…Even the sweetest wines have incredible racy freshness that stop them from becoming cloying or heavy. Could it be their versatility with food? They’re great with fish, chicken, veal and the perfect partner for pork; particularly good with spicy foods - try a Spätlese with Thai or Indian, for instance. Another attraction may be, as with Burgundy, the real sense of - that this particular wine comes from a tiny little plot on a steep hillside with a long history and tastes different to one from 200m away. Also they are brilliant value. The finest white Burgundy can cost between 35-50, whereas an equivalent German will be 15- 20.

Following our recent trips we now have wines from all the key regions and many from the already legendary 2003 ; the delicate but steely Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, the rich and earthy Nahe, the perfumed Rheingau, the more tropical Pfalz and Franken with its minerals and the mad bottle shape. We have a wide spread of growers - many, like Diel or Crusius, with long-established reputations, some, like Herrenberg and Prinz, just starting up, but all united by the pursuit of quality.

So, put any memories of Liebfraumilch sugar water to one side and try these fascinating wines with food or on their own!

Naturally Sweet (edelsüß) or Dry (trocken)? The Prädikat system as we know it (or are confused by it) was finalised in 1971. It was designed to give the most accurate indication of what you would find in the bottle. The quality levels (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese etc.) simply describe the ripeness (Oechsle) level of the before fermenting.

In the 60s and 70s there was huge demand for sweeter wines. These were made by stopping fermentation before it was complete by adding Süssreserve (unfermented juice from the same batch of grapes). There was also the additional benefit of being able to produce a palatable wine even in an unripe vintage. Nowadays, with the growers we are working with, this style is made by quickly chilling the tank to kill the yeast. The idea is to create a wine with a perfect harmony between sweetness and acidity. This is also why in this style the alcohol levels are so low, often in the range of 7-9% alcohol by volume.

An interesting point that emerged during our visits was the sense that 100 years ago, when classic German wines were the most expensive in the world, the yields could be as low as 15-20hl/ha and many wines were allowed to ferment out dry. Perhaps these cutting-edge garagistes are actually creating a more traditional German wine than we think.

A note about the 2003s Everyone was talking about the 2003s. Some writers and some growers (including Fred Prinz who had access to the extensive data and collection of the state domain Kloster Eberbach) drew strong parallels with the 1959s. Thanks to the incredible unbroken summer across Europe, the wines reached a level of ripeness not seen for half a century!

How do they taste? Opulent. Are they better than the 2001s or 2002s? Difficult to say. Best to say “excellent, but different”. There is less race and precision, but there is weight and richness. Vollenweider said it was a great year for sweet wines, we'd have to agree. For growers who specialise in trocken wines, it was not a straightforward vintage. Manfred Loch said his wines simply stopped fermenting in January. For a grower whose main market is for his trockens, it was a potential disaster! He tried cultured yeast on one tank. Nothing happened. In something approaching desperation, he put a small heater in the cellar and finally in April the fermentation started again! This time it finished. There was a lot of talk in the Press about low acidity levels and the need to acidify. Most of our growers decided not to acidify. In line-ups where one or two wines had been acidified and the others hadn't, those that were acidified stuck out like a sore thumb - disjointed and unharmonious. In our experience, regions such as the Mittelrhein and Sachsen, best known for their high acidity, turned out their best-ever wines.

A note about the 2004s A wonderful vintage with more classic race and focus than the 2003s. Fred Prinz says: “ If you draw a triangle with 2001, 2002 and 2003 in each corner, 2004 sits slap bang in the middle of all of them.” That’s a promising sign!

3 The Rheingau Classical, long-lived Riesling from the south-facing slopes between Rüdesheim and Wiesbaden. Perfumed and floral on the nose, with wonderful precision in the mouth.

Prinz (Hallgarten) Until recently Fred worked for the large and well-known State Domain at Kloster Eberbach in Stadt Eltville. He started as Sales Director and then became responsible for the . He, his wife Sabine and their two children live in a second floor flat in the village of Hallgarten high up on the slopes above the Rhine. You only find evidence of what was his "hobby" in the garage below the flats. Here you will find a few tanks and pruning tools - a true garagiste! He and his wife built up their original 1.5ha of holdings in two vineyards around the village; Schönhell (generally used for the dry styles) and Jungfer (for the fruity, sweeter styles). The exception in both the 2001 and 2002 is the dry "Erstes Gewächs" () which come from Jungfer. Quality is high, yields are low, output tiny. He green-harvests once or twice a year, stripping out 20-40% on each pass. In the cellar he allows the grapes to cold soak overnight before allowing them to ferment. This, Fred says, boosts the extraction and lowers the acidity. After fermentation he then leaves his wines for 4 months on the lees, adding more layers of complexity. The wines have a wonderful precision and focus - not overblown, just quietly persuasive. Demand for his wine is so great that he has just given up the day job to turn the hobby into a full time job. Uneconomic with just 1.5 hectares, he needed to find another hectare. He always keeps his ears open while he's out working in the vines. Gossip and rumour are rife among the vines...who has been approached by who, who's thinking of selling to who! As a result he has now managed to scoop up a couple more parcels of old vines in his favourite locations, almost doubling his holdings to 3 hectares. trocken Riesling trocken 2004 8.99 Hallgartener Schönhell Riesling Kabinett trocken 2004 11.99 Hallgartener Schönhell Riesling Spätlese trocken 2003 14.99 Hallgartener Schönhell Riesling Spätlese trocken 2004 14.99 Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling ERSTES GEWÄCHS 2003 19.99 Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling ERSTES GEWÄCHS 2004 19.99 fruity Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Spätlese 2001 14.99 Hallgartener Schönhell Riesling Spätlese 2002 14.99 Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Spätlese 2002 16.50 Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Auslese HALVES 2003 27.99 Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Eiswein HALVES 2002 49.99 Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese HALVES 2003 89.99

Flick (Wicker) Hardly anyone has heard of the village of Wicker. It is part of the other bit of the Rheingau next to Hochheim where the River Main meets the Rhine and from whose slopes you can watch the planes on final approach to Frankfurt airport. Although wine has been in the Flick family since 1775, it is only now, through the rising fortune of Reiner and his wife Kirsten, that Wicker is being put on the map.They live in a rennovated 13th century mill and work their 14ha of vines - scattered across 102 seperate parcels in two villages. Jewels in their crown are the Wickerer Mönchsgewann and the Hochheimer Hölle where Reiner spends much of his time working with the soil, trying to get a 2-3% level of houmous. The wines have blasted their way onto the German wine scene over the past two vintages. We found modern but stately wines here - sometimes with savoury herbal notes, such as thyme or lavender. Supercharged Rheingau, classical lines but definitely supercharged! His Charta wine was made only using yellow grapes, the Erstes Gewächs is quite simply explosive! trocken Wickerer Stein Riesling Kabinett trocken 2004 10.99 Wickerer Stein Riesling Kabinett trocken 2003 11.50 Wickerer Nonnberg Riesling trocken 2004 11.99 Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Spätlese trocken 2004 13.50 Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Spätlese trocken 2003 14.50 Wickerer Mönchsgewann Riesling ERSTES GEWÄCHS 2003 23.99 fruity Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Spätlese 2004 16.99 Wickerer Nonnberg Gewürztraminer Spätlese 2004 17.50

What is CHARTA? (see Spreitzer’s Charta wine below) Charta was a forerunner of the “Erstes Gewächs” movement in the Rheingau, an association of growers committed to enhancing the quality of Rheingau’s dry wines. Grapes have to be 100% Riesling, be of one Prädikat level higher than that stated on the bottle (so a Spätlese would be made from Auslese grapes), and finally be approved by the Charta panel. They come in a tall brown bottle embossed with a Roman double arch and a Charta back label.

4 Langwerth von Simmern (Stadt Eltville) As close to royalty as you find in Germany today, Baron Georg-Reinhard, Freiherr Langwerth von Simmern, and his glamourous wife Andrea (who handles much of the client facing side of the business) inherited the estate (originally a gift from a grateful Duke to his Chancellor in 1464) in 1996. There was major restructuring to be done on his arrival, with 20 employees in tied accommodation and German wine sales in a slump. They have 27ha, with plots in some of the most hallowed vineyards on the Rheingau – Erbacher Marcobrunn, Rauenthaler Baiken, Hattenheimer Mannberg and Nussbrunnen, all of which (with the exception of Marcobrunn) are now only made in the dry style. Now a lean, mean machine, there are 8 employees, including the young star wine-maker Dirk Roth, who joined for the 2001 vintage. The results are as spectacular as their eye-catching 19th century label! Harvested four weeks earlier than usual in 2003 trying to keep the acidity levels up. Dirk has been experimenting with cultured yeasts. Andrea says the yeasts influence the fruit aromas in the first year but the influence falls away after two. trocken Hattenheimer Mannberg Riesling ERSTES GEWÄCHS 2003 27.99 fruity Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Kabinett 1996 14.50 Rauenthaler Baiken Riesling Spätlese 2003 19.50 Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Auslese HALVES 2002 24.99

Spreitzer (Oestrich-Winkel) Founded in 1641, this family domaine is one of the oldest in Oestrich-Winkel. The Jugendstil house in Oestrich has a wonderful view of the river a couple of streets below. While their father Bernhard can still be found tinkering in the cellar (their collection dates back to 1743), the two sons Andreas and Bernd took over in 1997, steering the domain to new heights. It is fascinating to compare Oestrich Lenchen Spätlese in trocken (dry) and edelsüß (sweet) styles - same grapes, different outcomes. In addition to a stunning Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen “Erstes Gewächs” (First Growth), they also make a CHARTA wine (see note below) from mainly Auslese grapes with a little Spätlese. trocken Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen CHARTA 2001 10.99 Oestricher Doosberg Spätlese trocken 2001 11.99 Oestricher Lenchen ERSTES GEWACHS 2001 18.99 fruity Oestricher Lenchen Spätlese 2001 11.99 “14 now, 17.5 points in 5/8 years. Simple now, but give it time....and wow! (fruity)” Malcolm Gluck

Zum Krug - Josef Laufer (Hattenheim) In the village of Hattenheim there is a wonderful hotel - Hotel Zum Krug - with a superb restaurant serving traditional German specialities for lunch and dinner, and a more ambitious Michelin-style menu available in the evenings. Eccentric, bow-tied Josef Laufer is the owner. He is passionate about Rheingau wine and is an authority on the subject. His winelist is staggering : two inches thick with wines only from the region. He also has some vines of his own and makes delicious Sekt. German , although popular on the home market, can sometimes be a bracing, rather harsh experience, but not here. Beautifully made Extra Brut with bottle fermentation - dry, full of character with layers of flavour, and makes a wonderful change from Champagne. sparkling trocken Riesling Sekt EXTRA BRUT () NV 13.99

The Ahr

Adeneuer (Bad Neuenahr) The Ahr Valley, between Cologne and Koblenz, is one of the northernmost winegrowing regions of Germany. It is highly prized for white Asparagus and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) which often has an ethereal smoky perfume and supple texture. The Adeneuer family has been making wine for 500 years in Bad Neuenahr. Their wines are flying out. One of our customers, more used to drinking Rioja said of Cuvee JJ “it’s so good it makes you want to run away from it!” Don’t miss two oddities – the Blanc de Noirs, a creamy made from red grapes, and the Red Sekt – mad! white Blanc de Noir Spätburgunder trocken 2004 10.99 red Spätburgunder Cuvée JJ trocken 2004 9.99 Spätburgunder No 2 trocken 2004 Walporzheimer Gärkammer Spätburgunder Auslese Golkapsel tr 2003 44.99 sparkling Red Sekt Spätburgunder Brut 2001 17.99

5 Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Known for their lightness of touch, their ethereal delicacy, their wonderful raciness and terroir definition.

Lubentiushof – Andreas Barth (Niederfell) Andreas Barth studied Law and Music but decided, with the support of his interior designer wife, Susanne, to turn to wine- making. He is almost entirely self-taught except for a couple of modules at the famous wine school at Geisenheim. In 1994 they bought an estate on the outskirts of Koblenz on the not very well-known Lower Mosel called Lubentiushof. Sounds grander than it was... But with a run-down cellar came 2.5ha in Gondorf, which is what Andreas was most interested in. It was tricky starting with no customers - but the first two years went well. Then with all the radical work he was doing in the vineyards there were two years when the vines went into shock yielding just 15hl/ha! Now, having recultivated vines that had gone to seed, he has 5ha - many between 35-85 years old. He only uses natural yeasts, and is virtually organic.

A journalist on the Frankfurter Allgemeine Paper encouraged him to go for the vacant Kellermeister position at the large, historic Von Othegraven estate in the Saar. He now works there one day a week, keen to fill the vacuum there and polish the slightly jaded reputation. It's exciting to work with historic vineyards like Kanzemer Altenberg. “In the Saar there is a homogenous geology within each vineyard. There is often a slight sparkle within the blue slate which means there is a high oil content. Whereas here on the Lower Mosel in Gondorfer Gans there is some blue slate too, but here it is mixed with red and yellow sandstone/slate and quartz. It's as if someone has taken all the minerals and shaken them up! To give you an example of the effect: if you can expect 24g of mineral extract on the Middle Mosel, you find 27g on the Lower Mosel.” With the low yields and very late in the vineyard, the high extract of diverse minerals and finally a very, very long fermentation, these wines are surprisingly less floral when young, much tighter and more restrained but packed with information and explosive potential! We tasted from three vintages and the oldest, the 2001s, were definitely showing signs of brilliance. His late release 2003s after extended lees contact and the best part of a year in bottle now taste amazing. Fascinating, deep textures and fabulous length. trocken Burg von der Layen Riesling trocken 2003 10.99 Gondorfer Gans Riesling Spätlese trocken Goldkapsel 2001 22.99 For the Goldkap Andreas carefully selects grapes from pre-phylloxera vines within the parcel. Fat and creamy with peachy fruit and scented layers of incense and almonds, balanced by great acidity, making this extremely quaffable. fruity Gondorfer Gäns Auslese Goldkapsel 375ml 2003 33.99

Franzen (Bremm) Ulli Franzen was kind enough to treat us to a ride in his motorised wine crate, which runs on a single rail, almost vertically up Europe’s steepest vineyard, the Bremmer Calmont. Without the luxury of safety belts we clung on for dear life and enjoyed every second of it! At the top, Ulli uncorked his Bremmer Calmont 2003 and we relaxed to enjoy the spectacular view, which Turner also appreciated and captured in his stunning watercolours (housed at Tate Britain). We also enjoyed the wines, which sold out very quickly. We now have his fabulous 2004s and have secured a few more half-bottles of his ’99 Eiswein. trocken Neefer Frauenberg Riesling 2004 11.50 halb-trocken Neefer Frauenberg Riesling Goldkapsel 2003 18.99 Caldius Mons Riesling Goldkapsel 2003 26.99 fruity Riesling Eiswein 375ml 1999 29.99

Clüsserath-Weiler (Trittenheim) It’s difficult to imagine a more idyllic way to start the day, breakfasting in the house on Trittenheim bridge with the Apotheke vineyard towering above you on the opposite bank and watching the sun swing over the hill, gradually bringing the vines into the light as the mist rises over the Mosel. Father and daughter, Helmut and Verana, do the wine, mother Helga runs the guesthouse. Trittenheim is full of Clüsseraths so to avoid confusion Helga brings the Weiler name with her from nearby Mehring. They always use wild yeasts, which can give their wines a wild perfume. The “HC” is crisp and lean, with spicy minerality. The Alte Reben (Old Vines) comes from a parcel of 50-75 yo vines and gives a deeper, denser flavour and mouthfeel. The “S” is a selection of the best bits of the best parcels, (usually from a small beautifully placed triangular parcel half-way up the vineyard immediately opposite the house) - while not the oldest vines hre are none less than 30yo. The 2004 has a dizzy, fruit salad perfume, is broad-shouldered, packed with herbs, spices, stones and gems, and very, very long. trocken Riesling HC trocken 2004 12.99 Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spätlese tr “Alte Reben” trocken 2004 20.99 Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spätlese “S” trocken 2004 20.99

6 Clemens Busch (Pünderich) Clemens Busch looks a bit like Jesus. He certainly has intensity and conviction! He and his wife Rita have transformed our expectations of the Pünderich vineyards. Pünderich was just another village in the middle Mosel churning out dilute, wishy- washy wines with yields of over 100hl/ha. The Busch’s crop at around 40 hl/ha. They own 7.5ha of vines in Marienburg (Virgin Mary’s Castle) and Nonnengarten (Nun’s Garden), which used to belong to the Cloister. They are currently renovating Clemens’s grandfather’s old house built in 1663 on the riverfront, but continue to make their wines in the cellars up the hill, away from the water’s edge. We asked Clemens about the distinctive and fascinating nose on his wines, reminiscent of aged , and he revealed that, in the search for further layers of complexity, he allows his grapes to oxidise slightly before fermentation. Unusual, but effective! There is nothing of your average Mosel about these wines. They show definition, poise and intensity and set a new benchmark of quality for others to aspire to. trocken Pündericher Nonnengarten Riesling Kabinett trocken 2004 10.99 halb-trocken Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Auslese halbtrocken 500ml 2001 22.99 fruity Pündericher Nonnengarten Riesling Kabinett 2004 10.99 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Spätlese “Fahrlay” 2003 18.99 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Spätlese "Weissenberg" 2002 21.99 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Spätlese "Fahrlay-Terrassen" 2002 24.99

