TN: London offline with Manuel and Josie

TN: “Manuel and Josie visit London” offline – 29 Nov 2003

I had last met up with Manuel and Josie back in May of this year, when I was their guest at their apartment for an offline. Asher Rubinstein had also been there that evening (what a pleasure to meet him as well), and we had a highly enjoyable evening. I had promised them that they would be welcome in London and this was the moment. Josie spotted me first, all smiles and shopping bags. Manuel, ever the gentleman, allowed us to greet each other before we began a quick catch up of their London experiences. La Trouvaille was a short walk and we found ourselves in a cosy corner for dinner. Manuel had carried three special Spanish bottles for us to try.

The topics discussed were wide ranging. These included:

- London versus New York for cost of living;
- What kind of apartment can you buy in Manhatten for $1million? Apparently, not very much! Bang goes my move to the Big Apple!
- Authentic Bangladeshi dishes;
- The London restaurant scene;
- Wine writing, both on the Net and in hard copy;
- Spanish wines, in particular Priorat and Rioja;
- London’s changing shopping scene over the last ten years;
- Jazz fusion, rare grooves and other styles of music;
- Furniture department store window displays;
- Different bottlings of the same wines for USA and non-USA markets;

So here are my thoughts on the wines that we drank.

1) Kripta - Cava Gran Reserva NV – Agusti Torello (Spain)
Manuel had found this bottle on his hotel bed in Barcelona when he arrived. It was housed in a flashy wooden presentation box, but this bottle is the strangest I have ever seen. Made of thick green glass it is shaped like a torpedo (or amphora) and has a round base so it cannot stand up! What marketing genius thought up that idea! It really needs a decent glass or wooden base or a free mini ice bucket. The petrol blue, gold and black label is also very distinctive. Coincidently I was reading Jancis Robinson’s weekly wine column in the Financial Times (Saturday 29 Nov 2003) and it was mentioned. The Spanish counterpart of the Italian annual guide Gambero Rosso is called La Guia. In the 2004 edition, it gave three-seal ratings (the highest, I believe) to four whites. Two were dry, one sweet and this sparkling wine.

A soft lemon nose led to some sherbet and a soft mouthfeel. The length was noticeably persistent and it was well balanced. A very enjoyable drop of sparkling white wine. 90/100.

2) 2002 Pouilly Fume – Domaine Chihault - Andre Dezat et fils (Loire, France)
I was interested to try more 2002 wines from the Loire as it has been touted to me by friends and wine merchants as being of top quality. Subtle gooseberry and a little fresh grass on the nose. Medium bodied, slightly sweet while maintaining freshness and enjoyable length. 90/100.

3) 2001 Condrieu – Yves Cuilleron – Les Chaillets (N.Rhone, France)
His second top wine after the late harvest cuvee. I found a floral, especially honeysuckle nose with a touch of ripe apricot. After one hour in the glass a strong nuance of liquorice came out. The ever so slightly off dry mouthfeel shows ripe peaches with respectable background acidity. 91/100.

4) 1981 Bodegas Muga (Rioja, Spain)
A medium strawberry red with a light pink rim. The nose was elegant and expressive, with tobacco and sweet cooked plums, some pot pourri. The palate made Manuel and I smile as this wine was so elegant, silky and long lasting. It accompanied my roast pigeon (wild, not sourced from nearby Trafalgar Square as the manager dryly remarked). 93/100.

5) 1976 C.V.N.E. Vina Real Gran Reserva (Rioja, Spain)
Decanted about 30 minutes in advance. No browning on the colour of this wine in the glass, instead showing a red plum body. The subtle nose was again tobacco and dry flowers. The palate, however, was very different. It was powerful, still showing tannins that shook up my palate in a friendly way as if to say ‘There is plenty mo