There's nothing better than discovering a wine of a given appellation, class or reputation which exceeds expectation.
Knowing that Chateau "X" 1990 has a 97 point Parker score is useful information but what's much more useful is knowing the relative merits of that score based on your own experience and considered opinion. It's for this kind of information that customers consult a wine merchant and it's with great relish that under-rated wines like La Mission Haut Brion 1983, Cheval Blanc 1983 and 1989 and Pichon Lalande 1983 and 1988 can be discovered by the uninitiated or persued by the already enlightened at bargain prices. Let's keep this to ourselves shall we..?!
In the reverse, there's nothing more disappointing than the anticlimax of a great wine which lets you down on the day. And the higher the score and the bigger the price the larger the let down is going to be.
Nothing complicated here; getting value for money makes us happy and heightens enjoyment and this emotion doesn't just apply to wine of course.
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou in St Julien
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Take restaurants for example. Like wines, restaurants are continually scrutinised and scored by critics. But a score for a wine or a restaurant is often based on one taste or one visit. More in depth acquaintance is much more reliable. And there's little better than discovering a restaurant which exceeds expectation. But to my mind, you're certainly better off discovering the 1 star restaurant striving for its second star or the 2 star striving for its third than building yourself up for the famous 3 star which you discover is complacently living off past glories.
We'd discussed with Bruno Borie, proprietor of Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou in St Julien, the idea of doing a dinner and tasting in London. Now Bruno is a man who really lives life to the full. He has a great passion for fine food and is himself an accomplished chef. There is a youthful energy and exuberance about him and he doesn't care for stuffy traditions. Bruno assumed control at Ducru in 2003 and since then the chais have been transformed with bright colours & gilded shutters and are adorned with a fabulous collection of contemporary art and design pieces. There's a new humour and vibrancy about the place. During primeur week beautiful hostesses are there to greet the guests; this is a chateau visit not to be missed ! And it couldn't be a greater contrast to the old fashioned reception and style at neighbouring rival Lascases. But it isn't just show; meticulous attention to detail in the winery is reflected in the vineyard. Yields have been slashed dramatically and the wine itself has never been better and keeps improving.
Bruno Borie with some of his colourful contemporary design pieces
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So the big man's coming to London and that left us with a problem! Where could we host a dinner which would both have good enough food and would also be cool enough for Bruno ? An old fashioned St James's Club certainly wouldn't cut the mustard and there really aren't that many central London restaurants that are "wine friendly" these days. Well in the end the choice wasn't that difficult because if you really want to discover a brilliant restaurant in London which is very much on the up and has nothing complacent about it, you must check out The Ledbury in Notting Hill. Brett Graham the Australian head chef who graduated from The Square under the tutelage of Phil Howard has taken no time to win himself two Michelin stars and looks every bit capable of gaining a third, so brilliant and imaginative is his food. There's no stuffiness about The Ledbury either, it's professional but relaxed and ultra wine friendly too. You'll find no better sommelier in London than Luke Robertson who couldn't be more accomodating and enthusiastic.
So we have both a Chateau and a restaurant on the up and that's going to make for a good night out !
We had the restaurant to ourselves and it seats 60 snugly. Krug Grande Cuvee with 4 years bottle age to start followed by one vintage of Croix de Beaucaillou and 10 vintages of Ducru-Beaucaillou concluding with the 1982 from magnums. That makes for a hell of a tasting and a hell of a lot of glasses !
Bruno talks us through the wines at The Ledbury
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"Super Second" Bordeaux wines have been some of the hardest sells in the en-primeur market over recent years. And by "Super Second" in this context I'm refering to the small but exclusive group consisting of Leoville Lascases, Cos d'Estournel, Ducru Beaucaillou & Palmer. These four second growth chateaux frequently produce wines which are of first growth quality. But the first growths, which are ruthlessly pursued by 'investors', are in a price bracket of their own leaving the top super seconds in a sort of 'no-man's land' in the market. However, as the Asian market goes from strength to strength, new forces are at work and the price heirarchy is being re-written. Anomalies abound. "Brands" are now king, meaning quality, score and vintage variation are less important. Any vintage of Carruades de Lafite now costs the best part of £3000 per case (more than many decent vintages of Mouton & Haut Brion!!) and the prices of other First Growth second wines (Forts, Pavillon, etc.) are starting to catch up.
A 'forest' of tasting glasses
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Here's £3100 to spend. What would you rather have in your cellar..? A case of Carruades de Lafite 2002 (currently £3100) or two cases of the fabulous Ducru-Beaucaillou 2005 (currently £1280) and an additional £540 in your pocket ? It's a no brainer ! - but that's the world we are living in. Most good vintages of Ducru-Beaucaillou are at least a third of the price of any first growth and the wine is brilliant - quintessential Bordeaux, quintessential Medoc; a marvellous balanced, classy, cedary expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. In the context of today's market it's also starting to look like very good value for money too!
Our thanks to Bruno Borie for hosting a great evening with some wonderful wines.
Thanks also to Brett Graham and his team at The Ledbury who produced a brilliant menu to complement the wines.
We drank:
