Great Queen Street and Cava
25-Feb-08 - Belay those taxi calculations. Today I took a cab from Victoria to Great Queen Street (female cabbie, unusually), a distance of 3.4 miles and 17 minutes according to Google maps. In practice it took 30 minutes and cost £15.60. The return journey was 2.5 miles and took about 20 minutes, costing £9.60. Of course, London's one-way systems are labyrinthine, and it seems that every street in London is currently undergoing roadworks but did we really need to go via Bloomsbury Square? I shall probably never know.
Anyway, I was in Great Queen Street for a Cava tasting, of which more in a moment, because first I went to lunch at 32, Great Queen Street, which is a bistro-type place I first visited in June, 2007, shortly after it had opened. The chef, Tom Norrington-Davies, came here via the Eagle and the Hope and Anchor with an avowed intent to cook proper food from real ingredients like his mum used to cook, and not be poncy. The place is deeply unpretentious, with plain wooden tables, paper napkins and wine served in flat-bottomed tumblers, and all the better for that. Service is quick, cheerful and no-nonsense, and the prices - especially considering that we're in WC2 - remarkably restrained. It was packed when I arrived, so no sign of a recession here.
I was meeting Zev Robinson, who's making a documentary film about wine and wanted to know if I'd like to be involved, and we discussed dates and events where I'm appearing, and other subjects which might suit the film: it was very constructive. And the lunch was excellent. One of the specials was 'pie of the day' for two, but having seen the couple at the next table tucking into the pie for one (about the size of Hyde Park) we decided to go our separate ways. Zev had the mutton and I had the Gloucester Old Spot faggot and celeriac, and we shared a bowl of new potatoes. When the (fabulously attractive) waitress brought the dishes she asked which was whose. "I'm the faggot" I said without thinking, quickly adding "but not in the American sense..."
The faggot was huge but absolutely delicious (apart from the apple. WHY do people insist on putting apple with anything containing pork? Yes, I know that, historically, the acidity of the apple countered the fattiness of the pork, but this pork was not in the least fatty. It's a bit like Retsina, I suppose: people have just got used to the taste. But I have never understood why sweet and savoury should go on the same plate), and we had a bottle of house red - 2007 Bergerie de la Bastide Vin de Pays de Méditerranée (£12 - they also serve a half-carafe for £6 and a glass for £2 - all pro rata, very rare) which went down extremely well. In addition, a carafe of tap-water appeared without charge. I know that this is a big beef in the London blatts (the Evening Standard awards 1-5 'droplets' to restaurants based on how eager, or not, they are to supply free tap water) but about 16 years ago I wrote a book on sewerage (yes, the stuff you do as a freelance writer), during the research for which I learned the saying 'what Reading drinks today, London drinks tomorrow' - following the repurification chain down river - so I wasn't all that enthusiastic, but it was drinkable.
With a couple of cups of coffee the bill for two was £44.60, and you can eat for as little as £5 if you just want a starter. Wines are modestly marked-up and mostly under £25, although there are classics up in the £40-50 bracket. This is the way all brasseries should be and given that it was full on a Wednesday lunchtime, quite a lot of people seem to agree: good, honest, simple food, well cooked and served with a smile.
Then it was on to the Cava tasting, across the road in the Freemasons' Hall, home of the United Grand Lodge of England. 'Grand' is too small a word to describe this vast marble edifice, with pillars and frescoes, stained glass and mahogany, and it had been suitably laid out with swathes of glassware and white tablecloths. The tasting was hosted by Sally Easton, a fellow committee member (and also treasurer) of the Circle of Wine Writers, and Bruno Murciano, formerly head sommelier at the Ritz and named Sommelier of the Year 2008 in Spain last autumn. The focus was on the Xarel·lo grape, which is one of the 'big three' Cava varieties, the others being Parellada and Macabeo. In a previous post (25-Nov-08) I mentioned that I'd been to a tasting of Catalan wines at ICEX, and then subsequently lost my notes. I did remark, however, that the general standard of Xarel·lo seemed to have progressed by leaps and bounds in recent years.
