Le Sommelier

LE SOMMELIER BLOG JUNE 2013

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:56:26 +0100

Celebrate summer with champagnes of distinction, Update on luxury gastronomy in London, Focus on Morocco, June diary 2013, Wine Tasting Events,and Property Section: New schemes across London

WINE REVIEW

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:46:00 +0100

Celebrate summer with champagnes of distinction.

Whether one is an enlightened wine-buff or an in-the-know amateur, there is an almost infinite range of champagne to enjoy according to ones taste and circumstances. Carefully chosen, it can be enjoyed at a sparkling al fresco lunch or ceremoniously on ones yacht. We can all dream! It’s time to discover the selection of champagne chosen by Le Sommelier.

Diamant Rosé of VRANKEN: Pleasure of the senses! All the senses are undoubtedly celebrating with...

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 17:02:00 +0100

Diamant Rosé of VRANKEN: Pleasure of the senses!

All the senses are undoubtedly celebrating with Diamant Rosé of Vranken. An elevated pink salmon colour with highlights of amber and a fine and persistent effervescence, the nose shows red fruit aromas and the mouth evolves in a coulis towards a fresh finale of a beautiful longevity. Should meld marvellously as an aperitif or it can be served with red meat.

www.vrankenpommery.fr

BILLECART-SALMON, Brut Sous Bois NV: Caressing and textural on the palate

This new addition to the Billecart range sees the house going back to the original way that the Champenois used to make their Champagne by vinifying and maturing the wine entirely in oak. As well as imparting a toasty and spicy richness to the flavour of the wine, this method also accentuates the texture and mouth feel, making Sous Bois an altogether rounder, broader style of Billecart-Salmon. Harmonious and inviting on the nose, Billecart Sous Bois reveals aromas of butter, dried fruit, apricot and spice. Caressing and textural on the palate, this full-bodied Champagne opens up to reveal notes of grilled brioche, toffee, cream and mandarin. Sous Bois is a must-try for lovers of Billecart-Salmon.

CHAMPAGNE Jacquesson, Degorgement Tardif 90: A unique minerality

Having undergone stratospheric improvements in recent years, Jacquesson are now on par with the Champagne’s elite; their wines have a unique minerality, balance and structure.

www.champagnejacquesson.com

CHAMPAGNE PIERRE MONCUIT Grand Cru Rosé: Worthy of the grand tables

This Grand Cru is elaborated from a 75% Chardonnay of Mesnil-sur-Oger and 25% red wine of Ambonnay. The wines of this House are well recognised for their exceptional finesse. This rosé does not detract from the House reputation; it’s a racy, elegant and fine champagne worthy of the ‘grand tables.’

www.pierre-moncuit.fr

CHAMPAGNE POMMERY, Federica Mattea Jacket edition: Elegance and finesse

The House of Pommery is one of the oldest and most prestigious names in Champagne, synonymous with elegance, finesse, freshness and vivacity. This exclusive, limited edition release features Pommery’s flagship Royal Reserve NV dressed in a unique Isotherm jacket designed by famous Chilean artist, Federica Matta. Matta takes her inspiration from the mythologies of her childhood and the countries she has passed through and creates a dreamlike universe imbued with the colours and landscapes of Latin America. There are three designs available; ‘Heart’, ‘Moon’ and ‘Mermaid’. As well as looking great, these exclusive Isotherm jackets are perfect for keeping chilled Champagne at a cool drinking temperature, making them perfect for using at parties and get-togethers this summer.

www.vrankenpommery.fr

CHAMPAGNE VILMART, Cuvée Rubis NV: Seductively scented

The wonderful wines of Vilmart are regarded by Champagne enthusiasts with a reverence that verges on cult. Classed as a Champagne Grower (as opposed to a Champagne House) Vilmart’s small production is incredibly sought after and notoriously difficult to acquire. Uncommonly for Champagne, Vilmart’s wines are produced in accordance with organic viticulture and fermented and then aged in oak barrels. A blend of 90% Pinot Noir (including 15% still Pinot) and 10% Chardonnay, the NV Brut Premier Cru Cuvee Rubis is seductively scented with perfumed red fruit, floral and spice notes that shows stunning detail, clarity and purity. Multi-dimensional and extremely complex it offers a rounded and refined structure and a compelling delivery of strawberry, cherry, shortcake and butter flavours.

www.champagnevilmart.fr

CHAMPAGNE GOSSET, Grande Reserve NV: Delightful flavours

An historic and highly regarded Champagne house, Gosset is one of Champagne’s most recognisable and cherished names. Their Grande Reserve – an equal blend of Grand Cru Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier – offers a stunning introduction to the house and surely represents one of the best value non-vintage Champagnes available. Intense and complex on the nose, Grand Reserve offers a host of deliciously perfumed scents including wild orchard fruit, marzipan and sweet spices. The palate is generous, full-bodied and concentrated with delightful flavours of Melba toast, roasted almonds, praline and lightly roasted coffee.

www.champagne-gosset.com

CHAMPAGNE PERRIET JOUET, Belle Epoque Blanc de Blancs 00: Epitomises luxury and indulgence

