Bottle Apostle

Busy, busy, busy. Anyone would think it was nearly Christmas. Have been a little tardy with establishing the line up for this Wednesday’s Big One tasting at the shop (8pm £75pp, a few tickets left), so here’s a bit more information to get those last few spaces filled.

The line up will give us a nice range of styles, as well as being the best kit I can lay my hands on. The list is necessarily provisional as there may be a couple of cheeky “upgrades” if we fill the last few places.

We’ll probably kick off with Champagne: Gosset 1999 vintage (£59.50) is drinking beautifully. I have one white “in the bag” which is the 2006 Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir from Christian Moreau (£32). This is just about as good as Chablis gets.

The reds will be equally epic. We have the 1995 Gran Reserva Rioja #890 from la Rioja Alta (£95). This is one of the top two or three Gran Reservas and it’s an excellent vintage. Customers have been swooning over its kid sibling the #904 (£34) so I think we should all have high expectations. We’ll also chuck in a Supertuscan but you will probably have to wait untill the night to find out which one – right now I can’t decide between the 2005 Solengo from Argiano in Montalcino, or the Ilatraia from Brancaia from the Tuscan coast. Something from Bordeaux or the Rhone will also make an appearance. From my own cellar (well, pantry) I’ll bring a mature bottle of D’Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz from McLaren Vale as a “bonus wine”. Maybe a 2001 or 2002; maybe a ninetysomething. 

We finish on a high (in several senses) with one of the great dessert wines; a 2007 Von Buhl Forster Pechstein Riesling Eiswein from Pfalz – a mere £135 per half bottle and 299g of sugar per litre.

Simple food (cheeses, cold meat, bread etc) will be served. if you’re not already signed up we hope you can join us!