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1982 Bordeaux

By Mark | Published: March 4, 2010

In anticipation of our horizontal tasting of 1982 Bordeaux tonight, Mark shares his thoughts on the vintage and that man Parker.

1982 is often spoken about in the same breath as other great 20th century vintages such as ‘29, ‘45, ‘47, ‘59 and ‘61 – another of those candidates for ‘vintage of the century’ that come around every decade or so. Regardless of whether ‘82 was any better or worse than years it is compared to, there is little doubt that it was a fantastic vintage – and there can be no doubt whatsoever that it fundamentally changed the fabric of the fine wine world.

To be a truly great vintage, mother nature must be on your side. At the start of 1982’s growing season the excellent weather conditions brought an early and even flowering, giving the growers hope that the crop would be ripe and large (it proved to be the biggest on record up to that point). The good weather persisted as Bordeaux headed from a hot and dry summer in to a cooler but still dry September. When harvesting began midway through the month the vignerons were very happy – the must weights were high, ripeness levels superb and the crop was a bumper one.

Almost everywhere in the region had benefitted from the excellent conditions, although many winery’s failed to cope with both the large amount of fruit coming in from the vineyards (where to put it all?) and the temperatures (this was before widespread cooling technology). In Sauternes they suffered from torrential rain late in October, dashing hopes of a great year for them although a couple of chateaux still made some good sweet wines. The other blip came in Margaux (the commune rather than the Chateau), where conditions were not quite as optimum as they were throughout the rest of the Haut-Medoc (and, indeed the major right-bank appellations).

All in all, it was a thoroughly satisfactory vintage and many in the region were very excited. The great Emile Peynaud declared that he had never seen “such a level of richness and quantity together”. Joining the chorus was a French wine writer called Michel Bettane (now one of the world’s most famous commentators), who is credited as being the first voice in the media to ‘come out’ on the quality of the 1982 vintage. His pronouncements turned out to be the first in what would become an international debate.

The debate centred around disagreement as to whether 1982 was a good vintage, in the same way that ‘79 and ‘81 had been received as years that provided plenty of ‘good drinking claret’, or a spectacular vintage to rival the greats from the 40s, 50s and 60s. Many of the Chateau owners were very bullish about the quality of their fruit, although some doubts lingered due to the lower than usual acidities, higher than usual alcohol and bountiful crop – none of which implied to the traditionalists that these would be vins de garde.

Following the en primeur tastings during the spring of ‘83, the British merchants and press were impressed, although not as enthusiastic as Bettane had been. The consensus was that these were delicious wines that would provide generous early drinking and plenty of enjoyment, although they were not classically styled or structured enough to warrant buying for long-term cellaring.

The reaction in the U.S.A was similar, with plenty of positive noises but not much in the way of glowing praise. The major critics of the time were Terry Robards of the New York Times and Robert Finigan, who wrote a number of columns and published his own wine newsletter. Finigan’s newsletter was widely read around the time of the ‘82 debate and he had started relatively positive, reporting the excitement that had been generated amongst the region’s winemakers and chateau owners. However, once he had travelled to Bordeaux to taste cask samples for himself, that position changed. Finigan didn’t feel that the wines came close to justifying the hype and the March ‘83 edition of his newsletter told his readers this in no uncertain terms.

If the 1982 Bordeaux vintage was going to sell in the U.S.A, it would need someone to champion it and for people to listen. Stand up Robert Parker.

Robert Parker was a lawyer in Baltimore when he began writing the Wine Advocate, a publication that would go on to become the most influential in the wine world. By the early 80s the Advocate had built up a solid readership, although at this point it was #still something of a hobby and he wouldn’t walk away from the legal profession until 1984. He was looking and hoping for new subscribers and his blend of detailed analysis and enthusiastic tasting notes was turning an increasing number of heads. Of course there was the 100 point scale too, but the unabashed honesty and devout integrity of the Wine Advocate had given Parker an early reputation as a consumer champion. The 1982 vintage would get him a reputation as one of the world’s finest tasters.

Despite being relatively young and unknown, Parker had been travelling to France for a few years in the late 70s / early 80s. Talking with winemakers gave him invaluable insight, but tasting scores of wines from barrel and bottle had also equipped him with tasting experience that would prove to be invaluable during his visit in early ‘83.

After his return from tasting the ‘82s in Bordeaux, Parker was certain that they would be spectacular wines that would rival the best of the 20th century and prove to be an excellent investment for anyone buying on the ‘wine futures’ market. According to Elin McCoy in her book ‘Emperor of Wine’, Parker considered Bordeaux ‘82 to be “the best wine buys since he started tasting wine in 1968”. He couldn’t wait to get the next edition of the Advocate out to his readers and share the good news – even more so when he spoke to the lukewarm Terry Robards and the downright frosty Robert Finigan, who were happy to share with Parker their opinions on the ‘82s. When the Wine Spectator came out in mild praise, Parker really was the only American critic left that was waxing lyrical and his newsletter was littered with adjectives and superlatives that have become familiar to readers of the Advocate – ‘prodigious’, ‘stunning’, ‘blockbuster’ and the like.

Of course, the wine retailers were pleased to see a critic go positive on the wines – they had to sell them after all – and wine merchants all over the country got behind Parker’s version of events. They filled their displays and mailers with references to the Wine Advocate, quoting tasting notes and scores and pointing out that Parker was one of very few journalists in the world that had tasted the ‘82s thoroughly and repeatedly. Buyers took notice and in addition to buoyant sales of ‘82 Bordeaux, Parker had found the boost to subscriptions that the Advocate had been crying out for. Sales of the newsletter began to rise exponentially on the back of all the publicity Parker was receiving – Finigan’s newsletter stumbled on for a few years before being wound up.