In fact, if you go back far enough, the grape was the 'problem child' of Cava: too often giving rooty, earthy 'notes' to the wines and taking the freshness away. I remember talking to a grower in the early 1990s who told me the problems it faced: it was routinely being harvested too late and at yields that were too high. The reasons were simply that it struggles to ripen in cooler, higher-altitude climates, and growers were leaving the grapes on the vine in the hope that they'd get better sugar levels (and a better price), when all that was happening was that the grapes were oxidising. The other factor with Xarel·lo is that the vines have to be fully mature before they're going to give grapes which will provide the right kind of structure to balance out the fresh creaminess of the Parellada and the herby fruit of the Macabeo.
We started with three vins clairs (vins clars? ¿vinos claros?) To assess what each had to give to the final blend. First up was a Parellada which, to me, always has a 'chalky' nose (no, I know chalk doesn't smell of anything but that's what I think when I sniff it), with the trademark creamy, aromatic fruit. A bit simple on its own but then, that's what it's for. Macabeo showed some 'savoury' fruit on the mid-palate, some warmth and a rounded character on the finish. The Xarel·lo was rather riper, weightier and warmer, with hints of secondary flavours on the nose - probably fermented very cool. So these were the building blocks which go to make up Cava (Chardonnay and, most recently Pinot Noir are also permitted varieties but there's a good deal of argument about that in Catalunya so we won't go into it here), and were to taste 13 wines, each with progressively more Xarel·lo in the blend, although one didn't turn up. The wines were tasted blind and we were given a cribsheet at the end. I have calculated the retail prices according to my consultancy spreadsheet, so they will be approximate and, in some cases, the wines aren't available in the UK anyway. Those which are are marked with an asterisk.
A) No Xarel·lo
1) 2005 Bonaval Brut, Lar de Barros, Extremadura - 100% Macabeo - £7.00-£7.50
Very pale straw//slightly gamey on the nose, some smoke//but delicious freshness and crisp acidity on the mid-palate, and a decent length. 16/20
2) 2004 Mascaró Brut Gran Reserva 'Monarch' - 90% Parellada/10% Chardonnay - £12.00-£12.50
Straw//gamey 'wet straw' aromas, no noticeable Chardonnay characteristics//but there are here: big, meaty 'wet straw' on the mid palate, mature, gamey and long. Not for beginners. 16/20
3) 2005 Segura Viudas Brut - 33% Parellada, 67% Macabeo - £10.99*
Pale straw//and that same gamey 'wet straw' style//big and soft on the mid-palate, still with the maturity and a good length. 16/20
4) Jaume de Codorníu Brut - 50% Chardonnay, 30% Macabeo, 20% Parellada - £20*
Full straw//some 'savoury' fruit and complexity, Chardonnay aromas prominent//good clean, fruit, just slightly off-dry, easy-drinking, pleasant. 17/20
B) Minority Xarel·lo
1) 2004 Juvé i Camps Brut Nature Reserva de la Familia - 33% Macabeo, 33% Xarel·lo, 34% Parellada - £15.00*
Pale straw//smoky, warm rubber, some weight//yes! The real stuff: good power and complexity, weight, maturity, ripeness, excellent. 18/20
C) Mid-Xarel·lo
1) 2005 Pere Ventura Brut Nature Trésor - 40% Macabeo, 40% Xarel·lo, 20% Parellada - £12.00*
Straw//light, floral nose with 'chalky', creamy fruit//lovely clean, fresh, crisp acidity and a good length. 17/20
2) 2004 Giró Ribot Brut Nature Gran Reserva 'Mare' - 50% Xarel·lo, 30% Macabeo, 20% Parellada - £12.00
Straw//at last some autolysis! Rich but gamey//yes! Big stuff, powerful, complex, structured, toasty and the flavour of the lees comes through on the finish. Excellent. 18/20
3) 2004 Recaredo Brut Nature Gran Reserva - 55% Xarel·lo, 30% Macabeo, 15% Chardonnay - £25-£26.00
Pale straw//a slightly 'metallic' hint (probably from the Chardonnay), but not unpleasant//nice, rich, complex mid-palate with a soft, gentle dryness (Chardonnay again), long gamey finish. 16/20
D) High Xarel·lo
1) 2005 Pere Ventura Cupatge d'Honor Brut Nature Gran Reserva - 70% Xarel·lo, 30% Chardonnay - £35.00*
Pale straw//warm, ripe, slightly 'rubbery' aromas, some maturity//very complex with a rich mid-palate but still bone dry and a long, long, complex finish. Excellent. 18/20
2) 2001 Raventós i Blanc Brut Nature Gran Reserva Manuel Raventós - 60% Xarel·lo, 40% Parellada - £28-£30.00
Straw//big, gamey, long, mature aromas//very gamey, some richness but still dry, very mature, complex and very long. Excellent. 18/20
E) Very high Xarel·lo
1) 2000 Gramona Celler Batlle Brut Gran Reserva - Xarel·lo 70%, Macabeo 30% - £40.00+
Straw//lovely soft aromatic, gamey aromas with marked autolysis//warm, ripe mature, long, complex, delicious. Fab. 19/20
2) 1999 Recaredo Turó d'en Mota Brut Gran Reserva - 100% Xarel·lo - £85.00+
Pale gold//wonderful, full complex, gamey aromas with autolysis//soft, mature fruit on the mid palate and excellent complexity on the finish. Needs drinking up. 19/20
Finally, we were to taste six progressively older vintages from the same small vineyard of 80-100-year-old Xarel·lo vines. This was conducted by Bruno Murciano, and the wines were not named.
