The Ozgundians in Soho

David Crossley

David Crossley

Location
East Sussex
So, Mark, Andrew and now Jane were joined by Jérémy and the Dagon chappies, plus some bottles from Vincent for their annual Vinoteca tasting.

This time they chose Vinoteca Soho, first floor instead of basement, still tiny but way better light.

The 2015 wines on show were, for me, exceptionally good. Nothing disappointed.

Shit journey home though, had to change stations and soaked to the bone, so will continue with some comments tomorrow.

Saw one or two people, but not a lot of the usual suspects. Did you go, I half expected to see a crowd in Andrew Edmunds.
 
J

James Bercovici

Location
Suffolk (UK), Vaucluse (France)
I was there around lunchtime David at which time Mark's wines seemed more restrained than usual but rather fine. It was my first experience of Jane's wines but her Cote de Nuits Villages was rather good for such a lowly appellation and get Premier Cru GC was astonishing. A shame it's outside my budget (as are a couple of Mark's). Good to meet Andrew and Emma whose white Santenay was another that I could still taste long after I had completed my (also shit) journey home by car. The Dagon white was surprisingly good too - the dry one, anyway. I liked Jeremy's GC but his labels are terrible (but who cares?).
 
Mark Priestley

Mark Priestley

Location
London
Popped along to the Aussie bash around 4.30 ish and ran into a number of fellow forumites. As DC has indicated above the room upstairs room at the Soho branch was a big improvement on the basement in Farringdon and the more central location was a big advantage.

The Le Grappin wines throughout the range were of very high quality; the Santenay 1er cru Les Gravieres Blanc in particular was very expressive as was the magnificent Beaune 1er cru Boucherottes.

I've never tried Jane's wines previously and was impressed with the quality throughout. I'm always on the look out for something good at the lower end and very much liked the Cote de Nuits Villages (the source being a couple of vineyards in Comblanchien I think she said). I also like the two Gevrey's on show; the 1er cru Corbeaux of course being the star of the show.

Mark's wines were also showing very well; the usual suspects stood out for me (Bourgogne, Morey and Bonnes Mares) but I also really liked the Aligote and the Volnay "Paix Bois" which I understand is a new wine for Mark and comes from a very stony, high vineyard just below the tree line.

The weather was so crap yesterday that I went for a bite to eat a few doors up at Polpo rather than venture over to Andrew Edmunds; very nice Valpolicella but I guess that's blasphemy to talk Italian wine on a Burgundy themed thread! :D
 
Gareth J Welch

Gareth J Welch

Location
Gosport
James Bercovici said:
I was there around lunchtime David at which time Mark's wines seemed more restrained than usual but rather fine. It was my first experience of Jane's wines but her Cote de Nuits Villages was rather good for such a lowly appellation and get Premier Cru GC was astonishing. A shame it's outside my budget (as are a couple of Mark's). Good to meet Andrew and Emma whose white Santenay was another that I could still taste long after I had completed my (also shit) journey home by car. The Dagon white was surprisingly good too - the dry one, anyway. I liked Jeremy's GC but his labels are terrible (but who cares?).
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Gosh those labels are grim, not a fan of the Grappins ones, but Jeremy's look like something knocked up for the vanity label house wines of one of those faux-Victorian suburban supper rooms that were all the rage back in the nineties.:eek:
 
J

James Bercovici

Location
Suffolk (UK), Vaucluse (France)
I quite like the Grappin labels - something different, anyway but your description of Jeremy's is spot on.

It sounds like the Volnays opened up well throughout the day as both Mark's and Jane's were quite muted at lunchtime. Good - I already bought some of Mark's!
 
O

Oli North

Location
London
Very good tasting indeed. Andrew and Emma are doing very good things! As others have said- Gravieres was perfect, probably the best white I tasted all week.

Mark- was it you I was speaking to whilst huddled in a doorway outside smoking?
 
Maureen Matthew

Maureen Matthew

Location
London
Opted for H2Vin at The Westbury, spotted on Jancis event's calendar. Pretty decent setup and line-up, plus we all benefitted from Oz Clarke's musings.

