- Location
- Bordeaux
A well done to your sonThis is getting a proper seeing-to in the next 30 minutes. Been a tough day. Straight from fridge... warming up quickly in the glass. Lovely wine.
Also got 2 CHUNGOUS-ENORMOUS t-bone steaks - selected by my son as a reward ... who has finished school today with a report card that would have warranted a beating outside school if he lived in Lincolnshire in the 80s... lots of A+. Swot.
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Here's my recent TN.Listening to Aberdeen’s annual short foray into Europe in the garden with this….
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the oak is a smidgeon too present for my liking but enjoyable nonetheless.
I agree - the 15 has a little gritty bitterness to it - the 16 is just rounded without being fruity or OTT. Either way, both wines are stupid value for money. I have said it many times before, but a gent of this parish who runs a wine establishment in central london had (I recall) the 2012 on Friday afernoon tasting... it reinvogirated my taste for modest Bordeaux. Now I buy it every year - and many other similar wines.And to you, for selecting the ‘16. I’ve a tranche of ‘15 (it’s OK) but my understanding is the ‘16 is a clear notch better.
I’ve loved Portland when I’ve been and always taken wine as they are v open to that. They have a nice private room downstairs that would fit 10 probably, would be a good spot for an offline…Yesterday we went to Portland Restaurant in Great Portland Street for a micro-office lunch, first in a while, and the cooking was amongst best I have had in some time.
We started with a bottle of Wiston Estate NV from the list which worked well until we got to mains. The ESW showed elderflower and tennis shoes on the nose, with a brighr acidity, some zesty complexity and white flowers on the palette, and with a reverberant finish. Lovely.
After the first amuse bouche (no pic) we began with some options from the Snack Menu, I had Devonshire smoked eel, seaweek & creme crue (bottom right).
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Next up was Isle of Mull scallop, tomato, strawberry & wild fennel
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For mains I had Belted Galloway sirloin, salt baked beetroot, shallot, ox tongue sauce, girolles & tarragon. This was sublime.
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The mains above was paired with 2010 Giacomo Fennochio Barolo Villero a BYO served pop and pour. Tar and rose petals on the nose, real energy, concentration and structure on the palette. Lovely but not nearly ready.
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We then had cheese before desserts
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Followed by walnut tart with plum sorbet
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Overall - the cooking was masterful and rightly stole the show, and great to catch up with colleagues, and I ended up drinking the lions share of the wine (as only 3 out of 4 of us were drinking!). The atmosphere at Portland is casual and friendly and it is well worth a visit. The wine list is perhaps not as extensive as forumites might like so at least corkage at £25 is reasonable and worth utilising.
That looks fab. And yes deffo worth while exploring a potential offline!Yesterday we went to Portland Restaurant in Great Portland Street for a micro-office lunch, first in a while, and the cooking was amongst best I have had in some time.
We started with a bottle of Wiston Estate NV from the list which worked well until we got to mains. The ESW showed elderflower and tennis shoes on the nose, with a brighr acidity, some zesty complexity and white flowers on the palette, and with a reverberant finish. Lovely.
After the first amuse bouche (no pic) we began with some options from the Snack Menu, I had Devonshire smoked eel, seaweek & creme crue (bottom right).
View attachment 20255
Next up was Isle of Mull scallop, tomato, strawberry & wild fennel
View attachment 20256
For mains I had Belted Galloway sirloin, salt baked beetroot, shallot, ox tongue sauce, girolles & tarragon. This was sublime.
View attachment 20258
The mains above was paired with 2010 Giacomo Fennochio Barolo Villero a BYO served pop and pour. Tar and rose petals on the nose, real energy, concentration and structure on the palette. Lovely but not nearly ready.
View attachment 20257
We then had cheese before desserts
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Followed by walnut tart with plum sorbet
View attachment 20260
Overall - the cooking was masterful and rightly stole the show, and great to catch up with colleagues, and I ended up drinking the lions share of the wine (as only 3 out of 4 of us were drinking!). The atmosphere at Portland is casual and friendly and it is well worth a visit. The wine list is perhaps not as extensive as forumites might like so at least corkage at £25 is reasonable and worth utilising.
I always assumed that cuvee was never "designed" for the long haul, as far as anything can be. Got a Bojo ready to go for a picnic this evening. But that'll be a 2019 something or other.A bottle of the 'L'ancien' 09 was terribly disappointing the other week, lumpen in the way that warm vintage Beaujolais can be.
How was that scallop? Looks a bit "experimental" to me!Yesterday we went to Portland Restaurant in Great Portland Street for a micro-office lunch, first in a while, and the cooking was amongst best I have had in some time.
Yup the mutton with caviar struck me as a potentially particularly delicious combination!The scallop (sliced) paired with strawberries worked surprisingly (and unexpectedly!) well, although if I went again I would definitely try Mutton tartare, with Exmoor caviar, goat's curd, egg yolk, and anchovy crisps.
I have been to at least a couple of offlines there, though I can’t remember when the last one was…I’ve loved Portland when I’ve been and always taken wine as they are v open to that. They have a nice private room downstairs that would fit 10 probably, would be a good spot for an offline…
A bottle of the 'L'ancien' 09 was terribly disappointing the other week, lumpen in the way that warm vintage Beaujolais can be.
Glad to see Portland on great form. Obv not been since Covid but on the list for a return. Equally pleased to see your comments on the Villero '10 as I have three bottles of that. I hope I live long enough to enjoy them at their peak.Yesterday we went to Portland Restaurant in Great Portland Street for a micro-office lunch, first in a while, and the cooking was amongst best I have had in some time.
We started with a bottle of Wiston Estate NV from the list which worked well until we got to mains. The ESW showed elderflower and tennis shoes on the nose, with a brighr acidity, some zesty complexity and white flowers on the palette, and with a reverberant finish. Lovely.
After the first amuse bouche (no pic) we began with some options from the Snack Menu, I had Devonshire smoked eel, seaweek & creme crue (bottom right).
View attachment 20255
Next up was Isle of Mull scallop, tomato, strawberry & wild fennel
View attachment 20256
For mains I had Belted Galloway sirloin, salt baked beetroot, shallot, ox tongue sauce, girolles & tarragon. This was sublime.
View attachment 20258
The mains above was paired with 2010 Giacomo Fennochio Barolo Villero a BYO served pop and pour. Tar and rose petals on the nose, real energy, concentration and structure on the palette. Lovely but not nearly ready.
View attachment 20257
We then had cheese before desserts
View attachment 20259
Followed by walnut tart with plum sorbet
View attachment 20260
Overall - the cooking was masterful and rightly stole the show, and great to catch up with colleagues, and I ended up drinking the lions share of the wine (as only 3 out of 4 of us were drinking!). The atmosphere at Portland is casual and friendly and it is well worth a visit. The wine list is perhaps not as extensive as forumites might like so at least corkage at £25 is reasonable and worth utilising.