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Cellartracker in the flesh with Pjaines (Paul), Porkandsalmon (Richard) and Vintomas (Tomas)
Various venues, London
Tasted November 8, 2022 by chatters with 104 views
Introduction
A big (and exciting) day catching up with fellow drunkards/wine nerds (delete as applicable) that I have met via Cellartracker in London.
Flight 1 - Cork and Bottle (2 notes)
Tiny find off Leicester Square down a little flight of stairs was the first stop for Paul and I on our trek...lovely and interesting wine list...could have happily spent the day here but we had other plans
White
2021 Ornezon Picpoul de Pinet
Green apple, slight lemon citrus, green pear. Medium plus intensity acidity, super fresh, very slight textured burr, simple. Nice.
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White
2021 Raats Chenin Blanc
Ripe waxy lemon, a little buttery leesy underpin, tiny smidge of apricot. Tangy, more burr, a little leesy breadth to the palate also has a little glycerol fatness…I'm guessing a touch of Botrytis? Nice enough
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Flight 2 - Oystermen (2 notes)
We had planned lunch at Randall and Aubin but stopped off on the (slightly indirect way) for some oysters at this place that Paul suggested. Very good oysters, pleasant wine, good service. Nice place.
White
2021 Ramos Pinto Douro Duas Quintas
Slightly green notes, lime, herbaceous elements. Juicy, fleshy, textured mid palate grip, simple a little short but charmingly effective with the Cooley and Gallagher oysters
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White
2020 Château du Coing de Saint Fiacre Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie
Medium minus intensity aromas of lemon and slight saline. On the palate it's fresh, juicy, simple, nice with the Loch Fyne oysters
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Flight 3 - Randall and Aubin (3 notes)
A friend in Australia gave this place a hard recommend (thank you LD) and Paul confessed that he has seen it many times but never been in. Oysters here (after Oystermen) were not that flash but my skate was glorious.
White
2018 Füleky Tokaji Dry Furmint
Apple, grass, very slight honey and oxidised apple. Chalky mid palate burr, bone dry, slightly bitter on the finish. Hmm
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White
2018 Château de la Bretesche Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie
Lemon curd, saline underpin. On the palate it has medium plus intensity acidity, a little cats tongue burr. Citrus.
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White
2019 Vignerons des Terres Secrètes Mâcon-Villages Les Préludes
Lemon, peach, juicy acidity, very slight oak and butter. Medium plus length nice with skate
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Flight 4 - Antidote (1 note)
This is where we were due to meet Richard but he got a little held up so we tucked into a 'natural' wine very much in the 'Georgian' style - skin contact/whole bunch etc. Didn't really work for me so, when Richard did arrive, we forced him to finish the bottle.
White
2019 Milan Nestarec Melancholia
cider, apple, almond, oxidative, honey, wood glue. Medium plus intensity acidity, similar flavour profile to the nose, a little chalky burr. Meh.
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Flight 5 - Hedonism (8 notes)
I've never been here before but everyone has been singing it's praises as a temple to wine. I put fifty quid on a card and the three of us attacked the enomatics - I rather forced the chaps to speed taste much to my shame but I only had half an hour to have a look at the wines...
White
2017 Edi Simčič Chardonnay
Oyster shell, lemon, slight our and a smidge of butter. Juicy, slightly sharp and bitter, lemon, tight, slightly woody texture. Hmm.
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White
2011 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros
Lemon, cream, slight bitter, dusty woody spices. Creamy slightly buttery, citrus. Okay.
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White
2019 Yarra Yering Chardonnay
Butter, peach, sweet spice, cream. Juicy, medium plus intensity acidity, tight, fruit forward, slightly out of whack but pleasant.
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Red
1994 Michel Magnien Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées Vieilles Vignes
Meaty, savoury, gamey, farmyard over black fruits. Savoury, juicy, tight textured, dark fruits are a little muted, some mushroom here as well. Mmm.
