2010 harvest@Domaine de la Butte, Bourgueil

This is a rather belated report on a tasting at the RSJ Restaurant on Monday 4th July featuring a range from the 2010 vintage. 2010 is an interesting contrast to 2009. Overall the wines, although they have good fruit, have crisper acidity and a more marked mineral character than the richer 2009. 

Growing season of 2010 the Loire divided climatically into two parts: west and east of Tours. To the west it was very dry with some parts of Anjou having virtually no rain in April and May then again in July and August. Over the the whole year Angers had 595mm of rain compared to the average of 647mm. The 2010 total was boosted by high rainfall in November and December. The Pays Nantais had a similarly dry summer. Average temperatures here in 2010 were 16.2˚C exactly in line with the norm average of 16.2˚C. In contrast the average for 2009 was considerably higher at 17.1˚C.

Further east in Bourges the rainfall total in 2010 was 691mm against a norm of 732mm. Although slightly below average, it was well above that of 2009 – 622mm. Average max temperatures in 2010 were 15.6˚C compared to the norm of 15.8˚C. 2010 was much cooler than 16.9˚C.

Aperitif:

2010 Sauvignon, Vin de Pays de la Loire, Domaine de Bablut

This Sauvignon Blanc from Christophe Daviau was for many among their favourite wines of the tasting. It immediately pointed up the difference between the 2009 and 2010 vintages. The 2009 SB Bablut was a fatter, richer wine with more exotic fruit flavours. In contrast, although the 2010 has some weight, it is more mineral and has more marked acidity.

Whites:

2010 AC Touraine Sauvignon, Clos Roussely, Vincent Roussely

Attractive crisp lemony fruit well balanced with mineral acidity. As is often the case the acidity is more marked on the Touraine Sauvignon than those from Anjou. Whites from the clay limestone soils of Saumur and Touraine tend to have higher levels of acidity than those from the impervious rocks and soils of Anjou.

2010 Quincy, Domaine des Ballandors, Jean Tatin and Chantal Wilk
The Ballandors' Quincy is quite lean and citric at present. It may take on more weight over the next few months.

2010 Chenin Blanc, Anjou Blanc, Ch de la Roulerie, Philippe Germain

A change of grape variety here moving from the trio Sauvignon Blancs to Chenin Blanc. Again la Roulerie is quite crisp and lemony at present and may gain weight with a little more time in bottle. I found this showed better with the  

2010 3 Coteaux, Chinon Blanc, Baudry-Dutour

An ideal bracing aperitif – very clean citric flavours with light floral. Closed with a screwcap. Tasted without food this was the clear preference amongst the tasters. With the salmon the verdict was less clear cut.

Reds:

2010 Clos de la Bienboire, Château de Villeneuve, Jean-Pierre Chevallier  
This was probably the first time this new no sulphur cuvée from Jean-Pierre has been shown at a tasting in the UK. Its attractively soft, bright reds fruits are to be enjoyed now. A wine to drink with friends rather than on to analyse.   


2010 Les Rouillères, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Frédéric Mabileau
Showing more concentration than the Bienboire with juicy black fruits to the fore. Can be kept two or three years but very good to drink now and enjoy the youthful fruit. 

2010 Anjou Rouge Château de la Roulerie, Philippe Germain

Again black fruits to the fore being from Anjou the tannins are a little more present.

2010 Saumur Champigny, Domaine de Roches Neuves, Thierry GermainBright youthful, vibrant fruit – both red and black fruits. The 2010s from Thierry are a real success.  

1996 Chinon Vieilles Vignes, Domaine de la Perrière, Jean & Christophe Baudry
We chose a 1996 to finish as it was our guess as a vintage that may give a clue as to how the 2010 may age. The mid-weight Vieilles Vignes has aged attractively with mature soft, round fruit. Ready to drink now it can be kept a while longer although I doubt if it will improve further.

Starter:

Ballotine of Salmon with cucumber dressing

Main:

Confit Duck leg

Saute potatoes, spinach, braised celery, carrots

Dessert
Griottine cherry and Greek yogurt jelly with whipped cream and shortbread

Sarah kneading the pasta

Sarah Ahmed (Portuguese Wine Writer of the Year 2009) and friends headed to the RSJ Restaurant early this morning to help prepare today's Sunday lunch with Ursula Ferrigno.

  This is pasta joke...

