Fellow Wine Lovers,
Fourteen, some facts:
- The number of days in a fortnight
- Silicon’s position in the Periodic Table
- The number of lines in a Sonnet
- Valentine’s Day
- Double the RDA of Deadly Sins
- Thierry Henry’s Arsenal shirt number
- And Luka Modric’s number at Tottenham
- The percentage ABV of Meerlust Rubicon 2018
- And Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
- Number of pounds in a stone
- The number of countries that share a border with Russia
- Maximum number of golf clubs allowed in your bag
- The number of letters in North Macedonia
- The number of years we have been selling wine on Arthur Road
Yes, another year older, another year wider having celebrated our 14th on Tuesday – Wayne celebrated with a Brick Lane Ruby whilst Alex stood in the shop before drinking Champagne with his wife – happy birthday to us!
As has often happened over the last 14 years, the news has been thoroughly disheartening this week with nothing to smile about really. The BBC is in the crosshairs, again, largely courtesy of that human minion, Gregg Wallace, but is still asking us to pay £5 more to watch their output, from April next year. £174.50 is the new figure – £14.54/month which compares to Netflix at £10.99/month (ads free), Amazon Prime at £8.99/month with all the other benefits and Disney + at £8.99/month (ads free), just so you know.
Here in the shop, as I’m sure you’ve all witnessed, we’re far too busy and focused to watch the telly, particularly at this time of year. We had our last instore tasting of the year on Wednesday, a fabulous fizz night, with Wayne’s favourite tipple, Jean Gimonnet Millesime 2004 Premier Cru – £83 the clear winner (and why not, a Blanc de Blancs with 20 years on its lees for less than a ton is not to be sniffed at) with the Cantina di Soliera Lambrusco di Sorbara NV – £12.99 running a close second, which goes to show that it’s not all about price.
So for us, it’s head down, full speed ahead for the next 19 days and with your help we should be pretty busy. Further to a gentle promotion of our Christmas cases last week, they are starting to get a bit of traction:
The Christmas Day Selection (PORT) – £150 including gift box
- Lété-Vautrain 204 Brut NV, Charly-Sur-Marne, Champagne, France
- Domaine Langlois Clos Saint-Florent Saumur 2021, Loire, France
- Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Marlborough, New Zealand
- Akarua ‘RUA’ Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago, New Zealand
- Tenuta Marsiliana ‘Birillo’ Costa Toscana Rosso 2020, Tuscany, Italy
- Butler Nephew & Co 10 Years Old Tawny, Portugal
The Christmas Day Selection (NO PORT) – £150 including gift box
- Lété-Vautrain 204 Brut NV, Charly-Sur-Marne, Champagne, France
- Domaine Langlois Clos Saint-Florent Saumur 2021, Loire, France
- Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Marlborough, New Zealand
- Akarua ‘RUA’ Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago, New Zealand
- Tenuta Marsiliana ‘Birillo’ Costa Toscana Rosso 2020, Tuscany, Italy
- Valenciso Reserva 2018, Rioja, Spain
The Claret Selection – £140 including gift box
- Chateau Guilhem 2010, Fronsac
- Chapelle De Potensac 2016, Médoc
- Château Lucas 2016, Lussac Saint-Émilion
- Château Saransot-Dupré 2016, Listrac-Médoc
- Clos Albertus 2018, Saint-Georges Saint Émilion
- Gaia de Chateau Puybarbe 2019, Côtes de Bourg
The December Fine Festive Selection- £250 including gift box
- Louis Roederer Collection 244, Champagne, France
- Sancerre Le MD de Bourgeois 2020, Loire Valley, France
- Westcott Vineyards Estate Chardonnay 2021, Ontario, Canada
- Chateau de Valois 2018, Pomerol, France
- Mt Difficulty ‘Pipeclay Terrace’ Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017,
- Central Otago, New Zealand
- Travaglini Gattinara Tre Vigne 2019, Piemonte, Italy
Tastebuds tantalised.
We also see the return of the ever popular Foxdenton Estate Christmas Liqueur – £25.
Made with Winslow Plums and a blend of traditional Christmas spices including Ginger, Clove, Cinnamon, and Star Anise, our Christmas Liqueur is the ideal winter warmer.
All this needs is a mince pie and an open fire. However, it is equally at home in a glass of fizz making a rather fabulous festive cocktail – we’ve got a bottle open, come and have a taste.
However, before you taste the Liqueur, how about tasting the wines we’ve got open.
The white is more focused towards your Boxing Day ham or the December 27th Turkey Madurai: Max Ferd. Richter ‘Zeppelin’ Riesling 2023 – £19.49. Kingsley Amis once said ‘life is too short to learn about German wine labels’. We agree to some degree but do not dismiss this wine. Crisp, zesty apple and peach flavour with finely focused slate characteristics, typical for the vineyard. In fact, wines from this vineyard were served in the luxurious restaurant of the Zeppelin airships in the 1920’s and 1930’s and have even been served at state functions at Buckingham Palace, which will serve as a good lunchtime conversation starter.
The red is one of our favourites from Ribera del Duero in Spain. Bodegas La Horra Corimbo 2019 – £27.99 is rich, with spicy and savoury, game notes complimenting the forest fruit character. On the palate the sweet ripe fruit has a lovely perfumed spice edge to the finish. A bit fuller and rustic than a Rioja perhaps but not at all in a bad way!
That’s probably it from us, come in and have a taste, get yourselves out of the rain!