After 3 weeks on the prison ship of abstinence, does wine taste any different? I’ve just opened this St Estèphe and I think I have the presence of mind to review it objectively. It’s fucking awesome!

Whilst still young and tannic (I decanted mine), which means it went superbly with a ribeye steak, it also had a certain fruity sweetness that made a rare red wine match for chocolate. Lindt Selection if you must know, although I am sure you can experiment yourself. Probably worth leaving another year or two, but if you are desperate to open a bottle, you will be far from disappointed.

Mine came from Sunday Times Wine Club (Laithwaites) President’s Cellar which implies a price of £20-30, and I did see it at Berry Bros for around £27.50, although currently out of stock. If you’ve been off wine for a while, or even if you’ve been drinking like Bentley Drummle at your posh London club, it’s worth the extra for a little treat.

However, it raises a wider issue about wine branding.  When it comes to certain wines (mostly French if I am honest) I like to think that I should be able to choose the original wine over one badged by a retailer.  So am I being immodest to think that I can do better than an institution that has been around since 1874?  Am I <gasps> a “wine snob”?  And worse, an ill-informed one to boot?

The Society’s own brands, as I found out when I finally bothered to pay a visit, are sourced from first class wineries all over the world and chosen to be typical and representative of their region.  The Exhibition range costs a little more but is not always worth it.

For example, at a tasting I attended at Wine Society HQ in Stevenage, of 20 different WS branded wines, I thought that the basic range White Burgundy (Depagneux) 2009 was awesome value at £7.50.  Conversely, from Concha Y Toro, a brand that I normally love, the Exhibition Chilean Merlot was too heavy for me in alcohol, tannin and price (£9.95).  Regular readers will know that I would like to have an illicit affair with Jane Hunter, so I was delighted to see the Exhibition Marlborough Sauvignon was crafted by her fair loins.  It is racily delicious, but, at £10.95, I’m not sure it is any cheaper than the original wine.

The star of the show for me by a mile and a half, however, was a wine I have now tasted 3 or 4 times, the Society’s Exhibition Margaux, 2004.  It has a lovely tawny colour, subtle fragrant nose and tastes awesome with or without food.  I was in Bordeaux in summer 2010 and the French were drinking the first growths from 2004 then.  I think this wine proves that even us English, who generally prefer our wines older, should be opening the next tier of Bordeaux reds from 2004 right now.

Another plus point is that the Wine Society sourced the wine from Rauzan-Ségla and it represents their second wine.  I dug deep into my pockets and found 111 euro for a 1996 edition of their first wine last year.  At £20, I think the Wine Society has sourced fabulous value here.

If there is one thing I have learnt from this experience it is not to be so snobby about own brand wines, especially when serious effort and care has gone into the sourcing.

But, one has to eat, and drink, and get on with life so, in anticipation of victory, I had booked us into Barbecoa, Jamie Oliver’s new venture in Cheapside in the City.  And as a hangover cures go, you could do worse than select from the “Bites” menu.  The mountain of bread with home made butter was as filling as it was delicious.  A “portion” of pork crackling (£4) was large enough to serve 16 Northern beer drinkers based on the size of pub bags when I was a nipper.  And needless to say the flavour and crunch was in a new class, (but I am known as a bit of a porker).

Talking of City, we wall-papered a certain team from Trafford (1-0).  City’s first FA Cup final for 30 years deserved celebrating in style.  What a sight!  A 40,000 strong army of sky blue doing the ‘Poznan’.  40,000 empty seats where United fans once sat humbled.  10,000 bemused neutrals realising that the FA Cup actually meant something oop North.  Wembley was an all too rare suburb of the Republic of Manchester.

And what a view on Sunday!  On entering Barbecoa, the first impression is of a well run, solid, and substantial restaurant, albeit with a bar that feels a little too small for the overall footprint.  Quickly forgotten, as the main window looks out on the eastern elevation of St Paul’s Cathedral.  You might have to visit Galvin @ Windows or 40|30 to get a better perspective from your London dining table.

Despite being in the City, an aperitif glass of Billecart-Salmon champagne, at £11, was a fair priced way to celebrate.  So I had two.

Shown to our brass topped table by an impossibly smily waitress, I found myself playing roulette with the perfectly weighted knife that for a minimum of effort would rotate smoothly for several ‘hours’ in a posh version of spin the bottle.  I lost, and had to fund the bill (£178 inc service).  I was dying for English asparagus and heard it was out early.  Adam Perry Lang, the chef and joint patron, empathised but was not prepared to serve poor shoots and leave (he told me via Twitter).  By the time you read this, he may have found the quality he seeks.

