Private Cellar Spring Tasting

April, 2009

The Private Cellar gang concentrate on selling to private clients. They have a few friendly restaurants they deal with but since they set up five years ago they have stuck to their philosophy of bringing interesting and not widely available wines to private customers. Service is a key part of their business which has grown predominately by word of mouth. 

Headed up by Andrew Gordon, formerly Sales Director of Corney & Barrow, the team includes Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler, a Master of Wine and in charge of buying, Laura Taylor, who looks after marketing following a similar role at Corney & Barrow, Amanda Skinner, with extensive experience in sales and marketing at Armits and as Chief Operating Officer at Lay and Wheeler, and James Naylor, having worked in sales at Corney & Barrow. 

All of them are very keen to talk to people about wine and their particular tastes or requirements. 

Recently they held their spring press tasting, showing a selection of new vintages and new wines to their portfolio. It was an intriguing and eclectic range of wines which are generally pretty hard to find elsewhere. 

I thought you might find the tasting notes help galvanise you into trying something new or different. 

White Wines 

1. Sauvignon Blanc, Vin de Pays, Maison Mayol, 2008, £6.96 

Cut grass and gooseberry aromas with some mineral notes. Quite lifted fruity nose. On the palate quite light but attractive and balanced. Good for the price but drink young. 
 

2. Château de Marsan, Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc, 2008, £7.75 

With 30% Semillon there are lovely citrus aromas combined with the Sauvignon’s lychee and restrained herbal notes plus some lees complexity and a hint of delicate blossom. To drink, this wine is alluring with a good balance of flavour and crisp finish. Drink while you wait for Summer. 
 

3. Pinot Grigio Gregoris, Fattori, 2007, £8.50  

This wine was in a recent Spectator offer and I agree with Simon Hoggart, it is head and shoulders above many other Pinot Grigios. Aromas of lemon butter, zest and some minerals introduce a wine with lovely texture and a long finish. Perfect for risotto. 
 

4. Villa Wolf Pinot Gris, Pfalz, 2007, £9.95 

Fresh but creamy fruit aromas and a hint of sulphur. Loads of stone fruit such as white peach which are evident on the textured palate as well. An attractive wine. 

5. Macon Villages, Domaine de Bel Air, 2007, £9.95

Although quite restrained on the nose with subtle oak this is no bad thing. A lovely, generous and textured wine on the palate with delightful creamy oak and a long finish. Good value. Great credit cruncher! 

6. Rully Clos du Mollin a Vent, Domaine Anne-Sophie Debavelaere, 2006, £13.50  

Intense grapefruit and peach fruit aromas with integrated oak. To taste there is a good balance between fruit flavours, oak and fine acid followed by quite a long finish. Not bad at all. 

7. St Romain, Domaine Matrot, 2006, £18.94 

Complex stone fruit scents, reminiscent of preserved peaches. To taste this wine has a lovely texture and, although a little short on the finish, has delightful poise. A quite beguiling and sophisticated wine. 

8. Rüdesheimer Riesling Kabinett, J Leitz, 2007, £11.67 

Clean, piercing lime aromas yet delicate and definitely Riesling. Lime again on the palate but quite generous and not too acidic with perhaps some residual sugar. A really attractive wine and a great reason to drink German Riesling this Spring and Summer, no matter what your friends say!
 

9. Bishop’s Head Waipara Riesling, New Zealand, 2008, £9.95 

Vibrant fresh lime aromas introduce a rich flavoured wine with good length that is not overly acidic. An attractive wine that is easy to drink but not classic Riesling. Have with fresh scallops. 

10. Terroir Selection Chenin Blanc, Springfontein, Walker Bay, South Africa, 2008, £11.95 

An interesting wine with lychees and watermelon on the nose with obvious oak. To drink it is an unctuous and rich combination of tropical fruit and oak with some definite Chenin Blanc flavours. Overall quite delicious. Best drunk young and fresh once the oak has settled down a bit. 

11. Bylines Semillon, Hunter Valley, Australia, 2008, £17.95  

Hunter Valley Semillon is one of the world’s more idiosyncratic wines which can be quite lean with delicate citrus and grassy characters in its youth, then fall into a hole for a number of years, becoming broad and dull, before emerging like a butterfly to display complex, rich dried fruit, honey and butter flavours. 

This version has an intriguing nose of cumquat and mandarin peel aromas with some dried grass. It is a typical shy young Semillon with refreshing citrus flavours and an appealing subtlety about it. Drinking well now.   

12. Pax Verbatim Rockwater Fountain Viognier, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2008, £10.97 

Pleasing apricot and marmalade aromas typical of Viognier yet quite restrained. Good texture on the palate with nice fruit balanced by fine acidity. An engaging wine. 

13. Bylines Chardonnay, Hunter Valley, Australia, 2008, £17.95 

An interesting nose of grapefruit, stone fruit with creamy oak intertwined. Quite complex. To taste there is juicy fruit and richness with some mineral characters and cleverly integrated oak. Overall generous without being over the top. A modern Aussie chardonnay and a good food wine. Have with pigeon or roast chicken. 

