Sue Ray Uncorked
The Wine Show Chelsea
Chelsea Old Town Hall, King's Rd, London SW3 5EE
The Wine Show Chelsea was held at Chelsea Old Town Hall from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th October 2015. I visited on Saturday 17th October.
Chelsea Old Town Hall is located on the famous King’s Road and is a popular venue for events such as fashion shows, gift fairs and wedding receptions. It is a beautiful late Victorian building with high ceilings and impressive architecture; the perfect backdrop to enjoy some fantastic wines.
The Drinks Business created The Wine Show Chelsea to encourage visitors to explore more of the world’s wine offerings and to illustrate how much more character you can get in wines priced at £8 and over. As there are so many costs involved in the production of wine, if you spend £5 on a bottle, only 40p goes on the wine, but if you increase that spend to £8 or more, this increases the spend on wine to more than £2.
Below are some new faces I met:
Alessandro Signorelli of SimaVin
Simavin was established by Alex Signorelli in 2013 and specialises in importing Italian sparkling wines.
Alex Down, Wine Sales & Marketing Manager of Amathus Drinks
Amathus Drinks was established in 1978 and is a specialist drinks importer, distributor and retailer. They have an online shop, 4 stores in London and also organise events.
Tom Ottey of Humble Grape
Humble Grape was founded by South African, James Dawson, in 2009 when he originally started delivering boutique wines on his motorcycle to family and friends. Humble Grape focuses on organic and biodynamic wines from small family owned vineyards. By 2011, James had started running wine tastings and he opened his first shop and wine bar on Battersea Rise earlier this year.
Carlos Rojo of Bodegas y Viñedos Juan Manuel Burgos, S.L.
Carlos was representing a company which promotes and distributes Ribera del Duero DO wines. These wines are available in the UK via The Spanish Wine Club.
Gary Davies of The Spanish Wine Club
(www.thespanishwineclub.co.uk)
Gary set up The Spanish Wine Club so that its members can enjoy wines from small boutique and family run vineyards which are not available through large supermarket chains.
Brian A. Kelleher, Director of Commercial Sales at Pahlmeyer
Wines are available in the UK via www.winetreasury.com
A trial attorney by trade, Jayson Pahlmeyer, set up partnership with the owner of a 55 acre site in Napa with the intention of creating a “California Mouton”. The first release, the 1986 Proprietary Red, was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker.
Below are some memorable wines I tasted:
Champagne Devaux
My first time tasting wines from this boutique Champagne house located in the Côte-des-Bar. All of their products spend a minimum of 5 years on the lees (more than 3 times the legal requirement) which results in some amazingly complex and very fine NV Champagnes.
Cuvée D, NV – blend of first press "cuvées" from several vintages. Full bodied, complex with a fine persistent mousse
Ultra D, NV – extra brut style which combines a minimum of 3 vintages aged in oak. Very full bodied, with lots of toast and vanilla, and a creamy finish
D Rosé, NV – produced by the addition of 10% Pinot Noir still wine. Fresh acidity, ripe strawberries and redcurrants, with a long smooth finish
Simavin
Ronco Calino Franciacorta DOCG Brut, NV – light and delicate with crisp acidity, citrus fruits and white flowers
Ronco Calino Franciacorta DOCG Satèn, NV – fresh acidity, ripe citrus, white flowers and honey on the finish
Ronco Calino Franciacorta DOCG Rosé, NV – very delicate mousse, good acidity, hints of minerality and ripe red fruits
Ronco Calino Franciacorta DOCG Brut 2008 – full bodied, rich and creamy with hints of white peach and white flowers, a soft persistent mousse and a long finish
Meopham Valley Vineyard
(www.meophamvalleyvineyard.co.uk)
A small 2 ha vineyard in Kent set up by David and Pauline Grey in 1991.
2009 Sparkling Brut – full bodied, with a yeasty, toasty nose, good levels of acidity and a long finish
Hard to Fine Wines
These guys specialise in offering quality wines from boutique wineries around the world.
2007 Madonna Estate Gewurztraminer – very floral and aromatic on the nose, with ripe citrus fruits, lychees and hints of honey on the palate, and a long bone-dry finish
Amathus Drinks
2011 Bluebell Rosé – camembert and fresh strawberries on the nose, soft mousse, good acidity and plenty of ripe red fruits
2012 Fess Parker Ashley’s Pinot Noir – black fruits, vanilla, smoke and forest floor with a very long finish - superb!
Humble Grape
2012 Domaine La Ligière Vacqueyras – Smoky, oaky, ripe blackberries and black cherries, black pepper and smooth dark chocolate
2012 Domaine Terres Georges Racine Carignan – a complex and rustic red with wild herbs, raspberries and redcurrants from 70 year old vines
The Spanish Wine Club
(www.thespanishwineclub.co.uk)
2014 AVAN Oak, DO Ribera del Duero – a very young fruity vibrant Ribera with complimenting acidity
2011 AVAN Viñedo del Torrubio, DO Ribera del Duero – a very smooth Ribera with soft supporting tannins from old vines at high altitude
2011 AVAN Terruño de Valdehernando, DO Ribera del Duero – a stunning Ribera, again from old vines, silky smooth, fresh acidity, full bodied and packed full of ripe red and black fruits
Pahlmeyer
2013 Chardonnay – a powerful wine with aromas and flavours of citrus, ripe peaches and tropical fruits, combined with fresh acidity, vanilla, toast and oak
2012 Proprietary Red – dark, rich and concentrated blend of black and red fruits, with hints of lavender and wild herbs, soft fine-grained tannins and a long finish
2013 Jayson by Pahlmeyer, Cabernet Sauvignon – intense aromas and flavours of blackcurrants and blueberries, supported by a firm tannic structure and fresh acidity, with notes of cedar and dark chocolate
2012 Merlot – very elegant wine with a good concentration of black cherries and wild blueberries, soft fine-grained tannins, good levels of acidity and a long finish
Great Western Wine
Another company which specialises in importing unique and hand-crafted wines from around the globe.
2010 Trapiche Terroir Series Single Vineyard Malbec – full bodied and rich with ripe black fruits, dark chocolate, oak, smoke and sweet spice
Copyright of suerayuncorked.com - October, 2015