This luxury, limited production release, is the top wine from one of Champagne’s most illustrious and recognisable names, Perrier-Jouët. Differing from their standard Belle Epoque release (the wine for which they are most famed) Perrier-Jouët’s Blanc de Blancs is a single varietal version which uses only Cémant Grand Cru Chardonnay in its production. Chalk rich soils, southeast facing slopes combine to impart excellence and character to the grapes, whilst a meticulous and extensive production process transfers this quality to the wine. Creamy, powerful and intense on the nose it has a plethora of aromas that range from acacia, flowers, honey, vanilla and nougat. Silky and fleshy in the mouth with a stylish, subtle and sophisticated flavour profile and a broad mouth-filling flavour that epitomises luxury and indulgence.

www.perrier-jouet.com

CHAMPAGNE JACQUES SELOSSE, Brut Initial NV: Purity of flavour

The Jacques Selosse Brut Initial NV champagne is a blend of three vintages of chardonnay with a tropical ripeness and purity of flavour. The Chardonnay grapes are aged for at least two years before disgorgement in a Brut style.

CHAMPAGNE INFLORESCENCE Brut NV: Outstanding, rich and intense

This champagne comes from the little known area of Aube situated just south of the main Champagne region on the famous Kimmeridgian limestone. This wine is made from only 1.45 hectares of land so is very limited in quantity but the quality is outstanding. It is rich, intense and very mineral, with touches of baked apple and red berry fruits.

CHAMPAGNE DAVID LECLAPART, Cuvée L’Amateur 2006: Incredibly complex

David Léclapart’s Cuvée L’Amateur champagne is the lightest and most approachable of all his wines. It features notes of green apple, minerality, blossom and a whiff of smoke. David Léclapart’s wines are made from a tiny plot in Champagne of only 3 hectares. He works biodynamically and organically to preserve the purity of the terroir. David Léclapart’s wines are incredibly complex and have built a reputation that puts them up there in quality with Selosse and Salon.

CHAMPAGNE LA CLOSERIE, Extra-Brut Les Béguines: Real roundness and power

Jérôme Prévost is one of the top growers in Champagne. He ages his wines partially in new oak and one year old oak, which gives them real roundness and power on the palate.

GASTRONOMY

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:30:35 +0100

Update on luxury gastronomy in London

London reveals all its softness and radiance this early summer and offers immense riches to the numerous tourists who visit as well as to London connoisseurs; stylish grilled food, Eastern delights, French-influenced-British cuisine; it is up-to-you to enjoy this luminous list.

34 A white-hot parrilla grill and a white-hot crowd are the draw at 34, the big new one from...

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:25:00 +0100

A white-hot parrilla grill and a white-hot crowd are the draw at 34, the big new one from Caprice Holdings. The design of the 100-cover grill room takes its inspiration from its Edwardian interior. It’s warm and convivial, with Modern British art on the walls and modern British steaks on the plate. ‘I’ll no longer need to get on a plane to enjoy what I hope will be the best steak in the world,’ says owner Richard Caring. A Tracey Emin sketch of his dog adorns 34’s doggy bags.

www.34-restaurant.co.uk

C LONDON

If you have to ask the price, you will not certainly be occupying a table at Table One (where Harvey Weinstein power-lunches when he’s in town). You either get Cip’s – now renamed C London – or you don’t. Luckily, not everyone does or it would be even harder to get a table. The chairs are low-backed, the waiters’ white jackets are heavily starched, and the food, classic Cipriani, is wow-factor wonderful. Whatever lunch or dinner might be – vitello tonnato, tagliatelle verde gratinate, zabaglione cake – it won’t be cheap, but it will be memorable.
www.london@crestaurant.co.uk

China Tang

This is the grandest Chinese in town, a dazzling recreation of art deco by Sir David Tang. As for the food, it’s true Cantonese, which sometimes seems too subtle to the jaded Western palate, but this is exactly how these dishes should taste. China Tang is the only restaurant that the Sultan of Brunei visits when he is in London and its list of celeb guests is legion. The three private rooms (Ping, Pong and Pang) are perfect for entertaining a small group of friends in style.

www.thedorchester.com

Nobu

Still mobbed, still the old joke about the broom closet (it’s not a closet as such, actually a small store room, quite big enough for two people…), still fish on the menu from unsustainable stocks (naughty) and still tiny portions. Oh well, you don’t come to Nobu because you’re hungry. You come for the buzz, the people, the black cod and, if by any chance you’re still a Nobu virgin, then just to say you’ve been.

www.noburestaurants.com

The Ivy

We love the Ivy. From the greeter’s smile to the manager’s blinding-white shirt cuffs, to the chink of glasses and the feeling that all is right with the world, the Ivy is the way it is meant to be. This is a perfectly formed restaurant with no bad tables, where the waiter knows what you want before you know it yourself. And the food, which was always good, at the moment happens to be great.

