Boring Bulletin: Technical Upgrade

We are having a technical upgrade over the weekend. We apologize if anyone has trouble getting emails through from Friday afternoon 8th January 2013 until Monday 11th January. Answerphone messages can be left over the weekend on 0203 2150011 if emails are bouncing back.

Burgfest 2013

This year's annual RR Burgundy tasting at the St John Restaurant:



first arrivals dive in to the whites





a formidable line up of Cathiard, Lignier, Roty





Laura from Vivat Bacchus and Willoughby from Vinoteca




the white table




the red table





Bazdad and Chas from Four Walls Wine with Catherine




the well deserved lunch



Collecting the samples

A flying visit to Burgundy at the beginning of the week to pick up samples for this year's annual Burgundy tasting:

RR with Philippe Roty

with Alain Jeanniard



with Sébastien Cathiard, tasting his 2012's



Burgundy 2011: Domaines Hubert Lignier and Sylvain Cathiard

Whilst many of the London merchants held tastings and released prices for the 2011 Burgundy vintage last week, RR&Co are holding off until the end of next to release prices (please email catherine@rollswine.com if you would like to receive the offer).

Instead, last week, we held a series of small dinners and lunches with some visiting vigneron: Laurent Lignier and Sébastien Cathiard. Both are sons of pioneering fathers in the world of Côte de Nuits Pinot Noir (Hubert Lignier and Sylvain Cathiard), and last week gave us a chance to taste through this new generation's wines, as well as looking back to the older wines of their fathers.

Fiona Beckett joined us for lunch at The Quality Chop House, where Laurent's 2007s stood out, being much more approachable now than the 08s or 09s. Follow the link here to see what Fiona thought of the Charmes Chambertin 2007 with Tunworth cheese.

The weight on Sébastien's shoulders to continue the domaine his father raised to such heights must have felt enormous. The 2011s (his first vintage in charge at the domaine) show extreme finesse and skill, and a promise of great things to come. With the growing hype surrounding Burgundy, if might feel like these wines are becoming out of reach. For anyone interested in tasting this great, and scarce, domaine I would point you in the direction of restaurant lists such as Roka, Charlotte Street. I can vouche that the Cathiard wines go brilliantly with the Japanese cuisine (especially the black cod). Other restaurant list appearances include Hereford Road, La Petite Maison, and Zuma.

Christmas Champagne Offer 2012

The festive season has come around quickly, and it's yet again Christmas Champagne offer time. For anyone who hasn't received the offer by email and would like it, let me know: catherine@rollswine.com
The offer features out two small growers: Renard Barnier and Philippe Gonet. Not to be missed.

Burgundy harvest

One week from today I’ll be arriving in the Côte D’Or for the vendanges. I’ll be spending a few weeks in the cellar at Domaine Hubert Lignier, one of Robert’s long-standing producers of the highest quality pinot noir.

 

Matthieu Delaporte Makes Waves

In this month's 'Spurrier's World' in Decanter Magazine, Steven visits the Loire and makes special mention of Matthieu Delaporte, 24, who is 'fine-tuning' his whites and 'making waves' with Pinot Noir. The Delaportes have been making wines in Chavignol, Sancerre, for generations. Young Matthieu is pushing boundries, experimenting with pruning techniques on a small plot of pinot vines, and continuing his family's signature style of taught, elegant and expressive Sancerre wines. Of particular interest to wine enthusiasts will be his Cuvée Maximes (in both white and red). Steven Spurrier picks out the Pinot Noir as having 'complexity and vigour' with a northern purity. The white cuvée, like the red, is oak aged and will take drinkers into another realm of Sauvignon Blanc, made from vines of 50 years+ grown on clay-limestone soils. The Delaporte's white Sancerres have the fantastic and rare ability to age wonderfully. The current vintages (2011 for the unoaked Sancerre, and 2010 for the oaked Maxime) are both cellar worthy and will be hugely rewarding in years to come. Get in touch if you'd like to see for yourself. Email catherine@rollswine.com for further details and prices.

http://www.domaine-vincent-delaporte.com/