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Game @ The Harwood Arms
Harwood Arms, London
Tasted October 18, 2018 by SimonG with 130 views
Flight 1 (1 note)
Game tea, warm game canapés
White - Sparkling
1996 R. & L. Legras Champagne Grand Cru Saint-Vincent
92 points
Nicely rich nose, just a hint of crème pat and an underlying chalkiness. Similar on palate. 96 acidity all present and correct. Chalky texture. Reasonable length. Impressive and in need of time. ***(*)
Flight 2 (3 notes)
Roast widgeon with licorice, beetroot and quince
Red
1999 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Classique
93 points
Deep ruby. Really quite plush on the nose with a freshness and slight lift coming through. Dark red fruit. Quite dense. Fresh with a good line. Densely silky. Best Rostaing in a while. ****
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Red
1998 Peter Lehmann Shiraz Stonewell
91 points
Dense, slightly menthol throat lozenge nose. Sweet fruit, rich and ripe. Smooth but full on. Distinctive. Some heat on the finish. I liked this more than a previous bottle a decade ago, but still not my thing. Tamed by rich food, though reverted again afterwards. ****
Red
1999 Michel & Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie
91 points
Cloudy. Lots of fine sediment. Quite muddy and mute on the nose. A little agricultural. Quite dense. A fresh acidity coming through, and the nose does brighten. Raspberry. Strengthens with food but this bottle lacking purity. ****
Flight 3 (3 notes)
Hare and prune faggots with chestnut and pickled walnut
Red
1999 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia
92 points
Wow, knockout nose. Room-fillingly floral. Freesias. Dense, velvety. Still quite structured. Gorgeous nose, so feminine. ****
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Red
1998 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc
90 points
Dense, grouse tea nose. Really quite fragrant and not entirely positively. Uncompromising attack. Lightens a little on the nose and works better with food. However... Volstility and almost a portiness on the nose. Not to my taste. Marmitesque. I can understand Gillman’s scoring. ***1/2 for some?
Red
1995 Domaine de Trévallon
94 points
Sweet fruited with a touch of red meat when opened. Double decanted 4 hrs. Now a touch of sweet beetroot, some garrigue, a pinch of herbs and dark, sweet-fruited meatiness. Lovely. ****1/2
Flight 4 (2 notes)
Fallow prickett wellington with creamed potato, baked root vegetables and greens
Red
1978 Pio Cesare Barolo
94 points
Fragrant, floral, sweet fruited. Mellow, still a bit of bite. Ideal with the Venison wellington. Really quite harmonious and moreish. Very fragrant and nuanced. Lovely. ****1/2
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Red
1994 Dominique Laurent Charmes-Chambertin Cuvée Prestige
92 points
Lovely old school Burgundian nose, all sweet fruit and autumnal decay. Ponsotesque nose. Quite sweet on the attack and then lighter and slightly thinner with a dry edge. Very decent but the paste doesn’t quite live up to the image conjured up by the nose. ****
Flight 5 (1 note)
Cheese
Red - Fortified
1974 Barros Porto Colheita
89 points
Gorgeous colour. Pale. Very spirity nose. A touch of raisin. More raisiny fruit on the palate. Smoother than the nose, but still quite angry and spoiling for a fight. Needs some air, but potentially interesting. ***