www.the-ivy.co.uk

The Ritz Restaurant

There is only one Ritz, and it only has one restaurant. And its Louis XVI-style dining room is absolutely the best, the most beautiful in London by a mile, dripping with gilt and good breeding. Executive chef John Williams’s grand menu of French-influenced British dishes is presented with huge theatricality by immaculate restaurant manager Simon Girling’s super-polished team. There really is nowhere like the Ritz.

www.theritzlondon.com

The Wolseley

The Wolseley has it all: good breeding, great food, the best people-spotting and of course a prime address, where Mayfair and St James’s kiss. It remains the London restaurant that most of the people want to go to most of the time. The European ‘grand café’ menu always delivers and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Is that all there is to it? These guys make it seem easy.

www.thewolseley.com

TRAVEL

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:00:19 +0100

Focus on Morocco

Morocco never ceases to surprise. This beautiful country with its rich history and flamboyant culture has long been on the list of favourite places to visit, yet there is still much to discover. Riads, spas or personalised concierge services, these treasures await you.

Selman Marrakech: At the door of the Atlas Mountains A new palace has been erected five minutes...

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 15:39:00 +0100

Selman Marrakech: At the door of the Atlas Mountains

A new palace has been erected five minutes away from the flamboyance of Marrakech. Behind this new project, an unmeasured ambition: To rank among the most selective elite of the finest hotels in Morocco. Nothing less! Result, an intimate palace (30 Deluxe rooms, 20 Junior suites, 6 Deluxe suites and 5 Riads), loyal to traditional Moroccan hospitality and to the subtle Arabo-Moresque architecture, opulent and ultra-comfortable. All this set amidst a park of six hectares and in proximity to three golf courses. What’s more? Sumptuous stables with a private collection of sixteen Arabian horses of which ten are pure-blood and six are trekking horses which move about freely in their allocated enclosure. Aesthetic pleasure assured.

www.selman-marrakech.com

The Calpadi: An Hispano-Moresque spirit

There are Riads aplenty in Marrakech; however, good tested and approved addresses, are naturally welcomed. In the heart of the Medina, one falls in good conscience for the luxurious Riad Capaldi entirely renovated in the Hispano-Moresque spirit we all adore. The welcome is admirable, the 5 rooms and 2 suites are decorated with taste and the exotic is ever present. We look forward to its new grand sister The Capaldi at the foot of the Atlas. On the menu of this new address: a Mediterranean cuisine to savour either on terrace in the shade of the olive trees or in the cosy restaurant lounge, the heated swimming-pool to bathe all year round, a private cinema room and above all an amazing setting with a view over the mountains to blow your breath away, in the heart of an old olive farm. An address to remember.

Namaskar Palace: A luxurious refuge of 50 000 meters square

Do you aspire for large majestuous spaces, enticing fragrances and Balinese décor? Then Namaskar Palace is for you! There you can discover 1.5 hectares of water which punctuates and permeates the gardens unashamedly like private swimming-pools, Jacuzzis, ponds and lakes. For though obviously influenced by Feng Shui , the palace does not lack those divine touches of Moresque art without which a Riad in Marrakech could not lay claim to its name.

The owner Mr Soulier involved himself in the décor and has chosen prints, murals, rugs on which is found filigree arabesques, representing the emblem of the site.

Beside the gentle aquatic pursuits, what does one can discover behind the heavy doors of Namaskar Palace? 41 suites, villas and palaces with swimming-pools and private gardens, Jacuzzis and minimalist décor and a very large gastronomic choice orchestrated by Chef Antoine Perray, who presents a light subtle menu blending French, Moroccan,and Asian cuisines.

The hotel belongs to the prestigious Oetker collection (Le Bristol Paris, Hotel Cap-Eden-Roc, Château Saint-Martin & Spa in Vence and the Brennes-Park Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden) Special mention for the spa and its beauty range Guerlain and ILA. This is grand luxury.

www.palaisnamaskar.com

Taj Omayma: 20km from Marrakech, to the end of the world…

Set on a magnificent site with a staggering view over the snowy Atlas Mountain and the desert dunes of Agafay as only the surroundings of Marrakech can offer, this destination is still relatively unknown and far enough from the red town to feel on its own, but close enough not to feel too isolated. Here, one savours an easy-paced rhythm punctuated by long siestas under the olive trees in an exterior badalquin bed, starred nights in the Moon Bed on the terrace and swimming in the private garden. A rhythm occasionally broken by the daily visit to take some refreshment at the Pool House lounging indolently in a double hammock and a few escapades to the spa, to let oneself be cradled by the eucalyptus aromas. It is available to privatise entirely, like a villa, for holidays with family or between friends.

www.riad-taj-omayma.com

Palace Es Saadi’s Spa: The consecration

It has taken less than a year for Marrakech Spa Palace Es Saadi to appear among the 10 best Spas hotel of Africa, the Middle-East, and the Indian Ocean. A rare accolade for this vast awe inspiring spa of 3000 m2 (of which 1000 in terrace). The architecture is sumptuous without a doubt, inspired by oriental palaces, but it also offers 24 care rooms associated with the Dior institute, a high-tech swimming-pool with jets, aquatic runs, 3 hammams (Moroccan, Indian and Japanese), the latest aromatherapy treatment, open-air Jacuzzi and a bio restaurant. Slow food ends the day in the most beautiful way imaginable.

