NEWSLETTER XII MMXVI
The last few months have proven to be rather busy for us; with visits to producers, new wine arrivals, and the inevitable Christmas preparations. So, it seemed like a perfect time to reinstate our long neglected newsletter.
We were lucky enough to spend a few days with Giovanna and Stephano of Az. Agr. Pacina just south of Siena. It was a wonderful trip which we will write up separately to give a full picture of what it is that they do and why we think they do it so well. Following this Raef had a long road trip endeavouring to visit as many of our Italian winemakers as he could before heading to the Vini di Vinaioli fair the next weekend. It was an opportunity to taste with winemakers and friends that we see too little of, and a chance to taste new and interesting wines. We were particularly taken with the new (and old!) vintages from Ernesto Cattel of Costadilà, which provided us with much needed hydration for the weekend. We are very much looking forward to receiving some of the wines we tasted in the new year.
It has been an absolute joy to have Lorenzo and Luisa of Barranco Oscuro in London for the past few days just as some new wines of theirs arrived at the warehouse. They visited some of our wholesale customers and were hosted by the team at PxFranco for a dinner and tasting. On Thursday, after a tasting with our staff, they both stayed at the bar pouring their wines. It was a wonderful opportunity for our customers to meet one of our producers and taste through some striking expressions of grape and terroir.
And now to Christmas. Since the bar has just been decorated by the talented Harriet Slaughter of Bold Oxlip and calendars are being booked up, we had better lay out our plans for the festive season.
CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS AT 40 MALTBY STREET
Tuesday 20th Dinner
Wednesday 21st Dinner
Thursday 22nd Dinner
Friday 23rd Lunch and Dinner
Steve, Sam and Will are busy concocting a suitably festive menu - there is talk of a whole pig (offal and all) from Farmer Tom Jones. This will be a last chance to taste and buy wines for your Christmas and New Year celebrations as we will be reopening for dinner on Saturday 7th January. Home delivery is available, the deadline for this is Wednesday 21st December.
NEW ARRIVALS
We are delighted to have received a delivery from François Grinand of La Vigne du Perron in Bugey. Raef had heard of François from several winemakers and friends while we were hosting this year’s Fete du Vin in Chassignolles. Knowing that he was on the way to visit Savoyard winemaker Jean-Yves Péron he pulled up on the motorway, called and chanced a visit. The result is that we now have three of François’ cuvees to sell:
Les Etapes 2014
(Pinot Noir)
Les Erimtures 2014
(Gamay)
Persanne 2014
(Mondeuse)
A variety of wines have also arrived from Pascal Potaire and Moses Gadouche of Les Capriades in Faverolles sur Cher, in Touraine. We truly believe they make some of the best pet’nats in the world: perfectly fizzy and never too sweet. We are lucky to have more of their Pet’ Sec 2013 (Chenin) and Pépin la Bulle 2012 (Chenin, Chardonnay, Meslier, Menu pineau). In addition we have received:
Piège à Filles Blanc 2015
(Chardonnay, Menu pineau, Meslier, Sauvignon blanc)
Piège à Filles Rose 2015
(Gamay, Grolleau, Cot)
La Bulle Rouge 2015 Magnum
(Gamay de Bouze, Gamay de Chaudenay and Gamay Fréaux)
Pynoz 2014 Magnum
(Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis)
OUR PICKS THIS MONTH
FIZZ
Cà de Noci, Riserva dei Fratelli 2007
100% Spergola from Emilia-Romagna. The grapes are macerated on the skins for 2-3 days, then aged for 36 months before disgorging. This is dark and very lightly sparkling, it manages to be both nutty and saline at the same time. A fitting fizz to go with food this Christmas.
Les Capriades, Pépin la Bulle 2012
Chenin, Chardonnay, Menu pineau and Meslier from Faverolles in the Loire. Made from Moses and Pascal’s own vines. It is aged in bottle and disgorged only when they have to fill an order. It has a clean, precise mineral quality and a toasty mouthfeel.
WHITE
Patrick Bouju, Re-Bus 2015
Chardonnay, Tressalier (both from the Auvergne) and Vermentino (from Anthony Tortul of La Sorga). A new nécogiant wine from Patrick, it is surprisingly textured and round, but still has bags of fruit.
Jean-Yves Péron, Roche Blanche 2014
From a single plot of Jacquère in Haute-Savoie. It sees 10 to 15 days of whole bunch maceration, one and a half months of maceration on skins with pigeage, and then the wine is then aged for one year in old oak barrels. Clean, precise and intensely bright for a skin maceration wine, it has enough body to see you through most of the meal on Christmas Day.
RED
La Vigne du Perron, Les Erimtures 2014
100% Gamay from Villebois in Bugey. It sees a two week whole bunch maceration, and fermentation is finished in barrels after débourbage, where the wine then remains for 18 months. This is deep, but very pure Gamay.
Pacina, PĀCHNA 2011
100% Sangiovese from Castelnuovo Baradenga. Only made in exceptional years, the grapes see an eight week maceration in concrete tanks, and then 36 months in barrels. Although delicious from the moment it is opened, it does get softer and more subtle after some time open, or even decanted.
ORDERS & DELIVERY
You can buy our wines to take away from our bar and warehouse at 40 Maltby Street.
We offer a 10% discount on cases of 12, and can deliver within London and beyond.
Call us on 020 7237 9247
OR email info@gergoviewines.com