Martin Müllen (Traben-Trarbach) Quietly determined Martin Müllen had a falling-out of almost biblical proportions with his father, ending up with Martin going his own way and effectively building up his vineyard holdings from scratch. We have been watching his wines for a while. Shallow as it may sound, we were originally put off by the kitsch bird motif on one of his labels. But then the wines haunted us... Beautiful, poised, focused wines of finesse and polish. Kröv may have been built on the bawdy image of the Kröver “Nacktarsch” (naked bottom), but Martin is almost single- handedly raising the reputation of its finest slopes “Paradies” and “Letterlay” with his hauntingly fragrant, pure wines. trocken Kröver Paradies Riesling Kabinett trocken 2003 9.99 Kröver Letterlay Riesling Spätlese trocken 1999 11.50 Kröver Letterlay Riesling Spätlese trocken 2002 12.99 Kröver Letterlay Riesling Spätlese ** trocken 2003 16.50 Kröver Paradies Riesling Spätlese** trocken 2003 18.50 “Who says dry wines do not work in the Mosel? This is very exciting and tense with a strong mineral undertow and amazing length of flavour.” Jancis Robinson, Financial Times fruity Trarbacher Hühnerberg Riesling Auslese* 375ml 2003 34.99

Rudolf Trossen (Kinheim-Kindel) “Fate” Rudolf called it, when we called by on the off-chance and found him in. This after phoning for directions from the riverside car park. “Can you see the house with the round windows on the opposite bank of the river? That's me waving!” We were intrigued by whispers of a very uncompromising grower in Kinheim-Kindel. Rudolf Trossen, leather waistcoat, Scholl footwear, is a Hardcore Eco-warrior...and poet. His father came back from the Russian front after the war with half a leg missing, so Rudi had to do all the spraying and had an allergic reaction to the chemicals. Having not been convinced he was going to take over from his father his allergies got him thinking about ecology. He had found his cause. “Bio-dynamics started here in Germany with Rudolf Steiner's theories from the 1920s” he says. He founded Demeter and Ecovin in Rheinland-Pfalz. His vines all lie in the Kinheimer Hubertuslay and, as he points to his parcels scattered on the opposite slope, it quickly becomes clear which are his - the ones with green ground cover. So what are the wines like? The Schieferblume (Slate Flowers) and Trossen Kabinett tr are lively, fresh - and savoury, smoky, with loads of mineral content. The Madonna Plateau is from a parcel of pre-phylloxera vines above a small statue of the Madonna. Wonderful, crazy-subtle perfume and fabulous density. trocken Schieferblume 2004 9.99 Trossen Riesling Kabinett tr 2003 11.99 Hubertuslay Riesling Spätlese tr 2002 12.50 Madonna Plateau Spätlese tr 2003 13.99 fruity Hublay Spätlese 2003 13.99

7 Kirsten (Klüsserath) Bernhard and Inge Kirsten met in New York, got married in 1992 and changed the direction of Bernhard’s family domain, previously geared towards volume, now going all-out for quality. They pulled out the vines on the flat bits down by the river, planting pear trees instead. Then they sold less favourable spots and bought smaller, older parcels in the heart of the Bruderschaft vineyard in Klüsserath on an impressive sweep of the Middle Mosel. Pride and joy is the sweetest spot in the amphitheatre shaped Bruderschaft - the "Herzstück" (the heart-piece) the original Bruderschaft, before the renaming and rationalising exercise called “Flurbereinigung” in the 1960s and 70s. With up-to-the-minute minimal intervention techniques - old vines, very low yields, wild yeasts, long times and extended lresting on lees, a single filtration, no fining, no pumping – the wines have what the Germans call “Schmelz” – dense, buttery-fat, layered flavours. Exotic aromas, with notes of oily tangerine peel and wheat. Soft, voluminous billowing textures and effortless length. Conclusion – fantastic! trocken Riesling trocken 2004 9.99 Herzstück “Pfarrwingert” Riesling Spätlese trocken 2003 14.99 fruity Herzstück Riesling Spätlese 2003 14.99

Loch (Weinhof Herrenberg) (Schoden/Saar) Manfred and Claudia Loch bought their first half-hectare plot in the Schodener Herrenberg vineyard in 1991. Each year they try to buy another 0.2ha and another steel tank. They currently have 2.5 hectares and 8 tanks. The steep Herrenberg is an almost fan-shaped slope overlooking the Saar and the village of Schoden 3kms north of Saarburg. Yields in the area are often over 100hl/ha, but the Lochs are working between 20-35hl/ha. You can taste the difference! The Saar is known for producing wines of racy acidity, hard to taste young, tightly-wound and softening only with age. The Loch style is something else: much riper, much fleshier than your everyday shrill Saar wine. They still have a refreshing, exhilarating acidity, but with richness, depth and a unique mouthfeel. They leave the grapes on the vines incredibly late hoping to squeeze another degree Oechsle (ripeness level) or two out of the late autumn sun. Their plots are dotted over the vineyard. Each parcel is picked separately, placed in separate tanks and bottled separately without fining and only one very light filtration. The Lochs (and we) are fascinated by the differences – each is clearly distinct.

New this time is the Wiltinger Schlangengraben old vines trocken, from a parcel (unlike most from that vineyard) overlooking the Saar. Also we had to wrestle Manfred for a few bottles of the Ockfener Bockstein trocken – he would dearly love to get hold of more vines in Bockstein – but there are three large land-owners who hold most of it and unfortunately don’t want to sell – shame, in Manfred’s hands the wine achieves another level of spicy intensity. Also a new label – the third in as many years…a gentle identity shift. First there was Weinhof Herrenberg, then there was equal billing for Weinhof Herrenberg and Loch, now it’s simply Loch. trocken Riesling Fass 1 trocken 2003 14.99 Riesling Fass 2 trocken 2003 14.99 Riesling Fass 4 trocken 2003 14.99 Quasaar 2003 18.99 Saartyr 2003 19.99 Wiltinger Schlangengraben Alten Reben trocken 2003 22.99 Ockfener Bockstein trocken 2003 25.99 fruity Schodener Herrenberg Riesling Auslese Nr. 1 1999 19.99 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese 500ml 2002 20.99 Riesling ContesSaar 1999 21.50 Herrenberg Riesling Auslese Nr.7 1999 28.99 Schodener Herrenberg Riesling Beerenauslese HALVES 2003 94.99

Rebenhof Johannes Schmitz (Ürzig) Green-leaning Johannes Schmitz is an energetic player in the well-known village of Ürzig. He and his wife run a guest house from their winery. He is the President of the committee that has been arranging the "Flurbereinigung" (the re-structuring and rationalisation of the German vineyards, a process that started in 1968) – a sure way to win some friends and lose others! He has 4.5ha, one third of which are young vines, the rest are between 40 and 80 years-old. His "Alten Reben" is always from his 80 y.o. vines. He sets a benchmark for Ürzig, with all the body and herbal spiciness the Würzgarten is renowned for. trocken Ürziger Würzgarten Hochgewächs trocken 1999 8.99 “17 points now, the little beauty. The few years of bottle age it has reached has bequeathed it oiliness, a subtle richness, and a dry edge with petroleum edge developing nicely (and classically).” Malcolm Gluck Ürziger Würzgarten Kabinett trocken 2004 11.99 Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese trocken 2003 12.99 Ürziger Würzgarten Alten Reben trocken 2003 14.99

8 halb-trocken Ürziger Würzgarten Alten Reben “Feinherb” 2003 14.99 fruity Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese "Alten Reben" 2002 13.99 “Big, broad, ample and very fruity - although funnily enough on the nose you would have taken it for a trocken, a sign of purity and definition. High extract, presumably thanks to those old vines. 16” Jancis Robinson Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese*** 2001 15.99 Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese "Eisbär" 2000 27.99 Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese 1999 29.99

Daniel Vollenweider (Traben-Trarbach) Daniel cellars below his house in Traben-Trarbach. Temperature control involves opening or shutting the windows and doors! Self-confessed "wine-freak", Daniel, now 36, moved from Switzerland, became a cellar rat for Ernie Loosen before buying tiny parcels in the little-known Wolfer Goldgrube vineyard. He has accumulated 2 hectares so far, in a variety of locations – (which he often keeps separate through to the bottle) – and a variety of ages, from 30 year-old "young vines" to 100 year "old vines". 2002 was only his third vintage and won him the "Discovery of the Year" in the Gault-Millau German Wine Guide. Despite vinifying most of his wines in the classic reductive fruity style, we find his wines to be incredibly modern. 2003 was the ideal vintage for his winemaking style. Sweet wines for the long haul – rich and opulent. Sumptuous now, but if you can tuck a few bottles away for 25 or 50 years!…. The Goldkapsel (Daniel’s favourite in 2003) and the single parcel "Reiler" are breath-taking. halb-trocken Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese "feinherb" 2003 16.99 fruity Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese 2002 16.99 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese 2003 16.99 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese Goldkapsel 2003 21.99 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese REILER 2003 21.99 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese REILER 2002 22.99 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Auslele 2003 26.99 Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Beerenauslese HALVES 2003 89.99

The Mittelrhein

Matthias Müller (Spay) The Mittelrhein is probably the prettiest part of the Rhine with fairytale castles and medieval villages aplenty. However, it is not known for its quality wines and we certainly tasted a few punishing numbers on the way to finding the lovely balanced wines of Matthias Müller. The Müller family have been winemakers for 300 years and have plots in the amazing sweeping Bopparder Hamm vineyard overlooking the curving Rhine between Spay and Boppard. The Hamm is divided into the original old vineyard names, “Engelstein” (angel stone) or “Ohlenberg” (a derivation of eel hill) etc, each with a charming mythical story attached!

As we tasted through Mathias Müller's 2003s you could instantly tell which had wild yeasts (spontangärung - spontaneous fermentation) and which used cultured. The wild yeasts had an extra dimension in the nose, perfumes that leapt out of the glass.

Bopparder Hamm Ohlenberg Riesling Spätlese trocken 2003 11.99 A very dry wine (only 4g/l of residual sugar), lean and grapefruity with a fresh mineral quality too. Excellent with food.

Sachsen

Zimmerling (Dresden) When Stuart Pigott, the English journalist who lives in Berlin and has made his name in the German Press asked us “what about a Sachsen wine?”, we were sceptical… Sachsen is very cold – and best known for it’s searingly acidic wines. Stuart’s recommendation was bang-on…Klaus Zimmerling’s wines are distinctive in every way – the striking packaging is what first hits you. He only bottles in 500 ml format. Each year there is a new label – a reproduction of one of his wife’s fascinating sculptures. Details of what is to be found inside the bottle only appear on the back labels. The contents are fascinating. Intense Weisserburgunder (), Riesling and a fabulous dry Gewürztraminer all show a completely different interpretation of the grapes. Powerful, taut wines which express themselves in big glasses with lots of air… Surely the newest Eastern frontline of fine wine! Weisserburgunder “R” trocken 2003 17.99 Gewürztraminer trocken 2003 18.99 Riesling trocken 2003 18.99 Riesling “R” trocken 2003 21.99

9 Rheinhessen

Justly maligned for producing oceans of sweetish watery Liebfraumilch and Niersteiner Gutes Domtal, Rheinhessen is witnessing a quality upheaval. Many of us have been won over by St Antony's spicy offerings from Nierstein's Grand cru red cliffs - showing us what can (and should!) be produced in the name of Nierstein. Until very recently, the most maligned corner of this maligned area was the South-Eastern Wonnegau which most writers considered incapable of producing good wine. There is a ridge that rises from the flat plain, visible for kilometres, clustered with wind turbines and it is here that two 25 year-olds are changing minds. Just below the radar of the wider German Wine scene, it was our friend in Berlin Stuart Pigott (who writes for the Frankfurter Allgemein) who told us “you just have to go there!”

The stories are similar, the 25 year old sons Stefan Winter and Jochen Dreissigacker have recently taken over running their long established family . Both believed there was untapped potential in their vineyards and set about slashing volume - Stefan Winter, who has been making the wine since 2000, says “Costs have tripled, everything is now picked by hand. We pick much later - until mid-November. Everyone else finishes weeks earlier, so we have to go through the vines with airguns to scare the birds away!” trocken Riesling “S” Leckerberg trocken 2004 12.50 Riesling "S" Geyersberg trocken 2004 12.50 red Portugieser “S” trocken 2003 15.99

After studying in Weinsberg near Heilbron, Jochen Dreissigacker did stages with Bergdolt in the Pfalz and local star Christian Keller. Like Winter, they have been picking by hand for 5 years. Jochen always chooses the precise time to pick by tasting the grapes, which may sound obvious but many people rely on the refractometer. Only wild yeasts are used - plenty of cold maceration. There has always been a tradition for quality wine in his village - which 250 years ago boasted only Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Bechtheim has 1800 inhabitants and 600ha of vines - 3ha per head! Jochen works with the soil too, applying horse and straw compost every other year, building a harmonious, healthy microbiology around his vines. His “Selection” wines, which always come from the best grapes from the best vineyards, Hasensprung, Rosengarten or Geyersberg, are always Auslese trocken level, making them exotic, oily and ample. trocken Riesling "R" trocken 2004 13.50 Bechtheimer Hasensprung Riesling SD 2003 12.99 Bechtheimer Hasensprung Riesling SD 2004 14.99 Bechtheimer Geysersberg Riesling SD 2004 18.50 fruity Bechtheimer Heilig-Kreuz Riesling Kabinett 2004 9.99

St Anthony (Nierstein) Owned by truck manufacturers MAN, St Anthony manages to remain completely un-corporate and is run like a family business by Dr Alex and his lovely wife, in her own right an extremely knowledgeable wine-chemist and sought-after local consultant. Rheinhessen is known for producing poor quality bulk wines and this is a shame as there are some spectacular sites in and around Nierstein. Here the Rhine is wide and the sloping vineyards benefit from its warming influence producing ripe, rich wines – the fullest bodied that we tasted throughout the trip. The soils change from vineyard to vineyard bringing a different character to each wine, which is why we felt it reasonable to buy four Grosses Gewächs from the same producer, from the same sweep of land.

“Vom Rotliegenden” Riesling 2004 12.99 From vines grown on red slate soil – rotschiefer of the Jurassic period of 250 million years ago. The nose is wonderfully different from anything else we have on the shelves – it reminded me of a seaside fairground – some oil fumes mixed with fresh salty air! Very focused juicy fruit, veering toward the exotic, mangoes especially, with noticeable sweetness in the middle (usually these vines produce Spätlese but in the hot 2003 vintage this could be Auslese level). Even though the wine tends to off dry, the lush fruit is cut through by slatey minerality on the finish. This wine takes you on an effortless journey.

Orbel Riesling GROSSES GEWÄCHS 2003 16.99 Lovely golden colour, and a very exotic nose of pineapple and mango. Mellow fruit flavours ( just broke out in 2003) follow the nose, offset by a great jingly spritz of CO2 and a good clean mineral finish. The acidiy is high in Orbel wines due to the huge day/night temperature variation influenced by the Rhine.

Hipping Riesling GROSSES GEWÄCHS 2003 17.99 Hipping is a warmer site, nearer to the river, and this wine has a fuller body than the others. The nose is more zesty with hints of passion fruit and the palate is higher toned with jingly fruit and a flinty, almost salty finish.

Pettental Riesling GROSSES GEWÄCHS 2003 24.99 From 25-30 year old vines planted on the warmest site in just 60cm of top soil so the roots have penetrated into the rock beneath. Big, deep and dark with exotic and grapey fruit with hints of incense perfume. Less minerality than the others but still wonderful acidity.

10 The Nahe Considered to be plump, rich and firm, some people say earthy. Classic German wines from historic sites.

Crusius (Traisen) Championed by Hugh Johnson in the 1970s, Crusius has perhaps been overlooked recently. Dr Peter Crusius and his wife Birgitte have seamlessly taken over from Peter’s father Hans and are making full-throttle, exuberent, dense Nahe wines in the village of Traisen west of Bad Kreuznach. Jewel in the crown is Traiser Bastei, a tiny south-facing slope at the foot of the red cliffs of Traiser Rotenfels. Their 2001s are stunning from Qba up to Eiswein. Fleshy in texture with weight and acidity - classic, wonderful Riesling with enormous ageing potential. 2002s were a touch leaner and 2003s fuller, but still with good freshness. trocken Traiser Rotenfels Riesling Spätlese trocken 2003 16.99 Norheimer Kirscheck Riesling Spätlese trocken 2003 17.99 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg GROSSES GEWÄCHS 2002 27.50 fruity Niederhäuser Felsensteyer Riesling Spätlese 2003 17.50 Norheimer Kirscheck Riesling Auslese 2001 21.99 Traiser Bastei Riesling Auslese 2002 21.99 “Very peachy and gorgeous. Easy to love. Open, accessible syrup-cum-medicine (in the most delicious way possible). 19” JR Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Beerenauslese HALVES 2003 49.99

Schäfer-Fröhlich (Bockenau) Tim took over from his parents and has modernised the winery and replanted good sites with Riesling, replacing the old Müller-Thurgau vines. He’s one of the new wave of German wine-makers, concentrating on top quality Riesling in a modern style, with especially low yields for his trocken wines. trocken Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese trocken 2003 17.50 From the Felseneck vineyard in Tim’s home village of Bockenau. Very fresh nose of peaches and candy-floss. Has a nice weightiness in the mouth, cut through with a wonderful mineral finish. Very pure.

Monzinger Halenberg Riesling GROSSES GEWÄCHS 2003 24.99 Pure honeydew melon on the nose with hints of soft vegetal development that will deepen with age. Rich fruit and weight is cut through by rapier-like acidity that makes the mouth water, leaving you with that stony minerality so characteristic of Tim’s wines. One to age.

