England Visit 2014

My annual visit to England to visit my mum

Monday 27.01.2014

Set of mid-morning...and arrived at the port in Rotterdam with over two hours to spare before boarding at 5 pm. As the food generally is not good I had thought about a snack, a good cigar somewhere and an early night. There is no smoker's bar other than a room for those wanting a quick puff of a cigarette...so it was into the brasserie for a sirloin steak...and my first alcohol for 2 weeks...a small beer.

Managed to get to sleep at 10 pm and the trip to Hull was calm.

Tuesday 28.01.2014
Arrived at destination, my mum's home, at 11.00 am.
No great plans for the evening...and I fancied a Thai curry. There is an excellent restaurant nearby...the 'Mews' in Poulton.
I ordered a 'Jungle Curry'  and asked for  more spice. Boy did I get it!
Actually...if you took care not to bite into the many chilis...it became less of an adventure. A cold beer relieved any gasping moments.

Wednesday 29.01.2014
Our first visit to the 'Twelve' restaurant...which is 50 metres from my mum's apartment.
As I wanted to break myself in gently after the long period without wine...something good but not over the top.

Greeting from the Kitchen

Artichoke Soup

Becker Spätburgunder 'B' 2010
Pfalz, Germany
Great start...spicy earthy...gentle sweetness..always reliable.
Points 16.5

Thursday 30.01.2014
Needing to wind down and get some rest has not been easy...so I visited a Chiro Practice. Wonderful...the 'No Hands Massage'...plus the Reflexoligy really helped. I got back to Mum's at 6 pm...and díd not want to get a taxi anywhere...so we stumbled across the courtyard for another visit to Twelve.
The white wine I had planned to take on the taxi journey was with me.

Gemischter Satz Alte Rebe 2012
Vienna, Austria
Gentle pear fruit, filled out with airing...smokey...elegenat acidity...good food wine
Points 17.25

The food was great. A delicious Haggis Burger was a perfect match...and the fish course...Brill...was fine as well.



Friday 31.01.2014
Twelve...third day running.

Quail Sausage

Loin of Venison

Fromm Clayvin Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009
Marlborough, New Zealand
The palate shows  spicy cherry flavours with mocha notes and deliciously earthy tannins,...complex and silky textured wine...good balance and plenty of substance for aging, but is approachable now.
Points 17

Saturday 01.02.2014
Farmer's Arms...a recently renovated Gastro-Pub.

Fish of the Day

Fresh Crab

Salt and Pepper Squid

King Prawn Curry

Domaine Régis Rossignol-Changarnier
Beaune 1er Cru Les Theurons, 2009
Really enjoyed this...and been a while since I have gone back to Burgundy for my Pinot Noir. Strawberry and juicy black cherry with some dried herbs.
Grainy tannins...very fruit driven...still youthful...but softening and enticing.
Points 17.25

Sunday 02.02.2014
Twelve Restaurant

Greeting

Goat's Cheese Mousse

Poached Halibut

Oakridge Chardonnay 864 2008
Yarra Valley, Australia
A touch 'too much' for me...fig and toast...quite complex...but I was yearning for some minerality.
Points 16.75

Monday 03.02.2014 
Britain has been battered by rain and more rain. The rivers have never been so high.

Most restaurants are closed on Monday...but I had heard good things about 'Thai Delicious' in Cleveleys. It was great. Really good clean typical Thai food.


Tuesday 04.02.2014

Mum studies the Menu

Another visit to the Farmer's Arms was planned...and I had seen a decent 2010 white Burgundy on the list...

Bouton Gilles St.Aubin En Remilly 2010

We arrived at 7pm...and I said if they had the wine we would order the food apropriately. The answer was positive so the food was ordered with fish being dominant. Now...pubs...no matter how upmarket they are...they do not teach their staff the general rules of wine.

The young lady appeared round the corner...bottle in hand...corkscrew half in the cork...the foil cap not cleanly removed. All this before she hadreached the table! She proudly showed the bottle as she held on to the corkscrew...and I checked the neck. 2011 Vintage. 'That's all we have' she said. Even when I am nearly ready to burst I am understanding...and as we had ordered the food...I told her we would try it. The cork was removed and the wine poured...and as I had expected...was full of youthful acidity. No way we were going to enjoy this.
Order the next best white on the list...

