Burgundies are the wines that come from the
Haute-Bourgogne (Cote d'Or), Basse-Bourgogne (Yonne, etc.) of Maconnais (Sao^ne et Loire), and Beaujolais (Rhone).
They are, in general, fuller in body and of greater alcoholic strength than Clarets. Burgundy is the most fragrant of all red wines, is equally pleasing to the eye and to the olfactory sense; it possesses a fine clear dark-red colour which no mixture of grape-juice, spirit and sugar can ever approach.
Burgundy fulfils on the palate the promises held out by its fine colour
and charming bouquet; soft and velvety, Burgundy never is 'sugary;' warm
and generous, it never is ` spirity ;' delicate, it never is vapid as
the last sip is swallowed. Burgundy leaves in the palate a most pleasing
'farewell,' never a watery or fiery taste. The popular belief that Burgundy
is a heavy, inky wine is due, like many such beliefs, not to facts, but
to fiction. The black vinous brews sold under the name of 'Burgundy' or
the appella- tion 'Burgundy-type' by retailers often more ignorant than
dishonest, are a gross libel upon the highly-bred, delicate, and delicious
wines of Burgundy.' A characteristic passage which, as the reader will
guess, is quoted for its warnings as well as for its appreciations. Among
the best wines of the Cote d'Or vineyards may be mentioned:
Red Burgundy is, at a formal dinner, drunk with the roast. Burgundy will go on maturing for thirty or forty years. For decanting, use the same procedure as with Claret.
Maconnais & Beaujolais wines
Wines from the Maconnais and the Beaujolais. The Maconnais comprises in the department of Saone et Loire the arrondissements
of Macon, Autun, etc. The most esteemed wines of this district are those from Macon and its environs. Nor do the wines from the
Beaujolais (arrondissement of Villefranche in the Rhone) lack either lightness, finesse, or good taste.
Celebrated wines of this district include:
Romaneche, Thorins, Moulin-'a-Vent, whilst Pouilly (from the communes of Fuisse and Solutre') is the most famous white wine here-
abouts.
Wines of Chablis
The white wines of Chablis are sometimes
incorrectly spoken of as white Burgundies. In reality their character is very different. They are of good alcoholic strength, and vigorous without the alcohol being too pronounced to the palate. They have body-delicacy and charming aroma, and are distinguished
also by their remarkable whiteness of colour and limpidity.
They are the favourite wines for consumption with oysters. They should be served cold. Chablis will go on maturing for years.
Camino de Sur Cabernet Sauvignon
France £ 12.50
This wine has an intense violet colour dominated by mature red fruits, herbal and spicy aromas. In the mouth, it has a medium body, with rounded tannins, combining its lovely fruitiness with interesting notes of pepper and bitter chocolate. It goes perfectly well with red meat and pasta.
Glass 175 ml £3.50
Glass 250 ml £4.50
Boulders Ridge Shiraz / Cabernet
Australia £12.50
Blended from Semillon and Chardonnay grapes from selected vineyards, this wine displays the true character chardonnay and the distinct fullness of a typical Semillon. It's flavoursome, crisp and dry with an attractive nose and palate.
Semillon / Chardonnay
Glass 175 ml £3.50
Glass 250 ml £4.50
La Borgota Primitivo di Puglia IGT
Italy £13.50
The Italian Zinfandel from Puglia. Big and fruity this wine is the perfect pasta match.
Cerro Annon Crianza Rioja 2001
Spain £14.50
The wine has a deep garnet colour with a nose of blueberry, cherry and
spice. The palate has a rich ripe blackcurrant flavour which lead to a
smooth lingering finish.
Waterstone Bridge Shiraz 2003
Victoria Australia £14.50
The wine has a deep garnet colour with a nose of blueberry, cherry and
spice. The palate has a rich ripe blackcurrant flavour which lead to a
smooth lingering finish.
Bradgate Syrah
South Africa £15.00
A complex flavour spectrum of violets, sweet ripe plums with nuances of crushed pepper and bay leaf. Maturation in oak add spice with a savoury fruit cake finish.
Louis Latour Pinot Noir
Malborough NZ £16.50
A fabulous wine from the Var region, north of St .Tropez. This wine has
a dark ruby colour and an elegant perfumed bouquet. The palate is rich
and smooth with a distinctive red berry fruit character.
"This stunning red wine is easily the greatest Vin de pays Pinot
Noir ever produced" - The New Sotherby's Wine Encyclopedia."
Glass 175 ml £4.50
Glass 250 ml £5.50
Arkena Carmenere Reserve
Chile 16.00
Unique to Chile, this full bodied Carmenere is dark cherry red in colour
with blackberry notes, pepper and chocolate aromas. Rich and fruity on
the palate it has a velvety finish and is delicious with red meat, game,
pasta and cheeses.