Barbecoa is a meat focussed venue.  Chicken, pork, beef and lamb with an odd fish special.  Sourcing from a “butchers downstairs” this seems a genuine attempt at delivering quality, rather than sleb chefs cashing in.

I matched my champagne to oysters to start.  I matched my Lussac-St. Emilion to a rare rump.  The red wine, as ever, was served way too warm, but 10 minutes in an ice bucket didn’t seem to upset anyone, least of all the wine.

Oysters were plump as promised, and tasty, but not easy to free from their shells and dress with no eating irons.  Also, green Tabasco would be a nice addition.

Steak was rare as promised, but I probably should have ordered it blue, if it is possible to cook a picaña so.  Hawksmoor and Goodman maybe won’t be shaking in their boots just yet, but it was tender and full flavoured and wouldn’t have been totally out of place in a line-up against such esteemed competition.

Our waitress seemed a little cautious, for no reason.  Best service I have had in months.  The food is also excellent although, apart from the steak, a little over-seasoned in places for me.  A tad too much olive oil, a pat too much butter, a shake too much salt.  But, this place has inherited Jamie’s infectious enthusiasm for people, as much as olive oil, and it is hard not to love it just for that.

There is a pretty good wine list which is reasonably marked up.  I found the Château La Claymore 2007 at Oxford Wine Co for £14.99 which implies a mark-up of almost exactly 200%, which is almost exactly the norm for London and way off the eye-watering gross margins demanded of you by Gaucho Grills, for example.

The final total was pretty reasonable for an alcohol stained, stomach bursting meal.

I will definitely be back.  And did I mention the view?

Barbecoa
20, New Change Passage
London
EC4M 9AG
T: +44 203 005 8555
W:  www.barbecoa.com

The only person on the planet dafter than me is Ed.  I did try to explain that most people die before a chain-mail king gets enveloped by rank and file rooks.  But then he dropped me an email asking for an address and my first move.  I decided to open with the Queen’s gambit (hopefully declined – Ed are you reading?).  The rest is history, or will be in about 15 years, assuming we both survive the credit crunch.

Also consigned to history are my views on St Emilion.  I thought the right bank wines dominated by the softer Merlot grape were easy drinking and youthful.  A visit this summer to Bordeaux with trips to Haut Sarpe and Beau-Séjour in the Monk’s city opened my eyes.  They were richer and in many ways even more robust than some young Cabernet blends from the Rive Gauche.

Château Laroque is another example of a sturdy wine, not over-alcoholic, but very tasty, deep, dark and fruity.  I would like to take this in through intravenous drip one day when my chess moves can only be communicated by toe movements.

I found it at Manford’s at £23.74 per bottle which is hardly cheap.  But I’m a l’Oréal guy when it comes to wine….and botox. It’s all part of my make-up.  Let’s hope it helps me avoid fool’s mate.

La Salamandre, looking out directly over the river is charming, top quality, well presented, and has a great wine list.

A glass of Sauternes with my foie gras du canard was only €3.50 and a half bottle of a superb Entre-Deux-Mers with my moules frites, €17.

The foie arrived with an unannounced buddy in the shape of a small glass of extremely fruity but nonetheless bone dry white wine.  Both wines worked well but mine was obviously the better choice.

Moules frites, served in an ironically shell shaped dish, was fucking enormous.  A big drain on my constitution, not just due to the sheer number of molluscs, but also the weight of the Poulette sauce.

The atmosphere is posh bistro, and the clientele on the July Saturday that I visited, almost exclusively French.  I think this is because the English and American tourists prefer to snack for lunch whereas the French like to roll up their sleeves and properly exercise their jaws, both gastronomic and gossip muscles getting a solid two hour workout.  Vive la France, eh!

For petit francophile moi, all of this makes a blend of components to equal Château Latour (also on the wine list but not at a price I can afford).  But if you have even 1% of Sir Fred Goodwin’s pension, most of the first growths were represented at prices that more resembled retail UK, than City Banker rip-off.

L’addition was less than €30 per head.

While yourself away a couple of hours shooting the breeze over fantastic, but far from overpriced food, and a wine list to match.  But only if you in a French frame of mind, and you have a couple of hours to burn.

La Salamandre
15-16, quai Léon Périer
33250 Pauillac
Bordeaux
France
T: +33 (0)5 56 59 24 87
W: www.lasalamandre-pauillac.com

I’ve been learning a little about the quality (and price) of the wines of Moulis on this trip to Bordeaux.  So at €65, the 2004 Chasse-Spleen looked a reasonable bargain.