www.essaadi.com

Marrakech conciergerie: the professional’s opinion

This is the ideal service for the ever indecisive or for new visitors to the Ochre town. Admittedly it is not easy to make a choice when the offers are so numerous and interesting. So, rather than make hasty decisions, one leaves it to the fine expertise of Marrakech conciergerie. More than offering a large choice of villas, riads and hotels in and around the town, the conciergerie looks after all your projects once there. Everything is possible such as the visit to the most beautiful gardens with Yves Saint-Laurent ex-gardener or a dinner in the middle of the Agafay desert.

ARTS & EXHIBITIONS

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:38:45 +0100

June diary 2013

Tudor Treasure Exhibitions on related themes can come along like London buses, in...

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:25:00 +0100

Tudor Treasure

Exhibitions on related themes can come along like London buses, in processions. Following the show of splendid Jacobean full-length portraits by William Larkin at the Holburne Museum in Bath, the V&A is staging an exhibition of treasures from the royal courts of Britain and Russia in the Tudor and Stuart period. The main focus is a spectacular array of diplomatic gifts to the Russian tsars, including English and French silverware, which would have been melted down to finance the Civil War had it remained in England. The importance of status and lineage is further demonstrated through portraits, heraldic devices, processional armour, sumptuous textiles and commemorative jewellery.

‘Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudor, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars’ is at the V&A until July 14 (www.vam.ac.uk)

Rare Beauty

Although he died at the age of 50 in 1982, Rory Mc Ewen has left an enduring legacy. Exceptionally gifted as musician and artist, he inspired friends and followers on both sides of the Atlantic. He first emerged into the spotlight with his brother Alex as part of the post-war folk and jazz revival. But by 1964 he had decided to concentrate on painting botanical subjects and landscapes. Often working on vellum, he rendered a petal or leaf with such meticulous accuracy that it appeared hyper real. At the same time he did not airbrush out signs of decay, lending an elegiac air to some images, though innocent of narrative contrivance. This retrospective is being staged appropriately at Kew, drawing on loans from British and American public and private collections.

‘Rory McEwen: The colours of Reality’ is at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (www.kew.org) until September 22.

Court Couture

Meanwhile at the Queen’s Gallery, the Royal Collection is using portraits and rare examples of clothing and accessories to illustrate Tudor and Stuart Court fashions. Young blades were never afraid to make fools of themselves through conspicuous display, as Portia’s mockery of her English suitor Falconbridge in The Merchant of Venice confirms: ‘I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in France, his bonnet in Germany and his behaviour anywhere.’ While sumptuary laws were imposed on everybody else, high society revelled in cloth of gold, crimson and purple, and special types of fur. Elaborate ruffs and pale gloves indicated that the wearers were too rich for labour. Foreign consorts introduced new fashions, Catherine of Aragon being credited with popularising blackwork embroidery and Catherine of Braganza, shorter skirts. More crucially, in 1666 Charles II took to wearing a surcoat over a vest or waistcoat, in preference to the doublet and cloak, thereby initiating the three-piece suit. ‘In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion’ is at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace (www.royalcollection.org.uk) until October 6.

WINE TASTING EVENTS

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:10:00 +0100

Elegant, trendy, culturally illuminating, Le Sommelier Wine Tasting Events are not to be missed.

FOR WINE PROFESSIONALS LE SOMMELIER is the prestigious window on some of the best wine producers in...

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:09:00 +0100

FOR WINE PROFESSIONALS

LE SOMMELIER is the prestigious window on some of the best wine producers in the world. Throughout the year, Le Sommelier hosts an exciting line-up of wine tasting events, with wine producers on hand to offer information.

These events are designed specifically for wine producers desiring to expand their contacts, to network and to market their products, introducing them to discerning clients and retail outlets.

Thursday 21/11/2013

Thursday 06/03/2014 - Thursday 05/06/2014 - Thursday 27/11/2014

For more information please email newsletter@le-sommelier.com

PROPERTY SECTION

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:07:08 +0100

Le Sommelier looks at new schemes across the capital

Soho Square Previously the home of Bloomsbury Publishing and ‘birthplace’ of Harry Potter, 37...

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:53:00 +0100

Soho Square

Previously the home of Bloomsbury Publishing and ‘birthplace’ of Harry Potter, 37 SOHO SQUARE, W1 has been redeveloped by the Stobart Group (of Eddie Stobart lorry fleet fame). Built in the 17^th century, the Grade II-listed six-storey building now provides four large and lavishly appointed three-bedroom lateral apartments and a two-bedroom ground and lower- ground floor duplex. Prices start from £1.85 million for the 1,646sq ft duplex and rise to £4.25 million for the 1,883sq ft first-floor apartment. The latter’s dining and living rooms both feature intricate 18^th-century carved panelling, architraves and original internal window shutters as well as a Rococo plaster ceiling in the living room. The apartments, which all benefit from direct secure lift access and a terrace or balcony are on the market through EA Shaw (0020 7420 3050).