Unhappy that his team had missed out on catching the ‘82 story early (or, indeed, accurately) Marvin Shanken of the Wine Spectator ran an article by the (then new) European correspondent James Suckling that was very enthusiastic about the vintage – the tide of opinion had turned and within a few years the common consensus would reflect Parker’s original assessment. But it always remained Parker’s assessment and the one that took him from being the editor of a regional wine newsletter to the most powerful journalist in the wine world.

The rest is history, from the hegemony of the 100 point scale to the perceived homogenisation of wine styles and all the other anti-Parker rhetoric that floats about the wine trade. But love him, respect him or loathe him, it was the ‘82 vintage that facilitated his rise to prominence.

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2009 – The Annual

By Mark | Published: January 4, 2010

The dust is yet to settle, but it is already apparent that 2009 was the most successful year (and Christmas trading period) to date for the team at Roberson Wine. Obviously we are all delighted, especially as this time last year it was nigh on impossible to find anyone that was feeling positive about life on the high street.

The big project behind the scenes this year has been working more directly and establishing relationships with growers and domaines. It has been a pleasure (and an adventure) getting over to France and meeting winemakers that have added enormously to the wines on offer at Roberson. The fruits of these forays have already started to filter through on to the shop floor (and wine lists at some of London’s best restaurants) but it is also a case of ‘watch this space’ as we have some very interesting wines set to arrive in the new year.

Highlight of the year:

On a personal level, and I would like to think for the company and our customers too, it has to be the November trip to Burgundy and the Rhône Valley. Myself and Joe spent a week driving thousands of miles and tasting hundreds of wines across two of France’s most important winemaking areas with the goal of finding enough gems to make the trip worthwhile.

And we did. There was a feeling of elation after tasting at domaines like Marc Colin, Thomas Morey, Hubert Chavy, Goubert and Marc Sorrel. All were fantastic for different reasons, but knowing that you have either secured an allocation of spectacular wine or ‘discovered’ a producer that isn’t represented in the UK was a great feeling.

Best wine under £10:

Has to be 2007 Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains from Domaine Dupont-Tisserandot, as predicted this time last year. Possibly the best example I’ve tasted of this rarely seen appellation and such a versatile wine that sales have been consistent right through the year. Let’s hope the 2008 picks up where the ’07 left off!

2007 ‘La Dame’ from Mas des Dames has also been a resounding success and one of the best selling wines in the shop since its arrival in late summer. I don’t remember seeing a wine become so popular, so quickly with regular customers.

Another great seller for us this year and arguably the best value wine in the shop was 2008 Falerio from Saladini Pilastri. This fresh and crisp white wine from North-Eastern Italy stole the show at our ‘Summer Open Evening’ tasting – which is not surprising considering how good it is for only £7.95. As the weather warms up we expect sales for Falerio to take off again.

Special mentions must also go to 2007 Coteaux-du-Giennois by Guy Saget, 2007 ‘Les Nuages’ Pinot Noir and 2008 Sangiovese I.G.T from Castello Querceto.

Best wine under £20:

When you taste and sell as many different wines as we do at Roberson, it is easy to forget the classics – those wines that have graced the shelves for many years and provide the backdrop to all the small parcels and ‘flavours of the month’ that come and go. One of these is getting better and better every year (to be expected from decent claret, I suppose): 2001 Château de Candale Haut-Médoc. Peak drinking right now and still a bargain, many of our regular customers have been lucky enough to chart the progress of this delicious wine since we started stocking the ’01 vintage a couple of years ago.

One of my wines of the year was 2003 Le Soula Blanc by Roussillon legend Gerard Gauby. Mineral laden, fresh as a daisy and almost salty, it took me a few minutes to decide whether I loved it or hated it. Once I’d decided that I loved it I couldn’t get enough and to be honest I think it was a wine that opened my mind (and palate) a little more. The oxidative aspect takes a little getting used to, but now im well and truly sold on southern French whites.

Finally, the bargain of the year has to be 2005 ‘Bien Nacido’ Syrah from Qupé, which we were selling for £18.95. It was absolutely superb and one of those wines where it was sad to see the final bottle leave.

Best wine under £60:

So many candidates to choose from here, but one of the better ones was 1985 Côte-Rotie ‘Brune et Blonde’ from Guigal. We sat around after the Sylvain Cathiard tasting to serve this blind and were very impressed with how concentrated it was, with most of the group guessing it was far younger than its 25 years. Superb stuff for £47.95.

Another stunning bargain that was surprisingly fresh was 1970 Muga Rioja Reserva. At £29.95 this was worth a punt and it proved to be absolutely delicious. In actual fact, I drank this at home with my parents (they are avid Muga drinkers) and it went down a treat.

Finally, one of my favourite winemakers in the world – 1997 Barbaresco Santo Stefano by Bruno Giacosa for £59.95. Needless to say that the 6 bottles we bought lasted all of 5 minutes although one of those was consumed by me, Gav and friends over dinner. Absolutely delicious and one of my wines of the year.

Best wine from the fine wine tastings:

Always a difficult one. Last year one of my votes was 2000 Romanee-St-Vivant by Sylvain Cathiard. Well we had it again as part of the Cathiard tasting and it was every bit as good as the year before. The Barolo v Barbaresco 1998 tasting was one of the best in terms of the overall standard of the wines and 1998 Barolo ‘Rocche del Falletto’ by Bruno Giacosa was jaw-droppingly good. 1974 Vega Sicilia Unico was just one of a collection of spectacular wines at the Vega Sicilia tasting and the 1961 Leoville-Barton was a great way to end a wonderful tasting of Anthony Barton’s wines.  A special mention should go to 1998 Grange des Peres Blanc, which I and a couple of others at the Languedoc Icons tasting thought was superb.