Schlossgut Diel (Burg Layen) Armin Diel is a giant on the current German wine scene - imposing, opinionated and often controversial. He is co-editor of the most influential annual German Wine Guide, the Gault-Millau. He is a frequent contributor to German wine and food magazines and has done much to raise the standard and profile of German wines on the international stage. Not everybody’s cup of tea, but we like him. He also makes excellent wines. The Diel family founded their estate in Burg Layen south of Bingen in 1802. They now have 16 hectares on one south-facing slope which embraces Pittermänchen, Goldloch and Burgberg. Although Riesling forms the heart of his collection, Armin believes great wines can also be made in the Nahe with Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir. The barrel-fermented Cuvee Victor (named after his son, now studying law) has all the weight and intensity of top white Burgundy and, surprisingly, is made with equal parts of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and . trocken Diel de Diel (Pinot Blanc/Riesling) 2001 11.99 Diel de Diel 2002 12.99 Dorsheimer Pittermänchen Riesling Selection 2002 21.99 Cuvee Victor 2000 29.99 Cuvee Victor 2001 31.99 fruity Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Kabinett 2002 14.99 Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Auslese 2001 32.99 Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Auslese 2002 35.99

Kruger-Rumpf (Münster-Sarmsheim) Based in Münster-Sarmsheim, the first village along the Nahe south of Bingen, the easy-going, no-nonsense Stefan Kruger has a wide portfolio of vines in nooks and crannies off the Nahe. We highly recommend his excellent, casual winebar (Weinstub) serving wonderful country food washed down with his earthy, tangy whites and where every family member is pressed into service. Every family member, that is, apart from Johannes, the eldest son, who is in Vietnam working on a new vineyard project. fruity Münsterer Pittersberg Riesling Spätlese 2001 11.99 “17 points. Brilliant style and cohesion of subtle fruit and acids with hints of minerals. 20 points within a decade.” Malcolm Gluck

11 Württemberg

It was time to look at some German reds, so we had to head in two directions - the Ahr (see below),one of the northernmost German wine regions and to Württemberg, one of its most southerly. It was our mate Stuart Pigott, the wine writer who works in Berlin, who tipped us off about the “Junges Schwaben” (Young Schwabians). Five young growers, Jochen Beurer, Sven Ellwanger, Hans Hengerer, Rainer Wachtstetter and Jochen Zipf, who had recently taken over from their parents, wanted to make better wine than the region was known for. With coaching from Stuttgart -turned-wine-merchant Bernd Kreis and early encouragement from respected boutique grower Albrecht Schwegler and journalists like Stuart, the group is poised for wider recognition - we are the first to export their wines! One of their ideas was to each produce a “Junges Schwaben” bottling of their specialist variety at a uniform price. Riesling from Beurer, from Zipf, Spätburgunder from Hengerer and so on.

The wines are distinctive, modern and broad in range. Apparently light delicate reds trick you with their surprising intensity. The whites show another fascinating expression of Riesling's mineral transparency.

Stuttgart may not seem like wine country, but you can see vines on the hillsides as you pass Mercedes HQ. Jochen Beurer, whose career as former European BMX champion was snuffed out when he did his National Service, took over the family domain 10 years ago. When we arrived he looked more like a steam train driver – he was toiling over the family still, belching fire and steam - distilling fruit to make schnapps. white trocken Gutsriesling tr, Beurer 2004 8.99 Pulvermächer Riesling Kabinett trocken, Beurer 2004 12.50 Riesling Jungesschwaben trocken, Beurer 2003 22.99

Riesling Großhepparder Steingrüble Spätlese tr SL, Ellwanger 2003 15.99 halb-trocken Stettener Häder Riesling Kabinett tr 2004, Beurer 2004 11.99 fruity Gewürztraminer Spätlese, Beurer 2004 12.99 Pulvermächer Riesling Spätlese, Beurer 2003 16.99 Riesling Auslese 375ml, Beurer 2002 16.99 red Kreation Nero, Ellwanger 2003 12.99

Trollinger “Steillage” tr**, Zipf 2004 9.99 Trollinger “Jungesschwaben”, Zipf 2002 22.99

Lemberger tr, Wachtstetter 2004 9.99 Lemberger Ernst Combé, Wachtstetter 2003 18.99

Trollinger Alte Reben Kistenmacher & Hengerer 2003 9.99 Blauer Spätburgunder Kistenmacher & Hengerer 2003 11.50 Lemberger Spätlese trocken Kistenmacher & Hengerer 2003 12.99 Lemberger Edition “S” Kistenmacher & Hengerer 2002 17.99 Spätburgunder Jungesschwaben Kistenmacher & Hengerer 2002 22.99

Albrecht Schwegler has a machine parts business just outside Stuttgart. He also has a couple of tiny parcels of vines, barely 1.2 ha in total. Ecological for 17 years but (like many) without certification. Despite the meagre output, he is held in very high regard in the region and in Germany generally. The Gault-Millau Guide says “Granat 2001 is one of the very best wines of Württemberg.” He wanted to prove that, if made right, Württemberg reds could age. When we visited he opened a 93 to show how it develops. It was very good!

d'r Oifache NV 11.50 1ltr (Württemberger slang for “der Einfache” - the simple one) 50% Trollinger/25% Lemberger/25% Regent 2 yrs in 2yo barrels Beryll, Lemberger/ 2000 16.99 Saphir, Zweigelt and in 100% new French 2000 33.99 Granat 2001 49.99 Zweigelt and Merlot. Open-top fermentation, punching the cap 6 times a day. No filtration, one egg white fining.

12

The Pfalz

Rebholz (Siebeldingen) Hansjörg Rebholz’s plots in the Bundsandstein Vineyard are made up of sandstone, which is typical of the Pfalz and is great for both Riesling and Weissburgunder. The best plot within this vineyard is ‘Im Sonnenschein’ (In Sunshine) and provides the grapes for the Grosses Gewächs for both varieties. The winery has been in the family for 350 years and many experiments have taken place in matching grape variety to soil type. Rebholz doesn’t chaptalise or fine his wines.

Im Sonnenschein Riesling Grosses Gewächs 2003 28.99 Very ripe and juicy peach and apricot fruit offset with that high acidity to give a great nervous tension to this wine.

Weissburgunder Spätlese trocken 2003 16.50 A fatter nose and deeper colour make this a grown up wine compared to the previous trocken. Ripe, deep and focused with even some grip on the teeth. Delicious.

Im Sonnenschein Weissburgunder Grosses Gewächs 2002 26.99 A fantastic smell of baking bread on the nose seems to go perfectly with developing palate of apples and peaches with perfumed notes too. Gorgeous.

Dr Wehrheim (Birkweiler) Dr Karl-Heinz Wehrheim took over from his father in 1985. Charming quiet-spoken, he is a big mate of Hansjörg Rebholz metres away in the next village. He regularly hunts deer and wild boar in the local forest. We had several amazing pieces of venison for dinner when we visited. All his wines are modern and high-class from the zingy through the broad, creamy Weisserburgunder (Pinot Blanc), to the spicy exotic Riesling “Rotliegendes” from red soil, rich in iron. Then to the reds: The Spätburgunder trocken 2002 is well-balanced, smoky and autumnal with a shot of peppery tannins in the tail. white Silvaner Kabinett trocken 2003 8.99 Weisser Burgunder Spätlese trocken 2003 13.99 Rotliegendes Riesling Spätlese trocken 2003 15.99 Mandelberg Weisser Burgunder Grosses Gewächs 2003 25.99 red Spätburgunder trocken 2002 12.99 Saint Laurent trocken 2003 12.99

Bergdolt (Duttweiler) Based in Duttweiler on the edge of Neustadt this estate used to belong to the St. Lamprecht Cloister, then to the University of Heidelberg before passing into Bergdolt hands in 1754. Brothers Rainer and Günther are now the eighth generation. Stuart Pigott reckons they make the finest Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) in Germany. We’d go further - we have yet to taste a Pinot Blanc this good from anywhere on the planet! In their hands it has an intensity and depth top Pinot Gris struggles to achieve, let alone Pinot Blanc. Even at Kabinett level it is fat but with good acidity. The Grosses Gewächs is sensational, winning 92 points in the Gault-Millau German Wine Guide 2003.

The Bergdolts have also been experimenting with other . Auxerrois is a grape you seldom see vinified seperately. We were surprised to learn recently that as much as 40% of wine labelled Pinot Blanc in Alsace is actually Auxerrois and is often mixed up along the rows and vinified together. It has a touch more acidity than Pinot Blanc but is very much in the house style; soft ripe creamy fruit with good concentration. Saint Laurent is an unusual ancient grape formerly found in France but now only in common use in the Pfalz and Austria. They first planted the variety 12 years ago and Rainer says they now understand why the French abandoned it - it is very susceptible to rot and they have to discard an enormous percentage of the grapes. They recommend drinking it young. We found it fascinating - deep, inky and chewy. trocken Auxerrois Kabinett trocken 2002 10.99 Kirrweiler Mandelberg Weissburgunder GROSSES GEWÄCHS 2001 19.99 red Saint Laurent trocken 2000 13.99

Koehler-Ruprecht (Kallstadt) Bernd Philippi, the estate’s energetic owner, and Axel Heinzmann, the cellarmaster, make some of the greatest dry Rieslings in the world from the Saumagen vineyard outside Kallstadt at the north end of the region. They have all the dizzy tropical notes of Pfalz Riesling along with the steel and presence of the finest dry Rieslings from Alsace, but with their own utterly distinctive character. Not one to sit still, Bernd has established a new estate in Portugal with well-known Rheingau grower Georg Breuer. trocken Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese trocken 2001 20.99

13

What is Erstes Gewächs? What is Grosses Gewächs? Although “Erstes Gewächs” means First Growth (Premier cru) and “Grosses Gewächs” means Great Growth (Grand cru), in the German context they have the same meaning. “Grosses Gewächs” is used in the Nahe and the Pfalz, “Erstes Gewächs” in the Rheingau. These regions decided to create a new (and hopefully simpler) quality level, the ultimate expression of a named classic vineyard in the trocken (dry) style. It has to be Riesling, except in the Pfalz where it can also be Weisserburgunder (Pinot Blanc). It has to be minimum Spätlese in quality and enter into panel tasting where only a few will be allowed to call themselves “Erstes” or, depending on the region, “Grosses Gewächs”. In the Rheingau, in the 2001 vintage for instance, only eleven wines were awarded the title. We feel it has been a very useful development. The labels are simple, just carrying the name of the vineyard and the grower’s name. The wines are undoubtedly superb and show what can be done with Riesling in the dry style, competing with the finest white wines in the world, equalling them in weight, concentration and vineyard definition. These are legendary wines from legendary vineyards

Franken

Franken is all about the Bocksbeutel and Minerals. "Bocksbeutel" is the name of the funny squat bottles most Franken wines come in, said to be derived from a goat’s "sack" and dangerously reminiscent of a Mateus bottle – but there the similarity ends; the contents could not be more different! The difference (as everyone we visited kept saying) is all to do with minerals. Apparently 250 million years ago, the bright sandstone rock Franken now sits on was on the equator and 100 million years later, as the continental plates shifted northwards and outwards, became the predecessor of the Mediterranean accumulating fossil-heavy chalk. These layers fan outwards, exposing their seven different geologies to widely scattered pockets of the Franken vineyards.

Ruck (Iphofen) Warm and friendly family run domaine right on the central square of the picturesque town of Iphofen. Father and son, Johann and Hansi, work 13ha of vineyards around the town. Jewel in the crown are their wines from the Julius-Echter-Berg vineyard which some German writers describe as "exotic". Franken is often seen as Silvaner’s spiritual home (despite originally thought to have come from Transylvania and to be a cross of Traminer and Oesterreicher Weiss). In the Ruck’s hands, with the added minerality and touch of earthiness, it becomes particularly expressive - none of the searing pinch of some Alsatian or Swiss examples. trocken Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg Riesling Kabinett trocken 2002 16.99 “16.5 points. Beautifully tailored and elegant. Leaves an echo of peach.” Malcolm Gluck Rödelseer Schwanleite Grauer Burgunder Spätlese trocken 2001 20.99 Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg TRIAS Silvaner Spätlese trocken 2002 23.99

What is yield and why is it important? Yield may be measured by how much grape juice is produced from a given area. In Europe this is generally expressed in hectolitres per hectare and may provide a useful indicator of how concentrated or dilute a wine might be. So with 100hl/ha you would expect a watery, dilute wine, while with 25hl/ha you would expect it to be dense and concentrated. One way of achieving low yields artificially is by performing a “green harvest” in summer when a proportion of the still-forming grape bunches are removed. But there are limits, even at the desirable, lower yield end. Sometimes a wine can appear too thick and soupy - you really need a glass of water on the side to help it down!

14 SPAIN We’ve been to Spain again, flew in and drove over 3,000 kms. You forget how big it is. The mission, as usual, to uncover some great new wines. The unexpected bonus - we couldn't believe the prices!

RUEDA

VIÑEDOS DE NIEVA The Spanish generally hold Ribera del Duero to be their finest region and nearby Rueda best for whites. Rueda starts just west of Valladolid and runs south to the outskirts of Segovia. We were headed for the south-east corner where, although it feels like you are on a big low plain, at 850m above sea level this is the highest altitude wine region in Spain, which helps keep it cool. Viñedos Nieva is now run by a mother (originally from Montpellier) and her three sons. Made meticulously in the modern style, these are wonderful fresh 's. Blanco Nieva is made from the free-run juice, Los Navales from the press wine. Pie Franco is the excellent old vine cuvée with rolling layers of yellow flowers, then brine, then quince jelly. Finally a stylish barrel fermented version. white Los Navales 2004 7.99 Blanco Nieva Verdejo 2004 8.99 Pie Franco 2004 10.99 Blanco Nieva Fermen. Barrica 2003 14.99

EXTREMADURA

COLOMA Extremedura was considered pretty remote to the Spanish until recently. Three quarters of the way down, very close to the Portugese border, the area is strewn with Roman remains and Moorish influence. Franco's presence is still felt in the agriculture. “Everyone had to have vines, olive trees and pigs,” Helena Coloma tells us. “Anything grows here, it is so fertile. Did you know that 30% of Europe's tomatoes come from here? Our problem is we send everything to Murcia for them to package or process, so nobody's heard of Extremedura.” Bodegas Coloma is run by two sisters, both very well-travelled. Amelia is the very shy winemaker and viticulturist, who studied in Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Australia and Argentina and who sleeps next to the maceration tanks after harvest, to make sure they don't get to hot! Helena does everything else, to give Amelia the freedom to do what she wants. “She always wants to do something new, like plant and , or make our own clones of Garnacha Roja from our 50yo vines before they died.” This is a committed Bodega. Experimental, but always with a respect for their traditional varietals such as Cayetana, from which they make a tropical white, and the Garnacha Roja, a small-berried with a less raisiny, more autumnal outcome and an adult, bitter twist on the finish. A fascinating range, climaxing with their Torre Bermeja (Red Tower) Crianza Roble Viñas Viejas a delicious old vine Cabernet/Garnacha Roja/Merlot blend. white Vina Amelia White 2004 4.99 Coloma Viura 2004 6.50 Cayetana Blanca Ferm en Barrica 2004 7.99 red Coloma Cuvee 2003 5.99 Coloma Red Garnacha Roja 2004 6.99 Torre Bermeja Red Roble 2001 8.50 Merlot Seleccion 2004 11.50 Seleccion 2004 11.50

JUMILLA

SILVANO GARCIA Final part of our recent trip was through the lunar landscape of Murcia (bottom right of the Iberian Peninsula) to sniff out some Monastrell. Monastrell may or may not be Mourvedre, expert opinion is divided. At its best it has exactly what we were hoping for - recognisably sweaty overtones, like Bandol in Provence. The small town of Jumilla was where we found it. 33 year-old Silvano Garcia bought an old Co-op three years ago, knocked down everything beyond the concrete tanks just behind the front wall and now he and his three employees rattle around in an oversized Bodega. He makes exciting, deep, blackcurranty reds, with the slightly sweaty thrill of the chase, and the unexpected bonus of two outstanding sweet wines. Moscatel which bowled us over with its complexity and a Monastrell Dulce, monstrous enough to beat any chocolate dessert into submission! red Viña Honda Joven 2004 6.99 Viña Honda Crianza 2001 10.99 Gran Reserva 1990 9.99 dessert Moscatel Dulce 2003 13.99 375ml Monastrell Dulce 2003 13.99 375ml

15 LA MANCHA

VALDEPEÑAS

RAMIREZ Next stop Valdepeñas in the southern corner of La Mancha. Very much a wine town, with avenues and backstreets of Bodegas. Juan Ramirez's Grandfather started the Bodega and lived to the age of 111! Obviously the wine had a part to play. Still very much a family operation they now have a 25 year-old Oenologue Rafael Lucendo who also comes from quite a wine family. His father is the Director of the local Wine College and two of his brothers are also Oenologists. The wines are punchy and assured, from the zizzy Tanis Blanco (100% Airen) through the reds in a variety of styles. The 99, a semi-crianza, with ageing in bottle rather than barrel (here Rafael was paying homage to the traditional style of Valdepeñas). A brilliant Gold Medal winning Crianza 2000 made from 55 year-old vines in the Vista Alegra vineyard. “I almost froze the must so all the colour and aroma is extracted, but not much tannin.” Then there's a classy, dry Reserva 98 and finally his own bottling, the Cesar Lucando 2000. A drawing of his Grandfather's hands on the label, a blend of Tempranillo, Cab Sauv, Syrah and Merlot, it's very much a winemaker's wine. Deep, rich with loads of fruit and density. white Tanis Blanco Joven 2004 4.99 Alba Blanco Ferm en Barrica 2004 6.99 rose Alba Rosado 2004 6.50 red Alba Tempranillo Semi Crianza 1999 5.99 Alba Crianza 2000 7.99 Cesar Lucando 2000 28.50

ARAGON

CARINEÑA A sub-section of Aragon with its own Official Denomination (D.O).

PIQUER From the foothills of the Pyrenees we have found an excellent, characterful Grenache by Manuel Piquer in Muel. Jancis Robinson was so taken with it, she made the 2003 wine of the week and wrote it up in the FT. “This is super-fruity Grenache/Garnacha which is far from cookie-cutter modern red but even has a certain delicacy. Overall it’s quite soft and easy (no oak was involved) but there’s a hint of tannin, presumably from the low-yielding, dry vineyards and even a bit of real interest. This is hot, dry country in which the minimum alcohol level required for a wine to be labelled with the denomination Carineña (named after the main town, which lends its name to the grape) has been lowered from 14 to 12 per cent! It’s made by Manuel Piquer Guimerá in Muel, a bodega founded in the 1960s and now, obviously, fully modernised. The bottle looks as though it might cost closer to £14.99. The wine is lightish, relatively delicate, soft, easy and – amazingly at this price – really rather interesting.” Jancis Robinson, Financial Times Lelia Garnacha 2004 4.99

TORO Known for its big, hearty and often rustic reds, Toro was first planted with vines under the Romans, on the banks of the Duero river, not far from the Portugese border, 200 miles north-west of Madrid. However, over the past ten years, many bodegas have been modernising, making strenuous efforts to control the tannins and the wilder tendencies of their grapes. Toro is now considered an upcoming, almost trendy, region.