Blanco de Guarda Finca de la Reñana 2010 Luis Alegre Rioja.
The poor girl left and returned with a bottle...and...you've guessed it...Vintage 2011.
Nothing for it...change the main course to meat...and order the bottle of Beaune tried on Saturday.
A male colleague appeared and took my order and returned with the wine.
I had evidently scared the young woman to such an effect that she made detours round our table for the next 30 minutes...until I called her over and said 'Could I order a smile?'...which seemed to please.
The other waitress on Saturday had told us she was taking a basic wine course and now knew that Champagne had to be 'shaken' (remuage) before leaving the cellars. All very commendable...but after this evening...surely the basic rules of showing a bottle to make sure it is correct ...and removing the foil so as the wine does not pour over the leaded stuff. Such basics...so please...all upmarket Gastro-Pubs...give as much time to the wines as you do to the beer. Strangely...another pub of the same style has a wine list without vintages...maybe the answer!!!( only joking)
The marinated fish salad  was delicious and very fresh.

Marinated Fish Salad

Sirloin Steak

The steak partnered the wine well....



Wednesday 05.02.2014
Twelve Restaurant

Hash Brown Burger

Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir 2007
Central Otego, New Zealand
Bold flavours...sweet pure Pinot...dark plums...spicy...silky mouthful.
Points 17.25
As much as I enjoy the 'Twelve'...the glasses are not ideal for a wine freak....to thick...and it does affect your taste.
BUT...
As owner Caroline says...the cost of a glass breaking.....
I always take my own wines to the restauarnt...maybe I should also take my own glass...now that is 'wine-snobbery'...but I don't care...so there! Ha!

Thursday 06.02.2014
Waether was bright and sunny...and mum and I just drove around all day.
Food..takeaway from the excellent Thai Delicious restaurant.

Friday 07.02.2014
Twelve Restauarnt....final visit

Mum...great at 89

Knuckle of Ham andFoie Gras Terrine

Forest of Bowland aged Beef Filet

Schubert Pinot Noir Block B 2010
Wairarapa, New Zealand
Tried quite a few from this property...my style...maybe the German winemaker is the reason!
Intense black cherry and floral notes. Meaty...with smoke and tobacco...quite full-bodied...but then again...a shade of elegance...asking to be kept.
Points 17.25

Barry & Mum

Saturday 08.02.2014
Sunday 09.02.2014
Spent relaxing, watching TV, doing nothing.
I was supposed to take the boat back on Tuesday...but as the weather was predicting sun for ONE day...I took the Monday ferry...and arrived home Tuesday early afternoon.
I ate in the cabin on the way back...buying some nice food at Mark's & Spencers before boarding. Very enjoyable.
A day later the winds were force 9...and a day afterwards...12!!!

Man, was I glad to be back home

Pleasing A Friend

A week later...and we were back at the Restaurant Madrid...this time with close friends...one of whom drinks wine.
He remembers the days when he was drinking half bottles of La Rioja Alta 904...so on reserving a table ..I asked if I could bring a bottle and pay corkage. The owner remembered me...not many people drink his Lan Reserva 2005!
The surprise for Edgar was perfect...his eyes lit up...not at a 904...but a step up at the top wine of the estate...the 890.

La Rioja Alta 890 1995
Rioja, Spain
Opened a couple of hours in advance....before we left home...and instantly impressed the restaurant owner.
This is 95% Tempranillo and aged in American Oak...with 12.5% alcohol.
The nose show traces of the 6 years in oak...classic old-style...cedar, vanilla and toffee....pipe tobacco. The palate struggles to keep up...and needed food. The tannins are quite silky...and the sour acidity lifts it as we eat. Edgar loved it...and it certainly is a fine wine...although the mid-palate is slightly oxidised. I would guess it is at a difficult age. Not sure I would go back for this again though...
Points 17

Good Koching

A Rising Star...and GaultMillau have just awarded Bernhard Koch with the 'Collection Of The Year'. I headed for the Pinot Noirs...but could not resist the Chardonnays...hoping the Pfalz mix would be to my liking.

Both wines tasted over two days....

The 'lesser' wines...always show better in their youth compared to the top versions...due to their approachability.
 