Sweet Wines 

14. Oppenheimer Herrenberg Riesling Auslese, Guntrum, Germany, 2007, £16.50 

Pale with green tinges, this wine has piercing and clean Riesling aromas with hints of straw and honey. In the mouth it is delightful with great generosity, richness balanced by acidity and finishing long. A real treat so indulge yourself.  

15. Recioto di Soave Motto Piane, Fattori, Italy, 2006, £19.67 (50cl) 

A golden yellow colour introduces spirity grappa like smells with dried apricot and liquored cumquats. Not sure about the nose but the palate is better with rich apricot and honey flavours which are not cloying. An interesting wine best with peaches and icecream and hard cheeses.

Champagne 

16. Champagne Chauvet Brut Blanc de Noirs, NV, £19.85  

Fine bead and delicate mousse. Quite golden in colour the bubbles release aromas reminiscent of strawberries and cream and fruity notes. It is fruity on the palate as well, with wafer characters and richness but not overly complex. Very attractive, great fun and good value. Perfect for drinks.

Red Wines 

17. Merlot, Vin de Pays d’Oc, Maison Mayol, 2007, £6.99 

Fresh cherry fruit aromas on this cheerful wine with attractive sweet and sour fruit flavours all nicely balanced. Simple but very gluggable at the price.
 

18. Château Haut Gay, Bordeaux Supérieur, 2006, £8.94 

Slightly confected lifted fruit and “pick and mix” sweets aromas but rich to taste, balanced and well made. Good value.   

19. Château Samonac, Côtes de Bourg, 2005, £9.95 

This wine has a lovely dark purple colour heralding intense and rich blackberry characters as well as black currant with some oak. There is ample juicy fruit to taste with great generosity, integrated oak, fine tannins and plenty to write home about. Well made, interesting and worth the money. Put some away for a few years if you can.  

20. Château Carignan, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, 2005, £14.50 

Rich, blackberry and cassis aromas with some dark chocolate. Good balance and length. Not bad.  

21. Château Cap de Haut, Haut Medoc, 2001, £14.50 

Ripe fruit aromas, displaying some development but fresh. Complex black fruits and licorice. Drinking very well. Buy to drink now. 

22. Pavillon du Château Beauchêne, Cotes du Rhône, 2007, £8.17 

Delightful bright fruit aromas with red currant and white pepper spice. A very attractive vibrant wine, medium bodied, alluring spice, fine tannins. I can see why people are talking up the 2007 Rhone wines. Fantastic Spring red and excellent value. 

23. Château Beauchêne Premier Terroir, Cotes du Rhône, 2006, £10.83 

I have had this wine on a few occasions and enjoyed it each time. Inviting spicy and earthy tones with deep ripe fruit. Quite full bodied with all spice flavours and a big long finish. Great with rare steak or coq au vin. 

24. Bourgogne Rouge, Frederic Magnien, 2006, £12.95 

Nice lifted strawberry, cherry aromas. Quite simple but enjoyable. Strawberries and cherries on the palate and varietal Pinot Noir characters also but with a slightly astringent finish. OK. 

25. Beaune 1er Cru les Sceaux, Dom. Anne-Sophie Debavelaere, 2005, £15.75 

Bright lifted fruit, cherry and strawberry with some complex nuances. On the palate it is a little lean, probably because it needs time. Plenty of structure to match the fruit with tannin and acidity.
 

26. Volnay, Domaine Lucien Boillot, 2006, £25.83 

Delightful fruit and quite complex aromas on the nose. Youthful and tannic with slightly subdued fruit on the palate. A fair bit of minerality. Very early days perhaps. 

27. Sopiensklip Merlot, Springfontein, Walker Bay, South Africa, 2007, £7.92  

Rich black fruits with lashings of creamy oak. Lots going on. To taste it is a juicy, supple oaky wine with some slightly sweet fruit and a long finish. The exuberance will probably calm down with age. At a price worth buying a case and putting away to see what happens.

28. Ique Malbec, Bodega Foster, Mendoza, Argentina, 2007, £7.93 

Deep dark berry fruit bouquet such as blackberry and black currant. In the mouth there is a fantastic velvety richness that goes on forever. Very easy to drink and great value. Perfect for Spring. 

29. Enrique Foster Reserva, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina, 2005, £13.90 

Stewed, earthy fruit that is almost jammy. On the palate it is a big wine with sweet generous fruit, some alcohol heat, integrated oak and a long finish. A good example of Malbec and great with hearty stews. 

30. Leylines Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia, 2007, £11.45 

Rich, vibrant fruit aromas with nuances of oak. To taste it is quite youthful displaying attractive blueberry and summer fruit flavours with some background earthiness. It is long, supple, velvety and typical of McLaren Vale. Another good Spring wine. 

31. Bylines Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia, 2006, £23.50 

Complex on the nose with blueberry and boysenberry fruit leaping out accompanied by some earthy tones and well handled oak. All this shines through when you taste this big generous wine. Interesting, rich and supple. Wish I was! This wine would be marvellous with meat on the bone.

32. Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, 2005, £33.33 

Deep dark coloured wine oozing rich and intense blackcurrant, blackberry and cassis characters but not too over the top. Definitely a great cabernet sauvignon, this is a classy, poised and sophisticated wine with great balance between fruit, fine tannins and oak. Will reward cellaring. Fabulous with roast beef or a juicy steak. Serve alongside a good 2005 Bordeaux.