armit blog

armit En Primeur Burgundy Tasting 2012

2012-01-25T09:21:00.022Z

Burgundy En Primeur 2010
Blogs by Phil Weeks, Sales Director & Nick Palmer, Private Client Account Manager

Burgundy Tasting - Hotel, Restaurant & Wholesale by Phil Weeks

It was with real excitement that we welcomed a big crowd from our Hotel, Restaurant and Wholesale customer base to cast their taste buds over what has turned out to be a stunning vintage.

Middle Temple Hall

Particular favourites on the night, in terms of producers, from those customers I chatted with were, Domaine Marquis d’Angerville, Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, Domaine Simon Bize, Domaine de Clos, Domaine Fourrier, Domaine de Montille, Domaine Taupenot Merme and Domaine Guy Roulot.

Personally I loved the intense purity and elegance of the wines from Jean-Marc Roulot, everything from the Bourgogne Blanc to the Meursault 1er Cru Tessons Clos Mon Plaisir were exhilarating.

It turned out to be a bit of a Meursault night for me. I loved the 1er Cru Perrieres from Domaine Darviot Perrin, Les Narvaux du Dessous from Domaine de Montille and one of the greatest Luchets I have had the pleasure to taste from Roulot.

Other highlights included the Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets from Domaine Marquis d’Angerville, Savigny Blanc and Savigny 1er Cru Talmettes from Domaine Simon Bize, Beaune 1er Cru Avaux from Domaine de Clos, Pommard 1er Cru Pezerolles from Domaine de Montille, Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Folatieres from Domaine Sauzet, Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Belair from Domaine Taupenot Merme and finally the Vosne-Romanée Les Hautes-Maizières and 1er Cru Chaumes from Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux.

All in all a top selection of great wines from some of the best producers on the planet, lots of whom attended and talked with great enthusiasm about the stunning wines 2010 has produced.
A must buy vintage for all fans of great Burgundy.

Post by Phil Weeks

Burgundy Tasting - Private Clients - Nick Palmer

The Burgundy En Primeur tasting is always a highlight on the armit calender and once again Middle Temple Hall was looking resplendent as it filled to capacity with private clients keen to taste the 2010 vintage.

Wines from 24 different Burgundian Domaines and negociants were on show with many of the growers there in person to present the vintage. The chance to taste such a lovely vintage alongside the likes of Guillaume d'Angerville, Pascal Lachaux, Erwan Faiveley, Nicolas Potel, Jean-Marie Fourrier and Jean-Marc Roulot is a great experience! The wines showed beautifully, with the vintage's silky textures, rounded fruit and energising acidity clearly on show.

As per our tastings in Burgundy last year, it is difficult to choose between the whites and reds in 2010 as both have poise and elegance with well defined fruit and good concentration.

Vineyards of Domaine William Fevre

It is undoubtedly a great year for Chablis and the wines from both William Fevre and Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin showed exceptionally well, attracting praise from all who tried them.

Like Phil, I found the Meursaults enthralling and Chassagnes also impressive. Fontaine Gagnard's wines were deliciously floral and open whilst Blain Gagnard's were a touch more withheld but showed a core of intensity that will be revealed given time. Their Puligny village is a steal this year.

A special mention must also go to Darviot Perrin's Meursault 1er Les Perrieres which was sublime. The most popular table in the room belonged to Domaine Fourrier who Neal Martin thinks has "produced some of his best wines ever in 2010".

The wines are fantastically intense in 2010, it is just a shame there is so little of them! D'Angerville's 1er Champans was as good as I have ever tasted from this great estate and Arnoux-Lachaux impressed on all levels but for me the Latriceres stole the show with its wild strawberry and savoury notes. Other picks were Simon Bize's Savingy 1er Cru Fourneaux, Faiveley's Nuits St George 1er Cru Damodes and as bargain of the night, Domaine des Clos' Nuit St Geroge Les Crots which surpassed even last year's effort.

Over dinner at 28'50 (who had prepared a special menu for us) after the tasting, clients were full of praise for the precise, energised style of the vintage. It is a 'classic' year in the best possible sense of the word.

Post by Nick Palmer

Next event:
The armit Italian Tasting - 15th March 2012 at One Marylebone... more information to follow soon.

Burgundy November 2011

2011-12-06T09:11:00.020Z

When it comes to wine trips, a visit to the Cote d’Or is always a great experience, and all the more so when the wines you are tasting display the character, finesse and drive that marks Burgundy out as the most enthralling region of them all. That is exactly what greeted us in a cold, murky Beaune last week for our final viewing of the 2010 vintage before the start of the January En Primeur releases.

Cuttings being burnt outside Meursault

Hopes of seeing the slopes covered in a sea of golden leaves were dashed by the arrival of the first real cold weather of the autumn a few days before our arrival and a thick, murky layer of mist that clung to the hills for the duration of our stay. Atmospheric might be the best word to use as warm it was not!

Misty morning in the vineyards

The week commenced at Domaine Arnoux on the edge of Vosne Romanée where we were greeted by Pascal’s son Charles Lachaux, fresh from his vintage at Rousseau. Charles spend the first half of 2011 working with us in London and experiencing the UK wine market firsthand, so it was great to catch up with him in his ‘natural’ environment.

Charles Lachaux

Domaine Arnoux owns a variety of superb climats across the Cote de Nuits and their 2010s were excellent, setting a precedent of quality that was rarely strayed from over the entire week. At a village level the wines are precise, full of energy and show the clear fingerprint of their terroir. Climbing the 1er Crus and Grand Crus this became further defined. The 2011s have great balance and a wonderful level of detail that will appeal to all serious Burgundy fans.

Domaine Marquis d'Angerville

The afternoon took us to Volnay, where we visited a Domaine Marquis d’Angerville shrouded in mist. Guillaume d’Angerville was on fine form, telling us he believes he is the only vigneron on the Cote who can visit all his vineyards in a 20 minute stroll from his house. It certainly helps that his top vineyard, Clos des Ducs, is right next to the family home! Each of his wines showed a fantastic purity of fruit with strong mineral cores. This is a super year for Volnay.

Guillaume d'Angerville

Then it was on to Domaine Lafarge (also Volnay based), and their cellar that hosts what can only be described as a living ceiling of mould.

Cellar at Domaine Lafarge

The village Meursault is as consistent as every, whilst the Bourgogne Passetoutgrains l’Exception (from a parcel of 85 year old vines) will once again be one of the great bargains of the vintage. Their Volnays were, like d’Angerville’s, just brilliant with great energy, minerality and persistence.

The following day focussed on whites, with two morning visits in Chassagne and Puligny.

Bernard Mollard at Domaine Marc Morey

Domaine Marc Morey’s wines displayed their classic floral character at village level, with increasing levels of minerality and concentration as we climbed the Crus. These are wines of great finesse with oak used deftly and delicately to allow the minerality of the vintage to shine thorough.

Then it was on to Domaine Leflaive. This is the first time I have had the pleasure to taste at the Domaine itself and we were greeted by the full team of Anne-Claude, Eric (regisseur) and Antoiné (manager of Leflaive & Associés).

Eric (top left) and Antoine (top right)

The Associés wines have been a welcome addition to the Leflaive range and do not disappoint in 2010, with the Rully taking another step forward in quality and the two reds (Monthelie and Charmes Chambertin) harmonious and complex. The domaine wines themselves were tasting superbly, full of life, drive and brimming with minerality. The wines have finesse and elegance but hold a huge level of power and depth. I cannot wait to see how they evolve.

Tasting at Domaine Leflaive

The afternoon saw us at Domaine de Montille and their negociants arm, Maison Deux Montille. Alix and her winemaker Brian took us thorough their range of climats which span all parts of the Cote, and their mantra of clarity and precision was clear to see throughout.

Alix Montille

The whites have a bright, invigorating energy about them that clearly show their terroir off to the full. The reds were made with a focus on holding on to all the fruit character, and I found a lovely purity to the wines which balanced good aromatics with ripe, finely structured tannins. A lovely tasting and I will certainly be picking up a few for the cellar come January.

Michael and Fiona Wragg at M&M always offer a warm welcome, and the needed to by the time we arrived as a very cold night was setting in over Aloxe Corton.

Fiona and Michael Wragg

The whites here have a perfect level of ripe fruit and a rounded, plush acidity that makes them incredibly inviting. Minerality was clear to see throughout all the cuvees. The reds were plush with playful herbal and savoury notes and real vitality. For those looking for a wine that will drink soon as well as into the mid-term, these are just the ticket.

Our final morning started in Morey with a tasting at Taupenot Merme, a grower we have been championing for a number of years now. Romain Taupenot was particularly animated about the vintage and thinks the wines have a brilliant balance that he would love to make again and again. His wines (ranging from Corton to Gevrey) showed a wonderful restrained elegance to them at all levels. There is plenty of power here but each are well framed by acidity and fine, structured tannins and we anticipate an exciting future for them.

Romain Taupenot (far right)

At Domaine Faiveley we were met by Erwan Faiveley who took control of his family’s Domaine in 2007.

Domaine Faiveley

The wines made there are now arguably the finest they have been for many a decade, with new oak taking less of a role in the winemaking process and a more expressive, open style the result. Faiveley have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to vineyards and the 2010s did not disappoint. From 1er Cru Beaune through to the Grand Crus in Chambertin and Vosne, character and poise flowed through the reds, whilst the wines spoke clearly of their varied terroir. A definite name to look out for.

Our final stop was at Domaine Simon Bize, where Patrick was his usual mischievous self.

Patrick Bize

Another proponent of success of 2010, Simon’s wines showed a lovely pure ripeness of fruit with subtle tannins and fine acidity. Both the reds and the whites should be quite open in their early years but from experience can also hold up to some lengthy ageing. These unpretentious, brilliantly made wines. 2010 is a vintage that every Burgundy aficionado should be rightly excited about.

We will be publishing a full report on the year in the coming weeks and very much look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our Burgundy En Primeur tasting in January.

Blog by Nick Palmer

The Christmas Tasting 2011

2011-11-29T09:54:00.014Z

On Tuesday evening we all got together at The Caledonian Club for what was “the greatest armit tasting ever held” as Mike Laing commented!

It certainly was spectacular. Several Château owners, producers and representatives had come over from Bordeaux especially for the occasion:

Anthony Barton – Château Leoville Barton
Anne Cuvelier – Château Leoville Poyferre
Juliette Pareau – Château Lafon Rochet
Margaux Pariente – Château Troplong Mondot
Clare Burke – The wines of JP Moueix
Olivier Casteja – Château Doisy Vedrines
Didier Foret & Francis Anson – Château Giscours
Frederic Bernard – Domaine de Chevalier
Jean-Pierre Foubet – Château Chasse Spleen

The room was filled to the brim with over two hundred guests all eager to try the array of over a hundred and thirty wines we had on offer.

With so many wines being showcased, it was necessary to be selective about what one was going to taste. Do you start with the Christmas selection or maybe move straight to the Rhône corner? How about some Chateau Lafleur 1985 or perhaps a tasting of one of the many verticals on offer? Alternatively, fancy trying your chances on winning a magnum of Hermitage 2005 at the Blind Tasting table while the taste buds are still fresh?

As I maybe mentioned, there were many options. Luckily, everyone seemed to decide to taste a bit of everything. Some highlights had to include the six wines from Freemark Abbey in Napa, especially their delicious Cabernet Sauvignon.

Everyone sooned after the Château Lafleur 1985 which was delicious, as were the other Lafleur wines.

