Alex and Christine in London

[Comte Flaneur]

Alex and Christine are in town and last night we met up with two of my friends at my local Italian Terra Rossa, where I dined with Nic and his family in June, to discuss our upcoming trip to Piedmont. Alex and Christine went there in May and my two friends and I are going there in mid-October.

Before setting off on the 250 yard walk to the restaurant we had this Franck Bonville 2014 BdB, Les Belles Voyes, which was impressive as it opened and warned up. Gourmand.

Then we tried these at a Terra Rossa

The two 2019 Langhe Nebbiolo impressed, the LaLu was bright and lifted, the Voerzio had more classical Nebbiolo traits, while the Mauro Veglio was outstanding and perhaps the star of show. The Franco was marred a little bit by excessive oxidative and sherry notes, and while otherwise kaleidoscopic and thrilling, this subtracted from the enjoyment. Both barolos were double decanted at 530pm.

Alex and my friend Peter putting the world to rights

Tomorrow night we are doing a burgundy dinner

[Chateau Vin]

Thanks Comte for the notes.

Do you say 04 Franco is ready or needs more time. Or do you think it will improve further?

Thanks...

[jal]

I agree Ian, 2004 Barolos are ready and I have some Mascarellos waiting to be opened
2010s I would wait on but I’m glad the Veglio showed up for you.
And Langhes are always great. Have fun with Alex and Christine, can’t wait to read the Burgundy notes

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks Comte for the notes.

Do you say 04 Franco is ready or needs more time. Or do you think it will improve further?

Thanks...

CV it needs a good decant a few hours before drinking. Don’t pop and pour, but it is ready in the sense that iit can provide enormous pleasure after a good decant. The bottle before this one was spectacular. My note from early 2020


This bottle, 14% ABV, had an oxidative note and a seemingly brown hue under the dull kitchen light. Undeterred I double decanted. By the time I came back three hours later it was miraculously transformed, resplendent and singing. Multi-faceted nose of balsamic, menthol, sandalwood, cedar, herbs, gardenia. On the palate, ripe, rich, big and expansive, but at the same time elegant, exhilarating and electric. A sensational bottle, like the 2001 tried 16 months ago. Barolo at its best, the apex of Piedmont. On the basis of this bottle there is no need to wait.

[AlexR]

Hi,
I tell you, Ian is definitely imbued with the BWE spirit. He has welcomed and looked after forumites no fewer than *five* times so far this year. My wife and I are having à tremendous time, and being on a foreign city with someone who lnows the ropes makes all the difference.
It was also interesting to meet wine lovers who focused more on Italian rather than French wines.
I'll have stuff to add to this thread later on.
AR

[Nicklasss]

Great.

London and comte flaneur: BWE place and BWE member of the year?

[Chateau Vin]

I second Alex and Nick...

It’s amazing to see Comte host the BWErs... Although Bdx is my first love, it’s good to see other wines, especially Barolo. I enjoy Barolos greatly, so much so that I finally took time to create the single cru vineyard maps on google. Not enough is talked about Barolos on this forum, but maybe one day I will share a bottle of Barolo with Comte, over a cricket match...

[stefan]

To last the cricket match, CV, you will need a case, not a bottle.

[Comte Flaneur]

.

[Comte Flaneur]

Too kind Nic. I post on another board where I have a lot of friends, but BWE is family to me.

I look forward to going to watch India vs England one day with you CV. With some Barolo.

On Thursday we went our separate ways. Alex and Christine went to dinner with some friends in Holland Park and I went to a South Africa tasting, which was very good, maybe I might post some impressions.

Last night we went to Noize in Fitzrovia to drink some burgundy. My friend Aziz supplied all the whites blind. We had a hard time identifying them when the theme was supposed to be Chassagne Montrachet. It was difficult to pick a winner out of the whites especially as they were a bit too warm. At that temperature I didn’t really care for any of them. The two Calis were from the same vintage (2016) and the same vineyard (Durrell) with the Three Sticks being an offshoot of Kistler.