However, if I had to choose one I think it would have to be 1979 Echezeaux from DRC. The ’69 was also fantastic, but the extra life in the ’79 added to the depth of complexity made it a memorable wine indeed.

Worst wine from the fine wine tastings:

There were a few duds to be honest, although that is to be expected when you take a few risks and try and create ‘interesting’ tastings. 2004 Echezeaux from Confuron-Cotetidot was a shocker, but perhaps a casualty of the vintage more than a reflection of the grower. 2004 Hermitage ‘La Chapelle’ from Jaboulet was punching well below its weight and 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon from Dunn Vineyards was perhaps the stingiest wine of the year.

The winner (or loser) though had to be 1995 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru ‘Cros Parantoux’ from Meo-Camuzet. It split the group between those that loved it and loathed it, although there were definitely more in the second camp. Complex? Hidden depth? Maybe, but it just seemed dusty, musty and devoid of any interest to me which would be a shame if I’d stumped up the £500+ out of my own pocket.

Highlight of the fine wine tastings:

Staying behind after the ‘Burgundy Promotion/Demotion’ tasting to drink 1990 Meursault from Coche-Dury with a group of like-minded wine folk. Probably the best wine tasting experience I’ve ever had.

Best red/white of 2009:

The best wines I drunk all year, anywhere? 1998 Richebourg by Domaine Leroy and 1990 Meursault from Coche-Dury.

Wines we could’ve sold out 10 times over:

The aforementioned 1997 Barbaresco Santo Stefano by Bruno Giacosa and 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape from Château Fortia. The Giacosa disappeared in record time, whereas the Fortia sat there until a few people had tried it and then we almost had a fight over who got the buy the rest.

Also, 2008 Mas des Dames Rosé. I only bought 5 cases of this when we began working with the domaine and they were sold within a week – that was in August and we haven’t seen it since, although the 2009 should be here in the next few months. I’ll be sure to reserve more next time….

Wine that nobody wanted to buy:

2008 Monty’s Red. Last year I wrote “We sold every bottle we had after the last episode of the series but people are still asking for the stuff. Amazing what a bit of TV coverage can achieve”.

Unfortunately it is also amazing what a lack of TV coverage can achieve. Candidate for the January bin-end sale?

Most interesting visitors to the shop:

As usual lots of fascinating wine personalities took part in our tastings – Jancis Robinson, Michael Broadbent, Neal Martin, Steven Spurrier, Julia Harding to name but a few. It is always great to welcome experts like this to our events as they add so much to the experience for the rest of us tasters. Let’s hope that we see more of them all next year!

In terms of winemakers, the guys from Frog’s Leap in California were wonderful company and we had great fun with them at an instore tasting for the staff. Sebastiano Rosa from Sassicaia was honest, candid and very very interesting.

Best of all though had to be Paul Draper. An absolute gentleman and legend of the wine trade.

Biggest disagreement between the team on a wine:

We were actually pretty close on most things this year. There was the 1997 Clarenden Hills Merlot that Joe and Ben loved but Cliff hated. And there was the Charles Joguet Chinons that Joe hated but I loved.

Perhaps the biggest chasm came over the wines of La Peira, a new icon domaine in the Languedoc with massive Parker scores (well, Schildknecht scores). I think their wines are stunning and some of the most exciting I tasted all year. Joe thought they were over made. We had their top wine from ’06 at the stars of the Languedoc tasting and the group was split. Half on my side, half on Joe’s!

Most embarrassing moment:

The moment when me and Joe arrived at the new Vincent Jaboulet domaine in the Rhône Valley.

Vincent is a big man (with a big moustache) and comes from one of the most important families in wine so I was relishing the opportunity to meet him and make another prestigious contact in the wine world. Joe stepped forward with his best ‘bonjour’ and a shake of the hand. I followed behind expecting a similar greeting, when out of the blue he grabbed me by the cheeks and exclaimed to all in the vicinity that ‘you have the head of a baby!’ while shaking me back and forth.

From what I can gather, he was somewhat surprised that a man of my tender age (6months apparently) was legally allowed to buy wine!

Predictions for 2010:

1) Sales of Mas des Dames to continue upward. I am convinced that this domaine will become a Roberson Wine stalwart over the next few years – they are already heralded as one of the most exciting estates in France and next year we will be adding the white wine to the two reds and the rosé. There will also be magnums and at some point a top-secret wine made from the oldest vines at the domaine (it is still ageing in barrel and has no name at this point). Definitely more to come from Mas des Dames.

2) Beaujolais to gain increasing credibility. I have been known in Roberson circles for my dislike of Bojo for some time, but recently the noise coming from a lot of artisanal producers in the top villages has got too loud to ignore. I think that top quality Beaujolais from small producers will take off in a big way over the next few years and that will start in 2010.

3) 2009 Bordeaux to be BIG. The ground is already shaking on the run-up to the biggest en primeur campaign since ’05. Hype or not, the big spenders will be out in force for this one.

4) People to spend more. We’ve definitely felt the purse strings loosening over the last few months and that will continue in 2010. I think people are sick of austerity and while it will be years before we get back to where we were, the smiles are starting to creep back on to people’s faces.

5) England to win the world cup! I think we’ve genuinely got a chance this time, although it has more to do with the lack of top drawer opposition than us being world beaters. Get the champagne on ice!

Good luck for the year ahead and happy drinking!