1) 2002 with seven years on the lees, opened 90 minutes earlier - this had good autolysis with richness on the nose, but was very clean and fresh on the palate with some gamey length: good.
2) 2001 - big, 'rubbery', warm nose with good, complex weight, ripeness and a long, mature finish but still lovely fresh acidity.
3) 2000 - a richer, riper nose with noticeable autolysis, but still clean. Lovely, complex palate with clear, fresh acidity and some impressive maturity.
4) 1999 - real gamey autolysis on the nose (Bruno said 'citrus' but I didn't spot it), but a lovely rich, gamey mid-palate, excellent length, still with fresh acidity and long, long, long.
5) 1998 - even more maturity, gamey, autolysis, but starting to show a bit of oxidation on the finish. Fading.
6) 1997 - some oxidation apparent on the nose, but there is complexity and some autolysis too (Bruno suggested truffles). The palate is clean with some very broad, savoury, gamey flavours and although there's some oxidation on the nose it's not strong. Drink up.
Overall, this was a very useful lesson in how the winemakers of Catalunya have 'tamed' the Xarel·lo over the past decade, and it certainly showed itself capable of wines of richness, complexity and longevity. I was also very pleased to see a selection of premium Cavas on offer. The market for them is very, very small (most Cava sold over here is in the £5-£10 bracket) but there have always been premium wines and it's good to see them making an appearance, however muted, in the UK.
To sponsor a weblink to any post on this blog, please contact john@johnradford.com
Anyway, I was in Great Queen Street for a Cava tasting, of which more in a moment, because first I went to lunch at 32, Great Queen Street, which is a bistro-type place I first visited in June, 2007, shortly after it had opened. The chef, Tom Norrington-Davies, came here via the Eagle and the Hope and Anchor with an avowed intent to cook proper food from real ingredients like his mum used to cook, and not be poncy. The place is deeply unpretentious, with plain wooden tables, paper napkins and wine served in flat-bottomed tumblers, and all the better for that. Service is quick, cheerful and no-nonsense, and the prices - especially considering that we're in WC2 - remarkably restrained. It was packed when I arrived, so no sign of a recession here.
I was meeting Zev Robinson, who's making a documentary film about wine and wanted to know if I'd like to be involved, and we discussed dates and events where I'm appearing, and other subjects which might suit the film: it was very constructive. And the lunch was excellent. One of the specials was 'pie of the day' for two, but having seen the couple at the next table tucking into the pie for one (about the size of Hyde Park) we decided to go our separate ways. Zev had the mutton and I had the Gloucester Old Spot faggot and celeriac, and we shared a bowl of new potatoes. When the (fabulously attractive) waitress brought the dishes she asked which was whose. "I'm the faggot" I said without thinking, quickly adding "but not in the American sense..."
The faggot was huge but absolutely delicious (apart from the apple. WHY do people insist on putting apple with anything containing pork? Yes, I know that, historically, the acidity of the apple countered the fattiness of the pork, but this pork was not in the least fatty. It's a bit like Retsina, I suppose: people have just got used to the taste. But I have never understood why sweet and savoury should go on the same plate), and we had a bottle of house red - 2007 Bergerie de la Bastide Vin de Pays de Méditerranée (£12 - they also serve a half-carafe for £6 and a glass for £2 - all pro rata, very rare) which went down extremely well. In addition, a carafe of tap-water appeared without charge. I know that this is a big beef in the London blatts (the Evening Standard awards 1-5 'droplets' to restaurants based on how eager, or not, they are to supply free tap water) but about 16 years ago I wrote a book on sewerage (yes, the stuff you do as a freelance writer), during the research for which I learned the saying 'what Reading drinks today, London drinks tomorrow' - following the repurification chain down river - so I wasn't all that enthusiastic, but it was drinkable.
