Met up with Thor Gudmundsson the other night at Brackenbury Wine Rooms to drink and chat. Thor has two Wine Rooms locations, in Brackenbury (Hammersmith) and in Kensington, and both have really interesting wine lists. They offer something for everyone, with lots of different wines available to taste on their enomatic machines. These aren’t super geeky locations, although there’s enough geeky wine on the list to appeal to folk like me. The main thing is that these are solid wine-focused places with good food. I love them.

Andreas Tscheppe Grüne Libelle (Green Dragonfly) Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Stryia, Austria
13% alcohol. This is mineral, reductive and stony, yet at the same time has some rich apple and pear fruit with some oxidative hints. There is a lovely acid drive here: it’s linear and precise with superbly managed reduction. So tensile. I love the way the acid feels on the tongue. 94/100

Vinding Montecarrubo Il Piccolo 2017 Sicily, Italy
This is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. 14% alcohol. Lush, sweet and yet stll focused with good concentration of black cherries and blackberries with some olive and meat richness. Stylish in a ripe mould. 92/100

Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 60 Vielles Vignes 2014 Northern Rhône, France
This is lovely, and still so young. Has a roast coffee, spice, tar reductive edge to the nose. Dark and reductive yet with nice sweet black cherry and blackberry fruit with some pepper and warm herb characters. There’s lovely density of ripe fruit here. Very fine. 95/100