Then came what seemed to be the main event of the night – the vertical tastings of Bordeaux wines. You know it’s going to be a good evening when you see Anthony Barton standing behind a table with his Langoa Barton 1995, 1996, 2004 and 2007 open in front of him! They were all absolutely delicious but maybe the big surprise was how perfect the 2007 was right now. A wine to go with the turkey on Christmas day in many people’s opinions.

Another delight of the evening were the sweet wines of Château Doisy-Védrines presented by producer Olivier Casteja; the 1988, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 were open and the vintages of choice surprised many people, the 2002 really did stand-out. Olivier advocates drinking his wines as aperitifs; take note sweet wine drinkers!

A final word has to go the Blind Tasting table. Three whites & three reds - guess the grape, country and vintage. Many guests committed themselves with gusto, and the results ranged from the extremely good to the, er, odd. France isn’t the best-known place for growing Albarino! Everyone seemed to have fun, with the winner scoring a very creditable 13 out of 24.

Thanks everyone for coming and we hope to see you all next time!

Special thanks also to all from Bordeaux, to Spiral Cellars, Crosta & Mollica and of course to Cheese at Leadenhall.

Merry Christmas!

Blog by Nick Clarke

Domaine Marquis d’Angerville at The Fat Duck

2011-11-10T09:10:00.039Z

5th November 2011

Where better to head on 5th November than to the home of gastronomic fireworks? The Fat Duck, one of only four restaurants in the UK to hold the coveted three Michelin stars, was the venue for an extraordinary evening, pairing the wines of one of Burgundy’s most revered Domaines with the creations of the genius of Bray-on-Thames, Heston Blumenthal.

Guillaume d’Angerville, who had travelled over from Volnay especially for the event, had very kindly opened his cellars to allow the diners present privileged access to older wines that had never moved in their lives and many of which are now rarely seen on the market. The Domaine has vines in eight of Volnay’s premier crus, six of which are bottled individually, and all six were on show, alongside two vintages of Guillaume’s 1er cru Meursault Santenots. The wines chosen spanned 20 years, thus showing the effect of age on the d’Angerville wines and of course wines made by both Guillaume and his late father, Jacques, Marquis d’Angerville.

The guests, some of whom had flown in from as far as Singapore just for the evening, were welcomed by head sommelier Isa Bal who in turn introduced Guillaume. He noted his surprise that Isa had chosen to start the evening with Volnay Champans 1998, rather than opting for the more conventional option of the whites. Perhaps he was making a nod to the Burgundian practice of tastings reds first and whites second in the cellar? Isa smiled knowingly and the games began.

For the uninitiated, an evening at the Fat Duck is like no other. “Food theatre” is one way to describe it. The senses are enlivened, challenged, stimulated and questioned by each dish. The first palate cleanser is a choice of gin and tonic, campari and bitter orange or vodka and sour lime. So far so simple, except that the choice is then squirted out of a canister where it has been pre-mixed with egg white and “poached” at the table in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees. The result looks like a small, hard meringue but once placed in the mouth, it explodes, thoroughly cleansing every part of the palate. It is a brilliant way to begin a meal.

Next up was a scoop of pommery grain mustard ice-cream surrounded by a vivid, deep purple red cabbage gazpacho. A truly amazing dish to look at and a total flavour contrast to the zesty purity of the nitro-poached citrus.

Palates prepared, the first food and wine pairing. The aforementioned 1998 Volnay Champans was accompanied by quail jelly, crayfish cream, chicken liver parfait and truffle toast. The first three formed an intense layered dish, with a pea purée at the base, set inside a dish reminiscent of a diver’s bell. To prepare the diners, a piece of wood was set in the middle of the table covered in moss with an individual plastic pouch containing a film for each guest. Once removed from the pouch, the film dissolved on the tongue, releasing sweet oak flavours. Liquid nitrogen was then poured over the moss to create a cascade of autumn mist over the table as the smells of oak and moss filled the air.

The question was how would the Champans, from a famously tricky vintage, fare with such an elaborate dish? We needn’t have worried. Isa Bal isn’t considered to be one of the leading sommeliers in the world for nothing and this was a triumphant pairing. 1998 may have been difficult in Burgundy but with the tannins now finally in retreat, a beautiful subtle wine of real complexity and depth was allowed to express itself . There is at least another ten years in this wine if you have it in your cellar. Producer, producer, producer…

We then turned white, with 2009 and 2007 Meursault Santenots served as a pair to accompany two dishes, the signature ‘snail porridge’ and then a beautiful dish of roasted langoustine, konbu and crab biscuit. The two vintages were picked to show deliberately contrasting styles, the 2009 showing greater richness with ripe orange citrus flavours while the 2007 far more obvious minerality and tension. The snail porridge suited the 2009 better, the weight of the dish needing a wine of some scale to run alongside it while the 2007 cut through the oils of the roasted langoustine beautifully. Guillaume prefers to drink his whites young and when they are as good as this, it is certainly hard to resist.

Back to reds and with the famous ‘Mock Turtle Soup’ we had the pair of 2008 Volnay Clos des Angles and 2007 Volnay Frémiet. The dish really has to be experienced to do it justice and all that I will say is that it is one of the most original and exciting dishes that you will find on any menu anywhere in the world. “Incroyable!” was heard more than once from Guillaume! The wines were equally incredible though- the début vintage of the Clos des Angles showing classic Volnay elegance and charm and further evidence of why 2008s are provoking such excitement. By contrast, the softer, more seductive 2007 vintage had bought a succulence to the Frémiet that is rarely seen although the minerality is inescapable on the finish. They are so different from each other that it is extraordinary to consider that they are produced barely 100 yards apart.

Next up was salmon poached in licquorice, with its accompanying golden trout roe, vanilla mayonnaise and flecks of pink grapefruit. It is a beautifully composed dish and one of the most successful at the Fat Duck. With it were served magnums of 2003 Volnay Taillepieds and rare bottles of 1989 Volnay Caillerets. The 2003 had lost its puppy fat but was still very primary, with notes of sweet strawberry and no hint of excess ‘heat’ while the 1989 Caillerets was in a very different place with secondary, smoky, autumnal aromas coming to the fore, marrying very well with the licquorice in particular.

The final pairing was two vintages of Clos des Ducs, 2001 (en magnum) and 1990. To be honest, if we had just sat with these all night long, there would have been smiles as wide as the Thames. 2001 was another difficult, hail-affected vintage in Volnay but offering huge pleasure today, allowing this great terroir to express itself in all its glory but in a more measured manner. By contrast, the great 1990 was an epic, a glorious, powerful, magisterial wine at the very top of its game but perhaps lacking a bit of the focus and precision of some of the more recent vintages if one is to be truly picky. The chosen dish was powdered duck, blood pudding and umbles, an adaptation of another Blumenthal classic and a worthy partner to the greatness of the Clos des Ducs.

A further four dishes followed before the guests took their leave. Conversation flowed as the wines and food were discussed and compared, just as it should when they stimulate and provoke as much as these intriguing combinations did.

This was a great evening that demonstrated not only the brilliance of Blumenthal and his team but also the undeniable fact that in Burgundy, Marquis d’Angerville is firmly among the leading Domaines, not only for its rich array of vineyard holdings but more for its ability to show all of the facets and differences of them. As a tour of Volnay, few evenings can rival this and the consistency of the wines was remarkable, with one of the sommeliers stating that he had never opened so many faultless bottles from one producer in an evening, every single one being totally spot on.

Our thanks go to Guillaume d’Angerville and his family for their great wines and to Heston Blumenthal, Isa Bal and all at the Fat Duck for their daring and creative brilliance. For those interested in knowing more about the Domaine, please contact the Private Client Team at armit on 0207 908 0660. The eagerly-awaited 2010s will be released En Primeur in January 2012.

Blog by Mike Laing.

Rhône Trip

2011-11-04T10:11:00.018Z

11th-13th October, 2011

It was with great anticipation that four of us from the armit team travelled to the Rhône Valley earlier this month to taste the 2010 vintage.

Travelling through Côte Rôtie, Condrieu and Hermitage in the North and Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the South, we tasted just shy of eighty samples from thirteen producers. Find out more about our Rhône producers here.

Our guide was the splendid Charles Blagdon who not only arranged our tastings with military precision, but made sure we never went hungry. We had dinner and lunch at a number of incredible locations. The highlight was the fabulous L’Oustalet Restaura nt, set in the picturesque cobbled town square of Gigondas. Charles also arranged for clear blue skies and 25C on each day of the trip! Not bad for October...

Our overall impression?

The vintage is absolutely stunning and the wines are of immense concentration, the best showing a brilliant balance of rich, ripe tannin and refreshing acidity.

Nature provided something of an unexpected boost early in the vintage as the flowering in Spring was very poor, particularly in Grenache.

Far from being a disaster, this meant that the fruit that did set was able to take advantage of the perfect growing conditions of periods of very hot days, cool nights, and just enough rain before harvest to prevent the fruit lively and vibrant.

The whites too are incredibly pure, offering crisp acidity and very well defined fruit in both the North and South.

Thanks must go to all of the winemakers who took the time out from pressing the new harvest of grapes (2011 vintage) to talk us through each of their offerings.

Blog by Matt Thompson

Gaja Day 2 - 23rd September 2011

2011-10-05T10:01:00.025+01:00

Day 2 - #gajaday on Twitter

For day 2, the focus had moved primarily to hotels and restaurants who had been promoting Gaja wines during September so we took Gaia on a whistlestop tour to see how the activity had been working and to thank each one for their efforts. This is where we went..

Bistro du Vin

We were welcomed into the stunningly colourful library area at Bistro du Vin, Soho to meet Romain who had Rossj-Bass Chardonnay as one of a select number of wines available to taste from the Enomatic machines. We spent a while discussing the different Gaja wines and properties.

Mennula

Our next port of call was Mennula who had created a fantastic feature on their menu offering a Gaja Experience including Promis 2008 and Ca'Marcanda 2004.

The Gilbert Scott

The Gilbert Scott restaurant in the magnificent St Pancras Hotel welcomed us next. They had been successfully promoting Sito Moresco 2008 by the glass.

Uncorked

In between restaurant visits we visited Uncorked in Broadgate. Nestled in amongst the office blocks, we found ourselves in an Aladdin's Cave of wine with a welcoming window display dedicated to Gaja. Orders had already been flooding in from an online offer and we were primed and ready to welcome some thirsty office workers for a tasting over lunch. Gaia took groups of customers through the range and bottles were once again flying out of the door clearing out the stock of most wines. A huge amount of effort had been put in by the team and the event was a great success.

L'Anima

This had built up our appetite and led us to L'Anima where the charming Francesco Mazzei had created a special dish paired with Magari selected by sommelier Alessandro. The Gaja fans were out in force as we spotted several glasses and bottles being delivered to a packed restaurant requiring us to prise Gaia away from a table of fans who were in no hurry to leave.

28'50

Fortified and refreshed, we began the long list of afternoon visits starting at 28'50 where the restaurant was still packed with lunch customers enjoying Barbaresco 2006, Magari 2008 and Rossj Bass Chardonnay 2010.

Lutyens

We moved around the corner to Lutyens where we were welcomed by Andrew Connor who had chosen to focus on Sori Tildin 2003 and Brunello di Montalcino Rennina 2004.