With a couple of cups of coffee the bill for two was £44.60, and you can eat for as little as £5 if you just want a starter. Wines are modestly marked-up and mostly under £25, although there are classics up in the £40-50 bracket. This is the way all brasseries should be and given that it was full on a Wednesday lunchtime, quite a lot of people seem to agree: good, honest, simple food, well cooked and served with a smile.
Then it was on to the Cava tasting, across the road in the Freemasons' Hall, home of the United Grand Lodge of England. 'Grand' is too small a word to describe this vast marble edifice, with pillars and frescoes, stained glass and mahogany, and it had been suitably laid out with swathes of glassware and white tablecloths. The tasting was hosted by Sally Easton, a fellow committee member (and also treasurer) of the Circle of Wine Writers, and Bruno Murciano, formerly head sommelier at the Ritz and named Sommelier of the Year 2008 in Spain last autumn. The focus was on the Xarel·lo grape, which is one of the 'big three' Cava varieties, the others being Parellada and Macabeo. In a previous post (25-Nov-08) I mentioned that I'd been to a tasting of Catalan wines at ICEX, and then subsequently lost my notes. I did remark, however, that the general standard of Xarel·lo seemed to have progressed by leaps and bounds in recent years.
In fact, if you go back far enough, the grape was the 'problem child' of Cava: too often giving rooty, earthy 'notes' to the wines and taking the freshness away. I remember talking to a grower in the early 1990s who told me the problems it faced: it was routinely being harvested too late and at yields that were too high. The reasons were simply that it struggles to ripen in cooler, higher-altitude climates, and growers were leaving the grapes on the vine in the hope that they'd get better sugar levels (and a better price), when all that was happening was that the grapes were oxidising. The other factor with Xarel·lo is that the vines have to be fully mature before they're going to give grapes which will provide the right kind of structure to balance out the fresh creaminess of the Parellada and the herby fruit of the Macabeo.
We started with three vins clairs (vins clars? ¿vinos claros?) To assess what each had to give to the final blend. First up was a Parellada which, to me, always has a 'chalky' nose (no, I know chalk doesn't smell of anything but that's what I think when I sniff it), with the trademark creamy, aromatic fruit. A bit simple on its own but then, that's what it's for. Macabeo showed some 'savoury' fruit on the mid-palate, some warmth and a rounded character on the finish. The Xarel·lo was rather riper, weightier and warmer, with hints of secondary flavours on the nose - probably fermented very cool. So these were the building blocks which go to make up Cava (Chardonnay and, most recently Pinot Noir are also permitted varieties but there's a good deal of argument about that in Catalunya so we won't go into it here), and were to taste 13 wines, each with progressively more Xarel·lo in the blend, although one didn't turn up. The wines were tasted blind and we were given a cribsheet at the end. I have calculated the retail prices according to my consultancy spreadsheet, so they will be approximate and, in some cases, the wines aren't available in the UK anyway. Those which are are marked with an asterisk.