Bernhard Koch Chardonnay Réserve Trocken
Hainfelder Letten 2012
Pfalz, Germany
Apples and Pears with some traces of caramlized almonds. What pleases with this wine is the lovely and lively minerals. Citrus fruits....leaves the palate ready to go for the next sip. There is hidden power...but the overall zippiness makes this a wine for today...but a few bottles will be put away.
Points 17.25

Bernhard Koch Chardonnay Grande Réserve Trocken
Hainfelder Letten 2012
Pfalz, Germany
Fuller nose...some brioche...fuller wine throughout...but still with the overall perfect balance found in the sibling above. Power and Finesse...ripe pears...needs a year or two...
Points 17.25...but with some more to come

So...as I said...the lesser wine is equal today...but both a must buy...and the reds are great as well. Collection Of The Year?...oh yes.

Back to Spain

Years ago....the many visits to Spain had been pleasurable with fresh seafood, Paella and Rioja. Finding a good 'Spanier' is not easy...so a tip about this restaurant a few miles away was eagerly accepted...and a table on a Saturday evening  was reserved. 'Madrid' had moved from Rüsselsheim to Groß-Gerau...which won't interest anyone abroad...but the fact that they had been in business 20 years boded well.

A dark winter evening meant the first view from a distance were the lights in the middle of nowhere. We wre greeted by the friendly waiter and shown our table. The aroma was enough to get me smiling...and if you did not know it...you would be back in Spain.

Grilled Squid

The aioli with fresh bread kept us occupied while we studied the menu.
I convinced my brother-in-law that we should try the 'Paella Valenciana'. 
I asked about the grilled Squid and was informed it was fresh.
It was...and what pleased me...was the natural taste had not been bombarded by spices.

Paella Valenciana

The Paella for 2 arrived...and it was the best I have had for a long time. All ingredients fresh...and the rice...which needs to be perfect or you can forget the rest...was perfect. It was more than enough for 2 people...so next time...no starter. I even took a portion home for next day.
No wine list...but I informed the waiter that I was a wine freak...and I NEEDED a good bottle.

Lan Reserva 2005
Rioja, Spain
Dark, full bodied with a nose of plum, cherry, graphite, spice and creamy vanilla, well structured and balanced, complex, dusty, off dry on the palate with good length. Restaurant price € 32,-- and well worth it.
Points 17

The son of the owner told me his father (72) is still in the kitchen.
He also said they did not have a wine-list becuase the vintages changed, wines were not available etc...so always ask. A few whites to try next time...3 different Albariños...and maybe I can convince him to drink one of the 'rarities' he showed me.
Somewhere to return to...and soon.

Cercle du Vin

The idea was born one evening on my recent holiday in the Black Forest.
Rebstock owner Karl Hodapp and myself were drinking some wines on his free evening and the conversation included having time to drink wines with a few friends.
I suggested we start something...a group...and I would raid my cellar for the first meeting. It had been planned for the 11th November but 2 days beforehand Karl had been hit by a virus and we had to postpone.
Monday 9th December is now the proposed date.
The idea for the group name arises from something I started in the 80's...drinking great wines with like-minded friends and aquaintances. We are 8 people in all...the rooms are reserved at the Gasthaus...Karl is free to relax and enjoy the wines as the kitchen staff will be there for another private function.
Ten days after the event...here the report.

On Monday 9th December....Volker, Robert,Thorsten and myself set off for Waldulm.
It was a cold but sunny day...and we arrived at 1 pm. Karl greeted us with son Basti....I was told where the wines were...just look at them.

