Join us in the boardroom at 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP for the following Spectator Winemaker Lunches where a delicious, cold four-course lunch provided by Forman & Field will be served; arrive at 12.30pm for a 1pm start.
To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop.
Friday 6 September: Journey’s End
Since the Shropshire-based Gabb family took over Journey’s End in 1995, the estate has grown greatly in both size and reputation. The warm days/cool nights of the coastal Schapenberg Hills of Stellenbosch, the low yields and the sustainable approach to winemaking produce exquisite wines. Join winemaker Mike Dawson (on his first trip to the UK) as he takes us through such treats as Haystack Chardonnay, Huntsman Shiraz/Mourvèdre and the stunning Cape Doctor Red to name but a few.
Friday 13 September: Sherry, Maligned, Misunderstood, Magnificent!
Ben Howkins is one of the world’s leading authorities on sherry. To mark the publication of his book, Sherry, Maligned, Misunderstood, Magnificent! (published by the Steven Spurrier-led Académie du Vin Library), Ben will introduce us to all manner of sherry styles, from bone-dry fino and manzanilla to sumptuously sweet PX, as he explains that there is a sherry for everyone and why this much underrated wine is undergoing a long-awaited renaissance.
Friday 27 September: Bodegas Artadi
Bodegas Artadi dates from 1981 when Juan Carlos López de Lacalle, his family and 13 other growers founded the estate in Alava in the heart of Spain’s Basque country. Today, the company owns vineyards in Laguardia, Navarra and Alicante and produces extraordinary organic Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache) wines with minimal intervention. Juan Carlos will lead us as we discover why Artadi is one of the most talked about wineries in all Spain.
Friday 11 October: Château de Pommard
Château de Pommard – founded in 1726 in the heart of the Côte d’Or and now owned by the Carabello-Baum family – is the largest private Clos in Burgundy. Château de Pommard produces some truly incomparable red and white burgundies and, in the company of brand ambassador Olivier Bouchard, we will taste many examples which are likely to include the Meursault, Echezaux, Clos Marey Monge and the great Corton Charlemagne itself.
Friday 25 October: Glenelly Estate
Glenelly Estate in Stellenbosch is an outstanding winery, founded by May-Eliane de Lencquesaing (former owner of Château Pichon-Lalande) in 2003. Export director, Nicolas Bureau (Mme de Lencquesaing’s grandson) will take us through a mouth-watering selection of the estate’s wines, including the Glass Collection Chardonnay, the Glenelly Estate Reserve Chardonnay, the Glass Collection Shiraz and the stunning, flagship wine: Lady May.
Friday 8 November: Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Joseph Phelps is a name to conjure with in California and under the expert tutelage of export director, Robert Baxter, we will enjoy the winery’s Freestone Chardonnay, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Freestone Pinot Noir, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the remarkable, highly sought-after Bordeaux blend that is Joseph Phelps Insignia, the first ever so-called icon wine of California, whose first vintage was 1973.
Friday 15 November: Domaine Léon Beyer
The gregarious patron, Marc Beyer, a titan of Alsace winemaking, is coming to London specially to host this lunch, bringing with him a fine selection of the Beyer family’s world class single varietal bottlings including their celebrated Comtes d’Eguisheim cuvées and elegant Crémant d’Alsace. Marc will also talk us through his oenological philosophy and rich family history in the region dating back to 1580.
Friday 22 November: Château Grand-Puy Ducasse and Château Meyney
Château Grand-Puy Ducasse (5ème Grand Cru Classé Pauillac) and Château Meyney (St Estèphe) are two of the most familiar names of Bordeaux and we are indeed fortunate to welcome Anne La Neour director of the estates’ owners, CA Grands Crus, to our boardroom to host this lunch. Anne will talk us through the intricacies of Bordeaux as we enjoy several fine vintages from these much-loved and perennially great value estates.
Friday 29 November: Timothy Taylor’s Brewery
Timothy Taylor is one of the UK’s most celebrated brewers, founded in Keighley, West Yorkshire, in 1858 and still family owned. Best known for its Landlord Pale Ale (four times Champion Beer of Britain), Timothy Taylor’s range includes Boltmaker Best Bitter and the brand new Knowle Spring Blonde. Guests will enjoy these and many others over lunch whilst learning more about British beer in general and Timothy Taylor’s in particular.
Friday 6 December: Domaine of the Bee
Domaine of the Bee is a boutique wine estate in Languedoc-Roussillon (‘a tiny producer of enormous reds’) founded by Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, former wine buyer for Waitrose, his wife Amanda and Philippe Sacerdot. The wines are highly prized and Justin will introduce us to his English fizz, Hart of Gold, as well as the 2018 Field of the Bee Blanc, 2018 Bee Pink, 2017 Bee-side Grenache and the mighty 2017 Domaine of the Bee Côtes du Roussillon Villages.
Friday 13 December: Château Quintus
Château Quintus is an exceptional estate in Saint-Emilion owned by Domaine Clarence Dillon, in whose portfolio it rubs shoulders with Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion and Clarendelle. In the company of estate manager, Francois Capdemourlin, readers will enjoy Clarendelle Blanc followed by the 2015 Le Dragon de Quintus, the 2011 and 2015 Château Quintus and, finally, the delectably sweet 2015 Clarendelle Amberwine.
To buy tickets, head to the Spectator Shop.
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