The Chancery

After a lengthy discussion about the wines and different Gaja properties we raced to The Chancery for a brief visit with Zak Jones. We were greeted by a display of Gaja bottles which had been promoted including Rossj Bass Chardonnay 2010, Promis 2008 and Sito Moresco 2008.

At this point we realised that maybe we had attempted to fit in too many visits for one day but were determined to fit in everything and to thank everyone involved for their support.

Harry's Bar

A brief meeting and handshake outside the exclusive Harry's Bar where diners had enjoyed Sperss 2005, Barbaresco 2006, Alteni di Brassica 2008 and Rosj Bass 2010 was followed by a race to The Opera Tavern.

Opera Tavern

Here we were treated to some of the most incredible ham and olives I have ever tasted and Pepe chatted to us about the success of Promis 2008 by the glass in addition to Rossj Bass Chardonnay.

Roast

Our final port of call was touch and go as we checked train times to ensure Gaia's safe return to Italy! The charming Anne at Roast had waited patiently for our visit and we were not going to let her down. They had been selling all of the Ca'Marcanda wines and when we saw the beef being finished off for dinner, we all wanted to stay.

A final sprint to catch the train to the airport was nearly a disaster but we succeeded.

Thank you to everyone who participated and embraced the concept of Gaja Day by promoting the wines to their customers. Special thanks to the unique Joe Wadsack for the interviews on our travels and for keeping our spirits up!

Here's to making Gaja Day 2012 even better.......

Back to Gaja Day 1

Gaja Day 1 - 22nd September 2011

2011-10-05T09:28:00.019+01:00

Day 1 - #gajaday on Twitter

The tension had been building throughout September as hotels, restaurants and a selection of retailers had been promoting the magnificent wines of Angelo Gaja and were awaiting a visit from his equally enigmatic daughter Gaia.

An incredible two days were spent visiting customers across London to see the fruits of their labours. A lot of time in taxis, a lot of photos, a lot of video interviews but also a lot of fun. See below what we got up to.

Roberson

Fresh from Heathrow, Gaia began with an early start at Roberson's on Thursday morning before the doors were open to the public. We were greeted by bottles of Promis 2008 in prime position as well as antique cabinets filled with a selection of older wines and stunning Gaja paraphernalia. The enthusiastic team sampled the Promis 2008 alongside the other wines from the Tuscan estate.

Whole Foods

We moved on rapidly from one end of Kensington High Street to the other to Whole Foods Market where Gaia was greeted by a fantastic selection of Italian wines. By now, customers were happily tasting small samples of Promis 2008 laid out on a barrel. Again the other Tuscan wines were tasted to the delight of the staff.

Planet of the Grapes

Our next event was a tasting during lunch at the newly opened Planet of the Grapes in Bow Lane. Diners were greeted with a beautiful display of all the Ca'Marcanda wines as well as Rossj Bass Chardonnay. After a lunch of perfectly cooked steak and chips, Gaia worked the room tasting the wines with customers whilst they enjoyed their lunch.

Harrods

We then progressed to Knightsbridge and the impressive and newly refurbished wine department at Harrods. Promis was again available to taste.

Sipp

Further along Brompton Road, the stylish shop Sipp was displaying Promis and Magari in their Enomatics, available for all to taste.

Handford Wines

The evening's entertainment was about to begin as customers flocked to the stylish Handford. The shop was packed with customers eager to be led through a great line up starting with the Tuscan property and finishing in Piedmont with the Barbaresco 2006. I saw many bottles heading out in the hands of customers delighted with their new found discoveries.

Vagabond

The next tasting was at Vagabond in Fulham, a very inviting and beautiful shop with 100 wines available to taste from Enomatics. Customers again had gathered in great numbers to taste a line up of wines including the Ca'Marcanda range then from Piedmont, Rossj-Bass Chardonnay 2010, Barbaresco 2006 and Sito Moresco. Again, the bottles were flying out of the door with very content shoppers.

Riva

A well-deserved rest at the end of the day and solace was found at Riva in Barnes. We were greeted by the entertaining and exuberant Andrea Riva who had welcomed Gaia's father and grandfather to his establishment over the many years it has been in existence.

Day 1 had been fantastic, but what would the next day hold..

Gaja Day 2

The Hospital Club armit Annual Tasting 2011

2011-09-30T15:50:00.019+01:00

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

Gaja - New 2008 Releases

2011-09-16T16:58:00.005+01:00

Angelo Gaja In House Tasting 14th September 2011

2008 vintages - New Releases

Meeting the winemaker or owner of a vineyard is always a treat and a true educational experience. Meeting Angelo Gaja, however, is like encountering a force of nature. He delivers his knowledge with sense of passion and verve rarely encountered. He is incredibly engaging and very funny – I think the later is supposed to be intentional.

Both Angelo Gaja and Gaia Gaja were here to launch the 2008 Barbarescos and attend the Grand Marchi tasting and dinner at the Italian Embassy. Let’s discuss the wines...

All vineyards are at the mercy of mother nature, and nowhere can this be more so than in Piedmont. It has a marginal climate, although there are strong indicators that global warming has helped adorn Piedmont during the last 15 years with some spectacular vintages and very few poor ones. The Langhe can also suffer from horrendous hail storms, capable of decimating crops and excessive rain is not unheard of around harvest time, which in turn can dilute the noble Nebbiolo grape.

In 2008 a lot of rain fell on the Piedmont region during the spring and summer months, in fact rain fell on 40 out of 90 days to be precise and no one was expecting a good vintage. However, thanks to a long period of dry weather at the end of the season, producers are excited about their crop of Nebbiolo. The Nebbiolo harvest for many finished on or around October 28th, about 20 days later than the 2007 harvest. Fermentations were long, nearly four weeks in some cases, but the majority of the quality Barbarescos and Barolos are elegant rather than robust, have good acidity and soft round tannins.

2007 was considered by many to be a great vintage in Piedmont, showing real opulence, wonderfully glycerol fruit with deep rich cores of fruit. 2008 as I have already mentioned, has a much more elegant feel to it. For me personally this is a good thing. There is far more definition and precision to the fruit, the haunting aromatics we all search for are already finding their way out of the glass and I believe these wines will age incredibly gracefully.

Barbaresco DOCG 2008
The flagship wine from the Gaja family, which they have now been producing for 152 years. Even at this young stage in the wine’s evolution, it shows notes of lifted spice; the oak has a leafy lightness to it which is followed by an attack of delicate and fresh red fruit. All the elements are there in clear relief, and one can only imagine how sublime this wine will be once all the components have fully married.

Costa Russi DOC Langhe 2008
The spice in the Costa Russi seams a notch richer than the estate Barbaresco, and the fruit has an almost summer compote feel to it. Delicate floral and violet notes begin to emerge. A wonderfully silky texture greets the palate and the oak has a delicate spicy, almost fennel like twist to it. The tannins are soft and pliable and the finish lingers.

Sori Tildin DOC Langhe 2008
What struck me first with this wine is the striking burst of exotic, almost Indian, spice that leaps from the glass. The fruit seemed richer and more powerful, with a delicate savoury, almost meaty note. The tannins were a little deeper but were counterbalanced by the richer fruit and a spiced mocha finish.

Sori San Lorenzo DOC Langhe 2008
As expected, the San Lorenzo is a more brooding wine, which while exhibiting similar aromatics to the Sori Tildin is more muted and seems a little slower out of the blocks. There is a delicious attack of sweet berry fruit, and then the palate is introduced to hints of bright red currants, a whiff of earthy moss and Assam tea. The finish is surprisingly bright and clean but incredibly rich and long.

These are an incredibly impressive range of wines, which deserve to be in any serious collection of wines from this region or any other for that matter. In my opinion they offer the perfect balance between power and elegance, the hallmarks of great Nebbiolo. If Gaja can, in any way, be considered a modernist, it is the precision with which these wines have been made and in which each detail can be isolated and appreciated. However, there is no denying that this is a family proud of its long and important history and this comes through in these elegant, graceful and hauntingly beautiful wines.

Andrew Johnson, 15th September 2011

Leflaive Lunch at Bar Boulud

2011-07-11T16:01:00.014+01:00

London, when it reaches 30 degrees is not my favourite place, especially when suited and booted, so it was a welcome respite to arrive at the air conditioned oasis of Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental for the Leflaive & Associes lunch. The mere thought of some chilled white Burgundy was enough to make the sweltering journey bearable.

For those of you who have not heard of the Leflaive & Associes project and want to learn more, please click here. In essence, this project is Domaine Leflaive's negociant business, but as you might expect, Anne Claude has approached it slightly differently from your traditional negoce business. The most important difference is that Anne Claude and her team not only constantly monitor these non-domaine vineyards, but they also pick them themselves. So in reality, apart from not owning the vineyards this is a Domaine wine as the wine is also vinified and aged at the Domaine. It goes without saying that all the growers involved are farming their grapes to the same biodynamic standards as the Domaine.

To accompany our Truffled Boudin Blanc, with mashed potato and apples we were served the Rully Blanc 1er Cru 2008 and 2009. The 2008, as one would expect, was the more expressive wine with an intense tangerine and stone fruit palate, a wonderfully glycerol texture and finishing off with the Leflaive signature of energy, vibrancy and piercing minerality. This wine is ready for immediate consumption and a wonderful match for the food. The 2009, showed a little more tension, and was generally received as the slightly superior wine, but in need of a little more time in the bottle for the firm acidity and crystalline minerality to soften and blend together. A serious Rully - how many times do you hear that?

As well as the Leflaive & Associes wines, we were also treated to the Bienvenues Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2006. Antoine Lepetit, Anne Claude's right hand man, who came over from France to launch the new project, thought that the Bienvenues needed more time to be fully expressive(Leflaive's Grand Cru wines are known for their longevity, and often needing ten years before they reach their peak). However with a little time in the glass, the more discreet of the Grand Crus, showed real class with wonderful power, poise and elegance. A beautiful partner to the whole roasted place with brown butter, lemon and capers.

Leflaive has always been about white burgundy, and has not made any red wine since the Blagny Sous le Dos d'Ane in 2002, so it was with much excitement that we approached the two reds, Monthélie 1er Cru Sur la Velle 2009 and the Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2009 to accompany our selection of cheeses.

On the nose, the Monthelie was alive with bright cherry, raspberry and red fruit aromas. Considering this wine was only bottled in May, the tannins and oak were incredibly well integrated with a wonderfully supple texture. Clearly there was plenty of youthfulness in this wine, but is a wine to be enjoyed now or cellared for the medium term depending on one's preferences.

The Charmes Chambertin, with its brooding dark colour in the glass promised a lot, and did not disappoint with notes of dark cherries and hints of liquorice and, possibly due the 80% stems included in the vinification, and almost savoury note. The palate was a mass of layered fruit with an alluring finish of violets and herbal tinges. While it was possible to get inside this wine, it would clearly benefit from a further 4 years or so.

All in all, this is a very exciting addition to the Leflaive portfolio. It is reassuring to see the same degree of passion and care going into these new and superb wines - a thoroughly enjoyable lunch.

Blog by Andrew Johnson

What’s going on at armit Hong Kong!

2011-05-27T11:09:00.013+01:00

At the beginning of this month I visited the armit Hong Kong office for a few days to catch up with the team and to discuss future marketing plans. It was an insightful trip and I am left feeling quite envious of their lives out there... a very stylish place to work and an incredible city to live in.

Thursday morning, 5th May another hot and humid day in Hong Kong. As I made my way from downtown Wan Chai to the Central district, I walked along streets filled with busy people frantically ducking in and out of the wet markets picking up noodle based breakfasts before heading into their respective gigantic air-conditioned skyscraper offices. The armit office is located in the heart of the business district in the fifth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, a building called The Centre – what an incredible place to work!