VEGA SAUCO At the forefront of the modernisers are Wences Gil and his family. Wences trained as an oenologist, working his way westwards from Rioja through Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales before settling in Toro. He built his Bodega Vega Sauco on the ashes of a defunct Co-Op in the village of Morales de Toro in 1991. The grape is Tinto de Toro. Opinion is divided over whether or not it is Tempranillo, as it evolves differently in the local, continental climate of scorching afternoons and extremely cold nights. To keep the tannins down, grapes are allowed to ferment completely in whole clusters before very gentle . Wences says this stops the hard green flavours of the pips and stems affecting the juice. Wences is Wences Gil’s flagship wine and 1999 is only his second vintage. The fruit from 100 year-old vines, hand-pressed in his original ramshackle underground location in the backstreets of the village. Barrel-fermented and aged in French oak. Almost black in colour, it has a super complex nose. Thick, saturated dark fruit and spice. Excellent mouthfeel. Plenty of oak and a big juicy finish. Very modern - a kind of Super-Toro, perhaps?

Wences 1999 26.99

16 RIBERA DEL DUERO

This region, lying in the Duero valley in the old kingdom of Castile-Leon 150km due north of Madrid, was made famous by and Pesquera and is often held to be the source of the finest wines in Spain.

ALVIDES Alvides is a family Bodega. Concha’s father founded the Co-op in Aranda del Duero in 1962. They have 15 ha of vines, some between 60-80 years old, others between 15-30.

Enter 33 year-old Emmanuel Ivar who studied winemaking in the Loire and moved to Ribera del Duero. Known locally as Manuel, he has been making wine for 10 large estates in the area. Concha has given him free reign at Alvides to do his own thing. Picked in 20kg baskets, some destemming, 2 or 3 days cold maceration, 30-40 days on the skins. Every level of wine from Joven through Crianza up to the Reserva are treated to some time in oak. Crianza and above are fermented in barrique and there is much stirring of the lees. The results are excellent – we find a high dark fruit content in the nose (with a touch of vanilla – from the oak) and a fabulous suppleness in the mouth. Truly a modern expression of Ribera del Duero.

Tinto Joven 2002 9.50

CARMELO RODERO Carmelo’s grandfather started the Co-op in Pedrosa of which his father was also President for a while. It’s a story that we’ve heard more than once in the valley, but having sold grapes to Vega Sicilia for years, Carmelo took a huge risk with the family jewels… If the grapes were good enough for Vega Sicilia, why not make his own wines? So, in 1991, he and his familiy mortgaged everything to set up their own winery. The gamble is paying off. Carmelo Rodero is now the darling of the press.

“Next time, bring all the girls from The Winery and after a nice meal we’ll all go to the Discoteca,” says Carmelo as we part. It would be missing the point to see him as a strutting cockerel…twirly moustachioed, chest forward, slightly out of step with our northern metropolitan sensibilities maybe…but the gutsy, showy, unreconstructed machismo finds it way into his wines. They are uncompromising wines of power, of force and yet with finesse. They age magnificently – starting off in the modern style, approachable with the fruit and oak of youth and then with age they develop some of the more animal, musky, leathery overtones that the area is known for.

Reserva 1998 25.99 Gran Reserva 1995 74.99

VIÑA SANCHA From just outside the Ribera del Duero appellation in the larger Castilla y Leon D.O. We came across this wine in the rustic (and highly recommended) El Pastor restaurant in Aranda del Duero. Viña Sancha is the sous-chef’s family bodega. Emmanuel Ivars, the french winemaker at Alvides will be making it in the future…what a coincidence! The Roble 2002 is very chunky, plenty of peppery tannins, rugged but with a touch of Ribera del Duero-like finesse shining through.

Viña Sancha Roble 2002 9.99

A note about the quality levels These apply to most of the key regions in Spain and are policed vigorously by the Consejo Regulador (regulatory council) in each region who control the Denominacion de Origen (DO) or, in Rioja, the Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOCa).

Red wines: Joven are young wines released in the year after harvest. Occasionally a producer may give a Joven some time in oak - these wines may be called Roble (oak) or (with a little longer still in oak) Semi-Crianza.

Crianza means “raising” or “rearing” and to qualify in Rioja and Ribera del Duero the wine must spend at least 12 months in oak (six months minimum elsewhere) and a further year ageing in tank or bottle.

Reserva are reserve wines that must be aged for three years before release. At least one year in barrel and one in bottle, the remainder in tank.

Gran Reserva is only made in the best years with the best grapes and has to spend a minimum of 2 years in barrel and 3 years in bottle.

White wines: Whites appear mainly in Joven form, occasionally Crianza and, very rarely, Reserva. A Crianza may be released with six months in oak and six in bottle, a Reserva with six in oak and twelve in bottle.

17 World famous Rioja is 100km south of Bilbao and protected by mountains on either side; the Sierra Cantabria to the East and the Sierra de la Demanda to the West. It is divided into three subzones: Riojas Alta, Alavesa and Baja. Most commercial Rioja is a blend from all three. Rioja Baja, with its hotter continental climate was considered a bit rougher than Alta and Alavesa with their maritime influence, relying more on Garnacha (Grenache) than Tempranillo which was more prevalant in the Alta and Alavesa. This is no longer the case. Many growers in Baja replanted to Tempranillo and the best are making wines to equal their more rarified neighbours to the North West. We also mustn’t forget the other authorised grapes which also have a part to play in the classic Rioja blend: Mazuelo (Carignan) for guts and body, and Graciano for colour and elegance. Rioja has always been a political hothouse. It was the first region to establish its own Denominacion de Origen, rigorously policed by the Consejo Regulador in Logroño. The current controversy is that the Basques are claiming the Rioja Alavesa for themselves. Such is the power of the Consejo Regulador that they have stated, yes, secede by all means, but you will no longer be able to call your Alavesa wines Rioja. This leaves the Basques in a bit of a quandary!

RIOJA ALTA

ABEICA - LONGRANDE Coming across Isabel Fernandez’s Longrande in a restaurant in Rioja Alta was a revelation. We had to beg to see her, largely to overcome her fear of export. She is as full of personality as her wines. Bright, energetic, 40 year old Isabel started full time in the family bodega at the age of 25. Both sides of her family had vineyards and she now has 35ha around the village of Abalos in Rioja Alta over the road from the Alavesa. The small bodega, built by her parents, is on three levels to make the best use of gravity. Grapes, (always picked by family members) are sorted in the vineyards, arrive in baskets at the top level and placed directly into the tanks where they ferment in whole clusters. Although they have owned three pneumatic presses in the last 13 years, Isabel says they almost invariably end up treading the fermenting must by foot. A cool malolactic fermentation then takes place in tank and is generally over by December.

Isabel is at pains to keep the whole process as natural as possible. No filtering, sometimes a little natural fining. She even hermetically seals her subterranean barrel room with masking tape. She uses only American oak, which she thinks suits her wines better, giving them a little longer in barrel to compensate for the lighter effect of American rather than French oak. Finally, she determines the bottling date bio-dynamically, according to the cycles of the moon. Her wines are fascinating : perfumed, with a beautiful purity of fruit and surprising body and structure. All her wines benefit from an hour in a . Chulato Joven 2004 5.99 Longrande Crianza 2001 9.99 Longrande Reserva 1997 12.99 Longrande Gran Reserva 1994 21.99

RIOJA ALAVESA The Alavesa, the Basque section at the north-western end of La Rioja, has a special microclimate with the Sierra Cantabria above and the River Ebro below and a maritime influence - lost by the time we reach the Rioja Baja.

PRAXEDES DE SANTIAGO We had been looking for a good Bodega in the Alavesa part of La Rioja and Isabel Fernandez (who makes the Longrande Riojas many of us know and love) recommended we visit Carlos and Maria Santiago in the village of Baños de Ebro. Carlos and Maria have a very small Bodega in Spanish terms with 24ha of vines between 20 and 30 years old. Previously having sold to the local Co-op, Carlos and Maria founded the Bodega in 1996, using the family name of Carlos’ grandfather; Praxedes de Santiago. They have won prizes locally for their punchy, dark Riojas, but although a small amount leaks out into the rest of Spain, they are a very well kept secret. We found their wines chunky and gutsy, but with definite blackberry/blueberry notes in the nose and again at the end. In between there is positive, confident body and well-judged supple tannins.

Joven 2002 6.99 Crianza 2001 Sold.Out

RIOJA BAJA

NAVARRSOTILLO - NOEMUS AND MAGISTER BIBENDI Based just outside Calahorra in the Rioja Baja, Navarrsotillo are doing exciting things. Using their own organic grapes they are making excellent, punchy modern Rioja. In addition to making Crianza and Reserva in classic blends of Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha, they have also made a thick 100% Mazuelo, full and figgy. They will soon be bottling a 100% Graciano, which we eagerly await.

An oddity in Rioja, normally just part of the blend – a rare chance to taste Mazuelo (known as Carignan elsewhere) on its own. All dried fruit and incense with a silky finish.

Magister Bibendi Mazuelo 2002 14.99

18 FRANCE

BURGUNDY Every time we visit Paul Pernot in Puligny-Montrachet, we are struck by the sheer elegance and stunning quality of his wines. Surely one of the top handful of growers in the village - his Pulignys have exquisite delicacy and poise but with the structure to age gracefully. On one of our recent visits he told us he felt his 2001s have excellent ageing potential, with higher acidity than the 1999s and the 2002s. The Bourgogne Chardonnay is from vines planted in 1975 with a small track separating them from Villages vines. He also adds one rocky parcel de-classified from the 1er cru Champ Canet vineyard. The Puligny is an assemblage from several parcels with vines between 40 and 45 years old. The 2001 has a fabulous, ethereal perfume, wonderful depth and poise and a hint of 1-2 year old oak (used firstly by the Batard and the Bienvenues-Batard). The Folatières vines were planted in 1956. He treats them to 30-40% new oak. The wine is concentrated and has a massive finish. His Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet is quite a different balance, less upfront in the nose than the Folatières but seriously enticing. An explosion in the mouth, a complex mix of nuts, a touch of honey and wild white flowers. The Batard needs time. It is all it should be - tightly wound in the nose when young, large-scaled in the mouth. If you can bear to wait 5-15 years your patience will be repaid, but, if you can’t wait, pour into a decanter for an hour before serving.

Just before we headed to Calais on our latest trip, we had a call from Moret-Nominé, the producer of a rather fine Meursault we sampled one night in Restaurant Ma Cuisine in Beaune. Difficult to find, up in the middle of nowhere, in the hills above Savigny, it looked a little like a cult hide-away - think New Age Wild Boar Hunting Lodge. We found out that David Moret used to collaborate with Michel Coutoux, whose Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet we already enjoy. They went their separate ways, to make their own wines in different styles. Moret-Nomine’s wines, all white, are impressive in their style and power. From Rully to Auxey-Duresses, a couple of Meursault’s, a Puligny-Montrachet Folatières, ending with the holy grail – Le Montrachet, the most revered white wine in Burgundy….or rather, the whole world!

COTE CHALONNAISE-WHITE RULLY Moret-Nominé 2004 14.99

COTE DE BEAUNE-WHITE BOURGOGNE BLANC Paul Pernot 2004 11.99 BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE Raisins Dorées, Lafarge 2003 12.99 BOURGOGNE BLANC François Labet 2003 13.99 AUXEY-DURESSES Moret-Nominé 2003 16.99 BEAUNE Clos du Dessus des Marconnets Blanc, François Labet 2002 21.50 SAVIGNY LES BEAUNE 1er cru Les Vergelesses, François Labet 2001 23.50 BEAUNE Monsnières Blanc, François Labet 2003 23.99 SANTENAY 1er cru La Comme, Michel Coutoux 2002 23.99 SAVIGNY LES BEAUNE 1er cru Les Vergelesses, François Labet 2003 25.99 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Paul Pernot 2004 25.99 MEURSAULT Michel Lafarge 2002 26.99 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Paul Pernot 2003 27.99 CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 1er cru Les Vergers, Lamanthe 2003 27.99 MEURSAULT Vendanges Selectionées, Lafarge 2001 30.99 MEURSAULT 1er cru Santenots, Roger Belland 2001 37.99 CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 1er cru Maltroie, Michel Coutoux 2001 38.99 CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 1er cru Morgeot, Michel Coutoux 2001 38.99 MEURSAULT 1er cru Charmes, Moret-Nominé 2003 39.99 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er cru Folatières, Paul Pernot 2004 42.99 MEURSAULT 1er cru Charmes, Michel Coutoux 2002 43.99 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er cru Clos de la Garenne, Paul Pernot 2001 44.99 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er cru Folatières, Paul Pernot 2001 45.99 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er cru Folatières, Moret-Nominé 2003 45.99 MEURSAULT 1er cru Genevrières, Moret-Nominé 2003 45.99 MEURSAULT 1er cru Perrières, Michel Coutoux 2002 48.99 MEURSAULT 1er cru Genevrières, Michel Coutoux 2000 49.99 MEURSAULT 1er cru Genevrières, Michel Coutoux 2001 49.99 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET 1er cru Pucelles, Paul Pernot 2003 53.99 CORTON CHARLEMAGNE Grand cru, Nudant 2003 55.99 CORTON CHARLEMAGNE Grand cru, Ambroise 2001 69.99 BIENVENUES-BATARD-MONTRACHET Grand cru, Paul Pernot 1999 74.99 BIENVENUES-BATARD-MONTRACHET Grand cru, Paul Pernot 2001 74.99 BATARD-MONTRACHET Grand cru, Paul Pernot 2001 89.99 CRIOTS-BATARD-MONTRACHET Grand cru, Roger Belland 2001 89.99 MONTRACHET Grand cru, Michel Coutoux 2002 239.99

19 COTE DE NUITS-WHITE We headed to Marsannay to visit the youngest winemaker we know, Cyril Audoin. Now 25, he’s been making wine since he was twelve. We’ve loved his reds since we first tasted them (a tip from Berlin based German specialist wine writer Stuart Pigott) but the star this time was his Marsannay Blanc 2003. So much so, we had to squeeze some onto our already packed van. Cyril is trying (with plenty of help from his girlfriend Sabine) not to let great reviews in the US Press go to his head.

BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY JMGuillon 2004 11.99 BOURGOGNE PINOT BLANC JMGuillon 2004 13.99 MARSANNAY BLANC Audoin 2004 16.99 NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Perrière, Gouges 2001 50.00 MARSANNAY “Au Champ Saloman”, Audoin 2004 19.99

COTE DE NUITS-ROSE MARSANNAY ROSE Audoin 2004 11.50

COTE DE BEAUNE-RED We were about to head back to the hotel, but decided to drop by a producer we’d heard about in Aloxe-Corton. We almost turned away having knocked on the door for a good twenty minutes with no answer, but we’re glad that our final pounding was noticed. What we found were the wines of Didier Meuneveaux, beautifully crafted wines with a stunning clarity of colour and purity of fruit. Certainly the purest, most beautiful Aloxe-Cortons we have ever tasted. Telling us about the atypical hot 2003 vintage, Didier stressed that in 2004 the wines were made in the vineyard, but in 2003 it was all about how the winemaker handled things in the winery.

BOURGOGNE ROUGE Paul Pernot 2000 9.99 ST AUBIN Rouge 1er cru, Lamanthe 2003 14.99 BEAUNE Clos du Dessus des Marconnets, Paul Pernot 2001 16.99 COTE DE BEAUNE VILLAGES Michel Lafarge 2001 19.99 BEAUNE Clos du Dessus des Marconnets, François Labet 2001 17.99 BLAGNY 1er cru La Pièce Sous le Bois, Paul Pernot 2001 17.99 BEAUNE 1er cru Reversées, Paul Pernot 2001 19.99 ALOXE-CORTON Meuneveaux 2002 21.50 BEAUNE 1er cru Coucherias, François Labet 2001 23.50 ST. AUBIN 1er cru Derrière Chez Edouard, Lamy 1998 23.95 BEAUNE Monsnières Rouge, François Labet 2003 23.99 ALOXE-CORTON 1er cru, Meuneveaux 2001 28.50 VOLNAY Lafarge 2000 28.99 VOLNAY Vendange Selectionées, Lafarge 2000 32.99 VOLNAY 1er cru En l’Ormeau, Parent 1999 32.99 VOLNAY 1er cru Fremiets, Parent 1996 35.99 VOLNAY 1er cru Fremiets, Parent 1997 38.99 VOLNAY 1er cru Fremiets, Parent 1998 36.99 VOLNAY 1er cru Fremiets, Parent 1999 32.99 VOLNAY 1er cru Fremiets, Parent 2000 35.99 POMMARD 1er cru Les Chanlins, Parent 1995 36.99 POMMARD 1er cru Les Rugiens, Parent 1996 39.99 POMMARD 1er cru Les Rugiens, Parent 1997 39.99 POMMARD 1er cru Les Rugiens, Parent 1998 38.99 POMMARD 1er cru Les Rugiens, Parent 1999 35.99 CORTON BRESSANDES Grand cru, Nudant 2000 39.99 CORTON-BRESSANDES Grand cru, Meuneveaux 2003 44.99 VOLNAY 1er cru, Lafarge 2000 45.99 BEAUNE 1er cru Grèves 2003 49.99 CORTON Grand cru Le Rognet, Ambroise 2001 54.99 VOLNAY 1er cru Les Caillerets, Lafarge 2000 58.99 VOLNAY 1er cru Clos du Chateau des Ducs, Lafarge 2003 66.99 VOLNAY 1er cru Clos du Chateau des Ducs, Lafarge 1995 66.99 VOLNAY 1er cru Clos des Chênes, Lafarge 2003 69.99

The quiet village of Volnay has around ninety-five growers and Michel Lafarge plays a central part in its history. He was mayor of the village, as were his father and grandfather. Famous for his reds, the 2003’s are the epitome of Volnay finesse and rich elegance. Lafarge also makes a very elegant, quietly classy style of Meursault from the Volnay end of the appellation. Other highlights in his freezing cellar were the Meursault Selectionées 2001 and the finest Beaune Grèves we’ve tasted – his 2003. There seems to have been a seemless succession from Michel to his son Freddy but nobody really knows who does what. We do have the very first release of what is definitely Freddy’s project - a barrel of powerful Volnay Caillerets. It’s wonderful! The 2003s will be with us in Autumn.