Posted in General Musings, Tastings | 1 Comment

Christmas Quiz

By Joe | Published: December 29, 2009

Happy Christmas from Roberson.

Every year, once I have downed around half a bottle of Burgundy, I feel prepared to set the annual quiz. Marks are deducted for picking apart my questions and general facaetiousness.

Please find below a small section for you to ponder over during this quiet lull between Christmas and the New Year.

1. Who founded Penfolds Grange? In what year?

2. What 1990’s vintages were famously disappointing for:

i) Mouton Rothschild

ii) Denis Mortet

3. Put the following Napa wines in ascending price order for the 1997 vintage:

i) Harlan Estate

ii) Screaming Eagle

iii) Shafer Hillside Select

iv) Peter Michael Les Pavots

4. Which Rhone producer, famous for parting company with his old family domaine when it was taken over by the Frey family, said that Mark had a face ‘like a baby’?

5. Olivier Leflaive is what relation to Anne-Claude

6. Patrick Essa at Domaine Buisson Charles is related to a famous Meursault-based grower, who?

7. Name 5 Bordeaux properties owned by Gerard Perse.

8. Name 5 Chapoutier Selection Parcellaire wines.

9. What is a Marie Jeanne?

10. Who makes Bin 60A and from what grape?

11. What wines are Benjamin Romeo associated with?

12. Where is the Bordeaux wine Marojallia made?

13. Peter Michael owns a restaurant and hotel in England, where?

14. What is a Vaslin?

15. What is the oldest bottle for sale in Roberson?

16. Why was Homer’s line: ‘The wine dark sea’  important to historians?

17. What was the favourite wine of Napolean?

18. Churchill?

19. James Joyce?

20. The favourite tipple of Hunter S Thompson

21. Francis Bacon

22. Who makes the Sauternes Cuvee Madame?

23. What is proposed to go through the heart of the Mosel valley?

24. Which way should the Port be passed?

Bonne Chance, see you in 2010!

Joe

Posted in General Musings | Leave a comment

The Road to Rhone – Day 1

By Joe | Published: December 8, 2009

You have got your passport haven’t you Mark?

With those seven words horror passed through the car as we realized the long drive to Burgundy was going to get even longer. Still, the way I figured it, everyone is allowed to forget their passport once in their life, if you do it for a second time, you’re an idiot. I have forgotten it once, and pray I have learned my lesson.

Sure enough, by the time we settled down in our room in Beaune at midnight we were pretty beat but also excited about the packed itinerary we had for the next week, seeing some of the most exciting producers in the Rhone Valley and Burgundy in a week long sourcing trip

Monday morning. Washed and groomed, I poked my head out of the hotel window to a crisp Burgundy morning with a wonderful blue sky. As coffee (and a cup of tea that Mark was so disgusted by he didn’t even touch it) further eased us (well, me anyway) into the day, we set off on the short drive to Puligny Montrachet to a visit with Olivier Leflaive, one of the biggest personalities in the village.

With lots of changes in the UK market this year, our ‘intentions’ were immediatletly questioned by Olivier before heading to a tasting with Franck Grux  the winemaker.

Grux sharpened his teeth working for Guy Roulot in Meursault before joining Olivier in 1988. He went on to describe some of the hallmarks of the 2008 vintage. Low yields, uneven ripening but good balance and ripeness. We tasted through the Bourgogne Rouge, the village, premier and grand cru’s and found some impeccable wines with purity and freshness, for me perhaps almost too correct and lacking a bit of personality. Saying that, the power of some of the top wines made me think that these should last very well and the visit really reinforced the reliability of Oliver as a top source of beautiful, straight-down-the-line, quality Burgundy.

Making our excuses to leave the lovely meal at his restaurant we had been invited to we headed to Chavy-Chouet in Meursault.

What a contrast. From the polished oak boardroom and modern winery of Olivier Leflaive, we turned up to what looked like a slightly down-at-heel village farm, complete with dogs and assorted farming equipment. I wandered around, trying to find someone to talk to. Only managing a low level conversation with a wheezing English Bulldog (with most of the conversation coming from me) we couldn’t work out what was going on. Where was everyone? The doors were all open but no-one seemed to be in. After a couple of phone-calls, the young Romaric Chavy turned up. Dressed in a shell-suit, his hands were dirty from coming straight from the vineyards. No urbane ambassador here, just a hard-working man doing what turned out to be amazing things with his vineyards. The history of Domaine Chavy-Chouet is a mixed one. A large proportion of the wine was sold in the past to local negociants and it was only with Romaric that complete Domaine bottling came, a few years ago.

Romaric is a young guy, but one with broad horizons. After working at Radford Dale in South Africa he joined the Viticultural Institute in Beaune and got to work early in his father’s Domaine. Clearly there is still significant work to be done here, yet the buzz we heard in the UK was fully justified in the wines. Romaric is blessed with some great vineyards and he does them justice. The style is not one for long ageing, rather it is one of minerality, pure fruit, and, above all, great balance. What’s more, these wines are all remarkably fair priced. This is a domaine that we left in a state of some excitement about. It just felt right.

Speaking of feeling right, it was about now that my famous aversion to rich French food was kicking in, and I made my first stop to the chemist to get some milk of magnesia. I didn’t feel right.

Stomach fortified, we enjoyed a rather lovely lunch in Meursault and a moment of Ministry of Defense style madness, where I left the highly sensitive Roberson ‘Dossier’ of appointments in the restaurant.

Dossier recovered, we GPS’d our way to Santenay to an appointment with Lucien Muzard in Santenay, a producer who looks set to be considered the finest producer in the village.