No, it’s not Latour, Margaux, or Lynch-Bages, but it’s better value for money.  Nutmeg, vanilla, Turkish Delight (rose flavoured) and some deep tannic black fruits.  Great match for steak (the mouthful that was actually edible).

As for La Brasserie Bordelaise?  Great atmosphere, and you have to queue with the Bordelaise cogniscenti to get in, even on a Monday.  No wonder.  The food is excellent, my steak excepted (although many much better looking rib steaks were served to French customers on adjacent tables).  But the service is, let’s be kind, average.

When in Bordeaux, drink Moulis, eat somewhere less fashionable.

La Brasserie Bordelaise
50 rue Saint Remi
33000 Bordeaux
Tél. : +33 (0)5 57 87 11 91
E : brasserie.bordelaise@orange.fr
W:  www.brasseriebordelaise.fr

You can expect French service, though, which is the exact opposite of New York service.  That is to say, friendly but slow.

Château de Fontenil, 2004 Domaine Michel Rolland (Fronsac), at €30 was recommended but out of stock.  A replacement of No 2 de Maucaillou 2006 comes from Moulis, an appellation that doesn’t trouble the abacus when counting the bottles in my cellar.  Shame, because although a rough country style of wine, it is perfectly matched to raw beef.  Rich earth with herbs and spices but not aggressive tannins.  As warm as a wine served at right temperature (15deg) can be.

Tartare de concombre avec mousse de saumon fumé was as pretty as the waitress but moved faster.  A cross between a cucumber burger and pint of light ale, it was shaped in honour of my main course, yet dressed with radicchio, chives, radish roots, peppers and strawberry.  A mix of both flavour and texture – light and lighter.  The salmon mousse was so fluffy, I contemplated rolling up a small ball to clean my ears with.

Tartare de boeuf “à l’Italienne” turned out to be with Parmesan rather than capers.  Otherwise, like most steak tartare it demanded Tabasco which gave the dish a bit of John Holmes.

Carpaccio d’ananas caremulsé was possibly the best desset I have ever eaten and I have never even met Greg Wallace, although I am pleased that a dental appointment next week is well timed to remove the remainder of the glazed sugar from my teeth.

I love places like this.  Friendly, informal, with food and wine that would shame The Wolseley, with 1% of the custom.

After setting a French All-Comers Record for most mosquito bites on one ankle, I must go to the pharmacie tomorrow to see if I can get the swelling down to the size of a baseball.

If not, I will be coming again here for my last supper…

Le Puy-Paulin
5 Rue Louis Combes
33000 Bordeaux
France
T: +33 (0)5 56 81 85 52
W: no website found at time of writing

Entering through the unassuming entrance of Max Wine Gallery you could be forgiven for thinking that you are entering a posh handbag or clothes boutique.  But, inspect further and inside you will find not Chloe or Hermès, but brands a bit closer to my heart, and liver.

Bottles of various top growths from Médoc, St Emilion and Sauternes are imprisoned within glass cases but with tempting little spouts indicating a tad of promiscuity to willing punters.  A wino heaven, although at a price.

Lynch-Bages 2006:  Smells potent, smoky, heavy and purple if you know what I mean.  Has the legs of Marilyn Monroe even though only 13% ABV.  Tastes a little kedgeree which is a shame as L-B is normally one of my favourites.  However, clearly a serious wine.  I wonder if it will improve with age.

Calon-Segur 2006:  Another winery of which I have tasted a few.  Smells much softer and more fruity than the Lynch-Bages but tastes more bitter.  Bonfire toffee and cherry.  I would drink happily with steak.

Château Pichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande, 2006:  No awards from the plain French Society, or the Brevity Association.  The least smoky so far but the deepest smelling.  Fine tasting with lots of fruit and some mashed carrot and swede.  Toasty and warm, already drinking well on its own in my opinion, for those who don’t mind a bit of tannin.

Les Forts de Latour, 2006:  Smells of wax crayons and tastes similar although rich, deep, tannic and fruity.  If this is representative I would leave the second wines of first growths alone in favour of the second through fifth growths’ first wines.  Confused?

Château Latour, 2004:  Most elegant yet.  If this is representative (and you are a lot richer than me) ALWAYS buy first growths.  An explosion of fruits and tannins in the mouth that makes me drool.  I don’t see the point in waiting much longer to drink this when it is so good now (2010).

