WineChap Blog

Not your usual glass of Chardonnay

WineChapUK — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:11:21 +0000

by GINNY GILMORE
Would I like to go to a dinner and in-depth Chablis tasting? Of course I would! So I set off for Sam’s Brasserie in Chiswick to meet the team from The Vinter and their Chablis gurus La Chablisienne.

Tom Gilbey and his team had assembled an interesting crowd of wine lovers to learn more about where and how Chablis is made – including one chap who acts as wine buyer for a city firm who confessed to loving Chardonnay but hating Chablis, at least at the start of the evening.

We kicked off with a village wine (La Pierrelée 2009 – £13.50) that made a splendid aperitif, as well as pairing well with my oysters and shallot vinegar, but I gather it struggled with the pea purée that accompanied the scallops. The wine was taut and austere with the steely, flinty notes that I always associate with Chablis.

The second wine (Les Vénérables Vielles Vignes 2009 – £17.00) showed the effects of 50-year-old roots drilling into the soil. The wine was rounder with more concentrated fruit, slightly buttery notes and hints of melon. Apparently it made a better match for the scallops as well.

The next two wines were Premier Cru Chablis (Côte de Lechet 2009 – £18.00 and Vaulorent 2009 – £20.00) which showed the influence of microclimate on the wines. The Côte de Lechet is from a south-east facing site on the left bank of the Serein and, according to the chap from La Chablisienne is “a wine of the air”. It was certainly pure and clean tasting, a definite step-up from the village wines. The Vaulorent is grown on the right bank on a south-west facing slopes and is, apparently, a taste of the soil. The wine has more fruit and floral nose and less ‘minerality’ and it certainly struggled with the orange hollandaise sauce that came with the steamed plaice. I am still wondering exactly what wine would be a perfect match for orange hollandaise as I write.

We moved on to the meat course and the Grand Cru Chateau Grenouilles 2008 (£49.00). The wine showed astonishing acidity and fruit, but drinking it now is pure infanticide. The step-change in quality was clear to all, but the wine is still disconnected and needs time to develop. The chap from La Chablisienne assured us that 2008 will be the quintessence of Chablis – so now you know what to look for in a couple of years.

The Chateau Grenouilles also started a very lively debate about the effects of terroir – what would happen if you planted Chenin Blanc on the banks of the Serein? Would it taste like Chablis or would it taste like a Loire wine? Discuss.

The cheese course was accompanied by a magnum or two of the Grenouilles 1994. I think it must have been getting late as my note reads “just excellent” which is hardly helpful. It was however a mature, robust and well-balanced wine.

There were rumours of a Côte de Lechet 2000, but the bottle that appeared at our table had evolved to the point of extinction, a shame but one of the perils of allowing wine to age.

Negotiating The Wine List with Thierry Tomasin

WineChapUK — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:49:08 +0000

Angelus has long been one of WineChap’s favourite London restaurants, and Thierry Tomasin and his team have reciprocally been staunch supporters of ours: – Always sending updated winelists and letting us host dinners in their charming private dining room, so we are delighted to promote their initiatives whenever possible (Other establishments – please note how this relationship can work to mutual advantage…)

Thierry needs little introduction to anyone familiar with the city’s fine dining scene – ex Le Gavroche sommelier, then on to Aubergine before opening his own restaurant Angelus in a discrete corner of Lancaster Gate (Connaught Village to locals). Tucked up next to the riding stables, the occasional whiff of hay and sweet odure that wafts past isn’t always down to the Sauvignon Blanc or mature Burgundies on his list…

Now the ex Chairman of Sommeliers is offering diners an opportunity to learn some of the tricks of negotiating the hieroglyphics of a restaurant winelist. Like conversational French or a reasonable golf handicap, confidence when ordering wine is a necessary social skill these days. But this need not mean shelling out a fortune – in fact any idiot can spend a lot of money and get a good wine. As Thierry says “Over the years I have seen so many diners panic when presented with a wine menu. Not wanting to disappoint, many spend far more than they need to in order to impress.”

One of WineChap’s most popular wine categories on all our reviews has been the ‘First Date’ option – choosing wines which indicate a degree of connoisseurship (however superficial) rather than just the size of your wallet. But Angelus is the first restaurant to offer specific evenings on this theme with Thierry making his expert knowledge available to guests: “I am delighted to share a little of what I know and make the task of choosing wine an enjoyable experience; a chance to shine, woo and delight those at your table.”

Not to give away too much but a few choice tips from Thierry include gems like:

Ask for the winelist in advance of your visit to familiarise yourself and then remember the page number of the wine you are interested in so you can locate it quickly when presented with the list at the table (a good choice is a fast choice…)
Make a note of your partner’s aperitif selection or a previous drinks choice. Someone who relishes a pint of Guinness before dinner is unlikely to be a lover of Pinot Grigio or other very light whites; conversely the companion who nurses a small glass of white over a 20minute period is probably not going to make many inroads in to a magnum of Barolo.
If unsure of your choice, then discretely point to a wine on the list within your budget and out of view of your guest ask the sommelier if he can recommend something ‘like this’
The time of day and how you feel is more important than what menu choices, however some basic suggestions such as Sherry with soup and not starting dinner with a Double Scotch are worth bearing in mind.
Go with a wine you can pronounce.

Places at the dinners are priced at £75 a person and includes 3 courses with wines chosen by Thierry, plus illuminating discussion and if lucky some memorable anecdotes.

Gentleman’s Evening: 7th February

Ladies Night: 2nd March

Tel: 020 7402 0083

Email: info@angelusrestaurant.co.uk

Billecart-Salmon, a very special offer

WineChapUK — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:30:38 +0000

Following the success of their promotion last year, the incredibly generous peeps at Billecart-Salmon are helping to make Valentine’s day sparkle with a very special, bubbly offer. Purchase a bottle of BILLECART-SALMON Brut Rosé non-vintage or Vintage Extra-Brut 2004 from participating restaurants* and at the end of your meal you will receive a complimentary half bottle of BILLECART-SALMON Brut Rosé non-vintage.

And there’s more… if you need any further incentive to order Billecart-Salmon (which you really shouldn’t), your complimentary half-bottle comes with a simple questionnaire. Fill this in to be in with a chance of winning some superlative prizes - The first prize is a fabulous getaway to Bangkok!

What you could win:

*Participating restaurants include: Heston Bleumthal’s Dinner, Nobu London and Berkeley, Bar Boulud, Wright Bros Soho, The Ledbury, Kitchen W 8, High Timber, Wild Honey, E &O, 1901 @ Andaz

For further information please contact info@billecart-salmon.co.uk or visit www.champagne-billecart.com