Ledbury, The
Address:
127 Ledbury Road London W11 2AQ
Phone:
020 7792 9090
Website:
Rating:
Good For:
Mature vintages, Great Value, Champagne, Old World, New World, French
List Summary
WineChap is a great admirer of Nigel Platts-Martin (three of his restaurants are already featured) but can't help noting the similarities between the lists for the Ledbury and the Square. Whilst the sommeliers at both restaurants enjoy a degree of autonomy in choosing wines outside the central stockpile it is clear that any wine experience at one could easily be replicated at the other. Ergo - Feel free to apply the recommendations below to the Square and vice versa. Strength in depth in all areas, especially the jewels in the crown of Burgundy, Rhone and stickies. A few iconic wines are offered to titilate the denizens of Notting Hill.The Tasting menu is offered with an interesting selection of pairings for 38 supplement.
List Review Wine Key:
Sparkling
White
Rose
Red
Sweet
Fortified
| By The Glass { Most interesting available by the glass } |
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| Billecart-Salmon Rose NV | £14.50 |
| Riesling QmP 2007, Trocken, Sybille Kuntz, Mosel, Germany | £8.50 |
| Vino Nobile de Montepulciano DOCG 2007, Avignonesi, Tuscany, Italy | £11 |
| Tokaji Szamorodni 2006, Istvan Szepsy, Tokaj Hegyalja, Hungary | £14.50 |
| By The Half { Most interesting available by the half bottle } |
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| Condrieu 2007, Christophe Pichon, Rhône Valley | £48 |
| Clos Saint-Denis 1995, Domaine Dujac, Burgundy | £140 |
| Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2005, Le Salette, Veneto | £48 |
| Value Option { Best under £35/$50/bottom 20% of list PLUS any particularly rare bargains at ANY price point } |
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| Côtes du Rhône Villages 2008, Cairanne, Réserve des Seigneurs, L’Oratoire St Martin | £30 |
| Monastrell 2006, Alce | £32 |
| 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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 An impressive choice to match the style of the food, but without going over the top. | |
| Sancerre 2007, Les Monts Damnés, Gérard Boulay, Loire | £59 |
| Admittedly not the most adventurous of selections, but a splendid if conservative choice. Understated grapefruit, lively acidity, stony core and a surprisingly creamy honey-dew melon palate; undeniably a top-echelon Sancerre, this is Sauvignon at its best. |
| Godello 2007, As Sortes, Bodegas Rafael Palacios, Valdeorras DO, Spain | £57 |
| An intriguing wine that offers more of a break from the norm; the nose is an enticing blend of pineapple, banana and flowers with hints of chalky clay. This intriguing complexity continues on the palate; lemon peel and ripe white fruit, with some similarities to a modern-styled Corton Charlemagne. |
| Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005, Domaine du Ferrand, S. Rhone | £55 |
| A nose of smoked game and jammy black cherries; the palate is rich with chocolate, spicy dark plum, blackberries and herbs, nicely balanced with a touch of acidity. |
| Sicilia IGT, Passopisciaro 2005, Andrea Franchetti, Sicily | £57 |
| A blend of Petite Verdot and Cesanese; aromas of smoke, blueberries and blackberry jam - richly textured and sumptuous the palate brims with blueberries and blackberry jam with some spice on the finish. Impress by selecting a wine a little off the beaten track. |
| Off the Beaten Track |
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| Spoilt for choice here as the adventurous sommelier has some mouth-watering delights to tempt you to find a real discovery. | |
| Frühburgunder 2005, Auslese, Meyer-Näkel, Ahr | £100 |
| Pinot Nero 2007, Edoardo Miroglio, Nova Zagora – Elenovo DOC, Bulgaria | £35 |
| Cidre de Glace, Domaine Leduc-Piedimonte, Qu | £44 |
| The cider equivalent of ice wine. |
| 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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| Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1998, Blanc de Blanc, Brut | £118 |
| Puligny-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru 2002, Michel Bouzereau, Burgundy | £121 |
| Condrieu 2006, Mathilde et Yves Gangloff, Rhone | £95 |
| You?d be forgiven for not recognising this particular producer, the Gangloff?s are the very definition of boutique producers with little more than 5 acres of vineyards planed to grapes, but it is worth taking advantage of the opportunity when you do find them. |
| Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2004, Domaine de la Janasse, S. Rhone | £111 |
| Charmes Chambertin 2004, Domaine Arlaud, Cote de Nuits | £107 |
| 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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| Larmandier-Bernier, Terre de Vertus 1er Cru, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Nature | £85 |
| At just £85 this isn’t too much of a budget breaker to treat yourself with, but this is an exceptionally focused and distinctive wine; given the opportunity to open up it reveals interlacing layers of apricot, light acacia honey (in spite of the zero dosage) and graphite, cut through with energy and bright grapefruit flavours. This is certainly a complex champagne and a little off the beaten track, but the philosophy of Pierre and Sophie Larmandier is one to appreciate – they have a natural approach to viticulture “not for reasons of tradition … just because it makes sense”, with a passionate belief in terroir. The result? A range of pure, expressive and unique champagnes, it doesn’t always have to be all about the Grande Marques… (Biodynamic; 100% Chardonnay) |
| Montrachet 1997, Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Cote de Beaune, Burgundy | £1250 |
| This is actually astonishingly reasonably priced and offers an exceptional and seductive creamy palate of ripe pears, spice, crème brulee and hints of caramel. White Burgundy with a spot of age is such a rarity and it’s a luxury we couldn’t do without. |
| Savennieres 2004, Coulée de Serrant, Nicolas Joly, Loire | £95 |
| Château Léoville Las Cases 1982, 2ème Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, Bordeaux | £800 |
| Arguably this could be left for another decade for it to come into its own, this makes it all the more remarkable that this is already a rich and concentrated red showing inviting cassis, tar and herb aromatics and a complex palate of spice box, earth and ripe dark berries. |
| Monbazillac 1999, Cuvée Madame, Château Tirecul La Gravière, South West | £120 |
| Rich and long with heady notes of caramel, what more could one ask for? |
| Fonseca vintage port 1977 | £200 |
| 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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| A selection of single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinots from small iconic Californian wineries (Kistler, Brewer-Clifton etc) which are far too young to be fully enjoyed. | |
| Oh the Shame! |
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| see Infanticide. | |
| Crowd pleaser { Well known, trusted producer, region or varietal. No surprises, no disappointments } |
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| Chardonnay 2008, Ataraxia Wines, Western Cape, S.Africa | £36 |
| Grapefruit, white flowers, pear, lime and grilled almond aromas and flavours. Persistent yet elegant. |
| Pinot Noir 2007, Fromm Vineyard, Marlborough, New Zealand | £40 |
| Bright and fresh red forest berry characters. |
| House Wine Index
{ Number of House wines available by the glass & the mean price } |
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| 12 wines by the glass, average price £10.17 |
| Bollinger Index
{ Price of a bottle Bollinger } |
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| n/a |