Three escalator rides, two lifts and a level interchange later, I arrived the armit office, about to embark on a few day’s work in one of the most stylish places in which I have ever worked- how very exciting!

A busy morning was followed by an incredible Dim Sum lunch at Tim’s Kitchen with the armit team. Then it was back to the office for a productive afternoon. Whilst I was out there Ivy was working hard on planning a Sassicaia dinner which took place the following week at Cipriani’s, Hong Kong and what a success that was. Please read Ivy’s blog on the Sassicaia Dinner below.

armit have been out in Hong Kong for 3 years now and the team has grown substantially as has their influence in the Hong Kong Wine Market. Find out more on the armit Hong Kong office and the Team here. Please contact Ivy on Tel: +852 53938101 or email:ing@armit.hk for any information regarding events in Hong Kong.

Blog by Rhian Rosser, Marketing Coordinator, May 2011

13 May 2011

5 Vintages of Sassicaia, including the legendary 1985

I had spent weeks preparing for this Sassicaia wine dinner and I was really pleased to see that it finally took place at Cipriani restaurant. 5 vintages were to be tasted, including the legendary 1985 vintage and a succession of younger vintages: 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2003. I was wary that some of these vintages had not been terribly well reviewed by critics. Therefore, it really was quite a pleasant surprise that all the wines showed extremely well. It certainly helped that the chef did us proud with his perfectly executed dishes, of which the steak fiorentina particularly deserved special mention – the juicy sirloin almost melted in the mouth and the tenderloin, succulent and well-flavoured – just the perfect dish to go with the 1985.

The menu read like this:

Eggplant parmigiana – 2003 Sassicaia
Pappardelle with duck ragout – 2000 Sassicaia
Rack of lamb with balsamic sauce – 1999 and 1998 Sassicaia
Black Angus fiorentina steak - 1985 Sassicaia
Selection of Italian cheese

Sassicaia, the iconic wine, that many would compare with a classic classed growth claret, was responsible for bringing world attention to the Maremma region (and more specifically the Bolgheri strip) of Tuscany with its first commercial launch in 1968.

Sassicaia bore more than one resemblance to Bordeaux: maritime climate, stony soils (Sassicaia is translated as “a field of stones”), and the grape varieties. Sassicaia went from strength to strength, culminating in the presentation of the legendary 1985, which Robert Parker claimed he had almost mistaken with a 1986 Mouton Rothschild on a number of occasions. This kind of compliment was no small feat and the making of Sassicaia was the lifetime achievement of one man, Mario Incisa della Rochetta, who through his passion, imagination and conviction made it possible, and now his son, Nicolò, with winemaker Dr. Sebastiano Rosa, are working hard to take this legacy to new heights, evidenced in the critics’ ratings of recent vintages, including 2006, 2007 and 2008.

The tasting of these 5 vintages revealed the consistently preserved hallmark of Sassicaia wines: understated elegance, balance, incredible freshness and the ability to age effortlessly. The microclimate, the soils, the choice of grapes (the combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the latter contributing elegance, much finesse and aromatics), and the age of the vines have all played a major role in maintaining this style, testament to its expressiveness of “terroir”, a word that would make the French proud of their heritage. [Up until 1987, the blend consisted of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, the percentage of Cabernet Franc then increased to 15% and for the 2003 vintage, it was moved up to 19%.]

Brief notes of the vintages (decanted for 1 – 2 hours):

2003 Sassicaia – Deep ruby hue. Very spicy nose, layered with red cherry, plum, cassis, chocolate, liquorice, cedar and vanilla. Velvety texture belies the ripe chewy tannin and the ripe fruit completely enrobed the vibrant acidity. A rich and opulent wine, that is ready to drink now but will continue to evolve over the next 10 – 15 years. Finishes long, sweet and spicy. 18.5/20

2000 Sassicaia – Bright ruby core. Silky and lush, rather unassuming, but very refined. A very attractive nose of pot pourri, berry, with nuances of mint, cedar and lead pencil. Drinking perfectly now, but has potential to develop further over 8 – 10+ years. 17.5/20

1999 Sassicaia – Bright ruby. Not the strongest vintage in this evening’s line-up. A vintage plagued by lots of rain during flowering and during the month of July, which was followed by a burst of heat and sunshine in August. Yields were high to keep the alcohol down to an acceptable level. Complex nose of blackcurrant, violet, herbaceous, eucalyptus and mint, with some leather and savoury character coming through. Lighter in body than the other vintages, but drinking very well now, and will drink well for 4 – 5 years. 16.5/20

1998 Sassicaia – A lush and sensuous wine, with plenty of character. Extremely well balanced, well-structured. Plum, chocolate, spicy, eucalyptus nose. Well-integrated tannin, very smooth on the palate, with the unmistakable fresh acidity of Sassicaia. Finishes very sweet – great dish to go with the lamb with balsamic sauce! Drinking well now and will continue to evolve over 8 – 12 years. 18/20

1985 Sassicaia (in magnum) – what can I say?! Truly phenomenal, once it’s had time to open up in the glass. I had underestimated the time it would take to open up. After 1 hour in the decanter, it needed further time in the glass to reveal its full glory. A nose of blackcurrant, blueberry, violet, cedar, cigar box, leather and a hint of spice reminded me of a first growth claret at its peak! Firmly structured, having fully integrated all the elements, including the remarkable acidity and the robust tannin and some very ripe and concentrated fruit, without showing any signs of fatigue. A true classic that left us speechless, except to admire the finish that went on and on! 20/20

Sassicaia - click here for wines available to buy online.

Before the dinner, I had only had limited experience of Sassicaia. Now, I am left with no doubt over its iconic status: Sassicaia has proven to me that it’s really in a class of its own!

Posted by Ivy at 23:46 15th May 2011
Labels: Italy, Tuscany, Wine Tasting

7th of April 2011 - SpringTrade & Press Tasting - Blooming Lovely !

2011-04-11T16:08:00.015+01:00

The 7th April was a beautiful warm sunny day in London – most city dwellers will have been cooped up in hot offices with only the dream of fresh, cooling drinks, parks and swimming pools, but we were fortunate enough to be in a refreshing Spring/Summer wine tasting – enjoying the cooling whites and mouth-watering reds! What a perfect day it was! Hosted at La Galleria, Pall Mall, a fantastic art gallery slap bang in the centre of London, armit presented an eclectic range of 83 wines to members of the trade and press who were busy preparing their summer wine lists or prepping for future articles. Guests enjoyed a flavorful trip departing from England, stopping by several regions in France; Champagne, the Loire Valley, Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône and Bordeaux. They then headed South to Portugal, Spain through to Italy, stopping at Friuli, Liguria, Piedmont, and Tuscany and finally down into Sardinia. A quick visit to Austria before flying overseas to the new world: New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Chile where armit proudly presented their new Chilean agency – Matetic Wineries!

The tasting was separated into 6 zones, each consisting of fantastic wines: Spring-Summer days, Spring-Summer Evenings, Spring Summer Nights, Dessert Wines, Organic/Biodynamic wines and to finish The Wine of Italy. See the full list of wines here.

Here are some tasting notes in order to tickle your taste buds:

Gimonnet Brut Gastronome 2006:

A fine bead and a pale colour here. The nose is beautifully fresh, starting off with lemon and almond, but then warmer notes of brioche, toffee and honey-roast nuts, but none of these elements are over-facing or lacking in elegance. The palate is fresh and floral and elegant, with fine and fresh acidity, lovely vinous texture and defined mousse. Beautiful, citrus-laced character.

Roter Veltliner Stangl 2010, Weingut Eichinger, Kamptal :

Has a sweet and spicy cent, this had a coppery aroma to it and also a strange, but likeable, savoury scent that I couldn't quite put my finger on . Full bodied, mineral and well structured so it could cope with the copious fruit. Nice!

SixFootSix Chardonnay 2010, Austins Wines, Geelong :

Gold Medal at Geelong Wine Show 2009, strong barrel ferment inputs, brightly flavoured and complex showing nectarine, melon and white peach with biscuit aspects on the palate, infused with lots of lemony acids and fairly overt spicy French oak.

Seresin Viognier 2009, Malborough :

The nose is perfumed and floral with aromas of white flowers, apricot and spice. The palate is textural and mouth-coating with flavours of peaches, oatmeal and a touch of lime marmalade. The generous palate and fine acidity provide length to the spicy dry finish.

Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2010, Stellenbosch:

A soft, watermelon pink colour with orange tints. A gamut of rose petals, lime zest, wild strawberry and freshly picked raspberries assault the olfactory senses. These red berry aromas follow through on the palate supplemented with nutmeg spice and ground pepper which is balanced by a refreshing acidity, softly textured mouth feel that leave a lingering farewell.

Vosne Romanée 2008, Arnoux-Lachaux :

Bright red black right to the rim, with a lovely rich nose of black cherry and red fruits with grilled, new wood notes behind. Rich black and red fruits on the palate, creamy, plump with firm structural tannins behind, with a long, succulent finish. Lovely.

Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial 2001, La Rioja Alta :

Hazelnut nose with ripe fruits notes and aromas of coconut. A structured and balanced mouth with silky tannins. All of that with a pleasant after taste.

Nebbiolo d’Alba 2009, Bruno Giacosa :

This has spicy, wild berry aromas with firm, yet rounded tannins, balanced by dark cherry and sweet, red fruit flavours with mineral flavours on the finish. A very accomplished wine which gives immediate pleasure but it has enough depth to enable 3 to 5 years of ageing.

Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Tenuta San Guido :

Explodes onto the palate with masses of rich, opulent fruit that caress the palate with gorgeous length and a seamless beauty that is hard to fully capture. Dark wild cherries, plums, spices, minerals and herbs develop in the glass. This is an especially bold, perhaps slightly uncharacteristic Sassicaia in its extroverted personality, but it is beautiful all the same.

Ornellaia 2008, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia :

Dark ruby/purple core with brilliant intensity. A gorgeous bouquet of tilled earth, flowers and blackberry, along with fresh pavement and dark chocolate fills the nose. On the palate, a powerful entry of blackberry and cassis offers texture that is rather supple, expanding nicely to a crescendo of plus concentration of black fruit in the mid-palate. The medium-to-high acidity provides balance for the well-rounded tannins, and a kiss of sweet oak spice supports the robust fruit. A lovely wine that hits it on all cylinders with the power and precision to cellar another 10 to 12 years easily.

Brunello Di Montalcino,Sugarille 2006, Gaja, Pieve Di San Restituta :

Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille is the more potent of the Brunellos. It displays a darker color along with notes of tar, smoke, spices, toasted oak and dark fruit on a full-bodied frame with terrific expansiveness and length on the palate. A lingering note of licorice frames the finish of this beautiful, deeply expressive Brunelllo.

Noble Late Harvest Sauvignogn Blanc 2008, Stellenbosch :

Green gold straw colour of this wine gives an almost seductive start to the whole tactile approach that is involved in tasting something this exquisite. Full ripe botrytised grapes dripping with sweet nectar were harvested and fermented in new French oak barrels. The rich perfume of the Sauvignon blanc enhanced by the new oak is toned down to perfection by the dried fruit and apricot flavours formed by the noble rot.