Seem to have lost the thread here...

Ursula's amused

2009 Saumur Blanc, Domaine de Nerleux

Last night three of us had a quick bite to eat at the RSJ Restaurant before heading off to the National Theatre to see a gritty Glaswegian play called Men weeping buckets (Men should weep – ed). Naturally short of time we chose a half bottle of Régis and Babette Neau's 2009 Saumur Blanc from Domaine de Nerleux. 100% Chenin Blanc this is showing very well at the moment with rich peach and quince fruit but with enough acidity in the finish to carry it off.   

2009 Anjou Rouge (Cabernet Franc), Château de la Roulerie

We following this with a half of Anjou Rouge from Philippe Germain. Delicious at the moment with soft, quite opulent sooty fruit – very 2009.

Cheers with a glass of Régis Neau's Crémant de Loire

RSJ's 30^th Anniversary Dinner
Monday 11^th October 2010

RSJ's upstairs restaurant was packed last night for this celebratory dinner. The kitchen marshalled by veteran chef, Ian Stabler, were on top form. Also all the wines showed well with some particular stars.

Ian Stabler keeping a customary low profile but certainly producing the goods

Aperitif:

Crémant de Loire, Domaine de Nerleux, Régis Neau
Régis is one of the producers we have worked with for many years. His softly delicious Crémant is 70% Chenin and 30% Chardonnay and spends two years on its lees.


White:

1993 Montlouis Sec, Dominique Moyer
This was the big surprise of the night. Still very youthful, clean floral, buttery flavours with long, precise finish. Developed well in the glass. Was a fine match with the crab. 

1998 Saumur Blanc, ‘Les Cormiers’ Jean-Pierre Chevallier
From one of our favourite Loire producers, this was more golden than the 1993 Montlouis and richer, fine but not the best match with the crab. 

2004 Pouilly Fume ‘Pur Sang’ [Magnum] Didier Dagueneau
A sad reminder of how good a producer the late Didier Dagueneau was, this had lovely clean, precision and minerally length. A very good match with the crab.

Interesting that all three whites come from what are often termed difficult vintages. This is a reminder that the best dry white Loires often come from the cooler summers.

           

Tian of Cornish crab

watercress, crostini

Red:

1999 Chinon, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine de la Perrière, Christophe Baudry
Another star of the evening – soft and wonderfully delicate red fruits, 1999 was initially an unheralded vintage that is now showing very well. A really classic Chinon that showed really well with the duck.

1989 Anjou Villages, Vincent Ogereau
In contrast to 1999, this was a very hot year – a glorious summer and autumn to celebrate the bicentennary of the French Revolution. This had richer fruit – leather, spice and fig. 

Sancerre ‘La Perpétuelle’, Claude & Laurent Champault
This was a fascinating treat and probably the first time that La Perpétuelle has been drunk in the UK. This is made by the solera system, better known for its use in sherry. Claude and Laurent have just one 600 litre barrel of this wine, which they started in 1995 – filling it with 1995 red Sancerre (Pinot Noir). In 1996 they took a third out and bottled it, topping the barrel up with 1996 Sancerre red. Unlike in sherry they keep the barrel topped up to prevent oxidation. Just 280 bottles of this wine are produced a year. Our thanks to Claude and Laurent for their generous gift.

Gressingham duck breast & confit leg,

Hisby cabbage, carrots, boulangere potatoes

Red wine jus

Sweet wine:

9] 2005 Coteaux de l’Aubance ‘Grandpierre’, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau            

Christophe is another producer we have worked with for many years. This sweet wine is richly citric,  with some luscious concentration and the mineral character that marks the single-vineyard, Grandpierre. Although it held its own reasonably well with the dessert, this is still probably best drunk on its own.            

Apple & hazelnut torte

30 years in The Good Food Guide

RSJ Restaurant, 33 Coin Street, London SE1 9NR. Tel: 020-7928 4554.

This year the RSJ Restaurant in Waterloo is celebrating its 30th anniversary. This evening I came across the menu from the 10th anniversary dinner. 1947 Cabernet d'Anjou from Bablut to start with and a 1947 l'Aubance from Richou to finish with. There was also an 1898 Bourgueil from Pierre Breton's grandfather that didn't make it onto the menu. I recall it being a pale wraith  but memorable all the same.