Claude resembles Mel Gibson, with something of a strapping physicality, while bespectacled Hervé has an erudite air. They complement each other well, and they consider themselves a part of a distinguished tradition of wine-making that has existed in this proud village for centuries (the Muzard family traces its lineage in Santenay back to 1645). Their wines emphasize fruit and terroir, with new oak playing no more than a supporting role. Typical for Santenay, roughly 95% of Claude and Hervé’s production is in red wine

Now Santenay, I must confess, always feel leaves me a little cold. I know that it’s easy to call a wine ‘rustic’ and to ignore its charms, because, lets face it, not every village has the exposure of Vosne or Chambolle, but it’s just not one of my favourites. Saying that, the wines we tried were great, and the whole operation exuded class on every level. The premier crus were wines of real excellence and really transcended the appellation.

From Muzard, we went on to Domaine Bouzereau-Gruere, now run by Marie-Anne and Marie-Laure, Hubert’s two daughters. Having trained wit Jacques Carrillon, one of Puligny’s greatest growers, Marie-Anne is more than qualified to make top white Burgundy, while her sister, Marie-Laure, has taken the commercial reins. Going down to the cellars, we tasted through the whole range of 2008’s. We liked the wines, they had good definition, good fruit. Perhaps a little nondescript for me, if I’m being harsh. But built so well, with great acidity and length. It’s difficult, because commercialism comes into the equation, but we felt that these wines would be difficult to work with.

After tasting what must have been around 40 wines, we had a quick bite at La Vieux Vigneron in Rue Magdelaine, where Mark had snails, and I had pig’s trotter, which unsurprisingly was a bad move as it didn’t agree with me and my haughty stomach at all.

A couple of Heinekens later, we were ready to turn in, as we had another packed day of tastings tomorrow and another early start.

Day two to follow….

Posted in Outside Roberson, Tastings, Winemakers and Experts | Leave a comment

Dinner at L’Astrance, Paris

By Joe | Published: November 16, 2009

Continuing the Roberson ‘Hedonists Gazette’ part of the blog, it was with some excitement I sat down to lunch at L’Astrance, one of the most talked-about restaurants in France. Receiving its third Michelin star in 2006, this is a three star restaurant like no other, a fact that becomes clear very quickly. The dining room is smart but relaxed, with 8 tables on ground floor level and a small mezzanine level with another 3 tables. In total, only 25 covers are served in a single setting and bookings are consequently hard to come by, especially considering it opens only four days a week.

The service is relaxed, waiters don’t follow you to the toilet, refold your napkin, or hover around you keen to replace your glasses or provide some unspecified service.

So what is it that makes the place so special? Well, the food and the philosophy. In the recent book ‘Au Revoir To All That’, a history of French cuisine is unfolded by Michael Steinberger where he makes a compelling case that restaurants like this are the future of fine dining.

Stripping away the conventions of the ‘ego restaurant’ where diners are ushered in to worship at the alter of famous chefs, the joyfully unpretentious Pascal Barbot at L’Astrance has a simple mission, to cook the best food he can in his environment, with no concessions to staid tradition, Michelin stars, or any outside influence. This is cooking with real integrity, intelligence and a commitment to quality of ingredient that is really, genuinely inspiring.

A working day in the restaurant starts with Pascal arriving at the wholesale market outside Paris to source ingredients for the days menu, of which there is only one ten course choice. Around two hours are spent discussing the ingredients with suppliers, including in some cases tasting through dozens of lots before making his selection.

The food is at once complex and simple. His style is for light food with citrus flavours, no doubt influenced by his time cooking in Australia and as the meal progresses, there is still a feeling of freshness, right to the end where proceedings came to an end with fresh fruit (this may sound odd but worked very well in context), chestnut honey madeleines, and a fantastic eggnog, or “lait de poule”, served in an eggshell.

The Menu:

Brioche tiède, beurre à la sauge et citron

Cuiller de Parmesan crémeux

Wines:

2004 Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Combettes Carillon

2004 Andre Ostertag Pinot Gris 3504

Both wines showed beautifully, the Combettes was still quite primary but quite superb, with great underlying acidity and minerality. For me, a little young but will be quite outstanding in a couple of years. The Ostertag was a lovely contrast, quite Condrieu like in character, ripe and hedonistic with floral notes.

Velouté  de potiron, yaourt au gingembre, lait à la fève Tonka

Langoustines pochées,  Salade d’herbes à l’huile d’olive et citron confit

Saint-Pierre, pâte de noix de coco épicée, chou au pamplemousse

Filet mignon de cochon cuisiné aux cèpes, parmesan fondu

Wines:

2001 Gevrey Chambertin Lavaux St Jaques Armand Rousseau

1990 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Chateau Beaucastel

So different in style, the Beaucastel was showing beautifully, such an elegant CNDP, with an almost Bordeaux nose on. At its peak.

Canard cuit au sautoir, pâte de curry noir, légumes d’automne, jus de cuisson

Compote de Lièvre

Piment et citronnelle en sorbet

Palet au chocolat noir, sauce caramel

Cappuccino amande, feuille de riz grillé, noix et pruneau mariné

Wines:

1978 Sercial Barbeito

Tiramisu à  notre façon

Lait de poule au jasmin

Mignardises, Fruits frais

Posted in Evenings Out, Outside Roberson | Leave a comment

Jancis Robinson MW at our Echezeaux Tasting

By Ben | Published: October 16, 2009

Last night’s Echezeaux tasting contained some fascinating wines, everybody seemed to enjoy themselves, and we were very lucky to be joined by various luminaries from the wine world.

Here shop manager and tall cameraman Joe talks through the wines, good and bad with Jancis Robinson MW.