All these magnificent wines were enjoyed all day long and paired at lunch with some chorizo, saucisson, potato salad and French cheese, like camembert, Morbier and some delicious Bosworth goats cheese served by Cheese at Leadenhall. For those with a sweet tooth, try the Torcetti biscuit from Crosta & Mollica. The icing on the cake was of course the presence of three shining stars: Olly Smith, Ainsley Harriott and Tony Tobin.

Pairings of the day:

- EQ Coastal Sauvignon with Bosworth Goats cheese.

- Sassicaia 2008 with the Morbier.

Thanks to all the people who came and enjoyed sipping all of these nice wines with us – hopefully you’ll carry on sipping for months to come!

Text & Photos

Charles LACHAUX

armit Italian Tasting – Wednesday 16th March 2011 at the Royal Society of Arts in London.

2011-03-17T15:11:00.024Z

The drops of pure sunshine served at our Italian Tasting last night was indeed a delightful break from what we hope is the last of this winter’s cold daily greyness and incessant showers. The Vaults of the RSA provided a magnificent backdrop to an unforgettable Italian tasting. The tasting began in the Veneto, passing through Alto Adige, Piedmont, Liguria, Tuscany, Sardinia and ended in Puglia.

We showcased 43 wines; Spumantes, Proseccos, whites and reds from 15 different producers, from easy drinking, very enjoyable tipples to iconic Super Tuscans from Gaja, Sassicaia, Ornellaia with the presence of the charming Alex Belson and to finish Giacosa.

The armit staff had the usual luck of arriving at the RSA nice and early in order to taste each of the wines side by side in the beautiful, quiet atmosphere of the Vaults. This is very interesting, because not only does it allow you to taste wines which you have enjoyed previously but it also gives you the opportunity of discovering the new babies which develop into teenagers at end of the night with the air contact they encounter during the course of the tasting. This is an important and critical part of the event because the sensations, thoughts and feelings experienced by our knowledgeable team will determine the advice they give to our guests throughout the evening.

We had a really good time pouring the wines and advising the guests, who will be providing good homes to the bottles: be it in their cellars, for those who can wait a bit or alternatively in their Euro cave for those who cannot wait to enjoy such beautiful wines. As usual, the ambience was really good and the wines indeed matched the majestic atmosphere of the Vaults.

So, once there were no more drops of sunshine to enjoy, the guests started to leave, with their impressions and ideas racing through their minds: What should I buy? How long am I going to keep it? Do I have to enjoy it right now? With what do I pair it? With whom am I going to drink it? So many questions, such a passion for wine,

Here are armit’s favourites from the tasting:

Richard Sutton :

Gaja Rossj-Bass Chardonnay 2009,
I was fortunate to have spent much of the evening serving the legendary Angelo Gaja wines. He is, rightly, best known for his complex, powerful and long-lived Barolos and Barbarescos, but the revelation to many of last night’s guests was his classy Rossj-Bass Chardonnay. Some clients approached this initially as a palate cleanser after the big reds, and ended up declaring it their favourite wine of the night, many coming back to enjoy a second glass just to make sure. The wine is lightly oaked and has a big mouthfeel and great depth, but balanced with oodles of fruit and fresh acidity. Beautifully made wine from a master craftsman. £200 per case of 6 in Bond. Limited avilibility, please contact us.

Sesti Phenomena 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva,
The delightful Giuseppe Sesti has done it again. His wines impress me more each time I have the pleasure of their company. This is a top Brunello in the classical style from the opera and astronomy expert cum oenologist extraordinaire. Lots of dark fruit, mocha and dark chocolate, and a really long, lingering finish on the palate. Outstanding. £339.82 per cs of 6 in bond.

Hilary Howes:

Romano dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore 2004,
I may have to agree with one guest last night who boldly declared that this just might be ‘The King of wines’. Quintarellis protégé, Romano dal Forno, certainly packs a punch with his massive Valpolicella Superior. The nose is thick with Jasmine, anise and port-like dark fruit which is impossible not to be impressed with. The complexity carries through to the palate seamlessly and also suggests savoury grilled meat, violets and tar before leading in to a 60 second finish. Outstanding ! (6x75cl) @ £395.00/cs IB

Quercia al Poggio Chianti Classico,
The addition of 15% Merlot to the classical Tuscan varietal, Sangiovese, has given this fantastic Chianti a rich, cherry driven character. The medium/light body is perfect for summer drinking and the fresh acidity expected from a top class Chianti will allow this wine to be paired with all kinds of cuisines. Such a charming wine at £11 per bottle is certainly one to be kept on hand for entertaining and casual enjoyment. (12x75cl) @ £66.12/cs IB

Piers German :

Le Volte 2009, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
One of the undoubted stars of the night with every guest remarking on the price for such quality. 50% Merlot, 30% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Really forward with plenty of luscious dark berry fruit the Le Volte 2009 is already drinking well now and displays an intensity of flavours that should see you enjoying it for at least another five years. (6x75cl) @ £65.00/cs IB

Brunello Di Montalcino 2005, Pieve di Santa Restituta,
Wow! What a difference a year in the cellar makes. This Brunello from Angelo Gaja is absolutely gorgeous now. The dark cherry fruit has softened and ripened, lots of jammy, fresh flavours that roll over the palate and linger for an age. If you do not have any in your cellar yet make sure you take some now, this is fabulous. (6x75cl) Restituta @ £180.00/cs IB (£228.15/cs inc.VAT)

Matt Thompson :

Barrua 2007 IGT Isola dei Nuraghi, Agricola Punica,
Agricola Punica are based in the south western tip of Sardinia, a area famed for its Carignano. Blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the Barrua is a rustic style in the best possible sense: dried herbs, wild berries, wood smoke and earth lead on the nose, and the palate is a rich, dark, savoury fruit driven affair with a lick of black pepper and sweet spice. Roasted lamb with oodles of rosemary and garlic would be the perfect meal. (6x75cl) @ £129.82/cs IB (£167.94/cs inc. VAT)

Salice Salentino Rosso Riserva 2007,
Comprised of 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera, two classic staples of Puglia, the Cantele Salice Salentino is an exceptionally good value red evoking both the hot weather and cooling Mediterranean breeze surrounding the ‘stiletto’ of Italy. It is a perfect accompaniment for grilled foods as well on its own, with its spicy, herbaceous nose and deep, velvety palate. Perfect now and will keep for the next couple of years. (6x75cl) Cantele @ £38.38/cs IB (£58.21/cs inc. VAT)

Steve Weids :

Bruno Giacosa’s Barbera d’Alba 2008,
It’s absolutely spectacular ! At this price, it is hard to imagine wanting to drink anything else. The lovely richness of the wonderfully ripe fruit combined with the warm spiciness and long lingering finish, make this an absolute must. Think of a slow cooked shoulder of lamb, and a Hummm ! (£195.00 In Bond or £258.30 Inc per 12)

Sassicaia, Guidalberto 2008,

There can be no denying the class that exudes from this beautiful wine. This magnificent blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is a true echo of the Grand Vin itself, and I love to pair this with some simple roast beef on a Sunday. Just add a few woody herbs in the cooking and the two are made for each other. There is also the added benefit of not needing to ask the bank to extended the overdraft…again! (145.00 In Bond or 186.16 Inc per 6)

Nick Palmer :

Vermentino Colli di Luni 2009, Cantine Lunae £109.65 IB per 12
A recent gold medal winning wine at the International Wine Challenge, it wasn’t hard to see why Colli di Luni’s Vermentino was so popular last night. It has a beautifully inviting, floral nose with orchard fruit but the palate is flinty, crisp and incredibly pure. A really polished white that is a regular in my rack at home at the moment.

Sperss 2005, Angelo Gaja £675.00 IB per 6
It’s always hard to pick a favourite from Gaja’s range of Piedmont reds, especially given how every cuvee on the table was showing brilliantly. The 2005 Sperss was my personal pick. This is a wine that, having been hidden behind its dense tannin and acidity, is now emerging from its hibernation – smoke, morello cherry, tar, spice and meat unfurled on the nose and palate as the evening progressed. An amazing Barolo that will only keep on getting better.

Charles Lachaux :

Gaja, Pieve San Restituta, Brunello di Montalcino Rennina 2004.
This Angelo Gaja Sangiovese is absolutely fantastic ! A very nice wine coming from 100% Sangiovese, all the grapes from the same vineyard. A good ruby color, the nose was open, spicy with a hint of chocolate and fruity. Very round and soft mouth with good balance and acidity, and a long finish. Definitely the kind of wine now to have with a good medium-rare cooked steak and homemade mashed potatoes with the final touch of black truffles on it... (£ 350.00 in Bond, £432.15 inc VAT) Limited avaibility.

This was a really nice and amazing night, picturing well with the quality of the wines served. Many thanks to the producers for a such nice range of wine and also thanks to all the people who attended and were part of the magic of this event.

Text & Photos

Charles Lachaux

Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial 2001 launch at Lutyens restaurant, London, Tuesday 1st March 2011.

2011-03-04T13:52:00.015Z

A wonderful tasting to launch the Reserva Especial 2001. Guillermo de Aranzabal the president of La Rioja Alta, Javier Amescua the export manager of the company and to finish, Julio Saenz the winemaker were present to introduce their new wine alongside older vintages.

The winemaker, Julio gave us a magnificent tasting of seven vintages from La Rioja Alta. All from the best years produced by the estate. We started with a 1970 followed by an 1982, then came a 1985, a 1989, a 1996 and the recent 2000 and to finish the Reserva Especial 2001.

Vina Ardanza 1970.
Aromas of leather and chocolate, the colour was surprisingly dark for a 41 year old wine. This wine was incredibly fresh, with good acidity, with a taste of stewed fruits such as warm cherry. A soft round wine with a very long finish. After its fermentation in oak vats, the wine has been in oak casks for 36 months !

Vina Ardanza 1982.
A hint of volatile nose, with a spicy note. The mouth was deep, but the fruit component disappeared, maintain by a spicy, black pepper taste. This wine was very enjoyable, but it is perhaps a little past its peak.

Vina Ardanza 1985.
A nice fruity nose with a bit of alcohol. Chocolate on the palate with nice discreet tannins, an elegant fruit character and a stronger alcohol sensation than the two previous wines.

Vina Ardanza 1989.
A more subtile nose than the other wines, less fruity, but with a bit more alcohol. More tannins in the mouth but the alcool remained. This was not a bad thing because it encouraged a longer finish.

Vina Ardanza 1996.
This might be the best wine of the tasting. The spicy nose made me think about the smell of an nice indian sauce, this with balanced good fruit and alcohol. A nice palate with a plenty of fruit and a the finish was reasonably long. This wine was racked every six months when in casks, and has just been bottled in 2000.

Vina Ardanza 2000.
The nose was nice and discreet. The mouth was composed of savoury notes of leather, spice and toasty coconut, which comes from the three years of ageing in barrels.

Vina Ardanza 2001.
Hazelnut nose with ripe fruits notes and aromas of coconut. A structured and balanced mouth with silky tannins. All of that with a pleasant after taste.

Following this, guests went for a refreshing glass of Albarino 2009 from La Rioja Alta’s Lagar de Cervera at the members club while our table was being set for lunch. Lunch provide us the opportunity to match the wines from the morning with a delicious menu prepared by the chef :

To start a Roast stuffed squid with romesco sauce followed by beef braised in Rioja (Vina Alberdi 2003) with mashed potatoes, that was in style of that classic « Bœuf Bourguignon ». To finish we had some poached yorkshire rhubarb with Ginger and orange. Delicious !