Hereford Road

Big on space and style, this contemporary home on Hereford Road, W2 conjures a Mediterranean feel in Notting Hill. Arranged over four floors, it combines 10,706sq ft of eight-bedroom family accommodation with what agent Nick Crayson describes as ‘all the accoutrements any self-respecting sophisticate expects today’. An entertainment complex on the lower-ground floor incorporates cinema and games rooms, a fossil-stone bar and 1,500-bottle wine cellar, a state of the art gym, Bisazza stone spa and a 14m swimming pool. Built to a strong linear design, the house was created by former Goldman Sachs star and Danish Olympic badminton player Pernille Jensen. On account of her son’s talent for tennis she is now looking to move to Roe-Hampton and is marketing her home through Crayson (020 7221 1117) for £20 million.

Chelsea Creek

For those who enjoy ‘messing about on the river’, CHELSEA CREEK, SW6, will provide residents with the opportunity to berth their boats on private pontoons within this 7.5 acres mixed-use development. It is named after the historic tributary that first opened in 1828 for barges to navigate from Kensington to the wharfs on Chelsea’s riverside. Chelsea Creek will create a ‘European feel of waterside living just moments from the King’s Road’, says Nick Hutchings, managing director of St George Central London (020 7610 9693). Due for completion in 2016, the scheme’s recently released 25-storey tower will feature a four-bedroom duplex penthouse and three four-bedroom Chelsea Suites on the 21^st, 22^nd and 23^rd floors; prices for the 44 one, -two- and three-bedroom apartments below range from (869,950 to circa £3 million.

Canaletto

Hailed as one of the capital’s up and coming hotspots, City Road Basin is not only convenient for the city; it also adjoins the trendy creative districts of Hoxton, Clerkenwell and Shoreditch as well as Islington and the emerging high-tech cluster around Old Street. Located on City Road, EC1, CANALETTO will comprise a 30-storey tower with 190 apartments, a restaurants, health club, swimming-pool, private cinema and a residents’ club on the 24^th floor. Ben van Berkel, of Dutch architects UNStu-dio, says: ‘Our design require a distinctly contextual response, one which acknowledges the need for an explicitly residential identity… then tower’s multifaceted façade groups sets of three to five adjacent floors together to create a series of ‘neighbourhoods in the sky’. With first completion scheduled for 2015, prices start from £390,000 through Knight Frank (020 7087 5550), which together officially launch Canaletto to the British market in September.

Belsize Park

At 42-45 BELSIZE PARK, NW3, Galliard Homes (020 7620 1500) is developing ten residences behind the retained façade of two handsome stucco-fronted villas. Originally built in the 1850s to an Italianate style by local entrepreneur Charles James Palmer, the properties are located within the prestigious Belsize Park Conservation Area. Swiss Cottage underground and the local shops on Finchley Road are a short walk away, while Primrose Hill and Hampstead are within three quarters of a mile. With three of the eight two- and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes sold off-plan for £1.5 million, prices now start from £1.65 million. The scheme’s two £10 million houses are due for completion next year, so purchasers have the chance to specify the allocation of space, which can provide four to six bedrooms, three reception rooms, a study, media room and swimming pool.

LE SOMMELIER BLOG MAY 2013

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:42:00 +0100

Rosé is in fashion for the summer! London gastronomy at more affordable prices! Royal Palm: A confidential address! May Diary 2013! Wine Tasting Events! Property Section: Flower Power!

WINE REVIEW

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:20:00 +0100

Rosé is in fashion for the summer

The incarnation of a summer wine, Rosé is fashionable around the world. It’s a light and delicate wine, a symbol of sharing and of relaxation under the sun. So for this summer, here’s a small selection chosen by Le Sommelier. Happy tasting!

COATES & SEELY, Britagne Rosé NV: A stunning debuts!

Coates & Seely, one of the eminent English wine houses, has put together a Britagne Rosé NV composed largely of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The colour is a light salmon pink, embellished with a pretty ribbon of fine and persistent bubbles, a nose revealing aromas of red fruits (strawberries and raspberries). On the palate, the sweet minerality accentuates the feeling of lightness. It will accommodate perfectly to appetizers, salmon, underdone lamb and a desert with red fruit.

www.coatesandseely.com

CHATEAU MIRAVAL, Miraval Rosé 2012: Jolie-Pitt, an excellent new comer!