Posted in Tastings, Video Blog, Winemakers and Experts | Leave a comment

Visiting Domaine Ott

By Joe | Published: October 14, 2009

It was a bit like turning up for a blind date, casting my eyes around Heathrow terminal five, trying to identify my companions for a trip to Domaine Ott, who, I realised I had no contact details for. Luckily, there seemed a group who looked like they had just met each other and were talking about wine, and looking suitably worn out from the late night and early start I guessed they must have been sommeliers.

Getting out to a surprisingly sunny Provence day, we set off on the hour drive to Clos Mireille, one of the three estates owned by the Ott Family. After the usual confusion of trying to find someone who knew something about our arrival, we were met by the charming Christopher Renard, ‘the silver fox’ who wasted no time in pouring a glass of Château de Selle to go with some delicious crudités. Whilst getting re-introduced to this great wine, we had a chance to look at the marvellous accommodation at the property. Recently redesigned, it had the look of an interior straight from the pages of a magazine. The floors were concrete, the walls were concrete, it had the look of a car park, albeit with amazing lighting and antiques, very striking. I don’t think it suited the tastes of our escort Charles King, the MD of Maison Marques et Domaine, the UK importer. Over the day we tried their Domaniers wines, entry-level cuvees which were deliciously fresh and very much in the Domaine style. After lunch we were taken to the beach where we frolicked around like small children on a day trip. Worryingly, there was a TV camera there as some film producers were making a documentary about the estate, Baywatch it was not. Following this embarrassing spectacle, and my clever ‘how far can you throw a rock into the sea’ competition, we showered and dressed for dinner.

ott

With the Clos Mireille, we enjoyed a fantastic Cerviche of Salmon, something I always seem to get whenever I go to France. It went superbly well with the Clos Mireille Blanc de Blancs, a blend of Semillon and Ugni Blanc. Interestingly, this was the wine that forged the reputation of Domaine Ott, and it’s only with time that it has switched over to the Rose. The wine has a certain saline character, that allied with the lemon freshness of the Semillon went superbly with the fish. For the main course, we had some very tender roast lamb, served with the Bandol Rouge from Château Romassin, a cherry infused, spicy and juicy red, which I have to say, I like, but not nearly as much as the other wines of the estate, not that that stopped me from polishing off my glass with gusto. After dinner the more hardy palates tackled some rare Ott Marc de Provence, which was lovely, but attacked us with a vengeance the morning after.

Next day, after picking some grapes for the 2009 vintage  we headed to Château de Selle, where we saw the winemaking team in action in the middle of harvest and tasted the rest of the range, including a 1998 Domaine Ott Rose, which must be a bit of a rarity. I found it tasty but with quite an oxidative character creeping in to the point where I would advise early drinking on all of these wines. Still, at least we didn’t try the oldest wine in their reserves, a 1932 Clos Mireille Blanc, which looked a horrific colour.

After flying back and getting back home, despite the best efforts of our taxi driver, I restored culinary equilibrium with a bland baked potato. Can’t be having too much luxury!

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Bollinger Visit Roberson

By Ben | Published: October 13, 2009

The good people from Bollinger stopped in today to remind us of how good their wines all are.

They even brought with them a reserve wine from the 2004 vintage, their Pinot Noir from Verzenay. This is one of the 200 that make up the blend of what you see on the shelf, and was certainly interesting in this state. See this being mulled over and explained by the experts themselves below.

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Brotherhood of the Wine Socks

By Mark | Published: October 9, 2009

As a committed Burgundophile I have dreamed of one day being invited to join the ‘Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin’. It is a place where the crème de la crème of wine makers, merchants and writers come together to share the finest and rarest wines of Burgundy – and perhaps the world’s most illustrious drinking club.

I say perhaps, because there is a now a rival to this 200 year old club of wine geeks. After a number of unofficial soirées at various locations around London, I can now report on the first official meeting of the ‘Confrérie des Chaussettes du Vins’ (Brotherhood of the Wine Socks).

It is difficult work finding a BYO restaurant in London that serves wine friendly food, but Thomas booked a table for us at a Maida Vale Italian eatery called Daniella’s Lounge – lovely pasta and, more importantly, they have no problem with us arriving clutching bottles for an evening of blind tasting.

Without further ado we ordered some Bruscheta and Thomas poured the first wine. Mid-yellow in colour, the nose was full of citrus, smoke and nuts with a gentle oxidative note in the background. Now im not claiming to be the greatest blind taster in the world (or even the room), but I was on to this straight away. White Rioja is one of those styles that sticks in the mind and I came out with my verdict early, placing the vintage somewhere in the late ‘90s.

Matt, who had arrived late and not been privy to my musings, decided on Priorat while the other guesses focused on the Rhône. Neither were bad shouts, but the sock came off and a 1981 Vina Tondonia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva was revealed. Despite getting the wine right, I was astonished that the vintage was ’81 as the wine was so vibrant and youthful that I felt it had years left in the tank. I really enjoyed this and with the right food it would be a revelation, but some of the group were not quite as enthusiastic – “Sharp, light and slightly astringent. Interesting but not sure I like this” was Thomas’s verdict, which was a shame really considering that he brought it!

Next it was Matt’s turn to do the pouring. This was another interesting white, but the nose was so tight that it was difficult to discern much early on. The palate was silky with a vaguely exotic backdrop of white flowers and spices, but to be honest I was flummoxed. Part of me was saying white Burgundy, but it certainly wasn’t textbook – I settled for an unconventional Côte d’Or white from the late ‘90s, although im not quite sure exactly what I was thinking of.