20 COTE DE NUITS-RED Unusually for Burgundy Jean-Michel Guillon has no previous background in wine. He’s a pilot (and still runs four planes at Dijon airport) from Paris, who got the wine bug and bought some vines here 20 years ago. We got slightly nervous when we entered his cellar and saw all the new oak barrels, but then we started tasting – delicious. And the oak? A bit, but beautifully judged. We asked him how he managed that and he told us he uses the same tonnelier (cooper), but different toasters, who sign their barrels. One toaster for village wines, the other for 1er cru and Grand cru! We have long admired Anne-Françoise Gros’ wines from afar. The Gros dynasty is renowned, virtually wine royalty. In a bold moment, sensing some subtle shift in the air around the Cote, we put in an exploratory call. The reception was so warm that we shoe-horned a meeting into the following morning. We knew we were in for a treat from the first sniff of the first wine, the relatively modest Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes-de-Nuits 2002. Haunting pure cherry and strawberry, subtle yet with a serious focused finish. Everything we tasted was brilliant – a lesson in modern Red Burgundy at the highest level. Elegance and lightness of touch, with a darker edge of fruit, complex yet balanced, with structure to age. Proper wine, serious producer, high standards in the vineyard – winemaking guaranteed to make us swoon! BOURGOGNE ROUGE JMGuillon 2002 12.99 MARSANNAY Cuvée Marie Ragonneau, Audoin 2001 13.99 FIXIN Noëllat 2001 16.99 MARSANNAY Les Longeroies, Audoin 2002 16.99 MARSANNAY Les Favières, Audoin 2002 16.99 MOREY-SAINT-DENIS Charrières, Sigaut 2002 19.99 GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN Vieilles Vignes, Heresztyn 1999 23.99 MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1er cru Millandes, Sigaut 2003 23.99 GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN Vieilles Vignes, JMGuillon 2003 26.99 NUITS-ST-GEORGES Gouges 2000 25.99 MOREY-SAINT-DENIS Les Sorbées Noëllat 2001 27.50 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY Noëllat 2000 27.99 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Fuées, Sigaut 2002 28.99 VOSNE-ROMANÉE La Colombière, Vigot 2001 28.99 GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN 1er cru Les Goulots, Heresztyn 1999 29.99 SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE 1er cru Clos des Guettes, AFGros 2001 29.99 BEAUNE 1er cru Les Boucherottes, AFGros 2001 29.99 VOSNE-ROMANÉE Aux Réas, AFGros 2001 29.99 VOSNE-ROMANÉE Maizières, AFGros 2001 29.99 GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN 1er cru Champonnets, JMGuillon 2003 30.99 NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Les Chaignots, Gouges 1998 32.50 NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Rue de Chaux, Chicotot 2001 32.50 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes, Sigaut 2001 32.99 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Feusselottes, Noëllat 2001 33.99 NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Les Boudots, Noëllat 2000 35.99 NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Clos des Porrets, Gouges 1998 36.50 VOSNE-ROMANÉE 1er cru Les Chaumes, Noëllat 2001 36.99 VOSNE-ROMANÉE 1er cru Les Suchots, Noëllat 2001 36.99 NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Les Vaucrains, Chicotot 2001 37.99 NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Les Saint Georges, Chicotot 2001 37.99 MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1er cru Les Millandes, Heresztyn 1998 37.99 MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1er cru Les Millandes, Heresztyn 1999 37.99 VOSNE-ROMANÉE 1er cru Les Suchots, Noëllat 1999 39.99 NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er cru Les St Georges “Hospices”, Ambroise 2001 43.99 VOSNE-ROMANÉE 1er cru Les Suchots, Noëllat 1998 45.99 CLOS SAINT DENIS Grand cru, Heresztyn 1998 47.50 ECHEZEAUX Noëllat 2000 49.99 CLOS SAINT DENIS Grand cru, Heresztyn 1999 53.99 CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru, Noëllat 2001 54.99 CHAPELLE-CHAMBERTIN Grand cru, Noëllat 2000 54.99 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Fuées, Mugnier 2000 55.99 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Fuées, Mugnier 2001 57.99 MAZIS-CHAMBERTIN Grand cru, JMGuillon 2003 59.99 CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru, Ambroise 2001 62.99 CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru Vieilles Vignes, Chateau de la Tour 1997 66.99 CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru Vieilles Vignes, Chateau de la Tour 2000 69.99 CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru Vieilles Vignes, Chateau de la Tour 2001 69.99 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Amoureuses, Mugnier 1999 74.99 BONNES MARES Grand cru, Mugnier 1999 74.99 CLOS VOUGEOT Grand cru Vieilles Vignes, Chateau de la Tour 2002 79.99 BONNES MARES Grand cru, Mugnier 2000 88.99 CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1er cru Les Amoureuses, Mugnier 2000 92.99 MUSIGNY Grand cru, Mugnier 2000 119.99 MUSIGNY Grand cru, Mugnier 2001 129.99 RICHEBOURG Grand cru, AFGros 2001 149.99

21

Clive Coates describes the wines of Chambolle-Musigny as “silk and lace.” Herve Sigaut and his wife sum up the unique atmosphere and attitude of Burgundy and its growers. Quietly spoken and modest, here was a couple making some of the most delicately beautiful wines we tasted on the trip. Think layered aromas of cherry and redcurrants, think sweet red cherry and strawberry on the palate, supple and silky, elegant and pretty, well defined fruit – “silk and lace”.

Later the same day in the same village, we revisited Freddy Mugnier, a genius producer with legendary status. Three times the price of Sigaut’s and yet only half the price of De Voguë.. Scratch your head - Burgundy on the world stage! If you never taste this man’s wines you will have missed out. Pinot Noir reaches the heights here, instantly distinctive, utterly seductive. Another quietly spoken and modest man, Freddy took us into his shiny new cellar, expanded to absorb “Clos de la Marechal” which has just reverted from Faiveley back to the Mugnier family, trebling their holdings overnight! Trebling and troubling – quite a leap in volume and a leap in the dark economically, but the first vintage (2004) tastes very promising. He could bottle it all as Nuits St Georges 1er cru Clos de la Marechal, but he has decided to bottle what he sees as less favoured spots as village Nuits. He insists that good wine is made in the vineyard, and that it is his job as winemaker "not to mess it up" once the grapes are harvested. How to describe the wines? "Strawberry drenched satin", "Velvet wrapped strawberries with a dusting of sugar", and other over-the-top descriptions are not out of place here. "A wine can provide intense sensations without being heavy," he says.

NORTH BURGUNDY

Philippe Defrance makes super wines in the ancient walled town of St Bris, 20kms south-west of Chablis. In mediaeval times, the townspeople protected themselves with an intricate network of tunnels interconnecting their cellars. Like other vignerons in the town, Defrance has a seemingly endless labyrinth of these tunnels for his wines. While St Bris is most famous for its use of (alone in all of Burgundy), look out for his super Chardonnay and fragrant Pinot Noir too. white BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ Defrance 2002 8.99 SAUVIGNON DE SAINT BRIS Defrance 2002 9.99 BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY Côte d’Auxerre, Defrance 2002 9.99 BOURGOGNE CHITRY de Moor 2001 10.99 CHABLIS 1er cru Vaillons, Francois Servin 2002 16.99 CHABLIS Grand cru Les Clos, Domaine Servin 2001 29.99 CHABLIS Grand cru Les Preuses, Domaine Servin 2000 29.99 CHABLIS Grand cru Blanchot, Domaine Servin 2000 29.99 CHABLIS Grand cru Bougros, Domaine Servin 2001 29.99

SOUTH BURGUNDY

MICHEL CHEVEAU Not for lack of trying, but it has been a struggle to find (in our opinion) the perfect Pouilly Fuissé…neither too oaky on one hand, nor too lean and mean on the other. And after years of searching we found it in an unexpected place. We happened to be saying exactly that to Bruno Boisson in Cairanne in the southern Rhone, when he ducked into a corner of the cellar and came back with a bottle of Pouilly Fuissé “Les Trois ” made by his friend Nicolas Cheveau. At last, just what we were looking for!

We never quite get over the almost primal presence of the two jagged rock faces of La Roche de Solutré and La Roche de Vergisson, with the small village of Vergisson nestling between and the even smaller village of Pouilly below – the village that time forgot. We were the most far-flung visitors for Cheveau and the whole family and a stageiste from Macon popped in to watch us tasting! Nicolas is the third generation in the familiy domaine carrying his father Michel’s name. They have 11 hectares. Everything is handmade. The whites are left on their lees for 8-12 months, with stirring every one or two weeks.

The Macon-Solutré comes from red argile Solutré soil. The 2004 has a lovely, wide Chardonnay nose, ripe compact fruit and good acidity. The St Véran 2004 comes from a half hectare plot on Davayé soil, and vinified entirely in tank. There is a sense of yellow flowers in the nose and a lovely richness in the mouth. Probably the finest St Véran we’ve tasted. Then onto the Pouilly-Fuissé. “Les Trois Terroirs” 2003 is an assemblage of three separate parcels all in Pouilly. 70% in large Fudre and 30% in 5/6 y.o oak barrels. Amazing ripeness, a light touch of botrytis, providing a fascinating complex nose – agrûmes (citrus fruits, especially grapefruit), notes of honey and even wild mushrooms. Fabulous volume and density but with a core of good acidity to stop it being too heavy.

MACON-SOLUTRÉ 2004 9.99 ST VÉRAN 2004 10.99 POUILLY-FUISSÉ Les Trois Terroirs 2003 13.99

22

BEAUJOLAIS

JEAN-MARC BURGAUD (Villié-Morgon) We were having a late dinner at l’Auberge du Cep in Fleurie one cold tuesday night one February, priming ourselves for the following day’s tastings in the Beaujolais. Somehow, our quest to taste old Beaujolais seemed to have fired Madame’s imagination (although, at first, it could have been interpreted as ire) and involved the opening of eight of the oldest bottles from the cellar. This caused some excitement (and occasional awe) as departing diners filed past. The last remaining diner was a Dutch guy who staggered over after being on the receiving end of a full day’s tasting rounded off with a rich dinner accompanied by two bottles of fine Beaujolais. He told us, with a tear in his eye, what a beautiful sight it was - two guys with a line-up of eight bottles from his beloved Beaujolais. Naturally we offered him to taste whatever he fancied. After tasting a couple he then proclaimed, “This is all bullshit! I will show you a wine.” He then staggered out to his car and returned clutching a bottle of Morgon Cote du Py 2001 by Jean-Marc Burgaud. Yes, it was superb and shortly we found ourselves joined by the entire staff, including the three chefs complete with the tallest toques. Needless to say, we squeezed in a visit to JM Burgaud the following morning and again every time we pass.

Jean-Marc makes each of his wines very carefully. He talks about terroir with great passion and is very attentive to vintage distinction. His wines are incredibly age-worthy. He showed us wines back to 1963!

BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES Chateau Thulon 2004 8.99 REGNIE 2004 9.50 MORGON “Charmes” 2003 9.99 MORGON “Cote du Py” 2003 10.50 MORGON “Cote du Py” 2002 10.99 MORGON “Cote du Py” 2000 11.99 MORGON “Cote du Py” Reserve en Fut 2003 13.50

PATRICK BRUNET - DOMAINE DE ROBERT (Fleurie) Introduced to us by Jean-Marc Burgaud and shares the same passion for . In our quest to taste old Beaujolais he opened straight Fleurie back to the 70’s (Patrick has only recently started bottling an old vine version) – some of which could definitely have been mistaken for old Burgundy. Many take on more weight and richness. Might be worth tucking some of these away for twenty years! FLEURIE 2004 11.50 FLEURIE Vieilles Vignes 2002 17.99 A wonderful opaque ruby colour, the fruit explodes on the palate before mellowing out to an oaky finish. The wine is delicious and complex.

LAURENT GAUTHIER (Chénas) A youngish man of few words, he fixes you with an unfaltering stare, more curiosity than judgment. He lets his wines do the talking. His fascinating Cuvee Etalon seems to search outside the region for its reference points. Thick, chewy, some red fruit confit. Surprisingly present tannins and yet supple. MOULIN A VENT Cuvée Etalon 2003 10.99

PATRICK BOULAND (Morgon) Possibly the most classic of our Beaujolais growers. Well-made, clean, breezy Beaujolais with plenty of Morgon minerality.

MORGON en fut 2001 12.99 Extremely fresh and light. The oak is used judiciously and does not overwhelm the delicate fruit/acidity balance; it simply adds another dimension.

BORDEAUX white CHATEAU LA GONTRIE, Bordeaux Blanc Sec 2003 7.99 MADLYS DE SAINTE MARIE, Entres-Deaux-Mers 2002 10.99 red ALIOS DE SAINTE MARIE Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 2002 11.50 LAPIEY Haut-Médoc 1996 14.99 LA CHAPELLE DE LAFON-ROCHET St Estèphe 1999 16.99 MARGAUX Margaux 1979 350.00

23 RHONE VALLEY

NORTHERN RHONE We were a bit shocked by how much the average price of Cote Rotie had increased since our previous visit. Possibly Cote Rotie’s reputation has been enhanced by the Guigal effect - his single vineyard designations now fetching well in excess of 100 a bottle on release. We tasted several Cote Roties which were very very good but, in our opinion, overpriced. Then we stumbled across Joel Champet’s wine. Monsieur Champet is less interested in the swings of fashion and keen to preserve some sense of reality. He left school at the age of 14 to work his father’s vines. He now has 3ha of vines between 35 and 50 years old. He makes just one wine - his Cote Rotie "la Vallière", no de-stemming, no addition of to hype up the perfume, this is “hardcore” Cote Rotie - traditional and uncompromising. Savoury and delicious, you could almost eat it with a knife and fork! When we last visited, the busy harvest being over and with the wine now fermenting away, Champet’s cellar became the drop in centre for the good and great of the town, including the doctor, the headmaster and a local tax inspector. Quite a crowd gathered in order to exchange local gossip and rugby results. With Champet’s wine flowing freely (straight from the barrel) the sound of laughter and heated debate soared and bounced off the walls of the ancient cellar and, as the evening progressed, sausages, bread and cheese were magically produced from various coat pockets and briefcases to soak it all up. white CROZES-HERMITAGE Cuvée Particulière, Remizière 2002 11.50 CROZES-HERMITAGE Cuvée Christophe, Remizière 2002 14.99 red CROZES-HERMITAGE Cuvée Particulière, Remizière 2002 11.99 CROZES-HERMITAGE Cuvée Christophe, Remizière 2002 16.50 COTE-ROTIE Champet 2001 22.99 HERMITAGE Cuvée Emilie, Remizière 2002 33.99

SOUTHERN RHONE

CORIANÇON Vinsobres is one of the named Cotes du Rhone Villages not many have heard of. Following the success of Régis Boisson’s Cairanne and Redortier with their Beaumes de Venise we thought we’d have a look around some of the other villages… Vinsobres was known as Vinsobrium in the 1100’s and by the mid-1600’s the Cardinal of nearby Vaison-la-Romaine waswriting ecstatically about the wine. Winding forward a few centuries, François Vallot is a fourth generation vigneron and took over in 1976. With 30 hectares, of which 6 are white varietals, François has plenty to play with…In red, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre go through long 60- day macerations before being placed in tank or barrique for the basic or selected cuvées respectively. In white he has , Clairette, , and Viognier. The basic cuvée then goes into tank, the other is fermented in used barrels he buys from the famous Sauternes Chateau Yquem. We found the wines really exciting – proper, classic Cotes du Rhone Villages with plenty of character and stuffing. If you can bear to lay some down, they will age beautifully! white CÉPAGE CHARDONNAY Domaine de la Rosière 2003 6.99 CÉPAGE VIOGNIER Domaine de la Rosière 2003 8.99 red LA MADONNE Gressac 2001 VINSOBRES “Le Haut des Cotes”, Coriançon 1999 16.99 GRAND CUVEE Gressac 2001 17.50 LE MARIAGE Gressac 2001 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE Raymond Usseglio 2002 19.99 VINSOBRES “L’Exception”, Coriançon 2000 22.99 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE “Cuvée Imperiale”, Raymond Usseglio 2001 32.99

GRESSAC On the hill there is a statue of the Madonna. A century ago, so the legend goes, the childless wife of the owner said in a rash moment, “if I ever have a child I will build a statue of the Madonna up on the hill and go up there on my knees!”… She then had nine children in swift succession. No-one can confirm the condition of her knees, but the statue is definitely there. Fittingly, La Madonne is the name of one of Gressac’s top Cuvées. 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache from a single parcel below the statue and treated to oak. It tastes fantastic. Le Mariage is a cuvée celebrating the marriage of owners Bob and Lydia Forbes (yes, one of the Forbes’ children) and is a marriage of Grenache and Mourvedre, vinified together, creating a super-stylish and distinctive red. Jean-Michel Rieux does pretty much everything at Gressac, making the wine and overseeing viticulture. Before the Forbes’ bought the estate in 2000, the estate had unfortunately fallen into decline with the illness of the previous owner. On the upside, the domaine has been biologique for 30years. There is an enormous commitment to quality, vineyards are healthy and pristine, yields are low (in the 30-35hl/ha range) – the wines are excellent, showing what can be done in the Gard.