Château Margaux, 2004:  I love wines from the Margaux commune and this most beautiful of châteaux has long been on my list of wines I must taste before I die.  Raspberry pavlova and vanilla cream.  Soft, luscious, gorgeous, and like Latour of the same year, drinking well right now.  So soft in the mouth it’s like cotton wool.  I wonder if Marlon Brando drank this during his Godfather performance.

Château Cheval Blanc, 2004:  I tasted Beau-Séjour Bécot recently and Haut-Sarpe from the same year but, although nice, they are pale inferiors.  Bonfire toffee, blackcurrant and toast.  By far the richest and deepest of the wines I’ve tasted today.  I thought most St Emilion’s were more approachable in youth than the Cabernet Sauvignon dominated Rive Gauche but it turns out this is 66% Cabernet Franc.  Bit tea-baggy and probably best left to soften for a few years (or decades).

Château d’Yquem, 2004:  I noticed that the name of the Compte de Lur Saluces was missing from the front of the bottle.  I believe this was the first vintage to omit his name after he sold out to LVMH and retired?  I was in Sauternes last week and tasted some awesome wines from Yquem neighbours, Suduiraut and Guiraud.  Rumour has it that Yquem quality is falling whilst Climens is now jostling for the crown.  Sour grapes?

I have been dying, since birth almost, to try the real thing.  The smell of this wine is enough to give you a stiffy (or moisten you, if female).  Honey, lychees, apricots, pineapple, pear, honeydew melon, beeswax and a subtle pepper undertone.  Could there be more complex wine?  I have never tasted Manna, but this must be the closest I have ever been to heaven.  It justifies the enormous price tag for me, although my bank manager won’t allow me to buy any.

So that concludes a €75 three hour blowout that involved drinking less, in total, than one large £3.50 glass of wine from an English pub, but delivered pleasure that you cannot put a value on.  And if I had a car here, I could probably legally drive home.  I wonder if this is what the British Government means by “binge drinking”.

Max Bordeaux
14 Cours de l’Intendance
33000 Bordeaux
T:  +33 (0)5 57 29 23 81
E:  gallery@maxbordeaux.com
W:  http://maxbordeaux.com/

Where better to try a Bordeaux Grand Cru than in its home town?  Problem is pecuniary.  Although restaurants around Bordeaux ask reasonable mark-ups, this still involves voluntary surgery.  To keep my arms and legs intact, my cunning plan was to buy the wine from a local shop and take it to the restaurant which, for convenience, was Le Savoie, bang in the centre of Margaux.

As it happens the plan was only partly successful because, including €12 corkage, despite the drinking pleasure, my bank manager still had to find €111 (a “Nelson” in cricketing terms) to replenish my bank account.

Peppery, spicy, earthy and full of fruit, yet very feminine and flowery. But that’s enough about the waitress, let’s talk about the wine.  Actually, let’s not. It would be rude.  Enough to say that words like ethereal, magic, and wheelbarrow are simply not appropriate.  One thing that is true of fine wines is that they evolve over time in the glass, and this went through a lifecycle more akin to a swan or butterfly, although in youth it already started from a position of covetous pulchritude.  Moving from Eartha Kitt to Juicy Lucy is some feat and it opened up its fruity legs to show its floral class, lavender undertones and minty tannins.  At 12.5% ABV it turned into a light sabre, but with The Jedi in control. The force was with me – good job I wasn’t allowed to drive home.

The meal was forgettable, with a flopped mushroom mousse accompanying my snails, and massively overcooked, out of season veg that was so tired I assume it had been watching an omnibus edition of Eastenders. Everything tried just a little too hard, from the amuse-bouche to the weird shaped crockery.

By all means call in for a lunch on your way through Médoc but for a posh evening meal pretending to the Michelin étoile you will find much better places in Pauillac or Bordeaux.  In fairness the service was Michelin class, it was only the food that disappointed.  You may have more luck, especially if you are French, judging by the magic mushroom mousse that has just arrived at the next table to M. et Mme. Mangetout.

The bill was another thing that tried too hard although, in fairness, it succeeded in being the most expensive of the holiday, at €90 for two (excluding wine of course).

Le Savoie
1, place Trémoille
33460 Margaux
Bordeaux
France
T: +33 (0)5 57 88 31 76
W:  www.lesavioe.net

So my soccer skills rank alongside Apple’s PR prowess.  But when it comes to enjoying a glass of wine…. well this one, anyway.  Inky dark and purple in colour with an intoxicating, but not overly alcoholic smell.  The taste, charcoal, beetroot, blackberry.  The 2001 Bordeaux were ambushed by a sequence of “vintages of a lifetime”.  On this form, and when you look at the latest 2009 prices, 2001 may be a stonking bargain.