Cellartracker in the flesh with Pjhaines (Paul)

In my quest for good wine bars I opened a dialogue up with Pjhaines - Paul - who very kindly agreed to meet up with me and take me around some of London's better vinous drinking dens. He took the afternoon off so, after I'd meandered around the National Portrait Gallery, we met at the first venue...notes were sporadic to say the least!

Just around the back of the strand. I parked myself at the bar and Paul duly rocked up. Very interesting selection of wines and I was, very generously, allowed to choose…which, as the list was a good 50 pages long, was a lot of fun. In the end the sommelier poo-pooed all of my choices and gave us something completely different. Fortunately it was rather pleasant. Oh, and snaffled oysters and a charcuterie palate whilst yarning over the joy of wine.

• 2014 Domaine du Moulin (Hervé Villemade) Sauvignon Val de Loire

  France, Loire Valley, Val de Loire

  Not obviously Sauvignon Blanc at all. Touch of sweet fruitiness to the mid palate. Rather splendid

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• 2015 Domaine de la Louvetrie (Landron & Fils) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Amphibolite

  France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine

  Fresh, crisp, easy and pleasant with the oysters

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• 2010 Les Cailloux du Paradis L'Icaunais (Gascon)

  France, Vin de Table Français

  confected raspberry (touches of carbonic maceration) fresh herbs, spice, quite freshly tart (suppression of malolactic?) Hmm

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Off we trotted to the Holborn (Sicilian Avenue?) version of PotG. Again I was given Carte Blanche and, as my primary focus on this trip was to try stuff I couldn't get back home (or could but only at prohibitive prices) I strayed to Vouvray

• 2012 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  From Coravin: honey, cream, lemon, slight green apple on the nose but it's rich and off dry (despite that sec) on the plate with honey over muted ripe apple. One to drag out at a Kabinett and Spatlese night to play with everyone's heads.

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• 2005 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Mont

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Honey, lemon, rich, generous, very lovely.

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And to our final destination - time was pressing and children needed to be attended to - and a little something to smooth the London rush hour commute

• 1997 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  From Coravin: Boo yah! Welcome to Yankeeland. Still preposterously young with plentiful oak and black fruit. The only clue to age is a slight leathery note and tiny touches of balsamic on the nose but this is still really a puppy. Cracking stuff.

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What a great day. Paul was easy going, very funny and wonderfully knowledgeable about wine (and the best places to consume it) in London. We had such fun that we agreed to meet up the next day and have a gin or two at Olivers Conquest near Aldgate. Cracking. Oh, the wine was pretty good as well!