24 THE LANGUEDOC

LES FILLES DE SEPTEMBRE Françoise and Roland Géraud have four daughters of September – les Filles de Septembre. The domaine is in Abeilhan, a village 50kms west of Montpelier in the up-and-coming Côtes de Thongue section of the Languedoc. It’s been in the family for four generations, selling grapes to the local négoce until 1995 when they decided to fix up the cellar and start bottling themselves. We were impressed with every wine they make. We start with a concentrated Sauvignon Blanc, oozing all the grassy, bright flavour you’d hope for, but without any trace of harshness or sharp acidity you can find. Then there’s a fabulous, rich Viognier and Clos Marine, barrel-fermented 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Viognier in new oak with bâtonnage (stirring of the lees). And on, into the ripe characterful reds. The Côtes de Thongue Rouge is 70% Carignan with the rest Grenache and Syrah. The Cuvée Dannaé is 70/30 Cab Sauv/Merlot. The Cuvée Delphine is Syrah and Carignan with and a year in barrique. You can find the Vendange d’Automne in the section – it’s a blend of late harvested Sauvignon and Viognier with a tiny splash of Chardonnay. The non-standard cuvées are named after the daughters – you may have only noticed three. The youngest has been complaining and, sure enough, her cuvée is now in barrel! white SAUVIGNON 2004 6.99 VIOGNIER 2004 8.99 CLOS MARINE 2003 9.50 red TRADITION 2004 5.99 CUVEE DANAE 2003 7.99 CUVEE DELPHINE 2003 9.99

ROUSSILLON We have worked with Mas Cremat for so long - it was a real pleasure to see Catherine Jeannin-Mongeard on our visit to her "Mas" (Catalan for farm) overlooking the Mediterranean just north of Perpignan. We were also delighted to bump into Olivier Varichon who many of you will remember from his stint at The Winery. Olivier and his girlfriend Emmanuelle Vinci (who worked at the Nicolas on the corner) bought some vines near Mas Cremat and often help out on the estate while they get their own domaine up and running. Catherine moved down in 1991 with her husband (who unfortunately died shortly afterwards) from Burgundy - she is part of the Mongeard-Mugneret clan based in Vosne-Romanée.

For several years Catherine has given us big Winery favourites, the excellent value “Les Tamarius” (an equal blend of Grenache and Carignan) and its white partner “Les Balmettes” (white Grenache and the rarely seen white Carignan), raved about by Malcolm Gluck in his Superplonk column in The Guardian. She showed us some excellent new wines - the Cuvée Bastien, a mouthwateringly juicy Cotes du Roussillon named after her first grandson, and Dédicace, her 100% old vine Syrah with a dash of new oak, dedicated to her husband. white LES BALMETTES Mas Cremat 2004 5.99 SEC Mas Cremat 2002 7.99 ESQUISSE Vaquer 2004 10.99 GRENACHE BLANC Vieilles Vignes Mas Cremat 2002 12.99 L’EXCEPTION BLANC Vaquer 2001 18.99 L’EXCEPTION BLANC Vaquer 2002 18.99 red TAMARIUS Mas Cremat 2004 5.99 COTES DU ROUSSILLON Mas Cremat 2003 8.99 COTES DU ROUSSILLON “Cuvée Bastien” Mas Cremat 2002 9.99 CUVEE BERNARD VAQUER Vaquer 2000 11.99 CUVEE FERNAND VAQUER Vaquer 1991 13.99 L’EXPRESSION Vaquer 2002 15.50 L’EXPRESSION Vaquer 2000 16.50 L’EXCEPTION Vaquer 2001 18.50 “An extraordinary wine from an extraordinary Roussillon old-timer. Exceptionally rich, intriguing perfume and yet not at all heavy or sweet on the palate. L’exception indeed.” Jancis Robinson, Financial Times DEDICACE Mas Cremat 2000 18.99 ROUGE Vaquer 1986 22.99

25 VAQUER Mad. But very good! In the café-less, bar-less village of Trésseres, barely 10kms from the Spanish border, with a view of the snow-capped Pyrenées in one direction, the sea in another, lives the Vaquer family. Fernand must be in his eighties. We tasted the wines and asked if we could take a photo of him. He disappears for an hour, finally emerging after a “quick” shower and change of clothes! Time moves at a slightly different pace here. His son Bernard died tragically a few years ago. His daughter-in-law Frédérique makes the wine now. There are three distinct strands to the wines here. Firstly the old stuff. Back in the early 80’s, an oenologist friend of Fernand’s told him he should keep his wines much longer before releasing them. He did – so he has a spread of vintages back into the 80’s. In our opinion some have aged more gracefully than others, but startling when you taste the 86 Rouge – fully mature but alive and well, a fascinating expression of Carignan (85%) and Grenache (15%). The second strand is the recent vintages made by Frédérique. L’Exception is a blend of Carignan, Syrah and Grenache, with big, wild fruit. L’Expression is 100% Carignan with a touch of oak. Sleek, with a surge of inky juice and a fascinating lift of freshness. The third strand is dessert wine and Vin Doux Naturels. Well-known and highly prized in France, but little-known and undervalued outside. Many are made with Grenache and, along with other local wines like Banyuls and Maury, are the perfect partner to desserts involving chocolate. From a breezy, but weighty, Muscat Rivesaltes to Préface, an Ambré style (purposely oxidised, like ) all nutty and crème-brulée. Then there’s the tawny-style Post-Scriptum and L’Extrait a juicy, thick, late harvest Grenache Noir whose fermentation was stopped with spirit (Muté sur Grain). Finally a fabulous Vieux Rivesaltes, made from vintages up to 22 years old using Grenache Blanc and Rouge and Maccabeu. You can find these listed in the dessert wine section.

PROVENCE

SAINT ANDRÉ DE FIGUIÈRE Provence is well-known for its rosé, but we were taken aback by Alain Combard’s wines…rosé at another level! Alain was right-hand man for Michel Laroche in Chablis before moving to Provence 13 years ago. His son and three daughters (who each have a Cuvée named after them) all work with him on his organic domaine. He says it’s relatively easy to be organic in Provence because, if it rains, the hot wind dries the vineyard before there’s any chance of rot. There’s a fabulous sense of progression through the wines in his range. He has a range of grapes in each colour at his disposal, and you get a sense of constant experimentation and tweaking to achieve an impressive set of variations. Beautifully-judged, stylish and often surprising wines. BLANC VIEILLES VIGNES 2003 13.99

ROUGE VIEILLES VIGNES 2002 13.99 ROUGE RESERVE 2001 19.99

LA COMMANDERIE DE PEYRASSOL Tracing it’s history back 800 years and inextricably linked with the Knights Templar is one thing. What Francois Rigord achieves with 45 year old vines is another, and exactly the sort of wine we were hoping to stumble across! Beautifully- judged, airy wines, evocative of Provencal herbs transported on the wind. Not too heavy, not too light – with effortless age- ability. We have tasted 5 vintages now – all ethereal, understated and moresome! MARIE ESTELLE BLANC 2003 12.99 MARIE ESTELLE ROUGE 2003 12.99

ALSACE

MARC TEMPÉ Marc Tempé’s wines are all about texture- his yields are so low, around 15-17 hl/ha, that they have a viscous quality, a disinclination to pour! Based in the village of Zellenberg, Marc could be the cartoon version of the French Vigneron – five- day stubble, ruggedly handsome, a hint of Serge Gainsbourg about him, with a young wife who runs a lovely wine shop opposite the cathedral in Colmar. Bio-dynamic for years, he has parcels in a handful of Grand cru vineyards, many of them old vines, on differing soils.His wines are about texture…texture and essence. Essence of Gewurztraminer. Essence of Rimelsberg. Essence of Mambourg. Alsace at another level. RIESLING Grand cru “Mambourg” 1999 28.50 TOKAY PINOT GRIS VENDANGE TARDIVE Grand cru “Schoenenbourg” 1999 33.99

MITTNACHT-KLACK Wines of exceptional concentration from this small family domaine who have holdings in some of the best vineyards around the picturesque town of Riquewihr, including the precariously steep “Schoenenbourg” Grand Cru vineyard which runs right down to the town’s mediaeval walls and “Rosacker” the legendary vineyard above the neighbouring village of Hunawihr. TOKAY PINOT GRIS Grand Cru “Schoenenbourg” 1999 15.99 TOKAY PINOT GRIS Vendage Tardive 1997 29.99

26

CHAMPAGNE

We knew what we were looking for when we set off for the Champagne region, but we had no idea the first trip would be so successful! The famous Grandes Marques buy most of their grapes or base wines from the scores of small growers who own the vines. We wanted to find a top quality, small grower in each of the three classic areas surrounding Épernay, south of Reims, each with a clear expression of their terroir; Côte des Blancs, and the Vallée de la Marne. We were deeply impressed by the quality and regional definition of the wines we found.

Lately we re-visited shortly after a violent hail storm hadripped through the Cote des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims. Some growers were estimating losses between 60 and 90%. Although some were suggesting there may be a hiccup in supply 2-3 years down the line, when you look at the reserves they keep in their extensive cellars, we suspect the blip may even itself out…

COTE DES BLANCS Clearly visible from the motorway south of Reims the Côte des Blancs runs south from Épernay and boasts the highest concentration of Grand Cru vineyards in the region. This is the home of Blanc de Blancs; 100% Chardonnay, fresh, extremely elegant and fine.

SAINT CHAMANT Monsieur Coquillette of Saint Chamant has his labyrinthine cellars under Épernay and his 11 hectares of vines in Chouilly, the first Grand cru village south of Épernay on the Côte des Blancs. His Carte d’Or Blanc de Blancs NV, a gold medal winner in Paris, has a fresh, lemony nose with hints of aniseed and caraway and a lively body. The Brut Millésimé Blanc de Blancs 96 is fresh and elegant, richer in the nose and fuller on the finish.. Carte d’Or Blanc de Blancs NV 20.99 Brut Millésimé Blanc de Blancs 1993 27.99 Brut Millésimé Blanc de Blancs 1996 26.99

PIERRE MONCUIT Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is the spiritual heart of the Côte des Blancs where Pierre Moncuit makes fabulously expressive Blanc de Blancs. When we visited him recently, Monsieur Moncuit reckoned he had lost 60-70% of his fruit in the hailstorm which may affect his supply in two or three years. We can cross our thumbs in the meantime and enjoy his current releases. His Cuvée Hugues de Coulmet has a Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Hugues de Coulmet NV 19.99 “Controlled tight nose, a lovely tightly-packed ball of mouth-filling fruit with an exhilarating, long finish.” Blanc de Blancs HALVES NV 11.99 Blanc de Blancs Grand cru Cuvée Delos NV 22.50 This is his Cuvée de Reserve from 1999 fruit. “Brisk, compact, flirtatious wine from a much-admired grower in the Côte des Blancs village of Le Mesnil. Nicole Moncuit sighs that the British do not appreciate this more lively style of champagne but I think her fears may be outdated. Great as an aperitif or with shellfish.” Jancis Robinson, Financial Times “Superb wine from 90 y.o. vines. Lovely rich deep, fantastic balance. Very Chardonnay! Creamy with lovely acidity to balance. Harmonious. Long.” Blanc de Blancs Grand cru Cuvée Nicole Moncuit Vielles Vignes 1999 28.99 Blanc de Blancs 1995 31.99 Blanc de Blancs 1996 33.99

GERARD DUBOIS In the village of Avize, halfway between Chouilly and Mesnil, Monsieur Dubois (and his very friendly dog) took us through his range. The stand-out winners were his vintage Grand cru Blanc de Blancs from vines in Avize and Cramant. Grand cru Blanc de Blancs 1994 25.99 Similar taste profile to the 91. Gerard says there was some botrytis in 94. “Honey and hazelnut with a touch of freshness to lift it – lemon tart.” Grand cru Blanc de Blancs 1993 26.99 Different to the 91 and 94. Franzipan in the nose, more action in the middle and a long life ahead of it. Grand cru Blanc de Blancs 1991 27.99 “Superb nose, suggestive of cinnamon, star anise and caraway. Biscuity with age, almost like brioche and honey. Fat and mouthfilling. Magnificent!”

27

MONTAGNE DE REIMS

FORGET-CHEMIN In the village of Ludes, between Reims and Épernay, Monsieur Forget makes his in the classic Montagne de Reims style. He has 12 ha of vines in ten villages, four of which are in the Montagne on chalk. He sells 1.5ha of his output to Veuve Clicquot. Carte Blanche Cuvée Marie Forget is made in equal parts of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and and is a blend of three vintages. Classic champagne nose. Good, classy in the mouth. Clean, balanced. Good mouthfeel. Lively, but full- flavoured. Many of you have tasted his wonderful Rosé, which he makes using 10-15% of old vine Pinot Noir still wine. Unfortunately he never makes enough – it’s entirely determined by the output of one small parcel of old vines near Ludes and the yield goes up and down with each vintage- so catch it when you see it! Carte Blanche Cuvée Marie Forget HALVES NV 11.99 Rosé HALVES NV 12.99 Carte Blanche Cuvée Marie Forget NV 19.99 Rosé NV 23.99

VALLÉE DE LA MARNE

TARLANT Tarlant is another family-owned domaine at Oeuilly in the Marne Valley about 15kms west of Épernay. Since 1687 the family has built up a holding of 13ha in three villages (Oeuilly, Celles les Conde and Boursault) on steep sections of the valley. The family is passionate about their wines and the four surviving generations still meet for the assemblage (blending) at the end of April each year. It was Benoît, the son, who stressed the concept of “the wines of Champagne rather than brands”. ...And what a wine-making palette they have at their disposal! 45 parcels of vines at different elevations, 4 different soil types and all three of the classic grape varieties (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier). Apparently, Chardonnay on sable (sand) is a heavenly combination. Then there is the use of oak, still fairly rare in the Champagne region. They use 12% new oak and every cuvée spends some time in oak. Some cuvées are fermented in barrel with bâtonnage (stirring of the lees to add further complexity) while others age in oak after fermention in tanks. With the exception of the luxury Cuvée Louis, where the oak is clearly noticeable, the oak is used discreetly, generally adding another layer of texture and flavour.

Brut Zero NV 23.99 Brut Zero is a remarkable wine. No dosage (without the usual sugar in the liqueur d’expedition added after dégorgement) means it is absolutely bone dry. If you ever wondered what Champagne really tastes like, this is it! Focused, complex and clear. Best with food. Great with fish (lemon sole, sea bass) or goat’s cheese.

Brut Prestige 1996 30.99 The Brut Prestige 96 is 65% Chardonnay and 35% Pinot Noir and has a lovely nose. Creamy, rich and mouthfilling 30-40% barrel-fermented. Rich and balanced, excellent control.

Cuvée Louis (with wooden box) NV 42.99 Cuvée Louis is their award-winning luxury cuvée named after Benoît’s Great Grandfather who replanted their vineyards after WW2 in 1946 and 1947. Super-rich nose, spicy with a shot of toasty vanilla oak. Bags of flavour, almost like sparkling Meursault. Super-long and complex.

THE AUBE

AMYOT Many of you already know our House Champagne. Amyot is a small, family producer based in the Aube, closer to Dijon than Reims. Jancis Robinson gave the NV Carte Or a great review in the FT. It’s big, bold and incredible value! CHAMPAGNE AMYOT Carte Or N.V. 14.99 CHAMPAGNE AMYOT Carte Or HALVES N.V. 9.99 CHAMPAGNE AMYOT Rosé N.V. 21.99

SPARKLING RIESLING SEKT BLACK LABEL ZUM KRUG Josef Laufer (Germany) N.V. 9.99 PROSECCO Bosco del Merlo (Annone Veneto, Italy) 2003 9.99 MONTLOUIS L’Ouche Gaillard (Loire) N.V. 10.99 RIESLING SEKT WHITE LABEL ZUM KRUG Josef Laufer (Germany) N.V. 13.99 RIESLING SEKT EXTRA BRUT “DECENIO” Dr Crusius (Germany) 2002 16.99 RED SEKT SPÄTBURGUNDER BRUT Adeneuer (Germany) 2001 17.99

28 THE LOIRE

We weren't expecting it, but our trip to the Loire was a revelation. We found growers, many quite young, less shackled by tradition, more willing to experiment and unusually for France, we found growers who had no previous background in wine. Loads of bio-dynamic influence. Those that weren't “Bio” or “Demeter” were often “Lûtte Raisonée” or “Lûtte Integrée”, a half-way system in which vines are only treated after rigorous observation: …I treat only if needed, not because I’ll be safer if I treat regularly as a matter of course (which is still the norm).

CENTRAL VINEYARDS

The Loire and Sauvignon Blanc go hand in hand, so we started near over in the Eastern section, which one can forget is less than an hour from Chablis. Naturally, we dropped in on Sonia and Jean-Marc Raimbault-Pineau, whose wines many of you already know. We also wanted to check out some other villages famous for Sauvignon Blanc. We found fruit- driven, but not blousy styles from Valéry Renaudat in Reuilly. Not the only example in the wine world, the apparently mild- mannered son had a massive blow-out with his father and has gone his own way, bought a few of his own vines and built a cellar. Zingy, zesty Reuilly, evocative of fresh running water, lime blossom and camomile flowers. Fabulous Quincy from sandy soil with a super-present nose and a fascinating sparkling Sauvignon Blanc from the 2002 vintage and Reuilly soil, the Mousseaux du Berry. sparkling MOUSSEUX DE BERRY Renaudat NV 9.99 white REUILLY Renaudat 2004 9.99 QUINCY Renaudat 2004 10.99 SANCERRE Domaine Raimbault-Pineau 2004 10.99 SANCERRE Domaine Raimbault-Pineau HALVES 2004 6.99 POUILLY FUMÉ Domaine Raimbault-Pineau 2004 12.99 POUILLY FUMÉ Domaine Raimbault-Pineau HALVES 2004 7.99 rosé SANCERRE Domaine Raimbault-Pineau HALVES 2001 6.99 red SANCERRE Domaine Raimbault-Pineau 2004 12.99 SANCERRE Domaine Raimbault-Pineau HALVES 2004 6.99

TOURAINE The home of .

