The Hospital Club armit Annual Tasting 2011

The Stars Of The Night - The Nine Must-Buy Wines!

Wines from £7 to £125 per bottle (IB)

Over 200 armit customers attended our annual tasting at the Hospital Club in the West End last night. With a selection of 74 wines on show, feedback and orders rapidly indicate the stars of the evening. Whether you attended or not, this is an opportunity to review the wines that the armit team and you, the customers, selected as THE wines to buy.


With such a strong endorsement you can confidently stock your cellar with these nine “Stars Of The Night”:

WHITE WINES

Biggest Bargain White of the Night

Not one but two white wines drew comment for being a complete steal in terms of value for money. I think everyone was impressed by how seriously delicious the Chilean Sauvignon was and a following is certainly developing. Rieslings always sell well at tastings, they are so adaptable and in this case it is hard to believe the price is right.

EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Matetic Vineyards, Chile
£42.39/cs 6 IB (£63.90/cs inc.VAT) Buy
“Citric fruit and mineral notes on the nose Really concentrated with refreshing acidity and great flavours dominated by a persistent mineral overtone. Hugely quaffable.”

Riesling Gutswein Halbtrocken 2008, Weingut Theodorus, Pfalz, Germany
£42.14/cs 6 IB (£63.60/cs inc.VAT) Buy
“A fruity semi-dry Riesling with plenty of finesse, exotic fruit, citrus and a harmoniously integrated acidity. Simply delicious.”

A 2009 White Burgundy Already Drinking?

You would think that a 1er Cru Burgundy from the 2009 vintage would need a few more years before you pull a cork. Simon Bize’s Savigny confounded everyone, gorgeously fresh drinking and ‘utterly delicious’ already.

Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses 2009, Simon Bize, Burgundy
£280.00/cs 12 IB (£362.05/cs inc.VAT) Buy
“A more complex, more elegant and fresher nose offers up notes of pear, green fruit and wet stone that precede rich, round and utterly delicious flavors that culminate in a notably dry, clean, detailed and firm finish. This is lovely and should benefit from 4 to 6 years of cellar time.” 90 Points, burghound

White Wine of the Night

There was never any doubt that when Domaine Leflaive turned its hand to producing Rully, the results would be spectacular. One of the wines that everyone wanted to try again and again…and again!

Rully 1er Cru 2008, Leflaive et Associés, Burgundy
£330.00/cs IB (£422.05/cs 12 inc.VAT) Buy
“From a holding of 40 year-old, 100% biodynamic vines in 1er Cru Les Cloux. Poised, pure and fresh with rounded orchard fruit and that hallmark Leflaive smoky minerality. This is so drinkable it should be illegal.”

RED WINES

Biggest Bargain Red of the Night

No one can believe that they can buy a wine from the Ornellaia estate for so little. The quality is fabulous and, tasted blind, you would never believe this is only £10.83 per bottle under bond.

Le Volte 2009, Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia, Tuscany
£65.00/cs 6 IB (£91.02/cs inc.VAT) Buy
“The 2009 Le Volte is a pretty, radiant wine laced with expressive bright fruit. It shows the generous, inviting nature of the year in its open personality. The 2009 is 50% Merlot, 30% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2016.” 89 Points, e-robertparker

Best Value Bordeaux

After last night there will be a lot of households with this claret on the table for Christmas. The nose just draws you in and then the palate lives up to the introduction, a really classy St Emilion that, with ten years of age to it, is perfect for drinking now.

Château Grand Mayne 2001, Grand Cru, St Emilion, Bordeaux
£280.00/cs 12 IB (£362.05/cs inc.VAT) Buy
“Grand Mayne is one of my favorite Bordeaux estates for both high quality and good value. The 2001 does not possess the power and depth of either the 2000 or 1998, but it is impeccably well-made. Husky, but sexy, this nicely textured, dark ruby/purple-colored effort reveals hints of espresso roast intermixed with creamy vanillin, blackberries, and currants. While foursquare/monolithic, it exhibits good sweetness and purity, medium body, and ripe tannin. Drink 2005-2020.” 89 Points, Robert Parker

Best Special Offer

Usually priced at £419.94 per case, it would be foolish to miss out on the chance to save over £69 on this stunning Brunello from Giuseppe Maria Sesti. He only produced 235 cases of this Riserva. Make sure you have one of them!

Phenomena 2004, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Tuscany
£280.77/cs 6 IB (£349.95/cs inc. VAT & Delivery) Buy
“What a perfumed and focused nose, with ripe raspberry aromas. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a balance of beautiful fruit and dried flowers that resemble rose petals. Best after 2011. 235 cases made.” 92 Points, Wine Spectator

Red Wine of The Night (& Greatest Surprise)

Far from being too young to contemplate enjoying, the 2006 Sperss actually displayed enormous elegance, gorgeous forward fruit and proved to be the wine of the night. It left no one in any doubt as to what all the fuss is about when it comes to Angelo Gaja.

Sperss 2006, Angelo Gaja, Piedmont
£695.00/cs 6 IB (£847.03/cs inc.VAT & Delivery) Buy
“The first thing I noticed about the 2006 Langhe Sperss is the finish, which literally lasts an eternity. It, too, is more overtly structured, powerful and less fruit-forward than the 2007, but its focus and drive are commendable. The wine seems to hover on the palate with an ethereal expression of dark fruit, smoke, licorice, tar and menthol, all of which are backed up with substantial heft and sheer muscle. This is a marvelous effort from Gaja and will appeal most to readers with a preference for sturdy, age-worthy wines. Anticipated maturity: 2021-2041.” 97 Points, e-robertparker



Most Requested Wine

No surprises here, the rush to taste Sassicaia was so great many people started their tour of the tasting at the ‘armit Classics’ table. It opened up beautifully and certainly introduced many to why this estate is considered one of Italy’s finest.

Sassicaia 1999, Tenuta San Guido
£750.00/cs 6 IB (£913.03/cs inc.VAT & Delivery) Buy
“Complex aromas of minerals, berries, tobacco and shells. Full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a succulent, refined aftertaste. A pretty Sass. Best after 2004.” 92 Points, Wine Spectator

All of these wines are a great buy and whether you are looking for a bargain or a blockbuster, there is something for you here.

We would like to thank all of you who came for making it a wonderful event and of course to Cheese at Leadenhall for an excellent selection of cheeses and to Crosta & Mollica for the delicious Italian breads and to Spiral Cellars for presenting innovative ways of storing wines and inspiring all of us.

Blog by Piers German

For information on our events please contact Rhian Rosser on rrosser@armit.co.uk

Read more posts on this event here