Jolie-Pitt! These famous names printed on the back of the Miraval Rosé 2012 distinguish it from the rest of the Provençal grape harvest. Château Miraval is an estate now owned by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and this is their first vintage in a joint venture with Marc Perrin owner of château de Beaucastel in the region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape . They plan to produce a white wine for the end of the summer and reds will follow next year. In tasting, floral notes are most in evidence, highlighting the scent of wild lily of the valley, enhanced with bright strawberry and raspberry flavours.

www.miraval-provence.com

DOMAINE OTT, Clos Mireille 2010: The star of Provence

Marcel Ott, an Alsatian agricultural engineer began his vineyard dream in 1896 in Cavalaire. It was in 1912, at Château de Selle, Le Clos Mireille, and later at Château Romassan, also located in the Var, that this great family adventure was ultimately launched. The vineyards encompass 110 hectares, including 48 devoted wholly to wine. He grew chiefly Cabernet-Sauvignon and Semillon with some Grenache and Cinsault. This tradition is now upheld by Maison Louis Roederer who bought the controlling share of the estate in 2004.

www.domaines-ott.com

CHATEAU VIGNELAURE 2011:: A foretaste of summer!

Produced for the first time in 2003,this elegant and fruity wine, Château Vignelaure is made from an assemblage of old vines: 40% Grenache Noir, 30% Syrah and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2011 is a beautiful pale pink distinguished by full and enticing aromas. It is fresh and well balanced with citrus, pink grapefruit flavours. Perfect for an aperitif, it also performs impeccably with salmon Tartare or a gambas a la plancha. A foretaste of summer!

www.vignelaure.com

CHATEAU SAINTE ROSELINE, Cuvée Prieuré Rosé 2012: A wine of gastronomy

Here we have an assemblage of 45% Mourvèche, 45% Syrah and 10% Rolle, whose grapes are harvested from the end of August to the end of September, followed by fermentation cépage by cépage. The final outcome is a salmon pink, a brilliant and luminous colour, and an expressive nose which reveals vanilla aromas, cannelle and grapefruit. It is very fine in mouth without being tannic, especially good to taste with rock fish, asparagus, Asian dishes or white meat: a wine to satisfy all tastes!

www.sainte-roseline.com

CHATEAU DE PIBARNON, Rosé de Pibarnon 2011: Bandol to the summit!

This is the star of Bandol! Château Pibarnon is today one of the greatest wines in the world. And for good reason, its Rosé offers itself as the companion of all occasions. If this Rosé lends itself perfectly to summer dishes, it also plays easily in the autumn, as soon as the Mourvèdre delivers its fruity intensity. Even better, it knows how to accompany a more refined cuisine such as a plate of sea urchins, red mullet filet or lobster in algae butter. This wine holds it place in any cellar worthy of its name.

www.pibarnon.com

CHATEAU DALMERAN, rosé 2011 : ‘Un millésime bio’

Built on a mountflanked by gallo-roman remains, along the formerdomitienne road, Dalmeran dominates a virgilien landscape of hills, valleys and woodlands that since 1531 breathes at the pace of the vine and olive trees. On the northside of the Alpilles, at the heart of a microclimate, the vines flourish in a stony argilo-limestone soil. Neil Joyce opted for a ‘culture raisonnée’ which leaves its place to nature : no chemicalfertilizers or deserbants, only a few organic imputs and constant working of the soil and under soil. In tasting Dalmeran Rosé 2011 is well balanced and develops floral notes with a touch of raspberry. A generous gourmet wine.

www.dalmeran.fr

JOLIVET, Sancerre Rosé 2011: A delicate and elegant wine

Pascal Jolivet is one of the most dynamic and forward thinking producers in the Loire Valley. He started making his Grand Vins du Val de Loire in 1982, later establishing his own Maison Pascal Jolivet in 1987. Specialising in the wines of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, Pascal has very quickly gained a formidable reputation and loyal customers amongst leading Michelin starred restaurants in France and around the world. Pascal Jolivet is a firm believer in allowing nature to express itself as much as possible in order to make a feature of the purity of the terroir of the wines. Sancerre is composed of wines from three different soil types; calcareous clay, limestone and flint. Pascal believes these selected vineyards produce more subtle, floral characters than can be found in other wines of the same region. A delicate and elegant rosé with hints of red fruits on the nose. The palate is soft with a good crisp acidity and a subtle complexity of flavour.

www.pascal-jolivet.com

ANDRE DEZAT, Sancerre Rosé 2011: Beautifully delicate

ANDRE DEZAT’s Sancerre Rosé is predominately a blend of Pinot Noir from a tiny vineyard site in the Sancerre appellation of the Loire valley. It is one of the regions greatest expressions of this style; this is a convincing counter-argument to all the many confected and over-fruited rosés on the market. Beautifully delicate and refreshingly restrained, subtle nuances of strawberry, raspberry, blossom and mineral grace a charmingly regional nose.

www.dezat-sancerre.com

Le Rosé of MOUTON CADET: Fine and elegant

Resulting from a traditional ‘saignée’ method, Mouton Cadet’s rosé is characterized by an elegance and finesse. Its very feminine aromas associated with a slightly pearly appearance make this wine a rosé of pure pleasure. It presents a slightly pink colour, a nose of English candy and fresh raspberry, yet in the mouth ,it is vineux. It will perfectly accompany a duo of salmon and red fruit deserts.

www.moutoncadet.com

CHATEAU HOURTIN-DUCASSE, Les Rosés de Marie 2011, romantic and feminine elegance

Rosés-de-Marie is produced not far from Pauillac, on the well-known soil of Château Hourtin-Ducasse, cru Médoc; the wine growers work the terroir as in Provence. Cabernet Franc and Merlot can vary in proportions according to the millésimes; the effort is placed on fineness and freshness to conceive a light wine.