Pascal and Béatrice Lambert There are several Lamberts in the Chinon area, but we were looking for Pascal and Béatrice. We caught them in the middle of a strange bio-dynamic preparation, adding rainwater to copper and lime, stirring 20 times clockwise, then 20 anti-clockwise! They make unusually fleshy, organic red Chinon in a number of cuvées from different parcels with differing soils. And a big white with some toasty oak influence. Pascal's father was a vigneron, but there were seven children and the family domaine ended up in one of his brother's hands so he started up on his own in 1987. He now has 13ha around Cravant-les-Coteaux of which 1ha is , behind their house. They pick very late, haven't chaptalised for years. He's quite intense and determined - something confirmed in the eyes of his (one suspects) long-suffering wife.

CHINON BLANC “Les Chesnaies” 2003 13.99 From the 1ha slope of Chenin Blanc behind the house. Chalky soil keeps the acidity levels higher, even in the super-hot 2003 vintage. Plenty of resting on its lees to help the mouthfeel. Stylish. Gently oaky. CHINON BLANC Cuvée Antoine 2003 14.99 As above, but selection of later harvested grapes, plenty of bâtonnage. Malos? Whatever the wine wants to do, he says, “let the wine live.” Impressive weight and power. Needs time for the oak to harmonise.

Fabian and Cyril Boisard St Nicolas de Bourgueil Then there are the young Boisard brothers (Fabian and Cyril) in St Nicolas de Bourgueil - who, even though their vines, cellars and office are all shipshape, are still living in a mobile home in the yard...talk about commitment! Hardcore eco- warriors, they are trying to create totally balanced microclimates in their vineyards, planting shrubs and trees with balanced colour profiles “blue, green, red, yellow” to attract natural predators so they can control pests without chemicals - even the ubiquitous, organic-approved Copper Sulphate. They have four bottlings, three from different soil types. The series of underground galleries that form their cellars were used as a secret bakery in WW2. How could the Germans not have smelt the baking bread? Will they ever move into the house again? ST NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL “Dionisos” 2000 12.99 Their reserve wine from their best barrels. Beautiful pure nose. Some rich red fruit confit. Lovely balance.

29 Catherine and Pierre Breton - Bourgueil Then from Bourgueil, husband and wife team Catherine and Pierre Breton each make their own cuvées, but don't like each others' wines! We think they are brilliant. People with memories of 1991 may remember Catherine and Pierre's wines from Oddbins and Waitrose. Then they had a major change of direction. They went biologique. Quality skyrocketed, as did their costs and their prices, and the UK market stalled. They make some of the purest, most refined Cabernet Francs from a variety of sites across 16.5ha of very acidic Verjul soil (clay/silex). They pick very late and all except “Les Galichets” wines go into barrique for fermentation and a very long élévage with plenty of lees contact. “La Dilettante” 2003 15.99 Don't be alarmed - slightly petillante, made by Catherine from her brother's vines. If you'd prefer it still, she advises putting it in a decanter for an hour. CHINON “Les Picasses” 2001 23.99 From a couple of parcels they bought in Beaumont-en-Véron. 35 yo vines. More mineral nose than the Bourgueils. Big shot of explosive fruit and tannin and minerality in the mouth. Different balance to their Bourgueils.

ANJOU The home of Chenin Blanc.

Olivier de Cenival - Domaine des Chesnaies (St Lambert de Lattay- Layon) Sold his IT business in Paris to chase his dream to make wine. 40-ish, clearly able to harness his experience of business plans and systems, his dreams are reality. Supplementing the family income with holiday villas next to their house, it's a 20 minute drive to their winery which boasts the most organised storage system we have ever seen. While we can revel in the vision of one man, every tank computer controlled by his own tailored system, whizzing around on his pallet truck, keeping his stock in meticulous order, more importantly - the wines are clear and bold. METHODE TRADITIONELLE 2000 12.99 80% Chardonnay, 15% Chenin Blanc, 5% Grolleau – Grolleau gives it a bit of extra backbone. CHENIN BLANC 2004 7.99 SAUVIGNON BLANC 2004 8.99 CHARDONNAY 2004 8.99 GROLLEAU 2004 7.99 These four were all raised in tank to keep the bright , clean fruit. ANJOU BLANC “La Potardière” 2002 11.50 18 months elevage, 12 months in 2-6 yo barriques. Only the yellow grapes – absolutely no botrytised grapes. The alcohol of this wine has crept up over the last few years – he says the only explanation is the work he’s been doing in the vineyard. COTEAUX DU LAYON “Clos des Bonnes Blanches” 2003 18.99 15 hl/ha yield. Sun-drenched, stratified schiste and white clay. 100% botrytis. 12 months in new oak. Big, viscous. CHAUME 500ml 2003 21.99 Not 400metres from the Clos des Bonnes Blanches. Hard schiste. Again 100% botrytis – tiny 12hl/ha yield. Fabulous.

Jo Pithon - (St Lambert de Lattay- Layon) Legend on the Coteaux du Layon! Our very own Guillaume, who studied at the local Lycée Viticole, always remembered Jo Pithon's legendary dessert wines from his college days. So we had to pay our respects. Larger than life, jovial Jo has broadened his range slightly, now making some serious dry Chenin Blanc under the Anjou appellation. We were fascinated. Then we moved on to the sweet wines. The Layon is a tightly winding river (not much more than a stream, really) with folds that trap fog and moisture, creating amazing microclimates built for botrytis. His sweet wines are jaw-droppingly impressive. Without a doubt the finest Coteaux du Layon we have tasted. It was difficult to conceal our excitement as bottle after bottle appeared - and after a passionate discussion of German dessert wines (Riesling is his other love) he ushered us into another cellar and proceeded to give us a teaspoon of liquid so thick and viscous it barely poured, more like, slid. This was a wine he made for his own amusement, “to see how far I could take it”. He calls it Cuvée XXL (X-rated). In 1997 it took 10 people 10 days to pick and press 100 litres (less than half a barrel). It took 5 years to ferment to 1 degree of alcohol! It doesn't technically qualify as wine, and yet it clearly was. We were reminded of Essencia, the Hungarian dessert wine that was thought to bring back the dead. Jo Pithon - master of this slightly unfashionable but amazing art. COTEAUX DU LAYON ST LAMBERT “Les Bonnes Blanches” 500ml 2002 32.99 100% botrytised grapes. 2 years in new oak. Golden colour, amazing intensity in the nose. Marmalade. Jo says Chenin needs lots of oxygen. QUARTS DE CHAUME 375ml 2002 42.99 Old vines, yielded less than 10hl/ha. Thicker, more viscous. Super intense. Like the Bonnes Blanches but just more! COTEAUX DU LAYON ST LAMBERT “Les Bonnes Blanches” 500ml 2001 32.99 Very heavy botrytis in the nose, almost champignon-like, savoury definitely. Then fabulous balance and intensity in the mouth. Turkish Delight. Magnificent.

PAYS NANTAIS A in The Winery?! Amazingly, yes. Michel Bedouet makes a super Muscadet sur Lie with lovely jingly acidity but a shot of fruit to flesh it out. We also stumbled across our new House White “Le Convivial” a Folle Blanche/ blend. It's lean, clean and refreshing. Bring on the shellfish! LE CONVIVIAL, Bedouet NV 4.99 MUSCADET SUR LIE “ Le Domaine”, Bedouet 2001 7.99 MUSCADET SUR LIE “Le Fûté”, Bedouet 2000 8.99

30 ITALY

PIEDMONT

Despite the value of Barolo, until quite recently was really quite poor. Relying heavily on the land and very much at the mercy of the harsh mountain winters, life was pretty hard. A recurring (and slightly irreverent) theme around the valley was that the men were always groomed to run the small family farms, usually leaving school prematurely. What to do with the girls? – Oh, send them to school and college, maybe they can get a job in the towns and cities…As a result, many of the women speak more languages than the usual Piemontese dialect and Italian. It was Daniela Veglio who smilingly told us “that’s why our men are so stupid!” – one way of looking at it maybe, but they can certainly make great wine!

Although it seems to us as if Barolo has always been a classic fine wine, in the 1800s and first half of the1900s was considered finer and was always planted in the prime spots. , the grape which finds its purest expression in Barolo and , was just too difficult, too tough. It needed such a long time in bottle (routinely 20-30 years) to tame its aggressive tannins and awkward acidity.

Barolo’s stature was increasing in the mid 1960’s and there was a revolution in the mid 70’s led by Elio Altare and friends who modernised their winemaking, seeking to control the tannin levels and boost aromas. There is still a rift between traditionalists and modernistas (usually referred to as “barrique” wines in the area), the traditionalists saying the modern wines are just too oaky and won’t age and the modernistas saying the traditional wines are undrinkable young and why wait 30 years to find if the wine is any good? What we found on our trip was a rich and satisfying third way opening up – where some growers have eased back on the new oak, aiming for a wine with the weight, body and power of some of the better traditionalists, but with the perfume, nuance and sheer approachability of the modernists.

Like Burgundy, there is a clear definition of styles from township to township; Monforte – powerful, tough. La Morra – elegant, perfumed. Serralunga – sleek minerality and poise. Barolo – power and perfume. Also a “cru” system has taken increasing hold over the past few years with “cru” vineyards such as “Cannubi”, “Arborina” and “Rocche” specified on the label. These are considered a higher level than straight village Barolo – and equivalent to 1er cru status. Mauro Sebaste says the “cru” is now more important than the old fashioned Riserva system.

Many are experimenting with super-cuvées of Barbera and Langhe Rosso blends in various combinations of Barbera, Nebbiolo, Freisa, Brachetto and international varieties like Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir. Still, the unique noble grape of the region is Nebbiolo, now planted in all the prime positions and with a string of very good to excellent vintages (with 2 exceptions) over the last 15 years Barolo is highly valued as one of the great red wines of the world. We love it!

MAURO SEBASTE

We rolled up outside a massive factory with a sign saying Sebaste and a picture of a cockerel. It felt wrong, so we phoned for the tenth time to ask for directions. Yes, we were at the wrong Sebaste. At the other end of the small town of Gallo d’Alba was a smaller building with a smaller sign saying “Mauro Sebaste Enologo”. It did turn out that Mauro Sebaste was part of the same Sebaste confectionary family but that there had been some kind of falling out…Mauro wanted to be a winemaker not a confectionary boss. We will get to the bottom of that story on our next visit!

A fully qualified oenologue, Mauro studied in Alba with stages in Bordeaux at Mouton-Rothschild and in Burgundy at Bouchard. With his wife running the office, most of the time he runs his winery single-handed.

Within a few moments of arriving Mauro told us he wanted to make wines like his mother used to in the 60’s when he was a kid. As he showed us around his winery the paradox emerged…

A filter made by NASA just 3 microns thin. The very latest bottling machine using Nitrogen to ensure the wine never comes into contact with the air. He told us about micro-oxygenating some wines in tank – to create a barrique effect without the flavour of oak…He told us about the way white wine hits the stomach and enters the blood stream draining oxygen from the blood and how he tailors his sulphur levels to minimise that effect. He told us about flavenoid analyses… “I like very much the technology” he tells us. This is not a man bound by tradition!

We were naturally confused, apart from his opening remark about tradition, everything told us to expect techno wines - pristine, precise, squeaky clean. Actually we found confident, open, clear, diverting wines with plenty of vigour and quiver. We’re still a bit confused, but the wines are really very good! white MOSCATO D’ASTI 2004 10.99 ROERO 2004 10.99 red BAROLO PRAPO 2001 33.99 BAROLO BRUNATE 2001 33.99

31

GUIDO DAMILANO

Barolo is more big village than small town. There’s the Castello, there’s a particularly good restaurant, there’s the baker who (we’re reliably informed) makes the finest grissini bread sticks in Italy and who unfortunately has a flour allergy…then there are the wines.

We had finished tasting for the day and had a little time before dinner. We had heard small whispers about a new guy – Guido Damilano who was rising from the ashes of an old family business, recognised the name of the passage and thought, no harm ringing the bell…The building looked all wrong. No name on the door, more of a deserted run-down office block than a home or a winery. We rang the bell and four floors up out popped the head of Guido. Louise grappled with our script in italian – “we’re from The Winery a small Enoteca in London”...Moments later we were in his car for a tour of his vines in the little-known “Liste” and the widely-known “Cannubi” , then off to the winery on the road between Barolo and Alba. A massive aircraft hangar of a place, built in the early 60s, run-down, like something out of an american movie. His tanks and barriques rattle around in one tiny corner of the space. The office, up several flights of stairs, where we do the tasting by the fading sun is also in a time warp. There is something incongruous and yet cool about the whole set-up.

The wines are simply stunning. Full-throttle Barolo. Modern, yet with weight and structure. Wave upon wave of complexity and concentration - excitement like a drop ride. Through it all Guido, pleased that we’re pleased, popping off to find more glasses, more bottles, more barrel samples. Not arrogant, not falsely modest, just right! red BAROLO LISTE 2000 33.99 BAROLO CANNUBI 1999 36.99

MAURO VEGLIO

There are two houses on the Cascina Nuova outcrop overlooking the “Arborina” vineyard. One belongs to the chief revolutionary Barolista Elio Altare, the other to his protégé Mauro Veglio.

With much help and guidance from Elio in the early years, Mauro and his wife Daniela started making wine in 1992 and have built up a formidable reputation with their basket of Barolo “crus”. Apart from the “Castelletto” vines in the Monforte township which came from Daniela’s family, all of their vines lie in the Annunziata section of La Morra. “Gattera” the vineyard marked by a single tree and often expressing wild aromas of rose. “Arborina” which forms their back garden, with elegant earl grey notes and a silky mouthfeel. Finally, jewel in the crown “Rocche” (also known as “Rocche della Annunziata” - the scallop-shaped sun-trap on the approach to Annunziata) which, in Mauro’s hands, produces wines of exquisite richness in the nose, a surge of concentrated fruit in the mouth threatening to capsize you and an intense sappy/supple finish. They only use the natural wild yeasts and use rotary fermenters to keep the tannins soft. As you’d expect with La Morra fruit, and unlike much Barolo, the wines here are all about elegance and finesse. red BAROLO CASTELLETTO 2000 32.99 BAROLO ROCCHE 1999 45.99

GIANFRANCO ALESSANDRIA

From the Monforte d’Alba township. It is generally held that Monforte makes the most powerful Barolo and Alessandria is the brightest star of the township.

Gianfranco Alessandria continues to use the traditional fermentation methods, punching down the cap in open-top fermentation vats. Having said this, the wines are far from traditional. Tiny quantities, low yield. He has been hoovering up awards – Decanter Magazine put both his Barolo 1999 and “San Giovanni” 1999 (his cru Barolo) in their Top 100 wines of the year. His Barbera “Vitorria” 2001, one of the modern-style Barberas, has again picked-up Three Glasses (top marks) in them Bible Gambero Rosso.

He manages to combine raw power with silky finesse. red BAROLO SAN GIOVANNI 1999 39.99 BAROLO SAN GIOVANNI 2000 39.99 L’INSIEME 2000 39.99

32

FONTANASSA

We had researched Gavi extensively before the trip and made appointments and tasted wine. A friend of a friend’s boyfriend’s friend turned out to be a grower in Gavi and he would show us around – “Sandro knows everybody”. He showed us the town – an imposing citadel in which the Germans imprisoned British soldiers in WW2, some fantastic almond biscuits, but surprisingly no vines. He then showed us where the best Gavi di Gavi comes from - a village called Rovereto on the gently undulating plateau above Gavi and its gorge. He showed us a winery in the valley – too harsh. He showed us his wine - very good but he doesn’t sell it commercially, just supplies his parent’s restaurant in Rovereto…shame. Then he took us to see Marco Gemme (possibly one of the most bearded men we have ever met) at Fontanassa. Truly a rural experience with chickens and dogs running underfoot, beaten-up car under a tree. But roll back the big door and there’s the shiniest modern winery. Then off to taste the wines and suddenly we were in another league. Gavi with flavour!