The left over bottles from the tasting were free to enjoy. So, they enjoyed pairing the wines they liked with the food.That was a great way of exploring these wines further ! A very enjoyable experience that wasn’t bad at all.

Text & Photos
Charles Lachaux

Monday, 24 January 2011 Bruno Giacosa Wine Dinner at Otto e Mezzo, Hong Kong

2011-02-07T09:38:00.006Z

armit HK hosted a Bruno Giacosa wine dinner at Otto e Mezzo Ristorante, recently promoted to 2-Michelin star status in foodie Hong Kong.

It was an ideal venue where the chef and the winemaker shared the same pursuit for excellence and high quality. Chef Bombana and his kitchen staff did a brilliant job matching each course with the wine selection.

3 tables full of eager wine lovers, amongst whom Maria, who so much enjoyed the wines that she even took a selection of the empty bottles home and who would be proud to admit to be the oldest wine lover in the room! (Here's a picture of Maria posing with Chef Bombana as he was vigorously shaving black truffle over the Challand chicken dish!)

Service was extremely professional and impeccable: well-timed, efficient, and attentive. We had a couple of last minute dietary requests which were taken care of without much of a grumble from the restaurant. Well done, Bombana and Danilo! Thank you so much for looking after us!

The menu read like this:

Roast Langoustine in Shell, with aromatic herbs and bread crumbs, roast artichoke and pecorino cheese.
2009 Roero Arneis: mineral, floral, nutty, pungent and spicy, firm acidity and full body, with a bitter almond aftertaste. Very good match with the artichoke and scampi. 16/20

Burrata Cheese Ravioli, with black olive and eggplant sauce, "Datterino" cherry tomato.
2003 Barbaresco Asili: burnt sugar, chocolate, tar, coves, liquorice, rich but a little funky. Velvety textured, very approachable despite its age, firm structure, good acidity, a wine with an untamed edge to it, but a perfect accompaniment to our food, probably even better with the risotto course (see below). Drinking now and the next 6 - 8 years. 16.5/20

Pumpkin Risotto, with braised beef cheek and Italian aromatic cheese.
2003 Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba: floral, truffle, herbal, earthy, mineral, spicy, with just a hint of tar and burnt sugar. Much more elegant, still very fresh and very youthful. Chewy tannin and firm acidity. Drinking now and for next 10 - 15 years. 17.5/20

Truffled Roast Challand Chicken, with truffle jus and truffle mashed potato.
2004 Barbaresco Rabajà: roses, tar, chocolate, winter spices (cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon). Very firm acidity and robust tannin. Youthful and unyielding. Not ready to drink yet. Will benefit from another 4 - 5 years in bottle to integrate the various elements. 18/20

Colorado Rack of Lamb, with confit vegetable black olive and lamb jus.
2001 Barbaresco Rabajà Riserva: the pinnacle of the evening, a wine just at the point of revealing its greatness, encompassing harmony, power, concentration, depth and plenty of character. A very perfumed and powerful wine, with a complex bouquet of roses, tar, mushroom, red fruit, figs and warm spices, and an opulent texture that coats your palate with those warm spicy, floral and earthy flavours. A wine that remains long in your memory. This is a rare wine as the cru name of Rabajà is no longer used as of 2007 vintage and this was the last Rabajà Riserva made by the estate. So a real treat! 19.5/20

Wild Strawberry, with moscato jelly, mascarpone cream and crispy meringue.
2008 Spumante Extra Brut Rosé: the dessert was just a fantastic match with this wine! I also sneaked a taste of 2004 Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba Riserva brought by one of the guests and while it just about began to show its potential to develop into a glorious wine, it was definitely not ready yet and would benefit from at least another 10 - 12 years in bottle!

All in all, a marvelous evening was had by all! Some guests even lingered at the restaurant's bar to finish a bottle of 1971 Bas-Armagnac to keep the restaurant staff company while they were diligently clearing away the empty glasses!

Ivy Ng - Hong Kong

armit Burgundy 2009 tasting – Wednesday, 12th January 2010

2011-01-14T12:14:00.006Z

After much anticipation the Burgundy 2009 vintage landed this week with a memorable tasting at Middle Temple Hall. One of the most fantastic and historic venues in London, the hall was quickly filled as the starting pistol fired at 6pm.

The wines were represented by 23 producers who collectively showed 96 wines. Attendees were spoiled for choice as nearly every hectare of the Cotes d’Or was represented in a stunning array of reds and whites. From some seriously over achieving ‘village’ wines to the unforgettable monopoles and Grand Crus, there was truly a style to meet every taste.

As ever, the armit staff all arrived early for a comprehensive taste of the full range and this is always a critical moment for us all as it’s our first chance to taste all of the wines side by side under one roof. It’s always fascinating to see how the wines have changed in the year or so since the initial tastings in Burgundy, and they are so close now to being the finished, bottled article. New gems are discovered, old favourites are treasured, and we can all offer our own informed, personal advice to our clients. What’s more, tasting and scoring 96 wines in 1 hour is actually pretty hard work!

Our opinions aside, the most important critiques were from the 200+ attendees as it is their cellars that are to house these great wines in time. As ever, we all had a fantastic time pouring the wines and chatting to such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd. The general mood was of absolute delight at the quality of the wines and the producers were as generous as ever with their time when questioned.

When the final drops were poured and the sound of empties echoed around the magnificent hall, which wines left the biggest impression of the team? The Private Client Team each had a favourite:

Steve Weids:

“The stand out wine for me last night was the brilliant Latricieres Chambertin from the enigmatic Pascal Lachaux (£800 per 6 IB). This is only the second vintage that Pascal has released, and what a wine it is. Masses of wild fruit, an amazing filigreed structure, with layers and layers of fruit and complexity. I am seduced!”

Nick Palmer:

“Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Pézerolles (£265 per 6 IB). It was an incredibly impressive debut display from de Montille at the tasting, with the Pommard 1er Cru Pézerolles a particular highlight. Perfumed and fragrant with pretty purple fruits and a confident, creamy palate. Another fine example of the great performance of the Cote de Beaune in 2009.”

Richard Sutton:

“Fontaine Gagnard 1er Cru Les Vergers (295 per 12 IB ). For me, F-G always represent the benchmark for Chassagne Montrachet, both in terms of quality and value. This year Richard Fontaine has excelled even by his own very high standards. Lovely, zesty fruit, great body and length for this price.”

Matt Thompson:

“Domaine Sigaut Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Fuées (£450 per 12 IB). What a delight this was to taste! The soft, creamy texture was wrapped around a crisp and refreshing core of red fruit and a touch of spice. The depth and intensity is already impressive and seems to express all of the great qualities of the 2009 vintage.”

Jacqui Renirie:

“Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru, Cuvee Madeleine Collignon, Hospices de Beaune (£660 per 6 IB). Last year we participated in the Hospices de Beaune auction and were thrilled to have acquired this lot. The fruit, sourced from a tiny parcel in the north of the Mazis Chambertin vineyard from the oldest vines offers lovely dense ripe red and black fruits, is wonderfully seductive and offers great complexity. Jerome Flous at Domaine Faiveley has tendered to the barrels for us over the last 12 months.”

The evening was, without a doubt, a triumph on every level and has set the bar incredibly high for the tastings still to come this year. Bravo Burgundy, and thanks again to both the producers who’ve taken the time to take us through their ranges, and to the clients who were able to attend and make the evening so enjoyable. Orders have been racking up and some of these magnificent wines have already sold out, so please act quickly to make sure you secure yours!

Private Client team Christmas dinner

2010-12-29T14:03:00.012Z

Here at armit, we love that the festive period gives us the opportunity to enjoy a lovely meal together with wine chosen by us. This year, the armit private client team, including two new recruits, enjoyed a delicious dinner at Kitchen W8, Philip Howard’s excellent neighbourhood restaurant just off Kensington High Street. The restaurant has become a firm wine-trade favourite since opening last year thanks to its great food and generous corkage rates. Both the food and the service were first rate, and the sommelier was exceptionally accommodating as we dropped off our ‘mixed case’ around an hour before dinner with wines chilled or decanted as required.

The evening commenced with a bottle of JJ Prum Wehlener Spatlese 2004 which showed a surprising amount of development given its age. Oil, petrol and ripe orchard fruit on the nose and palate, keen minerality, a plump texture and wonderfully energetic acidity. This was followed by a magnum of Domaine Vincent Girardin 2002 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, originally from the cellar of Lord Lloyd-Webber. This wine has many years ahead of it but is a ripe, rich, assured style with beautifully judged oak.

We normally attempt an even spread of reds to whites during our dinners, however the cold weather had clearly turned people’s heads to hearty, warming styles and thus we jumped straight into an extensive range of reds. More shocking than anything, there was not one red Burgundy to be seen! Our Pinot Noir fix instead came from 100 miles north of Los Angeles in the form of the Au Bon Climat Knox Alexander Pinot Noir 2007. Knox Alexander is the estate’s top wine from their Bien Nacido vineyard (Santa Maria Valley) and, hailing from the excellent 2007 vintage, was ripe and full with berry fruit, a herbal, spicy element and developing savoury notes. Big and rich but also balanced.

Next up, a red from one of the masters of the Northern Rhone - René Rostaing Côte Rôtie Côte Blonde 1995. There was concern that this might show badly after a plush, soft Californian but fears were quickly put to one side as its complex, rounded nose of violets, black pepper, cassis and deep, intense palate of dark berry fruit shone through. A brilliant balance between ripe, concentrated fruit and spice and fresh acidity and pepper.

We then moved to a triumvirate of clarets from the mid 1990s. Pensées de Lafleur 1996 is a wine few of us have had a chance to taste before but it was showing its Cabernet Franc character beautifully. Inky & dense with plenty of substance and tannin yet also crisp with crunchy red and purple berry fruit. We then swapped sides to the left bank of the Gironde with Lynch Bages 1996 – a masculine, confident Pauillac with smoke, cedar and rich dark fruit. With 14 years behind it the tannins are almost fully intregrated and this is now an absolute joy. Staying in the Medoc, we ended with Cos d’Estournel 1995. This is an amazingly intense, aromatic claret and shows that, while the 1996s still have a little way to go, the less introverted 1995s are drinking absolutely beautifully now. A real treat and clear example of just what this Château is capable of.

Our final Cabernet of the evening was from back over the pond in the shape of Shafer Hillside Select 1997. This bottle had been a personal gift to Steve from Mr Schafer himself and it certainly did not disappoint. This is an immense wine - powerful, concentrated and loaded with fruit – yet there’s a lovely freshness about the palate and finish giving it great poise and balance.

Next, two mighty 1990 Barolos from Paolo Scavino. The Barolo Bric del Fiasc 1990 was a wonderful pale brick colour with an aromatic nose of tar, red fruits, meat and dried herbs with a luscious mouthfeel and mushroom, savoury notes. Nicely matured, this shows no sign of slowing down over the next 5-8 years. The Barolo Cannubi 1990 served alongside was a totally different animal. Much blacker in colour, the nose was loaded with tar, soy sauce, chocolate and truffle. The palate was rich with morello cherry, gamey notes and real density on the mouthfeel. This has many years ahead of it but, like the Bric del Fiasc, is mighty impressive now.

For pudding, a rarity from Italy in the form of Pieropan Recioto di Soave Le Colombare 1990. With 20 years of maturity this had moved away from being a purely floral, honeyed style & into the realm of something dry, nutty and semi-oxidised. Not everyone’s favourite wine of the night, but an interesting curiosity. We rounded off the evening in classic festive style with a good bottle of port - Croft 1977, a wonderfully indulgent end to a great evening.