www.hourtin-ducasse.com

CHATEAU LAGREZETTE, Rosé de Grézette: A hidden treasure

The owner and cellar master of Château Lagrézette has banked everything on the great treasure that is Malbec, a grape variety of high quality. Harvested by hand, the grapes are pressed immediately. Fermentation at low temperature follows, making it possible to obtain a beautiful pale pink colour, and delicious aromas of acacia, peach, apricot and red currant. It is a wine of pure pleasure, to drink chilled as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to light meals.

www.chateau-lagrezette.com

ROBERT VIC, Clos du Canalet Vieilles Vignes Rosé 2011: Simply scrumptious!

The Robert Vic estate is owned by a wine-making family who are now the fifth generation to make wine here. Based in a 13th century Château with views of the Mediterranean Sea, their guiding philosophy is simple: invest the majority of their time and energy working the vineyards to develop the best quality fruit from which their wines are produced. They farm using neither pesticides nor chemical fertilizers and use only fruit grown on the estate. In tasting, Clos du Canalet Vieille Vignes rosé is bursting with red fruit aromas of fresh raspberries and ripe red cherries on the nose. There follow juicy, mouth-watering cherries and cranberries on the palate with a hint of cherry blossom. This is focused with excellent fruit concentration and lively acidity

GASTRONOMY

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:33:46 +0100

London gastronomy at more affordable prices!

It is perhaps one of the great surprises of London, its capacity to find day after day, newly flowering restaurants with tantalizing menus not subject to a three digits addition. Focus on these tables with interesting prices.

Angelus The term ‘well-kept secret’ exists for a place that nobody would want to...

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:09:00 +0100

Angelus

The term ‘well-kept secret’ exists for a place that nobody would want to go to even if they did know about it, so it is not really a good description for the quite wonderful but under-celebrated Angelus. Run by Thierry Thomasin, a giant of the capital’s restaurant trade, this is a bistro du quartier where most of the action happens in the small and perfectly formed front room. Chef Martin Nisbet’s foie gras ‘crème brûlée’ has become something of a London classic and the wine list, as you would expect from a former chief sommelier of Le Gavroche, is rather exquisite.

www.angelusrestaurant.co.uk

Bistro Du Vin

Bistro du Vin, the restaurant of Hotel du Vin, has come to London as a standalone, without the bedrooms. The food is not ambitious but it is classic, generic and consistently good; staff are keen and well informed and - like the helpful boys and girls in the Apple Store - regard it as a privilege to work here. Ronan Sayburn, one of the UK’s top sommeliers, is now wine director for the group. Also at 36 Dean Street, W1.

bistroduvinandbar.com

Electric Brasserie

Other cafés and brasseries may come and go, but the Electric is Notting Hill royalty. Sitting in the front of the restaurant with the windows open to the street on a sunny day is to get to the heart of life in the Hill. Everyone passes by at some stage. And the food has always been very good, from the ‘Full Electric’ at breakfast to the duck cassoulet or lobster and chips late at night. Makes one hungry even to think of it. This is Notting Hill’s nerve centre.

electricbrasserie.com

Fino

Set in a brilliant room with flattering lighting, this is one of our favourite Spanish haunts. Although named after the sherry, the restaurant feels more northern than Andalusian, cool and design-led, with switched-on staff. Great food includes baby octopus, and clams or sardines done on the parrilla grill. With 48 hours’ notice, one can eat a whole rack of Pyrenean milk-fed lamb or a Segovia-style piglet - great for a get-together.

finorestaurant.com

Hix

Hix offers a large and handsome dining room, not overly designed, with leaded windows and good artwork by mostly British artists. Food is diligently sourced but cooked without too much fuss or fanfare -a quiet English approach we applaud. If Hix the restaurant doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s because Hix the man doesn’t seem to take himself - or life - all that seriously either. We like that too. If you’re in these parts at teatime, stop by for great crumpets with jam and cream. The basement bar, Mark’s Bar, has become a very cool Soho hangout.

hixsoho.co.uk

Momo

Now 16 years old, Momo is still going strong - never stronger, in fact. A whole new generation loves this Moroccan venue created by the visionary Mourad Mazouz for its great food, cocktails and vibe. Couscous mechoui, lamb tagine, a very un-Moroccan white truffle risotto - the kitchen rarely misses a beat. And live music is also a big draw.

momoresto.com

Opera Tavern

From the people behind Salt Yard and Dehesa, this lively, popular spot can be extremely loud, but just get stuck in. They do great charcuterie and cheeses, meat skewers and a cracking foie-gras burger. There is also a very enterprising wine list, with some wonderful Italian and Spanish names at the slenderest of mark-ups. This is the place for a delicious but informal supper after curtain-down.

