Fossil Collections and Mushroom Cabinets: The Ledbury Experience
London, UK
Tasted Tuesday, November 19, 2024 by HeavyPourWine with 117 views
Introduction
Our London culinary adventure reached its pinnacle with dinner at The Ledbury, Brett Graham's three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Notting Hill. After nearly two years of COVID closure, this iconic establishment regained both Michelin stars in 2023 and earned its third star in 2024. The evening featured The Ledbury's prestige wine pairing alongside their renowned 8-course tasting menu, showcasing Graham's modern British cuisine with French techniques and subtle Japanese influences. For the complete story of our visit, including exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and insights into this coveted wine destination, read my detailed blog post "Ancient Treasures and Modern Mastery at The Ledbury in London" on heavypourwine.com.
Flight 1 (8 Notes)
Closing
The Ledbury delivered an extraordinary dining experience that justified its three-Michelin-star status. Brett Graham's passion extends beyond the kitchen to every detail - from the house-grown mushrooms in their fungarium to his personal fossil collection adorning the restaurant. The evening's highlights included the Wine of the Night Burgundy with the mushroom course, discovering the unique underwater-aged Champagne, and experiencing how Graham's innovative cuisine creates perfect dialogues with exceptional wines.
NV Leclerc Briant Champagne Brut Réserve 93 Points
France, Champagne
Tasting Menu and Prestige Wine Pairing @ The Ledbury. This unique Champagne is a blend of 20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 40% Meunier from Rilly la Montagne. The winemaker has embraced natural winemaking techniques and famously ages one of his cuvées 15 months underwater, 60 metres beneath the Atlantic Ocean, utilizing ocean currents and movements. He even filters with moonlight - radical but delicious techniques that make The Ledbury one of the few UK restaurants serving this producer. Poured from magnum. Light and refreshing with medium weight and bright green apple notes. This was the best bubbles we'd had during our London trip. Great pairing with the potato puff with chives and charcuterie from Iberian pigs. The second canapé featured deer tongue with saffron pancake - an unusual but excellent pairing.
Brad - heavypourwine.com
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2021 Prager Grüner Veltliner Stockkultur Smaragd Ried Achleiten 93 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Tasting Menu and Prestige Wine Pairing @ The Ledbury. From a vineyard situated right next to the Danube River - you literally can't get any closer. This represents quite a weighty expression of Grüner Veltliner, showcasing the variety's beautiful aromatic characters with that distinctive bitter character that works brilliantly with sweet elements. The "heaviest" GV I think I've ever experienced - almost syrupy in texture. Muted nose with resolved tannins and smooth delivery. No petrol characteristics at all, which was refreshing. Great pairing with the Royal Oak Swede featuring nashi pear and citrus. I could drink this GV all day long - dangerously good in the best possible way.
Brad - heavypourwine.com
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2022 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 92 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Tasting Menu and Prestige Wine Pairing @ The Ledbury. This single vineyard Riesling comes from Wehlener Sonnenuhr in the village of Wehlen in the Mosel. As a Kabinett, it features balanced residual sugar, sweetness, freshness and acidity. Shows typical Kabinett characteristics with sweet lime and green apple notes. Perfectly balanced with good acidity and an almost fizzy quality in the best way. Petrol notes present with a citrusy nose. Excellent pairing with the duck liver and beetroot salad - the wine's high acidity cuts through the dish's richness while the sweetness balances the earthy elements from beets baked in hay and candied with Kentish cobnuts.
Brad - heavypourwine.com
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2021 Sadie Family Palladius 92 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland, Malmesbury
Tasting Menu and Prestige Wine Pairing @ The Ledbury. Eben Sadie is one of South Africa's most iconic producers, based in Swartland in the Western Cape coastal region. This wine represents a field blend of multiple varietals including Chenin Blanc, Palomino, Sémillon, and Sémillon Gris from old bush vines specifically chosen to withstand South African heat. The wine is notably super textural and concentrated with ripe fruit characteristics. From Coravin pour. Tart with a bit of sweetness and perfectly balanced. Great pairing with the bread course and Royale Vendée Quail with Kentish quince, liquorice, parsnip and Costa Rican vanilla. Only scored 92 because the finish was slightly harsh, though the wine improved with the food - the dish erased the weird finish completely.
Brad - heavypourwine.com
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2018 François Rousset-Martin Savagnin Côtes du Jura Oxy "more" Voile No 4 90 Points
France, Jura, Côtes du Jura
Tasting Menu and Prestige Wine Pairing @ The Ledbury. From the Jura region in eastern France near the Swiss border, this wine is made from Savagnin, one of the key varieties of this rural region. François Rousset-Martin created this oxidative expression (hence "Oxy") that's matured under flor with the yeast, similar to sherry-style winemaking. Jura wines are famous for being age-worthy, and this 2018 shows intense nutty aromas with richness on the palate. Nose displays typical sherry-like characteristics with lemon on the mouth. While not my preferred style, it created an excellent pairing with the Hen's Egg Yolk dish featuring black trompette, sweetcorn, Roscoff onion and autumn Wiltshire truffle. Like drinking a lower-alcohol sherry, which was actually preferable for me.
Brad - heavypourwine.com
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2009 Domaine Heresztyn/Heresztyn-Mazzini Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Millandes 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru
Tasting Menu and Prestige Wine Pairing @ The Ledbury. This single vineyard premier cru from Morey-Saint-Denis shows how bottle age develops beautiful savory characteristics in Burgundy. With age, this wine has evolved beyond primary fruit to display earthiness and tertiary savory character - precisely why it was paired with this course. From Coravin pour. Lovely typical Burgundy nose with soft, resolved tannins. Wine of the Night! Amazing pairing with the "Mushrooms from the Cabinet" course featuring glazed and barbecued shiitake grown on-site in The Ledbury's own fungarium, served with watercress cream and potato-yeast ravioli. The dish was exceptional, and the wine's earthy complexity perfectly complemented the house-grown mushrooms.
Brad - heavypourwine.com
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2010 Château Langoa Barton 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
Tasting Menu and Prestige Wine Pairing @ The Ledbury. This Left Bank St-Julien Troisième Cru Classé represents a Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend drinking beautifully in its prime window. The wine shows beautiful primary black fruit character while developing secondary flavors including green bell pepper and other vegetable characteristics, plus graphite notes. We visited this château last year and tasted their 2022 from the barrel alongside Léoville-Barton during our Bordeaux week. Coravin pour from magnum with some tannin remaining but in a great place. Excellent pairing with the savory main course of Wareham Japanese Sika Deer featuring deer ham, consommé with ginger, tartare, ribs, and sauce with bone marrow and pureed artichoke.
Brad - heavypourwine.com
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2008 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Eiswein Nr. 50 91 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Tasting Menu and Prestige Wine Pairing @ The Ledbury. This rare German ice wine from the Saar (east of Mosel) by Karthäuserhof represents something quite special - Eiswein doesn't come by very often in Germany and Austria. With slight age, this 2008 shows beautiful balance despite extremely high residual sugar, thanks to Riesling's naturally high acidity. Orange peel character, citrus, and honey notes are prominent. A little too sweet for my personal taste but undeniably well-made. Good pairing with the Kentish Cox Apple dessert featuring Pompona vanilla, bergamot, lemon verbena and brown butter.
Brad - heavypourwine.com
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