Whether by accident or design, the various courses seemed to complement the wines superbly. The minced cod based amuse bouches worked a treat with the Spatlese, and the Corton in harmony with popular crispy duck egg as the gentle acidity cut through the rich yolk excellently. The wintery main courses, leaning somewhat towards red meats, were tailor made for the line-up of clarets, Napa Cabernets, Chiantis and Côte Rôtie, and the vintage Croft Port warmed the spirits ahead of the chilly walk to the taxi rank. All-in-all, a first rate outing to a first rate restaurant.

A very Happy Christmas & all best for the New Year from all at armit.

A night at the ballet

2010-12-16T12:20:00.010Z

armit were delighted to invite some of their guests to a wine tasting and preview dress rehearsal of The Nutcracker last Thursday.
A magical, memorable and unmissable Christmas treat.

Whilst the students were rioting at nearby Trafalgar Square, no one was protesting against a relaxing evening tasting a broad range of wines and watching the dress rehersal of the Nut Cracker at The Coliseum.

With a mix of armit clients and guests of the English National Ballet, the Sky Bar was a perfectly sized venue for the 100 or so attendees. The crowd was both enthusiastic and knowledgeable and made our task of talking through the wines great fun.

The stars were the Seresin Sauvignon Blanc 2009 and Deux Montile Pouilly Fuissé 2007 on the white table, the La Rioja Alta 890 1995 Gran Reserv a and Guidalberto 2008 on the reds.

However, whilst most needed a bit of convincing to have a sip, the luscious Dr. Loosen Riesling Beerenauslese 2006 stole the show with lots of comments like “I don't usually like sweet wines!”, or “I really didn’t think I’d enjoy that so much”.

As for the ballet, being a first-timer I found the performance increasingly enjoyable, I was really impressed with the whole production and for the first time this year I felt really Christmassy.

Blog by Matt Thompson

Please do click here to view our upcoming events.

We have some fantastic Christmas offers on at the moment and our Winter Sale has just started - please visit our website for more information www.armit.co.uk or call us now on 020 7908 0660.

armit Christmas Tasting 2010

2010-11-26T14:26:00.013Z

Under the watchful eye of the SIS building I attended, and poured, at my first tasting with armit, and what an event it was. The somewhat cold and miserable weather was in contrast to the warmly lit venue that awaited us and it was straight to work opening and quality-checking the diverse range of wines chosen for the event. It’s rare for someone not to make a joke when we mention quality-control, but believe you me; we have the health of your palate in mind! With tables organised, corks popped and the team raring to go, doors were opened at 6pm.

As I was one of three offering the Champagnes to taste, it seemed most made a bee-line to our corner to wet the palate. Of the three on show, the star was undoubtedly the Pierre Gimonnet Extra-Brut Oenophile 2002 1er Cru non-dosée (try saying that quickly after a glass or two). It was dry as a bone, laced with a delicate brioche note and true to the incredibly high quality of the vintage. What a pleasant way to start the evening.

With winter drawing in it was appropriate that reds dominated the tasting tables, and there was a diverse mix of mature wines (the Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 1997 and Château Malescot St. Exupéry 2001 my personal favourites), and the freshest of fresh 2009s from Bordeaux and the Rhône. This was a return to the Bordeaux ‘09s for me and I will never tire of tasting them. Again, it is the beautiful balance of dense fruit and really refreshing, crisp acidity that makes them all so moreish, even when so young (I’m pretty sure the finish from the Château Margaux 2009 I tasted in May is still going...)

It was my first encounter with the Rhône 2009s and all of the reviews have suggested they’d be pretty special. The wines of the North were bursting with dark flavours, earthy depth and rich tannins, each expressing the classic style of its respective commune. The Southern Rhônes were lavish in style and showed ripe fruit, soft tannins and plenty of cracked pepper and liquorice on the finish. It’s always difficult to push the critics’ comments to the back of your mind in these situations, but the rich, concentrated sweet spice and damson fruit of the Domaine Rostaing Côte Blonde won by a nose. However, with such tiny volumes being produced we all had to savour every drop and consign it to the memory banks. Time to cleanse the palate...

I think the white Bordeaux of 2009 do deserve a mention here as all of the hype has been about the reds (and yes, I caved in and bought a case of Gloria 2009). I’ve had a number of entry level wines that have been dry, grassy, driven by citrus fruit and a great tonic to the barrage of increasingly rich New World Sauv’s I’ve tasted over the last couple of years. However, the much more serious, lavishly oaked and wonderfully complex Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2009 was an absolute triumph. I loved it, but the fairly one-sided debate continues in the office (inhabited by countless Burgundy fanatics): at £60 a bottle, wouldn’t you rather have a 1er or Grand Cru Burgundy? Actually, I say neither; I’ll take a case of Dönhoff Tonschiefer Dry Slate Riesling 2009 (£85.93 per 6) every time please, and so would most of those who tried by all accounts! It was truly the star of the show.

Wines aside, the evening was made by such an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and friendly crowd of attendees. It was a great pleasure to chat about all aspects of wine and help guide people through the wines on my table and to actually meet our clients in the flesh makes all the difference. In conclusion: more please!

All orders can be placed via our website or please call 0207 908 0600 should you have any queries.

The Cheese for the event was supplied by Leadenhall Cheese and the Italian breads by Crosta & Mollica.

Blog written by Matt Thompson

Photographs by Craig Hull

Domaine Leflaive at The Fat Duck - 23rd October 2010

2010-10-29T14:33:00.023+01:00

Just the mere prospect of an evening at one of the world’s most renowned restaurants, the 3-michelin star Fat Duck, is enough to make even seasoned gastronomes drool like an over-stimulated puppy. However, when an event is created that sees the greatest white wine producer in the world welcomed to such a culinary temple in the company of an extraordinary 10-vintage vertical (1998-2007) of their most famous wine, Chevalier-Montrachet, the excitement is impossible to contain. Cue barking, yelping and wild chasing of tails!

And so it was, two years after the idea was first proposed, that 40 lucky diners found themselves in Bray on Thames on a fine, clear October evening for an unforgettable experience. The evening started a few doors down at the Hinds Head, the pub on Bray High Street owned by Heston Blumenthal and the perfect venue for an informal tasting of Domaine Leflaive’s 2008s. Impeccably attired waiting staff ushered the guests upstairs where they were greeted by Anne Claude Leflaive, her husband Christian Jacques, Heston Blumenthal and sommelier Isa Bal. Canapes circulated- think fleshy Scottish scallops rather than vol-au-vents- and the wines were presented from Bourgogne through to Chevalier, easing the group into the themes of the evening and allowing guests to mingle and get to know each other.

2008 is just the sort of vintage where a great Domaine like Leflaive truly excels. Challenges were presented right the way through the growing season and beyond into vinification and elevage in barrel but judging by the wines on show, these are another fine set of wines that the Domaine can be truly proud of. As so often, the Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Pucelles was the pick of the tasting, Grand Cru quality at half the price of the real thing and putting on a performance that combined confidence, style and hedonistic appeal. The Bourgogne and Puligny villages both presented well, certainly offering enough appeal for early acquaintance but with plenty in reserve for those of a more patient bent. The Grand Crus were stately and unhurried, all clearly requiring many more years of careful ageing but with exquisite precision and balance, the high acidity of the vintage beautifully mastered and allowing the minerality of the top sites to show through.

At 7.30pm, the Fat Duck quacked its summons and guests were discreetly shown to their tables in 2s and 4s. The front of house staff, as well drilled as any crack commando unit, quickly raised the curtain on the evening, explaining the order of events to each table in turn. When all were seated, Isa Bal greeted everyone and introduced Anne-Claude Leflaive who then spoke about the wines that everyone had come to experience, talking through each vintage in turn and recounting details with the same clarity as if she had picked the grapes for each one just yesterday. She admitted that she too was incredibly excited by the event as even as Gerante of this world-famous Domaine, the opportunity to taste 10 vintages of Chevalier side by side was not one that she had been able to undertake too many times in the past.

The flight of noble Chevaliers had been matched to Heston Blumenthal’s extraordinary menu by Isa Bal and much thought had been given to the individual wines and how they would marry with the intricate, and often eccentric, components of each dish. While explaining that some of her wines would last up to 50 years, Anne-Claude apologised for their youth but it was quickly clear that there was no need of apology as even the youngest wines were able to captivate with the food brilliantly bringing out their best features.

The choice of vintages had not been by accident. In 1998, Anne-Claude made the courageous decision to commit the Domaine to a 100% biodynamic approach in all of its vineyards, following on from trials commenced 8 years earlier. The wines therefore covered the full biodynamic era to date and are unquestionably therefore the wines that Anne-Claude felt most personally proud of and attached to.

After the theatrics of the palate cleansing ‘Lime Grove’, where a mixture of egg white, lime and vodka is poached in liquid nitrogen at the table and then allowed to explode on the tongue of the taster, we then had the confronting sight of a vivid purple red cabbage gazpacho with a scoop of grain mustard ice cream to contend with as an amuse bouche. With senses truly awakened, the wine and food proper began.

First up was the 2007 Chevalier Montrachet, accompanied by a jelly of quail with crayfish cream, chicken liver parfait, oak moss and truffle toast. With dry ice emanating from the oak moss and floating across the table, the aromas of the forest floor were all around. The 2007 was a natural accompaniment to the richness of the crayfish and its acidity provided a great counterpoint to the chicken liver parfait. A wine that is barely out of nappies, this is a classic Chevalier that has 20 years ahead of it yet was already turning heads with its verve and precision.

The signature ‘snail porridge’ was served with the pair of 2000 and 2001 Chevalier. Despite its confronting name, the dish is actually more of a twist on risotto, with the fine oat grains subbing for the rice and the combination of earthy snails and lurid green parsley a recognised winner for centuries. The 2001 Chevalier was one of the night’s biggest successes, a beautiful wine with an exuberance and exoticism that was quite a departure from some of the more classically-lined and fine boned vintages. The 2000 by contrast was a little subdued but as it was given time to acquaint itself with its surroundings, it slowly blossomed, happily holding its own but never quite matching up to the fully fledged beauty of the 2001.

The next course was one of the most successful of the night for both gastronomic pleasure and for unlikely food and wine matching. Roast Foie Gras with gooseberry, braised konbu and crab biscuit was a stunning plate of food just to look at, the intricate slices of foie gras cooked to perfection with the sweetness of the caramelised crust giving way to a soft, creamy interior. Its accompaniments added the elements of bitterness, sourness and salt, ensuring that the dish excited all parts of the taste palate. The 1998 Chevalier, a vintage now little seen, was noticeably more mature than the wines seen thus far, its mellow tones working well with the Foie Gras but having enough energy and acidity to ensure that it was never overwhelmed. The 2004 was a total contrast, young, somewhat introverted and with high, racy acidity but an unmistakable brisk, mineral thread. This is a wine that Anne-Claude believes will last 50 years and it took on the bite of the gooseberry and the tang of the crab with gusto.