The others were a bit better than me, but there was a lot of umming and ahhing over Puligny or Northern Rhône. The minerality, poise and underlying tension hinted at it being a serious wine, but all of us were surprised to see a 1992 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru ‘Clavoillon’ revealed. Once we knew what it was it all became clear (of course) but over the next couple of hours this wine really revealed its true colours. As room temperature approached the nose exploded into a cacophony of orange peel, white flowers and toast spread with butter and honey. Ally got petals, peaches and pineapple and noted how the development with temperature was unbelievable. Matt, who has had this wine many times, described it as “A good case for mature white burgundy and for decanting to room temp”. The entire confrérie was in agreement.

As soon as Ben had poured the next wine I got vinous déjà-vous, as the nose was pungent with vegetal funk. Cabbage, mushrooms and an afterthought of dark berry fruit. The others felt it was fruitier than I did – all I could smell was stewed vegetables. In retrospect I can’t believe I didn’t get this, but as the sock came off and a 1990 Château de la Roche aux Moins Anjou stood before us we couldn’t believe that no one had guessed Cabernet Franc.

This was a fascinating wine from a great vintage and my first opportunity to taste Nicolas Joly’s red wine. I say fascinating rather than delicious because while it was certainly interesting, im not sure I would ever drink a whole bottle out of choice.

Ally had not taken part in any of the previous meetings and as a result he was sockless – not a problem however as he had craftily wrapped the next bottle in tissue paper and poured everyone a glass without compromising the identity.

Glasses were lifted to noses in unison and everyone realised immediately that we were dealing with red Burgundy (about time!). I already knew what I was drinking, but Thomas, Matt and Ben were all correct in presuming that it was from the Côte de Nuits. Thomas (fellow Burgundy geek that he is) began whittling it down to vintage by discounting ’96/’99 (not enough tannin), ’93 (not enough acidity) or ’91, ’92, ’94 (the wine was in too good shape). He plumped for ’90 or ’95 but was surprised to learn that it was 1997 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru ‘Vaucrains’. Not that we were surprised at drinking a delicious Henri Gouges wine, just that ’97 is a vintage that has never really excited – and yet this Gouges was generous, silky and still youthful. Lots of concentration, fruit and primary pinot character. Matt likened it to a compost heap in August, still fresh and green (or perhaps that should be red) at the moment but promising to get dirtier, earthier and mushroomier as time goes by. Ally felt that it needed at least another couple of years to begin showing its true potential.

Now it was my turn, so with sock encased wine in hand I poured the final samples of the night. I had a feeling that the group would struggle with my choice and I was proved right.

Giacosa in a SockFunnily enough, everybody was quite sure of many things that is definitely wasn’t. Too robust for Burgundy, too dry for Rhône, not dark enough for Cabernet, too good to be anything obscure. Ally picked out the tar and cherries, but couldn’t nail the wine. Ben, Matt and Thomas all plumped for Pinot Noir – perhaps a hot Burgundy vintage or a quality New-World effort? None of the above im afraid. 1997 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco ‘Santo Stefano’ it was and the group was in agreement that it was a fantastic effort by the ‘Professor of Nebbiolo’.

We were all really impressed with this, as I always am when drinking Giacosa’s wines. The man is truly a winemaking genius. Soft but structure and atrong. Supple, elegant, layered, complex. Full of fruit but not at all one dimensional. Still time to develop with this wine and I made sure I bought another bottle as soon as I got to work so that I can taste it again 3 or 4 years from now and see where it has gone.

And that was that. A wonderful evening of great wine and wine geekery that proved how bad we all are at blind tasting! Clearly more practice required…….

Posted in Evenings Out, General Musings, Outside Roberson | 1 Comment

Stars of Southern France Tasting

By Mark | Published: October 2, 2009

The Tasting Room

The latest instalment of our fine wine tasting program kicked off last thursday with a look at the ‘Legends of Southern France’. As you all know Burgundy is my first love in the world of wine, but once the Côte d’Or is taken out of the equation it is the sunny climes of Mediterranean France that are the object of my affection. I love the diversity of the wines of Provence, Languedoc and Roussillon, not to mention the artisanal nature of so many of the vignerons and the concerted push for quality that has taken place over the past 10 years.

At Chez Roberson it is the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy get most of the attention, so it was a pleasure to shine our light somewhere else for a change.

We got started with a flight of two white wines: 1996 Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc and 1998 Grange des Peres Blanc. Just from looking at the wines it was clear we were dealing with two very different beasts – the GdP was still a vibrant lemony yellow, while the Daumas was doing an excellent impersonation of Madeira.

With some trepidation we approached the Daumas, but low and behold it was still alive. Not only that, it was a fascinating wine that, although slightly madeirized, was full of red apple flavoured life. There was a honeyed sweetness to it that lingered on the finish. Needless to say, every bottle we had was sold to a couple of the tasters that were smitten with its unique flavours.

The GdP was more up my street and was still tasting remarkably young. Round, smooth and buttery, ’98 was a wonderful vintage and this very rare wine was a great example of how long lived the region’s best whites can be.

Flight two was all about Roussillon and pitted a rising star against the established king. The 2006 Clot de l’Oum ‘Numero Uno’ is the top wine from a domaine that burst on to the scene with their first vintage in 2001 and has since garnered critical acclaim from many of the top commentators. The group was impressed with the concentration and minerality on the palate, but felt that it finished a little short. The same could not be said about the 2003 Domaine Gauby ‘Muntada’, a wine with a fearsome reputation (95 points from Robert Parker) that had us all expecting a blockbuster. Spectacular it was, blockbuster it most certainly wasn’t – the elegance and balance on show in this wine was something to behold, especially considering the heat of the ’03 vintage and the concentration Gauby gets from his 125 year old Carignan vines. ’03 Muntada was a tour de force and the perfect riposte to those that will have you believe the Roussillon is only capable of yielding rustic country wines.