The whole range is impressive - the zesty Gavi normale, the richer, deeper Gavi di Gavi, the stylish I Borbi ( a 60/40 blend of Pinot Bianco and ), the silky Bricco San Carlo - a Monferatto Rosso made with 50% Merlot, 40% Barbera and 10% Cabernet Franc. Finally a Passito called “Testematte” - late harvest Cortese is left to dry on mats from September to March then fermented in barrique. Marco tells us that it takes 10Kgs of fruit to make a half bottle of wine! white GAVI CA’ ADUA 2003 9.99 GAVI DI GAVI (Art Label) 2003 12.50 I BORBI 60% Pinot Bianco/40%Cortese 2002 13.99 PASSITO TESTEMATTE Late Harvest Cortese Barrique fermented HALVES 2002 19.99

VENETO

MAZZI In addition to making classy and monster Amarone, Roberto Mazzi, with the help of his wife and two sons, also runs an Agri-Turismo from their winery premises. The highlight of the eleven course feast is often their Wild Mushroom Risotto with Amarone after which you will need carrying out. The Amarone is not a lightweight… Absolutely massive, powerful but with loads of dense, dark fruit – one of the very finest examples of the genre! red AMARONE Cru Punta di Villa 1999 34.99

FRIULI

ALESSANDRO VICENTINI ORGNANI

There was a massive earthquake in 1976 which reduced the Orgnani home to rubble. The family moved their home into the winery and the winery into the barn. Alessandro studied architecture in Venice before changing direction, returning to the family winery which his mathematician father had set-up in the 1950’s in Valeriano, a tiny village 200m above sea-level in the foothills of the Alps, just as they rise out of the Friuli-Grave plain. Whereas his father sold all his wine to the local co-op, Alessandro has gradually overhauled and modernised, now bottling his entire output himself. He has 20ha of vines all around the house, “Braide Cjase” as they call it in Friuli. “What’s the point of making another Chardonnay?” says Alessandro when we ask him about the gnarled old Chardonnay vines. It is good Chardonnay, we tell him, but you can see his point. “We should concentrate on what we do well” – Friuli is best known for its fabulous whites – Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, unique Sauvignon, but most of all for its Tocai Friuliano. No relation to Hungarian Tokay or Alsatian Tokay Pinot Gris, it has a beautiful honeysuckle nose and, when made at low yields, a creamy rich texture. Beautiful with many foods, it is often drunk in Friuli with San Danieli ham, the local highly-prized variation of Parma, and with creamy locally made cheeses. white TOCAI FRIULANO 2003 7.99 CHARDONNAY Braide Cjase 2001 8.50 red MERLOT 2003 7.99 dessert UCELUT Passito HALVES 2002 27.99 Routinely wins two glasses in Gambero Rosso

33 BOSCO DEL MERLO (LISON-PRAMAGGIORE) Hurray- our Prosecco is back! The Paladin family who started in 1962 have been organic for years, with a spread of vines over the flat plains just outside Annone Veneto, north-east of Venice. The area is thick with Roman history – the old Roman road , the Via Postumia runs right by the estate. sparkling PROSECCO 2002 9.99 white PINOT GRIGIO 2003 10.99 CHARDONNAY 2003 10.99 PRINE Pinot Bianco/Chardonnay/Riesling 2000 13.50 TOCAI JUTI 2001 13.99

TUSCANY

IL PARADISO DI FRASSINA Wagner in the vineyards?... Carlo and Diana have loudspeakers set up in their vineyards and play music to their vines - stirring, lively material such as Wagner during the growing season and a more relaxed selection during harvest. So convinced that their vines respond favourably to music, they now have a professor from Florence University doing a study on the effect of music on vines. They set up Il Paradiso di Frassina on the northern side of Montalcino just five years ago. Their first Brunello (the 2000) has finally just been released and is everything we remember from the barrel sample. We also have another batch of Gea, their Rosso San Antimo from - all breezy and juicy. red GEA 2002 16.99 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2000 35.99

IL MOLINO DI GRACE Frank Grace, originally from San Francisco, runs a successful global logistics business, specialising in international removals. He and his wife adopted London as their home 15 years ago. Two passions - art and wine. Their home is bursting at the seams with art. Their Tuscan holiday home came with vines. Il Molino di Grace is in Panzano, one of the sweet spots of the Classico zone. Day to day running is by Gerhard Hirmer, one of many Germans in the area, The Super-Tuscan Gratius is a superb 100% Sangiovese. red GRATIUS 2001 28.99

VESCINE The Paladin family, who make Bosco del Merlo, our favourite Prosecco, thought it might be good to buy an estate in Tuscany. Silly not to! Here are their first releases of pure classical Chianti. As always with the Paladins, everything is just so. red CHIANTI COLLI SENESI 2004 9.99 CHIANTI CLASSICO 2003 14.99 CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2001 19.99

PUGLIA Is Puglia the new Tuscany? Tuscany is hilly, Puglia is flat. Tuscany is known for its light to medium weight reds, Puglia for high alcohol, heavy, rich reds. Maybe the only parallel is the surge of North Europeans buying run-down cottages and houses…

SCHOLA SARMENTI It was a convoluted route via a restaurant in an unmarked doorway, down a side alley, hidden away from everyone but the locals. Then a tip from Alfonso, the owner, to go to the tiny Enobar to see his friend Adriano, who then tipped us off about a new winery called Schola Sarmenti right down in Puglia's southernmost corner. Like something from the Godfather, we waited in the square for a young man in black, Lorenzo, who instructed us to follow his car on the way to the winery, stopping on remote country roads to admire one vineyard here, another there, tucked behind some houses. We are the first importers of Schola Sarmenti's wines - precise, powerful with a distinctive edge, the focus here is on blending different local grape varieties together including , Nera Leccese and Primitivo, 's Italian cousin. white CANDORA CHARDONNAY 2004 10.99 red ROCAMORA NARDO ROSSO 2001 9.99 NERIO RESERVE 2000 10.99 ARMENTINI 2003 11.50 CUBARDI PRIMITIVO 2001 13.99

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MICHELE CALO

Land is cheap here and the wineries are large and often very corporate. Often several co-ops have grouped together to be more commercial and they have all opted to make wines that will export well, wines from Merlot and Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. These are all very well but not what we were looking for at The Winery. Just when we were beginning to feel we had come to the wrong region, we arrived in Tuglie, the bottom of the heel and knocked on the door of Michele Calo. We were met by his son Giovanni, who told us the story of his father who had left poverty-stricken Puglia in the 1930s to make money in France. Michele worked in Burgundy and became a wine expert but his dream was to make enough money to return home and make wine in Puglia, which is exactly what he did. Calo wine is proudly Puglian and only local grape varieties are used. They don’t own much land but supervise local growers and then buy in the grapes if they reach the right quality level. Calo wines are different to any other Puglia wines in that they are not heavy and rich but are surprisingly elegant. It must be the light touch of the Calo brothers who now run the winery though 80 year old Michele still keeps a tight reign on things! white MJERE SALENTO BIANCO 2004 9.99 rose MJERE SALENTO ROSATO 2004 9.99 red GRECANTICO SALENTO ROSSO 2004 Sold.Out MJERE SALENTO ROSSO 2003 Sold.Out

AUSTRALIA

ELDREDGE (CLARE VALLEY) Leigh Eldredge, urbane, former cereal farmer, bought the disused dairy in Spring Gully in Clare Valley in 1993 and with some help from his mate, Sean Edwards, at Kirribilly Vineyards, set about making his own wines. He decided against Chardonnay – a recurring theme with some growers…and concentrated on other varietals; Semillon, Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhone varietals Mourvedre, Grenache and of course Shiraz. Particularly unusual is an amazing Sangiovese – possibly one of the finest versions we’ve tasted outside Tuscany. He now has accumulated a list of awards several pages long. Silver Medals in Adelaide and Gold and Silver in Melbourne. James Halliday, the leading authority on , singles out the Sem/Sauv with a score of 90 “Light straw-green; a clean and fresh bouquet with herb and mineral aromas is followed by a lively, clean and fresh palate, finishing with nice acidity.” white SEMILLON SAUVIGNON 2002 10.99 red MSG Mourvedre/Shiraz/Grenache 2000 11.99 BOUNDARY SANGIOVESE 2000 14.99

ENGLAND

CLAY HILL (KENT) From a south facing slope on the banks of the River Teise near Lamberhurst, Carole Lamond and Nick Rogers, with the help of their winemaker Will Davenport (who trained in Australia), have produced a wonderful grassy white picked as late as possible to squeeze as much ripeness out of the english sun.. Matthew Jukes recently met Nick and Carole at one of our tastings and subsequently wrote a rave review in the Daily Mail. “ When Carole Lamond and Nick Rogers bought this estate, after doing a viticulture course, they nursed the neglected vineyard back to health. They use no additives, pesticides or fertilisers, and Will Davenport helps with the winemaking. This new 2001 is delicious. Made from 65 per cent Bacchus and 35 per cent Reichensteiner, the creamy texture and mouthwatering finish are delightfully balanced. My wife commented that it’s perfect for summer lunches in the garden – I couldn’t have put it better myself.” white CLAY HILL 1999 5.99 CLAY HILL 2001 6.99

35 CALIFORNIA

ZOOM We were just finishing our tasting at Rosenblum in the old Navy dockyard in Alameda across the bay from San Francisco when a guy came up and said “I make wine too”. OK, so how do we get to taste it? “Well, I’ve just finished work, I guess we could do it here”. We were then led to a corner of the barrel room where there were three barrels and a few boxes. “This is my bit” he said. John Eppler just makes Zinfandel. One from Paso Robles in hot, Central California, one from Napa Valley, one from Redwood in Sonoma and finally a blend of “leftovers”. They were all sensational. Big, chewy, modern. Saturated with fruit and multi-dimensional - surely at the very top of the Zinfandel hierarchy! John is a Formula One fan (hence “Zoom”) and hopes to visit The Winery around the time of the British Grand Prix. He got his first score over 90 points in the Wine Spectator last year. Does it make a difference? “It sure does - I sold out in a week!” ZINFANDEL Napa Valley Napa 2000 28.99

GIRARD Pat Roney owned a successful restaurant in Chicago and recently bought the famous Dean & Deluca delicatessens that started in New York back in the 80s. In 1999 he bought the Girard Winery from Rudd Estate. With this track record you might expect a high-volume, high pressure wheeler and dealer. Not so. Pat Roney is soft spoken and relaxed. We tracked him down after coming across his amazing Petite Sirah and found a super collection of modern, beautifully-made and well-judged wines. Not showy but subtle, focused and polished. They are settling into their new hard-to-find home, the former Fisher winery on Pride Mountain ZINFANDEL Napa Valley Napa 2002 18.99

CLAYTON “Nobody makes blacker wines than me”, says Clayton Russell from Lodi, just inland from the north eastern corner of San Francisco Bay. From his trademark cowboy hat, lucky patchwork shirt and standard issue jeans, you might expect straight- down-the-line Americana. Anything but. Within the first minute, Clayton told us that he was the first owner of a Mini Cooper in Northern California and he’s a big fan of Queen Victoria and he used to be a steelworker and got into wine after making barrels for Kendall-Jackson. “I only make two wines”. The Old Vine Lodi Petite Sirah and the Old Vine Lodi Zin. They are both remarkable. Black, thick, with big chewy tannins and impressive fruit. Bags of stuffing and bags of character - just like Clayton himself. PETITE SIRAH Old Vine Lodi Lodi 1999 27.99

GREEN & RED Jay Heminway has a definite spring in his step since his picked up high marks in Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Luckily we had already reserved. The spectacular Catucula Chardonnay is fast disappearing...Interestingly, Jay has replanted the Catucula vineyard with Sauvignon Blanc and it will be 2 or 3 years before it comes on line. Early signs are very promising. SAUVIGNON BLANC Napa Valley Napa 2002 13.99 CHARDONNAY Napa Valley Napa 2001 16.99 SOBRANTE Zinfandel/Syrah Napa 2001 18.99 SOBRANTE Zinfandel/Syrah Napa 2002 19.99 ZINFANDEL Chiles Mill Vineyard Napa 2002 22.99 SYRAH Tip Top Napa 2002 23.99

ROBERT SINSKEY The Vineyard Reserve is a classic Napa-style Bordeaux blend and includes fruit from vines around Robert Sinskey’s winery at the base of the Stag’s Leap outcrop. MERLOT RESERVE Los Carneros 1996 29.99 VINEYARD RESERVE Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc Los Carneros 1997 38.99

RABBIT RIDGE We visited the new Rabbit Ridge winery outside Paso Robles at the beginning of last year’s harvest. It was still very much a building site, the fermentation tanks had only been delivered a few days earlier and were being connected as the first crush arrived! Erich and his wife Linda are crazy about things Italian, so the new facility is a rhapsody on an Italian theme - a palazzo on the desert’s edge. Many of you have already tasted his Barbera, the Super-Tuscan “Montepiano” and his Sangiovese (in our opinion, the best version of the Chianti to come out of California). Although Rabbit Ridge has expanded rapidly over the past five years, it is still very much a family concern - both Linda’s sisters are now on board and Erich’s brother-in-law is now helping with the winemaking. The Paso Robles palazzo is surrounded by vines, part of Erich’s masterplan to increasingly rely on his own fruit and to experiment more with lesser-known varietals such as Primitivo and Carignan. Olive oil is also part of the plan! CHARDONNAY Barrel Cuvée California 2003 10.99 CHARDONNAY Paso Robles Paso Robles 2003 13.99 ALLURE Rhône style Red blend California 1997 8.99 CABERNET SAUVIGNON Barrel Cuvée California 2003 10.99 MERLOT Barrel Cuvée California 2003 10.99 BARBERA Barrel Cuvée California NV 10.99 SANGIOVESE Barrel Cuvée California 1999 10.99

36 T-VINE A coup for us! T-Vine is a one man operation : Greg Brown. Greg won Winemaker of the Year in the San Francisco Chronicle, but is otherwise unheard of. He distributes to a handful of states within the USA and we are his first export customers. Each wine is made in microscopic quantities, usually in the 400- 600 case range. Malcolm Gluck gave the Napa Syrah 18 points in his Guardian column and on his website Superplonk.com. SYRAH Contra Costa County Napa 1999 32.99

WHITE ROCK Just 1,500 cases each of Chardonnay and Meritage (labelled Napa Valley Claret in the US) were produced from Henry Vandendriessche’s own land in Soda Canyon, just off the Silverado Trail behind the Stag’s Leap outcrop. These wines were made by Doug Danielak (of Jade Mountain fame) in the caves carved out of the hillside above the vines. MERITAGE Napa 1998 38.99

BACIO DIVINO Claus Janzen also works for Caymus. This is his own wine, getting incredible reviews. BACIO DIVINO Cabernet Sauvignon/Sangiovese/Petite Sirah Napa 1995 59.99

LIVINGSTON The tannins of the 95 have given way to soft round plummy fruit. Now mature and quite delicious. CABERNET SAUVIGNON Moffett Vineyard Napa 1995 35.99

DESSERT WINES

MUSCAT RIVESALTES Mas Cremat S France 2001 10.99 MUSCAT RIVESALTES Mas Cremat S France 2002 11.99 MUSCAT RIVESALTES Mas Cremat S France 2003 11.99 MOSCATEL DULCE 375ml Spain 2003 13.99 MONASTRELL DULCE 375ml Spain 2003 13.99 L’EXTRAIT (Grenache Noir Muté sur Grain) Vaquer S France 1999 14.50 POST-SCRIPTUM (Tawny) Vaquer 500ml S France 1995 15.99 PREFACE (Ambré) Vaquer 500ml S France 1993 16.99 VIEUX RIVESALTES Vaquer S France NV 17.99 COTEAUX DU LAYON “Clos des Bonnes Blanches” Cenival Loire 2003 18.99 COTEAUX DU LAYON “Les 4 Villages” Jo Pithon Loire 2003 18.99 PASSITO TESTEMATTE Late Harvest Cortese Barrel fermented Fontanassa 375ml Piedmont 2002 19.99 COTEAUX DU LAYON CHAUME Cenival 500ml Loire 2003 21.99 UCELUT Passito, Alessandro Vicentini Orgnani 375ml Friuli 2002 27.99 COT. LAYON ST LAMBERT “Les Bonnes Blanches” Jo Pithon 500ml Loire 2002 32.99 COT. LAYON ST LAMBERT “Les Bonnes Blanches” Jo Pithon 500ml Loire 2001 32.99 TOKAY PINOT GRIS V.T.“Schoenenbourg” Marc Tempé Alsace 2000 33.99 BANYULS “L’Oubliée” Rectorie 375ml S France NV 37.99 QUARTS DE CHAUME Jo Pithon 375ml Loire 2002 42.99 EISWEIN Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling, Prinz 375ml Rheingau 2002 49.99 BEERENAUSLESE Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg, Crusius 375ml Nahe 2003 49.99 BEERENAUSLESE Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling, Vollenweider 375ml Mosel 2003 89.99 TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE Hallgartener Jungfer, Prinz 375ml Rheingau 2003 89.99 BEERENAUSLESE Schodener Herrenberg Riesling, Loch 375ml Saar 2003 94.99

BEERS & CIDER

DUCHESSE ANNE (6.5%) 1.99 330ml Single malt, triple-fermented lager. BLANCHE HERMINE (4%) 1.99 330ml Cloudy wheat beer.

CIDRE DE TERROIR (5%) 3.75 750ml Traditional artisanale cider also from Brittany. Medium dry and very appley 1.99 330ml

37 GRAPPA/LIQEUR DE FRUIT/SCHNAPPS

CASSIS BACCATE 13.50 350ml FRAMBOISE BACCATE 13.50 350ml MURE BACCATE 13.50 350ml PECHE DE VIGNE BACCATE 13.50 350ml MYRTILLE BACCATE 14.99 350ml

GRAPPA DI PINOT GRIGIO Borghi (42%) 20.99 700ml GRAPPA STRAVECCHIA Alba Antica (45%) aged in oak 23.99 500ml GRAPPA RISERVA Il Lebbio (43%) aged in oak 23.99 500ml GRAPPA DI CHIANTI CLASSICO Castello di Selvole (43%) 25.99 500ml

KIRSCHWASSER Beurer (42%) 18.99 350ml

MISCELLANEOUS

Fruit nectar, olive oils and vinegar from the vineyards of some of our wine growers. APRICOT NECTAR Rosière (Provence) Back.Soon 1 ltr ORGANIC VINEGAR ACETO DI CABERNET Bosco del Merlo (Venice) 6.50 250ml EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Moulin Dozol-Autrand (Nyons, Northern Provence, France) 11.99 500ml EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Michele Calo (Tuglie, Puglia, Italy) 7.50 250ml EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Michele Calo (Tuglie, Puglia, Italy) 14.99 750ml EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Il Lebbio (nr. San Gimignano,Tuscany, Italy) 14.99 500ml EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Castello di Selvole (nr. Siena Tuscany, Italy) 16.99 500ml

TO ORDER

The Winery, 4 Clifton Road, London W9 1SS Tel: (020) 7286 6475 Fax: (020) 7286 2733 [email protected]

The Winery at Liberty, Liberty, Regent Street, London W1B 5AH Tel: (020) 7734 3239 [email protected]

Cases of twelve or more 750ml bottles qualify for a 5% discount. Cases may be mixed. Free local delivery. UK Delivery £10.00 per case. Orders of 3 or more cases delivered free. Wines subject to availability. Prices may change without notice owing to errors, omissions, exchange rate/Duty fluctuations.

www.thewineryuk.com

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