Probably the most unusual wine here is the 1947 Cabernet d'Anjou, a sweet rosé that ages remarkably well. At the time little red was produced in Anjou and the best Cabernet was reserved for this appellation, which could be demi-sec or moelleux depending on the vintage conditions. In 1947 it was definitely moelleux. 

RSJ Restaurant

Last night we had dinner with Jean-Pierre and Florence Chevallier (Château de Villeneuve) at the RSJ Restaurant in London's Waterloo. JP and Florence are over for their UK importer's Thorman Hunt tasting which is on today.

One hesitates to take non-Loire wines to the RSJ Restaurant. Out of some 200-250 references on the wine list, there are just nine outside the Loire Valley – three Champagnes, three Beaujolais, a Bordeaux red and two from New Zealand – a Sauvignon Blanc and a Riesling.

However, I thought it would be interesting, even though it might shake the restaurant to its core, to share some different bottles with the Chevalliers, so I took along:

1979 Riesling Clos Ste Hune. Trimbach 

The Riesling was decanted soon after I arrived and briefly served blind. Jean-Pierre immediately thought it was either an old Chenin or a Riesling – remarking that as wines from these two varieties quite often show considerable similarities with some age. Although not kept in the best conditions since we bought it sometime in the early 1980s at Trimbach in Ribeauville,  the 1979 showed well with dry honey on the nose, a steely edged richness that developed in the glass and clean blade-like Riesling acidity.

2000 Syrah, Montes Alpha

The 2000 Montes Alpha Syrah was also decanted and like the Riesling showed well and developed in glass. Mid-weight and attractively spicy with a smokiness and although different from a northern Rhône had a restrained finesse – certainly not in your face New World Shiraz. JP remarked that it went particulalry well with his duck breast.

We finished with a glass or so of the 2007 Les Rouannières from Château Pierre-Bise – zippy citrus fruits with lovely freshness, balance and precision.

Jean-Pierre Chevallier will be back at the RSJ with Yannick Amirault when they will be starring in a double bill – a tasting and dinner on Tuesday 13th April. 

*

Decalaration: Jim is a consultant to the RSJ Restaurant.

RSJ Restaurant – September 2009

The RSJ Restaurant in Waterloo celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Over the years it has established a reputation as having one of the most comprehensive Loire wine lists in the world with around 250 references. Nigel Wilkinson's passion for Loire wines was born during a series of now legendary visits to the Loire from the early 1980s. I have been involved as a consultant since around 1990 – mainly presenting the wines during the tasting dinners.

To mark the 30th anniversary there will be a series of wine producer dinners. Dates were finalised during this week's Salon des Vins de Loire.

Christophe Daviau

We kick off on:

Tuesday 9th March: Christophe Daviau, Domaine de Bablut

£45 for four course dinner and wines – see details here.

Frédéric emptying his hod of Chenin Blanc: Le Puy-Notre-Dame: 3rd October 2009

Tuesday 11th May: Frédéric Mabileau and Vincent Roussely (Domaine du Clos Roussely)

Frédéric has rapidly established himself as one of the stars of western Touraine. He now makes Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Bourgueil, Anjou Rouge et Blanc as well as Saumur Blanc. Vincent Roussely is one of the young vignerons, who are making the Cher Valley an exciting region.
Pricing details to follow.

Vincent Roussely

••

Claude and Joëlle Papin with their 2009 Decanter World Wine Award Trophy

Monday 6th September: Anjou special: Claude and Joëlle Papin (Château Pierre-Bise), Vincent and Catherine Ogereau (Domaine Ogereau), Yves and Marie-Annick Guegniard (Domaine de la Bergerie)

Vincent and Catherine Ogereau

Yves Guegniard and his daughter Anne

You have doubtless heard of the Three Tenors. Well now we have the three Layon producers. All excellent producers in their own they work closely together and each have a share of the Clos le Grand-Beaupréau in Savennières.

Pricing details to follow.

Provisional bookings are now being taken as we expect these events to be very popular.
Please contact Tom King on 020-7928 4554 or tom.king@rsj.uk.com

More added to this report – it is now complete.

Last night we had a very successful first event of 2010 at the RSJ – a tasting and dinner featuring wines from the cellar of propietor, Nigel Wilkinson. The only Sauvignon was the aperitif – 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from Vincent Roussely's Clos Roussely – all the other whites being Chenin Blanc. Again Vincent's Sauvignon showed why it has proved so popular over the past year with its combination of ripe fruit – grassy with a hint of gooseberry – and freshness.