We opened the two Madeira wines...I chose the 1863....opened carefully with my Butler's Friend...cork intakt. Volker was handed the 1864...that's life...he only has a stopper cork to remove.. Both wines looked and smelled good...and were decanted.
Robert...our wine merchant...had made an appointment in Kappelrodeck...to visit a Brennerei...makers of 'fire-water'. We arrived at 2 pm....and were met by a guy who was going to show him round the premises. After 10 minutes listening to him...I excused myself...I knew this was going to be a long process.  I sat in the car...and an hour later!!!...the other 3 emerged...smelling of Schnapps.
Back to the Rebstock...I was down in the restaurant to prepare the other bottles. Karl's wife Sandra Stark was there...she was preparing the table for the evening. The planned other 'private function' of politicians...had been postponed until next day...which meant Karl would be preparing the food after all.
Back upstairs to freshen up...Volker said he could drink a coffee...and a cup of tea for me would be good as well...so down into the Gasthof. We sat there...and the first of Karl's guests...Wolfgang....arrived...and we chatted.
Now...the meeting for all was planned for 5.30- 6 pm...but at 4.15 pm...the other two...Joachim and Robert Stark(Karl's father-in-Law) arrived.
Karl appeared with a bottle of Dom Perignon 2003. I quickly jogged upstairs and told my other two that we were all there...and at 4.30pm ( it was dark outside...so we were allowed to drink...haha)...we were sipping Champagne.

No points for the wines below...a serious meeting of wine lovers...but I just wanted to take it all in.
At 5 pm...we were at the table...and the first wine was tried

1. Bird In Hand Nest Egg 
Chardonnay 2008
Adelaide Hills, Australia
Rich, aromatic smoky oak...nutty palate...zippy wine...creamy...now perfectly balanced. Fine starter wine...

2. F. X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner 
'M' 2003    
Wachau, Austria
I love the aged versions of this wine...recent ones have been 2000/1/2...and this hot vintage version was no exception. Sweet fruit but so finely balanced. No sign of heat...long. Impressed the group.

The food was a Risotto with truffel....delicious.

Risotto

Karl then said he had prepared Pumpkin soup...for the next white wine. I said we had none...but Robert...being Robert...had brought a white Hermitage with him...and good it was.

Pumpkin Soup

Wolfgang & Joachim

Robert & Thorsten

and so to the reds....
3. Chateau Leoville Lascases 1961
St. Julian, Bordeaux
Opened shortly before drinking...and decanted.
This was the only wine that I thought may not be up to par...as I had read varying reports. It was, however, Karl and Volker's birth year. They are holding up slightly better...thank goodness.
The wine was not bad...just a little tired. Cedar wood aroma....dry tobacco...cigar box...all the well known 'ingredients'...but lacking in any power...from such a wonderful vintage

4. Chateau Latour 1966
 Pauillac, Bordeaux
This was to be the saviour...for the Lascases...but on first smell...there was just a trace of an off-odour. It disappeared with swirling...but it had gotten to the wine. You could feel the power and complexity...but we had been unlucky....

The French were to be saved by an Aussie.... 
5. Penfold Grange Hermitage 1982
South Australia
This had by now been in the decanter for 4 hours...and was an instant success with the group. Still dark colour...complex aromas...it could have been a wine from this century...blackberry fruit...well integrated tannins...fully matured but no signs of collapse...and a perfect match with the Rinderbacken (Beef Cheeks)

Rinderbäckchen

No dessert had been planned...as the next wine is not exactly a 'sweetie'6. Moulin Touchais 1959
Anjou, Loire  
An aquired taste for many...but a wine that keeps you involved and grips you to investigate.
Still very lively...with a dry nutty character...some honey...and walnuts...this was a wine that a magazine said belonged to '100 wines to try before you die'   
Certainly a fascinating experience.   

Robert Stark & Volker

Barry & Karl

A solera wine is basically a wine that is 'topped up' in the cask with similar quality...and at some point put into the bottle. Nowadays a Solera Madeira has to be bottled after the 10th time...but back in the days of old...it was bottled at various times...so no way to check how long this had been in the bottle.
The mere thought that these wines started their lives when the American Civil War was taking place...leaves you in awe.

7. Blandy Madeira Solera 
Malmsey 1863
 Madeira, Portugal
Beautiful tawny colour...mahogony...green-gold....sweet tangy aromas of figs and dry fruit...super wine...and as we sat there and tasted...I looked at the group...and I just wanted the world to stand still for a little longer.
I marked this
Points 18.5

 8. Blandy Madeira Solera 
Gran Cama de Lobos 1864    
Madeira, Portugal
Suffered a touch after it's 'older sister'...not quite as 'sweet'...more bitter sweet...figs and dried tobacco.
Points 17.5

In the Kitchen

We had...as a group...been in and out of the kitchen...clearing the tables...and Volker had helped Karl with the food. A truly memorable evening...was called to a halt at 11pm.
The next morning we breakfasted...and by 10 am were ready to leave. As it was another beautiful day...I convinced the guys that we should make a detour before heading home.

