In Good Spirits: A Special Relationship, Bottled
GEORGIE FENN shares some transatlantic delights.
First of all, a happy belated Thanksgiving to those who celebrate – I shall be opening a bottle of something tasty from Oregon this evening once I’ve had a rifle through the cellar. I have in mind a bottle of Chardonnay from Ponzi Vineyards in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, a 2021 vintage. Laurelwood is one of the first soil-based recognised appellations, which, in very basic terms, means the wines show recognisable characteristics due to the area they are grown in, so winemakers can now put this on the label. I love Chardonnay, and this is a wonderful example of steeliness commingling with a gentle bit of oak. If you “don’t like oak”, it’s time to try again.
Ponzi Vineyards Laurelwood District Chardonnay 2021
It has been another week where I’ve endeavoured to get down to London and valiantly failed (emphasis on "valiant", as you'll gauge in a moment). I am surrounded by an ever-growing eclectic range of wine and spirits at home, which is tough to beat, and sometimes tough to get through (woe is me). However, the real excuse is horses, but as the readership of The Rake is largely male (for obvious reasons), and men don’t tend to like horses (for obvious reasons), I shan’t bore you with my equestrian life. Merely understand that my current outlook with our current government is, “Wine is forever, but trail hunting could end tomorrow.”
Let’s break down these weeks at home. I was recently quoted in the Horse & Hound as maintaining “a decent concoction” in my saddle flask. This is actually a homemade sloe-damson gin-vodka mix, equivalent to rocket fuel. My second hip flask preferential is a whisky Mac, and I would recommend this as a steady drink to have at home, too, as the perfect winter warmer. It’s best to use a straightforward blended whisky, such as Famous Grouse, and blend with King’s Ginger at a ratio of 2:1 if you prefer whisky, or 1:1 if you like things a little sweeter. It is also worth saying that if you want to get into drinking whisky, but you haven’t quite trained your palate to enjoy it, this is a good way in.
The King's Ginger Liquer and Hunting Flask
Available at Berry Bros. & Rudd in a neat little gift box (‘tis the season for gifting), £32.50
Affordable white Burgundy is one of those statements that induces an eye roll (and not in a “secretly enjoying myself” way); it’s a slippery slope to becoming a wine bore. One minute, you think £10 is a good wine, which quickly jumps to £30. All of a sudden, you’re puffing out your cheeks and convincing yourself that £80 is a steal for a mid-week bottle. When it comes to Burgundy, which we should really be referring to as Bourgogne, anything delicious that is under £30 is in the “affordable” camp. I enjoyed a bottle of Nicolas Maillet Mâcon Verzé 2022 at the weekend. It is everything I love about Bourgogne: all that minerality compounded with intensely concentrated Chardonnay goodness.
Nicolas Maillet Mâcon Verzé 2022
Available at Hay Wines, £28.99
Data from the IWSR demonstrates that sparkling wine is outperforming still wine in the US, UK and France. In fact, one in ten French sparkling wine drinkers is aged 18-24, which is great news (and proves that the younger generations really doenjoy themselves). Crémant continues its popular streak, and I had a brilliant tasting of aged Crémant de Loire when I was over in Clisson, a lovely little town in the Loire Valley where there just so happened to be a huge heavy metal festival, too…I digress. Did you know that Bollinger own a very good Crémant de Loire producer? They’re called Maison Langlois, and they’re really very good. If you like Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, then I think you will love Langlois Crémant de Loire Blanc de Blancs: it has that similar, slightly savoury characteristic that I really enjoy.
Langlois Crémant de Loire Blanc de Blancs 2020
Available at The Champagne Company, £29
If you prefer a more traditional taste to your sparkling, opt for the Brut Réserve which is available in magnum.
Langlois-Château Crémant de Loire Brut NV
And finally, some insider information for you, heard on the grapevine via The Institute of Masters of Wine (of which I am not a member, but if any readers would like to sponsor my educational fees to become “Georgie Fenn MW”, please do write in). Anyway – Sotheby’s are hosting an online auction of rare wines and "ultimate insider experiences curated by Masters of Wine". They are not messing about; lots include things that might require a crane to get home, such as an ultra-rare 12-litre Balthazar of Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux 2015, one of only five ever produced. There are also experiences, such as “an exclusive avant-première private visit for four guests to the spectacular new Château Angelus cellar, including a vertical tasting, intimate dining experience with 8th generation CEO Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, and a rare 6-litre Imperiale of Hommage à Élisabeth Bouchet 2018".’ This is the big leagues, and hopefully, it stays fairly top secret.
The auction runs from the 1-15th December. More details here (advanced registration is required for premium lots).