The three red Grand Cru really shone, with the two Remys showing such perfect poise and precision, both probably at the early stages of their drinking windows with the 1999 perhaps edging it. But I could imagine how both would have been frustrating to drink in their youth. When Remy is on form like this you can forgive this estate’s inconsistency. The Lambrays was an absolute delight as well. It was layered and complex as it moves into its secondary and tertiary phases, and just got better and better through the night, while the Schloss Lieser was pitch perfect.

Christine with my friend Jeremy

By now after three dinners in a row a lot of fabulous wine and a hard week, I was beginning feel to the effects and lose my focus - Alex and Aziz.

[jal]

By now after three dinners in a row a lot of fabulous wine and a hard week, I was beginning feel to the effects and lose my focus - Alex and Aziz.

[Chateau Vin]

To last the cricket match, CV, you will need a case, not a bottle.

Indeed, stefan...

Comte, sure...let’s hope so. Just wondering, have you ever watched any live cricket match at Lords?

[marcs]

What year was the Lambrays? Can’t tell with the torn label.

If it was 02 I’m not surprised it was really good, great vintage, still underrated. Wish I’d bought more back in the day but it was before I had gotten into Burgundy

[Comte Flaneur]

To last the cricket match, CV, you will need a case, not a bottle.

Indeed, stefan...

Comte, sure...let’s hope so. Just wondering, have you ever watched any live cricket match at Lords?

Yes I have been to Lords several times since 1975 when Australia toured and I was 12. Last time was 5-6 years ago. I have also been there for the Bordeaux en primeur tastings a couple of times

[Comte Flaneur]

What year was the Lambrays? Can’t tell with the torn label.

If it was 02 I’m not surprised it was really good, great vintage, still underrated. Wish I’d bought more back in the day but it was before I had gotten into Burgundy

Yes it was the ‘02 Marc

[JimHow]

Alex and Christine looking as lovely as ever….

[AlexR]

Just a quick addition to this thread. I was in England during the period immediately following Queen Elizabeth’s death, and this made for a very unusual atmosphere. Example: at Luton airport, an announcement came over the loudspeaker asking everyone to respect two minutes of silence in honor of Her Majesty. This was scrupulously respected and it was very strange to see hundreds of people silently standing still, a good number of them crying…
The pomp and circumstance in London were truly amazing.

I started reading wine books when I was 16, almost all of them written by old white English males . The world has changed since then, but the English still have a special relationship with fine wine and a gift for describing it in the language of Shakespeare that goes far beyond the mere attribution of points.

In the same way that New York is not typically American, nor Paris a true reflection of all that is French, the wine scene changes pretty dramatically in England once you leave metropolitan London. Choices in shops and restaurants are much smaller and prosecco reigns supreme!

Years ago, it was said that food in England was mostly boring and/or terrible, but things have improved immeasurably. For instance, I enjoyed an Indian meal in Bedford that was on a par with a fine restaurant in France. The French and Italian restaurants Ian took me to were excellent and I never thought I would be eating a dish of “pithiviers de canard au foie gras” with grand cru Burgundy in London!

I visited three famous wine shops in London: Fortnum and Mason, Harrods, and Berry Brothers and Rudd. Harrods sells Claret (AOC Bordeaux rouge) at £ 10 a bottle. If that doesn’t suit, you can always buy 75 cl. of 2006 La Romanée Conti for £ 30,000… The selection in these three stores was wonderful, the cream of world wine production. Although French wines may have lost much of their market share in English supermarkets and off licences, they certainly have pride of place in the best shops. I particularly enjoyed the feel at Berry Brothers, and felt I had actually found a bargain: a 2016 (great vintage) Barolo from Giovanni Rosso for under £ 30. I’m anxious to try this.

I am so happy to be alive in the internet age. This enables wine lovers like ourselves to connect and, on occasion, to see one another in flesh and blood. Many friendships across borders and continents have resulted. That’s pretty wonderful, isn't it?

Alex R.

[DavidG]

Looks like Ian has done it again, putting together a terrific welcome for another BWE.

And Alex, What a wonderful post. As to pithiviers, they can be found in the frozen section of any grocery store here in the US.