Robert & Volker in Disguise

Thorsten the Snowman

Volker in a Mummelsee Hat

We set off to the Black Forest High Road...stopped off at the Mummelsee...where there was snow and some people were skiing. Wonderful views over the countryside...and we set off for home.
The Cercle du Vin...first meeting...will hopefully be the first of many...

Across The Board Germany

As the winter months are with us...red wine is usually the choice...but a case of reds from Bernhard Koch contained a few Chardonnays and a single bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

Bernhard Koch Sauvignon Blanc
Flemlinger Herrenbuckel Grande Reserve 2012
Pfalz, Germany
Priced at € 16.50...this pleases...and although the property says it is closed...I found it open with a creamy smell of gooseberry as opposed to the rasping style. Mint and lemon also evident...and the palate really well-balanced. No doubt it will be with us a few years...but I for one could not resist it today.
Points 16.5


The property has just received an award from the Wine Guide Gault Millau.
Reason enough to order some Pinot Noir.

Bernhard Koch Pinot Noir
Reserve H.E. 2011
Pfalz, Germany
Tried over a few days(Coravin) this was intriguing.
The first glass showed a cool style...all the ingredients in there...so the glass on day two was given some more air. Aromas of nougat and caramel...and then delicious cherry fruit...the tannins only helping the fruit to the top.
Complex and compelling...delicate and delightful...and the finish told me to leave the toothpaste clean a little longer that evening.
Price € 28,-- and a snip...if that is your price range.
The H.E. stands for the man who advises at the Weingut...Hans Erich Dausch.
Points 17.5...with more potential.

Thomas Seeger Lemberger R 2010
Baden, Germany
Another tried over 3 days...and again...that cool style of a winemaker asking you to work for your pleasure. The wine never really wavers at the moment. 
The smell reminds of bay leaves and juniper berries...gentle spicy fruit...touch of pepper on the palate. Lemberger has it's first home in Germany in the Württemberger area...but as this property is further north in Baden...it seems to be at home here as well. Fans of it's brother in Austria...Blaufränkisch may find it undernourished in comparison...and it will not uproot trees for some...nevertheless...a pleasure to go back to daily.
Points 17

Let's head north to the Ahr...and the 2009's had impressed from this property.


Kreuzberg Spätburgunder Silberberg GG 2011
Ahr, Germany
Musty nose at first....which soon disappeared. Meaty style initially...burnt smoke...the fruit seemed thick and reserved...but red cherries soon placated me...and it developed a delicate sweetness with a trace of the slate character of the area.. How to lose weight in a glass...a wine diat...you could say.
Points 17.25

Pinot Noir Secrets

Whenever I have mentioned to a Mosel grower that he should offer a Spätburgunder...there has been the reply...we have enough work with our Riesling...and that is a worldwide product. Ah yes...I say...but the 'Climate Warming'...good for Pinot Noir in the area. Markus Moloitor has produced 'great' reds over the years...but anything else has been a hidden gem.This property I stumbled on quite by chance...and they still had the 2009 version.

Weingut Lehnert-Veit
Piesporter Falkenberg Spätburgunder Nr. 1 2009
Mosel, Germany.
Quite complex...so any thoughts you may have had that it would be thin and tasteless...evaporate. A plus for my argument!.. Elegant cherry aroma with a touch of plum...enticing. Another plus for me! The tannins are just stroking the palate...they lift the gentle elegant fruit to the fore. Yet another plus for my opinion. 3-0...for me...and at € 23,-- very good value.
now tell me that the Mosel can't make good Spätburgunder.
Points 17

I recently mentione to someone that I was drinking a Swiss red. Not everyone is up to date....so she was surprised that anything above basic quality was available. How wrong she was. The Swiss used to keep their wines to themselves...you maybe got a Chasselas on the list of the Swiss Chain of Restaurants...Möwenpick...but that was your lot.
Things have changed...new talent is appearing all over Switzerland...perhaps influenced by the top property Gantenbein.