Antis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Argentina £18.50
A multi award winning wine produced from 90 year old vines in three different high altitude vineyards. The wine has an intense ruby colour and deep aromas or ripe plum and berries.
Louis Latour Fleurie les Garans Burgundy
France £18.50
An attractive Beaujolais with a light fruity nose, well balanced Gamay
fruit flavours in the mouth and a good grip on the palate.
Marques de Murrieta Tinto Reserva 2000 (Rioja)
Spain £22.00
Aged in American oak barrels for 2-3 years and another 2 years in bottle
Marques de Murrieta Reserva is the essence of Rioja. the results are a
silky smooth wine with subtle well integrated oak flavours and great elegance.
Fabulous Red Wines
Enjoy your wine intimately
Served to the highest standards
Wines of the Bordeaux regionThe term Claret, as we use it in England, is generally understood as
a description of a red wine from the Bordeaux district (department
of the Gironde), the finest wine-bearing group of vineyards in all France,
and therefore in the world.
Actually it should embrace all wines, white and red, in this district; but Sauternes and Graves are not popularly known as white Clarets.
There is thus a certain lack of definiteness in the term, but certainly it cannot be honestly used as a trade description of the wine of any other district or country, and the qualification, Australian, Californian, Spanish, must be added, according to country of origin.
Claret is a relatively simple wine in its process of vinification, containing
the least amount of sugar, alcohol, and acid these substances being, of
course, present in all wines, the proportion giving the specific character.
Claret is unfortified with any spirit and therefore will not keep sound
for more than a few hours,
certainly not more than six or eight, after being opened. It is a sensitive
wine, easily spoiled by bad treatment. When maturing in bottle it should
be kept at an even temperature of 60� Fahr. ; never subject to vibration
nor exposed to sunlight or strong daylight.
Fine Clarets will mature for thirty or even forty years in bottle.
The general character of fine Claret is a delicacy, lightness, softness,
and elegance of taste and bouquet as compared with other
wines.
Descriptions of Claret may be otherwise confusing to the amateur, and need a little explanation. Vague territorial descriptions, as Medoc, St. Emilion, give no clue to specific quality except that the very vagueness of the descriptions suggests the fact that they may be inferior wines of a good district trying to claim some of the credit of the better wines from such districts. Similarly, well-known district names, Margaux, St. Julien, are thus vaguely used.
The name of the actual chateau not merely some vague place name will
appear on the bottle of wine that is produced by that particular chateau.
The formal official classification of the various classed growths is usually
a sound guide to the standard of the wines included.
The classifications are obviously not infallible nor absolutely exclusive. There is still room for the judgment of the merchant and the connoisseur to find good wines outside the lists, and perhaps occasionally less good wines within it, though it is fair to say that the standards are zealously maintained, as far as the vagaries of the weather year by year permit.
All Clarets need a full six months in bottle before they can be drunk with any pleasure. The classed growths, as also the lesser growths, are never bottled till they have been two years in wood, and they require a good time in bottle to come to perfection. Old Clarets will throw a deposit and, of course, with great age, lighten in colour. They should be brought from the cellar very carefully a few hours before consumption.
Some Claret connoisseurs prefer to bring them up the night before. The bottles should be stood up to allow the deposit to settle. An hour or two before drinking, the cork should be very gently drawn, and, to avoid splashing and frothing, the wine poured through a funnel with a curved end which directs the wine down the sides of the decanter, which must be thoroughly clean and should be slightly warmed. The bottle should be tipped very gently, so that the pouring may be stopped immediately any signs of deposit appear.
Claret should be drunk at the temperature of a comfortably-warmed room, say 65' to 70' Fahrenheit.
Claret, at a formal dinner where there are several wines, is served with the entrees or roast.
Besides the bottle (reputed quart, actually 0.76 litres) and the half-bottle (reputed pint, 0.37 litres), the Magnum or double bottle (1.5 litres), the Jeroboam (4 litres), and the Imperial (6 litres) are sometimes used for bottling the red wines of Bordeaux. Wine bottled in large bottles takes longer to come to perfection, but develops qualities through obscure reactions within the bulk that are not attained by the same wines aged in smaller bottles.
The Gironde is divided into six main districts: Medoc, Graves, Sauternes, Entre deux Mers, Cotes, Pa1us.
It may be said that the wines of the Medoc are the classical characteristic red Clarets of the finest general quality. They are lighter than those of the Cokes (St. Emilion and Pomerol districts) which are nearer to the fuller, heavier character of Burgundy.
It should be noted that the fourth wine in the first growths, Chateau
Haut-Brion, is actually a wine from Pessac in the Graves district.
