1 Lombard Street
Address:
1 Lombard Street, London EC3V 9AA
Phone:
020 7929 6611
Website:
Rating:
Good For:
Old World, Champagne
List Summary
This list is a three-piece chalk stripe with an unexpectedly entertaining lining. It initially appears rather conventional and as conservative as one would expect from the City: Like the financial institutions surrounding, major producers are all in place: Dagueneau, Château La Nerthe, Trimbach; flights of Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou and Leoville Las Cases. The major regions are neatly covered with emphasis on the old world, France dominating of course. So far no major surprises except perhaps that some lesser known producers stand cheek by jowl with the big hitters. What causes pulses to race and our seats to dampen however is the characterfully schizophrenic pricing; for the most part the mark-ups are precisely what you would expect to see for a city restaurant, but their Champagne pricing shows almost Spartan restraint, with S de Salon standing out in particular. Then throughout the list we find similar unexpected gems, a true oenophiles list, and creditable indication that One Lombard Street does not feel the need to raise prices on exotic stock already filed and receipted.
List Review Wine Key:
Sparkling
White
Rose
Red
Sweet
Fortified
| By The Glass { Most interesting available by the glass } |
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| Good Hope, Stellenbosch, Chardonnay 2008, S.Africa | £5.90 |
| Unoaked, fresh with citric zest and mineral tang. |
| Glen Carlou, Paarl, Pinot Noir 2007, S.Africa | £7.10 |
| Medium bodied with ripe strawberry flavours and a dash of cinnamon. |
| By The Half { Most interesting available by the half bottle } |
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 there are a couple of bottles, but nothing that leapt off the page crying "Drink me, drink me!" | |
| Value Option { Best under £35/$50/bottom 20% of list PLUS any particularly rare bargains at ANY price point } |
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| S De Salon 1988 | £170 |
| While this isn’t everybody’s idea of an affordable bottle, it nevertheless represents almost jaw-droppingly good value for money. (Hurry though, as we intend to drink through as much of this as possible. Good tip, don’t waste Champagne space by filling up on bread rolls) |
| Riesling 2001, Clos Ste Hune Trimbach, Alsace | £130 |
| Seriously fantastic pricing for one of the world’s greatest Rieslings. Don’t think, just do it. |
| Vermentino, Domaine les Yeuses 2008, Languedoc, France | £23 |
| Vermentino may be a varietal more likely to be found in Italy, but it is making inroads into Languedoc-Rousillon. |
| St Chinian 2008, Domaine du Barres, Provence | £20 |
| Plenty of ripe mulberry fruit; a ripe and rounded 70% Syrah, 30% Grenache blend. |
| 1st Date { Impressive but not too showy: circa £50 – but a wine that shows one’s connoisseurship rather than just size of wallet/expense account } |
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| Bergerac Sec, Moulin des Dames, Luc de Conti | £55 |
| Tragically “Bergerac” seems to conjure images of John Nettles rather than fine wine; this is a traditionally made, Bordeaux-style wine boasting delicious white peach and fresh yellow fruits, subtle oak and a touch of spice – not a Jersey based detective-inspector. |
| Riesling Scharzhofberger 2003, Van Volxem, Germany | £47 |
| Honeyed, ripe apple and peach fruits nicely balanced with typical Saar minerality; although off-dry it’s not cloying as there is a touch of acidity. |
| Full Circle 2004, Saronsberg, Tulbagh, S.Africa | £65 |
| Tulbagh Valley lies in the heart of the Witzenberg Winelands, wines have been produced here for years, but recently the area has seen rapid development. Saronsberg has only been producing wine since 2002, but already they are gaining impressive credentials. The Full Circle shows deep brooding dark fruit aromas, which give way to a palate of dark and red berry fruits and delicate floral and spicy undertones. The South Africans may be responsible for the controversial vuvuzela, So long as they keep sending us wines like this we’re willing to forgive and forget. |
| Crognolo 2003,Tenuta Sette Ponti, Tuscany, Italy | £60 |
| Attractive flavours of fresh plums, berries and currants neatly balanced with some rich milk chocolate notes. |
| Off the Beaten Track |
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| Montrachet 1969, Leroy, Burgundy | £450 |
| While it may not seem likely that this classic Burgundian should find its way into our off the beaten track section, finding one of this maturity and at this price is pretty stunning. |
| Valdivieso NV, Caballo Loco No.9, Central Valley, Chile | £59 |
| Based on the solera system where approximately 50% of the blend is from the previous vintages of Cabello Loco. |
| Old School Classic { Classic (usually French or Italian – depending on dominant cuisine), from the middle of the list – a good wine, with age to stick on expenses and impress crusty wine bores/board members } |
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| Pouilly Fume, Silex 2003, Didier Dagueneau, Loire | £110 |
| Clos du Marquis 2eme vin de Ch. Leoille las Cases 1995, Saint Julien, Bordeaux | £125 |
| Treat Yourself { Remember when you used to get a bonus? not necessarily most expensive – but a real treat, rare, particularly good vintage etc } |
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| Meursault Charmes 2003, Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Burgundy | £190 |
| Made in exceptionally (and wretchedly) small quantities, the seductive nose of honeyed mineral, pears and spice draws you in to a thick, unctuous body of buttered toast, pear preserves and delicate minerality. |
| Riesling 2001, Clos Ste Hune Trimbach, Alsace | £130 |
| Yes, this is on the list already (see Value Option) we just really wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it… |
| Pingus 2003, Dominio de Pingus, Peter Sisseck, Ribera del Duero, Spain | £460 |
| Peter Sisseck met instant acclaim with his first vintage in 1995, working with carefully nurtured, ancient vines and low yields Sisseck wines are amongt the most sought after in the world of fine-wine. The 2003 is an exceptional vintage, with the potential to cellar over the next two decades it could be considered a little youthful, but it is already showing impressive depth and at this price should be snapped up as a bit of a bargain! |
| Infanticide { Wines being sold too young, and a prime indicator of sommelier’s integrity. Usually found towards the expensive end of a list with big names thrown in for several or more hundred pounds despite being years off drinking to that price. } |
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| Chateau Leoville Barton 2004, 2 | £120 |
| Crowd pleaser { Well known, trusted producer, region or varietal. No surprises, no disappointments } |
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| Shaw and Smith 2008, Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, Australia | £34 |
| Fresh clean aromas of cut grass, nettles and green fruit – bright and refreshing. |
| Chateau Leoube Rose 2008, Provence | £38 |
| Delicate pink refreshing and dry with a subtle creamy palate. |
| Wakefield 2005, Cabernet Sauvignon Clare Valley, Australia | £40 |
| Expressive and deep, blackcurrant fruit dominates. |
| House Wine Index
{ Number of House wines available by the glass & the mean price } |
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| 10 wines by the glass, average price £6.94 |
| Bollinger Index
{ Price of a bottle Bollinger } |
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| N/A |