The whites 

The Champalou 1999 sec was on fine form with the typically softer Champalou style compared to the more mineral and austere style from Domaine Huet and Bernard Fouquet (Domaine des Aubuisières). Still youthful after ten years with good texture and a backbone of acidity partly hidden by a touch of sweetness. 

 

There was considerable bottle variation between the two bottles served – one was quite oxidised while the other one much fresher. Presumably down to differences between the corks. Clos de Varennes came from Pierre Soulez's Château de Chamboreau and was sold by Bernard Germain of Château de Fesles. It was certainly vinified in wood with a fair proportion of new wood. I'm sure that this overseen by Bernard's team but I need to recheck. The more oxidised bottle was cheesy, yeasty and oily, while the second was much fresher. We decanted both bottles and both were improved by this aeration.

Domaine Richou: 1990 Chauvigné, Anjou Blanc

The last time we tried an aged bottle of Domaine Richou's Anjou Blanc sec it was a rare bottle of the serious frost affected 1991. Sadly it was completely oxidised and undrinkable. Fortunately the 1990 was still in good shape – clean, fresh with good length and dominated by truffle aromas. A reminder that rearing truffles (if that is the correct word) is becoming increasingly popular in the Loire, especially in Touraine.

Served with roast scallops with wild mushroom risotto

Tasted alone the 1999 Vouvray was the very clear favourite with the Anjou Blanc and the Savennières well out of the running. However, with the scallops the Anjou Blanc came into its own and was equal favourite with the Vouvray.

The Reds

 

We had intended to serve Pierre Breton's 1990 Bourgueil with the main course with the 2002 Anjou Villages from Domaine des Rochelles as the interlude red. However, tasting it beforehand we felt that Pierre's wine was too delicate to stand up to the beef, so we swopped the two wines around.

This 1990 Bourgueil comes from gravel vineyards and has the charm of aged Loire Cabernet Franc. Much more in style of an evolved, delicate Burgundy than a more robust and powerful Bordeaux. Small wonder that a number of the top Loire vignerons look at Burgundy for kinship. Bricky and fairly light in colour Pierre's wine has attractive savoury fruit and more weight than you would initially imagine.

2002 Anjou-Villages JYA Lebreton (Domaine des Rochelles)

The domaine Anjou-Villages is always either 100% Cabernet Franc or in the vast majority with just a little Cabernet Sauvignon, while La Croix de la Mission is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon or virtually so. 2002 is one of those vintages when a good autumn saved the day after a poor summer with the sun coming and staying out and the wind round to the east. Fortunately this tends to happen fairly frequently – 2007 and 2008 being further examples of this trend.

2002 reds are not heavyweights but like other wines from this vintage they have a magic balance. This has an attractive blend of red and black fruits and is certainly ready to drink now, although it could be kept another two or three years. 

 

1996 Saumur-Champigny, Château de Villeneuve

1996 is one of my favourite red wine vintages in the Loire – classic in style and aging very well as the occasional bottle of Villeneuve's 1996 Grand Clos demonstrates so enjoyably. It is some time since I have tasted the straight 1996. Naturally it doesn't have the full concentration, power and structure of Le Grand Clos but it does have attractive black fruit, medium structure and is still youthful for a nearly 14 year old wine.  

1989 Clos de la Grille, Chinon, Mme Yves Sourdais

This domaine is just to the east of the town of Chinon not far from Philippe Alliet's Coteaux du Noire but lower and slightly to the west.

 

To be continued – but may be a while with several tastings on today: Liberty Wines and French Independent Wine Growers. In 1989 the Clos was owned by Mme Yves Sourdais. However, I visited the domaine sometime in the later half of the 1990s (I think) it was owned and run, as it is now, by Marie Raffault. 1989 was a hot and dry vintage – among the best of the 20th century. Mid-weight, this has the soft, ripe fruit more typical of a vineyard further south that is characteristic of 1989, which you see again but even more so in the 2003 heatwave vintage.

Served with medallions of beef, fondant potatoes, carrots, French beans and red wine jus.

Of the three reds that accompanied the particularly delicious beef the Clos de la Grille was the very clear favourite both with and without food. I was quite surprised by this strong preference as I thought that both the 2002 Anjou-Villages and the 1996 Saumur-Champigny had strong points.