Love that, Ozgundians!
 
Vin Madden

Vin Madden

Location
Bath, UK
Alex, you weren't the only one who assumed it was the same Vinoteca as in previous years. While I was there in the morning someone came with their bike having first gone to the Farringdon branch.

I too enjoyed (and have ordered) the Santenay Gravieres and Beaune Boucherottes from Andrew and Emma.

Of the Jane Eyre range I particularly enjoyed the Savigny-les-Beaune aux Vergelesses and the G-C Corbeaux (but sadly the latter is out of my price range).

Although I had met Jeremy on previous occasions I hadn't realised that he was the winemaker for Pierre Naigeon where Mark has been based. Jeremy makes these few wines (a total of 4 barrels) under his own label. I found a herbal note to the reds that I thought was a bit medicinal and didn't particularly enjoy. Both were 100% whole bunch.

Mark's Bourgogne had a lovely cherry nose and was light and enjoyable now. I pondered his three village wines which were quite contrasting. There was very noticeable sweet fruit in both the NSG and G-C and I particularly enjoyed the Volnay. As has been said above it is a new lieu-dit on limestone rather than clay just below the woods. As Mark put it, "if Volnay did a white this is where it would come from". I was pleased to see that I had ordered a few bottles of the Volnay and NSG in my mixed order when he made his first offer - plus the MSD which moved us up to another level as did the Bonnes-Mares in its turn, but way beyond my pocket.

The Viognier is quite different to the last vintage being much fresher. His new Vin de France Syrah/Grenache will be a tasty glass in a year or so.

Did anyone try the Vincent Paris 2008 Le Geynale, to me it was suffering from volatile acidity? Several of us trying it at the same time smelled and rejected it. Looking this morning at JL-L's website he didn't rate it because of the acidity problem back in Dec 2009. I did enjoy the 2015 La Geynale.

As always a really good tasting with, to me, some very good wines at fair prices given the market. I appreciate the opportunity from Mark to create a mixed case.

But next year when the 2016s comes around? Apparently Mark has 16 barrels from Burgundy compared to 65 in 2015. No wonder he is developing his Rhone portfolio.
 
Ian Hampsted

Ian Hampsted

Location
London
David C - I arrived about the time as Mark, sorry I missed you...

Vin - I found the 2008 Geynale oxidative too...and the colour looked quite brown...

I was overall impressed with most of what I tasted. I'm glad I went because the weather was a deterrent - driving freezing rain and ankle-soaking puddles - but it was worth it.

I very much enjoyed the Stannary tasting earlier in the week too but was not over my skis about the 2015 red burgundies - some of them are borderline overdone...some have too much alcohol, not enough acidity and not enough freshness. However the general quality appears to be high even if the price increases are hard to swallow.

Last night I really rated Mark Haisma's two premier crus - the Morey and the Pommard, stylish and classy wines. I loved Andrew Neilson's straight Savigny for it's purity and freshness and Jane Eyre's Gevrey 1er Cru tasted like a grand cru Mazy. Those were the highlights, but the standard was uniformly impressive.

Good to see the other forumites out on the tiles on a sleet-swept evening...
 
C

Craig Dennis

Location
Norf London
A wonderful tasting all round. I was fortunate enough to get a week in '15 doing vintage with Mark so I don't think that I am particularly unbiased in my opinions so won't burden you with a broad coverage. Overall a lovely set of wines from all the producers on show. Marks Bourgogne os the best that I have tasted from him since 2009 which was tremendous. I was also really impressed with his Cornas as well which was very similar to his lovely 2010, very, very drinkable now. Jane Eyre and the Le Grappin wines were fabulous, really on song on the day. I haven't particularly loved Andews reds previously, limiting myself to his whites, but this year they are super tasty. Loved Jeremy's Saint Romain, you'll all be glad to know that his labels were designed by an award winning French designer, clearly not someone this audience would provide awards to but each to their own.

Good to see some familiar faces even if very briefly
 
O

Oli North

Location
London
Yep the VA on that 08 was through the roof. Very unpleasant indeed, I could barely bring myself to put it in my mouth. Younger ones were great tho.
 