The Alice in Wonderland-inspired Mock Turtle soup is almost impossible to describe in the space of a short blog. For sheer imagination, this is Blumenthal at his finest, combining the theatrics of a fictional classic with the rich food history of Victorian Britain. It simply has to be experienced to be understood. The 2003 and 2005 Chevalier again providing a contrast to each other with the 2005 imperious and confident but hardly out of the blocks in developmental terms and the 2003, from a searingly hot vintage, adding an exotic, rich note that meant that it deviated from a classical representation of Chevalier Montrachet but was still a lovely, and very fine, glass of wine in its own right. Anne-Claude explained that she refused to acidify in 2003, unlike so many of her neighbours, believing that it was her duty to represent the vintage in its truest form rather than try to force it to become something that it will never be.

Much has been made of the next dish, the Sounds of the Sea, where a large conch shell containing an iPOD nano is brought to each diner and upon inserting the earphones, the diner is transported to a seashore with the sounds of waves lapping upon sand and gulls soaring above the surf. In front of you lies a food artist's take on the seashore- "sand" in the form of fine grains of tapioca and baby eels, seaweed and accompanying foam and slithers of cured kingfish, eel and mackerel. Comments range from 'extraordinary' to 'wacky' to 'gimmicky' but if nothing else it certainly provoked discussion! It was perhaps unfortunate that the chosen wine, 2002 Chevalier Montrachet, in Anne-Claude’s view one of the greatest wines ever made at the Domaine, was made to compete with this spectacle and upon reflection this was perhaps the least successful pairing of the night. The 2002 is still infantile and despite Isa’a careful advanced carafing it never truly emerged in its full glory even by the end of the evening. However, what was clear was its intensity, balance and great lingering length and this is quite obviously a great wine for the future that should be in every great white burgundy collection.

Without pause, the goods kept coming. Salmon poached in licquorice with artichoke, vanilla mayonnaise and golden trout roe was a huge success, an exquisite combination that married the soft, creamy flesh of the salmon with a touch of aniseed, the bitter-sweet of the roasted artichoke, the saltiness of the roe that burst in the mouth and the delicious, fragrant vanilla. The wine match was spot-on, with the forward and showy 2006 Chevalier all smiles and warmth and then the classic, fine-boned 1999 Chevalier bringing a little substance and steel to proceedings.

The flight of Chevalier now completed, we were then told that the main course would be served. It was only right that a dish as intense, full and rich as powdered Anjou pigeon with blood pudding, potted umbles, spelt and pickles was served with a red wine and one from Anjou at that. 2004 Clau de Nell is a 100% Cabernet Franc wine produced from a vineyard that Anne-Claude and her husband Christian purchased in 2008. The region of Anjou rarely gets an invitation to a fine wine banquet but this wine held its own admirably against the decadent dish, its acidity cutting through the blood pudding and its earthy, tobacco and pepper-scented tones working well with the gaminess of the pigeon.

The evening concluded with the extraordinary hot and iced tea- served in the same glass with one half of the liquid cool and refreshing and the other half warming and inviting- and then an exquisite Taffety Tart, another piece of food history, dating back to the reign of Charles II.

Taking it all in on the evening took some doing and even a day or two later, it is still difficult to capture the sheer magic and ingenuity of an evening in the company of one of the world’s most celebrated wines and one of gastronomy’s most original talents. Truly unique and totally wonderful.

For drinking now:

1998 Chevalier Montrachet
2001 Chevalier Montrachet
2006 Chevalier Montrachet
2003 Chevalier Montrachet

Drinking now but more to come

1999 Chevalier Montrachet
2000 Chevalier Montrachet

Come back in at least 5 years

2002 Chevalier Montrachet
2004 Chevalier Montrachet
2005 Chevalier Montrachet
2007 Chevalier Montrachet

A couple of extravagant evenings - all in the name of work...

2010-10-18T15:40:00.017+01:00

Earning a living as a wine merchant was never one of those options that the careers officer at school or university had high on the list but there are times when the career choice seems totally unbeatable. Last week, I was fortunate enough to be involved in two fascinating dinners, all in the name of research you must understand, and if you will allow for a little indulgence, here are a few comments about the extraordinary wines that were on show.

The first event was a dinner at the Lords of the Manor Hotel in Upper Slaughter, a beautiful village in the heart of the Cotswolds famous for being one of the few villages in the land to have lost none of its inhabitants during the war. Ironic when you consider its name. Anyway, it had been many years since I had ventured to these parts and with the leaves turning to russet and gold and the sunshine glistening across the rolling hills, I can think of few places more beautiful and more English on a crisp October afternoon and have already sworn to make a rapid return.

After meetings in the late afternoon, we convened in the bar for pre-dinner sharpeners, the memory of the long drive up the M40 being erased by well executed martinis and Hendricks with tonic. Dinner choices were made, with seasonal and local produce very much to the fore and given the full fine dining experience by the Michelin-starred team in the kitchen. With sommelier Fabrice in total command with our selection of wines, we eagerly awaited our summons to our table .

Five wines had been selected for the five attendees. The first pair of whites immediately caused consternation as two decanters were presented, one containing a wine with a distinctly tawny tone. Fears of spoilage were unfortunately confirmed, a tragedy when the wine was revealed as 1998 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc, Chapoutier, a wine rated at no less than 96 points by Robert Parker, with a drinking window extending to 2030. Into the stock pot it went!

Fortunately, Bacchus quickly offered redemption as the second white proved to be the wine of the evening. Whenever the words “premature” and “oxidation” are put in the same sentence these days, the words “white” and “burgundy” seem to be added quickly afterwards. It is a disaster for the region that this state of affairs exists but even more disastrous for those producers whose reputation has been tarnished by the problems of their neighbours. By common consent, Domaine Leflaive has one of the very best records for unaffected bottles and the 2002 Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Combettes was as perfect an illustration of what great white burgundy should be all about as you can find anywhere today. As it blossomed over the evening, it revealed an array of floral notes- honeysuckle, linden and acacia- but underpinned by great minerality and refreshing acidity. The wine was totally à point and should stay that way for many years to come.

The reds had been chosen to examine underdog vintages in the hands of great producers. 1986 may have been a glorious vintage in the Médoc but the good folk of St Emilion and Pomerol fared less well and there are only a handful of truly successful wines from the right bank. Would 1986 Cheval Blanc be amongst them? The initial signs were promising, a developed nose showing a little pepper and spice from the Cabernet Franc and the beginning of smoke, leather and underbrush as the wine approaches its quarter century. The palate however lacked the same intensity, a little too soft in the middle and without the persistence expected at first growth level. In sum, a perfectly pleasant wine but a little short of what was hoped for on the day given its exalted status. By contrast, Angelo Gaja’s 1970 Barbaresco was simply astounding. At 40 years of age, a mere ‘village’ wine has no right to still be as rudely alive as this but from the word go, this was full of vigour with amazing acidity and just the complex, haunting aromas expected from mature Nebbiolo. It captivated us all and showed that whilst it did not have the fame of 1971 and 1978, it was certainly possible to produce wonderful wines in some of nature’s less benevolent years of that decade.

The final wine was duly summoned and after the fireworks of Gaja and the artistry of Leflaive, it was always going to be a hard act to follow. 1976 was a famous vintage in Alsace with soaring temperatures producing wines of huge ripeness. By legend, Johnny Hugel was the only person who really understood how to handle the conditions and his 1976 Gewürtztraminer Vendange Tardive showed beautiful fragrance and purity. By now it is almost totally dry, the sugars eaten away over 34 long years but the acidity that Johnny managed to preserve has kept it in great shape, with notes of rosewater and dried lychee still detectable amongst the more evolved, ‘cheesy’ notes.

The wines were beautifully served by the knowledgeable Fabrice and his team and if you are looking for an escape for a short break, Lords of the Manor should be high on your list.

The following evening, the location had changed to London SE27- almost so far South East that the locals wear berets and strike in the streets whenever possible. The occasion was a sumptuous banquet hosted by our colleague Piers and his lovely wife with the strict instructions to bring ‘something good’ to share and discover. Well worth a trip to the outer reaches!

Piers got the evening off to a stupendous start with 1990 Krug, a benchmark vintage that continues to delight. The wine has always had a darker, more masculine character and at 20 years old it is still full of muscle and swagger, with notes of coffee, roasted nuts and a powerful finish.

Three contrasting whites were enjoyed. First up was the late Didier Dagueneau’s 2007 Pouilly Fumé Silex, an epic expression of Loire Sauvignon at its finest that is already irresistible but will last another decade or more. Following that was a curio from South Africa, A.A. Badenhorst’s 2007 white from Swartland made from an unlikely blend of Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. At 15% alcohol, this is no shrinking violet and benefitted from the delicious canapés now being handed round to counteract its confidence and scale. At the table, we tucked into a bottle of 1996 Corton-Charlemagne, Bonneau du Martray, which was initially coiled up like a spring but over the evening, it unraveled brilliantly and with no trace of anything incorrect before you ask! Grand Cru white Burgundy as it should be.

On to the reds and we began with 1996 Château Talbot, which put in a solid performance and showed the classic styling of the vintage and the gentle, traditional charms of this château. For those with this in the cellar, there is no need to hold back but good storage should guarantee plenty more years of fine drinking. Then onto an undoubted highlight, 1994 Château Lafite-Rothschild, an opportunity which no-one was going to miss out on! While Lafite’s prices and secondary market adventures are constantly commented upon, it is easier to forget that the quality of the wine is responsible for its status as opposed to merely smart branding and positioning. The 1994 was showing well, instantly making the Talbot look like a rustic cousin alongside the refined aristocrat. At a mere £21 per bottle historic cost, our host was confident that it delivered great value for money!

Also doing the rounds was a current team favourite, Jean-Marie Fourrier’s 2007 Gevrey-Chambertin VV. Delicious as always, with soft cherry and strawberry fruit and just enough grip to remind you that it hails from Gevrey but sliding across the palate like a silky Volnay.

The bacchanalia continued but the tack was changed completely as we headed outside of Europe. 1996 E&E Black Pepper Shiraz provided one of the biggest talking points of the evening. Unmistakably Barossa Shiraz, it is unapologetically big and robust wine and at nearly 15 years old, it shows no sign of growing up soon. A great admirer of this wine is the actor Sir Michael Caine and whilst this snippet was revealed, it was explained that one of Caine’s most famous roles was playing Gonville Bromhead VC, an ancestor of our host, in “Zulu”. The story of Rorke’s drift and the heroism of Bromhead and his men was recounted with understandable pride, plus a few inevitable Caine-inspired comments about spears...

With less of a personal connection but with more vinous intrigue was Shafer’s Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 1992, a tour de force in winemaking with appeal to both old-world and new-world palates. Drinking beautifully, with refined tannins, a great lingering finish and plenty of style, it was a revelation to many of the group and made a strong bid for wine of the evening.

The reds had accompanied a delicious lamb tagine with roasted vegetables and couscous. The dessert wines however were paired with a quite brilliant cake, from a secret family recipe and try as we might, there was no revealing it! All we can say is that if you can experiment with walnut, egg, flour, sugar and maple syrup, turn it into a cake base and layer fresh raspberries and whipped cream on top, you might just stumble on the same divine flavour combination that we did!

The first dessert wine was no less extraordinary, a 1969 Côteaux du Layon by François Brochard, a name long disappeared and about which none of us knew anything but clearly a man of some talent as he had crafted a brilliant, individual wine that served to remind the group of the glories of these vineyards. It comfortably put into second place a competent 1999 Château Rayne-Vigneau, which did little to announce itself although it would disappoint no one either.

With passport control to be negotiated before returns to the safety of areas served by the tube, we bade our farewells and expressed our eternal thanks to our host and hostess for a memorable evening.