We finished with two stunning wines from Domaine Huet:

2002 Le Mont Moelleux, Vouvray 

2002 Clos du Bourg Moelleux, Vouvray

Both have that wonderful balance of the 2002s, which the 2008s also show. Le Mont is all precision, mineral and austere, while Le Bourg is a little richer, a touch honeyed but still with marvellous precision and minerality. Two wines that have a very long life ahead of them.  

They were served before the dessert – walnut tart, poached pear and coffee ice cream. There was one claim that they worked with the dessert but I think they are better, as both are moderately sweet rather than super sweet, drunk with cheese, patés, perhaps even Pekin duck. With hindsight it would have been interesting to serve Le Mont with the roast scallops.

Notes from the tasting:

Aperitif
2008 Anjou Blanc Sec Domaine Ogereau, Vincent Ogereau £8.25
Made from 70% Chenin and 30% Chardonnay, this is the least convincing wine in the normally exemplary Ogereau portfolio. Not that it is badly made, it is just that a Chenin/Chardonnay blend tends to work better as sparkling rather than still. I fancy that this would be a more successful wine if it was pure Chenin.

Whites:
2007 Château de la Roulerie Chenin Sec, Anjou Blanc Philippe Germain 2004 £10.75
Savennières Clos le Grand Beaupréau Vincent Ogereau n/a
1991 Anjou Blanc Sec Chauvigné Didier Richou n/a
replaced by:
2005 Les Rogeries, Anjou Blanc Sec, Domaine Richou

Served with roast skate wing, cod brandade, crab bisque

Philippe Germain's 2007 Anjou Blanc was the preferred wine in this series both by itself and with the skate wing as its clean mineral character, typical of 2007, showed well. I should probably give Thierry Germain, Philippe's elder brother, the credit for this wine as he is the winemaker. I thought Vincent's Savennières showed well with considerable complexity. Both wines illustrate that Loire whites are often as good from difficult vintages as they are from hotter, more acclaimed years.

1991 Chauvigné, Domaine Richou

Unfortunately the 1991 Chavigné was completely stuffed – oxidised. It would have been fascinating to taste this as 1991 is now very rare because a single April frost reduced the overall crop to a third of normal. It was swiftly replaced by the 2005 Les Rogeries, which perhaps needed time to open up. On this occasion the 2005 was rather dumb – very much in contrast to the 2004 which I drank in May, which was then sensational – rich, complex and balanced with clean acidity.

1997 Anjou Gamay, Château Pierre-Bise – sadly corked

Reds:
2007 Gamay, Anjou Gamay, Château Pierre-Bise
Replaced the 1997 Gamay, Anjou Gamay Château Pierre-Bise, which was unfortunately corked.
2007 La Croix de Mission, Domaine des Rochelles, Jean-Yves and Anita Lebreton
2006 Anjou Villages Vincent Ogereau 2005 Les Jeunes Vignes des Gelinettes, La Ferme de la Sansonnière, Mark Angeli

Served with: Roast saddle of English lamb, French beans, Chantenay carrots, fricassée of wild mushrooms, new potatoes

2007 La Croix de Mission, Anjou-Villages Brissac, JYA Lebreton

This was a very interesting range of reds unfortunately again disrupted because of a problematic bottle – this time the cork. Possibly, of course, the oxidation of 1991 Richou was due to a faulty cork but difficult to establish. The 2007 Papin Gamay was attractive on its own – soft red fruits and quite marked acidity but without sufficient concentration to partner the lamb. Had the 1997 not been corked I think this would have fared better with the lamb.

I thought the 2007 La Croix de Mission was showing extremely well – not a heavyweight but good ripe red and black fruits and well balanced. Yet another example of how having a good site in a difficult year can make all the difference, especially where Cabernet Sauvignon is concerned in Anjou. The concentrated and powerful 2006 Anjou Villages Domaine Ogereau was the favoured wine in this series, although less clear cut than the white trio. Ideally the 2006 needs another couple of years or so to further soften up. Drink the 2007s while you wait.

Mark Angeli's 2005 Gelinettes is certainly a petit bête – almost opaque, very concentrated, quite toasty and very tannic. It needs a lot of time and I have to wonder whether Mark didn't push the extraction too far or maybe it just needs time. If I didn't know Mark reasonably well I might accuse him of making a wine to attract the attention of a certain US wine critic but I'm sure that wasn't in his mind. To be fair to Mark, his 2005 showed much better with the lamb.