C

Craig Dennis

Location
Norf London
I can only assume that the bottle of '08 that I tried was a different one as I was there earlier and it was a sublime drop, certainly some slightly more funky secondary characteristics but absolutely delicious
 
David Crossley

David Crossley

Location
East Sussex
I apologise for directing people to my very long blog article on the wines. I think my views concur with those of some people and not others, but I'd bore you all stupid to repeat it here.

The Paris Geynale was a real case in point, cf the differences. I loved it, but tellingly I was there at the same time as Craig, though we didn't taste it together. He also loved it. I am sure others tried a different bottle, as when I tried it there was only about a quarter full bottle. And it is unlikely that both Craig and I had a brain malfunction.

In summary, my favourite wines were Andrew and Emma's Santenay Blanc and Beaune Boucherottes, Jane's Savigny Rouge, and Mark's Aligoté, Bourgogne Rouge, Morey 1er Cru and Cornas. I can see why the more financially successful forumites would buy the Bonnes Mares. It is brilliant, but beyond my pocket. But there being cheaper wines of real value is wonderful.
 
J

James Bercovici

Location
Suffolk (UK), Vaucluse (France)
Interesting to read the various comments about the 2008 Paris Cornas. When I was there (at lunchtime), someone challenged Mark about this and he was adamant that it was normal and that all bottles tasted the same. We agreed that some liked the style whilst others (clearly) didn't. On that basis, David, you (and Craig) clearly think differently to everyone else which means you are outside the norms of society and, therefore, certifiably insane. :p I didn't try it which means that I have got splinters in my backside.

It's also interesting to observe that, as the day drew on, wines which had seemed shy earlier in the day were showing better even though they were certainly out of fresh bottles (I squeezed the last drop out of one of Mark's GCs and MSDs at 1pm so plenty more must have been opened).

A great shame that prices mean most of us can't afford to buy the sublime MSD or BM or Jane's GC 1er Cru but at least we got to taste them I suppose. It was a good experience and, whilst it took up the best part of the day, sometimes quiet January days have silver linings it seems.
 
David Crossley

David Crossley

Location
East Sussex
Whatever one felt about the wines, kudos to those who did make it. I reckon I was the wettest I had been for several years, not a dry stitch on me by the time I finally found a train home. I think the warmth of a hot bacon roll at London Bridge may have saved my life.

I know Mark is still with us, he's been online, but I didn't envy his late night drive in the snow.
 
David Crossley

David Crossley

Location
East Sussex
And their PM for going back on his climate change promises. Poor Canada.

But remember, we exaggerate everything. Snowmageddon was a headline I saw. Some places in Romania have six metres. Here, more like 6cm at worst. Those Brits, eh!
 
Alistair Scott

Alistair Scott

Location
London
David Crossley said:
I apologise for directing people to my very long blog article on the wines. I think my views concur with those of some people and not others, but I'd bore you all stupid to repeat it here.

The Paris Geynale was a real case in point, cf the differences. I loved it, but tellingly I was there at the same time as Craig, though we didn't taste it together. He also loved it. I am sure others tried a different bottle, as when I tried it there was only about a quarter full bottle. And it is unlikely that both Craig and I had a brain malfunction.

In summary, my favourite wines were Andrew and Emma's Santenay Blanc and Beaune Boucherottes, Jane's Savigny Rouge, and Mark's Aligoté, Bourgogne Rouge, Morey 1er Cru and Cornas. I can see why the more financially successful forumites would buy the Bonnes Mares. It is brilliant, but beyond my pocket. But there being cheaper wines of real value is wonderful.
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Nice to see you briefly, David. I was interested in how approachable so many of the reds were so early, though Mark explained that as they have had a good shaking and lots of air that should not be too surprising and that things would close down a bit from bottle. Have gone for the Grappin Savigny red and Santenay Gravieres and very tempted by Mark's aligote and viognier while we wait though my guess is there may be other good aligote at lower prices out there.
 
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