A) No Xarel·lo
1) 2005 Bonaval Brut, Lar de Barros, Extremadura - 100% Macabeo - £7.00-£7.50
Very pale straw//slightly gamey on the nose, some smoke//but delicious freshness and crisp acidity on the mid-palate, and a decent length. 16/20
2) 2004 Mascaró Brut Gran Reserva 'Monarch' - 90% Parellada/10% Chardonnay - £12.00-£12.50
Straw//gamey 'wet straw' aromas, no noticeable Chardonnay characteristics//but there are here: big, meaty 'wet straw' on the mid palate, mature, gamey and long. Not for beginners. 16/20
3) 2005 Segura Viudas Brut - 33% Parellada, 67% Macabeo - £10.99*
Pale straw//and that same gamey 'wet straw' style//big and soft on the mid-palate, still with the maturity and a good length. 16/20
4) Jaume de Codorníu Brut - 50% Chardonnay, 30% Macabeo, 20% Parellada - £20*
Full straw//some 'savoury' fruit and complexity, Chardonnay aromas prominent//good clean, fruit, just slightly off-dry, easy-drinking, pleasant. 17/20
B) Minority Xarel·lo
1) 2004 Juvé i Camps Brut Nature Reserva de la Familia - 33% Macabeo, 33% Xarel·lo, 34% Parellada - £15.00*
Pale straw//smoky, warm rubber, some weight//yes! The real stuff: good power and complexity, weight, maturity, ripeness, excellent. 18/20
C) Mid-Xarel·lo
1) 2005 Pere Ventura Brut Nature Trésor - 40% Macabeo, 40% Xarel·lo, 20% Parellada - £12.00*
Straw//light, floral nose with 'chalky', creamy fruit//lovely clean, fresh, crisp acidity and a good length. 17/20
2) 2004 Giró Ribot Brut Nature Gran Reserva 'Mare' - 50% Xarel·lo, 30% Macabeo, 20% Parellada - £12.00
Straw//at last some autolysis! Rich but gamey//yes! Big stuff, powerful, complex, structured, toasty and the flavour of the lees comes through on the finish. Excellent. 18/20
3) 2004 Recaredo Brut Nature Gran Reserva - 55% Xarel·lo, 30% Macabeo, 15% Chardonnay - £25-£26.00
Pale straw//a slightly 'metallic' hint (probably from the Chardonnay), but not unpleasant//nice, rich, complex mid-palate with a soft, gentle dryness (Chardonnay again), long gamey finish. 16/20
D) High Xarel·lo
1) 2005 Pere Ventura Cupatge d'Honor Brut Nature Gran Reserva - 70% Xarel·lo, 30% Chardonnay - £35.00*
Pale straw//warm, ripe, slightly 'rubbery' aromas, some maturity//very complex with a rich mid-palate but still bone dry and a long, long, complex finish. Excellent. 18/20
2) 2001 Raventós i Blanc Brut Nature Gran Reserva Manuel Raventós - 60% Xarel·lo, 40% Parellada - £28-£30.00
Straw//big, gamey, long, mature aromas//very gamey, some richness but still dry, very mature, complex and very long. Excellent. 18/20
E) Very high Xarel·lo
1) 2000 Gramona Celler Batlle Brut Gran Reserva - Xarel·lo 70%, Macabeo 30% - £40.00+
Straw//lovely soft aromatic, gamey aromas with marked autolysis//warm, ripe mature, long, complex, delicious. Fab. 19/20
2) 1999 Recaredo Turó d'en Mota Brut Gran Reserva - 100% Xarel·lo - £85.00+
Pale gold//wonderful, full complex, gamey aromas with autolysis//soft, mature fruit on the mid palate and excellent complexity on the finish. Needs drinking up. 19/20
Finally, we were to taste six progressively older vintages from the same small vineyard of 80-100-year-old Xarel·lo vines. This was conducted by Bruno Murciano, and the wines were not named.
1) 2002 with seven years on the lees, opened 90 minutes earlier - this had good autolysis with richness on the nose, but was very clean and fresh on the palate with some gamey length: good.
2) 2001 - big, 'rubbery', warm nose with good, complex weight, ripeness and a long, mature finish but still lovely fresh acidity.
3) 2000 - a richer, riper nose with noticeable autolysis, but still clean. Lovely, complex palate with clear, fresh acidity and some impressive maturity.
4) 1999 - real gamey autolysis on the nose (Bruno said 'citrus' but I didn't spot it), but a lovely rich, gamey mid-palate, excellent length, still with fresh acidity and long, long, long.
5) 1998 - even more maturity, gamey, autolysis, but starting to show a bit of oxidation on the finish. Fading.
6) 1997 - some oxidation apparent on the nose, but there is complexity and some autolysis too (Bruno suggested truffles). The palate is clean with some very broad, savoury, gamey flavours and although there's some oxidation on the nose it's not strong. Drink up.
Overall, this was a very useful lesson in how the winemakers of Catalunya have 'tamed' the Xarel·lo over the past decade, and it certainly showed itself capable of wines of richness, complexity and longevity. I was also very pleased to see a selection of premium Cavas on offer. The market for them is very, very small (most Cava sold over here is in the £5-£10 bracket) but there have always been premium wines and it's good to see them making an appearance, however muted, in the UK.
To sponsor a weblink to any post on this blog, please contact john@johnradford.com
posted by John Radford at
10:30
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home