Sweet:
2008 Coteaux du Layon Rochefort Château Pierre-Bise, Claude Papin
Served with: pear and almond tart with saffron ice cream

2008 is a difficult or perhaps unfulfilled sweet wine vintage in that everything was looking promising until the end of October and then frequent rain took over in November. Wines from grapes picked early have a lot of charm and purity but they don't have the complexity or concentration of a good Layon vintage. Enjoy them as an aperitif or with a variety of rich dishes but not with dessert. Also drink them young. 2007 in contrast is a lovely sweet wine vintage. There are wines here that really will go the distance.

15 September 2009

RSJ Restaurant in early autumn sunshine

Yesterday eight of us had a very enjoyable offline lunch at the RSJ.

Some of the bottles

We started with a vertical of Sancerres from Monts Damnés - 2001 and 2000 from Pascal Cotat and the 1994 MD from Domaine Henri Bourgeois.

Of the two Pascal Cotat's, the 2001 was leaner, more austere and mineral with good length, while the 2000 was a richer, riper style without the same length as the 2001. The 1994 MD Bourgeois was the star of the flight with delicate but quite forceful vegetal nose but with touches of floral honey too, lovely balance and length. Still remarkably youthful bearing in mind that 1994 was a difficult vintage with very hot, humid conditions in September producing ideal conditions for the rapid spread of rot.

We moved onto a couple of 2005 Sancerre reds: 2005 Lucien Crochet La Croix du Roy and 2005 La Belle Dame, Domaine Vacheron. I preferred the finesse and delicacy of the Crochet with the accent on red fruits with a touch of sous bois. The 2005 Belle Dame is the bigger wine but it has not yet knit together fully. It was in the big Central Loire red tasting I did in December 2008 and it didn't show well then. The Vacherons have subsequently eased back on the oak – it will be interesting to see how Belle Dame shows in a couple of years time.

Four Cabernets followed: first 2003 La Petite Cave, Bourgueil from Yannick Amirault (100% Cabernet Franc) and 2003 Anjou Villages 2003, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau (blend of Cabernet Franc grown on limestone and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on schist). These segued into a pair from Charles Joguet – 1997 Les Chênes Verts and the 1996 Dioterie. Both 2003s were atypical Loire reds, this very hot year making them appear with their soft opulent fruit to come from further south, However although both wines are drinking well now, they show no signs of tiring. Opinion in the Loire over the longevity of the 2003s continues to be split. These two wines suggest that 2003s will keep, providing the winemakers mastered the hot conditions.

The two Joguets were produced by Charles himself and they reflected their two vintages. The 1997 Chêne Vert, from the two hectare plot in Chinon above the Clos de l'Olive, had lovely soft, sweet, savoury fruit. 1997 has always been a commercial and flattering vintage. The Dioterie, which comes from a two hectare block of north east facing old vines by the domaine's chai in Sazilly, was more structured but without the concentration of fruit that the 1996 Grand Clos from Château de Villeneuve shows.

Finally with a small selection of English cheeses and a delicious apple tart we tried the 1997 Vendange de la Saint Charles, Sancerre, Domaine Henri Bourgeois, 1990 Cuvée Alexandre, Vouvray Moelleux Domaine des Aubuisières, Bernard Fouquet and the 1989 Cuvée Constance, Vouvray Moelleux, Domaine Huet. Sadly we had a poor bottle of the 89 Cuvée Constance that was prematurely oxidised due to a loose cork. Nigel Williams, who kindly bought the Constance and who had tried a number of other bottles of this wine, said that this bottle was atypical. Certainly the 1989s have been very closed up for much of their life so far and still very pale in comparison to the 1990s, which rapidly became markedly golden. Speaking to Richard Kelley MW today (16th September), he confirmed that the last time he tasted Constance it was still very pale, almost green.

Although the 1997 Vendange de la Saint Charles had some mid-weight attractive soft fruit, it was overshadowed by the exquisite 1990 Cuvée Alexandre with its rich honeyed and dried apricot fruit and wonderful balance of vibrant acidity. Undoubtedly a great sweet wine that has many years of life ahead of it – the wine of the lunch.