Next we moved on to Provence and the first stop was a tiny domaine that has attracted attention for making some of the most singular wines in France. Terre Inconnue (unknown land) is the play-thing of chemist Robert Creus, who turned his passion for wine into a collection of vines around St Series, between Montpellier and Nîmes. The 2003 Terre Inconnue ‘Los Abuelos’ had softened a little since its youth but was still almost port-like in its concentration and rich, sweet spiritiness. It was a wine that divided the group between those that loved it (and there was a few) and those, like me, that were left bemused by what they had just tasted. It was strangely Moorish and drew me back for another sip once or twice, but could I drink a whole glass? I doubt it.

Whereas Terre Inconnue is an unconventional newcomer, the second wine in this flight was from a domaine that has established itself as one of Southern France’s most respected producers. The 2000 Domaine de Trevallon is a wine that I have drunk on a couple of occasions and its performance at the tasting lived up to my expectations. It was full of Cabernet flavours (the blend is Cab/Syrah) and beautifully elegant yet generous on the palate. There were some murmurings about whether Trevallon is worth the near £50 retail price, but for me it is far better than many Clarets available at this price.

Flight four saw us move to the Languedoc and more specifically the area around Pezenas, a beautiful town that is certainly worth a visit if you are over that way. First up was 2001 Prieuré de St-Jean de Bébian, the top cuvée from one of the oldest wine making estates in the world (monks began making wine there back in the 1100s). This is a wine that Languedoc lovers rave about, but our tasting group were slightly less enthused about it. It certainly wasn’t a bad wine in anyway, just a little pedestrian. There was plenty of primary fruit, but it never really got going on the palate – not much in the way of complexity unfortunately.

If it was complexity we wanted, the next wine delivered in spades. 1998 Peyre Rose ‘Syrah Leone’ was a dense concoction of dark fruit and minerals on the nose, with a gentle medicinal note in the background. On the palate it was beautifully concentrated, with juicy forest fruits layered on top of leather and chocolate notes. This is not a cheap wine and will always be a difficult sell for any wine merchant, but my experience of their wines has made it one of my favourite producers and the ’98 only served to reinforce that. Delicious.

Moving slightly to the north-east, flight five featured two wines from the Terrases du Larzac. This is a region that has been getting a lot of press recently and is talked about as being the best terroir in the Languedoc.

First up was a wine from a producer that I had the pleasure of visiting recently – 2006 La Pèira en Damaisèla. This is a domaine that I am a big, big fan of and the commitment to quality is evident through their entire range of wines.

The La Pèira itself is their top cuvee and a wine that I expected to be met with universal approval by the group, but in reality it seemed to polarise opinion. Everybody agreed that it was beautifully made but some tasters felt that it was a little too polished, lacking some of the charming rusticity that many Languedoc wines have. It is certainly ‘international’ in style and perhaps that’s why Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has lavished such praise it (95 points). The nose and palate were both dense and concentrated, full of dark fruit, minerals, vanilla, coffee and leather. The purity and freshness of this wine is amazing and even though it is oaky, it is not at all heavy. We sold all that we had at the end of the tasting and a number of tasters were as enthusiastic about it as I am (well, not quite as enthusiastic, but then who is?). Just not quite the chorus of ooohs and aaahs that I was hoping for.

Alongside La Pèira we tasted the 2001 Mas Jullien. Olivier Jullien is a legend in the Languedoc and is actually the person that coined the phrase Terrases du Larzac. He is seen as a bit of a father figure in the region – even to his own father, who started Mas Cal Demoura (another excellent producer) after being inspired by his son’s success. The wine was a complete departure from the sleek and smooth La Pèira, with a bit of meaty funk to go with the berry fruit and gentle garrigue notes. Sort of like a piece of herb-crusted lamb slathered in dark fruit compote. Paul was a big fan of this actually, declaring it to be his wine of the evening.

Finally we got to the final flight (after a half hour debate about the merits of La Pèira) and it was time to end where we had begun – with the two most famous of all southern French wine estates. The 1999 Grange des Peres Rouge had developed significantly in the glass since being opened a couple of hours before, with a Bovril-like meatiness to it that worked nicely with the currant and berry fruit. This winery is a class act and although not everyone at the tasting was convinced, the majority agreed with me that this was a delicious, complex wine.

The last wine of the evening was 1995 Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge. This estate has done more than any other to elevate the public perception of Languedoc wine (and the vin de pays system for that matter) and the ’95 proved why the Guibert family are held in such high esteem by wine lovers all over the world. Although Cabernet is only part of the blend it always takes the lead on the palate and that was again the case here, with blackcurrant fruit and the cedar and leafy notes that are Cab’s signature. This wine was in fine fettle and would outperform many ’95 clarets in the same price bracket.

After we were done, I took the customary vote for wine of the night. The choices were spread across a number of wines, but in the end it was Domaine Gauby’s Muntada that won out (with four votes). The three-way tie for second place was between Grange des Peres Blanc, Domaine de Trevallon and La Pèira (with three votes each).

Just for the record, I voted for Muntada, but to be honest there were 4 or 5 wines that I could happily have voted for. Hopefully this great tasting demonstrated the quality that Southern France is capable of producing and the future for the best regions is very, very bright.

For more information on all the wines and to see what I spend the day of every tasting creating, why not download the Legends of Southern France tasting brochure.

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