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Red
2017 Cupano Brunello di Montalcino
Medium minus intensity aromas of cherry, earthy notes/slightly gamey elements, slight tobacco leaf. Medium plus intensity acidity, tight, drying quite raspy tannins, fruit plays second fiddle <shrugs>
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Red
2017 Wessels Family Restless River Cabernet Sauvignon
blackcurrant, mint, pyrazine then oaky notes and cream. Medium plus intensity acidity is slightly sour, tight slightly chalky tannins, fruit is a little sharper than the nose implies. Hmm.
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Red
2011 Bannockburn Shiraz De La Roche
Funky, wild ferment, muted black fruit, bacon fat,. Juicy, fresh black fruit. Belies it's 11 years.
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Red
2018 The Hilt Pinot Noir
Ripe cherry fruit, berry, sweet spice, slight caramel and vanilla. Medium plus intensity acidity, tight, woody tannins, cherry fruit, sweet spice, it's a little on the large side for me though I think 4 more years will help.
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Flight 6 - Lay & Wheeler/Bonhams Grand Puy Lacoste tasting (8 notes)
And finally Tomas joined us as we sat down for a big tasting of Grand Puy Lacoste wines. Lots to like here especially the 1990 and 1996. Big thanks to Richard for organising this.
Red
2015 Lacoste Borie
Plum over blackcurrant, very slight meaty notes and pyrazine, tiny touch of sous bois, plenty of cedar and oak, cream, vanilla, very slight caramel, sweet spice, a little fresh red berry here as well. Medium plus intensity acidity, quite thick and broad tannins are drying , the alcohol feels a little elevated, fruit is dark hued and slightly sour. Hmm.
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Red
2015 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
blackcurrant, cream, cassis, sweet spice, polished oak, slight cedar. Medium plus intensity acidity, crunchy blackcurrant, tight persistent tannins plenty of oaky notes on the palate, cream, slight cassis, well made, polished, nice but quite woody. Time.
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Comments (5)
Red
2009 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
blackcurrant, sous bois, slight leather, earth, slight alcohol prickle, a little almost raisined note but, contrariwise, a little green herbaceousness. Medium plus intensity acidity, tightly textured tannins, savoury black fruit, a slight liquorice note, palate better than the nose but a bit of alcohol warmth on the finish throws this out of balance for me.
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Red
2005 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
blackcurrant, sweet spice a little earth and leather very slight cassis, tertiary notes grow with time in the glass. Medium plus intensity acidity, blackcurrant, tightly textured persistent tannins, very slight non intrusive alcohol warmth but this is travelling along nicely.
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Red
2003 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Baked earth, blackcurrant, sweet spice, fruit quite bold & ripe, polished oak. Medium plus intensity acidity, tight tannins prove a little woody over grape, slight alcohol warmth, fruit persists but proves a little dried out on the palate. Nice but a reflection of the vintage arguably.
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Red
1996 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Very slight menthol, black hued fruits, cedar, slight cigar box, a little chalky minerality, earthy and a little leather. Medium plus intensity acidity, tight tannins are persistent and long and deeply pleasing, dark hued fruits and a little touch of fruit tea. Nice.
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Red
1990 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Sweetly fruited with a little farmyard, sous bois, mushrooms, autumn leaves, a surprisingly perfumed top notes. Juicy, fleshy, dark hued fruits, mushrooms, tannins are talc textured and tight but, like the 96, are persistent and rather lovely. Nice and gets better with time - richer than the e.g. domaine de chevalier 1990 but very much a reflection of the vintage in my albeit limited experience. Yum.
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Red
1986 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Medium minus intensity, earthy, savoury, quite closed on the nose, with time starts to show some brambly fruit, leather, forest floor. medium plus intensity acidity, fruit more wild and slight sour, still has some drying tannins and a smidge of fruit tea. fresh, juicy but, for me, just beginning to fade a little.
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Closing
What a lovely day...as well as the notes recorded here we all went for a selection of excellent curries at Roti Chai Street Kitchen and Dining Room to finish the evening. Wonderful fun.