Pelizzatti Pinot Noir Barrique 2011
Jenins, Switzerland
The 2010 was more open....so give this one a few months...very fine balance though...lovely spice to it...layers of strawberry fruit...this is very drinkable now thanks to the acidity...but will age nicely...if I can resist it
Points 17.5

The Pfalz in known for it's reds...but the Christman property more for it's
Riesling.

 

Christmann Spätburgunder G.G. Idig 2007
Pfalz, Germany
Very earthy notes...dark cherries...still seems closed...and I only 'zapped' a glass with my Coravin. With some air there were minerals and herbs...so a precautionary marking here...the rest wine in the bottle will be given a good decant next time.
Points 16.75

Chapeau to Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Chateauneuf-du-Pape was a regular 'diat' 30 years ago. If my memory serves me correctly...they were all with an aged colour...a farmyardy smell...and a soft palate. Mind you...I was probably drinking them with some bottle age.
The hype for the 2010 vintage in Chateauneuf-du-Pape persuaded me to buy a few single bottles...and with my Coravin...try them and leave them.
But first...down Memory Lane.

Sat for our evening meal.. my wife mentions...purely by chance...about our many visits to France.
'Remember that pile of bottles?' she asked.
Yes...I did...my wife and I and her brother were stopping over at the Hostellerie Chateau des Fines Roches in Chateauneuf-du-Pape..this is the early 80's
We had visited a couple of properties...but my big wish was to visit Chateau Rayas. Louis Reynaud, an extrovert character, had died in 1978..and the owner at the time of our visit was his son Jacques...no less extrovert I had been told. 'You'll never get in...he'll probably produce a shotgun'...was the general information from the wine trade.
We proceeded to the main square and started to ask directions. Shakes of heads...blank looks...told it all. This was a property that didn't exactly have a PR department.
Next idea...local policeman directing traffic...again...blank look. I thought policeman knew everything! We eventually found someone who 'thought' they knew the direction. We set off...along dusty roads...the heat beating down on the stony vineyards. Suddenly...round a corner...a hand-written sign...arrowing us to turn left. Finally we arrived at a 'derilict' building.
The photo I supply here was not what we saw back then.. My wife and her brother waited in the car...knowing this may have been in vain. I knocked on the battered door. After a short time...I heard footsteps. I waited for the buckshot! The door opened...and there stood Jacques Reynaud...peering at me over his glasses. He inquired what I wanted...and...being prepared...I said I knew a Wine Merchant in England. The name rang a bell with him...they were his agent there...and I quickly followed this with my enthusiasm for his wines. I waited...he turned...and beckoned me in. I turned to the car...gave the thumbs-up..and followed Jacques. The place where he took me was where it all happened...and was a minor chaos. Bottles and equipment all over the place. He said he didn't have any wine open...so I asked if I could buy some bottles of Chateau Rayas. He only had 1978 he said...and he could only let me have 3 bottles. Only!!...I agreed...no point in pushing your luck. He had softened by now...and we did the deal and I said my goodbyes. As I left the house...my brother-in-law had been round the side of the house....and he beckoned me to take a look. Outside of the window to the room where I had been...was a gigantic pile of old used bottles. It was obvious what Jacques did. Whenever a bottle was empty...he threw it out of the window. My brother-in-law helped himself to a couple of really old one and we left...and me still intact. I bragged about my success to anyone who would listen. I got in to Chateau Rayas! The Vintage 1978 was the last for Louis and the first for Jacques. Jacques passed away in 1997.

but enough of this reminiscing... 

Chateau de Vaudieu 2010
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France
Forest berry confiture...dark berry feel on the palate...touch of nouget...firm...but approachable tannins...a powerwine and a lot of grape for the money...€ 30,--
Phew...that woke me out of my dreams...
Points 16.75...and a re-taste next day more to my liking as I was prepared...
Domaine Pierre Usseglio et Fils 'Tradition'
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France
Whereas the Vaudieu was a 'thump on the nose'...this was more a 'punch in the stomach'...not half as painful...Again the Confiture...but with fresh cherries and some much needed minerals...spices...liquorice...pastis...milk chocolate. Not quite an iron fist in a velvet glove...which could have been a fitting description instead of my attempts. Excellent value at € 25,--
Points 17.25

A few more to try...and I will give them PLENTY of air...
Jacques's wines were also daunting when young...