operatavern.co.uk

Royal China

The flagship of London’s premier Chinese restaurant group has just relaunched after a refit, since it opened 20 years ago. The swans in relief have been replaced with a Chinese mural - a modern take on the Royal China wave motif - and the gold-leaf ceiling has been reguilded. It is now, business as usual for this old pro, which specialises in Hong Kong cooking -excellent dim sum and duck pancakes. There are branches in Baker Street, St John’s Wood and Canary Wharf.

royalchinagroup.biz

The Punch Bowl

This atmospheric, sympathetically restored 18th-century pub is, of course, owned by Guy Ritchie. There are so many things to like and the food is superb, carefully sourced and cooked with real know-how. Braised blade of beef with horseradish mash is a winner, as are the sausages, which come from nearby Allen’s and are served with onion chutney. Nobody minds if you are famous, a celebrity watcher or just a bona fide traveler in need of a restorative pint.

punchbowllondon.com

Villandry

The behemoth Villandry now incorporates a large food-store, charcuterie, café, bar and street terrace, in addition to the original restaurant. It’s a one-stop shop for all your must-haves, from pasta to flowers. Recently we ate a very reasonable prix-fixe lunch here and it was excellent: beetroot and goats’ cheese salad, followed by confit of duck.

villandry.com

Watatsumi

Watatsumi is a very fine sushi restaurant in an unlikely setting - the gastronomic wastelands around Trafalgar Square. Husband-and-wife chefs Peter and Hili Makohus met in the kitchens of Nobu and, pedigree will out, from the silky hokkigai (surf clams) they serve, to the baby prawn tempura, to the Wagyu beef with truffle teriyaki sauce. As for the room, although clean and spacious, it is also comfortable and rather welcoming. It’s a really good place to know.

watatsumi.co.uk

TRAVEL

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:47:00 +0100

Royal Palm: A confidential address

A privileged place where luxury and refinement meet excellence and classicism! Such could be the motto of this exceptional hotel.

Situated to the north of the Mauritius Island, near Grand Baie, protected from the winds, this oasis...

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:39:00 +0100

Situated to the north of the Mauritius Island, near Grand Baie, protected from the winds, this oasis of elegance surrounded by a fine sand ribbon unwinds its maritime scenery.

A timeless image merging into the scenery

Rejuvenated a few years ago, the Royal Palm always retains its legendary elegance.

From the lobby, the eye embraces the swimming pool with slate tiles encircled with pebbles, which, prolonged by a sea of turquoise highlights, give the illusion of infinity. As for the famous beach bar, anchored on the headland of the terrace like the figure of a ship, it delivers a panoramic view of the bay.

At night, subtle light variations bring magic and mystery to the place and to the restaurant ‘La Goëlette’

And then there’s ‘Natureaty’ set in front of the sea, with tables dotted over several levels, in water and rock setting with the whisper of the waves and a starred sky as a background.

Here, no wish stays unfulfilled, thanks to competent staff, who are courteous and attentive, responding to the hosts’ smallest wishes with discretion and elegance. The Royal Palm philosophy embodied by director Jacques Silvant, has known to respect and preserve the soul of this place, whilst bringing some modern touches.

Daily elegance

This elegance one finds daily in the service (the silent ballet of men in bow ties, white gloves and silk belts) in the culinary art (refined and inventive) for breakfast and for lunch in the Bar Plage, as well as for dinner, or in the rooms. Harmonies of beige and ivory weave a muffled and cosy atmosphere, especially in the Royale suite, with its teak bridge, Jacuzzi swimming-pool and the intimate pavilion. It’s a setting dedicated to pure indulgence.

The conductor who presides over the daily feast, Michel de Matteis – an ex of Royal Monceau – offers a gustatory festival worthy of three stars.

The Clarins temple: a majestuous spa in an authentic setting

As for the spa, a real well-being temple, it opens its 2000m in a refined surrounding, to access it, a flight of steps, immense lava stone beams framing a suspended bridge and in front of the eye, several basin in espalier where water caracole, infiltrates and streams down to end its course in a swimming pool of slate surrounded by giants pots filled with dwarf palms.

This Clarins spa dedicated to the well-being of the body and mind, offers a range of care in the 13 cabins (Reiki, Thai, envelopment, hot stone…). Under wooden and stone surroundings, ayurvediques massage based on grass oil and hot sesame, such as the Shanti, or Clarins care are all bliss to try.

The mind escapes whilst the languid body on an immaculate bath sheet relaxes under the silky fingers of the therapist.

One will then be left only to enjoy the peace of the spa and to luxuriate under the shade of rustling palms, to prolong these moments of tranquility in the company of the soft streaming water.

A fitness espace worthy of the largest sport halls

Then, as great experiences rarely come alone, one could also enjoy the new fitness espace, worthy of the grandest venue, with a real tropical garden surrounded by four rooms opening onto the patio and dedicated to four different activities: muscular space, cardio space and Kinésis room.

Fitness rooms are rarely more complete in a luxury establishment than this.

Then in the evening, the sun disappears in the land curvature, staining the clouds in pink and mauve. Thus ends the perfect day.

EXHIBITIONS

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:21:04 +0100

May Diary 2013