Important Update From the Founder
Read message >
My 50th at the Ledbury
The Ledbury, London
Tasted January 13, 2023 by SimonG with 151 views
Flight 1 (1 note)
Potato cracker, brown crab and tomato emulsion
Iberian collar, loin and salami
Six year old dairy beef bresaola
Cod jowl with dill and nori
Acorn biscuit and duck liver parfait
Celeriac waffle and Cornish Gouda
White - Sparkling
2010 Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran Ludes
92 points
Mag. Nicely fresh. Not quite the richness of the 06 a year ago, mid weight with a lovely line. ****
Flight 2 (3 notes)
Portland crab, swede, buttermilk and apple marigold
Poole Bay grey mullet, radish, dashi and smoked cream
White
2004 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
95 points
Pale to mid straw. Properly saline on the nose. Similar on the palate with a pithy grip. Mid weight. Long. This is the best bottle of this yet. GC weight and texture with an extra breadth cf the more laser-like Preuses. *****
White
2004 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte Bouguerots
90 points
Mid to full straw. A slightly sickly sweet nose of the early stages of oxidation, manifesting on the palate as vanilla and custard apple. A little too rounded. After several hours it does seem to sharpen up and gain a bit more mineral grip. A pale imitation of previous bottles from the case but nonetheless enjoyed more by others around the table. (*)**1/2
White
2004 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses
95 points
Pale to mid straw. Saline, densely mineral nose. Grippy attack, real bite and intensity through the mid palate. Lime fruit, some oyster shell, GC weight and intensity but balanced with a lightness, elegance and laser-like precision. *****
Flight 3 (3 notes)
Veal sweetbread, parsnip, black garlic and Perigord truffle
Cornish lobster, butternut squash, pumpkin seed and yuzu
Mushrooms from the cabinet, potato, yeast and rosemary
Red
1973 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Gran Reserva
95 points
Mid garnet, starting to show some orange at the rim. Classic mature VR nose, a little coffee/mocha, red fruit, leather, spice and a drop of orange oil. Silky. Puts on some weight with air and despite an early double decant holds up well for seven or eight hours. *****
Red
1973 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia
92 points
Palest garnet, more transparent than translucent. Cranberry and orange peel. Bright acidity. Light to mid weight. Quite floaty but with a good mineral line and relatively long finish. ****
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
1973 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva
93 points
Deep garnet, denser than the other two. Classic Imperial nose, coffee, mocha, leather and dark red fruit. Finely velvety texture. Nicely rich, though lightens over a few hours after an early double decant. ****
Flight 4 (2 notes)
Hay-aged Anjou pigeon, beetroot, quince and Sarawak pepper
Red
1989 Château Haut-Brion
96 points
Double-decanted seven hours. Full garnet, still a hint of ruby at the core. Rich nose, warm gravel, tobacco, spice cake. Power, but above all elegance and an ethereal lifted quality that keeps drawing one back in. Very, very lovely. *****
Red
1989 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
94 points
Double-decanted seven hours. Deep garnet. Nose of warm gravel with a Madeira cake richness. Similar on the palate, richer than the HB alongside and far better balanced than a bottle three years ago that showed some heat but not as exotic or flashy as some notes suggest. Lovely wine, but lacking that extra wow factor the HB shows. ****1/2
Flight 5 (1 note)
Sauternes custard, Hoshigaki and bee pollen
Bergamot meringue, pear, sour cream and Douglas Fir
Mille Feuille, rhubarb, stem ginger and green tea
White - Sweet/Dessert
1973 Château Coutet Barsac
93 points
Two halves, absolutely consistent. Mid to deep amber. Orange blossom, barley sugar and obvious botrytis on the nose. Still a good sense of sweetness on the attack, mid palate balanced with good acidity, and a positive mid length finish. ****
Flight 6 (1 note)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée
94 points
Mag. 2007 purchase, red label. Full straw, still a reasonable mousse. Initially a bit mushroomy and seemingly slightly woody, so dropped from the start of the meal. Revisited at the end, this has transformed, a touch of white mushroom, but nothing corky. Deep, rich and full, this has the traditional Krug profile. A lovely way to finish the meal. ****1/2
3 people found this helpful
Comment